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Mitigating climate change via food consumption and food waste : a systematic map of behavioral interventions
Get PDFAn assessment of discrimination against women in the Nigerian construction industry
Get PDFAbstract: It is becoming increasingly evident that in Africa, leaders, and various agents of change in the construction industry are insistent on enhancing the image of the industry. This is an attempt to attract, recruit and retain a high-quality work force capable of effectively and efficiently responding to the changing times, management delivery systems and ownership profiles in the construction industry, and in fact, other facets towards sustained growth in economic development and for other socio-economic benefits. It is also widely known that women who pursue education and careers in construction fields have limited opportunities to experience or showcase their chosen career paths and vocations. However, it is pertinent to emphasise that women who have opted for this non-conventional industry should be given the same opportunities as their male counterparts. In this way, they would fulfil and attain their own career goals while standing a better chance to obtain salaries substantially higher than they would earn in any traditional female occupation. Hence, this study begs the question: “What are the experiences of women in the construction industry in Nigeria?” The study aims to determine whether women are discriminated against or are offered the same fair, and equal opportunities as their male counterparts through a representative sample from the north central region of the construction industry in Nigeria. The data used in this study have been collected through detailed literature reviews and a well-structured questionnaire which were disseminated to active construction professionals in the north central region of the Nigerian construction industry. The questionnaires were administered to 60 women and 60 men. This includes 15 women and 15 men from each of the selected 3 States (Benue, Kwara and Niger) in the north central region and 15 women and 15 men from Abuja (which is the Federal Capital Territory- FCT and not a State), making a total of 120 respondent professionals in the construction and built environment industry. This allowed for gender balance and a controlled coverage, encapsulating the experiences of the women and the opinions of the men in the construction profession from a specific spatial or geographical perspective. Of 120 questionnaires administered to the respondents, 101 were returned. From the 101 returned vi questionnaires, only 95 were useable, representing a 79.2% response rate. Data from this study were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) conducted using SPSS version 26. In cases where the possibility of discrimination against women was discovered in the Nigerian construction industry, the study recommends practicable solutions to resolve the problem. Some themes uncovered by the study answer the questions often posed by male counterparts about whether women belong in the construction industry, whether a construction site is a suitable working environment for women, whether women in the construction industry can balance their personal life, family life, and careers, and still contribute significantly to the construction industry. The findings of the study show that societal conservatism, socioeconomic status, representation of women, religious/cultural factors, physical factors, stereotypical factors, and policies are the drivers of discrimination against women in the Nigerian construction industry. The study also reveals that exploiting the feminine advantage, adopting male characteristics, taking mentorship from men, forming small support groups, building networks within the workplace, and being nurturing towards colleagues are some of the coping strategies adopted by women in the Nigerian construction industry. Furthermore, the study uncovers that the leading effects of discrimination against women in the Nigerian construction industry are less innovation by women, high stress levels, victims’ depression, narrow talent pool, workplace conflict and a narrowed perspective on output. Lastly, the study discloses that the incentive, gratification, and recognition of motherhood approaches are ways to reduce discrimination against women in the Nigerian construction industry. The findings of the study reach the conclusion that in the Nigerian construction industry, women are victims of discrimination. Therefore, the study recommends a further investigation, focused on interviewing both women and men using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to a better understanding of each participant’s unique experience in the Nigerian construction industry.M.Tech. (Quality and Operations Management
Maintenance strategy optimization for a thermal power plant
Get PDFAbstract: The South African power generation sector has been under the spotlight in the last decade due to its inability to produce the required load capacity demanded by the grid. Load-shedding has caused a nationwide crisis, where households cannot receive electricity due to Eskom’s system constraints and energy availability issues. Maintenance on Power Stations has been neglected and has not been conducted efficiently and effectively leading to minimal availability of the plant - this is typically due to inexperienced staff and negligence. Breakdowns are more likely to occur frequently with the maintenance on plant equipment not done regularly, leading to the power required not being generated. The study is aimed at improving the overall maintenance strategy used by different system engineers on respective plant’s. Through the investigation of effective methods to improve production efficiency. Along with creating a more efficient plant with better performance, by examining the efficiency of thermal power plant’s using Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) andWorld