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Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MIS (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Information Science / unrestricted

To gain empirical evidence of the nature of major household appliances’ performance failures, and of how dissatisfied consumers cognitively appraise product failure and their subsequent experiences in handling the negative event, the study explored by means of a survey the experiences of 200 female consumers in Gaborone, who had experienced dissatisfaction with any major household appliance within a prior four-year recall period. A convenience sampling technique was employed where pre-screened respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire. The results of the study show that respondents clearly differentiated their expectations concerning the functional and symbolic performance dimensions of their specific appliances. When linking the theory on perceived quality and expectancy disconfirmation, it was discovered that respondents’ expectations were disconfirmed due to the performance failure of their specific appliances. The performance failure was perceived in three distinct ways: functional performance failure, symbolic performance failure, and the combined functional and symbolic performance failure, rather than the usual, formal functional performance failure only. Very to extreme dissatisfaction were experienced and the product failure was appraised as stressful, leading to respondents feeling very to extremely stressed. The female respondents attributed blame for the poor performance of their major household appliance more to external sources like retailers/manufacturers than they internalised blame to themselves, the appliance or other people. They also believed that the party they held responsible for the poor performance could have prevented the problem. Due to the performance failure of their specific appliances, the respondents experienced various emotional responses (e.g. anger, shame, guilt, surprise, sadness and frustration) and of varying intensities. Significantly, more respondents felt very to extremely angry, sad, surprised or frustrated. Respondents did not experience high levels of shame and guilt. These emotions necessitated some coping strategies in the form of complaint actions. Respondents who felt very to extremely angry took formal complaint action (i.e. contacted the retailer to obtain redress). Respondents who experienced frustration significantly engaged more in problem-focused coping. Predominantly, female respondents engaged in problem-focused coping strategies that were confrontational and were aimed at external sources like retailers/manufacturers. Blame for the performance failure of appliances was directed more to retailers/manufacturers than to any other party like the self, other people or the appliance. Hence, a significant difference existed between the various coping strategies and attributing blame to the retailer/manufacturer, where respondents engaged more in problem-focused coping, than in any other coping strategies like emotion-focused or avoidance coping. These findings have both salient and practical implications especially in Botswana contenxt, which were pointed out to the retailers/manufacturers, educators, consumer protection organisations, policy makers and consumer scientists, to help consumers to function well in the marketplace. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

In this study both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to find out to what extent the Lobatse Town Council employees used Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) HIV and AIDS services, the reasons for using or not using the services, the preferred service providers reasons for choosing a service provider. Lastly recommendations were made on how the uptake HIV and AIDS VCT services could increased amongst the employees. A sample of 200 respondents was selected from the employees of the Lobatse Town Council, and it was established that 65.5 percent of the respondents had used VCT. Females had a higher testing participation rates than males, white collar respondents had a higher testing participation than the blue collar respondents. There was a higher rate amongst the married than the single respondents and the older ages of 30 and above than the young ages of 29 years and under. In the study it was also established that the majority of the respondents considered voluntary counselling and testing for HIV and AIDS as being important. However there were some groups that were more positive than others regarding the importance of testing. More females than males were positive regarding the importance of testing, and also amongst the employment categories the white collar respondents were more positive than the blue collar respondents regarding the importance of HIV and AIDS testing. Furthermore it was established that the most important reason for testing amongst the employees that did test for HIV and AIDS was that they felt that they needed to undergo testing before they tested. The respondents that did not test for HIV and AIDS indicated that the most important reason for not testing was that they were scared the results could not be kept confidential. The research also showed that the most preferred service provider was Tebelopele. Tebelopele was the most used and preferred service provider amongst both gender and age groups, all marital groups and the blue collar group in the employment categories. However, for the white collar group the most preferred service provider was the private practitioners. The most common reason for choosing a service provider was confidentiality and privacy. Lastly, the research makes recommendations on what needs to be done to increase the uptake of VCT HIV and AIDS testing amongst the Lobatse Town Council employees. One of the recommendations is that there was a need to educate the employees of the Lobatse Town Council and that the education should be specific for each group. For example from the group discussion the participants felt that the reason to why males did not want to utilise HIV and AIDS VCT was because they lacked knowledge on the importance of testing. Also the respondents indicated that there was a need to remove stigma and discrimination through removing confidentiality attached to HIV and AIDS. It was also, recommended that the Lobatse Town Council formulate and implements a workplace policy on HIV and AIDS

