The South African SDG Hub

Matching results: 100

Maximum Results:

Sort By:

SDG 9

Achieving the national development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) through investment in ecological infrastructure: A case study of South Africa
04 April 2018
Stellenbosch University

Cumming, T.L.;Shackleton, R.T.;Forster, J.;Dini, J.;Khan, A.;Gumula, M.;Kubiszewski, I.

Ecological infrastructure (EI) refers to ecosystems that deliver services to society, functioning as a nature-based equivalent of, or complement to, built infrastructure. EI is critical for socio-economic development, supporting a suite of development imperatives at local, national and international scales. This paper presents the myriad of ways that EI supports sustainable development, using South Africa and the South African National Development Plan as a case study, linking to the Sustainable Development Goals on a global level. We show the need for EI across numerous development and sustainability issues, including food security, water provision, and poverty alleviation. A strategic and multi-sectoral approach to EI investment is essential for allocating scarce public and private resources for achieving economic and social-ecological priorities. Opportunities to unlock investment in EI, both internationally and on the national level, are identified. This includes leveraging private sector investment into landscape management and integrating the costs of managing EI into public sectors that benefit directly from ecosystem services, such as the water sector and infrastructure development. Additionally, investing in EI also aligns well with international development and climate change funds. Investment in EI from a range of innovative sources supports global and national development, while complementing other development investments.
Collaborative learning to unlock investments for functional ecological infrastructure: Bridging barriers in social-ecological systems in South Africa
04 April 2018
Stellenbosch University

Angelstam, P.;Barnes, G.;Elbakidze, M.;Marais, C.;Marsh, A.;Polonsky, S.;Richardson, D.M.;Rivers, N.;Shackleton, R.T.;Stafford, W.

Maintenance of functional ecological (or green) infrastructure is threatened by habitat conversion, fragmentation and loss, water scarcity, invasive species, climate change, resource extraction, poor policy implementation and societal inequity. Using South Africa as a case study, our transdisciplinary team identified actions likely to be effective in scaling up research and development projects that support implementation of policy about ecological infrastructure by active adaptive management. Based on expert knowledge at three scales, we analysed South Africa's opportunity to active adaptive management and to unlock investments that enhance functional ecological infrastructure. Barriers included lack of trust among actors, limited collaborative governance and integrated planning, including local partnerships; as well as a poor inclusion of evidence based knowledge based on monitoring of landscape restoration efforts and its social and ecological consequences. Bridges include practicing transdisciplinary knowledge production, enhancing social learning among actors and stakeholders, and advocacy based on improved understanding. We propose a portfolio of place-based actions that could help to facilitate unlocking investments for functional ecological infrastructure by prioritising conservation, management and restoration through integrated cross-scale, collaborative and multi-sector spatial planning. Understanding the structure and dynamics of social-ecological systems, identifying champions, framing key messages for different audiences, and sharing failures and success stories internationally, are crucial requirements to unlock investments.
Invasion science and the global spread of SARS-CoV-2
31 July 2020
Stellenbosch University

Nunez, M.A.;Pauchard, A.;Ricciardi, A.

Emerging infectious diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), are driven by ecological and socioeconomic factors, and their rapid spread and devastating impacts mirror those of invasive species. Collaborations between biomedical researchers and ecologists, heretofore rare, are vital to limiting future outbreaks. Enhancing the crossdisciplinary framework offered by invasion science could achieve this goal.
A survey dataset to evaluate the changes in mobility and transportation due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa, United States
02 February 2021
Stellenbosch University

Barbieri, D.M.;Lou, B;Passavanti, M.;Hui, C.;Lessa, D.A.;Maharaj, B.;Banerjee, A.;Wang, F.;Chang, K.;Naik, B.;Yu, L.;Liu, Z.;Sikka, G.;Tucker, A.;Mirhosseini, A.F.;Naseri, S.;Qiao, Y.;Gupta, A.;Abbas, M.;Fang, K.;Ghasemi, N.;Peprah, P.;Goswami, S.;Hessami, A.;Agarwal, N.;Lam, L.;Adomako, S.

COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted the global community. To curb the viral transmission, travel restrictions have been enforced across the world. The dataset documents the mobility disruptions and the modal shifts that have occurred as a consequence of the restrictive measures implemented in ten countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the United States. An online questionnaire was distributed during the period from the 11st to the 31st of May 2020, with a total of 9 394 respondents. The first part of the survey has characterized the frequency of use of all transport modes before and during the enforcement of the restrictions, while the second part of the survey has dealt with perceived risks of contracting COVID-19 from different transport modes and perceived effectiveness of travel mitigation measures. Overall, the dataset (stored in a repository publicly available) can be conveniently used to quantify and understand the modal shifts and people's cognitive behavior towards travel due to COVID-19. The collected responses can be further analysed by considering other demographic and socioeconomic covariates.
Levers and leverage points for pathways to sustainability
04 February 2021
Stellenbosch University

Chan, K.M.A.;Boyd, D.R.;Gould, R.K.;Jetzkowitz, J.;Liu, J.;Muraca, B.;Naidoo, R.;Olmsted, P.;Satterfield, T.;Selomane, O.;Singh, G.G.;Sumaila, R.;Ngo, H.T.;Boedhihartono, A.K.;Agard, J.;de Aguiar, A.P.D.;Armenteras, D.;Balint, L.;Barrington-Leigh, C.;Cheung, W.W.L.;Díaz, S.;Driscoll, J.;Esler, K.J.;Eyster, H.;Gregr, E.J.;Hashimoto, S.;Hernández Pedraza, G.C.;Hickler, T.;Kok, M.;Lazarova, T.;Mohamed, A.A.A.;Murray-Hudson, M.;O'Farrell, P.;Palomo, I.;Saysel, A.K.;Seppelt, R.;Settele, J.;Strassburg, B.;Xue, D.;Brondízio, E.S.

Humanity is on a deeply unsustainable trajectory. We are exceeding planetary boundaries and unlikely to meet many international sustainable development goals and global environmental targets. Until recently, there was no broadly accepted framework of interventions that could ignite the transformations needed to achieve these desired targets and goals. As a component of the IPBES Global Assessment, we conducted an iterative expert deliberation process with an extensive review of scenarios and pathways to sustainability, including the broader literature on indirect drivers, social change and sustainability transformation. We asked, what are the most important elements of pathways to sustainability? Applying a social–ecological systems lens, we identified eight priority points for intervention (leverage points) and five overarching strategic actions and priority interventions (levers), which appear to be key to societal transformation. The eight leverage points are: (1) Visions of a good life, (2) Total consumption and waste, (3) Latent values of responsibility, (4) Inequalities, (5) Justice and inclusion in conservation, (6) Externalities from trade and other telecouplings, (7) Responsible technology, innovation and investment, and (8) Education and knowledge generation and sharing. The five intertwined levers can be applied across the eight leverage points and more broadly. These include: (A) Incentives and capacity building, (B) Coordination across sectors and jurisdictions, (C) Pre‐emptive action, (D) Adaptive decision-making and (E) Environmental law and implementation. The levers and leverage points are all non-substitutable, and each enables others, likely leading to synergistic benefits. Transformative change towards sustainable pathways requires more than a simple scaling-up of sustainability initiatives—it entails addressing these levers and leverage points to change the fabric of legal, political, economic and other social systems. These levers and leverage points build upon those approved within the Global Assessment's Summary for Policymakers, with the aim of enabling leaders in government, business, civil society and academia to spark transformative changes towards a more just and sustainable world.
Explaining the impact of mHealth on maternal and child health care in low- and middle-income countries: a realist synthesis
29 April 2021
Stellenbosch University

Kabongo, Eveline M.;Mukumbang, Ferdinand C.;Delobelle, Peter;Nicol, Edward

Abstract Background Despite the growing global application of mobile health (mHealth) technology in maternal and child health, contextual factors, and mechanisms by which interventional outcomes are generated, have not been subjected to a systematic examination. In this study, we sought to uncover context, mechanisms, and outcome elements of various mHealth interventions based on implementation and evaluation studies to formulate theories or models explicating how mHealth interventions work (or not) both for health care providers and for pregnant women and mothers. Method We undertook a realist synthesis. An electronic search of five online databases (PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, Scopus, Academic Search Premier and Health Systems Evidence) was performed. Using appropriate Boolean phrases terms and selection procedures, 32 articles were identified. A theory-driven approach, narrative synthesis, was applied to synthesize the data. Thematic content analysis was used to delineate elements of the intervention, including its context, actors, mechanisms, and outcomes. Abduction and retroduction were applied using a realist evaluation heuristic tool to formulate generative theories. Results We formulated two configurational models illustrating how and why mHealth impacts implementation and uptake of maternal and child health care. Implementation-related mechanisms include buy-in from health care providers, perceived support of health care providers’ motivation and perceived ease of use and usefulness. These mechanisms are influenced by adaptive health system conditions including organization, resource availability, policy implementation dynamics, experience with technology, network infrastructure and connectivity. For pregnant women and mothers, mechanisms that trigger mHealth use and consequently uptake of maternal and child health care include perceived satisfaction, motivation and positive psychological support. Information overload was identified as a potential negative mechanism impacting the uptake of maternal and child health care. These mechanisms are influenced by health system conditions, socio-cultural characteristics, socio-economic and demographics characteristics, network infrastructure and connectivity and awareness. Conclusion Models developed in this study provide a detailed understanding of implementation and uptake of mHealth interventions and how and why they impact maternal and child health care in low- and middle-income countries. These models provide a foundation for the ‘white box’ of theory-driven evaluation of mHealth interventions and can improve rollout and implementation where required.
Measuring the inward FDI potential of South African regions
01 July 2009
North West University

Krugell, Waldo;Matthee, Marianne

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to construct an index that captures the factors expected to affect a local economy's attractiveness to foreign investors. Problem statement: Following South Africa's reintegration into the world economy in 1994, foreign direct investment has been seen as a potential driver of growth and development. Concerns about the low investment rate in South Africa raise the possibility of augmenting domestic with foreign investment expenditure. The potential of technology spillovers and skills transfer from foreign direct investment have also been emphasised. As a result, Trade and Investment South Africa is involved in identifying, packaging and promoting investment opportunities. However, investments tend to be place-specific and this has lead to the decentralisation of foreign direct investment promotion. Currently the nine provincial development agencies are competing to attract investors and the larger local governments are also getting involved in the fray. This paper argues that some places have better potential to attract foreign investment than others. A first step to use scarce investment promotion resources more efficiently would be to measure the inward FDI potential of South African regionsApproach: This paper uses principal components analysis to construct an index that captures the factors expected to affect a local economy's attractiveness to foreign investors. This approach draws on UNCTAD's Inward FDI Potential Index and applies it to 354 magisterial districts in South Africa for the periods 1996, 2001 and 2006. The index creates a summary measure of FDI potential. Findings: The results show that different places present differential potential in urbanization and localization economies and market size. The high-potential locations are typically found in or around the major agglomerations, but there are a few smaller places on the periphery that offer FDI potential. Contribution: The index should aid the location decisions of prospective investors as well as local policymakers in their efforts to promote FDI-led economic development. Conclusion: The places with high FDI potential are not randomly scattered across South Africa, but tend to cluster together. Cities and towns can improve their attractiveness to foreign investors through the exploitation of natural resources, population growth, economic growth and strengthening links to metropolitan areas.
Interactive network graphs of Biblical Hebrew data.
14 July 2009
North West University

Kroeze, J.H.;Bothma, Theo J.D.;Matthee, Machdel C.;Kruger, Ockert C.;Kroeze, Jan C.W.

Knowledge workers, including Biblical Hebrew computational linguists, should look into the possibilities offered by graphical visualisation techniques to allow explorative investigation of available linguistic data, since this may prompt new hypotheses, which may then be examined in more traditional, empirical ways. This article experiments with two-dimensional and three-dimensional implementations of interactive network graphs to enable dynamic, "what-if" investigations, using semantic-role data from Genesis I:1-2:3, marked up in XML.
Corporate social responsibility, legislative reforms and mining in South Africa.
25 August 2009
North West University

Du Plessis, Willemien;Kloppers, Henk

The South African mining industry is currently one of the largest contributing sectors to the country’s economy. In the years preceeding the new constitutional era, the sole aim of the mining sector was the exploitation of South Africa’s rich mineral resources while the majority of South Africans only benefitted indirectly from the infrastructure and economy established by the mining sector. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by the mining sector was to a large extent neglected and only received attention after the introduction of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 and the promulgation of legislation such as the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002. Although the concept of CSR has been developing since the 1970s, there is still no single universally accepted definition. South African legislation does not place an obligation on companies to fulfil their CSR. However, CSR language is used to bring about measures to achieve some of the CSR objectives. Since the abolition of the apartheid system several pieces of legislation were passed in parliament dealing with skills development and the redress of past discrimination, as well as to ensure that everyone in South Africa has an opportunity to share in the country’s wealth. The purpose of the paper is to indicate how South African legislation indirectly introduced CSR and how this legislation impacts on the mining industry. In this article a brief interpretation of the definition of CSR in the South African context is given, after which legislation that indirectly introduces CSR is discussed. Voluntary mechanisms are then discussed with reference to CSR practice in order to come to a conclusion and to make recommendations.
Optimal auditing in the banking industry
15 December 2009
North West University

Bosch, T.;Mukuddem-Petersen, J.;Petersen, M.A.;Schoeman, I.

