An investigation into development of a stable aqeous suspension of Metronidazole Benzoate for oral use
- Authors: Zietsman, Sharon Lynne
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Metronidazole -- Testing , Excipients -- South Africa -- Testing , Rheology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:10158 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/456 , Metronidazole -- Testing , Excipients -- South Africa -- Testing , Rheology -- South Africa
- Description: Metronidazole is a synthetic, nitroimidazole-derivative antibacterial and antiprotozoal agent (ed. McEvoy, 2001). It has been reported that crystallization occurs in aqueous suspensions of metronidazole benzoate, a bland-tasting prodrug of metronidazole, as a result of conversion from the anhydrous to the monohydrate form, thereby compromising the stability and clinical efficacy of the substance due to the particle size growth (Hoelgaard & Moller, 1983). A generic South African based pharmaceutical company commenced formulation of an aqueous metronidazole benzoate suspension and experienced problems with crystallization that occurred in products stored at 2 to 8 °C. This study aimed to continue development of the product in order to identify a formulation that prevents formation of the hydrate form of metronidazole benzoate and the accompanying crystal growth. A variety of metronidazole benzoate suspensions were manufactured on a laboratory scale using a number of natural and synthetic suspending agents, including magnesium aluminium silicate, povidone K90, xanthan gum and Avicel® RC-591 (microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose sodium), over a range of concentrations. Analytical quantification methods were developed and validated, and the physicochemical properties of the raw material and finished products were fully characterized. Rheological tests were performed in order to characterize the suspension flow properties. Real-time and accelerated stability studies and a temperature cycle study were conducted in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. Conversion of metronidazole benzoate to the monohydrate form took place in suspensions containing xanthan gum 0.65 percent m/v under real-time and accelerated storage conditions. The suspensions containing Avicel® RC-591 were found to be physically and chemically stable after the temperature cycle and over the 12-week period whilst stored at 25 ºC / 60 percent RH and 5 ºC. The suspensions were chemically stable whilst stored at 40 ºC / 75 percent RH but showed sedimentation at this accelerated condition. The metronidazole benzoate contained in these products remained in the anhydrous state under all storage conditions and were consequently concluded to be the most stable formulations out of all the products analyzed in the current study. The suspending agent system consisting of microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose sodium thus shows promise in preventing the conversion of metronidazole benzoate from the anhydrate to the monohydrate form, thereby inhibited the subsequent increase in particle size due to crystal growth.
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- Date Issued: 2005
An investigation into the antibacterial activities of medicinial plants traditionally used in the Eastern Cape to treat secondary skin infections associated with burn wounds
- Authors: Weideman, Liezel
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Materia medica, Vegetable -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Burns and scalds -- Alternative treatment , Skin -- Infections
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10116 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/172 , Materia medica, Vegetable -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Burns and scalds -- Alternative treatment , Skin -- Infections
- Description: Traditional medicine has a long history of being used for treating various ailments ranging in severity. Although traditional medicine has typically been the health care for the poorest levels of society, there is a worldwide growth in popularity. The growing popularity of traditional medicine, termed the green boom, may be ascribed to people taking a more holistic approach to maintain their health. Traditional medicine is widely used on a regular basis by 70% of South Africans. Various indigenous medicinal plants are used for the preparation of traditional herbal medicine. These plants are mostly indigenous to the regions were it is used. In this study four medicinal plants (Bulbine frutescens, Leonotis leounurus, Melianthus major & Zantedecshia aethiopica) that are traditionally used in the Eastern Cape region for treating burn wound infections, were collected for investigation. The in vitro antibacterial activity of these plants was tested against different bacterial strains of eight different bacteria. The bacteria used in this investigation included bacterial strains of four Gram-positive bacteria, S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), E. feacalis, S. pyogenes and four Gramnegative bacteria, P. aeruginosa, A. baumanii, K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis. Traditional preparations as well as three different extracts (methanol, aqueous & acetone) of the plants were used for in vitro antibacterial activity testing. The microtitre plate assay and agar dilution assay were used for determining the antibacterial activity of the traditional preparations and plant extracts against the different bacterial strains. In the microtitre plate assay the antibacterial activity was tested using the bacterial growth indicator, INT and a microtitre plate spectrophotometer to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the plant extracts and traditional preparations. The microtitre plate assay was used for testing the antibacterial activity of the plants against the bacterial strains of five bacteria, S. aureus, MRSA, P. aeruginosa, A. baumanii and K. pneumoniae. The bacterial strains of the three bacteria, S. pyogenes, E. feacalis and P. mirabilis were not compatible with the microtitre plate assay using INT and spectrophotometric readings to determine bacterial inhibition. Therefore the agar dilution assay were used as an alternative method for determining the MIC’s of the plant extracts against the bacterial strains of these bacteria. The initial plant extract concentration in the microtitre plate assay differed with the different plant extracts in the microtitre plate assay. Acetone followed by methanol extracted the highest plant extract concentrations with the different medicinal plants. M. major followed by L. leonurus produced the highest plant extract concentrations following extraction with the different extraction solvents. Consequently the acetone extract of M. major had the highest plant extract concentration before serial dilution in the microtitre plate assay. Uniform plant extract concentrations were tested in the agar dilution assay. The methanol extract followed by the acetone extract of the plants gave the highest antibacterial activity against the different bacterial strains. The extracts of M. major followed by L. leonurus inhibited the highest number of bacterial strains in the microtitre plate assay and the extracts of B. frutescens inhibited the lowest number of bacterial strains. The acetone and methanol extracts of M. major were the only extracts that displayed antibacterial activity in the agar dilution assay. The bacterial strains of P. mirabilis were the only bacteria that were inhibited using this method. The bacterial strains of S. pyogenes and E. feacalis were not inhibited at any of the plant extract concentrations in the agar dilution assay.
