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Innovation In Small Accommodation Businesses: A Comparative Study Of Zimbabwe And South Africa
Get PDFArticleOrientation: The accommodation sector has been identified as the most competitive and
innovative segment of the tourism offer. However, the uncertainty with regard to persistent
fierce competition that often shrouds small accommodation businesses (SABs) from their large
business counterparts necessitates the identification and understanding of sustainable drivers
of innovation to ensure their survival.
Research purpose: The main purpose of this study was to examine and compare the influence
of selected drivers (market and learning orientations [LOs]) on innovation in SABs in
Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Motivation of the study: This study was motivated by the absence of empirical evidence in
establishing and comparing the relationship between market and LOs and innovation in SABs
in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Research design, approach and method: This study used a descriptive cross-sectional
comparative research design. Using simple random sampling, two samples each of 139 from
SABs in Manicaland in Zimbabwe and the Free State province in South Africa were analysed
using one-way ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlations and regression analysis.
Main findings: The results demonstrate that market and LOs influence innovation in SABs in
Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Practical/managerial implications: In view of the strong association between market and LOs
and innovation, owners or managers of SABs should embrace and invest more in these
orientations to stimulate sustainable innovative behaviour.
Contribution/value-add: This study adds richness to extant research by affirming market and
LOs as drivers of innovation in SABs in Zimbabwe and South Africa
Factors Influencing Intention to Use Social Media Sites for Holiday Destination Selection by the Young Generation
Get PDFArticleThe main objective of the study was to examine the factors that influence attitude towards usage of social media
for holiday destination selection by the young generation, specifically university students and to explore the
antecedents of behavioural intention to use social media sites. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data
for this study, yielding a total of 350 responses suitable for analysis. Regression analysis was employed to test
the hypotheses. The results revealed that social presence, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and
perceived enjoyment all positively influence attitude towards use of social media sites. Revealed by the results
also is that perceived behavioural control, subjective norm and attitude also positively influence behavioural
intention. Social media developers should develop sites, which are attractive, fun and exciting so that the young
generation can be attracted. Moreover, destination marketers must ensure that all the important information is
posted on their social media sites pages. Studies have been conducted on the usage of social media sites for
searching travel related products, but limited research has been done focusing specifically on the usage of these
sites by the young generation, such as university students in the South African context
Effects Of Gauteng Province’S Educators’ Ict Self-Efficacy On Their Pedagogical Use Of Icts In Classrooms
Get PDFArticleThe proliferation of ICT in South African basic education has not been associated with effective pedagogical uses
of ICT in classrooms. While there is differential deployment of ICT as cognitive tools of instruction in South
Africa's schools, the effects of educators' ICT self-efficacy on their pedagogical use of technologies is yet to be fully
grasped. This research gap has been attributed to, inter alia, the lack of a detailed profile of ICT self-efficacy
beliefs of educators and its effects on pedagogical uses of ICT by educators. This study employs a crosssectional
survey, adapting a structured questionnaire to investigate the relationship between purposively
selected 163 Gauteng educators' ICT self-efficacy beliefs and their pedagogical use of ICT. An exploratory factor
analysis on pedagogical use of ICT (PUI) revealed three factors of ‘traditional PUI’ and one ‘constructivist PUI’.
Results suggest that ICT self-efficacy had a positive significant but moderate effect on the three traditional PUI and
a positive significant and strong relationship with the constructivist PUI. Furthermore, a linear regression analysis
found ICT self-efficacy to significantly predict all four PUI factors. The study recommends initial educator training
that emphasises exposure of trainee educators to extended periods of hands-on engagement with ICTs in classroom
environments. Furthermore, it recommends continuous ICT integration and the development of practicing
educators with a focus on the “how to” integrate ICT tools as ‘generative’ mind tools. These interventions have
potential to increase educators' ICT self-efficacy in resource constrained contexts. The implication is that educator
training curricula are re-designed with an emphasis on practical lesson planning that includes ICTs as seamless
resources used in the classroom in basic education
Developing Entrepreneurial Skills In Environmental Health At The Central University Of Technology, Free State Through A Novel Challenge-Oriented Pedagogic Approach
Get PDF25 years since the inception of democracy South Africa is fighting unemployment, poor economic growth, political instability and educational instability. Since the formation of the Government of National Unity in 1994, the South African economy has been unpredictable and unsound. It shrunk by 2.2% in the first few months of 2018, whilst unemployment reached an all-time high percentage above 27%. Higher Education in South Africa, especially universities of technology, face diverse challenges coupled with a reduced chance of employment amongst graduates due to inadequate or lack of the necessary workplace (cognitive; soft) and entrepreneurial skills. The industry demands a more innovative education and training system to ensure a competitive and trend-setting workforce. Due to the increase in economic and social risk, a relevant higher education qualification becomes necessary. This education system should specifically address developing employable graduates, the growing unemployment rate, and the decline in the economy.
