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Passengers’ perceived experience and satisfaction with long-distance coach liners in South Africa
Get PDFThe transportation industry makes a significant contribution to the economy of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), national investment and employment, and plays an essential role in people’s daily lives. Within the transportation industry, this study specifically focused on long-distance coach liners. Long-distance coach liners add significant value to South Africa’s economy. However, no research focusing specifically on passengers’ perceived experience and satisfaction with long-distance coach liners in South Africa exists. Thus, the study aims to fill this void by investigating passengers’ perceived experience and satisfaction with long-distance coach liners in South Africa. The five dimensions of an experience, namely aesthetics, entertainment, peace of mind, economic value and efficiency were identified as potential dimensions of measuring passengers’ experience within a long-distance coach liner context to achieve the aim of the study. The study employed convenience and snowballing sampling to identify potential respondents. Primary data was collected utilising an online survey, SurveyMonkey, and 399 useable responses were received. To strengthen the validity of this study, inferential statistics were used to examine exploratory factor analysis to find latent factors. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was executed on the 44 items intended to measure the independent and dependent variables. The EFA was executed on the correlation matrix between the items. Five factors were extracted for the independent factors and one factor extracted as a dependent factor. A reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) was calculated for each factor to estimate the internal consistency of each of the items. The identified factors, with their respective items, were found to be reliable. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were any statistically significant differences between the mean score of selected profile variables (age, occupation, travel purpose and frequency with which respondents had travelled by long-distance coach liner) and the study's identified factors. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the influence or predictive effect that one or more (independent) variables has concerning the other (dependent) variable. In the current study, multiple regression analysis was utilised to examine the influence of the independent factors on the dependent variable. vi The results showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between factors such as aesthetics, entertainment, peace of mind, economic value and efficiency and passengers’ satisfaction. This implies that all the independent factors influence passengers’ satisfaction. However, only two factors namely efficiency (ꞵ=0.455, p=0.000) and peace of mind (ꞵ=0.552, p=0.000) were found to be significant predictors of passengers’ satisfaction. This implies that when efficiency and peace of mind are improved, customer satisfaction will also increase. Based on the findings of the study, valuable recommendations were highlighted in Chapter 6 of the study. The study will make important contributions. Firstly, the findings will assist long-distance coach liner businesses to improve their competitive position by enhancing the experiences and satisfaction that they offer to passengers. Secondly, the study contributes to the literature on passengers’ experience and satisfaction within the transportation industry in South Africa. Thirdly, the empirical results will serve as a foundation for future research.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202
Information technology (IT) measures needed In the automotive industry to prepare for a pandemic
Get PDFInformation Technology is the application of technology to solve business or organisational problems on a broad scale. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a standstill to many businesses, including that of the automotive industry, where production was brought to halt, car sales plummeted and automotive industry employees were forced to work remotely. This study sought to understand the measures needed to be taken by the automotive industry in preparation for a pandemic. This study followed a deductive approach and the use of surveys was selected as a data collection tool. At the time of the study, the study population was permanently employed automotive industry employees based in Nelson Mandela Bay, working in administrative departments. These employees had access to ICT tools provided by the targeted company. The study aimed to investigate the IT measures needed by the automotive industry in preparation for a pandemic. More specifically, the study investigated IT infrastructure, financial support and communication, as well as IT skills and training, needed by the automotive industry in the Nelson Mandela Bay area for successful remote working. The empirical results were obtained from 127 automotive industry employees. The aim was to determine the extent of Remote Work Assessment in the Nelson Mandela Bay automotive industry and whether IT infrastructure, Communication, Financial support, IT skills, IT personnel support and IT training were the strongest determinants of measuring IT needs in preparation for a pandemic. The findings of the study indicated that IT infrastructure, Communication, IT skills, IT personnel support and IT training were important determinants of Remote Work Assessment. The study also revealed that only financial support was deemed as an insignificant determinant of Remote Work Assessment. Furthermore, recommendations were made to automotive industry leaders and management to facilitate improved working conditions with government. This can lead to significantly better forecasting and vi measurement of IT needs for future pandemic preparation in the automotive industry in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 202
