Difficulties experienced by small business managers in marketing their businesses
- Authors: Kpalou, Jean-Yves Gaba
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Marketing , Small business
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9016 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018635
- Description: The small business sector in today‘s world is considered seriously by researchers, scholars, policy-makers and governments as an important answer in addressing problems of unemployment, poverty alleviation, and redistribution of wealth. Promoting and encouraging the development of the small business sector is without any doubt a key factor for economic growth. However, this sector faced a high rate of businesses failure due to the many challenges among them, for example, the lack of marketing strategy and implementation in the conduct of the business. Several researches show the important role of marketing in a business but unfortunately it is still not a strong component in many organisations especially within the small business sector.For this reason the aim of this study was to investigate the difficulties experienced by small business managers in marketing their businesses. Taking the aim of this study into consideration, the primary objectives were to firstly look at the practice of marketing in small businesses and secondly to identify the difficulties of marketing experienced by small business managers.The literature study provided a brief overview of the small business sector, followed by a presentation of the practice of marketing in an organisation especially within small business enterprises. Moreover a discussion of the difficulties experienced by small business managers in marketing their businesses was also addressed through the literature review. The literature classified those difficulties into two types; (a)internal factors (lack of marketing planning and strategy, cost of marketing, lack of marketing expertise, perception of marketing) and (b) external factors (lack of knowledge of the market environment).The empirical study was conducted to evaluate the practice of marketing in small businesses and to see what marketing difficulties were experienced by small business owners and/or managers. Data were collected by means of a survey, using a questionnaire. Respondents were identified using the snowball sampling technique through the database of the Nelson Mandela Bay Chamber of Commerce. The data gathered from 67 usable questionnaires were analysed and interpreted. The results of the empirical study revealed that the biggest problems experienced by small business managers in the sample were the heavy cost of marketing followed by the lack of marketing expertise and finally the lack of marketing segmentation strategy. This study contributes to the enhancement of the literature on small business marketing with a focus on the difficulties experienced by owners and/or managers in implementing marketing. As a result this study presents recommendations and suggestions to assist managers in marketing their businesses.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Difficulties experienced by small businesses in accessing finance
- Authors: Kouadio, Gbogbo Nina Marie-Laure
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Economics , Small business
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9015 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018633
- Description: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) significantly contribute to the growth of the economy and the employment sector. However, it is indicated that SMEs lack access to the financial products and services that are critical to their growth. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the difficulties experienced by small businesses in accessing finance. An online questionnaire survey was considered an appropriate measurement method for this study. The targeted population of the study included all small businesses operating in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole. Thus, some 208 companies were identified as part of the study sampling frame. A total number of 66 questionnaires were returned out of the 208 targeted companies - giving a response rate of 29 percent. The quantitative data were processed using a STATISTICA program, leading to appropriate descriptive statistical analyses, including frequencies, means, medians and standard deviations. In order to obtain a better understanding of the difficulties experienced by small businesses in accessing finance, hypotheses were also formulated and a t-test was used to establish the statistical significance of certain demographic variables and company characteristics regarding the problems experienced by small businesses in accessing finance. The results of the empirical study revealed that the major difficulties faced by small businesses in their access to finance were the lack of collateral and security, the high cost of borrowing interest and the delay in feedback from the financial institutions. Further, by testing the hypotheses, it was also revealed that the ethnic group of the applicant, the total years of business experience of the applicant and the annual turnover of the business have an impact on the access to finance. Based on the relevant literature study and the empirical results, recommendations were made in order to address the identified problems. However, the unavailability of an exhaustive small business database in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole did not allow the research to draw on a larger representative sample. Thus, this limitation has impeded in-depth statistical analysis that would have allowed the research to obtain more accurate findings. Further studies could investigate the reasons why in many cases financial institutions reject the funding of small businesses.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Electronic communication continuity planning from the perspective of an individual
- Authors: Fouché, Jacques
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Electronic systems , Internet
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9802 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012270 , Electronic systems , Internet
