Showing papers by "University of South Africa published in 2008"

Predicting technology acceptance and adoption by the elderly: a qualitative study

Abstract: Technology adoption has been studied from a variety of perspectives. Information systems, Sociology and Human-Computer Interaction researchers have come up with various models incorporating factors and phases to predict adoption that, in turn, will lead to persistent use. Technology acceptance by the elderly mobile phone user has received less attention and no model currently exists to predict factors influencing their technology adoption. A literature study yielded a set of acceptance factors (derived mostly from quantitative studies) and adoption phases (derived mostly from qualitative studies) that could influence and predict mobile phone adoption by the elderly user. We confirmed a subset of these factors by consulting findings from research into the context of senior mobile phone users, including the needs and limitations of these users. We then verified the factors qualitatively by means of structured interviews with senior mobile phone users. The interviews included the use of scenarios as well as a mobile phone design activity. Triangulating the quantitative findings from literature with the qualitative findings from this study led to a set of interlinked acceptance factors and adoption phases that we present as the Senior Technology Acceptance& Adoption model for Mobile technology (STAM). This paper makes a contribution to understanding technology acceptance by senior users and should be of interest to researchers, designers and decision-makers on technology adoption, especially mobile features and services.

Analysing Males in Africa: Certain Useful Elements in Considering Ruling Masculinities

Abstract: This article examines the questions why and how African males have been analysed, informed by the view that across several societies in Africa undeclared yet public gender wars of words and deeds go on daily, and may even be intensifying. It argues that though interventions with males from feminist perspectives have gained ground over the last few decades, more radical, to the gendered African worlds and masculinities have failed to materialise because analyses of boys and men's lives have tended to be blind to the imbrications of the experience of maleness with the experience of other significant social categorisations, such as being without gainful employment. Consequently, many interventions, such as those around violence against women and girls, have failed to grasp some of the critical factors underlying males' reluctance to support feminist action. The article therefore routes its examination of males through a number of categories of social-psychological experience and practice, namely (a) occupational and income attainment and, (b) age, categories theoretically tied to maleness and to practices geared towards the attainment of ruling masculinity. The article reveals the manner in which the psychosocial and the political inter-penetrate each other in the lives of African males. In conclusion, the recognition of the heterogeneous nature of masculinities also, ironically, affords mounting new feminist interventions into changing traditional ruling ideas of being a man or boy.

“Wilding the farm or farming the wild”? The evolution of scientific game ranching in South Africa from the 1960s to the present

Abstract: This article analyses in some detail the scientific developments relating to extensive game ranching for meat production in South Africa from the 1960s onwards. Initially it recalls how game was utilised in South Africa in the nineteenth century and then reflects on the rise of the modern livestock industry and its detrimental effect on the herds of game that survived in the region into the twentieth century. The roles of scientists from different regions—Britain, the United States and South Africa—are identified and their respective scientific contributions to the wildlife industry evaluated. The narrative is situated within the con-text of a rise in environmental consciousness in the mid-twentieth century and the recent challenges that have faced the formal agricultural and pastoral sector in South Africa.

Critique and International Management: an Uneasy Relationship?

Abstract: Since the early 1980s, scholars in organization and management studies have examined their metatheoretical assumptions with particular regard to the relationships among knowledge, power, and signification. In contrast, the international management field seems to have engaged in a continuous disavowal of epistemic reflexivity and a critical trajectory for theory development. The eight contributions in this special topic forum attempt to open up metatheoretical conversations with international management. This task requires a reflexive reexamination of what we already know and a commitment to bring others' voices into an ongoing rewriting of the field.

