Gauteng Province Of South Africa Research Articles

Temporally specific adrenocorticotropic hormone reference intervals for horses in South Africa

An endogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration above the reference interval (RI) is commonly used as means for diagnosing equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Basal ACTH concentrations are highly dependent on photoperiod and RIs should be month- and location-specific. To date, no ACTH RIs have been specifically established for South Africa. This study aimed to determine geographically and seasonally relevant RIs for equine ACTH in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A longitudinal prospective study was conducted over twelve months to determine ACTH RIs for a representative population of healthy South African horses in the Gauteng province. Eighty clinically healthy horses under 12 years of age were recruited for monthly venous blood sample collection, from July 2019 to June 2020. ACTH was measured using a chemiluminescent assay. RIs were constructed for each month of the year. This South African population showed similar temporal changes in ACTH concentrations to those previously observed in other locations. Upper reference limits were at their lowest in early summer (21.4 pg/ml, 90% CI 20.8-21.7) with a pronounced increase in autumn (60.6 pg/ml, 90% CI 53.1-62.7), and tapered off in winter (22.3 pg/ml, 90% CI 19.9-23.2). The month-specific ACTH RIs generated in this study will improve the accuracy of diagnosis and monitoring of PPID in the local equine population. These results highlighted the previously recommended need for seasonal and location-specific RIs.

Social Rental Housing and Empowerment: Voices of Beneficiaries from Gauteng, South Africa

Adequate housing undergirds all social and economic relations, connecting communities with other related services that are key for people’s optimum development. It is a key social welfare service and a basic human need whose empowerment function resonates with the social work agenda of enabling smooth functioning of the society and creating socially and economically viable communities. In this article, I report on the housing experiences of social housing beneficiaries in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Using an empowerment lens, I contend that housing has the potential to give people more control and self-determination over their lives by linking them to the economy. I employed purposive sampling in this qualitative study and selected three social housing institutions: two in Johannesburg and one in Pretoria. In each of these institutions a focus group discussion was conducted with the beneficiaries. The research findings indicate that adequate housing delivery bears numerous empowerment dividends, directly helping poor people to break from a cycle of poverty. Consonant with its mandate of empowering communities, social work needs to be more proactive in housing advocacy on behalf of poor people and marginalised individuals and groups.

The impact of social media as a strategic approach to corporate communication when handling crises at a selected South African bank

This study investigates the impact of social media as a strategic approach to corporate communication when handling crises at Bank X in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The study had three over-arching objectives; to determine the challenges that are encountered when handling crises about communication at Bank X, to determine if the leadership has the willingness to change their approach when formulating the strategy; to determine if social media has an impact on strategy formulation of crisis communication at Bank X; and lastly to make recommendations to Bank X’s leadership on how to incorporate the social media component as a communication approach to effectively handle crises. This research followed a qualitative research approach through one-on-one Microsoft Teams in-depth interviews with 10 participants. The study, through the analysis of the primary data, secondary data, and literature reviews, underpins and supports that there is an opportunity for Bank X to incorporate social media as a strategic element to the crisis communication strategy. The organisation’s crisis communication strategy needs to incorporate social media from a strategic perspective for it to be ahead of the curve when a crisis emerges online. The implications for Bank X are a lesson in the evolution of technology in the communication space and how imperative it is for the bank to evolve.

Qualitative analysis of transiting from informal to formal sector: The case of manufacturing and service businesses in Gauteng province of South Africa

Qualitative analysis of transiting from informal to formal sector: The case of manufacturing and service businesses in Gauteng province of South Africa

Construction of a Reflective Quality of Life Index for Gauteng Province in South Africa

