Sustainable development of a researcher's career trajectory

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has taught everyone that longterm planning and execution, which have always been taken for granted, are not a given. In many contexts, stagnation was the initial outcome of hard lockdowns. As international travel ground to a halt, the lack of mobility seriously hampered scholarly personal interaction as an essential part of the career development of especially early-career researchers. While the focus of this paper is not on the current or future effects of the pandemic, the temporary inaction associated with Covid might be seen as a wake-up call for an active, rigorous effort towards sustainable development. Education faculties and their research entities have a duty towards both earlycareer and established researchers to develop strategies through which a steady development path can be maintained despite local, national and international disruptions. The notion of sustainable development of researchers’ career trajectories implies a long-term approach to incessant growth, expansion and skills improvement, leading to maintained and increased productivity as well as higherquality research outputs. This paper explores strategies that may be followed by authorities and individuals that focus on a positive career trajectory for both early-career and established researchers. The question to be answered is how continuous development can be facilitated. The answers lie, inter alia, in stimulating a lifelong interest in research during pre-graduate and doctoral students’ introduction to research theory and practice, constantly building capacity through increased research skills levels. Mentorship offered by established researchers can also be seen as part of their own prolonged development. In addition, of equal importance is the development of the ability among individual researchers and project groups to take responsibility for their own career trajectory

Aspects of business and control considerations in computer network systems

M.Com. (Accounting)Please refer to full text to view abstrac

Self-esteem and aggressive behaviour: a pilot study

From Introduction: "That man is an aggressive creature will hardly be disputed. With the exception of certain rodents, no other vertebrate habitually destroys members of his own species. No other animal takes positive pleasure in the excercise of cruelty upon another of his kind" (A. Storr, 1968 p. ix). It is a sombre fact that man is the cruellest and most ruthless specie that has ever walked on earth. We recoil in horror when we read the daily newspaper or in a history book of the atrocities committed by man, but as A. Storr puts it: "....., we know in our hearts that each one of us harbours within himself those savage impulses which lead to murder, to torture and to war." (p. ix). Our warranted concern with this phenomenon is portrayed by the tremendous amount of research in this field which can be sub-divided into two distinct categories. The first category consist of those that emphasize nurture in their attempt to gain a deeper understanding of human aggression, of which the behaviourists and social learning theorists are staunch supporters. Underlying their concern and endeavour is the personal belief that aggression is attributable to environmental factors. In short, they maintain that humans are not aggressive by nature and if one follows their argument to its logical conclusion it would allow for a sigh of relief and inspiration. Their research results indicate that well deliberated methods of control would most certainly result in the extinction or near extinction of aggression. The second category consist of those, notably the psycho-analytic school of thought, who emphasize nature in their understanding of human aggression and do not allow themselves the naivety of projecting aggression into environmental conditions and situations. In short, they argue that aggression is innate and serves a particular function in the psychological development of the human being. It is their contention that aggressiveness supports the individual in his drive towards independence. The aim of this paper is to present both stances and to broaden the perspective by introducing a view that straddles both nature and nurture. Following this view, of whom Rollo May (1972) is a strong supporter, to its logical conclusion would indicate that aggression is the result of nature as well as nurture and that it serves the function of re-establishing a sense of worth and significance that has otherwise been thwarted. Finally, this paper sets out to prove that aggression and violence "feeds on a low self- esteem and self-doubt" (Toch. 69, p. 212)

Behoudwetformulerings vir randvoorwaardes

In the study of field-theoretical problems a good deal of effort is devoted to the formulation of the governing equations. In addition to these equations, subsidiary conditions, such as boundary conditions, are required to make the problem well-posed. The precise formulation of boundary conditions for field-theoretical problems in terms of physical interpretations has been largely neglected in the past. Conditions such as the classical Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions are often assumed with little motivation as regards their realisability. In addition certain conditions which strictly do not qualify as boundary conditions, are often classified as such. Thus there are large gaps in the literature concerning the formulation and physical meaning of boundary conditions. Despite the existence of proper formulations in certain ad hoc cases, there is no general theory for the meaningful formulation of boundary conditions. In this dissertation a general theory for the formulation of boundary conditions is presented. The main premise from which the theory is developed, is the fact that conditions which hold at the boundary of a domain result from contact between the domain and a boundary medium. Boundary conditions must be a mathematical description of the interaction between a domain and its boundary medium. The formulation employs also conservation laws and constitutive equations as applied to the boundary medium. The first chapter gives a background to the present study and introduces terminology to be used. In Chapter 2 boundary conditions at stationary boundaries are obtained by the application of the main assumption. One-, two- and three-dimensional models are developed for thick and thin boundary media respectively. The general theory is illustrated by applying it to specific problems. In Chapter 3 the above results are extended to problems in domains with moving boundaries. In Chapter 4 criteria for the applicability of thick or thin boundary models are developed. Again examples are used to illustrate the theory. In the final chapter an evaluation of the thesis is given together with an indication of the prospects for further research.Thesis (DSc)--University of Pretoria, 1983.Mathematics and Applied MathematicsDScUnrestricte

