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The impact of a shopping centre on adjacent property prices: a Nelson Mandela Bay case study

  • Authors: Kgari, Emolemo Nkomeng
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Housing -- Prices -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth Real property -- Prices -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Real estate investment -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/17636 , vital:28420
  • Description: A great deal of research has been carried out on residential property values and numerous factors have been identified as having an effect on residential property values. The physical characteristics of properties of properties are the primary factors that determine the market value of residential property. However, factors concerning location are also thought to influence the value of residential properties. These locational factors include, among others, accessibility to highways, airports, schools, parks and public transportation centres. This study examines the effect of another locational factor, namely proximity to a newly built shopping centre. Shopping centres have been increasing in numbers throughout South Africa over the past few decades. These shopping centres are usually situated in close proximity to residential properties. As such, shopping centres that are in close proximity to residential properties can influence property prices. This study makes use of the hedonic price model to assess the price impact of the newly constructed Baywest Mall on the residential properties in the western suburbs of Nelson Mandela, namely Sherwood, Rowallan Park and Kunune Park. On 21 March 2012, the construction of the Baywest Mall was officially announced. This announcement created an area of interest as to whether its construction and completion would have an impact on the prices of residential properties situated in close proximity to the mall. The study period for this study was from 2004 – 2015. This time period is thought to be sufficient to assess the effect of the Baywest Shopping Mall on the residential property prices before and after the announcement of the construction of the mall. As the study period ranged from 2004 – 2015 it was necessary to adjust the sales prices over the years to constant 2015 prices. As such, the ABSA house price index was used in order to eliminate any inflationary effects on the property values over the study period. The results of the study revealed that the newly built Baywest Mall has a statistically significant positive effect on properties in close proximity to the shopping mall. This result enhances the scientific understanding of the effect of commercial land uses, such as, shopping centres, on the value of adjacent residential properties.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The impact of economic growth on the matric pass rate in South Africa

  • Authors: Thobakgale, Khutso Oupa
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Economic development -- South Africa Business and education -- South Africa , Education -- Economic aspects -- South Africa High school graduates -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20790 , vital:29394
  • Description: The study provides an econometric analysis of the impact of economic growth on the matric pass rate in South Africa. The model used provincial pass rates from the year 2008 to 2013 as well as the economic growth rates of each province from the same period. A panel data random effects model was used to run the model and produce the results. An extensive literature review was conducted to analyse the pass rate in the Eastern Cape which has been the lowest in South Africa for some years. The results of the model suggest that economic growth in the different provinces has a positive effect on the matric pass rate except for the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The model also produced a low R2 indicating that economic growth does not sufficiently explain the matric pass rate in the different provinces and other factors which were not included in the model are important.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The impact of good news and bad news on South Africa’s sectoral stock return volatility: an asymmetric GARCH analysis

  • Authors: Muzinda, Edmond Toreva
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6425 , vital:21108
  • Description: This study explores the impact of good news and bad news on South Africa’s sectoral stock return volatility using an asymmetric GARCH analysis. Understanding the different impact of news on stock return volatility in different economic sectors has important implications for investors’ risk management practices, portfolio allocation strategies and asset pricing. The study employs data of daily closing prices for nine sectors and three benchmark indices for the period 2nd January 1997 - 17th August 2016. The data was split into sub-samples of pre-, during and post-global financial crisis, as well as the overall sample period. The incorporation of sub-samples was to help explain the outcomes of the overall sample period. To capture the different impact of good news and bad news on stock return volatility for each sector, asymmetric GARCH models namely, TGARCH and EGARCH were employed. The findings from this study revealed that volatility asymmetry was present in all sectors and benchmark indices of South African equity market. Bad news had more impact on stock return volatility for all sectors except the Oil and Gas sector, than good news of the same magnitude. In the Oil and Gas sector, good news was found to have an amplified effect on return volatility compared with bad news of the same magnitude. High volatility persistence was also found to be present in the Consumer goods, Financials, Industrials, All-share index and Mid-cap index. High differential impact of good and bad news were found in the Industrials, Financials, Basic materials, Consumer goods and the All-share index. Since the main objective of this study was to provide explanations of volatility asymmetry found in the South African sectors, the following were proposed as possible explanations of the findings. Within sectors, volatility asymmetry was explained by financial leverage, the role of the media, loss-averse investors and the behaviour of traders (overconfidence and extrapolation bias). Volatility asymmetry across sectors was explained by information flow, the uneven distribution of information by the media, investor sentiments, investor expectations and trading volumes. Overall, the results indicate that the stock return volatility of individual sectors of the South African equity market is driven mainly by bad news (except for Oil and Gas) and that leverage effects exist in all the sectors and in the benchmark indices.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The impact of oil prices on the trade balance of South Africa

