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The design of a research aquarium for hippocampus capensis in the Knysna Estuary, Western Cape province

- Rautenbach, Richard

Authors: Rautenbach, Richard
Date: 2015
Subjects: Public aquariums -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Designs and plans Public aquariums -- South Africa -- Western Cape
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MArch
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39043 , vital:35025
Description: This thesis developed out of a concern for the ecological biodiversity of natural environments and the way in which human interventions place constant and increasing pressure on them. Modern cities have generally placed little concern on the overall well-being of these systems which all flora and fauna depend upon. This causes stress on many species, with some ending in extinction. The Knysna Seahorse (Hippocampus capensis) is one such species which has suffered because of irresponsible city development. It is a small and seemingly irrelevant animal to many, but its well-being is a far greater issue than that of the tiny endangered creature. It acts as an indicator species of a threatened environment. This treatise takes a critical look at developing an awareness among people of the importance of the ecological well-being of nature alongside the cities of South Africa. More specifically it focuses on the secret and vulnerable lives of the endangered and endemic Knysna Seahorse within its threatened natural environment. The issues facing the natural environment of Knysna will be looked at in depth and sets of interventions will be proposed to minimise further anthropocentric effects on nature. The first part of the proposal will be a larger scale urban intervention that will set the framework for the treatise building design. It has been proposed to design a Research Aquarium for the Knysna Seahorse (H. capensis) as an active ecological research, conservation and education centre. The buildings activities will aid in public education and raise a place specific awareness of the Knysna Estuary and its endangered seahorse species through its conservation efforts. The Seahorse Research Aquarium is to be positioned within a new vision of a waterfront for the Knysna Central. The Research Aquarium will seek to become a mediator between man’s urban environment and the ecological systems of nature. This can be realised as part of a promotion for an enhanced connection of Knysna’s urban environment to that of the natural environment. Ultimately a positive shift in the way in which people respond to the well-being of the environment will be created. The research conducted will focus on the particular interaction between the man-made urban environments within Knysna and the natural environment. The resulting urban and architectural strategies implemented will allow for an empathetic and balanced relationship between man and nature. This harmonious coexistence is essential for the sustenance of the unique natural environments that South Africa should cherish (GNTO .2013). Promoting a healthy and vibrant natural ecology within an urban environment will enhance the quality of life of both man and nature.
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Date Issued: 2015

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This morning a year ago... annotated extracts from Samuel Cronwright's diaries (Sept. 1921-Nov. 1923)

- Walters, Paul S

Authors: Walters, Paul S
Date: 2015
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/458346 , vital:75734 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC176979
Description: The extracts which we print and annotate below are from eight diaries formerly in the possession of the National English Literary Museum (NELM) and written by Olive Schreiner's husband, Samuel Cronwright, from 7 June 1921 to 13 May 1926. They are described in detail by Guy Butler on pages 16 and 17 of Walters and Fogg, Olive Schreiner: Her Reinterment on Buffelskop, which itself derives almost wholly from Diary 1. As we worked our way through these diaries, it seemed a pity not to publish - for the benefit of Schreiner scholars and enthusiasts - the many references to Schreiner and Cronwright's relationship with her which are scattered through their pages. As these diaries - together with the whole Cronwright collection which Cronwright originally left with his brother in Grahamstown when the latter was Manager of the EP Guardian, Loan and Investment Company - have now been removed from NELM's care by Cronwright's grandson (presumably for sale and disposal elsewhere), the publication of these fragments is perhaps of greater importance than when this project was originally undertaken in 2007.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Through the Burtonesque looking-glass : interrogating the psychoanalytic in Tim Burton's adaptation of selected children's texts

