https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/26440 2026-05-02T03:23:20Z 2026-05-02T03:23:20Z Foot, Judith https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29585 2022-11-18T09:10:40Z 2022-02-01T00:00:00Z

A framework to enhance environmental sustainability of plastic manufacturers in South Africa Foot, Judith An integrated view on generative sustainability has taken on acutely important dimensions globally, given the omniscience of degrading environmental forces. This age of the Anthropocene, in the time scale of earth’s evolution, has seen the exponential introduction, use, and wastage of those materials in demand for human lifestyles, all on an unprecedented scale. Within this evolution, the novelty of plastics, and their manufacturing took on normative proportions, more specifically, with their often-uncritical persistence in developing countries, such as South Africa. The negative impact of plastic on the environment has resulted in a ‘war’ on the plastic industry and plastic manufacturers, relevant to this research. Yet plastic manufacturers have defended their management of plastics through claims of upcycling, generating employment and upholding international best practice standards. Probing the authenticity of this ‘war’ prompted this current research, which explores the strategies and operations of plastic manufacturers and their stakeholders. The research theorised how an under-studied confluence of industrial ecology, systems-thinking and stakeholders’ involvement might provide a more judicious account of plastics, and their manufacture, within the global impetus for environmental sustainability. An initial framework was developed by critically evaluating the literature to understand plastic manufacturers and their stakeholders and situate their position in the sustainability debates. The framework was refined using empirical qualitative research, providing rich data interpreted using the tabled novel confluence of industrial ecology, stakeholders, and systems theories. The participants informing the contribution were purposively selected from a developing country’s population of plastic manufacturers and plastic industry stakeholders. The research has new assertions. It was found that a regionalised, territorial cooperation system should be implemented for stakeholders. Additionally, industrial ecology replaces the deliberative production and consumption systems within the regional levels, with a cyclical system such as those found in a natural ecosystem. Furthermore, there is a need to extend beyond the competitive stakeholder positions towards communal and complex inter-dependencies that essentially and powerfully constitute stakeholders within a circular socio-economic collaboration. This assertion has been particularly demonstrated through the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the real awakening that the world is highly interconnected and dependent on social collaboration between stakeholders. The perception of a linear-based manufacturing ethos was challenged with the insights of an under-appreciated regional circular ecology that requires strategic and operational drivers to work within feedback systems appropriate to a living ecosystem. Additional research could explore and extend the complex environmental sustainability issues by expanding the scope and scale of innovative strategies and operations used by plastic manufacturers and their stakeholders.; ’n Geïntegreerde beskouing van generatiewe volhoubaarheid het wêreldwyd uiters belangrike dimensies aangeneem, gegewe die alwetendheid van degraderende omgewingskragte. Hierdie tydperk van die Antroposeen, in die tydskaal van die aarde se evolusie, is gekenmerk deur die eksponensiële bekendstelling, gebruik, en vermorsing van daardie materiale wat in aanvraag is vir die handhawing van mense se lewenstyle – alles op ’n ongekende skaal. In hierdie evolusie het die nuwigheid en die vervaardiging van plastiekstowwe normatiewe afmetings aangeneem – meer spesifiek, met hul (dikwels onkritiese) volharding in ontwikkelende lande soos Suid-Afrika. Die negatiewe impak van plastiek op die omgewing het gelei tot ’n “oorlog” teen die plastiekbedryf en vervaardigers van