Cultural perspectives on health decision making of HIV positive Xhosa males
- Authors: Tebekana, Aviwe Zuziwe Nomalibongwe
- Date: 2020-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53769 , vital:45835
- Description: In 1998, following a recommendation made by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESO), the Joint United Nations programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) adopted a cultural approach to HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment for sustainable development. Cultural identity, values and norms are all influential factors in health decision making and may be especially important in the context of HIV infection. The research aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of HIV positive Xhosa males in relation to understanding how cultural identity, cultural values and norms influence the health decision making behaviour of Xhosa males. A qualitative study design was adopted. A descriptive and interpretative approach was applied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 HIV positive Xhosa males aged 25 to 49 years in four primary healthcare clinics in the Nelson Mandela Bay. Thematic data analysis was utilised to analyse the data through the lens of literature and the bio-ecological model. The data was coded by the researcher and an independent coder. Three themes and six sub themes emerged from the study. Theme one is: significance of culture for HIV positive Xhosa males. Theme two is: perspectives on factors that have an influence on health decision making. Theme three is: perceived beliefs and perceptions about HIV and AIDS in the Xhosa ethnic group. The study indicated that cultural factors such as ancestral beliefs regarding illness, traditional circumcision, initiation school and masculine roles and expectations influenced health decision making of the Xhosa males. In addition, there are other factors that have an influence on health decision making such as psycho-social factors of peer pressure and biological factors which include physical developmental changes. In addition to factors that have an influence to health decision making, it became apparent in the study that there was perceived stigma attached to HIV and AIDS from family members and the Xhosa community. Participants also experienced internalised stigma and expressed a v fear of not having an heir; thus, influencing risk taking health decision in fear of being stigmatised. Perceptions of HIV positive Xhosa males on cultural factors that have an influence on health decision making such as risk behaviour and adherence to treatment are: ancestral belief of protection against illness, traditional circumcision, initiation school and masculine roles and expectations. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Behavioural Sciences, 2020
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- Date Issued: 2020-12
Customer experience in the South African retail banking industry
- Authors: Mtyu, Noluchumo
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53037 , vital:44874
- Description: This treatise explores customer experience in the South African banking industry and its importance for the success of retail banks. Customer experience leaves a memory that has critical effects on future spending of not only direct customers, but others around them. The main issues addressed by this study are how customer experience is a differentiator in the South African banking industry. The banking industry is a highly competitive industry and the importance of customer service in the banking industry is essential for business if they wish to stay relevant and have sustained continuity and growth. In today’s fast-evolving business life, customer experience has become the new battleground for businesses and banks can no longer rely on products or prices to be competitive. Retail banks now need to compete by providing exceptional customer experiences, which cannot be imitated by their competitors. Services provided by South African banks are very similar and banks need to use superior customer experiences to gain competitive advantage over rivals. Understanding customer experience in achieving customer satisfaction is essential to ensure that banks have satisfied customers who encourage others to join or stay with the bank. Once understood, customer experience will assist bank managers to provide inimitable and superior experiences, resulting in business success. The study aims to assist South African banks to improve customer experiences by investigating customer experience and factors that influence it. Definitions and theories are discussed as well as the importance of customer experience in the South African retail banking industry. This study specifically explored the role of the customer experience through factors brand experience, service experience and post-purchase experience. Each factor is statistically explored and its importance highlighted. An empirical study, using a questionnaire, was conducted amongst 858 respondents. The purpose of this was to determine the satisfaction levels of South African retail banking customers, by using data analyses and descriptive and inferential statistics to test the factors identified in the conceptual model. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, NMU Business School, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Customer experience: a comparative analysis between the banking and grocery retail sectors
- Authors: Pillay, Deneesha
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53007 , vital:44891
- Description: The notion of customer experience has gained prominence in the field of marketing over the last three decades. It has become a strategic imperative for firms in order to ensure sustained business growth. A positive customer experience not only has the ability to promote customer loyalty but can also assist firms in encouraging brand advocacy. While customer experience has been explored in several contexts, regions and industries, customer experience in South Africa’s banking and grocery retail sectors has not yet been adequately explored. Therefore, this study attempts to provide a comparative analysis of these two sectors and in turn present a model for improving customer experience as a marketing tool. The execution of this study requires a literature review to investigate the field of customer experience. This literature review assisted in developing a conceptual model for customer experience in the attempt of improving customer experience quality. Furthermore, this Treatise pursues a positivistic research approach using quantitative methods of analysis. Factor analysis was conducted using data gathered from an online questionnaire disseminated via e-mail. The sample of this study was selected at random using convenience and snowball sampling. A sample size of n = 858 is used in this study. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were conducted on the data. The primary contribution of this study was the presentation and statistical assessment of an exploratory factor analysis of factors influencing customer experience in South Africa’s grocery retail and banking sectors. This study found that the independent factors of Brand Experience, Service Experience and Post-purchase Experience were all found to have a positive effect on the overall customer experience. In the grocery-retail sector, Post-purchase Experience was found to have a strong positive correlation with customer experience. Brand Experience and Service Experience were strongly correlated with each other as independent factors, but did not demonstrate any practical or statistical significance in relation to the dependent factor, Customer Experience. However, in the banking sector, all of these factors demonstrate positive correlations with Customer Experience that are statistically and practically significant. The model presented in this study identifies the determinants of Customer Experience within both sectors. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, NMU Business School, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Demarcation of municipalities and service delivery capacity: a case of selected eastern cape municipalities
- Authors: Sokopo, Johannes
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54574 , vital:46715
- Description: The study examines the relationship between demarcation of municipal boundaries and the capacity of a municipality to deliver services. The case of the amalgamation of Baviaans, Camdeboo, and Ikwezi local municipalities which has led to the establishment of the Dr Beyers Naudè Municipality in the Sara Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape has been used to determine this relationship in this study. The amalgamation of these municipalities has led to the redetermination and dismantling of their boundaries and the establishment of the boundaries of the newly created and larger Dr Beyers Naudè Local Municipality. The study investigated whether the demarcation of municipal boundaries has, in this instance, enhanced the capacity of the municipality to deliver basic services. Organisational Theory was used to interpret the amalgamation of municipalities. This theory was used for the theoretical basis of organisational structure and highlighting the need for the alignment of organizational structure with the municipalities’ mandate, of effective and efficient service delivery. The study adopted a qualitative research method and employed a non-probability purposive sampling technique to select participants. Interviews were used for data collection. 38 participants were interviewed, namely 7 councillors, 5 municipal officials, 5 members of the ratepayers’ association and 21 members of the community. Mixed views were expressed by participants regarding the enhancement of the state on basic service delivery after the merger of the three local municipalities. Furthermore, the study did not find evidence of a feasibility study prior to the implementation of the amalgamation process. Subsequently, the study could not find conclusive evidence relating to the enhancement of the capacity of the municipality to deliver services after the redetermination of municipal boundaries. The study recommends, among others, that the demarcation of municipal boundaries should be preceded by an appropriate feasibility study and be done such that there is compliance with the relevant legislation, and it must also have an effective public participation. The study also recommends that the newly established Dr Beyers Naudè Local Municipality should focus on maintaining the service delivery infrastructure it has inherited from the merger of its three predecessor municipalities, enhance public participation in its programmes, and priorities community beneficiation as a critical aspect of its service delivery mandate. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Determinants of domestic savings: why Africa is dissaving
- Authors: Ruiters, Caviner Glen
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52966 , vital:44888
- Description: The World Bank has emphasized the role of savings in financing domestic fixed capital formation, technology, education, employment and economic growth. Many African countries have experienced decreased savings and increased current account deficits worsened by the global financial crisis and capital outflows. This study seeks to explore the determinants of savings and determine the savings trend of African countries compared to that of the world. To this end, annual time series data for 20 representative countries from different economic groups were obtained from World Bank Indicators, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Penn World Tables and Integrated Network for Societal Conflict Research (INSCR) database over the period 2000 to 2018. The Panel ARDL/ Pooled Mean Group estimator was used to analyse the data. The main findings were that household variables, capital flow variables, human capital variables, institutional quality variables, financial and other social macroeconomic variables determine savings. Further, the speed of adjustment show causality from the explanatory variables to savings. The use of income and monetary policy dummy variables indicates that there is no difference in determinants of savings for countries with different income groups and monetary policies. It was recommended that African countries invest in education and ICT infrastructure, improve their financial systems and restructure policies on good governance and political stability as this has a significant effect on savings. The study was limited by a lack of time series data for all African countries, therefore, future research involving an increased sample size and variables were recommended. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Economics, Development and Tourism, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Development of a crumb rubber adsorbent for the sorption of lead and copper from waste water: Optimization of sorption in a binary component system
- Authors: Hlabana,Relebohile Gladys
- Date: 2022-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59688 , vital:62356
