ResearchSpace
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The supermarket employees preferences on leadership styles required during the COVID-19 crisis in KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
(2024) Bux, Naadirah.; Mkhize, Msizi Vitalis.
The coronavirus pandemic was an unprecedented crisis that severely impacted the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic caught leaders within the food retail industry off-guard. Supermarkets within the food retail industry were severely impacted by the changes of COVID-19. Leaders needed to quickly identify challenges and evaluate what their organisations needed in order to survive. Hence, effective leadership was required to overcome this crisis situation. Leadership styles play an important role in dealing with crises, as they assist leaders in choosing which type of leadership style to adopt to ensure their employees remain motivated and continue to work towards the goals of the organisation so that it survives and remains successful during a crisis. The aim of the study was to explore supermarket employees’ preferences for leadership styles during the COVID-19 crisis in KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
The study followed a qualitative interpretivism approach to gain an in-depth understanding of which leadership style was most preferred by supermarket employees while working during the COVID-19 crisis. This research study involved conducting interviews with ten participants who were employed in various supermarkets in Pietermaritzburg throughout the COVID-19 crisis. It explored what aspects of a leadership style supermarket employees prefer now compared to those used prior to COVID-19 and to determine which leadership style motivates supermarket employees to work towards their supermarket’s goals. It was found that prior to the pandemic, supermarket leaders used transformational, transactional, democratic and autocratic leadership styles. However, after the COVID-19 crisis, leaders had to change their leadership style to adapt to the changes brought about by the pandemic and include an adaptive leadership style in their approach. It was deduced from the findings of the study that there is no one specific leadership style that can be used to directly address the coronavirus pandemic. That is, each leadership style presents its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Leaders had to engage with their employees to determine which type of leadership style they preferred to motivate them to work towards the goals of their supermarket. The reality is that COVID-19 is not the first crisis that the world has faced, and it will not be the last. If leaders continue to ignore the effects of the pandemic, it could lead to the demise of certain supermarkets within the food retail industry. Therefore, the greater the understanding gained about pandemics, the better equipped leaders will be to confront the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and any other crises that may arise in the future.
Managing remote employees during the coronavirus pandemic : a global review of management practices and policies.
(2025) Baai, Thembile Thobile.; Kubheka, Zamanguni Fortunate.
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the global business landscape, forcing organizations to rapidly adapt their management practices and policies. This dissertation investigates the transformative impact of the pandemic on organizations, focusing on the shift towards remote work, the emphasis on employee wellbeing, and the emergence of adaptable leadership styles. This systematic review aims to explore how management practices and organizational policies evolved to manage remote employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing approaches before and after the pandemic. It also examines adaptations of organizational policies to effectively manage virtual employees during the pandemic. This qualitative study draws upon secondary data, including academic literature, industry reports, and expert analyses published between 2020 and 2023, to provide a comprehensive overview of the pandemic's impact on management practices across global organizational contexts.
The findings reveal a significant shift towards more flexible, employee-centric, and technology-driven approaches to management. Organizations that successfully adapted demonstrated agility and a deep commitment to supporting their employees through unprecedented disruption. The shift to remote work necessitated a re-evaluation of traditional management practices, leading to the adoption of new communication protocols, collaboration tools, and performance management systems. Furthermore, the pandemic highlighted the importance of employee well-being, prompting organizations to invest in mental health resources, flexible work arrangements, and enhanced communication strategies. Due to its reliance on secondary data, this study may not fully capture the nuanced experiences of individual organizations.
The study's findings underscore the need for organizations to cultivate adaptability, invest in employee wellbeing, enhance virtual collaboration, empower remote managers, and consider hybrid work models. These findings have important implications for organizational leadership, human resource policies, and digital transformation strategies. They suggest that sustainable post-pandemic management requires not only investment in remote work infrastructure, but also a shift in leadership culture to support employee wellbeing and resilience.
Characterization of HIV-1 Env found in virus reservoirs in lymph nodes and peripheral blood.