The biology of the sand shark Rhinobatos Annulatus, in Algoa Bay with notes on other elasmobranchs

The biology of the lesser sand shark, Rhinobatos annulatus, was studied off sandy beaches in Algoa Bay over a period of two years. Tagging studies, due to low numbers tagged, did not reveal major movements. However, comparison of numbers of sand sharks caught off the beach and deep water during summer and winter months suggested that migration occurred during these seasons with the animals being inshore in summer. Annual rings on the vertebral centra were used to determine age. Both sexes can reach a maximum age of seven years. Conventional growth curves could not be fitted and empirical curves were used to illustrate growth. The reproductive cycle was investigated and indicated that both sexes matured after three years of age. The breeding season was during late summer when the shallow water was utilized as a nursery area. The sand shark is an aplacental viviparous species with a gestation period of 10 months. Breeding occurred every year and fecundity increased with total body length to a maximum litter size of 10 young. The most important prey items taken inshore were the mysid Gastrosaccus psammodytes, the prawn Macropetasma africanum, the crab Ovalipes punctatus and the sand mussels Donax spp. Differential predation by different length classes of sand shark resulted from a dynamic zonation of these different size classes in the surf zone. Smallest individuals fed closest inshore. Seasonal variation recorded in the hepatosomatic index was primarily due to the accumulation of hepatic lipids. This variation showed significant correlations with the breeding cycle in adult sand sharks. The contribution of liver lipids to the formation of egg yolk was estimated and found to be secondary to lipid reserves for maintenance. Liver colour varied depended on the amount of liver lipids. Ancillary observations were made of other elasmobranchs in the surf zone.Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Science, 198

Inflation in South Africa, 1921 to 2006 : history, measurement and credibility.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.This study reports the development and use of an original methodology to measure inflation credibility, as well as the first results of such measurement in terms of an inflation credibility barometer. The barometer is an instrument measuring the degree of acceptance of the accuracy of historic inflation figures. Despite the lack of knowledge about inflation and the low inflation credibility recorded by this first calculation of an inflation credibility barometer for South Africa, valuable information about inflation is unveiled to the authorities. The research results serve as a benchmark, but cannot be compared to earlier research, as this study represents the first systematic measurement of inflation credibility in South Africa. The barometer yields better results than the limited current international measurement of perceptions of the accuracy of historic inflation figures. The barometer (i) reports the credibility of inflation figures as a figure between zero and 100; (ii) will highlight changes in credibility over time with repeated use; (iii) can be explained easily to the general public; (iv) provides for international comparison between countries; and (v) can be used by all countries. The use of inflation credibility barometers and changes in barometer readings over time can also serve as an early warning system for changes in inflation perceptions that might feed through to inflation expectations. Sampling results used to calculate a South African inflation credibility barometer show little public understanding of the rate of inflation. Owing to an increased focus on inflation figures in countries using an inflation-targeting monetary policy, central banks entrusted with such a policy should adopt a communication strategy highlighting the calculation and measurement of the rate of inflation. This study shows that no generally accepted international benchmarks for successful central-bank communication strategies have been developed, but the use of the methodology developed in this study will assist in the assessment of the effectiveness of communication strategies. This study makes three further contributions of significance to available literature on inflation in South Africa. The first is an analysis of price increases and inflation over a period of 85 years (1921 to 2006) and a selected comparison of salaries and remuneration over a period of 78 years (1929 to 2006). To this end data sets were developed for comparative purposes, thereby distinguishing between perception and reality about the accuracy of inflation figures over time. As this comparison has not been done before, a methodology was developed that can be used in future research. Based on these comparisons an inflation accuracy indicator (JAI) is developed for the first time. The research showed no systematic over or under-reporting of price increases, therefore confirming the general accuracy of the consumer price index (CPI) over time. As with the inflation credibility barometer, this methodology can be used internationally to confirm the accuracy of countries' inflation figures over time. This methodology can also be used by developing countries with capacity constraints in economic modelling and forecasting. The second contribution to available literature is the first analysis of South Africa's experience with inflation over a period of 85 years from the perspective of the central bank. This analysis highlights not only the difficulties encountered by a central bank to contain inflation, but also focuses the attention on the policy errors of the authorities in their quest to contain rising prices. The third contribution is an analysis of international and domestic initiatives aimed at improving the accuracy and measurement of inflation. The implications of these initiatives for developing countries are considered in the interest of a level international playing field between developed and developing countries

