The experiences of non-psychiatric trained nurses caring for mental health care users on 72 hour observations in a listed Hospital in the O R Tambo District
- Authors: Dubo, Siyabonga
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Mental Health care -- Hospital
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Cur
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/688 , vital:27769
- Description: Nurses are an integral part of the health care system and their job encompasses a wide range of responsibilities including the promotion of health, prevention of illness and care for physically, mentally ill and disabled people. Nurses have a mandate to be responsible and accountable to the public they serve. For these reasons, it is crucial that nurses possess attitudes that allow them to provide optimal care in a supportive manner for patients. Despite the fact that considerable research on the experiences of nurses caring for the mentally ill in general hospitals has been done globally, none has been conducted in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Additionally, no studies could be obtained from anywhere in the world on the experiences of non-psychiatric trained nurses caring for mental health care users on 72 hour observations. Studies indicated that nurses have different experiences when caring for mental health care users. It was therefore considered necessary to find out how non-psychiatric trained nurses perceive the caring of mental health care users during the 72 hour observations. The research design used to explore and describe their experiences was qualitative, descriptive, explorative, phenomenological and contextual in character. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight (8) participants who were purposively selected. This was done after necessary permission from the Department of Health and informed consent from the research participants. Steps were taken throughout the course of the study to ensure trustworthiness. Data were analysed using Tesch’s methods and the services of an independent coder were used. The results indicate that there are different experiences with regard to the caring for mental health care users during the 72 hour observations. The major themes identified are: feelings experienced by these nurses, lack of knowledge, challenges and strategies used for coping with a violent user, need for support from security staff and lack of policies. v Guidelines as a supportive action are suggested. From the results of the study recommendations are made in the areas of nursing education, nursing practice and nursing research. It is concluded that for non-psychiatric trained nurses to provide optimal care to mental health care users, the nurses need knowledge and skills in order to facilitate the promotion, maintenance and restoration of mental health of these patients as an integral part of health.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Dubo, Siyabonga
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Mental Health care -- Hospital
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Cur
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/688 , vital:27769
- Description: Nurses are an integral part of the health care system and their job encompasses a wide range of responsibilities including the promotion of health, prevention of illness and care for physically, mentally ill and disabled people. Nurses have a mandate to be responsible and accountable to the public they serve. For these reasons, it is crucial that nurses possess attitudes that allow them to provide optimal care in a supportive manner for patients. Despite the fact that considerable research on the experiences of nurses caring for the mentally ill in general hospitals has been done globally, none has been conducted in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Additionally, no studies could be obtained from anywhere in the world on the experiences of non-psychiatric trained nurses caring for mental health care users on 72 hour observations. Studies indicated that nurses have different experiences when caring for mental health care users. It was therefore considered necessary to find out how non-psychiatric trained nurses perceive the caring of mental health care users during the 72 hour observations. The research design used to explore and describe their experiences was qualitative, descriptive, explorative, phenomenological and contextual in character. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight (8) participants who were purposively selected. This was done after necessary permission from the Department of Health and informed consent from the research participants. Steps were taken throughout the course of the study to ensure trustworthiness. Data were analysed using Tesch’s methods and the services of an independent coder were used. The results indicate that there are different experiences with regard to the caring for mental health care users during the 72 hour observations. The major themes identified are: feelings experienced by these nurses, lack of knowledge, challenges and strategies used for coping with a violent user, need for support from security staff and lack of policies. v Guidelines as a supportive action are suggested. From the results of the study recommendations are made in the areas of nursing education, nursing practice and nursing research. It is concluded that for non-psychiatric trained nurses to provide optimal care to mental health care users, the nurses need knowledge and skills in order to facilitate the promotion, maintenance and restoration of mental health of these patients as an integral part of health.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The design of a primary healthcare centre for women and children in KwaZakhele, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Du Preez, Ashleigh
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Health facilities -- Designs and plans Health facilities -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/38863 , vital:35008
- Description: This treatise focuses on the design of a primary health care centre for women and children in Kwazakhele, Port Elizabeth. The primary health care facility will provide the space ‘in-between’ home and hospital and will promote improved maternal care by concentrating on antenatal and postnatal services, delivered in a safe environment. The Centre will encompass an understanding of cultural, social and economic informants of health and enable an empowerment of community through a holistic approach to health care design. The Centre aims at dealing with both physical and mental issues that are connected to pregnancy, as well as other aspects of women’s health needs. A maternity ward, as well as a psychological component that deals with antenatal depression and rape counselling, will be incorporated into the design. Understanding traditions in township architecture and the design of healthcare centres internationally and in South Africa provide the basis of a cultural engagement stimulating the design of a health centre providing opportunities for social interaction.By enhancing the urban space, a better quality of living will be provided in the community. Through this intervention, the promotion of wellness will be stimulated and strengthened.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Du Preez, Ashleigh
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Health facilities -- Designs and plans Health facilities -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/38863 , vital:35008
- Description: This treatise focuses on the design of a primary health care centre for women and children in Kwazakhele, Port Elizabeth. The primary health care facility will provide the space ‘in-between’ home and hospital and will promote improved maternal care by concentrating on antenatal and postnatal services, delivered in a safe environment. The Centre will encompass an understanding of cultural, social and economic informants of health and enable an empowerment of community through a holistic approach to health care design. The Centre aims at dealing with both physical and mental issues that are connected to pregnancy, as well as other aspects of women’s health needs. A maternity ward, as well as a psychological component that deals with antenatal depression and rape counselling, will be incorporated into the design. Understanding traditions in township architecture and the design of healthcare centres internationally and in South Africa provide the basis of a cultural engagement stimulating the design of a health centre providing opportunities for social interaction.By enhancing the urban space, a better quality of living will be provided in the community. Through this intervention, the promotion of wellness will be stimulated and strengthened.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
A review of local government performance from 2004 - 2008: Sakhisizwe Local Municipality
- Authors: Dyani, Christopher Sidima
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6271 , vital:21064
- Description: Loosely defined as “political units or instruments constituted by law (the peculiar or unique characteristics of which is their subordinate status to the central government) which have substantial control over local affairs and likewise have the power to tax” (Nyalunga, 2006: 15), local governments, and municipalities in particular, have been in existence since the early history of Anglo-Saxon England (post 1870). As political units, local governments have defined areas, defined populations, organised administrative structures and the authority to undertake and the power to carry out public activities within such defined areas (Nyulunga, 2006: 15). In the three-tiered form of government that is dominant world-wide, local government is the lowest sphere of government and, as such, “is often the first point of contact between an individual and a government institution” (Thornhill, 2008: 492). Although a number of different forms and structures of local government exist in the world, as it evolved, three critical matters defined the nature of local government in any particular country. Firstly, local government is defined by the extent of local self-government. Secondly, it is the autonomy and discretionary powers of the municipality and, thirdly, it is the extent to which the municipality is a momentous force in the lives of the people within a given area (Nyulunga, 2006: 16). Therefore, a consideration if these three defining factors provide clarity in terms of the nature of local government in a particular country. Due to the form of the South African state, which is a unitary state, South Africa established a system of local government aimed at governing various areas throughout the country. For the greater part of the country‟s history prior the 1994 democratic elections, what distinguished the South African local government system from the rest of the world was its relationship with the people it sought to govern. While in the majority of cases around the world municipalities were concerned with the welfare of all their citizens, in South Africa, the successive apartheid regimes worked tirelessly at the adoption and systematic enforcement of draconian policies that effectively brought misery to the majority of the South African population. Pieces of legislation, such as the various Natives Acts, the Reservation of Separate Amenities Act, and the Group Areas Act, implemented through local government – the form of government closest to the people – ensured that South Africa experienced gross human rights violations, the economic exclusion of the majority of the populace, separate and unequal development and, in effect, an absolute monopoly of social, economic and political power by the white minority (Landsberg and Mackay, 2006: 1). Given the immediate impact municipal policies had on the people they sought to govern - this as a direct result of the proximity of this sphere of government to the people - it is not surprising that this level of government was the first casualty in the apartheid resistance campaign led by various liberation movements in the country. With systematic protests against various local government actions, coupled with boycotts of municipal rates and taxes, local government increasingly became detached from the population it served and consequently, was rendered dysfunctional. The election of F.W. De Klerk as the president of South Africa in 1989 proved to be a turning point in the historical trajectory of the country. Understanding the deleterious effects that the repressive policies had on the country‟s social structure, both economically and politically, De Klerk embarked on a road less travelled by opening channels for negotiation between government (and by extension the National Party) and the liberation movements in the