This paper demonstrates a simple methodological sequence for the statistical calculation of a context-sensitive quality of life index especially suitable for use in the Global South, i.e. lower and middle income countries. We draw on the large (n = 24,889), area-sampled, survey dataset of the fifth Quality of Life Survey (QoL V, 2017/18) of South Africa’s Gauteng province, conducted by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory. Using overtly exploratory analysis, and a fully reflective conception of indicators, we apply exploratory factor analysis (EFA) in two stages to generate our model, while defending our approach methodologically and empirically and indicating its philosophical foundations. We contrast this approach to previous analyses using the QoL I (2010) data, which defined their dimensions and assign their indicators in advance, drawing on literature and indexes largely from the Global North. We ran series of EFAs on 60 longitudinally available variables from the QoL V data set. This allowed us to determine the optimal number of factors/dimensions, guided by established criteria and the interpretability of the grouped indicators. Each dimension score is calculated arithmetically, using the indicators’ factor loadings as weights. Then the dimensions, weighted by their eigenvalues, are aggregated into the composite index, scaled to run from 0 to 100. The resulting seven-dimension, 33-indicator model was validated through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the QoL V data; and its configural invariance, i.e. whether the pattern of indicators amongst the factors holds over time, was checked against the two previous QoL datasets and confirmed. This validates the ability of the approach outlined to generate a stable index. Analysis of the resulting quality of life index by race and municipality reveals trends consistent with the South African context. Overall, the White population group has the highest measured quality of life index, followed in turn by the Indian/Asian, Coloured and Black African population groups. Changes in the quality-of-life ranking of the nine municipalities comprising Gauteng province may be observed over time, using the validated previous models. The value of the exploratory approach in enabling context to influence the index construction is highlighted by the emergence of a distinct dimension of bottom-up political voice, which is relevant for democratic governance.

The Modern Church as Not-for-Profit Organisation: Is it not Time for the Church to Become More Strategic?

For many centuries, churches have continued to play critical roles in society’s spiritual and social lives. As is the case across the globe, millions of Christians throughout South Africa continue to seek spiritual upliftment in churches. For this research, a qualitative research method was employed by means of semi-structured interviews. The research was conducted among churches within the Gauteng province of South Africa. Data were analysed through the use of the ATLAS.ti software. The findings suggest that innumerable benefits can be realised by modern churches if proper strategic planning process tools are in place. Productivity and a clear sense of direction are the leading attributes. The study recommended that more research and advocacy work still need to be done to heighten the significance of using strategic planning process tools in church management settings. This may enable the preservation of the rich history of the church.

The emotional toll of the ‘hard’ lockdown: an analysis of diary entries from Gauteng, South Africa

ABSTRACT The research draws from diary entries shared by participants across various urban neighbourhoods and dwellings in Gauteng Province in South Africa during the Level-5 lockdown period. Occurring between 27 March and 1 May 2020, the Level-5 lockdown was severely restrictive, as residents were confined within their homes, and their movement and social activity curtailed. Research has already indicated that this had a negative impact on the mental health and food security of ordinary people. In this paper, we illustrate how participants’ diary entries offer a layered and longitudinal lens to support this emerging research. Notably, analysis of these diary entries illustrates that the 6-week lockdown took an emotional toll on participants across different urban neighbourhoods and dwellings. Furthermore, these diary entries point to the sources of frustration and anxiety being shaded by the spatial and structural location of participants.

Causes of The Alarming Rise of False Sexual Allegations Against Teachers in South African Schools

<p>False sexual allegations against teachers have contributed to teachers leaving the profession early and a decline in males choosing the profession. The main focus of this study was to investigate learners' false allegations of sexual misconduct against teachers. This study was underpinned by Fabricated Rape Theory and adopted qualitative methodology data through semi-structured interviews. Four teachers, one deputy principal, and one principal making six participants in the South district of the Gauteng province of South Africa were selected using convenient selection methods. The collected data were analysed using the Thematic Analysis method, which enables the researcher to respond to the study's objectives one after the other. The study revealed that fear, emotional neglect, and revenge contribute to false sexual allegations against teachers and that the maintenance of professional conduct among teachers and policy change are the possible solutions. Therefore, the study recommends that students should be provided with adequate orientation and re-orientation about the implication of false allegations, that teachers should always maintain good conduct, and that there should be an improvement in school policies and code of conduct to include punishable consequences for false accusations.<strong></strong></p>

Impact of digital transformation on strategy in the insurance sector

The purpose of this research which is predicated on a qualitative case study design was to examine digital transformation in an insurance firm in Gauteng Province of South Africa with an extensive footprint throughout the country. The study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the insurance organisation’s response to the implementation of digital transformation and how it affects the organisational strategy. Purposive sampling was adopted to select participants, who are managers and heads of departments. Data was collected through in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The study found that the firm understands the significance of incorporating digital transformation into the strategy. The findings revealed that the firm is taking steps to incorporate digital transformation in the business strategy, however, they are not doing enough to fully address the problem of slow adoption. It was recommended that the company should fully embrace digital transformation and consider undertaking fundamental changes in the business strategy or to redefine the strategy.

