A comparative study on Staff Retention in South Africa’s multinational banking corporations and micro-lenders
- Carolus, Chris Mario Periandros
- Authors: Carolus, Chris Mario Periandros
- Date: 2017-04
- Subjects: Employee retention -- South Africa , Employee motivation -- South Africa , Job satisfaction -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/66434 , vital:75319
- Description: The financial industry has changed rapidly over the past decade with competition being ferocious in the South African market. Traditionally most competition was among the four major banks, being ABSA, Nedbank, First National Bank and Standard Bank; however various small to medium micro-lenders, such as Capitec Bank, have grown more rapidly than the four major banks. These are the banks against which Multinational Corporations compete for products, services as well as employees. Staff employed in sales plays a critical role in any organisation and once that person leaves the organisation, productivity levels are set to be impacted along with margins on which banks are competing. It is thus of great importance for banks to pay close attention to staff retention in their respective organisations. Employees are viewed as the most important resource within any business, as firms are set to ensure a competitive advantage to remain profitable and cope with adversities that the global economy might present. The objective of this research was to establish whether the aspects of staff retention in Multinational Banking Corporations in South Africa differ from Micro- lenders locally. To ensure the objective was achieved, a literature review was conducted to understand the concepts that influence aspects of staff retention. Secondly, based on these aspects, a quantitative questionnaire was designed to obtain staff responses to the aspects of staff retention. The primary findings from the study indicate that the aspects of staff retention do indeed differ between Micro-lenders and Multinational Banking Corporations. Some of the main differences that were uncovered by the study occurred around transparency from leadership, lack of ability to develop talent and working conditions. Overall most respondents from Micro-lenders appear to be happier than respondents in Multinational Banking Corporations. The above factors are set to contribute significantly towards staff retention challenges for Multinational Banking Corporations, where employees are more disengaged, and that influences productivity negatively. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 2017
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017-04
- Authors: Carolus, Chris Mario Periandros
- Date: 2017-04
- Subjects: Employee retention -- South Africa , Employee motivation -- South Africa , Job satisfaction -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/66434 , vital:75319
- Description: The financial industry has changed rapidly over the past decade with competition being ferocious in the South African market. Traditionally most competition was among the four major banks, being ABSA, Nedbank, First National Bank and Standard Bank; however various small to medium micro-lenders, such as Capitec Bank, have grown more rapidly than the four major banks. These are the banks against which Multinational Corporations compete for products, services as well as employees. Staff employed in sales plays a critical role in any organisation and once that person leaves the organisation, productivity levels are set to be impacted along with margins on which banks are competing. It is thus of great importance for banks to pay close attention to staff retention in their respective organisations. Employees are viewed as the most important resource within any business, as firms are set to ensure a competitive advantage to remain profitable and cope with adversities that the global economy might present. The objective of this research was to establish whether the aspects of staff retention in Multinational Banking Corporations in South Africa differ from Micro- lenders locally. To ensure the objective was achieved, a literature review was conducted to understand the concepts that influence aspects of staff retention. Secondly, based on these aspects, a quantitative questionnaire was designed to obtain staff responses to the aspects of staff retention. The primary findings from the study indicate that the aspects of staff retention do indeed differ between Micro-lenders and Multinational Banking Corporations. Some of the main differences that were uncovered by the study occurred around transparency from leadership, lack of ability to develop talent and working conditions. Overall most respondents from Micro-lenders appear to be happier than respondents in Multinational Banking Corporations. The above factors are set to contribute significantly towards staff retention challenges for Multinational Banking Corporations, where employees are more disengaged, and that influences productivity negatively. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Business School, 2017
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017-04
Mediating teaching and learning in Foundation Phase Grade 3 Life Skills classrooms: role and use of learning and teaching support materials
- Authors: Nqabeni, Pelokazi
- Date: 2017-04
- Subjects: teaching strategies
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/9436 , vital:73535