country (particularly the African National Congress). As such, from 1990, various political organisations, such as the African National Congress (ANC), the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) among others, which had, for many years, been banned on the basis of them being seen as terrorist organisations, were unbanned. This was accompanied by the unconditional release of political prisoners, including South Africa‟s first democratically elected President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. One of the key outcomes of the negotiations that took place in the early 1990s was the development of the Interim, or Transitional, Constitution, Act 200 of 1993. This was an important document in that it provided a „historic bridge‟ between the apartheid state and the democratic dispensation that millions of South Africans aspired to. Additionally, this document provided a framework for the continued governance of South Africa pending the country‟s first democratic elections. The continued governance that the Interim Constitution provided for meant balancing human rights and the continued existence of the state and/or government. This was an important matter, particularly for local government, in that “a fragmented and incoherent range of local authorities cannot be transformed in one process as the negotiators for a democratic system of government wanted to ensure continuity in service provision” (Thornhill, 2008: 494). The temporal reprieve provided by the Interim Constitution allowed the negotiators to deal with the details of what would be the post-apartheid local government system of South Africa. The democratic government that emerged after the watershed event of 1994, under the stewardship of Nelson Mandela, had the immediate task of dismantling the apartheid legacy that had defined the country for many years and moving the country closer to achieving the democratic promise of a better life for all citizens. Practically, and importantly for the transformation of local government, this meant instilling democratic values and principles that would ensure that local government was responsive to the needs of the people and that it remained accountable to the electorate (the Presidency, 2003: 11). The ideal of the incoming democratic government was to transform this sphere of government into one that would ensure inclusive growth and development and equitable redistribution of the wealth of the country such that all people would have equal opportunity for a better life. It is important to note that the elections that were held on 27 April 1994 were only national and provincial elections. Local government elections could not be held at this point, simply because the new constitutional dispensation had not been finalised (Thornhill, 2008: 495). All parties to the negotiations agreed that the process of finalising the Constitution would be done through a democratically elected Constitutional Assembly. It was only after the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996 (the Constitution), was finalised, that the first local government elections could be held.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Dyani, Christopher Sidima
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Public administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6271 , vital:21064
- Description: Loosely defined as “political units or instruments constituted by law (the peculiar or unique characteristics of which is their subordinate status to the central government) which have substantial control over local affairs and likewise have the power to tax” (Nyalunga, 2006: 15), local governments, and municipalities in particular, have been in existence since the early history of Anglo-Saxon England (post 1870). As political units, local governments have defined areas, defined populations, organised administrative structures and the authority to undertake and the power to carry out public activities within such defined areas (Nyulunga, 2006: 15). In the three-tiered form of government that is dominant world-wide, local government is the lowest sphere of government and, as such, “is often the first point of contact between an individual and a government institution” (Thornhill, 2008: 492). Although a number of different forms and structures of local government exist in the world, as it evolved, three critical matters defined the nature of local government in any particular country. Firstly, local government is defined by the extent of local self-government. Secondly, it is the autonomy and discretionary powers of the municipality and, thirdly, it is the extent to which the municipality is a momentous force in the lives of the people within a given area (Nyulunga, 2006: 16). Therefore, a consideration if these three defining factors provide clarity in terms of the nature of local government in a particular country. Due to the form of the South African state, which is a unitary state, South Africa established a system of local government aimed at governing various areas throughout the country. For the greater part of the country‟s history prior the 1994 democratic elections, what distinguished the South African local government system from the rest of the world was its relationship with the people it sought to govern. While in the majority of cases around the world municipalities were concerned with the welfare of all their citizens, in South Africa, the successive apartheid regimes worked tirelessly at the adoption and systematic enforcement of draconian policies that effectively brought misery to the majority of the South African population. Pieces of legislation, such as the various Natives Acts, the Reservation of Separate Amenities Act, and the Group Areas Act, implemented through local government – the form of government closest to the people – ensured that South Africa experienced gross human rights violations, the economic exclusion of the majority of the populace, separate and unequal development and, in effect, an absolute monopoly of social, economic and political power by the white minority (Landsberg and Mackay, 2006: 1). Given the immediate impact municipal policies had on the people they sought to govern - this as a direct result of the proximity of this sphere of government to the people - it is not surprising that this level of government was the first casualty in the apartheid resistance campaign led by various liberation movements in the country. With systematic protests against various local government actions, coupled with boycotts of municipal rates and taxes, local government increasingly became detached from the population it served and consequently, was rendered dysfunctional. The election of F.W. De Klerk as the president of South Africa in 1989 proved to be a turning point in the historical trajectory of the country. Understanding the deleterious effects that the repressive policies had on the country‟s social structure, both economically and politically, De Klerk embarked on a road less travelled by opening channels for negotiation between government (and by extension the National Party) and the liberation movements in the country (particularly the African National Congress). As such, from 1990, various political organisations, such as the African National Congress (ANC), the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) among others, which had, for many years, been banned on the basis of them being seen as terrorist organisations, were unbanned. This was accompanied by the unconditional release of political prisoners, including South Africa‟s first democratically elected President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. One of the key outcomes of the negotiations that took place in the early 1990s was the development of the Interim, or Transitional, Constitution, Act 200 of 1993. This was an important document in that it provided a „historic bridge‟ between the apartheid state and the democratic dispensation that millions of South Africans aspired to. Additionally, this document provided a framework for the continued governance of South Africa pending the country‟s first democratic elections. The continued governance that the Interim Constitution provided for meant balancing human rights and the continued existence of the state and/or government. This was an important matter, particularly for local government, in that “a fragmented and incoherent range of local authorities cannot be transformed in one process as the negotiators for a democratic system of government wanted to ensure continuity in service provision” (Thornhill, 2008: 494). The temporal reprieve provided by the Interim Constitution allowed the negotiators to deal with the details of what would be the post-apartheid local government system of South Africa. The democratic government that emerged after the watershed event of 1994, under the stewardship of Nelson Mandela, had the immediate task of dismantling the apartheid legacy that had defined the country for many years and moving the country closer to achieving the democratic promise of a better life for all citizens. Practically, and importantly for the transformation of local government, this meant instilling democratic values and principles that would ensure that local government was responsive to the needs of the people and that it remained accountable to the electorate (the Presidency, 2003: 11). The ideal of the incoming democratic government was to transform this sphere of government into one that would ensure inclusive growth and development and equitable redistribution of the wealth of the country such that all people would have equal opportunity for a better life. It is important to note that the elections that were held on 27 April 1994 were only national and provincial elections. Local government elections could not be held at this point, simply because the new constitutional dispensation had not been finalised (Thornhill, 2008: 495). All parties to the negotiations agreed that the process of finalising the Constitution would be done through a democratically elected Constitutional Assembly. It was only after the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996 (the Constitution), was finalised, that the first local government elections could be held.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
An analysis of the efficiency of ontology and symbolic learning algorithms in indigenous knowledge representation
- Authors: Dzimba, Jesman
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Ontology Computer algorithms
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/11939 , vital:39120
- Description: It is without a doubt that machine learning has been the area of focus in early days of artificial intelligence, but the early neural networks approach suffered some shortcomings and this led to a temporary decline in research capacity. New symbolic learning techniques have emerged since then which have yielded promising results and have led to a revival in research in machine learning. This has seen many researchers focusing on these techniques and experimenting with them by comparing their performances for different applications. With that in mind, the research thus decided to make an analysis of the symbolic approach against other approaches such as the neural network (connectionist) to evaluate the power of the former approach. This was done by first generating an ontology that acted as a representation of some collected indigenous knowledge. It is from this ontology that a dataset was generated. The dataset was made ambiguous to see the learning power of classifiers in such data. Two experiments were done, one using WEKA and the other using Orange as tools. The reason why the two experiments were used is because there was not a single tool which contained all the required learning algorithms. The research wanted to make use of ID3 and CN2 symbolic algorithm. However, WEKA had ID3 and not CN2 while Orange had CN2 and not ID3. The most important attributes from the ontology regarding the indigenous knowledge were the name of the plant, the province it is found and the disease the plant treats. Therefore the dataset had two features which were disease and province and one label which was the name of the plant. The learning algorithm was to use the two features to generate rules used to predict the label. However, there was ambiguity on the dataset. The challenge was that two different labels would contain the same features, thus leading to wrongful classification. This was the core of the research. Even though the learning model concluded this situation as wrongful classification, in real time, a system using the same learning model would provide desired and correct results. The only flow which was there is that the learning model simply used one label to predict under and ignore the other label with similar features. This was identified