International education is an area of education that, over the last forty years, has grown in size and significance. International schools are one of many vehicles for the delivery of international education and are growing in number and variety. In addition, the value placed by society on an international education and those curricular programs that promote international education continue to develop. International schools are, therefore, becoming an important and growing area of education. In general terms the amount of research on such schools is limited when compared to national education systems and national schools. The growth in the number of international schools has been accompanied by a growth in the variety of such schools and the diversity of foundations, governance models and missions that support them. This diversity and my experience in international school leadership, allied to my interest in school improvement and school effectiveness as it pertains to the field of international schools, led to an interest in how models of governance impact on international school leadership and – through the leadership – on school improvement and development. This research enquiry is a case study, based on evidence produced through three different research methods; individual school studies, a questionnaire and expert interviews. The use of three methods of data gathering allowed for a complex area to be examined and the results to be triangulated. The results of the case study serve to illuminate the area and to suggest future avenues of research. One area of particular interest that was identified through the study was the interaction within the leadership structures of the schools and the relationships between the head of school, governors and model of governance. It would appear from the results of the study that those models of governance that relied on high numbers of elected parents of students currently attending the school produced a much higher turnover of heads and chairs of boards than did others. The interaction between head, chair of the school board and overall board members also appeared to affect the length of time people served in these posts. Following discussion of such issues, the implications of governance model and rate of turnover for the leadership, development and improvement of international schools are further examined and discussed. The process of conducting this enquiry, while time consuming and demanding, has been of huge benefit to me both personally and professionally. I have enjoyed the challenge and particularly gained from the greater professional insight developed during the study.

The subject of discourse in this study is ‘leadership and governance imperatives for development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’. The qualitative research method was deemed the most suitable in attaining the objectives of the study. The study comprises six chapters. The main objective of the study is to contribute to an understanding of the challenges that constitute a stumbling block for the establishment of a system that promotes good governance and places the DRC on the path to development. Beyond the analysis of challenges, the study also examines the environment in which leaders evolve and it focuses on leadership challenges and governance imperatives that prevail in the current setting of the country. In this context, the study formulates a framework for leadership development. The study aims at proposing a perspective for leadership development considering the fact that the DRC urgently requires leaders who are competent and effective, and who can consider modern principles of management and governance as provided by the case studies of Brazil and Botswana in order to offer the much needed leadership in the nation-building process. Considering the crises the DRC has endured throughout the years, leadership’s role is of great importance as leaders have the ability to transform the adverse circumstances that Congolese people have faced since the inception of independence. The study insists that is possible only if leaders can inspire hope and change the patterns of how things have been done in the country. The DRC needs leaders who are able to help unleash its potential and allow the country to regain and to maximise its strategic position as a significant player in the continental geopolitical affairs. The thesis argues that the success of any leadership mainly depends on the kind of social order that prevails in the DRC and on the type of the political arrangement adopted by its leaders. The main challenge facing the DRC is establishing an effective leadership. The legacy of colonisation coupled with the misrule by Congolese cadres have made it difficult for the DRC to secure a system that promotes good governance and creates conditions for economic development. An effective and purposeful leadership has the ability to provide a clear policy guideline that might bring about change in the functioning of the country’s institutions. In the case of the DRC, an effective leadership will be the one that will create an environment that promotes the reforms much needed in the political and administrative structures of the country and, consequently, enhance conditions for a successful implementation of policies for the betterment of all. This study proposes that Congolese people deserve a civilised nation and a set of capable leaders who can maximise the country’s abundant resources so that citizens can benefit from the country’s wealth. As soon as the DRC finds the path to prosperity and development, it will be possible for the country to also impact positively on its neighbouring countries and the whole continent at large. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2013 / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / unrestricted