  • Authors: Mili, Akhona
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Petroleum products -- Prices Balance of trade -- South Africa Petroleum industry and trade -- Economic aspects
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8630 , vital:33228
  • Description: The Autoregressive Distributed Lag model was used to estimate and analyse the relationship between crude oil prices and the trade balance of South Africa. This study estimated the trade balance model and analysed the relationship between crude oil prices and the trade balance of South Africa from the period 1990 to 2015. The bounds cointegration test confirmed the existence of a long-run relationship between the trade balance and real oil prices, real effective exchange rate, domestic income, real interest rate and the inflation rate. The results confirm that changes in oil prices have a negative impact on the trade balance whereas, currency devaluation, real interest, inflation rate and domestic income had a positive effect on the trade balance. The negative sign and significance of the Error Correction Term and diagnostic tests confirmed the reliability of the results.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The impact of real exchange rate on exports in South Africa

  • Authors: Mbewu, Asanda
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Foreign exchange rates -- South Africa Exports -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic conditions
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19015 , vital:28765
  • Description: The purpose of this study is to establish the impact of real exchange rate on exports in South Africa. In conducting the empirical test, the Vector Error Correction Model and annual time series data between 1973 and 2014 has been utilised. In the model, exports are the dependent variable and the real effective exchange rates, gross domestic product, mining, agricultural, foreign direct investments, and merchandise export prices are explanatory variables. A significant inverse relationship between real effective exchange rates and exports was confirmed in line with economic theory. Except for the Gross Domestic Product which exhibited a positive relationship, all other explanatory variables displayed an inverse relationship with exports. All other variables exhibited a significant impact except for Foreign Direct Investments. Based on the findings of this study, firm and practical policy recommendations are made including a moderated adjustment of monetary and fiscal policy to ensure competitiveness on the supply side.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The impact of road construction on the livelihoods of rural communities : a case of Nyandeni Municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa

  • Authors: Ndesi, Zabambo Nale
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Roads -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8769 , vital:33542
  • Description: All over the world many rural households are engaged in different economic activities to sustain their livelihoods. To a large extent, a household’s ability to do this depends on access to basic assets such as infrastructure, social, human, finance or physical. Access to these assets can be affected by large projects such as road construction which can either enhance or hinder access to key assets. The main objective of the study is to investigate the impact of the construction of the N2 Wild Coast Highway in the Eastern Cape Province on the livelihoods of rural households in the Nyandeni local municipality. The study also seeks to investigate the dominant household economic activities within the municipality, factors affecting the choice of these activities and the probable impact of the construction of the N2 highway on these economic activities and livelihood strategies. The road construction is translated as a ‘shock’ in the livelihood context, hence the study further seeks to document how households respond to road construction ‘shock’ to their livelihoods, based on the findings of the study. The study applied a mixed methods approach, applying both qualitative and quantitative data. Two sources of data are used; a survey of 40 households in the Nyandeni local municipality which provided the qualitative data and survey data from the PSPPD-II quantitative data from project conducted by the Economics department at the University of Fort Hare, which provided the quantitative data. The multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the livelihood strategies used as well as the related determinants. The results showed that financial, social and physical capitals are key assets that support livelihoods in Nyandeni municipality, which were highly determined by the deprivation score, social grants and community networks. To get a clearer understanding of the underlying effects of the road construction, focus prompts interviews were also conducted. These were analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the road construction had both the negative and positive effects. The positive effects included better links to social facilities such as hospitals and schools as well as neighbouring municipalities. The construction also created employment for construction workers. In addition, the construction company helped households whose houses were destroyed near the road to build better houses. Although the households complained of danger from high speed vehicles because of better roads, they also indicated that the speed bumps in some areas led to an improvement in well-being especially for school children. The negative effects included destruction of burial grounds as well as the weakening of housing structures due to blasting. Further, some vegetation which was used by households as a source of livelihood was destroyed during road construction. In some cases, social capital assets were also disturbed as a result of the displacement that occurred in the process. Responses by households have been mixed, with some households taking advantage of increased access to markets as well as finances to find alternative sources of livelihoods. Households that responded negatively constantly seek out reimbursement from the government and construction company without much success.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The influence of fiscal policy on economic growth in South Africa

  • Authors: Mphinyana, Shonisani Tshinakaho
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Fiscal policy -- South Africa Economic development -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 21st century
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19630 , vital:28917
  • Description: This study examines the relationship between fiscal policy and economic growth in South Africa for the period 1994-2014. This study examines the relationship between fiscal policy and economic growth within the context of the endogenous growth theory. Three models are estimated. The variables included in the first model are; real GDP, aggregate government expenditure, total taxes and private investment. The second and third models disaggregate government expenditure into productive and non-productive and taxes into distortionary and non-distortionary. The Vector Autoregressive is used to estimate the relationship between fiscal policy and economic growth. The data is quarterly in frequency. The findings of the study suggest that government investment expenditure has negative impact on growth, while government consumption expenditure has positive impact on growth. Furthermore, the findings of the study are that direct taxes have negative impact on the economy while indirect taxes have positive impact on economic growth.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The influence of nutritional knowledge on consumer lifestyle behaviour

