Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / Research shows that identifying and developing new leaders should be a leader’s primary focus due to the impact it has on the productivity, performance and sustainability of the organisation. The Young Lions Programme was a leadership development programme for high-potential supervisory staff implemented by a major South African financial institution’s retail banking division in the Western Cape region in 2006. The programme ran for three years until it was discontinued in 2008 due to the organisation implementing a national leadership development programme for all team leaders. Many of the organisation’s other regions still run development programmes for high-potential staff. However, the Western Cape region has not implemented another programme aimed specifically at high-potential staff since 2009. The effectiveness of the programme was never measured, nor was any research conducted to determine best practices for leadership development programmes. The aim of this research report is therefore to analyse the success of the programme through qualitative analysis by measuring the data gathered against the objectives originally set for the programme. Furthermore, this report aims to identify best practices in leadership development through the completion of a literature review and to make recommendations to the organisation for future leadership development programmes. The findings of this report are that the programme was successful in many aspects as demonstrated by the positive responses from the respondents to the questionnaire, and by the data analysed from the organisation’s database. Notwithstanding the success of the programme, responses from the questionnaire as well as the relevant research suggest that improvements can be made to the programme to increase its effectiveness in identifying, developing and retaining leaders in the organisation. These recommendations are summarised in the final chapter of this report.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The environmental education (EE)-sustainable development (SD) nexus has generated much research and debate at local, national and global levels (Fien, 1993). Although the term EE is quite old, dating back to 1948 in Paris (Palmer, 1998), during the last three decades, it has regained global currency due to numerous environmental challenges that are confronting our planet Earth, including: climate change, land degradation, desertification, and de-forestation, pollution and ozone depletion. The Rio Earth Summit of 1992 generated a new zeal in the provision of EE throughout the world. Since then, many countries have adopted it as a remedial strategy to address these environmental challenges. In Zimbabwe, EE dates back to 1954 during the colonial era when it was provided in the form of conservation education among farmers and in schools and colleges (Chikunda, 2007). The Natural Resources Board (NRB), a department in the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture (which was established in 1941) played a key role in both research and the dissemination of EE (Whitlow, 1988). However, throughout the colonial era and up to the end of the millennium, the country did not have a written EE policy document. Consequently, various government departments and organisations, which provided EE, did so individually. However, this fragmented approach proved to be ineffective and had to be abandoned through the promulgation of the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27) of 2002. This development led to the establishment of an environmental management agency (EMA), which harmonised the provision of EE at local and national levels. This study based on information that was collected between 2011 and 2014, examines Zimbabwe‟s EE programme and its implications for sustainable development. It employed a mixed methods research design which enabled the researcher to employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection, interpretation and analysis. Derived from the pragmatic school of thought, this research design allows researchers to triangulate with different methods without provoking epistemological conflicts from other schools of thought. The study shows that nearly 84% of the EE in the country is provided by the formal education sector (which includes schools, colleges and universities) while the remaining 16% is derived from non-formal and informal education sources such as: EMA, some government ministries and departments, and several non-governmental organisations (NGOs). However, the bulk of the EE provided in Zimbabwe is biophysical in nature and is geared at transmitting facts about rather than for the environment (Fien, 1993; Chikunda, 2007 and Mapira, 2012a). Consequently, it does not instil a sense of environmental stewardship among ordinary citizens as reflected by increasing cases of environmental crimes including: land degradation, veldt fire outbreaks, deforestation, and the poaching of elephants, rhinos, and other wildlife resources. Furthermore, most people lack a deep knowledge of basic concepts such as EE, SD and ESD, indicating the weakness of the country‟s EE efforts. The study makes several recommendations for the improvement of the country‟s EE programme, including: more funding of EMA and its partners so that they can execute their mandate more efficiently, and revising school and college curricula with a view to