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Faculty of Management Sciences

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    Administrative practices for improved environmental compliance of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa
    (LLC CPC Business Perspectives, 2023-10-23) Maphumulo, Jabhisile; Dongwe, Khethiwe; Nyide, Celani
    The main constraints on SME growth in developing countries are regulations and legislation. Poor administration of environmental regulatory compliance is shown by the high number of SMEs in the manufacturing sector closing down annually in developing economies. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of administrative practices on environmental compliance by manufacturing SMEs in a developing country. This study adopted a quantitative research approach. A sample size of 215 administrative personnel and managers from manufacturing SMEs operating within Msunduzi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, was selected. Managers and administrative personnel were selected to eliminate biased answers that favor organizations and because both may have had an opportunity to enforce administrative practices that adhere to environmental regulations. The sample size was selected using a probability sampling method. The study shows that respondents agree that environmental compliance is a mandatory practice for SMEs in the manufacturing sector. Although results show that SMEs are complying with environmental regulations, they still face challenges. The study further demonstrates a disregard for the organization and storage of assessment reports by administrative personnel working in manufacturing SMEs.
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    The nutrient quality, sodium content and compliance of savoury snacks and potato crisps in Durban
    (2023-04) Zama, Nomcebo; Kemlall, Ramdass
    South Africans consume a significantly high amount of sodium from salty snacks. The study aimed to evaluate salty snack manufacturers' compliance with the June 2016 and 2019 target date for sodium reduction as set out by the Department of Health in Regulation 214. It also aimed to assess low sodium claims made on selected products and determine if the sodium claim is compliant with the labelling legislation. The study focuses on flavoured potato chips, flavoured ready-to-eat savoury snacks and salt and vinegar-only potato chips and savoury snacks. The study applied an observational descriptive research design. The aspects under observation were nutrition labels from the above items. The products were sampled from five major retailers in Durban using convenience sampling methods. A total sample of 90 products belonging to the above categories was considered. Sodium content information was collected from the selected product packages. The study also applied the Association of Official Analytical Chemists’ (AOAC) official method 984.27 in laboratory tests to verify low sodium claims on the sampled products. In terms of compliance, the study showed that out of the 90 selected snacks, 26% of the snacks did not meet their 2019 targets, while 4% did not meet their 2016 targets. Fisher’s exact tests showed that no snack category had a better inclination towards meeting 2019 tests than others. In the flavoured ready-to-eat savoury snack category, 7.5% of the 40 varieties did not meet their 2016 target of 800mg Na/100g, while 27.5% did not meet their 700mg Na/100g target for 2019. In the flavoured potato chips group, all 40 varieties met their 2016 target of 650mg/100 while 20% did not meet their 2019 target. In the salt and vinegar chips category, 9 varieties or 90% met their 2016 target of 1000mg Na/100g, while 40% of the 10 varieties did not meet their 2019 target of 850mg Na/100g. Generally, most snacks met their 2016 and 2019 targets, but a concerning proportion failed to do so. The laboratory tests showed that 4.4% of the products made a compliant low sodium nutrient claim (sodium levels below 120mg Na/100g). The findings from laboratory tests show that 4 of these were indeed low sodium content products, although their claimed sodium content was slightly higher than reported from independent laboratory tests. The findings also show that 1 product had a label indicating low sodium content although it had sodium content far above the low sodium limit. The findings show the potential errors and misrepresentations in sodium content labelling in savoury snacks. Among other things, the study recommended increased product compliance monitoring and evaluation, using standardised, rigorous sodium testing and measuring systems, using more consumer-friendly labels and consumer education on sodium labelling.
