1834 research outputs found
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Developing simulations of bio refinery scenarios as part of the development of the green economy
No full textEffectiveness of commodity pricing along the pork value chain in Zimbabwe: a case of Mashonaland Central Province
No full textThe main objective of this study was to give a reflection of the pricing strategies,
articulate organizational attitudes, feelings and behaviour regarding these strategies
and how they all influence value creation within agribusinesses in the Zimbabwean
pork industry. The research hypothesis is that the particular pricing objectives,
strategies and policies utilised have an indirect influence on how organizations
create value. Specifically, the research sought to determine influence of marketing in
value creation, establish influence of price in marketing mix, ascertain pricing
strategies, determine influence of attitudes, feelings and behaviours and measure
pricing efficiency.
Utilising interview-administered-questionnaires, the study sought responses from
strata of producers, abattoirs and retailers in Mashonaland Central Province of
Zimbabwe totalling a sample size of 226 respondents. The study utilised a cross
sectional survey research design and quantitative research methods. The study
utilised correlation analysis, ANOVA analysis, MANOVA analysis, multiple
regression analysis and marketing margin analysis in establishing correlations, mean
differences, influences and efficiencies in pricing.
The study found out that marketing is not an influential value creating activity within
the pork industry at . Price was also not the most influential marketing mix
component within the industry. Most industry players were utilising formula prices,
pursuing profit oriented pricing objectives through a one price policy, aiming for a low
penetration price level policy, with no discount policy and managing a profit to cost
ratio of between 0% and 4%. The most significant feeling was of being indifferent to
a price change as it is offset by changes in units sold. Attitudes of industry players
disregarding pricing mechanisms as long as it covers costs of production as well as
substitute products determining prices were significant in influencing pricing
objectives. Pricing within the industry was inefficient.
The study recommends leveraging on the most influential industry value creating
activity, which is production and processing, to take advantage of the myopic pricing
objectives, lack of discount policy and avoiding substitutes. Also recommended is
leveraging on the most influential industry marketing mix component, which is the
product, to take advantage of lack of premium pricing, inefficient pricing and avoiding
substitutes. Evading the low profit to cost ratio in the industry through utilising price
flexibility policies and vertically integrating were also recommended.National Research Foundatio
A brief overview of the ACEP project: Ecosystem Processes in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight
No full textThis introductory paper lays the basis for this supplementary issue by briefly presenting the state of knowledge
on the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight at the start of this multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, ship-based research
project that ran from 2009 to 2013. The rationale and aims of the project are also described. The project was a
major component of the South African Department of Science and Technology’s African Coelacanth Ecosystem
Programme (ACEP), which has been prominent in supporting research on the east coast of South Africa and the
wider South-West Indian Ocean. Pivotal to this was the RS Algoa, which was made available for two 30-day surveys
(winter and summer) in the KZN Bight by the Department of Environmental Affairs. Although some aspects of the
bight ecology are known, much of the research is dated and fragmented, and required refreshing and consolidation
in order to produce a platform upon which the understanding of the region’s ecosystem functioning could be
established. Much of the oceanographic knowledge is also dated, with no dedicated surveys and significant
measurements undertaken since 1989. The overarching theme of the KZN Bight project was to examine the relative
importance of sources of nutrients to the central KZN coast and how these are taken up and recycled in the
ecosystem, and to describe aspects of the benthic biodiversity, which is poorly described in much of this region.
An ambitious project, its accessibility to a ship-based research platform and the diverse scientific skills of the
participating scientists allowed considerable success, as reflected in the papers that follow
The saddle-point method and its application to the hill estimator
No full textThe saddle-point approximation is a highly accurate approximation of the distribution of a random variable. It was originally derived as an approximation in situations where a parameter takes on large values. However, due to its high accuracy and good behaviour in a variety of applications not involving such a parameter, it has been generalized and applied to the distribution of any random variable with a well-behaved cumulant generating function. In this thesis the theory underlying the saddle-point approximation will be discussed and illustrated with an application to approximate the distribution of the Hill estimator in extreme value theory.National Research Foundatio
A taxonomic re-evaluation of Gymnothorax undulatus (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) in the western Indian Ocean
No full textPoster presented at the South African Association of Botanists and Southern African Society of Systematic Biologists Conference (SAAB/SASSB), University of Free State, 10-13 January 201
Preparation, training and support requirements of expatriate trailing spouses
No full textGlobalisation has led to an increased need for MNEs to expand their operations and appoint expatriate managers in foreign countries. The failure of these expatriates has been identified as a major concern for multinationals, as failure rates range between 30 and 40 percent and may cost an enterprise up to US$1.2 million. Many studies have found the inability of the trailing spouse to adjust in the host country to be the most common cause of expatriate failure.
