The implementation of new public management principles towards effective service delivery in the Eastern Cape government
- Authors: Gwavu, Luzuko
- Date: 2022-03
- Subjects: Performance--Management. , Public administration. , Performance--Evaluation.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21903 , vital:51841
- Description: New Public Management (NPM) is a new paradigm of public administration which highlights the failures and inadequacies of the public sector performance over time. NPM was developed in order to enhance performance and service delivery within the public sector through adopting principles of the public sector. The nature and process of the activities within the public sector and the traditional public administration have been seen as problematic. As such, the birth of NPM is grounded in the need to offer more efficient mechanisms for service delivery. This study aimed at assessing the implementation of NPM principles towards effective service delivery within the Eastern Cape government. The study was underpinned by the New Public Management Approach. A qualitative desktop review was adopted to find answers to research questions of the study. The data was evaluated qualitatively through thematic analysis. The study findings reveal that the Eastern Cape government is making strides to effectively implement NPM principles towards improving service delivery. The implemented principles are privatisation, managerialism, performance management, decentralisation and customer oriented. The effectiveness of strategies aimed at enhancing effective implementation of NPM principles for improved service delivery was also assessed. The findings show that the strategies are effective although there are some inherent issues that derail effective implementation. Poor reporting, corruption, poor management, shortage of trained managers and staff shortages were identified as challenges affecting effective implementation of NPM principles. The study recommends the need for effective implementation of anti-corruption policies as well as facilitating training and skills development. , Thesis (MPA) -- University of Fort Hare, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-03
- Authors: Gwavu, Luzuko
- Date: 2022-03
- Subjects: Performance--Management. , Public administration. , Performance--Evaluation.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21903 , vital:51841
- Description: New Public Management (NPM) is a new paradigm of public administration which highlights the failures and inadequacies of the public sector performance over time. NPM was developed in order to enhance performance and service delivery within the public sector through adopting principles of the public sector. The nature and process of the activities within the public sector and the traditional public administration have been seen as problematic. As such, the birth of NPM is grounded in the need to offer more efficient mechanisms for service delivery. This study aimed at assessing the implementation of NPM principles towards effective service delivery within the Eastern Cape government. The study was underpinned by the New Public Management Approach. A qualitative desktop review was adopted to find answers to research questions of the study. The data was evaluated qualitatively through thematic analysis. The study findings reveal that the Eastern Cape government is making strides to effectively implement NPM principles towards improving service delivery. The implemented principles are privatisation, managerialism, performance management, decentralisation and customer oriented. The effectiveness of strategies aimed at enhancing effective implementation of NPM principles for improved service delivery was also assessed. The findings show that the strategies are effective although there are some inherent issues that derail effective implementation. Poor reporting, corruption, poor management, shortage of trained managers and staff shortages were identified as challenges affecting effective implementation of NPM principles. The study recommends the need for effective implementation of anti-corruption policies as well as facilitating training and skills development. , Thesis (MPA) -- University of Fort Hare, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-03
Water governance and social equity in South Africa: a case study of Amathole District Municipality.
- Authors: Hutete, Clarity
- Date: 2022-03
- Subjects: Municipal water supply
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21931 , vital:51844
- Description: South Africa has reformed its water governance to remedy the prominent disparities in water service provision that resulted from the legacy of apartheid. However, despite the new policy reforms and strategies adopted, inequities in water governance remain prevalent. Those residing in marginalised and poor rural areas are the most vulnerable and highly affected by this phenomenon. While this has been attributed to several factors, such as fragmentation of the water sector and lack of capacity, among other reasons, an analysis of the literature revealed that the absence of a water governance framework for social equity is highly prevalent in the context of Amathole District Municipality (ADM) where the research was conducted. Hence, the study's main objective was to develop a water governance framework for social equity that can be utilised to advise councils and policymakers on the attainment of social equity by water service providers at the local level. The study utilised the constructivist research philosophy by adopting a qualitative case study research design and an inductive research approach to address the research questions. Focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, participant observations and document analysis were used to collect data. A total sample of thirty-four (n=34) participants was purposefully selected; twenty participants (n=20) participated in semi-structured interviews, while fourteen (n=14) participants were engaged through focus group discussions. Findings obtained from the thematic data analysis utilised revealed that while human rights principles and social equity values underpin South Africa’s water reforms, Amathole District Municipality is yet to fully absorb these foundational concepts into its water governance. The study revealed that this is largely attributed to a lack of meaningful participation, limited transparency and accountability in the processes and procedures of the municipality. Results also revealed that persistent inequities still exist in Amathole District Municipality as reflected by the unequal distribution of water services, inconsistency in services provision, lack of transparency and established procedures to guarantee procedural fairness and limited impact on interventions specifically in rural areas. Furthermore, the study revealed that the municipality’s efforts to address water inequities are highly undermined by various economic, environmental, socio- economic, and institutional governance factors. Therefore, the study recommended a Water Governance Framework for Social Equity (WGFSE) and proffered recommendations to enhance social equity for Amathole District Municipality and other municipalities with similar contexts. , Thesis (MPA) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-03
- Authors: Hutete, Clarity
- Date: 2022-03
- Subjects: Municipal water supply
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21931 , vital:51844
- Description: South Africa has reformed its water governance to remedy the prominent disparities in water service provision that resulted from the legacy of apartheid. However, despite the new policy reforms and strategies adopted, inequities in water governance remain prevalent. Those residing in marginalised and poor rural areas are the most vulnerable and highly affected by this phenomenon. While this has been attributed to several factors, such as fragmentation of the water sector and lack of capacity, among other reasons, an analysis of the literature revealed that the absence of a water governance framework for social equity is highly prevalent in the context of Amathole District Municipality (ADM) where the research was conducted. Hence, the study's main objective was to develop a water governance framework for social equity that can be utilised to advise councils and policymakers on the attainment of social equity by water service providers at the local level. The study utilised the constructivist research philosophy by adopting a qualitative case study research design and an inductive research approach to address the research questions. Focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, participant observations and document analysis were used to collect data. A total sample of thirty-four (n=34) participants was purposefully selected; twenty participants (n=20) participated in semi-structured interviews, while fourteen (n=14) participants were engaged through focus group discussions. Findings obtained from the thematic data analysis utilised revealed that while human rights principles and social equity values underpin South Africa’s water reforms, Amathole District Municipality is yet to fully absorb these foundational concepts into its water governance. The study revealed that this is largely attributed to a lack of meaningful participation, limited transparency and accountability in the processes and procedures of the municipality. Results also revealed that persistent inequities still exist in Amathole District Municipality as reflected by the unequal distribution of water services, inconsistency in services provision, lack of transparency and established procedures to guarantee procedural fairness and limited impact on interventions specifically in rural areas. Furthermore, the study revealed that the municipality’s efforts to address water inequities are highly undermined by various economic, environmental, socio- economic, and institutional governance factors. Therefore, the study recommended a Water Governance Framework for Social Equity (WGFSE) and proffered recommendations to enhance social equity for Amathole District Municipality and other municipalities with similar contexts. , Thesis (MPA) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-03
An analysis of the link between monetary policy, exchange rate pass-through effect and domestic prices in South Africa.
- Authors: Ndamase, Asisipho Zingisa
- Date: 2022-02
- Subjects: Monetary policy. , South Africa--Economic policy.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22165 , vital:51992
- Description: The study seeks to analyse the link between monetary policy, domestic prices and exchange rate pass-through effect in South Africa. South Africa’s imports are more than its exports. Therefore, given a higher PTE associated with the importation of necessities, the poor are always left worse off since they are faced with imported inflation that is depreciating exchange rate driven. The Johansen co integration for the long run and the Vector Error Correctional Model for the short run were used to analyse monthly data obtained from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the World Bank from 1990 to 2019. The study consisted of five separate but closely linked models, which are the price equation, excess demand equation, the monetary policy equation, pass through equation and the money demand equation. The results revealed that all models are cointegrated meaning that a long run relationship exist in these equations. However, the VECM short-run results show that two of the models have an ECM term which is negative and significant. The results indicated that there is evidence of the passthrough effect. In this case, a positive pass-through effect of 222 per cent was established between domestic prices and import prices. A pass-through effect of 39 per cent was also identified between imports and exchange rate and lastly a pass-through effect (PTE) of 30 percent was established between oil prices and import prices. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-02
- Authors: Ndamase, Asisipho Zingisa
- Date: 2022-02
- Subjects: Monetary policy. , South Africa--Economic policy.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22165 , vital:51992
- Description: The study seeks to analyse the link between monetary policy, domestic prices and exchange rate pass-through effect in South Africa. South Africa’s imports are more than its exports. Therefore, given a higher PTE associated with the importation of necessities, the poor are always left worse off since they are faced with imported inflation that is depreciating exchange rate driven. The Johansen co integration for the long run and the Vector Error Correctional Model for the short run were used to analyse monthly data obtained from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the World Bank from 1990 to 2019. The study consisted of five separate but closely linked models, which are the price equation, excess demand equation, the monetary policy equation, pass through equation and the money demand equation. The results revealed that all models are cointegrated meaning that a long run relationship exist in these equations. However, the VECM short-run results show that two of the models have an ECM term which is negative and significant. The results indicated that there is evidence of the passthrough effect. In this case, a positive pass-through effect of 222 per cent was established between domestic prices and import prices. A pass-through effect of 39 per cent was also identified between imports and exchange rate and lastly a pass-through effect (PTE) of 30 percent was established between oil prices and import prices. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-02
Complaints and service recovery responses on South African banks’ facebook fan pages: a netnographic study.
