Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)

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Addressing bullying at a primary school in the Ilembe District, Kwazulu-Natal
(2023-04) Mthembu, David Nhlakanipho; Hamlall, Vijay
School-based bullying has over the recent years become increasingly common and vicious. Schools are a microcosm of society in general. The society we inhabit has become increasingly intolerant and violent. Kruger (2013) highlighted that bullying is rife in today's school culture, with devastating consequences which negatively affect not only learners and staff, but the broader neighbourhood community, the general school climate, and the overall functioning of the school. Research, according to Kruger (2013), shows that bullying can be a precursor to aggression and, if not addressed, may lead to more serious acts of violence. Bullying is a common problem in this school, according to the research. Boys are more likely to engage in physical bullying, such as beating, punching, and kicking, whereas girls are more likely to engage in verbal bullying, such as insulting, name calling, and spreading rumours, as well as cyber bullying. The study discovered that these types of bullying had a physical, emotional, and psychological impact on students. Bullying was found to be influenced by gender, age, socioeconomic level, and sexuality in this school. The school playground has also been identified as a common site for bullying. Gender discourses, according to the findings, play a significant role in promoting bullying in this school, as boys attempt to exert control over girls. The motivation of this study emanates from the need to tackle school bullying against the backdrop of violence that learners face in their school and home life. According to Childline (2019) bullying gangs often become violent gangs that are involved in crime, so schools need to respond pro-actively to bullying to prevent it becoming gangsterism. Research shows that most children believe that when they report the bullying to an educator nothing is going to be done to stop it. The overall aim of this study was to investigate and address bullying among learners at Sund Primary School in Mandeni, iLembe District. The goals of this study was to uncover the nature of bullying that learners face, the causes and consequences of bullying at the school, the effects of bullying on learners’ lives, to use participatory action research to plan and implement a programme aimed at creating a safe positive environment and to evaluate the short-term outcome of the programme. vii A qualitative Participatory Action Research was used in this study. The data was gathered through semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. The study included ten boys, ten girls and three educators as participants. This study was further aimed at contributing towards peace building and creating harmonious teaching and learning schooling environments through an ant-bullying intervention programme.
Addressing gender-based violence in Umlazi, Ward 83 Durban
(2023) Khuzwayo, Zanele Maureen; Hamlall, Vijay
Extensive research has pointed to ongoing and increasing gender-based violence internationally and in South Africa. The rampant escalation of gender-based violence in many South African townships is of particular concern. The main focus of this study was to investigate the experiences, perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding gender-based violence of a sample of men and women living in Ward 83 in the township of Umlazi, in KwaZulu-Natal. This study looked beyond the dichotomy of women as victims and men as perpetrators, with a focus on understanding how society constrains and enables individual agency around gender-based violence and decision-making and how behaviour is affected by social norms and expectations. This study identified the sources of the attitudes and beliefs expressed by the chosen sample of community members in Umlazi using a participatory action research approach and implemented a programme of action aimed at preventing and reducing the prevalence of gender-based violence in the township through behaviour and attitudinal change. Men play an active role in shaping women's identities and controlling their behaviour. For this reason, the study included men living in the area. This study is situated in the social constructionist framework since the researcher was interested in understanding the experiences, perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of a sample of men and women as described by them. This framework allows for the interpretation of gender, culture and social factors that shape identities and actions. The choice of a small sample is based on the intention to produce rich, in-depth qualitative data. The participants consisted of seven females and five males ranging in age from twentyone to fifty years old, since this study focused on the experiences of the adult community of Umlazi. The two main research methods employed were individual semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The results were interpreted and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of this study revealed that gender-based violence in this community manifested itself in various forms. However, I classified the consequences of gender based violence into two broad categories: physical and psychological. Scholars of gender and violence argue that there is no single factor that causes gender-based violence but rather an array of factors that raises the likelihood that a man in a particular setting may act violently towards a woman. Significantly, it emerged in this study that the main causes of gendered violent behaviour were associated with social norms, substance abuse and constructions of masculinity. The effects of gender-based violence were acute and immediate physical injuries and psychological trauma. The women mentioned feelings of depression and anxiety and suicidal thoughts. The abuse also impacted their self-worth and self-esteem. This study recommends an integrated comprehensive approach of all stakeholders in the form of community based intervention programmes towards the eradication gender-based violence.