as a flow for both symbolic and non-symbolic algorithms. There is no way of giving suggestions in the case a user wants a different plant but with similar features. Therefore for classification using an ambiguous dataset, both these approaches proved to have the fore mentions flow. The research then decided to use recall to analyze the power of these approaches. It was discovered that ID3 has better recall than Multilayer perceptron and Naïve Bayes algorithms when using a training set. ID3 managed to recall clearly and effectively three of its classes by a probability of 1 while Bayes Net had only one class with recall probability of 1. To further investigate the issue of recall, cross validation was used to contrast the competence of recall of the three algorithms to strengthen the assertion that indeed ID3 has a better recall as compared to the other two algorithms. Three stages of cross-validation were done, one stage using 10 fold, the other 20 fold, and the last using 50 fold. For all the different stages of crossvalidation, Bayes Net proved to perform better in terms of recall than the other two algorithms. In cross-validation, MLP could recall approximately above 88% of the instances available in contrast to when using training set where the algorithm recall only two out of 18 instances. In overall the symbolic approach proved to be a commendable approach for use over the nonsymbolic approach. The study of machine learning involves the building of learning algorithms, improving upon learning algorithms or making comparisons of machine learning algorithms. The research raised awareness on some improvements that need to be done on not only symbolic algorithms but non-symbolic ones as well. Some improvements include improving on or coming up with algorithms that suggest alternative predictions in cases of ambiguity instead of doing wrongful classification and not reflect on other possibilities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Dzimba, Jesman
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Ontology Computer algorithms
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/11939 , vital:39120
- Description: It is without a doubt that machine learning has been the area of focus in early days of artificial intelligence, but the early neural networks approach suffered some shortcomings and this led to a temporary decline in research capacity. New symbolic learning techniques have emerged since then which have yielded promising results and have led to a revival in research in machine learning. This has seen many researchers focusing on these techniques and experimenting with them by comparing their performances for different applications. With that in mind, the research thus decided to make an analysis of the symbolic approach against other approaches such as the neural network (connectionist) to evaluate the power of the former approach. This was done by first generating an ontology that acted as a representation of some collected indigenous knowledge. It is from this ontology that a dataset was generated. The dataset was made ambiguous to see the learning power of classifiers in such data. Two experiments were done, one using WEKA and the other using Orange as tools. The reason why the two experiments were used is because there was not a single tool which contained all the required learning algorithms. The research wanted to make use of ID3 and CN2 symbolic algorithm. However, WEKA had ID3 and not CN2 while Orange had CN2 and not ID3. The most important attributes from the ontology regarding the indigenous knowledge were the name of the plant, the province it is found and the disease the plant treats. Therefore the dataset had two features which were disease and province and one label which was the name of the plant. The learning algorithm was to use the two features to generate rules used to predict the label. However, there was ambiguity on the dataset. The challenge was that two different labels would contain the same features, thus leading to wrongful classification. This was the core of the research. Even though the learning model concluded this situation as wrongful classification, in real time, a system using the same learning model would provide desired and correct results. The only flow which was there is that the learning model simply used one label to predict under and ignore the other label with similar features. This was identified as a flow for both symbolic and non-symbolic algorithms. There is no way of giving suggestions in the case a user wants a different plant but with similar features. Therefore for classification using an ambiguous dataset, both these approaches proved to have the fore mentions flow. The research then decided to use recall to analyze the power of these approaches. It was discovered that ID3 has better recall than Multilayer perceptron and Naïve Bayes algorithms when using a training set. ID3 managed to recall clearly and effectively three of its classes by a probability of 1 while Bayes Net had only one class with recall probability of 1. To further investigate the issue of recall, cross validation was used to contrast the competence of recall of the three algorithms to strengthen the assertion that indeed ID3 has a better recall as compared to the other two algorithms. Three stages of cross-validation were done, one stage using 10 fold, the other 20 fold, and the last using 50 fold. For all the different stages of crossvalidation, Bayes Net proved to perform better in terms of recall than the other two algorithms. In cross-validation, MLP could recall approximately above 88% of the instances available in contrast to when using training set where the algorithm recall only two out of 18 instances. In overall the symbolic approach proved to be a commendable approach for use over the nonsymbolic approach. The study of machine learning involves the building of learning algorithms, improving upon learning algorithms or making comparisons of machine learning algorithms. The research raised awareness on some improvements that need to be done on not only symbolic algorithms but non-symbolic ones as well. Some improvements include improving on or coming up with algorithms that suggest alternative predictions in cases of ambiguity instead of doing wrongful classification and not reflect on other possibilities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Prediction of protein secondary structure using binary classificationtrees, naive Bayes classifiers and the Logistic Regression Classifier
- Eldud Omer, Ahmed Abdelkarim
- Authors: Eldud Omer, Ahmed Abdelkarim
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Bayesian statistical decision theory , Logistic regression analysis , Biostatistics , Proteins -- Structure
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5581 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019985
- Description: The secondary structure of proteins is predicted using various binary classifiers. The data are adopted from the RS126 database. The original data consists of protein primary and secondary structure sequences. The original data is encoded using alphabetic letters. These data are encoded into unary vectors comprising ones and zeros only. Different binary classifiers, namely the naive Bayes, logistic regression and classification trees using hold-out and 5-fold cross validation are trained using the encoded data. For each of the classifiers three classification tasks are considered, namely helix against not helix (H/∼H), sheet against not sheet (S/∼S) and coil against not coil (C/∼C). The performance of these binary classifiers are compared using the overall accuracy in predicting the protein secondary structure for various window sizes. Our result indicate that hold-out cross validation achieved higher accuracy than 5-fold cross validation. The Naive Bayes classifier, using 5-fold cross validation achieved, the lowest accuracy for predicting helix against not helix. The classification tree classifiers, using 5-fold cross validation, achieved the lowest accuracies for both coil against not coil and sheet against not sheet classifications. The logistic regression classier accuracy is dependent on the window size; there is a positive relationship between the accuracy and window size. The logistic regression classier approach achieved the highest accuracy when compared to the classification tree and Naive Bayes classifiers for each classification task; predicting helix against not helix with accuracy 77.74 percent, for sheet against not sheet with accuracy 81.22 percent and for coil against not coil with accuracy 73.39 percent. It is noted that it is easier to compare classifiers if the classification process could be completely facilitated in R. Alternatively, it would be easier to assess these logistic regression classifiers if SPSS had a function to determine the accuracy of the logistic regression classifier.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Eldud Omer, Ahmed Abdelkarim
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Bayesian statistical decision theory , Logistic regression analysis , Biostatistics , Proteins -- Structure
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5581 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019985
- Description: The secondary structure of proteins is predicted using various binary classifiers. The data are adopted from the RS126 database. The original data consists of protein primary and secondary structure sequences. The original data is encoded using alphabetic letters. These data are encoded into unary vectors comprising ones and zeros only. Different binary classifiers, namely the naive Bayes, logistic regression and classification trees using hold-out and 5-fold cross validation are trained using the encoded data. For each of the classifiers three classification tasks are considered, namely helix against not helix (H/∼H), sheet against not sheet (S/∼S) and coil against not coil (C/∼C). The performance of these binary classifiers are compared using the overall accuracy in predicting the protein secondary structure for various window sizes. Our result indicate that hold-out cross validation achieved higher accuracy than 5-fold cross validation. The Naive Bayes classifier, using 5-fold cross validation achieved, the lowest accuracy for predicting helix against not helix. The classification tree classifiers, using 5-fold cross validation, achieved the lowest accuracies for both coil against not coil and sheet against not sheet classifications. The logistic regression classier accuracy is dependent on the window size; there is a positive relationship between the accuracy and window size. The logistic regression classier approach achieved the highest accuracy when compared to the classification tree and Naive Bayes classifiers for each classification task; predicting helix against not helix with accuracy 77.74 percent, for sheet against not sheet with accuracy 81.22 percent and for coil against not coil with accuracy 73.39 percent. It is noted that it is easier to compare classifiers if the classification process could be completely facilitated in R. Alternatively, it would be easier to assess these logistic regression classifiers if SPSS had a function to determine the accuracy of the logistic regression classifier.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Supra-maximal speed interval training effect on a 40m standing start sprint and timed 3000m running performance in moderately trained female runners: Alterg anti-gravity treadmill running
- Authors: Ellerbeck, Tim
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Interval training , Women runners , Running -- Training
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6772 , vital:21140
- Description: The purpose of this study was to explore what the supra-maximal speed interval training effect was on a 40m standing start sprint and timed 3000m running performance was for two separate study groups when using either the AlterG® anti-gravity treadmill, or downhill running as a training intervention, for moderately trained female runners. The level of delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) after each supra-maximal speed interval session was also captured. Data from 20 women was collected during initial pre-intervention testing; involving the 40m standing start sprint and 3000m timed trial run. During a four week training intervention the level of DOMS experienced by participants at increments of 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours, in each respective training group was recorded. Post-intervention testing was performed to once again measure the participants 40m standing start sprint and 3000m timed trial run values, results were analysed and compared to pre-intervention data.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ellerbeck, Tim
