21838 research outputs found
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Drought and Public Health Challenges: Analysing causations and interventions
No full textWater stress, occasioned by irregular and insufficient rainfall, has been found to have far-reaching impacts on human lives and livelihoods. Often, these impacts have been linked to agriculture, industry and household water needs. In transcending these usual narratives about drought impacts, this study attempts to discuss the drought-health nexus which is an area of scholarship that has not gained much attention.
Relying on extant literature as data source and content analysis as analytical tool, the study highlights the impacts of drought on public health. The study recommends early warning systems (EWSs), scenario planning (SP) etc. as interventions which can ameliorate the impacts of drought on public health.Institute for Social and Health Studies (ISHS
Towards a framework for a sustainable ecosystem for informal entrepreneurship in South Africa
No full textLow economic growth and high levels of unemployment and poverty have led many South Africans to engage in survivalist activities in the informal economy, including informal entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is viewed as a panacea for growth and development and developing countries like South Africa can benefit from growing informal entrepreneurship within a conducive ecosystem.
Entrepreneurship ecosystems and informal entrepreneurship have been researched extensively, but separately. However, literature on informal entrepreneurship ecosystems (IEEs) is sparse and fragmented and is presently undocumented. Therefore, this research study aimed to join the pieces of the puzzle together in order to craft a framework that facilitates the creation of a sustainable IEE in South Africa.
Using the interactive qualitative analysis (IQA) research methodology, this qualitative research derived knowledge on the South African informal entrepreneurship ecosystem from the perspective of two constituencies, using IQA focus groups representing each constituency.
• Focus group 1 (informal entrepreneur constituency) comprised 15 informal traders from the eThekwini Municipality; and
• Focus group 2 (subject matter expert constituency) comprised 7 individuals from academia, business and support organisations.
Knowledge derived from the perspectives of these constituencies, who identified elements of the IEE system and relationships between these elements, is reflected in each constituency’s system. Structural, theoretical and inferential interpretations and analyses of these systems uncovered new knowledge and insights to create an IEE framework.
This research introduced and defined the concept of an IEE and introduced the IEE framework containing eight dimensions, thus making a unique contribution to the extant body of literature on informal entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
This research contributes to cultivating informal entrepreneurship in South Africa by understanding the IEE, uncovering the deficiencies in the current IEE and making recommendations on how to strengthen the IEE.
Using the IQA research methodology, this research enriches the understanding of IEEs and strengthens the IEE in South Africa by revealing the social realities of ecosystem agents through two underlying sub-systems supporting the IEE, namely the Macro-IEE containing distal factors and the Micro-IEE containing proximal factors.
This research views government as a primary IEE change agent whose role is to enable informal entrepreneurship by co-creating and driving proximal and distal IEE policies; improving informal business regulations and the enforcement thereof; encouraging private sector and institutional involvement in the IEE; and providing IEE support and infrastructure.D.B.L.Graduate School of Business Leadershi
Principals’ leadership behaviour and academic achievement in secondary schools of Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia
No full textCurrently, schools require effective principals who actualize the academic success of all students. As accountability of principal’s increases, many researchers are inspired to identify the effective types of leadership behaviours. Although these researchers reached an agreement on the decisiveness of leadership, they did not agree on the most effective type of leadership behaviour that promotes students’ achievement. The researcher was initiated to conduct this study because of the prevalence of low students’ achievement in the Zone and the observed controversies regarding the effective types of leadership behaviours. The study’s objective was to examine the effect of secondary school principals’ leadership behaviours on students’ achievement in Gedeo zone, Ethiopia, and thereby to identify effective type of leadership construct that enhances learners’ success.
Explanatory Sequential Mixed Design was used. The Zone’s three least and three best achievers were chosen as sample schools using the maximum variation strategy. The source of data was 141 teachers and 180 students selected by proportional stratified technique as well as 18 interviewees who were chosen purposively. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and document analyses. The quantitative data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test, correlation, regression, and graphs. The qualitative data were analyzed through a content analysis approach.