Leadership styles and associated personality traits: Support for the conceptualisation of transactional and transformational leadership

Abstract: The full range model of leadership includes laissez-faire behaviour, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership. The model conceptualises leadership in terms of the behaviours associated with various styles and this conceptualisation has been empirically supported. In this article the personality traits of managers exercising different leadership styles are explained in terms of, and add to, the description of these styles. Members of a management team were assessed in terms of their preferred leadership styles and two groups were identified. Some of the managers relied on both transformational behaviours and active transactional behaviours with an absence of behaviours associated with passive styles. The rest of the managers used behaviours associated with all the styles. An integrated personality profile was compiled for each manager. Definite trends were observed when comparing the profiles of the managers in the two leadership groups. Transformational leadership was defined in terms of ...

Experiential learning in entrepreneurship education: A prospective model for South African tertiary institutions

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a prospective entrepreneurship training model based on experiential learning which will enable the “production” of small business owners or entrepreneurs which is not being achieved by the current methods.Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper. It analyses the current approaches in use, identifying inherent weaknesses and the gaps that need to be filled. Through literature reviews and case cites it provides a model that integrates experiential learning into entrepreneurship education.Findings – The paper shows that appropriate experiential training can truly be integrated into entrepreneurship education in South Africa as in disciplines such as engineering or nursing.Research limitation/implications – The model needs to be test implemented to find its efficacy. Just like any model, it may need refinement.Originality/value – The prospective model is an attempt to produce entrepreneurs and small business owners. This is critical in South Af...

The relationship between employee motivation, job satisfaction and corporate culture

Abstract: In this study, relationships between employee motivation, job satisfaction and corporate culture were hypothesised and investigated. The sample that was investigated consisted of the majority of the permanent-staff complement of a marketing research company in South Africa. Three instruments were used to measure the constructs concerned, namely the Motivation Questionnaire (MQ), the Experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLO) and the Corporate Culture Questionnaire (CCQ). Pearson product-moment coeffcients were then calculated and the linear relationships were further explored through canonical-correlation analysis. A possible moderator effect of employee motivation was also explored. The fndings provided support for the linear relationships and, more importantly, identifed the drivers of these relationships. The fndings did not support the moderator effect. Using these fndings, marketing research organisations, in particular, can be guided in terms of workplace attitudes under managerial infuence.

A profile of effective leadership in some South African high-poverty schools

Abstract: The struggle of high-poverty schools for survival is well documented. Some have overcome poverty-related odds and performed exceptionally well, prompting the following research question: What elements constitute a profile of effective leadership in high-poverty schools? Investigations conducted at six successful high-poverty schools revealed the contribution of invitational leadership to this success. I look at the personal traits and capabilities of effective leaders in high-poverty schools, as presented in a leadership profile. Keywords : invitational leadership; poverty in South Africa; South African high-poverty school South African Journal of Education Vol. 28 (1) 2008: pp. 1-18

Factors that affect the long‐term survival of micro, small and medium enterprises in ethiopia

Abstract: There is an increasing recognition of the potential importance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for employment, income and poverty reduction in Ethiopia. Although the MSME sector contributes significantly to the national economy, the high failure rate among well established small businesses and enterprises is a matter of major concern. A random sample of 500 small businesses and enterprises selected from five major cities in Ethiopia were followed up for 6 years in order to assess the impact of influential factors that affect the long-term survival and viability of small enterprises. Hazard ratios estimated from the Cox Proportional Hazards Model were used to quantify the impact of key predictors of survival. Businesses that ceased operation were characterised by inadequate finance (61%), low level of education (55%), poor managerial skills (54%), shortage of technical skills (49%), and inability to convert part of their profit to investment (46%). The study shows that participation in social capital and networking (iqqub schemes) was critically helpful for long-term survival. Businesses that did not participate in iqqub schemes regularly were found to be 3.25 times more likely to fail in comparison with businesses that did. Results of the study have implications that could be used for developing policy initiatives that are aimed at fostering long-term growth in small businesses and enterprises.

