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Developing a service model for a successful freight forwarding organisation in South Africa

  • Authors: Kildase, Unathi
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Physical distribution of goods -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48664 , vital:41057
  • Description: The Freight Logistics Industry underpins the efficient movement of freight goods globally and supports the South African economy by accounting for 80% of the movement of goods. While South Africa’s formal trade with the rest of the continent and the world has increased steadily over the years, the country is yet to make significant inroads in some of its larger and fast-growing economies. This is despite having a substantially more diversified economic base and relatively higher levels of technological advance-ment (Department of Research and Information, 2018). Complex challenges relating to transport infrastructure (roads, customs processes, sea- and airports, amongst others), determine the efficiency with which business can be done and therefore has a direct impact on the growth of the Freight Logistics Pro-vider (FLP) industry (Belfreight, 2016). Changes in the global business environment have also led FLP’s to diversity strate-gies, incorporating asset ownership on a small to large scale in order to cope with the ever-changing demands of customers. However, at its core, the FLP industry exists to manage the freight transport process. This study investigated, through interviews and surveys involving senior industry pro-fessionals; whether a service model for a successful FLP could be developed; one that did not require asset ownership. The empirical evidence gathered yielded a list of the top FLP services currently being used in business; together with the support structures and enablers for these services in the form of transport modes. A model was then developed based on these param-eters that would best suit a small to medium sized FLP for success. Success in this study proved to be non-tangible due to the limited information available in company and industry figures, however, indication of an optimal market by product was included in the developed model.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2020

Impact of fracking fluid on Karoo plants based on field and greenhouse experiments

  • Authors: Liddell, Duncan Carlyle
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Plants -- South Africa -- Little Karoo , Desert ecology -- South Africa Great Karoo (South Africa)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/49125 , vital:41603
  • Description: Fracking fluid has been indicated to be detrimental to vegetation. In forest vegetation the fracking fluid caused ground vegetation to be extensively damaged with high mortality rates and trees showing premature leaf loss following application. A study by Martin (2017) investigated these effects on Karoo vegetation in a greenhouse and found it to increase stress and reduced the growth with some life forms being identified as sensitive. The current study followed on the work of Martin testing additional species in the same greenhouse and applying different treatments of fracking fluid to Karoo vegetation in their habitat. The plants were monitored by measuring their height, photosynthetic efficiency (stress), biomass allocation and the temperature of the sites. The greenhouse plants had increased growth associated with repeated fracking fluid treatments while having variable stress levels with different treatments of the fracking fluid. The farm had mixed results being generally more stressed due to the treatments, the repeated fracking fluid treatments showed greater growth. The farm vegetation was more sensitive due to prolonged drought which is suspected to play a large role in the different response to fracking fluid between the two sites. The several hypotheses based on the finding of Martin (2017) were not supported by the data in this study. However, the application of fracking fluid did affect the tree species as they were found to be sensitive, while the other plant species was generally stressed after the applications. The greenhouse study cannot accurately represent the effects of fracking fluid on the farm vegetation, due to the large difference in the environment thus, more field studies would need to be conducted to determine the effects of fracking fluid.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Influence of Tamarix species on soil physicochemical properties and mapping its distribution and density using GIS in Western Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Mlahlwa, Asiphe
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Tamarisks
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18588 , vital:42611
  • Description: Tamarix ramosissima invasion is unarguably one of the worst ecological disasters in South Africa and is classified under category 1b by the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 2014 (NEM: BA). The exotic Tamarix species was introduced in South Africa during the early 1900s as an ornamental or phytoremediating plant. This study was conducted to assess Tamarix distribution and evaluate its impact on soil physicochemical properties in two sites at Leeu River and Olifant River in Western Cape, South Africa. Samples were collected from Leeu River (which consists both the exotic and native Tamarix species) and Olifant River (only exotic Tamarix species). Three transects were laid from the water point outwards, with exotic Tamarix invading the river bank (first transect), the control on the open land (second transect) and the native Tamarix at the far end of the study site (third transect) in Leeu River. In Olifant, transects were laid according to the degree of invasion, low Tamarix density transect was referred to as T1, the medium as T2 and the high density as T3. Soil samples from each transect were taken from three points, at three soil depths (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm) during winter and summer. Soil physiochemical properties such as soil pH, electro-conductivity (EC), total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), soil organic carbon (SOC), sodium (Na+ ), potassium (K+ ), Calcium (Ca2+), Magnesium (Mg2+), bulk density, soil texture and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) were determined. Soil chemicals properties including EC, Na+ , SAR, K+ and Mg2+ were found significantly higher under the native and the exotic Tamarix species when compared to Tamarix free soils. In general, salinity of surface soils (0–10 cm) was greater than those in the deeper soils with 5.05 mS/cm and 4.73 mS/cm observed under exotic and native Tamarix species, respectively. High levels of EC, K+ , Ca2+, Na+ , SAR, TN, TC and SOC were observed under T3, followed by T2 with the lowest being recorded in T1 at 0-10 cm. Unlike the soil EC, the effect of Tamarix density on soil pH at 0-10 cm soil profile was not significant. Alterations of soil physicochemical properties were more pronounced under the high Tamarix density as compared to the low invasion. Increased in distance from the river was related to a higher density of the invasive species and also topography had a major role in the change of species density. An increase in Tamarix density, results in high leaf litter which in turn results in salinity and soil nutrient at 0-10 cm. Soil salinity was dramatically increased under Tamarix species. Tamarix species are capable of altering the soil properties making it conducive for their growth.
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  • Date Issued: 2020