The findings of this study shown that effectively practicing instructional and transformational behaviours in integrative ways enhanced students’ achievement; exhibiting high task behaviours that focused on teaching-learning increases students’ success while high relationship intended to get mere affiliation deterred achievement; strong correlation exists between preserving of positive school climate and students’ achievement; principals’ leadership effect reaches learners through mediators indirectly and comprehensive leadership constructs preferred as effective style. Based on these findings, principals are recommended to employ integrative leadership which comprises ingredient of instructional, transformational, and positive school climate as their combined effect promote students’ achievement by strengthening teaching-learning, transforming members and sustaining success respectively. Principals are advised to exhibit high task behaviours as their engagement alert members to play their role in improving students’ learning. They also recommended making academic and affective environments favourable because such circumstances enhanced students’ achievement.D. Ed. (Education Management)Educational Management and Leadershi
The relationship between organisational culture and organisational effectiveness at a South African food retailer
No full textAbstracts in English, Afrikaans, ZuluThis research investigated the relationship between organisational culture (OC) and organisational effectiveness (OE) in a South African food retailer. In a highly competitive food retail sector, a well-managed OC can potentially give an organisation a competitive edge by increasing its effectiveness.
A quantitative, non-experimental research approach was used to gather data for the statistical analysis. Convenience sampling identified a sample of 150 employees for this empirical study, which included employees from various departments of one specific retail store in South Africa. A survey was conducted using the Denison Organisational Culture Survey (DOCS), which measured both OC and OE in this study. The DOCS measured the four major constructs of OC, called cultural traits, namely Involvement, Consistency, Adaptability and Mission. Each cultural trait is subdivided into three indices that manifest the particular cultural trait. The study measured 12 OC indices, namely Empowerment, Team Orientation, Capability Development, Core Values, Agreement, Coordination & Integration, Creating Change, Customer Focus, Organisational Learning, Strategic Direction & Intent, Goals & Objectives and Vision. The study measured OE using the Organisational Effectiveness Questionnaire (OEC), forming part of the DOCS. The study adopted seven subjective measurement criteria to define OE: Overall Performance, Market Share, Sales Growth, Profitability, Employee Satisfaction, Quality of Products and Services, and New Product Development.
Correlational analysis revealed statistically significant relationships between Mission and OE (.383; p ≤ .01), between Consistency and OE (.364; p ≤ .05), and between Involvement and OE (.329 p ≤ .05). Adaptability did not have a statistically significant relationship with the Composite OE Score. The correlation coefficients for the 12 culture indices and the seven OE measures indicated that 11 of the 12 culture indices had a statistically significant relationship with one or more of the seven OE measures. The study concluded that a statistically significant relationship existed between OC and OE.
Multiple regression analysis showed that none of the four OC traits could predict OE but that three of the 12 OC indices, namely Agreement, Customer Focus and Vision, could predict 11.4% of the variance of a Composite OE Score.
Recommendations were made for the organisation and future research. Leaders, key stakeholders, and employees will derive great benefit from understanding their organisation’s culture and its effect on the organisation’s performance and learning how to redirect the organisation’s culture to improve OE.Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die verhouding tussen organisatoriese kultuur (OK) en organisatoriese doeltreffendheid (OD) by 'n Suid-Afrikaanse voedselkleinhandelaar. In 'n hoogs mededingende voedselkleinhandelsektor kan 'n OK wat goed bestuur word, moontlik vir 'n organisasie 'n mededingingsvoordeel gee deur sy doeltreffendheid te verhoog.