- Description: It is beyond doubt that technology has changed the way people in modern society live their daily lives. While a modern society eagerly adopts new technology, the loss of the services provided by these technologies is hardly ever considered. Therefore, this research project will evaluate the importance of communication technology and how critical it is for an individual. Furthermore, this research will provide a framework to improve the availability of current communication technologies from the perspective of the individual.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Environmental health work methods and procedures for the surveillance and control of cholera in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
- Authors: Bigara, Ana Doherty
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Avian influenza -- Eastern Cape -- South Africa -- Prevention , Environmental health -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9836 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016073
- Description: The aim of this study was to develop a standardised set of Environmental-Health work methods and procedures, with the purpose of contributing to the effective surveillance and control of Cholera in the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. The researcher followed a qualitative research design, which was explorative, descriptive, inductive and deductive by nature. The methods of data collection were documentary research and focus-group interviews. A documentary research approach was employed as the primary method of data collection for the study. The researcher has used semi-structured questions to obtain relevant information from the participants in the focus groups. The purpose of using semi-structured questions in the focus groups was to draw on their knowledge and experience of communicable disease surveillance and control in relation to Cholera, as well as to ascertain their views on the role of the Environmental-Health Practitioners in the Communicable - Disease Outbreak- Response Teams at the three different spheres of government. The process of qualitative data analysis was followed. This was based on data reduction and interpretation; and it was conducted as an activity simultaneously with data collection, data interpretation (coding) and narrative writing. The information obtained from the analysed data assisted in the development of the environmentalhealth work methods and procedures for the surveillance and control of Cholera in the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. In this study, firstly, the epidemiology of Cholera was described and analysed against the background of its manifestation in South Africa. Secondly, the national health care system, with specific reference to the place and role of environmental health practitioners at national, provincial and municipal spheres – in relation to Cholera surveillance and control – was analysed. Thirdly, the relevant research that has been done globally has been analysed against the background of the findings of the above, together with work methods and procedures to be used by environmental-health practitioners during the surveillance and control of Cholera in the KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. These include, inter alia: Work methods and procedures for Cholera case investigation; Work methods and procedures for sanitary investigations; and Work methods and procedures for identifying the sources of contamination in environmental waters. Finally, the conclusion and limitations was presented, and appropriate recommendations were made. These include: he need to educate all role - players, on the recent developments in the identification of Vibrio cholerae from environmental surface waters; Communication systems should be developed that allow the Director: Environmental Health to communicate urgent environmental health information directly to the Minister of Health; he training of environmental-health practitioners on detailed work methods and procedures for the surveillance and control of Cholera; and the existing national Cholera control guidelines need to be updated to include relevant environmental health situations when emergencies arise.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Factors affecting the adoption and meaningful use of electronic medical records in general practices
- Authors: Masiza, Melissa
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Medical records -- Data processing , Medical records
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9814 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018561
- Description: Patients typically enter the healthcare systems at the primary care level from where they are further referred to specialists or hospitals as necessary. In the private healthcare system, primary care is provided by a general practitioner (GP). A GP will refer a patient to a specialist for treatment when necessary, while the GP remains the main healthcare provider. The provision of care is, thus, fragmented which results in continuity of care becoming a challenge. Furthermore, the majority of healthcare providers continue to use paper-based systems to capture and store patient medical data. However, capturing and storing patient medical data via electronic methods, such as Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), has been found to improve continuity of care. Despite this benefit, research reveals that smaller practices are slow to adopt electronic methods of record keeping. Hence this explorative research attempts to identify factors that affect the lack of adoption and meaningful use of EMRs in general practices. Four general practices are surveyed through patient and staff questionnaires, as well as GP interviews. Socio-Technical Systems (STS) theory is used as a theoretical lens to formulate the resulting factors. The findings of the research indicate specific factors that relate to either the social, environmental or technical sub-systems of the socio-technical system, or an overlap between these sub-systems. It is significant to note that within these sub-systems, the social sub-system plays a key role. This is due to various reasons revealed by this research. Furthermore, multiple perceptions emerged from the GP and patient participants during the analysis of the findings. These perceptions may have an influence on the adoption and potential meaningful use of an EMR in a general practice. Additionally, the socio-technical factors identified from this research highlight the challenges related to encouraging the adoption and meaningful use of EMRs. These challenges are introduced by the complexities represented by these factors. Nevertheless, addressing the factors will contribute towards improving the rate of adoption and meaningful use of EMRs in small practices.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Factors affecting the use of mobile devices for remote data collection in home community based care