Assessing the effects of misplacement of qualified personnel on the implementation of policies: Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education – a case of Head Office, Zone 6- Zwelitsha

  • Authors: Ntuni, Zingisa
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Career development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Educational change -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12513 , vital:39270
  • Description: This dissertation sought to review literature on the skills underutilisation in the Eastern Cape Department of Education, a case of Head Office –Zone 6-Zwelitsha. The study intended to delve deeper into the depth of this challenge and understand the effects of this misdeed on the policy implementation in the department. This problem was compounded by the lackadaisical approach to the skills development by the department as it seemed to be employing a shotgun approach to the training and education of its labour-force. The consulted literature pointed to the existence and commonness of the skills underutilisation and its occasioning in reduced outputs and low worker-morale in the workplace. This study played a crucial role in terms of its contribution to the body of knowledge, being a reference point not only for the department of education, nonetheless, for other departments and organisations as well. The study could help the department to rectify its weaknesses and deal with their current challenges of personnel underutilisation. Policy makers and consultants could use the results of this study to formulate policies for their institutions. Lastly, students could also benefit from this study by using it as a source of reference. The qualitative method and case study as a research design employed in the study, semi-structured interviews used as a data collection method, snowballing sampling procedure used. The employees of the Department of Education used as the respondents in the study. The empirical findings in the study revealed the multiplicity of challenges associated with misplacement of qualified personnel in the department which entailed, inter alia, poor implementation of policies, programs and projects, low staff morale, poor delivery of services to the departmental clientele.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Assessing the effects of misplacement of qualified personnel on the implementation of policies: Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education – a case of Head Office, Zone 6- Zwelitsha

  • Authors: Ntuni, Zingisa
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Education -- Standards Full employment policies
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MPA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/18654 , vital:42703
  • Description: This dissertation sought to review literature on the skills underutilisation in the Eastern Cape Department of Education, a case of Head Office –Zone 6-Zwelitsha. The study intended to delve deeper into the depth of this challenge and understand the effects of this misdeed on the policy implementation in the department. This problem was compounded by the lackadaisical approach to the skills development by the department as it seemed to be employing a shotgun approach to the training and education of its labour-force. The consulted literature pointed to the existence and commonness of the skills underutilisation and its occasioning in reduced outputs and low worker-morale in the workplace. This study played a crucial role in terms of its contribution to the body of knowledge, being a reference point not only for the department of education, nonetheless, for other departments and organisations as well. The study could help the department to rectify its weaknesses and deal with their current challenges of personnel underutilisation. Policy makers and consultants could use the results of this study to formulate policies for their institutions. Lastly, students could also benefit from this study by using it as a source of reference. The qualitative method and case study as a research design employed in the study, semi-structured interviews used as a data collection method, snowballing sampling procedure used. The employees of the Department of Education used as the respondents in the study. The empirical findings in the study revealed the multiplicity of challenges associated with misplacement of qualified personnel in the department which entailed, inter alia, poor implementation of policies, programs and projects, low staff morale, poor delivery of services to the departmental clientele.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

Job engagement, Self-efficacy and Organisational citizenship behaviour among employees in selected insurance companies in the eastern cape province

