The relationship between leadership behaviours and employee inclusion
- Authors: Jagers,Leizel Hilary
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Leadership -- South Africa , Diversity in the workplace Organizational behavior Work -- Psychological aspects Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40084 , vital:35753
- Description: In recent times, the discussion on diversity has shifted to that of inclusion. Employee inclusion plays an integral role in the quality of the organisational environment to create an organisation that maximises and leverages diverse talents, backgrounds and perspectives of all employees to increase organisational success. Inclusion has emerged as a contemporary area of exploration while diversity embraces a rich body of research. Leadership theorists have yet to discover an approach to inclusive leadership. It is interesting to note the lack of integration concerning the relationship between leadership behaviours and employee inclusion within a South African context, thus it is worth exploring what meaning and interpretation employee inclusion holds in a diverse South African work context. The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between leadership behaviours and employee inclusion. A literature study was conducted to explore work previously done regarding leadership behaviours and employee inclusion. For the empirical study, a positivistic paradigm with a quantitative research method was utilised. The confectionary organisation under study is situated in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The leadership behaviours of production line managers (n = 11) contributing to employee inclusion of production line workers (n = 141) was studied by means of a survey in the research design. To compensate for the simplistic responses to complex issues, both closed-ended and open-ended surveys were administered. Random sampling was selected as the sampling strategy for this study. In addition, the research study made use of both inferential and descriptive statistic techniques. A statistically significant relationship exists between leadership behaviours and employee inclusion. The findings reveal that production line managers generally believe that they exhibit leadership behaviours associated with employee inclusion, whereas production line workers generally believe that their managers exhibit certain, but not all leadership behaviours associated with employee inclusion. Furthermore, production line managers leaned towards a positive point of view of their perception of the extent to which production line workers experience employee inclusion. However, most of production line workers leaned towards a negative point of view whilst the minority leaned towards a positive point of view in relation to the extent to which they experience employee inclusion. These findings suggest that components of leadership behaviour namely commitment, courage, cognizance of bias, curiosity, cultural intelligence and collaboration correlate strongly to employee inclusion in terms of uniqueness and belongingness. The leadership behaviours discussed in the literature and empirical study can contribute to future studies in terms of creating an inclusive leadership approach or style as this has not been discovered yet. Leaders should be aware of their leadership behaviours and familiarise themselves with and implement the preferred leadership behaviours for employee inclusion through self-development initiatives, leadership training and social change initiatives. Furthermore, leaders should practice leadership behaviours and techniques based on each situation, individual or group with a specific focus on the six signature traits of an inclusive leader and finally, organisations should create opportunities for employees to give feedback to their managers to raise awareness around the importance of employee inclusion.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between leadership styles and talent retention within South Africa
- Authors: Liss, Kirstin
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Leadership styles
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44578 , vital:38139
- Description: The challenge of retaining employees is becoming increasingly difficult. This purpose of this study was to examine if employee leadership style preferences are currently being met and whether a relationship exists between leadership styles and talent retention. Data from leadership styles and talent retention questionnaires was used in the analysis. The results of the paired sample t-test indicated that leadership style preferences were not currently being met by employees providing input to the research question. The relationship between leadership styles and talent retention were explored using a correlation and a relationship was found to be significant thus supporting the research question. Multiple linear regression analysis provided further support in this relationship and investigated to what extent leadership styles influence retention. A significant positive relationship was found in that the experience of negative or positive levels of leadership styles, will influence employee retention. Leadership styles are not currently being met by employees thus the retention of employees are at risk for organisations in South Africa. The study concludes with recommendations for research and Industrial and Organisational Psychologists in practice.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between Millon’s personality styles and the secondary traumatic stress beliefs of trauma counsellors
- Authors: Rossouw, Gwynneth
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Treatment , Psychic trauma -- Treatment Personality assessment Stress (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43545 , vital:36917