As they are more immersed in the host-country’s culture than the expatriate, spouses may experience severe culture shock, isolation, and stress, and need to come to terms with the various differences in healthcare systems, housing arrangements, cuisine, language and gender roles. The adjustment of the trailing spouse has been found to be significantly related to the success of an international assignment, making enterprise-assistance programmes essential.
The aim of this study was to determine the preparation, training and support requirements of trailing spouses in order for MNEs to reduce the likelihood of failure amongst their assignees. A literature study was conducted in order to investigate the causes of failure and to identify best practices for the preparation, training and support of spouses accompanying expatriates on assignment. The literature study was then followed by an empirical study, in which a link to an online questionnaire was distributed through MNEs and online forums to trailing spouses currently on assignment. Spouses were required to answer demographic questions and give their opinion regarding various preparation, training and support requirements by rating their level of agreement, on a four-point Likert Scale, as to whether or not they required any of the listed items for adjustment and whether or not these were provided to them by the enterprise. The data was then analysed using a factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha, a t-test, paired t-test, an analysis of the mean scores and other inferential statistics.
This study has revealed that enterprises are not providing expatriate trailing spouses with the preparation, training and support that they require, and has identified what preparation, training and support is required by spouses in order to adjust in the host country. Recommendations have been made based on these findings to assist enterprises in developing preparation and training programmes and providing adequate support to spouses prior to and during the assignment. It is important to remember that the key to expatriate success is the trailing spouse’s adjustment. These recommendations should therefore enable MNEs to design and implement expatriate programmes and processes that take into consideration the needs of trailing spouses in order to reduce the likelihood of expatriate failure.National Research Foundatio
Investigating the potentially expanded target repertoire of murinized Internalin of Listeria monocytogenes
No full textThe ability of intracellular pathogens to invade and spread from non-phagocytic cell to another is an imperative mechanism broadly investigated in cellular biology. Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) –one example of intracellular pathogens, invades specifically human epithelial cells using its surface proteins Internalin A (InlA) and InlB, respectively. InlA alone is sufficient to internalise the pathogen into the host cells by interacting with human E-cadherin –specifically the N-terminal domain 1 (hEC1). The InlA variant (InlAm) that was previously made to increase the binding affinity to hEC1 was successfully engineered in this study. This variant was found to interact with N-terminal domain 1 of murine E-cadherin (mEC1) by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Previously, the InlAm was reported to allow Lm invasion into M villous cells that express murine N-cadherin –possibly via the N-terminal domain 1 (mNC1). In this study, InlAm did not have affinity for mNC1 or N-terminal domain 1 of human N-cadherin (hNC1) when analysed by ITC –possibly due to amino acid sequences variation from both mEC1 and hEC1. However, by structurally engineering the complexes (InlAm/mNC1 and InlAm/hNC1) and studying their interaction interfaces, it was revealed that mNC1 and hNC1 can be recognised by InlAm just like hEC1. This was supported by the distances between interacting amino acid residues in InlAm/hEC1 crystal structure complex, which were also conserved in the engineered complexes. These observations related to the fact that the N-terminal domains of E- and N-cadherin are structurally conserved, therefore that could have attributed to similarities observed in the engineered complexes. Therefore, future studies would aim at using alternative methods that could support or disprove one of the two findings, that is whether InlAm and any of the N-terminal domains of N-cadherin interact or not.National Research Foundatio
The role of the DA: researchers & students expectations
No full textThe Grants Management and Systems Administration (GMSA) Directorate hosted its 7th annual Research Administrators Workshop (RAW) from 4 to 6 October 2016 in Polokwane. The workshop aimed to bring together key stakeholders from universities and science councils across South Africa, including international delegates, to share experiences and best practices in research administration and management