- Authors: Phambuka, Nomfundo
- Date: 2022-02
- Subjects: Online social networks. , Consumers--Research. , Marketing research.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22266 , vital:52011
- Description: The internet transformation over the past decade has changed the way businesses and consumers communicate. Instead of face-to-face transactions, businesses can now interact with their customers online, not just by marketing new products and services, but also by providing added value services in the online environment. The internet has become a dominant aspect in assisting businesses to attract and retain customers. One of the fastest growing platforms for this communication is through social networking sites. Many consumers are preferring to use social media platforms such as Facebook to express their views on the products or service of a business. In fact, the business’s Facebook page has become a preferred channel for customers who wish to voice concerns or complaints about the service they have received. As a result, many businesses are using that same platform for service recovery, and to make amends with their customers following a service failure. The aspect of online customer complaints and service recovery on social media, has not been well researched in the South African banking industry, which highlights both a gap and an opportunity. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis and categorisation of the types of customer complaints and service responses on the top five South African banks’ Facebook pages. These banks are; ABSA bank, Capitec Bank, First National Bank (FNB), Nedbank and Standard Bank. A qualitative approach known as netnography was adopted, as it provided an insider’s perspective on what customers complain about on a social media platform and how the banks responded to these complaints. 1250 complaints and the corresponding responses were extracted from each of the banks’ Facebook pages over a period of three months through a qualitative research software known as Nvivo 11. Using the framework provided by the justice theory, complaints and the corresponding responses were categorised. Customer complaints were categorised as either process, outcome or random and the banks’ responses were categorised as either procedural, interpersonal, distributional or informational dimensions. The main finding across all the banks, was that 1050 of the total number of complaints were related to the outcomes of the services provided; such as the banking app , the ATM machine and the general service the customers received. On average, the banks responded to around 70 percent of the 1250 complaints, with Nedbank having the best response rate (196/250) and Standard having the worst response rate (138/250). In addition, most of the banks responded in an interpersonal manner, dealing with customer’s problems directly. Once again, Standard Bank had the least number of interpersonal responses. On the whole, all the banks were mindful of the importance of explaining the reasons for service failures and explaining how the problem was going to be solved. Findings from this study indicate that consumer expectations of service failures and recovery are context driven, which requires companies to modify their recovery strategies to improve the customer’s personal experience. It can also be noted that many customer complaints stem from a general lack of understanding of banking systems and that banks should therefore be utilising their online platforms to keep customers well informed regarding common and frequent customer complaints. The main recommendation from the study is that banks should be entirely transparent during online service recovery and utilise their social media pages to do so. , Thesis (MCom) (Business Management) -- University of Fort Hare, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-02
- Authors: Phambuka, Nomfundo
- Date: 2022-02
- Subjects: Online social networks. , Consumers--Research. , Marketing research.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22266 , vital:52011
- Description: The internet transformation over the past decade has changed the way businesses and consumers communicate. Instead of face-to-face transactions, businesses can now interact with their customers online, not just by marketing new products and services, but also by providing added value services in the online environment. The internet has become a dominant aspect in assisting businesses to attract and retain customers. One of the fastest growing platforms for this communication is through social networking sites. Many consumers are preferring to use social media platforms such as Facebook to express their views on the products or service of a business. In fact, the business’s Facebook page has become a preferred channel for customers who wish to voice concerns or complaints about the service they have received. As a result, many businesses are using that same platform for service recovery, and to make amends with their customers following a service failure. The aspect of online customer complaints and service recovery on social media, has not been well researched in the South African banking industry, which highlights both a gap and an opportunity. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis and categorisation of the types of customer complaints and service responses on the top five South African banks’ Facebook pages. These banks are; ABSA bank, Capitec Bank, First National Bank (FNB), Nedbank and Standard Bank. A qualitative approach known as netnography was adopted, as it provided an insider’s perspective on what customers complain about on a social media platform and how the banks responded to these complaints. 1250 complaints and the corresponding responses were extracted from each of the banks’ Facebook pages over a period of three months through a qualitative research software known as Nvivo 11. Using the framework provided by the justice theory, complaints and the corresponding responses were categorised. Customer complaints were categorised as either process, outcome or random and the banks’ responses were categorised as either procedural, interpersonal, distributional or informational dimensions. The main finding across all the banks, was that 1050 of the total number of complaints were related to the outcomes of the services provided; such as the banking app , the ATM machine and the general service the customers received. On average, the banks responded to around 70 percent of the 1250 complaints, with Nedbank having the best response rate (196/250) and Standard having the worst response rate (138/250). In addition, most of the banks responded in an interpersonal manner, dealing with customer’s problems directly. Once again, Standard Bank had the least number of interpersonal responses. On the whole, all the banks were mindful of the importance of explaining the reasons for service failures and explaining how the problem was going to be solved. Findings from this study indicate that consumer expectations of service failures and recovery are context driven, which requires companies to modify their recovery strategies to improve the customer’s personal experience. It can also be noted that many customer complaints stem from a general lack of understanding of banking systems and that banks should therefore be utilising their online platforms to keep customers well informed regarding common and frequent customer complaints. The main recommendation from the study is that banks should be entirely transparent during online service recovery and utilise their social media pages to do so. , Thesis (MCom) (Business Management) -- University of Fort Hare, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-02
An analysis of the design of evaluation standards in the South African National Evaluation System
- Authors: Segopolo, Morakane Jocobeth
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Quality control , Educational evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23448 , vital:57735
- Description: Globally, the development of evaluation standards and related quality assurance measures for managing and assessing evaluation quality has been the focus of much debate in the evaluation community. Especially in the current context of COVID 19, validating the quality of evaluation and research evidence to respond to the global pandemic and to socio-economic development has become more relevant. The question of evaluation quality has also become important in South Africa. This has resulted in a need for a National Evaluation System to manage the quality of the evaluation process and outputs; so that critical stakeholders can trust and use the evaluation evidence to measure performance and accountability of government. The South African National Evaluation System through the National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF) was adopted by Cabinet to guide the development and management of systemic and institutional evaluation policy and practice. This research responds to the conceptual gap in the design of the evaluation standards. The purpose of the research study is to analyse the design of evaluation standards in the South African National Evaluation System (NES). The research objectives of the study were: To analyse the design of evaluation standard in the South African National Evaluation System against international evaluation normative frameworks, To assess the theory underpinning the evaluation standards in the South African National Evaluation System. A qualitative research approach using a semi-structured interview was used to collect data from the eight respondents. The participants included in the sample were those who played a meaningful role in the design and application of the evaluation standards and the Evaluation Quality Assessment Tool (EQAT) of the NES. Content and thematic analysis were used to process and analyse the empirical data. The research study produced the following key findings. The design of the national evaluation standards as a component of the South African National Evaluation System was technically and conceptually clear about its context, rationale, purpose and its claims to manage the evaluation process to promote evaluation quality. Although most national evaluation standards of the NES were consistent with international frameworks, both national and international standards did not adequately address the development and transformative issues such as equity, diversity and inclusion. Finally, the discourse of paradigms was absent in the design of the standards. The national evaluation standards did not explicitly show the influence of the paradigm on methodological approaches, evaluation designs and methods. This theoretical gap is also evident in most of the international frameworks that the national standards were benchmarked against. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-01
- Authors: Segopolo, Morakane Jocobeth
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Quality control , Educational evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23448 , vital:57735
- Description: Globally, the development of evaluation standards and related quality assurance measures for managing and assessing evaluation quality has been the focus of much debate in the evaluation community. Especially in the current context of COVID 19, validating the quality of evaluation and research evidence to respond to the global pandemic and to socio-economic development has become more relevant. The question of evaluation quality has also become important in South Africa. This has resulted in a need for a National Evaluation System to manage the quality of the evaluation process and outputs; so that critical stakeholders can trust and use the evaluation evidence to measure performance and accountability of government. The South African National Evaluation System through the National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF) was adopted by Cabinet to guide the development and management of systemic and institutional evaluation policy and practice. This research responds to the conceptual gap in the design of the evaluation standards. The purpose of the research study is to analyse the design of evaluation standards in the South African National Evaluation System (NES). The research objectives of the study were: To analyse the design of evaluation standard in the South African National Evaluation System against international evaluation normative frameworks, To assess the theory underpinning the evaluation standards in the South African National Evaluation System. A qualitative research approach using a semi-structured interview was used to collect data from the eight respondents. The participants included in the sample were those who played a meaningful role in the design and application of the evaluation standards and the Evaluation Quality Assessment Tool (EQAT) of the NES. Content and thematic analysis were used to process and analyse the empirical data. The research study produced the following key findings. The design of the national evaluation standards as a component of the South African National Evaluation System was technically and conceptually clear about its context, rationale, purpose and its claims to manage the evaluation process to promote evaluation quality. Although most national evaluation standards of the NES were consistent with international frameworks, both national and international standards did not adequately address the development and transformative issues such as equity, diversity and inclusion. Finally, the discourse of paradigms was absent in the design of the standards. The national evaluation standards did not explicitly show the influence of the paradigm on methodological approaches, evaluation designs and methods. This theoretical gap is also evident in most of the international frameworks that the national standards were benchmarked against. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-01
Intellectual capital, organisation capabilities and business performance among small businesses