- Description: The study explored the role and use of learning and teaching support materials (LTSMs) to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms of Dutywa District, in the province of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was prompted by a deep concern about the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase. While studies have been carried out on LTSMs in Foundation Phase, few studies have looked at the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms. The study used a qualitative approach and is a multiple-case study of three purposively sampled schools from the rural areas. Teachers who participated in the study were Grade 3 teachers from the three schools. A pilot study was conducted in three schools with Foundation Phase, which were not used for the main study, for the purpose of validity and reliability. In this study, Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was used as a framework to understand that actions are mediated by a complex network of socio-historical activities. I drew on the second generation of the activity theory, which has roots in Leontiev’s work on the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which provided both explanatory and analytical tools. I collected data using documents including journal entries, individual semi-structured interviews, and structured observations. The interviews were voice recorded with participant’s permission in order to present verbatim statements. In structured observations, I observed the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms in the three selected schools. Content analysis guided the data analysis through themes derived from the subsidiary questions and coded for easy referencing. Data reporting took the form of thick description and verbatim quotations in line with the qualitative approach of the study. The study’s findings revealed non-availability of learning and teaching support materials in Life Skills subject. This suggests that intervention is needed by the Department of Education such as providing LTSMs which are essential in order to address the problem of not being used to mediate teaching and learning in classrooms. Language used in the role and use of learning and teaching support materials to mediate teaching and learning, lack of professional development, the effect of the non-examinable nature of Life Skills, and shortage and overcrowded classrooms were some of the aspects affecting the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms. Based on the study findings, then I recommend that further research be conducted on strategies that could be employed to improve the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms in a way that benefits learners. The Departmental officials including subject advisors, principals, teachers and learners should work together to improve the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in classrooms for quality education and to improve results in Foundation Phase. A model is proposed as the new knowledge for the existing literature on the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in classroom based on the theoretical framework and findings of this study. , Thesis (D.Ed) -- Faculty of Education Sciences, 2017
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017-04
- Authors: Nqabeni, Pelokazi
- Date: 2017-04
- Subjects: teaching strategies
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/9436 , vital:73535
- Description: The study explored the role and use of learning and teaching support materials (LTSMs) to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms of Dutywa District, in the province of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was prompted by a deep concern about the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in the Foundation Phase. While studies have been carried out on LTSMs in Foundation Phase, few studies have looked at the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms. The study used a qualitative approach and is a multiple-case study of three purposively sampled schools from the rural areas. Teachers who participated in the study were Grade 3 teachers from the three schools. A pilot study was conducted in three schools with Foundation Phase, which were not used for the main study, for the purpose of validity and reliability. In this study, Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was used as a framework to understand that actions are mediated by a complex network of socio-historical activities. I drew on the second generation of the activity theory, which has roots in Leontiev’s work on the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which provided both explanatory and analytical tools. I collected data using documents including journal entries, individual semi-structured interviews, and structured observations. The interviews were voice recorded with participant’s permission in order to present verbatim statements. In structured observations, I observed the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms in the three selected schools. Content analysis guided the data analysis through themes derived from the subsidiary questions and coded for easy referencing. Data reporting took the form of thick description and verbatim quotations in line with the qualitative approach of the study. The study’s findings revealed non-availability of learning and teaching support materials in Life Skills subject. This suggests that intervention is needed by the Department of Education such as