Essentiality of stakeholder management for university survival

Universities are struggling to identify and analyse who their stakeholders are, what stake(s) they claim; what threats or opportunities stakeholders present; what responsibility they have towards stakeholders; and to conflate the terms ‘publics’ and ‘stakeholders’. Management of stakeholders entails a symbiotic and epistemological relationship between system-in-focus, stakeholders and the environment. The reductionist approach cannot assist in gaining an understanding of what stakes stakeholders claim. A university is expected to identify its stakeholders and their needs before defining priorities and relational strategies for each stakeholder. As a complex adaptive system operating in complex, ever-changing, diverse and shifting environments, a university needs strong stakeholder management strategies to continually adapt to the needs and expectations of both the university and its stakeholders. Stakeholder salience and identification could enable universities to understand the typology of stakeholder attributes, as well as assist in defining taxonomies relevant to each scenario. In order to enable universities to respond to stakeholders’ competing needs, a ‘strong management’ is suggested in the educational realm, with a fundamental paradigm shift to the notion of 'economic rationalism' in the provision of educational services. This conceptual article seeks to underscore the importance of managing stakeholders for the long-term survival of the university.

Whose interest does it serve? A confucian community engagement

It is incontestable that universities assumed the so-called “third mission” which means that they include community engagement in their activities in order to be financially viable. This paradigm shift begs the question: In terms of whose interest does community engagement serve? It has been difficult to separate community engagement from traditional research as community engagement projects can emerge from new research ideas. As an emerging property, community engagement should be holistic rather than reductionist, in order to afford universities opportunities to function as sites of citizenship, as well as to contribute to the knowledge society and knowledge economy, and generate mutual benefits. However, there are no instruments used to gauge the benefits for communities, while the benefits for academics and universities are outputs, promotions and revenue. The epistemologies and methodologies used in community engagement activities are often foreign to the communities and neither appreciate nor understand their problems. Instead of universities being communities of scholars, they have become workplaces. The communities are often pawns and objects in the hidden agendas of researchers and institutions. Some of these agendas include but are not limited to, university entrepreneurialism, dispossession of indigenous knowledge of local communities, advancement of commercialisation and capitalism, and meeting academic key performance areas to be eligible for promotion. This conceptual article argues that community engagement is a complex phenomenon that requires a systemic non-linear approach

A framework for effective collaboration: a case study of collaboration in nursing education in the Western Cape, South Africa

A fundamental purpose of mergers between higher education institutions (HEIs) in 2002 was to enable sharing of scarce resources between more advanced universities and those historically disadvantaged by the apartheid system of the South African Government. A common teaching platform for undergraduate nursing education in the Western Cape was established in 2005, in line with the transformation of the higher education system, as a collaborative initiative between three universities.Department of HE and Training approved lis

The evaluation of communication management practices relationship with project outcome in Eswatini (Swaziland) construction industry

Abstract: Communication management has long been acknowledged in the construction industry, as one of the essential knowledge areas of project management that influence the success of a project. However, there dearth consensus on the management of communication practices that are associated with effective communication management. Furthermore, the undertaking of communication management practices in construction projects are not given much priority. Therefore, the intention of this research was to establish the communication management practices that influence project outcome in Eswatini (Swaziland) and propose a relationship model amongst the two. To achieve the study purpose, a critical analysis of literature on the challenges of implementing communication management practices and the benefits of using communication management practices was conducted. Further, evaluation was carried out on the communication management practices as well as the communication management practices relationship with project outcome. ..M.Tech. (Construction Management

Student nurses' experiences of the common teaching platform for undergraduate nursing in the Western Cape Province, SA

The higher education system in South Africa transformed over the last two decades in response to societal changes and the new democratic order since 1994. Nursing education programmes in South Africa’s higher education sector were also affected by these changes. Restructuring in nursing education led to the establishment of a novel undergraduate nursing programme delivery system in the Western Cape, known as a “common teaching platform” (CTP) for undergraduate nursing. The CTP necessitated collaboration between three higher education institutions in the region. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study conducted during 2010 to explore students’ experiences of the CTP. The findings could have significance for strategic decisions regarding the future of undergraduate nursing in the Western Cape. Focus group discussions were conducted with registered undergraduate student nurses (n=81)to explore their CTP experiences and to identify their views on the success of the collaboration. The results of the study revealed students’ positive and negative experiences of the CTP. Students’ negative experiences revolved around unmet expectations of the collaboration, such as increased resources and exposure to the partner institutions. There were different opinions as to whether the collaboration was successful. Recommendations include a review of the management and process of the collaboration between the three institutions; workshops for stakeholders to establish a common understanding of the purpose of the collaboration; and a review of the administrative systems of the universities to ensure access by partners and to improve student access to the resources of all three institutions.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Student nurses’ experiences of the common teaching platform for undergraduate nursing in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

