College of Law and Management Studies
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Item A study into prospective changes in consumer behaviour and buying patterns of graduate millennials due to COVID-19 in South Africa.(2021) Lakman, Ushir.; Pelser, Theunis Gert.The purpose this study is to determine the prospective changes in consumer behaviour and buying patterns of graduate millennials post COVID 19 in South Africa. To this end, a quantitative research project has been undertaken. Primary data was collected via a survey. Several theories were discussed such as consumer behaviour models, the buy decision process and dynamic consumer journey to gain a better understanding of the research that was conducted. Additionally, technology adoption models such as the TRA, TPB, TAM, ETAM and in particular MOCA is discusses as the study is seeking to determine behavioural movement toward online purchasing because of the pandemic. Research was conducted on the pandemic as well as the economy of South Africa as these are important consideration when conducting a study on consumer behaviour. This study seeks to contribute to the existing knowledge on technology adoption and consumer behaviour, particularly to determine whether the switch to online purchases during the pandemic is a permanent development or just as a result of consumers being forced to due to the pandemic. These findings may prove valuable to retailers and developers. It could provide a new lens with which to inform their marketing decision as well as development plans for the future.Item An investigation of sustainable leadership practices of port executive in the Port of Durban.(2021) Zungu, Nontobeko Londiwe.; Kanyangale, MacDonald.Ship and port activities in a port such as Durban in South Africa are key in ensuring sustainability and growth of the economy in acceptable ways that meet the needs of industries and all citizens. While the practices of sustainability by strategic leaders of a port are critical in ensuring sustainable operations in every part of port activity, little is known about what members of the port executive actually do when it comes to leading sustainability at the port of Durban in South Africa. The objective of this qualitative study is to explore the sustainable leadership practices of Port Executives at the Port of Durban in South Africa. This exploratory study was conducted using qualitative in-depth interviews with nine experienced members of the port executive to explore their day-to-day practices of sustainable leadership in the port environment with multiple stakeholders whose activities have various environmental impacts at societal level while others relate to organisational sustainability of the port of Durban. The participants in this study were selected using purposive sampling technique because they are involved in shaping the strategic direction of shipping and port activities which affect sustainability and operations in the long term. Data were gathered using semi structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis to get dominant themes depicting sustainable leadership practices, practices of reinforcing green management, challenges of becoming sustainable leaders and key competences of sustainable leadership of a hybrid port. Results reveal a variety of four sustainable leadership practices by port executives at the port of Durban. These include prioritisation of environmental sustainability, commitment to strategic partnerships, strategic thinking about the business and people, and community building and corporate social responsibility. The key gaps in the sustainable leadership practice of port executive include silo behaviour, poor communication and strategic failure to develop green human capital. Port executives enforced green management practices by driving and reinforcing waste management practices and green innovation. However, this was predominantly operational, weak, but also poorly strategized to create and develop a lasting sustainability culture at the port. More importantly, lack of sustainability literacy within the upper echelon and sustainability expertise among employees undermined the practice of sustainable leadership by Port Executive. The study has proposed a framework of sustainable leadership competences for a port and also areas of future research.Item Assessing the implementation of electronic consultation in the Ghanaian health sector.(2023) Nketia, Mark Ofori.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.The Covid-19 pandemic sparked the buzz word “e-consultation” because people preferred having medical attention remotely. The researcher carried out this study with the aim to help improve access to healthcare by identifying the key issues in the adoption and use of e-consultation in the Ghanaian Health Sector. The study evaluates how e-consultation systems influence the delivery of health care services in hospitals, assesses the attitudes of clinicians and patients towards e-consultation systems and provides a framework to enhance its usage. To assess the implementation of successful e-consultation, the researcher developed a conceptual model that bridged the Delone & Mclean’s IS success model, and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory to form a suitable model for the study. The research utilized a sequential exploratory method, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to gain an in-depth understanding of the