Residents’ perspective of Nelson Mandela Bay as a sustainable city
- Authors: Calitz, Martin
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Sustainable urban development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Urban renewal -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality City planning -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/37128 , vital:34120
- Description: Currently, environmental issues have firmly entrenched itself at the centre of the world stage with regard to all spheres of development activity. This has been exemplified by the number of global and national agendas and international conferences, which are being held concerning the environment. This began with the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, which evolved into the current relentless environmental campaigns across the world from developed to developing nations. This was followed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002, which defined critical targets for sustainable development, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These campaigns have become critical in response to the alarming rate at which human activities are affecting the environment. Africa is experiencing one of the fastest rates of urbanisation in the world, with sub-Saharan Africa leading the way. In 2009, there were more than 395 million Africans living in urban areas, which equates to approximately 40% of the continent’s population. The African population number is estimated to triple to more than 1.2 billion people, with an expected 60% of all Africans to reside in urban areas by 2050. The United Nations Human Settlements’ Programme identified that this rapid growth presents two major challenges. First, providing African cities with the ability to better harness their productive potential and secondly, assisting African cities with the ability to better serve the increased demands for municipal services and decent housing. The unique situation that makes Africa different from other global urban migrations is the speed this urban migration process is following. 1994 marked a significant change for politics in South Africa. It provided the new administrative South African government the opportunity to position South Africa on a path towards becoming Africa’s first recognised sustainable country. In 1994, the South African government amended the constitutional objective to align local government with focusing on securing ecological sustainable development and making use of natural resources, while promoting justifiable economic and social development. In support of this constitutional objective, the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) No. 107 of 1998, established cooperative governance principles, institutional mechanisms and sustainable development tools needed to promote environmental sustainability
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- Date Issued: 2019
The role of governance: family owned butchery
- Authors: Farndell, Mark
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises -- South Africa , Family-owned business enterprises -- Management , Family-owned business enterprises -- Succession , Corporate governance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8588 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1509 , Family-owned business enterprises -- South Africa , Family-owned business enterprises -- Management , Family-owned business enterprises -- Succession , Corporate governance -- South Africa
- Description: The importance of SME family businesses is evident in society. Coming out of a recession, the innovation, labour absorption and employment creation capabilities of SMEs and family businesses globally, and in emerging economies with high levels of unemployment and poverty, is incredibly important for environmental sustainability and societal harmony. Good governance is empirically proven to improve long-term sustainability of organisations, and poor governance is linked to the demise of many businesses – large and small, family and non-family businesses alike. This research, by means of a thorough literature review of family business and governance, and a single in-depth case study, identifies the components of SME family business governance in a contextual setting in South Africa. The literature review defines SMEs, family businesses and corporate governance. It reviews the nuances of family businesses that make them distinctive from non-family businesses, the models of family businesses that have been developed over time, the approaches to corporate governance, corporate governance codes of conduct, and family business governance models, as well as the components and dynamics of family business governance. The qualitative case study approach adopted enables the in depth contextual identification and exploration of the dynamics of family business governance. Empirical data collected from interviews, observations and reports are analysed using triangulation and pattern matching logic to ensure validity and reliability. Empirical findings are discussed with reference to the literary research findings, integrating literary and empirical findings, and resulting in the development of a conceptual model of family business governance, an SME family business governance structures model, and an SME family business authority delegation model. Governance is defined as the manifestation of the intent of the founder/owners of the business. Governance is manifest in structures, strategies, policies, procedures, relationships and performance. The reciprocity of transfers and outputs between the family business systems, the family business and its contextual environment is reflected in the performance of the business; which in turn is a reflection of the governance of the family and the family business. The study concludes with the importance of the family and its cohesion and harmony, and the impact it has on synergy, unity and harmony in the business. The study also finds that governance is strategic leadership, and that efficient and effective governance leads to synergies between the family, the family business and its contextual environment that when harnessed and directed towards a vision, can produce unimitable competitive advantages for the family firm.
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- Date Issued: 2010