Faculty of Management Sciences
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/13
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item Strategies to enhance employee well-being in an institution of higher learning in South Africa(Academia Europea de Direccion y Economia de la Empresa, 2024) Kanyumba, Blessing; Daweti, Baphiwe; Mathews, Mercillene Perrene; Khumalo, NjabuloEmployee wellbeing is a crucial challenge in many organisations in South Africa and abroad. Interventions at a management level are vital to ensure that organisations do not lose quality employees due to poor employee well-being. Therefore, the paper assessed the strategies that can be used to enhance the well-being of academics in an institution of higher learning in South Africa. The paper employed a qualitative approach to collect data from the Management Committee (MANCO) at the Durban University of Technology in Durban, South Africa. Purposive sampling was be used to collect data directly from the MANCO. All data are analyzed using Nvivo. Findings from the study revealed that leadership plays a pivotal role in the well-being of employees. The findings of the paper can assist the management of the university with solutions related to the turnover of academics and will also be a wake-up call to other universities on the subject matter.Item The effect of institutional research strategy on the attitudes of accountancy academics towards research engagement : a case study of higher education institutions in KwaZulu-Natal(2020) Nzuza, Zwelihle Wiseman; Lekhanya, Lawrence MpeleAccountancy academics are choosing to embrace the accountancy profession rather than undertake research, with poor participation in research activities requiring investigation. IRS is a system by which universities can engage academics with research. This study, therefore, intends to bridge the gap and contribute to the body of knowledge by reviewing the effect of IRS on accountancy academics’ attitude towards research engagement and to identify factors affecting IRS operation by accountancy academics, with specific reference to public universities in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The findings will be of particular relevance to historically disadvantaged public universities that view IRS as a form of praxis for instigating an accountancy research culture. This study was descriptive and cross-sectional in nature, with data gathered from a sample of 82 respondents. Likert-scaled self-administered survey questionnaires and an online survey among relevant staff of the public universities in KwaZulu-Natal were used, namely, Durban University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, and University of Zululand. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (frequency tables, figures, correlation tables, regression tables, and cross-tabulations) and categorised according to themes. The IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 was used to determine statistical results. The results revealed various external and internal factors related to the university that inhibit the IRS operation. In order to move the knowledge frontier forward, a conceptual model of the effect of IRS on the attitudes of accountancy academic staff towards research engagement has been suggested and tested. Nonetheless, the study concludes an existing disparity of research ideas between academics, universities and industry practitioners, with findings providing several recommendationsItem Academics perceptions of community engagement at a selected University of Technology in South Africa(2021-09) Patchappan, Terslina; Govender, Ivan GunassThe South African society is unambiguously in a flux, plagued with wicked challenges such as increased levels of poverty, youth unemployment and an extensive public health crisis, which have become the societal norm. Increased prominence exists for university programmes to alleviate these challenges and sustain the South African landscape. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of community engagement amongst academics at a selected University of Technology, namely the Durban University of Technology in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Academics’ perceptions towards community engagement are significant for the institutionalisation of engagement at the university. Against this backdrop, the main objectives of this study were to evaluate academics’ understanding of community engagement; assess the extent of their initiatives; determine their enablers and constraints to undertake such initiatives; and recommend strategies that could lead to an improved community engagement experience. The research design adopted was the quantitative paradigm, which entailed the distribution of a structured open and closed-ended questionnaire to the respondents. Against a Five-Point Likert Scale, the questionnaire comprised of six sections, each under a specific main theme related to the research topic. The simple random sampling technique achieved a sample size of 80 respondents from a target population of 102 academics. The sample respondents returned seventy-four questionnaires. This represented a high response rate of 93%, through the attribution of a personal method of data collection. Furthermore, the data collected was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24.0 for Windows. Upon completion, the entire dissertation was verified against plagiarism through the Turnitin programme and achieved a 10% rating. The study found that workload demand and time are main inhibitors of community engagement. The researcher recommended that DUT should consider offering rigid empowerment and support structures for academics. Lastly, the research project concluded with directions for future research based on the insights of academics into community engagement in South African higher education.Item Career development for female academics in Australian and South African universities: an integrative review(Beykent University, 2022-02-15) Kanyumba, Blessing; Lourens, MelanieSouth African and Australian higher education sector is facing challenges of fewer females in leadership positions despite policies in place in both countries. The main purpose of this integrative literature was to analyse and compare journal articles related to career development for female academics in South African and Australian higher education institutions to ascertain the challenges faced by women in both countries. South Africa and Australia was chosen for this study due to the differences in cultural background and legislation. Females are still underrepresented in the leadership positions both in Australia and South Africa, hence this study investigated the reasons and provided recommendations to improve female academics representation in higher education institutions. A literature review of 15 research papers and journals articles published from 2010-2020 was conducted. The key words “career development for female academics” were searched in three databases namely, Google Scholar, Ebsco-host and Emerald. The results from the literature showed that female career development in Australia is moving at a faster pace than in South Africa. The results also show that in both countries glass ceiling and limited female representation in leadership positions is rife in both countries. Female only career development programmes are essential to promote female development in higher education. As this study is focusing on two different countries in different continents, both countries have a lot to learn from each other in terms of policy implementations to enhance female career development. This article provides an analysis of the trends of female career development in South Africa and Australia. Therefore, from the existing literature for a period of 10 years, a conceptual career development model was developed.