Managing a sustainable private radiographic practice in Gauteng and Limpopo provinces

Radiography is a constantly changing environment that is continuously evolving with new technology and new techniques on how to image human anatomy. This has led to cheaper and easier ways of imaging that present an opportunity for radiographers to practice independently from radiologists. The increase in the number of radiographers going into private practice since 2006 has led to a number of private radiography practices failing due to competition and other management and financial factors. This study seeks to provide insight into the changing environment of private radiographic practice and the level of success it can bring to radiographers. This will enable radiographers to better determine their personal and professional development needs, which will effectively improve their ability to manage and sustain private radiographic practices. This approach stems from the researcher’s belief that with the right skill and knowledge radiographers can run successful private practices and in so doing be able to empower others to do the same. The researcher has chosen to carry out a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design in order to explore and describe the detailed recommendations and views of private radiographic practice owners and how they manage their practices. The chosen method of data collection for this study is individual one-on-one interviews supported by a literature control. The one-on-one interview was used to collect the data from participants who meet the inclusion criteria. The researcher purposively selected participants to ensure that their ideas and opinions will benefit the study. The chosen method of data analysis is Tesch’s data analysis approach as it follows the qualitative way of data analysis which occurs in three phases: description, analysis, and interpretation. This research made use of Guba’s trustworthiness model to establish the validity and reliability of the qualitative research. The four criteria in this model for trustworthiness are truth-value by using the qualitative approach of credibility; applicability determined by using transferability; consistency determined by using the qualitative approach of dependability and, finally, neutrality determined by the qualitative approach to confirmability. The following six (6) ethical principles were followed to ensure no harm came to the participants: beneficence and non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, veracity, confidentiality and privacy. On completion of the study, the researcher made recommendations based on the findings for inclusion in basic radiographic training and continuous professional development. These recommendations are: Complete reviewing of the management training syllabus in radiography education. Compilation of literature that deals with private practice radiography. Inclusion of private practice radiographers in radiography societies. Further research into the subject of private practice radiography. This will allow for the knowledge contained in the study to be accessible to those who need it. It is also important to note that a study of this nature has never been conducted and therefore sharing of this information will allow for radiographers to know and understand what sustaining a private radiographic practice involves. The findings will be disseminated in seminars, conferences and publications

Teachers’ perceptions of the mentoring of novice teachers in the King William’s Town District

The aim of the study was to investigate the teachers‟ perceptions of thementoring of novice teachers in the King William‟s Town District. Inorder to understand how the teachers viewed novice teacher mentoringthe study adopted a qualitative approach. Interviews anddocumentsanalysis were used as data collection instruments. The purpose of the study was to investigate the teachers‟ perceptions on mentoring of novice teachers in schools. The respondents provided their explanationsof mentoring and also said what they think is the importance of mentoring. The teachers also had to give their mentoring experiences at school and District levels. Two schools in the King William‟s Town District were purposivelyselected to form the context of the study. The respondents were 6 educators, three from a primary school and three from a high school. Principals of the two selected schools were also included asrespondents in the study. The results of the study revealed that mentoring was taking place informally in the schools through sharing ofthe teaching challenges. Mentoring was also taking place through theteachers mentoring each other as Subject and Phase teachers supervised by Heads of Department. Most teachers understoodmentoring as giving guidance and help

Electronic hotel customer satisfaction: e-WOM comments of hotels in Pilgrims Rest, Mpumalanga.

In the hotel industry, electronic-Word-Of-Mouth (e-WOM) has a significant effect on customers’ decision making. It helps them to reduce the risk along with buying services as intangible products. The purpose of this study was to measure hotel customer satisfaction using e-WOM comments of hotels. The survey instrument was based on Wong Ooi Mei, Dean and White (1999) HOLSERV model. In order to meet study objectives, structural equation modelling was conducted. The results show that the degree to which a promised service is performed dependably and accurately (reliability) highly impacts on customer satisfaction in hotels. This is followed by ‘the degree to which service providers are willing to help customers and provide prompt service’ (responsiveness), and ‘the extent to which service providers are knowledgeable, courteous, and able to inspire trust and confidence’ (assurance). To reduce negative e-WOM, hotels can make use of social media. Social media is a powerful tool to encourage positive e-WOM and a strategy to encourage interaction with past, current and future customers. The findings contribute to the existing literature on hotel customer satisfaction by analysing a less explored topic (e-WOM) by means of a comprehensive methodology that considers guest comments from an online source

