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Determinants of export performance: a framework and empirical investigation on Ethiopian manufacturing export firms
No full textText in English, with summaries and keywords in English, Afrikaans and SepediExports can play an important role in contributing to the growth of a country's economy. Thus, investigating the key factors that influence export performance is a significant step in ensuring sustainable economic development for the country. The aim of the study is to develop and test a model for identifying and analysing the major determinants influencing Ethiopian manufacturing firms’ export performance. The study adopted structural equation modeling (SEM) as a method to analyse data from 349 participants (N = 349) to carry out EFA and CFA. To analyse the data, SPSS Version 25 and AMOS 18 were used for examining the measurement model. In addition, the study investigated the important-performance map analysis to comprehend the relative significance of dependent variables. The study aimed to combine the contingency theory with the resource-based view (RBV) and attempted to adequately address the research question: What are the successful determinants influencing the export performance of Ethiopian manufacturing export firms? The Tobit and Probit models' regression results showed that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between firm characteristics, management determinants, competitive intensity, technological factors, foreign market characteristics, and export performance with the mediating variable of export marketing strategy. Also, the investigation of the important-performance map (IPMA) revealed that all the unstandardized sum weights of the exogenous constructs' importance (FC, MD, CI, FMC, FM) are not equally significant factors for the target endogenous construct (EMS and EP). Consequently, competitive intensity and management determinants had advanced scores that influenced export performance. The current study has significant implications for researchers, practitioners, export managers, and policymakers. It may serve as a reference to help incorporate critical elements that need to be considered when formulating decisions and policies. Furthermore, the study adds to the body of knowledge on export marketing literature by examining theoretical and empirical evidence and investigating the direct and indirect determinants of export performance as well as potential mediators of export marketing strategy.Graduate School of Business Leadershi
The impact of financial and non-financial capitals on JSE-listed companies – an augmented integrated reporting framework
Get PDFThe measurement of the impact of non-financial capitals on company value within the context of integrated reporting (IR) has remained an elusive empirical and practitioner question. The IR framework was designed to provide an improved corporate reporting approach to different stakeholders. However, the framework falls short of providing a tool that practitioners and stakeholders could use to determine how company value has changed over time. Objectives: The main objective of this research was to produce an enhanced IR framework through an Augmented Integrated Reporting Model (AIRM). Methods: The model tested the relationship of five capitals (financial, manufactured, intellectual, human, and social and relationship capitals) to company value. The study used quantitative research methodology that utilised panel data fixed effects regression analysis in EViews software. Results: The AIRM demonstrates that social and relationship capital have a positive impact on market share price, EVA and TobinQ, while association to share price at book value is negative. Human capital has a positive relationship to market share price and a negative influence on EVA, TobinQ and share price at book value. Intellectual and manufactured capital have positive associations with the four dependent variables of company value. Conclusions: This research implies that a contribution has been made in resolving the challenge of quantifying and measuring non-financial capitals and how they impact company value. The study recommends that IR report preparers, report analysts, investors, academics, and other relevant stakeholders use the AIRM to measure and manage the various capitals in the process of company value creation.Graduate School of Business Leadershi
Potential-dependent real-time multidrug sensing with screen printed manganese oxide electrode platform
Get PDFEmerging pollutants (EPs) provide a new global water quality concern, potentially posing a major damage to human health and the surrounding. Pharmaceuticals, extensively used in both human and veterinary medicine, have become pervasive environmental contaminants due to their continual release into sewage systems and subsequent ubiquity in various ecosystems. In the ambient matrix, they are often present in small amounts (ng/L to g/L) due to their stable composition and slightly elevated polarization. Traditional methods for detecting pharmaceutical compounds in water have long been hindered by their expense and complexity, making widespread implementation challenging. However, electrochemical sensors offer a promising solution to this problem. These sensors provide a cost-effective, portable, and user-friendly alternative to traditional analytical techniques. This research focuses on the development an electrochemical sensor using a screen-printed manganese oxide electrode platform for the potential-dependent analysis of multiple