Beyond greening: reflections on the business sustainability imperative
- Authors: Smith, Elroy Eugene
- Subjects: Sustainable development , Environmental economics , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20768 , vital:29387
- Description: This paper sets out to reflect that organisations should go beyond greening and embrace the sustainability imperative. The concept of greening and environmentalism reached a ceiling as it focuses only on short-term green issues rather than on long-term sustainability goals. Narrow concerns for the natural environment often dilute the true meaning of sustainability. Yet, the field of sustainability is much broader than just focusing on environmental issues. Most contemporary executives know that their response to the challenges of sustainability could seriously affect the competitiveness and survival of their organisations. Despite this notion, most are failing by launching a few greening initiatives without a clear sustainability vision and plan. The sustainability discourse expanded the manner in which organisational success is measured, using values and criteria from the economic, environmental and social realms – commonly known as the triple bottom line. The idea is to balance the needs of people, the planet and the organisation’s profits to create long-term shareholder value. The concept of sustainability has suffered from a proliferation of definitions, meaning many things to different people. However, consensus is forming that sustainability refers to the process by which sound economic systems operate well within the biophysical constraints of the ecosystem to provide a good quality of life that is socially appropriate for current and future generations. Sustainability is bigger than a publicity stunt, green products or occasional acknowledgement to on-going efforts to save the planet. Although greening will be a central part of the way business is conducted, green alone is not a broad enough platform to sustain a business in the long-run. There is a need to look beyond the green aspects of sustainability and also using the social, economic and cultural aspects to build a successful and sustainable organisation. 2 This paper addresses aspects such as the sustainability paradigm, dimensions and drivers of sustainability, statistical evidence of sustainability, national framework for sustainable development in South Africa, a sustainability case example and challenges of sustainability.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Smith, Elroy Eugene
- Subjects: Sustainable development , Environmental economics , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20768 , vital:29387
- Description: This paper sets out to reflect that organisations should go beyond greening and embrace the sustainability imperative. The concept of greening and environmentalism reached a ceiling as it focuses only on short-term green issues rather than on long-term sustainability goals. Narrow concerns for the natural environment often dilute the true meaning of sustainability. Yet, the field of sustainability is much broader than just focusing on environmental issues. Most contemporary executives know that their response to the challenges of sustainability could seriously affect the competitiveness and survival of their organisations. Despite this notion, most are failing by launching a few greening initiatives without a clear sustainability vision and plan. The sustainability discourse expanded the manner in which organisational success is measured, using values and criteria from the economic, environmental and social realms – commonly known as the triple bottom line. The idea is to balance the needs of people, the planet and the organisation’s profits to create long-term shareholder value. The concept of sustainability has suffered from a proliferation of definitions, meaning many things to different people. However, consensus is forming that sustainability refers to the process by which sound economic systems operate well within the biophysical constraints of the ecosystem to provide a good quality of life that is socially appropriate for current and future generations. Sustainability is bigger than a publicity stunt, green products or occasional acknowledgement to on-going efforts to save the planet. Although greening will be a central part of the way business is conducted, green alone is not a broad enough platform to sustain a business in the long-run. There is a need to look beyond the green aspects of sustainability and also using the social, economic and cultural aspects to build a successful and sustainable organisation. 2 This paper addresses aspects such as the sustainability paradigm, dimensions and drivers of sustainability, statistical evidence of sustainability, national framework for sustainable development in South Africa, a sustainability case example and challenges of sustainability.
- Full Text:
Colonial tales, alter-narratives and the enduring value of anthropology
- Authors: Boswell, Rose
- Subjects: Anthrology , Oral tradition , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20989 , vital:29425
- Description: Stories and story-telling are fundamental to human beings. What stories do we choose to tell, hear and relate? From childhood through to adulthood, stories and story-telling provide social content, example, advice, therapy, continuity, connection and entertainment. Story-telling is also a space for hidden resistance, embodiment and the invocation of rank. Accompanied by song and dance, those intangible heritages which must remain dynamic to endure, stories facilitate an aural and oral community that engenders its own understanding of time, place and identity. In anthropology, the study of humanity in all its complexities, there is the collection, collation and retelling of stories for audiences who would otherwise not understand or seek to essentialise those deemed ‗other‘. In this inaugural lecture I focus on the value of stories gathered from anthropological field research in the southwest Indian Ocean Islands. The stories (often constitutive of a multiply-situated self), shed light on the finer details of gendered, ethnic and raced existence in the island communities. They also offer deep insight into the nature and possible ‗evolutions‘ of contemporary societies. Finally, I suggest that alter-narratives, those stories rarely told, provide access not only to multiple worlds, they are part of an aural epistemology which might lead to alternative ways of connecting with others and thereby conceptualising and articulating identity in our contemporary global society.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Boswell, Rose
- Subjects: Anthrology , Oral tradition , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20989 , vital:29425
- Description: Stories and story-telling are fundamental to human beings. What stories do we choose to tell, hear and relate? From childhood through to adulthood, stories and story-telling provide social content, example, advice, therapy, continuity, connection and entertainment. Story-telling is also a space for hidden resistance, embodiment and the invocation of rank. Accompanied by song and dance, those intangible heritages which must remain dynamic to endure, stories facilitate an aural and oral community that engenders its own understanding of time, place and identity. In anthropology, the study of humanity in all its complexities, there is the collection, collation and retelling of stories for audiences who would otherwise not understand or seek to essentialise those deemed ‗other‘. In this inaugural lecture I focus on the value of stories gathered from anthropological field research in the southwest Indian Ocean Islands. The stories (often constitutive of a multiply-situated self), shed light on the finer details of gendered, ethnic and raced existence in the island communities. They also offer deep insight into the nature and possible ‗evolutions‘ of contemporary societies. Finally, I suggest that alter-narratives, those stories rarely told, provide access not only to multiple worlds, they are part of an aural epistemology which might lead to alternative ways of connecting with others and thereby conceptualising and articulating identity in our contemporary global society.