Addressing sexual harassment among students at a Durban university
(2023) Jagath, Sahara; Hamlall, Vijay
Sexual harassment and gender-based violence have become pervasive and normal within South African society and is a matter of grave concern at colleges and universities. This study seeks to address sexual harassment among students at a Durban university. The study explores the understanding and perceptions that students attach to sexual harassment. The nature, cause and consequences of sexual harassment, and student suggestions on ways to reduce it, were examined. Ultimately a participatory action plan was implemented to tackle sexual harassment at the university. Drawing on Lorber’s (2000) social construction of gender theory approach, this study explored the lived experiences of students at the university. The theory is based on the premise that gender is constantly created and recreated during social interaction (Lorber, 2000). This allowed for the understanding of students’ experiences within a social context. The literature reviewed showed that gender relations and patriarchy contributed enormously to sexual harassment. The study adopted the Interpretivist paradigm and qualitative methods to answer the research questions. These approaches enabled data generation based on the participants’ interpretation and lived experiences. The non-purposive sampling method was employed to select twenty undergraduate students: twelve females; five males; one queer; and two bisexual participants. Data was generated using individual interviews and focus group discussions. The interpretive thematic analysis process of recognising, examining and identifying similarities and differences and thereby finding themes within the data was used. Three broad themes emerged, including who mainly perpetrated the sexual harassment; the nature of sexual harassment; causes of sexual harassment (embedded in subscription to violent forms of masculinity and socio-economic factors, confronting patriarchal discourses and resisting victimhood). The study argued that it was within the broader context of violent forms of masculinity and patriarchal power context that challenged and effectively silenced victims. Data generated revealed that the participants held a diverse range of understanding of sexual harassment and GBV. It was evident that sexual harassment was prevalent on campus. Female students are exposed and the main victims of such, with the male students, the main perpetrators. Students who are LGBTQIA⁺ were found to be vulnerable to sexual harassment mainly due to their sexual orientation. The study revealed the need to create better awareness on what constitutes sexual harassment and gender-based violence and participants suggested that victims, perpetrators and university staff have to work collaboratively to tackle the scourge. Participants all concurred that there is a need for focussed and ongoing education and awareness campaigns on campus.
Analysis of media frames in femicide : an action research of print and broadcast media in Lesotho
(2021) Ramakoele, Mosiuoa Joseph; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas
Women abuse by in Lesotho is pervasive and it is normalised and sanctioned by culture. The status of women in Lesotho has forages been that of a perpetual minor where their participation and representation were not a mater of contention nor a prerequisite in any social discourse. The laws of Lerotholi that uphold marital powers were overtaken by events from 2006 when the Equality of Married Person's Act 2006 (abolished marital power) and the Land Act 2010 (women to hold tenure) were passed. Logical expectation would be that gender-based violence and femicide will tremendously decline but violence and femicide are still ongoing. Media is a strategic ally but sadly, in Lesotho, the media is an auto-pilot due to a lack of key legislative frameworks such as the Media Policy and Media Act. The purpose of this study is to examine media frames of intimate partner femicide. The research was qualitative and it had an action research design with the aim of improving media capacity on framing intimate partner femicide.
Analysis of the perceptions of crime against tourists in Florida Road, Durban
(2018) Phori, Madiseng Messiah; Mbali, Charlotte
The goal of this study was to investigate the perceptions of crime on tourists eating out at Florida Road in Durban. According to Visser and Rogerson (2004 cited in Goerge and Booyens 2014: 450), although South Africa has been classified as a relatively safe tourist destination, high levels of crime threaten the country’s tourism growth prospects. Crime Stats Simplified (2014) indicates that Durban central is one of the top ten worst precincts in South Africa with high crime rate at 10.9% after Mitchells Plain and Cape Town Central with 17% and 12.2% respectively. Therefore the study focused at the Florida Road since Durban has been a destination of choice for many visitors (Durban Experience 2015), with the aim of analysing the perceptions of crime on tourists eating out at Florida Road. Safety and security are regarded as pillars for tourism growth and destination competitiveness. The main objectives of this research were; to investigate the perceptions of crime on tourists in Florida Road; to determine whether the stakeholders such as police and businesses are doing anything to tackle the issues of crime against tourists; to investigate the stakeholders’ observation about behaviour of tourists in general in relation to safety and security in the area; to what extent does crime affects restaurant businesses that are serving tourists in the area; to make recommendations to what further can be done to prevent crimes against tourists in Florida Road and the province at large. The triangulation methodology was used by employing both quantitative and qualitative methods through descriptive research approach by means of self- administered questionnaires with 42 hospitality workers, UIP security guards & taxi drivers and 10 law-enforcement agencies and interviews and focus group discussions with 5 key informants respectively. The data collected was processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS] and NVivo software programmes. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and a thematic analysis. There is a perception that the number of tourists has decreased in the last three years due to the crime and the area is currently experiencing high level of theft of motor vehicles and theft out of motor vehicles. There was a perception of safety and poor visitor experience due to vagrants who poses as car guards to commit crimes. There is a perception that visitors do not make return visits once they become victims of crime and some businesses do closes down or relocate, it is also perceived that businesses experience financial losses due to crime in the study area.
An analysis of the quality of life of people living in urban, formal, low-cost housing settlements : a case of Mount Moriah
(2020-01) Govender, Lydia Trisha; Msweli, Pumela
Apartheid left a legacy of extreme poverty, high levels of unemployment, and have marred the housing context in the country. This makes South Africa a unique landscape for quality of life research. The aim of quality of life research is to advance human and social development to improve quality of life and standards of living. The aim of this study is to analyse the quality of life of people living in urban, formal, lowcost housing settlements, through a case study of Mount Moriah in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal. The study analysed how the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) housing project improved the quality of life of RDP beneficiaries. The study utilised a quantitative methodology approach. The quantitative design took the form of a questionnaire with close-ended questions and served as an instrument of data collection. The questionnaire was administered to the housing beneficiaries in the Mount Moriah housing project. A total of 110 participants responded to the questionnaire. The data was analysed using the SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics such as tables, frequency, percentage, bar and pie charts were utilised, and inferential statistics such as chi-square test was employed. The findings showed that there were more female-headed households than males; and that the majority of the beneficiaries were Blacks. The findings also showed that unemployment rates and level of crime was high and the majority of the respondents earned below the upper bound poverty line. On the basis of the findings of this study, it is recommended that government implements and promotes socio-economic opportunities and programmes to promote quality of life of people living in urban, formal, low-cost housing settlements.