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Interval training , Women runners , Running -- Training
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6772 , vital:21140
- Description: The purpose of this study was to explore what the supra-maximal speed interval training effect was on a 40m standing start sprint and timed 3000m running performance was for two separate study groups when using either the AlterG® anti-gravity treadmill, or downhill running as a training intervention, for moderately trained female runners. The level of delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) after each supra-maximal speed interval session was also captured. Data from 20 women was collected during initial pre-intervention testing; involving the 40m standing start sprint and 3000m timed trial run. During a four week training intervention the level of DOMS experienced by participants at increments of 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours, in each respective training group was recorded. Post-intervention testing was performed to once again measure the participants 40m standing start sprint and 3000m timed trial run values, results were analysed and compared to pre-intervention data.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The trophic and spatial ecology of juvenile porcupine rays Urogymnus asperrimus at the remote St. Joseph Atoll
- Authors: Elston, Chantel
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/965 , vital:20007
- Description: Little information exists for the widely occurring but rare porcupine ray Urogymnus asperrimus. This is a concern given that it is a vulnerable species and likely plays an important ecological role in tropical atoll ecosystems. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the trophic and spatial ecology of juvenile porcupine rays within the St. Joseph Atoll, which is hypothesized to be functioning as a nursery for this species. Specific objectives were to determine i) the dietary composition and resource selectivity displayed by juvenile porcupine rays, ii) residency to the atoll, space use, and seasonality in movements, and iii) whether environmental factors affect short-term movements. Gastric lavage was used to collect stomach contents from 55 juveniles and sediment samples were collected. Thirteen juveniles were implanted with acoustic transmitters and monitored for a year by an array of 88 acoustic receivers situated in and around the St. Joseph Atoll. Porcupine rays appeared to be generalist and opportunistic feeders, foraging predominantly on annelids with the highest environmental availability. Polychaetes of the family Capitellidae were the most important prey item (Index of Importance = 35%). Rays only fed on deep infaunal prey, likely because of their foraging behaviour, suggesting they may influence this community. There was a size-related shift in the crustacean families consumed. The tagged rays displayed high residency to the atoll (mean residency index of 64%) and restricted movements, with small core use and activity space areas (mean of 0.5km² and 3km² respectively) and the majority of detections were recorded within 1km of their tagging locations. The rays favoured the sand ats where 88% of detections occurred. Transient use of the lagoon and fringe reef peaked in the north-west monsoon season, indicating a seasonal usage of these habitats. The effects of temperature and water depth on movements were manifested as diel and tidal cyclical patterns in presence. Evidence illustrates that the St. Joseph Atoll constitutes an important nursery for this species, which has been declared a Marine Protected Area. A major determinant behind the dependence of this nursery habitat is related to predator avoidance. Thermoregulatory behaviours were identified, suggesting that this species is vulnerable to climate change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Elston, Chantel
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/965 , vital:20007
- Description: Little information exists for the widely occurring but rare porcupine ray Urogymnus asperrimus. This is a concern given that it is a vulnerable species and likely plays an important ecological role in tropical atoll ecosystems. The aims of this thesis were to investigate the trophic and spatial ecology of juvenile porcupine rays within the St. Joseph Atoll, which is hypothesized to be functioning as a nursery for this species. Specific objectives were to determine i) the dietary composition and resource selectivity displayed by juvenile porcupine rays, ii) residency to the atoll, space use, and seasonality in movements, and iii) whether environmental factors affect short-term movements. Gastric lavage was used to collect stomach contents from 55 juveniles and sediment samples were collected. Thirteen juveniles were implanted with acoustic transmitters and monitored for a year by an array of 88 acoustic receivers situated in and around the St. Joseph Atoll. Porcupine rays appeared to be generalist and opportunistic feeders, foraging predominantly on annelids with the highest environmental availability. Polychaetes of the family Capitellidae were the most important prey item (Index of Importance = 35%). Rays only fed on deep infaunal prey, likely because of their foraging behaviour, suggesting they may influence this community. There was a size-related shift in the crustacean families consumed. The tagged rays displayed high residency to the atoll (mean residency index of 64%) and restricted movements, with small core use and activity space areas (mean of 0.5km² and 3km² respectively) and the majority of detections were recorded within 1km of their tagging locations. The rays favoured the sand ats where 88% of detections occurred. Transient use of the lagoon and fringe reef peaked in the north-west monsoon season, indicating a seasonal usage of these habitats. The effects of temperature and water depth on movements were manifested as diel and tidal cyclical patterns in presence. Evidence illustrates that the St. Joseph Atoll constitutes an important nursery for this species, which has been declared a Marine Protected Area. A major determinant behind the dependence of this nursery habitat is related to predator avoidance. Thermoregulatory behaviours were identified, suggesting that this species is vulnerable to climate change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Change management: transformational issues in South-African rugby
- Authors: Erasmus, Innis
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Organizational change -- Management Sports administration , Rugby football -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46320 , vital:39547
- Description: The history of the sport rugby evolved from a football game more than a century ago, in England, in a town called Rugby when a young boy by the name of William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran to score a try. In the last two decades in South Africa the transformation process in getting more players of colour in the national team has become a real big issue. The fast changing society since 1995, the year in which the Springboks won their first Rugby World Cup, is according to government and critics not represented in the senior national side. Change management is a business management approach to implement procedures to deal with changes and to be able to reach the desired future state by profiting from the changing opportunities. SARU wants to address these issues and changes with their Strategic Transformational Plan. The purpose of this treatise was to study the perception of the junior players on the changes in rugby and the STP. The key drivers which will have influences on change management within the sport organisation were examined by the research. With the research objectives in mind a literature review was performed to create and develop a hypothesized model, which could be tested by the design of a measuring instrument which collected quantitative data for statistical results and analysis. The interpretation of the results of the research showed that Engagement, Coaching and Mentoring, Medical and Healthcare, Education/Schooling and Culture have positive associations and influences on change management. Transformational plans, Conditioning and nutrition’s relationship with change management and influences were accepted for the null hypotheses. Finally, change management and the various issues of transformation in SA Rugby showed to be valuable, measurable to a certain extent, and its recommendations actionable. The practical significant differences between the perceptions of the race groups (White, Coloured and African) illustrated valuable information for future communications and possible studies. This study and its proposed model on change management was a benefit to all the stakeholders and sport organisation going through changes and transformation in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Erasmus, Innis
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Organizational change -- Management Sports administration , Rugby football -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46320 , vital:39547
- Description: The history of the sport rugby evolved from a football game more than a century ago, in England, in a town called Rugby when a young boy by the name of William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran to score a try. In the last two decades in South Africa the transformation process in getting more players of colour in the national team has become a real big issue. The fast changing society since 1995, the year in which the Springboks won their first Rugby World Cup, is according to government and critics not represented in the senior national side. Change management is a business management approach to implement procedures to deal with changes and to be able to reach the desired future state by profiting from the changing opportunities. SARU wants to address these issues and changes with their Strategic Transformational Plan. The purpose of this treatise was to study the perception of the junior players on the changes in rugby and the STP. The key drivers which will have influences on change management within the sport organisation were examined by the research. With the research objectives in mind a literature review was performed to create and develop a hypothesized model, which could be tested by the design of a measuring instrument which collected quantitative data for statistical results and analysis. The interpretation of the results of the research showed that Engagement, Coaching and Mentoring, Medical and Healthcare, Education/Schooling and Culture have positive associations and influences on change management. Transformational plans, Conditioning and nutrition’s relationship with change management and influences were accepted for the null hypotheses. Finally, change management and the various issues of transformation in SA Rugby showed to be valuable, measurable to a certain extent, and its recommendations actionable. The practical significant differences between the perceptions of the race groups (White, Coloured and African) illustrated valuable information for future communications and possible studies. This study and its proposed model on change management was a benefit to all the stakeholders and sport organisation going through changes and transformation in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The design of a new medical faculty building at Livingston Hospital in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Erwee, Chantal
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: College buildings -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans College buildings -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39076 , vital:35036
- Description: On 24 July 2016, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) announced formal state approval to establish a new medical school. This treatise proposes the design of the medical faculty for NMMU. This medical faculty will challenge the typical school typology by the application of Biophilic design principles. This is achieved by critically engaging with the nature of a medical faculty and campus and by examining the context in which the proposal takes place. By means of a typological investigation, Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth was deemed the most suitable location for the medical faculty. Through the integration of the programmatic requirements, technical strategy and the model of Biophilia, which stimulates the physiological needs and neurological functions of the users, the treatise successfully established a new precedent for medical school design in South Africa. The investigation of Livingstone Hospital highlighted the need for rehabilitation of the adjacent green structures and the campus as a whole. The design provides the “stent” which will fuse these entities, healing not only the physical campus but the users of the campus, the surrounding landscape and ultimately the adjacent precinct. The introduction of a medical faculty to the Health Sciences Department of NMMU in Port Elizabeth will breathe new life into the medical industry, unclogging the arteries which restrict the provision of healthcare for South African citizens.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Erwee, Chantal