- Full Text:
Confinement and labouring women: a persistent struggle against nature
- Authors: James, Sindiwe
- Subjects: Childbirth , Labor (Obstetrics) , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40028 , vital:35730
- Description: Nature in its essence is frequently viewed as a thing of beauty and the ultimate truth of perfection. Unfortunately, this view of nature is often undermined when it comes to the concept of women in confinement and labour. Women, naturally by virtue of being females, have the capacity to become pregnant and thus to bear children. However, in many instances this capacity becomes limited, or misunderstood. In such cases, humans start viewing or considering confinement and labour in terms of ‘being wrong and incorrect’. They only see issues around age and marital status while losing sight of the fact that nature has ordained that all women have a uterus, which has a potential to conceive, but under ‘suitable’ conditions. Yes, the uterus does not know about age and health restrictions, but will expel its contents when the time comes, and suitability around that expulsion unfortunately becomes the concern of humans (midwives or family members). Very often young girls who are in confinement are received and treated differently by these two categories of humans because they are deemed not to be at the correct age for falling pregnant and to be in labour, or they are regarded as having been ‘naughty’.
- Full Text:
- Authors: James, Sindiwe
- Subjects: Childbirth , Labor (Obstetrics) , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40028 , vital:35730
- Description: Nature in its essence is frequently viewed as a thing of beauty and the ultimate truth of perfection. Unfortunately, this view of nature is often undermined when it comes to the concept of women in confinement and labour. Women, naturally by virtue of being females, have the capacity to become pregnant and thus to bear children. However, in many instances this capacity becomes limited, or misunderstood. In such cases, humans start viewing or considering confinement and labour in terms of ‘being wrong and incorrect’. They only see issues around age and marital status while losing sight of the fact that nature has ordained that all women have a uterus, which has a potential to conceive, but under ‘suitable’ conditions. Yes, the uterus does not know about age and health restrictions, but will expel its contents when the time comes, and suitability around that expulsion unfortunately becomes the concern of humans (midwives or family members). Very often young girls who are in confinement are received and treated differently by these two categories of humans because they are deemed not to be at the correct age for falling pregnant and to be in labour, or they are regarded as having been ‘naughty’.
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Consumer health informatics in the information age and beyond
- Authors: Pottas, Dalenca
- Subjects: Medical informatics , Information technology , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20757 , vital:29386
- Description: This paper reviews current and future trends and challenges in the field of consumer health informatics. Emergent innovations driving consumer health informatics in the information age include devices, tools and applications supporting personalised healthcare, electronic personal health record (PHR) systems and a plethora of tools in the health social media domain. Within this domain, a new kind of social media citizen, the consumer specialist or patient opinion leader, is taking the lead in online communities of patients. A new generation of personal health records combining PHRs and social media is emerging, even though pervasive adoption and use of PHRs remains elusive. The accuracy of information, security and privacy of personal health information, legislative matters and the digital divide remain recurring challenges of consumer health informatics. In future, PHR vendors will have to address the lack of espousal of PHRs in innovative ways to provide a compelling case for adoption. The continued uptake of health social media necessitates efforts to understand, through longitudinal studies, precisely who the users are, what they use it for and how it contributes to the achievement of both personal and public health outcomes. Health information consumers, of varying levels of techno-literacy, needs and preferences, must be assisted to move from simply accessing information to distilling relevant and credible information and making informed decisions. Further research is required to understand the changing relationships between patients and healthcare providers and how consumer health information technologies can best support these. There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of consumer health information technologies to inform both public policy and the next generation of tools, technologies and artefacts that could better facilitate improved health outcomes. Lastly, more effort is required to erode digital inequalities. As we move into a future emphasising both the global and the individual, accelerated connectedness and speed of change, consumer health informatics must respond such that it remains germane and amplifies the value that can be gained by all stakeholders.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Pottas, Dalenca
- Subjects: Medical informatics , Information technology , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20757 , vital:29386
- Description: This paper reviews current and future trends and challenges in the field of consumer health informatics. Emergent innovations driving consumer health informatics in the information age include devices, tools and applications supporting personalised healthcare, electronic personal health record (PHR) systems and a plethora of tools in the health social media domain. Within this domain, a new kind of social media citizen, the consumer specialist or patient opinion leader, is taking the lead in online communities of patients. A new generation of personal health records combining PHRs and social media is emerging, even though pervasive adoption and use of PHRs remains elusive. The accuracy of information, security and privacy of personal health information, legislative matters and the digital divide remain recurring challenges of consumer health informatics. In future, PHR vendors will have to address the lack of espousal of PHRs in innovative ways to provide a compelling case for adoption. The continued uptake of health social media necessitates efforts to understand, through longitudinal studies, precisely who the users are, what they use it for and how it contributes to the achievement of both personal and public health outcomes. Health information consumers, of varying levels of techno-literacy, needs and preferences, must be assisted to move from simply accessing information to distilling relevant and credible information and making informed decisions. Further research is required to understand the changing relationships between patients and healthcare providers and how consumer health information technologies can best support these. There is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of consumer health information technologies to inform both public policy and the next generation of tools, technologies and artefacts that could better facilitate improved health outcomes. Lastly, more effort is required to erode digital inequalities. As we move into a future emphasising both the global and the individual, accelerated connectedness and speed of change, consumer health informatics must respond such that it remains germane and amplifies the value that can be gained by all stakeholders.
