This thesis traces the evolution of learner participation in school governance in South Africa, identifies international trends in school governance, particularly learner participation, and then analyses the progress made in South Africa in moving from policy to praxis in this regard. I have discussed the contextual forces that have influenced the production of the policy text on learner participation in the South African Schools Act. This is followed by an analysis of how the policy text has been interpreted and implemented at provincial level in the Western Cape, taking provincial legislation, regulations, circulars, and the capacity building programme that was implemented into consideration. I also look at how the whole process was experienced at institutional (school) level, and how the policy was interpreted and implemented. I also evaluate the phenomenon of learner participation in school governance in terms of promoting the principles of transformation, placing particular emphasis on the promotion of democratic practices in South Africa.<br /> In conclusion I contend that the present policy of learner participation in school governance does reflect the resolve of the National Government to promote the principle of participation by all stakeholders in matters affecting them. However, the study has shown that the implementation of the policy at provincial and institutional level has not been as effective as it might have been and has hampered the development of praxis in learner participation. This has hindered learners from making meaningful contributions towards the attainment of the goals as set out in the constitution. Furthermore, present rumblings of curtailing the powers of the school governing bodies because of limited progress in attaining the above goals seem to be a retrogressive step. I strongly contend that given the support, training and encouragement as set out in Article 19(2) of SASA, learner participation in school governance can make a positive contribution towards attaining the goals of transformation in our country, particularly of advancing democratic practices in our society.

<p>Organisational culture has been one of the most studied and theorised concepts in organisational development. New ways of working, globalisation, increased competition and change in technology have created a greater need for strategic innovation and co-ordination and integration across units (Schein, 1992). Culture is the single most important factor for success or failure and has the greatest potential to effect organisational improvements or hold it back (Deal &amp / Kennedy, 1982 / Fowler, 2002). Research suggests that organisational culture, its assessment and management is increasingly viewed as a necessary part of healthcare improvements (Scott, Mannion, Davies &amp / Marshall, 2003). In the health care environment, organisational culture has been associated with several elements of organisational experience and initiatives that contribute to quality, such as nursing care, job satisfaction and patient safety (Boan &amp / Funderburk, 2003).</p> <p>In order to implement strategic initiatives or performance improvement interventions, it is important that an organisation understands the current status of its organisational culture. The best way to gain understanding of the culture is by assessing it (Davidson, 2004).&nbsp / he aim of the research was to assess the organisational culture of a private hospital in the Western Cape. For the purpose of this study a quantitative methodology adopted used utilising purposive sampling. The sample (n = 221) was inclusive of males and females and comprised of permanent and contract employees extending across the following departments: Human Resources, Patient Administration, Pharmacy, Technical, Support Services and Nursing. The nursing department was the largest representative group of the sample. The sample also included of medi-staff, management and an additional small hospital that reports to the management team. The Denison Organisational Culture Survey was used to gather data for the study. The Survey measures four culture traits, namely, involvement, consistency, adaptability and mission. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Results indicated that employees perceived involvement, consistency, adaptability and mission positively. Furthermore, there were no significant differences found for consistency and sense of mission by employees in different departments. There were several limitations of the study. Amongst others, the results cannot be generalised to the broader population of all private hospitals as the findings are unique to the particular organisation. Secondly, the Denison Organisational Culture Survey has only been validated in a financial organisation in South Africa. A recommendation for further research would be to utilise quantitative as well as qualitative methodology to add to the existing body of knowledge.</p>

This study examines service delivery such as housing, water, electricity, roads and garbage removal in local government with specific reference to Schulzendal township. The main objective of the study is to investigate the services mentioned above in Schulzendal township, (1) to assess the satisfaction of Schulzendal community in services delivered by Nkomazi municipality / (2) to examine and identify factors impacting on the Nkomazi municipality's ability to deliver services effectively and efficiently / (3) and to assess the ability of the Schulzendal community to pay for services delivered.

M.Com. (Investment Management) / In the research of currency risk management it is important to note that currency risk management forms part of the overall risk management of business and authorised currency dealers. various hedging instruments exist with which currency risk can be managed. This study deals with the origin and the influence of currency fluctuations on business, and the management of such risk. Various factors exist which affect the level of exchange rates. In South Africa the most important factors affecting these rates are the gold price, the level of the American dollar and the degree of political stability. Since most of these factors do not fall within South Africa's control, but are mostly influenced by external factors, exchange rates can only be managed to a certain extent. This is possible through Reserve bank interference. Fluctuation in exchange rates exposes local companies and currency dealers to currency risk. Several techniques and instruments can be employed in currency risk management.