  • Authors: Ntshentshe, Sinazo
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Organizational behavior -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Job satisfaction -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Management -- Employee participation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12502 , vital:39269
  • Description: The present study investigated “Job engagement, self-efficacy and organisational citizenship behaviour among employees in an insurance company in the Eastern Cape province”. A research issue is emphasized and debated in details methodically. Social exchange theory (SET) and social cognitive theory (SCT were used in the study with the support of variable. Previous studies discovered and established the relationship between job engagement (JE) and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB); as well as self-efficacy (SE) and organisational citizenship behavior; and all variables combined together. Hypothesis is formulated that used to achieve objectives. The study used quantitative research design. The sample (N=100) of the study consist of the employees in the selected insurance companies in Eastern Cape, province. The data was collected with the use of questionnaire method and analyses was done using Statistical Package for the social science.
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  • Date Issued: 2019

The effect of the amendments to the labour relations act on collective labour law and proliferation of the unions

  • Authors: Galorale, Mompati Jonas
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Collective labor agreements -- South Africa , Labor unions -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30216 , vital:30901
  • Description: The Constitution guarantees freedom of association, the right of employees to form and join trade unions and to strike, and the rights of trade unions, employers and employers’ associations to bargaining collectively. Section 23 of the Constitution is even-handed: it confers on “everyone” (including employers) a right to fair labour practices and leaving aside the right to strike, confers identical rights on trade unions and employers’ organisations. It is also important to note that the Constitution seeks to advance principles of equality and human dignity before the law. Section 1 of the Labour Relations Act 65 of 1995 (the LRA) provides that the purpose of the LRA is to advance economic development, social justice, labour peace and democratization of the workplace. When interpreting and applying the LRA and the amendments one must give effect to the primary objects of the LRA in compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution) and in compliance with ratified Conventions of the International Labour Organisation (the ILO). In terms of section 45 of the Labour Relations Amendment Act 6 of 2014 (the LRAA), the President of the Republic of South Africa declared 1 January 2015 as the effective date for the amendments. Employers had from the 1 January 2015 to comply with the LRAA. The amendments impact on all employees, employers and registered trade unions. The amendments responded to, amongst other things, the increased formalisation of labour and also seeks to ensure that vulnerable groups of employees receive adequate protection. The main purpose for the amendments to section 21 of the LRA is to provide for the organisation of employees engaged by a temporary employment service (TES), to broaden the discretion of commissioners under which organisational rights may be granted, to grant majority rights to most representative unions and to allow a commissioner to grant organisational rights despite a threshold agreement. Collective labour law is also materially effected by these amendments, which are aimed at promoting the inclusion of non-standard employees in the collective bargaining framework and expanding the application of organisational rights. The collective-labour law amendments are the focus of this treatise. This will expand the employee pool in a workplace for purposes of securing organisational rights. The amendments have the effect of creating a more inclusive collective bargaining environment in the workplace. It is hoped that this will lessen the need felt by smaller unions to use industrial action as the only route to secure organisational rights previously intended for more representative unions only. The LRAA made it much easier for unions to obtain organisational rights to sufficiently represented unions who do not have majority representation. A commisioner may in terms section 22 of the amendments extend a collective agreement between a TES and its employees and this agreement may be enforced on the client and vice versa. Trade unions representing the employees of a TES will be in a position to exercise their organisational rights not only at the workplace of the TES, but also at the client’s workplace, despite the employees not being employees of the client. In furtherance of these objectives the LRA1 provides a regulatory framework for collective bargaining and organisational rights – in keeping with international and constitutional obligations. Trade unions are the vehicles for effective collective bargaining, while the LRA unequivocally promotes the policy choice of majoritarianism. The LRA was formulated around the furthering of section 23(5) of the Constitution. What is of significance therefore, is to regulate the framework for collective bargaining, of which the amendments prioritized the provision of legislated organisational rights. In keeping with the constitutional objectives mentioned above, section 21(8)(a)(i) of the LRA directs commissioners, in resolving recognition disputes, to: “seek to minimise the proliferation of trade union representation in a single workplace, and where possible, to encourage a system of a representative trade union in a workplace.”
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  • Date Issued: 2018

The relationship between psychological capital,life satisfaction and employee retention