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- Date Issued: 2005
An investigation into the extent of focus by Metropolitan Retail, South Africa on the technology innovation capabilities and perspectives
- Authors: Motsoeneng, Thato Simon
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Business enterprises -- Technological innovations , Insurance companies -- Technological innovations -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8599 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/415 , Business enterprises -- Technological innovations , Insurance companies -- Technological innovations -- South Africa
- Description: This paper reviews the literature on innovation in order to build an agenda for an investigation into the extent to which Metropolitan Retail, within Metropolitan Life Pty in South Africa, focuses on technology innovation capabilities and perspectives. The research was conducted in the areas of, technology innovation capabilities, perspectives guiding the business strategy to integrate and accelerate innovation and contextual aspects influencing innovation perspectives. The extent of focus by the firm on capabilities and perspectives was measured. Data gathered was disseminated and processed by means of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The results on current focus indicate that the firm’s focus is mostly on improving core business, although the extent is less than adequate. In other words, generate incremental innovations that can be developed and implemented rapidly and inexpensively. This approach of implementing innovation is in line with the business strategy, more specifically, with the objective of reducing costs and making profits. The findings of the research further suggest that the firm should consider focusing mostly on exploiting strategic advantages. In many firms the fundamental emphasis on technology innovation in developing products, processes and services is thought to determine their ability to cope with never ending customer demands and competitive practices. Coupled with this thought is a reality of high failure rate of technology innovation projects. Against this backdrop, general managers are faced with strategic innovation options, which can make or break firms. Changes in the economic and government environments influence the innovation approach of the firm most. These changes have undoubtedly presented firms with opportunities as well as risks. Possibly the greatest challenge confronting general managers in this context is the building of critical capabilities to enhance the firm’s agility. This challenge presents opportunity for further research.
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- Date Issued: 2005
An investigation of specific contributing factors affecting quality assurance in the diagnosis of conventional cervical smears
- Authors: Jordaan, Suzette Mirietta
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Cervix uteri -- Cancer -- Cytodiagnosis -- Quality control , Vaginal smears -- Quality control , Pap test -- Quality control
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10117 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/173 , Cervix uteri -- Cancer -- Cytodiagnosis -- Quality control , Vaginal smears -- Quality control , Pap test -- Quality control
- Description: The purpose of this study is to investigate specific contributing factors affecting quality assurance in the diagnosis of conventional cervical smears. More than half of South- African women fail to have one cervical smear in their lifetime and +/- 50 percent of those who do have cervical smears taken, are lost to follow-up. Since cervical cancer is the most common malignancy amongst women in developing countries, the medical profession will have to endeavor to screen a higher rate of women and ensure a 100 percent quality assurance with every patient treated in order to reduce the unacceptable high incidence of cervical carcinoma. At this stage it seems like an impossible task to screen all women in South Africa, due to far-off rural areas, shortage of medical professionals and the lack of knowledge of some women of the necessity of cervical smears. Many newly qualified South-African doctors leave the country to go and work elsewhere. South Africa then in turn has to recruit doctors from other countries to staff the State hospitals and clinics. Some areas have one doctor to thousands of patients, insufficient nursing personnel and inadequate equipment. Doctors in some areas cannot cope with the volume of work and the long hours. One has to accept that the quality of the management of some patients is affected negatively. There are a number of medico-legal issues (world wide) in relation to aspects of cervical cancer prevention practices which are controversial and are of particular concern to all of those involved in cervical cancer prevention. Various countries have therefore formed different national organizations to address the medico-legal issues in screening for the prevention of cancer. These organizations monitors procedures, internal quality control as well as external quality control. In South Africa, medico-legal cases are not so prevalent, but may become so shortly. The South-African medical professionals therefore have to ensure that their quality of work conforms to accepted good practice in all circumstances. State hospitals serve thousands of patients per month and it is an every day occurrence to see long queues of patients sitting waiting for doctors and who often have to come back the following day. The situation appears to be much improved in private practice and since patients have medical cover and accessible medical facilities. Since cervical cancer is the most common malignancy amongst women in developing countries, the medical profession will have to endeavor to screen a higher rate of women and ensure a 100 percent quality assurance with every patient treated in order to reduce the unacceptable high incidence of cervical carcinoma. At this stage it seems like an impossible task to screen 100 percent of women in South Africa, due to far-off rural areas, the shortage of medical professionals and ignorance of patients. Quality assurance is therefore of paramount importance to every medical professional for every patient treated. Laboratories all worldwide have been, or are in the process of being accredited by their specific accreditation authorities. The main reason for this is improvement of quality control and therefore quality assurance. The South African National Accreditation Society (SANAS) now accredits various laboratories in South Africa with the view of accreditting all laboratories within a certain time limit. The Ampath laboratory Port Elizabeth was successfully accredited during 2001. Accredited laboratories have to uphold a very high degree of quality to remain accredited. A team of professionals inspects the laboratory every 2 years and other quality assurance