Sector In Botswana Research Articles

Public vs private sector employment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that may be related to a career choice in the public vs the private sector in a developing African country. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of graduate management students, the authors tested reward preferences and altruism, elements of public service motivation, on their generalizability to a developing country in Africa. The authors also examine the role of career attitudes, individual personality factors, and cultural values on a career choice in public service. Findings The authors find that not all the factors associated with the choice of sector (public or private) found in previous studies apply in the Botswana context. Research limitations/implications Perry and Wise (1990) developed the concept of public service motivation to explain why individuals may be motivated to serve the public. However, two of the factors associated with public service, intrinsic motivation, and altruism, were not predictive of a career choice in the public sector in Botswana, and thus may limit its generalizability outside of western developed countries. Practical implications In Botswana and other developing economies, government jobs are considered to provide lucrative and stable employment, and attract educated citizens regardless of motivations. However, as the private-for-profit sector is emerging, these countries could soon be facing serious competition for top university students, and will need to develop a strategy for attracting the best talents to choose employment in the public sector over career options in the private sector. Originality/value The present study seeks to further the understanding on how individuals make a career choice between public vs private sector management in a developing country.

Statistical Modelling of Botswana’s Monthly Maximum Wind Speed using a Four-Parameter Kappa Distribution

Wind speed modelling has been key to many environmental and engineering applications, particularly in environmentally friendly wind power generation to meet energy demands. Efficient assessment of wind speed at different recurrence intervals requires the choice of a suitable statistical distribution and an unbiased method of parameter estimation. This study suggests the use of a four parameter Kappa distribution, with its parameters estimated using the method of L-moments, to model Botswana’s monthly maximum wind speed data at six meteorological weather stations. These synoptic weather stations are Gaborone, Sir Seretse Khama Airport, Tsabong, Tshane, Gantsi and Maun which are broadly spread across the country’s economic activity centres. Reliable wind speed quantiles have been obtained for the selected stations and have been found to fall within the interval 13.80 to 21.69 m s-1. Mean maximum wind speeds have been found to range between 12.65 and 14.97 m s-1, with standard deviations ranging between 1.58 and 2.44 m s-1. These results can reliably be used by environmentalists and technologists working in the energy sector in Botswana.

Analysis of Constraints and Opportunities in Dairy Production in Botswana: Producer’s Perspectives

Dairy enterprise has been a major source of employment and income generation in most of the economies worldwide. Botswana government has also identified dairy as one of the agricultural sub-sectors towards diversification of the mineral dependent economy of the country. Despite the government’s efforts, dairy sector in Botswana has not grown satisfactorily and therefore the local demand of milk and milk products is met by imports which increase the import bill of the country by millions per annum. The huge gap between local demand and production of milk and milk products clearly indicated that there are not only constraints but also; opportunities exist in this sub sector of agriculture. Therefore, this study was an attempt to identify constraints and opportunities in dairy production in Botswana. The possible strategies to mitigate the constraints were also identified. This quantitative study adopted an exploratory survey research design. A pilot survey followed by a final survey was conducted for data collection. Based on the information from pilot survey, a four point likert’s scale type questionnaire was constructed, validated and tested for its reliability to be used in final survey. The data for the final survey was collected from purposively selected twenty five dairy farmers in Botswana. The statistical analytical tools of mean, standard deviation and Chi Square test were employed to analyze data. Among the twelve constraints identified; high feed costs, feed shortage and unavailability, lack of technical support, lack of skilled manpower, high prevalence of pests and diseases and, lack of dairy related technologies were the major constraints in dairy production. Grain feed production, roughage feed production, manufacturing of dairy feed, establishment of milk processing industry and, development of transportation systems were the major opportunities among the eight opportunities identified. Increasing production of animal feed locally, increasing roughage feed production locally, provision of subsidy on animal feed, easy access to sufficient financial support, training of the farmers and, effective control of pests and diseases were identified as the major strategies to mitigate the constraints. Moreover, the opportunities can be realised by adopting the strategies to mitigate the constraints in the dairy production. It was recommended that the identified constraints and opportunities as well as the strategies to mitigate the constraints need to be carefully considered by the stakeholders especially, policy makers during the formulation and implementation of the policies for the sustainable growth and development of dairy sector in Botswana.