Class Maintenance (WCM) standards. This research study follows a quantitative study approach through the analysis of secondary data provided by Matimba Power Station, which analyses all the plant failures and stoppages during plant operation. The Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is the KPI used to evaluate the performance of the power station. Furthermore, milling plant failures are analysed in attempts to identify initiatives that lead to the overall increase in availability and reliability, which in turn increases efficiency. The research findings indicate that Matimba Power Station’s KPI’s are all below the WCM standard with the performance score being 83.76%, the availability score being 85.28% and the quality rating being 85.02%. The OEE rating is 62.99% which alludes to the performance rating of the thermal power plant. Recommendations to improve these KPI’s are presented and include early reviewal of the maintenance strategy and implementation of new maintenance methods such as Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). Research findings also indicate that the milling plant is the main contributor to Unplanned Capability Loss Factor (UCLF) due to equipment failure and outage deferrals. Improvement recommendations are made such as autonomous condition monitoring and proactive maintenance and by so doing the power station reliability and availability will increase significantly.M.Phil. (Engineering Management
A framework for penetrating engineering related markets developing countries
Get PDFAbstract: This paper aimed to evaluate the key factors that influence market penetration in the emerging markets and the selection of the best strategy. Empirical case studies globalized were used to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Success factors were determined through a study on literature review. Investigate the strategies used by the successful globalized companies. Review and evaluation of market penetration strategy. Internationalization strategy selection and external environmental factors play a vital role in the performance of a company that seeks to expand its business across the borders. Organization capabilities and competencies are also important factors to consider when expanding a business. It is therefore imperative to have the right resources in place to ensure success. The study will transform the fabric of our socio-cultural and economic interactions. It will also influence the marketing strategies for regionally based companies. In addition to this, such developments will enhance technology advancement, heat up and revolutionize the way companies do business in the international markets. A mature and valid competition to the big and successful companies will also be experienced. More improvements such as the headway in innovation and advancements will rise up and change the way organizations operate together in the global marketing field. The findings of this study and implications provide an essential framework that will assist companies to penetrate markets. Both the findings and implications show the relevance of the topic.M.Ing. (Engineering Management
Development of a readiness framework for production ramp-ups
Get PDFAbstract: The ability to successfully manage a production ramp-up has become very crucial in order for manufacturing companies to compete in today’s fast paced manufacturing industry. Competition among manufacturers has led to a decrease in the product life cycle, leading to a need for a shortened production ramp-up period [1]. When reviewing previous research, it has become evident that there is a huge gap regarding the knowledge and skills required in order to successfully manage a production ramp-up. As a result, most production ramp-ups end up being unsuccessful. When managing a production ramp-up, the aim is to meet the expected production ramp-up targets by facilitating decisions that would lead to the best possible management of cost, time and resourses. For this to be accomplished, there is a need for a production ramp-up management framework. In this research, the relative impact of six production ramp-up challenges were identified as well as the extent in which each of the six identified ramp-up management startegies can be used to address these challenges. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used for ranking the ramp-up challenges based on time and cost impact during a production ramp-up, ramp-up management startegies were also ranked based on time saved, cost saved and ease of implementation. A online survey was used to collect responses from 19 participants, all the participants were individuals currently employed in the manufacturing industry. The final priority results for the impact of ramp-up challenges and ramp-up strategies were obtained and discussed. From the AHP analysis, it was found that the common ramp-up challenges faced by the participants are the lack of ramp-up experience and the complexity of the facility. It was also identified by the participants that the volume first strategy provides the most value during a production ramp-up, followed by the shutdown strategy. More literature was then reviewed in order to link the specific production ramp-up challenges to the relevant ramp-up management strategies. Results from the literature and the Analytical hierarchy process were used to develope a readiness framework for a production ramp-up. This framework will help manuafacturing companies to successfully plan and manage production ramp-ups.M.Ing. (Engineering Management
Application of Artificial Intelligence Technologies for water quality anomaly detection