staff inspects the laboratories every few months. All aspects of the laboratory are checked, e.g. the qualification of staff, their registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), their curriculum vitaes, equipment, safety of the laboratory etc. Since the laboratory chosen for this study, is accredited, the author evaluated every cervical smear that was received in the laboratory since the year 2000, with the following objectives in mind: · Whether the presence or absence of an endocervical component has an effect on the adequacy of cervical smears · To determine the effect of using smaller coverslips on quality assurance in the cytology laboratory · Evaluate the effect that manual re-screening of smears has on quality assurance in the cytology laboratory. As there is a shortage of cytotechnologists and pathologists worldwide, several countries make use of automated screening devices as primary screening or secondary screening for quality assurance. These devices were tested in some laboratories in South Africa but were found to be very expensive and sensitivity and specificity were not up to standard. Sensitivity is a measure of the ability of a test to detect the abnormal - Sensitivity is the ratio of true positives to true positives + false negatives. Specificity is a measure of the ability of a test to correctly identify the negative - Specificity is the ratio of true negative to true negatives + false positives. The automated screening machines failed to identify abnormal cells amongst inflammatory cells, as well as in very blood stained smears. Several other problems also occurred and an increasing number of smears had to be manually rescreened, thus making this exercise costly and not helpful as a quality assurance instrument. The slides used for this thesis, have been retrieved from the archives of the Ampath laboratory in Port Elizabeth. Fourteen specific contributing factors affecting quality assurance in the diagnosis of cervical smears are also discussed and conclusions and recommendations given.
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- Date Issued: 2005
An investigation of the factors that influence the decision-making of Chinese tourist travelling to South Africa
- Authors: Wan, Jiangtao
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Tourism -- South Africa -- Decision making , Chinese -- Travel -- South Africa -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9340 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/411 , Tourism -- South Africa -- Decision making , Chinese -- Travel -- South Africa -- Attitudes
- Description: The growth of the Chinese economy represents a significant opportunity for global travel and tourism and it has raised the expectation that the South African tourism industry will explore and benefit from the Chinese outbound market growth. Since international travel and tourism is becoming a significant component of the South African economy, it is important to understand the factors that influence consumer decision-making in tourism. The main objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the decision-making of Chinese tourists that travel to South Africa. The research gives a systemic review of the Chinese outbound market, starting with the Chinese outbound travel history, and the impact of the social-economic issues on Chinese travel and tourism. An overview is provided of the size, growth and the regulation of the Chinese outbound market, as well as the main characteristics of Chinese outbound tourists. The factors that influence decision-making are compartmentalised into two categories: internal and external factors. Internal and external factors relate to the concept that people travel due to the fact that they are pushed by their own internal forces and pulled by the external forces such as the social environment, reference groups, social class, the restrictions from government regulations and the attraction of travel destination countries. The empirical findings reflect that the factors that have the most significant impact on the decision-making process of Chinese outbound tourists travelling to South Africa are perception about safety, lack of knowledge about South Africa and a growth in the use of the Internet as a source of tourist information. The study also reflects a tendency towards individualism and a shift away from traditional group decision-making. Based on the findings of the empirical study, South Africa tourism needs to offer a safe travel environment, provide greater access to information featuring South Africa as a tourist destination, and offer discounted travel packages
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- Date Issued: 2005
Applying a framework for IT governance in South African higher education institutions
- Authors: Viljoen, Stephen
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Computer security , Universities and colleges -- Computer networks -- Security measures -- South Africa , Data protection
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9739 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/416 , Computer security , Universities and colleges -- Computer networks -- Security measures -- South Africa , Data protection
- Description: Background: Higher Education (HE), through HE Institutions, plays a very important role in society. There is thus a need for this sector to be well managed, especially with regards to planning, organising, and controlling. Corporate Governance has received a lot of attention in recent times, especially to engender trust on the part of the stakeholders. There are many similarities, but also significant differences in the governance of HE institutions and public companies. Information Technology (IT) plays an extremely important role in the modern organisation, creating huge opportunities, but also increasing the risk to the organisation. Therefore, effective governance of IT in HE Institutions is of great importance.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Aspects of expert evidence in the criminal justice system
- Authors: Dumani, Msebenzi
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Evidence, Expert , Cross-examination , Conduct of court proceedings
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:10166 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/435 , Evidence, Expert , Cross-examination , Conduct of court proceedings