Reconciling the “Natural” and the “Artificial” in the making of Regenerative Ecosystems: The Design of a Port Operations Facility for the Buffalo River Harbour, East London
No full textThe purpose of this study is to investigate a reconciliation between natural systems and the artificial construction of our built environment within the scope of regenerative ecosystems through architectural intervention. The monolithic harbour front, sited specifically within the Buffalo River Harbour of East London, is examined as the ultimate artificial and immovable landscape which sets the challenge of creating a more dynamic architecture. This is due to the fact that the banks of the Buffalo river harbour have long been transformed by marine industry and urban influence, having a retardation effect on its ecological functioning. Through the programmatic response of a Port Operations Facility, marine infrastructural institutions such as Transnet are given a new role in terms of environmental custodianship. The notion of a “self-regulating system” is therefore central to the design strategy. This occurs through a scale-linking approach, where the design plays a crucial role in urban runoff and stormwater management within the greater infrastructural context of the city, in an effort to rectify present ecological imbalances. Environmental receptivity is also explored through architectural devices that are sensitive to the cyclical fluctuations of intertidal landscapes, as well as advocating decentralised waste and energy management. Through the creation of a “novel ecosystem”, an ecological counterpoint to the monofunctional infrastructural domain of our cities is proposed. This challenges conventional engineering and design processes and ideologies in favour of a more complex relationship between landscape and architecture.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 202
Exploring psychologists’ perceptions on how they integrate their own cultural belief systems within the therapeutic relationship in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa
Get PDFWhile there is extensive research exploring the influence of a client’s cultural beliefs on the therapeutic process; there is still a scarcity of information on how the cultural beliefs held by a psychologist may affect or influence the therapeutic process. Psychologists are trained to work with clients objectively by suspending their own beliefs, ideas, and values. Despite this, it would be interesting to explore how South African psychologists’ personal belief systems are navigated within the therapeutic space. Given the diversity of cultures within the South African context, it becomes important to explore and understand psychologists’ cultural belief systems, as they may influence the therapeutic relationship but to also, understand how they assimilate these belief systems into the therapeutic relationships with diverse clients. Drawing on the qualitative methodology, the study sought to draw participants using a purposive sampling technique. Participants were sourced through different databases, such as the Eastern Cape database of registered and practicing psychologists. Participants who agreed to partake in the study were sent an email with the interview schedule and the link to either MS Teams or Zoom, depending on their preference. The collected data was transcribed and then analysed using thematic analysis through which three themes and six sub-themes were identified and discussed. The identified themes are as follows; 1) Culture as perceived by psychologists, 2) Cultural beliefs in therapy and, 3) The therapeutic alliance. The study found that shared cultural beliefs between psychologists and clients facilitated rapport building. It allowed the therapeutic process to move in a positive direction. The study applied the principles of ethics and trustworthiness.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 202
A wideband spectropolarimetry study of the spatially resolved radio galaxies: Cygnus A & Hydra A
Get PDFThis study presented results from our deep, wideband, high-spectral and high-spatial-resolution polarisation observations of the two most powerful radio galaxies, namely Cygnus A and Hydra A, with the Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA). The high surface brightness and strong polarisation of these radio sources enabled detailed polarimetric imaging, providing images at 0.75′′ resolution across 2−18 GHz and 2000 independent lines-of-sight across Cygnus A, and images at 1.5′′ (2 − 12 GHz) and 600 lines-of-sight across Hydra A. Our data revealed significant depolarisation and depolarisation structure, as well as deviations from a _2-law. We also found complicated structures in the Faraday spectra ranging from single-peaked to blended/resolved double- and multiple-peaked. The Faraday spectra of Hydra A were more multiple-peaked than Cygnus A. The fractional polarisation