(2026) Dlamini , Siyamthemba Oswald.; Mann, Jaclyn Kelly.
The persistence of latent, replication-competent viral reservoirs in people living with HIV (PLWH) on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains the principal barrier to a cure. Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which target Env, represent a promising immunotherapeutic strategy to clear infected cells and block viral rebound. A key unresolved question is whether the viral variants that populate these anatomical reservoirs, particularly within lymphoid tissues and peripheral blood, harbour genetic differences that could confer altered sensitivity to bNAbs. Understanding this is important for the design of effective antibody-based interventions, as mutations in variants persisting in the reservoir could allow reservoir viruses to evade bNAb therapy. To address this, we conducted a comparative analysis of HIV-1 env sequences and bNAb neutralization sensitivity for viral variants derived from pre-ART plasma (PL), and post-ART peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and lymph node (LN) reservoirs in individuals living with HIV-1 subtype C.
The study cohort comprised 11 adults from Durban, South Africa, on suppressive ART. Bulk env sequences were generated from pre-therapy plasma, and from PBMC and LN mononuclear cells sampled after one year of therapy and next generation sequencing was performed on env amplicons from pre-therapy plasma. Sequences were assessed for unique genetic differences in the reservoir variants. For a subset of six participants, selected to represent a range of genetic differences, functional recombinant Env viruses were generated for each compartment from bulk participant-derived env amplicons and a replication-competent env-deleted NL4-3 plasmid backbone. Infectious virus stocks were produced via transfection of env amplicons and plasmid backbone into HEK293T cells, followed by further passaging of stocks in CEMderived GXR25 T cells. Neutralization sensitivity of viruses was determined using a standardized TZM-bl cell assay and a panel of nine clinically relevant bNAbs targeting major epitopes - the CD4-binding site (VRC01, VRC07-523LS, N6), the V3-glycan supersite (10- 1074, PGT121), the V2-glycan apex (PGDM1400, CAP256-VRC26.25), the gp120-gp41 interface (PGT151), and the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) (10E8).
Phylogenetic analysis confirmed participant-specific clustering of sequences and excluded cross-contamination. Analysis of sequencing data revealed a median of 6 (inter-quartile range [IQR] 3–22.5) and 19 (IQR 7–49) amino acid differences between pre-therapy plasma sequences and LN and PBMC reservoirs, respectively. Notably, 63% of LN and 73% of PBMC reservoir mutations were unique to the reservoir. However, only a median of 0 (LN) and 2 (PBMC) of these changes occurred at positions known to affect bNAb sensitivity.
Neutralization assays using viruses from six participants against nine bNAbs showed that no consistent pattern of increased or decreased sensitivity was observed in one compartment over another - sensitivity was highly variable and dependent on the participant, viral compartment, and specific bNAb. Overall, most viruses were sensitive to the CD4 binding site antibodies regardless of compartment (IC50 median = 0.11 μg/ml; IQR = 0.05 – 0.17). Similarly, all viruses, with the exception of one with markedly reduced sensitivity (20 μg/ml), were sensitive to the interface antibody (median = 0.1; IQR = 0.07 – 0.18). On the other hand, resistance to V2 and V3 antibodies was more common, and varied between compartments, with IC50s >10 ug/ml in 80% (CAP256), 13.3% (PGDM1400) 73.3% (PGT121), and 80% (10-1074) of the viruses. There were mixed results for the MPER antibody, where most of the viruses were sensitive to the MPER with the exception of two viruses. These findings show that HIV-1 subtype C reservoir Env variants harbour genetic differences from pre-therapy plasma variants, but that this variation was seldom at sites reported to affect bNAb sensitivity and also did not result in consistent, compartment-specific differences in neutralization sensitivity to a broad panel of bNAbs. While clear genotype–phenotype associations were evident for some epitopes (notably the V3-glycan supersite), sequence data alone did not fully predict neutralization outcomes. The neutralization sensitivity results underscored the suitability of the CD4bs and interface as promising therapeutic targets forbN Ab therapy and reinforced the rationale for combination bNAb regimens. Together, these results highlight the importance of integrating genetic and functional analyses when assessing reservoir susceptibility and provide data that may inform the rational design of combination bNAb strategies for subtype C infection.