The application of space technology and the challenges of managing water infrastructure in a selected South African municipality
(2023-04) Mokgobu, Matlou Lesley; Mason, Roger Bruce
The installation of water infrastructure in cities poses a challenge to communities, municipalities, and installation contractors. These challenges range from the inaccessibility of streets, the community’s limited access to homes, traffic jams, deep trenches with few or no barricades, leaking water pipes, water supply cut-offs, electricity supply cut-offs, vandalism, and theft of water pipes and accessories. The research problem, therefore, revolves around a better understanding of these water infrastructural problems, how to mitigate such problems caused by inadequate planning, leading, organising, controlling, and coordination by management, arising from various technical aspects of water infrastructure. The need for this study arises from the inconvenience and dangers experienced by communities with heaps of materials lying around causing disturbances to traffic flow, open hazardous trenches becoming dangerous to children playing in their vicinity, vehicle accidents because of the trenches, and damaged kerbs. The study aimed to investigate the challenges of managing water infrastructure in a selected South African municipality to find possible ways to resolve such challenges with the help of space technology. The study achieved the objectives, namely, to identify the challenges experienced by the municipality during and after the installation of water infrastructure; to rank the importance of the experienced challenges; to explore the root causes of the challenges experienced during the installation of water infrastructure; to identify how space technology can help with the management of water infrastructure; to develop a framework of the challenges and the causes; and, to explore water management strategies with the effort of finding possible ways to resolve the challenges. The study was exploratory and applied mixed methods research methodology. Data was collected via a survey (402 City of Tshwane residents), in-depth interviews (20 City of Tshwane managers of the Water Division), and two focus groups (7 participants per group of City of Tshwane contractor managers and contractor employees) through the convergent parallel design method. The quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 27), and the qualitative data was analysed using NVivo version 27, charts, tables, and themes. The results from the three sets of participants indicated multiple challenges related to skills deficits, management deficits, political interference, and inexperienced staff in the water infrastructure division. The findings indicated knowledge, ability and performance gaps in human resources, management, technical skills, financial management, socio-politics, and legal frameworks. The study contributed new knowledge to systems theory regarding the policies, systems, installation and maintenance of water infrastructure, and communication, and these aspects are supported by the findings. The application of space technology on a large scale can help the City of Tshwane fight criminal acts of vandalism and theft of infrastructure. This study found that space technology is still in its infancy in the city, and that the application of this technology requires an elevated level of education, experience and specialised technical skills to operate. This study recommended extensive investment in space technology. The study further recommended that the City of Tshwane improve human resources, training, culture, finance, operations, and control measures. The study recommended further research on the proper use of funds, the causes of community violence against the contractors doing maintenance, investigation of the delays in the procurement of services, turnaround time for the various water infrastructure activities, relationship management between the city employees and the contractors, the impact of lack of reporting by the managers and employees to the superiors in the water infrastructure division, and clearer definition of roles between municipal employees and politicians. More academic research into water infrastructure, based on the use of and relationship between water infrastructure and space technology, is warranted.
An appraisal of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the tourism industry in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
(2020-05) Doncabe, Thembeka; Chetty, Gopalkrishna
The aim of the study is to assess current Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities employed across the tourism industry in Durban, with the primary objective of the study to examine the extent to which the tourism industry in Durban engages in CSR activities. CSR is an important part of sustainable development and should be merged with company values, described as comprising of human rights, monitoring, stakeholders’ rights and employee rights. In South Africa (SA), CSR has been evident for a number of years, with its nature and context shaped by apartheid. With tourism being part of the service industry, it is of great importance that these stakeholders are put at the forefront. Globalisation pressure and the increasing burden on governments to provide comprehensive social services has resulted in the need to better understand how organisations play a role in sharing these burdens. The city of Durban has an extensive tourism and hospitality industry that grows continuously annually and as such, industry players should initiate and participate in CSR programmes. Global changes with travellers and the industry are greatly influencing the implementation of CSR in Durban. Study findings are based on a sample of 96 respondents, with a response rate of 76 percent for the selfadministered questionnaire employed for data collection from 4-and 5-star accommodation establishments in Durban, as well as domestic airlines that service KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Results suggest the Durban tourism and hospitality industry is fairly involved in CSR, with a few exceptions. Nonetheless, many respondents indicated challenges they face in CSR initiative implementation, including the lack of assistance from organisations that drive tourism. They believe further training on CSR implementation and support would greatly influence levels of CSR implementation. The findings in this study reveal that environmental impact measures and or activities are at the forefront of CSR activities for both airlines and the hotel sector. Activities with the environmental impact measures include minimising energy consumption, such as using energy saving globes and solar panels, waste minimisation, waste recycling, and protection of the natural environment. Findings derived from the study will unveil more opportunity regarding CSR in Durban and will inform those organisations involved in tourism promotion and development to act accordingly in assisting industry participants.