An Evaluation of the Management of Office Buildings in the Public Sector of Botswana

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the management of office buildings in the public sector of Botswana. Research design/methodology/approach – Both qualitative and quantitative research methods (interviews and questionnaire) were used to obtain data in order to meet the objective of the study. A survey involving a self-administered questionnaire to property managers/Estate officers in the department of Lands was used. Significance - The study is relevant in the sense that it will establish how much information is readily available on this particular topic. Findings – The study revealed that there was generally a lack of information on the offices that are managed by the Department of Lands due to a number of factors. The study also found that the leasing/rental expenditure has reduced to P28 million per annum as compared to the previous results which showed annual expenditure of P96 Million in 2005. This is as a result of the two new buildings that the government has constructed (Kampamba & Cloete, 2009; Kampamba & Cloete, 2010). Originality/value – From the key findings, recommendations are made in this paper to improve the management of office buildings. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4s3p350

Capturing Agency and Voice in Research: A Critical Review of Studies of Youth Unemployment, Self-employment and the Informal Sector in Botswana

<p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This article reviews literature on youth unemployment and self-employment as well as the informal sector in Botswana and the extent to which young people feature as agents in these studies. It pays attention to their areas of focus, research questions, and methodologies employed to understand the situation of youth unemployment and self-employment. One key finding coming from this review is that most of research portrays young people as overwhelmed by structural constraints and no attention is paid to their agency in the form of their perceptions of the situations they encounter as well as the strategies they use to respond to constraints and enablements. The article concludes by way of suggesting the methods and use of theoretical frameworks that would give a voice to young people as agents, which researchers should pay attention to in research designs. </span></p>

Towards the incorporation of activity-based learning and reflection into Botswana information systems development practice

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to report on a co-design process that was initiated between government and the private sector in Botswana to redesign current ISD practice with particular focus on finding a solution for learning failure. Learning failure was analysed retrospectively using concepts of “task conscious” and “learning conscious” learning.Design/methodology/approach– On the basis of a typical Botswana ISD project in which the lead researcher participated, inefficiencies and shortcomings in the standardised Botswana ISD process in terms of full utilisation of learning processes to support systems success were examined. Through the Developmental Work Research (DWR) methodology, which is based on Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) principles, IS practitioners from government and the private sector, together with users collaborated to redesign the current Botswana ISD work practice in order to address this shortcoming.Findings– The result has been the incorporation of activity-based learning and reflection into a proposed improved ISD practice framework for Botswana.Practical implications– Through collaborative redesign between government and industry, a new Botswana ISD practice model that incorporates activity-based learning and reflection has been designed, and findings from examination of the model suggest that it has potential to address current learning deficiencies and thus contribute to efforts of avoiding IS failures. There have also been contributions to DWR resulting from the way in which the methodology was applied.Originality/value– This is the first known study that uses concepts of “task-conscious” and “learning-conscious” learning to analyse learning retrospectively and at the same time adopting the DWR methodology in the social context of a developing country such as Botswana.

SWOT Analysis for the Banking Sector in Botswana

The increasing importance of the banking sector in Botswana cannot be emphasised more than the fact that it is one of the strongest sectors providing developmental support to the rest of the economy. The sector has shown considerable growth since the 1990s when Bank of Botswana started allowing more competition in the banking market. The role of Bank of Botswana in regulating banking activities is discussed succinctly to give a robust background to an extensive assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by banks in Botswana.

The Effect of HIV/AIDS on Job Satisfaction amongst the Nurses in the Public Health Sector of Botswana

The purpose of this paper was to explore the effect of HIV/AIDS on job satisfaction amongstthenurses in the public health sector of Botswana. Despite the intensive research on job satisfaction, it would seem dissatisfaction with work has reached critical levels throughout the society and that the nursing profession is no exception to this growing trend. The current study demonstrates that HIV/AIDS has a negative effect on the satisfaction of the nurses and this supports some of the earlier studies on job satisfaction. Therefore the exploration of the effect of HIV/AIDS on job satisfaction has the potential to aid development of strategies to improve the declining level of job satisfaction among nurses in Botswana.