  • Authors: Smit, Marli
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Consumer behavior -- South Africa Consumers -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Lifestyles -- Health aspects -- South Africa Nutrition -- Economic aspects -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20693 , vital:29372
  • Description: The study set out to determine whether nutritional knowledge has an impact on lifestyle behaviour. The sample was based in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan and consisted of approximately 499 participants. The model (nutrition variables) displayed in the introduction was formulated to portray the focus areas on which the literature was based. A self-administrated survey questionnaire was developed in accordance with the nutrition variables model. The instrument consisted of 72 items, measured by applying descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study aim to justify that nutritional knowledge does influence the lifestyle behaviour of consumers. Findings were given regarding the influences of demographics, environmental variables and media variables on what consumers understand regarding nutrition and how this influences, for an example, dietary consumption, general lifestyle decisions and smoking. The implications of this study are outlined in the conclusion, resulting in the possibility of the study variables being further explored. Marketers need to be aware of how and when they provide nutritional information to consumers, in order to manipulate lifestyle behaviour. Recommendations include, nutrition classes implemented at school level to motivate children to follow healthier lifestyles behaviours. Nutritional challenges could b instigated at organisations to encourage employees to follow healthier lifestyles behaviour.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The influence of organisational culture on organisational commitment of employees in the banking industry

  • Authors: Pegram, Carla
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Organizational commitment -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Employee loyalty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Banks and banking -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19684 , vital:28934
  • Description: Given the importance of organisational culture on the success of commercial banks, the prevalence of increased employee turnover rates, as well as the challenges that banks face with regard to preventing the loss of employees to its competitors, this study focused on the influence of selected organisational culture factors on the organisational commitment of banking employees. Against this background, the primary objective of this study was to identify and empirically test the influence of selected organisational culture factors on Organisational commitment of employees in the banking industry in the Eastern Cape. An overview of the literature was provided whereby the nature and importance of organisational commitment and organisational culture were described in the context of the banking industry. From the literature it was evident that the organisational culture of a bank has an influence on the organisational commitment of employees. The literature highlighted Involvement of employees (Empowerment of employees, Team orientation and Capacity development of employees), Adaptability (Creating change, Customer focus and Organisational learning), Consistency (Core values, Coordination and integration and Agreement) and Mission (Vision, Goals and objectives and Strategic direction and intent) as the major factors of organisational culture which influence the organisational culture of a business, in this case a commercial bank. These factors of organisational culture formed the main focus of this study. A positivistic research paradigm and quantitative research methodology were adopted for this study and a descriptive research approach was used. The primary data collection procedures involved selecting the population, the sample, sampling techniques, as well as the sample size. For the purpose of this study, the population consisted of all banking employees of the selected commercial bank within the borders of the Eastern Cape province. The sample size in this study consisted of 700 banking employees. A survey was undertaken and a structured, self-administered questionnaire was used in order to gather the necessary data. The measuring instrument used was based on an existing questionnaire used in previous research. Where necessary the items were reworded to suit this study. A total of 700 questionnaires were distributed, which resulted in 336 usable questionnaires. Thus, an effective response rate of 49.43% was achieved. The reliability of the ordinal scales of the measuring instrument was confirmed by means of the calculation of Cronbach‟s alpha coefficients, whereby coefficients greater than 0.6 were deemed to be reliable. Cronbach‟s alpha coefficients of greater than 0.6 were returned for all the factors measured using ordinal scales, thus satisfactory evidence of reliability were provided. The validity of the ordinal scales of the measuring instrument was confirmed by means of a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Items originally intended to measure the constructs under investigation did not all load as expected. One item measuring each of the factors, namely, Empowerment of employees, Creating change, Organisational learning, Agreement, and Coordination and integration, did not load as expected and was thus excluded from further statistical analyses. The operationalisation for these factors was amended accordingly. The items measuring each of the remaining constructs, namely, Organisational commitment, Team orientation, Capacity development of employees, Customer focus, Core values, Vision, Goals and objectives, and Strategic direction and intent, all loaded as expected. The sample data was summarised using descriptive statistics. In addition, t-tests were used to determine whether the differences in mean scores returned by the demographic variable Gender and the independent and dependent variables under investigation, were significantly different from each other. Pearson‟s Product Moment Correlations coefficients were used to assess the associations between the variables under investigation. A Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) was undertaken to measure the relationships between the independent variable and the dependent variables investigated in this study. Lastly, the relationships between the demographic variables and the dependent and independent variables were tested by means of an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The dependent variable Organisational commitment returned a mean score of 6.11, with the majority of banking employees agreeing that they are highly committed to the bank and feel a strong personal connection towards the bank, would recommend working at this bank to others, would find it difficult to leave and would continue to work for the bank out of choice rather than necessity. The independent variables investigated returned mean scores of between 6.05 (Coordination and integration) and 6.32 (Strategic direction and intent) with most respondents agreeing that the conditions or relationships investigated existed within the bank in which they worked. The results of the MRA reported significant positive linear relationships between Empowerment of employees, Capacity development of employees, Coordination and integration and Strategic direction and intent, and the dependent variable Organisational commitment. Furthermore, a significant negative linear relationship between Core values and the dependent variable Organisational commitment were reported. No significant linear relationships emerged between the remaining independent variables, namely, Team orientation, Creating change, Customer focus, Organisational learning, Agreement, Vision and Goals objectives, and the dependent variable Organisational commitment. The results of the ANOVA reported various significant relationships between the demographic variables and the dependent and independent variables investigated in the study. Based on the findings of this study, numerous recommendations were proposed to assist managers of banks to ultimately improve the organisational commitment of employees by adopting and encouraging certain behaviours in terms of the organisational culture of the bank. The findings of this study showed that by focusing on Empowerment of employees, Capacity development of employees, Coordination and integration and Strategic direction and intent, banks can enhance the organisational commitment of their employees. It is hoped that the findings of this study will provide bank managers with practical suggestions on how to use these organisational culture factors to improve organisational commitment among employees, and that the suggestions for future research will inspire future researchers to continue investigating the organisational culture factors in banks.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The influence of selected marketing mix strategies on business performance of small family and non-family businesses in the Eastern Cape

