Wysgerige grondslae van die ekonomie vanuit vakwetenskap-like standpunt gesien*

In ons moderne tyd met sy belangstelling in tegniek en materialisme, is dit noodsaaklik om oor die grondbeginsels van die vakwetenskappe te besin. Versuim hiervan laat ons gevaar loop om die werklikheid uit verband te ruk

Investigating alternative governance systems for the South African mohair supply chain

Mohair is an exclusive natural animal fibre with niche market appeal. It is, however, questionable whether it is inherently suited to a commodity-based marketing system in a marketing environment that requires marketing systems to convey far more information than commodity-based systems do. Historically, mohair has been considered a commodity and the marketing system for mohair has been structured accordingly. It is, however, argued that, the exchange between mohair growers and the buyers of greasy mohair requires increased levels of coordination to govern the exchange in a transaction costs efficient manner. The inefficiencies created by an inappropriate or incomplete marketing system for South African mohair are expected to lead to a loss of consumer value and a loss of potential profit throughout the mohair supply chain if a more coordinated governance structure is not implemented to curb these costs and augment the current spot market exchange.Mohair, marketing, governance structure, supply chain,

Agtergrond, persoonlikheid en ekonomiese denke

Dit is die bedoeling om hier, in ’n baie kort bestek en slegs in hooftrekke, aan te toon dat die ekonomiese denke onafskeidbaar verbonde is aan die persoonlikheid en agtergrond van die ekonoom

Is Desimalisasie Geregverdig?

Alhoewel die Suid-Afrikaanse regering hom in beginsel ten gunste van die oorskakeling van ons £.s.d.-stelsel na ’n desimale stelsel uitgespreek het, is die uiteindelike beslissing aan die volk oorgelaat. Ons moet dus tussen twee geldstelsels kies en dit is geen vreemde keuse nie — ’n keuse waarvoor elke ontwikkelende volk met ’n eie nasionale strewe op een of ander stadium te staan kom. Voordat ons egter kan beslis moet ons presies weet waaroor ons besluit. Wat behels die oorskakeling na ’n nuwe geldstelsel eintlik

An external economic policy for South Africa

In a world of rapidly changing economic and political conditions, it is necessary to review the external economic policy of a country from time to time. On the one hand, we in South Africa should take note of the economic and political development taking place at such a rapid pace in Africa, and on the other hand, we should also pay attention to the modern tendency to form international trade blocs. The present state of affairs not only calls for protection and development of our international economic interests, but also for thorough planning of our future economic growth and development

Re-visiting the relevance of John Calvin’s values of self-denial and calling for new Learning Organisations

Modern organisations are subjected to increasing demands for the space employees and members need to find purpose, meaning and sense in what they do every day. This article aims to connect John Calvin’s ideas related to calling and self-denial with the needs of organisations to accommodate staff members’ wishes for meaningful engagement with the work they do in the context of the concept of Learning Organisations. This connection between Calvin and the aim of organisational renewal is made by briefly pointing to the disillusionment of postmodern society with modernistic forces of rationalism, linear thinking, bureaucratisation and standardisation which have led to the dehumanisation of organisations and, ultimately, the world of work. The argument is also made that the development of the Learning Organisation as concept is a new trend in organisational thinking.  The Learning Organisation represents a break with modern bureaucratic and hierarchical thinking. The aim is to link these relatively new two organisational trends with the principles which John Calvin articulated about the calling or vocation of the faithful and their relationship with their fellow humans. The conclusion is that, for Christian (Reformed) faithful, the Learning Organisation and acknowledgement of their spiritual contribution is an opportunity to claim the workplace as territory to be in the service of others (as explained in Chapter 7 of Book 3 of the Institutes of the Christian Religion) and, effectively in service of God, experience work as a true vocation and calling. Opsomming Herbesinning van die relevansie van Johannes Calvyn se waardes van selfverloëning en roeping vir bereiking van Lerende Organisasies se doelwitte. Moderne organisasies kry te doen met toenemende eise om ruimte te voorsien vir werknemers en lede van die organisasies waarin hulle doel, betekenis en waarde kan sien waarin hulle elke dag doen. Hierdie artikel poog om Johannes Calvyn se idees van roeping en selfverloëning as beginsel te verbind met die behoefte van organisasies om werknemers betekenisvol betrokke te maak in die werk wat hulle doen in die konteks van die idee van Lerende Organisasies. Die verband tussen Calvyn en die doel van organisatoriese vernuwing word getrek deur kortliks te wys op die teleurstelling van die postmoderne samelewing met die modernistiese kragte van rasionalisme, liniêre denke, burokratisering en standaardisering wat gelei het tot die ontmensliking van organisasies en uiteindelik die wêreld van werk. Die argument word ook aangebied dat ?n nuwe beweging in organisatoriese denke ontstaan het wat die ontwikkeling van die idee van die Lerende Organisasie voorstaan. Die Lerende Organisasie verteenwoordig ?n breuk met moderne burokraties en hiërargiese denke. Die doel is om hierdie relatief nuwe idees oor vernuwing in organisasies te verbind met die sienings wat Johannes Calvyn uitgedruk het oor die roeping van gelowiges in die werkplek en hulle verhouding met die medemens. Die gevolgtrekking is dat Christelike (Gereformeerde) gelowiges die Lerende Organisasie en erkenning van hulle geestelike bydrae as ?n geleentheid kan gebruik om die werkplek as terrein op te eis waar die naaste gedien kan word (soos verduidelik in Hoofstuk 7 van Boek 3 van Calvyn se Institusie van die Christelike Godsdiens) in diens van God. Op hierdie manier kan werk ervaar word as ?n ware uitlewingsgeleentheid van hulle roeping.   https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.82.2.235

