Some of our teachers are so imbued with the idea that violence solves problems for them at school that they don't realize that there is an effective alternative discipline that is humane and violence free. They are not alone in this trap. Parents and learners too also strongly believe that inflicting reasonable pain is morally an acceptable disciplinary measure, and a deterrent. This study seeks to understand the reasons that make teachers perpetuate the culture of corporal punishment today, despite the fact that the 1996 South African Schools Act abolished the practice in all public and private institutions by declaring that the use of any form of physical punishment is unlawful and unconstitutional. Anyone, therefore, who contravenes the act, is guilty of an offence. This legal concept seems to be confined within public and private institutions, and does not extend to the parents at home and to society at large, where the culture of physical punishment is still widely practiced. From the point of view of Systems Theory we regard a school as a social system. Regard for the perspectives of the people involved in this human system is important in identifying problem situations, exploring them, and developing a grounded theory to account for them. In this study I employ the Primary Research Paradigm and use surveys as a means of collecting the research data. Winberg (1997:30) says that Primary research occurs through direct interaction between the researcher and the researched. It is sensitive and sees with the eyes of the researched and walks in their shoes. I use triangulation, combining conversations, interviews, observations, questionnaires and documentary analysis to collect data on the feelings, attitudes and perceptions of teachers, learners and parents. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

As the first decade of the 21st century nears its end, it is undoubtedly clear that the challenges facing the world today are profoundly different in both character and prominence from those faced by various societies during the last decade of the 20th century. In part, this change derives from, among other things, the rapid growth in the use of information technology, intensification of globalization and its attendant consequences and the hyper-competitive business environment within which most, if not all, business organizations operate. These factors, together with the visible and unrelenting shift away from the 'industrial economy' to 'service economy', accompanied by an emphasis on human rights culture across the globe, are radically changing the way people as citizens and people as customers, individually and collectively, understand their role in this new emerging context. Coupled with this changing network of individual and collective psyches is the changing nature and role expected of both the business and government institutions. In response to these changing expectations, businesses and governments are continuously seeking to find creative and working ways to better respond to the needs of their stakeholders. As part of this developing dynamic, the government of the Republic of South Africa has sought to target its strategy planning process as one mechanism through which the enhancement of its service delivery endeavour may be achieved. Taking the cue from their national counterpart, provincial governments are following on the same footsteps. In view of the prominence enjoyed by the strategic planning process in government circles as a tool, firstly, for linking and integrating departmental budgets and service delivery intentions, and secondly, channel efforts and energies of public servants to enhance service delivery improvement for the electorate, the need to examine the strategic planning process becomes critical. This study, therefore, finds its conceptual origin in the context of this developing dynamic. To this end, the KZN Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism has been identified as a case to study whether the strategic planning process is understood, and therefore used, as a value-creating imperative for service delivery enhancement in the public sector, or mechanism for compliance. To accomplish its purpose, the study relies primarily on the responses received from interviews conducted with the employees of the Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism on the question of the department's strategy planning process. Coupled with this primary source of information, literature review was also conducted as a secondary source. This process is important in that it provides an opportunity for the researcher to conduct a comparative analysis, firstly, to establish whether what the department says it does strategically has any link or relation to what is contained in the literature on strategy. Secondly, it affords space to assess whether the rhetorical articulations of the department on its strategic planning process link back to what the department does in practice around the same phenomena. On the basis of this analysis and assessment, the study moves on to articulate, whether, in its own opinion, based on its findings, the strategy planning process is currently used by the department as a value-creating mechanism for service delivery improvement or a mechanism for compliance. / Thesis (MA-Leadership Centre)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

The research undertaken explores how the culture of a business can be changed. when in distress. Because of the intangible nature of culture and culture change, the research firstly identified what culture is and how it is represented within organisations before exploring how culture could be changed while a firm is in crisis. A number of pragmatic and practical ways of changing culture were identified. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