Assessing successful land claims and the pursuit of co-management in protected areas : a case of Tala Private Game Reserve
(2017-08) Qwatekana, Zikho; Sibiya, Nozipho P.; Mnguni, Mzobanzi Erasmus
The government of South Africa has justifiable aims to address the injustices of the past, by calling on people who were dispossessed of their land rights through racially discriminatory laws since June 1913 to reclaim their land. Consequently, the Land Claims Commission has reported 150 claims in protected areas of South Africa. This has led to an agreement between the Ministers of Environmental Affairs and Land Affairs to facilitate a national approach for settlement of all claims within protected areas: co-management. This study sought to explore land claims in South Africa’s protected areas by assessing the co-management model used by the government to resolve these claims. This qualitative study was conducted to assess the appropriateness of co-management as the only strategy for resolving land claims within protected areas. The research was guided by four research objectives: (1) To explore the tourism potential of game reserves to derive economic benefits for claimant communities; (2) To determine community attitudes towards co-management agreements employed at reserves; (3) To ascertain the level of co-operation amongst stakeholders to ensure that the co-management agreements employed at reserves remains successful; (4) To establish the extent to which co-management agreements address and protect community land rights. The study employed a case-study approach, using a resolved land Claim at Tala Private Game Reserve. The game reserve is owned by the Nkumbuleni Community Trust, which represents the 211household removed from this land in the 1970s. Following the success of their claim in 2011 a co-management agreement was signed giving the community 70 percent ownership of the game reserve.A purposive sample was selected from the claimant community and a saturation sample from the game reserve’s management. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to provide in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study. The findings reflect that co-management may be a logical approach to involving local communities in protected area management. It remains inconsistent and flawed, however, as a model to address land claims through reconciling the needs of conservation for tourism with land rights. This study argued that co- management may be a logical approach to involving the Nkumbuleni community in the administration of the game reserve. Recommendations arising from the study include but are not limited to the following: • Processes aimed at redressing past injustice in disputes over conservation land, regardless of the approach adopted, must bring with them a strong commitment to building institutional and leadership capacities within communities, and pay serious attention to the ways in which equity and social justice can be fostered after the settlement of a land claim. • Government must recognize that sufficient time and resources are fundamental to the success of co-management projects, and ensure that commitment to and funding for such projects are in place, including adequate support structures and training facilities; • Where the feasibility of the settlement option chosen is in doubt, there should be an option for a review of this option after a stipulated period; • Government must support all available settlement options, since in some cases alternatives, like lease-back or financial compensation, could provide better alternatives for communities; and • The community must be advised that co-management does not provide immediate benefits but involves risk-taking and benefit-sharing for all parties involved.
Assessment and implementation of skills development at Umzinyathi District Municipality and impact on service delivery
(2017) Ngobese, Xolani Khayelihle; Hardman, Stanley George
South African municipalities are key institutions that are close to the heart of communities and therefore, their employees form the cornerstone of service delivery to communities. Many municipalities have been blamed for unreliable delivery of basic services whilst those that are located in rural areas still struggle to generate own revenue and faces serious skills shortages. It is important to note that there has been very little research conducted in rural districts and other similar sized municipalities on evaluating the impact of skills development, service delivery and management of learning transfer. Existing studies although they provide useful data, they seem to be aggregate, broad and not tailor made for rural district[s] and some other South African municipalities. Studies which are directed at local municipalities adopts ‘one size fit all approach’ and they did not consider that rural district municipalities have enourmous challenges in evaluating the impact of skills development in service delivery and attracting people with requisite technical and managerial expertise. According to Punia and Kant (2013) most literature on impact and evaluation of transfer training is mainly drawn from the corporate sector. Furthermore, Topno, (2012), Pallares, (2012), Bird and Cassel (2013), they similarily pointed that existing models on evaluating effectiveness of development programs in various companies have the most limitations in assessing post training job performance and organisational impact. This is supported by Wenzel and Cordery (2014 stresses that for the past 40 years, evaluation and impact of learning transfer concept remained complex, underdeveloped and with limited clearly defined empirical findings. Raliphada, Coetzee and Ukpere (2014) indicates that there are organisational factors affecting learning transfer in the South African Public Service. The identification of factors affecting learning transfer is a critical step toward ensuring that successful strategies are developed to remove barriers to learning transfer and ultimately improve implementation which leads to enhanced service delivery (Raliphada et al 2014). Since 2000, Government has undertaken steps to transform South African municipalities. However, systematic problems contributing to poor management and service delivery challenges have continued to engulf local government and in most instances such grievances translated to service delivery protests across the country. Amongst dilemmas facing local government in South Africa is the shortage of skills, poor management, corruption, conflict management and unreliable service delivery. Researchers consistently argued that grievances concerning local government relates to unreliable service delivery, shortage of skills and poor management. The purpose of this is to assess the role of line managers in implementation of skills development at the UMzinyathi rural – district and other similar sized municipalities and impact on service delivery. The study investigated perceptions of line managers, skills development facilitators and employees about the impact of skills development on service delivery at uMzinyathi District Municipality in Kwazulu Natal. The study investigated challenges experienced by managers in training and skills development. The questions were to indicate how challenges in training and skills development can be addressed in rural –district municipality and other South African municipalities. The research adopted qualitative methodology. Furthermore, thematic analysis was used for presentation and discussion of the results. The responses or data collected from participants was interpreted and analysed. The findings of the study imply that there is no human resource development strategy, absence of mentoring and coaching, managers are not involved in skills development, there are no Skills development facilitators, high management turnover, poor planning, absence of effective employee performance management system across all levels in a municipality, no proper training and development sections and there are no tools to measure impact and success of training in local municipalities of a District. The research proposes that integrative transfer of training model developed by Lee C et al (2014), be extended to UMzinyathi District municipality in KwaZulu-Natal and other South African municipalities. The study is also suggesting that existing transfer of training model be modified to add the evaluation of impact and post organisational performance. The study targeted a rural district municipality because of limited research directed at this sphere of government. The modified Integrative Transfer of training Model will contribute to the new knowledge which is currently not existing in the municipalities. The model is modified to consider not only post training job performance but to add the evaluation of organisational performance and impact influenced by skills development programmes.
An assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of Supply Chain Management in the public sector : a case study of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in KwaZulu-Natal region
(2018-09) Nkwanyana, Nontuthuko S'lindile; Agbenyegah, Albert Tchey
The Supply Chain Management (SCM) concept emanated from the old purchasing models i.e. provisioning and procurement. This model, SCM, received a great deal of attention in both private and public sector organizations. The model was believed to conform to international best practice and thus it was believed to hold the promise of a better purchasing system in the public sector. In this context this research seeks to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of SCM in the public sector, with particular reference to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ and CD) in the KwaZulu Natal (KZN) Region. Research data was obtained by means of quantitative paradigm aided by a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed specific themes pertaining to SCM as well as the objectives of the research project. A total of 129 members of the target population participated in the research. They were selected from various offices in KZN. A purposive sampling technique was applied to select the participants. The researcher was personally involved in the collection of the questionnaires from them. Prior to its administration, the questionnaire was pre-tested for accuracy and clarity. The data collected were analysed by means of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0 for Windows, and the research report was evaluated for plagiarism with the use of the computer programme TURNITIN. The research revealed that SCM in the organization under study has contributed significantly to enhancing conformance to the principles of good governance and to service standards. However, challenges associated with capacity deficiencies such as a lack of manpower, information and skills were noted. Finally, in line with the research objectives, the researcher concludes by recommending structural re-engineering, the training and development of employees, supplier education, supply chain planning, and teamwork and partnerships among all stakeholders who contribute to the delivery of goods and services to end customers.
Benevolent leadership and its implication for management education in South Africa
(2021) Bhagwan, Dharmesh Natvarlal
Benevolence is related to strong ethical behaviour, respect for all, trust, kindness, harmony, integrity, justice, interconnectedness with others, and care and concern for the community, corporate social responsibility, and the natural environment. Benevolent leadership has been defined as the process of creating a virtuous cycle of encouraging, initiating, and implementing positive change in organisations through: a) ethical decision making and moral actions, b) developing spiritual awareness and creating a sense of meaning, c) inspiring hope and fostering courage for positive action, and d) leaving a legacy and positive impact for the larger community (Karakas 2009: 1). This study was undertaken to investigate the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviours of benevolent leaders at business organisations in South Africa; to examine how benevolent leadership impacted organisational performance; to understand the extent to which university education prepared managers for benevolent leadership; and to make recommendations on what content related to benevolent management could be included in management education. The study was guided by a quantitative research approach, with a cross-sectional survey research design. Purposive and snowball sampling was the strategy used to identify participants for the study. Three hundred and fourteen (314) participants were recruited from the Western Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal. A structured survey instrument adopted from Karakas (2009: 1) was used as the data collection instrument in the study. Data was analysed using SPSS version 2.0. The study found a high level of benevolent leadership qualities and characteristics amongst the sample. A majority of the participants showed that they are highly ethical, demonstrate care and compassion for their subordinates, and are very open to creating change in their work environments with a belief that through change and innovation they can create positive results. Participants also showed high levels of concern for the community and support for charitable causes. Consequently, this influenced organisational performance in the areas of employee morale, productivity, and corporate social responsibility. The study also found a high level of support for the introduction of benevolent leadership in leadership education.
