Research Publications (Management Sciences)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/217

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Assessing the effectiveness of an occupational health and safety system in a selected automotive assembly organisation in South Africa
(AOSIS, 2021-01-26) Zondo, Robert Walter Dumisani
Background: It has been established that high levels of safety performance are achieved by strong and positive safety climates. Good safety, health and environmental practices reduce the cost of overall healthcare delivery while increasing general productivity. These sentiments underpin the concept of an occupational health and safety (OHS) system. Aim: This study assesses the effectiveness of an OHS in a selected automotive assembly organisation in South Africa. Settings: The automotive organisation that participated in the study has adopted an OHS system. Prior to its implementation, the company experienced an increase in the rate of occupational diseases and injuries. Methods: The study objectives were achieved by examining Health and Safety (H&S) related experiences in the company. The collection of data was carried out in two phases, namely the collection of pre-OHS and post-OHS results from company records for H&S compliance, occupational diseases, as well as workplace injury rates. The pre-OHS results were quarterly data reflecting the company’s H&S performance over the 3-year period prior to the implementation of the OHS system. This company operates in the eThekwini District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. Results: The OHS system has no influence on occupational diseases, or on the workplace injury frequency rates. However, H&S compliance plays a role in the maintenance of the OHS system. Conclusion: In order to maximise performance, a comprehensive OHS policy must be developed that aligns management commitment to the OHS system. Thus, the study uncovered the strengths and weaknesses of OHS in this automotive assembly organisation in South Africa.
Disaster management in India : need for an integrated approach
(Disaster Advances, 2022-07-22) Sriram, Divi; Dorasamy, Nirmala; Vipul, Nakum
It is now widely known that the hazards can be natural, but most disasters are ‘human-made’. The failure to properly implement developmental policies and practices with due consideration to disaster risk management is the leading cause of turning a hazard into a disaster.25 This, in return, negatively affects sustainable development which ultimately affects the weakest and the poorest sections of society. Disaster impacts have been felt on a wide range of sectors and sections of the population. They are curbing progress made toward achieving the Sendai Framework targets, and SDGs. Climate and human-induced disaster events have exposed several underlying facets of risks' systemic and cascading nature. There is an urgent need to identify, analyse and better understand the multihazard, systemic and cascading nature of the disaster and climate risks, their inter-linkages, and interplay. A holistic understanding of risk is crucial for furthering the priorities of action laid under the Sendai Framework and the envisioned SDGs and ensuring a better, greener, resilient and sustainable society. We have tried to study the disaster management frameworks, plans and policies of 10 countries including India to understand the institutional mechanisms and integration of critical aspects of dual/multi disaster scenarios. When the traditional disasters hit the community following the COVID-19 pandemic, the need arises to have an integrated model that can assisting in the preparation and response to the dual situation simultaneously. Efforts are made to put the experiences into a framework for an integrated approach preparing for dual/multi-disaster scenarios.
The perceived influence on organizational productivity : a perspective of a public entity
(Business Perspectives, 2016) Green, Paul
In an economic climate characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, organizational productivity plays a more central role in determining success. There are many factors that impinge upon employees in their daily execution of duties that affect output. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence organizational productivity, specifically, from the viewpoint of its employees. The study draws upon a quantitative paradigm using a non-probability sampling technique. Data were collected from a total of 161 employees using a structured questionnaire across two different office sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Statistical correlation tests were administered, and the findings indicate an association between organizational policies and employee benefit; organizational policies and performance appraisal; and performance appraisal and employee benefit. This research also confirms the findings of others, more significantly, in terms of reinforcing the perceptions of leadership and work-life balance as influential factors.
Prospects for, and challenges of, knowledge sharing in the South African public sector : a literature review
(2022-11-07) Matlala, Mpubane Emanuel; Maphoto, Asania Reneilwe
Today’s rapid pace of globalization has driven the current business environment into a permanent state of dynamic change. In the process, organizations have realised that, to ensure their survival, they need to efficiently manage the knowledge and skills available to them. Central to such a management practice is knowledge sharing which has come to play an important role in the building of sustainable competitiveness in a turbulent business climate. In a knowledge culture, it is the sharing of information that promotes innovative thinking. If government departments fail to adopt knowledge sharing practices, the preservation of their organizational memories is put at risk, also in view of the regular transfer of experienced workforces. The lack of a fruitful implementation of knowledge sharing practices diminishes the capacity to sustain government departments and this impacts negatively on the country’s economic growth. The current study reviews the prospects for, and the challenges posed by, knowledge sharing practices in the South African public sector. The objective of the study is to describe what possibilities the 21st century holds for improved knowledge sharing in the South African public sector. The collected data is analysed using a thematic content approach. The results outline that organizational structures in government departments are hierarchical and this hampers information sharing. The prevailing organizational culture does not support and encourage the creation and sharing of knowledge among staff members. The skills needed to facilitate the sharing of knowledge are insufficient, while there is no clearly defined responsibility for initiatives concerned with knowledge management. The study recommends the public sector organizations of South Africa to clearly formulate precise processes, policy frameworks and responsibilities that ensure the effective identification, capturing, managing, transferring and sharing of knowledge within the organizations.
Transforming the European migrant crisis into rural developmental opportunities : the case of Latvia
(David Publishing Company, 2019-09-28) Bakre, Olayemi Rahman; Dorasamy, Nirmala
The European migrant crisis has been accentuated as the most momentous challenge that the European Union has faced since its establishment in 1993. The magnitude of this migration crisis is been amplified by political instability in the Middle East, wars, limited economic opportunities, and climate change. Migration analysts have viewed this “polycrisis” from an optimistic and pessimist perspective. The paper however pursues that of optimism and explores how the integration of skilled political migrants can be integrated into shrinking Latvian communities with an agendum to transforming the economically stagnated rural communities into viable rural spaces. The researcher interviewed 91 immigrants from nine countries to gain an insight into perception of political migrants amongst other variables. Furthermore, inductive and deductive approaches were used in synthesizing pertinent information from official records and reports on the above subject matter. A core emphasis of the paper was that the shrinking population of Latvia will adversely impede its future economic development. Hence, the paper advocates a systematic integration of skilled political migrants into the Latvian rural economy as an agendum to accelerating rural development.
Understanding household water-use behaviour in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa
(IWA Publishing, 2021-10) Murwirapachena, Genius
Climate change, population growth and industrial activities continue to threaten water security, especially in the semi-arid regions. Demand management policies are essential in minimising the effects of acute water shortages. Such policies require information on household water consumption patterns and their behavioural practices. This study examines household water consumption behaviour and the adoption of water-efficient appliances in Johannesburg, South Africa. The study uses probit regression models to analyse survey data collected from 889 households during the period November 2017 to February 2018. Results show that while most households do not have water-efficient appliances installed in their homes, they do practise water-efficient behaviour. Older respondents as well as males and lower-income respondents are found to be more likely to practise efficient water-use behaviour. However, biographical variables do not generally influence the adoption of water-efficient appliances. These results are essential for policy-makers when formulating targeted water demand management policies. Thus, policy-makers should focus more on younger people, women and higher-income households when developing campaigns on efficient water-use