1,720,959 research outputs found
Industrieel beleid maken in ontwikkelingslanden die rijk zijn aan mineralen
Get PDFThis dissertation investigates policy-making in mineral-rich developing countries with a focus on policies that seek to promote the value add to mineral products before export (also known as beneficiation policy). Firstly, it explores how mineral value chains may be conceptualised to frame the debate around beneficiation policy and enable a holistic contextualisation of such policy. Secondly, it presents two novel/adapted analytical frameworks that support the appraisal of the potential strategic value of different downstream processing activities. The first framework uses corporate sustainability disclosures to as- sess the potential triple-bottom-line impact of hosting a focal activity within a particular jurisdiction. This framework is applied to the case of platinum in South Africa in order to illustrate how it may be applied. The second framework provides an input-output lens with which to leverage the product space analysis method to determine how difficult it would likely be to target an industry and what the potential capability development and economic growth effects of this industry could be. This framework is applied to the case of steel in South Africa. The case is used to reflect on the optimality of following a downstream linkage-based (beneficiation) industrial policy logic. It is found that a so-called 'leap-frogging' approach to policy development may be more optimal. Finally, this dissertation presents a framework to enable the appraisal of the factors driving the location of a particular activity to understand how such an activity could be targeted. This supports the attainment of a first ap- proximation of the cost and feasibility of the required interventions to attain this activity in a mineral-rich developing country. This dissertation therefore contributes towards consolidating and extending the academic literature that has a bearing on improved industrial policy-making in mineral value chains of mineral-rich developing countries. Furthermore, it aims to provide practical tools for policy-makers in order to support improved developmental outcomes. It is also envisioned that the tools and approaches developed in this dissertation could be leveraged far beyond just the mineral-related industries which were the focus of this study.status: Publishe
Investigating the sustainability and feasibility of different disposable cups : a coffee shop perspective
Get PDFCITATION: Vermeulen, C. & Bam, W. G. 2018. Investigating the sustainability and feasibility of different disposable cups : a coffee shop perspective. In SAIIE29 Proceedings, 24-26 October 2018, Spier, Stellenbosch, South Africa.The original publication is available at https://conferences.sun.ac.za/index.php/saiie29/saiie29/schedConf/presentationsENGLISH ABSTRACT: With convenience being a sought-after factor in today's society, disposable coffee cups play a significant role in many people's daily routines. There still, however, appears to be a general confusion in many coffee shop environments regarding optimal waste treatment of disposable coffee cups to minimise their environmental impact. This study thus compares the different disposable coffee cup options that are available to South African coffee shops to determine which options (in terms of different materials) are more environmentally friendly under different conditions, whilst also satisfactorily meeting the requirements of coffee shops and customers.https://conferences.sun.ac.za/index.php/saiie29/saiie29/paper/view/3631Publisher's versio
Thetextiles, clothing, leather & footwear industry in south africa: an opportunity for development?
Get PDFThesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Industrial policy formulation is fraught with challenges, and existing tools to guide such policy have been argued to be insufficient to effectively address its inherent complexity. More recently, the combination of the so-called Input-Output Product Space (IO-PS) and Location Determinant Framework (LDF) has been proposed as an improved approach to identify opportunities for industrial development and how to support these opportunities. However, these tools have not been sufficiently tested by applying them to case studies and industrial policy questions. Hence, this study seeks to evaluate these framework by applying them to the case of the South African textiles, clothing, leather and footwear (TCLF) industry. This study focuses on identifying the key activities that could support sustainable economic growth in the country. The most recent import and export data specific to the South African TCLF sectors are analysed through a combination of the lens of the IO-PS approach and then the LDF is applied. By employing the Harmonized System (HS) trade codes, the TCLF value chain is defined. The product space metrics for each classified product category are measured. The bovine leather manufacturing industry is identified as the optimal product category to further investigate by evaluating and comparing with the South African government’s current industrial policy interventions, to recognise strategic development patterns. The LDF framework is utilised to understand these optimal sectors further. The results from the application of the these tools are critically evaluated, as well as the ease of using the frameworks. This contributes to the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the using the combination of the IO-PS and LDF for industrial policy analyses.