Private Standards, Handling and Hygiene in Fruit Export Supply Chains: A Preliminary Evaluation of the Economic Impact of Parallel Standards

With the emergence of private food safety and quality standards in developed countries fruit exporting countries in the developing world face increasing constraints to access markets in the rich industrialised countries in the North. Producers in the South have no alternative as to make the necessary investments on farms and in pack houses to comply with the requirements of these food quality and safety standards. The export of fresh fruit is an important component of South African agricultural exports, with citrus fruit exported to markets such as Europe being of particular importance. This paper reports selected results from a large research project into the impact of private standard compliance on the quality of the fruit and the returns to farmers. The research process involved a multi-disciplinary analysis of Agricultural Economics and Microbiology / Plant pathology as we analysed the dynamics of the citrus export supply chain from the farms in South Africa to the end consumer in Europe. Sampled fruit containers were followed through the whole supply chain which allowed us to provide an exposé of the behaviour of the different actors in the citrus supply chain and obtain some evidence of poor handling and hygiene standards by means of a comparison of the experimental observations with various relevant components of the EurepGAP control points and compliance criteria for fruit and vegetables. Observations suggest that these standards are adequately applied to the production and handling of fruit at the farm and pack house levels while on the other hand the subsequent stages (mainly after the importing harbour in Europe) of the fruit supply chain are seemingly not subjected to the same strict requirements laid out for producers, leading to fruit quality deterioration and financial losses for producers. This constitutes clear parallel standards in terms of fruit safety and quality standards between upstream and downstream sections of the supply chain and questions thus the purpose of the standards and the financial return for producers making large investments to comply with these privately introduced standards.International Relations/Trade,

Alternative marketing options for small-scale farmers in the wake of changing agri-food supply chains in South Africa

With South Africa’s urban population approaching 60%, supermarkets and fast food chains have become important players in the South African food system. These large players in the food sector have systematically modified their procurement practices especially with regard to fresh fruit and vegetables and are now circumventing spot markets in favour of sourcing via in-house sourcing companies who mainly procure from preferred supplier producers. This paper draws extensively from a global research programme which seeks to highlight the market changes that potentially contribute to continued exclusion of the small producers from mass consumer markets. This paper illustrates, through a series of case studies, how integration of small-scale farmers into the urban retail market can be facilitated and how the challenges posed by the changing food system could possibly be overcome. The case studies illustrate various initiatives through which small-scale farmers and agribusinesses can be integrated into mainstream agri-food systems and may be used as models for an innovative approach to include small-scale farmers while still maintaining profitable business operations. They highlight the need for a multi actor approach for the successful participation of smallholder farmers in order to allow them to join the supply chain at any point within the channel.Marketing, Agribusiness,