drugs, including sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, metoprolol, and ibuprofen. These substances are critical to monitor due to their widespread presence and potential health implications. The study leveraged the unique properties of MnO2 nanoparticles, such as their electrochemical activity, large surface area, and catalytic qualities, to enhance the sensitivity and functionality of screen-printed electrodes for the detection of these drugs. The MnO2 nanoparticles were characterized using a suite of techniques including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and Raman spectroscopy. The optical properties of MnO2NPs were investigated using UV/Vis spectroscopy, covering a wavelength range from 280 to 800 nm. This analysis revealed crucial information about the behaviour of MnO2NPs in response to light across different wavelengths. Specifically, the band gap of the MnO2NPs was determined to be 1.14 electron volts (eV) suggests that these nanoparticles possess favourable electrical and optical characteristics. A band gap of this magnitude indicates that MnO2NPs can effectively absorb light within a certain energy range, making them potentially useful in various applications such as photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and optical sensing. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were employed to investigate the electrochemical behavior of both bare and MnO2NPs-modified screen-printed electrodes. A comparison between the two revealed significant differences in electron transfer kinetics. In the case of the bare electrode, EIS and CV analyses indicated slower electron transfer kinetics, as evidenced by a peak potential separation of 0.249 V in the CV curve. This separation reflects the energy barrier that electrons must overcome during the redox process. Conversely, for the MnO2NPs-modified SPCE, the peak potential dispersion was reduced to 0.269 V, suggesting faster electron transfer kinetics. This reduction in peak potential separation indicates a more efficient and rapid reaction occurring at the electrode surface, likely facilitated by the presence of MnO2NPs. The study investigated the influence of pH, scan speed, and electrolytes to identify optimal experimental conditions. Subsequently, under these ideal circumstances, the electrochemical characteristics of carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, ibuprofen, and metoprolol were assessed using differential pulse voltammetry. Calibration curves were constructed for each analyte of interest, enabling the determination of limit of detection. The results revealed limit of detection 0.0005 μM for CBZ, 0.0002 μM for SMX, 0.0004 μM for IBU, and 0.005 μM for MP. These values were derived from the extrapolation of calibration curves, which demonstrated linearity within the range of 0.010 to 0.006 μM. These limits of detection signify the lowest concentrations of each analyte that can be reliably detected and quantified using the DPV technique under the specified experimental conditions. Furthermore, the study conducted stability and interference investigations to evaluate the performance of the MnO2NPs/SPCE sensor under optimal conditions. These investigations demonstrated satisfactory performance, indicating the sensor's robustness and reliability in real-world applications. The effectiveness of the suggested sensor was validated through its successful application in analysing wastewater samples. This practical testing confirmed the sensor's ability to detect multiple drugs, highlighting its potential accurately and selectively. In conclusion, the study successfully developed an extremely accurate, precise, and selective MnO2NPs/SPCE sensor for the multidrug detection. By combining the advantages of MnO2 nanoparticles and screen-printed electrode technology, this sensor offers a cost-effective and efficient solution for environmental monitoring and pharmaceutical analysis.M. Sc. (Chemistry)College of Engineering, Science and Technolog
The role of parental involvement in the management of primary schools in Gauteng Province
Get PDFThis research was undertaken in Johannesburg West District in GAUTENG PROVINCE Province. Parental involvement is not a new term as many researchers have conducted in-depth research on this topic. Lehman, (2017) stated that parents are urged to be active partners with the school in promoting a positive school experience and a pervasive student success. Student development, growth, and learning benefit significantly through parent involvement in all aspects of school life. Povey...et al (2016) also stresses that the school principals appear to play a central role in shaping school climate and facilitating parent engagement in child learning through their leadership style, communication, attitudes and expectations. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of managers in involving parents’ in the management of primary schools in GAUTENG PROVINCE.
The population of the study included two (2) schools in Johannesburg school district which comprised of (2) principals, six (6) teachers and six (6) S.G.B members that is 3-3-1 from each school. The purposeful sampling technique was used to select the participants. The findings are briefly that:
The principals indicated more challenges faced in parental involvement than advantages, that parents are the best time uncooperative and do not support learners with homework and also don’t support social activities.
It also came to my attention that most parents do not attend meetings because of lack of proper communication.
