A pre and post election comparison of the affirmative action policies of South African listed companies

A pre and post election comparison of the affirmative action policies of South African listed companiesAffirmative action can be described as the enforced empowerment and occupational advancement of historically disadvantaged groups. These disadvantaged groups can only be empowered and occupationally advanced once opportunities for occupational advancement, personal development and an improved quality of life have been created. In this article the influence of the first democratic election of 27 April 1994 on affirmative action policies o f the South African companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange is investigated. Subsequent to the election a marked increase in the percentage o f listed companies applying affirmative action policies has been observed in respect of occupational advancement and personal development. An increase in the quality of life benefits and facilities made available to all employees is not, however, always evident

Resistance of the body louse( Pediculus humanus corporis de G) to DDT powders

No Abstract

Attractor Metadynamics in Adapting Neural Networks

Slow adaption processes, like synaptic and intrinsic plasticity, abound in the brain and shape the landscape for the neural dynamics occurring on substantially faster timescales. At any given time the network is characterized by a set of internal parameters, which are adapting continuously, albeit slowly. This set of parameters defines the number and the location of the respective adiabatic attractors. The slow evolution of network parameters hence induces an evolving attractor landscape, a process which we term attractor metadynamics. We study the nature of the metadynamics of the attractor landscape for several continuous-time autonomous model networks. We find both first- and second-order changes in the location of adiabatic attractors and argue that the study of the continuously evolving attractor landscape constitutes a powerful tool for understanding the overall development of the neural dynamics

Determining the effect of three- dimensional printing orientation on the bending strength of sand moulds and cores when using a voxeljet additive manufacturing machine

Abstract: Advances made in Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing led to the 3D printing of sand moulds and cores used in the foundry industry. Ideally, the mechanical properties of the 3D printed moulds and cores should be uniform throughout the 3D printed part. This will ensure that the casting produced from the 3D printed mould has uniform properties throughout the mould. The following study investigated the effect of the printing location and part orientation in the AM machine used to produce the 3D Printed mould on the bending strength property of sand parts. Several printing orientations and angles were considered in the investigation. Descriptive statistics was used to assess and interpret the results

Organisation team sport interventions to overcome diversity constraints in the workplace

Particular organisations which implement formal organisational team sport participation, do not know whether the specific sport intervention contributes to the diversity management objectives of the organisations. A qualitative study was done to determine whether organisation team sport interventions have an impact on the participating employee’s relationships, trust and respect towards each other despite their differences. The diversity constraints relevant in this study are race, ethnicity, generation gaps, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, parental status, education and income. The study was conducted among 26 employees employed at two financial organisations in South Africa and participating in organisation team sport. The data was collected by means of focus group interviews and individual interviews where open-ended questions and probing questions to participants were asked. Data analysis was used to make sense of, formulate and arrange the data so that it can be presented in a clear and logical account. Lastly, a conclusion of this study and discussion of the limitations and recommendations for organisations in terms of the implementation of organisation team sport interventions to overcome diversity barriers in an organisation, as well as further research was made

Experiences of employees who participate in organisational team sport activities

More than a third of an employee’s time is often spent in a stressful environment – the workplace. The stress can be alleviated when employees treat each other with trust and respect and when friendships are forged. Relationships are necessary for effective teamwork in organisations and will not develop without mutual trust and respect. The purpose of this research was to explore the employees’ experiences regarding relationships, trust and respect related to participation in organisational team sport. Improved relationships, trust and respect among employees should enhance the competence in the organisation because the organisation works towards mutual goals. Once the goals of the organisation are aligned, the organisation can move forward through strong leadership. The qualitative exploration study was conducted among 26 employees of two financial organisations that engage in organisational team sport. The data were collected by means of focus group interviews. The results indicated that a strong bond was established between employees in the organisation during organisational team sport. Organisational team sport should be considered as a vehicle for improving cohesion and increasing trust and respect in a workforce, since it enhances friendships among employees. The contributions that organisational team sport makes to an organisation are all requirements for an effective workforce. The findings contribute valuable new knowledge to the literature on the influence of organisational team sport on relationships, trust and respect between employees.http://jetems.scholarlinkresearch.or

Access constraints experienced by physically disabled students at a South African higher education institution

Current developments in government law and policies have created the hope that people living with a disability will enjoy the same rights and privileges as the non-disabled. Unfortunately, only 2.8% of disabled persons have access to higher education. The aim of this study was to determine if a group of students, living with a physical disability, experienced constraints with regard to access to a South African higher education institution. This study, following a two-phase sequential mixed method approach, consisted of a questionnaire survey, a focus group discussion, and individual interviews. It was found that students living with a physical disability experienced constraints relating to the accessibility of the relevant higher education institution. Since access constraints affect the lives of students living with a disability, it is necessary to provide guidelines to universities on how to address these challenges.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/raer202016-02-28hb201

Process model to implement organisational team sport interventions in an organisation

A number of studies have been conducted on the benefits that organisational team sport interventions have for the employees and the organisation, but no formal studies were conducted on the implementation of these interventions in an organisation. The purpose of this research was to compile a process model for the implementation of organisational team sport at organisations. The qualitative exploration study was conducted with 63 sports participants and nine sports coordinators from nine different financial organisations in the Gauteng region. The data were collected by means of focus groups and individual interviews. The results indicate that the implementation process starts where top management initiates sporting activities and makes the employees aware of sporting events. The employees need to be informed through induction, presentations, electronic mail, sports competitions among different departments and videos. The employees’ interest in the type of sport needs to be determined. Different sport managers or sport committees appointed for the different sports will be responsible to make known the different events, coordinate training sessions and events, and draw up annual budgets. Various sports facilities need to be established. The findings should contribute valuable new knowledge on the process model to implement organisational team sport in an organisation.http://academic.sun.ac.za/sajrsper/am201

The Muonium Atom as a Probe of Physics beyond the Standard Model

The observed interactions between particles are not fully explained in the successful theoretical description of the standard model to date. Due to the close confinement of the bound state muonium ($M = \mu^+ e^-$) can be used as an ideal probe of quantum electrodynamics and weak interaction and also for a search for additional interactions between leptons. Of special interest is the lepton number violating process of sponteanous conversion of muonium to antimuonium.Comment: 15 pages,6 figure

Constraints on the Variations of the Fundamental Couplings

We reconsider several current bounds on the variation of the fine-structure constant in models where all gauge and Yukawa couplings vary in an interdependent manner, as would be expected in unified theories. In particular, we re-examine the bounds established by the Oklo reactor from the resonant neutron capture cross-section of 149Sm. By imposing variations in \Lambda_{QCD} and the quark masses, as dictated by unified theories, the corresponding bound on the variation of the fine-structure constant can be improved by about 2 orders of magnitude in such theories. In addition, we consider possible bounds on variations due to their effect on long lived \alpha- and \beta-decay isotopes, particularly 147Sm and 187Re. We obtain a strong constraint on \Delta \alpha / \alpha, comparable to that of Oklo but extending to a higher redshift corresponding to the age of the solar system, from the radioactive life-time of 187Re derived from meteoritic studies. We also analyze the astrophysical consequences of perturbing the decay Q values on bound state \beta-decays operating in the s-process.Comment: 25 pages, latex, 5 eps figure