The effect of synthetically-derived xanthone compounds on the suppression of the progression of breast cancer and the associated complications
- Authors: Davison, Candace
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Breast -- Cancer -- Chemotherapy Breast -- Cancer -- Prevention , Antibacterial agents -- Therapeutic use
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13889 , vital:27354
- Description: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide.A treatment regime, both effective and safe and can only be achieved once more effective chemotherapeutic agents are discovered or identified. These “drugs” must selectively induce cell death such as apoptosis or necroptosis in the cancer cells. Apoptotic cell death allows a cell to “commit suicide” in genetically- controlled or programmed mechanism(s). The microenvironment of the tumour is important since a nurturing malignant environment is required for tumour maintenance, progression and ultimately the development of metastasis. Due to the correlation of the tumour microenvironment to aggressive tumour progression, emphasis should be placed on the constituents of the tumour’s microenvironment. In recent years, the understanding of intracellular pathways in cancer cells has increased rapidly, contributing to the development of drugs with more specific targets such as growth factors, signalling molecules, cell adhesion proteins, proteases, cell-cycle proteins, modulators of apoptosis and molecules that promote angiogenesis and metastasis. The main aim of this study was thus to identify a few potential or active compounds from a library of synthetically-derived compounds as possible alternative breast cancer treatment candidates.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Davison, Candace
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Breast -- Cancer -- Chemotherapy Breast -- Cancer -- Prevention , Antibacterial agents -- Therapeutic use
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/13889 , vital:27354
- Description: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide.A treatment regime, both effective and safe and can only be achieved once more effective chemotherapeutic agents are discovered or identified. These “drugs” must selectively induce cell death such as apoptosis or necroptosis in the cancer cells. Apoptotic cell death allows a cell to “commit suicide” in genetically- controlled or programmed mechanism(s). The microenvironment of the tumour is important since a nurturing malignant environment is required for tumour maintenance, progression and ultimately the development of metastasis. Due to the correlation of the tumour microenvironment to aggressive tumour progression, emphasis should be placed on the constituents of the tumour’s microenvironment. In recent years, the understanding of intracellular pathways in cancer cells has increased rapidly, contributing to the development of drugs with more specific targets such as growth factors, signalling molecules, cell adhesion proteins, proteases, cell-cycle proteins, modulators of apoptosis and molecules that promote angiogenesis and metastasis. The main aim of this study was thus to identify a few potential or active compounds from a library of synthetically-derived compounds as possible alternative breast cancer treatment candidates.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Tribocorrosion properties of friction stir welded and laser welded titanium alloy
- Authors: Davoren, Brandon Hilton
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Chemistry, Technical -- Research Materials -- Mechanical properties , Aluminum alloys
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/33250 , vital:32605
- Description: Titanium alloy Ti6Al4V has extensive uses in aerospace, dentistry and the biomedical industry. When used in these applications there is often a need to weld two or more pieces of titanium alloy together. This can be done by either friction stir weld or laser weld methods. These welded regions are often exposed to corrosive environments in addition to factors such as induced additional mechanical wear. Thus to accurately report on the viability of the material in a specific application, the corrosion, wear and their synergistic effects need to be studied. Friction stir welding, which is a well-suited method for joining plates of Ti6Al4V, creates regions in the material that are affected differently. These regions can be described as the parent material, advancing side, retreating side and the weld zone. The tribological properties of the different friction stir weld regions were analysed in air using different loads, frequencies, experimental duration and surrounding environments. When the applied load was increased some of the weld regions showed an increase in the specific wear rate. For example, the weld zone region showed a decrease when compared to the parent material. In this tribology study the effect of the counter material was evaluated. E52100, Si3N4, SS 316 and alumina counter materials were used in the test procedure which was conducted in air on the weld regions. The parent material was found to have the highest average specific wear rates with the four counter materials when compared to the weld zone samples. The regions affected by the friction stir weld process all showed, on average, lower specific wear rates than the parent material. For the various tested samples, the coefficient of friction and material compatibility that was found to be the most stable, was the alumina ball. Owing to this as well as its chemical stability, alumina was determined to be the best material for further tribocorrosion studies. The friction stir welded samples, that were cut from a cross section of a friction stir weld plate, were analyzed in 3.5% NaCl and dilute Harrison’s solution respectively. The effect of wear on the electrochemical properties was studied under open circuit voltage (OCV) and fixed 0.2 V and 0.4 V applied potential conditions respectively. The effect of wear on the corrosion properties was studied using potentiodynamic polarization. From analyzing the friction stir weld regions in both a wear and wear-free environment, the synergistic properties, namely the effect of wear on corrosion and the effect of corrosion on wear, were able to be calculated. The first electrochemical study was performed under OCV conditions. In the presence of applied wear, the open circuit potential of the friction stir weld samples, in both 3.5% NaCl and dilute Harrison’s solution, was found to decrease from the initial stabilized value. Of interest was the rate at which the OCV recovered. It was found to follow a second order repassivation growth model which was explained in terms of an initial film growth stage, followed by a film thickening stage that results in a new OCV. The second synergized electrochemical-wear study was under fixed 0.2 V and 0.4 V applied potential conditions. In both solutions, 3.5% NaCl and dilute Harrison’s solution, a large increase in the current was observed during the applied wear experiment. The samples submerged in 3.5% NaCl were found to have higher average currents during the wear experiment than those in dilute Harrison’s solution. The rapid decrease in the current, after the applied wear ceased, was found to also follow the second order repassivation model. The electrochemical-wear synergism was done by using potentiodynamic polarization tests. The friction stir weld regions as well as the laser samples were analysed in a wear as well as a wear-free environment in order to determine the effect that wear had on the corrosion properties. In both 3.5% NaCl and dilute Harrison’s solution the corrosion rates were found to increase by 100-fold when the wear was present. The effect of the wear process on corrosion could also be described by synergistic factor, where values close to 1 would imply that applied wear had little effect on the corrosion properties and vice versa. The synergistic factors showed that the corrosion rate was greatly affected by the presence of wear with corrosion synergistic factors of 20 and upward for the friction stir welded samples. The results showed that the weld zone region had a lower corrosion rate than the parent material. This implied that the main weld zone was shown to have the least effect of wear on corrosion and would therefore show the lowest likelihood of failure due to corrosion when compared to the parent material. The wear synergistic factor was found to be between 1 and 1.6 for the friction stir weld regions. This implied that the wear rates of the friction stir welded samples were slightly affected by the presence of a corrosive environment and that the wear properties of the laser welded samples were enhanced by the presence of a corrosive environment. Similar studies performed on laser welded samples showed unusually different results due to the small nature of the laser weld region, with inconclusive results when compared to the friction stir welded samples.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Davoren, Brandon Hilton
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Chemistry, Technical -- Research Materials -- Mechanical properties , Aluminum alloys
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/33250 , vital:32605
- Description: Titanium alloy Ti6Al4V has extensive uses in aerospace, dentistry and the biomedical industry. When used in these applications there is often a need to weld two or more pieces of titanium alloy together. This can be done by either friction stir weld or laser weld methods. These welded regions are often exposed to corrosive environments in addition to factors such as induced additional mechanical wear. Thus to accurately report on the viability of the material in a specific application, the corrosion, wear and their synergistic effects need to be studied. Friction stir welding, which is a well-suited method for joining plates of Ti6Al4V, creates regions in the material that are affected differently. These regions can be described as the parent material, advancing side, retreating side and the weld zone. The tribological properties of the different friction stir weld regions were analysed in air using different loads, frequencies, experimental duration and surrounding environments. When the applied load was increased some of the weld regions showed an increase in the specific wear rate. For example, the weld zone region showed a decrease when compared to the parent material. In this tribology study the effect of the counter material was evaluated. E52100, Si3N4, SS 316 and alumina counter materials were used in the test procedure which was conducted in air on the weld regions. The parent material was found to have the highest average specific wear rates with the four counter materials when compared to the weld zone samples. The regions affected by the friction stir weld process all showed, on average, lower specific wear rates than the parent material. For the various tested samples, the coefficient of friction and material compatibility that was found to be the most stable, was the alumina ball. Owing to this as well as its chemical stability, alumina was determined to be the best material for further tribocorrosion studies. The friction stir welded samples, that were cut from a cross section of a friction stir weld plate, were analyzed in 3.5% NaCl and dilute Harrison’s solution respectively. The effect of wear on the electrochemical properties was studied under open circuit voltage (OCV) and fixed 0.2 V and 0.4 V applied potential conditions respectively. The effect of wear on the corrosion properties was studied using potentiodynamic polarization. From analyzing the friction stir weld regions in both a wear and wear-free environment, the synergistic properties, namely the effect of wear on corrosion and the effect of corrosion on wear, were able to be calculated. The first electrochemical study was performed under OCV conditions. In the presence of applied wear, the open circuit potential of the friction stir weld samples, in both 3.5% NaCl and dilute Harrison’s solution, was found to decrease from the initial stabilized value. Of interest was the rate at which the OCV recovered. It was found to follow a second order repassivation growth model which was explained in terms of an initial film growth stage, followed by a film thickening stage that results in a new OCV. The second synergized electrochemical-wear study was under fixed 0.2 V and 0.4 V applied potential conditions. In both solutions, 3.5% NaCl and dilute Harrison’s solution, a large increase in the current was observed during the applied wear experiment. The samples submerged in 3.5% NaCl were found to have higher average currents during the wear experiment than those in dilute Harrison’s solution. The rapid decrease in the current, after the applied wear ceased, was found to also follow the second order repassivation model. The electrochemical-wear synergism was done by using potentiodynamic polarization tests. The friction stir weld regions as well as the laser samples were analysed in a wear as well as a wear-free environment in order to determine the effect that wear had on the corrosion properties. In both 3.5% NaCl and dilute Harrison’s solution the corrosion rates were found to increase by 100-fold when the wear was present. The effect of the wear process on corrosion could also be described by synergistic factor, where values close to 1 would imply that applied wear had little effect on the corrosion properties and vice versa. The synergistic factors showed that the corrosion rate was greatly affected by the presence of wear with corrosion synergistic factors of 20 and upward for the friction stir welded samples. The results showed that the weld zone region had a lower corrosion rate than the parent material. This implied that the main weld zone was shown to have the least effect of wear on corrosion and would therefore show the lowest likelihood of failure due to corrosion when compared to the parent material. The wear synergistic factor was found to be between 1 and 1.6 for the friction stir weld regions. This implied that the wear rates of the friction stir welded samples were slightly affected by the presence of a corrosive environment and that the wear properties of the laser welded samples were enhanced by the presence of a corrosive environment. Similar studies performed on laser welded samples showed unusually different results due to the small nature of the laser weld region, with inconclusive results when compared to the friction stir welded samples.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Implementation of visual arts education in one technical and vocational education and training college in the Eastern Cape : the voices of lecturers and students
- Authors: Dayimani, Mbulelo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Curriculum planning Vocational education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12744 , vital:39318
- Description: It can be observed that students actively participate in the learning process of education in our country, and the curriculum gives expression to the knowledge, skills and values worth learning in South African schools and institutions. However, Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Colleges still continue using traditional learning methods, in which the teacher is in the centre, devoid of artistic culture, and practical work. These implementation methods and techniques have been identified as less motivating for students especially for those with no background in Visual Arts (VA) in high school. The aim of this study therefore was to investigate the views of students and lecturers on the implementation of Visual Arts Education (VAE) in the TVET Colleges in the Eastern Cape. This study was premised from a qualitative research approach and therefore interpretivist paradigm was relevant in assisting the researcher making sense of the data gathered. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect the data from five lecturers and fifteen students in N4 level. The interviews were tape-recorded. The research showed that Visual Arts Education can be an engine that drives creativity and innovation in schools, higher Education institution and all tertiary level settings. It is also reasoned that the visual arts, as with other creative arts disciplines, will not become important and necessary engines for change in education without a determination to critically review its implementation starting with how VAE policies are used in the TVET Colleges. It also emerged from the study that the policies that are available for VAE in the College relate to syllabus as well as assessment and enrolment procedures. The syllabus was found by the lecturers to be inappropriate and less motivating for the students. Also the assessment procedure was revealed to be done according to both practical and theoretical components based on task, test, and practical moderation. However, the practical component was based on seventy five percent and the theory on twenty five percent thereby disadvantaging learners who do not have the theoretical background of the VAE. The study therefore recommends that policies that are used in TVET Colleges for VAE need to be revised, re-applied and implemented so as to cater for the needs of lecturers and students pursuing a career in Visual Arts or VAE.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Dayimani, Mbulelo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Curriculum planning Vocational education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12744 , vital:39318