- Stamper, Sakhumzi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2781-2944
- Authors: Stamper, Sakhumzi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2781-2944
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Small business -- Technological innovations , Performance technology , Management information systems
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28861 , vital:75152
- Description: This study was aimed at testing an intellectual capital-structural model and ascertaining the role of organisational capabilities on business performance in ICT-based small businesses in South Africa. The extant literature indicated that intellectual capital is a knowledge-related intangible assets which is rooted in an organisation that comprises intellectual property, intellectual competences and intellectual resources. Theoretically, the relationship between organisational knowledge and business performance is embedded in organisational learning because a lot of small businesses gain more knowledge from customers for the purposes of improving their sales and profits. The study used a quantitative approach and it was conducted on 261 owners/ managers of ICT-small businesses using a convenience sampling method. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and also structural equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tools for data analysis and testing relationships between variables were used. The study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between knowledge management capability and human capital. Additionally, the study discovered that innovation capability and business performance had a significant positive relationship. The study also revealed and confirmed that intellectual capital mediates the relationship between learning capability and business performance. Both the measurement and structural model fit indices showed reasonable goodness of fit indices. The findings of the study contributed to the literature of intellectual capital by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between organisational capabilities and performance. Together, the insights from this research underscored the importance of managing IC effectively with its components and prioritising the value of OC in order to comprehend the necessity for optimising firm performance. Lastly, this was the first study to test the mediating role of intellectual capital in the relationship between organisational capability and performance on ICT-based small businesses in a developing country. , Thesis (DBM) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-01
- Authors: Stamper, Sakhumzi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2781-2944
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Small business -- Technological innovations , Performance technology , Management information systems
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28861 , vital:75152
- Description: This study was aimed at testing an intellectual capital-structural model and ascertaining the role of organisational capabilities on business performance in ICT-based small businesses in South Africa. The extant literature indicated that intellectual capital is a knowledge-related intangible assets which is rooted in an organisation that comprises intellectual property, intellectual competences and intellectual resources. Theoretically, the relationship between organisational knowledge and business performance is embedded in organisational learning because a lot of small businesses gain more knowledge from customers for the purposes of improving their sales and profits. The study used a quantitative approach and it was conducted on 261 owners/ managers of ICT-small businesses using a convenience sampling method. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire and also structural equation modelling (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tools for data analysis and testing relationships between variables were used. The study revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between knowledge management capability and human capital. Additionally, the study discovered that innovation capability and business performance had a significant positive relationship. The study also revealed and confirmed that intellectual capital mediates the relationship between learning capability and business performance. Both the measurement and structural model fit indices showed reasonable goodness of fit indices. The findings of the study contributed to the literature of intellectual capital by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between organisational capabilities and performance. Together, the insights from this research underscored the importance of managing IC effectively with its components and prioritising the value of OC in order to comprehend the necessity for optimising firm performance. Lastly, this was the first study to test the mediating role of intellectual capital in the relationship between organisational capability and performance on ICT-based small businesses in a developing country. , Thesis (DBM) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-01
The impact of technology on unemployment in South Africa: a case of the Manufacturing, Mining and Agriculture Sectors
- Authors: Nelani, Aviwe
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Unemployment -- Technological innovations -- South Africa , Labor supply -- Effect of technological innovations on -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28839 , vital:75131
- Description: The research investigates the effect of technology on unemployment in South Africa, focusing on three industries, namely manufacturing, agriculture, and the mining industry from 2000 to 2017. The pooled ordinary least squares, random effect model and fixed effects model were utilised to test the impact of technology on unemployment. Research and development were used as a degree for technology in this study, as it was the main independent variable. The results suggest that there is insignificant effect of technology on unemployment, there are many studies in the literature that have supported this sentiment. So, having concluded that technology does have an insignificant effect on unemployment, this also means that changes in technology do not affect the country significantly, even though some industries will have to make small adjustments in responding to the technological changes. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-01
- Authors: Nelani, Aviwe
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Unemployment -- Technological innovations -- South Africa , Labor supply -- Effect of technological innovations on -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/28839 , vital:75131
- Description: The research investigates the effect of technology on unemployment in South Africa, focusing on three industries, namely manufacturing, agriculture, and the mining industry from 2000 to 2017. The pooled ordinary least squares, random effect model and fixed effects model were utilised to test the impact of technology on unemployment. Research and development were used as a degree for technology in this study, as it was the main independent variable. The results suggest that there is insignificant effect of technology on unemployment, there are many studies in the literature that have supported this sentiment. So, having concluded that technology does have an insignificant effect on unemployment, this also means that changes in technology do not affect the country significantly, even though some industries will have to make small adjustments in responding to the technological changes. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-01
Trade openness, economic growth, income inequality and poverty nexus in SADC countries: 1980-2019
- Gonese, Dorcas https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0774-024X
- Authors: Gonese, Dorcas https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0774-024X
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Economic development , Income distribution
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23370 , vital:57618
- Description: Trade openness (TO) has been identified as a critical component for sustainable economic growth, income inequality reduction, and poverty reduction in the 2030 Agenda as per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional indicative strategic development plan (RISDP). Despite the opening up to the global world, developing countries such as the SADC continue to face exclusive and unstable economic growth, massive income disparity, and poverty. Considering the previous empirical work, many controversies are related to methodologies and measurement issues. The study attempted to examine the impact of trade openness on economic growth of the SADC countries as well as its effect on income inequality and poverty reduction from 1980 to 2019. The study builds on existing studies in the region that have mainly analysed this kind of relationship, assuming that it is only TO and economic growth (EGR) that matters. The study sought to address three analytical objectives. The first objective focused on examining the effects of trade openness on economic growth in the SADC countries. In addressing this objective, the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) was utilised, given the nature of the relationship between the variables of interest. The empirical results revealed that all measures of trade openness (real trade openness, economic globalisation, exports and imports of goods and services) used in the study have a positive effect on economic growth in SADC countries. This implies that the foreign factors account for a share of SADC's economic growth. The PMG indicates that the mediating variables of all measures of trade openness with human capital development have a positive effect on economic growth. This implies that the beneficial impact of the said measures of trade openness, are more effective when investment in human capital increases. The second objective focused on analysing trade openness's direct and indirect impact on income inequality using the PMG model again. The empirical results indicate that trade openness via exports has a negative effect on income inequality. In contrast, real trade openness and imports positively affect income inequality. This implies that the exports of goods and services in SADC are drivers of income inequality reduction while real trade openness and imports worsen it. Therefore, the SADC countries must be wary of real trade openness and import policies addressing income inequality. As for the interaction effects, the empirical results indicate that greater openness via real trade openness, economic globalisation, exports and imports reduce income inequality when economic growth increases and when the financial sector is more developed. The final analytical objective focused on analysing the effects of TO on poverty in the SADC region. The PMG model was utilised for trade openness-non-income poverty (NPOV) relationship. However, because there is a scarcity of income-poverty (IPOV) data, the time dimensions for the income poverty-trade openness model are smaller than the cross sections. Therefore, the current study employed the system generalised method of moments (SGMM) estimation technique which is a more effective and efficient estimation technique for controlling for endogeneity when the time dimension is smaller than the cross sections. The findings indicate that real trade openness has a positive effect on NPOV, whereas economic globalisation, exports, and imports negatively affect NPOV. This implies that real trade openness increases poverty reduction while economic globalisation, exports and imports exacerbate non-income poverty in SADC countries. On testing whether trade openness- NPOV relationship changes with economic growth, income inequality, human capital development, financial development and institutional quality, the complementary variable with EGR is positive and significant for real trade openness and exports, implying that real trade openness and exports reduce NPOV when economic growth increases. The SGMM indicates that only economic globalisation and imports have negative impact on income poverty in SADC countries. This implies that economic globalisation and imports are determinants of income poverty reduction in the SADC countries. The SADC governments and policymakers should be mindful about what ways they should globalise, what goods they export or imports to minimise income poverty. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-01
- Authors: Gonese, Dorcas https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0774-024X
- Date: 2022-01
- Subjects: Economic development , Income distribution
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23370 , vital:57618