The “vulnerable” listing by IUCN of cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in Africa has caused urgency in the protection of their habitat and development of predator management strategies. By understanding the movement and home range of cheetah in Botswana, translocation of problem cheetah or reintroduction of non-problem animals can be managed appropriately. More importantly this information will help to protect what is already there. Due to the increasing numbers of cheetahs being taken by illegal trade and poaching, there have become incidents of orphaned cubs where the only option for their survival is rehabilitation for release into the wild, or euthanasia. The first part of the study focuses on baseline information of movement patterns of cheetah in Botswana. Eleven cheetahs were collared and monitored from 2003-2007, including males and females with and without cubs from the Ghanzi and Southern districts. The understanding of cheetah movement is critical in determining methods of protection and survival of the species in protected areas living with competing predators such as lion Panthera leo, brown hyaena Hyaena brunnea and leopard Panthera pardus, as well as on farmlands where human conflict and habitat loss are the main causes of cheetah death. In the Southern district the cheetah were able to move freely in and out of the Jwana Game Reserve surrounded by communal livestock farms with low to medium conflict, utilizing various livestock protection methods, whilst Ghanzi consisted of livestock and game farms where conflict was high and protection methods were limited or nonexistent. Home ranges in males ranged from 492 km2(in single males) to 849 km2(in one coalition) in Ghanzi, while females ranged from 241 km2 to 306 km2 in Jwaneng. In addition, in order to determine the correlation between spoor density and true density, a 15 month spoor study was conducted in Jwaneng at the Jwana Game Reserve on a population of free ranging wild cheetah. A correction factor was tested and adjusted for accuracy, resulting in two formulas to be used in the wet and dry seasons. Spoor surveys are by no means a determinant factor, as they need to be repeated over time to observe population fluctuations due to outside factors, and are time consuming and can be expensive, but they are a management tool that can be utilized for estimations of cheetah densities on private farms or protected areas. The third part to the study was the rehabilitation of three orphaned cubs, from different families, that were put together from eight to twelve weeks old. The goal of this project was to raise and release fully functional, self sufficient, breeding animals into the wild population on a game farm. These cubs were raised in isolation until 1.5 years of age, then transferred to a 100 ha enclosure where they were given the opportunity to learn to hunt. Daily observations of their behavioural development and hunting abilities were recorded for 48 days and are presented in a descriptive way. At two years old they were released onto a 9000 ha game farm where their potential to survive on farmland was monitored. Botswana does not have the facilities or desire to keep predators captive, and if orphaned cubs could be utilized by placing them back into wild populations where they could add to the gene pool, alternatives would be available for captive bred animals or cheetahs facing life long captivity. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Centre for Wildlife Management / unrestricted

Masters of Science / This study is focused on the Coal Bed Methane resources of Botswana with specific reference to the Central Kalahari basin where prospect license blocks forming the focus of this study are located. The aim of this study is to evaluate the fracture network in the coal seams and the fracture systems in the surrounding coal bearing sedimentary sequences and their contribution to dynamic flow. Coal bed methane sources are dual-porosity media documented on the natural fracture network, seen as micropores (matrix/natural fractures) and macropores (cleat). The coals of this region belong to the Ecca Group’s Morupule Fm (Permian) (70 m), focus of this study and have been preserved in the extensive Karoo basin within the Southern Africa region. Fractures can easily be identified in Acoustic Televiewer logs (ATV) and their orientation and structural character interpreted by rose plots, tadpoles and stick dip plots. In-situ stress fields have been determined from breakout structural evaluation and maintains a general E-W dip direction and N-S strike, thus most fractures are orientated optimally with inferred in-situ stress and enhancing flow potential in pore systems. A qualitative (MID plots & M-N cross-plots) and quantitative description of the fracture system is fundamental to the petrophysical evaluation, and involves the estimation of fracture parameters (fracture porosity, resistivity fracture index and both horizontal and vertical fracture indices).

