Corruption elimination within the public infrastructure sector in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mvandaba, Nosicelo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Business logistics , Government purchasing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Management -- Procurement
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46794 , vital:39662
- Description: The study aimed to reveal the existence of corruption within the public sector and to propose strategies to eliminate it within the supply chain management procurement processes and infrastructure within the public sector in the Province of the Eastern Cape. The study employed a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. For the quantitative approach, a series of structured questionnaires were issued to employees within the public sector, many of whom are involved in the procurement process. The officials were asked to rate the views on the importance of the Batho Pele principles in the public sector, risks that may result to the project failure in the public infrastructure sector and the most prevalent causes of corruption For the qualitative method of the study, interviews were conducted for both civil servants and non-public servants who have been involved in procurement processes and coordinating projects. Also, the investigation units were interviewed to determine their views on corruption in the public sector. In addition, the study involved 92 officials within the Eastern Cape Province, and eight interviews were carried out. Initially, 101 public officials were to participate in the study. According to the information that was gathered qualitatively and quantitatively, the most effective methods of eradicating corruption within the procurement department of the public sector are the following: transparency in rules and policies, strengthening of internal audit, management of domestic politics, the emphasis of government focus on preventative rather than curative methods of eliminating corruption, strengthening of consequence management and introduction of anti-corruption committees. Giving monopolistic powers to one person was seen as a gateway to fraud. The research was limited to the views of the officials who are involved in procurement processes in the Province. Not only does the study uncover the possible causes of corruption and its level in the public service but offers constructive recommendations to eliminate it with the hope that economic development will be fostered and the infrastructural climate of the Eastern Cape enhanced.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Mvandaba, Nosicelo
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Business logistics , Government purchasing -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Management -- Procurement
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46794 , vital:39662
- Description: The study aimed to reveal the existence of corruption within the public sector and to propose strategies to eliminate it within the supply chain management procurement processes and infrastructure within the public sector in the Province of the Eastern Cape. The study employed a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. For the quantitative approach, a series of structured questionnaires were issued to employees within the public sector, many of whom are involved in the procurement process. The officials were asked to rate the views on the importance of the Batho Pele principles in the public sector, risks that may result to the project failure in the public infrastructure sector and the most prevalent causes of corruption For the qualitative method of the study, interviews were conducted for both civil servants and non-public servants who have been involved in procurement processes and coordinating projects. Also, the investigation units were interviewed to determine their views on corruption in the public sector. In addition, the study involved 92 officials within the Eastern Cape Province, and eight interviews were carried out. Initially, 101 public officials were to participate in the study. According to the information that was gathered qualitatively and quantitatively, the most effective methods of eradicating corruption within the procurement department of the public sector are the following: transparency in rules and policies, strengthening of internal audit, management of domestic politics, the emphasis of government focus on preventative rather than curative methods of eliminating corruption, strengthening of consequence management and introduction of anti-corruption committees. Giving monopolistic powers to one person was seen as a gateway to fraud. The research was limited to the views of the officials who are involved in procurement processes in the Province. Not only does the study uncover the possible causes of corruption and its level in the public service but offers constructive recommendations to eliminate it with the hope that economic development will be fostered and the infrastructural climate of the Eastern Cape enhanced.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
A framework for aligning ICT service providers' products and services to the needs of SME customers
- Authors: Mhlongo, Sizwe
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Small business -- Computer networks , Business enterprises -- information technology Consumer behavior
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31911 , vital:31861