Semantic preferential subsumption

Abstract: We present a general preferential semantic framework for plausible subsumption in description logics, analogous to the KLM preferential semantics for propositional entailment. We introduce the notion of ordered interpretations for description logics, and use it to define two mutually dual non-deductive subsumption relations ***⊑ and ***⊑*. We outline their properties and explain how they may be used for inductive and abductive reasoning respectively. We show that the preferential semantics for subsumption can be reduced to standard semantics of a sufficiently expressive description logic. This has the advantage that standard DL algorithms can be extended to reason about our notions of plausible subsumption.

Psychological career resources of working adults: A South African survey

Abstract: The main objective of this study was to explore broad trends regarding how individuals from various age, educational, marital, race and gender groups in the South African organisational context differ in terms of their psychological career resources, as measured by the Psychological Career Resources Inventory. A sample of 2 997 working adults registered as students at a South African higher distance education institution participated in this study. The results indicate significant differences between the various biographical variables and the participants’ psychological career resources. In the context of employment equity, and with more women entering the workplace, this study is expected to contribute important knowledge that will inform career development practices concerned with enhancing employees’ career meta-competencies as an important element of their general employability.

Self-management support and training for patients with chronic and complex conditions improves health-related behaviour and health outcomes.

Abstract: The Sharing Health Care SA chronic disease self-management (CDSM) project in rural South Australia was designed to assist patients with chronic and complex conditions (diabetes, cardiovascular disease and arthritis) to learn how to participate more effectively in the management of their condition and to improve their self-management skills. Participants with chronic and complex conditions were recruited into the Sharing Health Care SA program and offered a range of education and support options (including a 6-week peer-led chronic disease self-management program) as part of the Enhanced Primary Care care planning process. Patient self-reported data were collected at baseline and subsequent 6-month intervals using the Partners in Health (PIH) scale to assess self-management skill and ability for 175 patients across four data collection points. Health providers also scored patient knowledge and self-management skills using the same scale over the same intervals. Patients also completed a modified Stanford 2000 Health Survey for the same time intervals to assess service utilisation and health-related lifestyle factors. Results show that both mean patient self-reported PIH scores and mean health provider PIH scores for patients improved significantly over time, indicating that patients demonstrated improved understanding of their condition and improved their ability to manage and deal with their symptoms. These results suggest that involvement in peer-led self-management education programs has a positive effect on patient self-management skill, confidence and health-related behaviour.

International Perspectives on the Legal Environment for Selection

Abstract: Perspectives from 22 countries on aspects of the legal environment for selection are presented in this article. Issues addressed include (a) whether there are racial/ethnic/religious subgroups viewed as “disadvantaged,” (b) whether research documents mean differences between groups on individual difference measures relevant to job performance, (c) whether there are laws prohibiting discrimination against specific groups, (d) the evidence required to make and refute a claim of discrimination, (e) the consequences of violation of the laws, (f) whether particular selection methods are limited or banned, (g) whether preferential treatment of members of disadvantaged groups is permitted, and (h) whether the practice of industrial and organizational psychology has been affected by the legal environment.

A Qualitative Study of the Applicability of Technology Acceptance Models to Senior Mobile Phone Users

Abstract: This paper investigates the factors that influence mobile phone adoption by the older user. Technology adoption is a process, with the adopter progressing from a state of ignorance of the technology to embracing it and considering it a necessity. Full progression can only occur if the adopter fully acceptsthe technology. If not, he or she is unlikely to progress towards wholehearted adoption and remain a reluctant user or discard the technology altogether. Many theoretical models explain the dynamics of technology acceptance by proposing particular predictive factors and are based on quantitative studies built on the responses of students or economically active adults. This begs the question: Do existing technology acceptance models incorporate the factors that lead to mobile phone adoption and use by older adults? We consulted findings from studies of senior mobile phone users and extracted a number of issues concerning needs, uses and limitations, which we verified by means of structured interviews with senior mobile phone users. We compare these qualitatively derived issues with the factors from existing quantitative models. This led to the identification of a two-dimensional adoption matrix where verified acceptance factors, derived from the experiences and opinions of our participants, are mapped against a recognised adoption process, highlighting the fact that current models only partly predict adoption and acceptance by the senior mobile phone user.