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Corruption, state capture and the betrayal of South Africa’s vulnerable
- Authors: Erasmus, Deon
- Subjects: Political corruption -- South Africa , Business enterprises -- Corrupt practices -- South Africa , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53199 , vital:45037
- Description: The term state capture was first defined in a World Bank report on corruption in eastern Europe and central Asia in 2003. Hellman, Jones and Kaufmann (2000) point out in the report that some firms in transition economies were able to shape the rules of the game to their own advantage at a considerable social cost by creating a “capture economy.”
- Full Text:
- Authors: Erasmus, Deon
- Subjects: Political corruption -- South Africa , Business enterprises -- Corrupt practices -- South Africa , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53199 , vital:45037
- Description: The term state capture was first defined in a World Bank report on corruption in eastern Europe and central Asia in 2003. Hellman, Jones and Kaufmann (2000) point out in the report that some firms in transition economies were able to shape the rules of the game to their own advantage at a considerable social cost by creating a “capture economy.”
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Cybersecurity: reducing the attack surface
- Authors: Thomson, Kerry-Lynn
- Subjects: Computer security , Computer networks -- Security measures , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52885 , vital:44319
- Description: Almost 60% of the world’s population has access to the internet and most organisations today rely on internet connectivity to conduct business and carry out daily operations. Further to this, it is estimated that concepts such as the Internet of Things (IoT) will facilitate the connections of over 125 billion ‘things’ by the year 2030. However, as people and devices are becoming more and more interconnected, and more data is being shared, the question that must be asked is – are we doing so securely? Each year, cybercriminals cost organisations and individuals millions of dollars, using techniques such as phishing, social engineering, malware and denial of service attacks. In particular, together with the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a so-called ‘cybercrime pandemic’. Threat actors adapted their techniques to target people with Covid-19-themed cyberattacks and phishing campaigns to exploit their stress and anxiety during the pandemic. Cybersecurity and cybercrime exist in a symbiotic relationship in cyberspace, where, as cybersecurity gets stronger, so the cybercriminals need to become stronger to overcome those defenses. And, as the cybercriminals become stronger, so too must the defenses. Further, this symbiotic relationship plays out on what is called the attack surface. Attack surfaces are the exposed areas of an organisation that make systems more vulnerable to attacks and, essentially, is all the gaps in an organisation’s security that could be compromised by a threat actor. This attack surface is increased through organisations incorporating things such as IoT technologies, migrating to the cloud and decentralising its workforce, as happened during the pandemic with many people working from home. It is essential that organisations reduce the digital attack surface, and the vulnerabilities introduced through devices connected to the internet, with technical strategies and solutions. However, the focus of cybersecurity is often on the digital attack surface and technical solutions, with less of a focus on the human aspects of cybersecurity. The human attack surface encompasses all the vulnerabilities introduced through the actions and activities of employees. These employees should be given the necessary cybersecurity awareness, training and education to reduce the human attack surface of organisations. However, it is not only employees of organisations who are online. All individuals who interact online should be cybersecurity aware and know how to reduce their own digital and human attack surfaces, or digital footprints. This paper emphasises the importance of utilising people as part of the cybersecurity defense through the cultivation of cybersecurity cultures in organisations and a cybersecurity conscious society.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Thomson, Kerry-Lynn
- Subjects: Computer security , Computer networks -- Security measures , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52885 , vital:44319
- Description: Almost 60% of the world’s population has access to the internet and most organisations today rely on internet connectivity to conduct business and carry out daily operations. Further to this, it is estimated that concepts such as the Internet of Things (IoT) will facilitate the connections of over 125 billion ‘things’ by the year 2030. However, as people and devices are becoming more and more interconnected, and more data is being shared, the question that must be asked is – are we doing so securely? Each year, cybercriminals cost organisations and individuals millions of dollars, using techniques such as phishing, social engineering, malware and denial of service attacks. In particular, together with the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a so-called ‘cybercrime pandemic’. Threat actors adapted their techniques to target people with Covid-19-themed cyberattacks and phishing campaigns to exploit their stress and anxiety during the pandemic. Cybersecurity and cybercrime exist in a symbiotic relationship in cyberspace, where, as cybersecurity gets stronger, so the cybercriminals need to become stronger to overcome those defenses. And, as the cybercriminals become stronger, so too must the defenses. Further, this symbiotic relationship plays out on what is called the attack surface. Attack surfaces are the exposed areas of an organisation