- Description: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have the potential to enhance economic growth and innovation, create jobs, and stimulate competition in the economy. However, SMEs face several challenges that influence their longevity, growth, and success. Information Communication Technology (ICT) adoption has the potential to alleviate some of these challenges faced by SMEs and to enhance their competitiveness. The adoption and use of ICT can bring benefits in terms of increasing their efficiency, innovation, growth and competitive advantages. However, SMEs are currently not taking full advantage of exploiting the potential of ICT products and services. Mostly, SMEs depend on the advice provided by their ICT service providers regarding the best ICT products and services they should adopt due to the lack of in-house ICT skills and capabilities. This treatise investigates the approach and critical success factors for ICT service providers to align their products and services to the needs of SMEs. To evaluate the conceptual framework that was proposed by this study based on the literature review, an empirical study was conducted among the SME respondents within the Gauteng province of South Africa. The questionnaire used for this study collected data to measure the SMEs’ perceptions on the availability, awareness, usage and the value added by the adoption of ICT products and services and the level of the satisfaction of the ICT needs of SMEs. The findings of this study indicate that gaps and misalignments exist between the ICT needs of SMEs and the ICT service providers’ products and services targeted to SMEs. The major discovery from the conducted empirical study revealed that ICT service providers mostly fulfil only the basic level needs of SMEs such as ICT infrastructure needs but do not fully address the higher level needs such as the digital transformation needs of SMEs. In conclusion, this study recommends that it is crucial for ICT services providers to align their products and services to the needs of SMEs in order to successfully target and market to the SME segment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Mhlongo, Sizwe
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Small business -- Computer networks , Business enterprises -- information technology Consumer behavior
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31911 , vital:31861
- Description: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have the potential to enhance economic growth and innovation, create jobs, and stimulate competition in the economy. However, SMEs face several challenges that influence their longevity, growth, and success. Information Communication Technology (ICT) adoption has the potential to alleviate some of these challenges faced by SMEs and to enhance their competitiveness. The adoption and use of ICT can bring benefits in terms of increasing their efficiency, innovation, growth and competitive advantages. However, SMEs are currently not taking full advantage of exploiting the potential of ICT products and services. Mostly, SMEs depend on the advice provided by their ICT service providers regarding the best ICT products and services they should adopt due to the lack of in-house ICT skills and capabilities. This treatise investigates the approach and critical success factors for ICT service providers to align their products and services to the needs of SMEs. To evaluate the conceptual framework that was proposed by this study based on the literature review, an empirical study was conducted among the SME respondents within the Gauteng province of South Africa. The questionnaire used for this study collected data to measure the SMEs’ perceptions on the availability, awareness, usage and the value added by the adoption of ICT products and services and the level of the satisfaction of the ICT needs of SMEs. The findings of this study indicate that gaps and misalignments exist between the ICT needs of SMEs and the ICT service providers’ products and services targeted to SMEs. The major discovery from the conducted empirical study revealed that ICT service providers mostly fulfil only the basic level needs of SMEs such as ICT infrastructure needs but do not fully address the higher level needs such as the digital transformation needs of SMEs. In conclusion, this study recommends that it is crucial for ICT services providers to align their products and services to the needs of SMEs in order to successfully target and market to the SME segment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
A critical analysis of the management of climate change risk among short-term insurers in South Africa: evidence from company annual reports
- Authors: Banda, Musale Hamangaba
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Insurance companies -- South Africa -- Case studies Risk (Insurance) -- South Africa Risk management -- Evaluation -- South Africa Insurance companies -- South Africa -- Management South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991 -- Environmental aspects Climatic changes -- Risk assessment -- South Africa Disaster insurance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:792 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003943
- Description: This study investigates the extent to which South African short-term insurance companies manage climate change risk, as evidenced in their annual and sustainability reporting. The study context takes into account the fact that the world’s climate has been changing at a more accelerated rate since the early 1970s, causing disasters that have negatively affected world economies in the last ten years. Insurers, due to their huge financial resource base, long history of spurring innovation around risk and encouraging loss-reducing behaviour as well as high levels of vulnerability, have been identified as one industry that could lead societies in finding solutions to climate change risk. A key element of such a corporate resolve involves taking a leadership position which makes business sense for insurers. As such, this research analyses how innovative solutions to change-related problems could result in reduced exposure to climate change in line with corporate triple bottom line objectives. Based on a purposive sampling of short-term insurance companies operating