- Description: The rule excluding evidence of opinion is traditionally stated in broad and general terms, subject to a more or less closed list of exemptions. Stephen says that a witness’s opinion is “deemed to be irrelevant”. A witness may depose to the facts which he has observed, but he may not ordinarily state any inferences which he has drawn from those facts, or opinions founded upon facts of which he has no personal knowledge. The general rule is that the evidence of opinion or belief of a witness is irrelevant because it is the function of a court to draw inferences and form its opinion from the facts; the witnesses give evidence as to the facts and the court forms its opinion from those facts. The opinion of an expert is admissible if it is relevant. It will be relevant if the witness’s skill, training or experience enables him materially to assist the court on matters in which the court itself does not usually have the necessary knowledge to decide. Where the topic is such that an ordinary judicial officer could be expected to be able, unassisted, to draw an inference, expert evidence is superfluous. In principle, there is no rule that a witness cannot give his opinion on an issue that the court has to decide ultimately. It is not experts alone who may give their opinions on ultimate issues but, in practice, there is a strong tendency to regard the evidence of lay persons on ultimate issues as constituting prima facie evidence only. If such lay testimony remains unchallenged, it may be of greater significance. It is generally true that relevant evidence is admissible and irrelevant evidence is inadmissible. At this stage the following question may be posed: is the opinion of any witness – whether from an expert or lay person – admissible evidence? Should an opinion be admitted for purposes of persuading the court to rely on it in deciding the issue at hand? The basic answer is that relevance remains the fundamental test for admissibility. Certain issues simply cannot be decided without expert guidance. Expert opinion evidence is therefore readily received on issues relating to ballistics, engineering, chemistry, medicine, accounting and psychiatry, to mention only a few examples. The problem which arises is this: what is the best way of cross-examining the expert witness? Although the concept of skilful cross-examination conjures up the image of the crossexaminer destroying the expert witness in the witness box, total annihilation of expert evidence in court occurs only rarely. In reality, lawyers who are expected to cross-examine experts are often at a disadvantage in that they do not possess sufficient in-depth knowledge of the specific field of expertise to enable them to cross-examine the witness. Despite the expert nature of the evidence, it is suggested that the true basis of crossexamination should not be abandoned when dealing with experts. The effectiveness of crossexamination is enhanced by keeping the number of questions to a minimum as well as opening and concluding with good strong points. At the outset it should be mentioned that there is a distinction between matters of scientific fact and matters of mere opinion. On matters of scientific fact experts seldom differ but within the province of opinion one encounters difficulties. Lengthy cross-examination concerning expert’s theoretical knowledge is usually inefficient and should rarely be attempted. Cross-examination should be directed at pure logic or scientific analysis. The cross-examiner should always have relevant authority with him in court so as to confront the expert with these. The whole effect of the testimony of an expert witness can also be destroyed by putting the witness to test at the trial as to his qualifications, his experience and his ability and discriminations as an expert. A failure to meet this test renders his evidence nugatory.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Barriers confronting small and micro tourism enterprises of previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs in the Nelson Mandela Metropole
- Authors: Clay, Mzwake Richard
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Small business -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Metropole , Tourism -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Metropole , Entrepreneurship -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Metropole
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8536 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/422 , Small business -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Metropole , Tourism -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Metropole , Entrepreneurship -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Metropole
- Description: The research problem in this study was to look at barriers confronting small and micro tourism enterprises of the previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. To achieve this objective, literature on the barriers confronting these enterprises, was reviewed. The empirical results obtained indicate a strong concurrence with the literature study emphasizing the importance of the barriers identified and the possible ways of resolving them. The main problems identified in the literature review were: lack of institutional support, legislation, lack of access to finance, and lack of entrepreneurial skill (planning and organizing, marketing, training and human resources, time management, conflict resolution and negotiation skill). These barriers identified in the literature study were then used to develop a questionnaire to test the extent to which small and micro tourism enterprises are constrained by barriers when starting up and how these barriers can be resolved. A sample of 18 small and micro tourism businesses was taken, one from Uitenhage and 17 from Port Elizabeth. The main results were that there are few small and micro tourism businesses of the previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The main reason for this is that previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs are not given adequate support by government institutions created for that purpose. iv Most of these businesses are not getting enough financial support during start-up because of problems with the owners’ credit records. The results also indicate that small and micro tourism businesses of the previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs view legislation intended to develop them, as actually stifling their development, such as the municipal credit laws. The study recommends that more institutional support should be given to small and micro tourism businesses that are starting up, and government institutions responsible for the development of small and micro businesses need to target the previously disadvantaged communities with their marketing. The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality and the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) need to conduct research on alternative non-collateral financing for small and micro businesses. More training programmes on business skills have also to be conducted.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Brand awareness of students at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- Authors: Huang, Wei