  • Authors: De Lange, Juanré Anton
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises -- Management Marketing -- Management , Small business -- Management Performance Organizational effectiveness -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15016 , vital:28113
  • Description: Despite the fact that small family and non-family businesses in South Africa are important contributors to economic and social development, their failure rates are still high globally. Major contributing factors to this high failure rate are the lack of marketing skills and ineffective marketing practices. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to establish what marketing mix strategies are used by small family and non-family businesses in the Eastern Cape and the influence of these strategies on Perceived business performance. The literature review dealt with the nature and importance of marketing, and the traditional marketing mix strategies were elaborated on from a small family and non-family business perspective. The traditional marketing mix strategies (4Ps) identified as influencing the Perceived business performance of small family and non-family businesses, were classified as Product-, Pricing-, Place-, and Promotion strategies. From the literature review, it was evident that the traditional marketing mix strategies have been criticised by a number of studies as not reflecting the holistic marketing concept within the 21st century. Yet, despite its simplicity various studies still find the traditional 4P framework to be a strong staple of the marketing mix. In this study, a quantitative research design was adopted and an exploratory and descriptive research approach of a cross-sectional nature were undertaken. A convenience sampling technique was used owing to the inaccessibility of a small family and non-family business database. The sample size in this study consisted of 195 small family-owned businesses and 145 small non-family businesses operating within the borders of the Eastern Cape. The primary data in this study was gathered by means of a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The measuring instrument was developed by sourcing items from several existing studies. Small family and non-family businesses were approached by fieldworkers and asked to participate in this study. In total 400 questionnaires were distributed, of which 340 were usable for further statistical analyses. Therefore, an effective response rate of 85% was achieved in this study. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument were confirmed by means of an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and by the calculation of Cronbach„s alpha (CA) coefficients. The five usable factors that were extracted from the EFA were identified as Pricing strategies, Competitive distribution strategies, Communication process strategies, Low cost promotion strategies and Perceived business performance. The CA coefficient for Pricing strategies indicated that the scale measuring this factor was not reliable due to it falling below the accepted norm of 0.6 and, therefore it was disregarded from further analysis. The CA coefficients returned for the remaining usable factors extracted from the EFA were greater than 0.6, thus indicating the scales measuring these variables provided satisfactory evidence of validity and reliability. The findings of the descriptive statistics showed that the highest mean score reported was for the independent variable Competitive distribution strategies, followed by Communication process strategies and Low cost promotion strategies. Based on the mean, respondents indicated that they often utilise Competitive distribution strategies and Communication process strategies, and seldom utilise Low cost promotion strategies. Pearson‟s product moment correlations revealed that all the marketing mix strategies, for both small family and non-family businesses, investigated were found to be significantly and positively correlated with the dependent variable Perceived business performance, and amongst themselves. The findings of the MRA showed that utilising Competitive distribution strategies have a significant positive influence on the Perceived business performance of small family businesses. The finding implies that the more small family businesses in this study provide high-quality and competitive products through distributions process methods by setting timing objectives, using distributions selection criteria and changing the distribution channel when needed to continuously satisfy customers‟ needs, the more likely the business is to experience growth in profit and sales and having loyal customers who make regular purchases and recommend the business to others. This study found no relationship between Competitive distribution strategies and the Perceived business performance of small non-family businesses, as well as between Communication Process strategies and Low cost promotion strategies and Perceived business performance of small family and non-family businesses. The results of the t-tests revealed that no statistically significant relationship was found between the Type of small business ownership and any of the three independent variables, Competitive distribution-, Communication Process-, and Low cost promotion strategies. Furthermore, the results of the Chi-square test for independence reported no statistically significant difference between using the family name as a marketing or branding tool and the size of the small business in this study. The results, however, indicated that as the business size increases, the more small businesses use their family name as a marketing- or branding tool. From the 18 sets of null hypotheses that were formulated, to explore whether the demographical variables had an influence on the marketing mix strategies utilised by the small family and non-family businesses, only 11 multivariant analysis of variance (MANOVA) relationships could be established as being statistically significant. These include the Gender of the business owner/manager, Age of the business owner/manager, Management qualifications of the business owner/manager, Ethnicity of the business owner/manager, Position in the small business, Years small business is in existence, Working experience of the business owner/manager, Management working experience of the business owner/manager, Form of business ownership, Area of business premises and Target market of the small business. This study has addressed a gap in the current literature regarding the influence of marketing mix strategies on business performance among small family and non-family businesses in a developing economy such as South Africa. This study has furthermore attempted to enlarge the body of knowledge available on marketing, especially concerning Communication Process, Competitive distribution strategies and Low cost promotion strategies. The results of the study differ somewhat from existing literature, and therefore add to the body of knowledge on marketing. Furthermore, the findings of this study show that small family businesses utilising Competitive distribution strategies have a significant positive influence on their Perceived business performance, and in doing so makes a small contribution towards increasing the success rate of these small family businesses and in return positively contribute to the economic growth and development of South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The influence of social media on the intention to vote for student political organisations in the Eastern Cape