The impact of violence on health in low- to middle-income countries.

Abstract: More than 90% of violence-related deaths occur in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), where the mortality rate due to violence is almost 2.5 times greater than in high-income countries. Over and above the substantial contribution of violence as a cause of death and physical injuries, victims of violence are also more vulnerable to a range of mental and physical health problems. Several studies describe the deleterious impact of different types of violence on a range of health outcomes, but no review has yet been undertaken that presents a composite overview of the current state of knowledge in LMICs. This paper reviews the scientific literature describing the nature, magnitude and impact of violence on health, describing the current state of violence-prevention policy developments within the global health agenda and highlighting the health consequences, disease burden and economic costs of violence. Although data are limited, the review indicates that costs relating to violence deplete health care bu...

Prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em escolares da região de Parelheiros do município de São Paulo

Abstract: OBJETIVO: Verificar, em uma amostra de escolares de uma regiao de baixo nivel socioeconomico, a prevalencia de sobrepeso e obesidade. METODOS: Estudo transversal com uma amostra de 218 criancas selecionadas de modo aleatorio, a partir de um universo estimado de 1.500 criancas e adolescentes, com idade entre seis e 14 anos, provenientes de tres escolas de ensino fundamental de Parelheiros, Sao Paulo, sem distincao de sexo ou etnia. Foram excluidas aquelas portadoras de qualquer doenca metabolica ou endocrina diagnosticada ou em tratamento. Os individuos foram submetidos a avaliacao antropometrica, com medida do peso corporal e altura para calculo do indice de massa corporea e relacao peso/altura. Todas as criancas responderam a um questionario aplicado pelos pesquisadores sobre habitos alimentares. RESULTADOS: A prevalencia de obesos e de portadores de sobrepeso foi respectivamente 14,7 e 16,5%. Entre os alunos obesos e com sobrepeso, o baixo consumo de frutas (10,8 e 10,8%), de verduras e legumes (16,4 e 9,1%) e o alto consumo de doces (72,2 e 78,1%) foram associados ao excesso de peso. A pratica esportiva esteve ausente ou escassa nos obesos (81,3%) e portadores de sobrepeso (77,8%). CONCLUSOES: Os alunos avaliados, embora provenientes de uma regiao pobre de Sao Paulo, apresentaram um perfil de transicao nutricional, com altas taxas de obesidade e sobrepeso.

Using language as a transparent resource in the teaching and learning of mathematics in a grade 11 multilingual classroom

Abstract: In this paper, we draw on a study conducted in Grade 11 classrooms to explore how the learners’ home languages can be used for teaching and learning mathematics in multilingual classrooms in South Africa. This report is part of a wider study that is still in progress. Based on an analysis of data collected through lesson observations in a Grade 11 class and learner interviews we argue for the deliberate, proactive and strategic use of the learners’ home languages as a transparent resource in the teaching and learning of mathematics in multilingual classrooms. Such use of the languages will ensure that learners gain access to mathematical knowledge without losing access to English, which many parents, teachers and learners presently see as a necessary condition for gaining access to social goods such as higher education and employment.

A functional semantic web architecture

Abstract: A layered architecture for the Semantic Web that adheres to software engineering principles and the fundamental aspects of layered architectures will assist in the development of Semantic Web specifications and applications. The most well-known versions of the layered architecture that exist within literature have been proposed by Berners-Lee. It is possible to indicate inconsistencies and discrepancies in the different versions of the architecture, leading to confusion, as well as conflicting proposals and adoptions by the Semantic Web community. A more recent version of a Semantic Web layered architecture, namely the CFL architecture, was proposed in 2007 by Gerber, van der Merwe and Barnard [23], which adheres to software engineering principles and addresses several of the concerns evident from previous versions of the architecture. In this paper we evaluate this recent architecture, both by scrutinising the shortcomings of previous architectures and evaluating the approach used for the development of the latest architecture. Furthermore, the architecture is applied to usage scenarios to evaluate the usefulness thereof.