  • Authors: Van Greuning, Hester
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Employee Retention , Work -- Psychological aspects , Job satisfaction
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/45712 , vital:38957
  • Description: South African organisations are faced with the challenge of retaining key and critical employee cohorts. externally focused methods and models of turnover and retention fail to comprehensively explain the lack of highly skilled employees and the inability of organisations to successfully retain these employee groupings. This nonexperimental correlational study investigated the relationship and interaction between the positive psychological constructs of psychological capital and life satisfaction and employee turnover intention of a South African sample of specialist and management level employees (n=150). The survey method was utilised to gather data for the study with a biographical questionnaire, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire-12 (PCQ-12), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Turnover Intention Scale-6 (TIS-6). Data analysis was conducted in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics including frequency tables, Cronbach’s Alpha testing, exploratory factory analysis, correlation analysis, t-tests, analysis of variance and structural equation modelling. The results indicated that significant relationships exist between psychological capital, life satisfaction and employee turnover intention. A substantial negative relationship was found between psychological capital and employee turnover intention, as well as a small, yet definite negative relationship between life satisfaction and turnover intention. Even though the results indicated a substantial positive relationship between psychological capital and life satisfaction, the relationship with employee turnover intention was insignificant when the two variables were correlated. This study adds to the current body of knowledge regarding employee retention in South Africa, and allows for a number of future research avenues to be explored.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

The rise and fall of rugby in a South African township : the case study of Mdantsane, Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Gaca, Ntobeko Wycliff
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Rugby football -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , African Studies
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/10985 , vital:35972
  • Description: Rugby is one of the popular sports not only in South Africa but also internationally. Rugby plays a major role in the development of communities. However in the township of Mdantsane which is located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, this sport has been declining over the past two decades, following an initial period of success and stability. In the past, Mdantsane Township was at the forefront in the development and progress of rugby in the country. Some of the prominent rugby players in the country were products of rugby clubs in Mdantsane. This study, therefore focuses on the rise and the fall of rugby in the township of Mdantsane in East London. The main objective of this study being to explore the factors responsible for its rise and fall in Mdantsane Township. This study adopts a qualitative approach to gather empirical data. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were used for data collection. The findings of the study pointed to differences in the rugby sport between the period before and after the democratic dispensation in South Africa. The initial success story of rugby was eventually turned into a period of decline. The findings further show that governance, maladministration and transformation, were the main contributing factors of the decline. This study recommends more rugby studies in the township of Mdantsane in order to ascertain what the present role of rugby is in the township.
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  • Date Issued: 2018

Exploring the role of education, income and standard of living in determining food security amongst Mhlontlo Local Municipality citizens in the Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Halam, Khanyiswa
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Income distribution -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Social security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Income -- South Africa -- Econometric models
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/4802 , vital:28521
  • Description: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship that exists between education, income, standard of living and food security amongst Mhlontlo local municipality citizens. For this purpose, data was collected from citizens of the Mhlontlo municipality in the Eastern Cape. A sample of 101municipality citizens was drawn from the population. Results of the study indicated that the study variables are significantly negatively correlated with one another. The findings of this study are helpful in providing support to policy makers and social security agencies to have a better understanding of food security and indicate one important avenue to reduce food insecurity in Mhlontlo municipality and the Eastern Cape at large.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Household socio-economic characteristics and their effect on livelihood strategy preferences in Shawbury, Qumbu

  • Authors: Nongalo, Mwezi Bongile
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Household surveys -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12065 , vital:39132
  • Description: At the centre of rural development are household livelihood strategies. The livelihoods of South Africa’s rural African poor have long been characterized by diverse activities, and intertwined with urban opportunities. This study describes the livelihood strategies of rural households, identifies the determinants of these livelihood strategies and seeks to identify the role of preferences and household characteristics in changing livelihood strategies in Shawbury in the small town in Qumbu. It also identifies the relationships between household and individual characteristics and livelihood strategies. A random sampling technique was used to select 100 households in Shawbury. Descriptive analysis techniques were used to describe the characteristics of the households and livelihood strategies and to identify the relationships between household characteristics and livelihood strategy preferences, a multinomial logit regression model was used. The livelihood strategies used for the multinomial logit regression were commercial agricultural production/ production for selling; subsistence agricultural production/ production for consumption; non-farm employment; social grants and remittances. For much of the research available for livelihood strategies, tools such as the sustainable livelihoods framework have been the focus for studying the determinants of livelihood strategies; however, these tools have little to no consideration for the aspirations and preferences of the individuals in question. This study highlights some possible tools that could be used to examine the influence of aspirations and preferences on changing livelihood strategies including the consumer choice framework, the domestic development cycle, the social network framework for decision-making, the social systems approach and conjoint analysis. For this study, the actual preferences of livelihood strategies among the households are presented using conjoint analysis. This study finds that households in the same area have different characteristics and that livelihood strategies of Shawbury’s households are primarily non- farm, that include dependency on remittances, social grants and formal employment. It finds that households that generate income from wage employment (non-farm) and farm activities are better off than other households. Analysis of the characteristics of rural households also revealed that age, labour endowment, education, and land size holding are some of the barriers that poor households in rural areas face when attempting to enter into high-return livelihood strategies. The multinomial logit regression model has helped to identify some of the factors that influence the preference of certain livelihood strategies by households, are gender of the household head, age of the household head, size of the land owned, and educational level of the household head, household size, and livestock value. This analysis presents evidence about the relationship between household characteristics contributing to the adoption of certain livelihood strategies by people of Shawbury. The conjoint analysis has helped to identify that the most preferred to the least preferred livelihood activities are non-farm labour activities, crop production, animal production, contact with family/leisure and other natural resource based activities respectively.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Household socio-economic characteristics and their effect on livelihood strategy preferences in Shawbury, Qumbu

  • Authors: Nongalo, Mwezi Bongile
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Household surveys -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12150 , vital:39175
  • Description: At the centre of rural development are household livelihood strategies. The livelihoods of South Africa’s rural African poor have long been characterized by diverse activities, and intertwined with urban opportunities. This study describes the livelihood strategies of rural households, identifies the determinants of these livelihood strategies and seeks to identify the role of preferences and household characteristics in changing livelihood strategies in Shawbury in the small town in Qumbu. It also identifies the relationships between household and individual characteristics and livelihood strategies. A random sampling technique was used to select 100 households in Shawbury. Descriptive analysis techniques were used to describe the characteristics of the households and livelihood strategies and to identify the relationships between household characteristics and livelihood strategy preferences, a multinomial logit regression model was used. The livelihood strategies used for the multinomial logit regression were commercial agricultural production/ production for selling; subsistence agricultural production/ production for consumption; non-farm employment; social grants and remittances. For much of the research available for livelihood strategies, tools such as the sustainable livelihoods framework have been the focus for studying the determinants of livelihood strategies; however these tools have little to no consideration for the aspirations and preferences of the individuals in question. This study highlights some possible tools that could be used to examine the influence of aspirations and preferences on changing livelihood strategies including the consumer choice framework, the domestic development cycle, the social network framework for decision making, the social systems approach and conjoint analysis. For this study, the actual preferences of livelihood strategies among the households are presented using conjoint analysis. This study finds that households in the same area have different characteristics and that livelihood strategies of Shawbury’s households are primarily non- farm, that include dependency on remittances, social grants and formal employment. It finds that households that generate income from wage employment (non-farm) and farm activities are better off than other households. Analysis of the characteristics of rural households also revealed that age, labour endowment, education, and land size holding are some of the barriers that poor households in rural areas face when attempting to enter into high-return livelihood strategies. The multinomial logit regression model has helped to identify some of the factors that influence the preference of certain livelihood strategies by households, are gender of the household head, age of the household head, size of the land owned, and educational level of the household head, household size, and livestock value. This analysis presents evidence about the relationship between household characteristics contributing to the adoption of certain livelihood strategies by people of Shawbury. The conjoint analysis has helped to identify that the most preferred to the least preferred livelihood activities are non-farm labour activities, crop production, animal production, contact with family/leisure and other natural resource based activities respectively.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

Performance of isiXhosa-speaking adults on Tower of London-Drexel University 2nd edition : development of a South African normative database