dynamics and challenges associated with e-consultation in the specific context of Ghana. The study found that the implementation of e-consultation is integrated in the internal hospital management system of very few hospitals. Hence most clinicians resort to using e-consultation informally with the help of WhatsApp video, Zoom, phone calls and other open source platforms. Also, it was found that the attitudes of clinicians and patients towards e-consultation implementation is influenced by various factors that range from system quality, information quality, ease of use, connectivity, and education. Besides, the growing concern of privacy and data security issues shows that healthcare providers should strengthen the development of e-consultation information systems. It transpired that the Ministry of Health does not have a suitable policy on software standards for e-consultation. The poor regulatory framework is a major factor contributing to resistance to the use of e-consultation. The rotated factor matrix extracted using the Principal Axis Factoring shows a high level of correlation and consistency among various factors under study. Attitude came first followed by Regulatory framework, acceptance and diffusion. The study, therefore, proposed a model for e-consultation implementation which would help regularize the implementation of e-consultation as well as enhancing the rate of diffusion of e-consultation, its adoption and usage by hospitals and the public.Item Challenges facing the Cuban-South African medical collaboration for medical capacity building in KwaZulu-Natal.(2023) Chinniah, Valerie.; Maharaj, Ashika.The South African public healthcare system faces significant disparity between the demand for healthcare services and the availability of skilled medical professionals. To address this, the government collaborated with Cuba to train South African students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the intention that they would return to serve in underserved areas upon qualification. The aim of the study was to identify challenges at macro, meso, and micro levels of the Cuban-South African medical collaboration. The overarching question was whether the exploration and resolution of the challenges within this collaboration could contribute to optimising the effectiveness of the programme aligned with the WHO’s SDGs for UHC and health care reforms, emphasizing primary health care in South Africa. Drawing on theoretical perspectives including Migration Theory, Resource-Based Theory, and Human Capital Theory, a conceptual model was developed to highlight the importance of investing in human resources for competitive advantage. An exploratory, qualitative study was conducted by reviewing relevant human resources for health policy documents, and through interviews with University of KwaZulu-Natal programme administrators, programme managers and South African students in Cuban cohorts, providing a holistic investigation into the challenges facing the collaboration. Document analysis and purposive snowball sampling methods were utilised to choose pertinent policies, records, and participants for this study. This combined approach aimed to gather comprehensive insights by examining documented policies and capturing the first-hand experiences and perspectives of individuals actively engaged in the Cuban-South African medical collaboration. Thematic analysis of relevant policies revealed misalignment with South Africa's healthcare objectives. Interviews highlighted challenges such as adapting to the institutional and cultural differences, technical, social and psychological hurdles. Despite training in Cuba, students' primary healthcare skills are often under utilised upon their return, emphasizing the need to recognize and preserve these skills for use in underserved areas. Therefore, a model was developed from these findings to guide stakeholders in enhancing the programme experience. The study recommends acknowledging and utilising primary healthcare skills acquired in Cuba to improve healthcare delivery in rural and underserved areas. This could lead to sustained quality healthcare for marginalized communities and contribute to a transformation in healthcare culture.Item Effects of digital transformation on employee morale in the business banking department of a financial organization.(2023) Dookie, Deepak.; Chummun, Bibi Zaheenah.Abstract available in PDF.Item Exploring how the emotional intelligence-social capital nexus in academics impacts third stream income: a case study of University of KwaZulu-Natal.(2023) Reddy, Devendren Vengatas.; Proches, Cecile Naomi Gerwel.; Moodley, Thiruveni.South African universities have been facing financial challenges brought about by the legacy of the apartheid education system. The higher education system is looking for solutions to manage the financial sustainability of institutions. The aim of the study was to determine whether the emotional intelligence and social capital nexus in academics has an impact on attitudes towards third stream income at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Third stream income draws on commercial practice to raise income through consultancy, commercialisation of research, philanthropy and the creation of public private partnerships. A challenge facing institutions is getting academics to participate in third stream income because they are consumed with academic responsibilities of teaching, learning