Significance of the organisation's climate on cross-functional behaviour and activities

The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between culture and climate as well as the significance of an organisation’s climate on cross-functional behaviour, activities and actions (who, what and when) which forms an integral part of strategy implementation and increasing performance. A key component of an organisational development is team work; which facilitates organisational learning, establish common goals and provide support to achieve these goals. Within the Organisation under investigation there has not been any research into the subject of the significance of the climate on cross-functional behaviour and activities, which is impacted by ‘coopetition’ - the simultaneous role of cooperation and competition within organisations. The research by means of qualitative research should provide some insight into the significance of and if climate impact cross-functional behaviour and activities in organisations. The research methodology included a customised survey which was developed to elicit answers to determine the climate and cross-functional behaviour and activities within the Organisation. Interviews were conducted with Operating Unit Executive Directors of the Organisation. The results indicate that the perceived current climate of the Organisation is not positive and that there is still silo-behaviour within the Organisation which is as a result of the culture of the Organisation, a culture which existed prior to Beyond 60 process. The research confirmed the overlapping relationship between culture and climate and that climate indeed impact cross-functional behaviour and activities at the Organisational and Operating Unit level.Graduate School for Business Leadership(M.B.A.

Crop biology under agrivoltaics systems’ skewed spectrum light

Agrivoltaics refers to the concurrent production of crops with solar-derived electrical generation. It offers a means of generating ‘green’ energy while producing exploitable biomass and enhancing profit by reducing production costs. Semi-transparent, colour-tinted panels, in addition, permit light transmission, produce power for the farm/growth house, and provide tailored lighting wavelengths for different growth processes and sector need. The aim of this project is to evaluate contrasting crop types and the positive and negative effects of growth under tinted systems. Root, leafy and soft fruit crops were compared under the skewed spectrum resulting from orange tinted panels, to understand their growth and biochemistry in such red-enhanced light conditions. Plant growth, morphology and nutrient content were observed to differ in all crop types. Rocket and tomato biomass under tinted conditions showed a smaller reduction, when compared with neutral density shaded plants, than that of radish varieties. An increased protein content previously reported was consistently observed. Further aspects of biochemistry and fruit characteristics suggest other high value features may compensate for deleterious biomass effects

Effect of postharvest practices on the culturable filamentous fungi and yeast microbiota associated wit the pear carpoplane

Information regarding the filamentous fungi and yeast microbiota on pear surfaces is limited when compared to other fruits such as grapes and apples. The effect of commercial postharvest practices on pear fruit surface microbiota and species composition is not known, particularly in terms of the presence of postharvest pathogens and potential biocontrol microorganisms. Pear fruit were collected at harvest in the orchards of four commercial farms, after harvest at a communal pack house following chlorine drenching and after modified atmosphere storage. Microbiological analysis showed that during season one the fungal populations on pears from the four farms were significantly lower after CA storage when compared to populations of orchard pears, however during season two, the opposite trend was observed. The yeast populations were either significantly higher or similar after CA storage compared to the orchard pear counts during both seasons. Commercial drenching led to either an increase or reduction in the filamentous fungi and yeast populations, however a definite trend could not be observed. The postharvest practices decreased the number of viable morphologically different yeast and filamentous fungal species. A total of 16 yeast and 24 filamentous fungal species were isolated. A 76% dominance of Ascomycetes was observed. Known postharvest pathogens Penicilium commune and Penicillium crysogenum were present after CA storage. Potential known biocontrol organisms included Aureobasidium pullulans, Cryptococcus sp. and Sporobolomyces roseus. Knowledge generated could contribute to development of commodity-specific supply-chain management systems and biocontrol strategies based on scientific data to reduce pear fruit losses and for quality control purposes.The National Research Foundation, the Department of Science and Technology Postharvest Innovation program and the University of Pretoria.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/postharvbio2017-08-30Plant Scienc