Local Community and Stakeholder Participation in Post-Apartheid Urban Renewal Development Projects in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Beginning from the mid-1990, the implementation of South African development projects witnessed remarkable changes. Driven primarily by government policy, particularly after 1994, these changes among other things offered opportunities for the people to participate in the development of their areas. This study evaluates the impact of local community and stakeholder participation in urban renewal initiatives during post-apartheid South Africa. The results show the critical role of community participation in the effective implementation of development initiatives. Participation provides communities with a platform to raise concerns  thereby enabling critical and constructive dialogue among the relevant stakeholders and government officials. The study concludes that limited community participation in the planning and  implementation of sustainable development projects contributes to creation of resistance among affected stakeholder

Demographic implications of transiting from segregation to integration: a focus on education issues in Buffalo City, South Africa

The study aims at interrogating the transformation of education in Buffalo City following integration of East London with its black townships. This paper is largely framed from a quantitative paradigm that draws from statistical data in linking population changes with educational patterns in the study area. Census data was used to trace population changes in post-apartheid South Africa, while performance in education was informed by matriculation results. Quantitative data were complemented with key informants’ qualitative opinions. The results indicate that the quality of education in former “white” schools is better than that of “township” schools. There are several pull factors that attract township learners to former white schools, albeit with integration challenges. The study concludes that if these challenges are masked to education planners and policy makers, they militate against the envisioned liberalisation of the democratic education system

Challenges facing the transformation of the public transport system in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa: History in the making

The transformation of the public transport system is a common occurrence in cities across the globe and is widely discussed in scholarly and policy circles. However, robust discussion on the transformation of the public transport system, using the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in emerging economies like South Africa, is limited. This article assesses the challenges involved in the transformation of the public road transport system in the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), with special reference to the BRT system. The empirical data for the study were drawn from the fieldwork, meetings, focus group discussions, and interviews with affected stakeholders and senior managers of NMB who were involved in the implementation of the BRT. The secondary data were drawn from literature, government publications and media. The results reflect that the implementation of the BRT was not easily achieved, as diverse challenges surfaced during the implementation phase. The main challenges include: lack of intensive planning and limited effective stakeholder and affected community engagement. The article concludes that as much as the BRT has credited the public road transportation system innovation in South Africa its implementation was not easy in NMB, and will be an important history for the city

Vulnerability, impact and adaptation strategies of female farmers to climate variability

In Africa, agriculture, particularly crop production, is a vital livelihood practice for women, who provide a larger proportion of the labour force. However, the high reliance on rain-fed agriculture, coupled with other socio-economic constraints, exposes female farmers to climatic risks. This paper investigates the participation of women in crop production, key challenges and their coping strategies for climatic disturbances. Drawing on the experiences of female farmers of Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) in Mpumalanga, South Africa, the study blended qualitative and quantitative approaches to gather data on their vulnerability and adaptation strategies to climatic shocks. A questionnaire administered through face-to-face interaction and online surveys was the main instrument used to obtain data. This study revealed diverse challenges faced by female farmers in the form of high susceptibility to climatic disruptions, limited funding and gaps in accessing agricultural inputs and equipment (machinery, seeds and fertilisers) and pests. The effects of climate variability manifest in low crop outputs and inferior yields, food insecurity and loss of revenue. The most preferred coping strategies are changing planting and harvesting dates, followed by eating less food, looking for jobs and crop rotation. Although the main source of support comes from both family and government, the majority of the female farmers do not use modern scientific-based and input-intensive agricultural coping strategies such as the use of irrigation systems because of lack of livelihood assets and lower literacy levels