providing LTSMs which are essential in order to address the problem of not being used to mediate teaching and learning in classrooms. Language used in the role and use of learning and teaching support materials to mediate teaching and learning, lack of professional development, the effect of the non-examinable nature of Life Skills, and shortage and overcrowded classrooms were some of the aspects affecting the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms. Based on the study findings, then I recommend that further research be conducted on strategies that could be employed to improve the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in Life Skills Grade 3 classrooms in a way that benefits learners. The Departmental officials including subject advisors, principals, teachers and learners should work together to improve the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in classrooms for quality education and to improve results in Foundation Phase. A model is proposed as the new knowledge for the existing literature on the role and use of LTSMs to mediate teaching and learning in classroom based on the theoretical framework and findings of this study. , Thesis (D.Ed) -- Faculty of Education Sciences, 2017
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017-04
Synthesis and biolgical screening of potential plasmodium falciparum DXR inhibitors
- Authors: Adeyemi, Christiana Modupe
- Date: 2017-04
- Subjects: Plasmodium falciparum , Enzyme inhibitors , Malaria , Antimalarials , Drug development , Malaria -- Chemotherapy , Isopentenoids -- Synthesis , Fosmidomycin , 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61790 , vital:28060
- Description: The non-mevalonate isoprenoid pathway, also known as the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5- phosphate DXP pathway, is absent in humans, but present in the anopheles mosquito responsible for the transmission of malaria. DXP reductoisomerase - a key enzyme in the DXP pathway in Plasmodium falciparum (PfDXR) has been identified as a target for the design of novel anti-malarial drugs. Fosmidomycin and its acetyl analogue (FR900098) are known to be inhibitors of PfDXR and, in this study, synthetic variations of the fosmidomycin scaffold have led to four series of novel analogues. Particular attention has been centred on the introduction of various substituted benzyl groups in each of these series in order to occupy a recently discovered vacant pocket in the PfDXR active-site and thus enhance ligand-enzyme binding. In the process 160 ligands and precursors have been prepared, no less than 119 of them novel. Fistly, a series of C-benzylated phosphonate esters and phosphonic acids were synthesised, in which the fosmidomycin hydroxamate Mg2+- coordinating moiety was replaced by an amide funtionality and the number of methylene groups in the “hydrophobic patch” between the phosphonate and the hydroxamate moiety was decreased from two to one. Several approaches were explored for this series, the most successful involving reaction of 3- substituted anilines with a-bromo propanoic acid in the presence of the coupling agent 1,1'- carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), followed by Michaelis-Arbuzov phosphonation using triethyl phosphite. Reaction of the resulting chiral phosphonate esters with bromotrimethylsilane gave the corresponding phosphonic acids in good yields. In order to obviate chirality issues, a second series of potential “reverse” fosmidomycin analogues was synthesised by replacing the methylene group adjacent to the the phosphonate moiety with a nitrogen atom. Deprotonation, alkylation and phosphorylation of various amines gave diethyl #-benzylphosphoramidate ester intermediate. Aza-Michael addition of these intermediates, followed by hydrolysis gave the corresponding carboxylic acids which could be reacted with different hydroxylamine hydrochloride derivatives to afford the novel hydroxamic acid derivatives in good yields. Thirdly, a series of a novel #-benzylated phosphoramidate derivatives were prepared as aza- FR900098 analogues. Alkylation of different amines using bromoacetalde-hyde diethylacetal gave a series of N-benzyl-2,2-diethoxyethylamine compounds, which were then elaborated via a futher six steps to afford novel #-benzylated phosphoramidate derivatives. Finally, in order to ensure syn-orientation of the donor atoms in the Mg - coordinating group and, at the same time, introduce conformational constraints in the ligand, the hydrophobic patch and the hydroxamate moiety were replaced by cyclic systems. Several approaches towards the synthesis of such conformationally constrained phosphoramidate analogues from maleic anhydride led to the unexpected isolation of an unprecedented acyclic furfuryl compound, and 1H NMR and DFT-level theoretical studies have been initiated to explore the reaction sequence. A series of #-benzylated phosphoramidate derivatives containing dihydroxy aromatic rings (as the conformationally constrained groups) to replace the hydroxamate moiety, were successfully obtained in six steps from the starting material, 3,4-dihydroxylbenzaldehyde. While in vitro assays have been conducted on all of the synthesised compounds, and some of the ligands show promising anti-malarial inhibitory activity - most especially the conformationally constrained cyclic #-benzylated phosphoramidate series. Interestingly, a number of these compounds has also shown activity against T.brucei - the causative agent of sleeping sickness. In silico docking studies of selected compounds has revealed the capacity of some of the ligands to bind effectively in the PfDXR active-site with the newly introduced benzyl group occupying the adjacent vacant pocket. The physico-chemical properties of these ligands were also explored in order to predict the oral-bioavailability. Most of the ligands obeyed the Lipinski rule of 5, while QSAR methods have been used in an attempt to correlate structural variations and calculated molecular properties with the bioassay data. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2017