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: College buildings -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans College buildings -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39076 , vital:35036
- Description: On 24 July 2016, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) announced formal state approval to establish a new medical school. This treatise proposes the design of the medical faculty for NMMU. This medical faculty will challenge the typical school typology by the application of Biophilic design principles. This is achieved by critically engaging with the nature of a medical faculty and campus and by examining the context in which the proposal takes place. By means of a typological investigation, Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth was deemed the most suitable location for the medical faculty. Through the integration of the programmatic requirements, technical strategy and the model of Biophilia, which stimulates the physiological needs and neurological functions of the users, the treatise successfully established a new precedent for medical school design in South Africa. The investigation of Livingstone Hospital highlighted the need for rehabilitation of the adjacent green structures and the campus as a whole. The design provides the “stent” which will fuse these entities, healing not only the physical campus but the users of the campus, the surrounding landscape and ultimately the adjacent precinct. The introduction of a medical faculty to the Health Sciences Department of NMMU in Port Elizabeth will breathe new life into the medical industry, unclogging the arteries which restrict the provision of healthcare for South African citizens.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
A case study of democratic debate on People's Choice (PC) FM "Thahameso" and Harvest FM "Tsa Mabatooa" in Lesotho
- Falatsa, Mamolise Martha, Thipa, Henry
- Authors: Falatsa, Mamolise Martha , Thipa, Henry
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Radio addresses, debates, etc. -- Lesotho , Radio broadcasting -- Lesotho , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Lesotho , Civil rights -- Lesotho
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7281 , vital:21314
- Description: The study investigates the role of media in promoting free debate in Lesotho: A case study of democratic debate on People’s Choice (PC) FM “Thahameso” and Harvest FM “Tsa Mabatooa in Lesotho. Firstly, the study looked at the democratic communication in the volatile democracy of Lesotho, by providing historical factors of pre-independence and authoritarian governments, democrocatic governments prevailing and the dependence on South Africa. Secondly, the study provided literature on the role of broadcast media in different forms of government globally. Thirdly, it provides the analysis and transcription of one month’s recordings of the two political talk shows in Sesotho and identifies the communicative strategies used in this live on-air political discussion by talk show hosts, guests and callers. In these talk shows the researcher identifies the caller, host and guest behaviour and attitudes in discussions that relate the current political situation to the historical development of democracy in Lesotho alongside the economic and political influences from South Africa. The researcher also identifies that the talk show, guests and callers in the challenging political climate use traditional figurative expressions and biblical quotations to express their views. This leads the researcher to conclude that the political talk shows indeed facilitate participatory communication.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Falatsa, Mamolise Martha , Thipa, Henry
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Radio addresses, debates, etc. -- Lesotho , Radio broadcasting -- Lesotho , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Lesotho , Civil rights -- Lesotho
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7281 , vital:21314
- Description: The study investigates the role of media in promoting free debate in Lesotho: A case study of democratic debate on People’s Choice (PC) FM “Thahameso” and Harvest FM “Tsa Mabatooa in Lesotho. Firstly, the study looked at the democratic communication in the volatile democracy of Lesotho, by providing historical factors of pre-independence and authoritarian governments, democrocatic governments prevailing and the dependence on South Africa. Secondly, the study provided literature on the role of broadcast media in different forms of government globally. Thirdly, it provides the analysis and transcription of one month’s recordings of the two political talk shows in Sesotho and identifies the communicative strategies used in this live on-air political discussion by talk show hosts, guests and callers. In these talk shows the researcher identifies the caller, host and guest behaviour and attitudes in discussions that relate the current political situation to the historical development of democracy in Lesotho alongside the economic and political influences from South Africa. The researcher also identifies that the talk show, guests and callers in the challenging political climate use traditional figurative expressions and biblical quotations to express their views. This leads the researcher to conclude that the political talk shows indeed facilitate participatory communication.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Restricted teacher leadership : a case study in a township high school in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Fani, Pamela Pumla
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Educational leadership , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2059 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019882
- Description: The South African education system prior to 1994 was characterised by hierarchical management structures with top-down communication systems. After 1994, there was a policy call to shift leadership and management practices to more democratic ways of working. These policies required the principals to share their power with teachers, replacing the leader-follower system of leadership. The post-apartheid era in the South African education system marked a turning point where, in policy discourse at least, teachers were seen as leaders, opening the doors for teacher leadership. The aim of this study was to explore the enactment of teacher leadership in a township secondary school in the province of the Eastern Cape. It also sought to investigate the factors that enhanced or hindered this leadership enactment as teachers operated as leaders in their natural setting. Under the umbrella of distributed leadership as a theoretical framework, the research study was located within the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative case study was adopted. Three teacher leaders at the case study school were my primary participants. Data collection methods included interviews, questionnaires, observations, self-reflective journaling and telephonic conservations. I used Grant’s Model of teacher leadership as my analytical tool. My findings indicated that teacher leadership was enacted in all the zones of teacher leadership but to varying degrees. My teacher leaders enacted leadership in Zone 1 where they showed strong leadership in the classroom. They also enacted leadership in Zone 2 and 4 where they showed leadership in working with other teachers and learners outside the classroom in curricular and extra-curricular activities as well as in other neighbouring schools. However, in Zone 3 the School Management Team (SMT) controlled most of the leadership and management activities. Teacher leaders were not included in decision-making in this zone as the SMT thought that it was their sole duty. Teacher leadership in this school was thus characterised as ‘restricted’ following the characterisations of teacher leadership by Harris & Muijs (2007). Using Gunter’s (2005) categories of distributed leadership, I categorised the case study school as an example of authorised distributed leadership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Fani, Pamela Pumla
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Educational leadership , School management and organization -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:2059 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019882
- Description: The South African education system prior to 1994 was characterised by hierarchical management structures with top-down communication systems. After 1994, there was a policy call to shift leadership and management practices to more democratic ways of working. These policies required the principals to share their power with teachers, replacing the leader-follower system of leadership. The post-apartheid era in the South African education system marked a turning point where, in policy discourse at least, teachers were seen as leaders, opening the doors for teacher leadership. The aim of this study was to explore the enactment of teacher leadership in a township secondary school in the province of the Eastern Cape. It also sought to investigate the factors that enhanced or hindered this leadership enactment as teachers operated as leaders in their natural setting. Under the umbrella of distributed leadership as a theoretical framework, the research study was located within the interpretive paradigm and a qualitative case study was adopted. Three teacher leaders at the case study school were my primary participants. Data collection methods included interviews, questionnaires, observations, self-reflective journaling and telephonic conservations. I used Grant’s Model of teacher leadership as my analytical tool. My findings indicated that teacher leadership was enacted in all the zones of teacher leadership but to varying degrees. My teacher leaders enacted leadership in Zone 1 where they showed strong leadership in the classroom. They also enacted leadership in Zone 2 and 4 where they showed leadership in working with other teachers and learners outside the classroom in curricular and extra-curricular activities as well as in other neighbouring schools. However, in Zone 3 the School Management Team (SMT) controlled most of the leadership and management activities. Teacher leaders were not included in decision-making in this zone as the SMT thought that it was their sole duty. Teacher leadership in this school was thus characterised as ‘restricted’ following the characterisations of teacher leadership by Harris & Muijs (2007). Using Gunter’s (2005) categories of distributed leadership, I categorised the case study school as an example of authorised distributed leadership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Study into the synthesis, characterisation and applications of Vanadium-based metal organic frameworks, using 1, 2, 4, 5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid
- Authors: Feldmann, Wesley
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/55245 , vital:26680