Nurses Perception Of Their Workload And Pay In The Era Of HIV/AIDS In Gaborone And The Surrounding Areas Of Botswana

AbstractThe purpose of this research paper was to explore how HIV/AIDS manipulate nurses’ perception of their workload and pay in the era of HIV/AIDS in Gaborone and the surrounding areas of Botswana. The health care sector in Botswana is overwhelmed by HIV/AIDS, and this takes a toll on the nurses because they are the ones at the forefront in the fight against this demanding and risky illness at the workplace. The focus in this study was on the workload and pay in the era of HIV/AIDS. The general picture that emerges from the current study is that nurses are dissatisfied with their pay and to some extent the workload and this supports some of the earlier studies which reinforce their importance in the workplace. The study used both primary and secondary sources of information. For the purpose of this study convenience sampling was used. A questionnaire was used for data collection. The study adapted Index of Organizational Reactions (IOR). The findings of the current study will help the government to design strategies that will increase the level of job satisfaction among the nurses in the public health care sector of Botswana.

Stimulating informal sector through vocational education in Botswana

The informal sector in Botswana, just like in many other developing countries, has evolved out of the existing economic conditions where the formal sector has not been able to generate enough employment opportunities. The sector has thus played a significant role in creating employment opportunities for this section of the population, therefore contributing to poverty reduction as well. As is the case with other developing economies however, the educational system in Botswana has not been very supportive of the informal sector in terms of equipping participants with technical and business skills to run productive business enterprises. There is an apparent gap between the current training set up and the needs of informal sector participants, which has resulted in poor performance and stagnant growth of most enterprises in the informal sector. An extensive training needs assessment survey is therefore recommended to identify the specific areas that need strengthening, including reform of institutional arrangements. It is important to acknowledge however, that training is but one aspect of stimulating performance and development of informal sector enterprises. It is imperative therefore, for strategies aimed at improving the performance of informal enterprises, to be all encompassing and complementary.

Open source software deployment in the public sector: a review of Botswana and South Africa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review use of open source software in the public sector in Botswana and South Africa. South Africa is Botswana's neighbor and both countries are leading economies in Africa.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on a survey that was carried out in information communication technology (ICT)‐intensive government ministries in Botswana in May 2008. The study sought to establish availability of policy framework, level of usage of open source software, government support, motivations for implementing open source software in government, availability of skills, attitude of it managers in government toward open source software and challenges of open source software deployment in the public sector. The population of the study consisted of information technology (IT) managers who were purposively selected from ICT‐intensive government ministries and interviewed. The study was extended to cover South Africa through review of literature on the same issues as those studied in Botswana.FindingsCompared with other countries in developed and developing countries including South Africa, there is limited use of open source software in the public sector in Botswana. However, IT managers in government of Botswana demonstrate a positive attitude toward open source software, and seem to have adequate understanding of its potential benefits. Comparatively, South African government provides support for harnessing open source software; awareness among top government officials is high and attitude toward open source software seems positive; skills are generally available and hardly any challenges of using open source software were identified.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was limited to purposively selected government ministries which are ICT‐intensive in Botswana, while for South Africa, the study was based on secondary sources of data and focused on deployment of open source software in government agencies.Practical implicationsDespite the increasing deployment of open source software in government across the world, the Botswanan government is yet unlikely to put in place an enabling open source software policy to harness the potential of the Software.Originality/valueOpen source software deployment in government across the world is gaining momentum purportedly to enhance universal access, reduce costs associated with commercial software bridge the digital divide, grow indigenous IT skills, etc. Botswana and South Africa are the economic frontline states in Africa, and their leadership role in this matter among counterparts on the African continent is pertinent.

E-Records Readiness in the Public Sector in Botswana

This article presents the findings of the study that was carried out in2006. The objective of the study was to evaluate the status of erecordsreadiness in the public sector in Botswana. Data was collectedthrough in-depth interviews and analysed using the StatisticalPackage for Social Sciences. The key findings of the study revealedthat e-records readiness in Botswana is low on account of a lack ofpolicy and legislative framework for e-records. The study populationconsisted of government ministries.