  • Authors: Chininga, Tapiwa
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Social media -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Students -- Political activity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Student movements -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/11506 , vital:39078
  • Description: The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of social media on the intention to vote for students political organizations in the Eastern Cape. The main objectives included measuring the influence of predictor variables such as medium credibility, message credibility, tie strength with peers, identification with the peers, peer communication, user trust, information credibilit on the intention to vote. To measure these hypothesised relationships a conceptual model was developed for the study. Data collection was conducted in the Eastern Cape in which 381 participants were surveyed. To analyse the data the two stage structural equation modeling approach was adopted in which confimatory factor analysis and hypothesis testing was adopted. This was conducted ulitising Structural equation modelling. The main findings of the study were that all the proposed hypotheses were supported with the exception of that of peer commnication and tie strength with peers on the intention to vote. It was also important to note that identification with peers had the strongest impact on the intention to vote while the message credibility had the weakest. The implication was that users feel that the ability to identify with each other influenced their voting intentions however the message itself was irrelevant.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The influence of social media service quality on client loyalty in the South African banking industry

  • Authors: Gavaza, Bramwell Kundishora
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Banks and banking -- South Africa Social media -- South Africa Customer loyalty -- South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12903 , vital:39389
  • Description: The advent of the Internet during the past two decades has changed the way in which businesses operate. Social media networks such as Facebook have become an essential communication element for businesses to interact with clients. The impact and growth rates of Facebook and other forms of social media have made it imperative for all businesses to ensure they have social media strategies in place. Following social media business trends, banks across the world have included social media to market their services. Banks are now emphasising the offering of high client service quality in order to retain clients in this highly competitive environment. Thus, South African banks, as is the case with global banks, need to continuously assess the quality of the services offered to their clients in order to sustainably maintain or grow their market share or to fully utilise its commercial opportunities. This study determined the influence of social media service quality on client loyalty in the South African banking industry. The primary objective was to examine the extent to which social media service quality influence client loyalty in the South African banking industry. The study also determined if social media system availability, efficiency, fulfilment, and privacy has influence on the overall service quality of social media in the South African banking industry. In addition, the study examined the relationship between overall service quality and client loyalty intention in the South African banking industry. The study used a quantitative research approach to collect and analyse the data, and a descriptive research design was utilised for the purpose of this study. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources of data. An online survey was conducted through Survey Monkey, via a Facebook page titled: Social media service quality in the South African banking industry. An online questionnaire was administered via the Facebook page. The study used a sample of 377 respondents who are Facebook users of the five major banks in South Africa. Analysis and interpretation of findings was done using both the descriptive and inferential statistical measures, with the help of Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) 24 and Lisrel (version 9). The electronic social media service quality (E-S-SERVQUAL) scale which consist of five constructs, namely; social media system availability, efficiency, fulfilment, privacy and overall service quality; and client loyalty intentions were the scales that were adopted for this study. All the scales used in this study were found to be reliable and valid. Findings of the research study proved that social media system availability, fulfilment, and privacy has a significant influence on the overall service quality of social media in the South African banking industry. In addition, findings of the research revealed that social media efficiency does not significantly influence overall service quality of social media in the South African banking industry. Furthermore, findings of the research also proved that the overall service quality of social media positively influences client loyalty intention in the South African banking industry. The study recommended that managers and marketers should constantly evaluate, monitor, and improve the overall service quality of social media offered to their clients, as it leads to a corresponding increase in overall client satisfaction, which in turn leads to client loyalty in the South African banking industry. However, further research studies may be conducted in other developing countries to gain a wider understanding on the influence of social media service quality on client loyalty in the banking industry.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The perceived meaning and benefits of people analytics in selected organisations in South Africa