- Description: The research aim of this study was to explore and describe the relationship between Millon’s personality styles and the secondary traumatic stress beliefs experienced by trauma counsellors. An exploratory-descriptive design was employed to collect the quantitative data by means of a biographical questionnaire, Millon’s Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (3rd Edition) (MCMI-III) and the Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale (TABS). Purposive sampling was used to select the participants from 22 organisations spread across the Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Cape Town geographical areas. A total number of 98 participants completed the MCMI-III and the TABS. The data were analysed using descriptive and correlational statistics. It was found that the relationship between many of the MCMI-III scales and the TABS was significant. The majority of the participants responded positively to the study as it made them more aware of their emotions. Certain conclusions and recommendations were made based on the findings of the study. The results for our sample showed that there is a strong and positive relationship between Millon’s personality styles and the secondary traumatic stress beliefs of trauma counsellors, which was found to be both practically and statistically significant. The use of discriminant analysis provided better prediction for this study as it enables better prediction on which personality type is more prone to develop STS in future. This is a study of limited scope and the participants were selected from counsellors working with victims of trauma. Furthermore, it would be useful for future research to investigate if demographic variables such as: age, gender, level of education, level of experience and the number of working hours with trauma could have an impact on developing STS.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between organisational culture and cross-team collaboration at an institution of higher learning
- Authors: McGowan-Berry, Charlene Hilda
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Corporate culture , Organizational change Organizational behavior Organization -- Research Education, Higher -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/42628 , vital:36675
- Description: Institutions of higher learning are under constant pressure to become more effective amidst lowering subsidies and increased student intake. Bozalek, Ngambi and Dachago (2013) identify a limit of resources as one of the major challenges facing higher education. As a result, resources and talent need to be more effectively utilised. There is also a growing call for closer co-operation across disciplines, for example in terms of increased interdisciplinary teaching and research to address real life issues. The opposite, namely a silo mentality where people focus on their own tasks without interacting and solving problems collaboratively, does not lead to excellence. Silos are invisible barriers which fragment organisations and make it difficult to cross boundaries (Cilliers & Greyvenstein, 2012). The primary objective of this study was to explore the existing culture at a selected university and to determine whether a relationship between organisational culture and cross-team collaboration existed. A positivistic research approach was followed and quantitative research methods were adopted. The target population included all of the academics from one of the campuses of the selected university. A non-probability sampling technique of convenience sampling was used. The Organisational Culture Questionnaire (OCQ) developed by Harrison (1993) was administered to 120 employees at the selected university. The results suggested that a Task and Role Culture was most evident at the University, but that a Support Culture was mostly supportive of cross-team collaboration. Recommendations were made for the University and for future research.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between perceived ethical leadership and employee life-satisfaction in South Africa
- Authors: van Rooyen, Uné
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Leadership -- Moral and ethical aspects , Leadership Business ethics Social responsibility of business
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44100 , vital:37110
- Description: Leadership behaviour has a significant impact on follower outcomes. How leaders are perceived in terms of ethical leadership and integrity may have an impact on follower well-being. This non-experimental, correlational study aimed to determine the relationships between Ethical Leadership, employee Life-satisfaction and Job-satisfaction in South Africa. Perceived Leader Integrity was used as an indicator of Ethical Leadership. Employing the survey method, Ethical Leadership was measured with the Perceived Leadership Integrity Scale (PLIS), Life-satisfaction was measured with the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Job-satisfaction was measured with the Michigan Organisational Assessment Questionnaire Jobsatisfaction Subscale (MOAQ-JSS). The sample consisted of lower and middle managers in various organisations across different geographical locations in South Africa. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including Cronbach’s alpha testing, Person Product Moment correlation calculations as well as Independent samples T-tests and ANOVA statistics. The results indicated a positive, yet negligible relationship between Perceived Leader Integrity and Life-satisfaction, and a fair positive relationship between Perceived Leader Integrity and Job-satisfaction, as well as between Lifesatisfaction and Job-satisfaction. Despite several limitations, the study contributes to the current body of knowledge regarding leadership and well-being, specifically in a South African context. Recommendations for future research include cultural considerations, and more specific populations groups, among others.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between psychological capital and flourishing in the workplace
- Authors: De Reuck, Jani
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Personnel management Human capital -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39491 , vital:35272