- Description: Waste tyre is becoming a global environmental problem due to challenges in its disposal management and the fact that it poses fire hazards and metal leaching risk. Waste tyre can also breed mosquitos if it traps water thereby becoming an environmental health problem. There is also a portion of unused tyre in a waste tyre that is valuable and should be recycled. In South Africa waste tyre recycling is in three industries, one of which is crumb rubber where waste tyre is applied into various sized particles called crumb rubber. Crumb rubber can be applied in environmental remediation as an organic and inorganic pollutants’ adsorbent. Considering the fact that South Africa’s environment is loaded with heavy metal pollutants due to contributions by mining and agriculture as examples, it is postulated that crumb rubber produced in South Africa could be used to remediate the environment of these toxic metals. In this study adsorption of Pb (II) and Cu (II) from the synthetic waste water using waste tyre crumb rubber produced in South Africa was studied. Crumb rubber was activated using aqueous NaOH (0.02%) to make crumb rubber wettable followed by it being treated with 0.02 % acidified KMnO4 for modification of its ability to sorp positively charged metal species. Trial sorption experiments on 50 mg / L Cu (II) were successful with sorption of over 70% in 250 minutes. Final optimization of the sorption of combined Pb (II) and Cu (II) was studied using a full factorial design and optimum conditions of sorption were found to be pH 5.4; [metal] 0.617 mmol / L for Pb (II); and pH 5.4; the optimization of Cu (II) was found to be pH 5.4; [metal] 0.777 mmol / L. In Pb (II) sorptions the mechanism of adsorption on the activated crumb rubber was found to be following the Freundlich model indicating that the adsorption seemed to occur on a multilayer adsorbent, while the mechanism of copper(II) adsorption on to the activated crumb rubber was found to be following Langmuir model, indicating that the adsorption seemed to occur on a monolayer. With adsorption percentages ranging from 98.2 % to 100.0 %, for Pb (II), the crumb rubber produced under the conditions of this study, can be used in South Africa for selective removal of Pb (II). , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-12
Driving factors of mobile banking application in South Africa
- Authors: Peter, Unati
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52984 , vital:44885
- Description: There has been a gaping variance between the number of mobile phone users and landline users in South Africa (RSA). Results from an assessment in 2011 suggested that 29 million South Africans subscribed to mobile phones versus 5 million landline users (Balabanoff, 2014). The exponential growth of mobile applications has been precipitated by the increased growth of the mobile phone market. This growth is coupled with numerous advantages that mobile services bring to the user, such as better operability, productivity advances and entertainment (Balabanoff, 2014). Even though adoption strategies regarding mobile banking have been studied in various parts of the world, acceptance of mobile banking applications in South Africa has not been greatly researched. Hence, this study focused on exploring consumer behaviour and acceptance towards adopting mobile banking in South Africa, where mobile banking is at an elementary stage, but provides potential benefits to both users and business at large. A quantitative research style was followed by this research. An electronic quantitative questionnaire was distributed to South African civilians who are eligible to hold bank accounts in their own names. The research was then conducted on a sample size of 86 respondents. Due to limitations on time, this study utilised convenience sampling. Data gathered from the questionnaires was examined using statistical analysis to scrutinise the correlation between the variables used in the research model, this being Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. The UTAUT is commonly used to predict and explain factors that influence the adoption of technology by users. These factors help decision-makers in formulating technology acceptance strategies. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, NMU Business School, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Ecosexual digital war machines: minoritarian environmental desires in the age of new media
- Authors: Weideman, Lisa
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54828 , vital:47915
- Description: Today the (Transnational) State Apparatuses of neoliberal capitalism, ranging from educational institutions to mass media and financial institutions, have effectively created and channelled desires towards consumerism, predicated on resource-extractive practices, within the context of what Gilles Deleuze calls societies of control. This control has also intensified in the digital era, particularly through Internet-based technologies which provide increasingly efficient platforms for the escalation of commodification – ironically, despite the reality of ecological crisis being precipitated by the related extractive practices to the point where it now threatens the continued existence of life on earth. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Effect of coal and microalgae biomass co-firing on CO2, SO2 and NOx emissions: An experimental evaluation
- Authors: Magida, Nokuthula Ethel
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53817 , vital:45984
- Description: There is increasingly stringent legislation on the environmental impact of energy production from coal combustion, and this has led to growing pressure to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Thus, there is a significant need to develop and implement clean coal combustion technologies that would reduce the environmental gas pollutants. For power generation, the co-firing of biomass fuels at conventional coal-fired power stations is recognised as one of the low-cost, low-risk options to achieve significant reductions in GHG emissions. When coal is co-utilized with biomass there is added attractiveness because the biomass is CO2 neutral, and there is interest in using waste biomass and microalgae. Thus, the co-combustion of coal and biomass for energy production results in pollutant reduction, especially in the emissions of NOx, SOx, volatile organic compounds and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The synergistic activity observed for toxic organic emissions is not well understood and is thought to involve chemical interaction between the volatiles from each fuel coupled with possible catalytic activity from the inorganic constituents of the fuels. The characterization of co-firing products and gases emitted from coal and microalgae (particularly the Scenedesmus strain) co-combustion has received limited attention. Therefore, this study seeks to understand possible interactions occurring during co-combustion of coal and Scenedesmus microalgae (Coalgae®). Additionally, the study aims to determine the effect of co-firing coal and Scenedesmus microalgae on CO2, SO2 and NOx emissions. The term “Coalgae®” refers to the mixture of coal and microalgae biomass. The study looks at physico-thermal characteristics as well as CO2, SO2 and NOx emissions of various coal-microalgae blending ratios by mass; 100:0 (coal), 95:5 (Coalgae® 5%), 90:10 (Coalgae® 10%), 85:15 (Coalgae® 15%) and 80:20 (Coalgae® 20%). Characterization techniques carried out included proximate and ultimate analyses, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). For combustion studies two techniques were applied. Low heating rate was obtained through a Thermogravimetric-Mass spectrometer analysis (TG-MS). Other combustion experiments were performed on the five lumpy fuels (coal and Coalgae® 5% - 20%) exposed to the flame in a fixed-bed combustion reactor. The emission concentrations of CO2 (%), NOx (ppm) and SO2 (ppm) of coal and