Traditional methods of IT recruitment in tertiary institutions need to be reviewed and more modern approaches analysed. A lot of successes and failures have been reported for each type of sourcing strategy in the IT sector. Many organizations have been liquidated due to poorly planned mergers, takeovers, and total outsourcing strategic shifts. The primary objective is to review the current IT sourcing strategies in tertiary institutions and to analyse and discuss the benefits and limitations of employing permanent IT staff, contract workers or outsourced staff.

The study sought to investigate the impact outsourcing had on behaviours and attitudes of remaining employees after outsourcing. It was important to investigate this problem as there was a growing perception that outsourcing could reduce organisational commitment, employee engagement, job performance and threatens career factors in the company. The objective of the study was to contribute towards the understanding of outsourcing as a business strategy in order for managers to implement it and manage it accordingly. The sample consisted of a 100 junior to senior staff members from different companies in South Africa that have recently gone through outsourcing. There were one hundred and five (105) questionnaires issued, but only hundred (100) usable questionnaires were returned (95.2 percent response rate).The empirical results showed that there was a significantly positive correlation between outsourcing (the independent variable) and organisational commitment, employee engagement, job performance and career factors (the dependent variables). The descriptive statistics showed that most employees did not have a positive experience of outsourcing. Males and females did not differ with regard to their perceptions about their experiences of outsourcing. Furthermore, the experience of outsourcing and its outcomes were also not significantly differently experienced across other demographic categories such as age, tenure, job experience and education.

Outsourcing has become a popular trend in the last two decades and has been applied in both non-essential and critical business functions. It has been viewed as a vital source of competitive advantage and is expected to remain an important component in future business strategies. Over the past few years, the outsourcing of logistics functions in particular has shown strong growth. Thus, an abundance of research on the outsourcing of logistics is available. However, there has been little research on the outsourcing of material handling activities as a sub-component of logistics, nor its effect on a company’s operational performance. The purpose of this treatise is to determine the effects of outsourcing a South African automotive company’s material handling activities on its operational performance. It further aims to compare the company’s expected outcomes for outsourcing with actual outcomes. In addition, the factors which contributed positively and negatively to the operation of the outsourced material handling activities at the company, are established. The automotive company in this study is situated in Port Elizabeth, but due to confidentiality reasons the name of the company is not mentioned in the study. The study consists of a literature review on the background of outsourcing, outsourcing theories, outsourcing trends, important outsourcing considerations and gaps in outsourcing research. Primary data, collected through the use of a questionnaire to determine the effects outsourcing has on the company’s operational performance, is collected, reported and analysed in the study. The performance criteria used to determine these effects are: cost; delivery speed and reliability; flexibility; quality; the outsourcing relationship and the management of the outsourcing relationship. The study results reveal that the operational performance of the company remained the same after outsourcing.

In the present body of work two primary subjects have been addressed, both individually and in their correspondence, namely 1) the potential for Neanderthals to have contributed to the Modern Human population, and 2) the genetic diversity of one of the most prehistorically impactful human popuations, the Armenians. The first subject is addressed by assessing 1000 mutations in 384 current humans, particularly for those mutations which appear to derive from the Neanderthal lineage. Additionally, the validity of the Neanderthal sequences themselves is evaluated through alignment analysis of fragementary DNA derived from the Vindija Cave sample. Armenian genetic diversity is analyzed through the autosomal short tandem repeats, y-chromsome single nucleotide polymorphisms, and y-chromosome short tandem repeats. The diversity found indicates that Armenians are a diverse group which has been genetically influenced by the various migrations and invasions which have entered their historic lands. Further, we find evidence that Armenians may be closely associated with the peopling of Europe.