increased monotonically with increasing resolution, as expected. However, there were numerous lines-of-sight with complicated behaviour. We also found that the structure and complexity in the depolarisation increased at lower resolutions, suggesting substantial spatial structures across the lobes/tails. We fitted the 0.3′′ (6−18 GHz) and 0.50′′ (6−12 GHz) images of Cygnus A and Hydra A, respectively, with a simple model incorporating random, unresolved fluctuations in the cluster magnetic field to determine the high-resolution, high-frequency properties of the sources and the cluster. We found rotation measures (RM) between −5000 rad m−2 and +6400 rad m−2 across Cygnus A, and −2000 rad m−2 and +11900 rad m−2 across Hydra A, consistent with previous studies. From these derived properties, we generated predicted polarisation images of the sources at lower frequencies ( 1000 rad m−2. Instead, the data required a dominant Faraday rotating screen in the foreground of the radio sources. The wideband modelling also showed preference towards models with at least two or more unresolved Faraday rotating patches. Single depolarising models fail to describe the data. This implies the presence of more than one depolarising screen in the vicinity of these sources. The observations were consistent with the lower-frequency depolarisation due to unresolved fluctuations on scales ≳ 300−700 pc in the magnetic field or the electron density superposed on a partially ordered field component. Both the large-scale magnetic fields and unresolved magnetic field fluctuations are external to the radio emission. The magnetic fields around Cygnus A are located in the ambient cluster gas, the shocked gas in the boundary of the lobes or both, while the magnetic fields around Hydra A are most likely located in the ambient cluster gas.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Physics, 202
A framework of the situational precursors for electronic medical records adoption in private medical practices in South Africa: the case of private medical practices in Qonce
Get PDFThe status of the South African healthcare sector appears in perpetual disarray and lacks significant migration to technological adoption. The impetus to migrate to electronic medical records (EMRs) has become a necessity to prepare for the intended delivery of universal healthcare solutions to the South African population via private medical practices. But situational precursors need to be identified and considered when adopting an EMR solution at a private medical practice. This means that healthcare providers must have a thorough understanding and awareness of the various factors that influence the successful adoption of EMRs. There is limited research on the effects of EMR adoption in resourcerestricted regions in developing countries. To this end, the aim of this study was to explore the organisational, technological and environmental factors influencing the adoption of EMRs at private medical practices in a resource-restricted area of South Africa. The area identified for the study was Qonce in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Methods: The interpretivist perspective guided the study and included the qualitative data gathered from semistructured interviews with carefully chosen medical and administrative personnel. Seven virtual interviews were conducted with nurses and administrative clerks. The thematic analysis method was used to prompt codes and themes within the dataset, and then conclusions were drawn. Findings: The consequence of the findings resulted in the development of an artefact in the form of a proposed framework of situational precursors for EMR adoption in private medical practices derived from the integration of themes and recommendations of this study. The proposed framework may be considered in the decision to adopt EMRs and could be utilised as one of the key drivers in promoting technology adoption in resource-restricted regions. The framework is divided into seven situational precursors, which include patient records management, information sharing, change management, ICT infrastructure support, privacy and security needs, policy and regulatory considerations, and economic implications. Each situational precursor in the framework includes some topical areas of consideration, which can be expanded on dependent on the dynamics of the given private medical practice. Conclusion/implications: Arguably, the benefits of EMRs supersede those of paper-based records systems. Migration to EMRs could therefore be favourable to both the practice and its patients. By taking into consideration the organisational, technological and environmental factors that influence EMR adoption, healthcare providers could reap benefits, such as increased productivity, less waiting times, elimination of paper files, reduced costs, and improved clinical decision-making. Failure to consider these factors could lead to financial losses, threats to the confidentiality of information and lack of acceptance by the community.Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 202
Season and environment modulate aquatic invertebrates’ responses to trout and indigenous fishes in three South African mountain streams