in the South African market during the 2007 financial year, the study uses the companies’ annual and sustainability reports in order to critically assess evidence of climate change-related performance. The assessment is undertaken against the best practice indicators of climate change risk management, as defined by Ceres – a global researcher on climate change management in the business context. The data analysis is largely qualitative, consisting of a narrative presentation of the results and a conceptual application of the results to the triple bottom line which forms the theoretical framework of this study. The study finds that the South African short-term insurers were generally not living up to the climate change management ideals, in comparison to their multinational counterparts. For the South African short-term insurers, corporate strategic product innovation and planning was insignificant. Also negligible was board involvement, as well as CEO involvement, though in at least one case of the 4 local short-term insurance, there was evidence of extensive CEO involvement in climate change risk management. On the whole, these findings represent a lapse in corporate governance inasmuch as climate change risk management is concerned. Local short-term insurers generally performed well in the area of public disclosure, with their scores ranging from insignificant to extensive. In contrast, multinational short-term insurers’ performance with regard to climate change risk intervention ranged from insignificant tointegrated, across the five governance areas of board oversight, management execution, public disclosure, emissions accounting and strategic planning. As such, the study broadly recommends that short-term insurers in South Africa should make climate change part of their overall risk management strategies in order for them to remain competitive in an environment of increased climate change-related risk. More specifically, the research project recommends that the local insurers should proactively lead climate change mitigation measures through, for instance, investing in clean energy projects and incentivising their clients’ participation in the carbon market to prepare themselves for possible regulatory restrictions after the Copenhagen climate change conference planned for December 2009. This study also challenges insurers to help communities and as well as other businesses in their value chain to reduce their negative impacts on the world’s climate and to be more resilient against disasters which may arise from the high levels of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. Further, it recommends that insurers should create internal board and executive level climate change-related structures, as these will facilitate the integration of the proposed initiatives into their overall sustainability strategies. Above all, the study recommends that insurers should enhance the reporting of their climate change-related risk, opportunities and initiatives to improve their integrity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Banda, Musale Hamangaba
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Insurance companies -- South Africa -- Case studies Risk (Insurance) -- South Africa Risk management -- Evaluation -- South Africa Insurance companies -- South Africa -- Management South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991 -- Environmental aspects Climatic changes -- Risk assessment -- South Africa Disaster insurance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:792 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003943
- Description: This study investigates the extent to which South African short-term insurance companies manage climate change risk, as evidenced in their annual and sustainability reporting. The study context takes into account the fact that the world’s climate has been changing at a more accelerated rate since the early 1970s, causing disasters that have negatively affected world economies in the last ten years. Insurers, due to their huge financial resource base, long history of spurring innovation around risk and encouraging loss-reducing behaviour as well as high levels of vulnerability, have been identified as one industry that could lead societies in finding solutions to climate change risk. A key element of such a corporate resolve involves taking a leadership position which makes business sense for insurers. As such, this research analyses how innovative solutions to change-related problems could result in reduced exposure to climate change in line with corporate triple bottom line objectives. Based on a purposive sampling of short-term insurance companies operating in the South African market during the 2007 financial year, the study uses the companies’ annual and sustainability reports in order to critically assess evidence of climate change-related performance. The assessment is undertaken against the best practice indicators of climate change risk management, as defined by Ceres – a global researcher on climate change management in the business context. The data analysis is largely qualitative, consisting of a narrative presentation of the results and a conceptual application of the results to the triple bottom line which forms the theoretical framework of this study. The study finds that the South African short-term insurers were generally not living up to the climate change management ideals, in comparison to their multinational counterparts. For the South African short-term insurers, corporate strategic product innovation and planning was insignificant. Also negligible was board involvement, as well as CEO involvement, though in at least one case of the 4 local short-term insurance, there was evidence of extensive CEO involvement in climate change risk management. On the whole, these findings represent a lapse in corporate governance inasmuch as climate change risk