  • Authors: Marazanye, Joram
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Personnel management Business -- Data processing Employees -- Recruiting
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/4480 , vital:28341
  • Description: Regardless of the widespread application of analytics to a variety of business measurements, it is noteworthy that the use of people analytics is still no place close where it could be. The main aim of this study is to examine the perceived meaning and benefits of people analytics in selected South African organisations. People analytics is a burning-fresh topic in HR field aiming at using data to make organisational decisions and little has been done in this area especially in the South African context. The study employed qualitative-exploratory design which comprised of 10 senior HR officers from selected organisations in South Africa. From the findings, it shows that the employment of people analytics in South African context is in its early stage and its conception and repercussions are little understood. In addition, there is an accord on its usefulness, however the workforce analytic skills have found to be the major difficulty to foster its successful implementation and adoption by organisations. Because of its qualitative nature, this study had a limitation that it lack representativeness hence the findings cannot be generalised. Research opportunities for future can be quantitative and longitudinal research to objectively ascertain the extent future employability of people analytics.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The recreational value of the Baviaanskloof: a travel cost analysis using count data models

  • Authors: Taonezvi, Lovemore
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Travel costs -- South Africa -- Baviaanskloof Valuation -- South Africa -- Baviaanskloof
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12371 , vital:27059
  • Description: Despite constituting a sheer 2% of the world’s surface area, South Africa (SA) is the third most biologically diverse country in the world and this makes the country part of the 17 member countries that make up the ‘Megadiverse Countries’(Sandwith, 2002; Nel & Driver, 2012). Besides its exceptional levels of endemism, according to Boshoff, Cowling and Kerley (2000), three of the 25 internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots are found in SA namely the Cape Florist Region, the Succulent Karoo and the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany centre of endemism. The Baviaanskloof is a very popular tourist destination, which falls within the Cape Floristic Region) ‘biodiversity hotspot’ in the Eastern Cape Province (Myers, 1988; Crane, 2007). Its high biodiversity, numerous archaeological sites, pristine environment, low crime rates, absence of malaria and easy of accessibility, makes it a perfect destination for recreationists (Clark, 1999; Boshoff et al., 2000). The Baviaanskloof was declared a ‘mega reserve’ under the Cape Action for People and Environment (CAPE) programme (CSIR, 2000). It consists of privately-owned farm land and a nature reserve called the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area (BWA). In order to properly manage, conserve and utilise the rich natural resources of the Baviaanskloof, its benefits need to be clearly documented and demonstrated. The aim of this study is to determine the recreational value of the Baviaanskloof, and this was achieved using non-market value technique, namely the travel cost method (TCM). The TCM is used to value recreational assets via the expenditures on traveling to the site by recognising that visitors to a recreation site pay an implicit price – the cost of travelling to it, including access fees and the opportunity costs of their time (Baker & Ruting, 2014). This method is mostly used to estimate use values for recreation activities and changes in these use values associated with changes in environmental quality/quantity. The greatest advantage of the TCM is that valuation estimates are derived from real economic choices made by individuals in real markets, whereas its inability to estimate non-market values is its major weakness which only limits its application to recreational studies. In estimating the recreational value of the Baviaanskloof, data from 328 respondents were used. Five econometric models, namely, a standard Poisson specification, a Poisson specification adjusted for truncation and endogenous stratification (TES Poisson), a standard negative vii binomial model (NB), a negative binomial model adjusted for truncation and endogenous stratification (NBTES), and a generalised negative binomial with endogenous stratification (GNBES) were used to estimate the recreational value of the Baviaanskloof. Crucially, all the five models simultaneously established income and total costs to be statistically significant in determining the number of trips to the recreational site according to a priori expectations. The GNBES model was observed to have the best fit of the data than the other four models after an examination of goodness-of-fit measures in conjunction with the number of statistically significant variables per model. Of the 328 respondents surveyed, on average, visitors to the Baviaanskloof are mostly male, highly educated individuals, receiving gross annual income of ZAR436 372 (USD30 451.64) and 39.87 years of age. The mean travel cost was estimated to be ZAR1 433.56 (USD100.04) and each travelling party consisted of 4.09 people on average. Using estimates from the preferred GNBES model, the study estimated consumer surplus per trip for a recreationist to the Baviaanskloof to be ZAR1 759.32 (USD122.78). When this value is multiplied by the average annual trips a person takes to site, a value of ZAR2 445.46 (USD170.66) for consumer surplus per person is produced. Further aggregation of this value across the population (i.e. 18 500), of recreationists to the Baviaanskloof per year gives total consumer surplus of ZAR3 157 210 (USD220 321). The study concludes that the Baviaanskloof has a significant recreational value which can further be increased if policymakers take actions to, inter alia, upgrade infrastructure, budget more money for conservation and market the nature reserve in unexploited markets. Since the non-use values were not taken into account and also the impact of on-site sampling on the data set, the recreational value of the Baviaanskloof should be carefully considered in any management or conservation project. More studies of this nature are greatly needed to allow for more comparisons and increase credibility of the results of environmental valuation studies in SA.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The relationship between extraversion, emotional intelligence and leadership experience