Speleothems (cave carbonate deposits) have been recognized as a multi-proxy paleoclimate archive. Variations in carbon and oxygen isotopes in speleothems can record past climate changes (e.g., temperature, rainfall and vegetation) under isotopic equilibrium conditions. However, non-climatic noises caused by in-cave processes may affect these stable isotope records under non-equilibrium isotopic conditions. The identification of equilibrium and non-equilibrium isotopic conditions in speleothems is still disputed in the speleothem research community; however, this is a prerequisite for the interpretation of carbon and oxygen isotope records in speleothems as paleoclimate proxies. In this Ph.D. thesis, a series of laboratory experiments under cave-analogue conditions were performed to simulate the formation of speleothems in natural caves. The results of these experiments demonstrate that stable isotope equilibrium in speleothems is achieved under slow carbonate precipitation in pool-like settings (pool carbonates). On the basis of these pool carbonates, equilibrium carbon and oxygen isotope fractionation factors between calcite and water (or DIC for carbon) were determined. Our experiments show larger carbon and oxygen isotope non-equilibrium fractionations between calcite and water (or DIC for carbon) in stalagmite-like settings (fast carbonate precipitate) than those determined in pool-like settings. The flow rate of drip water above the surface of stalagmite appears to control the magnitude of these non-equilibrium isotope effects which increase with decreasing the flow rate. Furthermore, a natural speleothem sample was examined as a paleoclimate archive in this thesis. The growth of a double stalagmite (WS-5d) in Wadi Sannur Cave from the Northeastern Sahara was used to infer the greening of the Sahara (intensive rainfall and vegetation). The U/Th dating in the WS-5d stalagmite suggests that greening conditions extended widely in the Sahara during the interglacial Marine Isotope Stages MIS 5.5, MIS 7.3, and the early MIS 9. Based upon oxygen isotope compositions from the WS-5d, we attributed the source of these greening periods to long-traveling rains from the Atlantic Ocean that were delivered via the West African monsoon system. Our study suggests that the two youngest greening periods were concurrent with the arrival of Homo sapiens in the Levant and an earlier possible change in human population at 244 ka, indicating a key role of the Sahara route in early human dispersal out of Africa. Finally, clumped isotope measurements (Δ47) on carbonate-derived CO2 have been shown to reflect the formation temperature of the carbonate minerals. The absolute Δ47 values of these isotopic measurements seem to be sensitive to the standardization methods (heated CO2 gases and water-equilibrated CO2 gases) that are used to normalize the raw Δ47 measurements. Neither the hypothetical base for the heated CO2 gas standardization method nor the theoretical base for the water-equilibrated CO2 gas standardization method has been experimentally tested. A series of CO2 gases were heated in pre-dehumidified quartz tubes to obtain equilibrium Δ47 values of these CO2 gases at temperature range of 50 – 1100 °C. Consequently, the first experimentally derived Δ47 – T calibration in a CO2 gas phase was proposed. This experimental calibration provides a validated base for the standardization of the raw Δ47 data. Moreover, heating CO2 in a pre-humidified quartz tube enables us to easily prepare a CO2 standard gas of a similar Δ47 value to the CO2 sample (i.e., similar Δ47 correction matrix). This will lead to an improvement in the correction scheme of the carbonate clumped isotope thermometry and reliably adjust the absolute Δ47 scale. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Information and Communications Technology, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / The selection of an appropriate vendor from a set of competing vendors in information technology outsourcing is an essential decision for the effective and efficient management of supply chain management in a fiercely competitive environment. Given the growing and intensive applications of information technology resources to improve process efficiency, achieve growth, foster innovation and transform service delivery, the need arises to outsource the major information technology operations of an organisation, as a strategy for organisations to concentrate on their core businesses. Information technology outsourcing is an important constituent in supply chain management, because it demands effective selection of an appropriate vendor, based on multiple conflicting criteria. Supply chain management places strong emphasis on effective evaluation and selection of vendors against usually conflicting multiple criteria, rather than on cost as a single criterion upon which to base a decision. Multiple criteria generally include both qualitative and quantitative attributes, some of which can be fuzzy in nature. The overarching purpose of this research is to screen the most important criteria of information technology outsourcing for vendor selection based on expert opinions. The experts are from institutions of higher education, health, inspection and testing, property, shipping, state own enterprise, local government and transportation, who share their views regarding criteria that influence their vendor selection decision. Since the vendor selection decision is characterised by a high degree of subjectivity, interdependency and conflicting criteria, the analytic hierarchy process is applied to determine the weights of the identified criteria, evaluate and rank the potential vendors that provide information technology outsourcing services to the sampled institutions. The sample size for this research comprises 16 respondents and the 11 criteria which are cost, quality, commitment, additional resources, additional expertise, prior work, contract terms, confidentiality, location, on supplier database and black economic empowerment. Results show that quality of product is the most important attribute for vendor selection in information technology outsourcing. In addition, the study found that the sampled institutions can categorise their information technology outsourcing vendors more effectively and select a more effective supply chain partner. Moreover, the sampled institutions can provide unsatisfactory vendors with valuable feedback that will help them improve and become good partners in the future. / M

