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Factors influencing knowledge sharing at a selected tertiary institution in South Africa
No full textDissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Business Information Systems in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of TechnologyThe aim of this study was to understand the factors that affect knowledge sharing among
higher education academics. The main research objective was to identify factors to
contribute to a framework to guide the implementation of knowledge sharing strategies for
the higher education context. To achieve this objective, four research questions were
explored in order to reveal factors affecting the formation, growth, stability and
institutionalisation of knowledge sharing in a network of aligned interest. Knowledge sharing
is not institutionalised in higher education in South Africa and therefore knowledge in higher
education is not always captured nor systematically organised. This leads to a lack of
retention of valuable institutional know-how, inefficient work processes and reinventing the
wheel.
The actor-network theory (ANT) underpinned the research to tease out factors influencing
knowledge sharing. This was a qualitative study, employing an interpretive case study
methodology. Interviews were conducted with eighteen academic staff members from a
University of Technology (UoT) in South Africa. The population comprised all academic staff
members from the selected UoT who are actively participating in teaching and learning
activities. The population was limited to academics appointed at a level of junior lecturer,
lecturer and senior lecturer and excluded Associate Professors and Professors. Semistructured
interviews enabled the factors to be explored inductively.
Social, process and technology factors continue to pervade knowledge sharing in the higher
education context. Process factors receive significant focus before human and technology
factors. The organisational culture and management support emerged as the most important
human factors. The culture of the institution has determined its entrenched behaviour.
Management are tasked to embody the leadership skills that are required for the gradual
assimilation of the principles of knowledge sharing in the institution. Practical
recommendations are made in light of these factors, and the general framework, for
implementation by managers on an institutional, faculty and departmental level
Constraints facing small medium and micro enterprises in Khayelitsha, Western Cape
No full textThesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.The aim of this study was to determine the extent of constraints to entrepreneurial development in the townships supporting the Cape Town economy, specifically that of Khayelitsha, and to establish whether any government incentives were available to develop this township economy. These small, medium and micro sized businesses face numerous constraints. The vital role of small businesses in stimulating economic activity, in poverty alleviation, and in the raising of living standards, has been widely recognised in most countries. In fact, in several countries, small businesses are used as catalysts to generate economic activities within relatively poor communities. The City of Cape Town has developed economic initiatives to provide assistance to entrepreneurs with recommendations on how innovations should be encouraged to help entrepreneurs in such poor communities as Khayelitsha to start new businesses, and to create jobs. In order to obtain information on the Khayelitsha business community both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Questionnaires were employed to answer open and closed ended questions dealing with economic activities in the area, as well as interviews with formal and informal business persons. Generally, the findings reveal numerous constraints of trade facing businesses in Khayelitsha including governmental restrictions, lack of a skilled workforce, poor infrastructure, and services delivery. The recommendations made could lead to an improvement in operating conditions as this study argues that the existence of positive business conditions, in terms of social, economic, and personal factors, are necessary for business ventures and entrepreneurs to succeed. However, innovation is essential for small businesses to be able to respond effectively to the changing environment that has been triggered by globalisation forces
The working-capital management practices of small medium and micro enterprises in the Cape Metropole
No full textThesis (MTech (Cost and Management Accounting))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.The broad aim of this research was to investigate the working-capital
management practices of Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in the
Cape Metropole. The study was motivated by a lack of research on the workingcapital management practices of SMMEs. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire that comprised closed-ended questions. The findings of the study indicate that most SMMEs manage their cash effectively; however only a minority hold cash for speculative purpose, invest their surplus cash profitably and use computers to manage cash. By contrast, only a minority of the SMMEs sell on credit. Of those that do, only a minority review their credit criteria annually, send reminders to debtors, charge interest for delayed payment, send prompt statements and use computers to manage their receivables. Likewise, only a minority of the SMMEs purchase on credit. Of those that do, a majority pay promptly to take advantage of discounts and thus only a minority settle their accounts on the last date allowed. Interestingly, most of the SMMEs that purchase on credit use computers to manage their payables. Only a minority of the SMMEs perceive a lack of skills, resources, personnel and time as factors that inhibit them from managing their workingcapital effectively. The findings of this study provide invaluable insights on the weaknesses in the working-capital management practices of SMMEs, which could be used to inform future endeavours of the Government when establishing interventions meant to
improve the survival rates of these entities. The findings may also assist SMMEs
to gauge and review their working management practices, particularly their
receivables and payables, with a view to optimising the benefits derived from
these components of working-capital
The usage of management accounting tools by small and medium enterprises in Cape Metropole, South Africa
No full textThesis (MTech (Cost and Management Accounting))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.This study sought to determine the extent to which Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Cape Metropole use Management Accounting Tools (MATs), namely budgeting tools, Performance Measurement Tools (PMTs) and pricing tools, which are considered critical for the survival of these entities. Specifically, the study aimed to determine the types of MATs used by SMEs; the purpose for which MATs are used by SMEs; the perception of SMEs regarding the effectiveness of these tools and the possible factors that could inhibit SMEs from using the tools. The study was motivated by a lack of research on the usage of MATs by SMEs. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire that comprised closed-ended questions