  • Authors: Molaudzi, Katlego Jacky-Grace
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Leadership Emotional intelligence , South Africa -- South African Defence Force
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/19059 , vital:28769
  • Description: The debate about leader characteristics continues yet understanding leadership is very important for selection, promotion and leadership development. The purpose of the study was to find out if a link existed between extraversion, emotional quotient (EQ), leadership position and years of experience as a leader. A quantitative study with a questionnaire, which included Jung Personality Questionnaire and Ryback’s Emotional Quotient Executive survey was administered to military personnel at Thaba Tshwane Military Area in Pretoria, which is the military headquarters of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Respondents were selected randomly from the ranks of Corporal to Generals. The results revealed that there is no correlation between extraversion and emotional intelligence. Results also show that more males were introverted while more females were extraverted. It can therefore be concluded that people who are extraverted do not necessarily have high levels of EQ. Extraversion did not present as a dominant characteristic in the leaders of the sample group with just over half presenting with higher levels of extraversion. With regard to emotional intelligence, the majority of respondents showed high levels of Emotional Intelligence. In terms of EQ, one could probably reason that introverts are better at self-awareness and more reflective of feelings and relationships, while extraverts are better at expressing feelings and taking overt action to build relations. However, further research on this is required. The study therefore places emphasises the role of EQ in leadership.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The relationship between psychological capital and employee well-being among primary school teachers

  • Authors: Dingaan, Stellin Auburn
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Work -- Psychological aspects , Employees -- Mental health Teachers -- Psychological aspects Psychology, Industrial
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14278 , vital:27512
  • Description: This treatise examined the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap) and employee well-being (EWB) and its sub-dimensions among primary school teachers. Self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism were examined as sub-dimensions of PsyCap. Positive and negative affect were used as dimensions of EWB. A sample (n = 104) was drawn from primary school teachers employed by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) - West Coast District (WCD). Convenience sampling was used in a cross-sectional design. A composite questionnaire was used to collect data. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 23 was used to analyse data. Cronbach’s coefficient alphas for all variables were above 0.60 except for the optimism variable (0.47). Results indicated a significant moderate relationship between PsyCap and EWB (r = 0.56, p<0.01). Limitations of the study included: common method variance may affect results due to the use of self-report measures and results cannot be generalised to other settings. Future studies could focus on the factors influencing the significant difference between age and self-efficacy among primary school teachers in South Africa.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The relevance of integrated reporting for companies to attract investors within the construction sector in the KZN region

  • Authors: Ebrahim, Shanaaz
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Financial statements Investments , Construction industry -- Finance Corporations -- Accounting
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15545 , vital:28268
  • Description: Since the global financial crisis of 2008, attracting investment in a public company has not been a simple task (Krzus, 2011). Public trust in organisations was lost as a result of the crisis, owing to the lingering economic uncertainties that prevailed (Krzus, 2011). Through the full disclosure of all aspects that affect the operations of an entity, investors will be assisted in making an informed decision prior to making an investment in a publicly traded company (Singh, Wei, & Kaur, 2012). Integrated reporting provides investors with the necessary details, by making full disclosure of all aspects that affect the operations of an entity, including both financial and non-financial information, in a single report. Such information will enable investors to make a more informed assessment of the future prospects of the organisation in which they intend to invest (Singh et al., 2012). The purpose of this research effort, therefore, was to determine the relevance of integrated reporting to professional investors when making investment decisions, focusing specifically on JSE-listed construction companies. Grounded theory was used as a research design method. Grounded theory summarises data collected from empirical sources into categories. The data collected were based on the subjective perceptions of the participants in response to investigative interview questions. The researcher focused on a single context, namely an investment made by professional investors in JSE-listed construction companies within the Durban metropolitan in KZN. Non-probability, purposive sampling was used as the findings were not generalised to the entire population but were limited to the opinions and perceptions of professional investors in the Durban metropolitan area. The research effort resulted in valuable insight into how integrated reporting can be a useful decision-making tool for professional investors when undertaking investment in listed construction companies, in an attempt to attract investment in the sector. The researcher experienced a lack of responses from professional investors within the industry who were contacted for interviews. This lack of response could be considered to be a limitation in validating the outcome of the study. “Investors and integrated reporting” was identified as a theme that is material to the current state and potential future development of integrated reporting. Accordingly, this theme was used as a basis for this research effort that will enhance companies’ awareness of the benefits of compiling integrated reports as a tool to attract investors. This will assist in obtaining finance that can be used to develop and grow organisations.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The role of transport infrastructure in attracting foreign direct investment in South Africa