that make systems more vulnerable to attacks and, essentially, is all the gaps in an organisation’s security that could be compromised by a threat actor. This attack surface is increased through organisations incorporating things such as IoT technologies, migrating to the cloud and decentralising its workforce, as happened during the pandemic with many people working from home. It is essential that organisations reduce the digital attack surface, and the vulnerabilities introduced through devices connected to the internet, with technical strategies and solutions. However, the focus of cybersecurity is often on the digital attack surface and technical solutions, with less of a focus on the human aspects of cybersecurity. The human attack surface encompasses all the vulnerabilities introduced through the actions and activities of employees. These employees should be given the necessary cybersecurity awareness, training and education to reduce the human attack surface of organisations. However, it is not only employees of organisations who are online. All individuals who interact online should be cybersecurity aware and know how to reduce their own digital and human attack surfaces, or digital footprints. This paper emphasises the importance of utilising people as part of the cybersecurity defense through the cultivation of cybersecurity cultures in organisations and a cybersecurity conscious society.
- Full Text:
Democratization of state institutions and processes: a critical ingredient for good governance
- Authors: Masango, Sebenzile
- Subjects: Democracy -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20341 , vital:29265
- Description: In itself ‘democratization’ is a wide field of study which can be subdivided into various subfields. The content of this lecture is mainly derived from the key focus areas of the research I have conducted. My research mainly contributes to the building and strengthening of democracy and good governance.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Masango, Sebenzile
- Subjects: Democracy -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20341 , vital:29265
- Description: In itself ‘democratization’ is a wide field of study which can be subdivided into various subfields. The content of this lecture is mainly derived from the key focus areas of the research I have conducted. My research mainly contributes to the building and strengthening of democracy and good governance.
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Demystifying leadership connectivity: rediscovering the soul of leadership
- Authors: Poisat, Paul
- Subjects: Leadership , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/35773 , vital:33811
- Description: INTRODUCTION: A Google search on ‘leadership’ produced 4.2 million articles, books, blogs and webinars on how to become a better leader. Most of the literature, comprising experts and the popular press, abound with formulistic prescriptive steps endorsed by two or three iconic figures that support their regimen. Regardless of the plethora of literature in leadership providing practical and logical tactics, many fall short on implementation and thus result in failure. What numerous sources fail to acknowledge is that the great leaders apply these tactics together with their innate skills to offer clear direction for themselves and their followers. Providing a clear vision and/or strategy to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity is one of the foremost abilities distinguishing leaders in our rapidly changing world and the ability to take employees with them. In addition, various individual (personality, values, cultural, ability) and contextual (nature of the business, complexity, rate of change, work team, diversity) factors may contribute to leadership failure that is characterised by a lack of vision, uncertainty, bullying, management by exclusion, and in extreme cases fraud and corruption. Regardless of the proliferation of leadership literature the world has never been more desperate for sound leadership. We have enough leaders but not enough leadership. With all the literature on leadership, how do you find the essence of leadership?
- Full Text:
- Authors: Poisat, Paul
- Subjects: Leadership , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/35773 , vital:33811
- Description: INTRODUCTION: A Google search on ‘leadership’ produced 4.2 million articles, books, blogs and webinars on how to become a better leader. Most of the literature, comprising experts and the popular press, abound with formulistic prescriptive steps endorsed by two or three iconic figures that support their regimen. Regardless of the plethora of literature in leadership providing practical and logical tactics, many fall short on implementation and thus result in failure. What numerous sources fail to acknowledge is that the great leaders apply these tactics together with their innate skills to offer clear direction for themselves and their followers. Providing a clear vision and/or strategy to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity is one of the foremost abilities distinguishing leaders in our rapidly changing world and the ability to take employees with them. In addition, various individual (personality, values, cultural, ability) and contextual (nature of the business, complexity, rate of change, work team, diversity) factors may contribute to leadership failure that is characterised by a lack of vision, uncertainty, bullying, management by exclusion, and in extreme cases fraud and corruption. Regardless of the proliferation of leadership literature the world has never been more desperate for sound leadership. We have enough leaders but not enough leadership. With all the literature on leadership, how do you find the essence of leadership?
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Discourse, cinema and desubjectification: from Foucault to Deleuze and beyond.