'n Kwantitatiewe, nie-eksperimentele navorsingsbenadering is gebruik om data vir die statistiese ontleding te versamel. Geriefsteekproefneming het 'n steekproef van 150 werknemers vir hierdie empiriese studie geïdentifiseer, wat werknemers van verskeie departemente van een spesifieke kleinhandelwinkel in Suid-Afrika ingesluit het. 'n Opname is gedoen deur die Denision-opname vir organisatoriese kultuur (DOCS) te gebruik, wat beide die OK en OD in hierdie studie gemeet het. Die DOCS het die vier belangrike konstrukte van OK (kultuurle eienskappe), naamlik betrokkenheid, konsekwentheid, aanpasbaarheid en missie, gemeet. Elke kulturele eienskap is in drie indekse wat spesifieke kulturele eienskap manifesteer, verdeel. Die studie het 12 OK-indekse gemeet, naamlik, bemagtiging, spanoriëntasie, vaardigheidsontwikkeling, kernwaardes, ooreenkoms, koördinering en integrasie, skep van verandering, klantefokus, organisatoriese leer, strategiese leiding en opset, doelstellings en visie. Die studie het OD gemeet deur 'n vraelys vir organisatoriese doeltreffendheid wat deel van die DOCS vorm. Die studie het sewe subjektiewe metingkriteria vir OD gedefinieer: algehele prestasie, markaandeel, verkoopsgroei, winsgewendheid werknemertevredenheid, gehalte van produkte en dienste en ontwikkeling van nuwe produkte.
Korrelasie-ontleding het statisties beduidende verhoudings tussen missie en OD getoon (.383; p ≤ .01), tussen konsekwentheid en OD (.364; p ≤ .05), en tussen betrokkenheid en OD (.329 p ≤ .05). Aanpasbaarheid het nie 'n statisties beduidende verhouding met die saamgestelde OD-telling gehad nie. Die korrelasiekoeffisiënt vir die 12 kultuurindekse en die sewe OD-maatstawwe het getoon dat 11 van die 12 kultuurindekse 'n statisties beduidende verhouding met een of meer van die sewe OD-maatstawwe gehad het. Die studie het tot die gevolg gekom dat daar 'n statisties beduidende verhouding tussen OK en OD bestaan.
Veelvuldige regressie-ontleding het getoon dat geen van die vier OK-eienskappe OD kan voorspel nie, maar dat drie van die 12 OK-indekse, naamlik ooreenkoms, klantefokus en visie, 11.4% van die afwyking van 'n saamgestelde OD-telling kan voorspel.
Aanbevelings is vir die organisasie en toekomstige navorsing gemaak. Leiers, sleutelbelanghebbers en werknemers sal voordeel trek uit begrip van hul organisasie se kultuur en die uitwerking daarvan op die organisasie se prestasie en leer hoe om die organisasie se kultuur te herlei om OD te verbeter.Lolu cwaningo luphenyisise ngobudlelwane phakathi kosiko lwenhlangano okuyi-organisational culture (OC) kanye ne-organisational effectivenss (OE) kwi-retailer yokudla yeNingizimu Afrika. Kwisektha yokuqhudelana ngezinga eliphezulu ye-retail yokudla, i-OC ephathwa kahle inganikeza inhlangano ithuba lokuqhudelana ngokukhulisa ukusebenza kahle kwayo.