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Brand name products , Brand choice , Consumers' preferences , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University -- Students -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9350 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/187 , Brand name products , Brand choice , Consumers' preferences , Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University -- Students -- Attitudes
- Description: To ensure a long-term successful product brand, it is important to build brand awareness, to reach the consumer’s mind, encourage a consumer to develop a preference and eventually provide a positive contribution to consumer decision-making. Therefore, there is a need to understand and identify the role of brand awareness in the purchase process. An understanding of students as consumers and their brand awareness is important to marketers, particularly as students are recognised as a specialised market segment for a variety of products. The research focused on identifying the differences, if any, in brand awareness and its role in students’ purchase of sportswear clothing and sportswear shoes (high-involvement products) and coffee (a low-involvement product). A drop-off survey was used to collect the required empirical data from a convenience sample of 450 students enrolled at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The empirical findings showed that students were more aware of sportswear clothing and shoe brands than of coffee brands. Advertising played an important role in the awareness of sportswear shoes and clothing brands, but seemed unimportant in the case of coffee. Brand elements were found to enhance brand awareness. The brand name was important for coffee, while the name and the logo played a role in students’ awareness of sportswear brands. The study deduced that differences in brand awareness between high-involvement and low-involvement products exist among the students. Marketers thus need to choose appropriate strategies to create and increase brand awareness for the different products.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Critical analysis of a performance management system used by a tertiary education institution in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mkovane, Zenephone Bhekuyise
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Performance -- Management -- Evaluation , Performance -- Measurement -- Evaluation , Universities and colleges -- Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Border Technikon -- Employees -- Rating of
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8567 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/412 , Performance -- Management -- Evaluation , Performance -- Measurement -- Evaluation , Universities and colleges -- Employees -- Rating of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Border Technikon -- Employees -- Rating of
- Description: As argued by authors like Franzen on whose work the greater part of the introduction, the main problem and sub-problem has been based, the objective of this study was to establish the extent to which the performance evaluation system currently in use at the subject Institution conforms to the benchmark performance management systems as espoused in literature. Further, the objective was to establish the differences and commonalities between the performance management systems practiced in the corporate sector and current practice at the subject Institution. Best practice was thus lifted to form part of the recommendation of this study. A questionaire was designed based on the guidelines in the literature study in order to determine how the subject Institution conducts its performance appraisal and how this relates to the four general purposes of performance management mentioned in the study. The respondents' opinion obtained from the questionaire were compared with the guidelines in literature and clustered around the four identifiable general purposes of performance management. The study concludes with a statement of current practice at the subject Institution, and outlines the extent of conformance to benchmark practice on performance management systems. Recommendations are made based on best practice and direction is given to future research into contemporary practices with the express aim of enhancing quality in higher education applying the quality-related procedures of industry and commerce, where quality is crucial to success (Winch, 1996: 9-13). The current performance management system at the subject Institution proves to be largely conforming to the benchmark. However it should require comments made by the respondents that pertain to improvement.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Culture shock the differences between Chinese and South African students at the University of Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Wang, Hui Jingzi
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: University of Port Elizabeth -- Students , Students, Foreign -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Culture shock -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8378 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/366 , University of Port Elizabeth -- Students , Students, Foreign -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Culture shock -- South Africa
- Description: Introduction-Motivation: Living, studying, traveling and working abroad can be an incredible, challenging experience or a nightmare, depending on how you interact with the local culture. Many things bring on culture shock: different food and ways of eating, shops and prices, attitude of people, customs and language problems. It is the strangeness, uneasiness or even fear we experience when we move from our home country and familiar surroundings, to live in a new and different society. Culture shock is now considered to be a natural part of the adjustment to studying abroad (Carmen, 1998:3). Although it can be disconcerting and a little crazy, the shock gradually eases as you begin to understand the new culture. It is useful to realize that often the reactions and perceptions of others towards you - and you towards them - are not personal evaluations, but are based on a clash of cultural values. The more skilled you become in recognizing how and when cultural values and behaviours are likely to come in conflict, the easier it becomes to make adjustments that can help you avoid serious difficulties. This research is aimed at identifying the most common differences between local South African and Chinese culture, and will investigate the experiences of Chinese students at the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), South Africa, as well as a local Chinese family in order to develop a strategy to minimize culture shock. Research Problem: Chinese students at UPE experience various difficulties in adjusting to local university life. These problems range from practical difficulties regarding transport, accommodation and finances to less easily defined issues related to language and culture. While the “practical” difficulties are often prioritized and solved (or at least alleviated), those relating to culture are not adequately addressed. Chinese students at UPE consequently find it difficult to socialize with local students; they find it difficult to interact during lectures, and they are unsure about forming student-teacher relationships. All of this impedes academic progress, increase worry/fear of failure, and lead to homesickness and ultimately depression. Local Chinese business people have, through trial and error, learnt to adapt to the idiosyncrasies of South African culture (in its diverse forms). This is apparent from interviews which were conducted with a local Chinese businessman and his family who have successfully adapted to the local environment in order to identify the major obstacles to cultural acclimatization, as well as useful strategies, communicational ones among others, that enabled them to adapt.