- Authors: Shozi, Nobubele Angel
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Home care services -- Technological innovations , Medical technology , Home care services -- Organisation and administration
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9806 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012621 , Home care services -- Technological innovations , Medical technology , Home care services -- Organisation and administration
- Description: The health care systems of developing countries, which are already weak, have to carry an additional strain brought on by the burden of infectious diseases. This added strain means that the health care provided is not of the highest quality. The use of home community based care (HCBC) was introduced as an attempt to provide basic health care services to people through the services of community health care workers (CHCW). With the development of HCBC in developing countries and the CHCW playing a vital role in ensuring that the lives of people living with diseases are improved, the need for information and communication technology (ICT) solutions is increased. The information that is collected by the CHCW is paper-based and it cannot be analysed and used efficiently and effectively. This study embraces the adoption of a socio-technical perspective when an ICT solution is introduced in an environment. A socio-technical perspective focuses on three dimensions: the user, the environment and the technology used. These three need to be in coherence to ensure that the technology is used effectively by the user within the environment. Therefore the objective of this study is to identify a list of socio-technical factors that affect CHCWs when they are using mobile phones for data collection purposes in home community based care. In order to achieve this it was necessary to understand how the socio-technical subsystems of the HCBC environment are constituted. The study followed a qualitative approach, including interviews and observations, to collect the data which will best enable the researcher to understand the home community based care environment, its people and the use of the technology to collect data in this environment, in particular mobile phones. A qualitative content analysis approach was followed to analyse the data and constitute a list of factors affecting the use of mobile devices for remote data collection in home community based care. It is hoped that this research will assist to inform the design of appropriate mobile health applications to both ease the burden of CHCWs (i.e. it should be faster and easier to use than paper) and improve the healthcare service provided through enabling access to patient records to all partners in the care continuum.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Guidelines for the adaptation of the TETRA educational programme at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University to address human behavioural issues
- Authors: Fouche Nico Pieter
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University -- Communication systems , Human behavior
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9801 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012248 , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University -- Communication systems , Human behavior
- Description: Information is a vitally important asset to organizations and the information should be protected to sustain the value it provides to the organization. Information is transferred via different mediums in these organizations. An example would be Terrestrial Trunked Radio or TETRA, which is utilized within organizations to provide a technically very secure form of digital radio communication. TETRA is a communications technology that is currently being successfully used throughout the world for secure, reliable and robust critical communication. TETRA is used by Public Safety and Security (PSS) and transportation sectors, amongst others. PSS includes police officers, fire marshals and emergency medical units who require protected and accurate information that could influence decisions that could make difference between life and death. The TETRA educational programme offered by the TETRA Academy at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), educates TETRA users in various aspects of the TETRA standard. TETRA is viewed as a technically very secure communication standard, as it utilizes security features such as mutual authentication, air interface encryption, end-to-end encryption, jamming detection and ambience listening, amongst other security techniques to ensure that the information traversing through the network is kept secure. The TETRA educational programme material includes many physical and technical controls to assist TETRA users in protecting information. However, to what extent does the TETRA educational programme address operational controls? Operational controls address what is often referred to as the weakest link in information security – human behavioural issues. Humans can be exploited through human manipulation attacks, which include social engineering and bribery. Therefore, this study argues towards adapting the TETRA educational programme offered at the NMMU to address these human behavioural issues.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Guidelines for the design of a mobile phone application for deaf people
- Authors: Yeratziotis, George
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Mobile communication systems -- Design and construction , Deaf -- Means of communication
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9750 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1007925 , Mobile communication systems -- Design and construction , Deaf -- Means of communication