infusing EE in courses and syllabi. Other recommendations are that EE should be made compulsory in all formal educational institutions while the state should take environmental issues more seriously than it has done in the past. For example, top government officials should refrain from the poaching of endangered wildlife resources like elephants and rhinos if their country‟s EE policies have to be taken seriously at the grass roots level. Stiffer penalties should be meted out to those found guilty by courts of law while ordinary citizens need more educational campaigns if they have to develop environmental sensitivity and a sense of stewardship, which are necessary ingredients for the success of any country‟s EE programme. Furthermore, alternatives of making a living should be created for villagers and peasants so that they do not have to damage their environment in order to survive. Finally, this study argues that if all the above challenges are fully addressed, Zimbabwe‟s EE programme can achieve its goals in the long run.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mentorship is a concept that has been with us for many years. Much research has been done about the effects of mentoring programmes on youth, but very little research has been onderlaken on how children and mentors experience mentoring programmes. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature. Qualitative research was done to explore the experiences of mentors and children in a particular mentoring programme. Participatory action research was used to include the participants in the research process. The data were gathered by using drawings and individual interviews with the children as well as the mentors. Through the process of data analysis, three main themes were determined. These themes were intrapersonal factors, interpersonal factors and external factors. The findings showed similarities as well as differences in the experiences of the mentors and the children. The main similarity pertained to the two types of relationship identified by mentors and children. The two types of relationship can be defined as one of friendship and one of authority and respect. The biggest difference in experiences concerned the way in which mentors were much more aware of external factors and how it influenced their experience. Mentors were much more concerned about the amount of time available, the place where they met and games and toys that could be used. For the children, the external factors did not matter as much; they were more excited about the relationship itself. This study aimed to answer the research question and the process brought several other questions to the attention. This study could be used as a reference in further studies about mentor programmes, especially in the South African context where very little research is available about mentor programmes and children’s experiences of these programmes. More research can be done about why the children did not mention the external factors and what that indicates. The reason why more girls than boys participate in the mentor programme and how older children experience the programme could also be researched. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mentorskap is ‘n konsep wat al jare lank deel is van die samelewing. Verskeie studies gedoen oor mentorskapprogramme en die effek daarvan op jeug is reeds gedoen. Min navorsing is egter al gedoen oor hoe kinders en mentors hierdie mentorprogramme ervaar. Die huidige studie is onderneem om ondersoek in te stel na mentors en kinders se ervaring van ‘n mentorprogram, spesifiek in Cloetesville, om sodoende die gaping in die literatuur aan te spreek. Kwalitatiewe navorsing is gedoen om hierdie ervarings te ondersoek en deelnemende aksienavorsing is gebruik om die deelnemers in groter mate by die navorsing te betrek. Data is ingesamel deur tekeninge en individuele onderhoude met die mentors en kinders onderskeidelik. Drie hooftemas vir beide die mentor en kinders het deur die data-analiseproses na vore gekom, naamlik intrapersoonlike, interpersoonlike en eksterne faktore. Die bevindinge het verskille sowel as ooreenkomste in mentors en kinders se ervaring van die mentorprogram aangedui. Beide die mentors en die kinders het hul verhouding op een van twee maniere ervaar. Die grootste verskil was mentors en kinders se siening omtrent die eksterne faktore. Mentors was meer bewus van die eksterne faktore wat hul ervaring beïnvloed as wat die kinders was. Die mentors was meer bewus van die tydsbeperkings, die plek waar mentorsessies plaasvind en die beskikbaarheid van speelgoed en ander hulpbronne. Kinders het die vriendskap as meer belangrik gesien as enige tasbare ding of meer tyd. Hierdie studie het gepoog om die vraag oor hoe mentors en kinders ‘n mentorprogram ervaar, te beantwoord. In hierdie proses het daar ook verskeie ander vrae na vore gekom. Hierdie studie kan daarom bydra tot verdere studies in hierdie rigting, veral in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks waar daar bitter min inligting beskikbaar is oor mentorskap en, meer spesifiek, oor kinders se ervaring van mentorprogramme. Hierdie studie kan gebruik word om ondersoek in te stel na hoekom kinders so min bewustheid van die eksterne faktore oorgedra het en hoekom meer meisies as seuns aan die mentorprogram deelneem. Dit kan ook gebruik word om ondersoek in te stel na hoe kinders tussen 11 en 18 jaar so ‘n program sal ervaar.