- Description: It can be observed that students actively participate in the learning process of education in our country, and the curriculum gives expression to the knowledge, skills and values worth learning in South African schools and institutions. However, Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Colleges still continue using traditional learning methods, in which the teacher is in the centre, devoid of artistic culture, and practical work. These implementation methods and techniques have been identified as less motivating for students especially for those with no background in Visual Arts (VA) in high school. The aim of this study therefore was to investigate the views of students and lecturers on the implementation of Visual Arts Education (VAE) in the TVET Colleges in the Eastern Cape. This study was premised from a qualitative research approach and therefore interpretivist paradigm was relevant in assisting the researcher making sense of the data gathered. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect the data from five lecturers and fifteen students in N4 level. The interviews were tape-recorded. The research showed that Visual Arts Education can be an engine that drives creativity and innovation in schools, higher Education institution and all tertiary level settings. It is also reasoned that the visual arts, as with other creative arts disciplines, will not become important and necessary engines for change in education without a determination to critically review its implementation starting with how VAE policies are used in the TVET Colleges. It also emerged from the study that the policies that are available for VAE in the College relate to syllabus as well as assessment and enrolment procedures. The syllabus was found by the lecturers to be inappropriate and less motivating for the students. Also the assessment procedure was revealed to be done according to both practical and theoretical components based on task, test, and practical moderation. However, the practical component was based on seventy five percent and the theory on twenty five percent thereby disadvantaging learners who do not have the theoretical background of the VAE. The study therefore recommends that policies that are used in TVET Colleges for VAE need to be revised, re-applied and implemented so as to cater for the needs of lecturers and students pursuing a career in Visual Arts or VAE.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Wh-question formation in South African sign language: a case study
- Authors: De Barros, Courtney Leigh
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: South African sign language , South African sign language -- Syntax , Sign language -- Grammar
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/42800 , vital:25237
- Description: This thesis is a case study investigating wh-question formation in South African Sign Language (SASL). It provides the first descriptive and syntactic analysis of wh-question formation in this language, based on a collected sample. The evidence gathered for this study shows that SASL makes use of non-manual features to mark wh-question formation and possesses a full question word paradigm including WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO and HOW. In the methodology, I critically engage with two issues: informant selection and data elicitation. These can greatly impact data validity – specifically with respect to sign language research. Ultimately, I adopt a novel, multi-layered data collection approach to ensure a valid sample. The data reveals SASL’s almost exclusive placement of wh-question words in the right periphery. The absence of moved sentence-initial wh-elements in SASL poses problems for syntactic analysis using only leftward movement. It seems typologically unusual that a language predominantly selecting the right periphery as a position for wh-words would allow a complex syntactic derivation involving some null wh-element in a leftward Spec, CP and then allow for another ‘copy’ to appear in the right periphery. On the other hand, having Spec, CP on the right allows for far less complex derivations of wh-movement. In SASL, as in spoken language, the wh-word moves to Spec, CP to check the [WH] feature in C. The difference is that this movement is rightward. Further support for a rightward analysis comes from SASL’s distribution of non-manual features, and its hierarchy of negative elements and adverbials. This research represents a first step towards filling a gap in the SASL literature concerning wh-question formation, as well as a contribution to the growing body of research surrounding sign languages. Furthermore, at a higher level, this study evaluates current linguistic theory on sign languages, challenging the current cross-linguistic generalisation that wh-movement is leftward.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Barros, Courtney Leigh
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: South African sign language , South African sign language -- Syntax , Sign language -- Grammar
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/42800 , vital:25237
- Description: This thesis is a case study investigating wh-question formation in South African Sign Language (SASL). It provides the first descriptive and syntactic analysis of wh-question formation in this language, based on a collected sample. The evidence gathered for this study shows that SASL makes use of non-manual features to mark wh-question formation and possesses a full question word paradigm including WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHO and HOW. In the methodology, I critically engage with two issues: informant selection and data elicitation. These can greatly impact data validity – specifically with respect to sign language research. Ultimately, I adopt a novel, multi-layered data collection approach to ensure a valid sample. The data reveals SASL’s almost exclusive placement of wh-question words in the right periphery. The absence of moved sentence-initial wh-elements in SASL poses problems for syntactic analysis using only leftward movement. It seems typologically unusual that a language predominantly selecting the right periphery as a position for wh-words would allow a complex syntactic derivation involving some null wh-element in a leftward Spec, CP and then allow for another ‘copy’ to appear in the right periphery. On the other hand, having Spec, CP on the right allows for far less complex derivations of wh-movement. In SASL, as in spoken language, the wh-word moves to Spec, CP to check the [WH] feature in C. The difference is that this movement is rightward. Further support for a rightward analysis comes from SASL’s distribution of non-manual features, and its hierarchy of negative elements and adverbials. This research represents a first step towards filling a gap in the SASL literature concerning wh-question formation, as well as a contribution to the growing body of research surrounding sign languages. Furthermore, at a higher level, this study evaluates current linguistic theory on sign languages, challenging the current cross-linguistic generalisation that wh-movement is leftward.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Analysis of a foundational biomedical curriculum: exploring cumulative knowledge-building in the rehabilitative health professions
- Authors: De Bie, Gabrielle
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Medical education -- Curricula , Human anatomy -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Physiology -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Occupational therapy -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Physical therapy -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Medical rehabilitation -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Knowledge, Theory of
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/18617 , vital:22361
- Description: This study was motivated by the researcher's experience that students in the rehabilitative health professional programmes were finding it difficult to access fundamental knowledge upon which their professional practices and clinical contexts are based. An important focus of the research was the extent to which cumulative knowledge-building was impacted after the foundational biomedical curriculum became an interdisciplinary programme. The study explored whether the organisation of the interdisciplinary foundational curriculum served the fundamental needs of the professions, and whether, as a matter of social justice, students' access to powerful knowledge was enabled by the form that the fundamental curriculum assumed. This curriculum study at a particular Faculty of Health Sciences foregrounds the structuring, organisation and differentiation of disciplinary knowledge, and reflects a twenty year period that included not only transitions in professional education but also extensive transformation in, and a different approach to, health delivery. At the institution, physiology and anatomy, the biomedical sciences basic to the health professions, underwent disciplinary merging and subsequent altered positioning in curricula. Medicine opted for a problem-based learning approach whereas the rehabilitation health sciences did not. Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) provided the means for analysis of the extent to which interdisciplinary organisation in the foundational curriculum for Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy enabled integrative, cumulative building of knowledge for professional and clinical contexts. Specialisation and Semantics dimensions of Legitimation Code Theory were used to reveal the principles underpinning practices, contexts and dispositions of Anatomy and Physiology at the Faculty of Health Sciences over a twenty year period post democratisation in South Africa (1994 - 2013). Disciplinary positioning in curriculum prior- and post-merger, were compared and contrasted. LCT were used to characterise the distinctiveness of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy at the university including the kind of knowledge and the kind of knower that specialises the different professions, and what is valorised and legitimated for each kind of professional. Semantic gravity was used to explore the expected knowledge recontextualisations in diverse and complex clinical settings for each of the professions. Registered professionals who are clinical educators as well as curriculum designers for clinical studies were interviewed. Profession-specific course outlines were further data sources. The biomedical disciplines Anatomy and Physiology were characterised for their measures of distinction and their respective knowledge-knower structures. Analysis traced each discipline from its strongly classified form in autonomous curricula when there were separate learner-cohorts for physiotherapists and occupational therapists, to post-merger when the disciplines were framed as human biology in an integrated foundational curriculum for a joint cohort of students. Curricular documents for the twenty year period were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively to establish the positioning of Physiology and Anatomy before and after the disciplines merged to a single course of Human Biology. Teaching staff were interviewed for their understanding of what specialises the physiological and anatomical components of the Human Biology curriculum, what they considered as powerful knowledge for the professions, and who they envisaged as the ideal student-knower exiting the basic sciences platform to enter more advanced clinical studies. The degree of context-dependence for meaning-making in the different disciplinary domains and the condensation of meanings inherent in the respective practices and contexts, were analysed. The thesis argues that following the merger Anatomy is preferentially legitimated as powerful knowledge at the expense of Physiology; that the ideal of disciplinary integration is not reached, and that the segmental organisation and structuring of the curriculum negatively impacted on cumulative knowledge-building and application of professional knowledge in the clinical arena. After the merger the disciplines lost their shape, and in particular the hierarchical knowledge structure of Physiology collapsed. By not having access to the necessary disciplinary knowledge structures and their associated practices, students' ability for scaffolding and integrating knowledge into the clinical arena was constrained. The organisation of the current Human Biology curriculum does not facilitate cumulative learning, and in so doing may not contribute to the envisaged graduate professional who is required to practice within a complex and demanding healthcare work environment. The significance of this study conveys that interdisciplinary programmes should be carefully considered, and there is an added imperative in the health professions which ultimately realise treatment of patients. If, aside from interdisciplinary teaching, there are also merged cohorts of participant students, then a sound understanding of the epistemic requirements of each profession is required. Those involved in curriculum development in various fields need to take these recommendations into account to enable cumulative learning and enable epistemological access to powerful knowledge for an increasingly diverse student body.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Bie, Gabrielle
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Medical education -- Curricula , Human anatomy -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Physiology -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Occupational therapy -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Physical therapy -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Medical rehabilitation -- Study and teaching -- Curricula , Knowledge, Theory of
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/18617 , vital:22361