- Description: Deaf people in South Africa are no longer a minority group and their needs regarding communication and interaction must therefore be taken into consideration. This demographic does not communicate and interact in the same way as hearing people, which means that any existing usability or accessibility guidelines do not apply. As a result, Deaf people do not have access to information in the same way that a hearing person does. Providing proper access to Information and Communications Technology services, which meet their particular needs, will help the hearing impaired to better integrate into society. The importance of demolishing the communication barrier between the hearing and the hearing impaired is very important. Many people assume that sign language is somehow based on oral language. However, this is not the case. Sign languages are natural visual-spatial languages, and form a contrast with spoken languages which are auditory-vocal based. Acknowledging this fact in 2008, the South African Sign Language Policy Implementation Conference together with several governmental bodies suggested that South African Sign Language should become recognized as the 12th official language of South Africa. Due to the fact that cell phone technology continues to evolve, it will remain a tool of communication upon which Deaf people heavily rely on. The cell phone fulfils a basic need for everyone, but especially for the Deaf demographic as they rely on the short message system to communicate. Deaf people are currently faced with a lack of appropriate mobile phone applications, which would allow them to communicate with hearing as well as deaf people. The primary objective of this research was therefore to make mobile technology equally accessible meaning usable to members of the Deaf demographic. The focus of the research was to investigate the communication barrier and a range of variables that can influence the deaf user’s experience. Topics such as user interface design, usability and interaction were investigated. The outcome of this research was to propose a set of guidelines that, when applied to the design of a website or to phone application accessibility, would ensure communication and interaction from a deaf user. The proposed set of guidelines was then applied to the design of the high fidelity prototype of a mobile phone application. The specific application is a messaging phone application that allows deaf users to communicate with other deaf and hearing users via short message system. A mobile phone application that allows Deaf people to send and receive messages based on the sign language alphabet. The application was named Signchat. Purpose of this was to visibly display how the guidelines were implemented in Signchat. While Signchat’s main purpose is to accommodate the needs of Deaf people, it is also a learning tool and an application that bridges the gap by allowing deaf and hearing users to communicate.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Guidelines to establish an e-safety awareness in South Africa
- Authors: De Lange, Mariska
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Internet and children--Safety measures , Internet in education , Online etiquette
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9747 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1007863 , Internet and children--Safety measures , Internet in education , Online etiquette
- Description: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an integral part of almost every individual’s life. Although ICT, particularly the Internet, might offer numerous opportunities, individuals should also be aware of the associated risks. Especially with the younger generations who can be seen as being the most vulnerable to online dangers as they are becoming more involved in online activities. Children are utilizing new technologies from an early age and should know how to keep themselves and others safe whilst accessing the Internet. However, most of them do not have the required knowledge and expertise to protect themselves. This is because, under most circumstances, the parents do not understand their children’s online behaviours and activities and are, therefore, unable to teach their children how to utilize it safe and responsibly. A school can be seen as the perfect place to teach children safe online behaviours. However, there is currently a definite lack of e-Safety in South African schools, because no e-Safety policies are in place and there is little or nothing in curricula with regards to e-Safety. This can lead to additional concerns. The primary objective of this research study is, therefore, to develop, motivate and verify a framework that might contribute towards the development of an e-Safety culture. This e-Safety culture should allow individuals to adapt their behavior towards the secure utilization of ICT. However, for the purpose of this research study, the focus will primarily be on learners from primary and secondary schools.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Increasing the gap tolerance in friction stir welded joints of AA6082-T6
- Authors: Oyedemi, Kayode
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Friction stir welding , Aluminum alloys -- Welding , Welding
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9628 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012325 , Friction stir welding , Aluminum alloys -- Welding , Welding
- Description: This research project was conducted to increase weld gap tolerance in Friction Stir Welding (FSW) of 8 mm thick aluminum alloy 6082 – T6. Investigation was done on I-STIR PDS platform and a Johnford milling machine. The research project involved tool-pin design with varying re-entrant features and varying parameters as a method of weld gap closing to produce successful welds. Direction of spindle rotation and dwell time were established as part of a preliminary study. Clockwise spindle rotation with 20 seconds dwell time allows sufficient plasticity and improved material flow which assisted in achieving welds with prior 30 percent weld gap of the plate thickness. Final welds were made using three rotational speeds and feed rates with sufficient plunging to prevent root defects. Analysis of the results were detailed which include vickers microhardness test, tensile test and metallographic observation to access the suitability of the weld structure. From the set of tool-pins designed, the flare tool-pin gave a well-defined weld nugget with improved stirring at the weld root. Also, with a concave shoulder, right hand threaded tool-pin and counterclockwise flutes undergoing a clockwise spindle rotation, plasticized material flow was upward which was beneficial in reducing the amount of plate thinning. The right hand thread counter clockwise flute with a flute machined in the foot exhibited superior tensile strength for welds containing 30 percent weld gap.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Managing an information security policy architecture : a technical documentation perspective