- Description: Sales employees are often the most important channel a company uses to execute their strategies and generate income. Psychological capital emerged from the field of positive organisational scholarship, which believes that individuals and organisations will benefit from unlocking hidden potentials of employees by focusing on their strengths and positive qualities, leading to overall subjective well-being, referred to as flourishing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Psychological Capital and the Flourishing of retail sales employees. The current research study employed a descriptive, exploratory, quantitative and cross-sectional research design. Results were gathered through formal measurements using, The Psychological capital Questionnaire and the PERMA-Profiler and were analysed through the use of statistical measures. The Psychological Capital questionnaires were used to measure the construct of Psychological Capital (hope, resilience, optimism and self-efficacy). The PERMA-Profiler were utilised to measure the level of flourishing of the sample. Participants was selected by means of non-probability convenience sampling, while a sample of 350 retail sales employees employed at the three leading retail centres in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, completed the questionnaires. Quantitative data obtained from the survey questionnaires, were analysed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the strength of the relationships between the variables and the level of significance was set at a 95% confidence interval level (p ≤ 0,05). Owing to the data being non-normal, the Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare the distribution of different populations and nonparametric post hoc, Mann-Whitney U test. Based on the findings, there was a significant relationship found between psychological capital and flourishing amongst the sample employees in the retail industry. It is therefore possible that those relationships may hold true for future studies, in different industries as well as different occupations. Further exploration of these constructs is required in the South African context to see if the result in the present study can be supported or not.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between psychological capital and work engagement among educators in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Van Kerkhof, Michelle
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Human capital -- Psychological aspects , Psychology, Industrial Employees -- Psychology Management|xPsychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/44145 , vital:37117
- Description: Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and work engagement (WE) are both positive constructs which research shows has an advantageous effect on the performance of the organisation. The educational system, and in particular the job of the educator, remains an important field of study as 80% of schools in South Africa are deemed dysfunctional (Spaull, 2013). Although educators face numerous challenges, there are still educators who remain determined in their work role. This research used a cross-sectional design, using a composite questionnaire to measure PsyCap and WE. The self-report questionnaires were distributed to a sample of educators (n=106) of which 53% were from private schools and 47% were from public schools in Port Elizabeth. Various studies both locally and abroad confirm the reliability and validity of the PCQ-24 and UWES-9 measures utilised in this study. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between PsyCap and WE of educators. The relationship between PsyCap and WE was assessed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Furthermore, it also considered whether a significant distinction exists among the PsyCap and WE levels of private and public schools in Port Elizabeth. A t-test was used to establish the difference among the levels of PsyCap and WE of private and public school teachers. As indicated by previous research, the current study uncovered that PsyCap predicts WE, exhibiting a positive relationship among the constructs. In addition, this study found that there was a difference among the PsyCap and WE levels of private and public school teachers in Port Elizabeth.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between psychological capital and work engagement in a work setting
- Authors: Rennick, Ashlynne Tamsyn
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Employees -- Psychology , Employee motivation Human capital -- Psychological aspects Work -- Psychological aspects Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43534 , vital:36907
- Description: According to research, psychological capital (PsyCap) and work engagement are two constructs within the realm of positive psychology that have a positive impact on employees. The importance of work engagement in organisations is evident in the global interest in human capital development. Work engagement has several positive outcomes such as job satisfaction, job performance and well-being that have been linked to PsyCap. Considering Positive Organisational Behaviour (POB) and understanding how this has an impact on public service sector employees is important. The purpose of this research is to describe the relationship between PsyCap and work engagement. The study was conducted in order to understand the levels of PsyCap and work engagement that exist in a work setting given the current global economic changes. A convenience survey design was used with a nonprobability sample (N=155) of NGO employees across South Africa in Port Elizabeth, East London and Johannesburg. The measuring instruments consisted of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) and a biographical questionnaire. The data was collected using the pencil-and-paper method. Demographic groups showed significant differences in the means for both PsyCap and work engagement. The study also found that participants scored high on work engagement and its dimensions indicating that participants experienced high levels of engagement in their work-related tasks. Consistent with previous research, the results of this study showed that PsyCap is a predictor of work engagement, indicating a positive relationship between the dimensions of PsyCap and the dimensions of work engagement.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between psychological contract, job satisfaction, organisation citizenship behaviour and turnover intention
- Authors: Pal, Ajay Kumar
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Contracts -- Psychological aspects , Job satisfaction Organizational behavior Psychology, Industrial
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43127 , vital:36740