This thesis is based on studies of the ten-year community-based intervention programme entitled, the Vadstena Osteoporosis Prevention Project (VOPP). The specific aims of the research were to describe the effects of physical activity and training programmes on bone mass and balance performance in adults, to determine whether a fall risk prevention programme could motivate personal actions among the elderly, to ascertain whether the intervention programme could reduce the incidence of forearm and hip fractures. Two studies addressed training programmes for middle-aged and old people. First, VOPP participants who were aged 40–70 years and had low forearm bone mineral density (BMD) values were invited to take part in a one-year weight-bearing training study. Thirty of those individuals were included in the investigation. Additional bone mass measurements were performed at the hip and the lumbar spine, and balance and aerobic capacity were also tested. The training programme was performed twice a week (I). In the second study, healthy persons aged 70–75 years were invited to participate in a balance-training study. Fifteen persons joined an exercise group, and another fifteen were controls. The training programme comprised specific balance exercises and was carried out twice a week for nine weeks (II). The association between forearm BMD values and several lifestyle factors was explored in random samples of the population aged 20–72 years (n=880) in a cross-sectional study (III). Another study explored the association between calcaneal stiffness, forearm BMD, and lifestyle factors amongst participants aged 20–79 years (n=956) at the final registration of the VOPP (V). Effects of the VOPP interventions directed at environmental risk factors for falls and the promotion of physical activity were examined in people aged ≥ 65 years (IV). The incidence of forearm and hip fractures was studied amongst middle-aged and elderly individuals in the intervention and the control communities during the study period 1987–2001 (VI). The exercise group (n=15) in the weight-bearing training study showed increases in BMD at the greater trochanter (p<0.01), one-leg stance balance with the eyes closed and coordination tests (p<0.05), and aerobic capacity (p<0.05). No significant difference was found when the groups were compared concerning changes in the different tests during the intervention period (I). In the balance-training study, the exercise group showed post-training improvement in the following tests: standing on the right leg with eyes closed (p<0.01), standing on the right leg (p<0.01) and on the left leg (p<0.05) while turning the head, and walking 30 metres (p<0.01). There were significant differences between the groups in these tests when changes were compared at the post-intervention test (II). Age (p<0.0001) and body mass index (p≤.0001) were associated with forearm BMD in both sexes. Reported moderate physical activity levels in men were positively associated with forearm BMD (p<0.05) (III). In both sexes, reported moderate (p<0.05) and high (women p<0.05 and men p<0.001) physical activity levels were positively associated with calcaneal stiffness. The correlation coefficient between forearm BMD and calcaneal stiffness was 0.58 in women and 0.34 in men (V). Persons aged ≥ 65 years at the follow-up in 1994 reported more use of shoe/cane spikes and moderate physical activity levels compared to controls (IV). There was no change in the general incidence of forearm and hip fractures between the communities for the study period. However, there was a tendency towards decreasing incidence of forearm and trochanteric hip fracture in both sexes during the late intervention period in the intervention community (VI). A community-based intervention programme aimed at reducing the incidence of osteoporotic fractures must be regarded as a long-term project and should preferably be monitored over an extended post-intervention period. / On the day of the public defence the statuses of articles IV and V were Submitted and VI was Manuscript

<p>The devastation caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is having a major impact on both the social and economic environment in South Africa. HIV/AIDS hits at the core of the businesses structure - the bottom line. In the absence of a cure for the disease or an effective vaccine, the challenge for all the stakeholders is how to successfully contain and limit the impact of the disease. Intervention programmes such as awareness, knowledge sharing and sero-prevailance testing have the potential to limit HIV/AIDS infections and reduce high-risk behaviours. Whilst education and awareness programmes have been relatively successful in highlighting the dangers of HIV infection, perception, attitudes and behaviours of employees towards HIV/AIDS have dampened voluntary HIV screening initiatives. Many South African organisations have commendable HIV/AIDS education and awareness programmes, however, a concerning fact is that employees are reluctant to avail themselves to voluntary HIV/AIDS testing. Stigmatising attitudes toward persons living with HIV/AIDS may reduce people&rsquo / s willingness to have themselves tested for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This may increase the risk of transmission. It may also lead to increased absenteeism in the workplace, and workdays lost resulting from excessive sick.<br /> <br /> The aim of the study was to establish what the perceptions and attitudes are of employees at different levels of the organisation with regard to HIV/AIDS testing. A further aim was to identify possible reasons for the poor employee response to voluntary HIV/AIDS testing. It was thus important for this research to gauge employee knowledge, attitude and behaviour toward HIV/AIDS in order for organisations to develop strategies for effective HIV/AIDS counselling and testing programmes.<br /> <br /> The data for this study was collected by means of a self report questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of employees across all levels of the organisation using the convenient sample approach to identify the respondents. Two hundred and forty six (246) out of a total of 600 questionnaires distributed were returned, making the response rate a credible 41%.<br /> The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyse the data obtained from the questionnaire. Both inferential and descriptive statistical approaches were used to analyse the data. The Analyses Of Variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether differences exist in the perceptions and attitudes of employees at different levels and groupings in the organisation. Additionally post hoc tests (i.e. the Scheffe test) were applied to all comparisons of means after the analysis of variance.<br /> <br /> The findings of this research are important for the role of HIV/AIDS testing and awareness/preventions strategies implemented in South Africa. It provides more insight as to why employees resist HIV/AIDS testing. It can furthermore assist organisations in developing strategies for implementing effective HIV/AIDS awareness and/or prevention programmes. More specifically, the findings identified ways in which organisations can redesign their intervention programmes so as to encourage a greater number of employees to submit to voluntary HIV/AIDS testing.</p>

Background: In 2003, the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service gave instructions that all the new student constables should undergo a personnel capacity-building programme as part of their basic training. This led to the development of the Self-Management Programme by Police Social Work Services. This programme IS, since July 2004, an integral part of the empowerment of more than 8000 recruits annually. A comprehensive study into the short and long-term effects of the programme on recruits, as well as its overall return on investment (ROI), was started in 2004. In this document, only the results that were achieved with the measurement of the programme's decision-making and purpose-in-life components will, however, be covered. Objectives: The study had a twofold purpose. The first was to measure the short and long-term effect of the Financial Management, Planning of Goals, Self-knowledge, Problem-solving and HIV/AIDS Awareness modules on recruit's knowledge, attitude and behaviour. It, secondly, endeavoured to measure the programme's return on investment coefficient. Method: The study utilised an experimental research design, as well as focus groups and triangulation. It involved an average of 400 experimental group respondents, 120 control group members, 12 focus group participants and 14 presenters per module. A total of 23 questionnaires and a focus group schedule was designed and utilised in the generation of data. Results: All five modules had a practical significant effect on the respondents' knowledge, attitude and behaviour and improved their personal and professional functioning considerably. The "decision-making" and "purpose-in-life" components, as well as the programme as a whole, also produced a very high return on investment. It, therefore, implies that the Self-Management Programme should be seen as both a very effective capacity-building tool and a financial asset for the South African Police Service. / Thesis (Ph.D. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Sjöfartshögskolan har under de senaste åren haft en trend av minskade antal ansökningar till sina sjöbefälsutbildningar. Detta har gjort att skolan inte kunnat fylla alla platser. Syftet med examensarbetet var att få en uppfattning om gymnasieelever i Kalmar känner till Sjöfartshögskolan i Kalmar och dess sjöbefälsutbildningar. Detta gjordes via en enkätundersökning och de svarande klasserna var avgränsade till avgångsklasser i de högskoleförberedande programmen som finns i Kalmar tätort. Resultaten visade att kunskapen om Sjöfartshögskolan utbildningar är låg. De har i många fall inte sett till skolan i samband med sitt val och de vet inte heller vilka utbildningar Sjöfartshögskolan har att erbjuda. Slutsatsen är att det kan vara marknadsföringen som brister och måste förändras om trenden ska vända. / Kalmar Maritime Academy have experienced a trend of falling number of applications to their Officer programmes during the last years. This fact have made the Academy unable to fill all seats with enrolled students. The purpose of the thesis was to get an understanding of how well the High School students in Kalmar knew the Maritime Academy and its Officer Programmes. This was made by a questionnaire and the answering classes were limited to those in their graduating year in one of the six university preparatory progammes and attending a High School in the City of Kalmar. The results showed that knowledge about the Academy’s programmes is low. The students have, in many cases, not seen the Academy in relation to their University choices and they also do not know what programmes and courses the Maritime Academy has to offer. The conclusion is it could be marketing that is failing and needs to be changed if the trend is to be turned around.