The management of knowledge has taken on greater importance in 21st century as more companies compete in the open market. The company that is aware ofwhat knowledge it possess and is able leverage its knowledge effectively will have a significant advantage over its competitors. A major stumbling block to implementation of knowledge management initiatives has been organizational culture. If the culture of the organization is not conducive to knowledge sharing, no knowledge management initiative will ever succeed. This study was focussed on examining the cultural landscape ofthe Generation Division of Eskom in order to understand what impact it will have on future knowledge management initiatives and to provide insight on what issues need to be addressed in order to facilitate a culture of knowledge sharing within the Division. Hermeneutics, coupled with systems thinking, was used to identify the factors within the Generation Division's organisational culture that influenced knowledge sharing. Trust, compassion for fellow employees and mutual respect were identified as critical factors that inhibited the development of meaningful relationships amongst employees which is pivotal to sharing tacit knowledge. This study recommends paying more attention to developing and improving employee relationships than investing in expensive IT infrastructure to transfer tacit knowledge. / Thesis (MCom.)-University of Kwazulu-Natal, 2005.

The study did a systemic analysis of eThekwini Municipality's design for effectiveness looking at community participation in local governance. The study was conducted by using Participatory Action Research methodology. The researcherwas able to determine emergent themes. The findings revealed that firstly, people view the Municipality's system of governance as unresponsive. This is because of lack of effective mechanisms of communication between the councillors, officials and the communities. Moreover, there is lack of delivery of services to the community, resulting in people feeling that their needs are not being addressed; therefore there being no need to participate. Secondly, there is also a general feeling that local government does not consult with the people when taking decisions on crucial matters. Thirdly, there is uncertainty about whether community inputs have any influence on decision-making. This concern was expressed in a variety of ways, including the feeling that their input did not matter because the essential decision 'appears' to have already been made before the participation process commencesor ends. Fourthly, there is overwhelming evidence that there is a direct correlation between participation levels and unhappiness and dissatisfaction around the levels of service delivery of the municipality. Lastly people at the grassroots level do not have knowledge on how government structures function. This makes it difficult for them to have meaningful and effective means of participation. All the undesirable effects outlined above, provide a sound and compelling basis on justification for a Community Participation Policy design. While the legislation prescribing citizen and community abounds, local government authorities have remained indifferent; or they have not been visible in pursuing methods and mechanisms that foster citizen participation in project management and decision making processes. As a result of this study, the Council has made the amendment of Section 12 of the Municipal Structures Act to ensure that eThekwini Municipality becomes a ward participatory type of municipality. Also, community participation policy has been developed to change the present situation or context that invited the problem on ineffective participation. The policy aims at changing mindsets for municipal officials so that they take the issue of involving communities more seriously. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Kwazulu Natal, 2005.

This research paper presents a systems and process approach into the development, implementation and certification of ISO 9001:2000 within the Industry Association Resource Centre, (IARC) formally known as Distribution Technology (DT). There is currently no formal Quality Management System (QMS) applied within the bounds of IARC. ISO 9001 :2000 is one such system that is to be implemented to ensure that the products and or services as generated by IARC meet the customers expectations and within the required time frame. Due to the restructuring of the EDI and disbanding of Distribution, DT was relocated from the disbanding Distribution division and incorporated into the R & S division. In doing so DT was restructured and the name changed to IARC. This meant that Risk Management a previous section within DT was moved out and three new sections, Standardisation, Information Centre and the Electricity Supply Industry - Geographic Information System were incorporated into IARC. The three new sections had previously been with R & S and were already ISO 9001 :2000 certified. IARC is currently split into eight sections namely; • Technology Development, Power Plant, • Technology Development, Control Plant, • Engineering Processes, • Technical Training, • Pre-Paid Development, • Technology Standardisation, • Information Services and • Electricity Supply Industry - Geographic Information System. There is also however a Corporate Consulting Service supplied by IARC. IARC is further spread throughout the country and thus has multiple offices namely; • Megawatt Park (Johannesburg) • Menlyn Park (Pretoria) • New Germany (Durban) • Brakenfel (Cape Town) • Simmerpan (Germiston) • East London • Klerksdorp • George. As can be seen from above IARC is a department that is multi skilled and spread through out the country hence the importance of implementing a quality management system. A method of developing and implementing ISO 9001 :2000 within IARC will be discussed. This research paper will further only involve five of the sections within IARC as three of the sections as stated above have already achieved ISO 9001 :2000 certification.. Thus the five sections that form part of this research paper are; • Technology Development, Power Plant, • Technology Development, Control Plant, • Engineering Processes, • Technical Training and • Pre-Paid Development. The sections within IARC have in the past worked in isolation from each other and thus have built up their own reporting systems to which they adhere to. It is thus recommended to involve the relevant staffthroughout the entire IARC and to ensure that they fully understand the benefits that can be achieved with certification. It is further important to understand that extensive training be undertaken throughout IARC during the process to educate all staff. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of Natal, 2004.