A qualitative evaluation of self-motivation in a measure of Trait Emotional Intelligence

In this study, the author provided a discussion of international cross-cultural validation studies which reported low internal consistency reliabilities for the self-motivation facet of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). A review of salient models of emotional intelligence (EI) revealed that self-motivation was consistently conceptualised as part of the sampling domain of trait and mixed models of EI, but not ability-based conceptualisations of the construct. The author provided a qualitative evaluation of the ten self-motivation test items as they appeared in the TEIQue with the purpose of exploring the operationalisation of the construct in a multi-cultural South African sample. The exploratory-descriptive research was conducted amongst permanent employees who have all completed the TEIQue as part of on-going employee assessments. The present study found limited support for a satisfactory operationalisation of the self-motivation facet of the TEIQue as it related to a multi-cultural South African research sample.PsychologyM.A. (Psychology, with specialisation in Research Consultation

The biology of the sand shark Rhinobatos Annulatus, in Algoa Bay with notes on other elasmobranchs

The biology of the lesser sand shark, Rhinobatos annulatus, was studied off sandy beaches in Algoa Bay over a period of two years. Tagging studies, due to low numbers tagged, did not reveal major movements. However, comparison of numbers of sand sharks caught off the beach and deep water during summer and winter months suggested that migration occurred during these seasons with the animals being inshore in summer. Annual rings on the vertebral centra were used to determine age. Both sexes can reach a maximum age of seven years. Conventional growth curves could not be fitted and empirical curves were used to illustrate growth. The reproductive cycle was investigated and indicated that both sexes matured after three years of age. The breeding season was during late summer when the shallow water was utilized as a nursery area. The sand shark is an aplacental viviparous species with a gestation period of 10 months. Breeding occurred every year and fecundity increased with total body length to a maximum litter size of 10 young. The most important prey items taken inshore were the mysid Gastrosaccus psammodytes, the prawn Macropetasma africanum, the crab Ovalipes punctatus and the sand mussels Donax spp. Differential predation by different length classes of sand shark resulted from a dynamic zonation of these different size classes in the surf zone. Smallest individuals fed closest inshore. Seasonal variation recorded in the hepatosomatic index was primarily due to the accumulation of hepatic lipids. This variation showed significant correlations with the breeding cycle in adult sand sharks. The contribution of liver lipids to the formation of egg yolk was estimated and found to be secondary to lipid reserves for maintenance. Liver colour varied depended on the amount of liver lipids. Ancillary observations were made of other elasmobranchs in the surf zone.Thesis (DPhil) -- Faculty of Science, 198

The attitudes of managers and students towards adult basic education and training : a case study of the Grindrod group

