An evaluation of the factors affecting student success at a South African higher education institution : implications for management
- Authors: Watkiss, Sheralyn Ann
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Education, Higher -- South Africa , College dropout -- Prevention , Management -- Education (Higher) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8817 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018826
- Description: The context of this study centres on Higher Education in South Africa, the role that this sector plays in terms of economic development and the implications that face Institutional management in retaining students in the Higher Education system. Central to this study is the notion that student development theory can be used as a basis towards understanding the customers of Higher Education, how to better serve the customers needs and finally, retain students in the system through more effective management practices. The education sector is growing at an increasingly rapid rate as a result of strategic goals of countries and organisations such as the United Nations promoting the notion of education for all people (Altbach, Reisberg & Rumbley, 2009). The aim of the strategic goals adopted by developing countries in particular is to enhance the human capital or skills and knowledge of its people since education is a known contributor towards economic, social and political development. Higher Education in particular is known to contribute towards the human capital and economic development of a country. The Higher Education sector in South Africa for instance contributes approximately 1.5 percent to the country‟s gross domestic product (GDP), significantly higher than other industry sectors (apart from gold and agriculture) in the country (van Heerden, Bohlmann, Giesecke, Makochekanwa, & Roos, 2007). Figure 1.1 provides a context of the relevant importance of the higher education sector towards economic growth.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Factors influencing employee perceptions of a post-merger working environment
- Authors: Morrison, Selwyn Hilary
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Universities and colleges -- Mergers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Educational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Universities and colleges -- Administration , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Employee morale -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Employees -- Attitudes -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8582 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1604 , Universities and colleges -- Mergers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Educational change -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Universities and colleges -- Administration , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Employee morale -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Employees -- Attitudes -- Evaluation
- Description: Higher Education in the late 1990’s experienced significant problems with capacity due to many black students applying to enter previously white institutions (Jansen, 2002:159). The main concern of the new ANC government was the status of historically black institutions. They were unstable due to the migration away from black to white universities and technikons. This reduced their financial status and viability. In addition, the anticipated huge increase in black enrolments in higher education had not materialised (Finweek Survey, February 2009). In order to overcome both of these problems, the then Minister of Education decided to press ahead with a merger programme aimed at reducing the number of higher education institutions from 36 to 21 (Jansen, 2002:6). The primary objective of this research is to investigate the factors that influence employee perceptions of a post-merger Working Environment and Organisational Commitment: a case study of the administration staff in the Finance Department at Walter Sisulu University. There seems to be a lack of efficiently and effectiveness in the he operations of the Finance Department of Walter Sisulu University which this research will investigate through finding solutions to factors of improving the relationship between employee perceptions of their post-merger Working Environment and their Organisational Commitment. This exploratory study collected primary data through the distribution of questionnaires to 59 employees from the Finance Department at the Walter Susulu University, with a 69.12% response rate. The survey included closed questions that were analysed using statistical techniques. The findings revealed overall low scores of 31% for employee perception of their post – merger Working Environment and 50.21% for Organisational Commitment, together with its sub-dimension Affective, Continuance and normative. These scores are disturbing and need to be urgently addressed by the management of the Institution. The implication of the Finance staff’s low perception of their post – merger Working Environment and organisation Commitment is that the institution’s goals will be difficult to be fulfilled due to the low morale of the staff and the non-conducive working conditions. The Institution’s Management should be more transparent, more trustworthy, and more supportive towards staff members and have a good overall communication strategy.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Pivotal role of the UNISA council in corporate governance
- Authors: Nobatyi, Andile
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Corporate governance -- Education (Higher) -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8770 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012351 , Corporate governance -- Education (Higher) -- South Africa , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa
- Description: There have been calls the world over for academic institutions to adopt corporate forms of management. Unisa Council declared its commitment to corporate governance in the Annual report 2009. This study aims to determine whether Unisa Council activities and decisions comply with corporate governance as per the King III Code and identify any area(s) of improvement. Case study research was undertaken to investigate compliance with the principles of good governance as recommended in the Code. A checklist was used to collect data from university documents and this data was analysed by pattern matching. Unisa performance was then compared with that of University of KwaZulu-Natal. Unisa Council performed 91percent of recommended practices and thereby complied with 87 percent of principles of good governance as per the King III Code on Corporate Governance. Unisa did not comply with three principles and neither complied nor not-complied with five principles as the level of performance of corresponding recommended practices was below the threshold of 75 percent. UKZN achieved 91 percent performance of the recommended practices and thereby obtained 87 percent compliance. The study also showed that practicing corporate forms of management to improve academic governance does not necessarily relegate academic interest to lower levels. This means that these institutions delivered on their mandate from the Higher Education Act, 1997 (as amended). Unisa and UKZN are primarily public institutions of higher education and not profit driven, despite them embracing corporate forms of management.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011