Management of classroom acoustics by teachers at two special needs schools in Johannesburg, South Africa

In South Africa, education is considered a basic right and our constitution calls for accessible educational contexts which ought to be conducive for learning. Even though schools are meant to be places in which learning can occur, poor classroom acoustics may threaten that basic right to education. The aim of this study was, therefore, to explore and understand how teachers in special needs schools managed classroom acoustics in their efforts to enhance learning. We report on a qualitative study using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with teachers from 2 special needs schools in Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. A non-probability purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit participants. The results of this study confirm that classrooms in special needs schools may not be acoustically sound spaces which teachers feel may compromise effective learning. As a result, teachers reported using a variety of active and passive strategies to manage classroom acoustics in order to enhance learning. The results of this study contribute to existing knowledge on the importance of the strategies used by teachers in managing classroom acoustics. Further research is required to determine the efficacy of these and other strategies used by teachers in special needs schools.

Determinants of Perceptions of Poverty; A Case of Townships in Gauteng Province of South Africa

Poverty reduction policies and interventions are only effective if the poor themselves own the process and believe in the process being implemented. The way people perceive poverty is to a greater extent informed by their position and economic circumstances in society. The conservative theorist of poverty argue that the poor are lazy and hence would tend to blame the society and the structures thereof. Assertions in the culture of poverty by Oscar Lewis imply that the poor may become comfortable in their poverty and hence may ignore any efforts that would change their circumstances. The liberal theories on the other hand argue that those in poverty perceive poverty as a result of an evil and an unequal system. However, these are general expectations and yet they are not always the same across countries and regions. This paper examines the perceptions of the causes of poverty as conceived by the people living in selected South African townships. The paper used data that was collected in the Gauteng Province South Africa in 2019-2020. Based on the Feagin scale of perceptions of the causes of poverty, the main categories namely, fatalistic, structural and individualistic, are considered between the different households. The results show that the poor to a greater extend agree with the structural perceptions of causes of poverty whilst those that are above the poverty line assign their position to hard work and hence blame the poor for their own circumstances mostly agreeing with the individualistic perception of causes of poverty.

Toward Perceived Sustainable Employability: Capabilities of Secondary School Teachers in a South African Context.

This study aimed to identify the capabilities of secondary school teachers – valued aspects of work that are enabled and can be realized – and investigate the effects of these capabilities on three functionings: flourishing at work, organizational citizenship behavior, and intention to leave. A convenience sample of secondary school teachers (N = 144) in the Gauteng province in South Africa participated in the study. The teachers responded to the Capability Set for Work Questionnaire, Flourishing-at-Work Scale – Short Form, Organizational Citizenship Behavior Questionnaire, and Intention to Leave Scale. The results showed that three capabilities were most likely to form part of the capability set of teachers: using knowledge and skills, building and maintaining meaningful relationships at work, and contributing to something valuable. Capabilities least likely to form part of the capability set included having a good income, involvement in important decisions, and developing knowledge and skills. The capability set was a strong predictor of emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and a moderate predictor of organizational citizenship behavior and intention to leave. A capability set for work, rather than single work capabilities, seemed to be critical for the sustainable employability of secondary school teachers.

COMPARING THE ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP IN NATURAL SCIENCES TEACHING AMONG FORMERLY SEGREGATED SCHOOLS IN GAUTENG

School organizational conditions influence teaching and learning. Instructional leadership is context-based, and the practices of the leader are contingent upon the school’s organizational context. In this paper, we examine how different schools create the organizational infrastructure for teaching and learning natural sciences (NS) and the adequacy thereof in providing a supportive environment for the teachers and students in the subject. Using a mixed methods approach, we compare the extent to which the organizational infrastructures in schools enable and/or constrain NS instruction and its leadership. We use survey data on NS teachers and their heads of department on school conditions and infrastructures, management and administrative processes, and subject leadership practices. A total of 77 schools and 15 participants responded to the questionnaire and participated in the interview/observation respectively, from 4 districts in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The findings showed that schools sharing similar socio-economic contexts have similar organizational infrastructures and arrangements around which the core work of teaching and learning was organized. The study concludes that school organizational infrastructures (shaped by contexts) may either promote or constrain effective instructional leadership for NS. We recommend that schools need to review their organizational arrangements and infrastructures to support instructional leadership and enhance their capacity to strengthen NS instruction more effectively.