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to explore the effective and efficient implementation of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) within a specific group of companies. A central argument underlying the study is that the attitudes of managers and students who participate in these programmes play a critical role in the successful implementation of such programmes. The specific objective of the study is to identify those factors that influence managers' and students' attitudes towards ABET within the Grindrod Group. A literature review traces the origin of ABET and its historical development within other countries as well as in the South African context. The role of ABET within the context of Human Resources Development is identified and explored. The research entails a case study of the implementation of ABET within the Grindrod Group of Companies. Quantative as well as qualitative information regarding managers' and students' attitudes were obtained. The attitudes of both the managers and students at Grindrod's were identified by using structured questionnaires during 1998-1999. The questionnaire included closed as well as open questions. In-depth interviews were also conducted with a selected group of managers and students. The aim of the interviews was to facilitate a deeper understanding of managers' and students' attitude towards ABET and the variables that might influence these attitudes. In the case of students interviews were conducted with those who had dropped out of ABET programmes. ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to explore the effective and efficient implementation of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) within a specific group of companies. A central argument underlying the study is that the attitudes of managers and students who participate in these programmes play a critical role in the successful implementation of such programmes. The specific objective of the study is to identify those factors that influence managers' and students' attitudes towards ABET within the Grindrod Group. While the attitude of both managers and students could be described as positive, the study suggests that the following variables can be seen to influence managers' attitudes towards ABET: seniority of managers, their political orientation, their educational qualifications and the number of years that ABET has been in operation in a specific company. As far as students are concerned, the following variables seem to play a role: the length of their employment, their occupational status, the level of the ABET module that they participate in as well as their formal educational level. The problem that was most commonly cited by managers was that the ABET programme resulted in operational disruptions because the programme was run in working hours. The most regularly identified benefits included improved communication between managers and employees, improved motivation of employees and identification of development potential of employees. The vast majority of all the employees that partook in ABET stated that they believed that they had benefited from the programme. The most commonly cited benefits included being able to write, speak, read and understand English. While the study focuses on a specific group of companies within a specific industrial sector and does not allow generalisations to be made, it nevertheless attempts to lay a foundation for further research to be undertaken regarding the implementation of these programmes in different sectors of the economy.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die effektiewe en doeltreffende implementering van programme vir die Basiese Onderrig en Opleiding vir Volwassenes (ABET - Adult Basic Education and Training) binne 'n spesifieke groep van maatskappye. 'n Belangrike uitgangspunt van die studie is dat die houdings van bestuurders en studente wat aan hierdie programme deelneem 'n kritiese rol speel in die suksesvolle implementering al dan nie van sodanige programme. Die studie poog om enkele faktore wat moontlik verband hou met bestuurders en studente se houdings teenoor programme binne die Grindrod Groep te identifiseer. 'n Literatuurstudie is gedoen van die oorsprong en historiese ontwikkeling van ABET wêreldwyd sowel as in Suid-Afrika. Die rol van ABET binne die konteks van Menslike Hulpbronontwikkeling is ook geidentifiseer en ondersoek. Die navorsing behels 'n gevallestudie van die implementering van ABET binne die Grindrod Groep van Maatskappye. Kwantitatiewe sowel as kwalitatiewe inligting betreffende bestuurders en studente se houdings is bekom. Die bestuurders en studente by Grindrod se onderskeie maatskappye se houding teenoor ABET is vasgestel d.m.v. gestruktureerde vraelyste gedurende 1998-1999. Die vraelyste het beide geslote en 'oop' vrae ingesluit. Benewens die aanwending van vraelyste, is daar ook in-diepte onderhoude met 'n geselekteerde groep bestuurders en studente gevoer. Die doel van die onderhoude was om 'n beter begrip te ontwikkel betreffende bestuurders en studente se houding teenoor ABET en die faktore wat hul houding beinvloed. In die geval van studente is onderhoude gevoer met diegene wat nie die program suksesvol voltooi het nie. Terwyl die houding van bestuurders en studente in die algemeen as positief beskryf kan word, suggereer die ondersoek dat die volgende faktore bestuur se houding teenoor ABET beinvloed, naamlik, die senioriteit van bestuurders, hul politieke oriëntasie, hul opvoedkundige kwalifikasies en die aantal jare wat programme in die betrokke onderneming geimplementeer is. In die geval van studente blyk die volgende faktore 'n rol te speel: aantal jare wat studente in diens van die onderneming is, hul posisie binne die onderneming, die vlak van die module wat deur die studente gevolg word asook die vlak van skoolonderrig wat hulle oritvang het. Die mees algemene probleem wat bestuurders identifiseer is dat ABET programme operasionele onderbrekings veroorsaak omdat die program tydens werksure geimplimenteer word. Voordele wat met die program geassosieer word behels verbetering van kommunikasie tussen bestuurders en werknemers, verhoogde motivering van werknemers en die identifisering van die ontwikkelingspotensiaal van werknemers. Die oorgrote meerderheid van die studente wat deelgeneem het in die ABET program was van mening dat die program vir hulle van nut was. Die belangrikste voordeel wat deur die studente geidentifiseer is, is dat dit hulle in staat gestel het om Engels te skryf, praat, lees en verstaan. Terwyl die ondersoek fokus op 'n bepaalde groep maatskappye binne 'n bepaalde nywerheidsektor en dus nie veralgemenings toelaat nie, poog dit om 'n grondslag te lê vir verdere navorsing oor die implementering van sodanige programme in verskillende sektore van die ekonomie