- Description: Psychological contracts, which are made up of employees’ beliefs about the reciprocal obligations between them and their organisation, lie at the foundation of employment relationships (Rousseau, 1989; Schein, 1965). Yet many trends, such as restructuring, downsizing, increased reliance, pressure on cost and high competition, have a profound impact on employees and organisations, leading to an impact on psychological contracts. These trends increasingly make it unclear what the employee and organisation owe each other. The intention of this study is to the relationship between, psychological contract, job satisfaction, organisation citizenship behaviour, and turnover intention in the factory workers of a pharmaceutical manufacturing company based in the Durban area of South Africa. This research made use of quantitative research methods in order to conduct this study using a cross sectional design. A composite questionnaire was used to gather the necessary data for the study using a sample of 63 employees, which constitute 26% of work force working in the factory of a pharmaceutical company, represented by the different departments that operate in the factory setup. The quantitative findings indicate that all three of the measurement scales were reliable due to Cronbach’s alpha coefficient exceeding 0.60. Out of the three dependent variables, psychological contract is found to be highly correlated to job satisfaction. The findings of the study revealed that psychological contract has a positive medium correlation with job satisfaction, and that psychological contract has a medium negative correlation with turnover intention, while it has negligible correlation with organisation citizenship behaviour for the samples. The findings of this research study contribute to the literature available in terms of the construct of psychological contract, job satisfaction, organisation citizenship behaviour and turnover intention. Consequently, the results from this study provided the management of this company with important information on psychological contract and its relationship with work-related behaviours.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between reward preferences and occupational stress within the South African law environment
- Authors: Orban, Shanice
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Stress (Psychology) -- Research Job stress
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43101 , vital:36735
- Description: The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between reward preferences and occupational stress within the South African law environment. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher tested a theoretical model using regression analysis, and made use of Pearson’s Product Moment Correlations. A further aim was to investigate whether differences existed according to different types of lawyers with regards to these constructs. This was done using t-Tests and analysis of variance tests. The questionnaire was completed by a total of 207 lawyers spanning across 21 law firms, in both the Eastern and Western Cape. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics which included frequency tables, and pie charts, and the aforementioned inferential statistics. The findings revealed a number of correlations between the factors of the two constructs, and significant differences with regards to the amount of stress experienced by employees within the law environment compared to the general population. The proposed theoretical model could be partially accepted as it showed that a correlation exists between Occupational Stress and the reward preference factors of Contingency Pay, Performance and Career Management, Quality Work Environment and Work/Home Integration, with no significant correlation between Occupational Stress and Base Pay and Benefits. Moreover, there was a statistically significant correlation between Distress and Reward Preferences, with no significant correlation between Coping Ability and Reward Preferences. The results of this study theoretically contribute to the area of reward preferences, and have uncovered a new area whereby reward preferences are shown to be related to occupational stress. The findings of this study hold important implications for the effective management and retention of key employees in the law environment within the South African context.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between reward preferences, psychological empowerment and emotional intelligence within the investment banking industry in South Africa
- Authors: Michalopoulos, Maria
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Incentives in industry -- South Africa , Emotional intelligence -- South Africa Investment banking -- South Africa Financial services industry -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/41095 , vital:36295
- Description: The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between reward preferences, psychological empowerment and emotional intelligence (EQ) within the investment banking industry in South Africa. The researcher tested a theoretical model using regression analysis and made use of Pearson’s Product Moment Correlations in order to reach this objective. The secondary aim was to determine whether any differences existed according to job level with regards to these three constructs. This was achieved through using analysis of variance and Tukey’s HSD test. A questionnaire comprised of the Reward Preferences Questionnaire, Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire and Schutte Self-report Emotional Intelligence test was completed by a total of 221 investment banking professionals and managers, working within South Africa from several different private banking firms, as well as from larger institutional banks across the country. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, including frequency tables and pie charts, as well as the inferential statistics mentioned above. The findings revealed a number of correlations between the three constructs, as well as significant differences between job levels. The proposed theoretical model could be partially accepted as it showed that emotional intelligence acts as a partial mediator only when predicting Contingency Pay as a reward preference via psychological empowerment. In addition, emotional intelligence acts as a predictor for psychological empowerment and its subfactors, as well as the subconstructs that comprise reward preferences. These results provide topical insight into this line of research, as well as having contributed theoretically to these three constructs. Additionally, a gap in research was unveiled showing the various connections found between reward preferences, psychological empowerment and emotional intelligence. The findings of this study offer valuable implications concerning the effective management and performance of employees within the investment banking industry of South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between stock market development and economic growth in Africa
- Authors: Mkhize, Siyanda