As a result of the new regulatory prescripts for banks, known as the Basel II Capital Accord, there has been a heightened interest in the auditing process. Our paper considers this issue with a particular emphasis on the auditing of reserves, assets and capital in both a random and non-random framework. The analysis relies on the stochastic dynamic modeling of banking items such as loans, reserves, Treasuries, outstanding debts, bank capital and government subsidies. In this regard, one of the main novelties of our contribution is the establishment of optimal bank reserves and a rate of depository consumption that is of importance during an (random) audit of the reserve requirements. Here the specific choice of a power utility function is made in order to obtain an analytic solution in a Lévy process setting. Furthermore, we provide explicit formulas for the shareholder default and regulator closure rules, for the case of a Poisson-distributed random audit. A property of these rules is that they define the standard for minimum capital adequacy in an implicit way. In addition, we solve an optimal auditing time problem for the Basel II capital adequacy requirement by making use of Lévy process-based models. This result provides information about the optimal timing of an internal audit when the ambient value of the capital adequacy ratio is taken into account and the bank is able to choose the time at which the audit takes place. Finally, we discuss some of the economic issues arising from the analysis of the stochastic dynamic models of banking items and the optimization procedure related to the auditing process
Consensus ranking: an ICT security awareness
18 January 2010
North West University

Kruger, H.A.;Kearney, W.D.

There are many disciplines where the problem of consensus ranking plays a vital role. Decision-makers are frequently asked to express their preferences for a group of objects, e.g. new projects, new products, candidates in an election, etc. The basic problem then becomes one of combining the individual rankings into a group choice or consensus ranking. The objective of this paper is to report on the application of two management science methodologies to the problem of identifying the most important areas to be included in an Information Communications Technology (ICT) security awareness program. The first methodology is based on the concept of minimizing the distance (disagreement) between individual rankings, while the second one employs a heuristic approach. A real-world case study from the mining industry is presented to illustrate the methods
Guiding principles for developing adaptive software products
30 September 2010
North West University

Mavetera, N.;Kroeze, Jan H.

This paper presents an analysis of problems that are faced by software development practitioners. While communication, team management, coding and software documentation are some of the persistent problems, the first and major troubles for software practitioners is to select appropriate software development approach. This approach should allow developers to develop adaptive software products. The role of organizational culture, context, practice and concepts in developing adaptive software products is also discussed. This qualitative research study interviewed seven software development practitioners in South Africa, focusing on software developmental methods that allow the capturing of softer, human elements inherent in organizations and the accompanying problems that inhibit their inclusion in the resultant software products. The research used Grounded Theory Method, to construct a framework of requirements that must be considered when choosing a software development approach that allows the development of adaptive software products. This framework highlights the importance of employing a software development approach that is grounded in the relativistic paradigm, adopting a behavioral systems approach and adopting methods whose communication techniques and tools can capture the humanist elements that are inherent in organizational systems.
Hominisation and humanisation: a perspective from the sociology of technics
10 January 2011
North West University

Wolff, Ernst

This essay will present a few challenges to a new Humanism from the perspective of the sociology of technics. For this purpose Humanism will be described as an effort to intervene in the process of human formation or hominisation. In order to intervene an understanding of this process is needed. Hominisation starts in the Palaeolithic era: technics, religion, language and the human being mutually give birth to one another. Reference will be made especially to the work of Leroi-Gourhan and Girard to analyse this point. Hominisation, however, is a continuous process and has not come to an end. The most recent phase of our hominisation is the industrial revolution: Western modernisation seems to be the future of global humanity. But industrialisation spreads unevenly, leading to a varied network of the human conditions, of advantages and disadvantages. A critical assessment of Africa’s position in the global politics of technics will lead to a description of inhuman conditions as part of the network of industrialisation. The scale and extent of misery tolerated and produced by this era of hominisation could be considered as a possible springboard from where to reflect on a contemporary global Humanism even after the ‘death of God’ in modernity. But to what extent does modernisation allow intervention in the process of industrial hominisation in order to give it the quality of humanization? Aspects of theories on multiple or alternative modernities are considered. A suggestion to the kind of humanist orientation solicited by the inhuman condition of misery is presented with reference to Nussbaum’s capabilities theory. Finding the content of a new Humanism is, however, only a beginning of a new humanization. The technical conditions for the possibility of a new Humanism and of its transmission are reflected on. In conclusion, on the basis of the preceding analyses, five technics-orientated tasks for a new Humanism will be identified.
The role of technology in the economic growth of South Africa: The case of frequency allocations to cellular operators
11 January 2011
North West University

Mellet, A

Economists associate long-term economic growth with technological progress. Earlier growth literature, as well as modern literature, states to sustain a positive growth rate of output per capita in the long run, there must be continual advances in technological knowledge. This fact is embedded in one of the main growth models, namely the Solow growth model. This article firstly discusses the connection between technology and growth in the various models. Any country needs a positive real growth to develop. To create a better scenario for all its inhabitants, it is therefore important that technological development must be employed in the system. Secondly the focus is on analyzing the role of technology and mobile phones from a growth perspective in developing countries. Various studies by independent annalists are referred to regarding studies about the impact of mobile phones in Africa. Various African countries experienced development by using more mobile phones. Finally, attention is given to frequency allocation to provide voice or data access services for mobile phone users by ICASA, as the controlling body in South Africa. This scarce resource is not effectively allocated for the following reasons: the allocation between government institutions and private sector companies is not economically equitable; and the allocation amongst private sector companies is also not economically equitable. Ineffective frequency allocation is then considered to be a waste of a scarce resource. This wastage, against the background of studies in Africa regarding mobile phones and GDP, will accordingly reduce the potential development of all the inhabitants of South Africa.
The cost of banking services and the technical efficiency of a South African bank
26 January 2011
North West University

Van Heerden, C.;Van der Westhuizen, G.

Does the performance of one of the four largest banks in South Africa justify the customers’ complaints about the higher bank fees? Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used to estimate the technical efficiency and returns to scale of one of the largest banks in South Africa. The intermediation approach was applied to classify the inputs and outputs and the analyses were conducted with both input- and output- orientation under variable returns to scale. Returns to scale efficiency and technical efficiency for 37 districts over a period of 22 months were estimated. The analyses indicated that 19 districts out of the 37 districts were never fully technically efficient during the 22 months (input- and output-orientated). It appears that customers’ complaints about high service fees are justified.
The Role of ICT within Small and Medium Enterprises in Gauteng.
06 July 2011
North West University

Modimogale, Lloyd;Kroeze, Jan H.

This article discusses the role of information and communication technology (ICT) within the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in Gauteng, a province in South Africa. ICT plays a very important role in the current knowledge economy. It is vital for SMEs to participate in this economy in order to compete and thrive in the future. The problem is that SMEs are mainly using traditional tools to stay competitive. They need to take advantage of the power of ICT in order to take on the competition, whether small, big or global. Both the traditional and the ICT tools are very important for the competitiveness of the business. The article follows a qualitative research approach and uses semi-structured questionnaires with open-ended questions as data gathering method. There are a number of reasons why an SME might not implement ICT tools, such as limited funds, lack of knowledge, lack of skilled staff and lack of tools. The article highlights the limitation that SMEs have in using ICT and make recommendations on how to overcome them.
Municipal engineers and local government in the Transvaal before 1910.
19 January 2012
North West University

Mäki, H

This paper examines the history of the first town engineers in the Transvaal before the Union. It will briefly examine the changes in local government in the Transvaal, focusing on municipal engineers. Examination is made of the selection processes applied in their appointments and the circumstances at the end of their tenures. It explores what was expected of municipal engineers during this period; shows what their position within the municipal structure was; and explains how vague their job description was in relation to their wide field of operation. The development of the engineer’s position in the municipal management hierarchy is interesting. He was an important figure in local government, had specific responsibilities and enjoyed specific powers. It emerges that most early town engineers had training via apprenticeship for the positions they held and that there was added pressure from elected councillors in municipalities who were prone to assiduously monitor how officials were spending public money.
Using iPods to teach History.
16 February 2012
North West University

Iyer, Leevina

The development of modern technology is the gateway to a completely different world, one where education is governed not by the educator's ability to teach; or his/her capability to pass on knowledge to learners, but rather by the availability of technological advancements which can be used as educational tools as well as a way in which to access, manipulate and create data and information. In this essay I shall discuss the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in History Education, while paying special attention and focusing a great deal on the use of iPods as a newly emerging and promising medium through which to teach History.
Automation of generalized additive neural networks for predictive data mining
03 September 2012
North West University

De Waal, David A.;Du Toit, Jan V.

For a new technology to make the step from experimental technology to mainstream technology, tools need to be created to facilitate the use of the developed technology in the envisaged application area. Generalized additive neural networks provide an attractive framework that shows promise in the field of predictive data mining. However, the construction of such networks is very time consuming and subjective, because it depends on the user to interpret partial residual plots and to make changes in the neural network architecture. For this technology to be accepted as a serious modeling option in the field of predictive data mining the construction process needs to be automated and the benefits of using the technique must be clearly illuminated. This article shows how intelligent search may be used to replace subjective human judgment with objective criteria and make generalized additive neural networks an attractive option for the modeler.
Unauthorised adaptation of computer programmes - is criminalisation a solution? - Haupt T/A Softcopy v Brewers Marketing Intelligence (PTY) LTD 2006 4 SA 458 (SCA)
03 September 2012
North West University

Muswaka, L

In Haupt t/a Softcopy v Brewers Marketing Intelligence (Pty) Ltd 2006 4 SA 458 (SCA) Haupt sought to enforce a copyright claim in the Data Explorer computer programme against Brewers Marketing Intelligence (Pty) Ltd. His claim was dismissed in the High Court and he appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal. The Court held that copyright in the Data Explorer programme vested in Haupt. Haupt acquired copyright in the Data Explorer programme regardless of the fact that the programme was as a result of an unauthorised adaptation of the Project AMPS programme which belonged to Brewers Marketing Intelligence (Pty) Ltd. This case note inter alia analyses the possibility of an author being sued for infringement even though he has acquired copyright in a work that he created by making unauthorised adaptations to another's copyright material. Furthermore, it examines whether or not the law adequately protects copyright owners in situations where infringement takes the form of unauthorised adaptations of computer programmes. It is argued that the protection afforded by the Copyright Act 98 of 1978 (Copyright Act) in terms of section 27(1) to copyright owners of computer programmes is narrowly defined. It excludes from its ambit of criminal liability the act of making unauthorised adaptation of computer programmes. The issue that is considered is therefore whether or not the unauthorised adaptation of computer programmes should attract a criminal sanction. In addressing this issue and with the aim of making recommendations, the legal position in the United Kingdom (UK) is analysed. From the analysis it is recommended that the Copyright Act be amended by the insertion of a new section, section 27(1)(A), which will make the act of making an unauthorised adaptation of a computer programme an offence. This recommended section will close the gap that currently exists in our law with regard to unauthorised adaptations of computer programmes.
Correlation between brand longevity and the diffusion of innovations theory
31 October 2012
North West University

Gouws, Helena Catharina;Van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, George Peter

This article attempts to apply the diffusion of innovations theory to the current concepts of branding of products and services that have roots in both marketing and communication. The authors attempt to analyse the diffusion of innovation theory and to draw correlations between the fundamental principles of diffusion and those of branding of products and services in practice. The following research question was posed: What are the correlations between the diffusion of innovations theory and branding principles and practices today? The concepts of ‘diffusion of innovations’ and ‘diffusion of information’ are used interchangeably throughout this article. The rationale for this is that in some cases, a technology may be almost entirely composed of information although a methodological problem in such studies is that their adoption cannot be so easily traced or observed in a physical sense. The innovation–decision process is essentially an information-seeking and information-processing activity in which the individual is motivated to reduce uncertainty about the advantages and disadvantages of the innovation.
The South African human language technology audit
05 November 2012
North West University

Grover, Aditi Sharma;Pretorius, Marthinus;Van Huyssteen, Gerhardus Beukes

Human language technology (HLT) has been identified as a priority area by the South African government. However, despite efforts by government and the research and development (R&D) community, South Africa has not yet been able to maximise the opportunities of HLT and create a thriving HLT industry. One of the key challenges is the fact that there is insufficient codified knowledge about the current South African HLT components, their attributes and existing relationships. Hence a technology audit was conducted for the South African HLT landscape, to create a systematic and detailed inventory of the status of the HLT components across the eleven official languages. Based on the Basic Language Resource Kit (BLaRK) framework Krauwer (ELRA Newslett 3(2), 1998), we used various data collection methods (such as focus groups, questionnaires and personal consultations with HLT experts) to gather detailed information. The South African HLT landscape is analysed using a number of complementary approaches and based on the interpretations of the results, recommendations are made on how to accelerate HLT development in South Africa, as well as on how to conduct similar audits in other countries and contexts.
CFD applications in the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Project: a decade of progress
15 November 2012
North West University

