Public administration research in South Africa : an assessment of journal articles in Journal of Public Administration & Administratio Publica from 1994-2006

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 163-172).This dissertation is a study on Public Administration research in South Africa. It explores the current nature of Public Administration research in the country by analysing and categorising journal articles extending over a thirteen year time period from 1994-2006. The hypothesis guiding this dissertation is that South African Public Administration research focuses too heavily on practitioner-orientated research (applied research) rather than enhancing basic, theory-generating research. The methodology used is a content analysis of two prominent South African Public Administration journals: Journal of Public Administration (JOPA) and Administratio Publica (AP). A total of 383 articles (278 from JOPA and 105 from AP) were classified according to a set of descriptive and analytical variables to measure research characteristics prevalent within the field. Findings from this study not only confirm the hypothesis but also conclude that research deficiencies identified in the British and United States contexts exist within South African Public Administration research. This implies that there has been little evidence of developing a cumulative knowledge base within the discipline and research methodologies are generally of a poor quality making little effort to contribute to a systematic, scholarly base of Public Administration knowledge. Therefore basic, scholarly theory development in the field is weak

The Influence of Culture on Senior Leaders as They Seek to Resolve Ethical Dilemmas at Work

This dissertation explores some of the difficulties that arise when using the cognitive development model to explain ethical behaviour in the world of work. An alternative theoretical position is explored, one that was originally developed in anthropology by Richard Shweder and Jonathan Haidt. This position asserts that ethical behaviour is not universal, it is instead highly contextual and may be influenced by both organisational and ethnic/national culture. The influence of culture on ethical behaviour is explored using narrative research techniques. The research is based on thirty in depth interviews with senior executives who frequently faced ethical dilemmas at work. Interviewees represented a number of diverse cultural backgrounds (including British, Dutch, US, Indian, Saudi, Colombian and Brazilian) and a number of strong organisation cultures. The conclusions emphasize the importance of personal networks as a resource for resolving ethical dilemmas and the importance of different cultural approaches to managing power relations within personal networks. The conclusions question both the current and future role of compliance functions in global corporations and the effectiveness of leadership development and staff training in the field of values and ethic

A case study: management and exploitation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency Geoscience Data Archive

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is responsible for managing a major geoscience data archive on behalf of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Much of this geological data was captured during the 1990s and early 2000s using now obsolete software and data formats. This data asset remains an important resource for the NDA and the wider scientific community. The NDA wishes to ensure the data remain accessible and usable for many decades into the future. BGS has been working closely with Radioactive Waste Management (RWM), a wholly owned subsidiary of the NDA, on a program of data management and digital continuity measures to ensure the long-term usability of the data. This article describes some of the challenges and outlines the approaches we have taken to address these issues

Inequality and deliberative democracy.

Deliberative Democracy is the darling of democratic theory and political theory more generally, and generates international interest. In this book a number of leading democratic theorists address the key issues that surround the theory and practice of deliberative democracy. The problems faced by deliberative democracy are outlined in the context of the available empirical evidence, solutions are surveyed, and new and innovative ideas are proposed to resolve these issues

Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on cognitive functioning in youth at ultra-high risk for psychosis: secondary analysis of the NEURAPRO randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairments are well-established features of psychotic disorders and are present when individuals are at ultra-high risk for psychosis. However, few interventions target cognitive functioning in this population. AIMS: To investigate whether omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation improves cognitive functioning among individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis. METHOD: Data (N = 225) from an international, multi-site, randomised controlled trial (NEURAPRO) were analysed. Participants were given omega-3 supplementation (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) or placebo over 6 months. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Mixed two-way analyses of variance were computed to compare the change in cognitive performance between omega-3 supplementation and placebo over 6 months. An additional biomarker analysis explored whether change in erythrocyte n-3 PUFA levels predicted change in cognitive performance. RESULTS: The placebo group showed a modest greater improvement over time than the omega-3 supplementation group for motor speed (η$_{p}$$^{2}$ = 0.09) and BACS composite score (η$_{p}$$^{2}$ = 0.21). After repeating the analyses without individuals who transitioned, motor speed was no longer significant (η$_{p}$$^{2}$ = 0.02), but the composite score remained significant (η$_{p}$$^{2}$ = 0.02). Change in erythrocyte n-3 PUFA levels did not predict change in cognitive performance over 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence to support the use of omega-3 supplementation to improve cognitive functioning in ultra-high risk individuals. The biomarker analysis suggests that this finding is unlikely to be attributed to poor adherence or consumption of non-trial n-3 PUFAs

New radicals: digital political engagement in post-referendum Scotland: final report on pilot project to the communities and cultrue network+.

The main aim of this study will be to analyse the transition of social media activism since the Scottish referendum, in order to establish whether the related activism is sustained over a longer timescale, particularly in relation to younger voters. The objectives of the proposed study will be: To map and disaggregate post-referendum social media activity using social network analysis techniques To investigate the discourses and emerging narratives of the groups using digital ethnographic research To investigate the breadth and depth of engagement by conducting interviews with members of the groups (including political parties and civic campaign groups) To conduct a targeted investigation of engagement of young voters (especially those aged 16-17 at the time of the referendum) to determine whether the engagement levels in relation to the referendum are translating into broader engagement with politics

Public Administration research in South Africa: An assessment of journal publications, 1994-2006

The hypothesis of this article is that academics in the eld of Public Administration academics are focusing primarily on practice-oriented applied research and are not enhancing knowledge development. There has not been the same development of a cumulative and meaningful knowledge base in the discipline that there has been in the other social sciences. Theory development is weak. An empirical database was developed to test this hypothesis. An analysis was undertaken of the two main South African Public Administration journals, the Journal of Public Administration (JOPA) and Administratio Publica (AP), from 1994–2006, to establish the state of academic research in the eld. A database of 383 articles was compiled, including 2 8 articles from JOPA and 105 from AP. The methodology used was a content analysis, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. By triangulating ndings from the six main analytical variables (research topic, research purpose, research methodology, research focus, research cumulativeness and institutional funding), it was concluded that there has been little theory development in South African Public Administration. There has also not been the development of a cumulative and meaningful knowledge base in the discipline. There are a number of reasons for this, which are discussed below. The article concludes by suggesting ways to improve the quality of research in Public Administration academia