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Stock exchanges -- Africa , Africa -- Economic conditions -- 21st century , Economic development -- Africa -- 21st century , Capital market -- Africa , Finance -- Africa -- 21st century , Developing countries -- Economic conditions -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/115149 , vital:34082
- Description: Over the years there has been a substantial increase in the number of African stock markets. This has generated much interest from local and foreign investors, as these stock markets have had high returns. These conditions have created an interesting scenario for investigating the relationship between stock market development and economic growth. However, this opportunity has largely been neglected as the research on African stock market development is limited in developing economies relative to research conducted in developed countries. Furthermore, the research that has been conducted on the relationship between stock market development and economic growth in Africa, has generated inconclusive and conflicting results, in addition to this, the institutional quality of African countries is disregarded in most studies when the stock market development and economic growth nexus is analysed. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between stock market development and economic growth, incorporating institution variables to account for the institutional quality of African countries to provide clarity in this context. To achieve this, two sets of research hypotheses were created the first set aims to determine whether stock development has an influence on economic growth. The second set is to determine if there is any causal relationship between stock market development and economic growth. The study utilizes System Generalized Method of Moments models to examine the effect of stock market development on economic growth, in 18 African countries for the period 2003- 2016. The results indicate that market capitalization has a positive influence on economic growth whilst, contrastingly liquidity in the form of value traded has a negative effect on economic growth. The study further analyses the causal relationship between stock market development and economic growth, by employing the recently developed PVAR-Granger causality test. However, before this is done several Pedroni cointegration tests were first conducted to establish whether a long-term relationship exists between stock market development and economic growth, which revealed that no strong evidence of cointegration exists necessitating the use of a PVAR-Granger causality test. The PVAR-Granger causality test reveals that stock market development granger causes economic growth, irrespective of the stock market development measure used and there is no feedback effect from economic growth. The unilateral causality established in this study flowing from stock market development to economic growth supports the supply-leading hypothesis. The overall results of this study demonstrate that there is ambiguity on the impact of stock market development on economic growth, as the measures of stock market development have contrasting impacts on economic growth. The size component of stock market development in the form of market capitalization has positive influence whilst, liquidity in form of total value traded has a negative effect. However, the causal relationship is clearly shown to be unilaterally flowing from stock market development to economic growth.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relationship between trait anxiety, job insecurity and intention to quit among employees at Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality
- Authors: Kavi, Bongiwe Morida
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Job security Job stress -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Industrial Psychology)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12337 , vital:39254
- Description: There is relatively limited research based on trait anxiety, job insecurity and intention to quit and the relationship thereof. Job insecurity and anxiety are all reported in this study and in literature to have negative mental, emotional and even physical health hazards. The general objective of this study was to determine the moderating effect of trait anxiety on the relationship between job insecurity and intentions to quit. This study was solely quantitative in nature. The sample consisted of 122 municipality employees. The results emanating from the research indicate that there is a statistically significant relationship between Trait anxiety, Job insecurity, and intention to quit among the sample of employees selected to participate in the research, which negatively influences job satisfaction, organisational commitment, job involvement and trust. The study also concluded that trait anxiety was a significant moderator to the relationship between job insecurity and employees’ intention to quit. However, adding job insecurity to trait anxiety did not significantly add unique variance in predicting intention to quit. Thus, adding job insecurity to trait anxiety as an additional predictor on intention to quit, results in a nonsignificant increase in the amount of variation. The findings will aid human resource officers, managers and practitioners who work with the objective of attracting, recruiting and retaining the best staff, the study recommends these stakeholders to continuously review the factors and aspects of the job that may invite the feeling of insecurity on the part of employees.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relative representation of ecosystem services and disservices in South African newspaper media
- Authors: Mclellan, V , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/179699 , vital:43162 , https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2019.1667442