En France, un certain nombre de recommandations ont été émises ces dernières années pour le développement de programmes préventifs dits « evidence-based » dans le champ de la parentalité et de la petite enfance. Si leur diffusion est perçue par les instances gouvernementales comme une opportunité de réduire un certain nombre de facteurs de risque sanitaires et sociaux et de promouvoir la santé et le bien-être des populations, leur réception réelle ne va cependant pas de soi et fait lobjet de nombreux débats. La thèse consiste en une étude sociologique descriptive permettant de fournir un éclairage sur la réception en France de ces programmes. En effectuant des enquêtes de terrain de type ethnographiques (observations participantes et entretiens) en France et aux Etats-Unis, cette thèse vise plus spécifiquement à mettre en évidence la manière dont ces programmes evidence-based sont conçus dans leur pays d'origine et réappropriés en France de leur élaboration institutionnelle à leur mise en oeuvre pratique sur le terrain. Le manuscrit, rédigé sous format narratif, est constitué de deux parties. La première partie s'intéresse au processus de production des politiques de parentalité et de la petite enfance evidence-based au sein d'un centre de recherche économique américain et à leur réception dans le département des affaires scientifiques d'un institut de santé publique français. La deuxième partie aborde la mise en oeuvre pratique de deux interventions evidence-based et apporte un éclairage sur la manière dont elles vont impacter les pratiques professionnelles et les stratégies éducatives de familles façonnant et modelant une conception de la parentalité différente dans les deux pays. Les résultats de cette étude exploratoire font ressortir des spécificités nationales propre à l'appropriation des programmes par ces deux pays et permettent de tirer un certain nombre d'enseignements pour l'expertise en santé publique dans le domaine de la parentalité. / In France, various recommendations have been made these last few years to support the implantation of preventive evidence-based programs in the field of parenting and early childhood. If their diffusion is perceived by governmental authorities as an opportunity to reduce a number of health and social risk factors and to promote the health and well-being of populations, their appropriation is not established and is at the core of numerous debates. The present PhD research consists in a descriptive sociological study providing perspectives on the French translation of these American evidence-based programs. Carrying out ethnographical field inquiries (observations and interviews) in France and in the United-States, this research aims to highlight the way these evidence-based programs are developed in their country of origin and readapted in France, from their institutional elaboration to their practical application in the field. The manuscript, written in a narrative format, consists in two parts. The first part takes interests in the production process of parenting and early childhood evidence-based policies in an American economic research centre and their adaptation in a scientific department of a French public health institute. The second part approaches the practical setting of two evidence-based interventions, and highlights the way in which they are impacting professional practices and family educative strategies, shaping and forming a different conception of parenting in both countries. The results of this exploratory study emphasize national specificities in regard to the appropriation of parenting programs by these two countries, and allow to learn a number of lessons regarding public health expertise in the field of parenting.