Kleingeld, Marius;Janse van Rensburg, Jacobus Johannes

Of all the systems and components that have to be designed for a nuclear plant, the Reactor Unit is the most significant since it is at the very heart of the plant. At Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd. (PBMR), the design of the Reactor Unit is conducted with the aid of extensive analysis work. Due to the rapid computational improvements, the analysis capabilities have had to evolve rather significantly over the last decade. This paper evaluates the evolution of RU Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis in particular and presents a historical timeline of the analyses conducted at PBMR. The influence of advances in the hardware and software applications on the evolution of the analysis capabilities is also discussed. When evaluating the evolution of analysis, it is important to look not only at the advances in mesh generation and the representation of the geometry, but also at the improvements regarding the physics that were included in the models. The discussion evaluates the improvements from the pre-conceptual analyses, the concept design, the basic design and finally, the detail design. It is however important to note that the focus of this research was on establishing a methodology for the integrated CFD analysis of High Temperature Reactors. It is recognized however that results from this research can currently only be used to investigate and understand trends and behaviors rather than absolute values. It was therefore required to also launch an extensive V&V program of which the focus was to verify the approach and validate the methodology that was established. The final aim was therefore to combine the research into the methodology with that of V&V in an effort to determine uncertainty bands which would enable the researcher to supply absolute results with an uncertainty value attached.
An integrated service excellence model for military test and evaluation facilities
11 January 2013
North West University

De Coning, Armscor Gerhard;Van der Waldt, Gerrit

The purpose of this article is to introduce an Integrated Service Excellence Model (ISEM) for empowering the leadership core of the capital-intensive military test and evaluation facilities to provide strategic military test and evaluation services and to continuously improve service excellence by ensuring that all activities necessary to design, develop and implement a test and evaluation service are effective and efficient. In order to develop the ISEM, various management tools and productivity and quality models were identified and tested through an empirical study conducted amongst the various test and evaluation facilities’ leadership core. Solutions to financial, human resource and environmental challenges as well as quality standards were built into the ISEM. Governance principles and leadership perceptions and recommendations further contributed to the development of the ISEM.
Identifying opportunities for deterministic network coding in wireless mesh networks
11 January 2013
North West University

Grobler, Magdalena Johanna;Helberg, Albertus Stephanus Jacobus

Recent advances in methods to improve network utilisation has lead to the introduction of Network Coding, a technique that can reduce local congestion in a network by combining information sent over the network. In this paper the use of deterministic Network Coding in a Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) is proposed. A method to determine where Network Coding can be implemented in a WMN is presented. It is shown that the inherent properties of WMNs provide good opportunities for the implementation of this method.
European and American perspectives on the choice of law regarding cross-border insolvencies of multinational corporations - suggestions for South Africa
31 January 2013
North West University

Weideman, J;Stander, A L

An increase in economic globalisation and international trade has amounted to an increase in the number of multinational enterprises that have debt, own assets and conduct business in various jurisdictions around the world. This, coupled with the recent worldwide economic recession, has inevitably caused the increased occurrence of multinational financial default, also known as cross-border insolvency (CBI). The legal response to this trend has, inter alia, produced two important international instruments that were designed to address key issues associated with CBI. Firstly, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency (the Model Law) in 1997, which has been adopted by nineteen countries including the United States of America and South Africa. Secondly, the European Union (EU) adopted the European Council Regulation on Insolvency Proceedings (EC Regulation) in 2000. Both the EC Regulation and Chapter 15 adopt a “modified universalist” approach towards CBI matters. Europe and the United States of America are currently the world leaders in the area of CBI and the CBI legislation adopted and applied in these jurisdictions seems to be effective. As South Africa’s Cross-Border Insolvency Act is not yet effective, there is no local policy guidance available to insolvency practitioners with regard to the application of the Model Law. At the basis of this article is the view that an analysis of the European and American approaches to CBI matters will provide South African practitioners with valuable insight, knowledge and lessons that could be used to understand and apply the principles adopted and applied in terms of the EC Regulation and Chapter 15, specifically the COMI concept, the “establishment” concept in the case of integrated multinational enterprises and related aspects.
Driving corporate social responsibility (CSR) through the companies act: an overview of the role of the social and ethics committee
20 May 2013
North West University

Kloppers, Henk J

The corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement can be described as a bundle of trends comprising regulatory frameworks aimed at improving corporate practices and leading to changes in these practices, the mobilisation of corporate role players to support the development of states, and a management trend the purpose of which is to enhance the legitimacy of a business. Government is regarded as one of the most important driving forces behind the CSR agenda and it has a particularly important role to play in the creation of an enabling CSR environment. In general, advocates of legislative involvement in framing the CSR policy highlight the failure of existing voluntary systems as one of the main reasons why the state should play a more important role in the facilitation of CSR. Although governments realise the importance of encouraging socially responsible business, it should be noted that CSR should not replace regulation or legislation concerning social rights. Furthermore CSR should not be seen as shifting (or outsourcing) the state's responsibility for the provision of basic services (such as education or the provision of health services) to the private sector and thus "privatising" the state's responsibilities. However, the legacies of apartheid remain firmly entrenched in the social problems facing South Africa and it seems as if the Government is unable to deliver the social and physical infrastructure required to effect the desired transformation, thus necessitating the engagement of the private sector. The role of Government in establishing a CSR policy framework and driving CSR has become increasingly important. The (perceived) failure of the welfare state has given further impetus to the move of governments toward tapping into the resources of the private sector (through their CSR) in order to address socio-economic challenges. A purely voluntary approach to CSR without any legislative intervention will not succeed – a clear public policy requiring the implementation of socially responsible practices by the entire private sector is a necessity. Governments in general are increasingly beginning to view CSR as cost-effective means to enhance their sustainable development strategies, and as a part of their national competitiveness strategies to attract foreign direct investment. Given South Africa's history, legislation should be viewed as one of the main instruments enabling the Government to address the private sector's social, environmental and economic outreach activities. Against this background, this contribution identifies the regulations released in terms of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 in which the issue of the social and ethics committee is dealt with, as an important measure taken by Government to create a possible CSR platform. This contribution argues that the requirements regarding the creation of a social and ethics committee have the potential to embed the CSR notion in the corporate conscience. The aim of the contribution is to provide an overview of the role of the social and ethics committee, as envisaged by the Companies Regulations, 2011, as a potential driver of CSR.
Establishing and developing business networks: the importance of trust
18 October 2013
North West University

De Klerk, Saskia

The purpose of this research was to explore the importance of trust in establishing and developing business networks. The perceived levels of trust, commitment, cooperation, common interest and openness needed for successful business relationships were explored. A multi-method design, consisting of focus groups and a survey, provided a deeper understanding of such robust networking, such as trust and business networking. The mixed methods and then a survey for triangulation were used sequentially with focus groups to gather rich descriptive data and to measure content validity and trustworthiness. Participants (business owners or manager) were included and responses were received from opinion leaders in businesses, mainly from the services, retail and manufacturing sectors. Trust was identified as the singular most important cornerstone of a relationship and therefore of a network. The experiences of the participants showed that they feel that to build a relationship on trust, the partners in the relationship should be credible, have integrity, add value and communicate this value in a clear and non-obtrusive way. Trust was mentioned by both genders, all ages and for supplier, customer and partnering relationships, as the crucial element in determining business networking success. The mixed methods provide a more in-depth look at a multidimensional topic, such as trust. The individual experience of business owners and managers with regard to their measurement of trust in their relationships are unique and gives valuable insight for future investigations and understanding. Conducting their business at these festivals better. Training, facilitation and creating networking opportunities and engagement on higher levels of entrepreneur and management development might then be developed.
Leading a successful change intervention in a modern organisation: key elements to consider
18 October 2013
North West University

Coetzee, Carolus Reinecke;Ukpere, Wilfred;Visagie, Jan Christoffel

The reality today is that organizations and leaders are faced with unrelenting demands for change. Globalisation, competitiveness and ever changing business environments have forced organisations to constantly consider innovative changes. The challenge today is for leaders to be able to reduce the resistance to change, thus allowing for successful change navigation. It is therefore necessary to be mindful of the various approaches to change to ensure that successful change can be successfully implemented. This article will outline some of these approaches. In-depth interviews were conducted with five senior executives in the case company, and questionnaires were distributed to 301 employees at different levels within a single division in the same organisation. By following the mixed method approach in two separate phases namely the qualitative and quantitative it was possible to gather the requisite data.
The quality of human capital in South Africa: evidence from a firm survey
21 October 2013
North West University

Kleynhans, Ewert Philippus Johannes;Labuschagne, Johannes Riaan

This paper examines the restrictive nature of human capital in the South African economy, and the impact it has on productivity in the manufacturing sector. These restrictions include an inadequately educated workforce and inflexible labour regulations. Survey analysis along with regression and factor analysis examine the most likely causes of productivity increases. Factor analysis revealed that productivity is driven by three underlying dimensions, namely human capital development, management’s competitiveness and location. Human capital development was also shown to be inadequate in small and medium-sized establishments.
Spillover effects enhancing sales, production and competitiveness of South African manufacturers
21 October 2013
North West University

Kleynhans, Ewert Philippus Johannes;Swart, Anesca

With the surge of globalisation, economic systems became integrated across borders and it became easier for firms to share knowledge and improve their global competitiveness. This study examined the connections between firms in the manufacturing industries with regard to knowledge and innovation spillover effects on a regional, national and international basis. The contributions of spillover effects, improving competitiveness of firms, were also investigated. The role of education in facilitating spillover effects also received attention. The results showed a significant interconnectedness between firm growth and knowledge sharing on all levels. The importance of a productive human capital base was also confirmed.
Harnessing intellectual property for development: some thoughts on an appropriate theoretical framework
29 January 2014
North West University

Ncube, Caroline Bongiwe

This paper considers how an appropriate theoretical framework for Intellectual Property may be constructed. Such a framework would be the lens through which contested IP issues may be resolved and upon which national IP policy and legislation might be based. The paper begins by highlighting the inherent tensions in IP, which are caused by the various stakeholder interests that this body of law seeks to balance, and by the cross-cutting nature of IP. It contends that in order to more equitably balance the contesting rights of the creators and users, IP rights should be formulated and enforced so as to meet societal goals or serve public interest, be responsive to the economic environment, and take cognisance of the human rights claims of both creators and users. National socio-economic goals should inform such a framework in a way that ensures that IP is used as a means to achieve these goals and is not perceived as an end. This will require nuances in policy and legislation that meet the country's needs. In particular, as a developing country South Africa would do well to exploit available flexibilities in the various international IP agreements by which it is bound. Due regard also ought to be had to the users' need for affordable access to IP-protected goods in order that they may exercise the right to work and access to knowledge, as provided for by ss 22 and 16 of the Constitution respectively. Similarly, creators ought to be given due recognition, together with reasonable reward and remuneration for their efforts. This will be achieved through the creation of an IP system that provides protection that is compatible with the nature of the good being protected and the manner in which the creative process unfolds. Such protection should rely on registration systems are efficient, simplified and affordable. The accompanying enforcement system should be equally accessible, although the costs of enforcement would depend on the forum used to secure redress. Finally, the resulting IP regulatory framework should be both certain and clear.
A grammar of business rules in Information Systems
29 January 2014
North West University

Joubert, Pieter;Kroeze, Jan H;De Villiers, Carina

There are many situations during information system development (ISD) where there is a need to do modelling on a business level before more detailed and robust modelling are done on the technical system level. Most business level modelling uses some form of natural language constructs which are, on the one hand, easy to use by untrained users, but which are too vague and ambiguous to be used in subsequent systems level modelling by systems analysts, on the other hand. The goal of this article is to suggest a subset of morphology, syntax and semantics concepts that may be used to analyse texts containing business rules during Information Systems analysis and design. The contribution of this research is to provide a better understanding of the fundamental entities in business and ISD modelling and their relationships in order to improve informal, mostly textual, business modelling.
A comparative overview of the (sometimes uneasy) relationship between digital information and certain legal fields in South Africa and Uganda
14 April 2014
North West University

Van der Merwe, Dana

The present article focuses on the (sometimes problematic) relationship between digital information and certain legal fields. Most legal rules developed long before the arrival of the computer and the digital telephone, and these rules are now under considerable strain to adapt. Digital information is rapidly becoming one of the 21st Century’s most valuable assets. This raises the question as to whether or not the law is able to adequately protect this phenomenon against the many attacks being launched against it. The present article analyses certain legal fields in this regard, namely privacy, criminal law, and the law of evidence. The world seems suddenly to have woken up to the fact that digital technology might be a mixed blessing, especially as is shown by certain recent incidents relating to privacy in the USA. In order to obtain an “Africa perspective” the legal situation in South Africa is compared to that in Uganda (East Africa) against a background of multilateral treaties that might apply in this regard. An important point to keep in mind while weighing up legal interests is whether the State may attempt to be both neutral umpire (by means of its judicial power) as well as one of the players who want to win (as the executive power, when government information is at stake). A number of recent incidents in which the United States government has been involved seem to indicate that this attempt to sit on two stools at the same time is likely to diminish respect for the government (and its regulatory efforts) amongst the general population. A specific problem with enforcement consists of the international nature of infringements. The Internet knows no borders and this factor suggests that effective international co-operation is an essential prerequisite for the law to function adequately in an international context. The concluding of International treaties between groupings of countries is put forward as perhaps the most effective solution in this regard.
ICT laws in Nigeria : planning and regulating a societal journey into the future
14 April 2014
North West University

Obutte, Peter C

This paper examines the laws on Information and Communications Technology in Nigeria, and the institutional regulatory framework for enforcing the relevant laws. It further appraises selected concepts associated with ICT regulation and some contemporary issues as they relate to the challenges of ICT in Nigeria. The paper suggests regulatory benchmarks for the purpose of repositioning the ICT sector and approaches to strengthening the regulation of ICT in Nigeria. The paper concludes with an emphasis on value–added and result–based approach to the Information and Communications Technology regulation process in Nigeria.
The significance of citation impact indicators of research performance in the developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa
18 June 2014
North West University