Bridging the gender gap through local peace committees in Zimbabwe
(2022) Tshuma, Darlington; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas
Peacebuilding research, specifically in post-conflict societies and those transitioning from authoritarian rule to democracy and from violence to peace, demonstrates a growing demand to enhance our understanding about the efficacy of peace infrastructures, particularly informal peace infrastructures as potential tools for sustained and inclusive peacebuilding. In the same vein, the growth and popularity in recent decades of peace infrastructures as peacebuilding tools suggests the need for further investigation especially in societies where transition(s) is reluctant - a case in point is Zimbabwe. Further, the use of peace infrastructures to facilitate inclusive peacebuilding has gained prominence in the light of growing evidence of the correlation between societal stability and socioeconomic development on the one hand, and inclusive peacebuilding on the other. This is a participatory and exploratory action study that investigated the possibilities of using a community peace infrastructure to facilitate inclusive peacebuilding in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe to overcome gender disparities in local peacebuilding processes. The study’s objectives were twofold, namely: firstly, to identify and understand conditions that promote successful conflict intervention at grassroots level, and secondly, to find out the extent to which these interventions can help to positively transform conflicts. To this end, the principal researcher in this study collaborated with an action team to establish an informal peace infrastructure (local peace committee) where the envisioned change could potentially happen. This study draws together empirical qualitative data on an informal peace infrastructure created as part of this research intended to facilitate inclusive peacebuilding in four communities that fall under wards 7, 8, 16 and 28 in Bulawayo (refer to Table 7.1). Zimbabwe’s protracted social and political conflicts and its long history of human rights violations remain as sources of polarisation and political violence. Consequently, a significant component of the country’s contemporary history is about violence, its memory, and impunity. What has been variously described as a culture of violence can in fact be traced to incomplete transitions and complex historical processes starting with the precolonial episode where political cultures and practices were influenced and permeated by primordial ideologies of heredity, patriarchy and kinship. Similarly, colonial subjugation and occupation in the 19th century imposed an undemocratic system based on white supremacy, patriarchy and violent authoritarianism such that equal and even higher levels of violence had to be employed to resist colonial occupation and subjugation in the middle of the 20th century. Emerging from these multiple episodes of violent conflicts and authoritarianism; it is unsurprising that command politics and violent suppression of dissent became preferred “governance tools” for a triumphant ZANU-PF that won the country’s first democratic election in February 1980. The study uses Lederach’s Conflict Transformation theory as a lens for analysis. As a theoretical tool, Conflict Transformation is rooted in a transformative paradigm that places emphasis on constructive relationship building and the need to transform oppressive and undemocratic systems into democratic and inclusive systems as a basis for sustained peacebuilding. By emphasising local agency through transformative bottom-up peacebuilding processes, Conflict Transformation aims to facilitate constructive change by anchoring peacebuilding within a society’s unique socio-political environment. Findings from this study show that while informal peace infrastructures face numerous challenges such as resource constraints and sometimes barriers to accessing key policy and decision makers and political players, they fill a vital peacebuilding void left by the state which is not only incapacitated to lead peacebuilding initiatives but also lacks the legitimacy to fulfil its peacebuilding roles. Research findings in this study indicate that informal peace infrastructures can be useful platforms to facilitate inclusive peacebuilding, for example by increasing minority groups’ representation and women’s involvement in peace processes at the community level. The study aimed to increase understanding of the gendered nature of peacebuilding in the country and the ways in which women, but also men exercise agency through a focus on their own voices and lived experiences. Similarly, this study also revealed that socioeconomic challenges, politics and entrenched patriarchal interests present stumbling blocks to women’s effective participation in peacebuilding processes. At the same time, while dominant discourse depicts and projects peacebuilding as a ‘masculine’ and ‘manly terrain’, this study found that men who are involved in informal peace processes at the community are sometimes perceived as weak and feminine, a label that the men in this study continue to resist and push back against. Finally, this inquiry hopes to make small but important contributions to the peacebuilding discourse by illuminating how informal peace infrastructures may serve as a basis for improving peacebuilding practice in the country.
Building a culture of peace and nonviolence : enhancing Shona Traditional Court Systems
(2022-03) Makore, Brian Tazvitya; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas
In traditional Shona culture, as in other Ubuntu societies, gender roles are given and traditional leaders have no other way of knowing than hegemonic discourses which draw on dominant cultural, traditional and religious value systems which produce patriarchal norms and rules of behavior that are internalized as beliefs and customs. Without conscientisation, Shona traditional leaders remain bonded to the hegemonic construction of traditional masculinities and contrary to their peacebuilding role, they may unconsciously participate in the oppression of women and other vulnerable groups who may not belong to the dominant cultural groups. The problem forms the major motivation behind the study which aimed to train a critical mass of Shona traditional leaders in Ward 3 and Ward 11 of Murehwa District under Chief Mangwende in Mashonaland East Province of Zimbabwe for transformation into gendersensitive active nonviolent role models. Through a participatory action research design, Kemmis et al. (2014), the thesis developed and tested an integrated framework for the analysis and design of a discursive intervention in oppressive gender relations. The analytical framework was informed theoretically by Connell and Messerschmidt’s (2005) concept of hegemonic masculinities and Bell’s (2013) four I’s of oppression and methodologically by Fairclough’s (2013) dialectical relational approach. The action framework was informed theoretically by Bajaj’s (2019) critical peace education (CPE) and methodologically Freire’s (1964, 2005) transformative learning. At the philosophical level, the study combined Bhaskar’s (1979, 2016) transformational model of social activity, (TMSA) and applied this to European Commission’s (2013) definition of gender education (GE) to develop a transformational model of peace education (TMPE) which I shall term, gender transformative education (GTE) Furthermore, the study combined Connell and Messerschmidt’s (2005) concept of hegemonic masculinities, Freire’s (2005) transformative learning and Kolb’s (1983) learning cycle to develop the attendant learning cycle which I shall term critical masculinities learning cycle (CMLC). The models explicitly identified conditions in which traditional Shona masculinities were not be compatible with peace and justice and, simultaneously, the possibility for transforming gender relations in traditional Shona culture. As regards peace research, a key innovation of the study was to critique some of the premises and the constructs underpinning mainstream studies in gender, violence and peacebuilding and the need of these sub-disciplines to constantly reflect on issues of hegemony and ideology in a historically and dynamically informed manner, while at the same time insisting on action to transform asymmetrical gender power relations. A gender training manual has been produced from the findings of the study: it is intended to serve as a template for traditional leaders to acquire gender transformative values and knowledge and to develop gender transformative skills and attitudes that are necessary conditions to live in harmony with themselves, others and their environments.
