This research study, The Role of Corporate Social Investment in Supporting Early Childhood Development in South Africa, explored the role of and the degree to which, corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives in South Africa support early childhood development (ECD). Trends of CSI expenditure in ECD over time were examined, as well as the motivations for investment in the ECD sector. A key intention of this study was to establish the benefits of corporate investment in the ECD sector, and to discover how the ECD sector can tap into more CSI funding in the future. This study adopted a quantitative methodology and made use of an online survey tool (SurveyGizmo) to gather information from both the CSI and ECD Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) sectors in South Africa. The sample populations consisted of CSI initiatives of 500 of South Africa's best managed companies from the TOPCO Media: Top500 publication, and 62 ECD NPOs in South Africa from a database developed by one of the leading ECD NPOs in South Africa, Centre for Early Childhood Development (Atmore, 2012).

The South African work place is a dynamic one. All sectors are Iegislatively obligated to ensure that groups marginaIized p re-1994 are developed and fast-tracked into positions that would ensure greater representivity of the population. The result of this inclusive process has been that the Provincial Government of the Western Cape's working context is diverse with respect to gender and race bringing with it a myriad of cultures and so meaning into the workplace. Considering the context of workplace empowerment the researcher endeavoured to explore the perceptions senior managers of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape had on their psychological and social-structural empowerment using Sprietzer ( 199S) and Kanter's ( 199 3) em power ment principles in combination as a theoretical framework. A quantitative research design was chosen to reach a large sample and the total population comprised 1 622 senior managers selected using a probabiIity sampIing methodology. High representivity was gained across all twelve departments of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape which included Senior Management Service designations as well as junior level management from saIary levels 9 through to 16. The researcher expanded the provincial government's definition of senior management to include junior management to ensure a valid and comprehensive dataset which included women. Using a 5 point Likert structured questionnaire, the entire sample received an email link to the electronic survey and a 17.3% response rate meant that 281 senior managers completed the survey.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 189-195). / This study aimed to explore the level and nature of information and web technology usage by nonprofit organisations (NPOs) around the globe and how these related to the operations, sustainability and future growth of these organisations.

Bibliography: p. 124-127. / This study investigates the conceptions of 'school' and 'learning' held by twenty grade 7 students between the ages of 12 and 15. While the subjects' participating in the research were selected from two Cape Town metropolitan schools in close proximity, the schools were situated within vastly different socio-economic and cultural environments. The study aimed to explore what factors impact on the development of students' conceptions. The conceptions were analysed against an international body of literature in an attempt to discern whether a particularly South African notion of the phenomenon existed.

The Quest Life Skills for Adolescence is a two-year programme, for Standard 6 and 7 pupils. The goal of the programme is to assist adolescents to effectively manage the life tasks associated with the adolescent years. The programme is school based consisting of eight modules, each module dealing with a different subject. The method of instruction, as with most life skills programmes, is participatory learning as opposed to didactic teaching. This pilot-study was based at the Sentinel High School in Hout Bay. The study evaluates whether module one and two of the Quest Life Skills programme achieved their objectives. The second purpose was to devise an evaluation tool that could be used by other schools to evaluate modules one and two of the Quest programme. A multifaceted study design was adopted in the evaluation process. The instruments used were questionnaires, group discussions, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (1965) and a game. The results reveal that module one of the programme did enable pupils to gain a better understanding of adolescence. Pupils were, however, not totally conversant with the four aspects of change that would take place in adolescence namely physical, emotional, social and intellectual change. They seemed more familiar with the changes that would take place in the physical and emotional realms than in the intellectual and social realms. The findings confirmed that a safe supportive environment, conducive to learning, had been established. Module two of the programme dealt with self-confidence/self-esteem. The self-esteem of participant's, in the Quest programme, increased marginally, but the results yielded showed that a statistically significant improvement did not take place when compared with the comparative group. Participants reported that the programme was of great benefit to them. It was the first time for the majority of the participants that they had been exposed to life skills training. Based on the above findings, an evaluation package was compiled, for schools to use, to evaluate the effectiveness of the first two modules of the Quest programme.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-157). / Compared to disciplines like gender and health, fewer studies have been done on disabled men and women's participation in the informal sector. This may be explained by the fact that for a long time, few disabled men and women in Uganda engaged or participated openly in income generating activities (IGAs). Many started getting involved in the 1990's and as the available literature shows, those who have done so are very enthusiastic and this has encouraged others. This study focuses on the gender and work challenges disabled men and women encounter in the informal sector of Uganda. The study is based on a review of existing literature and actual fieldwork carried out in the Mubende and Mityana districts of Uganda. It seeks to: (a) explore the types of business activities in which disabled men and women are engaged; (b) explore the nature of work challenges disabled men and women encounter in the informal sector and the nature of strategies they utilize to overcome these challenges; (c) ascertain the benefits that disabled men and women have gained in respect of participation in the informal sector; (d) establish the policies and laws that govern disabled men and women with regard to their work in the informal sector; and (e) establish how resources are allocated by various governmental and nongovernmental Organisations among disabled men and women in Mubende and Mityana districts. The study was carried out in Mubende and Mityana district, the central region of the densely populated disabled men and women. In this study in-depth interviews and focus group methods were used to collect qualitative data. Evidence from the study confirms that disabled men and women were engaged in similar IGAs although a few of them were engaged in different IGAs. The similarity in IGAs was likely to be a result of the limited range of IGAs that disabled men and women could engage in considering the nature of their impairments, limited finances and the limited skills that they had. The visually and hearing impaired men and women were mainly involved in a single IGA in the informal sector and most of the physically disabled men and women were engaged in multiple IGAs. This was linked to visually and hearing impaired men and women lacking or having insufficient capital and skills to engage in multiple IGAs, as compared to physically disabled men and women.

This study sought analyse the state of fundraising within the South African nonprofit social service sector at the end of the 2007/2008 financial year. The overall aim of the study was to evaluate the fundraising capacities of social service organisations, in order to ascertain whether organisations were proficient in their fundraising-related activities.

Bibliography: leaves 67-71. / This study, conducted at Poor Man's Friend Secondary School (fictitious name), describes the use of Time Tabled School time. In fact, it quantifies the Time spent on Instruction and relates it to Learner Engagement-rates. Cumulatively, these variables impact on Learner Outcomes.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2003. / "MBA professional report"--Cover. Thesis advisor(s): R. Marshall Engelbeck, Cary A. Simon. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-60). Also available online.

Thesis (M.H.S.A.)--University of Michigan, 1980.