Contextual factors associated with treatment-seeking and higher-risk sexual behaviour in Botswana among men with symptoms of sexually transmitted infections

This study investigates contextual factors associated with treatment-seeking behaviour and higher-risk sexual conduct of men symptomatic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Botswana. Data were drawn from a randomly selected, nationally representative sample of 8 222 men, aged 15–64 years, who had reported having symptoms suggestive of an STI during the previous twelve months. Higher-risk behaviour continues to sustain the HIV epidemic in Botswana. At the heart of Botswana's epidemic lies men's reluctance to seek medical treatment, engaging in unprotected sex, and having sex with multiple partners while symptomatic of an STI. The odds of engaging in unprotected sex while symptomatic of an STI were significantly higher among teenage males and males in urban households. For every year's increase in the age difference between partners there was a 28% increase in the odds of the male having had unprotected sex. Being married and having had more than one sexual partner in the last year multiplied the odds of having unprotected sex while symptomatic of an STI by three times. The longer an infected man remained with symptoms before seeking help, the more likely it was to have unprotected sex while infected and the more likely to seek treatment from a traditional healer. Notably, having sought medical treatment from hospitals, clinics and health workers, as opposed to consulting traditional healers, significantly reduced the odds of having had unprotected sex while infected with an STI by 48%. The results indicate the need to encourage men to utilise public healthcare services. The public health sector in Botswana needs to provide healthcare services that are user-friendly for men. Increasing the number of treatment sites may also contribute to preventing onward transmission of STIs. Special attention needs to be paid to boys' socialisation towards gender norms, and men are to be encouraged to play a responsible role in HIV prevention.

E‐readiness of SMEs in the ICT sector in Botswana with respect to information access

PurposeThe paper aims to present the e‐readiness status of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector in Botswana and make comparisons with global trends.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a doctoral project that was carried out at the University of Johannesburg from 2002 to 2005. A qualitative approach was employed using both focus group discussions and in‐depth interviews to collect data.FindingsThe findings revealed that SMEs in Botswana, like their counterparts in most developing countries, had not achieved a reasonable measure of e‐readiness status compared to the developed world.Research limitations/implicationsThere is paucity of research on the e‐readiness of SMEs in developing countries, especially with respect to information access. Furthermore e‐readiness, being a new phenomenon, does not yet have an established theoretical basis and a universally acknowledged definition.Practical implicationsThis study presents a framework that has the potential to assist governments, especially in the developing world, to make informed ICT investment decisions that will enable SMEs to penetrate the international electronic business environment. Moreover, the findings provide a lens through which SMEs, especially in developing world, would benchmark their e‐readiness status against the best in the world and effectively undertake corrective measures.Originality/valueThe existing e‐readiness measurement tools are largely quantitative and only address the qualitative dimension of the phenomenon in a limited way. In addition, the tools focus more on ICT, business, policy and legislative framework and underplay the information access factor. Furthermore, whereas e‐readiness research is increasingly populating development, IT and business literature, little is happening within the information science discipline. Finally, most e‐readiness studies have confined to macro (national) assessments and ignored sectoral‐level environments.

Designing a robust electricity regulator model using the systems approach with application to liberalization of the electricity sector in Botswana

The electricity supply industry in Botswana is targeted for privatization in the near future. The paper presents the current contextual characteristics of the electricity sector in Botswana and the structure of the wholesale electricity market, as proposed under deregulation. Under deregulation, the sector will be overseen by an electricity regulator yet to be formed. The paper presents an electricity regulator model intended for deregulation in Botswana. Two systems approaches have been used to design the regulator model: qualitative system dynamics and the viable system model. The characteristics of the sector have been integrated into the regulator model through the systems approaches to ensure that the model will be relevant, effective, efficient, and responsive to the sector under liberalization. The regulator model comprises four modules, including the structure.