The higher education system in South Africa transformed over the last two decades in response to societal changes and the new democratic order since 1994. Nursing education programmes in South Africa’s higher education sector were also affected by these changes. Restructuring in nursing education led to the establishment of a novel undergraduate nursing programme delivery system in the Western Cape, known as a “common teaching platform” (CTP) for undergraduate nursing. The CTP necessitated collaboration between three higher education institutions in the region. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study conducted during 2010 to explore students’ experiences of the CTP. The findings could have significance for strategic decisions regarding the future of undergraduate nursing in the Western Cape. Focus group discussions were conducted with registered undergraduate student nurses (n=81) to explore their CTP experiences and to identify their views on the success of the collaboration. The results of the study revealed students’ positive and negative experiences of the CTP. Students’ negative experiences revolved around unmet expectations of the collaboration, such as increased resources and exposure to the partner institutions. There were different opinions as to whether the collaboration was successful. Recommendations include a review of the management and process of the collaboration between the three institutions; workshops for stakeholders to establish a common understanding of the purpose of the collaboration; and a review of the administrative systems of the universities to ensure access by partners and to improve student access to the resources of all three institutions.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Un-functionalized gold nanoparticles as a simple colorimetric probe for sensitive and selective detection of dopamine

A dopamine (DA) colorimetric probe based on the growth and aggregation of un-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is reported. Upon addition of AuNPs to dopamine at various concentrations, the shape, size and colour change of the nanoparticles results in spectral shifts to higher wavelengths and hence colour change is the mode of detection. The colour change can be easily observed by the naked eye from as low as 5.0 nM DA, even under sub-optimal conditions. Under optimal pH conditions the calculated limit of detection was 2.5 nM (3σ). The probe was successfully applied to whole blood sample and showed good selectivity and sensitivity towards DA. The simple, sensitive and selective probe could be an excellent alternative for on-site and immediate detection of DA without the use of instrumentation and would thus be useful for rapid diagnostic applications

Towards Room Temperature Thermochromic Coatings with controllable NIR-IR modulation for solar heat management & smart windows applications

Solar heat management & green air-conditioning are among the major technologies that could mitigate heat islands phenomenon while minimizing significantly the CO2 global foot-print within the building & automotive sectors. Chromogenic materials in general, and thermochromic smart coatings especially are promising candidates that consent a noteworthy dynamic solar radiation Infrared (NIR-IR) regulation and hence an efficient solar heat management especially with the expected increase of the global seasonal temperature. Within this contribution, two major challenging bottlenecks in vanadium oxide based smart coatings were addressed. It is validated for the first time that the NIR-IR modulation of the optical transmission (∆TTRANS = T(T〈TMIT) − T(T〉TMIT) of Vanadium oxide based smart coatings can be controlled & tuned. This upmost challenging bottle-neck controllability/tunability is confirmed via a genuine approach alongside to a simultaneous drastic reduction of the phase transition temperature TMIT from 68.8 °C to nearly room temperature. More precisely, a substantial thermochromism in multilayered V2O5/V/V2O5 stacks equivalent to that of standard pure VO2 thin films but with a far lower transition temperature, is reported. Such a multilayered V2O5/V/V2O5 thermochromic system exhibited a net control & tunability of the optical transmission modulation in the NIR-IR (∆TTRANS) via the nano-scaled thickness’ control of the intermediate Vanadium layer. In addition, the control of ∆TTRANS is accompanied by a tremendous diminution of the thermochromic transition temperature from the elevated bulk value of 68.8 °C to the range of 27.5–37.5 ºC. The observed remarkable and reversible thermochromism in such multilayered nano-scaled system of V2O5/V/V2O5 is likely to be ascribed to a noteworthy interfacial diffusion, and an indirect doping by alkaline ions diffusing from the borosilicate substrate. It is hoped that the current findings would contribute in advancing thermochromic smart window technology and their applications for solar heat management in glass windows in general, skyscraper especially & in the automotive industry. If so, this would open a path to a sustainable green air-conditioning with zero-energy input