management is concerned. Local short-term insurers generally performed well in the area of public disclosure, with their scores ranging from insignificant to extensive. In contrast, multinational short-term insurers’ performance with regard to climate change risk intervention ranged from insignificant tointegrated, across the five governance areas of board oversight, management execution, public disclosure, emissions accounting and strategic planning. As such, the study broadly recommends that short-term insurers in South Africa should make climate change part of their overall risk management strategies in order for them to remain competitive in an environment of increased climate change-related risk. More specifically, the research project recommends that the local insurers should proactively lead climate change mitigation measures through, for instance, investing in clean energy projects and incentivising their clients’ participation in the carbon market to prepare themselves for possible regulatory restrictions after the Copenhagen climate change conference planned for December 2009. This study also challenges insurers to help communities and as well as other businesses in their value chain to reduce their negative impacts on the world’s climate and to be more resilient against disasters which may arise from the high levels of greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. Further, it recommends that insurers should create internal board and executive level climate change-related structures, as these will facilitate the integration of the proposed initiatives into their overall sustainability strategies. Above all, the study recommends that insurers should enhance the reporting of their climate change-related risk, opportunities and initiatives to improve their integrity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
A model for adaptive multimodal mobile notification
- Authors: Brander, William
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Mobile computing , Context-aware computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10473 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/699 , Mobile computing , Context-aware computing
- Description: Information is useless unless it is used whilst still applicable. Having a system that notifies the user of important messages using the most appropriate medium and device will benefit users that rely on time critical information. There are several existing systems and models for mobile notification as well as for adaptive mobile notification using context awareness. Current models and systems are typically designed for a specific set of mobile devices, modes and services. Communication however, can take place in many different modes, across many different devices and may originate from many different sources. The aim of this research was to develop a model for adaptive mobile notification using context awareness. An extensive literature study was performed into existing models for adaptive mobile notification systems using context awareness. The literature study identified several potential models but no way to evaluate and compare the models. A set of requirements to evaluate these models was developed and the models were evaluated against these criteria. The model satisfying the most requirements was adapted so as to satisfy the remaining criteria. The proposed model is extensible in terms of the modes, devices and notification sources supported. The proposed model determines the importance of a message, the appropriate device and mode (or modes) of communication based on the user‘s context, and alerts the user of the message using these modes. A prototype was developed as a proof-of-concept of the proposed model and evaluated by conducting an extensive field study. The field study highlighted the fact that most users did not choose the most suitable mode for the context during their initial subscription to the service. The field study also showed that more research needs to be done on an appropriate filtering mechanism for notifications. Users found that the notifications became intrusive and less useful the longer they used them.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Brander, William
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Mobile computing , Context-aware computing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10473 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/699 , Mobile computing , Context-aware computing
- Description: Information is useless unless it is used whilst still applicable. Having a system that notifies the user of important messages using the most appropriate medium and device will benefit users that rely on time critical information. There are several existing systems and models for mobile notification as well as for adaptive mobile notification using context awareness. Current models and systems are typically designed for a specific set of mobile devices, modes and services. Communication however, can take place in many different modes, across many different devices and may originate from many different sources. The aim of this research was to develop a model for adaptive mobile notification using context awareness. An extensive literature study was performed into existing models for adaptive mobile notification systems using context awareness. The literature study identified several potential models but no way to evaluate and compare the models. A set of requirements to evaluate these models was developed and the models were evaluated against these criteria. The model satisfying the most requirements was adapted so as to satisfy the remaining criteria. The proposed model is extensible in terms of the modes, devices and notification sources supported. The proposed model determines the importance of a message, the appropriate device and mode (or modes) of communication based on the user‘s context, and alerts the user of the message using these modes. A prototype was developed as a proof-of-concept of the proposed model and evaluated by conducting an extensive field study. The field study highlighted the fact that most users did not choose the most suitable mode for the context during their initial subscription to the service. The field study also showed that more research needs to be done on an appropriate filtering mechanism for notifications. Users found that the notifications became intrusive and less useful the longer they used them.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