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    Investigation of factors influencing non-compliance with procurement practices : a case study of head office supply chain management directorate and hospitals within eThekwini District, KwaZulu-Natal
    (2023) Mkhize, Sithembile Gadiosa; Dorasamy, Nirmala
    Regardless of the reforms and the employment of Supply Chain Management (SCM) as a strategic tool, South Africa still faces immense challenges in its procurement practices. Non-compliance with public procurement guidelines cannot be ignored because it has a significant cost to the government and the public as taxpayers. This study investigated the factors influencing non-compliance with procurement practices within the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Health. The Auditor General’s reports for the financial year 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 confirmed that this Department had received qualified audit opinions for two consecutive years for incurring irregular expenditure on procurement and contract management following non-compliance with procurement guidelines. A mixed-method of data collection was employed on this study to gather information from the relevant decision makers including officials in finance and SCM components. The results of this study demonstrated that unavailability of SCM staffing norms, shortage of staff, lack of supervision, shortage of skills, unavailability of E-procurement system, and negligence are major determinants for non-compliance. These findings have relevance for the Kwa-Zulu Natal Department of Health and also for the South African Public Sector as it strives to achieve clean audits on procurement and contract management. Furthermore, this study acknowledges the policies and the guidelines on public procurement and contract management. However, it argues that policies and guidelines alone cannot prevent irregular expenditure. Public procurement and contract management policies and guidelines need to be complemented by human resources, appropriate skills, updated technologies, implementation of consequences management, and monitoring and evaluation. Furthermore, this study presented the researcher’s proposed model for addressing non-compliance with procurement and contract management policies, as shown in Figure 4.2. Moreover, this model could play a crucial role in reviving and supplementing the public procurement and contracting objectives thus enhancing compliance.
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    Exploring the underlying causes of the volatility of sugarcane productivity on land reform farms in King Cetshwayo District – KwaZulu-Natal
    (2021-03) Ndebele, Mbongiseni Cleopas; Mpehle, Zwelibanzi
    Land reform or agrarian reform has been a bone of contention in many countries in a quest to deal with skewed ownership of land through a market-led approach or a stateled approach, while in most instances, it had only been able to address the restoration of land to the dispossessed groups, but failed to improve agricultural productivity. It is important to restore agricultural productivity and be able to meet the world’s energy requirements and to feed the population estimated will be over 9 billion people by 2050. Historically, native (black) South Africans were forcefully removed from productive agricultural land under the Natives Land Act of 1913. Post 1994, the South African government launched three pillars of the land reform programme, (land tenure reform, land restitution and land redistribution) and injected funds to equitably restore land back to the rightful owners, and to sustain agricultural productivity, which have become a paradox, as most of the redistributed agricultural land became unproductive and abandoned immediately after being restored to the previously disadvantaged groups. The target population for this mixed-methods research study were the 51 active land reform sugarcane farmers in King Cetshwayo District. A purposive sample of six farmers was selected for semi-structured face-to-face interviews and 41 participated in a survey, while the remainder was excluded from the main study as they took part in a pilot study. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected concurrently with both research instruments given equal attention. Despite the salient effects of climate change on agricultural productivity, the study found that there are some institutional, social and technical aspects that lead to the diminishing sugarcane productivity. Equally so, non-conformance with pieces of legislation such as the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) No.75 of 1997 and Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) No.85 of 1993 was found to have contributed immensely to the volatility of sugarcane productivity. The study concluded that compliance with OHSA and the acquiescence with sustainable farming practices outlined in the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) No. 107 of 1998, which was lacking in most of the farms that took part in the study, could improve sugarcane productivity on land reform farms in King Cetshwayo District.
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    Social norm compliance and involvement with Covid-19: demographic differences in developing and developed countries
    (www.ssbfnet.com/ojs/index.php/ijrbs, 2022-06-30) Mason, Roger Bruce; Corbishley, Karen Margaret; Dobbelstein, Thomas
    Consumer decisions are influenced by various variables, including compliance with society’s social norms and by involvement by consumers with the issue under consideration. Both variables have influenced consumers’ actions during previous pandemics. Therefore, this study investigated involvement with the Covid-19 pandemic, together with social norm compliance (SNC), their mutual influence, and how demographic characteristics and country of residence influenced these three issues. The methodology involved a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey, with a quota sample of 1096 responses, based on age, gender, education, habitation, and income. The research was conducted with populations representing the consumers who patronize major retailers in a developed country (Germany) and a developing one (South Africa). Data was collected via questionnaires e-mailed to commercial consumer panels covering both countries. The findings showed that involvement is influenced by gender, age, education, habitation, and country of residence, but that SNC is not influenced by demographics but does differ according to country. Further findings were that involvement with Covid-19 strongly influences SNC and, similarly, SNC also strongly influences involvement with Covid-19. Furthermore demographics, excluding habitation, also influence these variables. However, the relationship between the involvement and SNC variables does not differ between the two countries. This study has provided a better understanding of consumers’ involvement with Covid-19 and SNC as components of consumer behavior, which is important since, during the Covid-19 pandemic, retailers have been instrumental in implementing health protocols. Therefore, understanding the relationship between involvement with Covid-19 and SNC, and how they are influenced by consumer demographics, is important.
