An empirical study of the reward preferences of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) academics.

Masters of Commerce in Management. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2017.The aim of this study is to investigate the ability of the rewards offered by UKZN to attract, retain and motivate academic employees. The Reward Preference Questionnaire (RPQ) adopted from Nienaber, Bussin and Henn (2011), and modified by Snelgar, Renard and Venter (2013) was used to collect the data for this study. A total of 140 questionnaires were administered to Westville, Howard College and Medical School campuses with 111 questionnaires completed and returned. Descriptive statistics were utilised to analyse the responses and presented in the form of tables and graphs. Principal component analysis was used to extract factors. Four factors were extracted and named; ie., base pay, benefits, performance recognition and career management and quality work environment.The study found that UKZN academics are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied by base pay, benefits, and performance recognition and career management. However, the study found that the academics at UKZN are highly dissatisfied by quality work environment. The study also found that age, level of education, job level and conditions of service influence reward preferences. In addition, the study found that the respondents view rewards offered by the institution to be unfairly and inconsistently implemented. The respondents indicated that they were unhappy with the way performance management was rated; differences in conditions of service; confusing rewards; unfair implementation of academic promotions and unfair, inconsistent implementation of sabbatical leave. This study recommends that the institution should create reward systems that are based on the academic’s preferences by focusing on benefits, base pay, quality work environment, performance recognition and career management as they were indicated as the reward categories that attract, retain and motivate academics. This study’s findings contribute to knowledge by investigating the most valued rewards categories and the contribution of rewards to attraction, motivation and retention of academic staff. This study will also be beneficial to policy makers, Human Resources Departments and to Higher Education institutions. Furthermore, this study provides evidence to assist the employer in developing suitable and improved rewards packages to enhance the attraction, motivation and retention of academics of high calibre

The role played by middle managers in the strategy implementation process within the field sales division at Brandhouse (Pty) Ltd.

Masters Degree. University Of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Durban. .Middle managers play a crucial role in the implementation of organizational strategies. Yet, little is known about the views of middle managers on the organizational factors influencing strategy implementation. There are many reasons to believe that effective implementation of strategy has become the goal of many organizations. However, in order for organizations to translate their grand plans into action high rates of failure have been reported among many companies. In many organizations, the responsibility to effectively implement organization‟ strategy has been left to lower levels of management. The primary aim for the study is to determine the role played by middle managers in the strategy implementation process within the sales force division at Brandhouse. The findings from this study will help unpack the challenges faced by middle managers when implementing the intended strategies. In nature, this is quantitative study. Data collection involved the distribution of 90 questionnaires to 90 middle managers within the field sales from Brandhouse across South Africa. Quantitative questionnaire known as Likert type scales was used to evaluate middle managers opinions and in addition Brandhouse policy committee has been obtained to the add the richness of the study. In developing an understanding of middle management‟s perception of the strategic process, sense can be made of how they translate it into tasks and responsibilities and ultimately the role they play in unfolding strategic plans in the implementation process. The research findings showed that middle managers play a critical role in facilitating the effective implementation of strateg

Exploring how personal mentoring added value to becoming a higher education practitioner

I explore personal mentoring that I received on my journey to becoming an experienced higher education practitioner. The context of my personal mentoring was the community where I was born and grew up. I used a bricolage research approach by combining autoethnography and personal history research methodologies. Living theory enabled me to understand how values from my personal mentors have influenced my professional development and practice. I nominated my father, mother, community members, maternal and paternal grandmothers as my personal mentors. I generated data by working with artefacts in the form of photographs and an object. Writing a personal history narrative and reflecting made visible values learned from personal mentoring, which were motivation, kindness, care and selflessness. These values learned from interacting with my family and community members made a significant contribution to my becoming an experienced higher education practitioner