- Description: Newspapers are key information sources and may influence both public opinion and policy. Previous studies have analysed the portrayal of ecosystem disservices in newspapers, but none have assessed the relative coverage between disservices and services, or how it might have changed over time. We report on the relative frequency and depiction of ecosystem services and disservices in South African, English newspapers over a 15-year period. We used a SABINET search complemented by key-informant interviews with environmental journalists. For each article we recorded if it covered ecosystem services or disservices, the type of service or disservice, and article tone and length. Overall, 2,201 articles were found, of which 25% were on services and 75% on disservices. The number of articles per year declined over the 15-year period for services, but not disservices. The most common services were energy and craft materials, food production, recreation and culture, and disservices were human health, heat waves and floods. Articles on ecosystem services were 25–40% longer than those on disservices. Article lengths on both declined over the 15 years. The greater reporting of ecosystem disservices over services is likely to influence public opinion and environmental decision-making accordingly.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The relative roles of ecosystem services and disservices in rural livelihoods in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Herd-Hoare, Shannon
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Ecosystem services -- Health aspects -- South Africa , South Africa -- Rural conditions , Biodiversity -- South Africa -- Health aspects , Rural development -- South Africa -- Health aspects
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94080 , vital:30998
- Description: Since the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report there has been a marked increase in research into various aspects of ecosystem services (ES). While ES are essential to human wellbeing, the literature has overlooked that some ecosystem goods and services also undermine human wellbeing. These are known as Ecosystem Disservices (EDS). This study aims to counter this imbalance in research, specifically in the context of rural livelihoods which are frequently dependent on local ES but often ill-equipped to manage EDS. The objectives of this study, conducted in three rural villages along a gradient of habitat diversity, were to identify a range of ES and EDS, determine their perceived contributions to or effects on the wellbeing of respondents, and identify modifications in livelihood strategies in response to EDS. The research made use of household surveys in conjunction with participatory learning and action techniques, such as focus group discussions in which ranking and trendline exercises, timelines, and participatory mapping were conducted. Findings indicated that although numerous participants were involved in the harvest of multiple ES, such as Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), livestock outputs, crops and marine wildlife, they simultaneously experienced losses from EDS, such as ticks, unpalatable grass species, monkeys, and Lantana camara invasion which undermined livelihoods to varying degrees. The role of ES and EDS in livelihoods was expressed in economic terms, representing a common framework with which to illustrate the magnitude of their contribution or loss. For example, the average value of livestock goods and services, amongst those who owned and used outputs, was highest in the least biodiverse village at R9 753 per annum, while the corresponding value of potential livestock goods and services lost due to EDS, despite active implementation of prevention measures, totalled R22 426. Further, the average value of cultivated plots in the most biodiverse village could have totalled approximately R20 958, but because of EDS, represented less than 20% of this value. Further, the findings highlighted that the most biodiverse village also had the highest number of EDS, supporting Dunn (2010) who hypothesised that the number of EDS increases with the number of ES. Based on these findings, I propose that a comprehensive framework which systematically contextualises both the positive and negative contributions of ES is needed to grasp the full picture of how local people conceive and engage with nature to facilitate an understanding of the resulting practices and processes.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The remote sensing of fires and their effects on soil properties in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park
- Authors: Moore, Natasha Jade
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Remote sensing -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Soil ecology -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Grassland fires -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Grassland fires -- Remote sensing -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , Soils -- Effect of fires on -- South Africa -- KwaZulu-Natal , uKhalamba Drakensberg Park (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/94400 , vital:31042
- Description: Fires are a common and natural occurrence globally and specifically on the African continent. The Drakensberg Mountains are home to southern Africa’s high-altitude fire-climax grasslands, where fire is the dominant management tool. Fire is used to maintain the grasslands in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park (UDP) World Heritage Site, located on the eastern escarpment of the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg. This study aimed to investigate the spatial and temporal frequency of fires using remote sensing, and to investigate the effect of fire frequency on soil properties in the UDP. Remote sensing offers a set of supportive tools for the management of this sensitive vegetation and specifically to assess the frequency and spatial extent of fires. Field assessments can then be used to assess the impact of fires. Remotely sensed data were used to determine fire frequency and the spatial extent of fires in the UDP. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) active fire detection point data were processed to investigate the temporal resolution of fires. Landsat 5 and 8 imagery were utilised for conducting Normalised Burn Ratios (NBR) to determine the spatial extent of the burn scars of fires. The results from the remotely sensed data were used to select study sites for accessing the effects of fire frequency on soil properties. The remote sensing results showed the main fire season in the UDP was from May to October, and annual burn scars from the available Landsat data for 1998 to 2017 ranged from 22.5% to 57.67% of the UDP. Remote sensing was shown to be an effective tool for monitoring fires in the UDP, with a combination of satellite data producing the best results. Soil properties were highly varied across the UDP. Environmental factors were shown to have a more significant influence on soil properties than fire frequency. This study highlighted the complex nature and diversity of fires and soils across the UDP.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The residuality of agriculture and the time dimensions of rural employment in South Africa