Get PDFAbstract: Water is an indispensable resource for sustaining life. Hence, the quality of water is always a matter of concern to all stakeholders. Automatic anomaly detection monitoring plays a vital role in water utilities’ distribution systems to reduce the risk posed by unclean water to consumers. Imbalanced class distribution and missing data are two major problems and occurrences in water quality anomaly detection domain. Learning algorithms in an imbalanced dataset can yield an overrated classification accuracy driven by a bias towards the majority class at the expense of the minority class. On the other hand, missing values in data can induce complexity in the learning classifiers during data analysis. These two problems pose substantial challenges to the performance of learning algorithms in real-life water quality anomaly detection problems. Hence, the need for them to be carefully considered and addressed to achieve better performance...Ph.D. (Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Preparedness of female school leaders for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in South Africa
Get PDFAbstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the preparedness of female school leaders for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in South African schools. The study was conducted with male and female learners, as well as female education specialists, principals, deputy principals and heads of department at primary and secondary schools in South Africa. Both private and public schools were selected. A generic qualitative approach was used with individual and focus group interviews to collect data. Data analysis was conducted using a thematic inductive approach. Themes were generated from clusters of information relating to the research objectives and interview questions. The findings include the perceptions of learners about the female leaders in their schools, the skills required for females to effectively lead schools for the 4IR era and the support required for female leaders to become better 4IR-aligned leaders in South African schools. The study revealed that female leaders recognize the need to adjust their leadership skills to the rapidly changing technological environment in schools. In addition, the study establishes that learners need to be equipped with 4IR skills rather than simply using examination-writing and rote learning techniques, which then requires relooking at curriculum elements. The study further revealed that support for development is lacking in public schools, while private schools offer more mentoring and coaching of leaders to become 4IR-aligned.M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management
Sustainable Social Entrepreneurship Models for Urban Agribusiness Initiatives in Johannesburg
Get PDFAbstract: The objectives of the study were to explore and develop a sustainable social entrepreneurship model which can be effectively and efficiently applied in the establishment, operations, and evaluation of urban farming initiatives in Johannesburg. The methodology used for the study was a review of relevant literature and key expert qualitative interviews which investigated strategic and operational intervention regarding the successful implementation of these initiatives. The findings highlighted several important challenges which limited and hampered the ability of urban smallholder farmers to ensure financial viability and sustainability of their farming initiatives. The results confirmed findings from other studies including limited accessibility to farming land, markets, funding and most importantly knowledge and information regarding setting up and effectively and efficiently managing small agri-businesses. One of the outcomes of this study is a proposed social entrepreneurship model that describes an alternative way of thinking about social initiatives, viz. a focus on both social impact and the profitability of the business. Further work needs to be done to develop an enabling environment for these initiatives to flourish. This study should stimulate and trigger a much-needed shift in thinking and approach to urban agriculture to effectively benefit and transform the urban farming community and related stakeholders
Global governance reforms to achieve sustainable development goal one (no poverty) in BRICS
Get PDFAbstract: Background: The article discusses whether global governance is effective enough to uphold the economic development and can it combat poverty to achieve Sustainable Development Goal One (SDG 1) in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). It is an area that is least researched in the domain of global governance. Aim: This article focuses on the SDGs as part of global goals and investigates the implementation status of SDG 1 (no poverty) in BRICS countries. Setting: The research is descriptive in nature that played an important role in developing an in-depth account of the status of SDG 1 in BRICS. Methods: The article employed a qualitative, descriptive research method. This article, which is theoretical in nature, drew its arguments on secondary data, which included books, journal articles, newspaper clippings, internet sources and official documents. Results: The findings confirm that global governance cannot be successful completely until it deals with aspects of legitimacy and representation. Conclusion: From the literature reviewed, it can be deduced that BRICS is not in a position to achieve SDG 1 on absolute terms
Power and Supply Chain Development in the South African and Thai Automotive Industries : what lessons can be learnt?
Get PDFAbstract: In today’s highly globalised, increasingly interlinked, and extremely competitive auto industry, it is important to understand how some countries succeed in adopting the latest technologies while others are left behind. The creation of a competitive auto industry requires a deep supply chain. One that can compete in the global automotive space and develop and apply technologies as well as penetrate niche markets. Building on comparative research, this article seeks to understand the factors and power relations that led to the deepening of the Thai auto sector, specifically of its automotive component manufacturers, and how South Africa can learn from it
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