- Description: This study was motivated by the researcher's experience that students in the rehabilitative health professional programmes were finding it difficult to access fundamental knowledge upon which their professional practices and clinical contexts are based. An important focus of the research was the extent to which cumulative knowledge-building was impacted after the foundational biomedical curriculum became an interdisciplinary programme. The study explored whether the organisation of the interdisciplinary foundational curriculum served the fundamental needs of the professions, and whether, as a matter of social justice, students' access to powerful knowledge was enabled by the form that the fundamental curriculum assumed. This curriculum study at a particular Faculty of Health Sciences foregrounds the structuring, organisation and differentiation of disciplinary knowledge, and reflects a twenty year period that included not only transitions in professional education but also extensive transformation in, and a different approach to, health delivery. At the institution, physiology and anatomy, the biomedical sciences basic to the health professions, underwent disciplinary merging and subsequent altered positioning in curricula. Medicine opted for a problem-based learning approach whereas the rehabilitation health sciences did not. Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) provided the means for analysis of the extent to which interdisciplinary organisation in the foundational curriculum for Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy enabled integrative, cumulative building of knowledge for professional and clinical contexts. Specialisation and Semantics dimensions of Legitimation Code Theory were used to reveal the principles underpinning practices, contexts and dispositions of Anatomy and Physiology at the Faculty of Health Sciences over a twenty year period post democratisation in South Africa (1994 - 2013). Disciplinary positioning in curriculum prior- and post-merger, were compared and contrasted. LCT were used to characterise the distinctiveness of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy at the university including the kind of knowledge and the kind of knower that specialises the different professions, and what is valorised and legitimated for each kind of professional. Semantic gravity was used to explore the expected knowledge recontextualisations in diverse and complex clinical settings for each of the professions. Registered professionals who are clinical educators as well as curriculum designers for clinical studies were interviewed. Profession-specific course outlines were further data sources. The biomedical disciplines Anatomy and Physiology were characterised for their measures of distinction and their respective knowledge-knower structures. Analysis traced each discipline from its strongly classified form in autonomous curricula when there were separate learner-cohorts for physiotherapists and occupational therapists, to post-merger when the disciplines were framed as human biology in an integrated foundational curriculum for a joint cohort of students. Curricular documents for the twenty year period were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively to establish the positioning of Physiology and Anatomy before and after the disciplines merged to a single course of Human Biology. Teaching staff were interviewed for their understanding of what specialises the physiological and anatomical components of the Human Biology curriculum, what they considered as powerful knowledge for the professions, and who they envisaged as the ideal student-knower exiting the basic sciences platform to enter more advanced clinical studies. The degree of context-dependence for meaning-making in the different disciplinary domains and the condensation of meanings inherent in the respective practices and contexts, were analysed. The thesis argues that following the merger Anatomy is preferentially legitimated as powerful knowledge at the expense of Physiology; that the ideal of disciplinary integration is not reached, and that the segmental organisation and structuring of the curriculum negatively impacted on cumulative knowledge-building and application of professional knowledge in the clinical arena. After the merger the disciplines lost their shape, and in particular the hierarchical knowledge structure of Physiology collapsed. By not having access to the necessary disciplinary knowledge structures and their associated practices, students' ability for scaffolding and integrating knowledge into the clinical arena was constrained. The organisation of the current Human Biology curriculum does not facilitate cumulative learning, and in so doing may not contribute to the envisaged graduate professional who is required to practice within a complex and demanding healthcare work environment. The significance of this study conveys that interdisciplinary programmes should be carefully considered, and there is an added imperative in the health professions which ultimately realise treatment of patients. If, aside from interdisciplinary teaching, there are also merged cohorts of participant students, then a sound understanding of the epistemic requirements of each profession is required. Those involved in curriculum development in various fields need to take these recommendations into account to enable cumulative learning and enable epistemological access to powerful knowledge for an increasingly diverse student body.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Dietary diversity amongst adults who buy at shopping malls in the Nelson Mandela Bay area
- Authors: De Bruin, Eunice Mari
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Nutrition -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Older people -- Nutrition Diet Food security -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15027 , vital:28114
- Description: Background: Assessing the level of dietary diversity and contributing factors that influence the level of dietary diversity amongst adults can highlight gaps in nutrition interventions, policies and programmes, which aim at combating the double burden of malnutrition. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine which factors and relationships affect the level of dietary diversity of adults in the Nelson Mandela Bay area. Design: An exploratory comparative, cross-sectional, quantitative study design with a qualitative component that was utilised. Both interviewer- and participantadministered questionnaire sections were applied. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, Statistica Version 12, Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Spearman rho correlation co-efficient and Pearson’s chi-square test (p-value <0.05). Participants and setting: A convenience-stratified sample (n=480) was used, consisting of adults who reside and shop at shopping centres in the Nelson Mandela area, after obtaining informed consent. Results: The findings indicated that adults in the Nelson Mandela Bay area who shopped at shopping malls had a medium level of dietary diversity. The dietary patterns found were not in line with the South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines. The most consumed food items were ‘cereals' (95%), 'sweetening agents and sweets' (89%) and ‘spices, condiments and beverages’ (87%). Fruit (45,2%) and vegetables (64,8%) were generally poorly consumed. Significance was shown as having an effect on the level of dietary diversity for factors such as ethnicity, level of education, amount of money spent on food purchase per month, distance travelled to purchase food, and nutrition knowledge. Conclusion: The study suggests that adults living in the Nelson Mandela Bay area have a medium level of dietary diversity, with practices that are not in line with the recommended South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines. Strategies, including nutrition education promotion and the implementation of current policies, programmes and interventions, should be implemented and/or strengthened to encourage behaviour change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Bruin, Eunice Mari
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Nutrition -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Older people -- Nutrition Diet Food security -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15027 , vital:28114
- Description: Background: Assessing the level of dietary diversity and contributing factors that influence the level of dietary diversity amongst adults can highlight gaps in nutrition interventions, policies and programmes, which aim at combating the double burden of malnutrition. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine which factors and relationships affect the level of dietary diversity of adults in the Nelson Mandela Bay area. Design: An exploratory comparative, cross-sectional, quantitative study design with a qualitative component that was utilised. Both interviewer- and participantadministered questionnaire sections were applied. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, Statistica Version 12, Microsoft Office Excel 2007, Spearman rho correlation co-efficient and Pearson’s chi-square test (p-value <0.05). Participants and setting: A convenience-stratified sample (n=480) was used, consisting of adults who reside and shop at shopping centres in the Nelson Mandela area, after obtaining informed consent. Results: The findings indicated that adults in the Nelson Mandela Bay area who shopped at shopping malls had a medium level of dietary diversity. The dietary patterns found were not in line with the South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines. The most consumed food items were ‘cereals' (95%), 'sweetening agents and sweets' (89%) and ‘spices, condiments and beverages’ (87%). Fruit (45,2%) and vegetables (64,8%) were generally poorly consumed. Significance was shown as having an effect on the level of dietary diversity for factors such as ethnicity, level of education, amount of money spent on food purchase per month, distance travelled to purchase food, and nutrition knowledge. Conclusion: The study suggests that adults living in the Nelson Mandela Bay area have a medium level of dietary diversity, with practices that are not in line with the recommended South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines. Strategies, including nutrition education promotion and the implementation of current policies, programmes and interventions, should be implemented and/or strengthened to encourage behaviour change.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
A framework for implementing bring your own device in higher education institutions in South Africa
- Authors: De Kock, Ryan
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Educational technology -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7191 , vital:21300
- Description: Although the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) was only first introduced in 2009, organisations and higher education institutions have shown an increasing interest in and tolerance for employees and students using their own mobile devices for work and academic purposes, to such an extent that it is predicted that BYOD will become the leading practice for all educational environments by the year 2017. Although mobile device usage is increasing in higher education institutions, it has been found that currently no generally recognised framework exists to aid South African higher education institutions with the implementation of BYOD. The problem is further worsened as research suggests that the number of new mobile vulnerabilities reported each year has increased. The primary objective of this study is to develop a framework for implementing BYOD in higher education institutions in South Africa. This primary objective is divided into several secondary objectives, which collectively aim to address the proposed problem. Therefore, the secondary objectives are to understand BYOD in organisations and the challenges it brings; to determine how BYOD challenges differ in higher education institutions; to determine the key components for implementing BYOD in higher education institutions; to determine the extent to which the BYOD key components relate to a higher education institution in South Africa; and to validate the proposed BYOD framework, verifying its quality, efficacy and utility. At first, a comprehensive literature study is used to determine and understand the benefits, challenges and key components for the implementation of BYOD in both organisations and higher education institutions. Thereafter, a case study is used to determine the extent to which the components, identified in the literature study, relate to an educational institution in South Africa. The findings from the case study, in combination with the key components, are then triangulated and a preliminary framework for implementing BYOD in higher education institutions in South Africa is argued. Furthermore, elite interviews are used to determine the quality, efficacy and utility of the proposed BYOD framework. To address the proposed problem, this research proposes a stepby- step holistic framework to aid South African higher education institutions with the implementation of BYOD. This framework adds a significant contribution to the work on this topic, as it provides a foundation upon which further such research can build. It is believed that such a framework would be useful for higher education institutions in South Africa and would result in the improved implementation of BYOD.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Kock, Ryan
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Educational technology -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7191 , vital:21300
- Description: Although the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) was only first introduced in 2009, organisations and higher education institutions have shown an increasing interest in and tolerance for employees and students using their own mobile devices for work and academic purposes, to such an extent that it is predicted that BYOD will become the leading practice for all educational environments by the year 2017. Although mobile device usage is increasing in higher education institutions, it has been found that currently no generally recognised framework exists to aid South African higher education institutions with the implementation of BYOD. The problem is further worsened as research suggests that the number of new mobile vulnerabilities reported each year has increased. The primary objective of this study is to develop a framework for implementing BYOD in higher education institutions in South Africa. This primary objective is divided into several secondary objectives, which collectively aim to address the proposed problem. Therefore, the secondary objectives are to understand BYOD in organisations and the challenges it brings; to determine how BYOD challenges differ in higher education institutions; to determine the key components for implementing BYOD in higher education institutions; to determine the extent to which the BYOD key components relate to a higher education institution in South Africa; and to validate the proposed BYOD framework, verifying its quality, efficacy and utility. At first, a comprehensive literature study is used to determine and understand the benefits, challenges and key components for the implementation of BYOD in both organisations and higher education institutions. Thereafter, a case study is used to determine the extent to which the components, identified in the literature study, relate to an educational institution in South Africa. The findings from the case study, in combination with the key components, are then triangulated and a preliminary framework for implementing BYOD in higher education institutions in South Africa is argued. Furthermore, elite interviews are used to determine the quality, efficacy and utility of the proposed BYOD framework. To address the proposed problem, this research proposes a stepby- step holistic framework to aid South African higher education institutions with the implementation of BYOD. This framework adds a significant contribution to the work on this topic, as it provides a foundation upon which further such research can build. It is believed that such a framework would be useful for higher education institutions in South Africa and would result in the improved implementation of BYOD.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
A framework for information security management in local government
- Authors: De Lange, Joshua
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Computer security -- Management , Data protection
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7588 , vital:21932
- Description: Information has become so pervasive within enterprises and everyday life, that it is almost indispensable. This is clear as information has become core to the business operations of any enterprise. Information and communication technology (ICT) systems are heavily relied upon to store, process and transmit this valuable commodity. Due to its immense value, information and related ICT resources have to be adequately protected. This protection of information is commonly referred to as information security.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Lange, Joshua