Race and gender in the evolution of career decision-making: A psycho-anthropological review

Background: On 12 July 2021, riots broke out in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces of South Africa. Regardless of the various political theories, the issue surrounding these riots had the theme of inequality and poverty below the surface. The reality is that many people live in poverty, have no jobs and are desperate. It is, therefore, necessary for us to look at the issue of work and career development in a way that addresses the deepening poverty crisis in South Africa. Specifically, it may be helpful to consider how the evolution of career development led to the deep-seated inequality that we see today, with race and gender being key considerations.Objectives: In this article, the author draws primarily from the existing literature to explore how evolutionary developments and globalisation influenced career decision-making and the roles that social forces and agents of power have played, especially in the context of race and gender.Method: The author conducted a brief literature review. Issues relating to the social, political and systemic influences in the evolution of career development and decision-making were incorporated into this review, with special focus on race and gender.Results: As the historic literature was analysed, the role of social factors such as race and gender on the evolutionary path of career development came to the fore. Colonisation, apartheid, race and gender discrimination were dominant.Conclusion: Race and gender issues played significant roles in hindering career-development, with especially destructive consequences. As we proceed further into the 21st century, focus needs to be on advancing career-development initiatives for marginalised groups.

Factors influencing access to agro-processing training for small-scale crop farmers in Gauteng province of South Africa

BackgroundThe agricultural economy has little room for emerging farmers and there is no strong support system available for the small-scale farmers venturing in agro-processing. In this study, “access to agro-processing training” refers to any processing training rendered to small-scale crop farmers to equip them when venturing in to agro-processing. Small-scale crop farmers trained with high knowledge in processing and skills are pre-disposed to adopting processing as a strategy of making their processed products penetrate the agro-processing market.MethodologyData were collected from 307 small-scale crop farmers and STATA version 15 was used to perform fractional regression analyses to determine factors influencing access to training from the five types of agro-processing training (marketing training, processing training, record-keeping training, financial management training and business-plan training).ResultsThe results revealed that 26% of the small-scale crop farmers had no access to agro-processing training and 74% of the small-scale crop farmers had access to training. Farming experience had significant influence on the access to agro-processing training for small-scale farmers to function efficiently in the agro-processing industry at 5% level of significance and their coefficient was positive.ConclusionSmall-scale crop farmers with less farming experience should be encouraged to participate in the agro-processing sector as their participation can result in improved income and food security at the household levels. Furthermore, new agro-processing training programmes should be encouraged as trained farmers are more likely to participate in the value addition activities of agro-processing.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Performance Measurement Indicators Determining the Uptake of CPS for Facilities Management

With the use of cyber-physical systems (CPS) advanced computational capabilities, the delivery of facilities management (FM) mandates are efficiently and effectively conducted. Since performance measurement is an important yardstick in ascertaining the outcome of FM approaches, this study assesses the performance measurement indicators that influence the uptake of CPS for FM functions. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from built environment professionals in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Data collected was analysed using a five-stage process which includes: data reliability and validity, descriptive statistics, establishing a difference in groups’ opinion, principal component analysis, and model testing and fit statistics for confirmatory factor analysis. Results from the study indicate that three significant performance indicators are influential in determining the uptake of CPS for FM, which are operations efficiency, facility adaptation, and client’s satisfaction. The study contributes immensely to the body of knowledge. It unveils the significant performance measurement indicators that would help organisations, facilities managers, and policymakers guide their decisions hinged on the espousal of innovative technologies. Furthermore, the study serves as a solid theoretical base for further studies showcasing a roadmap for digitalisation for FM functions by unravelling the significant performance measurement indicators.

Risks of joint venture formation in the South African construction industry

The global expansion of construction joint ventures (JVs) signifies the drive to proffer solutions to some of the challenges confronting the delivery of projects in the construction industry. However, irrespective of the potential benefits resulting from JV formation for construction project delivery, it is yet associated with risks that possess significant threats to the actualisation of enhanced and effective construction project management. Therefore, this study assessed the risks characterising the formation of JVs in the South African construction industry. Quantitative data was collected from construction professionals in Gauteng province of South Africa. Data analysis was carried out using a 4-stage process which included data reliability and validity, descriptive statistics, one sample t-test and exploratory factor analysis. Findings from the study indicated a 6-pronged cluster of risks associated with JV formation in the South African construction industry. The contribution made by the study to the body of knowledge is that the findings will help stakeholders in the construction industry to be fully equipped with the requisite knowledge of the inherent risks attributed to JV formation. Thus, providing a basis for how best the identified risks can be abated, mitigated or avoided.