and research. Literature review was conducted, which included the development of a mini case study of UKZN based on the 2017- 2021 strategic plan and factors that impacted third stream income generation at the university. The thesis used the four-dimensional theory of emotional intelligence model of Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee (Goleman et al., 2002:47) and the three-dimensional model of social capital (Nahapiet and Ghoshal, 1998). This thesis used a sequential exploratory mixed-methods case study methodology. The qualitative part of the study comprised 13 interviews and two focus group interviews. The quantitative part of the study was based on 100 respondents who participated in an online questionnaire. The qualitative data analysis used a thematic analysis, and the quantitative data analysis was conducted using SPSS Statistics 26.0 software. The study found a strong relationship between the emotional intelligence – social capital nexus and attitudes towards third stream income. The study recommends the construction of a coaching framework to develop the participation of academics at UKZN in third stream income. Further research is required on the impact of how emotional intelligence can be used to grow social capital in academia. These studies may look at what the motivators are for academics to participate in third stream income generation and how to promote academic benevolence to promote increased social capital to support third stream income generation.Item Exploring the sustainable leadership of the top managers at Ermelo regional hospital.(2021) Bodibe, Oupa Phillip.; Kanyangale, MacDonald.Sustainability as a megatrend is influencing the leadership of different organizations in the world, including hospitals to maintain and improve the quality of their services. Despite calls in the literature for guidance on sustaining interventions regarding sustainability in hospitals, there is a dearth of research on leading and implementing sustainability in a hospital setting. The primary objective of this qualitative study was to examine the practices of Sustainable Leadership adopted by the Top Management Team at Ermelo Regional Hospital in Gert Sibande District in South Africa. Purposive sampling was utilized to identify and select 8 members of the top management team who participated in face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth, and audio-recorded interviews to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring patterns which depict practices that enable or impede practices of Sustainable Leadership by members of the Top Management Team. The study’s limitation is that it only included a small sample which makes it not possible to generalize the findings. The key results of this exploratory study are that Ermelo Regional Hospital’s Top Management has got various practices of Sustainable Leadership that they use. These include staff development through training, encouraging leaders at all levels to be part of the organizational effort towards sustainability, flexible working and favourable labour relations which creates a sense of shared responsibility. However, succession planning was found to be influenced by nepotism and corruption while staff management is mostly crippled by the prevalence of autocratic leadership. The need for engaging the employees often through regular meetings to provide up-dates and share hospital performance were also emphasized as critical as they result in a work setting where effective communication becomes the norm and challenges are timeously addressed. The study concludes that while Ermelo Regional Hospital’s Top Management Team is trying in terms of skill development, the leadership style is less supportive of inclusive, sustainabilityrelated practices. Furthermore, the pillars of sustainability such as the environment and community are not given enough attention by the Ermelo Regional Hospital leaders, which adds challenges to practice effective Sustainable Leadership in a hospital setting. A few recommendations are provided as well as potential research areas.Item Health expenditure, health outcomes and productivity in sub-Saharan Africa: sustainable thresholds, moderation and forecasting.(2023) Adegoke, Yetunde Oluranti.; George, Gavin Lloyd.; Mbonigaba, Josue.SSA is known to be confronting distinctive health problems and growth challenges, thereby, inadequate health expenditure, poor health outcomes and their implications for productivity require investigation. This situation persists despite evidence-related policy produced in the past, suggesting the need to investigate further the nature of the relationship between interrelated variables. This study aims to investigate the nonlinear effect of PHE on health outcomes and the moderating role of education on health outcomes, forecast the performance of different PHE scenarios in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), examine the effect of PHE and health outcomes on TFP and assess the moderating role of education in the relationship between PHE and TFP. The study utilizes various techniques including Panel spatial correlation consistent-ordinary least squares (PSCC-OLS and PSCC-FE) for Objective One, Feasible quasi-generalized least squares (FQGLS) for Objective Two. Fixed and random models, panel two-stage least squares (P2SLS), and panel threshold regression for Objective Three. System panel generalized method of moments (GMM) for