<p>The typical face of poverty in South Africa is African, rural, and female. As the primary users of rural land, women engage in farming and subsistence activities. Despite this pivotal role played by rural women, they experience grave problems under communal tenure, most notably in relation to access to and use of land and productive resources. Research has shown that the majority of rural households in South Africa derive significant proportions of their livelihoods from land-based activities, and that the value of common property resources associated with land, for example livestock production, crop production, and natural resource harvesting is often overlooked as an important asset of poor rural communities. The importance of these landbased livelihoods sources is even greater for female-headed households, female members of rural households, and the very poor or &lsquo / marginalised&rsquo / members of rural communities, since they tend to be more reliant on landbased livelihoods than those with secure income from pensions, wageearning activity or remittances from migrant labourers. The importance of security of land tenure to the sustainability of rural livelihoods, particularly insofar as rural women are concerned, is the central focus of this study.</p>

<p>The typical face of poverty in South Africa is African, rural, and female. As the primary users of rural land, women engage in farming and subsistence activities. Despite this pivotal role played by rural women, they experience grave problems under communal tenure, most notably in relation to access to and use of land and productive resources. Research has shown that the majority of rural households in South Africa derive significant proportions of their livelihoods from land-based activities, and that the value of common property resources associated with land, for example livestock production, crop production, and natural resource harvesting is often overlooked as an important asset of poor rural communities. The importance of these landbased livelihoods sources is even greater for female-headed households, female members of rural households, and the very poor or &lsquo / marginalised&rsquo / members of rural communities, since they tend to be more reliant on landbased livelihoods than those with secure income from pensions, wageearning activity or remittances from migrant labourers. The importance of security of land tenure to the sustainability of rural livelihoods, particularly insofar as rural women are concerned, is the central focus of this study.</p>

Magister Artium - MA / The typical face of poverty in South Africa is African, rural, and female. As the primary users of rural land, women engage in farming and subsistence activities. Despite this pivotal role played by rural women, they experience grave problems under communal tenure, most notably in relation to access to and use of land and productive resources. Research has shown that the majority of rural households in South Africa derive significant proportions of their livelihoods from land-based activities, and that the value of common property resources associated with land, for example livestock production, crop production, and natural resource harvesting is often overlooked as an important asset of poor rural communities. The importance of these landbased livelihoods sources is even greater for female-headed households, female members of rural households, and the very poor or 'marginalised' members of rural communities, since they tend to be more reliant on landbased livelihoods than those with secure income from pensions, wageearning activity or remittances from migrant labourers. The importance of security of land tenure to the sustainability of rural livelihoods, particularly insofar as rural women are concerned, is the central focus of this study. / South Africa

The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the effectiveness of the health care reform implemented in Ethiopia in the form of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and develop strategies to strengthen its implementation. The research was conducted in two phases. In phase I, the effectiveness of the BPR health care reform was explored and described through gathering quantitative information from health care providers (n=406) using a structured questionnaire. All public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia which have been implementing the reform from its inception (n=5) were included. In Phase II, in-depth strategies aimed at strengthening implementation of the reform were developed. Two-rounds of Delphi study were conducted to seek the opinions of senior health policy experts (n=10) and arrive at consensus on the developed strategies. Cronbach's alpha, descriptive statistics, Chi-square, logistic regression analysis, principal component analysis, weighted median score, adjusted and standard satisfaction scores, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test were conducted for data analysis. The BPR health care reform was able to restructure the hospitals’ departments into case teams, with the goal of adopting a “one-stop shopping” approach. However, 50% of the health care providers reported that the reform was not effective to satisfy the perceived health service needs. Limited effects were reported in favour of health care quality (48%), access (50%), efficiency (51%), sustainability (53%), and equity (61%). While poor effects were reported in patient-provider (41%) and provider-management (32%) interactions. The most important predictors that influenced implementation of the reform were financial resources (AOR=3.54, 95%CI: 1.97, 6.33), top management commitment and support (AOR=2.27, 95%CI: 1.15, 4.47), collaborative working environment (AOR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.00, 3.11), and information technology (AOR=3.15, 95%CI: 1.57, 6.32). The overall job satisfaction in the public health sectors remained poor, with only 25% job-satisfied providers engaged. Moral satisfaction (AOR=177.654, 95%CI: 59.539, 530.08), management style (AOR=4.017, 95%CI: 1.490, 10.828), workload (AOR=2.422, 95%CI: 0.925, 6.342), and task (AOR=5.491, 95%CI: 2.307, 13.069) were the most significant factors. Job satisfaction results were significantly different among the study hospitals (2 = 30.557, p < 0.001). The current health care delivery performance of the public hospitals was 60% when weighed against the World Health Organization’s health system framework which required a minimum of 80% score. However, there existed a significant difference in performance at least between two hospitals (2 = 571.902, p < 0.001). Five strategies that could disrupt the status quo and strengthen the BPR health care reform are proposed based on their strategic priority, which were: reinforce patient-centred quality of care services; foster a healthy and respectful workforce environment; efficient and accountable leadership and governance; efficient use of hospital financing; and maximize innovations and the use of health technologies. The strategies could be used to enrich the quality of health care interventions through continuous review, refinement and adjustment of the reform as required. Key words: Health care reform; Business Process Reengineering; quality; access; equity; efficiency; sustainability; job satisfaction; health system; patient-centred care; workforce; leadership and governance; hospital financing; health technologies; Ethiopia. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)