- Description: Trade openness (TO) has been identified as a critical component for sustainable economic growth, income inequality reduction, and poverty reduction in the 2030 Agenda as per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional indicative strategic development plan (RISDP). Despite the opening up to the global world, developing countries such as the SADC continue to face exclusive and unstable economic growth, massive income disparity, and poverty. Considering the previous empirical work, many controversies are related to methodologies and measurement issues. The study attempted to examine the impact of trade openness on economic growth of the SADC countries as well as its effect on income inequality and poverty reduction from 1980 to 2019. The study builds on existing studies in the region that have mainly analysed this kind of relationship, assuming that it is only TO and economic growth (EGR) that matters. The study sought to address three analytical objectives. The first objective focused on examining the effects of trade openness on economic growth in the SADC countries. In addressing this objective, the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) was utilised, given the nature of the relationship between the variables of interest. The empirical results revealed that all measures of trade openness (real trade openness, economic globalisation, exports and imports of goods and services) used in the study have a positive effect on economic growth in SADC countries. This implies that the foreign factors account for a share of SADC's economic growth. The PMG indicates that the mediating variables of all measures of trade openness with human capital development have a positive effect on economic growth. This implies that the beneficial impact of the said measures of trade openness, are more effective when investment in human capital increases. The second objective focused on analysing trade openness's direct and indirect impact on income inequality using the PMG model again. The empirical results indicate that trade openness via exports has a negative effect on income inequality. In contrast, real trade openness and imports positively affect income inequality. This implies that the exports of goods and services in SADC are drivers of income inequality reduction while real trade openness and imports worsen it. Therefore, the SADC countries must be wary of real trade openness and import policies addressing income inequality. As for the interaction effects, the empirical results indicate that greater openness via real trade openness, economic globalisation, exports and imports reduce income inequality when economic growth increases and when the financial sector is more developed. The final analytical objective focused on analysing the effects of TO on poverty in the SADC region. The PMG model was utilised for trade openness-non-income poverty (NPOV) relationship. However, because there is a scarcity of income-poverty (IPOV) data, the time dimensions for the income poverty-trade openness model are smaller than the cross sections. Therefore, the current study employed the system generalised method of moments (SGMM) estimation technique which is a more effective and efficient estimation technique for controlling for endogeneity when the time dimension is smaller than the cross sections. The findings indicate that real trade openness has a positive effect on NPOV, whereas economic globalisation, exports, and imports negatively affect NPOV. This implies that real trade openness increases poverty reduction while economic globalisation, exports and imports exacerbate non-income poverty in SADC countries. On testing whether trade openness- NPOV relationship changes with economic growth, income inequality, human capital development, financial development and institutional quality, the complementary variable with EGR is positive and significant for real trade openness and exports, implying that real trade openness and exports reduce NPOV when economic growth increases. The SGMM indicates that only economic globalisation and imports have negative impact on income poverty in SADC countries. This implies that economic globalisation and imports are determinants of income poverty reduction in the SADC countries. The SADC governments and policymakers should be mindful about what ways they should globalise, what goods they export or imports to minimise income poverty. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-01
Dualistic role of the Employee Relations Office and its influence on labour relations at the University of Fort Hare
- Authors: Mnqayi, Leon M
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Industrial relations--South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23416 , vital:57729
- Description: Employee relations are important for the success of any organisation. Maintaining healthy cordial employee relations usually involves creating understanding and harmony between the employees and the employer. However, due to several dynamics within the work environment, employee relations become complex. The employee relations unit in the human resources management department is tasked with handling this complex situation by dealing with different grievances in organisations. In this regard, in organisations like the University of Fort Hare, the employee relations office represents both the employees and employer. The dualistic role assumed by the employee relations office is associated with several challenges, such as employees not trusting the employee relations office. The employee relations office is deemed to be safeguarding the interests of the management, which complicates employee relations at the university. Therefore, this study sought to explore perceptions on the dualistic role of the employee relations office and its influence on labour relations at the University of Fort Hare. The study utilised a qualitative research methodology to find out perceptions of participants on the dualistic role of the employee relations office and its influence on labour relations at the University of Fort Hare. The research used semi-structured interviews to collect data. The participants were purposively selected from the University of Fort Hare. The Human Relations Theory was used as the main theory, and it provided underpinning arguments regarding employee relations at the University of Fort Hare. The data gathered were thematically analysed. The main findings revealed that there are fragmented employee relations at the university, mainly due to lack of clarity about the standard working conditions that should be expected and that are acceptable by the university. Furthermore, the study also established that the employee relations office is largely seen as biased against employees and seems to favour employers most of the times, leading to disputes being taken to an external party. Based on these findings, the study recommends that to improve objectivity, the employee relations office can create an oversight team that independently provides insights on specific issues faced by employees and management. Improving objectivity should include making decisions based on facts or data, focusing on the vision and mission of the institution, increasing the ratio of positive against negative feedback, improving on transparency during decision-making and the creation of an anonymous human resources engagement system. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Mnqayi, Leon M
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Industrial relations--South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23416 , vital:57729
- Description: Employee relations are important for the success of any organisation. Maintaining healthy cordial employee relations usually involves creating understanding and harmony between the employees and the employer. However, due to several dynamics within the work environment, employee relations become complex. The employee relations unit in the human resources management department is tasked with handling this complex situation by dealing with different grievances in organisations. In this regard, in organisations like the University of Fort Hare, the employee relations office represents both the employees and employer. The dualistic role assumed by the employee relations office is associated with several challenges, such as employees not trusting the employee relations office. The employee relations office is deemed to be safeguarding the interests of the management, which complicates employee relations at the university. Therefore, this study sought to explore perceptions on the dualistic role of the employee relations office and its influence on labour relations at the University of Fort Hare. The study utilised a qualitative research methodology to find out perceptions of participants on the dualistic role of the employee relations office and its influence on labour relations at the University of Fort Hare. The research used semi-structured interviews to collect data. The participants were purposively selected from the University of Fort Hare. The Human Relations Theory was used as the main theory, and it provided underpinning arguments regarding employee relations at the University of Fort Hare. The data gathered were thematically analysed. The main findings revealed that there are fragmented employee relations at the university, mainly due to lack of clarity about the standard working conditions that should be expected and that are acceptable by the university. Furthermore, the study also established that the employee relations office is largely seen as biased against employees and seems to favour employers most of the times, leading to disputes being taken to an external party. Based on these findings, the study recommends that to improve objectivity, the employee relations office can create an oversight team that independently provides insights on specific issues faced by employees and management. Improving objectivity should include making decisions based on facts or data, focusing on the vision and mission of the institution, increasing the ratio of positive against negative feedback, improving on transparency during decision-making and the creation of an anonymous human resources engagement system. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
A contingency management framework to mitigate cybersecurity threats to electronic health records in the public health sector in South Africa
- Ngxabane, Mbulelo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2942-2568
- Authors: Ngxabane, Mbulelo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2942-2568
- Date: 2021-11
- Subjects: Health services administration--Information technology , Computer Security
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23427 , vital:57730
- Description: Most developing countries in the African continent, including South Africa, seem to be lagging behind in research, policy development, and how to prevent cybersecurity threats. These findings are evident in the significant number of cyberattacks recorded in the Cost of Data Breach Study and Global Analysis by Ponemon Institute. Research studies are placing the blame on the element of portability in electronic health records (EHRs) that has contributed to numerous vulnerabilities to hospital healthcare data. As a result, the healthcare information of patients in those hospitals that are equipped with interconnected medical devices is exposed to cybersecurity threats. The purpose of the study was to develop a healthcare contingency management framework that can be used by healthcare institutions to mitigate cybersecurity threats to EHRs in the public health sector in South Africa. The integrated systems theory (IST) which amalgamated five different theories relating to information security management was used as a theoretical foundation in this study. In achieving this purpose, the literature review was selected as the research design best suited to answer the question presented in this research study. An expert review was used to refine the framework outcome using interviews and questionnaires. The contribution that will be made by this study will be in a form of a conceptual framework that will be used to mitigate cybersecurity threats concerning EHRs in the public health sector. The healthcare contingency management framework (HCMF) can be adopted by either the National Health Department or Provincial Health Department to be used by healthcare facilities as a guide in reviewing their support function, process management, governance management, and their contingency management. Similar future studies need to be conducted on large scale such as in the whole public sector with the focus on the health sector. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-11
- Authors: Ngxabane, Mbulelo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2942-2568
- Date: 2021-11
- Subjects: Health services administration--Information technology , Computer Security
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23427 , vital:57730
- Description: Most developing countries in the African continent, including South Africa, seem to be lagging behind in research, policy development, and how to prevent cybersecurity threats. These findings are evident in the significant number of cyberattacks recorded in the Cost of Data Breach Study and Global Analysis by Ponemon Institute. Research studies are placing the blame on the element of portability in electronic health records (EHRs) that has contributed to numerous vulnerabilities to hospital healthcare data. As a result, the healthcare information of patients in those hospitals that are equipped with interconnected medical devices is exposed to cybersecurity threats. The purpose of the study was to develop a healthcare contingency management framework that can be used by healthcare institutions to mitigate cybersecurity threats to EHRs in the public health sector in South Africa. The integrated systems theory (IST) which amalgamated five different theories relating to information security management was used as a theoretical foundation in this study. In achieving this purpose, the literature review was selected as the research design best suited to answer the question presented in this research study. An expert review was used to refine the framework outcome using interviews and questionnaires. The contribution that will be made by this study will be in a form of a conceptual framework that will be used to mitigate cybersecurity threats concerning EHRs in the public health sector. The healthcare contingency management framework (HCMF) can be adopted by either the National Health Department or Provincial Health Department to be used by healthcare facilities as a guide in reviewing their support function, process management, governance management, and their contingency management. Similar future studies need to be conducted on large scale such as in the whole public sector with the focus on the health sector. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-11
Big data use at an automotive manufacturer: a framework to address privacy concerns in Hadoop Technology.