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Computer security -- Management , Data protection
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7588 , vital:21932
- Description: Information has become so pervasive within enterprises and everyday life, that it is almost indispensable. This is clear as information has become core to the business operations of any enterprise. Information and communication technology (ICT) systems are heavily relied upon to store, process and transmit this valuable commodity. Due to its immense value, information and related ICT resources have to be adequately protected. This protection of information is commonly referred to as information security.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The influence of selected marketing mix strategies on business performance of small family and non-family businesses in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: De Lange, Juanré Anton
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises -- Management Marketing -- Management , Small business -- Management Performance Organizational effectiveness -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15016 , vital:28113
- Description: Despite the fact that small family and non-family businesses in South Africa are important contributors to economic and social development, their failure rates are still high globally. Major contributing factors to this high failure rate are the lack of marketing skills and ineffective marketing practices. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to establish what marketing mix strategies are used by small family and non-family businesses in the Eastern Cape and the influence of these strategies on Perceived business performance. The literature review dealt with the nature and importance of marketing, and the traditional marketing mix strategies were elaborated on from a small family and non-family business perspective. The traditional marketing mix strategies (4Ps) identified as influencing the Perceived business performance of small family and non-family businesses, were classified as Product-, Pricing-, Place-, and Promotion strategies. From the literature review, it was evident that the traditional marketing mix strategies have been criticised by a number of studies as not reflecting the holistic marketing concept within the 21st century. Yet, despite its simplicity various studies still find the traditional 4P framework to be a strong staple of the marketing mix. In this study, a quantitative research design was adopted and an exploratory and descriptive research approach of a cross-sectional nature were undertaken. A convenience sampling technique was used owing to the inaccessibility of a small family and non-family business database. The sample size in this study consisted of 195 small family-owned businesses and 145 small non-family businesses operating within the borders of the Eastern Cape. The primary data in this study was gathered by means of a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The measuring instrument was developed by sourcing items from several existing studies. Small family and non-family businesses were approached by fieldworkers and asked to participate in this study. In total 400 questionnaires were distributed, of which 340 were usable for further statistical analyses. Therefore, an effective response rate of 85% was achieved in this study. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument were confirmed by means of an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and by the calculation of Cronbach„s alpha (CA) coefficients. The five usable factors that were extracted from the EFA were identified as Pricing strategies, Competitive distribution strategies, Communication process strategies, Low cost promotion strategies and Perceived business performance. The CA coefficient for Pricing strategies indicated that the scale measuring this factor was not reliable due to it falling below the accepted norm of 0.6 and, therefore it was disregarded from further analysis. The CA coefficients returned for the remaining usable factors extracted from the EFA were greater than 0.6, thus indicating the scales measuring these variables provided satisfactory evidence of validity and reliability. The findings of the descriptive statistics showed that the highest mean score reported was for the independent variable Competitive distribution strategies, followed by Communication process strategies and Low cost promotion strategies. Based on the mean, respondents indicated that they often utilise Competitive distribution strategies and Communication process strategies, and seldom utilise Low cost promotion strategies. Pearson‟s product moment correlations revealed that all the marketing mix strategies, for both small family and non-family businesses, investigated were found to be significantly and positively correlated with the dependent variable Perceived business performance, and amongst themselves. The findings of the MRA showed that utilising Competitive distribution strategies have a significant positive influence on the Perceived business performance of small family businesses. The finding implies that the more small family businesses in this study provide high-quality and competitive products through distributions process methods by setting timing objectives, using distributions selection criteria and changing the distribution channel when needed to continuously satisfy customers‟ needs, the more likely the business is to experience growth in profit and sales and having loyal customers who make regular purchases and recommend the business to others. This study found no relationship between Competitive distribution strategies and the Perceived business performance of small non-family businesses, as well as between Communication Process strategies and Low cost promotion strategies and Perceived business performance of small family and non-family businesses. The results of the t-tests revealed that no statistically significant relationship was found between the Type of small business ownership and any of the three independent variables, Competitive distribution-, Communication Process-, and Low cost promotion strategies. Furthermore, the results of the Chi-square test for independence reported no statistically significant difference between using the family name as a marketing or branding tool and the size of the small business in this study. The results, however, indicated that as the business size increases, the more small businesses use their family name as a marketing- or branding tool. From the 18 sets of null hypotheses that were formulated, to explore whether the demographical variables had an influence on the marketing mix strategies utilised by the small family and non-family businesses, only 11 multivariant analysis of variance (MANOVA) relationships could be established as being statistically significant. These include the Gender of the business owner/manager, Age of the business owner/manager, Management qualifications of the business owner/manager, Ethnicity of the business owner/manager, Position in the small business, Years small business is in existence, Working experience of the business owner/manager, Management working experience of the business owner/manager, Form of business ownership, Area of business premises and Target market of the small business. This study has addressed a gap in the current literature regarding the influence of marketing mix strategies on business performance among small family and non-family businesses in a developing economy such as South Africa. This study has furthermore attempted to enlarge the body of knowledge available on marketing, especially concerning Communication Process, Competitive distribution strategies and Low cost promotion strategies. The results of the study differ somewhat from existing literature, and therefore add to the body of knowledge on marketing. Furthermore, the findings of this study show that small family businesses utilising Competitive distribution strategies have a significant positive influence on their Perceived business performance, and in doing so makes a small contribution towards increasing the success rate of these small family businesses and in return positively contribute to the economic growth and development of South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Lange, Juanré Anton
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Family-owned business enterprises -- Management Marketing -- Management , Small business -- Management Performance Organizational effectiveness -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15016 , vital:28113
- Description: Despite the fact that small family and non-family businesses in South Africa are important contributors to economic and social development, their failure rates are still high globally. Major contributing factors to this high failure rate are the lack of marketing skills and ineffective marketing practices. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to establish what marketing mix strategies are used by small family and non-family businesses in the Eastern Cape and the influence of these strategies on Perceived business performance. The literature review dealt with the nature and importance of marketing, and the traditional marketing mix strategies were elaborated on from a small family and non-family business perspective. The traditional marketing mix strategies (4Ps) identified as influencing the Perceived business performance of small family and non-family businesses, were classified as Product-, Pricing-, Place-, and Promotion strategies. From the literature review, it was evident that the traditional marketing mix strategies have been criticised by a number of studies as not reflecting the holistic marketing concept within the 21st century. Yet, despite its simplicity various studies still find the traditional 4P framework to be a strong staple of the marketing mix. In this study, a quantitative research design was adopted and an exploratory and descriptive research approach of a cross-sectional nature were undertaken. A convenience sampling technique was used owing to the inaccessibility of a small family and non-family business database. The sample size in this study consisted of 195 small family-owned businesses and 145 small non-family businesses operating within the borders of the Eastern Cape. The primary data in this study was gathered by means of a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The measuring instrument was developed by sourcing items from several existing studies. Small family and non-family businesses were approached by fieldworkers and asked to participate in this study. In total 400 questionnaires were distributed, of which 340 were usable for further statistical analyses. Therefore, an effective response rate of 85% was achieved in this study. The validity and reliability of the measuring instrument were confirmed by means of an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and by the calculation of Cronbach„s alpha (CA) coefficients. The five usable factors that were extracted from the EFA were identified as Pricing strategies, Competitive distribution strategies, Communication process strategies, Low cost promotion strategies and Perceived business performance. The CA coefficient for Pricing strategies indicated that the scale measuring this factor was not reliable due to it falling below the accepted norm of 0.6 and, therefore it was disregarded from further analysis. The CA coefficients returned for the remaining usable factors extracted from the EFA were greater than 0.6, thus indicating the scales measuring these variables provided satisfactory evidence of validity and reliability. The findings of the descriptive statistics showed that the highest mean score reported was for the independent variable Competitive distribution strategies, followed by Communication process strategies and Low cost promotion strategies. Based on the mean, respondents indicated that they often utilise Competitive distribution strategies and Communication process strategies, and seldom utilise Low cost promotion strategies. Pearson‟s product moment correlations revealed that all the marketing mix strategies, for both small family and non-family businesses, investigated were found to be significantly and positively correlated with the dependent variable Perceived business performance, and amongst themselves. The findings of the MRA showed that utilising Competitive distribution strategies have a significant positive influence on the Perceived business performance of small family businesses. The finding implies that the more small family businesses in this study provide high-quality and competitive products through distributions process methods by setting timing objectives, using distributions selection criteria and changing the distribution channel when needed to continuously satisfy customers‟ needs, the more likely the business is to experience growth in profit and sales and having loyal customers who make regular purchases and recommend the business to others. This study found no relationship between Competitive distribution strategies and the Perceived business performance of small non-family businesses, as well as between Communication Process strategies and Low cost promotion strategies and Perceived business performance of small family and non-family businesses. The results of the t-tests revealed that no statistically significant relationship was found between the Type of small business ownership and any of the three independent variables, Competitive distribution-, Communication Process-, and Low cost promotion strategies. Furthermore, the results of the Chi-square test for independence reported no statistically significant difference between using the family name as a marketing or branding tool and the size of the small business in this study. The results, however, indicated that as the business size increases, the more small businesses use their family name as a marketing- or branding tool. From the 18 sets of null hypotheses that were formulated, to explore whether the demographical variables had an influence on the marketing mix strategies utilised by the small family and non-family businesses, only 11 multivariant analysis of variance (MANOVA) relationships could be established as being statistically significant. These include the Gender of the business owner/manager, Age of the business owner/manager, Management qualifications of the business owner/manager, Ethnicity of the business owner/manager, Position in the small business, Years small business is in existence, Working experience of the business owner/manager, Management working experience of the business owner/manager, Form of business ownership, Area of business premises and Target market of the small business. This study has addressed a gap in the current literature regarding the influence of marketing mix strategies on business performance among small family and non-family businesses in a developing economy such as South Africa. This study has furthermore attempted to enlarge the body of knowledge available on marketing, especially concerning Communication Process, Competitive distribution strategies and Low cost promotion strategies. The results of the study differ somewhat from existing literature, and therefore add to the body of knowledge on marketing. Furthermore, the findings of this study show that small family businesses utilising Competitive distribution strategies have a significant positive influence on their Perceived business performance, and in doing so makes a small contribution towards increasing the success rate of these small family businesses and in return positively contribute to the economic growth and development of South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Generating shared interpretive resources in the mathematics classroom: using philosophy of mathematics to teach mathematics better
- Authors: De Lange, Laura
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching , Mathematics -- Philosophy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4293 , vital:20645