Principals also indicated that their lack of participation is because they don’t like you because you are a female principal. They look down upon you and don’t offer any support, instead they come to criticize and not offer any solutions to challenges that we face in schools.
Interviews revealed many factors are a barrier to parental involvement that is economic status, illiterate parents, poor communication, attitudes of parents and also attitudes of teachers towards parents.
Parents revealed that they are willing to participate but they don’t know how and when to be involved in the management of primary schools.M. Ed. (Educational Management)Educational Leadership and Managemen
Search for vector-boson resonances decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark using pp collisions at s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector
No full textAbstract
A search for a new massive charged gauge boson, W′, is performed with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The dataset used in this analysis was collected from proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of
s
= 13 TeV, and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 139 fb−1. The reconstructed tb invariant mass is used to search for a W′ boson decaying into a top quark and a bottom quark. The result is interpreted in terms of a W′ boson with purely right-handed or left-handed chirality in a mass range of 0.5–6 TeV. Different values for the coupling of the W′ boson to the top and bottom quarks are considered, taking into account interference with single-top-quark production in the s-channel. No significant deviation from the background prediction is observed. The results are expressed as upper limits on the W′ → tb production cross-section times branching ratio as a function of the W′-boson mass and in the plane of the coupling vs the W′-boson mass
Educators' experiences of teaching phonological awareness skills to English first additional language learners in grade R
No full textThe study conducted explored the educators’ experiences of teaching phonological awareness skills to English First Additional Language learners in Grade R and the importance of these skills in laying the foundation for future reading. The participants in this study were Grade R educators, principals, and student educators from two schools in Mpumalanga Emalahleni. Grade R learners were observed during lesson presentations on phonological awareness. A qualitative research approach was used together with a case study design. In total nine participants took part in the research study. Data were collected using observation, one-to-one interviews, and field notes. The findings that came into view from the study were that educators have an understanding of phonological awareness skills, and they included the teaching of phonological awareness skills across the curriculum. The emphasis was placed on building the learners' English vocabulary and hearing of sounds and syllables. The educators used a diversity of resources, including the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement documents as a guideline. The conclusion drawn was that teaching phonological awareness skills cannot be conducted in a void but can be realised through kinesthetic awareness as children learn through active participation. If phonological awareness skills are not taught in Grade R, the learners’ abilities will be compromised, especially when they move to higher grades. As educators, it is important to understand children’s development and growth continuum irrespective of their age. Phonological awareness skills can be seen as a ‘staircase to success’ laying a good foundation for the learners’ education.M. Ed (Curriculum Studies (Early Childhood Education))Educational Foundation
A comparative appraisal of creditor protection mechanisms under South African company law
No full textThe study comparatively scrutinised creditor protection mechanisms entrenched in South African Corporate law to determine their effectiveness in advancing creditor interests in company affairs. The enquiry was triggered by the need for corporate laws to adapt to and align with the pace of global economic changes in open and democratic societies. The 2004 DTI Policy document on South African Corporate Law Reform (SACLR) proposed a shift from the traditional shareholder-centric view, which espouses shareholder importance in corporate governance, to a model that retains the supremacy of shareholder interests while simultaneously catering to the interests of other stakeholders (the enlightened shareholder value approach). In light of the DTI policy proposal, the parliament, in enacting the South African Companies Act 71 of 2008 (the Companies Act), reflected on the need to provide appropriate redress to investors' and third parties (creditors`) rights in the preamble to this piece of legislation. It was based on the forgoing expositions that this research work sought to establish whether the South African Corporate law had been adequately modelled to protect creditors and to look beyond the traditional company’s goal of profit maximisation for the shareholder at the expense of other stakeholders, such as the creditors, who equally have stakes in the success and continuation of the company. Thus, a comparative doctrinal and critical analysis of creditor protection laws from selected cognate jurisdictions was undertaken to determine the efficacy of the protection mechanisms accorded to creditors under the South African corporate jurisprudence. It is thus the researcher's findings that the South African provisions on mechanisms to protect creditors are set in motion and are, therefore, effective to a greater extent, subject to legislature dealing with some discrepancies as per lessons drawn from comparator jurisdictions and recommendations. Conclusively, the Companies Act should clearly include the creditor’s interests in those of the company and thus give a secondary duty to directors to ensure creditor interests, among other non-member stakeholders, are assertively safeguarded.LL. D.Mercantile La
