1,720,958 research outputs found
Rethinking local government, coalitions, and innovation for a capable developmental state
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A theory-based analysis of labour unions in the South African Public Service
Get PDFThis study provides a theory-based analysis of labour unions in the South African Public Service (SAPS), focusing on the evolving dynamics of labour relations, power structures, and collective bargaining processes. The research investigates how both historical legacies and contemporary socio-economic conditions shape the role of unions within the public sector. Specifically, the study examines the influence of apartheid-era policies, post-apartheid reforms, and the impact of global economic trends on labour organisations. Theoretical frameworks such as institutional theory, social movement theory, and marxist perspectives, along with indigenous frameworks like ubuntu philosophy, worker democracy, liberation unionism, and social movement unionism, underpin the analysis. The research follows a qualitative design, drawing on an in-depth analysis of academic literature, policy documents, legal frameworks, and secondary data sources to uncover trends and patterns in labour relations. Key findings reveal a complex interplay of socio-economic inequalities, political governance, and legislative frameworks that continue to shape union activities within the SAPS. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of socio-cultural dynamics in understanding labour relations within a historically charged environment. This paper contributes to theoretical debates in industrial relations by offering nuanced insights into the challenges and opportunities confronting unions in the South African public sector. The findings have practical implications for policymakers, union leaders, and public administration practitioners aiming to encourage more equitable labour relations and promote social justice. Ultimately, the study provides a framework for rethinking labour union strategies in light of contemporary challenges and the broader pursuit of transformation in the public service
Ethical nexus: Navigating organisational dynamics for enhanced compliance in municipal procurement processes
Get PDFBackground: The democratic breakthrough in South Africa brought hopes of improved living conditions, particularly through local governments responsible for service delivery. However, despite strict regulations, public procurement in South Africa remains vulnerable to corruption, leading to significant financial losses. Poor compliance with procurement laws and weak financial management within municipalities further exacerbate inefficiencies.
Aim: This article examines how ethics affect compliance with municipal procurement regulations and seeks to identify strategies for improving accountability in local government procurement.
Methods: A quantitative case study approach was adopted, with data gathered via questionnaires from municipal procurement personnel. Multi-level modelling was employed to analyse the data and interpret findings on compliance challenges.
Results: The study revealed that poor financial management, ethical shortcomings and weak organisational structures are key drivers of non-compliance. It also identified strategies to improve procurement practices by focusing on ethics and accountability.
Conclusion: Enhancing ethical governance and strengthening organisational frameworks are essential for improving procurement compliance and reducing corruption in South African municipalities.
Contribution: This research provides insights into the ethical challenges in municipal procurement and offers practical recommendations to promote compliance and transparent, ethical governance
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
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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