A research dissertation submitted for the Degree of Master of Commerce (Information Systems) by Research / One of the aims of the development of Smart City initiatives is to provide electronic services that address residents’ information needs. Local governments in South Africa have realised that e-government can improve service delivery. There are currently government e-services that are designed to meet residents’ information needs and transform Johannesburg into a Smart City. However, local governments face the challenge of deficiencies in the use of government e-services. In order to ensure that all residents benefit from Smart City services there is a need to understand the use and non-use of these services. This research has been conducted in Johannesburg to understand what makes people use or not use the provided Smart City services. In this context, Smart City services refer to government e-service websites and government city Wi-Fi. The research was addressed from an interpretive perspective employing qualitative methods. The theoretical framework of government websites utilisation developed by Wang (2014) was used as a theoretical grounding. Data was Data was collected through in- depth semi -structured face-to -face interviews with open-ended questions. Twelve interviews were concluded. The results confirm Wang's (2014) theoretical framework in that all the major concepts: value, user needs, effectiveness of government websites, and alternative information sources were reflected as influencing the use and non-use of Smart City services. In addition the results extend Wang's (2014) framework with additional important core concepts: awareness, access, and trust. These concepts are particularly important to residents' participation in a developing country context and can be used to create a deeper understanding of how different types of residents engage or don't engage with Smart City services. In the pursuit of Smart Cities, local governments can use the results of the study to establish measures that can increase the use of free Wi-Fi around the city and government websites. A paper from this research report has been peer reviewed and was accepted for the Community Informatics Research Network (CIRN) conference which was held at Monash University in Italy, Prato. The title of the paper is: Explaining the Use and Non-Use of Smart Cities Services in Johannesburg: Residents’ Perspectives. On the 9th, 10th, and 11th November 2015, I attended the CIRN conference in Italy and presented the paper. The paper will be part of the conference proceedings. / MT2017

Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public Sector Monitoring and Evaluation) to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand March 2016 / Performance information is regarded as the most important aspect to monitor progress or performance in the South African government. This study examines the usefulness of performance information in the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. [Abbreviated abstract. Open document to view full version] / MT 2018

A research report submitted to the faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Governance and Public Leadership) 2015 / The performance management system was introduced in the South African public service with the intention to continuously manage performance by setting performance objectives, reviewing past performance, assessing current performance, improving poor performance, determining recognition and reward for good performance, and assisting with career planning. Research has revealed that although the performance management system has been implemented in government departments it has not achieved expected results. This study was undertaken as an attempt to investigate the factors leading to the challenges in implementing the performance management system in the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. To achieve this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees at different levels as well as a former trade union leader who was involved in the process of developing the Gauteng Provincial Government Policy on Performance Management and Development. Internal documents of the Department were also analysed. The themes identified led to a richer understanding of the factors affecting the implementation of the performance management system. The research findings indicate that although there is an understanding of performance management in the Department, implementation remains a challenge. The analysis of the responses indicated a great dissatisfaction with the current system. A few of the reasons are that not all managers show commitment towards the performance management system; some managers are not fair in the manner in which they conduct performance assessments and distribute rewards; it has failed to link performance outcomes to rewards in a meaningful manner; there is not much emphasis placed on personal and career development; and there are no measures put in place by supervisors to address employees who do not achieve the set performance targets. It is concluded that there is an urgent need for government to address the challenges experienced with the system, as at the moment, it is not meeting the objectives it was intended to meet. / MT2017

A Dissertation presented to The Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Social Work by Research May, 2016 / The public sector work ethics in South Africa persist to highlight negative perceptions because of overt employees’ unethical behaviour and managerial incompetence. The primary aim of the study is to explore what factors are impeding frontline staff of Department of Labour (DoL) in delivering client services in accordance with standards and requirements and what will contribute to the improvement of service delivery by DoL frontline staff. A qualitative approach was used and a multiple case study research design conducted. Non-probability purposeful sampling was used to select the participants, of DoL employees in South Africa, referred to as the Client Service Officers (CSOs), the frontline staff members and their Supervisors from two sampled offices, Johannesburg Labour Centres (LCs) in Gauteng (GP) and Witbank LC, Mpumalanga (MP) Provinces. A total of three semi-structured interview schedules were used for separate phases of individual and group face to face interviews of frontline staff and Key informants from ProductivitySA and DoL Head Office to collect data, with consented tape recording. Thematic content analysis was used and while some generalisation can be drawn, anticipation was to identify the challenges public servants experience which hampers them to deliver services. Overall findings suggest misalignment of the mandate of DoL with clients’ needs; challenges with personnel’s work knowledge; management, administrative, resources and ethical issues; and service structures’ non-compliance to standards of health and safety. Remedies include policy reviews, training and employment of social work services in frontline operations