Coalgae® blends were measured during the combustion of the five materials using a Lancom 4 portable flue gas analyser. The mass reduction (g) and temperature (°C) at the reactor exit were recorded during the combustion tests to compare the combustion behaviour of the four mixtures to that of raw coal. TG-DTG curves of coal and microalgae confirmed that the combustion behaviour of these materials was different. Coal showed one reaction during the combustion process, while microalgae and the Coalgae® blends showed three reactions. A significant reduction in activation energies of 160.4 kJ/mol, 159.6 kJ/mol, 151.3 kJ/mol, and 134.2 kJ/mol for Coalgae® 5% - Coalgae® 20%, respectively, compared to coal (161.3 kJ/mol) was achieved. The lowering of activation energy could be attributed to the relative fixed carbon content. SEM morphology images of ash obtained from the combustion of coal and Coalgae® 5% - 20% confirmed changes in devolatilization and combustion behaviour of solid raw fuel. The ash of Coalgae® blends had higher fluxing elements (Fe, Ca, K and Mg) than coal and this shows possibility of slagging and fouling in combustion systems. The Coalgae® blends showed a synergistic effect due to different combustion characteristics of coal and Scenedesmus microalgae. The combustion results obtained from the fixed-bed reactor showed significant reductions in concentrations of CO2, SO2 and NOx emissions for Coalgae® blends compared to baseline coal. Microalgae reduced CO2 emissions from baseline coal by 14.9%, 19.5%, 23.5% and 31.4% for Coalgae® 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively. SO2 reductions of 1.9%, 10.6%, 15.8% and 18.2%, and NOx reductions of 22.4%, 26.1%, 24.4% and 16.9% were achieved with Coalgae® 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively. Moreover, the combustion efficiency of Coalgae® blends increased significantly by up to 14.5% from baseline coal (86.4%) to Coalgae® 20% (98.9%). Based on the above findings, the co-firing of coal and Scenedesmus microalgae biomass was necessary for the reduction of CO2, SO2, and NOx emissions. As such, Coalgae® blends can be considered as alternative fuels in any coal driven process for energy generation. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Effect of fire severity on Afrotemperate forest tree survival
- Authors: Giddey, Brandon Louis
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55385 , vital:51988
- Description: Weather patterns have changed globally with increased fire danger weather conditions, along with poor management and fire suppression, likely contributing to the increase in prevalence of large wildfires. Ecosystems such as temperate broadleaved forests, where fire is limited by climatic conditions, are particularly at risk of altered fire regimes related to climate change. It is thus important to monitor the effects of fire in these ecosystems. Satellite remote sensing is a cost-effective way to assess spatial variability of fire effects on a landscape scale and has become an increasingly used tool for studying fire severity. In the southern Cape of South Africa during October-November 2018, a large wildfire burnt patches of Southern Cape Afrotemperate Forest (hereafter ‘Afrotemperate forest’). This provided an opportunity to investigate the accuracy of a satellite index for fire severity and the effect of fire on Afrotemperate forest survival. The first objective was to verify through field observations the accuracy of the differenced Normalised Burn Ratio (dNBR) as an index of fire severity derived from Sentinel 2 images in Afrotemperate forest. The second objective was to investigate the effect of fire severity and tree size on the post-fire survival of Afrotemperate forest tree species. For the first objective, stem fire severity, estimated from observed damage to the main stem, was recorded for 1 648 trees in 87 plots and linear regression used to test whether the observed measure of fire severity was related to dNBR. For the second objective, stem fire severity and tree survival 19-24 months post-fire were recorded for 40 species and 1 378 trees in 88 plots. Trees were considered to have survived if they resprouted from the main stem or had green foliage in the canopy. The survival response was assessed in relation to stem fire severity and tree size for all trees collectively and for 10 species (with sample size > 40) individually, using logistic regression. A strong linear relationship between dNBR and stem fire severity (r2 = 0.69, p < 0.001) confirmed the accuracy of dNBR as a measure of fire severity in Afrotemperate forest. In the fire investigated, 4 628 ha of Afrotemperate forest burnt of which 67% burnt at low severity, 21% at medium severity and 12% at high severity. The dNBR values associated with fire severity categories were comparable between Afrotemperate and North American forests, suggesting that dNBR values are relatively standard across forest types. Information on the distribution of fire severity facilitates investigation of further questions regarding past and future fire regimes and the fire ecology of Afrotemperate forest. The post-fire survival rate of Afrotemperate forest trees was 45% which is comparable to that in coniferous forests of North America but lower than that in temperate forests of Australia and Portugal and the neighbouring dune thicket which shares several species with Afrotemperate forest. Fire severity had a significant negative effect on survival and tree size a significant positive effect. Total variance explained by the model (for species collectively) was 40.8%, of which fire severity and tree size combined explained 13.2%, and species as random factor, 27.6%. Respective tree species showed differential survival responses – four species showed high survival (> 60% of individuals), while five species showed low survival (< 40%). This study was the first post-fire assessment of the resprouting ability of Afrotemperate forest trees and a third of the trees surveyed (for species collectively) resprouted from the stem. This suggested that resprouting from the stem is a primary means of post-fire recovery in Afrotemperate forest trees, in contrast with previous assertions that several common canopy species, including Podocarpus latifolius, Afrocarpus falcatus, Scutia myrtina, Scolopia mundii and Rapanea melanophloeos, are unable to resprout. Varying resilience to fire among species supports previous suggestions that fire affects species’ composition and diversity in these forests and calls for careful management of fire regimes in the face of global change. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Natural Resource Management, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and employee engagement in a leading South African car rental company
- Authors: Mtati, Yanela
- Date: 2014-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53330 , vital:45134