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Developing a decision-making model that best closes the gap between strategy and the capital investment procedure for Cadbury South Africa
- Authors: Wilson, Brendan David
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Chocolate industry -- Capital investment -- South Africa , Chocolate industry -- South Africa -- Finance , Chocolate industry -- South Africa -- Decision making , Cadbury Ltd
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8596 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/406 , Chocolate industry -- Capital investment -- South Africa , Chocolate industry -- South Africa -- Finance , Chocolate industry -- South Africa -- Decision making , Cadbury Ltd
- Description: This study addresses the fact that the current Cadbury investment appraisal process does not adequately address the strategic implications of many capital investment decisions. Although attempts are made to quantify, in financial terms, the strategic benefits from a given investment, it appears that many perceived benefits are left out of the appraisal process because they lack precise financial quantification, resulting in managers placing greater reliance on the qualitative dimensions of their investment decision-making such as judgement and intuition. The current Cadbury process is based on the unequivocal advice that academics give to organisations and to managers about how to appraise largescale capital investment projects. The use of discounted cash flow techniques, based upon the discounting of decision contingent cash flows at the organisations opportunity cost of capital is regarded as the definitive investment appraisal technique. On this, the academic literature is clear. Whilst there are strong theoretical justifications for the use of discounted cash flow based models, managers continue to use non-DCF appraisal techniques such as payback irrespective of their theoretical shortcomings. The lack of use of a sophisticated risk assessment model is also disappointing, with Cadbury ignoring individual project risk and adopting a naive approach. Finally, this study indicates that Cadbury managers need not be forced into choosing either an economic/normative approach or a strategic/managerial approach to capital-investment decision-making but that rather a hybrid approach, including both the economic and strategic dimensions of choice, is more applicable for effective strategy incorporation.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Developing a model for establishing, implementing, and maintaining learnerships in South Africa
- Authors: Hamlet, Brian
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Employees -- Training of -- South Africa , Experiential learning -- South Africa , Education, Cooperative -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9377 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/156 , Employees -- Training of -- South Africa , Experiential learning -- South Africa , Education, Cooperative -- South Africa
- Description: The research problem in this study was to identify how successful the methods are that organisations use within the Manufacturing Engineering and Related Services Education and Training Authorities (MERSETA) chambers to develop, implement and maintain learnerships. To achieve this aim a literature examination to determine the aspects of workplace learning were explored, including the various perspectives of learning, together with an investigation into workplace learning. Further, apprenticeships, traineeships, learnerships were discussed; including the concepts vocational education and training standards, and competence explored. Finally a process model for effective learnership implementation was presented based on international approaches together with the South African models and current practices. - v - The process learnership model served as a basis for drawing up a survey questionnaire to establish the extent to which organisations agreed or disagreed with the learnership model developed. The survey was limited to the “automobile” and “new tyre” chambers of the MERSETA. The results obtained from the empirical study indicted a high degree of agreement with the process model for effective learnership implementation. The results obtained from the quantitative data, and qualitative data were used to adapt the learnership process model, and produce a six-phase integrated learnership model. From the survey it become evident that organisations needed to be sensitised and educated as to learnerships before considering more seriously learnership implementation. Further, it emerged that learnerships cannot only be effective within a process approach, and that it should also take place within a positive “organisational learning culture”. Organisations and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) can now use the six-phase integrated learnership model with confidence, as there was a high degree of agreement with the learnership model that was developed as part of this research study. The six-phase integrated learnership model has been comprehensively developed and surveyed by organisations that are currently implementing learnerships on a large scale. Organisations and SETAs can now give effect to the Skills Development Act No. 97 of 1998, and contribute to the National skills Development Strategy of 2001, which aims to improve the workplace skills of all South Africans.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Development and analysis of a friction stir spot welding process for aluminium
- Authors: Stephen, Michael George
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Friction welding , Electric welding , Aluminum alloys -- Welding
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9631 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1351 , Friction welding , Electric welding , Aluminum alloys -- Welding