Nurses as professionals and front-liners in patient care should possess good knowledge about health research, as this is critical in improving patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and attitudes that public health clinic nurses possess regarding health research in Botswana in order to make recommendations to enhance a research culture among nurses. A quantitative study with a cross-sectional study design was used. Twenty-six clinics in Gaborone were sampled and 168 nurses participated in the survey. Data was analysed using Stata version 15.1. Only 51% of the nurses demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of health research. Despite this limited knowledge, nurses had a good attitude towards health research (66%). Degree nurses were more likely to have satisfactory knowledge, as were those who reported research training and experience. Additionally, research training and experience were associated with a good attitude. Recommendations include provision of research training and practicums as part of the nursing education curriculum, as well as in-service training, in order to improve the levels of knowledge of health research among nurses. / Health Studies / M. P. H.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The aim of this study is to outline inequalities which exist in Botswana's urban areas by addressing Government Policy in Land and Housing Development, in Gaborone. Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana, which has experienced one of the highest rates of urbanization, was chosen to be a case for this study. Since the attainment of political independence the state of Botswana has been promoting the processes of capital accumulation and legitimation. The state has succeeded in the process of capital accumulation by forging an alliance with foreign mining capital. It has, however, been less successful in its quest for legitimacy. To placade low income classes, the state has intervened in land and housing sectors with the Self Help Housing Agency (SHHA) program. SHHA, a program which ostensibly appears to be suitable for low income people is revealed, through empirical evidence, to be inadequate. Its tenure is limited, and services it provides are lacking in many respects, and relegate the program to a mere propagation of slum conditions. The analyses and conclusions that this dissertation has reached are that, through land and housing policies the state has promoted class inequalities; in the form of tenure, and access to finance and credit facilities. / 2031-01-01

The study area lies in the central Okavango Delta, Botswana, and was proclaimed a game reserve extension on 2nd July 1976. Peoples of Khoisanoid origin first colonized the area. Bantu speaking baYei followed in about 1750 and baTawana in about 1795. The area is still completely undeveloped and pristine. The solid geology is largely overlain by Kalahari sands, but is seismically very active. Resultant faulting has given rise to the Delta. Further seismic activity, vegetation blockage formation, termitaria establishment and low density of large aquatic moving animals give rise to continual change in water distribution and output at the Delta’s base. These natural factors continually cause dynamic change of flooding regimes. The climate is of summer rainfall and local Delta rainfall is considered a major factor in determining extent and duration of flooding. Five vegetation types divided into 20 plant communities occur. Five communities are dependent on a high water table and 10 on surface flooding for maintenance of specific mammalian habitat types. Floodplain vegetation types are considered most sensitive and ‘normal’ flooding is required to maintain the wetland flora and fauna. Sixty-three mammalian species are recorded from the study area. Twenty-two species are almost wholly dependent on flooding. Lechwe and sitatunga are completely dependent on aquatic and floodplain vegetation types and adequate flooding to conserve their habitat. Water flow in most major channels from ancient to present times has changed radically in distribution. Schemes to extract a more reliable flow out of the Delta for industry and human/stock consumption are laid out and evaluated, and a water demand made for conserved areas. Tourism should be in the form of foot and mekoro or botat safaris. Control of undesirable aquatic vegetation must be monitored. Burning as a management tool is required to enhance flow and control vegetation in some areas. It is premature and unsound to eliminate tsetse fly at this stage. Limited cropping will have to be initiated shortly. Larger tracts of Delta area are required under the direct supervision of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks to maintain the pristine conditions and ensure the conservation of fauna and flora, thereby maintaining the only reason for international tourism to the area. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 1979. / Centre for Wildlife Management / unrestricted

Please read the summary in the section 00front of this document. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Economics / unrestricted