- Description: The car rental industry in South Africa is a highly competitive sector. The industry’s players are constantly faced with the challenge of finding ways in which to enhance their competitiveness. One of the most important challenges for organisations operating in this industry is to deliver the best service to their customers, hence ensuring they retain customer loyalty, growth and securing future profitability. While a number of competitors may rely on various competitive strategies such as lower prices, it could become increasingly challenging for others to adopt similar approaches without comprising profitability. To overcome this challenge, together with Barloworld, Avis has implemented various employment engagement strategies with the aim of attracting, empowering, and retaining an engaged workforce. Research has shown that employees provide organisations with sustainable competitive advantage. More specifically, it has shown that engaged employees outperform disengaged employees. The differentiating factor for organisations in the pursuit of competitive advantage would therefore be an engaged workforce. In order to remain competitive, Avis realised that their employees area source of competitive advantage. In the year 2013, Avis packaged and introduced EVP as a human resources strategy towards winning an engaged workforce. Some of the objectives for taking on this strategy were to increase job satisfaction and motivation amongst employees and thus result in higher job performance. The main purpose of this study was to measure the impact that the introduction of EVP had on employee engagement at Avis. Introducing a structured EVP plan within this organisation was aimed to increase employee engagement and thus, this study aimed to measure the impact of this intervention. A literature review was conducted to expand on the various definitions of EVP, employee engagement and the elements that influence and impact these variables. This research revealed that engaged employees make positive contributions to key business outcomes such as financial performance, productivity and customer satisfaction. An empirical study was conducted by means of a survey with a questionnaire as data collecting tool. The purpose of the structured questionnaire was to validate the findings obtained from the theoretical overview and to assess employees’ perceptions of the EVP elements, engagement factors and the impact of engagement on the organisational success. The population comprised of 142employeesand 65% a response rate was obtained. The key findings of the study indicated that in general employees are engaged and committed to the vision of the organisation. It also indicated that the introduction of EVP improved the manner in which employees’ viewed their leaders and created a leadership culture that was conducive to the success of the organisation. Furthermore, the study validated the existence of a strong positive relationship between EVP, employee motivation, leadership culture, employee retention, compensation and employee engagement. This study provided direction and feedback in the organisation’s attempt to improve engagement levels and ultimately in the pursuit of competitive advantage. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, NMMU Business School, 2014.
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- Date Issued: 2014-12
Enablers and dis-enablers to the success of the East London industrial development zone
- Authors: Ramncwana, Ayanda
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52967 , vital:44890
- Description: Special Economic Zones (SEZs) have been a global phenomenon since the 1960s and have been integral to the transformation of emerging and ailing economies. In 2002 the South African government identified SEZs as instruments for advancing its economy into a higher industrialisation path based the assessment of potential socio-economic gains. Past research findings, however, suggest that South African SEZs, when compared to international SEZ performances, are lagging behind both in terms of delivering a compelling SEZ value proposition and achieving the desired socio-economic gains. Limited research has been conducted on the factors which enable and dis-enable the success of SEZs in South Africa. This study evaluates the factors that enable and dis-enable the effectiveness of South African SEZs in achieving their socio-economic development objectives. Applying a qualitative case study methodology, research was conducted on the East London Industrial Development Zone(ELIDZ), one of the first SEZs to be designated in South Africa in 2002. The study finds that a weak SEZ regulatory framework characterised by slow delivery of important SEZ industrial support has dis-enabled South African SEZs. A complex business environment has also dis-enabled the competitiveness of South African SEZs. The study reveals that while it is easier to conduct business inside the SEZs, South African SEZs are not given adequate policy latitude to be an experimental ground to drive reform that will improve the ease of doing business in South Africa. A challenging labour market marred by low productivity, high production costs and inadequately skilled labour continue to challenge the success of SEZs in South Africa. Poor regional infrastructure and delays in the roll out of fiscal incentives, are also some of the factors that have dis-enabled the success of the East London IDZ. World-class infrastructure inside the ELIDZ, inherent locational competitive advantages and the existence of locational-specific non-fiscal incentives have, however, been the key enablers that have improved the competitiveness of the ELIDZ. Despite some of the notable dis-enablers to the competitiveness of South African SEZs, the ELIDZ has done well in achieving short-term static outcomes such as employment, exports, investment attraction and FDI despite some of the factors that had dis-enabled the zone. The zone has also achieved certain dynamic outcomes such as skills upgrading, industrial upgrading, technology transfer and diversification of the economic output, albeit these still being at low levels. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, NMU Business School, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Encapsulation of flame retardants for lithium-ion battery safety
- Authors: Ntombela, Nompilo Princess
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55412 , vital:51993