- Van Zyl, Simone

Authors: Van Zyl, Simone
Date: 2015
Subjects: Burton, Tim, -- 1958 Children's literature Psychoanalysis and literature
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12304 , vital:39251
Description: The primary aim of this thesis is to interrogate existing psychoanalytical theory, as well as to conduct research on ‘the Burtonesque’ in order to examine two of Tim Burton's filmic adaptations of classic literary works for children, namely: Alice in Wonderland (2010), an adaptation inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice books, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), based on Roald Dahl's novel of the same title. Firstly, the chapters will explore the psychological elements found in the original texts, which Burton amplifies in his onscreen adaptations by means of various stylistic and thematic techniques that have become known as ‘the Burtonesque’. Secondly, the ‘Burtonesque’ itself will be explored, and thirdly, by means of comparative analysis, the investigation will focus on the manner in which such aesthetics aid Burton in highlighting psychological concerns in his films, as well as interrogate his cinematic alterations to existing texts in order to further his purpose. As a keen enthusiast of psychology and having won awards within the field, Tim Burton, a foremost contemporary Hollywood filmmaker, in his adaptations of children’s classics, deliberately magnifies the psychoanalytic components that are often found in the tales. Through his unique interpretation, Burton brings the psychoanalytic approach to children’s stories to a new level. He explores certain themes such as death, childhood fantasies, psychological development and parental relationships, and makes use of specific artistic techniques that create a sense of the uncanny and defamiliarisation in the viewer. Due to his gothic cinematic approach, Burton is one of the most recognisable artists in his field, with a consistent vision that is concerned with cinematic and thematic aspects of his work, branding his films with a unique ‘Burtonesque’ quality that has become instantly identifiable. As a result of Burton’s psychological interest in children’s stories, Tim Burton’s film adaptations of the Dahl and Carroll classic children’s stories can be interrogated under a psychoanalytic lens. Psychoanalytic literary criticism is a method of literary analysis that is informed by the tradition of psychoanalysis established by Freud. In Burton scholarship, critical exploration should take the form of not only a close reading of the original text and analysis of the film version in order to come to a psychoanalytic interpretation, but by means of comparison of film and text, highlight the methods applied by psychoanalytic theory. A close comparative analysis of original literary works by Roald Dahl and Lewis Carroll, and Tim Burton’s filmic adaptations will be conducted in this study. Thereby, the manner in which Tim Burton employs specific techniques in order to emphasise the stories’ psychological components will be explored. Biographical information of Dahl and Lewis, as well as a short synopsis of their stories will be included in order to provide the context for psychoanalytical criticism. A discussion of ‘the Burtonesque’ will be provided, as well as a brief exploration of his adaptation history and Burton’s specific interest in psychology. Research methods to be applied in the analysis of the original texts and their film versions are psychoanalytic literary theory, drawing predominantly on the work of theorists: Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan and Carl Jung. A close examination of auteur theory, the unique voice Burton has established through his iconic cinematic techniques, now coined ‘the Burtonesque’, will also be applied to provide a fuller and rounder interrogation. The focus of this project is to investigate thempsychoanalytical elements found in the texts and films, in order to clearly illustrate how Tim Burton’s cinematic approach serves to highlight a psychoanalytic interpretation.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Through the Camera Obscura : exploring the voyeuristic gaze through Grahamstown's architecture

- King, Taryn

Authors: King, Taryn
Date: 2015
Subjects: Architecture -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Camera obscuras -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Voyeurism in art , Gaze in art , Architecture and society -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Human figure in art , Women in art
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MFA
Identifier: vital:2511 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018937
Description: My study explores the politics of viewing and the gaze. I argue that the gaze both arrests and objectifies the body, which in turn transforms subjects into objects therefore regulating social behaviour. The basic notion of the gaze will be explored throughout this thesis and thereby contextualizes my sculptures, which are casts of my naked body. My particular concern lies in how the ideas of surveillance have had an influence on architecture and buildings in Grahamstown. Throughout this mini thesis, I will explore a number of architectural spaces of Grahamstown such as the Provost prison, Fort Selwyn and the Camera Obscura which I argue were all designed based on the ideas of surveillance. The entanglement of Grahamstown architecture and the female form as a subject of voyeurism forms an important part of this thesis, as the context of Grahamstown architecture is centered on visibility, which in turn subjects people to a form of discipline. The Provost Prison, the Camera Obscura and the forts of Grahamstown are all good examples of this. Outside of this, the female body is also subjected to the gaze, which in turn suggests that the female body is also under surveillance and as a result also becomes disciplined. My installation is a response to Antony Gormley’s Event Horizon, in which he placed 33 steel and fibreglass casts of his own naked body at an elevated level on buildings around Manhattan and Brazil. In this discussion I have contextualized my work with reference to the ideas of different theorists. The three main theorists I have cited are Michel Foucault, Jonathan Crary and Laura Mulvey. Foucault is specifically cited due to his discussion on Panoptic power, surveillance and docile bodies. Crary makes a number of important points with regards to the ideological operations of the Camera Obscura as well as its history while Laura Mulvey’s writings form the basis of the voyeuristic gaze from the perspective of a feminist.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Tillage effects on the aggregate-associated organic carbon and bulk density in some South African soils with different texture