  • Authors: Naidoo, Rumaine
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Neuropsychological tests Neuropsychological tests--South Africa--Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , Counselling Psychology
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16291 , vital:40708
  • Description: Introduction: The transportability and utility of international neuropsychological assessment measures on South Africa’s multicultural population highlights the well-documented concern of test validity and reliability. In South Africa, the endeavor of accurate assessment has been long-standing and is not only an ethical but legal requirement in the field of Psychology. The selection of appropriate normative data provides an opportunity for valid clinical interpretations. This research forms a part of a larger cross-cultural normative project, which elucidates the impact of a number of pivotal sociocultural factors on test performance. This specific study is aimed at producing normative indications for the Tower of London- Drexel University 2nd Edition. In addition, it investigates the effect of quality of education, age and sex on test performance. Method: The sample consisted of Black isiXhosa- speaking adults (N= 40) proficient in English aged between 19-40 years whom had obtained the highest scholastic education of Grade 11 or 12 in disadvantaged educational setting at either urban or rural former Department of Education and Training (ex- DET) schools. Results: The Independent t-test analyses revealed a significant effect of quality of education on the Total Execution Time index in the direction of urban participants outperforming rural participants. Significant results for sex were also documented on the Total Rule Violation index with females engaging in more Rule Violations than male participants. No significant differences were found between age groups. Conclusion: The findings of this research confirm the need for demographically specific normative data. This will allow for the development of more accurate and reliable indices of neurocognitive abilities among culturally and educationally disadvantaged individuals.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The effect of quantitative feed restriction on growth performance, carcass characteristics and selected meat quality parameters in broiler chickens

  • Authors: Velele, Siphelo
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Broilers (Chickens) Poultry -- Breeding Meat -- Quality
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8888 , vital:33907
  • Description: The study investigated the effects of quantitative feed restriction on growth performance, carcass characteristics, internal organs, breast muscle pH and meat colour in broiler chickens. A total of 90, un-sexed, day-old broiler chicks were procured from an accredited supplier and were used for the current trial. For the first 14 days, all birds were brooded in one house and subjected to a uniform day-to-day management. Water was supplied throughout the trial, whereas, feed was only supplied ad libitum between days 1-14 and 29-35 days in feed restricted birds. Feed phases included starter (1-14 days), grower (15-28) and finisher (29-35), respectively. On day 15, birds were randomly allocated to three treatments; each treatment was replicated three times with 10 birds per replicate. The first treatment (T1) group, which acted as control group, was ad libitum feeding for the whole trial duration (1-35 days). For treatments 2 (T2) and 3(T3), 85 percent and 70 percent of the Cobb 500 broiler feed intake standards were applied for a period of 14 days (days 15-28), respectively. Average daily feed intake (ADFI) was determined daily and then average body weight (ABW) was determined weekly. Feed conversion ratio and average daily weight gain was thus computed for each experimental unit (replicate). On day 35, broiler birds were electrically stunned and slaughtered by a sharp knife and then hung for complete bleeding. Data collected included slaughter, carcass, breast, thigh, wing, drumstick, feet, head, spleen, heart, gizzard, intestines (small & large) and liver weights. Breast muscle was further used for the determination of colour (L*, b* and a*), initial (pHi) and ultimate breast pH (pHu) measurements. Although, quantitative feed restriction (T2 & T3) significantly affected growth performance in weeks 3 and 4, birds submitted to T2 performed similar (P>0.05) to control in the final stage, whilst birds in T3 was the poorest (P<0.05). Furthermore, birds subjected to T2 showed no differences of edible carcass portions to the control, however, T3 group showed lower (P<0.05) slaughter and wing weights. Breast ultimate pH values of birds under T2 were similar to control, but birds in T3 had significantly higher (P<0.05) values. Birds under T2 had less (P<0.05) reddish breast meat colour than control at 45 minutes. At 24 hours post-mortem, birds in T3 had lower (P<0.05) lightness values and birds submitted to T2 had higher (P<0.05) yellowness values. Liver weight was significantly lower in birds under T3 and higher (P<0.05) gizzard weights were found in birds subjected to T2. Birds under T2 performed similar to control and were able to compensate for the weight loss when high plane of feed was re-introduced. It can be concluded from the results that restricting 15 percent of feed from Cobb 500 standard feed intake had moderately affected broiler performance. Moreover, restricting 15percent of feed significantly reduced feed intake in broiler chicken.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

A combinatorial analysis of barred preferential arrangements

  • Authors: Nkonkobe, Sithembele
  • Date: 2016
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/36228 , vital:24530
  • Description: For a non-negative integer n an ordered partition of a set Xn with n distinct elements is called a preferential arrangement (PA). A barred preferential arrangement (BPA) is a preferential arrangement with bars in between the blocks of the partition. An integer sequence an associated with the counting PA's of Xn has been intensely studied over a century and a half in many different contexts. In this thesis we develop a unified combinatorial framework to study the enumeration of BPAs and a special subclass of BPAs. The results of the study lead to a positive settlement of an open problem and a conjecture by Nelsen. We derive few important identities pertaining to the number of BPAs and restricted BPAs of an n element set using generating- functionology. Later we show that the number of restricted BPAs of Xn are intricately related to well-known numbers such as Eulerian numbers, Bell numbers, Poly-Bernoulli numbers and the number of equivalence classes of fuzzy subsets of Xn under some equivalent relation.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