Building a culture of peace in Durban, South Africa : an action research study with youth empowerment programme participants
(2017) Fudu, Hailey K.; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche
This thesis sought to answer the research question: How can youth programmes in South Africa contribute more effectively to peacebuilding? South Africa is a country suffering from major inequality and violence. The mark left by the previous disempowering system is still affecting South African people and there is a clear need for justice and healing from all forms of violence and inequality. The existing inequalities are largely racial and economic and those under 25 years of age constitute a large percentage of both perpetrators and victims of violent crime (Clark 2012: 78). This study focused on youth in the Durban area who are South Africans of mostly Zulu heritage. The youth are surrounded by violence caused by disadvantaged circumstances, which include economic, racial and emotional damage inherited from the apartheid system. This group is referred to as ‘youth’ throughout this study as it examines the issues of violence in South Africa and how some young people are exploring solutions. Through an examination of literature and action research (AR) with participants from various programmes, this thesis investigates methods for improving the ability of Durban-based youth programmes to respond efficiently to the needs of youth as they endeavour to transform their communities. Following the identification of methods through focus group discussions, interviews and a review of literature, an action team was formed. This team consulted on which methods they wished to use for a collaborative peace project. They took what they learned from this process forward by sharing their experience with their respective empowerment programmes and by continuing to work together on an ongoing basis to bring their peace project to various other groups of children and youth throughout communities in Durban. The study concluded that when youth projects and programmes allow for youth to play a significant role in planning, action and reflection, whilst also receiving sufficient support from a mentor, they are empowered and the programmes are effective. The youth in this study began by discussing the issues surrounding them, brainstorming possible solutions and then designing a peace intervention in the form of a peace promotion performance. The performance was well received and the participants were empowered from the proactive roles they each played in preparing and delivering the performance. Through this transformational learning and service to the community, opportunities for youth to grow, mature and attain self-efficacy were nurtured. This process resulted in the further development of essential life-skills and positive values, and the youth participants learned to identify themselves with positive peers, mentors and purposeful activity. The action research also improved participants’ confidence, their desire to serve others and helped them to achieve a strong sense of positive endurance and strength to overcome the violence and negative influences around them. This peace project allowed the team members to make meaningful contributions to their community and inspired other youth by modelling peace in action.
Building capacity for conflict-sensitive reportage of elections in Nigeria
(2015) Adebayo, Joseph Olusegun; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche
Nigeria’s vociferous media has the potential to be divided along ethnic and religious lines. Given that most Nigerians view political aspirants in terms of their ethnic and religious lineage rather than political ideology, and since most Nigerians rely on the media for information, there is the tendency to fall prey to biased and insensitive reportage, capable of inciting violence which is elicited by prejudiced information often presented as news, features, commentaries, documentaries, etc. This problem is the major motivation behind this research, which aims to build through training, the capacity of the media to report elections in a conflict-sensitive manner. This thesis develops, through the use of a participatory action research design, an alternative method of news reportage using the peace-journalism model. The model, developed by Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick (2005), encourages journalists to report social issues in ways that create opportunities for a society to consider and value nonviolent responses toward conflict by using the insights from conflict analysis and transformation to update concepts of balance, fairness and accuracy in reporting. It also provides a new route map, which traces the connections between journalists, their sources, the stories they cover and the consequences of their reportage. In addition, it builds awareness of nonviolence and brings creativity into the practical job of everyday editing and reporting. This research holds theoretical significance in that it explicitly identifies conditions that encourage journalists to apply conflict-sensitivity to their reportage, thereby promoting societal peace, particularly during elections. The research findings herein offer a unifying multi-dimensional, conceptual framework which can be used to analyse and discuss the role journalists play in ensuring peaceful elections and demonstrates that they have a constructive part to play when covering sensitive social issues. A training manual has been developed from the findings of the study; it is intended to serve as a template and guide for journalists reporting on elections across the African continent.