- Njeru, Sarah Kangai

Authors: Njeru, Sarah Kangai
Date: 2015
Subjects: Soil management Tillage
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/2512 , vital:27881
Description: Tillage operations disrupt the soil structure resulting in aggregates of various sizes and altered bulk density. Moreover, tillage influences soil carbon pools and many other soil physical properties. The objectives of this study were to determine, in various South African soils under different tillage systems, the following. (1) Amount of aggregate-associated soil organic carbon (SOC), (2) soil compressibility, and (3) relationship between compressibility, texture and the aggregate-associated SOC. The soil samples used in this study were collected from six different sites in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Soil samples were taken from conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) land. To keep the soil aggregates intact sampling was done using a spade and carefully carried to the laboratory in rigid containers. For SOC determination, treatments were the two tillage systems, CT and NT, and four aggregate sizes. The experimental design was completely randomized design with a factorial layout and was replicated three times. Aggregate-associated SOC was determined using Walkley-Black method. Proctor compaction test was used determine the dry bulk density with varying moisture content and consequently the maximum bulk density (MBD) and critical water content (CWC). The aggregate-associated SOC content differed with tillage system and was significant higher (p < 0.05) in CT than NT. The amount of aggregate-associated SOC was 1.67 times higher in CT than NT plots. The MBD ranged between 1.77 g/cm3 and 10.27 g/cm3 and the CWC ranged from 9.1 percent to 10.3 percent. The higher amounts of SOC in CT were attributed to the annual crop residue returns while the lower amounts of SOC in the NT fields were due to grazing. Therefore, tillage influenced the amount of aggregate-associated organic carbon irrespective of the resulting size of the aggregate. The positive relationship between tillage and aggregate-associated SOC challenges the conversion of land to no-till for carbon sequestration. The overall gradient for correlation between the MBD and CWC was negative with r2 = 0.23 and a p value of 0.0076. The compressibility curves indicated higher values under CT if the texture class was silt clay.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Total ionizing dose and single event upset testing of flash based field programmable gate arrays

- Van Aardt, Stefan

Authors: Van Aardt, Stefan
Date: 2015
Subjects: Field programmable gate arrays Application-specific integrated circuits
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MEngineering
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12548 , vital:27090
Description: The effectiveness of implementing field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) in communication, military, space and high radiation environment applications, coupled with the increased accessibility of private individuals and researchers to launch satellites, has led to an increased interest in commercial off the shelf components. The metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) structures of FPGAs however, are sensitive to radiation effects which can lead to decreased reliability of the device. In order to successfully implement a FPGA based system in a radiation environment, such as on-board a satellite, the single event upset (SEU) and total ionizing dose (TID) characteristics of the device must first be established. This research experimentally determines a research procedure which could accurately determine the SEU cross sections and TID characteristics of various mitigation techniques as well as control circuits implemented in a ProASIC3 A3P1000 FPGA. To gain an understanding of the SEU effects of the implemented circuits, the test FPGA was irradiated by a 66MeV proton beam at the iTemba LABS facility. Through means of irradiation, the SEU cross section of various communication, motor control and mitigation schemes circuits, induced by high energy proton strikes was investigated. The implementation of a full global triple modular redundancy (TMR) and a combination of TMR and a AND-OR multiplexer filter was found to most effectively mitigate SEUs in comparison to the other techniques. When comparing the communication and motor control circuits, the high frequency I2C and SPI circuits experienced a higher number of upsets when compared to a low frequency servo motor control circuit. To gain a better understanding of the absorbed dose effects, experimental TID testing was conducted by irradiating the test FPGA with a cobalt-60 (Co-60) source. An accumulated absorbed dose resulted in the fluctuation of the device supply current and operating voltages as well as resulted in output errors. The TMR and TMR filtering combination mitigation techniques again were found to be the most effective methods of mitigation.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards a changing context and performance practice of mbira dzavadzimu music in Zimbabwe