- Authors: Maninjwa, Prosecutor Mvikeli
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Computer security -- Management , Computer architecture , Data protection
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9825 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020757
- Description: Information and the related assets form critical business assets for most organizations. Organizations depend on their information assets to survive and to remain competitive. However, the organization’s information assets are faced with a number of internal and external threats, aimed at compromising the confidentiality, integrity and/or availability (CIA) of information assets. These threats can be of physical, technical, or operational nature. For an organization to successfully conduct its business operations, information assets should always be protected from these threats. The process of protecting information and its related assets, ensuring the CIA thereof, is referred to as information security. To be effective, information security should be viewed as critical to the overall success of the organization, and therefore be included as one of the organization’s Corporate Governance sub-functions, referred to as Information Security Governance. Information Security Governance is the strategic system for directing and controlling the organization’s information security initiatives. Directing is the process whereby management issues directives, giving a strategic direction for information security within an organization. Controlling is the process of ensuring that management directives are being adhered to within an organization. To be effective, Information Security Governance directing and controlling depend on the organization’s Information Security Policy Architecture. An Information Security Policy Architecture is a hierarchical representation of the various information security policies and related documentation that an organization has used. When directing, management directives should be issued in the form of an Information Security Policy Architecture, and controlling should ensure adherence to the Information Security Policy Architecture. However, this study noted that in both literature and organizational practices, Information Security Policy Architectures are not comprehensively addressed and adequately managed. Therefore, this study argues towards a more comprehensive Information Security Policy Architecture, and the proper management thereof.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Moderat's Rusty nails and Loie Fuller's Serpentine dance : analysis cloth, the body and movement as symbolic interpretation of meaning in film
- Authors: Coates, Maran
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Fashion in motion pictures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:8498 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015733
- Description: The main objective of the study is to explore how cloth, the body and movement are able to communicate possible symbolic meaning in Loïe Fuller’s Serpentine Dance film and Moderat’s Rusty Nails music video. The study further attempts to establish the characteristics of fashion film to include cloth, the body and movement and provide a methodology that locates fashion film as a sign system using a visual semiotic analysis framework. The films were then compared and contrasted to determine similarities and differences in their use of cloth, the body and movement. The findings from the film analysis suggest that cloth, the body and movement communicate symbolic meaning in the films based on their associated meanings that are generated both inside and outside the film context. By focussing on cloth, the body and movement as primary communicators (rather than secondary or supporting communicators) in film, new meanings can be interpreted from their interrelationship. The results inform new ways for fashion designers and fashion filmmakers to engage with cloth, the body and movement in fashion film.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Observed pathological changes in male Wistar rats after co-treatment of Type II Diabetes with metformin and sutherlandia frutescens
- Authors: Tili, Siphokazi Pamphilia
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Rats -- Physiology , Rats as laboratory animals , Non-insulin-dependent diabetes -- Research
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10123 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012644 , Rats -- Physiology , Rats as laboratory animals , Non-insulin-dependent diabetes -- Research
- Description: Diabetes is a serious condition that affects all the body’s systems including kidneys, heart, eyes and limbs. This alone makes type II diabetes a life threatening disease; an expensive disease and economic burden that many individuals struggle to cope with.The rapid growth type II diabetes in South Africa is associated with the change of life style, and environmental factors brought by westernized way of life living in rural areas. Despite the technical advances in diagnosis and therapy of diabetes many people still use alternative forms of therapy due to the cost, traditional reasons and religion. Some of the people use the conventional medication together with the alternative therapy without informing their doctor and knowing the pathological changes. The aim of the study was to investigate pathological changes in male Wistar rats after co-treatment of type II diabetes with metformin and Sutherlandia frutescens and the possible synergistic and antagonistic effects. The thirty five rats were divided into five groups, seven in each group. There were two control groups and three test groups. Only the first control group was on a low fat diet (normal rat pellets) and second control group and test groups were on a high fat diet which induces obesity, insulin resistance and leads a typical prediabetic state for 12 weeks (Buettner et al., 2006). After 11.5 weeks medication was administered by oral gavaging to the test groups for 4 weeks and control groups received water. Blood was collected for determination of glucose, insulin, lipid profile and the concentrations of the liver enzymes. Pancreas, liver and kidney tissue were removed and used for histology. Urine was collected from the bladder for creatinine analyses. The plant + metformin group co-treatment was better in managing hyperglycemia, liver damages were minimal and also weight control was better when compared to metformin alone.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Optimised small scale reative compensation for Eskom's Albany-Wesley 66/22Kv transmission system