Why change fails: knowledge counts

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the relationship between managers' understanding of a specific organizational change process and their attitudes towards implementing the change.Design/methodology/approachAfter a review of the current literature on the link between organizational change, knowledge of the change, and attitudes towards implementing the change, limited research was found that examined the relationship between knowledge of change and resistance to change. Then original empirical research was conducted by administering a survey to 296 managers from the Botswana Government.FindingsThe results of the regression models suggest that managers who understand the change effort are more likely to be less resistant to change. Specifically, the more a manager understood the change, the more likely they were to be excited about the change, the less likely that they would think the change effort would fail, and the less likely they were to state that they wished their organization had never implemented the change.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of our research is that the data are self‐reported. The managers themselves rated their knowledge of the change and their resistance or lack of resistance to the change. However, because the question is one where social desirability bias (a major concern of self‐reported data) would lead to no variance (all managers should have said that they understood the change) and the self‐report bias is minimal. The research implications are that a link between knowledge of the organizational change has been found, and resistance to change, adding to the literature on why individuals resist change.Practical implicationsThe practical implications is that senior managers need to focus more on developing checks to ensure that managers understand the change program and the implications of the change program as a way of ensuring that they, and their subordinates, understand the change program.Originality/valueThe value of the study is that it is one of the first studies to empirically show a link between knowledge of change and resistance to change. The originality of the study is the dataset (managers from the public sector in Botswana) and the application (managers attempting to implement total quality techniques in a large‐scale bureaucracy).

Bandwidth bottlenecks at the University of Botswana

PurposeTo examine the technical reasons for excessively slow internet speeds at the University of Botswana, to discover the present state of development efforts addressing such examples of the qualitative digital divide, and to recommend remedies.Design/methodology/approachSurveys of students, the authors' professional experiences, and reports from corporate, public, and intergovernmental organizations provided insights into the effects – and causes – of internet slowdown.FindingsBandwidth bottlenecks were identified in successive stages of intercontinental internet traffic. Causes included network design and capacity, telecommunications regulations, and competing budgetary demands within Botswana.Research limitations/implicationsMuch of the literature on the digital divide has stressed plentiful hardware and internet connections in affluent societies versus their scarcity in developing societies. This study illustrates that hardware and connections are necessary but not sufficient for adequate online performance. Technological advance and development can each stimulate the other, and that two‐way interconnection necessitates more than a simple call for more spending to increase developing countries' bandwidth. The paper presents recommendations in addition to higher funding.Originality/valueStudent and other micro‐level data serve as measures for the local performance of a global utility, the internet. Tracking message transmission uncovers bottlenecks along the path of the intercontinental internet, specifically as it reaches Africa. These “street‐level” approaches can assist the international aid community, the telecommunications industry, and the public sector in Botswana and elsewhere in removing obstacles to the internet as a potentially important tool for national‐ and human‐development.

Making Botswana an information society: current developments

This paper discusses current developments in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in Botswana and the implications for moving the country toward an information society. The paper assesses ICT infrastructure, policy and regulatory status within the frameworks of: Botswana's national development blue print, Vision 2016; Africa's Information Society Initiative (AISI); Digital Opportunity Task Force of G8 (DOT Force); and the forthcoming World Summit on Information Society (WSIS). Challenges that the country must overcome to attain information society status are discussed and the way forward charted out.

Information for the Vocational Education and Training Sector in Botswana

Presents the findings and recommendations of a study commissioned by Botswana Training Authority (BOTA) in 2002 to determine the information needs and extent of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) information infrastructure in Botswana. The results showed that the information infrastructure in the sector is undeveloped with most institutions lacking information resource centres. Stakeholders’ information needs were varied and included information on: training standards, best practices, quality assurance, benchmarking, registration and accreditation, quality inspection, and productivity. Stakeholders supported the need for BOTA to establish a modern resource centre to provide referral services to the sector.

Concentration in Botswana's banking sector

This study examines the degree of competition and efficiency within the commercial banking sector of Botswana. By applying the Herfindahl index, the paper provides an empirical methodology for assessing competition and market concentration among commercial banks. The study also utilises alternative measures of bank input and output by developing simple descriptive indices to assess the level of efficiency in Botswana’s banking sector. Overall, the results indicate that the implementation since 1989, of policies to liberalise and reform financial sector activities has contributed to increased competitiveness and efficiency amongst Botswana’s commercial banks.