- Description: Lithium-ion technology takes the lead in electric mobility systems, resulting in an increase in the global demand for Li-ion batteries; however, these batteries are associated with numerous safety concerns. Additionally, there are high costs, high energy and power issues which are some of its key limitations. Research efforts are focused on overcoming these obstacles, with different approaches being explored, such as the investigation of more stable salts, modification of active materials and organic solvents, and the use of electrolyte additives. This study focused specifically on electrolyte additives since the electrolyte is one of the most unstable components of the battery. The electrolyte’s decomposition is one of the reactions that occur inside a battery, which may occur due to overcharging or due to an internal short circuit, amongst others. The electrolyte’s decomposition occurs at the early stages of the thermal runaway process and forms part of the reactions that lead to fires and explosions. Thus, this research aims to develop suitable electrolyte additives to improve the safety aspects of Li-ion batteries. Flame retardant additives show great promise in reducing the flammability of the electrolyte in Li-ion batteries, since they serve to suppress the chemical reactions associated with battery ignition. They retard the fires by scavenging the active radical species formed during the decomposition reaction. In this study, the use of flame retardants was investigated. Flame retardant additives have shown to have flame impeding properties inside a battery; however, their direct addition to the electrolyte tends to cause adverse effects on the ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance of the cells. This study investigated an alternative option - the option to microencapsulate such additives into a neutral compound to ensure that the flame retardant has minimal/no effect on the performance of the battery. This investigation looked at tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBP) and bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) methylphosphonate (BFP) as flame retardant additives for the electrolyte. The TBP and BFP flame retardants were microencapsulated in poly(urea formaldehyde) (PUF) coating material via in situ polymerization method. The capsules were characterized using various analytical techniques - to prove it was successfully encapsulated. Electrochemical studies were further done on the capsules and neat flame retardants inside a coin cell. Self-extinguishing time (SET), which is the flammability test, proved that the additives have flame retarding abilities. Opto-digital microscopy (DSX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) did confirm the spherical shape of the microcapsules, where SEM also showed the smooth outer layer of the microcapsules and its hollow inner side. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) proved the presence of the TBP and BFP inside the PUF resin by showing that the chemical composition of microcapsules consisted of both the PUF and flame retardant additives. Simultaneous DSC-TGA (DST) was also performed which showed that the microcapsules were stable before 200 °C, which indicates it would not decompose before the thermal runaway events are occurring. TGA analysis did show that the microcapsules underwent multiple decomposition steps upon heating. Additionally, 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to quantify the amount of flame retardants additives encapsulated inside PUF shell, and also confirmed the stability of the microcapsules for one month in the electrolyte and at temperatures up to 200 °C. The ionic conductivity was vastly decreased when the flame retardants were added directly to the electrolyte. However, adding the flame retardants in a form of capsules had minimal effect on the ionic conductivity. The cycle capacities of the capsules were also improved when the capsules were added to the cell compared to that of neat flame retardants. The same effect was also noticed when doing Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). This shows that microencapsulation improves the resistance of the cell caused by the flame retardant in comparison to when added directly to the electrolyte of the cell. , Thesis (MSC) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Engineering nanocatalysts using mixed metals for hydrodesulfurization of fuel oil
- Authors: Majodina, Siphumelele
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53861 , vital:46021
- Description: Crude oil is a complex blend containing thousands of hydrocarbons, non-hydrocarbon compounds and heavy metals. These hydrocarbons are mixed with variable quantities of sulfur-, nitrogen-, and oxygen-containing compounds. The combustion of fuel containing organosulfur compounds results in the emission of sulfur oxides (SOx) into the atmosphere. These toxic gases escape into the atmosphere resulting in air pollution, which is a large contributor to global warming. Air pollution also causes pulmonary diseases, allergies and may even lead to human death. It can also cause harm to other living organisms such as animals and food crops. Thus, mandating the reduction of sulfur in organosulfur compounds in fuel to <10 ppmS by the environmental protection agency. Several studies have been conducted to remove sulfur from fuels, most of which have focused on removing refractory sulfur compounds due to the difficulty in removing sulfur in these compounds. However, the currently employed hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts suffer in producing fuels complying with the future standards of fuels quality. Generally, HDS catalysts are made up of metallic components, Co (Ni) and Mo (W), on porous supports, the catalytic activity of these catalysts strongly depends on the amount of NiWS (CoMoS) phases in it and to the extent in which these phases are exposed on the catalyst support surfaces and this is engineered using chelating agents and size of catalysts. To this end, nanosized materials (nanocatalysts) are considered most suitable, as reported active phases of HDS catalysts are exposed, hence improving the hydrodesulfurization of sulfur-containing compounds in fuels. Nanocatalysts results in nanoparticles and when impregnated on a support will results in high surface area, and enhances electronic property, which increases the activity of the catalyst allowing the most refractory sulfur to be removed. The addition of chelating agents such as EDTA, acetic acid, and citric acid further improves the activity of the catalysts by producing more active phases on the catalyst. In this research project, nanocatalysts will be synthesised using mixed metals with and without chelating agents and tested for HDS activity and selectivity towards sulfur using refractory organosulfur compounds in fuels under industrial HDS conditions. This work was divided into two sections, and this dissertation summarizes the research outcomes of each phase. The first section examines the effect of chelating ligands, namely, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid (CA), and acetic acid (AA), on CoMo HDS activity and the sulfidation mechanism. In this study, chelating ligands seem to have a beneficial effect on HDS activity. Detailed mechanistic aspects of interactions between chelating ligands and metallic species (Co-chelating ligands) were also studied. Characterization by SC-XRD revealed that the presence of the chelating ligand result in the formation of complex with cobalt, and the effect of this complex was shown by TG-DSC analysis. This showed that the presence of chelating ligand leads a to delay of cobalt sulfidation as the complex decomposes at higher temperatures, which was the main cause of improving HDS activity. It was also shown that chelating ligands play a