- Description: Every student has a unique mathematical lived experience: a unique amalgamation of ideas about mathematics, exposure to mathematical concepts and feelings about mathematics. A student's unique set of circumstances means that not every explanatory account of mathematics will cohere with her previous experiences. For an explanation to have explanatory potential, it must provide an account which coheres with the other beliefs a student has about mathematics. If an explanation has no such coherence, it will not be recognisable as an explanation of the phenomenon of mathematics for the student. Our explanatory accounts of mathematics and mathematical knowledge are our philosophies of mathematics. Different philosophies of mathematics will better explain different sets of mathematical lived experiences. In this thesis I will argue that students should be exposed to a multiplicity of philosophies of mathematics so that they can endorse the philosophy of mathematics which has the most explanatory potential for their particular set of mathematical lived experiences. I argue that this will improve student understanding of mathematics. The claims inherent in any given philosophy of mathematics, when combined with other stereotypes or prejudices, can work to unjustly exclude members of subordinated groups, such as poor, black or female students, from mathematical participation. If we want to avoid reinforcing and reinscribing prejudicial claims about people in the mathematics classroom, we need to be aware of how a certain philosophy of mathematics can exclude certain students. In this thesis I will be defending the idea that, as mathematics educators, we should diversify the way we see mathematics so that we decrease this exclusion from mathematics. In order to diversify the way in which we see mathematics so as to decrease unjust exclusion, members of subordinated groups should be encouraged to share their mathematical experiences in a space sensitive to the power dynamics present in the mathematics classroom. These accounts can then be combined with existing philosophies of mathematics to create new ways of making sense of mathematics which do not unjustly exclude members of subordinated groups.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Lange, Laura
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Study and teaching , Mathematics -- Philosophy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4293 , vital:20645
- Description: Every student has a unique mathematical lived experience: a unique amalgamation of ideas about mathematics, exposure to mathematical concepts and feelings about mathematics. A student's unique set of circumstances means that not every explanatory account of mathematics will cohere with her previous experiences. For an explanation to have explanatory potential, it must provide an account which coheres with the other beliefs a student has about mathematics. If an explanation has no such coherence, it will not be recognisable as an explanation of the phenomenon of mathematics for the student. Our explanatory accounts of mathematics and mathematical knowledge are our philosophies of mathematics. Different philosophies of mathematics will better explain different sets of mathematical lived experiences. In this thesis I will argue that students should be exposed to a multiplicity of philosophies of mathematics so that they can endorse the philosophy of mathematics which has the most explanatory potential for their particular set of mathematical lived experiences. I argue that this will improve student understanding of mathematics. The claims inherent in any given philosophy of mathematics, when combined with other stereotypes or prejudices, can work to unjustly exclude members of subordinated groups, such as poor, black or female students, from mathematical participation. If we want to avoid reinforcing and reinscribing prejudicial claims about people in the mathematics classroom, we need to be aware of how a certain philosophy of mathematics can exclude certain students. In this thesis I will be defending the idea that, as mathematics educators, we should diversify the way we see mathematics so that we decrease this exclusion from mathematics. In order to diversify the way in which we see mathematics so as to decrease unjust exclusion, members of subordinated groups should be encouraged to share their mathematical experiences in a space sensitive to the power dynamics present in the mathematics classroom. These accounts can then be combined with existing philosophies of mathematics to create new ways of making sense of mathematics which do not unjustly exclude members of subordinated groups.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
An exploration of the processes that encourage HIV and AIDS affected Basotho female adolescent resilience in Sedibeng West in the Vaal Triangle area of the Gauteng Province
- Authors: De Lange, Une
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Resilience (Personality trait) in adolescence -- South Africa -- Gauteng Teenage girls -- South Africa -- Gauteng
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22220 , vital:29875
- Description: This study aimed to explore processes encouraging resilience in HIV and AIDS affected Basotho female adolescents in Sedibeng West in the Vaal Triangle area of the Gauteng province; and to identify guidelines to help these individuals to get through their adversities in constructive ways. By using purposive sampling (a non-probability sampling method), 61 high risk, high resilient HIV and AIDS affected Basotho female adolescents in Sedibeng West were identified to participate in the research An extensive literature review revealed the following gaps with regard to the topic of this study: • Shortage of literature regarding the effects that HIV and AIDS have on Basotho female adolescents and how these adolescents cope with these challenges; • Lack of focus on resilience of specific cultural adolescent groups; • Lack of focus on processes that encourage resilience in adolescents; • Need for qualitative studies of resilience and visual qualitative studies in particular. Consequently, a qualitative, visual phenomenological study was done where data was collected by a multi-dimensional data gathering method consisting of open-ended questionnaires, drawings and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that HIV and AIDS affected all participants in a substantial way. The following three main processes encourage resilience in Basotho female adolescents: Benefitting from constructive bonds; Making meaning; and Acting constructively. Furthermore, Spiritual beings and Mothers were primarily identified as figures of strength and support during adolescents’ adversity. Based on the findings, the researcher recommends that: • The Department of Education include all aspects concerning HIV and AIDS, as well as aspects concerning Religion and Spirituality in the Life Skills curriculum without making any preference of religion; • a mother figure should be established in every child’s life at a very young age, preferably as early as birth; • young people be taught skills and strategies to build interpersonal relationships and attachment bonds to significant others; • families and schools empower individuals with skills to find meaning in adversity • parents and family members model constructive regulation of behaviour to adolescents.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Lange, Une
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Resilience (Personality trait) in adolescence -- South Africa -- Gauteng Teenage girls -- South Africa -- Gauteng
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22220 , vital:29875
- Description: This study aimed to explore processes encouraging resilience in HIV and AIDS affected Basotho female adolescents in Sedibeng West in the Vaal Triangle area of the Gauteng province; and to identify guidelines to help these individuals to get through their adversities in constructive ways. By using purposive sampling (a non-probability sampling method), 61 high risk, high resilient HIV and AIDS affected Basotho female adolescents in Sedibeng West were identified to participate in the research An extensive literature review revealed the following gaps with regard to the topic of this study: • Shortage of literature regarding the effects that HIV and AIDS have on Basotho female adolescents and how these adolescents cope with these challenges; • Lack of focus on resilience of specific cultural adolescent groups; • Lack of focus on processes that encourage resilience in adolescents; • Need for qualitative studies of resilience and visual qualitative studies in particular. Consequently, a qualitative, visual phenomenological study was done where data was collected by a multi-dimensional data gathering method consisting of open-ended questionnaires, drawings and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that HIV and AIDS affected all participants in a substantial way. The following three main processes encourage resilience in Basotho female adolescents: Benefitting from constructive bonds; Making meaning; and Acting constructively. Furthermore, Spiritual beings and Mothers were primarily identified as figures of strength and support during adolescents’ adversity. Based on the findings, the researcher recommends that: • The Department of Education include all aspects concerning HIV and AIDS, as well as aspects concerning Religion and Spirituality in the Life Skills curriculum without making any preference of religion; • a mother figure should be established in every child’s life at a very young age, preferably as early as birth; • young people be taught skills and strategies to build interpersonal relationships and attachment bonds to significant others; • families and schools empower individuals with skills to find meaning in adversity • parents and family members model constructive regulation of behaviour to adolescents.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
A proposed model for enterprise resource planning benefits for SMEs
- Authors: De Matos, Paulo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Small business -- South Africa Enterprise resource planning -- South Africa , Economic development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14971 , vital:28107
- Description: Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in global and national economies, both in developed and developing countries, contributing significantly to economic growth and job creation. Yet, SMEs face ongoing survival issues as their limited access to resources often constrains their ability to compete and realise their potential. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are known to be a crucial component in realising benefits for any organisation and are seen as significant contributors to an organisation’s performance. However, only a portion of SMEs report that their value expectations have been met in adopting an ERP system. SMEs require a better understanding of how to extract value from ERP adoption in order to remain competitive. An on-going SME problem is a lack of low-level awareness of the benefits that an ERP system is capable of providing them. The problem is stated as “SMEs do not understand the benefits derived from the adoption of an ERP system”. The purpose of this treatise was to determine a clearer understanding of how ERP systems can be considered a technological innovation that may be exploited by an SME to deliver business value by increasing the performance of the SME and thereby increasing the SME’s competitive advantage. A literature review was conducted on ERP and SMEs which identified benefit models grounded in the theories of Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) and Resource Based View (RBV). DOI explains the benefits derived from ERP use as the technology diffuses throughout the social organisation and RBV measures the business value extracted from ERP adoption and use. A model for ERP benefits for SMEs was proposed based on the extant literature and empirical evaluation on a sample of 107 SYSPRO ERP users in South Africa. The model was statistically assessed as to the relationships between the independent variables of ease of use, collaboration, capabilities, efficiencies, analytics, industry sector and maturity against the dependent variable of ERP business value. The variables of analytics, capabilities and ease of use together explain 68.9% of the variance of ERP business value, while analytics and capabilities explain 53.8%. No significant relationship was found for efficiencies, collaboration, industry or maturity, being a measure of length of years’ experience in ERP use. The results indicate that SMEs perceive analytics to be a valuable determinant of ERP value contributing to the competitiveness of SMEs. The higher the SME focuses on analytics, the greater the organisation’s performance increases due to the enhancement of analytical-based decisions aiding in a better decision-making process. Capabilities are the degree to which an ERP system caters for the functional needs of the SME. This treatise argues that SMEs should pay particular focus on their operational requirements and whether the ERP system is capable of providing them as customisation of the ERP is costly. Organisational personnel utilising ERP must be comfortable utilising it. Perceptions as to an ERP’s complexity and usefulness define the ease-of-use. SMEs should consider the inherent aspects of a given ERP system that support the adoption rate of their personnel of an ERP system. Practically, SMEs should assess the degree of system intuitiveness both during ERP selection and during the adoption lifecycle phases. ERP providers should focus on the provisioning of aspects both in the software and during the implementation of an ERP system at an SME in ensuring the system is intuitive, useful, easy to use, functionally addresses the SME requirements simply and surfaces meaningful analytics in support of decision-making process.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Matos, Paulo
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Small business -- South Africa Enterprise resource planning -- South Africa , Economic development -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14971 , vital:28107
- Description: Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in global and national economies, both in developed and developing countries, contributing significantly to economic growth and job creation. Yet, SMEs face ongoing survival issues as their limited access to resources often constrains their ability to compete and realise their potential. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are known to be a crucial component in realising benefits for any organisation and are seen as significant contributors to an organisation’s performance. However, only a portion of SMEs report that their value expectations have been met in adopting an ERP system. SMEs require a better understanding of how to extract value from ERP adoption in order to remain competitive. An on-going SME problem is a lack of low-level awareness of the benefits that an ERP system is capable of providing them. The problem is stated as “SMEs do not understand the benefits derived from the adoption of an ERP system”. The purpose of this treatise was to determine a clearer understanding of how ERP systems can be considered a technological innovation that may be exploited by an SME to deliver business value by increasing the performance of the SME and thereby increasing the SME’s competitive advantage. A literature review was conducted on ERP and SMEs which identified benefit models grounded in the theories of Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) and Resource Based View (RBV). DOI explains the benefits derived from ERP use as the technology diffuses throughout the social organisation and RBV measures the business value extracted from ERP adoption and use. A model for ERP benefits for SMEs was proposed based on the extant literature and empirical evaluation on a sample of 107 SYSPRO ERP users in South Africa. The model was statistically assessed as to the relationships between the independent variables of ease of use, collaboration, capabilities, efficiencies, analytics, industry sector and maturity against the dependent variable of ERP business value. The variables of analytics, capabilities and ease of use together explain 68.9% of the variance of ERP business value, while analytics and capabilities explain 53.8%. No significant relationship was found for efficiencies, collaboration, industry or maturity, being a measure of length of years’ experience in ERP use. The results indicate that SMEs perceive analytics to be a valuable determinant of ERP value contributing to the competitiveness of SMEs. The higher the SME focuses on analytics, the greater the organisation’s performance increases due to the enhancement of analytical-based decisions aiding in a better decision-making process. Capabilities are the degree to which an ERP system caters for the functional needs of the SME. This treatise argues that SMEs should pay particular focus on their operational requirements and whether the ERP system is capable of providing them as customisation of the ERP is costly. Organisational personnel utilising ERP must be comfortable utilising it. Perceptions as to an ERP’s complexity and usefulness define the ease-of-use. SMEs should consider the inherent aspects of a given ERP system that support the adoption rate of their personnel of an ERP system. Practically, SMEs should assess the degree of system intuitiveness both during ERP selection and during the adoption lifecycle phases. ERP providers should focus on the provisioning of aspects both in the software and during the implementation of an ERP system at an SME in ensuring the system is intuitive, useful, easy to use, functionally addresses the SME requirements simply and surfaces meaningful analytics in support of decision-making process.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Conflict between local government and civil society pertaining to sanitation in South Africa