The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the effectiveness of the health care reform implemented in Ethiopia in the form of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) and develop strategies to strengthen its implementation. The research was conducted in two phases. In phase I, the effectiveness of the BPR health care reform was explored and described through gathering quantitative information from health care providers (n=406) using a structured questionnaire. All public hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia which have been implementing the reform from its inception (n=5) were included. In Phase II, in-depth strategies aimed at strengthening implementation of the reform were developed. Two-rounds of Delphi study were conducted to seek the opinions of senior health policy experts (n=10) and arrive at consensus on the developed strategies. Cronbach's alpha, descriptive statistics, Chi-square, logistic regression analysis, principal component analysis, weighted median score, adjusted and standard satisfaction scores, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test were conducted for data analysis. The BPR health care reform was able to restructure the hospitals’ departments into case teams, with the goal of adopting a “one-stop shopping” approach. However, 50% of the health care providers reported that the reform was not effective to satisfy the perceived health service needs. Limited effects were reported in favour of health care quality (48%), access (50%), efficiency (51%), sustainability (53%), and equity (61%). While poor effects were reported in patient-provider (41%) and provider-management (32%) interactions. The most important predictors that influenced implementation of the reform were financial resources (AOR=3.54, 95%CI: 1.97, 6.33), top management commitment and support (AOR=2.27, 95%CI: 1.15, 4.47), collaborative working environment (AOR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.00, 3.11), and information technology (AOR=3.15, 95%CI: 1.57, 6.32). The overall job satisfaction in the public health sectors remained poor, with only 25% job-satisfied providers engaged. Moral satisfaction (AOR=177.654, 95%CI: 59.539, 530.08), management style (AOR=4.017, 95%CI: 1.490, 10.828), workload (AOR=2.422, 95%CI: 0.925, 6.342), and task (AOR=5.491, 95%CI: 2.307, 13.069) were the most significant factors. Job satisfaction results were significantly different among the study hospitals (2 = 30.557, p < 0.001). The current health care delivery performance of the public hospitals was 60% when weighed against the World Health Organization’s health system framework which required a minimum of 80% score. However, there existed a significant difference in performance at least between two hospitals (2 = 571.902, p < 0.001). Five strategies that could disrupt the status quo and strengthen the BPR health care reform are proposed based on their strategic priority, which were: reinforce patient-centred quality of care services; foster a healthy and respectful workforce environment; efficient and accountable leadership and governance; efficient use of hospital financing; and maximize innovations and the use of health technologies. The strategies could be used to enrich the quality of health care interventions through continuous review, refinement and adjustment of the reform as required. Key words: Health care reform; Business Process Reengineering; quality; access; equity; efficiency; sustainability; job satisfaction; health system; patient-centred care; workforce; leadership and governance; hospital financing; health technologies; Ethiopia. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies)