Abstract in English / The overall aim of this study was to construct and describe a conceptual framework that can serve as a frame of reference for organisational stakeholders to sustain a community coalition to manage alcohol misuse as a risk factor of HIV infection in a specific community in the North West Province, South Africa. A Participatory Action Research (PAR) design that was qualitative and theory generative in nature was followed in this study. A phased approach with specific objectives aligned to the PAR cycle, namely observe (Phase One), reflect (Phase Two), plan (Phase Three) and act (Phase Four), was followed. These phases were actualised through an exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design, guided and theoretically influenced by critical theory. Data in Phase One were collected through 10 key informant interviews. Data were collected in Phases Two to Four through 10 dialogue meetings. Data collected in the four phases were used to construct and describe the conceptual framework that was evaluated by five experts in the field of mental health and substance misuse for refinement (Phase Five). Thematic data analyses was done to identify emerging themes. Key issues identified were that the community is characterised by fragile community coalitions that hamper the management of alcohol misuse as a risk factor of HIV infection. Factors to be considered to sustain the coalition were identified as sharing a common vision, promoting a trusting relationship, formalising the coalition, transformational leadership, strengthening organisational unity, and access to financial resources. This research adds knowledge in the field of mental health and substance misuse by providing a sustainable community coalition conceptual framework for organisational stakeholders to manage alcohol misuse as a risk factor of HIV infection. The conceptual framework could be used to inform policy, further research, education and improve practice in the field of mental health and substance misuse. Although the study was limited to a specific geographical area of a community in the North West Province, South Africa, the findings can be adapted to fit a specific setting. / Health Studies / D Litt et Phil. (Health Studies)

The purpose of the study was to explore the factors that contribute to poor academic achievement in TVET Colleges in the North West Province. A qualitative method of one-on-one interviews was utilised to collect data from participants. The study revealed that poor funding or late payment of NSFAS constitutes the demotivation of students, which results to poor performance. On the other hand, the lecturers also blame the poor results on students’ lack of motivation. The quality of students that register for NC(V) programmes do not match the curriculum as the mainstream schools do not adequately prepare them for the college curriculum. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that the top achieving students be awarded with incentives to motivate them. The NSFAS Bursaries ought to pay-out early in the year so that students may have enough funds for their transport and other college related needs. The students’ support services ought to be made available for the low performing students. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 is a tool used to redress the injustice of the past and ensure full economic participation of groups that where disadvantaged in the past. The main stream economy includes the fast–track of employment equity, ownership, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development, and socio–economic development. BEE is an inclusive and logical political process that is based on the national transformation programme of the country, for an example, the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). Its purpose was to modify and change the inequalities of the past with transference of management, ownership and the control of economic and financial resources of South Africa to the majority of its citizens. The RDP sought to bring about full economic participation by the historically disadvantaged to accomplish prosperity and development that is sustainable. Public sector procurement is used by government as a mechanism to achieve certain broader policy objectives such as BEE, local economic development of small and medium sized business, skills transfer and job creation. The BEE programme was implemented in 2003. However, there are problems with the implementation of the programme. The theory (legislation) includes the Code of Good Practice, Sector Scorecards, and Public Sector Procurement Guidelines which span effective implementation of the BEE programme. According to the respondents, the major problem with the successful implementation of BEE, are the corrupt public officials who interfere with the process. The government officials responsible for the implementation of BEE practice nepotism and bribery on an extremely large scale. Moreover, political interference plays a major role in the lack/poor implementation of BEE. BEE compliance in the District of Dr Kenneth Kaunda Department of Education is extremely corrupt with many of the essential supply of goods and services being compromised. In this study to tackle the research topic both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used thus termed mixed method research. With mixed method research the researcher was able to use semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe factors influencing termination of pregnancy and describe measures that can be implemented to reduce the high rate of Termination of pregnancy (TOP). A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was followed, in order to explore and describe factors influencing termination of pregnancy in Mafikeng North West Province. Purposive sampling was utilized to identify participants who met inclusion criteria for the study. The sample size was determined by data saturation, which was reached after twenty five in-depth individual interviews with women requesting TOP was done. In-depth individual interviews were utilized to gather data after written approval from the Human research Ethics committee as well as the Research Ethics Committee of the North West University (Mafikeng Campus), North West Provincial Department of Health, Operational manager of Montshioa Stadt Health Centre, and Hospital Manager of Mafikeng Provincial Hospital where data was collected, and consent was also obtained from women who requested TOP. The findings of this study indicated that factors influencing termination of pregnancy were economic factors, the need for self development, health factors and social factors. From the results, women requesting termination of Pregnancy think that effective use of contraceptives and correct use of condom can reduce the high rate of termination of pregnancy. Conclusion reached were that, non-use of contraceptives and incorrect use of condoms influenced TOP, as it was their common problem, hence the researcher suggested that health education on different methods of contraceptives should be given to teenage girls and other older women by health care providers. Recommendations in the field of nursing practice, nursing education, as well as nursing research were made. / Thesis (M.Cur) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2012