role in dispersion of metal oxides and sulfided metal oxides (TEM and XPS). XPS results showed low MoS2 phase for CoMo/Al2O3 (45%), while CoMo-EDTA/Al2O3 (63%) catalyst resulted in high MoS2 phases. From all the catalysts, CoMo-CA/Al2O3 (98%) gave the highest catalytic activity, and the increase in activity could be attributed to the formation of octahedral molybdenum oxides as they are easily reducible during sulfidation and result in more dispersed active phases and weak metal-support interaction. The second section examines the effect of a promoter (Rh) and different chelating ligands (EDTA, AA, and CA) on the catalyst RhMo supported with alumina. In this phase, rhodium was used as promoter, the following trend for catalytic activity was observed: RhMo/Al2O3 (88%) > RhMo-AA/Al2O3 (73%) > RhMo-CA/Al2O3 (72%) > RhMo-EDTA/Al2O3 (68%). This could be that the addition of chelating ligand complexed both metallic species retarding sulfidation of both metals, hence lowering the HDS activity. Studies show that it is possible for the citric acid to complex with both promoter and an active metal (Mo), and this might result in the formation of molybdenum dimers, trimers and tetramers which are difficult to sulfide. XPS analysis showed that unchelated catalyst have more MoS2 phases of 63%, hence higher dispersion than the chelated catalyst, this could be the reason for high activity in RhMo/Al2O3 (88%) catalyst. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
Enhancing the provision of social housing through public-private partnerships in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
- Authors: Sobuza, Duduzile
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54806 , vital:47905
- Description: The purpose of this study was to establish the extent to which the provision of social housing can be enhanced through public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the Buffalo City Municipality. A total quality management approach was used as a foundation to understand the application of PPPs in social housing delivery in the Buffalo City Municipality. The study was desktop research to understand the role of PPPs in the provision of social housing. The findings of the study revealed that PPPs provide additional capital for social housing development. The study highlighted that PPPs play a crucial role in providing alternative management and implementation skills as well as offering greater efficiency in the utilisation of financial resources in the delivery of social housing. The findings of the study further revealed that PPPs accelerate social housing delivery through the provision of additional sources of finance where the government is unable to increase public debt to meet investment needs. The study also identified a plethora of constraints that can hinder the adoption of PPP initiatives in social housing delivery. These include capacity constraints, financial constraints, lack of access to land and an unfavourable policy environment. Subsequently, the study advanced a set of recommendations in this regard that includes the creation of transparent and competitive procurement processes, government support in terms of financial incentives, review of the regulatory framework to improve access to land and the regulation of financial services institutions for access to affordable housing credit. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Department of Public Management and Leadership , 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Entrepreneurial intentions of Eskom employees in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Ngamlana, Vuyiseka Pakama
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53026 , vital:44871
- Description: Entrepreneurship has been gathering increasing attention because of its critical impact on the economy. This is due to Entrepreneurship serving both as an engine driving economic growth and as a strategy, which promotes the discovery, dissemination and implementation of innovation. In South Africa, limited research has been conducted to test the entrepreneurial intentions of employees working in the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs). SOEs such as Eskom are facing significant political, institutional and normative pressures which minimise its ability to perform its mandate. Eskom has a surplus work force with a headcount of 47 600 employees, this is 15 000 more than the headcount it had a decade ago, while the electricity production has not changed. The aim of this study is to examine entrepreneurial intentions of Eskom employees and the factors that influence individuals to select employment in the public sector. The entrepreneurial intention model used in this study draws from the work by Mhlanga (2019). The model consists of culture, family obligations, job security, role modelling, entrepreneurial self – efficacy, access to financial resources and locus of control to entrepreneurial intentions. Convenience sampling was used in this study (n=160). The research design involved a cross-sectional approach. SPSS and STATA statistical software were used for the analyses. Job security, role modelling and selfefficacy were found to influence entrepreneurial intentions of Eskom employees in the Eastern Cape. Eskom employees in the Eastern Cape were found to be optimistic about the availability of financing and accessibility for start-ups business ventures. One of the recommendations therefore is for Eskom management to facilitate initiatives such as Entrepreneurship Workshops for Eskom employees to network and share ideas, with funders and mentors. The target population consist of 2050 employees sample size of 160 respondents was obtained. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, NNU Business School, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Entrepreneurship development in South Africa
- Authors: Sibara, Siphokazi Nontando
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Gqeberha (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/52986 , vital:44894
- Description: The current unemployment rate in South Africa is sitting at 30%. The South African government has identified various ways of combating this high rate. Entrepreneurship has been identified as one of the tools that can be utilised by the country to assist bring down these high levels. However, it seems that even though this is the case, there has been a decline in the sustainability of entrepreneurship. As per the GEM 2018 report on entrepreneurial activity in South Africa in the age group 25 – 34 years, there has been a downward trend as it has increased back from the low 2016 levels of 6.3% to 14.5% in 2017. The study aims to explore variables that can assist to develop entrepreneurship in South Africa, thereby assisting with its sustainability. Once entrepreneurship is sustainable it can assist with creating job opportunities thereby decreasing the high levels of unemployment in the country. The study starts by asking several research questions that introduce the various variables were identified that have an impact on the development of entrepreneurship. The variables that have been identified are the following: education, national and business culture, support, business skills and competencies. The study uses these variables to investigate the path leading to entrepreneurship development in the country. A qualitative research methodology has been used to carry out the research. Participants from the Eastern Cape, East London area are identified as a sample with which to conduct interviews and collect data. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, NMU Business School, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