Bakuwa, Japhet

This paper argues that Sub-Saharan Africa needs to produce more journals indexed by ISI Web of Science (WoS). Researchers from the region should also publish in other ISI indexed, reputable and high impact journals such as Nature and Science. Inevitably, this will make Sub-Saharan African researchers visible and globally competitive. The Sub- Saharan African region has only about 40 journals out of over 12 000 journals that have been indexed by the ISI Web of Science (WoS). Arguably, ranking of universities across the globe and qualification for Nobel Prizes are determined by metrics-based evaluation of research performance. Sub-Saharan Africa is poorly represented on the world university rankings. The region has also produced only six Nobel Prize award winners from 1901 to 2010. In the same period, USA, UK and Germany produced 326, 116 and 102 recipients respectively. While there are some limitations on the use of citation indicators to evaluate research output, this researcher argues that citation impact indicators of research performance provide policymakers, researchers and funding agencies with an objective measure for assessing research performance and therefore are of great significance in the developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Developing corporate startegies to enable resilience in the South African information systems and technology industry
10 July 2014
North West University

Buys, Pieter Willem

Globalisation has contributed to many new challenges in the Information Systems and Technology (IS&T) industry, which placed increased pressure on organisational long-term sustainability. Just like their global counterparts, IS&T organisations in the South African marketplace also need to be cognisant of its competitive business environment in order to survive in a very competitive environment. However, in the dynamic business environment, organisational resilience becomes a crucial building block in achieving sustainability. The objective of this article is to identify and consider key factors in the South African IS&T industry that not only embraces a thorough understanding of the business environment, but also of corporate resilient strategies that may support its long-term sustainability. Based on a PEST and SWOT analysis, it was found that the local IS&T business environment, which includes the uncertain and unpredictable role of government together high-levels of crime and unemployment, makes for both challenging and promising times in the South African IS&T industry.
A generalized additive neural network application in information security
24 July 2014
North West University

Du Toit, Tiny;Kruger, Hennie

Traditionally spam has been considered as an inconvenience requiring workers to sift through and delete large numbers of e-mail messages per day. However, new developments and the Internet have dramatically transformed the world and over the last number of years a situation has been reached where inboxes have been flooded with unsolicited messages. This has caused spam to evolve into a serious security risk with prominent threats such as spreading of viruses, server problems, productivity threats, hacking and phishing etc. To combat these and other related threats, efficient security controls such as spam filters, should be implemented. In this paper the use of a Generalized Additive Neural Network (GANN), as a spam filter, is investigated. A GANN is a novel neural network implementation of a Generalized Additive Model and offers a number of advantages compared to neural networks in general. The performance of the GANN is assessed on three publicly available spam corpora and results, based on a specific classification performance measure, are presented. The results showed that the GANN classifier produces very accurate results and may outperform other techniques in the literature by a large margin.
Operating cost efficiency of different size sectional title development schemes
29 July 2014
North West University

Oberholzer, Merwe;Van der Westhuizen, Gert;Smit, Christiaan

The purpose of the study was to estimate the relative efficiency of different sizes of residential Sectional Title Development Schemes (STDSs) in order to minimise operating costs. Since area (m2) and the number of units in an STDS were found to be equally important drivers of operating costs, data envelopment analysis was used to estimate the efficiencies of a sample of 113 STDSs where the two measures of size were used as output variables and six categories of operating costs were used as input variables. It is evident that smaller STDSs tend to be more efficient in minimising operating costs than larger STDSs. Furthermore, it is also evident that economies of scale generally do not exist. The main limitation was that the role of a categorised scale of basic housing (lower market) or the scale of luxurious housing (upper market) was not considered.
South African firm-level evidence of the links between finance and efficiency
29 July 2014
North West University

Krugell, Waldo;Matthee, Marianne

Small and medium-sized enterprises are often seen as drivers of economic growth and development by generating employment opportunities. However, for SMEs to be successful they need finance. Access to finance has been found to be a major obstacle to SMEs' ability to do business in South Africa. This paper takes a closer look at firms, their access to finance and output per worker in South Africa, by using data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey 2007. The results show that firms that are financially constrained are more vulnerable to shocks and competition, and are weaker contributors to employment creation and growth. These firms are typically small and less established. They hold less inventory, have lower capacity utilisation and are unlikely to be exporters or to introduce new products in response to competition. The results from the regression model confirm that access to finance and different sources of finance are drivers of productivity at firm level.
Measuring productivity growth, efficiency change and technical progress in small scale firms in india during pre and post-reform periods
29 July 2014
North West University

Pradeep, Valarmathi;Chen, Jong-Rong

This study examines the productivity, efficiency change and technical progress of small manufacturing firms in Coimbatore, India using Data Envelopment Analysis. Since July 1991, major economic policy changes have been made under an economic reforms programme. The new policies have relaxed or removed many government controls on production capacity, imported capital goods, intermediate inputs and technology. These reforms have altered the economic environment of the country. The results reveal that productivity and technical progress was slightly higher in the pre-reform period than in the post-reform period but technical efficiency is greater in the post-reform period.
Boundaries of the heart, transcended in the mind: Reflections on Td’s first decade
12 August 2014
North West University

Tempelhoff, Johann

As Td approaches its second decade of publication in 2014 there is a need to reflect on the journey of exploration into what, in 2004, was considered to be the unknown and unfamiliar ecology of a transdisciplinary research platform. The emergence of an ever-increasing output of academic material by researchers active in South Africa and other parts of the world suggests that we have begun to integrate our understanding of what goes on in creative disciplinary minds.
Bank productivity and sources of efficiency change: a case of the four largest banks in South Africa
09 September 2014
North West University

Van der Westhuizen, Gerhardus

The Malmquist productivity index was utilised to estimate the total factor productivity and productivity change of the four largest banks in South Africa for the period 1994 to 2010. Total factor productivity change can be decomposed into efficiency change and technological change, which allow for determining the sources of total factor productivity change. Various changes in the South African banking scene impacted on the average productivity of the banks. The four banks experienced, on average, regress in total factor productivity as well as regress in technological change, the latter indicating a lack of innovation. The four banks operated, on average, in the proximity of fully technical efficiency. For various reasons, South Africa still has a large ‘unbanked’ community.
Change in the composition of bank income and its effect on the changes in the efficiency of bank regions
09 September 2014
North West University

Van der Westhuizen, Gerhardus

Over the past five years, banks experienced a change in the composition of bank income earning more in service fees compared to interest income. The effect of this change on the efficiency of bank regions is investigated. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the TFP (Total Factor Productivity) index decomposition methodology were used to estimate efficiency and to decompose productivity change into its different components. Two models were specified – one for the ‘traditional function’ of a bank and one for the ‘non-traditional function’ of a bank. It appears that some bank regions experienced improvement in efficiency under the “non-traditional” model, meaning that the change in the composition of bank income can result in improved efficiency.
Social effects of mobile technology on Generation Y Students
10 September 2014
North West University

Jordaan, D.B.;Surujlal, J.

The past decade has witnessed a dramatic invasion of mobile technology into the lives of people. Among those who appear to be most affected by this invasion are university students who are the most ‘connected’ generation. Research has found that in excess of 60% of students have access to either a desktop computer or a laptop and about 90% of them own a cellular phone. With university students being increasingly immersed in the latest social media such as Facebook, Sim City, MySpace and World of Wars there may possibly be serious social effects as a consequence. The purpose of this research is therefore to determine the social effects of mobile technology on Generation Y students. A quantitative research approach involving the administration of a structured questionnaire to Generation Y university students was used to collect data for the study. Data was collected by a trained research assistant who personally administered the questionnaire at the different university campuses. The data were analysed in the following ways: a descriptive analysis of the sample composition was undertaken and exploratory factor analysis was undertaken to establish the social effects of mobile technology. Seven factors, namely self-esteem and confidence, recreation, family interaction, social interaction, attentiveness, personal well-being and peer relationships were extracted. These factors are likely influence their lives as well as their behaviour. The overwhelming majority of respondents that own mobile mtechnology suggest how indispensible it has become as a mechanism to communicate, surf the net and engage in entertainment activities. Given the critical role that mobile technology plays in the lives of Generation Y students’ lives, it is important for them to create an appropriate balance between their usage, attention to their academic programmes and their social lives.
Goal line technology in soccer: are referees ready for technology in decision making
23 September 2014
North West University

Surujlal, J.;Jordaan, D.B.

The announcement that goal line technology will be used in the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by Brazil has sparked renewed interest and debate regarding its accuracy and reliability, its influence on the fluidity and rhythm of the game, its influence on the nature of the game, its practical implementation and the psychological effects it would have on referees. When controversial decisions are made, the referee comes under extensive scrutiny by players, fans and spectators as well as commentators who have the tendency of scapegoating the referee. The purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of soccer referees regarding the use of goal line technology in soccer. A qualitative research approach which involved conducting in depth interviews was adopted for the study. A database of qualified referees which was created by a senior referee was used to recruit a purposive sample of referees within easy access to the researchers. Referees were selected based on the following criteria: a) having a qualification to referee soccer matches, b) having at least 4 years refereeing experience, and c) being aware of goal line technology. An analysis of the transcripts revealed consistency in the responses of the respondents regarding most of the questions. The following three themes are a synthesis of the findings of the study based on their significance in terms of how frequently they were mentioned and articulated by the respondents: knowledge of technology, technology vs human factor, fairness and justice. The results of the study suggest that while referees are aware of goal line technology, they do not possess in depth knowledge of the phenomenon. It is therefore important for them to take proactive measures to update their knowledge so that they are prepared when the technology is introduced in South Africa.
E-retailing adoption and innovativeness, implementation capacity and business performance of
03 November 2014
North West University

Dubihlela, Job;Grobler, Wynand C.J.

Research on e-retailing in the context of developing countries such as South Africa has remained scarce. In order to fill this gap, the current study is done to explore the relationship of e-retailing adoption, e-retail implementation, e-retail innovativeness, brand recognition and impact on business performance, particularly in this growing South African economic sub-sector. Five hypotheses were posited in this study and in order to test these hypotheses a sample of 273 was used. The findings in this study showed that, e-retailing adoption, mediated by e-retail implementation and innovativeness positively influences brand recognition and consequently business performance in a significant way. Management implications and limitations of the findings are discussed and future research directions proposed. The paper also suggests measures designed to create an enabling and nurturing environment that promotes and accelerates e-retailing adoption within the SMEs
Are we becoming gadgets? Social capital in the era of social networking
21 January 2015
North West University

Ingle, Mark K

Social capital is partially predicated on the levels of trust obtaining between institutions and between members of society. As such it is a vital ingredient in the ‘glue’ which holds society together and which facilitates contractual economic activity. Recent technological advances, and the concomitant ascendancy of social networking, have radically reconfigured the environment in which social capital is generated, and the social sciences have some way to go fully to digest these new developments. This article surveys the meteoric rise of the ‘technium’ in the social imaginary and delineates some of the reservations current commentators have about the next ‘singularity’ to succeed the Internet. The discussion includes a brief account of the philosophy behind the objectification of the human. It also speculates about the consequences of paradigm shifts in modes of relating for the formation of social capital in the future.
The new .Africa top level domain: an African initiative in ensuring Africa's rightful place on the global network
21 January 2015
North West University

Hurter, Eddie;Pistorius, Tana

The new gTLD programme of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the single most important development since the privatisation of the DNS in 1998. The management of the Domain Name System (DNS) has developed from a modest undertaking to its current explosive expansion through the new gTLD programme. Africa has boldly entered the arena through the delegation of the .Africa gTLD. This new development heralds an innovative era in the management of the DNS, especially for Africa. The dotAfrica gTLD launch strategy offers several advantages to African governments and traders alike. One of the innovative features of the management of dotAfrica is the fact that a broader set of rights including commercial, cultural, linguistic, religious and personal rights will be protected. Furthermore, African trade mark proprietors and other rights holders are protected, initially at least, by various innovative rights-protection mechanisms. This development is important for African governments and it should form an integral part of right holders' intellectual property management strategy.
The role of quality in the adjudication of public tenders
21 January 2015
North West University

Quinot, Geo

The quality of the goods or services that government procures is obviously a very important consideration in deciding which supplier should be awarded a particular public tender. It follows that in the regulation of public procurement, particular attention should be given to the role of quality (also called functionality) in the adjudication of public tenders and the final award decision. In South African public procurement law, the role of functionality in public tender adjudication has been a fairly controversial issue that has resulted in a continuing interaction between courts and law-makers on how and when quality should be assessed and should impact on the final award decision within the framework for public procurement found in section 217 of the Constitution. This contribution tracks the development of the role of functionality in public tender adjudication as prescribed by public procurement regulation since the enactment of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act 5 of 2000, which spearheaded the development of contemporary public procurement regulation in South Africa. The analysis shows how the role of functionality has constantly changed since the enactment of the PPPFA and remains uncertain. This uncertainty relates to different interpretations of the constitutional requirements for public procurement primarily contained in section 217(1) of the Constitution. Whether functionality is used as a qualification criterion, an award criterion or both holds particular practical implications for both suppliers and contracting authorities. It is accordingly important to have certainty on this question. However, it cannot be said that the Constitution and section 217 in particular dictates one approach rather than another. The issue should thus be resolved with reference to the statutory scheme adopted under the PPPFA.
Making data structures and algorithms more understandable by programming sudoku the human way
04 March 2015
North West University