Phenotypic and reproductive characterisation of kolbroek pigs

Published ThesisIndigenous pigs are considered as a valuable component of rural livelihood farming systems in South Africa. However, the population of rural pigs such as Kolbroek are considered stagnated due to the absence of a comprehensive improvement and conservation strategy. Therefore, in domestic pigs (Sus Scrofa domestica), phenotypic and reproductive characterisation are some of the most important characteristics for improved pig production. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the phenotypic characteristics of Kolbroek males and female pigs, to correlate the testicular size with semen parameters and to detect the onset of puberty by hormonal assays in Kolbroek boars and sows then evaluate the reproductive characteristics of the sows following natural mating. A total of 57 Kolbroek pigs (34 sows and 23 boars) were used for phenotypic characterisation. Data for various phenotypic characteristics were evaluated by visual appraisal. Morphometric characteristics such as body weight, body length, chest girth, head length, width of head, ear length, hair length, tail length and number of teats were recorded using a measuring tape. The scrotal measurements were done using a vanier calliper. A total of fifteen ejaculates from three boars were collected using a gloved hand technique method. Semen parameters were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically. Blood was collected randomly from thirteen Kolbroek pigs from the jugular vein every two weeks for 5 months using a 10ml syringe. Blood was then centrifuged at 2400rpm for 14 minutes and the serum was stored at -200C. The serum profile of Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Estradiol (E2) of the gilts were determined using Elisa kits. Data were analysed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS). The predominant coat colour pattern of the pigs was a patchy black and white colour type. All the pigs had straight long and dense hair and tusks were present only in boars. In all the descriptive characteristics, majority of the sows had a rough skin and ears which projected forward (57.9%). Moreover, majority of boars had erect ears (69.7%). All the pigs had concave heads with a short and cylindrical snout, a straight tail and sows had an average of 10 teats. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) for morphometric characteristics, irrespective of the gender. However, sows (123kg) had a significantly higher (P<0.05) body weight compared to boars (114kg). There was a significantly positive correlation (P0.05) were found between semen pH and sperm concentration (r= 0.18) and semen volume (r= 0.18), although not significant. Furthermore, a weak positive correlation was observed between body weight and sperm motility (r= 0.30). There was strong positive correlation (P0.05) for hormonal serum concentrations in Kolbroek sows. There was a significant increase (0.22-0.35ng/ml) in serum concentrations of LH, FSH and E2 in all sows from 3 to 7 months of age. In conclusion, Kolbroek pigs have a patchy black and white coat colour. The head was concave in form and the ears were erect and projected forward. It was also found that the effect of gender was not significant on all body weights and measurements in Kolbroek pigs, except for body length. It was indicated that the measurements of testicular size and bodyweight of Kolbroek boars was positively correlated with semen volume. The age of attainment of puberty of Kolbroek sows was found to be 3 months. The study showed that phenotypic and reproductive characteristics are useful in selection, identification and conservation of South African Kolbroek pigs

An evaluation of business strategy execution at selected manufacturing companies in Pietermaritzburg : perspectives of shop floor employees.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. 2018.South Africa has developed an established and diversified manufacturing base that has shown its resilience and potential to compete in the global economy. The manufacturing sector in South Africa has been faced with serious challenges with regards to global competition, cheap imports, local costs and lower productivity levels. Various studies have been conducted with the aim of establishing the causes of poor performance in this sector and in particular, lower levels of productivity. The main findings revealed that business strategy execution was a top down approach by nature and not a bottom up one. Consequently, in the absence of this bottom up approach, lack of training for lower level employees was found to be the main contributor to the problem of poor productivity. Furthermore, low educational levels and unskilled machine operators were also found to be the main causes of poor performance as well. Despite these findings, productivity within this sector continued to decline. The aim of this study was therefore to establish how the shop floor employees perceive the impact of the following key variables, namely: business culture, leadership engagement, leadership styles, work experience and training on the successful execution of business strategy for achievement of higher levels of productivity or organizational performance. Existing literature covered extensively aspects pertaining to the lack of employee involvement, skills and training, employee empowerment, organizations using a top down approach in developing and implementation of business strategy. All of these aspects were also found to be key in the failure of many organizations when it comes to business strategy execution. The study has brought the new dimension on the shop floor employees’ perceptions of business strategy implementation within the manufacturing organizations for the realization of improved productivity levels. The study followed a quantitative research method and pilot testing was conducted before the questionnaire survey phase. The questionnaire for this study consisted of closed or pre-coded questions and was distributed to shop floor employees employed in the manufacturing companies participating in this study. A total of 320 participants took part during the questionnaire survey with 100% response rate and the results were analysed using SPSS (version 25). The hypotheses were tested using the Chi square goodness of fit test. The main finding from the study was that the shop floor employees perceive business culture, leadership engagement, leadership style, employee training and experience as having a positive influence on the successful execution of business strategy in the manufacturing companies. A recommendation was therefore made that management of the manufacturing sector need to engage the shop floor employees in the process of strategy formulation and execution, as these lower level employees can come with valuable ideas that would enhance successful strategy execution and thus improve organizational performance and productivity

Livelihood strategies and service delivery in informal settlements in Buffalo City Municipality since 1994

Service delivery and livelihood strategies in informal settlements‟ have been below par as communities find it hard to maintain a suitable standard of living. The provision of basic services, also social and economic upliftment initiatives to the community are very important in transforming Duncan Village: C-Section into a sustainable human settlement. The study analyses the level of service delivery and livelihoods, in-order to meet the required level of service delivery needed to meet the needs of the people in C-Section. Municipal plan(s) such as the Duncan Village Redevelopment Initiative have been adopted by the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality with the relevant government, private and public stakeholders onboard. The study involved qualitative and qualitative research methods with interviews, plans and policies being used to investigate the key aims and objectives. The lack of funding and the right number of staff (officials) has had implication on the efficient delivery of services, with the density and the terrain of the study also adding on the challenges facing the delivery of infrastructural service. Inward migration has also had a negative impact on service deliver efforts and this problem needs to be addressed by implementing better regional planning. Data collected also highlights a low literacy level within the community which limits peoples‟ participation and access economic activities which adversely affects their livelihoods. The study suggests that for better service delivery there needs to be better constructed business plans to sort out funding for projects for the area and the municipality has to also invest in the number of official needed to improve or better service delivery. An all round strategy needs to be adopted to improve all facets of life for the people in the study and the settlement as a whole with an aim of livelihood improvements