As enshrined in the post-apartheid South African constitution, access to basic services like potable water, sanitation and formal housing has become a basic right for all South Africans. The delivery of low-cost housing through the national and provincial Departments of Human Settlement is one of the major focuses of the post-apartheid South African Government. South Africa today (2010) still has massive shortages of low-cost housing for the poor, despite funding being made available to address this need. Millions of poor families live in shacks in informal settlements and in overcrowded townships where small (250 to 300 square metre) erven with one bedroom dwellings and rudimentary extensions and backyard shacks erected on them often house more than one family while they await access to housing subsidies. The Eastern Cape Province is one of the poorest provinces in South Africa, with a significantly poor rural community and dense urban settlements which have sprouted all over as a result of urban migration and population growth. According to the Provincial Human Settlement Department, the Eastern Cape has a backlog of approximately 370,000 low-cost houses. Several low cost housing projects have been initiated in the province. The projects are implemented using different partnership strategies and they produce different outcomes, which are in no way near the desired outcomes of meeting the demand of supplying quality houses in the shortest possible time (E Cape Government Department of Human Settlement). In terms of the project management norms, standards and processes of the building industry, it takes two builders, one plumber and five labourers five days to build a fifty square metre low-cost housing unit. Yet some projects, as small as 200 housing units, have taken more than 10 years to complete for one reason or the other. Often when the houses are perceived to be complete it becomes evident that their quality is of an unacceptable standard, and some unmet desired objectives. Some project sites in rural towns of the former Transkei have been abandoned due to failures in implementation. Furthermore, some project sites which start off as green fields have been invaded by poor communities who build rudimentary shack dwellings on the sites in a sign of desperation, impatience and frustration at the pace of delivery (among other reasons) with a huge unfavourable financial impact on the implementation of the planned projects. The problems impacting on low-cost housing delivery are a combination of hard systems (processes, procedures, costing, programming and so on) and soft systems (the human element). The problems and risks described as being associated with housing projects are many and varied, depending who is talking, and in some instances it is difficult to describe the problems in words (unstructured and complex problems). This study concentrates on the human element associated with the implementation processes by critically examining the roles of the multitude of stakeholders who are identified as partners in the projects. Such partnerships are a huge contributing factor to the success or failure of a programme. This study looks at minimising project implementation risks through the establishment of effective cross-sector partnership frameworks. The positive and negative impacts of partners in low-cost housing project management and implementation are critically examined using Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) with a view to improving service delivery. Keywords Systems Thinking, Complexity, Soft Systems, Cross-sector Partnerships, Project Management, Low-cost Housing Projects / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