- Authors: Ngqwala, Sixolile
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Rural poor -- Employment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom (Economics)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16985 , vital:40806
- Description: There has been increasing recognition in the past few decades that rural households in developing countries are not limited to the agricultural sector, but also depend on other, nonagricultural activities. Rural households are understood to pursue multiple livelihood strategies which involve juggling different economic pursuits as a means of reducing risk and maintaining options. In South Africa, the importance of multiple livelihood strategies is widely appreciated, on the other hand there is a common perception in policy circles that agricultural development can become an important route out of poverty, for instance as part-time small-scale farmers become larger and more commercialised. The purpose of this dissertation is to attempt to better understand the relationship between households’ participation in agriculture and nonagricultural activities. The point of departure is the observation that there is a great deal of flux into and out of agriculture in a way that is difficult to understand in terms of prevailing theories and frameworks. The study makes use of four waves of data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), and employs a variety of analytical approaches, including transition matrices, multinomial logistic regression, and panel data econometric models. The findings are mixed. In the one hand, there is evidence that households enter agriculture as other income sources become available, and leave agriculture again when those sources dry up. On the other hand, there is also evidence that participation in agriculture compensates for the absence or loss of other income sources, in which case agriculture can be thought of as a ‘residual’ sector that is activated when other options fail.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The rise of populism in africa: the role of nativism in maintaining political power in South Africa and Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chindoga , Melody
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Nativism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15760 , vital:40521
- Description: ZANU-PF and ANC have been in power in their respective countries since the advent of democracy. However, the popularity of both the ANC and ZANU-PF has shifted from urban areas to rural areas, where their support bases are now concentrated (Clapham, 2012). Rural areas have benefitted the least from access to public resources and resource distribution yet despite this, they have provided the much needed support to both the ANC and ZANU-PF respectively. The politics of nativism has been used by the Zuma-led faction in the ANC and ZANUPF in maintaining political power in their respective domains in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Nativism has been identified as a form of populism that is used as a political strategy to gain and maintain political power. It arises from opposition to the mind-set of colonialism in the form of a ‘reverse discourse’ that seeks to undermine colonial ideas through the mobilisation of African culture and is reliant on cultivating opposition to a defined enemy. Therefore, the study seeks to investigate how the politics of nativism have been used by the Zuma-led faction in the ANC and by ZANUPF respectively to maintain power, by focusing particularly on their rural support bases. This study aligns itself with the broadly critical African perspective that is constituted by post-colonial theory and the accompanying oppositional canon of literature that is directly linked to the struggles against colonialism and oppression in former colonies, whilst also contesting contemporary representations of post-colonial societies emanating from those sources within which power resides. The study took the form of qualitative research, within which an interpretive approach was utilised to explore and to analyse the responses by inhabitants of two rural areas in South Africa and Zimbabwe to the nativist strategies and discourse constructed by the Zuma-led faction of the ANC and ZANU-PF respectively, contributing to the ongoing electoral support for these parties in rural areas. The research findings revealed that to maintain their popularity in rural areas, the nativist discourse of the Zuma-led faction of the ANC and ZANU-PF has exploited historical factors related to oppression and inhumane treatment by Whites. The research also established that nativist discourse was utilised in rural areas of South ii Africa and Zimbabwe with varying success. It resonated with the experiences of the older generation of White domination, whereas most of the younger generation could not relate to its heavy reliance on anti-White sentiment. Those under the age of 35, typically considered as the youth, did not identify with much of the discourse and were sceptical of its racist foundation, preferring instead change in political leadership in order for change to occur
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- Date Issued: 2019
The role of agricultural support programmes on the livelihoods of smallholder maize farmers in Lesotho: asset utilisation, productivity and perceptions
- Authors: Mohlahatsa, Taole
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Agriculture and state -- Lesotho , Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Lesotho , Farms, Small -- Government policy -- Lesotho , Farms, Small -- Lesotho , Agricultural assistance -- Lesotho , Rural development -- Lesotho
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/71580 , vital:29914