A principal component analysis of barriers to the implementation of blockchain technology in the South African built environment

PurposeBlockchain technology is one of the emerging innovative technologies making waves globally, and it has been adjudged to have the capability to transform businesses. With the different capabilities of the technology, such as immutability of information and decentralisation of authority attributes, the built environment is slow in its adoption. This study aims to explore the barriers to the implementation of blockchain technology in the construction using a principal component analysis (PCA) approach.Design/methodology/approachThis research took a post-positivist philosophical stance, which informed a quantitative research approach through a questionnaire survey. From the South African built environment and information technology sector, 79 respondents were drawn through a snowballing sampling technique. The built environment professionals include architect, construction project manager, construction manager, quantity surveyor and engineer. Retrieved data were screened and analysed by adopting the descriptive analysis and PCA while Cronbach alpha evaluated the reliability. Also, Kruskal–Wallis H non-parametric test was used to determine the differences in the opinion of the respondent groups.FindingsThe analysis revealed that all the identified barriers ranked above the average mean with lack of clarity, scalability risks and lack of skills or knowledge ranking top three. PCA clustered the identified barriers into three components: organisational barriers, social barriers and technological barriers.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was carried out in the Gauteng province of South Africa, leaving out other provinces due to accessibility, cost and time constraints.Practical implicationsBuilt environment organisations need to be kept abreast of the capabilities of blockchain technology as the major barrier observed was the lack of clarity of blockchain technology. Also, the technological barriers identified from this study need to be addressed by information technology experts to give consumers the desired value for money in implementing blockchain technology for the built environment.Originality/valueThe blockchain technology capabilities are incomparable to any other invention thus far. Therefore, it is very important that the numerous stakeholders in the built environment be made aware of the blockchain technology capabilities while formulating a solution to the identified barriers. This will aid its implementation in the built environment and help the industry measure up with its counterparts.

Natural Sciences Teachers' Views on the Quality of Instructional Leadership in Gauteng Schools

<p>With the increase in demand for school-based tasks, teachers, especially natural sciences (NS) teachers, are increasingly in need of professional support and leadership that will improve their subject instruction. This paper investigates NS teachers’ perspectives on the type and quality of instructional leadership provided for NS teaching and how this leadership is adapted to implement the curriculum successfully. This study adopted a mixed methods research approach to investigate the quality of instructional leadership for NS teaching. We used a dataset of NS teachers from 243 schools. Of these, 112 teachers completed the questionnaire and 10 were interviewed and observed from six schools in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics for the quantitative strands, while the qualitative strands were coded and interpreted into themes. The findings revealed that some of the participants were novices in the teaching of some sections of NS and thus tended to seek help from their peers because of the less than expected and inaccessible leadership provided by heads of department (HODs). This paper argues for the distribution of leadership by recognizing the contributions made by senior, leader, or master teachers to the professional development of NS teachers in general and the differential allocation of science HODs along junior and senior secondary school subjects. This paper contributes to an understanding of the function of subject leadership beyond formal positions in the South African context.</p>

Secondary asthma prevention measures are not adequately addressed prior to emergency department discharge!

Exacerbations of acute asthma are frequent presentations to the Emergency Department (ED) and contribute to ED overcrowding and healthcare cost. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether ED clinicians are implementing secondary asthma prevention measures prior to discharging patients after an acute asthma exacerbation and also to determine whether ED clinicians are able to correctly demonstrate how to use an asthma metered dose inhaler (MDI) device. Consenting doctors employed at four EDs situated in the Gauteng province of South Africa were asked to complete a questionnaire and thereafter demonstrate the technique of using an MDI device. Collected data was presented using descriptive statistics. Eighty-six doctors were included in the study. Of these, 18 (20.9%) routinely checked that inhaler technique was correct, 50 (58.1%) routinely enquired regarding adherence to their asthma treatment, 8 (9.3%) routinely informed patients of the side effects of asthma medication, 16 (18.6%) routinely provided patients with a written asthma action plan, 7 (8.1%) routinely evaluated for the presence of concurrent allergic rhinitis and 53 (61.6%) routinely counselled patients regarding smoking cessation. With regards to correctly demonstrating how to use an MDI device, only 23 (26.74%) physician participants performed all eight steps correctly. This study indicates that secondary asthma prevention measures are not adequately addressed by clinicians prior to discharging patients from the ED after an acute asthma attack. It is recommended that ED clinicians are educated with regards to the importance of these measures.