Evaluating compliance with supply chain management policies in the public sector
- Authors: Mvanana, Siziwe
- Date: 2020-04
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55064 , vital:49027
- Description: Despite reform processes in the employment of Supply Chain Management (SCM) as a strategic tool in the South African public sector, there are predicaments in SCM policies, especially in the public sector. This notwithstanding, research that demystifies the compliance with SCM policies in the public sector. This study evaluate compliance with Supply Chain Management policies in the public sector. The findings of the study revealed that overall the public sector have adopted and implemented the SCM policies. However, SCM policies are sometimes not always aligned with government policies. The most implemented SCM police was demand management, followed by acquisition management. The least implemented policies were logistics, disposal, risk and performance management. No significant differences were observed among the public sector. The public sector face serious SCM challenges in implementing their SCM policies. These challenges stem from: a lack of training for SCM staff, lack of proper capacity, poor planning, and ineffective black economic empowerment in the public sector. Based on the results, there is a need of training for SCM staff, capacity building, better planning interventions, and more effective black economic empowerment. It should be reiterated that the lack of proper SCM policies and procedures are the root cause of problems in service delivery in South Africa. The study concludes by recommending that SCM practitioners should regularly update their SCM policies, ensure proper compliance with the elements of SCM, as well as to source competencies, skills, and knowledge from higher education institutions and private accredited service providers. , Thesis (MPA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2020
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- Date Issued: 2020-04
Evaluating the influence of electoral violence on democratic consolidaton in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of the democratic republic of congo from 2006-2018
- Authors: Poggi, Giovanni
- Date: 2020-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/55073 , vital:49035
- Description: The democratic legitimacy of African executives has been called into question substantially over the last decade. Using the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a case study, this evaluative research seeks to analyse how African executives and political elites continue to play a crucial role in inducing civil unrest and electoral violence. For African democracy to develop, there must be enforced resolutions to eradicate issues facing both procedural and substantive democracy on the continent. This research examined electoral violence and unconstitutional acts that aggravate electoral system abuse and diminish the consolidation of democracy in sub-Saharan African states, in particular the DRC. A specific focus on the leadership of Joseph Kabila in the DRC forms the case study component of this research. In 2016, elections were postponed in the DRC and the DRC’s constitutional court interpreted Article 70 and Article 73 of the constitution in a manner that allowed President Kabila to remain in office until a newly elected president was installed. The court’s ruling and interpretation of Article 70 and Article 73 was an attempt to avoid a power vacuum. The study evaluated the components that trigger the escalation of electoral violence in Sub-Saharan African states. The study reports on different contributory factors, including but not limited to, the impact of predatory and rent-seeking leadership towards electoral manipulation; and the effect of patron-client relations on democratic institutions. Even though elections are not the only indicator of democracy stability in a state, this study demonstrated how electoral violence threatens the consolidation of democracy in sub-Saharan African states, in particular the DRC. In examining electoral violence, a desktop analysis method, which was used in the study, involved the collection of data from existing resources in order to provide a more critical lens to understanding electoral violence in the DRC. The theoretical analysis used in the study is the Höglund (2009) framework on electoral institutions which outlined how political violence remains a pervasive feature in Sub-Saharan countries by linking the framework to patron-clientelism. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 2020
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- Date Issued: 2020-12
Evaluation of local economic development in Jinja City-Uganda
- Authors: Wambi, Brian Dan
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Uganda , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53041 , vital:44905
- Description: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of Local Economic Development in Jinja city of Uganda. The research examined the process of service delivery, strategies of implementing Local Economic Development as well as the impact of the initiated development projects to the people. The results showed that the implementation of Local Economic Development in Jinja city can positively change the citizen’s social and economic status hence an improvement in their livelihood and standards of living. Also, implementation of Local Economic Development can grow domestic businesses and enhance local trade, as well as improve service delivery to the people. The study holds practical implications that Local Economic Development can reduce poverty rates in Jinja city through advancement of industrialisation, elevation of tourism, development of the mining sector, and promotion of fishing and agriculture activities to create jobs for the people. The results of this research hold significant theoretical implications that predictions and explanations based on the studied models in this report can be well replicated in the Ugandan context provided that suitable local content is used instead of imported content. Methodologically a systematic literature review of available published, reviewed articles was carried out, a random sample was used to select the studied articles in this research. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Economics, Development and Tourism, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04