Building capacity for reconciliation through a restorative-based intervention in Zimbabwe
(2017-05) Mhandara, Lawrence; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas
Policy makers and scholarship on peacebuilding are increasingly attracted to the notion of reconciliation. In recent years, this interest has expanded. This is especially visible in the aftermath of the South African experience following the activities of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). In fact, peacebuilding efforts after violent experiences are usually accompanied by powerful calls to go the reconciliation route. Reconciliation as a process can be seen as involving transformation in attitudes and perspectives toward others. As an outcome, it can be regarded as mutual acceptance of the other in a peaceful relationship and the sustainability of that acceptance; accompanied by a commitment to bind relationships on future interest than being stuck with the past. Yet reconciliation remains a profound challenge in societies that experience political violence. Equally, Zimbabwe is facing a similar situation despite a series of state-centred efforts at reconciliation. From the 1980 policy of national reconciliation to the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), a constant pattern of inefficacy is observed. This study was born out of the need to find out why reconciliation in Zimbabwe has become elusive which has negatively affected people’s relationships. The aim of the study was to devise a restorative- based intervention to build capacity for reconciliation among a small sample of adults in Harare. The primary question was: How can people affected by political violence but continuing to live together participate in building their own capacity to promote reconciliation in the absence of effective state interventions? I conceptualised reconciliation based on the theory of restoration as an approach that can transform relationships toward peaceful interaction. This yielded a theoretical framework that combined elements of reconciliation, restorative justice and conflict transformation theories, which was the basis for designing and analysing findings. A qualitative methodology combining interviews and focus group discussions was utilised. Within this paradigm, action research was the main design, in which one cycle was utilized by the action group to implement an intervention. Action group participants’ responses offer evidence of how building capacity for reconciliation needs to be conceptualised through interventions that are participatory, collaborative and centred on the locals. The study further reveals that restorative-focused dialogical conversations followed by symbolic gestures of reconciliation are useful in restoring broken relationships. This was found to be a viable alternative to promoting reconciliation in the absence of effective state responses. This study is significant in that it integrates academic and practical knowledge while contributing to peacebuilding practice.
Building capacity in the development and implementation of nonviolent campaigns in South Sudan
(2021-05) John, Moses; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche
Civil society’s role and influence in peacebuilding has increasingly been recognized globally. As such, substantive attention has been given towards strengthening civil society capacities, especially in countries experiencing protracted conflicts. This thesis focuses on building the capacity of civil society in the development and implementation of nonviolent campaigns to transform socio-economic and political conflicts in South Sudan. Despite, limited civic space, repression from local authorities and challenges of limited capacity, South Sudanese have demonstrated their audacity to challenge entrenched power and that they are by no means a passive people. The study establishes that the civil society, employees of public and private sectors have on several occasions implemented the techniques of nonviolence. However, South Sudanese campaigns lack strategic focus, have not been sequenced, carried out systematically and in coordinated manner to change the worsening political, economic and social conditions. Following an action research approach, qualitative data was gathered using focus group discussions, interviews, questionnaires and structured observations. This was used to develop a nonviolent action training curriculum and the subsequent training of 24 participants. The short-term outcomes of this study indicate that the action research participants not only learned together, shared information and established sustainable networks, but also used tactics of peaceful marches, petitions, press statements, sit-ins, political non-cooperation and other forms of nonviolent campaigns to advance social, political, and economic change. The study concludes in that supporting civil society with technical skills, knowledge in nonviolent campaigning and coherent peacebuilding and financial resources is critical for building safe, democratic and prosperous country. The CSOs also need to focus on building social and political conscience of society’s members to value, appreciate and consider nonviolent responses to conflicts in order to reduce the culture of violent insurrection in South Sudan.
Building friendships between Shona and Ndebele ethnic groups in Zimbabwe
(2016) Muchemwa, Cyprian; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche
Despite all the public pretences of projecting a united country, Zimbabwe is a divided country and this has made genuine peace and unity very difficult to attain. The bruised and polarised relationship between the Shona and Ndebele ethnic groups is deeply rooted in the annals of history, which makes it a protracted social conflict. The Gukurahundi campaign between 1982 and 1987 was part of a chain of catastrophic events, which have emanated from a well-established culture of violence and intolerance between Shona and Ndebele. Efforts to address this culture using a top-down approach under the auspices of the 22 December 1987 Unity Accord did little to curb hostilities. Even though these efforts were commendable, they were not sufficient to make any significant inroads into the polarised relationship of mistrust between the two groups. This thesis applied an Action Research design and specifically used the Transcend dialogue method to explore the possibilities of building mutual respect and understanding among a small sample of young Shona and Ndebele participants. The research found that creating intentional platforms for interaction could have a positive transformative effect on relationships. It is not too late to create more spaces and transformational platforms for people to dialogue, to listen to each other, to share stories, and carry out projects together. Engagement using dialogue can create new synergies, which can make a worthwhile difference to the long journey towards (re) building broken bridges and building new bridges.
Building infrastructures for peace : an action research project in Nigeria
(2015) Irene, Oseremen; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche
Nigeria has witnessed a plethora of conflicts and violence especially since her post independent era. Direct and structural violence as well as cultural violence have largely dotted her history. The various nature of violence that have over the years keeps the country teetering at the verge of precipice include, resource-based conflict in the Niger Delta, indigenes-settlers conflicts, gender-based conflicts, ethno-religious conflicts, electoral cum political conflicts and the recent Boko Haram violent menace that has claimed at least 13,000 lives in Nigeria. There have been attempts by government and civil society organisations to curb violence in the country. However, their limited apparent success and the extent of violence underlines the need for alternative approaches to build peace in Nigeria. Building infrastructures for peace is one such alternative. Using an action research approach, the research focusses on establishing peace clubs in four high schools and implementing a programme for a 12 month period.