- Description: This study focussed on the synthesis, characterisation and catalytic application of synthesised vanadium-based Metal-Organic Frameworks using 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid as a ligand. A number of synthetic methods were tested in multiple attempts to synthesise a V-MOF, these included; ambient, gel, reflux and solvothermal methods of synthesis. Two products of interest were identified, an ambient synthesis produced a vanadium-based complex with the empirical formula: V2O2(Na2H2B4C).6H2O (RU-V2) and a solvothermal synthesis produced a MOF with the empirical formula: V2O2(H2O)2(B4C) (RU-V1). Both products were characterised using elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction. The catalytic activity of these products was tested, alongside the activity of the solid decavanadate ion, for the conversion of cyclohexene to cyclohexene oxide. The decavanadate ion was included to determine if the ion was catalytically active in the solid state, to potentially be used in the construction of a future MOF or V-complex. The reaction for the conversion of cyclohexene to cyclohexene oxide was chosen, as it has been previously conducted using a V-MOF and was found to be successful. The product of the reaction, the epoxide: cyclohexene oxide, is a very useful precursor for a number of reactions involved in the pharmaceutical industry, so developing catalysts which are able to convert cyclohexene to the epoxide with high yields and selectivities are well sought after in industry. The results of the catalytic reactions were varied, as the materials exhibited high yields and selectivities to the epoxide, but these results were only obtained when water was present in the reaction mixture. Water was able to bring about the cleavage of the bonds between the metal and ligand in a highly coordinated framework, at a faster rate than other solvents, such as decane. This ultimately leads to the structural decomposition of the entire complex or framework, depending upon the reaction time. The use of water was a double edged sword in that it was required to initiate the catalytic reaction, but was also the reason that the catalytic materials were noted to decompose over time. The solid decavanadate ion was only noted to exhibit homogeneous activity by dissolving into the small volume of water present in the reaction mixture. The study proved that using a multidentate ligand such as 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid yielded products which were highly coordinated in nature and would therefore not have large open spaces associated with them, which is commonly observed with other MOFs. Instead the closed nature of the synthesised complexes and frameworks offered a different environment for catalytic reactions, where the small pores/channels had a controlling and inhibiting effect on the reaction. The conversion of cyclohexene to the epoxide is accompanied with a number of undesired side products, so when using the synthesised closed-natured MOF, it was found that there was a greater selectivity for the epoxide over other potential products. This indicates that close natured MOFs may find application in catalytic reactions which require high selectivities for a particular product.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Feldmann, Wesley
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/55245 , vital:26680
- Description: This study focussed on the synthesis, characterisation and catalytic application of synthesised vanadium-based Metal-Organic Frameworks using 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid as a ligand. A number of synthetic methods were tested in multiple attempts to synthesise a V-MOF, these included; ambient, gel, reflux and solvothermal methods of synthesis. Two products of interest were identified, an ambient synthesis produced a vanadium-based complex with the empirical formula: V2O2(Na2H2B4C).6H2O (RU-V2) and a solvothermal synthesis produced a MOF with the empirical formula: V2O2(H2O)2(B4C) (RU-V1). Both products were characterised using elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction. The catalytic activity of these products was tested, alongside the activity of the solid decavanadate ion, for the conversion of cyclohexene to cyclohexene oxide. The decavanadate ion was included to determine if the ion was catalytically active in the solid state, to potentially be used in the construction of a future MOF or V-complex. The reaction for the conversion of cyclohexene to cyclohexene oxide was chosen, as it has been previously conducted using a V-MOF and was found to be successful. The product of the reaction, the epoxide: cyclohexene oxide, is a very useful precursor for a number of reactions involved in the pharmaceutical industry, so developing catalysts which are able to convert cyclohexene to the epoxide with high yields and selectivities are well sought after in industry. The results of the catalytic reactions were varied, as the materials exhibited high yields and selectivities to the epoxide, but these results were only obtained when water was present in the reaction mixture. Water was able to bring about the cleavage of the bonds between the metal and ligand in a highly coordinated framework, at a faster rate than other solvents, such as decane. This ultimately leads to the structural decomposition of the entire complex or framework, depending upon the reaction time. The use of water was a double edged sword in that it was required to initiate the catalytic reaction, but was also the reason that the catalytic materials were noted to decompose over time. The solid decavanadate ion was only noted to exhibit homogeneous activity by dissolving into the small volume of water present in the reaction mixture. The study proved that using a multidentate ligand such as 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid yielded products which were highly coordinated in nature and would therefore not have large open spaces associated with them, which is commonly observed with other MOFs. Instead the closed nature of the synthesised complexes and frameworks offered a different environment for catalytic reactions, where the small pores/channels had a controlling and inhibiting effect on the reaction. The conversion of cyclohexene to the epoxide is accompanied with a number of undesired side products, so when using the synthesised closed-natured MOF, it was found that there was a greater selectivity for the epoxide over other potential products. This indicates that close natured MOFs may find application in catalytic reactions which require high selectivities for a particular product.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The evaluation of a talent management programme within a global multinational organisation: a case study
- Authors: Ferguson, Alana Paulette
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64747 , vital:28597
- Description: Expected release date-May 2018
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ferguson, Alana Paulette
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64747 , vital:28597
- Description: Expected release date-May 2018
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
A web-based repository for student mobility data in Africa
- Authors: Ferreira, Darren Bradley
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Student mobility Students, Transfer of -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects , Education, Higher Foreign study
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12605 , vital:27098
- Description: The number of international students studying abroad has doubled since the year 2000 and there are nearly five million students that are enrolled outside their country of origin. Over the past ten years new insights and approaches to the internationalisation of higher education have arisen which has influenced global research and education. Student mobility data is a component of internationalisation data. internationally mobile students are defined as students who have crossed international borders from their countries with the objective to study. Currently, there are several international organisations and projects that manage student mobility data from various Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the globe and report on this data. Two of these organisations are the Open Doors Report and Project Atlas. The organisations collect Data for Africa, although it is not as detailed and useful as the data provided about other countries. Since the number of students studying abroad has doubled since the year 2000, the amount of student mobility data kept by data collection agencies and HEIs has also increased. The data collected is not always accurate and this poses a data management problem. This study conducted a survey sent to international offices at various HEIs in South Africa and Africa. The survey investigates the current state of student mobility data management in HEIs. The survey results revealed that the international offices are currently dissatisfied with student mobility data management and will be willing to provide international student data to an African data repository. This study proposes the design and development of a web-based student mobility data repository, known as the African International Portal (AIP). The study identified design guidelines and requirements for a web-based data repository. The requirements, design and design guidelines were used to guide the development of the prototype. Heuristic evaluations were conducted on the prototype in order to identify any major usability problems. Findings revealed that the overall perceptions of the prototype were positive and can be attributed to the design considerations and guidelines used during the development phase. The prototype was evaluated using a full usability evaluation that determined the usefulness, effectiveness and efficiency of the prototype when users are in the process of managing student mobility data. The results indicate that the participants found the AIP to be an effective, efficient and a satisfactory means of managing student mobility data.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ferreira, Darren Bradley
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Student mobility Students, Transfer of -- South Africa -- Psychological aspects , Education, Higher Foreign study
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12605 , vital:27098
- Description: The number of international students studying abroad has doubled since the year 2000 and there are nearly five million students that are enrolled outside their country of origin. Over the past ten years new insights and approaches to the internationalisation of higher education have arisen which has influenced global research and education. Student mobility data is a component of internationalisation data. internationally mobile students are defined as students who have crossed international borders from their countries with the objective to study. Currently, there are several international organisations and projects that manage student mobility data from various Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the globe and report on this data. Two of these organisations are the Open Doors Report and Project Atlas. The organisations collect Data for Africa, although it is not as detailed and useful as the data provided about other countries. Since the number of students studying abroad has doubled since the year 2000, the amount of student mobility data kept by data collection agencies and HEIs has also increased. The data collected is not always accurate and this poses a data management problem. This study conducted a survey sent to international offices at various HEIs in South Africa and Africa. The survey investigates the current state of student mobility data management in HEIs. The survey results revealed that the international offices are currently dissatisfied with student mobility data management and will be willing to provide international student data to an African data repository. This study proposes the design and development of a web-based student mobility data repository, known as the African International Portal (AIP). The study identified design guidelines and requirements for a web-based data repository. The requirements, design and design guidelines were used to guide the development of the prototype. Heuristic evaluations were conducted on the prototype in order to identify any major usability problems. Findings revealed that the overall perceptions of the prototype were positive and can be attributed to the design considerations and guidelines used during the development phase. The prototype was evaluated using a full usability evaluation that determined the usefulness, effectiveness and efficiency of the prototype when users are in the process of managing student mobility data. The results indicate that the participants found the AIP to be an effective, efficient and a satisfactory means of managing student mobility data.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Accomodation managers' perceptions towards disability service provision
- Authors: Ferreira, Erika
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: People with disabilities--Travel--South africa People with disabilities--Services for--South africa Tourism--Social Aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5473 , vital:20848
- Description: It is increasingly recognized that travellers with disabilities are becoming an important emerging market segment in the tourism industry worldwide. As the demand for accessible tourism increases, the need for accessible accommodation and disability service provision grows. A search of the international and South African tourism literature revealed few studies with a focus on the supply side of accessible accommodation for persons with disabilities, in particular from the perspective of accommodation managers towards disability service provision. To obtain a broad understanding of the perceptions of accommodation managers towards disability service provision in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipal area is a challenge which needs to be investigated. From the literature overview it was possible to conceptualize disability; provide a background on existing international and national policies as well as legislative frameworks required in creating an accessible environment that is conducive for persons with disabilities; identify commonalities that exist in supply side literature findings of accessible tourism and to ascertain South African initiatives introduced to create accessible tourist accommodation. This enabled the researcher to develop a research instrument to explore the perceptions of accommodation managers towards servicing the needs of persons with disabilities and the perceptions of accommodation managers towards the importance of disability provision.The primary objective of this exploratory study is to investigate the perceptions of accommodation managers towards disability service provision. A framework to investigate this was developed and three hypotheses formulated and empirically tested. The results of the descriptive statistics showed that, overall, the different aspects of disability service provision were perceived positively and as important. Further data analysis revealed a statistical significant relationship between the respondents’ employment position or function within the accommodation establishment, and the perceptions of accommodation managers towards disability service provision. A statistical significant relationship between the age of respondents, and the perceived importance of disability service provision was shown. Two of the three hypotheses were accepted. The data gathered in this study is important as it indicated that accommodation managers are aware that people with disabilities require certain levels of accessibility when planning trips. As all exploratory research, this study proposes further research to discover the constraints faced by accommodation managers to service the needs of persons with disabilities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ferreira, Erika
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: People with disabilities--Travel--South africa People with disabilities--Services for--South africa Tourism--Social Aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5473 , vital:20848
- Description: It is increasingly recognized that travellers with disabilities are becoming an important emerging market segment in the tourism industry worldwide. As the demand for accessible tourism increases, the need for accessible accommodation and disability service provision grows. A search of the international and South African tourism literature revealed few studies with a focus on the supply side of accessible accommodation for persons with disabilities, in particular from the perspective of accommodation managers towards disability service provision. To obtain a broad understanding of the perceptions of accommodation managers towards disability service provision in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipal area is a challenge which needs to be investigated. From the literature overview it was possible to conceptualize disability; provide a background on existing international and national policies as well as legislative frameworks required in creating an accessible environment that is conducive for persons with disabilities; identify commonalities that exist in supply side literature findings of accessible tourism and to ascertain South African initiatives introduced to create accessible tourist accommodation. This enabled the researcher to develop a research instrument to explore the perceptions of accommodation managers towards servicing the needs of persons with disabilities and the perceptions of accommodation managers towards the importance of disability provision.The primary objective of this exploratory study is to investigate the perceptions of accommodation managers towards disability service provision. A framework to investigate this was developed and three hypotheses formulated and empirically tested. The results of the descriptive statistics showed that, overall, the different aspects of disability service provision were perceived positively and as important. Further data analysis revealed a statistical significant relationship between the respondents’ employment position or function within the accommodation establishment, and the perceptions of accommodation managers towards disability service provision. A statistical significant relationship between the age of respondents, and the perceived importance of disability service provision was shown. Two of the three hypotheses were accepted. The data gathered in this study is important as it indicated that accommodation managers are aware that people with disabilities require certain levels of accessibility when planning trips. As all exploratory research, this study proposes further research to discover the constraints faced by accommodation managers to service the needs of persons with disabilities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Trends in the game industry in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Ferreira, Janene
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Game farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management , Wildlife management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5451 , vital:20846
- Description: The game industry has become one of the fastest-growing industries in South Africa and consequently, during recent years, a growing number of stock farms have been converted to game farms. All forms of utilization within the game industry play a vital role with regards to sustainability and simultaneously contributing a significant boost to the national economy. It is therefore important to ensure that game ranchers are as well-informed as possible in their decision-making, as well as in assessing their outputs and endeavours. However, the information available on the game industry in the Eastern Cape is limited. This research study therefore focuses on the emerging trends in the game industry in the province. The objectives of the research are to examine various pertinent factors associated with the game industry, investigate the trends and discuss whether these trends have any implications for future purposes. The research commenced with a literature review, as well as information from earlier survey studies of the Eastern Cape game industry. For the current study, a replicate survey was conducted throughout the Eastern Cape, involving as many game ranchers as possible, and data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. The dilemma confronting the black wildebeest in the Eastern Cape was thoroughly investigated, together with farmers’ opinions and trends for the future of the species. It was important to include this particular aspect in the research, as at the time of the survey, widespread concerns were expressed with regards to new legislation which emerged during that time. The research cast light on several aspects associated with the industry which could positively assist game ranchers towards improved management and planning, as well as provide guidelines for future development purposes. Furthermore, the research identified crucial issues that should receive immediate attention from stakeholders across the industry as well as government.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ferreira, Janene
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Game farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Management , Wildlife management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/5451 , vital:20846
- Description: The game industry has become one of the fastest-growing industries in South Africa and consequently, during recent years, a growing number of stock farms have been converted to game farms. All forms of utilization within the game industry play a vital role with regards to sustainability and simultaneously contributing a significant boost to the national economy. It is therefore important to ensure that game ranchers are as well-informed as possible in their decision-making, as well as in assessing their outputs and endeavours. However, the information available on the game industry in the Eastern Cape is limited. This research study therefore focuses on the emerging trends in the game industry in the province. The objectives of the research are to examine various pertinent factors associated with the game industry, investigate the trends and discuss whether these trends have any implications for future purposes. The research commenced with a literature review, as well as information from earlier survey studies of the Eastern Cape game industry. For the current study, a replicate survey was conducted throughout the Eastern Cape, involving as many game ranchers as possible, and data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. The dilemma confronting the black wildebeest in the Eastern Cape was thoroughly investigated, together with farmers’ opinions and trends for the future of the species. It was important to include this particular aspect in the research, as at the time of the survey, widespread concerns were expressed with regards to new legislation which emerged during that time. The research cast light on several aspects associated with the industry which could positively assist game ranchers towards improved management and planning, as well as provide guidelines for future development purposes. Furthermore, the research identified crucial issues that should receive immediate attention from stakeholders across the industry as well as government.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Inequality in South Africa: a possible solution within the labour market
- Authors: Ferreira, John-Edward
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4047 , vital:20594
- Description: This study sets out to identify the most effective way in which persistently and unacceptably high levels of inequality can be reduced in South Africa. Three alternative approaches were identified from the literature and their impact explored statistically. They are: the introduction of a ‘Social Solidarity Grant’; a decrease in unemployment by 5%; and a narrowing of the skill premium through an expansion of tertiary education. It is important to note that the study makes no attempt at explaining how these outcomes might be implemented or achieved. Rather, it sets out to determine only the effect that such policies may have on measured inequality. It was found that while the introduction of a new grant had a significant effect on inequality, this effect however, was once-off. The grant would be financed by individuals in the top decile through tax increases, which would be a complicated endeavour. Both job creation and a narrowing of the skills premium were significantly effective in decreasing inequality. The narrowing of the skills premium showed more promise due to its accelerating effectiveness in decreasing inequality over time and the fact that it directly addresses the problem of wage differentials. It was noted that the extreme levels of poverty and unemployment in South Africa may dampen enthusiasm for policies that narrow the skills premium to reduce inequality. These characteristics make job creation a more popular policy option because of the positive impact on poverty and unemployment as well as on inequality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ferreira, John-Edward
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4047 , vital:20594
- Description: This study sets out to identify the most effective way in which persistently and unacceptably high levels of inequality can be reduced in South Africa. Three alternative approaches were identified from the literature and their impact explored statistically. They are: the introduction of a ‘Social Solidarity Grant’; a decrease in unemployment by 5%; and a narrowing of the skill premium through an expansion of tertiary education. It is important to note that the study makes no attempt at explaining how these outcomes might be implemented or achieved. Rather, it sets out to determine only the effect that such policies may have on measured inequality. It was found that while the introduction of a new grant had a significant effect on inequality, this effect however, was once-off. The grant would be financed by individuals in the top decile through tax increases, which would be a complicated endeavour. Both job creation and a narrowing of the skills premium were significantly effective in decreasing inequality. The narrowing of the skills premium showed more promise due to its accelerating effectiveness in decreasing inequality over time and the fact that it directly addresses the problem of wage differentials. It was noted that the extreme levels of poverty and unemployment in South Africa may dampen enthusiasm for policies that narrow the skills premium to reduce inequality. These characteristics make job creation a more popular policy option because of the positive impact on poverty and unemployment as well as on inequality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