Empowerment of women through microloans in community based saving groups : an empirical study in rural Tanzania
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate the influence of microcredit on women's em-powerment through an empirical case study. This research focused on women residing in rural Tanzania who engage in community-based saving facilitated by Saving for Transformation Groups (S4T) administered by World Vision Tanzania. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the study involved interviewing a representative cohort of participants from rural Tanzania, who were members of these savings groups and had established relationships through their involvement over time. To address the re-search question regarding factors contributing to empowerment and the efficacy of mi-crofinance services, as well as to delineate the benefits of community-based saving groups and the challenges encountered in the empowerment process, the study utilized focus group discussions and individual interviews with S4T group members. Data anal-ysis, conducted through grounded theory methodology, entailed successive stages of open, axial, and selective coding to scrutinize and contextualize the gathered data. Drawing upon these research outcomes, the study derived recommendations for stake-holders in development cooperation and proposed avenues for further investigation to elucidate and address the phenomena uncovered. In summary, the empirical findings of this case study demonstrated that microfinance loans can yield positive outcomes for women's empowerment when implemented within a community-centric framework that ensures equitable participation of both women and men. Moreover, the study un-derscored the essential role of educational initiatives in the success of microfinance programs. Notably, this research also shed light on the implications of climate change on the viability of respondents' small-scale enterprises, revealing that climate vulnera-bility exacerbates the challenges faced by impoverished populations, particularly women. Thus, this study contributes to the scholarship on gender equality and women's empowerment, with specific relevance to Tanzania, and offers insights into the impact of microfinance initiatives in the realm of development cooperation.M.A. (Development Studies)Development Studie
Exploring turnover intentions of employees at a South African government education council
Get PDFOrientation: Public sector organisations in South Africa, including educational institutions,
experience high employee turnover. There is a general need for public sector organisations to
retain valuable talent.
Research purpose: This study aimed to explore the reasons behind turnover intentions at the
government education council.
Motivation for the study: Studies on employee turnover in the public sector focused on
government departments and municipalities, with a scarcity of research studies on government
education councils.
Research approach/design and method: An exploratory qualitative research approach was
followed which allowed for the usage of semi-structured interviews to collect data from
employees (N = 11). Data were analysed using content analysis. The inductive coding method
was used to get to themes and subthemes.
Main findings: Employees may leave the government education council because of the
micromanagement leadership styles, lack of trust by management, inadequate communication,
poorly implemented performance management system, persistent workload, low pay and
lack of work–life balance. However, they currently remain within the employment of the
council because of its reputation, sense of belonging (teamwork), conducive work environment
and career growth prospects.
Practical/managerial implications: The government education council should promote
autonomy and prioritise leadership skills, team building and other interventions to enhance
trust, communication and work-life balance. The government education council should
ensure the buy-in of the performance management system and its remuneration policy by
employees.
Contribution/value add: This study’s findings provide insights into the turnover intentions of
employees at the government education council and then assist the organisation in
strengthening its retention strategies.Industrial and Organisational Psycholog
The experiences and perceptions of mental health care users suffering from major depressive disorder regarding treatment
Get PDFMajor Depressive Disorder is a burden to public health affecting millions of people worldwide. However, many people do not receive treatment. More research has been done on the efficacy of medications rather than the subjective experiences of Mental Health Care Users.
This study was conducted to explore the experiences and perceptions of the MHCUs regarding treatment and to make recommendations that could bring about positive change. Seventeen Mental Health Care Users at a tertiary hospital in the Tshwane District were selected using purposive sampling. Observations, interviews, and focus group discussions were used to collect data, and the data were analysed using Grounded Theory.
Research findings yielded the following themes: the quality of Major Depressive Disorder treatment, medication efficacy, and a holistic approach. Health practitioners should develop advanced, efficient, and cost-effective treatment methods to encourage accessibility and promote maximum efficacy. The relevant decision-makers should address the administrative-related challenges raised in this study.M. A. (Public Health)Health Studie