Kusetshenziswe inqubo ye-non-experimental research ukuqoqa ulwazi ukwenzela ukuhlaziya amanani. I-convenience sampling ibone isampuli yabasebenzi abangu 150 kulolu cwaningo olusekelwe wubufakazi, olubandakanya abasebenzi beminyango ehlukene kwisitolo esisodwa se-retail eNingizimu Afrika Isaveyi yenziwe ngokusebenzisa i-Denison Organisational Culture Survey (DOCS), ekala kokubili i-OC kanye ne-OE kulolu cwaningo. I-DOCS ikala imiqondo emikhulu emine ye-OC, ebizwa ngokuthi ama-cultural traits, okuyi-involvement, i-consistency, i-adaptability kanye ne-mission. I-cultural trait ngayinye yabiwe ngama-indices amathathu azikhombisa nge-cultural trait ethize. Ucwaningo lukale ama-andices angu 12 OC, okuwukuhlinzeka ngamandla, i-team orientation, ukuthuthukisa ikhono, ama-core value, isivumelwano, i-cordination and integration, ukubanga ushintsho, ukugxila kumakhastama, ukufunda kwenhlangano, ubuqondisi obusemqoka kanye nokuqondisa, izinhloso, izinjongo kanye nombono. Ucwaningo lukale i-OE ngokusebenzisa i- Organisational Effectiveness Questionnaire (OEC), eyingxenye ye-DOCS. Ucwaningo lwamukele ikhrayitheriya yezikali eziyisikhombisa ukuchaza i-OE: ukusebenza kahle ngokunabile, isabelo semakethe ukukhula kwentengiso, ukuba neprofithi, ukuneliseka kwabasebenzi, ikhwalithi yemikhiqizo kanye namasevisi kanye nokuthuthukisa umkhiqizo omusha.
Uhlaziyo oluhambisanayo lwe-correlational analysis lukhombise ngokwamanani ubudlelwane obusemqoka phakathi kwe-mission ne-OE (.383; p ≤ .01), phakathi kwe-consistency kanye ne-OE (.364; p ≤ .05), naphakathi kwe-involvement kanye ne-OE (.329 p ≤ .05). I-adaptability ayizange ibe nobudlelwane obusemqoka ne-composite OE score. I-correlation coefficients yama-culture indices angu 12 kanye nezikali eziyisikhombisa ze-OE zikhombise u 11 kanye ne 12 culture indices yaba nobudlelwane obusemqoka nokukodwa noma okungaphezulu kwezikali ze-OE. Ucwaningo lwenze isiphetho sokuba nobudlelwane obusemqoka ngokwananani phakathi kwe-OC kanye ne-OE.
Uhlaziyo lwama-multiple regression analysis lukhombise ukuthi awekho ama-trait amane e-OC akwazi ukuqagela i-OE kodwa ukuthi amathathu ama 12 OC indices, okuyisivumelwano, ukugxila kumakhastama kanye nombono, kungaqagela u 11.4% we-variance ye-composite OE score.
Izincomo zenzelwe inhlangano kanye nocwaningo lwangekusasa. Abaholi, ababambiqhaza ababalulekile, kanye nabasebenzi bazothola izinzuzo ngokuqondisisa usiko lwenhlangano yabo kanye nomphumela kwinhlangano ngokusebenza kwayo kanye nokufunda ukuqondisa usiko lwenhlangano ukuthuthukisa i-OE.M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)Industrial and Organisational Psycholog
Comparative study of statistical data modelling with machine learning techniques
No full textSummary in EnglishNowadays human activities produce massive amounts of data everyday. It is estimated that 2.5
quintillions bytes of data are produced daily. The ability to analyse and interpret such data, usually
referred to as ‘big data’, is a precondition to succeed in the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Statistical
data modelling has been a de facto data analysis paradigm for many decades, but it is slowly being
overshadowed by machine learning algorithms in the industry and in research funding. In this research,
the two modelling paradigms were compared with the aim of establishing which one is better in terms of
rational, accuracy and model parsimony. Unlike many studies on this subject which mainly concentrate
on comparing accuracy, this research did not look at accuracy as the only metric of comparison.
Both modelling paradigms were applied in prediction (continuous value prediction), classification
(categorical class label prediction) and clustering problems in three separate case studies. In the
prediction case study, a Realised GARCH (RealGARCH) model was compared to an artificial neural
network (ANN) algorithm. In the classification case study, a linear discriminant analysis (LDA)
model was compared to a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. Lastly, a Gaussian mixture
model (GMM) was compared to a K-means algorithm. For prediction and classification, the data was
divided into training and testing sets, the training sets were used to fit the models and the testing
sets were used to measure prediction and classification accuracy. For clustering, model validation was
based on bootstrapping, visualisation and distant measures.