- Authors: Padayachee, Prenisha
- Date: 2021-11
- Subjects: Data protection. , Privacy, Right of. , Computer networks--Security measures.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22255 , vital:52009
- Description: An automotive manufacturer can generate big data through accessible data points from internal and external Internet of Things (IoT) data sources connected to the production line. Big data analytics needs to be applied to these large and complex datasets to realise the associated opportunities, such as an improved manufacturing process, optimised supply chain management, competitive advantage and business growth. In order to store, manage and process the data, automotive manufacturers are using Apache Hadoop technology. Apache Hadoop is a cost-effective, scalable, and fault-tolerant technology. However, there has been a concern raised regarding the privacy of big data in Apache Hadoop. A key challenge in Hadoop technology is its ineffective security model, making the data susceptible to unauthorised users. Consequently, a breach in data privacy results in automotive manufacturers becoming victims of theft of trade secrets and intellectual property via corporate spies. This theft has a negative impact and results in the loss of company reputation, business competitiveness and business growth in the automotive market. This study investigated a solution to ensure big data privacy when using Hadoop technology. The Selective Organisational Information Privacy and Security Violations Model (SOIPSVM) and the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) provided the theoretical base for this study. The researcher undertook a literature analysis and qualitative study to understand and address the identified research problem. The primary data was collected from ten Information Technology (IT) specialists at a local automotive manufacturer. These specialists participated in an interview session, which also included the completion of a questionnaire. All questions were pre-determined and open-ended, and the participants' responses were recorded. Primary data was analysed using the inductive approach by identifying relevant themes and sub-themes. In contrast, the literature analysis included academic journals, conference proceedings, websites, and books, which were critically discussed in this study. This study's findings indicated various measures to be implemented by the automotive manufacturer to address the research problem. Critical success factors were derived from the identified measures, which addressed significant data privacy issues in using Hadoop technology. The identified critical success factors included: control of internal and external data sources; monitor the value of big data towards improving the automotive manufacturing process and user behaviour; implementation of user authentication; encryption to secure data; disaster recovery and backup plan; execution of authorisation and Access Control List (ACLS); conduct audits and regular reviews of user access to data; apply data masking to sensitive data and tokenization to secure data; build own infrastructure to store and analyse data; install regular security updates and update passwords regularly. Each factor had a purpose that examined big data management, governance and compliance in detail. The identified factors contributed towards ensuring data privacy in the use of Hadoop technology. These factors were categorised into contextual and rule and regulatory conditions adopted from the SOIPSVM. Identified conditions were then aligned to the five-level CMM. Each condition was expanded upon at various maturity levels to form a framework that addressed the main research problem. The framework's application was described as an independent assessment of each critical success factor and provided a guide through various maturity levels. The framework's purpose was to address and overcome big data privacy concerns in using Hadoop technology at a local automotive manufacturer. , Thesis (MCom) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-11
- Authors: Padayachee, Prenisha
- Date: 2021-11
- Subjects: Data protection. , Privacy, Right of. , Computer networks--Security measures.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22255 , vital:52009
- Description: An automotive manufacturer can generate big data through accessible data points from internal and external Internet of Things (IoT) data sources connected to the production line. Big data analytics needs to be applied to these large and complex datasets to realise the associated opportunities, such as an improved manufacturing process, optimised supply chain management, competitive advantage and business growth. In order to store, manage and process the data, automotive manufacturers are using Apache Hadoop technology. Apache Hadoop is a cost-effective, scalable, and fault-tolerant technology. However, there has been a concern raised regarding the privacy of big data in Apache Hadoop. A key challenge in Hadoop technology is its ineffective security model, making the data susceptible to unauthorised users. Consequently, a breach in data privacy results in automotive manufacturers becoming victims of theft of trade secrets and intellectual property via corporate spies. This theft has a negative impact and results in the loss of company reputation, business competitiveness and business growth in the automotive market. This study investigated a solution to ensure big data privacy when using Hadoop technology. The Selective Organisational Information Privacy and Security Violations Model (SOIPSVM) and the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) provided the theoretical base for this study. The researcher undertook a literature analysis and qualitative study to understand and address the identified research problem. The primary data was collected from ten Information Technology (IT) specialists at a local automotive manufacturer. These specialists participated in an interview session, which also included the completion of a questionnaire. All questions were pre-determined and open-ended, and the participants' responses were recorded. Primary data was analysed using the inductive approach by identifying relevant themes and sub-themes. In contrast, the literature analysis included academic journals, conference proceedings, websites, and books, which were critically discussed in this study. This study's findings indicated various measures to be implemented by the automotive manufacturer to address the research problem. Critical success factors were derived from the identified measures, which addressed significant data privacy issues in using Hadoop technology. The identified critical success factors included: control of internal and external data sources; monitor the value of big data towards improving the automotive manufacturing process and user behaviour; implementation of user authentication; encryption to secure data; disaster recovery and backup plan; execution of authorisation and Access Control List (ACLS); conduct audits and regular reviews of user access to data; apply data masking to sensitive data and tokenization to secure data; build own infrastructure to store and analyse data; install regular security updates and update passwords regularly. Each factor had a purpose that examined big data management, governance and compliance in detail. The identified factors contributed towards ensuring data privacy in the use of Hadoop technology. These factors were categorised into contextual and rule and regulatory conditions adopted from the SOIPSVM. Identified conditions were then aligned to the five-level CMM. Each condition was expanded upon at various maturity levels to form a framework that addressed the main research problem. The framework's application was described as an independent assessment of each critical success factor and provided a guide through various maturity levels. The framework's purpose was to address and overcome big data privacy concerns in using Hadoop technology at a local automotive manufacturer. , Thesis (MCom) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-11
Rethinking the role of councilors in a digital era governance:: a critical analysis of Shinyanga Municipality and Nzega District Council in Tanzania
- Linje, Anna Peter https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1990-3309
- Authors: Linje, Anna Peter https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1990-3309
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Internet in public administration , Information technology Political aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21759 , vital:51749
- Description: This study endeavored to rethink the roles of councilors in a digital era governance. The essence of councils’ role according to Adams (2013), is that they are the only level of government with a legislative mandate for the well-being of people and responsive to local risks and opportunities. Therefore, it is important to rethink their roles as they require a full range of interactions which can now be facilitated by the use of digital potentials (Adams, 2013). The study explored the councilors’ undertakings to understand the current situation and if they embrace the new forms of digital governance. Also, the researcher reviewed the laws and policies guiding the councilors in their undertakings and if they accommodated the digital era requirements. Moreover, the researcher examined the capacity of councilors and the challenges they face in their undertakings. The study employed a qualitative approach, whereby semistructured interviews, observation and documentary review were used to collect data. The findings revealed that councils’ practices and processes continue to be outside the digital age. One of the major factors was a dearth of limited practical experiences to upkeep the digital governance opportunities and tailor their decisions accordingly. Regarding legislatives, the findings showed that there was evidence of formulation of new legislatives including the current ICT policy (2016) that respond to the digital governance. Yet, it was indicated that the digital legislatives were not well captured by the individual councilors, while the enforcement mechanisms were still at its infancy. Also, councils could not provide a clear digital platform framework. The capacity of councilors was found to be insufficient, they were not well equipped in terms of facilities, skills and digital technicalities. Generally, lack of political readiness, spirit of fear and poor digital infrastructure were major challenges. The study recommended councils adopt new ways in parallel with the existing ones, this should be inclusive of frequent trainings. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
- Authors: Linje, Anna Peter https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1990-3309
- Date: 2021-10
- Subjects: Internet in public administration , Information technology Political aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21759 , vital:51749
- Description: This study endeavored to rethink the roles of councilors in a digital era governance. The essence of councils’ role according to Adams (2013), is that they are the only level of government with a legislative mandate for the well-being of people and responsive to local risks and opportunities. Therefore, it is important to rethink their roles as they require a full range of interactions which can now be facilitated by the use of digital potentials (Adams, 2013). The study explored the councilors’ undertakings to understand the current situation and if they embrace the new forms of digital governance. Also, the researcher reviewed the laws and policies guiding the councilors in their undertakings and if they accommodated the digital era requirements. Moreover, the researcher examined the capacity of councilors and the challenges they face in their undertakings. The study employed a qualitative approach, whereby semistructured interviews, observation and documentary review were used to collect data. The findings revealed that councils’ practices and processes continue to be outside the digital age. One of the major factors was a dearth of limited practical experiences to upkeep the digital governance opportunities and tailor their decisions accordingly. Regarding legislatives, the findings showed that there was evidence of formulation of new legislatives including the current ICT policy (2016) that respond to the digital governance. Yet, it was indicated that the digital legislatives were not well captured by the individual councilors, while the enforcement mechanisms were still at its infancy. Also, councils could not provide a clear digital platform framework. The capacity of councilors was found to be insufficient, they were not well equipped in terms of facilities, skills and digital technicalities. Generally, lack of political readiness, spirit of fear and poor digital infrastructure were major challenges. The study recommended councils adopt new ways in parallel with the existing ones, this should be inclusive of frequent trainings. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-10
A framework to influence the behavioural intention of adults to monitor their health using gamification: a case of discovery vitality in East London, South Africa.