Get PDFIntroduced organisms are seen as one of the greatest threats to resource sustainability worldwide, and aquatic macroinvertebrates are regarded as good indicators of the health of water resources. To explore these two perspectives, the responses of macroinvertebrate faunas to native and introduced fishes in three headwater tributaries of the Keiskamma River system, South Africa, were examined by comparing potential indicator communities in reaches considered to be fishless, reaches invaded by introduced salmonid species, and reaches containing native fishes. Patterns in the macroinvertebrate faunal assemblage data were driven strongly by season and flow rate, and less strongly by the presence of insectivorous fishes and biotope availability, a finding in parallel with several similar studies from the region. This affirms that aquatic macroinvertebrate faunas are responsive indicators of both environmental and biotic factors and leaves room for further studies to resolve the effects of non-native fish in the Keiskamma River system and other similar systems from South Africa
Male Peer Talk About Menstruation: Discursively Bolstering Hegemonic Masculinities Among Young Men in South Africa
No full textIn this paper, we show how male peer talk about menstruating women may be used to discursively bolster hegemonic masculinities and denigrate women. Focus group discussions among 37 young isiXhosa-speaking men from two South African schools were facilitated by two young men; statements garnered from a sexuality education class about menstruation conducted in the same schools were used as cues. Data were analyzed using discourse analysis. The interactive talk constructed a bifurcation: “disgusting” menstruating women versus “reasonable” non-menstruating women who abide by idealized feminine behavior and are available sexually. We argue that as the non-menstruating woman cyclically become the other (menstruating woman) in women of particular ages, the trace of disgust inhabits the signifier “woman” for these men. Menstruation also disrupted a core identity strategy of local hegemonic masculinities: virile (hetero)sexuality. Given this, discursive distancing of the self from the very topic of menstruation is necessary. Small moments of resistance to these constructions were quickly closed down, and caring masculinity emerged only in the context of negotiating sex during menstruation. Involving men in menstrual hygiene management programs may provide spaces for resistance to denigrating discourses about menstruation
Mitigating Climate Change: The Influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Maize Production and Food Security
Get PDFAnthropogenic activities have contributed to the increased atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, which are an important contributor to climate change. From 1940 to 2004, global emissions increased by 70%, and projections suggest a continual increase by 2050 due to agriculture, forestry, and other land uses. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous in undisturbed soils and form a symbiotic relationship with various plants. The relationship that enhances nutrient uptake and plant growth, among other benefits, is well known. Several soil management practices employed in agriculture adversely affect the symbiosis. Zea mays (maize) provides 30% of total caloric intake to 4.5 billion people worldwide and is an important staple crop, vulnerable to climate change. Higher temperatures can result in increased water demand, while changes in precipitation can result in crop failure. AM fungi can be applied as inoculants to maize. Resulting in improved plant growth, yield, and nutrient uptake and providing superior food quality properties, such as increased antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. AM fungi are considered a crucial biotechnological tool in crop production. This review illustrates their essential role in sustainable maize production and emphasizes the need to maintain AM fungal communities in the soil to mitigate the effects of climate change
Wild swimming methodologies for decolonial feminist justice-to-come scholarship
Get PDFThis article thinks with oceans and swimming, in dialogue with decolonial feminist materialist approaches and other current novel methodologies which foreground embodiment and relational ontologies, in order to consider the conceptual potential of such diffractions for the project of alternative scholarly practices. We focus on swimming in the sea as one form of wild methodology and Slow scholarship that draws on hauntology to think about the possibilities of such methodologies for troubling normative academic practices directed at different ways of being and becoming. Located in the (post-)apartheid space of South African higher education, which continues to follow and reinstate colonial, patriarchal and neoliberal capitalist logics, we ask questions about the silences around material histories of subjugation and violence that are embedded in the institution and the lives of those who enter these spaces. Propositions are made about how a swimming methodology may inspire a consciousness and engagement with intersectional gender hauntings that permeate the material, curricula, relational and affective spaces of academia as part of disrupting and reimagining the university as a space of/for justice and flourishing. We explore the ways in which embodied, affective methodologies in or near the ocean/s may be deployed to subvert and reconfigure, to make and stay with trouble. We therefore propose sea swimming as a powerful way of thinking with the sea in productive and creative ways for scholarship towards a justice-to-come, to open up new imaginaries of scholarship that make a difference