To initiate possible alternative ways in which teaching, and learning is conducted at higher education institutions, research was conducted amongst academics at Uppsala University, Sweden, University of Mauritius, Mauritius and Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa. The main aim of the study was to utilise problem-based learning (PBL) and knowledge-based learning (KBL) as teaching methodologies to create a novel teaching and learning methodology referred to as challenge-oriented learning (COL). COL was proposed as methodology for a new blended syllabus for the training of entrepreneurs in a second-year model in Environmental Health. The study is based on an interpretive paradigm with an exploratory nature. A desktop study and document analysis provided a foundation and working framework for the study. The research utilised a mixed methods methodology involving interviews and questionnaires for descriptive and empirical findings.
The study revealed that the rigorous transformation efforts in basic education to eradicate the effects of an apartheid government is, after 25 years, characterised by uncertain educating practices, a non-contextualised basic education system and a growing articulation gap between basic and higher education. Furthermore, the formation of universities of technology with a vocational mandate to advance technology transfer for a skilled workforce was a pivotal change in the higher education landscape of South Africa. For universities of technology to produce graduates with an effective technological skill set, a more student-centred teaching and learning methodology is required. The objectives of PBL and KBL were found to express the active knowledge transfer, critical thinking, desire for problem-solving and self-directed study skills required to address employability and unemployment. Through the delineation of entrepreneurship, it was concluded that entrepreneurship contributes to economic and social development; it improves the socio-economic conditions of a community, generates wealth and offers a solution for unemployment. The discipline of entrepreneurship education is a specialised training regime which requires an appropriate teaching methodology and a more constructivist pedagogic approach. The study puts forth a novel teaching and learning methodology called COL. The triangular study conducted between Uppsala University, Sweden, University of Mauritius and Central University of Technology, Free State revealed that there is a pressing need to shift traditional teaching methodologies, and to adopt a more student-centred, active teaching and learning methodology. This methodology would be appropriate to educate the workforce of the future, whilst lecturers should embrace the value of being coordinators and designers of curricula and the courses that they teach. Furthermore, it became evident through this study that the importance of academic freedom that allows lecturers to function relatively autonomously by amending or adjusting course content as market needs fluctuate, needs to be acknowledged and, if needs be, campaigned for. Also, utilising industry as a partner in teaching and learning processes will render subject content valid, reliable and up to date. By applying design thinking, a syllabus for entrepreneurship education was constructed. This syllabus was fused with a second-year Environmental Health module: Food and Meat Hygiene 2. By using COL as teaching methodology, a blended syllabus incorporating the subject outcomes with the outcomes of entrepreneurship was designed to teach entrepreneurship together with subject content
Perceptions Of Female Principal And Female Teachers Regarding The Extent Of Parental Involvement In School Systems
Get PDFDissertationThis case study investigates the perceptions of female principal and female teachers regarding the extent of parental involvement and school systems. The research aims and objectives were to identify some of the perceptions of the female principal and female teachers at school, and to recommend possible ways that they can use. A qualitative research approach was employed in this study in order to collect relevant data in a natural school setting. The researcher employed the purposeful sampling technique to select the participants in which five participants, comprising of a school principal and four teachers, were interviewed regarding their perceptions on parental involvement in school systems. The researcher employed three data collection instruments in this study: semi structured interviews, open-ended questionnaires and observations. Research results were analyzed, and research findings and recommendations arrived at how the participants perceive parental involvement within school systems. The study recommends that the teachers need to inform the parents what is expected of them at school and their role in the education of their children. There must be a constant communication between the parents and the teachers. The study also recommends that female principals should consider engaging in regular discussions with the parents on the progress of their children and do home-visits in order to discuss the learners’ progress with their parents where possible. Finally, the study recommends that parents should consider drafting a time-table schedule that will remind them about school meetings
Improving Library Material Shelving Time By Implementing An Autonomous Book Truck
Get PDFDissertationThe prompt shelving of returned library books is an important task in any traditional library. To help speed up the shelving process, this dissertation proposes an automated book truck capable of moving returned library books from the return desk back to the shelves.
By making use of the design and creation research methodology, software algorithms, sensors and robotic hardware are evaluated and then selected to construct an autonomous book truck. It is determined that an autonomous book truck should consist of a robotic body that has the same footprint as an average human. Furthermore, the sensor skirt should consist of at least a LIDAR or equivalent sensor to be used for obstacle avoidance and that sonar sensors should be used for localisation.
A simulator is created to test the selected components with the simulation data suggesting that shelving time – and therefore the dead time of returned books – is reduced by a significant factor. The research also provides a possible prototype which can be used for further development.