An analysis of the representation of female athletes in selected South African print media from February 2006 to June 2006
- Authors: Jooste, Carlien
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Women athletes -- South Africa , Athletes in mass media -- South Africa , Mass media and sports -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8374 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/528 , Women athletes -- South Africa , Athletes in mass media -- South Africa , Mass media and sports -- South Africa
- Description: This thesis attempts to analyse the representation of professional female sport persons in selected South African media. The field of study is located within the ambit of gender and media studies with specific attention to the power of the latter to not only reflect, but actually shape realities and attitudes. Carolyn Byerly and Karen Ross (2004) comment that “the media have the potential not only to reinforce the status quo in power arrangements in society, but also to contribute to new, more egalitarian ones” (2004:24). The core question, then, is to determine whether traditional gender roles are confirmed, or positively shaped, by the way in which the selected media reported on professional women athletes in various sporting codes. As this is a neglected topic in South Africa, the study relied heavily on the research done by various American and European academics. Academics such as Pamela Creedon (1994) and Susan Birrell and Cheryl Cole (1994), found that female athletes are marginalised and stereotyped by the media. Their research also denotes that female athletes are objectified and judged on their looks and dress code instead of their sporting abilities. Female athletes are continuously stereotyped according to societal induced feminine traits. These representations alienate women who do not possess feminine qualities as “the other”, namely falling outside the desirability as determined by sponsorship and an assumed male viewing / reading public. The media further focus more on beautiful, glamorous athletes than female athletes that are less feminine, but with no less achievement and ability. Extensive examples are provided in the treatise of how the selected South African print media misrepresented women in the six month period that was studied. The conclusion is unambiguous: The South African media unfortunately follow the international trend of objectifying women according to male stereotypes. The media that were studied therefore missed an opportunity to shape gender attitudes as they collude with the powerful forces of sponsorship and viewer-ship to reinforce the status quo.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Jooste, Carlien
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Women athletes -- South Africa , Athletes in mass media -- South Africa , Mass media and sports -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8374 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/528 , Women athletes -- South Africa , Athletes in mass media -- South Africa , Mass media and sports -- South Africa
- Description: This thesis attempts to analyse the representation of professional female sport persons in selected South African media. The field of study is located within the ambit of gender and media studies with specific attention to the power of the latter to not only reflect, but actually shape realities and attitudes. Carolyn Byerly and Karen Ross (2004) comment that “the media have the potential not only to reinforce the status quo in power arrangements in society, but also to contribute to new, more egalitarian ones” (2004:24). The core question, then, is to determine whether traditional gender roles are confirmed, or positively shaped, by the way in which the selected media reported on professional women athletes in various sporting codes. As this is a neglected topic in South Africa, the study relied heavily on the research done by various American and European academics. Academics such as Pamela Creedon (1994) and Susan Birrell and Cheryl Cole (1994), found that female athletes are marginalised and stereotyped by the media. Their research also denotes that female athletes are objectified and judged on their looks and dress code instead of their sporting abilities. Female athletes are continuously stereotyped according to societal induced feminine traits. These representations alienate women who do not possess feminine qualities as “the other”, namely falling outside the desirability as determined by sponsorship and an assumed male viewing / reading public. The media further focus more on beautiful, glamorous athletes than female athletes that are less feminine, but with no less achievement and ability. Extensive examples are provided in the treatise of how the selected South African print media misrepresented women in the six month period that was studied. The conclusion is unambiguous: The South African media unfortunately follow the international trend of objectifying women according to male stereotypes. The media that were studied therefore missed an opportunity to shape gender attitudes as they collude with the powerful forces of sponsorship and viewer-ship to reinforce the status quo.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
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