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die formulering van nywerheidsbeleid is belaai met uitdagings, en bestaande instrumente om sulke beleid te rig, is aangevoer dat dit onvoldoende is om die inherente kompleksiteit daarvan doeltreffend aan te spreek. Meer onlangs is die kombinasie van die sogenaamde Inset-Uitset Produkruimte (IO-PS) en Liggingbepalende Raamwerk (LDF) voorgestel as ’n verbeterde benadering om geleenthede vir industriële ontwikkeling te identifiseer en hoe om hierdie geleenthede te ondersteun. Hierdie instrumente is egter nie voldoende getoets deur dit op gevallestudies en nywerheidsbeleidsvrae toe te pas nie. Daarom poog hierdie studie om hierdie raamwerk te evalueer deur dit toe te pas op die geval van die Suid-Afrikaanse tekstiele, klere, leer en skoene (TKLS) industrie. Hierdie studie fokus op die identifisering van die sleutelaktiwiteite wat volhoubare ekonomiese groei in die land kan ondersteun. Die mees onlangse invoer- en uitvoerdata spesifiek vir die Suid-Afrikaanse TKLS-sektore word ontleed deur ’n kombinasie van die lens van die IO-PS-benadering en dan word die LDF toegepas. Deur die Geharmoniseerde Stelsel (HS) handelskodes te gebruik,
word die TKLS-waardeketting gedefinieer. Die produkspasie-metrieke vir elke geklassifiseerde produkkategorie word gemeet. Die beesleervervaardigingsbedryf
word geïdentifiseer as die optimale produkkategorie om verder te ondersoek deur die Suid-Afrikaanse regering se huidige nywerheidsbeleidsingrypings te evalueer en te vergelyk, om strategiese ontwikkelingspatrone te herken. Die LDF-raamwerk word gebruik om hierdie optimale sektore verder te verstaan. Die resultate van die toepassing van hierdie instrumente word krities geëvalueer, sowel as die gemak van die gebruik van die raamwerke. Dit dra by tot die begrip van die sterk- en swakpunte van die gebruik van die
kombinasie van die IO-PS en LDF vir nywerheidsbeleidsontledings.Master
Towards the sustainable implementation of lean in hospitals
Get PDFThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To meet increasing demands for delivering care with fewer resources, leaders of healthcare organisations are continually looking for ways to optimise healthcare operations and processes. Following significant success in improving quality while reducing costs in the manufacturing industry, healthcare facility managers started implementing “lean thinking”, a management philosophy focused on continuous improvement. While lean success in healthcare has been widely reported, there are also frequent cases where healthcare facilities revert to the pre-implementation state after some time. An initial investigation into the application of lean in hospitals revealed a lack of holistic lean implementation and correctly targeted assessments as contributing factors to unsustainable implementation. However, there is a lack of knowledge of the supporting organisational factors required to support a holistic implementation long-term, and thus the factors that need to be assessed for implementation. Therefore, to foster sustained improvement outcomes, the primary aim of the research was to contribute toward an improved theoretical understanding of how to ensure lean’s implementation in hospitals is sustained. The secondary aim to guide the practical application of these findings was to develop an artefact that encapsulates the improved understanding and supports its implementation in hospitals. A narrative literature review of lean and its application in hospitals was executed to explore the problem and develop objectives for a solution. It motivated the problem of incomplete and unsustainable implementations of lean and the lack of knowledge on how it can be achieved. Additionally, it identified the need for an assessment tool to determine the extent to which activities that would support this are being implemented. Systematic literature reviews were executed to answer the research questions. The factors that have been found to impact lean sustainability in hospitals were gathered, analysed, and synthesised to realise a collection of practices that aid the sustainability of lean in hospitals. Thereafter, a second systematic review of existing approaches to leanness assessment was executed to gather the practices required to implement lean holistically and to consider the possible approaches to structuring the assessment tool being developed. The findings from the two reviews were then considered to develop a preliminary sustainable lean assessment tool (SLAT). A Delphi study was executed on the preliminary tool to verify and validate it. The tool was iteratively refined until the evaluation criteria were all satisfied, resulting in the final version of the tool. The resulting SLAT presents a tool consisting of all the practices required to sustainably transform into a lean hospital that hospitals can use to prioritise those needing improvement.AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Die leiers van gesondheidsorg-organisasies is voortdurend op soek na maniere om gesondheidsorgwerksaamhede en -prosesse te optimaliseer, om aan die steeds toenemende vraag na die lewering van sorg met minder hulpbronne te voldoen. Ná die sukses van ‘soepel denke’ se implementering met gehalteverbetering terwyl koste verlaag word in die vervaardiginsbedryf, het bestuurders van gesondheidsorggeriewe dit ook begin implementeer. Dit is ʼn bestuursfilosofie wat op deurlopende verbetering gerig is. Hoewel daar wyd oor die sukses van soepel denke in gesondheidsorg verslag gedoen is, was daar ook dikwels gevalle waar die gesondheidsorgfasiliteit ná ʼn ruk na die status voor implementering teruggeval het. ʼn Aanvanklike ondersoek na die toepassing van soepel denke in hospitale het onthul dat bydraende faktore tot onvolhoubare implementering die feit is dat soepel-implementering nie holisties geskied nie en assesserings nie op die regte teikens gemik word nie. Daar is egter te min bekend oor die organisatoriese