Using WhatsApp for co-creation of learning resources: A case of a South African university
Get PDFArticleAlthough culturally diverse students have potential to create enriched learning resources,
it is difficult to harness students’ agency and to aggregate individual contributions into a
meaningful learning resource. This is one of the challenges facing higher education
institutions in South Africa where institutions are increasingly cosmopolitan and culturally
diverse, but production of knowledge has largely remained skewed in favour of those
students with unlimited access to learning resources, the Internet and peer networks,
anywhere, anytime. Although the appropriation of emerging technologies such as mobile
phones has enabled a digital sharing culture, this social practice has not been harnessed
for co-creation of learning resources. This article reports on a study that sought to uncover
the extent to which the use of WhatsApp-enabled phones facilitated the co-creation of
learning resources in a human resource management programme at a university of
technology in South Africa. The article employed Amartya Sen’s capabilities framework
to analyse WhatsApp interactions of 72 participants from underprivileged backgrounds.
The article concludes that leveraging students’ capabilities, including rich culturally
diverse knowledge, is not a mere outcome of access to a tool such as WhatsApp, but
requires pedagogical designs that exploit the affordances of the tool
An Evaluation Of Planning And Design Parameters Influencing Stakeholders’ Acceptance Of Public Transportation Infrastructure Facilities
Get PDFArticlePurpose
This study investigates the incidence of stakeholder
acceptance of infrastructure assets using transportation
infrastructure asset exemplars. It engaged with the
assessment of planning and design parameters which
impact on the level of stakeholder acceptance and the
relationship between these parameters.
Research Method
The study utilized two transportation infrastructure assets
situated in Bloemfontein as case studies. Data was collected
using sequential mixed method. Questionnaires were
administered to a a purposively selected sample (n=303)
for the assessment of planning and design parameters
extracted from literature. Afterwards, a focus group
discussion involving 7 discussants, and the interpretative
structural modeling (ISM) process was used in determining
the relationship between the identified parameters.
Findings
Findings revealed that walking distance to the facility proved
most influential of the 19 parameters evaluatedpromote the
health and ensure the safety of women on construction sites,
factors needing consideration are physical work capacity,
personal protective equipment, and anthropometry,
biological and physiological composition.
Value
The study’s findings are expected to guide the development
of a protocol for improving stakeholder acceptance of public
infrastructure projects
Assessment Of Localized Seasonal Precipitation Variability In The Upper Middle Catchment Of The Olifants River Basin
Get PDFArticleThis study used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model together with regional climate
downscaled (RCD) data from the CORDEX (Africa project), to assess the local seasonal precipitation
variability in the upper middle catchment (UMC) of the Olifants River basin. The study results, based
on two scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), showed a wider monthly and seasonal variability of
precipitation. The study also indicated a strong decreasing trend of east-to-west direction of spatial
precipitation, with most precipitation concentrated in the eastern part of the study area. Within the
western part of the UMC, we also noted another decreasing trend of precipitation from south-tonorth
with northern areas of the study area receiving the least amount of precipitation. This study
has also revealed a considerable general reduction of future seasonal precipitation especially in the
mid-term period (2021–2050). The general reduction in future seasonal precipitation, combined with
the increasing temperatures in the area, may exacerbate the drought conditions and reduction in
streamflow of the main river (Olifants) and its tributaries, consequently having a negative impact on
the economic activities in the basin
In Vitro Antiproliferative Activity Of Amaryllidaceae Species Against The K562 Human Leukaemia Cell Line
Get PDFArticleAcute lymphocytic leukaemia is the most common leukemic cancer reported in children. Chemotherapy is the
preferred treatment even though it continues to pose negative side effects of toxicity. Medicinal plants are
reported to provide alternative treatment with lower toxicity levels. The three Amaryllidaceae species; Crinum
bulbispermum, Boophone disticha, and Amaryllis belladonna Linnaeus have been reported for their anti-leukemic
properties. These claims, however, lack supporting scientific data. The study aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative
activity of the three Amaryllidaceae species against the human K562 leukaemia cells, as well as their phytochemical
composition. The plants’ roots, bulbs and leaves were extracted with water, and sequentially with
selected organic solvents. Cell antiproliferation was investigated using the SRB assay. Thin Layer Chromatography
was performed to compare chemical profiles of different plant parts, and of plant samples collected fromdifferent
geographic areas. Most plant parts tested positive for terpenoids and flavonoids. Only the bulbs contained phytosterols
and alkaloids. Plant samples of C. bulbispermum obtained from two geographic areas had similar chemical
profiles. Water bulb extract of C. bulbispermum and B. disticha showed over 70% cell growth inhibition at
concentration of 10mg/ml, while their methanol extracts showed over 50% cell growth inhibition at 100mg/ml
and 10mg/ml.Methanol root extract of A. belladonna L exhibited 100% cell growth inhibition at the concentration
of 50mg/ml and over 80% at 25mg/ml concentration. In general, the polar extracts exhibited highest activity. The
cell antiproliferation results obtained in this study support the use of the selected Amaryllidaceae species to treat
leukemia as currently practiced in traditionalmedicine. The consistency of the constituents of the species, despite
of their collection points, could enable standardization of traditionalmedicines