plastiek, wat op hierdie navorsing betrekking het. Die vervaardigers het egter hul bestuur van plastiek verdedig met hul aansprake op kreatiewe herwinning, werkskepping, en handhawing van internasionale bestepraktykstandaarde. Ondersoeke na die outensiteit van hierdie “oorlog” het aanleiding gegee tot hierdie navorsing oor die strategieë en werksaamhede van plastiekvervaardigers en hul belanghebbers. Hierdie navorsing teoretiseer hoe ’n onderbestudeerde sameloop van nywerheidsekologie, sistemiese denke en belanghebbers se betrokkenheid ’n meer oordeelkundige weergawe van plastiek – en die vervaardiging daarvan – binne die globale impetus vir omgewingsvolhoubaarheid kan gee. ’n Aanvanklike raamwerk is ontwikkel deur ’n kritiese evaluering van die literatuur om plastiekvervaardigers en hul belanghebbers te verstaan en hul posisie in die debatte oor volhoubaarheid vas te stel. Die raamwerk is verfyn deur die gebruik van empiriese kwalitatiewe navorsing, wat ryk data voorsien het wat geïnterpreteer is met behulp van die getabuleerde nuwe sameloop van nywerheidsekologie, belanghebbers, en stelselteorieë. Die deelnemers wat die bydrae lewer, is doelbewus gekies uit ’n ontwikkelende land se populasie van plastiekvervaardigers en belanghebbers in die plastiekbedryf. Nuwe bewerings is in die navorsing gemaak. Daar is gevind dat ’n geregionaliseerde, territoriale samewerkingstelsel vir belanghebbers geïmplementeer moet word. Afgesien daarvan vervang nywerheidsekologie die beraadslagende produksie- en verbruikstelsels op die streeksvlakke, met ’n sikliese stelsel soos dié wat in ’n natuurlike ekostelsel voorkom. Daar is ook ’n behoefte om verder uit te brei as die mededingende belanghebberposisies, met die oog op gemeenskaplike en komplekse onderafhanklikhede wat wesenlike en kragtige belanghebbers binne ’n sirkelvormige sosio-ekonomiese samewerking uitmaak. Hierdie bewering is veral gedemonstreer deur die impak van die COVID-19-pandemie en die ware bewuswording dat die wêreld in ’n groot mate onderling verbind en afhanklik van sosiale samewerking tussen belanghebbers is. Die persepsie van ’n lineêrgebaseerde vervaardigingsetos is in twyfel getrek deur die insigte van ’n ondergeappresieerde sirkelvormige streeksekologie wat vereis dat strategiese en operasionele aandrywers in terugvoerstelsels moet werk wat geskik is vir ’n lewende ekostelsel. Verdere navorsing kan lig werp op die komplekse kwessies van omgewingsvolhoubaarheid, deur uitbreiding van die omvang en skaal van innoverende strategieë en werksaamhede wat deur plastiekvervaardigers en hul belanghebbers gebruik word.; Umbono odidiyelwe wokusimama kokukhiqiza uthathe izilinganiso ezibaluleke kakhulu emhlabeni jikelele, uma kubhekwa ukwazi konke kokucekela phansi amandla emvelo. Le nkathi yeminyaka yamanje yokuma komhlaba, esikalini sesikhathi sokuguquka komhlaba, ibone ukwethulwa okukhulu, ukusetshenziswa, kanye nokumoshwa kwalezo zinto ezidingekayo ezindleleni zokuphila kwabantu, konke ngezinga elingakaze libonwe ngaphambili. Ngaphakathi kwalokhu kuguquguquka, ubusha bamapulasitiki, kanye nokukhiqizwa kwawo kuthathe izilinganiso ezijwayelekile, ikakhulukazi, ngokuphikelela kwako okungasho lutho emazweni asathuthuka, njengeNingizimu Afrika. Umthelela omubi wepulasitiki emvelweni ubangele 'impi' embonini yepulasitiki kanye nabakhiqizi bepulasitiki, okuhambisana nalolu cwaningo. Nokho abakhiqizi bepulasitiki bakuvikele ukuphatha kwabo amapulastiki ngezimangalo zokukhushulwa kokusetshenziswa kabusha kwamapulastiki, ukukhiqiza ukuqashwa kanye nokuphakamisa izindinganiso zamazwe ngamazwe ezingcono kakhulu zokusebenza. Ukuhlola ubuqiniso bale ‘mpi’ kwabangela lolu cwaningo lwamanje, oluhlola amasu nokusebenza kwabakhiqizi bepulasitiki nababambiqhaza babo. Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi ukuhlangana okungafundiwe kahle kwesifundo sezinhlelo zezimboni, ukucabanga kwezinhlelo kanye nokuzibandakanya kwababambiqhaza kunganikeza i-akhawunti ehlakaniphe kakhudlwana yamapulasitiki, kanye nokwakhiwa kwawo, ngaphakathi komfutho womhlaba wonke wokusimama kwemvelo. Uhlaka lokuqala lwasungulwa ngokuhlolisisa imibhalo ukuze kuqondwe abakhiqizi bepulasitiki kanye nababambiqhaza bawo kanye nokubeka isikhundla sawo ezingxoxweni zokusimama. Lolu hlaka lwacwengwa kusetshenziswa ucwaningo olusebenzisa ubufakazi obungaqinisekiswa ukuze kufinyelelwe emiphumeleni, luhlinzeka ngemininingwane ecebile ehunyushwe kusetshenziswa inhlanganisela yokusha futhi okungafani nokwaziwa ngaphambilini kwethulwe ngokusemthethweni esifundweni sezinhlelo zezimboni, ababambiqhaza, kanye nemibono yezinhlelo. Ababandakanyi abazisa ngalo mnikelo bakhethwe ngenhloso ebantwini bezwe elisathuthuka labakhiqizi bepulasitiki nababambiqhaza embonini yepulasitiki. Ucwaningo lunokugomela okusha. Kutholakale ukuthi uhlelo lokubambisana lwezindawo, olunezifunda, kufanele lusetshenziswe kulabo ababambiqhaza. Ukwengeza, isifundo sezinhlelo zezimboni sithatha indawo yokukhiqiza kanye nezinhlelo zokusebenzisa ngamabomu ngaphakathi kwamazinga esifunda, ngohlelo lokujikeleza olufana nalolo olutholakala emphakathini wezinto eziphilayo zemvelo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunesidingo sokudlulela ngale kwezikhundla zababambiqhaza eziqhudelanayo kuye ekuncikeni komphakathi nokuyinkimbinkimbi okuhlanganisa ngokuyisisekelo nabanamandla ababambiqhaza ngaphakathi kokubambisana kohlelo lwezimboni olubuyisela esimweni kwezenhlalo-mnotho. Lokhu kugomela kuboniswe ikakhulukazi ngomthelela wobhubhane lwe-COVID-19 kanye nokuvuka kwangempela kokuthi umhlaba uxhumeke kakhulu futhi uncike ekubambisaneni komphakathi phakathi kwababambiqhaza. Umbono wokuziphatha wokukhiqiza obandakanya isimo lapho into ethile ishintsha ngezinga elifanayo nenye waphonselwa inselelo nemibono yesifundo sezinhlelo zezimboni ezibuyisela esimweni zesifunda ezingabongwa kahle ezidinga amasu abashayeli abasebenzayo ukuze basebenze ngaphakathi kwezinhlelo zempendulo ezifanele emphakathini wezinto eziphilayo zemvelo. Ucwaningo olwengeziwe lungahlola futhi lunwebe izinkinga eziyinkimbinkimbi zokusimama kwemvelo ngokwandisa ububanzi nesilinganiso samasu amasha nemisebenzi esetshenziswa abakhiqizi bepulasitiki nababambiqhaza bawo. Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu

2022-02-01T00:00:00Z Shabani, Dr Omari Maboe, Kefiloe https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29553 2022-11-07T11:29:54Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

The effectiveness and efficiency of student support services in open distance learning institutions in Africa: a desktop review Shabani, Dr Omari; Maboe, Kefiloe Today, most higher education (HE) institutions throughout the world are shifting towards an Open Distance Learning (ODL) system. The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has also prompted conventional institutions to move towards this system. This shift requires a greater investment in student support services, especially if the institution strives to attract new students, retain current ones, improve their overall performance, increase students’ progression rates and employability. A desktop review was conducted to ascertain the effectiveness and efficiency of these services and establish any possible direct or indirect association with students’ academic achievements. Studies conducted between 1990 and 2020 were examined using Google and Google Scholar, Scopus, EBSCOhost, ProQuest, Science Direct, Sabinet and the National Research Foundation. The review revealed that student support services’ effectiveness and efficiency in ODL institutions in Africa are measured by the success, failure, dropout and attrition rates at these institutions. The effectiveness and efficiency of these services cannot be measured in isolation, but in terms of the philosophical and educational perspectives underpinning the education system. Moreover, dropout rates should be viewed in light of economic and educational landscapes. There is a dearth of literature supporting a direct association between the effectiveness and efficiency of student support services and students’ academic outcomes. The researchers recommend that empirical studies be conducted to provide more evidence-based information instead of speculation in the absence of empirical facts. Student support services’ effectiveness and efficiency need to be planned and implemented at the level of pedagogy and practice, while policy could offer an environment for planning.