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    The quality of selected food products containing nanosilica additive (E551) in South Africa
    (2017) Thakur, Rookmoney; Singh, Shalini
    The proliferation of nanotechnology, whilst perceived to be positive for human advancement, introduces potential risks when applied to food. Silicon Dioxide (E551), a common food additive made up of particles in the nano-range, is found in spices, salt, sweets and some frozen foods and functions as an anti-caking agent to allow these food products to flow and mix evenly. According to Codex Alimentarius, E551 is generally regarded as safe (GRAS), provided that food manufacturers apply good manufacturing practice (GMP) principles and use the lowest possible amounts necessary. Smaller nanoparticles are more readily taken up by the human body than larger sized particles and could be injurious to human health. While the use of E551 is strictly regulated in some countries, there is growing debate regarding the health and safety implications for consumers and the quality of food. This study examined the quality of selected food products containing E551 (nanosilica) in South Africa (SA). A mixed method paradigm (qualitative and quantitative) and an experimental research strategy were adopted. Respondents were purposefully selected, their participation in this study was voluntary and confidentiality was maintained. Pilot studies were conducted for the semi-structured interviews and the survey, with a sample size of one food expert and three food technologists, respectively. The main study consisted of interviews, a survey and experimental work. The interviews, conducted with five food experts, were recorded and transcribed to ensure credibility. The results were interpreted and analysed against existing literature using thematic content analysis. The findings suggest that it was critical for food manufacturers to demonstrate the safe use of products without posing any safety risks to the consumer and the environment; and for the South African government to address and regulate the application of nanomaterials in food either by legislation or guidelines. The survey was conducted with a sample population of thirty food technologists who reported that public awareness of nanotechnology was limited as many consumers were not familiar with this technology. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data. Content validity ensured that the survey focused on concepts and constructs that emerged from the review of literature on the application of nanotechnology in food products. Cronbach’s alpha index was used to assess the reliability of the surveys and found α = 0.862 and α = 0.809 for food additives awareness and nanosilica safety in food, respectively. Different characterisation methods, such as Fourier Spectra Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD), were used to determine the type and form of silica, and its levels in selected food brands available in SA. This was compared against similar products manufactured and packed in the European Union (EU) and Asia. This study benchmarked against the EU standard because of its more stringent guidelines in the field of nanotechnology and regulations. The results indicate that while the comparative EU food sample conformed to the European Food Safety Association (EFSA) permissible level of 1 %, the South African sample levels were higher. Even though the regulatory standards are different in both countries, the potential health effects remain the same. Significantly, the most prominent finding of this study is that the form of silica in some of the South African and Asian products were crystalline in nature, rather than synthetic amorphous silica (SAS), which is indicative of E551. Thus, it stands to reason that the generalised limit set by Codex Alimentarius was inadequate to regulate and control the quantity and type of E551 used as it varied from each of the selected samples. The identification of traces of crystalline silica is of concern since studies in literature showed that exposure to and ingestion of crystalline silica that was not food grade, is likely to induce perilous health effects such as cancer and fibrosis in humans. In light of this finding on the crystalline nature of silica in the studied brands, it is therefore imperative that specific limits and regulations be put in place and enforceable in SA to ensure that products sold are in line with acceptable standards as found in some developed countries like the United States of America (US) and EU. In view of the above, and to ensure proper monitoring and minimal risk exposure, a risk management framework, a ‘Hazard identification, Access the risks, Control the risks’ (HAC) model, was developed and recommended to ensure that the correct form and type, and limits of silica is used and the associated risk controls applied.