- De Ujfalussy, Andrea Benedicta
- Authors: De Ujfalussy, Andrea Benedicta
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Sanitation -- South Africa -- Politics and government Conflict management -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14939 , vital:27911
- Description: This study seeks to determine whether the conflict between the City of Cape Town (CCT) and the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) is resulting in positive or negative outcomes from the perspective of the residents concerned. In principle, engagement, between civil society and local government should lead to an improvement in terms of the meeting of needs or wants for those communities whose interests are being contested, or at the very least an improved understanding of the plans and challenges faced by both. Further, the engagement and/or conflict between local government and civil society, if positive, should ideally lead to greater understanding between all stakeholders and the strengthening of relations between them government, civil society and the relevant community interests. The motivation of this study is to explore the unanswered issues such as, whether the SJC has gone beyond the use of acceptable tactics associated with responsible and effective civil society actors and whether it would be justified if they have; if the SJC’s actions have resulted in an actual improvement in the accelerated realization of the socio-economic rights of the communities whose interests they purport to represent; whether the communities ‘represented’ by the SJC see them as their effective advocate for the interests and concerns ; if the issue of sanitation is the primary issue for the residents concerned as claimed by the SJC; if the residents of the communities concerned feel the same animosity to the CCT that the SJC does.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Ujfalussy, Andrea Benedicta
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Sanitation -- South Africa -- Politics and government Conflict management -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14939 , vital:27911
- Description: This study seeks to determine whether the conflict between the City of Cape Town (CCT) and the Social Justice Coalition (SJC) is resulting in positive or negative outcomes from the perspective of the residents concerned. In principle, engagement, between civil society and local government should lead to an improvement in terms of the meeting of needs or wants for those communities whose interests are being contested, or at the very least an improved understanding of the plans and challenges faced by both. Further, the engagement and/or conflict between local government and civil society, if positive, should ideally lead to greater understanding between all stakeholders and the strengthening of relations between them government, civil society and the relevant community interests. The motivation of this study is to explore the unanswered issues such as, whether the SJC has gone beyond the use of acceptable tactics associated with responsible and effective civil society actors and whether it would be justified if they have; if the SJC’s actions have resulted in an actual improvement in the accelerated realization of the socio-economic rights of the communities whose interests they purport to represent; whether the communities ‘represented’ by the SJC see them as their effective advocate for the interests and concerns ; if the issue of sanitation is the primary issue for the residents concerned as claimed by the SJC; if the residents of the communities concerned feel the same animosity to the CCT that the SJC does.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Exploring the early identification of first year accounting at-risk students
- Authors: De Villiers, Lorelle
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Accounting -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Accounting -- South Africa -- Students Accounting
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14895 , vital:27897
- Description: It is well documented that tertiary institutions in South Africa are reporting high failure rates in accounting courses; several calls have been made to address this in recent years. Various reasons are given for this high failure rate, such as an increase in student numbers and diversity, a mismatch between programmes and students, unequal schooling and inequity of access to tertiary institutions, an increase in the number of underprepared students for tertiary education, and difficulties with language. As a result, there is a growing interest in the factors predicting academic performance, and several studies on predicting academic performance have been undertaken both internationally and in South Africa. Scholars have specifically identified several factors that influence failure in accounting in the first year of tertiary education and in first year accounting in particular. However, the focus of the current study was on several biographical and educational factors only, factors that have commonly been found to influence student performance in their first year, namely: Gender, Age, Ethnicity, Home language, School category, School language, Nationality, Degree programme, Repeating (the accounting module), Admission Point Score (APS), Matric LAMN (combined score for Matric language, accounting, mathematics and numeracy), whether the student studied Accounting in Matric, and Matric year. The primary objective of this study was to develop a predictive model based on biographical and educational secondary data for identifying students at risk in first year accounting at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). A quantitative research design was adopted and a non-experimental, descriptive study of a cross-sectional and deductive nature was undertaken. The non-probability sampling technique of criterion sampling was used and the sample consisted of all students enrolled for the R101, RNC101, R102, RG102 and RNC102 first year accounting modules in the Department of Accounting Sciences at NMMU. Historical data, both biographical and educational, was collected on which to undertake the data analysis. The data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses. A separate logistic regression analysis was undertaken for each module group because of the diversity of curriculum content and participants of each module group. The findings show that as a whole, the levels of model accuracy in predicting the at-risk and not-at-risk categories were high. The R101 model showed the highest overall prediction success rate with 80.10 per cent of students being accurately classified into either the at-risk or not-at-risk category. The RG102 model showed the lowest overall prediction success rate of 73.91 per cent. The predictor variables of Matric accounting and Home language were identified as the most significant factors in predicting at-risk first year accounting students because they predicted at-risk students in three of the five logistic regression models, while School language, APS, Matric LAMN, Gender and Age were significant in predicting at-risk students in two of the five logistic regression models. The findings of the current study are interesting in highlighting that Matric accounting is not a predictor for students who intend majoring in accounting. They also highlight that for students who intend majoring in accounting in order to become CAs, English language proficiency is an important predictor for at-risk students. For students who intend majoring in accounting and becoming a CA, the findings show that African-home-language students are the most likely to be at risk in the first semester of first year accounting, while Afrikaans-home-language students are the least likely to be at risk in first year accounting. Several observations and recommendations are made and those that are of particular importance to the R101 module relate to Matric accounting, language, APS and Matric LAMN, as well as Gender and Age. For the R102 module, it is those relating to language and Matric LAMN, and for the RG102 module, it is those relating to APS. For the RNC101 module, the observations and recommendations that are of particular importance are those relating to Matric accounting and language as well as Gender and Age, while for the RNC102 module, it is those relating to Matric accounting. The ability to identify at-risk students in first year accounting is of great value to universities across South Africa at institutional, faculty and programme level. The predictive model developed assists in identifying at-risk students timeously, and early identification allows for targeted interventions and support, which could assist these students in overcoming their challenges and ultimately improving pass rates.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Villiers, Lorelle
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Accounting -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Accounting -- South Africa -- Students Accounting
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/14895 , vital:27897
- Description: It is well documented that tertiary institutions in South Africa are reporting high failure rates in accounting courses; several calls have been made to address this in recent years. Various reasons are given for this high failure rate, such as an increase in student numbers and diversity, a mismatch between programmes and students, unequal schooling and inequity of access to tertiary institutions, an increase in the number of underprepared students for tertiary education, and difficulties with language. As a result, there is a growing interest in the factors predicting academic performance, and several studies on predicting academic performance have been undertaken both internationally and in South Africa. Scholars have specifically identified several factors that influence failure in accounting in the first year of tertiary education and in first year accounting in particular. However, the focus of the current study was on several biographical and educational factors only, factors that have commonly been found to influence student performance in their first year, namely: Gender, Age, Ethnicity, Home language, School category, School language, Nationality, Degree programme, Repeating (the accounting module), Admission Point Score (APS), Matric LAMN (combined score for Matric language, accounting, mathematics and numeracy), whether the student studied Accounting in Matric, and Matric year. The primary objective of this study was to develop a predictive model based on biographical and educational secondary data for identifying students at risk in first year accounting at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). A quantitative research design was adopted and a non-experimental, descriptive study of a cross-sectional and deductive nature was undertaken. The non-probability sampling technique of criterion sampling was used and the sample consisted of all students enrolled for the R101, RNC101, R102, RG102 and RNC102 first year accounting modules in the Department of Accounting Sciences at NMMU. Historical data, both biographical and educational, was collected on which to undertake the data analysis. The data was analysed by means of descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses. A separate logistic regression analysis was undertaken for each module group because of the diversity of curriculum content and participants of each module group. The findings show that as a whole, the levels of model accuracy in predicting the at-risk and not-at-risk categories were high. The R101 model showed the highest overall prediction success rate with 80.10 per cent of students being accurately classified into either the at-risk or not-at-risk category. The RG102 model showed the lowest overall prediction success rate of 73.91 per cent. The predictor variables of Matric accounting and Home language were identified as the most significant factors in predicting at-risk first year accounting students because they predicted at-risk students in three of the five logistic regression models, while School language, APS, Matric LAMN, Gender and Age were significant in predicting at-risk students in two of the five logistic regression models. The findings of the current study are interesting in highlighting that Matric accounting is not a predictor for students who intend majoring in accounting. They also highlight that for students who intend majoring in accounting in order to become CAs, English language proficiency is an important predictor for at-risk students. For students who intend majoring in accounting and becoming a CA, the findings show that African-home-language students are the most likely to be at risk in the first semester of first year accounting, while Afrikaans-home-language students are the least likely to be at risk in first year accounting. Several observations and recommendations are made and those that are of particular importance to the R101 module relate to Matric accounting, language, APS and Matric LAMN, as well as Gender and Age. For the R102 module, it is those relating to language and Matric LAMN, and for the RG102 module, it is those relating to APS. For the RNC101 module, the observations and recommendations that are of particular importance are those relating to Matric accounting and language as well as Gender and Age, while for the RNC102 module, it is those relating to Matric accounting. The ability to identify at-risk students in first year accounting is of great value to universities across South Africa at institutional, faculty and programme level. The predictive model developed assists in identifying at-risk students timeously, and early identification allows for targeted interventions and support, which could assist these students in overcoming their challenges and ultimately improving pass rates.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Online consumers’ product purchasing behaviour, advertising and involvement in fashion consumption in South Africa
- Authors: De Vos, Tania
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Electronic commerce Retail trade -- South Africa -- Management , Purchasing Consumer behavior -- South Africa Clothing trade -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46295 , vital:39544