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017-04
- Authors: Adeyemi, Christiana Modupe
- Date: 2017-04
- Subjects: Plasmodium falciparum , Enzyme inhibitors , Malaria , Antimalarials , Drug development , Malaria -- Chemotherapy , Isopentenoids -- Synthesis , Fosmidomycin , 1-Deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61790 , vital:28060
- Description: The non-mevalonate isoprenoid pathway, also known as the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5- phosphate DXP pathway, is absent in humans, but present in the anopheles mosquito responsible for the transmission of malaria. DXP reductoisomerase - a key enzyme in the DXP pathway in Plasmodium falciparum (PfDXR) has been identified as a target for the design of novel anti-malarial drugs. Fosmidomycin and its acetyl analogue (FR900098) are known to be inhibitors of PfDXR and, in this study, synthetic variations of the fosmidomycin scaffold have led to four series of novel analogues. Particular attention has been centred on the introduction of various substituted benzyl groups in each of these series in order to occupy a recently discovered vacant pocket in the PfDXR active-site and thus enhance ligand-enzyme binding. In the process 160 ligands and precursors have been prepared, no less than 119 of them novel. Fistly, a series of C-benzylated phosphonate esters and phosphonic acids were synthesised, in which the fosmidomycin hydroxamate Mg2+- coordinating moiety was replaced by an amide funtionality and the number of methylene groups in the “hydrophobic patch” between the phosphonate and the hydroxamate moiety was decreased from two to one. Several approaches were explored for this series, the most successful involving reaction of 3- substituted anilines with a-bromo propanoic acid in the presence of the coupling agent 1,1'- carbonyldiimidazole (CDI), followed by Michaelis-Arbuzov phosphonation using triethyl phosphite. Reaction of the resulting chiral phosphonate esters with bromotrimethylsilane gave the corresponding phosphonic acids in good yields. In order to obviate chirality issues, a second series of potential “reverse” fosmidomycin analogues was synthesised by replacing the methylene group adjacent to the the phosphonate moiety with a nitrogen atom. Deprotonation, alkylation and phosphorylation of various amines gave diethyl #-benzylphosphoramidate ester intermediate. Aza-Michael addition of these intermediates, followed by hydrolysis gave the corresponding carboxylic acids which could be reacted with different hydroxylamine hydrochloride derivatives to afford the novel hydroxamic acid derivatives in good yields. Thirdly, a series of a novel #-benzylated phosphoramidate derivatives were prepared as aza- FR900098 analogues. Alkylation of different amines using bromoacetalde-hyde diethylacetal gave a series of N-benzyl-2,2-diethoxyethylamine compounds, which were then elaborated via a futher six steps to afford novel #-benzylated phosphoramidate derivatives. Finally, in order to ensure syn-orientation of the donor atoms in the Mg - coordinating group and, at the same time, introduce conformational constraints in the ligand, the hydrophobic patch and the hydroxamate moiety were replaced by cyclic systems. Several approaches towards the synthesis of such conformationally constrained phosphoramidate analogues from maleic anhydride led to the unexpected isolation of an unprecedented acyclic furfuryl compound, and 1H NMR and DFT-level theoretical studies have been initiated to explore the reaction sequence. A series of #-benzylated phosphoramidate derivatives containing dihydroxy aromatic rings (as the conformationally constrained groups) to replace the hydroxamate moiety, were successfully obtained in six steps from the starting material, 3,4-dihydroxylbenzaldehyde. While in vitro assays have been conducted on all of the synthesised compounds, and some of the ligands show promising anti-malarial inhibitory activity - most especially the conformationally constrained cyclic #-benzylated phosphoramidate series. Interestingly, a number of these compounds has also shown activity against T.brucei - the causative agent of sleeping sickness. In silico docking studies of selected compounds has revealed the capacity of some of the ligands to bind effectively in the PfDXR active-site with the newly introduced benzyl group occupying the adjacent vacant pocket. The physico-chemical properties of these ligands were also explored in order to predict the oral-bioavailability. Most of the ligands obeyed the Lipinski rule of 5, while QSAR methods have been used in an attempt to correlate structural variations and calculated molecular properties with the bioassay data. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2017
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017-04
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