- Description: The agricultural sector is widely considered an important contributor to economic development in least developed countries. It plays an important role in Lesotho and has been the backbone of rural activities and the prime employer of Basotho citizens. Smallholder farming is recognised by the government of Lesotho as a vehicle for addressing food security and poverty reduction. Maize is the principal staple crop produced by about 90 percent of farmers in Lesotho and it constitutes about 80 percent of the Basotho diet. Maize production is highly affected by climate change and is characterised by fluctuating yields because of erratic rainfall. In addition to unfavorable climate change, smallholder farmers in Lesotho experience challenges such as lack of farming inputs, limited access to markets and limited financial capital. These constraints confine them to a life of subsistence farming with low production and increased incidences of poverty. The government of Lesotho has intervened in the smallholder agricultural sector to stimulate production and productivity by introducing some agricultural programmes such as (i) the National Fertiliser and Input subsidy, (ii) the Smallholder Agricultural Development Programme, (iii) the National Block Farming, and (iv) the Integrated Watershed Management Programme. However, despite such government interventions, production in the smallholder agricultural sector continues to face recurring constraints. Studies on the National Block Farming Programme have showed that the programme has had limited impact on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Furthermore, farmers believe the Integrated Watershed Management Programme has a biased selection criteria as selection of areas is influenced by politicians who favour areas where they have a large political following and marginilise other areas. These concerns have also led to low participation rates in such programmes as wealthier, large scale farmers capture most of the benefits of government programmes. Disproportionate benefits of agricultural programmes to smallholder farmers imply that they continue to face the same constraints in production and have to find alternative ways of maintaining production and selling excess produce to sustain their livelihoods. The main goal of this research is therefore to study the livelihoods of smallholder maize farmers in Lesotho and how agricultural support programmes influence their production of maize. The study adopted a pragmatic mixed methods approach with a qualitative dominant sequential design. Accordingly, both quantitative and qualitative data was used to address the research goal. Quantitative data collected from the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank was used for trend analysis on maize productivity, temperature and rainfall over the period 1980-2016. Qualitative primary data was collected by conducting focus group discussions with smallholder maize farmers and key stakeholder interviews using the sustainable livelihood framework as a conceptual guide. The study comprised of a total of 85 research participants consisting of 75 smallholder maize farmers and 10 key stakeholders. Farmers were selected from 10 key maize producing areas in Leribe and Mafeteng districts in Leribe. Results revealed fluctuating maize productivity and productivity growth rates where such fluctuations are caused by government intervention and natural calamities in the form of erratic rains and dry spells. Droughts and late arrival of subsidised inputs are the chief constraints to maize production. In relation to livelihood assets, human and social assets are the more available assets relative to other assets (financial, natural and physical) of the sustainable livelihood framework. Furthermore, the National Fertiliser and Input subsidy Programme and the Smallholder Agricultural Development Programme are the most beneficial programmes to farmers livelihoods as they increase the accessibility of limited livelihood assets and therefore allowing farmers to achieve their livelihood goals. In contrast, the National Block Farming and the Integrated Watershed Management Programme are the least beneficial programmes to farmers’ livelihoods and are biased in their geographical targeting criteria. The study recommends that the government revises all selected support programmes in this study in areas warranting improvements so as to fairly and efficiently allocate resources that meet the needs of farmers. The study also recommends that farmers put more effort in adopting new technologies and strategies to improve production of maize in areas where government intervention has failed.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The role of foreign aid in poverty alleviation and economic development in Malawi
- Authors: Amanda, Amerley Armah
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Economic development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/40220 , vital:35988
- Description: For over fifty years, the majority of the Western nations have provided foreign aid to underdeveloped countries, particularly on the African continent, claiming they wanted to bring about development and alleviate the so-called poverty trap. However, the effect of such financial transfer has not been significant in most of these countries, as many recipient countries still suffer from extreme poverty and underdevelopment. Malawi is a landlocked country found in south-eastern Africa. This small country, despite being a major recipient of foreign aid since the 1960s until the present day, continues to experience extreme poverty. Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries, ranking 174 out of 187 as at 2013, with over 50.7% of its population living below the poverty line. Thus, this study sought to assess the role of foreign aid in poverty alleviation in Malawi over the years and particularly in the 2000-2015 period. Literature related to this study on foreign aid was reviewed to gain insight into the views of other writers on the topic under study. The study used secondary sources of data to examine the effect of foreign aid on poverty alleviation in Malawi. The study found out that, even though foreign aid to Malawi might have been provided to address poverty and economic challenges to some extent, these objectives have not been met because of donor conditionalities, poor coordination, corruption and mismanagement of donor funding. The study equally found that donors to Malawi over the years have laid much emphasis on good governance rather than poverty alleviation, hence no significant contribution of foreign aid assistance in poverty alleviation, particularly among the rural population which makes up the majority of the poor. This study recommends that to enhance aid effectiveness in poverty alleviation, there is a need for donors to revise their conditions based on the recipient country’s needs and not on donor motives. Secondly, the government of Malawi should consider establishing a legal and legislative framework that guides the use of donor funding and donor activities to ensure accountability and sustainability.
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- Date Issued: 2019