The ANN model outperformed the generalised autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH)
variant RealGARCH model in the two accuracy measurements, root mean square error (RMSE)
and mean absolute error (MAE), while RealGARCH gave more insights into the data. SVM had
marginally better classification accuracy in both the two-class and the three-class scenarios but had
poorer F-Measure for the minority classes in the three-class scenario. The statistical models were more
interpretable compared to their machine learning counterparts in both case studies. Both clustering
models performed poorly in partitioning the data in the third case study, but K-means did better
than the GMM model. Understanding the domain problem was found to be essential to data analysis
regardless of the modelling paradigm.M.Sc. (Statistics)Statistic
Health experiences of adolescents in rural South East Ethiopia
No full textAdolescents have been left in the mainstream of care because they are regarded as healthier than the paediatric group and adults. Adolescence is a time of transition in which childhood is left behind, and pressures to become responsible adults are strong. Owing to lack of evidence-based, effective and adolescents sensitive interventions; Ethiopian adolescents’ become vulnerable for preventable health problems like unsafe abortion, substance use and abuse, unprotected sex and teenage pregnancies and STIs including HIV/AIDS and the associated morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted among purposely selected adolescents from rural South East, Ethiopia. A qualitative, grounded theory study was undertaken to explore the experiences of adolescents and perceptions of the adolescents towards health and health-related behaviours.The study composed of 25 purposely selected adolescents from the study setting. The required data was collected by one-on-one audiotaped individual interviews, persistent observation, and supportive field notes. The collected data were transcribed to texts and translated to English for analysis. Participants’ experiences and perceptions were presented using detailed textual descriptions and interpretations, supported by direct verbatim quotations of the participants. Data analysis was done following Creswell’s (2014:247) framework for data collection and analysis. Categories, themes and subthemes from the data were developed following Charmaz’s (2006:47-70) steps of grounded theory data analysis; initial coding, open coding, focused coding and theoretical coding.
Five major categories and 14 themes emerged from the data in the current study. The five major categories emerged from the data include: adolescence sensitive health intermediaries, health related information and communication in adolescence, health challenges faced by adolescents, social and cultural perspectives of adolescents health and suggested health promotion strategies. The categories, themes and subthemes are outline and explained in the respective headings and subheadings.The study revealed that improved health information and communication as a core process for positive and better adolescent health outcomes and influenced by various contextual factors. Therefore, it is recommended to respective individuals, groups, governmental and non-governmental organisations working on adolescent’s health promotion in Ethiopia, to improve health information and communication systems rel ated determinant contextual factors identified in this research.D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)Health Studie
A mixed methods study of women's advancement into top management positions in municipalities in Mpumalanga Province
No full textDespite the legislative imperative and commitment by government to ensure that all
previously discriminatory laws and practices are eradicated, women still face significant
challenges in as far as their advancement into top management positions is concerned.
The Employment Equity Act of 1998 (Act 55 of 1998) seeks to create equal employment
opportunities for the designated groups, which include Black people; women; and people
with disabilities. The advancement of women into key positions in government,
particularly at national and provincial levels, has been quite significant. However, the
same could not be said about the advancement of women into key positions in local
government, which incorporates the municipalities. The pace of gender transformation in
senior management positions in the municipalities has been slow, which warrants a
sociological investigation.