Paraprofessional home visitation program to prevent childhood unintentional injuries in low-income communities: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a paraprofessional home visitation program (HVP) to improve home safety and prevent injuries among children living in low-income settings. Methods: The HVP was implemented in two low-income communities in South Africa. In each community, approximately 200 households were randomly selected for the trial. Eligible households were those with children aged ⩽10 years. Intervention households received four visits, one every two weeks, by trained paraprofessionals that focused on a specific injury topic and consisted of: information dissemination about specific injury prevention practices; home inspection accompanied by information about home hazards; and the supply of safety devices. The key outcomes to measure the presence of home hazards were scores for burns (safety practices, paraffin, and electrical), poisoning, and falls. Results: Significant reductions were found for injury risks related to burn safety practices. For injury risks related to electrical burns, paraffin burns, and poisoning, a decline was also noted although this was not statistically significant. No decline was noted for fall-related risks. Conclusions: Subject to further replication and evaluation, home visits by paraprofessionals providing safety education, home inspection, and safety devices be considered for integration into a comprehensive child injury prevention strategy in low-income communities.

Compost bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil inoculated with organic manure

Abstract: -1 total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was bioremediated by composting. The soil was inoculated with sewage sludge and incubated for 19 months. The soil was mixed in a ratio of 1:1 (v/v) with wood chips. The soil-wood chips mixture was then mixed in a ratio of 4:1 with sewage sludge. Compost heaps were set up in triplicates on wood pallets covered with double layers of nylon straw sheets. Control experiments which contained the contaminated soil and wood chips but without sewage sludge were set up in triplicate. Moisture, temperature, pH, ash content, C:N ratio of the compost mixture and TPH of the soil was monitored monthly. The concentrations of selected hydrocarbons in the contaminated soil were measured monthly during the incubation period. Temperature rose to about 58°C in the sewage sludge compost within two months of incubation, while temperature in the control fluctuated between 15 and 35°C throughout the incubation period. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) was reduced by 17% in the control experiments and 99% in the sewage sludge compost at the end of the incubation period. The concentrations of most of the selected hydrocarbon components were reduced by up to 100% within the same period. Microbial activities were shown to correlate with the reduction in hydrocarbon contents of the soil.

Wagner's law: an econometric test for south africa, 1960-2006

Abstract: The main objective for this paper is to test Wagner's law by analysing the causal relationships between real government expenditure and real income for South Africa for the period 1960-2006. The paper tests the long-run relationship between the two variables using the autoregressive distributive lag approach to cointegration suggested by Pesaran et al. We use the Granger non-causality test procedure developed by Toda and Yamamoto, which uses a vector autoregression model to test for the causal link between the two. Evidence of cointegration is sufficient to establish a long-run relationship between government expenditure and income. However, support for Wagner's law would require unidirectional causality from income to government expenditure. Therefore, cointegration should be seen as a necessary condition for Wagner's law, but not sufficient. This research does find a long-run relationship between real per capita government expenditure and real per capita income. Results for the short-run causality find bidirectional causality. On the basis of empirical results in this paper, one may tentatively conclude that Wagner's law finds no support in South Africa.

Determining the profile of the successful first-year accounting student

Abstract: A concern about the pass rate in first-year accounting courses in higher education has resulted in a number of national and international research projects on the subject. Researchers have looked at the possible effect of factors such as the student's proficiency in English, prior experience in accounting and mathematics, gender, motivation and personality type on the pass rate at first-year accounting. The outcomes of the research have been varied and often contradictory. This may be attributed to the different research strategies in the different contexts. This article maps the journey towards establishing an appropriate analysis strategy to profile the successful Accounting101 student. The context of this journey is the teaching of first-year accounting studies at the University of South Africa (Unisa), which is an open and distance learning (ODL) institution.