Although every organisation disposes of a corporate identity, it is not a given that the organisation will also have a corporate brand. Corporate brands refer not only to the visual corporate identity elements such as the name, the logo and the corporate colours but also reflect the associations that the internal and external interest groups attach to the organisation. The staff members of the organisation are regarded as the ambassadors of an organisation’s corporate brand which they should live and express in their work and actions. For that reason it is important that the corporate brand should be well established within the organisation itself. The North-West University (NWU) was established in 2004 as the result of a merger between the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the University of the North-West. The North-West University consists of four business units, viz. the Institutional Office, the Mafikeng Campus, the Potchefstroom Campus and the Vaal Triangle Campus. Because of the diversity of the erstwhile institutions, there were several serious implications for the North-West University. One of these was the development and the subsequent suitable management model, given the distance between campuses, and the other would the design and establishment of a corporate brand for the institution, given the culture and background of the former institutions. The result has been the use of a hybrid model with regard to the over-arching corporate brand of the North-West University to the extent that each campus has developed its own separate corporate brand. Although various studies have been done in the field about corporate brands, to date no study has been undertaken about the situation at the North-West University. Against this background it was possible to formulate the following general research question. What are staff members’ perceptions of, respectively, the corporate brand and corporate brand management of the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus? For the purposes of this study semi-structured interviews were conducted with management of the Institutional Office and the Potchefstroom Campus directly involved in the application of the corporate brand. A quantitative electronic questionnaire was also sent to all academic, administrative and support staff members of the Potchefstroom Campus. The study indicates that the management of the Institutional Office and of the Potchefstroom Campus in some instances hold differing views about the corporate brand of the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus. In contrast to this the study indicated that the staff members of the Potchefstroom Campus gave recognition to the fact that the Potchefstroom Campus had their own corporate brand, but that it is regarded as part of the over-arching corporate brand of the North-West University. The study also indicated that the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus corporate brands consisted of different components and that the management of corporate brand depended on the leadership of senior management, but that each staff member played a role in living and establishing the different corporate brands. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The objectives of the study are to explore the effectiveness of the ABC HIV prevention strategy in South Africa with the purpose of establishing problem areas of the ABC HIV prevention strategy in South Africa. A systematic review design was followed. Electronic databases; Google scholar, Medline and PubMed were searched using broad combination of keywords to obtain all relevant articles. Studies written in English, published between 2000 and 2010, were selected if they met the inclusion criteria. In order to be included the study had to discuss the ABC HIV prevention strategy with the focus on effectiveness of the strategy. The Critical appraisal instrument for qualitative research studies (CASP, 2006) and Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative studies (Effective Public Health Practice Project, 2005) were used to critically appraise the 9 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis was used for the analysis process. The findings regarding each objective were combined in a summary of findings. The findings revealed that the South African population engages in sexual activities at an early age. Males and females have concurrent sexual partnerships, which mean they are not faithful to their primary sexual partners and lastly, women are unable to use or negotiate condom use. Identified problem areas of the ABC HIV prevention strategy in South Africa were that the age gap between sexual partners is a problem as women cannot negotiate condom use with their seniors. The notion of love and romance that influences the use of condoms, has a negative impact whereby condom use is unacceptable in a long term relationship, irrespective of the level of faithfulness. Low socio-economic status of women that makes women to be dependent on men and also prone to engage in transactional sex. Lastly, local norms about sexuality that men subscribe to, to prove masculinity. / Thesis (M.Cur) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2011

The Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 is a tool used to redress the injustice of the past and ensure full economic participation of groups that where disadvantaged in the past. The main stream economy includes the fast–track of employment equity, ownership, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development, and socio–economic development. BEE is an inclusive and logical political process that is based on the national transformation programme of the country, for an example, the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). Its purpose was to modify and change the inequalities of the past with transference of management, ownership and the control of economic and financial resources of South Africa to the majority of its citizens. The RDP sought to bring about full economic participation by the historically disadvantaged to accomplish prosperity and development that is sustainable. Public sector procurement is used by government as a mechanism to achieve certain broader policy objectives such as BEE, local economic development of small and medium sized business, skills transfer and job creation. The BEE programme was implemented in 2003. However, there are problems with the implementation of the programme. The theory (legislation) includes the Code of Good Practice, Sector Scorecards, and Public Sector Procurement Guidelines which span effective implementation