- Authors: Konik, Adrian
- Subjects: Philosophy , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , article , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31594 , vital:31617
- Description: To be clear, this was not philosophy as a discipline, which like all canonical edifices can come across as weighty, dusty and extremely boring; especially when it rather arrogantly assumes the position of arbiter of truth, and tries to determine what everybody else can or cannot think, or what they should or should not say. Rather, what I encountered again in that Honors-level philosophy module was something that I had glimpsed during my undergraduate studies, but which I had yet to fully appreciate, namely an approach to thinking that was also an approach to life, on the part of certain people who, in their time, had to a large extent philosophized privately as they carried out their many other duties, or philosophized outside of the academy, or remained on the margins of academic philosophy – men like Marcus Aurelius, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Benedictus Spinoza.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Konik, Adrian
- Subjects: Philosophy , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , article , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31594 , vital:31617
- Description: To be clear, this was not philosophy as a discipline, which like all canonical edifices can come across as weighty, dusty and extremely boring; especially when it rather arrogantly assumes the position of arbiter of truth, and tries to determine what everybody else can or cannot think, or what they should or should not say. Rather, what I encountered again in that Honors-level philosophy module was something that I had glimpsed during my undergraduate studies, but which I had yet to fully appreciate, namely an approach to thinking that was also an approach to life, on the part of certain people who, in their time, had to a large extent philosophized privately as they carried out their many other duties, or philosophized outside of the academy, or remained on the margins of academic philosophy – men like Marcus Aurelius, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Benedictus Spinoza.
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Drugs: cures or curse?
- McCarthy, T J (Terence John)
- Authors: McCarthy, T J (Terence John)
- Subjects: Drugs , Pharmacy , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21887 , vital:29798
- Description: With Pharmacy established in our midst at UPE it seems fitting to speak about drugs, since the name pharmacy is derived from pharmakon, the Greek word for drug. The derivation of apteker from the English word apothecary and the German Apotheker is also relevant. Interestingly the Greek root for apothecary means storekeeper, so perhaps things have not changed much in the last few centuries. However, the use of drugs precedes the Greeks, English or Germans by many centuries, and both the Chinese (over 2000 years BC) and the Babylonians (over 4000 years BC) had drug lists or pharmacopoeias. In fact the Babylonians also had a strict medical code and I recall reading that "if the surgeons's knife should slip, the surgeon's hand will be cut off" which seems far better than the modern idea of trying to sue the surgeon after the event, but must have seriously hampered the recruitment of surgeons in those days.
- Full Text: false
- Authors: McCarthy, T J (Terence John)
- Subjects: Drugs , Pharmacy , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21887 , vital:29798
- Description: With Pharmacy established in our midst at UPE it seems fitting to speak about drugs, since the name pharmacy is derived from pharmakon, the Greek word for drug. The derivation of apteker from the English word apothecary and the German Apotheker is also relevant. Interestingly the Greek root for apothecary means storekeeper, so perhaps things have not changed much in the last few centuries. However, the use of drugs precedes the Greeks, English or Germans by many centuries, and both the Chinese (over 2000 years BC) and the Babylonians (over 4000 years BC) had drug lists or pharmacopoeias. In fact the Babylonians also had a strict medical code and I recall reading that "if the surgeons's knife should slip, the surgeon's hand will be cut off" which seems far better than the modern idea of trying to sue the surgeon after the event, but must have seriously hampered the recruitment of surgeons in those days.
- Full Text: false
Environmental ethics, protection and valuation
- Authors: Du Preez, M
- Subjects: Environmental ethics , Environmental protection , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21022 , vital:29428
- Description: This lecture addresses the environmental ethics, protection and valuation of natural assets. The aim of the lecture is threefold: first, to present a bio-ethical argument for the extension of our moral reference class to include all conscious and non-conscious natural assets; second, to discuss the moral significance of a broader moral reference class in terms of Aldo Leopold’s ‘Land Ethic’; third, to discuss the valuation of natural assets from a system’s perspective with specific reference to the estimation of non-use values. In what follows, Section I discusses environmental protection from a bioethical point of view, Section II discusses the moral significance of a broader moral reference class in terms of Aldo Leopold’s ‘Land Ethic’, Section III describes the concept of valuing natural assets with specific reference to the concept of non-use value and its measurement, and finally, Section IV concludes the lecture.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Du Preez, M
- Subjects: Environmental ethics , Environmental protection , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21022 , vital:29428
- Description: This lecture addresses the environmental ethics, protection and valuation of natural assets. The aim of the lecture is threefold: first, to present a bio-ethical argument for the extension of our moral reference class to include all conscious and non-conscious natural assets; second, to discuss the moral significance of a broader moral reference class in terms of Aldo Leopold’s ‘Land Ethic’; third, to discuss the valuation of natural assets from a system’s perspective with specific reference to the estimation of non-use values. In what follows, Section I discusses environmental protection from a bioethical point of view, Section II discusses the moral significance of a broader moral reference class in terms of Aldo Leopold’s ‘Land Ethic’, Section III describes the concept of valuing natural assets with specific reference to the concept of non-use value and its measurement, and finally, Section IV concludes the lecture.