  • Authors: Mjacu, Lwando
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Transportation Investments, Foreign -- South Africa Infrastructure (Economics) -- Government policy
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8609 , vital:33181
  • Description: This study examined the role of transport infrastructure in attracting foreign direct investment in South Africa. The study used quarterly time series data for the period of 1994 to 2014. The Johansen cointegration and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) were used to determine the impact of transport infrastructure on foreign direct investment in South Africa. The explanatory variables in this study were market size, transport infrastructure, labour cost, exchange rate and corporate tax. Results from this study showed that market size, transport infrastructure and corporate tax have a positive and significant impact on foreign direct investment, while exchange rate is positive but insignificant, and labour cost has a negative and insignificant impact on foreign direct investment in South Africa. The policy recommendation that comes from this study is that efforts should be made to improve the standard of transport infrastructure in order to enhance and attract more of foreign direct investment. The government should follow policies that will attract foreign direct investment.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The South African tax implications of ceasing to be resident

  • Authors: Walker, Anthony Howard
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5555 , vital:20941
  • Description: In the context of rapid globalisation, skilled South African employees and professionals are often attracted overseas to take up new work opportunities in foreign countries. This may cause these individuals no longer to be “ordinarily resident” in South Africa. At the same time, changes in modes of travel, information and communication channels could result in companies and trusts no longer being considered to be tax resident in South Africa, if the place of effective management for these entities is moved to a foreign country and a double taxation agreement between South Africa and that foreign country deems these entities to be exclusively resident in the foreign country. The objective of this thesis was to analyse the tax implications that could arise when a resident natural person, trust or company ceases to be a resident or when a Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) ceases to be a CFC. A detailed analysis of the “exit charge” in section 9H of the Income Tax Act was undertaken to understand its normal tax implications when a natural person, trust or company ceases to be a resident or a CFC ceases to be a CFC. This included an analysis of how a natural person, trust or company ceases to be resident or how a CFC ceases to be a CFC. It was found that certain normal tax principles consistently apply to when a natural person, trust or company ceases to be resident or a CFC ceases to be a CFC. At the same time, certain unique normal tax implications arise for trusts and CFCs since they are impacted by the special tax rules that apply to these entities. Furthermore in the case of a trust, a judicial precedent has established that the “exit charge” remains and is taxable in the trust. For CFCs, there is uncertainty as to whether the “exit charge” could arise when a shareholder ceases to be resident, which results in residents no longer holding more than 50% of the total participation or voting rights in that foreign company.
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  • Date Issued: 2017

The taxation of illegal income in South Africa: the basis on which proceeds from a unilateral taking should be taxed

  • Authors: Nyakanyanga, Kudzai Talent
  • Date: 2017
  • Language: English
  • Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5960 , vital:21002
  • Description: In South Africa, income tax is levied in terms of the Income Tax Act, 58 of 1962, and the calculation of a taxpayer’s taxable income and ultimately the tax liability commences with considering what constitutes the taxpayer’s gross income. In terms of the definition of “gross income” a person can be taxed either on receipts or accruals. The definition makes no reference, however, to the legality of receipts or accruals. The main issue addressed in this thesis is the interpretation of the term “receipt” in relation to the proceeds from a unilateral taking (theft) and whether the concept of a receipt in relation to theft should be interpreted using the subjective approach used in MP Finance Group CC (In Liquidation) v C:SARS, or the objective approach. An interpretative research approach was used to provide clarity on the matter. The documentary data used for the research consists of South African tax legislation, case law, textbooks and journal articles. The thesis also analysed SARS’ view in Interpretation Note 80 that MP Finance Group CC (In Liquidation) v C:SARS is authority for a unilateral taking being a receipt, and the correctness of this viewpoint. A brief comparative analysis was done of the basis on which illegal income flowing from a unilateral taking is taxed in Australia, New Zealand and America. These countries have legislative provisions that specifically deal with how the proceeds from theft in the hands of a thief should be treated for tax purposes. The thesis concludes that, although the court in MP Finance Group CC (In Liquidation) v C:SARS shed some light on the issue of the taxability of income from illegal activities, the basis on which proceeds from theft may be taxed, as opposed to the basis on which proceeds from other illegal activities like fraud are taxed, remains a grey area in our law. The thesis recommends the introduction of a legislative provision in order to provide a more unified, consistent and effective approach when taxing all illegal income.
  • Full Text:
  • Date Issued: 2017
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