Stakeholders’ perceptions of the impacts of an outdoor and wine festival in the Breede Valley of the Western Cape Province
No full textThesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.The Breede Valley region is located in the Cape Winelands District near Cape Town and has been identified as a wine region with vast diversity and distinctiveness. The lack of research in the field of wine and events in the area gave rise to this study. The event industry in this region is relatively unexploited but in recent years has been revealed to be a major catalyst for tourism and economic development. However, for events to act as a catalyst for tourism and economic development, it is important to have an understanding of stakeholders‟ perceptions of the impacts of these events. The research therefore focuses on stakeholders‟ perceptions of the impacts of the Breedekloof Outdoor and Wine Festival (BOWF) hosted in the Breedekloof region in the Breede Valley of the Western Cape Province. Underpinning this study was the understanding that the perceived impacts of the event are pivotal for the future planning, management and sustainability of the event as well as to minimise negative and maximise positive impacts of the BOWF. The study applied a mixed-methods approach, compiling data through survey questionnaires targeting 341 event attendees, 374 residents, 28 established businesses, 8 sponsors and 15 venue owners. Key informant interviews with the event organiser and direct observations with event attendees and residents were used as methods to collect data, using several sampling methods. A spatially based systematic sampling approach was used for the event attendees and residents‟ surveys, purposive sampling for the event organiser, venue owners and sponsors, while census sampling was used for the established businesses. For the purpose of the study, 767 respondents were targeted; only 730 responded.
The results demonstrate support of the event among residents from Rawsonville as they perceive the event as beneficial to local businesses in the region. It displays the town and its beauty and does not cause any inconvenience to local lifestyles. However, there were mixed views on inequalities relating to employment opportunities and involvement in the planning and management of the event. Most established businesses, on the other hand, were also not directly involved in the Festival; even though there were opportunities for businesses to optimise profits and engender publicity, most did not use this opportunity to their advantage. The event attendees at the Festival were mostly from the Western Cape, attending the Festival in groups of friends with the large majority spending/planning to spend money at the Festival.South African Department of Touris
Dominant pedagogies used in three rural geography primary school classrooms in the west coast district
No full textThesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.The question arose whether the teaching of primary school Geography teachers could be a factor for the declining Grade 12 pass rate in Geography. It is within this context that the researcher decided to investigate the quality of Geography teaching and learning in three rural primary schools in Grades 4 – 6. The theories of Shulman’s (1987) Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and Koehler and Mishra’s (2009) Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framed this research. Although the Intermediate Phase curriculum provides a general education experience, the teacher needs to adopt teaching strategies that will deliver geographical knowledge, skills and values, which will enable all learners to function effectively and responsibly in space-place and time. A qualitative research design was employed for this study using interviews and observations. Six teachers were purposively selected for this study. These schools are in high poverty rural communities and the medium of instruction is Afrikaans. The data was both inductively and deductively analyzed. The findings indicate that the most used pedagogy by these six teachers was the Lecture Method in combination with the Question and Answer Method. It was found that teachers do not have adequate content knowledge about the different pedagogies. This research was an exploratory investigation into the pedagogies used in Geography and offer three recommendations: recommendations for teaching Geography in rural multi-grade classrooms, recommendations for WCED and further research
A study of biodiesel production from waste vegetable oil using eggshell ash as a heterogeneous catalyst
No full textThesis (MTech (Chemical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology.While biodiesel has the potential to resolve the energy crisis, its production is hampered by both feedstock and catalyst availability. The aim of this current study is to investigate the production of biodiesel from waste vegetable oil (WVO) as feedstock under heterogeneous catalysis, mediated by calcined eggshell ash. WVO, characterised by 9% free fatty acid (FFA) and 0.17wt% water content, was employed as feedstock in the biodiesel production via transesterification reaction. The composition of WVO was determined using Gas chromatography (GC) analysis. The eggshell was washed with distilled water to remove impurities, dried in an oven at 105°C, and then crushed into fine particle of 75μm, and finally, calcined in a muffle furnace at 800°C. The chemical properties of the catalyst were assessed as follows: 1) using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine the major component phase of the element; 2) using X-ray fluorescent (XRF) to determine the elemental composition of the eggshell ash; 3) using Brunauer Emmet Teller (BET) to define the structure, the surface area, pore volume and pore diameter of the eggshell ash; and 4) using SEM to show the morphology structure of the element. The XRD analysis performed on eggshell ash showed 86% CaO as a major component in the catalyst; the remaining 14% was composed of MgO, SiO2, SO3, P2O5, Na2O, Al2O3, K2O and Fe2O3, as obtained from XRF. The BET result of the catalyst prepared was characterised by large pore diameter (91.2 Å) and high surface area (30.7m2/g), allowing reactants to diffuse easily into the interior of the catalyst use
Design and development of a smart inverter system
No full textThesis (MTech (Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.The growing interest in the use of solar energy to mitigate climate change, reduction in the cost of PV system and other favourable factors have increased the penetration of the PV(Photovoltaic) systems in the market and increase in the worldwide energy supply. The main component in a DG is a smart inverter connected in a grid-tied mode which serves as a direct interface between the grid and the RES (Renewable Energy System).