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Ethics, cultures, fraud and corruption: the unanswered questions
- Authors: Fourie, Houdini
- Subjects: Fraud -- Moral and ethical aspects , Fraud -- South Africa , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31797 , vital:31846
- Description: idea for the paper emanated from my concern regarding the absolute flood of unethical behaviour in recent times. Fraud and corruption in South Africa is rife and it seems that the average person has no control over what comes next. Considering the impacts of peoples’ background, social standing and culture, the paper considered the psychological processes through which learning of habits and mannerisms take place; and how it influences ethical behaviour. Valuable lessons are learnt, namely that culture, whether it being ethnical, organisational, family or religious, have a direct impact on a person’s ethical value system and subsequently on whether a person is inclined to partake in fraud and corrupt activities. Fraud and corruption can cripple and destroy organisations and its auditors. Fraud and corruption are costly. The paper reports that it is ultimately the responsibility of executive management to manage fraud and associated risks – management must set the “Tone at the Top”. Managing ethics is costly, but ignoring it is fatal. Although it is not the primary responsibility of auditors to detect and investigate fraud and corruption, the accounting profession needs to do introspection to determine what society expects of them. A mere audit opinion on annual financial statements does not satisfy the demands of society any more. The question is apparently not whether fraud will occur in organisations, but rather when and that everybody must insist on doing the right thing – for the greater good.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Fourie, Houdini
- Subjects: Fraud -- Moral and ethical aspects , Fraud -- South Africa , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/31797 , vital:31846
- Description: idea for the paper emanated from my concern regarding the absolute flood of unethical behaviour in recent times. Fraud and corruption in South Africa is rife and it seems that the average person has no control over what comes next. Considering the impacts of peoples’ background, social standing and culture, the paper considered the psychological processes through which learning of habits and mannerisms take place; and how it influences ethical behaviour. Valuable lessons are learnt, namely that culture, whether it being ethnical, organisational, family or religious, have a direct impact on a person’s ethical value system and subsequently on whether a person is inclined to partake in fraud and corrupt activities. Fraud and corruption can cripple and destroy organisations and its auditors. Fraud and corruption are costly. The paper reports that it is ultimately the responsibility of executive management to manage fraud and associated risks – management must set the “Tone at the Top”. Managing ethics is costly, but ignoring it is fatal. Although it is not the primary responsibility of auditors to detect and investigate fraud and corruption, the accounting profession needs to do introspection to determine what society expects of them. A mere audit opinion on annual financial statements does not satisfy the demands of society any more. The question is apparently not whether fraud will occur in organisations, but rather when and that everybody must insist on doing the right thing – for the greater good.
- Full Text:
Exploring plants as medicine: an in vitro approach
- Authors: Van de Venter, Maryna
- Subjects: Medicinal plants , Oncology , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55562 , vital:52968
- Description: Introduction: Plants as medicine Archaeological evidence for the use of plants as medicine dates as far back as 60,000 years ago from the area now known as Iraq, and 8,000 years ago from China. The first written records are from the Sumerians from 5,000 BC and the Ancient Egyptians from 1,500 BC. Two well-known plants that were already used in that time are the opium poppy, and cannabis. The first pharmaceutical medicine was only developed in 1804 when the German Friedrich Sertürner isolated morphine from the opium poppy (Pan et al 2014).
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- Authors: Van de Venter, Maryna
- Subjects: Medicinal plants , Oncology , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55562 , vital:52968
- Description: Introduction: Plants as medicine Archaeological evidence for the use of plants as medicine dates as far back as 60,000 years ago from the area now known as Iraq, and 8,000 years ago from China. The first written records are from the Sumerians from 5,000 BC and the Ancient Egyptians from 1,500 BC. Two well-known plants that were already used in that time are the opium poppy, and cannabis. The first pharmaceutical medicine was only developed in 1804 when the German Friedrich Sertürner isolated morphine from the opium poppy (Pan et al 2014).
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Family business: a legitimate scholarly field
- Authors: Farrington, Shelley M
- Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20934 , vital:29420
- Description: My lecture this afternoon is titled “Family business: A legitimate scholarly field”. I will first provide you with some background to family businesses and their prominence and contributions worldwide. This will be followed by an overview of how the field has evolved and where it is today. I will highlight the key role players in this evolution, some of the main challenges facing the field as well as the reasons why scholars study these businesses. I will conclude by highlighting how I believe that research on family business in South Africa can contribute to the field as a whole.
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- Authors: Farrington, Shelley M
- Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20934 , vital:29420
- Description: My lecture this afternoon is titled “Family business: A legitimate scholarly field”. I will first provide you with some background to family businesses and their prominence and contributions worldwide. This will be followed by an overview of how the field has evolved and where it is today. I will highlight the key role players in this evolution, some of the main challenges facing the field as well as the reasons why scholars study these businesses. I will conclude by highlighting how I believe that research on family business in South Africa can contribute to the field as a whole.