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z Cassim, Rehana https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29546 2022-11-07T07:46:18Z 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Escalation of Corporate Corruption during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Is the Anti-Corruption Framework of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 Adequate? Cassim, Rehana During the Covid-19 pandemic corruption in South African companies, both state-owned and privately-owned, reached staggering proportions. This included bribery, procurement irregularities, overpricing and fraudulent deals between government officials and companies. This article identifies provisions of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 that may be used to address corporate corruption. This is done with a view to ascertaining whether the anti-corruption framework of the Companies Act is adequate to counteract corporate corruption. It concludes that the Act contains a fairly comprehensive framework to tackle corruption in companies registered under it. In spite of this framework the level of corporate corruption remains high, and increased substantially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The article makes recommendations to reduce these high levels of corporate corruption.

2022-01-01T00:00:00Z Ako-Ebot, Eyong Ayuk https://ir.unisa.ac.za/handle/10500/29535 2023-04-30T08:19:12Z 2021-12-15T00:00:00Z

A holistic evaluation framework for inbound tour operator service quality in Cameroon Ako-Ebot, Eyong Ayuk In this era of globalisation, competition, and a global pandemic (COVID-19), the assessment of service quality is vital for the success of inbound tour operators in Cameroon. The problem of poor service quality in Cameroon, despite the country’s rich touristic potential, necessitated an empirical study aimed at fashioning a service quality evaluation framework for ITOs. A sequential explanatory mixed-method design was employed in the study. Using the purposive sampling technique through the administration of online questionnaires to staff and customers of ITOs, quantitative data was collected from managers [n=12], employees [n=5] and customers [n=126]. The data collected was used to prepare in-depth semi-structured interviews with seven (7) tourism experts/professionals. A quantitative data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics obtained through the customer and manager questionnaires. Inferential statistics regarding customers were applied to test hypotheses using the Pearson product–moment correlation while inferential statistics regarding managers were applied to test hypotheses using the Kendall rank correlation. Conversely, a qualitative data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics and an inferential analysis was performed through the application of grounded theory. The final outcome was the identification of determinant factors of service quality in respect to TOs and the development of a service quality path model, which revealed that both customer-centric and service-centric outcomes must be combined to achieve comprehensive service quality evaluation objectives that will lead to the attainment of the satisfaction zone. The main contributions of this study were academic and practical in nature. From an academic perspective, this study provided more insight into the existing relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. Hence, theoretical development occurred by integrating the dimensions of the TO service quality evaluation model and the SERVQUAL model with service quality evaluation. From a practical perspective, this study led to the formulation of an integrated operational system that TOs and service marketers can adopt to enhance service quality.; In hierdie era van globalisering, mededinging en ’n globale pandemie (COVID-19), is die assessering van diensgehalte deurslaggewend tot die sukses van inkomende toeroperateurs in Kameroen. ’n Empiriese studie wat daarop gemik is om ’n diensgehalte-evalueringsraamwerk vir inkomende toeroperateurs te modelleer is genoodsaak deur die probleem van diens van ’n swak gehalte in Kameroen in weerwil van die land se ryk toeristiese potensiaal.’n Sekwensiële, verklarende gemengdemetode-ontwerp is vir die onderhawige studie aangewend. Kwantitatiewe data is versamel deur die doelbewuste steekproefnemingstegniek te gebruik. Die tegniek is deur middel van aanlynvraelyste