Roelien Goede

Data Structures and Algorithms is a module in most Computer Science or Information Technology curricula. It is one of the modules most students identify as being difficult. This paper demonstrates how programming a solution for Sudoku can make abstract concepts more concrete. The paper relates concepts of a typical Data Structures and Algorithms module to a step by step solution for Sudoku in a human type as opposed to a computer oriented solution.
The buck stops ... where, exactly? On outsourcing and liability towards third parties
19 November 2015
North West University

Millard, Daleen;Botha, Monray Marsellus

Modern-day commerce forces services providers to make use of outsourcing. Regardless of whether outsourcing is used for bona fide reasons such as to provide a better product at a better price or whether the outsourcer needs to dispose of troublesome employees or to limit his liabilities towards third parties, it is suggested that outsourcers should consider a number of issues when outsourcing. Conversely, in considering a liability issue, a court may also measure the conduct of a particular outsourcer in order to evaluate whether such outsourcer has acted bona fide and responsibly. Little research is available on outsourcing and the affect thereof on third-party liability. Although the LRA and CPA contains provisions on certain general aspects, it may be that industry-specific legislation regulates specific outsourcing agreements. This article attempts to reconcile these seemingly disjointed topics. The authors conclude that sound legal advice should be sought before outsourcing is considered in order to avoid possible problems associated with it as well as liability-related pitfalls.
What is the research experience of young scientists in South Africa?
10 March 2016
North West University

Schutte, Aletta E.;Wright, Caradee Y.;Langdon, Genevieve;Lochner, Christine;Myers, Bronwyn

The results of an online survey – the SAYAS Survey of Young Scientists that involved the participation of 1021 postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows from tertiary institutions in South Africa – were released in a report launched in November 2013. In this commentary we highlight some of the key findings from the report: The Research Experience of Young Scientists in South Africa.1
Case study for evaluating benefits of pavement research: final results
18 March 2016
North West University

Plessis, L.;Liebenberg, L.;Nokes, W.;Mahdavi, M.;Burmas, N.;Holland, T.;Harvey, J.

Heavy-duty pavement innovations developed through research for a major rehabilitation project in California were evaluated. The performance benefits of the innovations were examined, and the economic benefits from implementation of the pavement designs were analyzed. Benefits are presented through descriptions of the rehabilitation project, background on the development of long-life pavement rehabilitation innovations, and design requirements that limit permanent deformation (rutting) within the first 5 years of service. Results from field measurements confirmed that the innovative pavements met the performance criterion. The final results of a pilot study to quantify direct benefits stemming from accelerated pavement testing are presented. Cost-benefit analysis that included agency costs with and without road user costs was used, and the influence of the discount rate in net present value calculations is given. Road user costs had a significant influence on cost-benefit calculations, especially in the case of a heavily congested freeway. This influence led to cost savings ranging from $1.128 million to $121.570 million, which emphasized the importance of performing a sensitivity analysis instead of reporting a single estimate of savings and benefit-cost ratio. The final results showed clear field performance benefits of the pavement innovations and indicated positive economic benefits from the research that led to innovations
Re-evaluation of the Platinum SDI : a critical commentary
28 April 2016
North West University

Drewes, Ernst;Kleynhans, Ewert

The Platinum Spatial Development Initiative (SDI) in the North West Province was initiated 10 years ago to address the spatial economic development challenges of the region. This revised commentary aims to re-evaluate development, and intends to provide an objective overview of the successes and failures of the Platinum SDI. The aim is to provoke a debate on the matter in order to assess whether or not the Platinum SDI is to the advantage of the economic development of the country and its people, and especially the poor. This paper considers the historical context and evaluates a number of arguments, either in support of or questioning the viability of the Platinum SDI. The paper concludes that after more than a decade there is still little evidence that the Platinum SDI will in the near future be efficient. At present, the Platinum SDI has very little to offer. To succeed will require more effort by all concerned, and especially much more commitment from the relevant governmental structures.
What took them so long? Explaining PhD delays among doctoral candidates
20 June 2016
North West University

Van de Schoot, Rens;Yerkes, Mara A.;Mouw, Jolien M.;Sonneveld, Hans

A delay in PhD completion, while likely undesirable for PhD candidates, can also be detrimental to universities if and when PhD delay leads to attrition/termination. Termination of the PhD trajectory can lead to individual stress, a loss of valuable time and resources invested in the candidate and can also mean a loss of competitive advantage. Using data from two studies of doctoral candidates in the Netherlands, we take a closer look at PhD duration and delay in doctoral completion. Specifically, we address the question: Is it possible to predict which PhD candidates will experience delays in the completion of their doctorate degree? If so, it might be possible to take steps to shorten or even prevent delay, thereby helping to enhance university competitiveness. Moreover, we discuss practical do’s and don’ts for universities and graduate schools to minimize delays
Development of an axial suspended AMB experimental bench for load and disturbance tests
27 July 2016
North West University

Gouws, R.

This paper provides the development of an axial suspended active magnetic bearing (AMB) experimental bench for load and disturbance tests. This test bench must be capable of levitating a 2 kg steel disc at a stable working distance of 3 mm and a maximum attraction distance of 6 mm. The suspension is accomplished by two electromagnets producing upward and downward attraction forces to support the steel disc. An inductive sensor measures the position of the steel disc and relays this to a PC based controller board (dSPACE® controller). The control system uses this information to regulate the electromagnetic force on the steel disc. The intent is to construct this system using relatively low‑cost, low‑precision components, and still be able to stably levitate the 2 kg steel disc with high precision. The dSPACE® software (ControlDesk®) was used for data acquisition. In this paper, an overview of the system design is presented, followed by the axial AMB model design, inductive sensor design, actuating unit design and controller development and implementation. The paper concludes with results obtained from the dSPACE® controller and evaluation of the axial suspended AMB experimental bench with load and disturbance tests
An evaluation of the self-regulation of promotional competitions in South Africa
27 July 2016
North West University

Strachan, DP

Promotional competitions are competitions in which prizes are awarded by lot or chance in order to promote goods or services. In order to protect participants and consumers against abuse, these competitions are usually regulated by gambling or consumer protection legislation. However, the relevant legislation is often complemented by self-regulation, which is the focus of this contribution. Self-regulation entails the regulation or governing of an industry by the role players in that industry. This article commences by explaining the relevant terminology and exploring self-regulation in general, including the various forms of self-regulation and the binding force thereof. The nature of self-regulation is discussed together with the advantages and challenges associated with this form of regulation. This is followed by some examples of self-regulation on a global level in order to provide a comparative perspective on the topic. The provisions of the International Chamber of Commerce's Consolidated Code of Advertising and Marketing Communications Practice are summarised and the European Advertising Standards Alliance's role in self-regulation is considered. Attention is also given to the relevant industry codes in the United Kingdom in view of the comprehensive way in which promotional competitions are covered by self-regulation in that country. The main part of the article centres on the self-regulatory position in South Africa. A brief overview of the role and function of the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASASA) is provided. The provisions of the ASASA's Code of Advertising Practice are then examined and some ASASA rulings are discussed in order to illustrate the relevant principles. Thereafter, the focus shifts to the Code of Conduct of the Wireless Application Service Providers' Association, which contains detailed provisions relating to promotional competitions. Some relevant rulings are also considered. In conclusion, comments are made regarding the current state of the self-regulation of promotional competitions in South Africa.
Block RAM-based architecture for real-time reconfiguration using Xilinx® FPGAs
15 August 2016
North West University

Le Roux, Rikus;Van Schoor, George;Van Vuuren, Pieter

Despite the advantages dynamic reconfiguration adds to a system, it only improves system performance if the execution time exceeds the configuration time. As a result, dynamic reconfiguration is only capable of improving the performance of quasi-static applications. In order to improve the performance of dynamic applications, researchers focus on improving the reconfiguration throughput. These approaches are mostly limited by the bus commonly used to connect the configuration controller to the memory, which contributes to the configuration time. A method proposed to ameliorate this overhead is an architecture utilizing localised block RAM (BRAM) connected to the configuration controller to store the configuration bitstream. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the advantages of the proposed architecture, especially for reconfiguring real-time applications. This is done by validating the throughput of the architecture and comparing this to the maximum theoretical throughput of the internal configuration access port (ICAP). It was found that the proposed architecture is capable of reconfiguring an application within a time-frame suitable for real-time reconfiguration. The drawback of this method is that the BRAM is extremely limited and only a discrete set of configurations can be stored. This paper also proposes a method on how this can be mitigated without affecting the throughput
Identifying new product and service export opportunities for South Africa using a decision support model
17 August 2016
North West University

Viviers, Wilma;Cuyvers, Ludo;Steenkamp, Ermie;Grater, Sonja;Matthee, Marianne;Krugell, Waldo

In the face of slow economic growth and development, and the perennial problems of unemployment, poverty and inequality, the South African government and business community have long recognised the importance of growing and diversifying the countrys tangible goods and services export sectors. One of the challenges in designing and implementing effective export promotion strategies is identifying the right markets, given South Africas ever-fluid skills, capacity and trading relationships. The Decision Support Model (DSM) is an export market selection tool that makes use of a sophisticated filtering process to sift through an extensive range of product-/service- and country-related data to reveal those product-/service-country combinations (export opportunities) that are the most realistic and sustainable. The DSM, which has been applied for Belgium, Thailand and South Africa, not only brings greater precision to the export market selection process, but also unveils opportunities that may not have been contemplated before thus supporting the quest for export diversification. This paper examines the role of the DSM for products and the DSM for services, respectively, and illustrates how, using the results from the application of these models, they herald the start of a new era in export market selection and promotion in South Africa.
A model to estimate firms accounting-based performance: a data envelopment approach
18 August 2016
North West University

Oberholzer, Merwe

The objective of the study was to follow a logical inductive approach to develop a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to estimate the relative technical efficiency of firms. The Du Pont analysis theory as conceptual framework was applied using primarily readily available accounting line-items as input and output variables. From an interpretive epistemological paradigm and analytical reasoning, a new DEA model was developed with Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC), leverage and expenditure as input variables and revenue, net profit and Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) as output variables. The originality of this study is that this is the first effort to employ accounting data, based on the Du Pont analysis in a DEA model. All the input and output variables in the model were already used individually or in combinations by previous studies, except for WACC. The study argues that WACC should be employed as a proxy for the accounting line-items, equity and liabilities, since lowering WACC implies that firms are moving closer to their optimal capital structures.
A framework for normal mean variance mixture innovations with application to Garth modelling
31 August 2016
North West University

De Jongh, P.J.;Venter, J.H.

GARCH models are useful to estimate the volatility of financial return series. Historically the innovation distribution of a GARCH model was assumed to be standard normal but recent research emphasizes the need for more general distributions allowing both asymmetry (skewness) and kurtosis in the innovation distribution to obtain better fitting models. A number of authors have proposed models which are special cases of the class of normal mean variance mixtures. We introduce a general framework within which this class of innovation distributions may be discussed. This entails writing the innovation term as a standardised combination of two variables, namely a normally distributed term and a mixing variable, each with its own interpretation. We list the existing models that fit into this framework and compare the corresponding innovation distributions, finding that they tend to be quite similar. This is confirmed by an empirical illustration which fits the models to the monthly excess returns series of the US stocks. The illustration finds further support for the ICAPM model of Merton, thus supporting recent results of Lanne and Saikonnen (2006)
The relevance of software development education for students
05 September 2016
North West University

Liebenberg, Janet;Huisman, Magda;Mentz, Elsa

Despite a widely-acknowledged shortage of software developers, and reports of a gap between industry needs and software education, the possible gap between students' needs and software development education has not been explored in detail. In their university education, students want to take courses and carry out projects that clearly relate to their lives and their goals. This paper reports on a quantitative study of 297 software development students. The analysis of the results suggests that software development education has a predominantly social relevance to students and also has moderate personal and professional relevance. The following approaches are recommended to improve students' views of the relevance of software development education: use various learning environments; pay special attention to female students, students who did not have IT as a school subject, and students who rate their own academic performance as low; update educators on the latest developments; design programs to appeal to students and to meet societal demands
Software: university courses versus workplace practice
05 September 2016
North West University

Liebenberg, Janet;Huisman, Magda;Mentz, Elsa

There is a shortage of software developers with the right skills and knowledge, not only in South Africa but worldwide. Despite reports of a gap between industry needs and software education, the gap has mostly been explored in developed countries and in quantitative studies. This paper reports on a mixed methods study of the perceptions of professional software developers regarding what topics they learned from their formal education and the importance of these topics to their actual work. The analysis suggests that there is a gap between software development education and workplace practice and recommendations for software development education are made
Industry’s perception of the relevance of software development education
05 September 2016
North West University

Liebenberg, Janet;Huisman, Magda;Mentz, Elsa

It is widely acknowledged that there is a shortage of software developers, not only in South Africa, but also worldwide. Despite reports, in mostly quantitative studies, of a gap between the industry needs and software development education, the view the industry has of the new graduates and the problems, challenges and solutions in respect of software development education has not been explored in detail. This article reports on a mixed methods study of the relevance of software development education from the perspective of the industry. The analysis reveals some interesting views held by the industry, as well as by the different generations on their new recruits and the problems and challenges that are faced. The following solutions to the problems are suggested: teamwork; projects and experience; work-integrated-learning and mentoring; technical and soft skills; keeping up to date; career guidance; introspection; and generational awareness
An investigation of a specific system development methodology for business process reengineering
06 September 2016
North West University

Mavetera, Chipo G.;Huisman, Magda;Mavetera, Nehemiah;Lubbe, Sam

System developers in South African organisations need to recognise, recommend and appreciate the use of System Development Methodologies (SDMs) (Huisman 2004). In this age of rapidly changing technological trends which South African organisations have not been spared of, system developers are constantly trying to find new ways of doing business that align with the technological advancements. In light of this, transforming the way business is done or changing business processes is usually the ultimate solution, thereby invoking Business Process Reengineering (BPR). There is therefore a strong call to employ specific SDMs for the development of Information Systems proposed for BPR (Mavetera 2012). This paper looks at specific SDMs for BPR. As of today, existent SDMs in the computing world are believed to have been designed for the development of completely new Information Systems not systems that are being improved or reengineered. The drive behind investigating specific SDMs for BPR is basically informed by past research from BPR proponents who are concerned that BPR has serious effects on the organisational business processes (Hammer and Champy 2005, Muthu, Whitman and Cheraghi 1999 and Giaglis 2009). They advocate that BPR requires a proper system development approach to be followed if it is to succeed. This theoretical investigation further looks at the extent to which SDMs accommodate the aspect of BPR in terms of BPR characteristics and success factors within their philosophy.
Framing effectiveness in impact assessment: discourse accommodation in controversial infrastructure development
12 September 2016
North West University

Rozema, Jaap G.;Bond, Alan J.