- Authors: Ndimurwimo, Alexis
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Capacitors , Electric capacity , Power transmission , Voltage regulators
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9597 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008156 , Capacitors , Electric capacity , Power transmission , Voltage regulators
- Description: Reactive power compensation, as generated by capacitors, has been used to mitigate the constraints of power transmission and improve the power transfer of the transmission system of the South African power utility, Eskom‟s 66/22kV Albany-Wesley transmission system. An investigation was carried out on a number of current compensation schemes, and their operations, by means of load flow analysis. Different capacitor qualities and technologies were applied to alter the transmission line characteristics that resulted in acceptable voltage regulation. This resulted in easing the load on the lines and transformers and hence reducing line losses. For long transmission lines, utilities need voltage support, as provided for by different voltage compensators, to keep the terminal voltage within standard voltage regulation, and meet the designed power demand. The approach to large and small scale compensation was tested and the outcomes revealed distinct patterns that were used to confirm the hypothesis and improve the transfer of power. The templating temperature and thermal perspective as used by Eskom on line design was discussed and used to design a new transmission line. Load flow solutions were also used to plan and design the optimised transmission system as well as to determine the specification and location of the compensating capacitor banks. Capacitor banks, as a source of reactive power, were used to model the compensation in this research. Electrical protection and faults associated with the capacitors banks were discussed, as prevention to total blackout or load shedding on the transmission line in case of established contingency. Long term investment plans, to meet future electricity demands, require substantial investment hence a financial survey was carried out. Finally this dissertation selects a viable solution to meet the electrical power demands and then recommends a way forward for the Eskom‟s 66/22kV Albany-Wesley line.
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- Date Issued: 2012
Problems encountered with the implementation of an activity-based costing system
- Authors: Konan, Nangan Christian
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Managerial accounting , Cost allocation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:8979 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018653
- Description: The activity-based costing (ABC) system is a cost allocation technique which appears to have many benefits over the traditional costing systems. However, companies that have attempted to implement ABC have encountered various difficulties. Thus, there is a need to investigate the problems faced by companies while implementing ABC. The main objective of this study was to find solutions to overcome the problems encountered by South African companies during the implementation of an activity-based costing system.
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- Date Issued: 2012
The development of a programmable engine management system for a formula student race vehicle
- Authors: Parmar, Hiten
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Automobiles -- Motors -- Computer control systems , Automotive computers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9601 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1010957 , Automobiles -- Motors -- Computer control systems , Automotive computers
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- Date Issued: 2012
The development of an optimised rotor software design tool to improve performance of small horizontal axis wind turbines
- Authors: Newey, Kerryn Brett
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Wind turbines -- Design , Wind power , Turbines -- Design
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9620 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1009431 , Wind turbines -- Design , Wind power , Turbines -- Design
- Description: Horizontal axis wind turbines are by far the most common and well understood forms of wind turbine. Typically a large amount of research and development has been invested in the technology of large scale wind turbines. Unfortunately, development of small machines (rotor diameter smaller than 10 metres) has not been as forthcoming. The advantages of small turbines are that they are accessible to the individual consumer and they are a very attractive project for the home builder. The disadvantage of small turbines is that due to the negative influence of economies of scale, they tend to be costly in relation to their power output and suffer from a long-term return on investment. Furthermore, trends in the wind industry have shown that smaller machines tend to be relatively simple devices that have been developed with very little research and development. As a result, small turbines can be inefficient, unreliable and expensive to maintain. In many cases rotor design is less than optimal, with very little blade refinement. This is especially critical for small rotors due to low Reynolds Number operation. Further exacerbating the problem is that the rotors are typically not well matched to the generator. In many cases the machines are not suited to the wind speed range in which they are designed to operate, reducing the financial viability due to poor performance. It is envisaged that by applying optimising techniques and automating some of the design complexities into a software design tool, more cost-effective and viable machines can be developed that will deliver improved performance and therefore become more financially viable.