- Description: While store-based fashion retailing continues to be the prevailing channel for South Africans, the country’s consumers are increasingly engaging with products online. It should be noted that online fashion purchasing behaviour does not necessarily follow the traditional consumer behaviour of the brick-and-mortar retailing environment. Therefore, ecommerce organisations are required to investigate the determinants of customer online shopping engagement among their market segments. With an improved understanding of the consumer’s online purchase behaviour, pure-play fashion retailers can create useful and successful online shopping strategies to attract new and potential customers. Thus, the future market for this industry as well as factors influencing online behaviour must be investigated and improved upon. This research study aimed to present a general overview and analysis of how online fashion consumption can grow and be sustainable in South Africa. This was accomplished by identifying various key factors contributing toward online fashion consumption and purchasing behaviour, in creating an attractive online shopping environment, whilst generating more customers, building customer loyalty and increasing competitiveness. As in any retail business, customer satisfaction is the key component for online fashion success. The purpose of this study was to execute a novel assessment of online consumers’ product purchasing behaviour, as well as advertising and involvement in fashion consumption in the South African context. To achieve this purpose, an in-depth literature review and a positivistic research investigation were conducted. The selected method was the most appropriate approach to achieve the research objectives by answering the research questions as well as to test the proposed hypotheses in relation to The Perceived Success of Online Fashion Consumption (dependant variables). As mentioned, the study involved a deductive approach of the positivistic paradigm to identify online purchasing motivation and factors that can assist with indicating what the pure-play fashion interface needs to deliver to stay competitive and increase market presence. This research study is considerably valuable as data from 16087 respondents from the participating pure-play fashion retailer have been recorded and the results indicated that the proposed hypotheses were all supported, thus reporting a significant relationship and positive influence on the perceived success of online fashion consumption.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: De Vos, Tania
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Electronic commerce Retail trade -- South Africa -- Management , Purchasing Consumer behavior -- South Africa Clothing trade -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46295 , vital:39544
- Description: While store-based fashion retailing continues to be the prevailing channel for South Africans, the country’s consumers are increasingly engaging with products online. It should be noted that online fashion purchasing behaviour does not necessarily follow the traditional consumer behaviour of the brick-and-mortar retailing environment. Therefore, ecommerce organisations are required to investigate the determinants of customer online shopping engagement among their market segments. With an improved understanding of the consumer’s online purchase behaviour, pure-play fashion retailers can create useful and successful online shopping strategies to attract new and potential customers. Thus, the future market for this industry as well as factors influencing online behaviour must be investigated and improved upon. This research study aimed to present a general overview and analysis of how online fashion consumption can grow and be sustainable in South Africa. This was accomplished by identifying various key factors contributing toward online fashion consumption and purchasing behaviour, in creating an attractive online shopping environment, whilst generating more customers, building customer loyalty and increasing competitiveness. As in any retail business, customer satisfaction is the key component for online fashion success. The purpose of this study was to execute a novel assessment of online consumers’ product purchasing behaviour, as well as advertising and involvement in fashion consumption in the South African context. To achieve this purpose, an in-depth literature review and a positivistic research investigation were conducted. The selected method was the most appropriate approach to achieve the research objectives by answering the research questions as well as to test the proposed hypotheses in relation to The Perceived Success of Online Fashion Consumption (dependant variables). As mentioned, the study involved a deductive approach of the positivistic paradigm to identify online purchasing motivation and factors that can assist with indicating what the pure-play fashion interface needs to deliver to stay competitive and increase market presence. This research study is considerably valuable as data from 16087 respondents from the participating pure-play fashion retailer have been recorded and the results indicated that the proposed hypotheses were all supported, thus reporting a significant relationship and positive influence on the perceived success of online fashion consumption.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The effect of the integration of design, procurement, and construction relative to health and safety
- Authors: Deacon, Claire Helen
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Construction industry -- Management Building -- Safety measures , Industrial safety
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15038 , vital:28115
- Description: The rates of fatalities, injuries and diseases from work, has been a longstanding challenge for centuries. The challenge is validated by the fact that there is not a paper, or publication, that appears to have been written worldwide, without discussion regarding the extent of the problem in the construction industry. Despite there being prescriptive statutory requirements applicable to the sector, all attempts to reduce the reduce the accident rates in South Africa appear to have been largely unsuccessful. The review of literature indicates that most research has focused on design, designers, roles of stakeholders, inter alia that relate to construction health and safety. Given the situation noted, the research investigated design, various aspects of the construction process and stakeholders, and the inclusion of procurement as a major component of the construction process. A triangulated, or mixed methods research methodology was utilised for the thesis. The qualitative methodology utilised in Action Research (AR) and a total of three FGs’ sought to develop a theoretical model that would identify multi-stakeholder policies, practice and education requirements. An extensive international, African and South African literature review was conducted as part of the secondary research and the grounding for the mixed methodology of research. The information sought to contextualise the South African paradigm and practices. Two quantitative, multi-stakeholders’ studies were conducted during the development of the research. The quantitative aspect considers the perceptions of those practicing or involved in H&S, the interface regarding the stakeholders and ‘issues’ experienced in the challenges relating to daily work. Themes were developed, inter alia: a general; workers; management (including supervision, responsibilities and pricing); a stakeholders’ theme (including project managers; design and designers, and client), and the construction H&S theme (including the CHSA, construction H&S Manager (CHSM), construction H&S Officer (CHSO)). A total of 22 hypotheses were tested. The hypotheses considered all the stakeholders, within the framework of the research. Only 1 hypothesis was not supported, and hypothesis was partially supported. Three AR FGs’ were held in the Sarah Baartman District (a building focus) and at the Bhisho offices (a civil engineering focus) of the ECDRPW. The research considered the procurement processes that underpins a project, with some elements relative to the interface of H&S, design, the stages of work, and the current legislative framework. A validated theoretical model, the ‘Deacon Procurement, Design and Health and Safety Model’ emerged from the qualitative aspect of the research. The salient findings indicate a tendency in the industry to operate in silos, adhere to minimum levels of compliance, and not determining other aspects that could possibly reduce project and financial risk. Therefore, stakeholders need to work together, across the stages of work. Level of confidence is low among clients and built environment groups regarding H&S across the project life cycle, resulting in the non-compliance, and increased project risk. Clients such as the National Treasury do not identify H&S risks during project planning, resulting in the lack of adequate resources for projects, with supply chain management and procurement not ensuring compliance and technical expertise. Due to lack of knowledge CHSAs’, CHSMs’, and CHSOs,’ are not appointed timeously, resulting in noncompliance, and increased project risk. The construction H&S practitioners level of confidence is affected by lack of experience, not knowledge, in contrast to the lack of H&S knowledge of built environment professionals. A range of recommendations are provided that include, inter alia: development of policy, guidelines and practice notes regarding H&S, supply chain management and procurement; education and training, continuing professional development, training and workshops, and further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The effect of the integration of design, procurement, and construction relative to health and safety
- Authors: Deacon, Claire Helen
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Construction industry -- Management Building -- Safety measures , Industrial safety
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15038 , vital:28115
- Description: The rates of fatalities, injuries and diseases from work, has been a longstanding challenge for centuries. The challenge is validated by the fact that there is not a paper, or publication, that appears to have been written worldwide, without discussion regarding the extent of the problem in the construction industry. Despite there being prescriptive statutory requirements applicable to the sector, all attempts to reduce the reduce the accident rates in South Africa appear to have been largely unsuccessful. The review of literature indicates that most research has focused on design, designers, roles of stakeholders, inter alia that relate to construction health and safety. Given the situation noted, the research investigated design, various aspects of the construction process and stakeholders, and the inclusion of procurement as a major component of the construction process. A triangulated, or mixed methods research methodology was utilised for the thesis. The qualitative methodology utilised in Action Research (AR) and a total of three FGs’ sought to develop a theoretical model that would identify multi-stakeholder policies, practice and education requirements. An extensive international, African and South African literature review was conducted as part of the secondary research and the grounding for the mixed methodology of research. The information sought to contextualise the South African paradigm and practices. Two quantitative, multi-stakeholders’ studies were conducted during the development of the research. The quantitative aspect considers the perceptions of those practicing or involved in H&S, the interface regarding the stakeholders and ‘issues’ experienced in the challenges relating to daily work. Themes were developed, inter alia: a general; workers; management (including supervision, responsibilities and pricing); a stakeholders’ theme (including project managers; design and designers, and client), and the construction H&S theme (including the CHSA, construction H&S Manager (CHSM), construction H&S Officer (CHSO)). A total of 22 hypotheses were tested. The hypotheses considered all the stakeholders, within the framework of the research. Only 1 hypothesis was not supported, and hypothesis was partially supported. Three AR FGs’ were held in the Sarah Baartman District (a building focus) and at the Bhisho offices (a civil engineering focus) of the ECDRPW. The research considered the procurement processes that underpins a project, with some elements relative to the interface of H&S, design, the stages of work, and the current legislative framework. A validated theoretical model, the ‘Deacon Procurement, Design and Health and Safety Model’ emerged from the qualitative aspect of the research. The salient findings indicate a tendency in the industry to operate in silos, adhere to minimum levels of compliance, and not determining other aspects that could possibly reduce project and financial risk. Therefore, stakeholders need to work together, across the stages of work. Level of confidence is low among clients and built environment groups regarding H&S across the project life cycle, resulting in the non-compliance, and increased project risk. Clients such as the National Treasury do not identify H&S risks during project planning, resulting in the lack of adequate resources for projects, with supply chain management and procurement not ensuring compliance and technical expertise. Due to lack of knowledge CHSAs’, CHSMs’, and CHSOs,’ are not appointed timeously, resulting in noncompliance, and increased project risk. The construction H&S practitioners level of confidence is affected by lack of experience, not knowledge, in contrast to the lack of H&S knowledge of built environment professionals. A range of recommendations are provided that include, inter alia: development of policy, guidelines and practice notes regarding H&S, supply chain management and procurement; education and training, continuing professional development, training and workshops, and further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
A survey of the professional identity of clinical psychologists in South Africa
- Authors: Deane, Tessa Anne
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Psychologists -- South Africa , Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Psychology -- Practice -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5140 , vital:20780
- Description: The mental health care needs of South Africa have shifted significantly in the postapartheid context of changing political and socioeconomic landscapes. However, the extent to which clinical psychologists’ professional identity has responded accordingly has been unclear. By establishing the practice patterns and values that should be central to the profession according to the literature, and ascertaining the extent to which these are reflected among professionals at this time, this study facilitates a re-evaluation of the professional identity of clinical psychologists in South Africa. To this end, an online survey method was used to collect data from a representative sample of 877 participants, i.e. 29,09% of the population of clinical psychologists in South Africa. Statistical analyses were implemented to address a number of key research questions concerning aspects which characterise professional identity, namely: demographic profile; work settings and roles (practices); and theoretical perspective, beliefs and attitudes (values). Findings suggest that, demographically, clinical psychologists do not mirror the clients they serve, and also that there is a large proportion of the population for whom psychological services remain inaccessible and/or inappropriate. Furthermore, the professional identity of clinical psychologists currently does not comprise practices and values which meet the mental health care needs of South Africa. A significant recommendation of the research is its endorsement of the National Health Insurance model given the promise of its role in ensuring psychology remains relevant. It is recommended that future studies expand on these findings qualitatively, and compare clinical psychology with other mental health care fields. Universities are also urged to relook at their training curricula and ensure that trainees are made of aware of issues of policy, and that areas of research and psychological assessment in complex environments are prioritized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Deane, Tessa Anne