steunfaktore wat nodig is om ʼn holistiese implementering oor die lang termyn te steun, en dus oor die faktore wat vir implementering geassesseer moet word. Die primêre doel van die navorsing was dus om by te dra tot ʼn verbeterde begrip van hoe om seker te maak dat soepel denke se implementering in hospitale deurgevoer word, om sodoende volhoubare verbeteringsuitkomste aan te moedig. Die sekondêre doel en om die praktiese toepassing van hierdie bevindings te rig, was om ʼn artefak te ontwikkel wat die verbeterde begrip saamvat en die implementering daarvan in hospitale ondersteun. ʼn Narratiewe literatuuroorsig van soepel denke en die toepassing daarvan in hospitale is gedoen om die probleem te verken en oogmerke vir ʼn oplossing te ontwikkel. Dit het gelei tot die uitlig van die probleem van onvolledige en onvolhoubare implementerings van soepel denke en die gebrek aan kennis oor hoe dit bereik kan word. Dit het ook die behoefte aan ʼn assesseringshulpmiddel geïdentifiseer om vas te stel tot watter mate die werksaamhede wat dit sou ondersteun, geïmplementeer word. Stelselmatige literatuuroorsigte is gedoen om die navorsingsvrae te beantwoord. Die faktore wat die volhoubaarheid van soepel denke in hospitale beïnvloed, is uitgeken, ontleed en gesintetiseer om ʼn versameling praktyke ter ondersteuning van die volhoubaarheid van soepel denke in hospitale op te lewer. Daarna is ʼn tweede stelselmatige oorsig van bestaande benaderings tot die assessering van soepelheid uitgevoer, om die praktyke wat nodig is om soepelheid holisties te implementeer, te identifiseer en om die moontlike benaderings tot die strukturering van die assesseringshulpmiddel wat ontwikkel moes word, in oënskou te neem. Die bevindings uit die twee oorsigte is bestudeer om ʼn voorlopige volhoubaresoepelheidsassesseringshulpmiddel (VSAH) te ontwikkel. ʼn Delphi-studie is op die voorlopige hulpmiddel gedoen om dit te bevestig en te staaf. Die hulpmiddel is herhaaldelik verfyn totdat daar aan al die evalueringskriteria voldoen is, wat die finale weergawe van die hulpmiddel opgelewer het. Die gevolglike VSAH is ʼn hulpmiddel wat bestaan uit al die praktyke wat nodig is om volhoubaar na ʼn soepel hospitaal te transformeer en wat deur hospitale gebruik kan word om daardie aspekte wat verbetering vereis, te prioritiseer.Doctorat
Optimising investment in asset management using the multivariate asset management assessment topography
Get PDFCITATION: Bam, W. G. & Vlok, P. J. 2014. Optimising investment in asset management using the multivariate asset management assessment topography. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 25(2):29-38, doi:10.7166/25-2-705.The original publication is available at http://sajie.journals.ac.zaThe multivariate asset management assessment topography (MAMAT) was developed to quantify, and represent graphically, development, adoption, and performance of a business’ asset management (AM) systems, as described by standards such as PAS 55. The MAMAT provides a way to visualise clearly the strengths and weaknesses of a business’ asset management system. Building on MAMAT, a model describing the relationship between the commitment of resources and the corresponding improvement in the MAMAT assessment outcome is proposed. The goal is to develop an optimisation model that will maximise financial benefits by improving the MAMAT assessment score achieved by a business, while minimising the investment required to attain this improvement. This is achieved by determining the optimal allocation of resources to the different subcategories of the MAMAT assessment framework. The multi-objective cross-entropy method (MOO CEM) is used to find the Pareto set of solutions for this problem. In order to showcase the intended industry application and use of the optimisation model, a hypothetical case study is executed and described in this paper. From this application, it was found that the MOO CEM finds useful solutions that can support the implementation of standards such as PAS 55 by prioritising and assigning resources to implementation activities.Die meerveranderlike batebestuur evalueringstopografie (MBE) is ontwikkel om ’n besigheid se prestasie te kwantifiseer en grafies voor te stel. Dit word gedoen aan die hand van ’n volwassenheid-, gebruiklikheids- en prestasie indeks van die batebestuur stelsel soos beskryf deur internasionale standaarde soos PAS 55. Die MBE bied ’n manier om duidelik die sterk- en swakpunte van ’n besigheid te visualiseer en te identifiseer met betrekking tot die batebestuur stelsel. Gebaseer op die MBE word ’n model voorgestel wat die verhouding tussen die gebruik van hulpbronne en die ooreenstemmende verbetering in die MBE assesseringsuitkomste beskryf. Die fokus van hierdie studie is om ’n optimeringsmodel te ontwikkel wat die finansiële voordele van die verbetering van die MBE assesseringstellings maksimeer, terwyl dit die finansiële belegging wat benodig word om dit teweeg te bring minimeer. Dit word gedoen deur die bepaling van die optimale toewysing van hulpbronne aan die verskillende onderafdelings van die MBE assesseringsraamwerk. Die veeldoelige kruis-entropie metode (VD KEM) word gebruik om die Pareto stel van oplossings vir hierdie probleem te vind. Ten einde die voorgenome nywerheidstoepassing ten toon te stel, is ’n hipotetiese gevallestudie uitgevoer en beskryf in hierdie artikel. Vanuit hierdie aanwending is bevind dat die MD KEM nuttige oplossings vind wat die implementering van standaarde soos PAS 55 ondersteun deur die prioritisering en toewysing van hulpbronne aan implementeringsaktiwiteite.http://sajie.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/705Publisher's versio
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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