aan personeel en kliënte van inkomende toeroperateurs, naamlik, bestuurders [n=12], werknemers [n=5] en kliënte [n=126] geadministreer. Die data wat ingesamel is, is gebruik om deurtastende, semigestruktureerde onderhoude met sewe (7) kundige/professionele persone uit toerisme geledere voor te berei. Kwantitatiewe dataontleding is uitgevoer deur die gebruik van deskriptiewe statistiek wat uit die kliënt- en bestuurdervraelyste verkry is. Inferensiële statistiek oor kliënte is aangewend om hipoteses te toets deur die Pearson produk-momentkorrelasie te gebruik, onderwyl inferensiële statistiek oor bestuurders aangewend is om hipoteses deur middel van die Kendall-rangkorrelasie te toets. Omgekeerd, is ’n kwalitatiewe dataontleding deur die gebruik van deskriptiewe statistiek uitgevoer, en ’n inferensiële ontleding is uitgevoer deur die aanwending van die kennisteorie. Die vernaamste resultaat was die identifisering van diensgehalte-determinantfaktore ten opsigte van toeroperateurs en die ontwikkeling van ’n model vir ’n diensgehaltebaan wat onthul het dat beide kliëntgesentreerde en diensgesentreerde-uitkomste gekombineer moet word om omvattende diensgehalte-evalueringsdoelwitte te verkry wat in die verwerwing van die voldoeningsone sal afloop. Die hoofbydraes van hierdie studie was akademies en prakties van aard. Vanuit ’n akademiese perspektief het die studie meer insig na die bestaande verhouding tussen die onafhanklike veranderlikes en die afhanklike veranderlike gebied. Gevolglik het teoretiese ontwikkeling plaasgevind deur die dimensies van die toeroperateur-diensgehalte-evalueringsmodel en die SERVQUAL-model met diensgehalte-evaluering te integreer. Vanuit ’n praktiese perspektief, het hierdie studie aanleiding gegee tot die formulering van ’n geïntegreerde bedryfstelsel wat toeroperateurs en diensbemarkers kan aanneem ten einde diensgehalte te versterk.; Kulesi sikhathi se-globalisation, ukuqhudelana kanye nobhubhane lwesifo samazwe omhlaba (i-COVID-19), uhlolo lweqophelo lamasevisi lubalulekile kwimpumelelo yama-operator ezokuvakasha e-Cameroon. Inkinga yeqophelo elingelihle lamasevisi e-Cameroon, ngisho noma kukhona umthamo ojulile wezabavakashi ubangele ukuthi kwenziwe ucwaningo olunobufakazi oluqonde ekwakheni uhlaka lwesevisi yeqophelo kubavakashi abangena ezweni. Kusetshenziswe amamethodi axubene encazelo yokulandelelana kucwaningo. Ngokusebenzisa ithekniki ye-purposive sampling ngokwenza imibuzo ebhaliwe yama-questionnaire nge-online kubasebenzi kanye namakhastama, abavakashi abangena ezweni, kuqoqwe i-quantitative data kumamininjela [n=12], abasebenzi [n=5] kanye namakhastama [n=126]. Ulwazi oluqoqiwe lusetshenziswe ukulungiselela ama-interview ajulile ama-semi-structured nochwepheshe/amaprofeshinari ezokuvakasha abangu 7. Kwenziwe uhlaziyo lolwazi ngobuningi, ngokusebenzisa i-descriptive statistics ngokwenza ama-questionnaire amakhastama kanye namamininjela. Kusetshenziswe i-inferential statistics mayelana namakhastama ukuthesta i-hypotheses ngokusebenzisa i-Pearson product–moment correlation kanti kwasetshenziswa i-inferential statistics mayelana namamininjela ukuthesta i-hypotheses ngokusebenzisa i-Kendall rank correlation. Ngakho-ke kwenziwe uhlaziyo lolwazi lwe-qualitative ngokusebenzisa i-descriptive statistics kanye nohlaziyo lwe-inferential ngokusebenzisa i-grounded theory. Inhloso enkulu bekuwukubona ama-determinant factor eqophele lesevisi mayelana nama-tour operator kanye nokwenza indlela yemodeli yeqophelo lesevisi, ekhombise ukuthi imiphumela yokuqondisa kumakhastama nokuqondisa kumasevisi kumele kuhlanganiswe ukufinyelela izinjongo zohlolo lweqophelo yesevisi ukufinyelela izinjongo zokuhlola ukujula kweqophelo lesevisi okuzoba nomphumela wokufinyelela umkhakha wokweneliseka. Umthelela omkhulu walolu cwaningo ubongowesi-akhademiki kanye nokubambeka ngokwenhlobo. Ngaso hlangothini lweze-akhademiki, lolu cwaningo luhlinzeke ngombono ojulile ngobudlelwana phakathi kwama-variable azimele kanye nama-variable ancike kokunye. Ngakho-ke ukwenziwa kwethiyori kwenzeke ngokuhlanganisa amadayamenshini emodeli yohlolo lweqophelo yesevisi yama-tour operator kanye nemodeli ye-SERVQUAL ngohlolo lweqophelo yesevisi. Ngasohlangothini lokubambekayo, lolu cwaningo luholele ekwenziweni kwesistimu ye-integrated operation yama-tour operator kanye nabamakethi bamasevisi abangawasebenzisa ukuthuthukisa iqophelo lesevisi. Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu

2021-12-15T00:00:00Z