Veranderende rol van die skoolhoof in die staatsondersteunde (Model C-) skool in die RSA

Text in AfrikaansDie verskynsel van gedesentraliseerde onderwyshestuur, of selfbestuur van skole (SBS), 1s 'n helangrike internasionale ontwikkeling in onderwyshestuur. 'n Afwenteling van gesag vind vanaf 'n hoer onderwysheheerliggaam na die plaaslike hestuurs- of skoolvlak plaas. Die nuwe wyse van selfhestuur van skole in Engeland en Wallis word saamgevat met die term Local Management of Schools (LMS), terwyl die soortgelyke inisiatief in die VSA en Kanada School-Based Management (SBM) genoem word. Talle aspekte van SBM en LMS sluit in 'n groot mate aan by die Suid-Afrikaanse variant van SBS, die bestuur van staatsondersteunde (Model C-) skole. In aansluiting by die literatuuroorsig wat in hierdie navorsing gedoen is, is kwalitatiewe data deur middel van onderhoude met opvoedkundiges wat direk by die bestuur van staatsondersteunde skole betrokke is, ingesamel. Klem is deurentyd in hierdie studie gele op die skoolhoof se veranderde bestuurstaak ten opsigte van die bestuur van die personeel en die gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid. bestuur van finansies, die bestuur van ouer- en Ten slotte is die volgende onder meer bevind: 'n Oorwegend deelnemende, deursigtige bestuurstyl van die skoolhoof is 'n wesenlike vereiste vir die eff ektiewe selfhestuur van skole. Die hestuur van die finansies bet die grootste enkele verandering in die rol van die skoolhoof in staatsondersteunde skole teweeggebring. Elke hoof behoort die kundigheid van 'n verskeidenheid persone te benut, en hy behoort soveel personeellede as wat prakties moontlik is, by die bestuur van die skool te betrek. Die skoolhoof, bestuursliggaam en ouers behoort saam te werk aan 'n vennootskap waarin daar openheid, wedersydse vertroue en hartlike samewerking voorkom. Die skoolhoof behoort ook, as uitvoerende beampte, te help verseker dat die bestuursliggaam eff ektief funksioneer.Die skoolhoof, bestuursliggaam en ouers behoort saam te werk aan 'n vennootskap waarin daar openheid, wedersydse vertroue en hartlike samewerking voorkom. Die skoolhoof behoort ook, as uitvoerende beampte, te help verseker dat die bestuursliggaam eff ektief funksioneer. Die skoolhoof, bestuursliggaam en ouers behoort saam te werk aan 'n vennootskap waarin daar openheid, wedersydse vertroue en hartlike samewerking voorkom. Die skoolhoof behoort ook, as uitvoerende beampte, te help verseker dat die bestuursliggaam eff ektief funksioneer. Die skoolhoof, bestuursliggaam en ouers behoort saam te werk aan 'n vennootskap waarin daar openheid, wedersydse vertroue en hartlike samewerking voorkom. Die skoolhoof behoort ook, as uitvoerende beampte, te help verseker dat die bestuursliggaam eff ektief funksioneer.Decentralised educational management, or self-management of schools, is an important international development in the field of educational management In this process the decision-making authority is delegated from a central office to the local school level. In England and Wales this new approach is labelled Local Management of Schools (LMS), while School-Based Management (SBM) refers to basically the same initiative in the USA and Canada. Many aspects of the South African variation of selfmanagement of schools, namely the management of state-aided (Model C) schools, are quite similar to SBM and LMS. In addition to the literature review undertaken for this study, qualitative data have been gathered through interviews with a number of educationists who are directly involved in the management of state-aided schools. The main focus was on the changed management role of the principal with regard to financial management, staff management, and the management of parent and community involvement The research concluded with the following findings: A participatory, transparent management style is the key to effective and successful self-management of schools. Financial management has caused the biggest single change in the task of the principal of a state-aided school. Every principal ought to consult as widely as possible, and involve as many staff members as is practicable in the financial management of the school. The principal, management body and parents ought to ensure that a partnership is developed in which there is openness, mutual trust and collaboration. The principal, as managing executive, should also try to ensure that the management body functions effectively. The parents, school community and pupils should be offered the opportunity to participate in a formal, controlled way in the strategic planning and management of the state-aided schoolEducational Leadership and ManagementD.Ed