There is ongoing debate about the effectiveness of impact assessment tools, which matters both because of the threat to future practice of the tools which are frequently perceived to be ineffective, and because of the disillusionment that can ensue, and controversy generated, amongst stakeholders in a decision context where opportunities for meaningful debate have not been provided. In this article we regard debate about the meaning of effectiveness in impact assessment as an inevitable consequence of increased participation in environmental decision-making, and therefore frame effectiveness based on an inclusive democracy role to mean the extent to which impact assessment can accommodate civil society discourse. Our aim is to investigate effectiveness based on this framing by looking at one type of impact assessment – environmental impact assessment (EIA) – in two controversial project proposals: the HS2 rail network in England; and the A4DS motorway in the Netherlands. Documentary analysis and interviews held with key civil society stakeholders have been deployed to identify discourses that were mobilised in the cases. EIA was found to be able to accommodate only one out of four discourses that were identified; for the other three it did not provide the space for the arguments that characterised opposition. The conclusion in relation to debate on framings of effectiveness is that EIA will not be considered effective by the majority of stakeholders. EIA was established to support decision-making through a better understanding of impacts, so its ineffectiveness is unsurprising when its role is perceived to be broader. However, there remains a need to map discourses in different decision contexts and to analyse the extent to which the range of discourses are accommodated throughout the decision process, and the role of impact assessment in those processes, before recommendations can be made to either improve impact assessment effectiveness, or whether it is simply perceptions of effectiveness that need to be improved
Sustaining industry leadership through innovation strategy archetypes
15 September 2016
North West University

Pelser, Theunis Gert

The ability to innovate and exploit innovations globally in a rapid and efficient manner is a significant source of competitive advantage. However, the management of innovation is made difficult by the complexity, unpredictability, and pace of turbulence in the environment, which compresses the time horizons for strategic planning. The main purpose of this study was to investigate innovation management practices in technology-intensive industries and to explore their relationship to company performance. A non-probability judgment sample of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) was taken. The study makes a contribution to the field of strategic management research by integrating the archetypes of several previous studies to derive a more comprehensive taxonomy of innovation strategy archetypes. Two distinct innovation strategy factors obtained with the analysis were proven to positively influence the company performance archetypes and were classified as New Product Innovation and Process Innovation factors. The results show that innovation strategy choices can significantly affect company performance. It thereby indicates which of the underlying archetypes have the strongest relationship with company performance. From an industry perspective, the greatest significance of these findings may be that they accentuate the importance of innovation policy in strategic management. The substantial differences in performance associated with the archetypes do not necessarily indicate that a given company should choose a particular innovation strategy, but rather indicates that innovation policy decisions may have a substantial leverage on a companys performance and should be analysed and exercised with care.
Influence of perceived integrity and perceived system quality on Generation Y students perceived trust in mobile banking in South Africa
13 June 2018
North West University

Van Deventer, Marko;De Klerk, Natasha;Bevan-Dye, Ayesha

Mobile banking represents an important addition to retail banks' digital banking channels and a salient tool for servicing both current and future customers. However, given the cybernetic nature of mobile banking, there is a certain degree of uncertainty and perceived risk associated with the use thereof. This uncertainty and perceived risk elevate the importance of trust in fostering mobile banking adoption. The Generation Y cohort, which encompasses today's youth, represents an important current and future banking segment and their adoption of mobile banking channels could have a significant effect on the cost of servicing members of this cohort. Understanding the factors that positively contribute to the Generation Y cohort's trust in mobile banking will help retail banks to better market their mobile banking channels to members of this cohort and thereby foster greater adoption of such channels. The study reported in this article considers the influence of the perceived integrity of the bank and the perceived system quality of mobile banking on Generation Y students' perceived trust in mobile banking in the South African context. Data were gathered from a convenience sample of 334 students registered at three public South African university campuses using a self-administered questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and bivariate regression analysis. The results of the study suggest that Generation Y students' perceived integrity of a bank, together with the perceived system quality of mobile banking, has a significant positive influence on their perceived trust in mobile banking.
Antecedents of attitudes towards and usage behavior of mobile banking amongst Generation Y students
13 June 2018
North West University

Van Deventer, Marko,;De Klerk, Natasha;Bevan-Dye, Ayesha

Despite the benefits that mobile banking has to offer, coupled with positive mobile penetration rates, the use of mobile devices to perform banking transactions and access financial information is not as widespread as expected. The significantly sized Generation Y cohort is a rewarding market segment for retail banks. In South Africa, however, this cohort's mobile banking adoption is largely under-researched. Understanding the antecedents that positively influence Generation Y students' attitudes towards and usage behavior of mobile banking will assist retail banks in their efforts to tailor their business and marketing strategies effectively towards this cohort, and in doing so, foster increased acceptance of their mobile channels. As such, the purpose of this study was to extend the technology acceptance model (TAM) and determine the influence of perceived ease of use, relative advantage, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived integrity and the perceived system quality of mobile banking on South African Generation Y students' attitudes towards and usage behavior of mobile banking. Following a descriptive research design, self-administered questionnaires were completed by a non-probability convenience sample of 334 students registered at the campuses of three registered public South African universities located in the Gauteng province. Data analysis included correlation analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that while perceived ease of use, perceived integrity and the perceived system quality predict Generation Y students' mobile banking usage behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and the perceived relative advantage of mobile banking predict attitudes towards mobile banking, which, in turn, predict their mobile banking usage behavior.
Software development for performance measurement evaluation of road transport activity
13 June 2018
North West University

Kovács, György;Kot, Sebastian

Key performance indicators (KPI) are frequently used in general business to evaluate the success of the entire enterprise. KPIs play a key role in helping an organization to define and measure its progress towards the defined goals. Structure of logistics indicators should be defined which can be used for evaluation of the transport activity of a forwarding company. Evaluation of logistics indicators relating to forwarding activity can provide useful information because the analysis of historic data provides a real view of the company activity. If we can measure the performance of processes, we can improve it in the future. The goal of this study is the performance measurement of road transport activity. At first we elaborated the structure of transport indicators/time utilization, transport way utilization, weight of transported freight, fuel usage relating to vehicles and transport trips/which are our own results. This research is absolutely original and unique, especially that based on the elaborated structure of transport indicators, an evaluation software was developed which will be also introduced in this paper. This software was implemented successfully at a forwarding company.
Economic and social effects of novel supply chain concepts and virtual enterprises
13 June 2018
North West University

Kovács, György;Kot, Sebastian

Growing market globalization, increasing global competition, more complex products results in application of new technologies, methods and business processes - due to the abovementioned tendencies novel supply chain strategies (Lean, Agile and Leagile Supply Chains) are established. In this study these supply chain concepts are being described and compared. Virtual enterprise is a temporary alliance of enterprises that come together to share their skills, core competencies, costs and resources in order to better respond to rapidly changing market environment and dynamic customer demands. Economic and social benefits and effects of virtual enterprises for customers and production companies and service providers are also described. Optimization software has been developed for optimal formation of virtual enterprise networks and is also introduced in this study. The aim of this software application is to define virtual enterprise as the optimal combination of supply chain members.
Simulation of Complex Logistical Service Processes
13 June 2018
North West University

Gubán, Miklós;Kovács, György;Kot, Sebastian

The world around us is a very complex and multi-parametric system, like the weather, traffic, operation of machines, production processes, service processes, etc. Understanding of the characteristics, operation and behaviour of these systems and processes is not easy due to their complexity. The design of optimal production and service procedures is an essential task for planners. The target is the increasing of the efficiency of the production and service and analysis of the effect of parameter changing. There are lot of tools and sophisticated methods for design, analysis and improvement of logistical processes. The most often used analysis tool is the simulation in the production processes. Our aim in this article is to show that the simulation can be used efficiently in case of analysis of service processes, not only in case of production processes. The simulation is available for bottleneck analysis of service activities not only for production processes. In this study the simulation of a service process was realized by the AnyLogic software. The relevance of the simulation technique for analysis of complex service processes is proved by a case study of a service and maintenance activity of a multinational shopping centre.
A time series analysis of the relationship between manufacturing, economic growth and employment in South Africa
13 June 2018
North West University

Meyer, Daniel Francois;McCamel, Richard Thabang

Manufacturing provides a platform for innovation, job creation, investment and overall economic progression. South Africa has the potential to be a manufacturing destination of choice. However in the previous decade, this country's manufacturing sector has been declining, making an insufficient contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment. The study had the aim of establishing the relationship between the manufacturing sector, economic output and employment in South Africa post-1994. Secondary data was collected for 84 quarters from 1994 Q1 to 2015 Q4. The Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model together with a multivariate cointegration approach were used to analyze the data. The co-integration test results indicated that the manufacturing sector has a positive long-run relationship with GDP and employment. However, the relationship is only significant with GDP; it is non-significant with employment. The Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) results established that there were no short-run relationships between the variables. The absence of such relationships was confirmed by the Granger causality test. The final results of this study indicated that an increase in manufacturing results in GDP growth, while it has the potential to create an enabling environment for employment creation.
Measurement of the enabling development environment: a comparative study in a developing Region
13 June 2018
North West University

Meyer, Daniel Francois;Neethling, Jan Roan

Development of a region is influenced by the way in which local government develops and implements its policy on the creation of enabling environment for businesses to prosper. The enabling development environment focuses on the role of government in providing the foundation for economic development. The total of 12 enabling development factors were identified, including such factors as the formation of partnerships and leadership. Quantitative research design was used in this study by means of primary data collection via survey in the Sedibeng District Municipal region, South Africa. This region includes three municipalities. The survey was completed in 2016, and the data was analysed using SPSS, descriptive and frequency distribution analyses. The total of 200 business owners were interviewed in this region. From the empirical results obtained in the survey found that the local municipality with the best performance in service delivery as well as in the creation of enabling environment has a significant impact on the overall development of the region. The study thus concludes that if an enabling environment is created, it should have a significant impact on the overall economic development of a region.
An assessment of the relationship between foreign trade and economic performance: empirical evidence from South Africa
13 June 2018
North West University

Ogbokor, C.A.;Meyer, D.F.