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Happiness: a business model
- Authors: Cullen, Margaret
- Subjects: Happiness , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20956 , vital:29422
- Description: The concept of happiness might appear elusive. It has been extensively analysed by philosophers and historians, who agree that the concept of happiness in antiquity centered on good luck and fortune. Something beyond human agency and therefore controlled by the Gods (McMahon, 2006).Today, happiness is viewed as something over which you can have control and something that can be pursued (Oishi, 2012).
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- Authors: Cullen, Margaret
- Subjects: Happiness , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20956 , vital:29422
- Description: The concept of happiness might appear elusive. It has been extensively analysed by philosophers and historians, who agree that the concept of happiness in antiquity centered on good luck and fortune. Something beyond human agency and therefore controlled by the Gods (McMahon, 2006).Today, happiness is viewed as something over which you can have control and something that can be pursued (Oishi, 2012).
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ICT as an enabler of Socio Economic Development
- Authors: Van Greunen, Darrelle
- Subjects: Information technology , Digital divide , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20725 , vital:29383
- Description: Today’s is a world of many divides, one of the most typical being the Digital Divide, which in itself has given birth to or is worsening other economic and social divides. In this world, more suffer and less are able to benefit from technology. This paper aims to promote the importance of and need for inter-disciplinary cooperation for the use and promotion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a bridge for the Digital Divide within disciplines. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) include any communication device—radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems, the services and applications associated with them, such as the Internet, geographic positioning systems (GPS), banking, e-health, e-learning and electronic government services. The paper will touch on tangible examples of inter-disciplinary cooperation and the use of ICT in different community interventions.
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- Authors: Van Greunen, Darrelle
- Subjects: Information technology , Digital divide , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20725 , vital:29383
- Description: Today’s is a world of many divides, one of the most typical being the Digital Divide, which in itself has given birth to or is worsening other economic and social divides. In this world, more suffer and less are able to benefit from technology. This paper aims to promote the importance of and need for inter-disciplinary cooperation for the use and promotion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a bridge for the Digital Divide within disciplines. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) include any communication device—radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems, the services and applications associated with them, such as the Internet, geographic positioning systems (GPS), banking, e-health, e-learning and electronic government services. The paper will touch on tangible examples of inter-disciplinary cooperation and the use of ICT in different community interventions.
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Innovation through education: rediscovering the lost generation
- Authors: Pieterse, Koot
- Subjects: Business incubators , Entrepreneurship , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20889 , vital:29411
- Description: Innovation implies the generation as well as the practical implementation of new ideas. These ideas could appear as new product opportunities, new markets or new management systems and business schools are ideally situated to promote their exploitation and implementation. This study emphasises the need for business schools to elevate innovation to one of the core values in their mission. The need for innovation in the local business environment is explored along with reasons why these opportunities have not always been pursued with the required vigour. The results of a literature study are represented, that demonstrate what initiatives on the incorporation of innovation into their activities have been taken by a selection of business schools around the world and the study is concluded by exploring similar opportunities open to the Business School of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Pieterse, Koot
- Subjects: Business incubators , Entrepreneurship , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20889 , vital:29411
- Description: Innovation implies the generation as well as the practical implementation of new ideas. These ideas could appear as new product opportunities, new markets or new management systems and business schools are ideally situated to promote their exploitation and implementation. This study emphasises the need for business schools to elevate innovation to one of the core values in their mission. The need for innovation in the local business environment is explored along with reasons why these opportunities have not always been pursued with the required vigour. The results of a literature study are represented, that demonstrate what initiatives on the incorporation of innovation into their activities have been taken by a selection of business schools around the world and the study is concluded by exploring similar opportunities open to the Business School of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
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Instruments available to the public to assess audit quality
- Authors: Prinsloo, Frans
- Subjects: Auditing -- South Africa , Quality control -- Auditing , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21928 , vital:29802
- Description: With the separation of ownership from day-to-day management that began to characterise many businesses following the industrial revolution, concern arose whether the day-to-day management (as agents) would bias information flows to the business owners (as principals) in order to enhance, say, their remuneration and their reputations as managers (AQF, 2005a: 6). To address these concerns, business owners require mechanisms, such as the external audit, to enable the effective assessment of the stewardship of the agents. Currently the role of the external auditor is to express an opinion on the fair representation of the annual financial statements prepared by management for the business owners.
- Full Text: false
- Authors: Prinsloo, Frans
- Subjects: Auditing -- South Africa , Quality control -- Auditing , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/21928 , vital:29802
- Description: With the separation of ownership from day-to-day management that began to characterise many businesses following the industrial revolution, concern arose whether the day-to-day management (as agents) would bias information flows to the business owners (as principals) in order to enhance, say, their remuneration and their reputations as managers (AQF, 2005a: 6). To address these concerns, business owners require mechanisms, such as the external audit, to enable the effective assessment of the stewardship of the agents. Currently the role of the external auditor is to express an opinion on the fair representation of the annual financial statements prepared by management for the business owners.
