As by fire: The end of the South African university, by Jonathan Jansen

Jonathan Jansen’s book, `As by Fire: the end of the South African university’, predicts an apocalyptic spectre, one which will become a reality if it is not immediately confronted and contained. The subtitle evokes an imagery that echoes, though with perhaps less certitude, Francis Fukuyama’s declaration in his `The end of history’, that the demise of communism and the triumph of the free-market liberal democracy system (Fukuyama 1992) should awaken any slumbering citizen and most certainly the government.In all fairness, the book’s subtitle is a warning, rather than the ideologically-inspired pronouncement of Fukuyama. Jansen’s dire prognosis is an inference drawn from the historical downward spiral of many African universities. A rejection of this seeming inevitability might appear to confirm the myth of South Africa’s exceptionalism. In reality, South Africa is not immune to the imperfections afflicting the rest of the pan-African fraternity

Length Research Paper Effects of pre-chilling and temperature on seed germination of Corchorus olitorius L. (Tiliaceae) (Jew’s Mallow), a wild leafy vegetable

The wild leafy vegetable, Corchorus olitorius L, has a potential for development as a crop. Self propagation of this species is by seed. In an attempt to improve the length of time of its availability, theeffects of pre-chilling and temperature on germination of its seeds were investigated. Although it had a seed viability of 90.1% (using the tetrazolium technique), seed subjected to a temperature of 25oC forboth pre-chilled and unchilled seeds showed no germination. Seeds subjected to a temperature of 35oC did germinate with a maximum of 88% germination from seeds that had been pre-chilled for 3 ½ dayscompared to those which were unchilled, pre-chilled for a day or pre-chilled for 7 days. Pre-chilling followed by exposure to a temperature higher than 30oC encourages germination of C. olitorius seeds. Nursery establishment under such conditions may improve its length of availability

An audit of trauma intercostal drains at Tembisa hospital

A research report submitted to the faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Science in Medicine (Emergency Medicine).Background: Chest trauma is a common Emergency Department presentation. Most patients are treated by the Advanced Trauma and Life Support (ATLSTM) principles and the insertion of an intercostal drain (ICD) where indicated. However, the procedure has complications. Aim: The aim of this research project was to study trauma ICDs at Tembisa Hospital. Objectives: The objectives were to (a) obtain demographics, (b) determine complications, (c) compare the complications between those of Tembisa Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital (d) determine whether mechanism of injury, indication for the ICD, time of day, trauma team, ICD duration, length of hospital stay and the patient’s age were risk factors for developing complications. Results: (a) Of the 251 patients and 285 ICDs, 244 (97.2%) were males. The ages varied between 14 and 61 years (28.77 mean). ICD duration ranged from 1 to 35 days (5 mean). Length of hospital stay was between 1 to 68 days (6.32 mean). Stab wounds were the most frequent type of injury (81.6%). Penetrating injuries accounted for 94% of all injuries. Indications for ICD insertion were 89 (34%), 86 (32.8%) and 81 (30.9%) for haemopneumothoraces, haemothoraces and pneumothoraces respectively. (b) There were 64 complications (22.5%) among 49 patients (19.5%). (c) Both Tembisa Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital had “loose” ICDs and malpositions among their commonest complications. (d) Only ICD duration and length of hospital stay were risk factors for developing complications at Tembisa Hospital. Conclusion: Doctors should be taught proper ICD insertion and fixation techniques. ICD duration should be minimized

An exploratory study of influences of mentoring on retention of graduates in the construction sector: a literature

Abstract: The commercial world has long known and dependent on mentoring as a proven technique for developing in house talent, mentoring is undergoing resurgence because business leaders not only recognize the benefits of transmitting knowledge among employees. Organizations today face a challenge concerning the mentoring and retention of key knowledge graduate employees. Changing workforce demographics, distinct by an aging labour force, more competitive recruiting and faster turnover among young graduates are creating exceptional knowledge retention problems in many industries, threating to reduce the capacity for innovation, growth and operational competence. The study describes improved practices that organizations can use to address the threat of lost knowledge caused by changing workforce demographics..

An exploratory study of effective mentoring programs for graduates in the South African construction industry

Abstract: A mentoring program is a tool that is used to increase the skills of construction graduates. Many construction graduates struggle to perform their duties in the industry due to lack of experience and skills. The government and other construction firms implemented mentoring programs to utilize them as the solution to increase the skills of construction graduates in the industry; however a number of construction graduates participate in mentoring programs but even after completing mentoring programs they still need further training to enhance their skills. This implies that the implemented mentoring programs have not been effective. Many mentoring programs are not successful and they don’t produce the expected results. The aim of the paper is to look at the effectiveness of mentoring programs for construction graduates..

