published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts in Transport Policy and Planning

This study was carried out in order to gain an understanding of work engagement among bus drivers in Zimbabwe. The study seeks to assess work engagement, job satisfaction, happiness and burnout in terms of relationships, significant differences and lived experiences among bus drivers in Harare (Zimbabwe). Further investigation is done to determine whether job demands and job resources are strong predictors for the relationship between work engagement, happiness, job satisfaction and burnout. Thus findings in this study are significant in that they provide insight into the well-being of bus drivers and its impact on employee work engagement. The study entails a mixed method to research. For the qualitative part of this study semi structured interviews were be used in data collection. Questionnaires are used for the quantitative part of the study. The research instruments were based on the stated objectives as a guide of what to include and leave in the research instrument. For the Questionnaires, the shortened version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), the Work-related Flow inventory (WOLF), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and the Job Demands Resources Scale and is adopted. Results showed practically and statistically significant positive relationships between variables of work engagement, work happiness, job satisfaction and job resources. However, burnout had practically and statistically significant negative relationships, of medium effect, with variables of work engagement, work happiness and job satisfaction. A possible explanation for this is that when employees withdraw mentally as a result of burnout, their work engagement levels will decrease. Job demands and job resources are strong predictors of work engagement, work happiness, job satisfaction and burnout. A possible explanation for the results is the organisational citizenship and commitment among the employees. Results indicated that all the demographic variables (such as different age groups, education level attained, tenure, bus ranks and marital status) had a significant difference with regards to total work engagement, job satisfaction, overall happiness, overall job resources and overall burnout. The bus drivers were engaged, happy and satisfied with their jobs in spite of the stressors. A possible explanation of the results could be the buffering effect job resources had on job demands. The tickets from the police’, peak hours’ and bad weather were sum of the stressors leading to burnout. However, positive attitudes and stress coping strategies led the bus drivers to be happy in spite of the stressors. Themes such as good working environment, socialising at work and supportive co- workers emerged on job resources. A limitation of the present study is its cross-sectional character. However, despite these limitations, the present findings have important implications for both future research and practice. For instance future research should be longitudinal. Furthermore future research efforts should focus on the different aspects of job demands and resources inclusive of rewards, work overload, growth opportunities, social support, organisational support, job security and job advancement. This information is useful because it will allow managers and organisations to adjust jobs, training, and the work environment based on the factors that contribute the most to workplace happiness, job satisfaction and work engagement. Results in this study suggest that recovery from burnout help individuals to cope with job demands and to create new resources. These findings suggest that organisations should provide employees with facilities to recover and promote the development of leisure activities to help them overcome the daily strains of work. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Currently, attendance issues are prevalent in academic settings. When students do not attend school, it has an effect on their education and on the community at large. This study looked at the issue of truancy at the Early Years level and focused on studying one possible solution: the Walking School Bus Program. In this program two Community Outreach Workers were hired to walk students with attendance issues to school on a daily basis. A qualitative study was completed to obtain the perspectives of key individuals involved in the Walking School Bus program.

Currently, attendance issues are prevalent in academic settings. When students do not attend school, it has an effect on their education and on the community at large. This study looked at the issue of truancy at the Early Years level and focused on studying one possible solution: the Walking School Bus Program. In this program two Community Outreach Workers were hired to walk students with attendance issues to school on a daily basis. A qualitative study was completed to obtain the perspectives of key individuals involved in the Walking School Bus program.

No description available.

This master thesis report is a part of the thesis project conducted by Jakob Uhlin at Syntronic R R and D, Stockholm Sweden. The objective of this thesis is to develop a way to process the signal being sent on a CAN-bus and subsequently analyse its quality and its source in the network. A process of gathering appropriate theories and data has been done, parallel with the development of the analyzer module. The intelligence is implemented in an FPGA through the hardware description language VHDL. In this way, the algorithms can process the data in a real-time domain. The central findings and conclusions have been that is possible to analyze the signal quality of a CAN message properly on a FPGA.

This thesis addresses the capital replacement modelling problems associated with a mixed, or inhomogeneous, fleet and also takes account of the fleet size problem. Applications considered relate to a fleet of buses and a fleet of medical equipment. The initial chapters introduce the notion of capital replacement modelling and review previous work in the field, as well as reviewing the fleet size problem. Replacement policies are also put in the context of the fleet rather than the context of a 'typical plant'. In the third chapter, we present our first attempt to model capital replacement with variable fleet size over a finite planning horizon. A two cycle model is developed in which the notion of penalty cost for breakdown is introduced. This cost is incurred when demand is not met. To take account of the cost of unmet demand, a simple failure model for plant is proposed. The replacement model is applied to a fleet of ventilators in an intensive care unit of a hospital. In the fourth chapter we develop various models for the case of replacement of a sub-fleet within a mixed fleet. These models themselves have variable finite planning horizon of variable length and build on developments described earlier in the thesis. Other aspects such as the increased cost of sub-optimal policy due to delayed replacement, smaller replacement sub-fleet etc. are also considered. The models developed in chapter 4 are applied, in the following chapter, to a fleet of buses operated by a Malaysian inter-city bus company. Sensitivity analysis on different factors is also carried out. Finally the sensitivity of optimal decision policy to the choice of the replacement model is described in the context of the bus application.

Techn. University, Diss., 2007--Darmstadt.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Adelaide, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 240-249).

Stuttgart, Univ., Fachstudie, 2006.