- Authors: Ntshona, Linda
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Autonomy (Psychology) , Medical telematics. , Patient self-monitoring.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22242 , vital:52005
- Description: The epidemic of overweight or obesity conditions has become a public health concern in South Africa, and signifies major challenges of chronic diseases affecting the healthcare sector. Recent years have noted the increasing prevalence of gamification and development across all age groups. The rapid adoption and use of gamification as a tool to improve adult motivation and engagement when monitoring their health and wellness is an essential form of health intervention. Gamification allows its users to keep track of their health in real time and encourages an active healthy lifestyle behaviour. Research has found that there are factors that may inhibit the behavioural intention of adults to use gamification for health monitoring in the long term. These factors include cost or membership fees associated with gamification that uses Discovery Vitality and privacy concerns. The main aim of this research study was to develop a framework to influence the behavioural intention of adults to monitor their health through gamification making use of Discovery Vitality as the case study. The self-determination theory was used as the theoretical framework to ensure continuance usage of gamification for sustained health monitoring. A qualitative research approach was chosen for this study. The purposive sampling technique was selected to identify 20 adults between the ages of 18-59 years that are members of Discovery Vitality in East London, South Africa. Interviews were conducted with the 20 participants to identify the factors that will influence their behavioural intention to make use of gamification to monitor their health. After data collection, thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and the data provided by the participants was organised and summarised into relevant themes to answer the main research question. The study developed a framework which incorporated the four constructs of the self-determination theory, namely perceived autonomy, competence, relatedness and satisfaction of basic psychological needs for sustained health monitoring. The study also developed the five factors influencing the behavioural intention of adults to continue using gamification for sustained health monitoring. These factors are known as: broad appeal, applicability and accessibility through mobile technology and pervasive sensors, development and accomplishment, employment of creativity and feedback, and lastly social influence and relatedness. The recognition of weight loss, tracking and monitoring of physical activities and medication adherence was found to positively influence the behavioural intention of adults to continuosly use gamification to monitor their health. , Thesis (MCom) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Ntshona, Linda
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Autonomy (Psychology) , Medical telematics. , Patient self-monitoring.
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22242 , vital:52005
- Description: The epidemic of overweight or obesity conditions has become a public health concern in South Africa, and signifies major challenges of chronic diseases affecting the healthcare sector. Recent years have noted the increasing prevalence of gamification and development across all age groups. The rapid adoption and use of gamification as a tool to improve adult motivation and engagement when monitoring their health and wellness is an essential form of health intervention. Gamification allows its users to keep track of their health in real time and encourages an active healthy lifestyle behaviour. Research has found that there are factors that may inhibit the behavioural intention of adults to use gamification for health monitoring in the long term. These factors include cost or membership fees associated with gamification that uses Discovery Vitality and privacy concerns. The main aim of this research study was to develop a framework to influence the behavioural intention of adults to monitor their health through gamification making use of Discovery Vitality as the case study. The self-determination theory was used as the theoretical framework to ensure continuance usage of gamification for sustained health monitoring. A qualitative research approach was chosen for this study. The purposive sampling technique was selected to identify 20 adults between the ages of 18-59 years that are members of Discovery Vitality in East London, South Africa. Interviews were conducted with the 20 participants to identify the factors that will influence their behavioural intention to make use of gamification to monitor their health. After data collection, thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and the data provided by the participants was organised and summarised into relevant themes to answer the main research question. The study developed a framework which incorporated the four constructs of the self-determination theory, namely perceived autonomy, competence, relatedness and satisfaction of basic psychological needs for sustained health monitoring. The study also developed the five factors influencing the behavioural intention of adults to continue using gamification for sustained health monitoring. These factors are known as: broad appeal, applicability and accessibility through mobile technology and pervasive sensors, development and accomplishment, employment of creativity and feedback, and lastly social influence and relatedness. The recognition of weight loss, tracking and monitoring of physical activities and medication adherence was found to positively influence the behavioural intention of adults to continuosly use gamification to monitor their health. , Thesis (MCom) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
Assessing the effects of the South African schools rationalisation policy on educator morale-case study of Buffalo City District Education in King Williams Town – Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mgedezi, Nomahlubi Pamela
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Teacher morale
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20439 , vital:45666
- Description: The purpose of the study was to scrutinise and assess the effects of South African school’s rationalization framework on educator morale in the Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education amidst the research objectives. The researcher wanted to establish if the Department of Education had succeeded in the implementation of the policy. In terms of the accomplishment of the objectives the researcher wanted to determine whether the exercise of the policy had affected the morale of educators. The study reviewed the literature, theoretical and empirical assessment of rationalisation process on the morale of educators in the King William’s Town district in the Eastern Cape. The study adopted a case study design of qualitative approach. The target population of the study included seventeen educators of the five schools in King William’s Town. A purposive sampling was used to select the respondents. A semi – structured interviews and questionnaires was used, and data was analysed using thematic approach according to the themes from the research questions. The questionnaire method succeeded by interviews was used for the collection of data. The tables and bar graphs were used to represent the number of respondents that participated in the study. The findings denoted that some of the educators believed the Department of Education had not planned the process of rationalisation sufficiently as it brought about anxiety and stress, though some of the affected educators mentioned that it brought relief as there are additional educators to teach other learning areas. The study recommended that the Department of basic Education in Eastern Cape should as a matter of priority provide maximum support to the affected educators. The study concluded that it became evident that the interaction with the respondents showed that the rationalisation process affects redeployed educators negatively. The outcome of the study could be helpful to the Department of Education to come up with strategies of implementing the policy and serve as a centre of reference towards other organisations and unions. , Thesis (MPA) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Mgedezi, Nomahlubi Pamela
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Teacher morale
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20439 , vital:45666
- Description: The purpose of the study was to scrutinise and assess the effects of South African school’s rationalization framework on educator morale in the Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education amidst the research objectives. The researcher wanted to establish if the Department of Education had succeeded in the implementation of the policy. In terms of the accomplishment of the objectives the researcher wanted to determine whether the exercise of the policy had affected the morale of educators. The study reviewed the literature, theoretical and empirical assessment of rationalisation process on the morale of educators in the King William’s Town district in the Eastern Cape. The study adopted a case study design of qualitative approach. The target population of the study included seventeen educators of the five schools in King William’s Town. A purposive sampling was used to select the respondents. A semi – structured interviews and questionnaires was used, and data was analysed using thematic approach according to the themes from the research questions. The questionnaire method succeeded by interviews was used for the collection of data. The tables and bar graphs were used to represent the number of respondents that participated in the study. The findings denoted that some of the educators believed the Department of Education had not planned the process of rationalisation sufficiently as it brought about anxiety and stress, though some of the affected educators mentioned that it brought relief as there are additional educators to teach other learning areas. The study recommended that the Department of basic Education in Eastern Cape should as a matter of priority provide maximum support to the affected educators. The study concluded that it became evident that the interaction with the respondents showed that the rationalisation process affects redeployed educators negatively. The outcome of the study could be helpful to the Department of Education to come up with strategies of implementing the policy and serve as a centre of reference towards other organisations and unions. , Thesis (MPA) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
Capital flows and real exchange rate movement in South Africa
- Authors: Lindani, Sandiswa
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Foreign exchange rates , Exchange rate pass-through , Capital movements
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20417 , vital:45664
- Description: The neoclassical theory suggests that free flow of external capital should be equilibrating and thereby facilitating smoothening of an economy's consumption or production patterns. Based on this background, this study empirically examines the extent to which the different forms of capital flows amongst other variables influence the real exchange rate in South Africa for the period 1980 to 2019, using annual data. Estimation techniques employed include the Johansen Co-integration Approach and the Vector error correction model (VECM). The variables were found to be co-integrated, with six co-integrating vectors existing. The long-run results revealed that FPI has an appreciating effect on the exchange rate in South Africa. Based on the results, policy recommendations are suggested. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Lindani, Sandiswa
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Foreign exchange rates , Exchange rate pass-through , Capital movements
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20417 , vital:45664
- Description: The neoclassical theory suggests that free flow of external capital should be equilibrating and thereby facilitating smoothening of an economy's consumption or production patterns. Based on this background, this study empirically examines the extent to which the different forms of capital flows amongst other variables influence the real exchange rate in South Africa for the period 1980 to 2019, using annual data. Estimation techniques employed include the Johansen Co-integration Approach and the Vector error correction model (VECM). The variables were found to be co-integrated, with six co-integrating vectors existing. The long-run results revealed that FPI has an appreciating effect on the exchange rate in South Africa. Based on the results, policy recommendations are suggested. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
Factors influencing the adoption of mobile health monitoring and care systems by the elderly living at home in South Africa: a case of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality.