En France, un certain nombre de recommandations ont été émises ces dernières années pour le développement de programmes préventifs dits « evidence-based » dans le champ de la parentalité et de la petite enfance. Si leur diffusion est perçue par les instances gouvernementales comme une opportunité de réduire un certain nombre de facteurs de risque sanitaires et sociaux et de promouvoir la santé et le bien-être des populations, leur réception réelle ne va cependant pas de soi et fait lobjet de nombreux débats. La thèse consiste en une étude sociologique descriptive permettant de fournir un éclairage sur la réception en France de ces programmes. En effectuant des enquêtes de terrain de type ethnographiques (observations participantes et entretiens) en France et aux Etats-Unis, cette thèse vise plus spécifiquement à mettre en évidence la manière dont ces programmes evidence-based sont conçus dans leur pays d'origine et réappropriés en France de leur élaboration institutionnelle à leur mise en oeuvre pratique sur le terrain. Le manuscrit, rédigé sous format narratif, est constitué de deux parties. La première partie s'intéresse au processus de production des politiques de parentalité et de la petite enfance evidence-based au sein d'un centre de recherche économique américain et à leur réception dans le département des affaires scientifiques d'un institut de santé publique français. La deuxième partie aborde la mise en oeuvre pratique de deux interventions evidence-based et apporte un éclairage sur la manière dont elles vont impacter les pratiques professionnelles et les stratégies éducatives de familles façonnant et modelant une conception de la parentalité différente dans les deux pays. Les résultats de cette étude exploratoire font ressortir des spécificités nationales propre à l'appropriation des programmes par ces deux pays et permettent de tirer un certain nombre d'enseignements pour l'expertise en santé publique dans le domaine de la parentalité. / In France, various recommendations have been made these last few years to support the implantation of preventive evidence-based programs in the field of parenting and early childhood. If their diffusion is perceived by governmental authorities as an opportunity to reduce a number of health and social risk factors and to promote the health and well-being of populations, their appropriation is not established and is at the core of numerous debates. The present PhD research consists in a descriptive sociological study providing perspectives on the French translation of these American evidence-based programs. Carrying out ethnographical field inquiries (observations and interviews) in France and in the United-States, this research aims to highlight the way these evidence-based programs are developed in their country of origin and readapted in France, from their institutional elaboration to their practical application in the field. The manuscript, written in a narrative format, consists in two parts. The first part takes interests in the production process of parenting and early childhood evidence-based policies in an American economic research centre and their adaptation in a scientific department of a French public health institute. The second part approaches the practical setting of two evidence-based interventions, and highlights the way in which they are impacting professional practices and family educative strategies, shaping and forming a different conception of parenting in both countries. The results of this exploratory study emphasize national specificities in regard to the appropriation of parenting programs by these two countries, and allow to learn a number of lessons regarding public health expertise in the field of parenting.

Oportunidades is a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) that uses a proxy means-test targeting model to select eligible households for the programme. According to the Income and Expenditure Household Survey of 2008, approximately two in every three eligible rural households participate in Oportunidades, whereas only one in every three eligible urban households receives the Oportunidades cash transfer. This research explores the factors behind this lack of take-up, the costs of participation and the implications of targeting inefficiency on the programme’s impact on income poverty. It argues that a sample selection model is a pertinent tool of analysis as it informs on the distribution of cash transfers conditional on household eligibility. This conditional distribution is also used to understand the costs of participation as a latent variable. Eligible households are less likely to invest in human capital and neither the cash transfer nor the income forgone by children and teenagers are sufficient to overcome these costs of participation. By identifying a method to quantify behavioural change of households, I associate the costs of participation to the difficulties of inducing health-related behavioural change among recipients and eligible non-recipients. At an aggregate state level, targeting inefficiency is not fully explained by only looking at the budget constraints of the programme. In fact, targeting efficiency is positively associated to aggregate behavioural change and negatively associated to aggregate costs for participation at state level. Yet, targeting efficiency does not guarantee impact on income poverty and Oportunidades’ highest impact on income poverty also associated with the inclusion of non-eligible households in the programme. This research reconsiders the importance of the context in which CCTs are implemented and informs on the conflicting aims of CCTs: providing income poverty relief via cash transfers and incentivizing behavioural change by conditioning the cash transfer in health and education investment.