Objective four. This study concludes a nonlinear relationship between PHE and health outcomes exists. Furthermore, the interaction of PHE and education would improve health outcomes. Second, an overall increase in PHE by 30% would achieve the SDG target of 70 maternal deaths in only Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. In addition, about 60% of the countries in SSA might be able to achieve the SDG target for child mortality by the year 2030. Third, including PHE and health outcomes into the TFP framework would guarantee a further increase in TFP growth in SSA, and a threshold level of PHE above 3.5% of the GNP could achieve better health outcomes and a further increase in TFP growth in SSA. Fourth, the interactive impact of PHE and education might cause an improvement in TFP in SSA. The study pioneers the investigation of nonlinear, threshold, moderating, forecasting and collaborative effect of PHE, the information is essential for optimizing, redistributing and utilization of resources, specifically, a minimum of 38 dollars per person will achieve better health and productivity in SSA.Item How safe is our food? A critical overview of the South African food safety legal framework.(2023) Govender, Noresha.; Stevens, Clydenia Edwina.Foodborne diseases such as listeriosis, food fraud and recall of food products have become a serious cause for concern. These food safety challenges have brought food safety concerns to the fore. Moreover, food safety challenges have severe consequences on people’s health and the economy since the food industry contributes significantly to the South African economy. This thesis sought to address the central issue of food safety in South Africa. It has been highlighted that several food safety regulations and various regulatory bodies have been created in South Africa to deal with food safety. This thesis aimed to analyse the various regulations implemented by the South African Government to deal with food safety, the international food safety regulations and the current food safety challenges that exist in South Africa to assess the extent to which the South African legal framework regulates food safety and how effective have they been in addressing these food safety challenges. Further, the thesis aims to explore consumer rights and remedies under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and provide a discussion of product liability and how businesses can be held accountable for unsafe food products. The research has found that despite these food safety regulations and the international commitment to ensure food safety, there are frequent food safety outbreaks and a high incidence of foodborne diseases in South Africa. This means that food in South Africa is not very safe. The main findings of this thesis were that there is an ineffective enforcement of these regulations, a gap in food safety governance and a lack of consumer awareness. Furthermore, it has been found that food safety laws are complex, and there is a lack of coordination between the DOH, DALRRD and the DTIC, who are responsible for ensuring and regulating food safety. The thesis argues that food safety is a shared responsibility and all stakeholders must play their part in improving food safety. Lastly, several recommendations have been provided to address these concerns and prevent future food safety risks.Item Impact of coronavirus on the motivation and performance of the sale team within a petroleum company in Southern Africa.(2022) Govender, Thirumoney.; Mutambara, Emmanuel.The unanticipated spreading of the Coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) has had a devastating impact on the world, including South Africa. South Africa was susceptible to this impact as government enforced strict regulatory lockdowns, which required new ways of working in a workforce that was used to faceto-face business interaction. This study focused on retail sales employees within a petroleum company and the adaptation of their characteristics to drive work performance during the Coronavirus Pandemic. The main characteristic that this study focused on, was the motivational factors that influenced the employee’s lives for better or worse. The retail sales employees (Territory Managers) are responsible for the business development of service stations. Their roles include monitoring of fuel sales, convenience store sales, safety and regulatory compliance of the service station, environmental and disaster management of the site, routine corporate contractual monitoring of the equipment and infrastructure, and housekeeping of the site. Qualitative research was conducted via semi-structured interviews to 12 Territory Managers, from the perspective of the employees, to gain a better understanding of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The non-probability purposive sampling method was used. The research methods consisted of secondary research from existing academic and corporate literature, as well as primary research from the interviews that were conducted with the retail sales employees. The research found that the impact of the pandemic touched every person’s life in some way or the other. Whilst some people found ways to cope with the pandemic, others gave in to the stress which impacted on their physical and mental wellbeing. The research also pointed out the gaps in the company’s support system for employees and the company’s readiness to deal with the impact of the crisis. This study's main goal was to offer suggestions to the business, to help decisionmakers support employees’ productive ability, so that the employees remain inspired and performanceoriented during times of crisis.Item The impact of internal marketing and job satisfaction on service quality in the public health sector: the case of Zimbabwe=Umthelela Wezokumaketha Wangaphakathi kanye Nokuneliseka Kwezingabunjalo Losizo Emkhakhani wezempilo: Isimo Sase Zimbabwe.