Research Publications (Management Sciences)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/217
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Item Exploring the motives for operating in Ghana's informal slum sector(2019) Zogli, Luther-King Junior; Lawa, Emmanuel; Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Kabange, Martin MulundaAbstract: In the developing world, slums house a sizeable amount of the urban population and most slum inhabitants are engaged in informal activities. In Sub Sahara African countries this sector has historically contributed above 50% to non-agricultural Gross Value Added. Informal sector activities in Ghanaian slums employ a substantial amount of people, who on average earn about $8 a day, a figure which is above the poverty threshold of $2 a day. Most of these slum activity operators reside in slums whereas a sizable amount reside in formal housing, a phenomenon which has led to the growth of Ghanaian urban slums. To assist these slum operators to grow and someday integrate into the formal sector, it is important to find out the factors that motivated them to engage in these activities in the first place. The study employed Exploratory Factor Analysis, on a sample of 344 drawn from the two biggest slums (Sodom & Gomorrah and Akwatia Line) in Ghana’s two major cities, Accra and Kumasi respectively. The results show a set of six clusters, explaining 61% of the variation in motives for slum activities. The avoidance of government regulation was found as the main motive for one’s involvement in slum activities. Other driving forces include the ‘luxury’ of working at one’s own time, making use of one’s talents and family relations, as well as the quest for earning a higher incomeItem Adjustment experiences of first-year students in South Africa(2020) Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Tom, Reyagalaletsa Felicity; Nel, Kathryn Anne; Zogli, Luther-King JuniorBackground and Objective: For most students, adjusting to both social and academic life entails engenders a modicum of stress and emotional challenges for most students, resulting in risks of students drop-out. The current study sought insight and understanding into the adjustment experiences of first-year students at a previously disadvantaged tertiary institution of Higher learning in South Africa. Materials and Method: Qualitative research was conducted to establish the lived experiences of the participants. Four focus with eighteen first-year participants from different departments were utilised for data collection. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews, which allowed probing. Thematic Content Analysis was employed to gather themes from the data. Results: The main results indicated that first-year students found life was different, many old familiar and predictable relationships disintegrating. However, they also found independence and the resilience to adapt to change. Positive adjustment experiences and coping mechanisms included working hard, interacting with lecturing staff and attending religious events, while negative ones included drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. Conclusions: The study recommended that orientation for first-year students is imperative and should incorporate a programme that helped first-year students understand the challenges they are likely to face in this new phase of their academic and social development.Item Determinants of income in the informal sector : a case of selected slums in Ghana(2019-12-01) Zogli, Luther-King Junior; Lawa, Emmanuel; Dlamini, Bongani InnocentThis paper investigates the determinants of income earned in two informal slum economies in Ghana, using OLS regression analysis. Amongst factors, operator’s social networks, locus of control, type of economic activity, educational level, age of business and labour size, it was found that labour size was the main determinant of average daily income in slum activities in Ghana, with a 25% increase in average daily income for every extra person employed. Also, an extra year of experience in running the same business increases income by 10%. This reflects that, a slum operator’s continuous operation (learning and earning by doing) over the years, helps to augment income. An extra year of formal education on the other hand only increases daily income by 1%.Item Factors influencing entrepreneurial intention : a case of students in a South African University(2020-01-01) Nsahlai, Veritas Kiyven; Zogli, Luther-King Junior; Lawa, Emmanuel; Dlamini, Bongani InnocentEntrepreneurship has been globally adopted as a strategic approach in facilitating economic participation among youth. On an individual level, entrepreneurship affords young people their independence and autonomy to pursue their dreams. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that motivate youth entrepreneurial intention amongst students in a South African university. Using a cross-sectional design with a quantitative structured questionnaire, a sample of 247 students was interviewed and the collected data was analysed with Principal component analysis. The results showed four major factors that influence students' entrepreneurial intentions. These factors include the quest to create sustainable employment, the need for independence and self-development, the quest to use one's knowledge and search for financial security and finally to take risks and challenge oneself.Item Investigating the deterring factors for youth entrepreneurial intention among students at a South African University(Lifescience Global, 2020-12-28) Nsahlai, Veritas Kiyven; Zogli, Luther-King Junior; Lawa, Emmanuel; Dlamini, Bongani InnocentYouth unemployment, which is a global phenomenon, is one of the main causes of poverty amongst the youth of South Africa. It has been observed that attaining a university qualification, no longer guarantees one an employment opportunity as the job market is highly saturated and cannot accommodate the thousands of young graduates churned out by universities each year. This leaves graduates with two options, either start a business or to remain unemployed and hope for an employment opportunity. This economic problem has led academics to inquire about what possible factors may influence young people to engage in entrepreneurship and what may turn them away from starting their own business. Although entrepreneurship has been purported globally as the springboard in facilitating economic participation among youth, they face many stumbling blocks during their entrepreneurial journey. The current study, therefore, sought to explore the factors that may deter youth entrepreneurial intention at a South African university. This is a quantitative research approach and data were collected using structured questionnaires from 247 participants and analysed using Factor analysis. It was discovered that lack of business management skills, risk and economic difficulties, financial challenges, lack of a support system, uncertain future and difficulty in finding