This research work presents a three phase grid-tied inverter with active and reactive power control capabilities for renewable energy sources (RES) and distributed generators (DG). The type of the inverter to be designed is a Voltage Source Inverter (VSI). The VSI is capable of supplying energy to the utility grid with a well regulated DC link at its input. The solution this project proposes is an implementation of the designed filter to effectively reduce the harmonics injected into the grid to an acceptable value according to standards and also an approach to control the real and reactive power output of the inverters to help solve the problems of instability and power quality of the distribution system. The design, modelling and simulation of the smart inverter system is performed in MATLAB/SIMULINK software environment. A 10 kW three-phase voltage source inverter system connected to the utility grid was considered for this research. Series of simulations for the grid-connected inverter (GCI) model was carried out using different step changes in active and reactive power references which was used to obtain the tracking response of the set power references. The effectiveness of the control system which was designed to track the set references and supply improved power quality with reduced current ripples has been verified from the simulation results obtained
The antimicrobial susceptibility and gene-based resistance of Streptococcus Agalactiae (group B Streptococcus) in pregnant women in Windhoek (Khomas region), Namibia
No full textThesis (MTech (Biomedical Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Group B Streptococci (GBS) can asymptomatically colonise the vagina and rectum of women. Studies have shown that this bacterium is the leading cause of septicemia, meningitis and pneumonia in neonates. In Namibia no known studies have investigated GBS colonisation and the antibiotic resistance profile of GBS isolates in pregnant women. This study accessed the GBS colonisation rate amongst the pregnant women who attended the Windhoek Central Hospital Antenatal Clinic (Khomas region), in Namibia for a period of 13 months. Furthermore, using the VITEK 2 system, the GBS isolates were tested against the following antimicrobial substances; benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, clindamycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, vancomycin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, linezolid and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Penicillin G is the drug of choice in the majority of studies, and seems to be the most effective drug for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP). All the GBS isolates found in this study were also analysed for the presence of selected genes known to be associated with resistance to key antibiotics using specific primers within a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Factors influencing occupational health nurses’ functions and professional development within selected organisations in the Western Cape
No full textThesis (MTech (Nursing))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology.Occupational Health Nursing (OHN) is a specialised field of nursing that deals with
exposure risks, prevention of disease and disability in the workplace. These nurses
work in isolation and are dependent upon regulations to ensure compliance. Although
there is very good legislation, there are no quality-control systems in place to ensure that standards of care have been met, or that companies are compliant. They also report to managers who do not have any medical background. This raises a concern, as managers, due to their lack of field-specific knowledge, will not be able to ensure quality of work rendered or adherence to compliance. The lack of insight into the functions and responsibilities of the OHNP poses frustrations when requests for training and attending meetings are made by the Occupational Health Nurses. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors that influence the functions and professional development of Occupational Health Nurses. A mixed-method, descriptive design was used. The target population was an entire group of OHNPs, working in the Western Cape only. Four managers from the private and public sector were also selected to participate in this study. Two data-collection tools were utilised. One was a questionnaire that was distributed to the Occupational Health Nurses and subsequent, telephonic interviews were scheduled with the nurses’ direct line managers. The process was initiated after ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The quantitative data was analysed using The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (V 23). The qualitative data was transcribed by an independent transcriber and descriptive coding was done, after which thematic content analysis was applied. Managers’ responses confirmed the view of 50% of the Occupational Health Nursing Practitioners (OHNPs) - that they did not understand the functions of the OHNPs. Although the majority of OHNPs work alone, they do not have a locum or an administrator to assist with administrative duties. The majority of OHNPs attend regular development programmes. The respondents indicated that a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) System should be implemented by the South African Nursing Council (SANC)South African Society of Occupational Health Nurse