of the BEE programme. According to the respondents, the major problem with the successful implementation of BEE, are the corrupt public officials who interfere with the process. The government officials responsible for the implementation of BEE practice nepotism and bribery on an extremely large scale. Moreover, political interference plays a major role in the lack/poor implementation of BEE. BEE compliance in the District of Dr Kenneth Kaunda Department of Education is extremely corrupt with many of the essential supply of goods and services being compromised. In this study to tackle the research topic both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used thus termed mixed method research. With mixed method research the researcher was able to use semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. / M Development and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Although every organisation disposes of a corporate identity, it is not a given that the organisation will also have a corporate brand. Corporate brands refer not only to the visual corporate identity elements such as the name, the logo and the corporate colours but also reflect the associations that the internal and external interest groups attach to the organisation. The staff members of the organisation are regarded as the ambassadors of an organisation’s corporate brand which they should live and express in their work and actions. For that reason it is important that the corporate brand should be well established within the organisation itself. The North-West University (NWU) was established in 2004 as the result of a merger between the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the University of the North-West. The North-West University consists of four business units, viz. the Institutional Office, the Mafikeng Campus, the Potchefstroom Campus and the Vaal Triangle Campus. Because of the diversity of the erstwhile institutions, there were several serious implications for the North-West University. One of these was the development and the subsequent suitable management model, given the distance between campuses, and the other would the design and establishment of a corporate brand for the institution, given the culture and background of the former institutions. The result has been the use of a hybrid model with regard to the over-arching corporate brand of the North-West University to the extent that each campus has developed its own separate corporate brand. Although various studies have been done in the field about corporate brands, to date no study has been undertaken about the situation at the North-West University. Against this background it was possible to formulate the following general research question. What are staff members’ perceptions of, respectively, the corporate brand and corporate brand management of the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus? For the purposes of this study semi-structured interviews were conducted with management of the Institutional Office and the Potchefstroom Campus directly involved in the application of the corporate brand. A quantitative electronic questionnaire was also sent to all academic, administrative and support staff members of the Potchefstroom Campus. The study indicates that the management of the Institutional Office and of the Potchefstroom Campus in some instances hold differing views about the corporate brand of the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus. In contrast to this the study indicated that the staff members of the Potchefstroom Campus gave recognition to the fact that the Potchefstroom Campus had their own corporate brand, but that it is regarded as part of the over-arching corporate brand of the North-West University. The study also indicated that the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus corporate brands consisted of different components and that the management of corporate brand depended on the leadership of senior management, but that each staff member played a role in living and establishing the different corporate brands. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The South African Schools Act of 1996 mandates the establishment of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) in all schools with grade eight and higher. Amongst others, the SGB has the authority to develop a Code of Conduct for learners in a school. This study includes a literature review of discipline in schools, the functions of SGBs, the development and implementation of a Code of Conduct by the SGB. A qualitative investigation of the perceptions of parents, educators and learners, of discipline and dealing with misbehaviour was conducted in three secondary schools in the North-West Province. It was established that role-players differed in their understanding of coming to a common understanding of what to include in a Code of Conduct. It seems as if measures to deal with misbehaviour are often in violation of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. Based on the findings, recommendations for addressing discipline by means of a Code of Conduct were proposed. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the training given to Foundation Phase (FP) teachers in the implementation of Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), with the intention to develop an alternative professional development (PD) approach for this Phase. Literature indicates that the academic success of learners can be significantly affected by Foundation Phase teachers’ access and participation in quality PD activities. It also indicates that PD is much more than training. It includes on-going workshops, follow-up, study, reflections, observations and assessment which accommodates FP teachers as learners, recognises the long-term nature of learning, and utilises methods that are likely to lead teachers to improve their practice as professionals. In this study, mixed methods research approach was employed to collect empirical data. It includes questionnaires responded to by 84 FP teachers, three sets of interview questions, that is, one for 9 primary school principals, one for 3 subject advisors, and the last one for the Focus group made up of 10 FP teachers who were not included in questionnaires. Observation at training centre was also conducted. The study revealed that the responses from the five sets of data collection instruments seemed to agree on the following: - FP teachers were not involved in the design of their PD activities; - An appropriate time for FP teachers to engage in PD activities is during school holidays; - The length of the training was too short; - Training was not based on the teachers identified needs; and - It was not designed by teachers in cooperation with experts in the field. This study therefore recommends the use of mixed-models approach because the Cascade model that was used, is not addressing the needs of all FP teachers. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)