- Full Text: false
Is e-business the saving grace for retailers during Covid-19?
- Authors: Kruger, Janine
- Subjects: Electronic commerce , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- -- Economic aspects , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/56470 , vital:56687
- Description: The question can be asked whether e-business is the saving grace for retailers during Covid-19. Without pondering on the question, we will immediately say yes due to the lived experiences we all have as final consumers of retailers. However, before answering the question, it is important to consider what transpired within the retail business environment. The world has turned upside down towards the end of 2019 due to the outbreak of Covid-19 while South Africa felt the effect of Covid-19 as from March 2020. As cited by Verhoef, Noordhoff and Sloot (2022), the retail industry has been heavily affected by the pandemic. Not only has the retail industry been affected, the life of consumers also changed as consumers did not have direct access to their favourite traditional brick-and mortar-retailers. As the customers of these retailers, we have the lived experiences of not being able to patronise these retailers for an extended period of time. Due to the hard lockdown restrictions imposed within the business environment on brick-and-mortar retailers, the retailers had to find different ways to reach and provide need satisfying products to their customers. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (2020) and Rindita et al (2021, p.108), the pandemic provided retailers with a good opportunity to develop and adopt an e-commerce strategy that can act as an economic driver. In addition, Gramling, Orschell and Chernoff (2021) state that e-commerce is essential for future existence of businesses. This is evident when considering that the South African e-commerce sector grew by 66% in 2020 when 2 compared to 2019 while in-store shopping has declined by 30% (Kibuacha 2021). These results are expected if we take into account the trading restrictions imposed on brick-and-mortar retailers during the Covid-19 lockdown. In addition, a study by Deloitte in 2021 showed that more than 70% of South African consumers are shopping online at least once a month while citing convenience and saving time for doing so (Kibuacha 2021). However, whether businesses are implementing a new strategy or expand an existing strategy, the brick-and-mortar retailers were required to adapt their strategies with the focus on business survival.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kruger, Janine
- Subjects: Electronic commerce , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- -- Economic aspects , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/56470 , vital:56687
- Description: The question can be asked whether e-business is the saving grace for retailers during Covid-19. Without pondering on the question, we will immediately say yes due to the lived experiences we all have as final consumers of retailers. However, before answering the question, it is important to consider what transpired within the retail business environment. The world has turned upside down towards the end of 2019 due to the outbreak of Covid-19 while South Africa felt the effect of Covid-19 as from March 2020. As cited by Verhoef, Noordhoff and Sloot (2022), the retail industry has been heavily affected by the pandemic. Not only has the retail industry been affected, the life of consumers also changed as consumers did not have direct access to their favourite traditional brick-and mortar-retailers. As the customers of these retailers, we have the lived experiences of not being able to patronise these retailers for an extended period of time. Due to the hard lockdown restrictions imposed within the business environment on brick-and-mortar retailers, the retailers had to find different ways to reach and provide need satisfying products to their customers. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (2020) and Rindita et al (2021, p.108), the pandemic provided retailers with a good opportunity to develop and adopt an e-commerce strategy that can act as an economic driver. In addition, Gramling, Orschell and Chernoff (2021) state that e-commerce is essential for future existence of businesses. This is evident when considering that the South African e-commerce sector grew by 66% in 2020 when 2 compared to 2019 while in-store shopping has declined by 30% (Kibuacha 2021). These results are expected if we take into account the trading restrictions imposed on brick-and-mortar retailers during the Covid-19 lockdown. In addition, a study by Deloitte in 2021 showed that more than 70% of South African consumers are shopping online at least once a month while citing convenience and saving time for doing so (Kibuacha 2021). However, whether businesses are implementing a new strategy or expand an existing strategy, the brick-and-mortar retailers were required to adapt their strategies with the focus on business survival.
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Key drivers of change and their implications for Construction Management in the next decade: an eclectic approach
- Authors: Shakantu, Winston
- Subjects: Change , Construction industry , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20912 , vital:29416
- Description: I chose to look at ‘key drivers of change’ as change is the only constant in our lives; its winds keep blowing in perpetuity. Drivers of change are factors that induce or compel organisations to modify their actions in response to change. The drivers of change originate mainly in the macro-environment and in most cases in the micro-environment. As for why ‘implications for construction management research’ it is because of the four areas of responsibility for an academic, that is, Teaching, Research, Engagement and Administration, research informs all the four. Therefore, it seems to be the logical departure point for a professorial exposition.
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- Authors: Shakantu, Winston
- Subjects: Change , Construction industry , f-sa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Lectures
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20912 , vital:29416
- Description: I chose to look at ‘key drivers of change’ as change is the only constant in our lives; its winds keep blowing in perpetuity. Drivers of change are factors that induce or compel organisations to modify their actions in response to change. The drivers of change originate mainly in the macro-environment and in most cases in the micro-environment. As for why ‘implications for construction management research’ it is because of the four areas of responsibility for an academic, that is, Teaching, Research, Engagement and Administration, research informs all the four. Therefore, it seems to be the logical departure point for a professorial exposition.
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