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- Date Issued: 2012
The effectiveness of agricultural extension as perceived by small scale farm holders
- Authors: Olufayo, Ayowumi Motunrayo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Agricultural extension work -- South Africa , Agriculture -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10592 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019765
- Description: Empirical studies have suggested that agricultural extension can increase agricultural productivity. However, the increase in productivity is dependent on a number of issues. As a result, this particular study was conducted among farmers in order to examine the relationship between the provision of extension services and increased productivity in a regional context. The perceptions of vegetable home gardeners resident in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area, who participated in the Siyazondla Homestead Production Programme, formed the source of the primary data. The views of these farmers were analysed to determine how extension services affected their performance. The findings revealed that the farmers have a good perception of the extension services, although this negatively correlates with their level of performance. In addition, the data indicate that farmers who had a poor perception of extension services tend to achieve high production while those with a good impression of services had a poor performance. It was however observed that level of education, farming experience and exposure to print media influenced the responses that were captured in the study.
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- Date Issued: 2012
The impact of customer relationship management on retail banking using self-service channels
- Authors: Bothma, Tracy
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Banks and banking -- Customer services , Service industries -- Technological innovations , Customer relations -- Management , Consumer satisfaction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9346 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013654
- Description: If you do not own the latest technology today it is thought that you are left behind in this technology driven age. More businesses use Self- Service channels to accommodate the increasing demands of customers. It has been said that the use of self-service channels can reduce input costs, increase efficiency and improve customer service. Unfortunately, many customers are left unsatisfied because retail banks are moving away from the human interaction when visiting a branch or advise customers to use their self-service channels, sometimes without any assistance. This causes customers to move banks, complain and in so doing reduce profits and customer relationships with their banks.This research’s main objective was to determine the impact of customer relationship management on retail banks that make use of self-service channels. A theoretical overview of self-service channels and customer relationship management was given. Advantages and disadvantages of each option were explored. The researcher wanted to explore the relation between customers using self-service channels and the assistance and protection provided by retail banks. The customer experience questionnaire used in this research asked retail banking customers from the South African population to determine how customers perceive and experience their banks’ self-service channels and customer service. Many questions relating to their needs and wants with regards to banking have been explored. The results show that most customers are satisfied with their banks in general but do feel that the banks can improve their customer service and assistance with regards to using self-service channels like ATM’s, online and telephone banking and E-Wallet. It has concluded that most customers choose their banks based on advertisements and other media, not customer service, product range or word-of-mouth. The general perception is that customers say that their bank charges do justify the customer service received.
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- Date Issued: 2012
The influence of persons and marketing related variables on consumers purchasing of environmentally-friendly products
- Authors: Jonas, Altouise Glowdean
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Consumer behavior , Marketing research , Natural resources , Human ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9368 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011098 , Consumer behavior , Marketing research , Natural resources , Human ecology
- Description: The human environment is under serious threat as natural resources such as air, water and forests are being overused. Worldwide, people have become more aware of the threatening situation and consequently many more individuals are showing concern for the environment. Often this concern is not displayed in consumers’ purchasing behaviour, as consumers who claim to be concerned about the environment are not necessarily consuming or showing a preference for environmentally–friendly products. This study examined two sets of variables, namely, person related and marketing related factors, and determined the extent to which these factors influence consumers’ behaviour when buying environmentallyfriendly products. The empirical data was collected by means of a survey, using self-administered questionnaires distributed to adult employed consumers residing in Port Elizabeth. Two hundred usable questionnaires were received. Three person related factors, namely, norms, environmental concern and environmental knowledge, and four marketing related factors, namely, price, product, place and promotion - were found to influence respondents’ behaviour when purchasing environmentally-friendly products. Environmental concern explained the largest portion of variation in purchase behaviour, while promotion explained the smallest portion of variation. Significant differences in the influence of age were found for norms, nvironmental concern, environmental knowledge and price. It is recommended that suppliers of environmentally-friendly products should ensure that these products are located at outlets which are convenient to consumers; more should be done by the relevant stakeholders to increase environmental knowledge and educate South Africans about the benefits of leading a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle; marketers find more innovative methods to convince consumers to act on their environmental concern; further attempts be made to minimise the price difference between environmentally-friendly products and traditional products; marketers should pay more attention to advertisements promoting environmentally-friendly products to ensure that these appeal to their target markets; and the performance of environmentally-friendly products should be on a par with the performance of traditional products.
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- Date Issued: 2012