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Psychologists -- South Africa , Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Psychology -- Practice -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5140 , vital:20780
- Description: The mental health care needs of South Africa have shifted significantly in the postapartheid context of changing political and socioeconomic landscapes. However, the extent to which clinical psychologists’ professional identity has responded accordingly has been unclear. By establishing the practice patterns and values that should be central to the profession according to the literature, and ascertaining the extent to which these are reflected among professionals at this time, this study facilitates a re-evaluation of the professional identity of clinical psychologists in South Africa. To this end, an online survey method was used to collect data from a representative sample of 877 participants, i.e. 29,09% of the population of clinical psychologists in South Africa. Statistical analyses were implemented to address a number of key research questions concerning aspects which characterise professional identity, namely: demographic profile; work settings and roles (practices); and theoretical perspective, beliefs and attitudes (values). Findings suggest that, demographically, clinical psychologists do not mirror the clients they serve, and also that there is a large proportion of the population for whom psychological services remain inaccessible and/or inappropriate. Furthermore, the professional identity of clinical psychologists currently does not comprise practices and values which meet the mental health care needs of South Africa. A significant recommendation of the research is its endorsement of the National Health Insurance model given the promise of its role in ensuring psychology remains relevant. It is recommended that future studies expand on these findings qualitatively, and compare clinical psychology with other mental health care fields. Universities are also urged to relook at their training curricula and ensure that trainees are made of aware of issues of policy, and that areas of research and psychological assessment in complex environments are prioritized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Buchu and Bobotie in the Boland : culinary heritage in Franschhoek, Western Cape
- Authors: Deavin, Candace
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Food habits -- South Africa -- Franschhoek -- Cross-cultural studies Plants, Edible -- South Africa -- Franschhoek
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22254 , vital:29923
- Description: From a confit tomato and potato tumbleweed with buchu to a cured snoek terrine rolled in wilde kruie and Cape bobotie puff pastry with blatjang, chefs that mix indigenous plants and local cuisine with European inspiration and training have proved popular in Franschhoek’s restaurants. In this boland town, the particular constructions of heritage through food, not only showcases regional flavours, but gestures towards the search for an elusive place-based ‘South African’ cuisine that is seen to be rooted in the land. Harkening back to old culinary practices and drawing from their own heritages, Franschhoek’s chefs are foraging, butchering, gathering, growing, fermenting, pickling and cooking over open fires with renewed vigour as they attempt to ground their cuisine, and indeed, themselves, in the soil around them. This thesis considers how, through the culinary repertoire of chefs in Franschhoek, food is constructed as heritage. Within this I look at what heritages are considered desirable, how food’s sensory and symbolic properties are used to their full potential, and who is behind these constructions of culinary heritage. Following on from this, I explore postcolonial and post-apartheid anxieties of place and belonging, as well as desired and emergent identities that are expressed through this culinary heritage.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Deavin, Candace
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Food habits -- South Africa -- Franschhoek -- Cross-cultural studies Plants, Edible -- South Africa -- Franschhoek
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22254 , vital:29923
- Description: From a confit tomato and potato tumbleweed with buchu to a cured snoek terrine rolled in wilde kruie and Cape bobotie puff pastry with blatjang, chefs that mix indigenous plants and local cuisine with European inspiration and training have proved popular in Franschhoek’s restaurants. In this boland town, the particular constructions of heritage through food, not only showcases regional flavours, but gestures towards the search for an elusive place-based ‘South African’ cuisine that is seen to be rooted in the land. Harkening back to old culinary practices and drawing from their own heritages, Franschhoek’s chefs are foraging, butchering, gathering, growing, fermenting, pickling and cooking over open fires with renewed vigour as they attempt to ground their cuisine, and indeed, themselves, in the soil around them. This thesis considers how, through the culinary repertoire of chefs in Franschhoek, food is constructed as heritage. Within this I look at what heritages are considered desirable, how food’s sensory and symbolic properties are used to their full potential, and who is behind these constructions of culinary heritage. Following on from this, I explore postcolonial and post-apartheid anxieties of place and belonging, as well as desired and emergent identities that are expressed through this culinary heritage.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
'n Ondersoek na die uitbeelding van Khoisan-karakters deur wit Afrikaanse prosateurs: 1994-2014
- Authors: December, Peter
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Khoikhoi (African people) -- South Africa -- History Khoikhoi (African people) -- Race identity -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22070 , vital:29819
- Description: This dissertation offers a literary-thematic investigation based on a postcolonial approach to the representation of the Khoisan and their descendants. I restricted my scope to selected Afrikaans novels at the centre of critical attention between between 1994 and 2014. Earlier novels in this period under discussion are Dolf van Niekerk’s Koms van die hyreën (1994), Willem Kotze’s Tsats van die Kalahari (1994), Die spoorsnyer (1994), Olifantjagters (1997) and Gif (2001) by Piet van Rooyen, plus Karel Schoeman’s Verkenning (1996). Later texts in the focus are Duiwelskloof (1998) and Bidsprinkaan (2005) by André P. Brink, Dalene Matthee’s Pieternella van die Kaap (2000), Eben Venter’s Santa Gamka (2009) and most recently, the Hertzog prize winner of 2015, Buys by Willem Anker (2014). Themes central to South African literature will form the focus of the research, namely intercultural interaction between the first inhabitants of South Africa and missionaries, the question of land ownership, the language motif, and the role of religion (indigenous versus Western belief systems). Attention will also be on more specific issues such as the nature of the relationship between the Khoisan and the colonisers, the characterization of the Khoisan by the selected white authors, as well as other contemporary debates. The secondary objective of the study is to review the historical presence of the Khoisan and their descendants as reflected through the fictional lense of these authors writing over the last two decades, since democratization of the regime in 1994. My focus is particularly on the substantial cultural contribution of the Khoi and the San, as reflected through their representation in fictional works. The question will be posed whether the portrayal of Khoisan characters in novels after 1994 is different from the portrayal in fiction before 1994? My hypothesis is that in the fictional representation one finds a move towards restoration of their human dignity, yet the fact remains that all the authors are white. A different study of fictional works by coloured writers (whose numbers as Afrikaans authors grew substantially after 1994), investigating their representation of the descendants of the Khoi and the San, would in all probability yield radically different results, as the white authors imagine the characters and their consciousness from outside the community and the racial group, whereas the coloured writers belong to the community and the group that they portray.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: December, Peter
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Khoikhoi (African people) -- South Africa -- History Khoikhoi (African people) -- Race identity -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/22070 , vital:29819
- Description: This dissertation offers a literary-thematic investigation based on a postcolonial approach to the representation of the Khoisan and their descendants. I restricted my scope to selected Afrikaans novels at the centre of critical attention between between 1994 and 2014. Earlier novels in this period under discussion are Dolf van Niekerk’s Koms van die hyreën (1994), Willem Kotze’s Tsats van die Kalahari (1994), Die spoorsnyer (1994), Olifantjagters (1997) and Gif (2001) by Piet van Rooyen, plus Karel Schoeman’s Verkenning (1996). Later texts in the focus are Duiwelskloof (1998) and Bidsprinkaan (2005) by André P. Brink, Dalene Matthee’s Pieternella van die Kaap (2000), Eben Venter’s Santa Gamka (2009) and most recently, the Hertzog prize winner of 2015, Buys by Willem Anker (2014). Themes central to South African literature will form the focus of the research, namely intercultural interaction between the first inhabitants of South Africa and missionaries, the question of land ownership, the language motif, and the role of religion (indigenous versus Western belief systems). Attention will also be on more specific issues such as the nature of the relationship between the Khoisan and the colonisers, the characterization of the Khoisan by the selected white authors, as well as other contemporary debates. The secondary objective of the study is to review the historical presence of the Khoisan and their descendants as reflected through the fictional lense of these authors writing over the last two decades, since democratization of the regime in 1994. My focus is particularly on the substantial cultural contribution of the Khoi and the San, as reflected through their representation in fictional works. The question will be posed whether the portrayal of Khoisan characters in novels after 1994 is different from the portrayal in fiction before 1994? My hypothesis is that in the fictional representation one finds a move towards restoration of their human dignity, yet the fact remains that all the authors are white. A different study of fictional works by coloured writers (whose numbers as Afrikaans authors grew substantially after 1994), investigating their representation of the descendants of the Khoi and the San, would in all probability yield radically different results, as the white authors imagine the characters and their consciousness from outside the community and the racial group, whereas the coloured writers belong to the community and the group that they portray.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The constitutionality of Section 14 of the Employment of Educators Act
- Authors: Delport, Gerhardus Jordaan
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Educational law and legislation -- South Africa Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Unfair labor practices -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15479 , vital:28257
- Description: The Department of Education, as part of the public sector, employs educators in terms of the Employment of Educators Act (EEA),1 whereas the rest of the public servants are employed in terms of the Public Service Act (PSA). If an educator is absent for more than 14 consecutive days without the permission of the employer, the educator is deemed to be discharged according to section 14(1)(a). With regard to the rest of the public sector, a similar provision is put in place, where section 17(5)(a) provides for the discharge of a public officer who is absent from his / her duties without the permission of the Head of Department for a calendar month (31 days). Sometimes long absent periods are caused by personal circumstances of the employee which are unforeseen. If the employee reports for duty after the dismissal, section 14(2) of the EEA provides that, the employee may be reinstated by the employer on good cause shown, after a post-dismissal hearing. If an employee in the public sector is discharged based on these deeming provisions, the employment is terminated by the operation of the law and there is no dismissal. This means that the employer is not responsible for the termination, meaning than there exists no option to review the dismissal. The supreme law of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (the Constitution).5 The question at hand is whether the deeming provision of section 14 of the EEA6 is constitutional. The Labour Relations Act (LRA) goes further by stipulating that every person has the right not to be unfairly dismissed, and not to be subjected to unfair labour practice.7 Section 23 of the Constitution provides that everyone has the right to fair labour practices. Furthermore, section 33 of the Constitution provides for fair administrative action. The question is whether these provisions, dealing with the dismissal of educators, limit the employee’s constitutional right to a fair labour practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Delport, Gerhardus Jordaan
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Educational law and legislation -- South Africa Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Employees -- Dismissal of -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Unfair labor practices -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/15479 , vital:28257
- Description: The Department of Education, as part of the public sector, employs educators in terms of the Employment of Educators Act (EEA),1 whereas the rest of the public servants are employed in terms of the Public Service Act (PSA). If an educator is absent for more than 14 consecutive days without the permission of the employer, the educator is deemed to be discharged according to section 14(1)(a). With regard to the rest of the public sector, a similar provision is put in place, where section 17(5)(a) provides for the discharge of a public officer who is absent from his / her duties without the permission of the Head of Department for a calendar month (31 days). Sometimes long absent periods are caused by personal circumstances of the employee which are unforeseen. If the employee reports for duty after the dismissal, section 14(2) of the EEA provides that, the employee may be reinstated by the employer on good cause shown, after a post-dismissal hearing. If an employee in the public sector is discharged based on these deeming provisions, the employment is terminated by the operation of the law and there is no dismissal. This means that the employer is not responsible for the termination, meaning than there exists no option to review the dismissal. The supreme law of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) is the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (the Constitution).5 The question at hand is whether the deeming provision of section 14 of the EEA6 is constitutional. The Labour Relations Act (LRA) goes further by stipulating that every person has the right not to be unfairly dismissed, and not to be subjected to unfair labour practice.7 Section 23 of the Constitution provides that everyone has the right to fair labour practices. Furthermore, section 33 of the Constitution provides for fair administrative action. The question is whether these provisions, dealing with the dismissal of educators, limit the employee’s constitutional right to a fair labour practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017