(2022) Mutanho, Peter.; Soni, Sanjay Shantilal.Despite the growing concern about service quality in the public health sector in the developing world, studies focusing on internal marketing, job satisfaction and service quality in the public health sector are significantly missing in Zimbabwe. The major purpose of this study was to determine the influence of internal marketing and job satisfaction on service quality in the public health sector of Zimbabwe. The current study sought to answer the following questions: What is the influence of internal marketing on job satisfaction in the public health sector? What is the impact of job satisfaction on service quality in the public health sector? And, what is the effect of internal marketing on service quality in the public health sector? A pragmatic philosophy was adopted by the researcher in the current study, which resulted in the use of a mixed-method approach. The mixed-method approach allowed the researcher to use quantitative and qualitative techniques in the same study. A case study design was used, which allowed the researcher to concentrate his efforts on public health workers at Chitungwiza Central Hospital found to have an informed and deep understanding of internal marketing, job satisfaction and service quality. In drawing the sample for the current study, the researcher used stratified sampling to select both health workers and patient participants. Data was collected from a sample of 573 participants who comprised 240 health employees and 333 patients using structured questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data was then tested using descriptive statistics, multiple linear regressions, explanatory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural modelling. The study ascertained that strategic rewards and organisational structure have a positive relationship with job satisfaction; job satisfaction and service quality-patient are positively related; job satisfaction and service quality and service quality-employee rated are positively related; strategic rewards, organisational structure, organisational culture, and employee empowerment have a statistically significant relationship with both service quality employee-rated and patient-rated. Iqoqa Yize kunokukhula ngokukhathazeka ngezingabunjalo emkhakheni wezempilo kumazwe asathuthuka emhlabeni, ucwaningo olubuka izimakethe zangaphakathi, ukweneliseka ngomsebenzi kanye nosizo kulomkhakha kuyagqoza eZimbabwe. Inhloso enqala yalolu cwaningo kube wukuhlola umthelela wezimakethe zangaphakathi kanye nokweneliseka ngokomsebenzi nezingabunjalo emkhakheni wezempilo eZimbabwe. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuphendula lemibuzo elandelayo: Yini umthelela wezimakethe zangaphakathi ekugculisekeni ngokomsebenzi emkhakheni wezempilo? Yini umphumela wezimakethe zangaphakathi ekugculisekeni ngokomsebenzi emkhakheni wezempilo? Nokuthi, yini umsebenzi wezimakethe zangaphakathi ekugculisekeni ngokomsebenzi emkhakheni wezempilo? Injulalwazi ye-pragmatic philosophy isetshenziswe ngumcwaningi kulolu cwaningo, okuholele endleleni exubile yocwaningo. Le ndlela exubile yocwaningo ivumele umcwaningi ukuthi asebenzise amasu ekhwalithethivu nalawo ekhwantithethivu, kulo lolu cwaningo. Uhlaka locwaningo lusetshenziselwe ukuvumela umcwaningi ukuba agxile kubasebenzi bomkhakha wezempilo base Chitungwiza Central Hospital abavele njengababambi-qhaza abanothile ngolwazi lwezimakethe zangaphakathi, ukuneliseka ngokomsebenzi nezingabunjalo lokusiza. Ukutomula isampula kulolu cwaningo, umcwaningi usebenzise amasampula asakuhleleka ukuqoka abasebenzi bezempilo neziguli ezingababambiqhaza. Imininingo iqoqwe kubabambi-qhaza abangama-573 abaqukethe abasebenzi bezempilo abangama-240 neziguli ezingama-333 kusetshenziswa izinhlolombuzo ezihlelekile kanye nezingxoxo. Imininingo eyiKhwalithethivu ihlolwe kusetshenziswa izibalo ezichazayo (descriptive statistics) , i-multiple linear regressions, ukuhlaziya amaqiniso ngokuchazayo (explanatory factor analysis) , ukuhlaziya okuqinisekisayo (confirmatory factor analysis) kanye ne structural modelling. Ucwaningo lukuqinisekisile ubukhona bomvuzo ohleliwe kanye nokuhleleka kwesikhungo njengezinto ezenza umphumela omuhle ebudlelwaneni bokugculiseka ngokomsebenzi obuzingabunjalo kokusizakala kweziguli kanye nobuzingabunjalo bokusiza abasebenzi kuhlobene kahle; umvuzo ohleliwe, ukuhleleka kwesikhungo, usiko lwesikhungo kanye nokuthuthukiswa kwabasebenzi kunobudlelwane obumqoka ngokwezibalo nabasebenzi kanye neziguli ezikaliwe.Item Leadership challenges facing the Ladysmith Provincial Hospital.