- Description: Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) has been developed from the conventional Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process, developed at The Welding Institute (TWI). FSSWs have been done without the keyhole being eliminated. Elimination of the keyhole would result in the process being more commercially viable. This dissertation focuses on an attempt of eliminating the keyhole using a retractable pin tool as well as a comparison of the weld integrity of a FSSW to that of a conventional Resistance Spot Weld (RSW). Welds were conducted on aluminium alloy 6063 T4. Comparisons between different weld procedures were done. Further analysis of the weld integrity between FSSW and RSW were conducted, comparing tensile strengths, microstructure and hardness. For the above welding procedure to take place, the current retractable pin tool, patented by PE Technikon, was redesigned. Problems associated during the welding process and the results obtained are documented. Reasons for the keyhole not being eliminated as well as recommendations for future work in the attempt to remove the keyhole are discussed.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Dimensions of guest house service: perceptions of owners and expectations of business travellers
- Authors: Wang, Yi
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Hospitality industry -- Customer relations , Boardinghouses -- Customer services -- South Africa , Consumer satisfaction -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9354 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1006215 , Hospitality industry -- Customer relations , Boardinghouses -- Customer services -- South Africa , Consumer satisfaction -- South Africa
- Description: The need for successful management of a guest house in the increasingly competitive hospitality industry in South Africa, compels guest house owners to understand their customers’ needs and deliver service of acceptable quality. The objective of the research is to find out what business travellers expect from a guest house and how these expectations compare with the perceptions of guest house owners in Port Elizabeth. Conclusions drawn from this research would also benefit guest house owners in other parts of the country. A literature review was conducted to provide an understanding of the nature of service and the role “evidence of service” can play in the perception of quality. The empirical study aimed at comparing business travellers’ expectations of guest house service with guest house owners’ perceptions of their guests’ expectations. The empirical findings showed that business travellers deemed secure parking and professionalism of staff as the most important attributes, while guest house owners thought it would be friendliness of front desk staff and efficient handling of complaints. Moreover, both groups indicated that cleanliness of rooms and services performed by staff adequately the first time, were of particular importance. It was also found that the importance rating of the different service dimensions were not significantly influenced by the business travellers’ gender, managerial position, nights of stay or by the guest house grading. The study proposes that guest house owners continue to focus on strategies for training and developing competent employees, simplify the steps of service delivery and improve on the standards of the servcie to ensure that business facilities are in line with the expectations of business travelers.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Establishing an information security culture in organizations : an outcomes based education approach
- Authors: Van Niekerk, Johannes Frederick
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Computer security , Management information systems -- Security measures , Competency-based education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9742 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/164 , Computer security , Management information systems -- Security measures , Competency-based education
- Description: Information security is crucial to the continuous well-being of modern orga- nizations. Humans play a signfiicant role in the processes needed to secure an organization's information resources. Without an adequate level of user co-operation and knowledge, many security techniques are liable to be misused or misinterpreted by users. This may result in an adequate security measure becoming inadequate. It is therefor necessary to educate the orga- nization's employees regarding information security and also to establish a corporate sub-culture of information security in the organization, which will ensure that the employees have the correct attitude towards their security responsibilities. Current information security education programs fails to pay su±cient attention to the behavioral sciences. There also exist a lack of knowledge regarding the principles, and processes, that would be needed for the establishment of an corporate sub-culture, specific to information security. Without both the necessary knowledge, and the desired attitude amongst the employee, it will be impossible to guarantee that the organi- zation's information resources are secure. It would therefor make sense to address both these dimensions to the human factor in information security, using a single integrated, holistic approach. This dissertation presents such an approach, which is based on an integration of sound behavioral theories.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Exploring the developmental profile of Black HIV positive/AIDS infants and children a longitudinal study
- Authors: Sandison, Alida
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Infants -- Development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Longitudinal studies , Child development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Longitudinal studies , HIV-positive persons -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Griffiths Scales of Mental Development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9848 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/357 , Infants -- Development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Longitudinal studies , Child development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Longitudinal studies , HIV-positive persons -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Griffiths Scales of Mental Development