The Effect of Cationic DNA-Binding Proteins on HIV-1 Latency.
(2025) Cebekhulu, Senzo.; Madlala, Paradise Zamokuhle.; Mann, Jaclyn Kelly
The latent reservoir remains the foremost obstacle to a HIV-1 cure development. This latent reservoir is composed of cells infected with replication-competent and yet transcriptionally silent proviruses, which are the source of viral rebound after antiretroviral therapy (ART) is interrupted. Therefore, people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) have to remain on treatment for their lifetime. However, ART is associated with cytotoxicity and comorbidities thus necessitating cure development. Despite extensive investigation, existing cure strategies, targeting HIV-1 latency such as the “shock and kill” approach, which uses latency-reversing agents (LRAs) to reactivate latent virus and expose infected cells to immune-mediated clearance, and the “block and lock” strategy, which employs latency-promoting agents (LPAs) to force the virus into deep latency, have shown limited long-term success. This underscores a need to continue the search for better and more effective agents for these HIV-1 cure strategies.
Lysozyme and lactoferrin are cationic antimicrobial proteins that play an important role in innate defence and have both been shown to block HIV-1 replication, bind DNA and RNA, and modulate gene expression. However, the effect of these cationic proteins on HIV-1 latency potential remains to be determined. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the effect of cationic proteins of the innate immune system on the propensity of HIV-1 latency reversal or enhancement.
The cytotoxicity of cationic proteins, chicken egg lysozyme (Lz), human lysozyme fragment (HL9), and/or lactoferrin (Lf), alone or in combination with established latency-reversing agents (LRAs; PMA and SAHA) and latency-promoting agents (LPAs; tanespimycin [Ts] and spironolactone [Sp]) was assessed in two HIV-1 latency cell lines, J-Lat A2 and J-Lat C, derived from a Jurkat E6 T-cell clone, using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. J-Lat A2 and J-Lat C cell lines harbour a latent minimal HIV-1-based retroviral vector reporter genome expressing subtype B (J-Lat A2) or subtype C (J-Lat C) consensus transactivator of transcription protein (Tat) together with green fluorescent protein (GFP), under the control of the corresponding subtype B or C consensus long terminal repeat (LTR), respectively. J-Lat A2 and J-Lat C were treated with individual cationic proteins Lz, HL9, or Lf, or in combination with PMA or SAHA and Ts or Sp. HIV-1 latency reactivation or enhancement was assessed after 24-48 hours by measuring GFP expression using flow cytometry.