(2022) Mzimela, Innocent Khethukuthula.; Mutambara, Emmanuel.Leadership is critical in any organisation. In the healthcare fraternity, the main reason for the existence of health care facilities is to serve human life, meaning that the management of these public institutions have a bearing on the services that get delivered to the public. However, there remains some gaps, with regards to how leadership in public healthcare facilities affect the quality of care given to the public. This study thus investigated the leadership challenges facing Ladysmith Provincial hospital. The main objectives of the study included to identify the current leadership challenges facing the Ladysmith Provincial Hospital, to assess the impact of the challenges on healthcare service at Ladysmith Provincial Hospital’s performance, as well as to critically analyse the factors that affect the execution of effective leadership practices at Ladysmith Provincial Hospital. The qualitative approach was adopted, whereby ten purposively selected participants were drawn from the various departments of the organisation, including the management. The main findings of the study indicated that the participants were particularly concerned about the high turnover rate in the institution, and essentially, the fact that the vacant positions do not get filled on time- thereby leaving a void in the operational processes of the organisation. The participants bemoaned financial challenges, human resources issues, as well as ineffective leadership in their organisation, noting that their leadership lacked the qualities of a good leader, while others did not possess the required qualifications for the positions that they occupied. Overall, the challenges identified have huge implications on service delivery. In view of these findings, some recommendations were made: the need to improve the leadership’s competencies through refresher courses, workshops and some form of training- to enable them to demonstrate the personal qualities of good leadership. It was indicated that the institution needed to put in place a more strategic and effective succession planning approaches across the board- in order to avoid the unnecessary challenges being faced in the absence of qualified personal to take up certain leadership positions. The poor infrastructures call for an urgent need to replace the broken equipment- through baseline support, so that the healthcare workers can execute their duties effectively.Item Re-conceptualizing fiscal decentralization framework to improve service delivery: a case of uMgungundlovu District Municipality.(2023) Msomi, Buhlebakhe.; Nzimakwe, Thokozani Ian.This research explored the concept of fiscal decentralisation by proposing a comprehensive framework tailored to the unique context of the uMgungundlovu District Municipality. Fiscal decentralisation, a pivotal component of effective governance, aims to redistribute financial authority and responsibility between higher-level governments and local authorities. This research aimed to redefine the fiscal decentralisation framework within the uMgungundlovu District Municipality, with a focus on crafting a comprehensive model that accommodates the distinctive socio-economic and political intricacies of the region. The research problem stems from the absence of a customized fiscal decentralisation framework tailored to the nuances of the district, as the conventional one-size-fits-all approach to fiscal decentralisation seem to fall short in effectively addressing the unique challenges faced by uMgungundlovu. In doing so, it sought to address the research problem of how fiscal decentralisation can be effectively structured and implemented to promote local development and efficient resource allocation. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study utilised purposive sampling to select 19 participants with in-depth knowledge and experience in local governance and fiscal matters. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse these qualitative data, identifying recurring patterns, concepts, and insights related to fiscal decentralisation within uMgungundlovu District Municipality. The findings underscore the need for community participation in fiscal decision-making, emphasizing the need for a re-conceptualized framework that empowers both local governments and actively involves communities in budgetary discussions. The findings thus stressed the importance of capacity building and institutional strengthening at the local level, addressing challenges in human resources, financial management, and technological infrastructure. The research recommends targeted interventions to enhance local government capabilities. Moreover, it contributes to the theoretical foundations of fiscal decentralization by promoting a context-specific approach, incorporating community perspectives, and offering practical guidance for policymakers to design and implement effective policies aligned with the realities of local governance. Based on the study's outcomes, it is recommended that uMgungundlovu District Municipality develop a clear and inclusive fiscal decentralisation framework tailored to its unique socio-economic context. This framework should address issues of revenue generation, allocation, and expenditure, while also emphasising mechanisms for transparent governance and community involvement.Item Strategic leadership and change management imperatives in a volatile era: a case study of Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital.(2022) Zungu, Knowledge Lungisani.; Ngwenya, Tony Charles Simphiwe.The South African public healthcare system plays a critical role in rendering care to the majority of the population. Public healthcare is one of the democratic government’s key priorities, reflected in the constitutional commitment to providing accessible and quality healthcare efficiently and sustainably to all citizens. To realise this commitment, leadership and management of public healthcare facilities play a significant role as they can influence the success or failure of delivering quality and efficient healthcare services. Primarily because it is the responsibility of leaders to render healthcare sector demands efficiently and effectively. Strategic leadership is one of the effective tools for efficient management. Its effect on managing complexities, shocks, and various forms of turbulence and its efficiency is well documented in the literature. As a country heavily burdened by socio-economic development challenges such as the increasing poverty and unemployment rate, the number of people relying on public healthcare continually increases. With increasing healthcare demands and the burden of disease, public hospitals and clinics as institutions operate in challenging, complex and dynamic environments. Additional to an already turbulent environment prone to change and instability, public healthcare institutions in South Africa operate under the globally experienced volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business environment. Therefore, the assessment of leadership styles, practices, and their impact is of performance in of great importance. Given such a state, the literature points to the importance of strategic leadership being a vital requirement for healthcare management and leadership. The wide range of strategic leadership competencies enables leaders to adapt continuously to change and the fast speed of innovation. This is because strategic leaders are visionary; they have the capacity to innovatively and creatively navigate organisations through volatility to improve performance. This study aimed to investigate the role of strategic leadership and change management at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital. Through a qualitative inquiry, an interview schedule of sixteen questions was administered to fifteen participants in leadership positions within the hospital. Questions probed to unearth the strategic activities and successfully captured experiences and viewpoints on the impact of strategic leadership in managing change and the hospital's performance in this era of unpredictable constant change. The findings of this study pointed out that Mshiyeni hospital operates in a complex and demanding environment with constrained human and financial resources. The hospital tackles extensive responsibilities of regional and district hospital services in an overly populated location dominated by socio-economically challenged communities. Results further showed that keeping the hospital operational at a satisfactory level has been achieved through strategic leadership approaches designed and actioned by the leaders at the hospital level. As access and delivery of quality healthcare is a constitutional mandate in SA, the commitment to deliver efficient and effective healthcare service is cited as one of the main priority objectives of the department of health. However, the financial provisions for public healthcare facilities seem not to match the service demands in a manner that can enable public hospitals to deliver their service sufficiently. It is recommended that future research probe into this matter at an executive level within the health department. This recommendation will aid in getting an idea of how the health department idealises its public institutions to execute its services in the context of the existing constrained resources state.Item The design and development of an AI based digital forensic protocol for first responders.(2024) Kumar, Deepak.; Subramaniam, Prabhakar Rontala.In today's society, access to computers and the internet has become indispensable, offering a myriad of opportunities such as online shopping, trading, banking, communication, and social media interaction. However, along with the increasing usage of the internet, there is a corresponding rise in cybercrimes, posing constant threats to organizations. Recent years have witnessed a significant surge in cyber incidents and breaches, exacerbated by emerging technologies like the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as the availability of tools such as Crimeware-as-a-Service (CaaS), anonymous technologies like Tor, and the utilization of the Darknet. In response to these challenges, cyber forensic experts and digital investigators must possess the necessary skills and expertise to effectively investigate cybercrimes, analyse electronic evidence found on digital devices, and present findings in a legally acceptable manner. To stay ahead of cybercriminals, digital forensic investigators and first responders must leverage AI and cutting-edge technologies of the 4IR era. This study addresses the evolving cybersecurity landscape by designing an AI-based digital forensic protocol tailored for first responders. Employing a design science research (DSR) methodology, the study develops a novel investigation protocol utilising AI prediction modelling. Additionally, it explores various AI models to create an efficient framework for integrating Machine Learning (ML) and predictive modelling in cybercrime data analysis of a cloud-based dataset. The design and development of Intelligent Digital Evidence Extraction Protocol or I-DEEP, a novel protocol provides a framework to make the process of cybercrime investigation more agile using triaging and quick decision making by predictive analysis. This is accomplished by development and implementation of AI and Machine Learning algorithms.Item The Diasporean I: the Southern African perspectives.