Exploring the relationship between cost of quality and quality management in the South African manufacturing industry

Abstract: In the highly demanding business environment of today, companies are looking for affordable and sustainable methods of meeting customer demands, while improving business performance. The South African manufacturing industry is not excluded from the challenging business environment of today. Over the past years the South African manufacturing sectors have experienced the challenges relating to economic trends, globalisation and political influences. The government has tried to save the industry through the implementation of trade laws and policies. However, despite the support from Government the success of the manufacturing company in the 21st century is dependent on the quality management systems and partnerships. This research derived the concept of quality management and cost of quality from the literature. The study further explores the relationship between quality management factors and cost of quality categories. Over and above identification of the relationship between quality management factors and cost of quality categories; the research investigated the ability of quality management factors to predict the cost of quality categories. The research also aimed at investigating the quality management maturity of the South African manufacturing industry and benchmark the result with international companies. The quality management factors used in the current research include customer focus, leadership, process management, employee focus and business result focus. The cost of quality categories included conformance cost, failure cost and hidden cost. ..D.Phil. (Engineering Management

EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCES OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS ON THE USE OF BLENDED LEARNING AND EMERGENCY REMOTE ONLINE LEARNING PRIOR TO AND DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The study employed a qualitative research approach and emancipatory framework to explore students’ experiences with blended learning and emergency remote online learning (EROL). Two data sets were collected from two projects using focus group discussions and semi-structured individual interviews. The findings highlighted that although technological advancement in universities increased access to information, the needs of the disadvantaged students remain overlooked. EROL and/or blended learning adopted by the universities did not address the fundamentals of access to teaching and learning for the disadvantaged, but focused on institutional needs and saving the academic year. The utilisation of blended learning prior to COVID-19 was excluding some students, and it was unclear how EROL was transformed to ensure that all students accessed education during COVID-19 induced lockdowns. There is thus a need for research to focus on opportunities for student technological advancement not only for ensuring access to education but also for meaningful service delivery during practice

Magnetic iron nanocomposites as the potential nanoadsorbent for removal and preconcentration of selected toxic metals in environmental samples

Abstract: Arsenic, lead, cadmium and chromium are highly harmful and carcinogenic metals extracted from natural processes and anthropogenic practices such as the iron, electroplating and leather industries. Therefore, in order to prevent toxic contamination and to recover these heavy metals in the sense of a future circular economy, arsenic, lead, cadmium and chromium should be extracted from water. Aqueous arsenic, lead, cadmium and chromium species, their toxicity and techniques for extracting them, such as dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) and extraction of solid phases, are briefly reviewed here. In this research, the removal of As, Cr, Cd, and Pb using Fe3O4@Al2O3 and Fe3O4@MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) as a sorbent was aided by dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE). In order to define the NPs, classification techniques such as XRD, SEM, EDX and surface area (BET) were used. The experimental parameters influencing the removal process were optimised using fractional factorial architecture. Interest analytes were extracted and ICP-OES was then used for quantification. Under the optimal conditions, the LOD and LOQ (n = 20) were reasonably poor for As, Cr, Cd and Pb...M.Sc. (Chemistry

Utility of the Robson Ten Group Classification System to determine appropriateness of caesarean section at a rural regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Background: High caesarean section (CS) rates are not only costly but associated with significant perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. It has recently been suggested that structured auditing of CSs may identify those groups in the obstetric population that contribute substantially to the high rates and for which focused interventions may bring about change.Objective: To evaluate the utility of the Robson Ten Group Classification System (RTGCS) in determining appropriateness of CS at a regional rural hospital in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.Methods: A retrospective review of the hospital records of women delivered by CS over a 3-month period was performed. The RTGCS was used to categorise women according to parity, age, past obstetric history, singleton or multiple pregnancy, fetal presentation, gestational age and mode of onset of labour/delivery.Results: There were 2 553 hospital births over the 3-month study period. The CS rate was 42.4% (1 082/2 553). According to the RTGCS, groups 1 (n=296, 27.4%), 5 (n=186, 17.2%) and 10 (n=253, 23.4%) were substantial contributors to the overall CS rate. The main indications for CS were fetal distress (36.5%) and cephalopelvic disproportion (26.8%).Conclusion: The RTGCS is a useful tool with which to identify patient groups warranting interventions to reduce high CS rates in a rural regional hospital setting. Group 1 (nullipara: single cephalic term pregnancy; spontaneous labour) warrants the most attention. Applying stricter criteria and due diligence in decision-making for primary CS may decrease the high CS rates