Le modèle « Out of Africa » est profondément ancré dans les réflexions portant sur les peuplements paléolithiques. Pour le Pléistocène inférieur et moyen ancien, plusieurs vagues de dispersion des premiers hominidés à partir de l’Afrique de l’Est sont avancées, en particulier vers le Proche-Orient sur la base de trois sites majeurs : Dmanisi, ‘Ubeidiya et Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov. Cette théorie véhicule également l’idée d’imports répétés de techniques nouvelles, notamment le façonnage bifacial.Cependant, une déconstruction des mécanismes inhérents à ce modèle permet d’identifier des obstacles conceptuels et méthodologiques issus du « paradigme de la flèche », simplifiant et réduisant la complexité des phénomènes techniques et culturels.Afin de réintégrer à la question l’espace et le temps, dont l’absence au sein d’« Out of Africa » est rédhibitoire, nous utilisons une vision évolutive des techniques basée sur des réflexions de philosophie, d’ergonomie et de géographie. Cette vision, reprise par des paléolithiciens depuis une quinzaine d’années, a conduit à concevoir une méthodologie techno-fonctionnelle centrée sur les notions d’outil, de geste et de fonctionnement.Une étude approfondie utilisant cette approche a été menée sur quatre assemblages est-africains et proche-orientaux, complétée par des observations portant sur trois autres collections. Les informations obtenues permettent de discuter des processus d’évolution technique sur le temps long, de proposer une vision alternative des peuplements qui considère en particulier l’idée d’inventions du façonnage bifacial indépendantes, et enfin d’envisager des espaces culturels à différentes échelles de temps et d’espace. / The “Out of Africa” model is deeply rooted in the issues of Paleolithic settlement. For the Lower and Early Middle Pleistocene, several waves of early hominid dispersal from Africa have been proposed, especially to the Near East on the basis of three major sites: Dmanisi, ‘Ubeidiya and Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov. This theory also conveys the idea of repeated imports of new techniques, including bifacial shaping.However, the mechanisms inherent in this model are deconstructed: it allows to identify conceptual and methodological obstacles from the “arrow paradigm”, which simplifies and reduces the complexity of technical and cultural phenomena.The absence of space and time in the “Out of Africa” model is a crippling flaw. To reintroduce these dimensions in the debate, an evolutionary view of technics is used and is inspired by thoughts from philosophy, ergonomics and geography. In Paleolithic prehistory, this point of view, developed over past fifteen years, led to work out a techno-functional methodology focused on notions of tool, gesture and functioning.A detailed study using this approach was conducted on four assemblages from East Africa and Near East, with some supplementary observations on three other collections Then a discussion is offered on various topics: (1) the processes of technical evolution over long time, (2) an alternative vision of settlements, which particularly considers the idea of independent inventions of bifacial shaping, and finally (3) the ability to define cultural spaces on different scales of time and space.

Municipalities in South Africa are increasingly outsourcing municipal services, including basic municipal services such as water and sanitation services and refuse collection and disposal. The Constitution places onerous duties on municipalities to respect and promote human rights in the exercise of the powers and the performance of their functions. These duties are particularly prevalent when a municipality is deciding on the optimal service delivery mechanism for basic municipal services. It is thus crucial for the policy and legislative environment regarding municipal outsourcing to be firm and clear and for the municipality to ensure satisfactory implementation of outsourcing projects, including contract management. This thesis examined the policy and legislative framework governing municipal outsourcing and described the general features of a range of current South African outsourcing contracts. It also questioned whether the policy and legislative framework are consistent in their objectives and assessed how these objectives are carried through and translated into the contract drafting and implementation phases of outsourcing.

<p>The privatization of public prisons has caused much controversy in South Africa as well as internationally. However, it should be noted that the level of resistance to privatisation within the South African context has been minimal by international standards. It is not clear what might have contributed to this quiet approach given the fact that there are many anti-privatisation campaigns driven by the labour movement and civil society groups in South Africa. This research investigation focused on the privatisation of prisons and prison services in South Africa and has explored the various advantages and disadvantages that exist in this respect.</p>

More and more human genomic data has become available in recent years by the improvement of DNA sequencing technologies. These data provide abundant genetic variation information which is an important resource to help us to understand the evolutionary history of humans. In this thesis I evaluated the performance of the Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) approach for inferring demographic parameters for large-scale population genomic data. According to simulation results, I can conclude that the ABC approach will continue to be a useful tool for analysing realistic genome-wide population-genetic data in the post-genomic era. Secondly, I implemented the ABC approach to estimate the pre-historic events connected with the “Bantu-expansion”, the spread of peoples from West Africa. The analysis based on genetic data with a large number of loci support a rapid population growth in west Africans, which lead to their concomitant spread to southern and eastern Africa. Contrary to hypotheses based on language studies, I found that Bantu-speakers in south Africa likely migrated directly from west Africa, and not from east Africa. Thirdly, I evaluated Thomson's estimator of the time to most recent common ancestor (TMRCA). It is robust to different recombination rates and the least-biased compared to other commonly used approaches. I used the Thomson estimator to infer the genome-wide distribution of TMRCA for complete human genome sequence data in various populations from across the world and compare the result to simulated data. Finally, I investigated and analysed the effects of selection and demography on genetic polymorphism patterns. In particular, we could detect a clear signal in the distribution of TMRCA caused by selection for a constant-size population. However, if the population was growing, the signal of selection will be difficult to detect under some circumstances. I also discussed and gave a few suggestions that might lead to a more realistic path of successful identification of genes targeted by selection in large-scale genomic data.