Cytotoxicity assays revealed that all agents were non-toxic (≥85% viability) at tested concentrations and combinations. Our data from single-treatment latency-reversal experiments showed that only Lf significantly reactivated latent HIV-1 in J-Lat A2 (3.6 ± 1.4 % GFP, p < 0.0009) but not in J-Lat C (1.4 ± 0.6 %, p = 0.997). Combinations Lz+Lf (4.9 ± 1.7 %, ≈25-fold, p < 0.0001) and Lz+HL9+Lf (6.6 ± 2.9 %, ≈34-fold, p < 0.0001) synergised and enhanced reactivation in J-Lat A2. Lactoferrin also enhanced classical LRAs, PMA-induced reactivation rose 2.3 ± 0.1-fold and SAHA 18.9 ± 2.3-fold (p < 0.0001) in J-Lat A2. The Lf+Lz combination raised these to 2.6- and 24.5-fold, respectively, versus LRA-only controls (p < 0.0001). The same pairs raised PMA 1.24 ± 0.2-fold (p = 0.02) and SAHA 9.5 ± 2.6-fold (p < 0.0001) in the J-Lat C cell line. The LPA Ts suppressed PMA-induced reactivation 9.0 ± 1.4-fold (p < 0.0001) in J-Lat A2. The inclusion of Lf restored the potent levels of reactivation, with combinations PMA+Ts+Lf and PMA+Ts+Lf+Lz resulting in 6.6 ± 0.5- and 7.8 ± 0.5-fold increases in GFP expression, respectively, relative to the PMA+Ts baseline (p < 0.0001). Although Ts did not block SAHA-induced reactivation, SAHA+Ts+Lf and SAHA+Ts+Lz+Lf combinations markedly potentiated SAHA, yielding 12.5 ± 1.4-fold and 15.5 ± 1.5-fold increases in GFP-expression compared to SAHA+Ts baseline (p < 0.0001). Data generated from the J-Lat C cell line followed a similar but less pronounced pattern where the combinations PMA+Ts+Lf, PMA+Ts+Lf+Lz, SAHA+Ts+Lf and SAHA+Ts+Lz+Lf significantly potentiated LRA-induced reactivation to levels that surpassed the LRA+LPA-only baseline. Sp reduced PMA-driven GFP expression 1.0 ± 0.07-fold compared to PMA alone (p < 0.0001); SAHA+Sp showed only marginal suppression. The Lz+Lf pair completely reversed Sp-induced suppression, PMA+Sp+Lz+Lf yielded 2.7 ± 0.7-fold and SAHA+Sp+Lz+Lf 26.4 ± 8-fold reactivation (both p < 0.0001). In J-Lat C, PMA+Sp+Lz+Lf (3.6-fold, p < 0.0001) and SAHA+Sp+Lz+Lf (2.2-fold, p = 0.0029) again overcame Sp-mediated deep latency. These findings suggest Lf, alone or in combination with Lz, can enhance latency reversal in permissive contexts and potentially counteracts LPA’s blocking effects, which was more pronounced in J-Lat A2 compared to J-Lat C. This highlights Lf as a promising agent that can be further explored for utility in the “shock and kill” cure strategy, and underscores the importance of cellular and viral subtype context in therapeutic outcomes.
Analysis of departmental contracts within the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department : a supply chain management perspective.
(2024) Amoo, Nabeel Ebrahim.; Mahadea, Darma.
Analysis of departmental contracts within the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department: A supply chain management perspective The South African healthcare system is riddled with constraints, preventing adequate healthcare and service delivery. Post apartheid, efforts have been made to fix the problems, however the public healthcare system is still plagued with massive service delivery failures. The government plans to implement a multibillion-rand, National Health Insurance (NHI), to improve affordability and accessibility to healthcare. President Ramaphosa signed the NHI Bill into law on May 15, 2024, despite various objections to this measure. Supply Chain Management in public healthcare has been identified as a critical component directly impacting service delivery.
All procurements and contracting of goods and services within the public healthcare sector have to undergo the legislated supply chain process. This study aimed to gain an understanding of the
problems affecting supply chain management and service delivery, from the key role players, identified as managers and supervisors, within the KZN Health Department. This study specifically examines the challenges of departmental contracts as perceived by supply chain managers, on the basis of data collected, by means of an online questionnaire, from a representative sample of 90 health managers. Both parametric and non-parametric statistical approaches were applied for data analyses, in particular Principal Component, Anova and multivariate regression, using SPSS.
The results show that perceptions of managers regarding the challenges of Departmental contracts tend to vary amongst managers and supervisors, in terms of their work experience, race and directorate within Supply Chain Management that they work, and the institution that they are from. The perceptions on the implementation of NHI do not differ across categories of gender, age and education. However, race (p-value=0.001) has a significant effect on the implementation of NHI, with Africans tending to have a more positive perception than other ethnic groups. The
regression results indicate that satisfaction with procurement is significantly and positively influenced by contracts performance. This study provides recommendations to manage the challenges of departmental contracts, improve service delivery and aid in the rollout of the NHI.