partners, bureaucracy and crime as well as lack of relevant information were the factors deterring prospective young entrepreneurs from engaging in entrepreneurial activities.Item Assessing the integrated development plan as a performance management system in a municipality(2021-01-01) Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Zogli, Luther-King JuniorThis paper examines the role the IDP as a performance management system in a municipality. Notwithstanding unsurpassed planning efforts towards sustainable development, municipalities nationally appear to be losing this battle. South African municipalities are confronted with harsh realities after 12 years of legislated Integrated Development Planning (IDP) as poverty remains widespread and persists alongside affluence and increasing inequalities. Service delivery mechanisms in municipalities are hampered by bureaucratic tendencies within Local Government and the ambiguity attached to some projects. This research, grounded within the positivist paradigm, evaluates the IDP as a Performance Management System (PMS) in UGU District Municipality. Interviews were conducted amongst employees of UGU District Municipality and the community served by the municipality to evaluate the extent to which the IDP is used as a tool to deliver sustainable development. The study utilized the quantitative research approach and participants were selected using stratified sampling. The research results indicated that the overwhelming perception of the participants was that the implementation of the IDP at UGU District Municipality had been successful. The IDP was deemed to be a strategic mechanism in finding the best solution to achieve superior long-term developmental objectives.Item Challenges facing HRM practitioners in achieving organisational effectiveness in South African State-owned enterprises(2021) Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Zogli, Luther-King Junior; Muzanenhamo, ArvidThe South African state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have drawn criticism in the country concerning their performance. Retrenchments and government bailouts have been resorted to for South African SOEs in a bid to avoid liquidation. As a result, Human Resource Management is regarded as a source of organisational competence which aims at improving employee morale, reducing cost of operations and quality service improvement. An investigation was undertaken at a selected South African SOE to examine the challenges facing human resource professionals in obtaining organisational competitiveness. A qualitative research design was applied, and interviews were used on human resource practitioners who occupy departmental supervisory positions. The study revealed that Human Resources departments experienced challenges such as lack of technology, high labour turnover, and not attracting skilled technical personnel thus impending company competitiveness.Item Towards achieving organisational competitiveness: the role of human resource management in state-owned enterprises(2021) Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Muzanenhamo, Arvid; Zogli, Luther-King JuniorThis study examined the role of Human Resource Management (HRM) in achieving organisational competitiveness in a selected South African State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) in Gauteng province.A qualitative research approach wasused with data obtained usingstructured interviewsfrom the company’s human resource practitioners and departmental heads. Purposive non-probability sampling was applied in recruiting 24 participants and data was analysed usingthematic analysis. The study revealed that, HRMdepartment provided opportunities for employees to upskill themselves through short courses and university degrees such as honours, masters and PhDs. However, employees reported that their remuneration packages are not commensurate with their skill sets and capabilities leading to low morale. It was therefore recommended for the organisation to conduct an industrial survey to decipher the going remuneration rates in order to offer competitive packages to their employees.Item Assessing the effectiveness of Human Resource Management in creating organisational competitiveness in a South African state-owned enterprise(Richtmann Publishing, 2021-05) Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Zogli, Luther-King Junior; Muzanenhamo, ArvidSouth African state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been underperforming for the past decade riddled with poor service delivery, employee retrenchments, lack of employee motivation and inability to embrace innovative approaches in management of business. There has been a call from the South African government for SOEs to self-renew and become effective in service delivery. As a result the role of human resource management (HRM) assist organisations to become effective through the use of innovative human resource practices. This paper is an investigation carried out at a selected South African SOE to determine the effectiveness of HRM in creating organisational competitiveness. A qualitative research approach was adopted where interviews were used to gather data from the company’s human resource practitioners and departmental heads. Non-probability sampling was used and 24 participants were purposively selected. The study revealed that HR practitioners do not participate in policy reviews whereas their skills are underutilised, they lack latest technology and it was noted that there is excessive control from high authorities. Received: 11 February 2021 / Accepted: 16 March 2021 / Published: 17 May 2021Item Ambient situation and customer satisfaction in restaurant businesses: a management perspective(2022-01-01) Agbenyegah, Albert Tchey; Zogli, Luther-King Junior; Dlamini, Bongani Innocent; Mofokeng, Nyane Ezekiel MacDonald; Kabange, Martin MulundaThe current study illustrates the influence of restaurant ambient conditions on customers satisfaction in the tourism and hospitality industries through cluster and simple random techniques. The primary objective was to ascertain the relationship between the restaurant ambient conditions and customer satisfaction in rural restaurants. A closed-ended questionnaires with varying options were designed to collect primary data from randomly selected customers from 11 restaurants from the study settings. Primary data was analysed via the SPSS software based on statistical tools of regression analysis to determine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Final outcomes indicated significant relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The restaurant ambient conditions have significant relationship with customer satisfaction. Based on the findings, this study recommends that owner-managers of restaurants in rural areas need to improve the bulk of the ambient situations to attract more customers. This empirical study contributes to existing literature on the tourism and hospitality industry with specific reference to the restaurant businesses.