- Description: This study aimed at exploring the developmental profile of HIV positive/AIDS infants and children (three to 35 months) over a period of 11 months in the Nelson Mandela Metropole, utilising the Revised Extended Griffiths Scales of Mental Development (GSMD). The purpose was to generate information about the development of HIV positive/AIDS infants and children, highlighting developmental strengths and weaknesses to ultimately aid the custodians of these children with their interventions. A non-probability purposive sampling method was applied, and a longitudinal profile was generated as participants were assessed twice. Participants were all outpatients at Kwazakhele Day Clinic, Dora Nginza and Livingstone Hospitals in the Nelson Mandela Metropole, and were located for the study through their caregiver’s attendance of an HIV support groups at the Dora Nginza Hospital. Data was analysed statistically using descriptive statistics and Hotelings-T² tests. Results indicated a significant difference between first and second assessment on the General Quotient and on two of the six subscales, namely Eye-Hand Co-ordination (D) and Practical Reasoning (F). It was deduced that development declined or did not improve as participants aged.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Factors influencing employees to seek supervisory positions in manufacturing
- Authors: Ficker, Liezel
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Supervisors, Industrial , Supervision of employees
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8539 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/190 , Supervisors, Industrial , Supervision of employees
- Description: This research was undertaken at a hosiery manufacturing plant situated in Cape Town. The two research questions were: 1) What are the main factors that influenced, as well as previously discouraged, current supervisors to seek supervisory positions? and 2) What are the main factors that influence employees to want to become a supervisor, and what factors would discourage them from wanting to become a supervisor? Questionnaires were used as the measuring instrument. The results revealed that internal motivation was the most important factor that positively influenced current supervisors to seek a supervisory position. This was followed by self-perceived management ability, self-belief and confidence factors. Supervisors revealed a low social and affiliation need. Factors that discouraged current supervisors from seeking a supervisory position were limited management involvement, negative work related issues, and self-doubt factors. Most employees, who were not interested in seeking a supervisory position, indicated that there were no factors that would motivate them to want to become supervisors. Amongst the four content theories of motivation, the most relevant theory in interpreting the results was the Herzberg’s two factor theory. He stated that “employees are motivated by their own inherent need to succeed at a challenging task”. This is exactly what was also found in this research. One of the interesting findings is that Herzberg’s hygiene factors played almost no role as a motivator or demotivator for either current supervisors or employees. The significance of the findings for managers is that they should not strive to motivate employees to become supervisors, but rather select people who already have a high level of internal self-motivation. If they are simply looking for good workers, they should select a different type of employee who does not have a high need for achievement.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Field and laboratory measurements of polarization mode dispersion in optical fibres
- Authors: Viljoen, Lawrence
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Optical fibers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10513 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/375 , Optical fibers
- Description: In this dissertation, the PMD measurements of field and laboratory optical fibre will be discussed. In the laboratory, temperature cycling of different configurations of fibre were tested. It is shown that the environmental temperature plays a significant role in determining the behaviour of PMD. The PMD of all fibres tested showed changes in the PMD when the environmental temperature was changing, but remained constant for constant temperatures. This is explained by the structure and thermal coefficients of the materials used to make up the fibres. It is found that the temperature gradient has a large effect on the magnitude of the PMD fluctuations. Field measurements were conducted on buried and aerial cable. It is shown that the PMD of aerial cables shows a higher degree of scatter than the PMD of buried cables. The scatter seen in the PMD can be attributed to changing environmental temperature as well as movement of the cable. The PMD of the deployed fibre is in all cases found to be considerably higher than the PMD of laboratory fibre. Age of the fibre, deployment conditions and installation procedures are believed to be responsible for the higher value. Long term monitoring of the PMD is also found to be critical when testing fibres. Over- or underestimations of the average PMD are often made in the field due to only a limited number of readings being taken. Having a large test ensemble of input states of polarization is shown to increase the accuracy of the results. For aerial cables, movement of the cable has the same effect as scrambling the input SOP and hence the results will be more accurate. Buried cables on the other hand show little movement and hence only one input SOP is often tested. Scrambling the input SOP will therefore increase the accuracy of these results.
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- Date Issued: 2005
Hijacking feminism: representations of the new woman in South African television advertising practice
- Authors: Klokow, Nicole Ann
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Feminism and mass media -- South Africa , Television advertising -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8372 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/381 , Feminism and mass media -- South Africa , Television advertising -- South Africa
- Description: This study examines the extent to which feminism has been appropriated by the consumer culture. As the relationship between consumerism and patriarchy continues to dominate global economic and social practices, this appropriation points to a denial of the social and political importance of the feminist movement. An acknowledgement of our own complicity in the perpetuation of a sexist, racist and classist ideology – along with an understanding of the complicity of the media – is crucial in explaining relations of domination within our society (Thompson 1990). A study of television advertising practice allows us to “explore meaning as a social product, enmeshed in webs of power” (Jordan and Wheedon 1995:543). Consumer ‘freedom’ is the compulsory freedom (Slater 1997), as we buy as many symbols as products. This study shows that for all the ‘strides’ feminism has made, media images of women are largely traditional, prescriptive (although an ironic distance is often implied) or overtly sexualised. Feminism is never mentioned, as women’s gains are presented as ahistorical in a ‘post-feminist’ world. Third wave feminism is an attempt to embrace all feminisms and feminists, working to inject some substance and truth behind advertising’s feminist veneer.
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- Date Issued: 2005