(CSSALL Publishers (Pty) Ltd., 2024) Mutula, Stephen M.Item The Diasporean II: perspectives from beyond Southern Africa.(CSSALL Publishers (Pty) Ltd., 2024) Mutula, Stephen M.Item The emergence of a new precariat? middle class and the elite professionals in Zimbabwe.(2023) Mapuranga, Martha.; Ruggunan, Shaun Denvor.The purpose of this study was to establish how a precarious socio-economic environment has reconfigured the status of elite professionals from a human resource management perspective in Zimbabwe. There is dearth of empirical studies in human resource management on the effects of the reconfigured middle class and elite professionals in the Global South particularly in Southern Africa. Focus was on three elite professions, namely the medical, legal and the academic. Qualitative research was employed in this study. Fifteen purposively sampled participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. Observations and documents were also used to strengthen the data from interviews. Data from interviews was analyzed through phenomenological analysis, while content analysis was used for documents. Data analysis was also aided by QSR also known as NVIVO, a qualitative data analysis software. Findings revealed that elite professionals feel a sense of disequilibrium in their salaries and income. This is due to the fact that they are now comparing themselves with other occupations in lower categories within their country as well as professionals in the same category but beyond their boarders. This therefore causes high outmigration of elite professionals with remaining professionals resorting to other strategies of augmenting/supplementing their meagre salaries. These include less engagement in training and development programs, career planning and progression as well as job satisfaction and job engagement level. It was also revealed that financial rewards are not hygiene factors but motivational factors when it comes to unstable economic environment like the current situation in Zimbabwe. This was evidenced by findings, which indicated that elite professionals are engaging in unorthodox means to supplement their salaries. Therefore, responsible entities dealing with professionals should restructure their reward polices to suite elite professionals so as to improve their job satisfaction, job engagement as well as development programs since these professionals offer their expertise that improves the performance of the country. It was concluded that, there is no universal definition of middle class as elite professionals no longer hold the middle class characteristics like other elite fields globally.Item The impact of remote working in Engen Petroleum Limited, South Africa, emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic.(2022) Mohan, Sudhir.; Yalezo, Bhasela.This study examines the impact of remote working during the COVID 19 pandemic on employee retention and work-life balance at Engen Petroleum Limited South Africa. South Africa had the most reported cases in Africa resulting in the South African government declaring one of the strictest lockdowns in the world on 23 March 2020. Developments in cloud technology and globalisation have given rise to new flexible work arrangements known as remote working which became prevalent in many organizations, allowing employees to perform work away from the traditional office environment. Due to a lack of stable internet connectivity in some areas in South Africa, remote working was a challenge. Only 53 per cent of South African’s use the internet and people with the least connectivity live in poorer rural areas. To prevent the spread of the virus, many organizations implemented remote working. The advent of remote working in South Africa seriously impacted the informal sector of the economy. The study adopted a quantitative approach. Data was collected via an online survey that was distributed to employees of Engen Petroleum Limited South Africa that were working remotely. A total of 67 respondents were received from various departments within the organization. The data was analysed using statistical software to test the impact of remote working on the constructs of employee retention, work-life balance, productivity and job satisfaction. The study found that remote working had an overall positive impact on employee retention, work-life balance and job satisfaction with productivity either increasing or remaining unchanged. Management needs to invest in a substitute for “water cooler conversations” and similar social interactions that are lacking in the remote working environment. The study recommends that the building of trust between managers and employees will assist in determining the effectiveness of remote working. The manager team need to explore innovative ways of improving communication that will ensure that remote workers are included in the activities of the organization. The organization needs to have an awareness of the setup that remote workers have at their homes to provide the required human resource support.Item The importance of African bioethics in the development of new artificial intelligence technologies in healthcare.(2024) Muhammed, Laila Nur.Abstract available in PDF.