The broad aim of the research reported in this thesis was to develop a theory to describe
and explain the conditions surrounding the pace of gender transformation that affects
women’s advancement into top management positions in the municipalities. The aim was
also to provide a perspective of measures that could be ensured to accelerate the pace of
gender transformation to enable women to access top management positions. The
research was a mixed methods study with an emphasis on qualitative research, which
incorporated grounded theory that was used to conduct the investigation targeting
municipalities in the Mpumalanga province. The substantive grounded theory that
emerged for this study is that the pace of gender transformation that affects women’s
advancement into top management positions in the municipalities relates to conditions
existing both internal and external to the municipalities. These are discussed as micro level conditions, which relate to women as a designated group, seeking advancement
opportunities; and macro-level conditions, which relate to the municipalities, political
influences, and society, as institutions to ensure the advancement of women. To accelerate
the pace of gender transformation to enable women to access top management positions,
different measures need to be ensured both inside the municipalities and outside the
municipalities, in society and other social institutions.D. Phil. (Sociology)Sociolog
Remittance inflows and poverty nexus in Botswana: A multivariate approach
No full textThis study investigates the causal relationship between remittances (remittance inflows) and poverty in Botswana. Time series data is utilised from 1980-2017. To improve the robustness of the results, two poverty proxies are used, namely: household consumption expenditure and infant mortality rate. The study employs autoregressive distributed lag approach (ARDL) to cointegration and the error correction model (ECM)-based causality test, the findings of the study reveal a short-run and long-run bidirectional causal relationship between poverty and remittances when household consumption expenditure is used as a proxy for poverty. However, when poverty is measured by infant mortality rate, a unidirectional causal relationship from poverty to remittances is confirmed both in the long run and the short run. Using the same poverty proxy, remittances were found to have an indirect causal effect on poverty through real gross domestic product per capita. The study concludes that remittances play an important role in driving poverty reduction in Botswana, irrespective of whether the level of poverty is measured by household consumption expenditure or by infant mortality rate.Economic
High school teenage girls’ perceptions of human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome in Gauteng Province, South Africa: Age-mixing sexual partnerships
Get PDFDOI: 10.29063/ajrh2022/v26i2.8Age-disparity relationships between High School teenage girls and adults’ male partners above 21 years were transactional in nature and believed to be spreading human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Teenage girls lacked the capacity to negotiate condom use due to lack of autonomy, coupled with sexual violence. This resulted in HIV transmission and an increase in teenage pregnancies. The study explored and described the risky behaviours of High School teenage girls with regard to HIV and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) transmission in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A non-experimental descriptive design was used in this study. The 109 respondents between 15 and 19-years were studied using modified, self-administered, structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. The 90% of the 19-year-old respondents had multiple concurrent sexual relationships and condom use was low. High School teenage girls had a low perception of HIV risk because they were involved in concurrent multiple sexual relationships with low condom use. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[2]: 80-87).Health Studie
Reflections on Intimate Partner Violence, its psychosocial-cultural impact amidst COVID-19: Comparing South Africa and the United States
Get PDFPurpose – The purpose of the study was to provide a comparative analysis on the psychological and sociocultural
impacts ofCOVID-19 on victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) in South Africa (SA) and theUSA.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors collectedmedia and scholarly articles that dealt with IPV
victims during the early phase of the pandemic. This study focused solely on SA and the USA because of
their unique contexts and the fact that the authors are residents of these countries. The authors observed
how both presidents dealt with IPV amidst the COVID 19 pandemic, especially when stay-at-home orders
were in place. Aspects relating to the psychological and socio-cultural impacts amidst the pandemic
were considered.
Findings – The authors found that in both countries, many black women from low socio-economic
backgrounds experience IPV. Being in isolated spaces with their perpetrators prohibits victims from
reporting the abuse. As the world attempts to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, effective strategies
have been suggested for victims and perpetrators. The authors found the approaches of the two
governments (until the Biden Administration in 2021) to be starkly different in terms of effective strategies
and the neglect and downplaying of the extent of one or both pandemics (i.e. COVID-19 and IPV). Prosafety,
equality, gender and race-conscious embracing approaches to overcome IPV are urgently
needed.
Originality/value – The paper focused on IPV during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. It
provides relevant information about IPV in both countries, especially when stay-at-home orders are in
place.Psycholog