An investigation of participative management in a museum in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Madinda, Nozipho
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Museums -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management , Management -- Employee participation , Albany Museum (Grahamstown, South Africa)
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
  • Identifier: vital:2068 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020847
  • Description: The purpose of my research was to investigate participative management at the Albany Museum with a view to generating knowledge and insights that can be used to support senior management’s engagement with participative management at mid-management level. My interest was to investigate participative management with regards to five HODs of the Albany Museum with a view to generating knowledge and insights that can be used to support senior management’s engagement with participative management at mid-management level. The research was informed by the interpretive paradigm. The interpretive paradigm does not concern itself with the search for broadly applicable laws and rules but rather seeks to produce descriptive analyses that emphasise deep interpretation and understanding of social phenomena through the meaning that the people assign to them. This study is mostly descriptive and presents the reality of participants from their own experience. Semi-structured interviews and observation capture ‘insider’ knowledge that is part of an interpretive methodology. The study found that participative management was both understood and generally accepted as a good way to manage an organisation, and even members who were critical of it could see its benefits. However, the fractured and diversified structure of the organisation calls for a particularly skillful application of this management approach, one which would also demand leadership and a greater sense of working towards what are called collegial models of management. Whether this is in fact desirable for a museum is debatable.
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  • Date Issued: 2016

Exploring the effects of the psychological contract on organisational commitment and employee engagement in a restructured organisational environment: the case of selected hospitals in the Eastern Cape province

Primiparous and multiparous cow behaviour of friesland, jersey and cross-bred cows around calving time and during milking

  • Authors: Mpisana, Zuko
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Dairy products--Analysis Jersey cattle Milk yield
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , Animal Science
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16113 , vital:40665
  • Description: The objective of the study was to determine effect of behaviour of primiparous and multiparous Friesland, Jersey and Cross-bred cows around calving time and during milking of first lactating cows in a pasture-based dairy system. The trial was conducted at the Fort Hare dairy farm. All pregnant primiparous and multiparous were kept in a maternity paddock. Five observers monitored the cows from the onset of parturition until the calf was fully expelled using digital stop watches. The behavioural responses of the cows during parturition (frequency and duration of lying, standing and walking bouts; calf licking; suckling) and milking (avoidance distance scores (ADS), entrance score, (ES), exit speed (ES), feeding score (FS), and the occurrence of stepping (STP) and kicking (KCK)) were determined on eighty consecutive days. The behavioural attributes were analysed using generalised linear model of procedure of SAS (2003). One hundred and twenty pregnant cows were used in the study, comprising of forty cows per genotype in different parities (A-primiparous, B- 2 to 4, C-5 to 6 and D-7 to 8) and kept in a maternity paddock. Five observers monitored cows from the onset of parturition until the calf was fully expelled. There were differences (P < 0.05) observed on the behavioural patterns around the time of calving. Jersey multiparous cows spent (P < 0.05) significantly most of their time (20.50±3.10) in lying position as compared to the other genotypes. The Jersey genotype also spent most (P < 0.05) of their time (48.00±0.34) in a standing position during calving period. Friesland cows spent (P < 0.05) most of their time (12.00±1.19) exhibiting either stepping or walking attributes as compared to Jersey and Crossbred cows. The Jersey genotype spent significantly (P < 0.05) more time (123.00±10.43) expelling calves compared to the other genotypes. Crossbred cows had the highest avoidance distance (14percent) scores compared to other genotypes and the Friesland cows had the lowest distance scores. The occurrence of kicking was significantly (P < 0.05) higher for the Friesland cows (57.3percent) compared to Jersey (23.2percent) and Crossbred cows (19.6percent). The Friesland cows had the highest (P < 0.05) frequency (36.2percent) feeding score compared to Jersey and Crossbred cows. The Jersey cows had the highest (60.2percent) exit speed compared to other genotypes. The occurrence of stepping was higher for the Friesland cows (53.9percent). The Friesland cows had the highest (P < 0.05) daily milk yield compared to Jersey and Crossbred cows. The present study revealed that behavioural activities of dairy cattle during parturition differed according to genotype and parity and the behavioural response of first lactating cows differ according to genotype during milking.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