A survey of indigenous herbal diarrhoeal remedies of O.R. Tambo district, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Indigenous health system and the use of herbal plants have been recognized as pivotal in primary health care and a system to reckon with in achieving one of the targets of the millennial goals on health.An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to identify indigenous herbal remedies for diarrhoea and associated stomach ailments in rural areas of the O.R. Tambo district municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The main objective of the study was to gather ethnomedical data onpotentially valuable indigenous medicinal plants for the eventual development of new pharmaceuticals and also emphasize the role of ethnomedicine in primary health care. The use of herbal remedies in thetreatment of diarrhoea and dysentery was investigated using interviews. The survey was conducted among traditional healers and knowledgeable local elders who use medicinal plants to treat common illnesses. Data from the survey indicated the names of plants commonly used in the treatment of diarrhoea and associated ailments, the methods of preparation, parts used and administration. A total of 32 plant species belonging to 26 families were reportedly used as diarrhoea remedy in the study area. The most predominant families of medicinal plants employed and most frequently recommended were Fabaceae (16.67%), followed by Hyacinthaceae and Hydnoraceae (8.33% each). The most commonly utilized portions of plants for medicinal purposes included roots and leaves. Other parts were corms, bulbs, tubers, fruits and bark. The methods of preparation often employed were decoctions and infusions whilst medication was frequently administered orally or as enema. Some of the plants were used singly or mixed with other plant(s) while some edible ones are consumed as food. The survey documented a diversity of plants employed as remedy for diarrhoea. Integration of this form of health care system into western medicine is warranted. The propagation of such medicinal plants is vital for sustainable use of these medicinal plants

Moving from the letter of the law to the spirit of the law : the challenges of realising the intent of employment equity and affirmative action

The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law is an idiomatic antithesis which suggests that in interpreting a law there are two choices. One can approach a law literally or one can instead focus on its intent. The relevance of this idiomatic opposition to the Employment Equity Act and its provision for affirmative action is interrogated through the presentation of two case studies demonstrating the obstacles to fully embracing equity and valuing the diversity of South African society.http://www.transformation.ukzn.ac.zanf201

A social contract with business as the basis for a postmodern MBA in a world of inclusive globalisation

This article reviews the book "A Social Contract With Business as the Basis for a Postmodern MBA in a World of Inclusive Globalisation," by Jopie Coetzee. The last two decades have been filled with robust criticism of MBA education. These critiques have ranged from Henry Mintzberg’s condemnation of the MBA as a 1908 degree with a 1950s strategy to the late Sumantra Ghoshal’s fundamental assertion that the theories academics teach in business schools lie at the root of what is wrong with management education (Mintzberg, 2004; Ghoshal, 2005). The scope and depth of the criticism leaves little room for yet another book condemning MBA education. To its credit and my surprise, A Social Contract with Business as the Basis for a Postmodern MBA in a World of Inclusive Globalisation, moves beyond the critique discourse to propose a transformative MBA degree underpinned by a new social contract between society and business.http://aom.pace.edu/amle

The business case for women leaders: Meta-analysis, research critique, and path forward

Since the 1990s, a growing body of research has sought to quantify the relationship between women’s representation in leadership positions and organizational financial performance. Commonly known as the “business case” for women’s leadership, the idea is that having more women leaders is good for business. Through meta-analysis ( k = 78, n = 117,639 organizations) of the direct effects of women’s representation in leadership (as CEOs, on top management teams, and on boards of directors) on financial performance, and tests that proxy theoretical arguments for moderated relationships, we call attention to equivocal findings. Our results suggest women’s leadership may affect firm performance in general and sales performance in particular. And women’s leadership—overall and, specifically, the presence of a female CEO—is more likely to positively relate to firms’ financial performance in more gender egalitarian cultures. Yet taking our findings as a whole, we argue that commonly used methods of testing the business case for women leaders may limit our ability as scholars to understand the value that women bring to leadership positions. We do not advocate that the business case be abandoned altogether but, rather, improved and refined. We name exemplary research studies to show how different perspectives on gender, alternative conceptualizations of value, and the specification of underlying mechanisms linking leadership to performance can generate changes in both the dominant ontology and the epistemology underlying this body of research.</jats:p