The driving objective of the study was to estimate the impact of foreign trade on economic performance using the economy of South Africa as a test site. The study contributes to the empirical literature by testing for a long-run relationship between foreign trade and economic performance in South Africa by employing quarterly data stretching from the period 1995Q1 to 2015Q4. The method of vector autoregression (VAR) was employed. Variables included in the study consisted of real GDP, exports, openness of the economy and exchange rate. The study found cointegrating relationships among the variables investigated, and that export was found to contribute more towards economic performance compared to openness of the economy and exchange rates. When it came to Granger-causality analysis, the study found a number of unidirectional relationships between the pairs of variables examined in the model. For example, it was found that economic growth granger causes exports and also openness of the economy granger causes exports. The forecast error variance decomposition suggests that economic performance itself accounted for most of the innovations that ensued during the 10-period forecast horizon employed in the analysis. Policymakers could utilize the results of this study, when it comes to policy formulation and design for the economy of South Africa. The findings of the research could be used to improve upon economic policy for South Africa and other developing countries on a similar path. The study creates opportunities for further research endeavours concerning the issue under investigation so as to unveil more evidence on the nature of the relationship between foreign trade and economic performance in the economy of South Africa.
An analysis of the relationships between the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), economic growth and employment in the manufacturing sector in South Africa
13 June 2018
North West University

Habanabakize, Thomas;Meyer, Daniel Francois

Employment growth in the South African economy has been dismal, and unemployment has been gradually increasing since the 2000s. The high rate of unemployment at more than 27 percent, is mainly due to weak gross domestic product (GDP). The purpose of the study was to analyse the relationships between the purchasing managers' index (PMI), economic growth and employment in manufacturing sector in South Africa. The study employed time series data from the first quarter of 2000 to the fourth quarter of 2016. The results of the Correlation analysis indicate significant positive relationships between the variables. Using Bounds test for co-integration, the results indicated that a long-run relationship exists between the variables. A 1 percent increase in GDP could lead to a 0.30 percent increase in employment in manufacturing, and a one percent increase in the PMI could result in a 0.37 percent increase in manufacturing employment. In the short-run, only GDP and not PMI is a significant predictor of employment in manufacturing. Based on the results from the Granger causality test, a bi-directional causality was found between manufacturing employment and PMI. From the results it can also be concluded that the PMI is still a reliable leading indicator of macroeconomic conditions. A key strategy that can improve employment in the South African economy would be to enhancement economic growth and the promotion of the manufacturing sector by means of incentives.
Management of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development: an analysis of stumbling blocks in a developing region
13 June 2018
North West University

Meyer, Daniel Francois;Meyer, Natanya

Globally, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute significantly to economic growth and development. Yet, various stumbling blocks exist that hinder SMEs growth and development. South Africa is no different and with the current level of economic and political instability, local SMEs are struggling to achieve their full potential. The aim of this study is to identify and analyse the stumbling blocks preventing business success in a developing region in South Africa taking into account the local developmental environment and management factors. The study region selected is the Vaal-Triangle region, which is located south of Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. This study followed a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional research design using two scales namely the SME stumbling block scale and the Enabling Developmental Environment Scale (EDES). A non-probability convenience sample of 386 small business owners were included. Data analysis included descriptive frequencies, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Pearson's correlation analysis. Results from the PCA returned five factors. Results indicated the three main stumbling blocks restricting business growth were recession and slow growth conditions, weak and volatile exchange rate and high inflation rates. The correlation results indicated several significant relationships between the various factors. For SME growth, an integrated multiple-sectoral approach is required.
Feasibility of monetary union in the SADC and EAC: evidence from business cycle synchronisation
13 June 2018
North West University

Redda, Ephrem Habtemichael;Muzindutsi, Paul-Francois

Through the Association of African Central Bank Governors, in 2003, Africa committed itself to work for a single currency and common central bank by 2021. In pursuit of this grand objective, many regional trading blocs including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) are involved in various economic integration activities. Forming a monetary union is a serious endeavour that needs serious and deliberate consideration. Sufficient and sound economic basis, such as similar economic structures, should be in place. The purpose of this paper was to assess the feasibility of monetary union in the SADC and EAC by determining the similarities of the economic structures in the regions through business cycle synchronisation. This study uses annual real GDP of each country in the two regions for a period of 30 years. The results of ccorrelation analysis and T-Y Granger causality test suggest that there is overwhelming lack of business cycle synchronisation in the two economic regions, suggesting that it is not feasible to form a monetary union in these two economic regions as envisaged in the timeframe. The two economic regions, therefore, need to set and coordinate major macroeconomic policies to harmonise and achieve sustainable economic development goals in their respective regions.
Influence of perceived customer value, employee service quality, bank image and customer satisfaction on Generation Y students bank loyalty
13 June 2018
North West University

Redda, Ephrem Habtemichael;Van Deventer, Marko

Retail banks are increasingly focused on maintaining a loyal customer base. This is because loyal customers translate into higher profits and increased market share. The Generation Y cohort, which comprises the youth of today, is an important current and future banking segment and its bank loyalty could have a notable effect on the profitability of retail banks. Understanding the factors that positively contribute towards this cohort's bank loyalty will aid retail banks in devising appropriate marketing strategies for effectively targeting this market and maintaining their loyalty. As such, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of perceived customer value, employee service quality, bank image and customer satisfaction on Generation Y students' bank loyalty in a South African context. The study followed a descriptive research design and a quantitative research approach. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 271 banking students registered at two public university campuses in Gauteng, South Africa. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, reliability measures, correlation analysis and multivariate regression analysis. The study's findings suggest that South African Generation Y students' perceived customer value, bank image and customer satisfaction has a statistically significant positive influence on their bank loyalty. However, their perceived bank employee service quality has a positive yet nonsignificant influence on their bank loyalty.
Measuring and modelling internet banking service quality in South Africa
13 June 2018
North West University

Redda, Ephrem Habtemichael;Surujlal, Jhalukpreya

The purpose of this study was to develop a measuring and modelling instrument of Internet banking service quality (IBSQ) for the South African banking sector. Snowball and convenience sampling, both non-probability techniques were used to recruit participants for the study. A total of 310 Internet banking customer responses were utilised in the analysis. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), eight determinant factors that explained IBSQ were extracted. Following this, the study determined the causal relationship amongst IBSQ, customer value, satisfaction and loyalty through correlation analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM). The proposed model indicates that IBSQ, comprising eight factors, positively influences customer value, satisfaction and loyalty. The model found customer satisfaction to be a predictor of customer loyalty in an Internet banking context. Contrary to the hypothesised model, the influence of customer value was limited to customer satisfaction. The influence of customer value on customer loyalty was found to be rather weak; it influenced customer loyalty only indirectly through customer satisfaction. Understanding the intricate relationships amongst service quality, customer value, satisfaction and loyalty will definitely enhance banks' understanding consumer behaviour and decision making in this digital era. The model may assist bankers to measure, manage and improve IBSQ. Banks could utilise this measurement model to design and improve their Internet banking services.
Internet banking service quality in South–Africa: a qualitative analysis of consumer perceptions
13 June 2018
North West University

Redda, Ephrem H.;Surujlal, Jhalukpreya;Leendertz, Verona

Advancements in technology-based systems has resulted in banks using service delivery channels such as internet banking and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to interact with customers. To ensure a competitive edge in the marketplace banks' knowledge of the determinants of internet banking service quality is essential. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to investigate consumer views and concerns regarding internet banking services in South Africa. A qualitative research approach using a focus group and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from South African consumers of internet banking services. The Atlas.ti software was used in the content analysis of the interview transcripts. Four themes, namely internet banking service quality, customer value, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, were identified as important facets of internet banking services that could improve the overall internet banking service quality at a consumer level.
Shared services centres in central and eastern Europe: the examples of Poland and Slovakia
13 June 2018
North West University

Ślusarczyk, Beata

Increasing complexity of companies' activities and benefits for the entities that have decided to implement the SSC concept caused that the popularity of this strategy in the recent years to increase considerably. At present the shared services centres constitute the basic form of organisation in many transnational corporations. Their dynamic growth can be observed especially in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The article overviews the activity of such shared service centres in Poland and Slovakia and analyses the factors influencing the development of these units. The paper determines which of the surveyed countries is more conducive to the SSC functioning.
Prospects for the shared services centers development in Poland in the context of human resources availability
13 June 2018
North West University

Ślusarczyk, B.

This article aims to explain the characteristics of shared services centers (SSC) as the employment chance for university graduates in Poland. Poland is the leader in SSC localization among Central and Eastern Europe countries, which is affected by high educated workforce and relative low labor costs. The analysis of the results of the survey conducted among students, aiming in determination of the relation of the respondents to the work in the shared services centers is the main part of the study. The paper identifies the factors affecting the perception of SSC by the students. The research conducted amongst students shows insufficient knowledge about functioning of shares services centres and workstations offered by those centres. Shared services centres is acknowledged as a good place for starting a career and gaining experience, as well as, the place that does not offer a stable and long-term employment.
A structural equation modelling of innovation in public sector organisations
19 June 2018
North West University

Agolla, J.E.;Van Lill, J.B.

The purpose of the present study is to assess innovation in public sector organisations using a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach to test the structural relationships between latent variables that are predictors to innovation. Data were collected from participants of three public sector organisations in Kenya. The sample consisted one hundred and eighty-six employees participated in the present survey. Measurement instrument consisted 115 items rated on Likert-type scale ranging from 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree. Data were analysed using AMOS 16 software integrated with SPSS 17 to test the model. The results of the SEM identified top management practices, leadership practices, technology, social and overcoming barriers as having strong positive relationships with innovation outcomes / indicators. The study suggests a model for the assessment of innovation in the public-sector organisations. The results of the present research have implications for policy makers as well as public sector practitioners. A measurement scale was developed based on a literature stream from both public and private sectors, a model was developed and tested using structural equation modelling.
Insights into Kenya's public sector innovation: the case of managers
19 June 2018
North West University

Agolla, Joseph Evans;Van Lill, Jacobus Burger

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess innovation in public sector organisations (PSOs) from the middle managers' perspectives. Several studies have been conducted on innovation drivers in organisations; however, such studies are limited when it comes to the public sector. Innovation is a term that has been synonymous with the private sector, until of late when public sector organisations adopted the terminology. Design/methodology/approach: The present study adopts a qualitative approach. The findings are based on a sample of selected 16 middle managers from two PSOs in Kenya. The study relies on focus group discussions (FGDs) to collect data. The data are analysed thematically, based on categorisation. Findings: First, the results identified drivers, barriers, strategies to overcome barriers, innovation outcomes/indicators and the status of innovation in Kenya's public sector. Second, the study points to policy directions, theory and practice. Research limitations/implications: The study suggests that innovation drivers in the public sector greatly depend on government and top management, particularly the way they craft policies and provide support for innovative behaviours. The current findings are limited to innovation activities of the public sector in Kenya, specifically the two organisations. Originality/value: The findings from this research can aid the understanding of the nature of innovation in PSOs given that it is empirically based on middle managers' insights.
The financial and academic implications of using smartphones among students: a quantitative study
19 June 2018
North West University

Chukwuere, Joshua Ebere;Mbukanma, Ifeanyi;Enwereji, Prince Chukwuneme

Smartphones present students (users) with great opportunities to be connected with peers and lecturers in sharing academic knowledge during and after lectures. It also allows them to engage in social networking discussions and dialogue on different topics and ideas. This paper presents the financial implications of smartphone usage on student's finance, especially the case of South Africa. Students are mostly financially dependent on their parents, sponsors and others for financial benefits in their academic pursuit. This entails that students' financial base is mostly limited and the cost of a good smartphone is very high in developing countries like South Africa. This study involves a total sample size of 376 from the population of 11,265 registered students in 2017. The study found that university students spent a lot in buying airtime and data bundle to recharge their smartphones.
Exposing the major determinants of digital divide in Southern Africa
19 June 2018
North West University

Gorejena, Karikoga;Mavetera, Nehemiah;Velempini, Mthulisi

In this paper a quantitative analysis of factors that affect broadband growth and penetration in southern African region is integrated with that of the qualitative factors to espouse the major determinants of a digital divide or low broadband uptake in the region. Two sets of analyzed data are presented and meta-inferences are drawn as major determinants of broadband growth and penetration (BGP) are exposed. A mixed methods approach was used in this research whereby Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used for analysis of quantitative data and Atlas. ti for qualitative data. The ultimate goal was to come up with a proposed framework for broadband growth and penetration for southern Africa as a tool for decision makers.
The impact of corporate governance on firm competitiveness and performance of small and medium enterprises in South Africa: a case of small and medium enterprises in Vanderbijlpark
19 June 2018
North West University

Hove-Sibanda, Progress;Sibanda, Kin.;Pooe, David

rientation: Corporate governance adoption and compliance are an issue augmenting in importance recently and have been extended to business enterprises of any size including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Research purpose: This study seeks to examine the impact of corporate governance adoption on the firm competitiveness and performance of SMEs in Vanderbijlpark. Research design, approach and method: The study employs a cross-sectional research design, which employed quantitative methods. One hundred fifty-two SME owners or managers were selected from Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng, South Africa. The collected data were analysed using a structural equation modelling system by using Smart PLS software. Main findings: The principal findings of this study revealed that the implementation of corporate governance by SMEs significantly and positively affected their competitiveness and performance. Practical and managerial implications: The paper provided practical implications and made some recommendations. Contribution or value-added: This article bridges the gap between theory and practice because it has both an economic and commercial impact in practice. It can be used in influencing public policy, teaching and research (because it contributes to the body of knowledge, particularly regarding SME corporate governance in emerging markets). An important aspect of this article is that it gives a framework for additional similar studies in other locations within emerging markets to test the generalisability of the findings. For teaching purposes, it provides a template for how to assess the link that exists between corporate governance and SME performance. Lastly, the article gives a unique empirical analysis of the relationship that exists between corporate governance compliance and performance of firms in South Africa, and thereby giving a valid contribution to corporate governance literature.
Merger and acquisitions in South African banking: a network DEA model
19 June 2018
North West University

Wanke, Peter;Maredza, Andrew;Gupta, Rangan

Banking in South Africa is known for its small number of companies that operate as an oligopoly. This paper presents a strategic fit assessment of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in South African banks. A network DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) approach is adopted to compute the impact of contextual variables on several types of efficiency scores of the resulting virtual merged banks: global (merger), technical (learning), harmony (scope), and scale (size) efficiencies. The impact of contextual variables related to the origin of the bank and its type is tested by means of a set of several robust regressions to handle dependent variables bounded in 0 and 1: Tobit, Simplex, and Beta. The results reveal that bank type and origin impact virtual efficiency levels. However, the findings also show that harmony and scale effects are negligible due to the oligopolistic structure of banking in South Africa.
The impact of maintenance fees on students' willingness to maintain bank accounts and establish credit profile
19 June 2018
North West University