- Chipendo, Claudio

Authors: Chipendo, Claudio
Date: 2015
Subjects: Mbira music -- Zimbabwe Shona (African people) -- Music
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/6357 , vital:29588
Description: Mbira dzavadzimu music and performance practice has been in existence since the pre-colonial era. It played a crucial role in ritual and non-ritual activities of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. However, political, social and global influences as well as technological advancement have resulted in change of context and performance practice. Unfortunately, these have not been recorded for future generations. The major aim of the study is therefore to examine the change of context and performance practice of mbira dzavadzimu in Zimbabwe. This was achieved by reviewing mbira dzavadzimu music and performance practice within the modern setting of dandaro. I looked at change from a theoretical lens of the theory of diffusion, syncretism and mediatisation. The study was in the qualitative form superimposed on some case studies. Unstructured interviews, participant and non-participant observations were the main instruments used to collect data from both traditional and modern mbira performances. Data was also collected from museums, archives, radio and television stations. The study established that the changes in context and performance practice of mbira dzavadzimu in Zimbabwe were to a larger extent due to foreign influences such as colonialism, the coming of missionaries, modernisation, urbanisation, commercialisation, mediatisation, the use of modern technology and institutionalisation. Due to the aforementioned influences, the environmental settings, the change of context from sacred to secular, the relationship with ancestral spirits, musical practices, performance situations and quality of sound, have been modified and adjusted in response to the influences of the globalised world’s ever changing audience and performance space. In short, this has resulted in a shift of mbira performances from its traditional to modern settings, from the village to the city and onto the international scene with a new performer-audience setting. Various innovations were carried out on the instrument and its music as a result of the advent of modern technology. The use of microphones, modern amplification systems, recording studios, radio and television broadcast, audio and video cassettes, CDs, DVD, teaching of the instrument using audio and video instructional models and the use of internet sites in learning how to play mbira dzavadzimu and other instruments have become a reality. It has been evident from the study that urban and rural areas take up change in different ways and that in the former change is more pronounced than in the latter. Urban area communities are more “developed” than their rural counterparts because the former are more exposed to technological influences and the commercialisation of music. The study has also established that Zimbabwean mbira music is a good example of modern transculturality. The instrument and its music have played a major role in breaking down cultural boundaries and bringing the people of the world together for purposes of performing on the instrument. From the findings of this study, I attribute most of the changes to technologisation, for most of the changes that have taken place on mbira dzavadzimu were a result of the highly technologised way of life Zimbabweans now lead.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards a framework for building security operation centers

- Jacobs, Pierre Conrad

Authors: Jacobs, Pierre Conrad
Date: 2015
Subjects: Security systems industry , Systems engineering , Expert systems (Computer science) , COBIT (Information technology management standard) , Computer security
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
Identifier: vital:4710 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017932
Description: In this thesis a framework for Security Operation Centers (SOCs) is proposed. It was developed by utilising Systems Engineering best practices, combined with industry-accepted standards and frameworks, such as the TM Forum’s eTOM framework, CoBIT, ITIL, and ISO/IEC 27002:2005. This framework encompasses the design considerations, the operational considerations and the means to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of SOCs. The intent is to provide guidance to consumers on how to compare and measure the capabilities of SOCs provided by disparate service providers, and to provide service providers (internal and external) a framework to use when building and improving their offerings. The importance of providing a consistent, measureable and guaranteed service to customers is becoming more important, as there is an increased focus on holistic management of security. This has in turn resulted in an increased number of both internal and managed service provider solutions. While some frameworks exist for designing, building and operating specific security technologies used within SOCs, we did not find any comprehensive framework for designing, building and managing SOCs. Consequently, consumers of SOCs do not enjoy a constant experience from vendors, and may experience inconsistent services from geographically dispersed offerings provided by the same vendor.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards a PHP webshell taxonomy using deobfuscation-assisted similarity analysis