- Authors: Fotoyi, Yolande Odwa
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Medical informatics , Wireless communication systems in medical care
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20406 , vital:45662
- Description: The gradual increase of elderly people around the globe necessitates intensive dialogue amongst government, the healthcare sector and elderly communities as per MPAA 2002 resolutions. Literature identifies technology as the enabler to drive the facilitation of improved living conditions beginning with an affordable, accessible and integrated health information system (HIS). The attainment of a better quality of care to meet the elderly’s needs requires the re-engineering of current modalities. The diverse nature of South Africa is more suited to a people-based rather than a process-centric approach currently in existence. Access barriers, affordability, the digital divide, lack of government buy-in, and fragmented HIS are considered major impediments to adoption of mobile monitoring and care systems (MMCs) for the elderly’s healthcare. Given the complications brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the adoption of MMCs cannot be more pronounced. However, despite available literature regarding elderly issues in both developed and developing countries, the elderly plight has still not been considered a national priority. The main purpose of this research was to investigate why elderly people do not adopt MMCs to improve their quality of life, with MMC technologies as a general area of research. The main objective of the study was to develop critical success factors to improve the adoption of MMCs by the elderly living at home. This would potentially alleviate the burden on healthcare resources and also improve the elderly’s quality of life. Primary data collection took place from 21 February to 28 February 2020 in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants comprising one male and 14 females who represented the elderly Black, Coloured, Indian and White people. This qualitative research tool and purposive sampling method were chosen in order to fully capture the participants’ experiences in the home environment, which excluded those living in frail care or step-down facilities or state institutions. Despite the sample size being small and not being generalizable, it delivered rich information which provided a deeper understanding and fresh insights into the landscape of the elderly and their healthcare needs. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. The study found that elderly communities are not entirely averse to adoption of MMCs but challenges like affordability and chronic shortage of technical skills prove to be impediments to adoption of MMCs for the elderly’s healthcare. The lack of standardisation and data governance pertaining to data sharing in HISs also serve to exacerbate the matter. The study, therefore, recommends collaborative engagements amongst government, business and the elderly to facilitate the availability of affordable and accessible ICT infrastructure for the elderly communities. Improved adoption of MMCs carry the potential benefit which emanates from the assumption of a pro-active role by the elderly and optimising available MMCs thus reducing strain and freeing-up healthcare workers to concentrate on core duties. The onus thus falls on the healthcare sector to revise the available strategies which seek to enhance the quality of life of the elderly people living in the home environment. , Thesis (MCom) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Fotoyi, Yolande Odwa
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Medical informatics , Wireless communication systems in medical care
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20406 , vital:45662
- Description: The gradual increase of elderly people around the globe necessitates intensive dialogue amongst government, the healthcare sector and elderly communities as per MPAA 2002 resolutions. Literature identifies technology as the enabler to drive the facilitation of improved living conditions beginning with an affordable, accessible and integrated health information system (HIS). The attainment of a better quality of care to meet the elderly’s needs requires the re-engineering of current modalities. The diverse nature of South Africa is more suited to a people-based rather than a process-centric approach currently in existence. Access barriers, affordability, the digital divide, lack of government buy-in, and fragmented HIS are considered major impediments to adoption of mobile monitoring and care systems (MMCs) for the elderly’s healthcare. Given the complications brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the adoption of MMCs cannot be more pronounced. However, despite available literature regarding elderly issues in both developed and developing countries, the elderly plight has still not been considered a national priority. The main purpose of this research was to investigate why elderly people do not adopt MMCs to improve their quality of life, with MMC technologies as a general area of research. The main objective of the study was to develop critical success factors to improve the adoption of MMCs by the elderly living at home. This would potentially alleviate the burden on healthcare resources and also improve the elderly’s quality of life. Primary data collection took place from 21 February to 28 February 2020 in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants comprising one male and 14 females who represented the elderly Black, Coloured, Indian and White people. This qualitative research tool and purposive sampling method were chosen in order to fully capture the participants’ experiences in the home environment, which excluded those living in frail care or step-down facilities or state institutions. Despite the sample size being small and not being generalizable, it delivered rich information which provided a deeper understanding and fresh insights into the landscape of the elderly and their healthcare needs. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. The study found that elderly communities are not entirely averse to adoption of MMCs but challenges like affordability and chronic shortage of technical skills prove to be impediments to adoption of MMCs for the elderly’s healthcare. The lack of standardisation and data governance pertaining to data sharing in HISs also serve to exacerbate the matter. The study, therefore, recommends collaborative engagements amongst government, business and the elderly to facilitate the availability of affordable and accessible ICT infrastructure for the elderly communities. Improved adoption of MMCs carry the potential benefit which emanates from the assumption of a pro-active role by the elderly and optimising available MMCs thus reducing strain and freeing-up healthcare workers to concentrate on core duties. The onus thus falls on the healthcare sector to revise the available strategies which seek to enhance the quality of life of the elderly people living in the home environment. , Thesis (MCom) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
Social media influence on graduateness skills and employability: the case of historically disadvantaged institutions.
- Authors: Murire, Obrain T
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Social media--Influence
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20383 , vital:45660
- Description: Orientation: The graduate labour force is increasing as more students are graduating from historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs). The lack of graduateness attributes amongst final year students has in part contributed to the high rate of graduate unemployment in South Africa. Social media have been identified as a solution as more than 95percent of young adults enrolled at historically disadvantaged institutions in South Africa are using mobile technology. Research Purpose: The purpose of the study was to develop a model to enhance graduateness skills and employability through the use of social media amongst final year students at HDIs in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Motivation for the study: The study is of utmost importance as it has developed an artefact that investigated the influence of social media use on graduateness skills and employability amongst students at HDIs in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Additionally, students at HDIs are an interesting theoretical sample due to them being an under-researched sample. The HDIs context has received scant focus and attention. In theory, the link between psychological constructs (such as graduateness skills and employability) with a technology dimension especially within our South African context and internationally remains unexplored. Research approach/design and method: Social Media Integration and Career EDGE models were used as a theoretical foundation in this study. This study adopted design science as a research method, where a mixed-method technique was used to collect data from final year students and human resource practitioners. The sequential exploratory design was chosen as it offers an iterative process of developing an artefact that can be tested within a larger population. The questionnaire for interviews and the survey were developed after a thorough literature review and pilot study had been conducted. The questionnaire was distributed to all the participants, of which 411 responded, resulting in a response rate of 93percent; and 15 interviews were conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data and correlations test were used to determine associations between variables. Main findings: The study found that there is a significant direct effect of social media use on graduateness skills; there is a significant direct effect of graduateness skills on perceived employability. Graduateness skills have a significant mediating effect on the relationship between social media use and perceived employability. The results also revealed that the direct effect of social media use on perceived employability does not exist. Practical/managerial implications: The study shows that there is a need for the government to devise policies that set guidelines for HR practitioners to follow when recruiting and selecting graduates. Contribution/value-add: The research study contributes to the growing body of research as it utilised a mixed-method approach to explore lived experiences. The Graduate Employability Social Media Model (GESM Model) is the main contribution made by this study to the body of knowledge in both the fields of Information Systems and Business Management. , Thesis (PhD) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Murire, Obrain T
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Social media--Influence
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20383 , vital:45660
- Description: Orientation: The graduate labour force is increasing as more students are graduating from historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs). The lack of graduateness attributes amongst final year students has in part contributed to the high rate of graduate unemployment in South Africa. Social media have been identified as a solution as more than 95percent of young adults enrolled at historically disadvantaged institutions in South Africa are using mobile technology. Research Purpose: The purpose of the study was to develop a model to enhance graduateness skills and employability through the use of social media amongst final year students at HDIs in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Motivation for the study: The study is of utmost importance as it has developed an artefact that investigated the influence of social media use on graduateness skills and employability amongst students at HDIs in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Additionally, students at HDIs are an interesting theoretical sample due to them being an under-researched sample. The HDIs context has received scant focus and attention. In theory, the link between psychological constructs (such as graduateness skills and employability) with a technology dimension especially within our South African context and internationally remains unexplored. Research approach/design and method: Social Media Integration and Career EDGE models were used as a theoretical foundation in this study. This study adopted design science as a research method, where a mixed-method technique was used to collect data from final year students and human resource practitioners. The sequential exploratory design was chosen as it offers an iterative process of developing an artefact that can be tested within a larger population. The questionnaire for interviews and the survey were developed after a thorough literature review and pilot study had been conducted. The questionnaire was distributed to all the participants, of which 411 responded, resulting in a response rate of 93percent; and 15 interviews were conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data and correlations test were used to determine associations between variables. Main findings: The study found that there is a significant direct effect of social media use on graduateness skills; there is a significant direct effect of graduateness skills on perceived employability. Graduateness skills have a significant mediating effect on the relationship between social media use and perceived employability. The results also revealed that the direct effect of social media use on perceived employability does not exist. Practical/managerial implications: The study shows that there is a need for the government to devise policies that set guidelines for HR practitioners to follow when recruiting and selecting graduates. Contribution/value-add: The research study contributes to the growing body of research as it utilised a mixed-method approach to explore lived experiences. The Graduate Employability Social Media Model (GESM Model) is the main contribution made by this study to the body of knowledge in both the fields of Information Systems and Business Management. , Thesis (PhD) (Information Systems) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
The enforcement of code conduct in local government: the case of O R Tambo District.