Motlhabane, Lorraine Ketsia

The purpose of this article is two-fold: to investigate how recurring maintenance fees levied on students' accounts impact on university students' willingness to maintain bank accounts and therefore begin creating the necessary credit profiles. Credit profiles provide financial history that is useful for banks and other lenders to evaluate clients' credit worthiness. Many students in South African universities are ignorant of this requirement and usually make choices detrimental to their accessing current and future financial products. The banks' service quality and students' expectations need to be harmonized at some point. The study was exploratory in nature, using expressive statements on banking costs to expose common causes of financial burden, the best and worst case scenarios of utilizing banking products including benefit accrual from their use. Pre-intervention data was collected using questionnaires N=60 conveniently sampled financial management students. The post-intervention data was collected from the same students N=55 using similar questionnaires where five students did not show up. The study also assessed financial management tutorial influence on students' decision making after being exposed to banking market demands and their costs. SPSS was used to analyze data collected. Cheaper once-off cardless services were found to be popular with students receiving money, citing its reasonableness and depositor charger rather than recipient shoul-dering transaction costs. Students confirmed their satisfaction with saving costly re-curring bank account maintenance fees, earning 0% interest on credit balances. Bank account holders increased in post-intervention compared to pre-tutorial with better understanding of client's profile value for accessing credit. Other students remained reluctant to maintain bank accounts despite future economic benefits. Bank account maintenance fees discourage students from maintaining bank accounts. Maintenance fees may aid banks user cost recovery but losing clients to competing cheap cardless products may be more costly. The study contributes to relationship management in banking sector. Research debate focused on bank selection criteria based on established key quality factors and service. Little scholarly investigation exists on reasons for annulling bank accounts, replaced with once-off cardless services that is gaining popularity with university students over maintaining bank accounts. Highlighting what is critical to students, the paper may influence banks policies and developers to design innovative products suitable for university students market. Affordability and incentives are key attraction points for clients, mainly university students operating with limited resources. Loyalty prospects can surpass immediate recovery derived from maintenance fees.
Challenges associated with infrastructure delivery
19 June 2018
North West University

Khumalo, Mlungisi Jimmy;Choga, Ireen;Munapo, Elias

The main purpose of this paper is to document some challenges faced by Independent Development Trust (IDT) in infrastructure delivery of the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal. Infrastructure delivery has a significant effect on the local budgets or budgets of projects in the province. The main focus of the study was the root causes of delays, budgetary overruns and the resultant effect on service delivery back-logs and socio-economic impact caused by such delays. The study setting comprised of professional stakeholders in the built environment and these include specialists and professionals in the engineering, construction management, civil and general building fields. The objectives of this study were achieved by means of a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed to a group of participants, composed of project managers, quantity surveyors, engineers, architects and project managers working with IDT. The nature of the research was quantitative and data analysis used descriptive and a bit of inferential statistics to arrive at some generalizations and conclusions. The study was able to affirm that there are major inefficiencies in the current infrastructure delivery model of the South African government. Major causes identified include factors such as delays in payments, poor planning, subsiding levels of professional ethics and standards exercised by professionals in the built environment, and so forth. The study also made some recommendations from the research findings. Clearly the infrastructure delivery model requires a new trajectory in tackling the under-development and triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and slow economic growth.
A tripartite approach to ensure municipal service delivery. The case of a mining town in South Africa
07 June 2019
North West University

Campbell, Marléne;Drewes, Ernst

Postmasburg, a small mining town, has been an agricultural centre for the past 120 years, the iron ore mining being the only diversifying factor to the local economy. Mining endeavours resulted in the traditional boom-town cycle in Postmasburg over the past ten years with one significant exception to most of the rural towns in South Africa, which experienced the same expansions in mining operations. Whereas the other towns ran into a bottleneck after the initial rounds of urban development, mainly as a result of insufficient bulk infrastructure and capable human resources, the Tsantsabane Local Municipality, within which the town of Postmasburg is located, together with the two listed mining companies Kolomela and Assore’s Beeshoek, formed a tripartite partnership that approached service delivery in an exceptional manner. This paper critically assesses the Tsassamba Partnership against the background of the need for a partnership approach of governance against the background of the emphasis of planning theory on partnerships and local context. Data was collected by conducting interviews with representatives of the mining companies, municipality, business sector and civic organisations and quantitative questionnaires were applied in a household survey of 1,024 households. All the interviewees highlighted the success of this partnership approach. The survey also found that the partnership participated and cooperated successfully in the development of bulk infrastructure and land for housing for the mining employees, which had posed a major challenge to the local municipality
‘Community of Learning’ for African PhD students : changing the scene of doctoral education?
19 October 2022
North West University

Van de Laar, Mindel;Rehm, Martin;Achrekar, Shivani

African PhD fellows who are interested in completing (part of) their research in Europe cannot always afford to leave their place of residency for prolonged periods of time. Yet, young researchers from African countries might be searching for particular guidance from experts in their field that might not be accessible in their home countries. Consequently, both PhD fellows and universities and postgraduate research institutes require more flexible educational formats that cater for these circumstances. With the growing availability and potential of online tools and methodologies, it is possible to choose from a range of options for PhD education. Communities of Learning (CoL) have emerged as an approach to support the exchange of knowledge and experience among participants on the Internet. Participants can collaborate in developing research skills, while at the same time creating a feeling of belonging, which helps individuals to establish personal ties and relations. The paper introduces the research and educational project: Community for Learning for Africa (CoLA). It was designed to help participating actors from Africa and Europe to get and to stay connected online, to collaborate in joint training activities and projects, as well as to openly exchange ideas and thoughts, all in relation to underlying PhD research trajectories via the Internet. The paper offers results from a needs assessment undertaken in spring 2015, among PhD fellows and supervisors in Africa on what they would need CoLA to include, as well as template of what CoLA could include.
Examining factors that shape Technical Vocational Education and Training engineering students’ understanding of their career choices
19 October 2022
North West University

Sibiya, Anthony T.;Nyembezi, Nceba

Background: This article seeks to examine factors that shape Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) engineering students’ understanding of their future career choices. Moreover, given the promising and ambitious vision for growth in both TVET and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as envisaged by the policy framework, White Paper on Post School Education and Training (PSET) aimed at addressing the challenges, amongst others, of youth unemployment. Objectives: The objective of this article is to ascertain factors that inform students’ understanding of their future career prospects. Methods: In this research, qualitative self-administered, open-ended questionnaires were employed as a data collection tool to gather facts about students’ beliefs, feelings and experiences regarding certain engineering programmes and services offered at TVET colleges. Consequently, purposive sampling was utilised to sample 113 engineering participants who voluntarily completed the questionnaires, which were organised to gather the required data. Results: The findings of the study point to divergent views, where some students felt very strongly that TVET engineering qualification leads to full employment because of the demand for this skill, while other students argued that the high rate of unemployment in South Africa is so deep such that even graduates irrespective of qualification are not guaranteed employment in South Africa. Conclusion: Consequently, the researchers believe that the TVET’s learning programmes should be repositioned to articulate as a poor response to poor schooling in relation to labour market, amongst others, to ease school leavers into jobs or self-employment under conditions of widespread youth unemployment.
Political economy of financial inclusion in Lesotho: Mobile money and the experiences of low-income and rural communities
02 November 2022
North West University

Maliehe, Sean

This paper examines the development of mobile money in contemporary Lesotho, 2012-2020. Using historical and ethnographic sources, it situates the development of this mobile phone-based financial system within the broader economic history of the country. It adopts a political economy approach to analyse the emergence and evolution of mobile money as an instrument of financial inclusion used by the government of Lesotho and international organisations. The paper advances that when operating with the logic of capitalism, free market policies, emergent mobile money networks are hierarchically structured and privileges enterprises and corporations with bigger financial muscle. The majority of small agents, the Basotho entrepreneurs, are marginal and have to operate precariously with limited capital and low cash-flows to ensure efficient services for the people. As a corollary to this, the rural poor are further excluded and exploited by the agents. A general assessment advanced in the article is that the rigidly defined digital eco-system is geared towards integrating the lower echelons of the economy asymmetrically into the mainstream financial economy dominated by corporations. However, this cannot be defined as any meaningful financial inclusion.
THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF E-MARKETING AMONGST FMCG RETAILERS IN ZIMBABWE
21 November 2022
North West University

Masengu, R;Prinsloo, J.J.;Williams, C.

FMCG retailers in Zimbabwe have been slow to embrace and adopt new technology in their marketing eff orts, as they still mainly focus on traditional marketing strategies (Dube & Gumbo 2017) This however did not stop internationally recognised e-commerce giant, PayPal, entering into the Zimbabwean market after establishing that the Zimbabwean economy had the potential to embrace new technology eff ectively. Given this, most of the Zimbabwean populace now can purchase goods online from more than 203 countries, using Pay Pal (Baten & Kamil, 2019). The growth of the number of internet transactions indicates that Zimbabwe is becoming more open to online transactions. Be that as it may, the FMCG retailers in Zimbabwe have not embraced this opportunity (Dube & Gumbo 2017). Tengesa.com, an e-commerce website, experienced a premature failure before it was commercially launched
THE EFFECT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION OF SMES AND LABOUR-INTENSIVENESS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
21 November 2022
North West University

Mayombo, J;Mouton, N

Human resources are valuable and must be well managed to obtain optimal value. Best performances, entrepreneurial orientation and the labour-intensive nature of the construction industry are important factors to creating work, teaching new trades and poverty alleviation.Objectives: The objectives aim to observe the infl uence of the construction sector in creating employment through SMEs’ orientation and labour-intensive methods. The additional objectives clearly outlined the challenges of small and medium enterprises while describing possible opportunities that the state proposes in the construction industry and job creation within Labour-intensive (LI).Research Methodology: This research used a quantitative method to describe how the entrepreneurial orientations of small and medium-sized enterprises and labour-intensive enterprises in the construction sector aff ect employment opportunities in the community.Outcomes: The research results showed that eff ective Enterprise-orientation (EO) has a positive impact on SMEs, which is a key factor in ensuring the success of enterprises. All participants were from the construction industry and most of them felt strongly that the construction industry can;–be the solution to addressing unemployment issues and could subsequently play a pivotal role in the alleviation of poverty,–create and implement policies and program to strengthen their role in the community,–produce opportunities for education and adult learning to correct the skills defi cits,–promote fi ght against nepotism, crimes and corruption.
EXPANSION STRATEGIES IN THE AGRO-PROCESSING SECTOR FOR SMALL-SCALE AGRO-PROCESSORS IN SOUTH AFRICA
21 November 2022
North West University

Manasoe, B;Mmbengwa, V.M;Lekunze, J.N

The study was aimed at developing strategies for expansion by small-scale agro-processors in South Africa. This article purports that post-colonial states are organizations that choose to develop citizens in alignment with their needs, and such is the responsibility of post-colonial South African governments towards agro-processors. The study utilizes a quantitative research approach, and data was collected using a questionnaire. A total of 503 small-scale agro-processors from Gauteng, Limpopo, North West, Free State, and Mpumalanga Provinces of South Africa participated in the study. Factor analysis was used to identify the factor loading of the latent variables (unobserved variables), and Structural Equation Modelling (S.E.M.) was used to determine critical tenets for small-scale agro-processors. The study utilized an exploratory research design and a quantitative research approach. Data for this study were collected from 503 respondents across fi ve provinces of South Africa. A stratifi ed probability random sampling technique was used in the selection of respondents across the fi ve provinces. Practically, the study developed a strategic framework for economic empowerment for small-scale agro-processing in South Africa. This study concludes that small-scale agro-processors of South Africa are still struggling with strategic economic empowerment despite existing support from the government in the form of policies. The study recommends that the review of policy and government programmes to support small-scale agro-processors should consider factors for strategic economic empowerment as identifi ed in the framework
TRADITIONAL APPROACHES AND LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION PRACTICES IN AFRICA
21 November 2022
North West University

Saurombe, Hazvineyi;Du Plessis, Yvonne;Saurombe, Talkmore

Environmental sustainability has become a priority agenda globally, with World bodies such as the UN, UNESCO and World Bank encouraging environmental restoration with various incentives for all nations (UNCTAD, 2019; Kiran, 2015). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed at the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development refl ect the linkages between poverty reduction, natural resource management and development, as well as local and global environmental challenges to collectively manage shared global environmental risks and to build resilience across all types of countries to contribute to inclusive and sustainable development, taking into account complex issues such as the interactions between food, water and energy security (OECD, 2015).Environmental sustainability is not a new subject, but rather, as stated by Field Museum, (2019); communities and early civilisations’ understanding of sustainability traces to the distant past and links with the Zhou dynasty in China (1100-171), as well as the Egyptian, Mesopotamian Greeks and Romans (Du Pisani, 2006). It is notable that the most serious problems facing the world today, such as water and food supply crises, extreme volatility in energy and food prices, rising greenhouse gas emissions, severe income disparity, chronic fi scal imbalances and terrorism (World Economic Forum, 2012) either stem from environmental mismanagement or inequality, or both (OECD, 2012). This demands the need for the implementation of the Green Growth Development agenda (African Development Bank, 2012) in which sustainable development projects are supported on the African continent. According to the AfDB (2013: 60),“Africa should seize opportunities for greener, more sustainable growth to become more resilient in the face of climate change. By incorporating green principles in development plans, African countries will extend access to water, energy and transport, boost agricultural productivity and create new jobs and expertise; they will also build sustainable cities and develop their natural resources while reducing waste

Search

Filter by SDG

Filter by Institutions

Matching results: 100