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Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/14

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    Students‘ perceptions of distance learning in higher education: a case of independent colleges in KwaZulu-Natal
    (2022) Sivai, Ashna; Chazireni, Bobo
    Over the years Distance Learning (DL) programmes is assumed to have become a key to the global learning environment and key to the Education system of Africa and South Africa. DL systems have been branded as fecund drivers of education growth and sustainable development in South Africa and the world at large. The existence of DL programmes in any economy is of paramount importance despite being bullied by the traditional classroom methods. There is growing recognition of the important role of DL programmes in the development of education systems in South Africa. They are often described as efficient and prolific job flexi hour studies, as DL has generally allowed the tertiary learners to study at leisure and at the same time contribute meaningfully to the economy as most of them are employed in different fields. Nevertheless, for a multiplicity of reasons, the pass rate of distance learners in South Africa is low, and many studies have identified a lack of aptitude on the part of the students as one of the main reasons for the low success rate. Substantive hypotheses were formulated in order to determine the validity of the propositions made in the literature review, with the objective of testing the proposed the conceptual model. The field data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 27. Statistical tools that include frequency tables, pie-charts and graphs were utilised in analysing data in chapter five. The Correlation matrix and linear regression analysis were also utilised to further analyse the strength of association between the variables. The findings of this research study show that students at Independent Colleges have positive attitudes and are sensitive to the requirements of DL. However, a positive attitude without practical results in this research will not hold water given the fact that there are high failure rates in these Independent Colleges. Despite their significance and contribution to education, Independent Colleges in South Africa are still faced with numerous challenges that inhibit effective delivery of DL programmes. However, it is unmistakably evident that the COVID pandemic saw DL surpass most challenges to become the forerunner in technology driven DL teaching and learning. The use Microsoft Teams and Zoom became the household names at most public and private Educational Institutions. This study recommends that orientation programs provided to students at the College of Distance Education should be organized in such a manner that they will provide students an opportunity to have and maintain meaningful relationships with staff. Furthermore, it is recommended that the phrase ‘Distance Learning’ should be rephrased as ‘Personalised Learning Program’ as a way of contextualising the whole DL system
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    Tourism graduate employability : stakeholder perceptions of workplace learning for graduate employment
    (2017) Naicker, Daphanie; Naidoo, Krishna Murthi
    With the accelerating growth in the tourism industry and its anchorage in the service-industry, the utilisation of people is a valuable resource for a tourism organisation. There are increased pressures on educational institutions from the government and the tourism industry to produce employable graduates. Thus, it remains imperative that tourism organisations have access to a pool of human resources that possess the required knowledge, skills and attitudes. As a result, educational institutions build workplace learning (WPL) into tourism curricula to ensure the transferability of skills and a smoother transition for all stakeholders into the tourism industry. This study set out to determine the impact WPL has on a tourism student’s employability in the tourism industry. The literature highlights a number of key issues hindering the success of WPL for tourism graduate employability. These include, a lack of alignment of curriculum, supervision challenges and partnerships with the tourism industry. Using a mixed methodological approach comprising both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, comparisons among stakeholders’ perceptions and attitudes were conducted. The stakeholders are: tourism graduates from 2011-2014, academic supervisors and workplace supervisors in the tourism industry. Stakeholders’ perceptions of WPL structured the depth and sharpened understanding of the success as well as issues hindering the successful implementation of WPL and consequent unemployment. Among the main challenges were the placement of students and the inadequate feedback between stakeholders. The empirical findings underpinned effective communication as imperative in developing and maintaining quality partnerships for WPL. Among the many knock on benefits is the successful transfer of skills to tourism students. It is hoped that this research will contribute to the dearth of literature on tourism WPL and tackle salient gaps in tourism employability.
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    An analysis of tacit knowledge sharing behaviour, within a social capital framework, in a business environment of a South African, University of Technology
    (2014-05-21) Smith, Carol; De Beer, Marie; Mason, Roger Bruce
    This thesis integrates social capital and ‘reasoned action’ theory to construct a theoretical model for investigating the factors which predict an individual’s intention to share tacit knowledge in a University of Technology. It utilizes Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1998: 243) definition and conception of social capital. They define social capital as “the sum of the actual and potential resources embedded within, available through, and derived from the network of relationships possessed by an individual or social unit”. This study examined tacit knowledge sharing behaviour (i.e., knowledge that is shared between individuals) within the context of social capital. The specific type of tacit knowledge that is being studied relates to work experience ‘know-what’ and ‘know-how’. ‘Know-what’ refers to the basic mastery of a discipline that professionals achieve through education and training. ‘Know-how’ refers to procedural knowledge about a business process and the individual’s capability to perform an action with an understanding of why the action is appropriate in the particular context, (i.e., action skill or applied competence). Specifically, this study examines the relationship between the structural, relational and cognitive dimensions of social capital and the individual’s attitude towards the sharing of tacit knowledge. It further examines the relationship between the individual’s attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing, their perceived norms and perceived behavioural control over the sharing of tacit knowledge (mediating variables) and their intention to share tacit knowledge. It is a case study which consists of a mixed methods research design, incorporating nine research interviews and five hundred and fifty four self administered questionnaires. The theoretical model is examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) and as a result of the findings, the initial model is revised into a set of theoretical models, which are tested using SEM and found to be consistent with the data (i.e., a good fit). The direct, indirect and total effects of the identified predictor (social capital) and mediating variables (‘reasoned action’) on the individual’s intention to share tacit knowledge, in each model, is examined and the results are presented. Each dimension of social capital is found to be significant for predicting the criterion variable ‘attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing’. The individual’s attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing is found to be highly significant for predicting the individual’s intention to share tacit knowledge but the ‘reasoned action’ variables are found to be not as significant, particularly perceived behavioural control over the sharing of tacit knowledge. The results of this study enrich our collective understanding regarding social capital and tacit knowledge sharing behaviour.