Human capital constraints in South Africa

This paper examines human capital constraints in the South African economy, and the austerity of these constraints on firms in the country. The two key human capital constraints explored in this article are the inadequately educated workforce and labour market distortions. Regression analysis was applied to examine determinants of increased labour productivity in manufacturing firms. Education and labour market distortions were found to have a varying influence on output per worker. Principal Component Analysis (pca) of the explanatory variables achieved similar results. This study found that the highest percentage of the total variance is explained by latent variables that incorporate education, training, compensation, region and Sector Education Training Authority (seta) support and effectiveness

The quality of human capital in South Africa: evidence from a firm survey

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.http://dx.doi.org/10.5897/AJBM11.2959http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380902010_Kleynhans%20and%20Labuschagne.pd

Health sciences educator's simulation debriefing practice needs: A mixed methods study

BACKGROUND: Simulation debriefing influences learning from healthcare simulation activities. Health sciences educators must be competent in conducting simulation debriefing for healthcare students. A structured faculty development intervention for health sciences educators must be informed by educator needs to enhance its utility. This paper describes the needs of health sciences educators regarding simulation debriefing at a faculty of health sciences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A parallel convergent mixed methods study design was applied on a selected population of 30 health sciences educators at the University (x) who integrate immersive simulation for first- to final-year students in their undergraduate programs. The Objective Structured Assessment of Debriefing tool underpinned observations which informed the quantitative strand of the study, while semi-structured interviews were conducted as part of the qualitative strand. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Health sciences educators struggled to establish the learning environment for simulation (median 1), facilitate learning (median 3), and evaluate their debriefing activities. However, they were able to apply an appropriate approach toward simulation (median 4). They identified the need to be educated on the fundamentals of simulation-based education. CONCLUSION: A continuing professional development program must be developed aimed at transforming approaches toward facilitating learning, explaining the fundamentals of simulation-based education, modeling of best-practices related to debriefing, and applying appropriate strategies for evaluating debriefing activities