A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree, Masters of Communication Science in the Department of Communication Science at the University of Zululand, 2018. / The enhancement of the quality of education through the digitisation of the learning systems is a national priority in South Africa and beyond. Some academic institutions, both basic and higher level, have responded to this by adopting the use of ICT in their practice. However, the enormous digital divide between urban and rural areas has escalated with its negative effect on the schools. Most rural schools remain underdeveloped with a huge deficit in teaching and learning resources, while technological progressions continue at an unprecedented speed. These advancements in technology come with drastic changes in all spheres of life, particularly in the labour market. Thus, the need for preparing high school learners with relevant skills for the future, which mostly relies on ICT capabilities. This study, therefore, focuses on how the use of ICT in a rural classroom can help bring the learners to speed with the digital revolutions we are witnessing. The study adopts the Technology Acceptance Model as well as the Interactive Model to propose plausible solutions. The data were collected from 121 rural secondary school teachers in the King Cetshwayo District Municipality. The findings of the study revealed that the lack of ICT skills among teachers, and insufficient resources to support classroom experiences are key barriers to the effective use of innovative communication protocols, which include ICT in the rural classroom. This has policy implications for the department of higher education in terms of human resource development and the provision of appropriate logistics.

The field of research study is Swedish SMEs that belong to plastic industry. In the time ofglobalization and high competition on the global market, the issues of innovationimplementation and processes that can increase effectiveness of innovative activities are oftendiscussed. The issue is essentially important for small and medium businesses, which due totheir size and specifications are more flexible and can easily implement innovations. Due tothe fact, that Swedish market is filled with small and medium enterprises and innovativeactivities are among the most current and attractive for discussion, the research on the matterof innovation is seen as important contribution and necessary study for the modern market.The study focuses on importance of communicative processes between managers andemployees on the matter of innovation and innovative activities. The general researchquestion focuses on studying whether managers and employees can influence innovations andinnovative activities through communication. The research focuses on studying SwedishSMEs, on the case of plastic industry. SMEs in Sweden are well known for innovativeactivities, however, the research attempts to discover whether such activities are effective andwhether communication between managers and employees “makes or breaks innovativeecosystem” (Estrin, 2009). The motivation behind this research is to find how communicativeactivities in Swedish SMEs influence innovative processes and find whether managers andemployees can influence effectively innovations through communication for the benefit of theorganization.

Le contexte de crise dans lequel évolue notre monde représente une question fondamentale et incontournable. Les récentes catastrophes dans l’ensemble des continents sont la preuve du bouleversement de nos sociétés et de la biodiversité. Cette crise a plusieurs dimensions : économique, sociale, politique, juridique et environnemental. Nous avons centré notre recherche sur la crise des déchets, crise représentative de l’ensemble de ces facteurs. Ce problème affecte l’ensemble de nos civilisations et ses effets sur le système naturel sont irréversibles. De plus, cette crise nécessite une réponse immédiate et durable car il y va de l'avenir de l’ensemble de la planète. Si tous les pays sont concernés par cette problématique, elle se décline différemment dans une même zone géographique. Elle est à la fois anthropique et naturelle. Elle implique toutes les parties prenantes au niveau local et international. La revue de littérature révèle un manque de données chiffrées au niveau de l'Afrique et l'échec de certains projets non adaptés aux critères locaux. Nous souhaitons prendre pour base théorique la théorie de l'économie circulaire et celle des externalités. Cela permet de mettre en évidence à la fois des externalités positives et négatives, mais aussi de s'inscrire dans une démarche résolument positive. Cette dernière voie consiste à considérer le déchet comme une source de valeur. Cette conception du déchet permet de répondre aux besoins présents et de modifier la vision généralement négative de ce concept. Il s’agit de transformer le problème de déchets en un gisement durable face aux besoins énergétiques croissants, la dégradation des ressources naturelles, la préservation des sols et la modification de nos modes de consommation de masse vers une stratégie zéro déchet ainsi que la valorisation d’une agriculture respectueuse du développement durable. Notre travail de recherche met également en évidence la place incontournable du secteur informel en Afrique, la nécessité de coordonner le travail des acteurs sur le terrain et le développement des emplois verts. Cette démarche positive est possible en associant l’ensemble des stratégies à une communication innovante et l’implication des populations locales aux projets. / The crisis context in which our world is evolving is a fundamental and inescapable question. Recent disasters all over the continents are the proof of this dramatic concern for our world and its biodiversity. It is variable: it is either economic, political, legal and environmental. That is why our work is about waste crisis. This problem affects all our civilizations and its results are irreversible for our natural system. Furthermore, it needs immediate and sustainable responses because it is linked with the future of our planet. All countries are concerned about this problematic. However, it shows different faces even in the same geographical area. This crisis is anthropogenic and natural. It involves all national and international stakeholders. Literature reviews reveal a lack of data in Africa and the failure of projects not unsuited to local contexts. We develop several theories: circular economics, negative and positive externalities and the theory of social and supporting economy. Our work is about the importance of informal sectors in Africa, the coordination of actors in the field and the development of green jobs. This positive way is possible with innovative communication strategies and the involvement of population in local projects.