An exploratory investigation on the subsequent experiences of emotional, verbal and physical abuse by learners on the well- being of high school teachers in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Ferreira, Xanthe Rune
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: High school teachers -- Abuse of -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth Bullying in schools -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEdu
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12414 , vital:27064
- Description: The main aim of this study was to investigate and explore how the emotional, verbal and or physical abuse of teachers by learners could impact on the general well-being of high school teachers in the Port Elizabeth region.This study asked how does the emotional, verbal and or physical abuse of teachers by learners impact on the general well-being of teachers? It also set out to find out what types of abuse teachers experience the most, how frequently teachers are exposed to abuse by learners and if there are any solutions to teacher abuse that can be offered. A teacher should be seen as someone who imparts knowledge, a person that creates an atmosphere for learning, a facilitator. Teachers are there to teach, although this is sadly not the case in schools anymore. Teachers are being abused by their learners in the classrooms and very few incidents are ever reported as teachers fear the repercussions of perhaps being told that because a class is misbehaving that they lack the necessary skills to be proficient teachers. There is limited literature available on the topic especially with regards to teacher abuse by learners in South Africa as the main focus used to be how teachers could be abusive to the learners and not the learners being abusive towards their teachers. This situation as is in South Africa at the moment can be seen as a silent epidemic. This study made use of a pragmatic paradigm that included both quantitative and qualitative research and data collection methods and an explanatory design was used to display the findings.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Ferreira, Xanthe Rune
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: High school teachers -- Abuse of -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth Bullying in schools -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEdu
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12414 , vital:27064
- Description: The main aim of this study was to investigate and explore how the emotional, verbal and or physical abuse of teachers by learners could impact on the general well-being of high school teachers in the Port Elizabeth region.This study asked how does the emotional, verbal and or physical abuse of teachers by learners impact on the general well-being of teachers? It also set out to find out what types of abuse teachers experience the most, how frequently teachers are exposed to abuse by learners and if there are any solutions to teacher abuse that can be offered. A teacher should be seen as someone who imparts knowledge, a person that creates an atmosphere for learning, a facilitator. Teachers are there to teach, although this is sadly not the case in schools anymore. Teachers are being abused by their learners in the classrooms and very few incidents are ever reported as teachers fear the repercussions of perhaps being told that because a class is misbehaving that they lack the necessary skills to be proficient teachers. There is limited literature available on the topic especially with regards to teacher abuse by learners in South Africa as the main focus used to be how teachers could be abusive to the learners and not the learners being abusive towards their teachers. This situation as is in South Africa at the moment can be seen as a silent epidemic. This study made use of a pragmatic paradigm that included both quantitative and qualitative research and data collection methods and an explanatory design was used to display the findings.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Eye of a needle
- Authors: Fick, Cornelia
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:6003 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021210
- Description: Most of my stories are about interpersonal relationships between the sexes, as well as intrapersonal processes, such as growing old. I have a deep connection to such themes because of my background as a general nurse and midwife; meeting too many abused women in hospitals, and the broader community. Because patterns of abuse tend to become invisible, I use experimental forms of storytelling as well as sharp, ironic and dark humour as a way to make this side of life more visible. My reading has shown me how experimental forms can render seemingly timeless or ageless topics in a fresh, vital way.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Fick, Cornelia
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:6003 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1021210
- Description: Most of my stories are about interpersonal relationships between the sexes, as well as intrapersonal processes, such as growing old. I have a deep connection to such themes because of my background as a general nurse and midwife; meeting too many abused women in hospitals, and the broader community. Because patterns of abuse tend to become invisible, I use experimental forms of storytelling as well as sharp, ironic and dark humour as a way to make this side of life more visible. My reading has shown me how experimental forms can render seemingly timeless or ageless topics in a fresh, vital way.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
The leadership characteristics and development of Doctor Trudy Thomas : a case study in servant-leadership
- Authors: Fietze, Jennifer Anne
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Servant leadership , Thomas, Trudi , Leadership -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:860 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020184
- Description: Doctor Trudy Thomas is a leader that served; as a medical doctor and as a public servant over five decades during and after the apartheid era in South Africa. The aim of this qualitative study was to identify the leadership characteristics that are evident in Doctor Thomas, the former MEC for Health for the Province of the Eastern Cape; as a leader and to explore how they developed over five decades, given her role within healthcare in South Africa. The first requirement of a servant-leader according to Robert Greenleaf (the contemporary pioneer of servant-leadership) (Greenleaf, 1977), is that the leader is a servant first and starts with a desire to serve. Doctor Thomas started her professional life as a medical missionary doctor, a profession that by its nature is serving and ultimately healing, in the poor rural communities of the Eastern Cape. Her leadership grew out of her initial concern for her patients and their communities and by the opportunities that she was presented with to apply her skills to serve. She was able to identify the deeper needs within these communities and was able to envision practical solutions to these problems, enlisting the assistance of others. Throughout her leadership journey she exhibited humility, and many other trademarks of a servant-leader. She did not see herself as a leader, believing rather that it was a privilege to serve and help people. This study was therefore able to conclude that the leadership that Doctor Thomas has exhibited is that of a servant-leader and that her leadership journey was unintentional and grew out of her desire and ability to serve. This thesis consists of three separate yet interrelated sections. Section One, The Academic Case Study is a holistic, biographical academic case study on an individual. The outcomes of this research are presented as an academic paper, which includes a condensed literature review, results and discussion, as well as recommendations for future research. It also presents recommendations regarding the application of servant-leadership in service industries like Healthcare in South Africa. The presentation of the results is predominantly qualitative with some quantitative aspects. Section Two, The Literature Review presents an extensive review of literature that relates to the phenomena of leadership; servant-leadership; leader and leadership development; servant-leadership development through service and finally servant-leadership in South Africa. Other aspects like Ubuntu and Unintentional leadership are examined. The literature review conducted serves as a broad foundation for understanding servant-leadership but does not purely focus on the issues of this individual study. Section Three, The Research Methodology is an outline of the research aim and objectives, and the research paradigm that has been adopted. The discussion also details the research methodology; the case study method; an inductive approach; an intersubjective position; the individual researched; data collection techniques and analysis; objectivity; issues of quality; ethics; and the limitations of this research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Fietze, Jennifer Anne
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Servant leadership , Thomas, Trudi , Leadership -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:860 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020184
- Description: Doctor Trudy Thomas is a leader that served; as a medical doctor and as a public servant over five decades during and after the apartheid era in South Africa. The aim of this qualitative study was to identify the leadership characteristics that are evident in Doctor Thomas, the former MEC for Health for the Province of the Eastern Cape; as a leader and to explore how they developed over five decades, given her role within healthcare in South Africa. The first requirement of a servant-leader according to Robert Greenleaf (the contemporary pioneer of servant-leadership) (Greenleaf, 1977), is that the leader is a servant first and starts with a desire to serve. Doctor Thomas started her professional life as a medical missionary doctor, a profession that by its nature is serving and ultimately healing, in the poor rural communities of the Eastern Cape. Her leadership grew out of her initial concern for her patients and their communities and by the opportunities that she was presented with to apply her skills to serve. She was able to identify the deeper needs within these communities and was able to envision practical solutions to these problems, enlisting the assistance of others. Throughout her leadership journey she exhibited humility, and many other trademarks of a servant-leader. She did not see herself as a leader, believing rather that it was a privilege to serve and help people. This study was therefore able to conclude that the leadership that Doctor Thomas has exhibited is that of a servant-leader and that her leadership journey was unintentional and grew out of her desire and ability to serve. This thesis consists of three separate yet interrelated sections. Section One, The Academic Case Study is a holistic, biographical academic case study on an individual. The outcomes of this research are presented as an academic paper, which includes a condensed literature review, results and discussion, as well as recommendations for future research. It also presents recommendations regarding the application of servant-leadership in service industries like Healthcare in South Africa. The presentation of the results is predominantly qualitative with some quantitative aspects. Section Two, The Literature Review presents an extensive review of literature that relates to the phenomena of leadership; servant-leadership; leader and leadership development; servant-leadership development through service and finally servant-leadership in South Africa. Other aspects like Ubuntu and Unintentional leadership are examined. The literature review conducted serves as a broad foundation for understanding servant-leadership but does not purely focus on the issues of this individual study. Section Three, The Research Methodology is an outline of the research aim and objectives, and the research paradigm that has been adopted. The discussion also details the research methodology; the case study method; an inductive approach; an intersubjective position; the individual researched; data collection techniques and analysis; objectivity; issues of quality; ethics; and the limitations of this research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016