This dissertation, employing an array of theoretical approaches under the rubric of Systems Thinking, explores the reality and experiences of family members that mainly provide care at home for their loved ones who live with or are directly affected by HIV & AIDS. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the dissertation demonstrates how Systems Thinking, feminist and indigenous knowledge principles can be employed for a better understanding of the contemporary construction of family and experiences of caregivers in an HIV & AIDS context. The discussion of the dissertation is based on data analysed following in-depth interviews with fifteen caregivers of the Bhambayi community. The findings of the study reflect a significant change in the definition and practice of parenting. It was found that HIV & AIDS forces a re-definition of the concept and practice of parenting beyond the traditional boundaries of age, sex and gender. Aligned with this main finding was that parenting practices and coping strategies are largely influenced by a strong commitment to the well-being of the children as well as societal constructs. The thesis of this dissertation is that the HIV & AIDS context and associated gender and cultural stereotypes are principally responsible for a significant shift in the understanding of the concept and practice of parenting within an African context. The study thus submits that a Systems Thinking approach ought to be used by interventionists to better understand and thus contribute towards improving the lives of families or communities in similar circumstance as that of the Bhambayi families. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2009.

The study is about the impact of housing development in the KwaZulu-Natal traditional authority areas under the ownership of Ingonyama Trust Board. These pieces of land are under administration of the Chiefs (Amakhosi). A case study of Isimahla Rural Housing Project had been utilised to reach provable findings. It was one of the first rural developments established on the basis of the Additional Rural Guidelines (as amended) that advanced to an implementation stage; approximately 500 houses or top structures were constructed by 2007. The researcher has chosen this topic because it has an involvement of the elements of systems theory and complexity. Through complexity something new is normally established because complex systems have a way of self-organizing and change could be intentional or unintentional. Another reason for choosing the topic is the researcher’s working experience where rural housing development is a key performance area. Rural Housing Development is one of the main priorities of the MEC for Housing in KwaZulu-Natal. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Housing developed the guidelines for rural housing in 2003 to enable the delivery of housing in the deeper rural areas. There were concerns from the traditional leaders with respect to their authority and powers. Concerns included the alienation of land, ownership of the project and the role of the traditional council. There was confusion regarding the initiation of rural projects. In addition, major causes of concerns amongst traditional leaders were based on the planning process. There was a perception that a setup like urban township settlements would be formed. To overcome the abovementioned concerns the Provincial Department of Housing created a partnership with the chiefs and all other relevant stakeholders involved in rural development. The Additional Rural Guidelines (2003) were then amended to accommodate such a partnership. The amended guidelines mainly focused on the following elements: - The acknowledgement of the existing functional tenure as an acceptable form of tenure for rural housing developments - The housing norms and standards do not apply to the level of services in rural developments, but do apply to the top structures - The introduction of the Global Positioning System (GPS) as an acceptable methodology for positioning beneficiary sites - The National Home Builders Regulations Council (NHBRC) registrations do not apply to rural development - Outlining the roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders in the rural development process. There were a greater number of projects approved by Department of Housing (DoH) in almost all the municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal after the launch of the Additional Guidelines, but in 2008 some of them had not yet advanced to the implementation stage. The Isimahla Rural Housing Project, based at Vulamehlo Municipality under the Ugu District Council has outshone the other rural projects. The study was to get an understanding as to whether rural development creates job opportunities for the local people, equipped local community beneficiaries with necessary skills in building and administration addressed land tenure issues and brought about sustainable development. Briefly, the utilization of Checkland’s epistemology on soft systems methodology assisted to reach some findings in the complexities facing rural housing development. What came out clearly is that integrated development needs to be vigorously implemented for rural development to be sustainable, managing of partnerships and stakeholder participation, utilization of project management principles and adherence to the principles of spatial development planning. There should be training and development, homestead gardening and subsistence farming to achieve sustainable development through integrated development planning by the municipalities of KwaZulu-Natal. The findings could help rural housing stakeholders in improving the practice and improve delivery. It could also assist in the current debate on rural development that is part of the policy review by the Provincial Department of Housing KwaZulu-Natal. Due to tight schedule to complete the study the findings could not be implemented as per Checkland’s soft systems methodology, but they could be of use in the future. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.