- Wrench, Peter M, Irwin, Barry V W

Authors: Wrench, Peter M , Irwin, Barry V W
Date: 2015
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429560 , vital:72622 , 10.1109/ISSA.2015.7335066
Description: The abundance of PHP-based Remote Access Trojans (or web shells) found in the wild has led malware researchers to develop systems capable of tracking and analysing these shells. In the past, such shells were ably classified using signature matching, a process that is currently unable to cope with the sheer volume and variety of web-based malware in circulation. Although a large percentage of newly-created webshell software incorporates portions of code derived from seminal shells such as c99 and r57, they are able to disguise this by making extensive use of obfuscation techniques intended to frustrate any attempts to dissect or reverse engineer the code. This paper presents an approach to shell classification and analysis (based on similarity to a body of known malware) in an attempt to create a comprehensive taxonomy of PHP-based web shells. Several different measures of similarity were used in conjunction with clustering algorithms and visualisation techniques in order to achieve this. Furthermore, an auxiliary component capable of syntactically deobfuscating PHP code is described. This was employed to reverse idiomatic obfuscation constructs used by software authors. It was found that this deobfuscation dramatically increased the observed levels of similarity by exposing additional code for analysis.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards a wireless local area network security control framework for small, medium and micro enterprises in South Africa

- Van de Haar, Paul

Authors: Van de Haar, Paul
Date: 2015
Subjects: Wireless LANs , Local area networks (Computer networks) , Wireless communication systems
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/4001 , vital:20499
Description: There is little literature available that is specific to the use of wireless local area network [WLAN) security among small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. This research study developed a framework which may be used by SMMEs for the purposes of securing their WLANs. In view of the fact that the aim of the study was to develop a system for improving information technology security, the study followed a design science approach. A literature review was conducted on security control framework standards and WLAN technologies. The needs of SMMEs regarding WLANs were also established. The result of this process was an artefact in the form of a WLAN Security Control Framework for securing WLANs for SMMEs in South Africa. The suitability of the framework was validated by means of a focus group.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards an evaluation and protection strategy for critical infrastructure

- Gottschalk, Jason Howard

Authors: Gottschalk, Jason Howard
Date: 2015
Subjects: Computer crimes -- Prevention , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer crimes -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Public works -- Security measures
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
Identifier: vital:4721 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018793
Description: Critical Infrastructure is often overlooked from an Information Security perspective as being of high importance to protect which may result in Critical Infrastructure being at risk to Cyber related attacks with potential dire consequences. Furthermore, what is considered Critical Infrastructure is often a complex discussion, with varying opinions across audiences. Traditional Critical Infrastructure included power stations, water, sewage pump stations, gas pipe lines, power grids and a new entrant, the “internet of things”. This list is not complete and a constant challenge exists in identifying Critical Infrastructure and its interdependencies. The purpose of this research is to highlight the importance of protecting Critical Infrastructure as well as proposing a high level framework aiding in the identification and securing of Critical Infrastructure. To achieve this, key case studies involving Cyber crime and Cyber warfare, as well as the identification of attack vectors and impact on against Critical Infrastructure (as applicable to Critical Infrastructure where possible), were identified and discussed. Furthermore industry related material was researched as to identify key controls that would aid in protecting Critical Infrastructure. The identification of initiatives that countries were pursuing, that would aid in the protection of Critical Infrastructure, were identified and discussed. Research was conducted into the various standards, frameworks and methodologies available to aid in the identification, remediation and ultimately the protection of Critical Infrastructure. A key output of the research was the development of a hybrid approach to identifying Critical Infrastructure, associated vulnerabilities and an approach for remediation with specific metrics (based on the research performed). The conclusion based on the research is that there is often a need and a requirement to identify and protect Critical Infrastructure however this is usually initiated or driven by non-owners of Critical Infrastructure (Governments, governing bodies, standards bodies and security consultants). Furthermore where there are active initiative by owners very often the suggested approaches are very high level in nature with little direct guidance available for very immature environments.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards assessing impacts of alien plant infestations on river systems in the Southern Cape using cost-benefit analyses

- Rivers-Moore, Nick A, Dallas, Helen F, Barendse, Jaco, de Moor, Ferdy C

Authors: Rivers-Moore, Nick A , Dallas, Helen F , Barendse, Jaco , de Moor, Ferdy C
Date: 2015
Subjects: To be catalogued
Language: English
Type: text , report
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/438336 , vital:73452 , ISBN 978-1-4312-0661-2 , https://wrcwebsite.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/2264.pdf
Description: Ecosystem resilience is key to the provision of dependable ecosystem goods and services, and it is generally accepted that ecosystem diversity helps to maintain sys-tem resilience. It is therefore reasonable to postulate that changes to the variables that drive species patterns will result in changes to ecosystem community structure and consequently negatively impact on system resilience. Alien vegetation in the riparian zone can impact on water temperatures, flow patterns, degree of shading, channel modification, and changes to natural sediment loads. Climate change is likely to exacerbate the problem both directly through its amplification of thermal extremes in aquatic systems, and indirectly through its impacts on dispersal patterns of alien invasive vegetation.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards large scale software based network routing simulation

- Herbert, Alan

Authors: Herbert, Alan
Date: 2015
Subjects: Routers (Computer networks) , Computer software , Linux
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
Identifier: vital:4709 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017931
Description: Software based routing simulators suffer from large simulation host requirements and are prone to slow downs because of resource limitations, as well as context switching due to user space to kernel space requests. Furthermore, hardware based simulations do not scale with the passing of time as their available resources are set at the time of manufacture. This research aims to provide a software based, scalable solution to network simulation. It aims to achieve this by a Linux kernel-based solution, through insertion of a custom kernel module. This will reduce the number of context switches by eliminating the user space context requirement, and serve to be highly compatible with any host that can run the Linux kernel. Through careful consideration in data structure choice and software component design, this routing simulator achieved results of over 7 Gbps of throughput over multiple simulated node hops on consumer hardware. Alongside this throughput, this routing simulator also brings to light scalability and the ability to instantiate and simulate networks in excess of 1 million routing nodes within 1 GB of system memory
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards measuring corporate sustainability in the Nelson Mandela Bay automotive manufacturing sector

- Adams, Abulele

Authors: Adams, Abulele
Date: 2015
Subjects: Sustainability -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/18465 , vital:28648
Description: This study explored the methods available for measuring corporate sustainability and created an instrument to measure corporate sustainability in the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) automotive manufacturing sector. The instrument was created based on three components of sustainability which are environment, society and economy. The study went a step further and added a fourth dimension, current trends to design a measuring instrument. The instrument was then applied on participating companies and further refined to improve it. A total of 16 multi-dimensional indicators to measure corporate sustainability were created and applied to 12 companies in the automotive manufacturing sector. The indicators were used to create a composite corporate sustainability index which can be used to compare the corporate sustainability performance of companies. These indicators were created based on theoretical research and fist hand experience observing the automotive manufacturing sector in the NMB. The indicators were applied to companies as a pilot to test whether they are feasible. Following this, the indicators were refined, improved and applied to more companies to measure corporate sustainability performance. The results of the study were the measuring instrument created, the creation of a composite index as well as the application of the instrument on 12 companies to determine whether the instrument was refined enough to detect differences in the corporate sustainability performance of companies. The results are discussed and further recommendations are made for improvements in the creation and application of the instrument to measure corporate sustainability in the NMB automotive manufacturing sector.
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Date Issued: 2015

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Towards shaping the field: theorising the knowledge in a formal course for academic developers

- Vorster, Jo-Anne E, Quinn, Lynn

Authors: Vorster, Jo-Anne E , Quinn, Lynn
Date: 2015
Language: English
Type: text , article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66578 , vital:28966 , https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2015.1070126
Description: publisher version , In recent years there have been calls both for building the knowledge base of academic development (AD) and for systematic induction of newcomers to the field if AD is to advance as a professional and an academic field. Despite the importance and complexity of AD, induction of novice academic developers remains mostly informal and predominantly focuses on the practices of the field. We argue that more-experienced academic developers have an obligation to provide formal and systematic routes into the field and its knowledge base than is currently the case. One way of doing this is through offering a formal course for growing the next generation of academic developers. Such a course could equip newcomers with a more solid and shared knowledge base, thus contributing to shaping the epistemic spine of AD. In this paper, using Maton's Legitimation Code Theory, we offer an analysis of an existing course aimed at equipping novices with the theoretical and practical knowledge to enable them to solve some of the problems in higher education. From this analysis have emerged general principles that could inform the selection, sequencing and pacing of knowledge in a formal course for academic developers.
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Date Issued: 2015

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