- Authors: Tyali, Gcobani Sonwabile
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Public administration--Moral and ethical aspects , Civil service ethics
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21300 , vital:48381
- Description: The post-apartheid transformative agenda for local government in South Africa (SA) was built on a system of new key performance areas for public employees. The problems of accountability and transparency in local government finance management, as well as good governance and the capacity building of those public officials designated to support local development, were among them. Over the years, the conduct of public officials has received more scrutiny in the media as well as in academic research. Ethics management therefore, has garnered more attention as well especially in the fight against corruption. The premise is that, if ethics management can be institutionalised public officials can become more effective and discharge their duties with respect for public resources. The imperative for the implementation of an ethical framework was also based on the need to ensure inclusive development which can be enhanced by ensuring accountability by local government functionaries. In this regard, the conduct of municipal functionaries and its regulation based on the code of conduct takes centre stage. The study contextualises ethics management and its efficacy with specific reference to the code of conduct and its role in the prevalence of unethical conduct. The results reveal glaring inconsistencies in the implementation of the code of conduct and a myriad of challenges rendering ethics management ineffective. , Thesis (MA) (Administration) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Tyali, Gcobani Sonwabile
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Public administration--Moral and ethical aspects , Civil service ethics
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21300 , vital:48381
- Description: The post-apartheid transformative agenda for local government in South Africa (SA) was built on a system of new key performance areas for public employees. The problems of accountability and transparency in local government finance management, as well as good governance and the capacity building of those public officials designated to support local development, were among them. Over the years, the conduct of public officials has received more scrutiny in the media as well as in academic research. Ethics management therefore, has garnered more attention as well especially in the fight against corruption. The premise is that, if ethics management can be institutionalised public officials can become more effective and discharge their duties with respect for public resources. The imperative for the implementation of an ethical framework was also based on the need to ensure inclusive development which can be enhanced by ensuring accountability by local government functionaries. In this regard, the conduct of municipal functionaries and its regulation based on the code of conduct takes centre stage. The study contextualises ethics management and its efficacy with specific reference to the code of conduct and its role in the prevalence of unethical conduct. The results reveal glaring inconsistencies in the implementation of the code of conduct and a myriad of challenges rendering ethics management ineffective. , Thesis (MA) (Administration) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
The impact of export commodity prices on emerging markets economic growth: a case of South Africa’s mineral exports.
- Authors: Moodley, Shiven
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Economic development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20462 , vital:45668
- Description: Despite South Africa being a mineral resource-rich country, it has experienced low economic growth post-democracy era. The available literature suggests that fluctuations in global demand for commodities have harmed the production process of tradeable and non-tradable goods. Based on this, this dissertation examines the impact of export commodity price on GDP per capita in South Africa using quarterly data beginning from Q2 (April-June) 1990 to Q4 (Oct-Dec) 2018. The Johansen co-integration technique and the Vector Error Correction Method (VECM) were utilised to examine both the long and short-run relationships between the variables of interest. The outcome of the examination has revealed that export commodity price and government expenditure have a positive relationship with GDP per capita in the long run. However, net capital flows have a negative effect on GDP per capita in South Africa. In the short run, the empirical results also reveal that both net capital flows and government expenditure are negatively related to GDP per capita. Furthermore, policy action should be directed towards structural investment for the development of sustainable infrastructure projects within the commodity export sector based on the long-run relationship between commodity export prices and GDP per capita. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Moodley, Shiven
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Economic development
- Language: English
- Type: Master's/ theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20462 , vital:45668
- Description: Despite South Africa being a mineral resource-rich country, it has experienced low economic growth post-democracy era. The available literature suggests that fluctuations in global demand for commodities have harmed the production process of tradeable and non-tradable goods. Based on this, this dissertation examines the impact of export commodity price on GDP per capita in South Africa using quarterly data beginning from Q2 (April-June) 1990 to Q4 (Oct-Dec) 2018. The Johansen co-integration technique and the Vector Error Correction Method (VECM) were utilised to examine both the long and short-run relationships between the variables of interest. The outcome of the examination has revealed that export commodity price and government expenditure have a positive relationship with GDP per capita in the long run. However, net capital flows have a negative effect on GDP per capita in South Africa. In the short run, the empirical results also reveal that both net capital flows and government expenditure are negatively related to GDP per capita. Furthermore, policy action should be directed towards structural investment for the development of sustainable infrastructure projects within the commodity export sector based on the long-run relationship between commodity export prices and GDP per capita. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
The impact of financial inclusion on poverty: a case of selected SADC countries.
- Authors: Ndlovu, Nkazimulo Glitter
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Financial services industry , Poverty--Africa , Poverty
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21311 , vital:48393
- Description: Financial inclusion is widely regarded as another conduit through which poverty can be alleviated. However, both theoretical and empirical literature does not reach consensus on the effect of financial inclusion on poverty. Against this background, the study empirically examines the effect of financial inclusion on poverty in selected Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, which include (Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia). The author employs the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique for the period 1980 to 2019. Based on the Financial Intermediation Theory and the Social Justice Theory: Tunnel effect, 5 different models were estimated. Variables used to capture the different dimensions of financial inclusion include ATMs per 1000km and Bank Accounts per 1000 adults as well as Bank’s private Credit to GDP and Commercial Bank branches per 1000 adults’. The control variables used in the study are; GDP per Capita, Government Consumption, Inflation and Education. Empirical results revealed that financial inclusion reduces the level of poverty in the selected SADC states. The results also revealed that GDP per capita and government spending have a negative effect on poverty in the region. An interesting finding, even though not the major focus of the study was the effect of education. The results revealed that lower levels of education may exacerbate the level of poverty in the region. At the same time, tertiary education was found to have a negative and significant effect on poverty. The empirical results imply that policy makers should center their focus on reforms that will ensure that more people are financially included in the region. Also policies promoting high growth levels and acquisition of higher levels of education should be pursued. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09
- Authors: Ndlovu, Nkazimulo Glitter
- Date: 2021-09
- Subjects: Financial services industry , Poverty--Africa , Poverty
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21311 , vital:48393
- Description: Financial inclusion is widely regarded as another conduit through which poverty can be alleviated. However, both theoretical and empirical literature does not reach consensus on the effect of financial inclusion on poverty. Against this background, the study empirically examines the effect of financial inclusion on poverty in selected Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, which include (Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia). The author employs the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique for the period 1980 to 2019. Based on the Financial Intermediation Theory and the Social Justice Theory: Tunnel effect, 5 different models were estimated. Variables used to capture the different dimensions of financial inclusion include ATMs per 1000km and Bank Accounts per 1000 adults as well as Bank’s private Credit to GDP and Commercial Bank branches per 1000 adults’. The control variables used in the study are; GDP per Capita, Government Consumption, Inflation and Education. Empirical results revealed that financial inclusion reduces the level of poverty in the selected SADC states. The results also revealed that GDP per capita and government spending have a negative effect on poverty in the region. An interesting finding, even though not the major focus of the study was the effect of education. The results revealed that lower levels of education may exacerbate the level of poverty in the region. At the same time, tertiary education was found to have a negative and significant effect on poverty. The empirical results imply that policy makers should center their focus on reforms that will ensure that more people are financially included in the region. Also policies promoting high growth levels and acquisition of higher levels of education should be pursued. , Thesis (MCom) (Economics) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-09