The impact of biofuels on food prices, lessons from the experiences of Brazil and U.S. (1995-2013)

  • Authors: Ncube, Free P
  • Date: 2015
  • Subjects: Biomass energy -- Economic aspects Food prices -- Brazil Food prices -- United States , Energy crops -- Economic aspects|zBrazil
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2150 , vital:27616
  • Description: Using crops for fuel generates concerns over competition with food uses. As Rajagopal et al (2009) asserts, “In 2008 the world entered a food crisis amid record-high commodity and energy prices that induced hunger and political unrest in developing countries, by export restrictions in top grain-producing countries”. This took place at the same time when biofuel production, reached its pinnacle in developed countries. This paper examines the effect that biofuel prices and or production has had on food prices in Brazil and U.S. by employing the panel cointegration and Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) method of analysis. In regressing food prices as a function of demand and supply factors, such as oil prices, biofuel prices, interest rates and biofuel production, the study found that the increase in biofuels production over the past eighteen years has had a significant impact on food prices. Over the period January 1995- December 2013, the study estimates that a one hundred percent increase in biofuels production across time and between countries results in the increase of food prices by 21,9%. The study therefore rejects the null hypothesis that states, biofuel production does not have a statistically significant negative impact on food prices in U.S. and Brazil. , and accepts the alternative that biofuel production does have a statistically significant negative impact on food prices in U.S. and Brazil. Other predictors of food prices that the study revealed as significant were oil and interest rates. Policy recommendations for other countries like South Africa are therefore, made based on the results obtained.
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  • Date Issued: 2015

An analysis of how Zimbabwean female audiences decode meaning from the Shona-language radio programme Nguva Yevanhukadzi (Time for Women) against the background of their lived experiences

  • Authors: Chihota-Charamba, Audrey
  • Date: 2014
  • Subjects: Radio and women -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and women -- Zimbabwe , Radio audiences -- Zimbabwe , Women in mass media , Mass media -- Zimbabwe , Women -- Zimbabwe -- Social conditions , Patriarchy -- Zimbabwe
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
  • Identifier: vital:3522 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011750 , Radio and women -- Zimbabwe , Mass media and women -- Zimbabwe , Radio audiences -- Zimbabwe , Women in mass media , Mass media -- Zimbabwe , Women -- Zimbabwe -- Social conditions , Patriarchy -- Zimbabwe
  • Description: This study investigates the Zimbabwean women listeners of a gender-focused radio programme Nguva yevanhukadzi (Time for Women) to find out what meanings they take from the programme. Located within the broad theoretical framework of cultural studies and drawing on audience reception theories, the study focuses on the ways in which Shona-speaking women bring their understandings of their social roles, derived from their lived socio-cultural experiences of patriarchy, to their decoding of the text. The study was set in Harare’s high-density suburb of Mbare and used the qualitative research methods of individual and focus group interviews. The study was conducted against the backdrop of the signing of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) of September 2008, which ended the impasse among the warring political parties, ZANU PF, MDC-T and MDC and introduced a new era of collectively tackling socio-economic development, including redressing gender disparities through women’s empowerment. This study examines the factors shaping the audiences’ readings of the programme and seeks to establish whether the mass media has determining power on its audience in the reception of messages or if the audiences (women) have interpretive freedom. Using Hall’s (1980) Encoding/ Decoding model, the study examines the factors that influence the audiences’ choice in making preferred, negotiated or oppositional readings and the arguments they advance in line with those readings. While the interviews revealed that most of the female listeners “negotiated” the dominant encoded meanings, seeking their relevance to their varied situations and contexts (O’ Sullivan et al. 1994:152; Ang 1990: 159), of interest is the manner in which the women dealt with the discourse of patriarchy within the context of promoting women empowerment. The contestation between women empowerment and addressing patriarchy reflected the subverted notions of maintaining the status quo, while applauding the women’s commitment and ability to interrogate the practicality of issues under discussion and drawing lessons relevant to their day to day lives prior to making the preferred reading. As such, the study revealed that preferred readings are not always automated, but can be a result of intense interrogation among media audiences.
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  • Date Issued: 2014
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