Graduate School of Governance Master of Management (in the field of Public and Development Management) June 2016 / Knowledge on strategy implementation in the public sector is limited. A deeper understanding of how public sector economic regulators such as competition agencies implement strategies is required to ensure that these organisations are able to reap the benefits of strategy-making and implementation. The purpose of this research was to explore how competition agencies with the mandate to regulate competition implement their strategies by examining the Competition Commission South Africa (CCSA). The research aimed to uncover how the organisation’s processes and practices enable the implementation of its prioritisation strategy and how this contributes to the development of dynamic capabilities. The study identified six organisational processes associated with prioritisation that enable three categories of actions. Firstly, the governance, strategic and business planning, and scoping processes support priority setting in the organisation. Secondly, the resource allocation and case management processes support the marshalling of resources towards assembling the resources required for accomplishing organisational priorities. Thirdly, performance monitoring and evaluation processes are evaluative in that they structure actions that assess progress and account for performance, while making adjustments where required. In the analysis of the four organisational practices associated with prioritisation, it was revealed that each practice constitutes a specific mode of action and promotes specific values. The practice of managing cases from ‘cradle-to-grave’ is an approach that encourages ownership of investigations and cases. The practice of constituting interdivisional teams is a specific form of organisation that promotes joint responsibility and shared accountability. The mid-term review is a mode of alignment as it provides an opportunity to calibrate organisational alignment to priorities in a structured and periodic fashion. The practice of colour-coding the business plan according to organisational priorities is a mode of communication that supports the implementation of priorities. Finally, the research demonstrates how the capabilities built up in the organisation’s priority setting processes, sector expertise, and fledgling project management capacity enable the identification of opportunities and re-configuration of the CCSA resource base to take advantage of those opportunities The study concludes that the implementation of the prioritisation strategy has strengthened the internal capabilities of the CCSA, but that external factors should also be taken into account when evaluating effective regulatory governance. / MT2016

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Commerce (Information Systems), in the School of Economic and Business Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand, March 2017 / In spite of the challenges arising from poverty, illiteracy, corruption and inefficient government processes, cities around the world are resolute in their quest to deliver key information and services to citizens by adopting and developing online government applications. For these applications to be successful, it is imperative that they offer services that adequately address the needs of citizens. The present study aimed at exploring the extent an e-government application is being effectively used, in a context of an African Smart city. Initially, the study reviewed a handful of relevant literature to support the aims of this study and to underpin the results on evidence-based theoretical foundations. The study moved beyond the commonly studied behavioural concepts of adoption and use, towards value-driven Information Systems diffusion. While adoption and use of Information Systems are two widely recognised concepts throughout academia and extensively supported by literature, the effective use of Information Systems is generally neglected in theory and fails in practice. This gap presented in literature, an opportunity for this study to understand the value derived by citizens in using an e-government application and by governments in implementing it. The study has applied the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use Theory (UTAUT) frameworks to explain the determinants of use and subsequently, effective use. From the conceptual definition of the use of e-governance, this study has identified the motivating or selfregulating factors of effective use. The study then empirically measured a handful of them in order to infer and argue a case for effective use of such applications. The initial findings suggest that an inferential discipline was applied and that Actual Usage infers Effective Use as intended by this study. The results also suggest that diffusion and effective use of an e-government application still requires some improvements. The user experience, lack or out-dated information and general lack of awareness of the application are among the more pertinent findings on effective use of an e-government application. The findings highlighted that effective use is inferable when use of IS has been established. The empirical findings of this study demonstrate a need for a ‗one-stop shop‘ model and citizen-focused service delivery agenda for e-government applications. More specifically, the results of this study highlighted an inferential relationship between actual usage and effective use. This means that factors that affect Actual Usage, based on UTAUT are positively related to SDT factors of Effective Use. For instance, Performance Expectancy has been found to have a positive effect on Actual Usage, implying that citizens with high Performance Expectancy are more likely to use an e-government. Social Influences were also found to significantly affect the citizens‘ motivation and intentions to engage with an e-government application. A large number of users have indicated that their inclination to use the application was influenced by social connections. The Facilitating Conditions construct has been found to significantly influence the citizens‘ behavioural intention to use an e-government application. Predictably, the study also found Self-efficacy to be a weak predictor and moderator of a relationship between a dependent and an independent variable. The immediate relevance and application of this study lies in the expected return on investment derived from an effective use of an e-government application, which is particularly beneficial for a budding African Smart City. The need to effectively and affordably deliver needed government information and services to citizen across the spectrum is even more pronounced in Africa. This study makes specific contributions to the formulation of a model and suggestions for future research. The theoretical contribution is in bridging the literature gap by providing a model for effective use of e-government application in the context of an African Smart City. The current study is one of the first to demonstrate the influence SDT has on actual usage and effective use. This is useful to studies in the IS Domain, particularly for the new concepts of e-government and Smart City. / XL2018