A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science November 2015, Johannesburg / South Africa is faced with water quantity and quality issues in most catchments. Intensification of coal-based industrial activity in the Waterberg, Limpopo and the concomitant emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and sulphur (SOX) pose potential ecological impacts to regional freshwater systems. Some research indicates that a significant proportion of minerals in the Waterberg parent rock may be prone to acid generation with catchment soils being potentially susceptible to acidification via NOX and SOX deposition. Cultural and recurrent nutrient loading of freshwater bodies also impacts on primary production and can ultimately alter the natural structure and functioning of these ecosystems. Trend analyses on historical hydrological data from 1982 to 2013 were carried out for several response water quality variables from six quaternary Waterberg catchments. Results were assessed for possible changes attributable to increased NOX and SOX loading post commencement of large-scale coal combustion. Historical inorganic N:P ratios were calculated in conjunction with a series of nutrient (N and P) bioassay experiments to predict which nutrient may be limiting growth of stream periphyton. Although trends were identified in most catchments for several of the water quality variables, the notion that the onset of large scale coal combustion has led to noticeable downward trends in pH and upward trends in either inorganic N or sulphate is not unequivocal. Patterns in trends were not distinct for catchments situated in close proximity to the primary emission source and those further away. Nor were there any distinct differences in trends between upwind and downwind catchments. Climate and geo-hydrological factors are likely to still function as the primary drivers of spatial and temporal variation in past and present catchment water quality. Contrary to the view that stream primary production is limited largely by the availability of P, predictions based on N:P ratios calculated in this study suggest N to be the limiting nutrient. This was shown to be the case in four of the five study-site rivers. N-limitation increased by 18% (67% to 85%) in the Matlabas River post-commencement of large-scale coal combustion. A greater increase of 24% (60% to 84%) was observed in the Middle Mokolo. Although cultural eutrophication levels in the Waterberg do not yet exceed management-set targets, the cumulative effect of industrial-derived nutrient inputs remains a threat to the nearshore marine ecosystem and human communities living downstream.

A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters by Coursework and Research Report in the field of Industrial Organisational Psychology in the faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand. / The state of public health service and delivery in public hospitals in South Africa is concerning. Allied to this, is the prevalence of nursing shortage experienced in public hospitals in the country. Nursing shortage is an outcome that results from various factors; one such factor is actual turnover, preceded by intent to leave. Intent to leave is a strong predictor of actual turnover. It has been found to be negatively correlated with organisational commitment and job satisfaction. Organisational commitment and job satisfaction stem from various work states such job demands and job resources. It is important to understand that all occupations have job demands that are to be met by the required and relevant job resources. Failure to meet job demands with job resources results in numerous negative employee and organisational implications. In the nursing sector for instance, employee implications were found to include undesirable work behaviours (such as intent to leave) exerted by nurses which ultimately affect the state of the healthcare service and healthcare delivery. The purpose of the current research was to investigate the nature of relationships that exist among organisational commitment, job satisfaction, demographic variables and intent to leave among nurses working at a public hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. The research postulated three hypotheses that were tested and proven Hypothesis 1: Organisational commitment (O_C) statistically predicts intent to leave (I_T_L) among nurse working at a public hospital; Hypothesis 2: Job satisfaction (J_S) statistically predicts intent to leave (I_T_L) among nurses working at a public hospital; Hypothesis 3: Demographic variables can also statistically predict intent to leave (I_T_L) among nurses working at a public hospital. Furthermore, the research aimed to find the best predictive model of the data. Lastly, the research investigated the relative importance of each significant independent variable in predicting intent to leave. The research design was a correlational cross-sectional. The public hospital received 200 questionnaires, of which 136 questionnaires were returned, with only 112 usable questionnaires to be analysed. Due to this, there were 112 participants. The sample fell predominantly in the 26-35 and 36-45 age categories. On the data collection days, nurses working in different wards received approximately three hours to complete a selfadministered questionnaire. Participants provided informed consent to be part of the research. The questionnaire collected demographic information, the respondent’s organisational commitment level, job satisfaction level and intent to leave level. All the three hypotheses were statistically proven, as indicated by results of the multiple linear regression. O_C was a statistically significant predictor of I_T_L (p < .05) among nurses at a public hospital. J_S was a statistically significant predictor of I_T_L (p < .05) among nurses at a public hospital. Nursing_position (category) as a demographic variable was also a statistically significant predictor of I_T_L (p < .05) among nurses at a public hospital. Hierarchical regression found the best predictive model of the data; the final predictive model was Model 3, which explained 17.3% of the variance in intent to leave. Model 3 included organisational commitment, job satisfaction and nursing position (category). Model3 equation = 61.848 + 2.395Nursing_position (category) + -.170O_C + -.111J_S. Lastly, the dominance analysis technique was applied in order examine the relative importance of each independent variable, to understand the role of each independent variable, and to assess the additional contribution of each independent variable in predicting intent to leave. O_C was found to have the additional contribution in predicting intent to leave. The current research showed that organisational commitment and job satisfaction remain applicable when examining intent to leave in the organisational behaviour. Therefore, the research findings are consistent with what has been previously discovered in the mid-nineties. Numerous strategies and plans have been put forward to increase organisational commitment and job satisfaction experienced by employees in order to mitigate nursing shortage, and to respond to the state of healthcare delivery in public hospitals. The challenge remains to be to translate these strategies and plans into actions. As it stands currently, thi is the only way to respond meaningfully to the highlighted phenomenon.

In an attempt to make sense of the concept of career this thesis reports findings from a case-study of twenty graduate level employees within one organisation. Responding to the problematic features of career studies to date, a cross-disciplinary, critical, interpretive, qualitative, contextualised study of career is presented which rejects the dichotomous stances characterising much existing literature and instead embraces the dialectal nature and ontological duality of career. Thus attention is devoted to both the organisation and individual, structure and agency as well as stasis and adaptation. The study is situated in its historical, cultural and social context and the research agenda is purposefully emergent allowing those being studied to lead the way to the key dimensions of career.

Wai-kwan Li. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1990. / Bibliography: leaves 31-38. / Abstract --- p.vii / Introduction --- p.1 / Boundary of Country of Origin Effects --- p.2 / Involvement level for making buying decisions --- p.2 / Information amount --- p.4 / Interaction effect of involvement level and information amount --- p.5 / Cognitive Processes of Stereotypic Evaluation --- p.7 / Cognitive elaboration hypothesis --- p.7 / Encoding hypothesis --- p.9 / Polarization hypothesis --- p.10 / Attribute hypothesis --- p.10 / Summary representation hypothesis --- p.12 / Method --- p.14 / Design --- p.14 / Subjects --- p.14 / Stimulus Material --- p.14 / Product --- p.14 / Selection of Countries --- p.14 / Attribute Information --- p.15 / Procedure --- p.16 / Manipulation of independent variables --- p.17 / Dependent measures --- p.17 / Demographic variables --- p.18 / Results --- p.18 / Manipulation checks --- p.18 / Boundary of Country of Origin Effect on Product Evaluation --- p.19 / Psychological Mechanisms for the Country of Origin Effect --- p.20 / Free recall of product information --- p.20 / Encoding hypothesis --- p.21 / Cognitive elaboration hypothesis --- p.21 / Polarization hypothesis --- p.22 / Attribute hypothesis --- p.22 / Summary representation hypothesis --- p.23 / Attribute hypothesis as the cause of stereotypic evaluation --- p.24 / Discussion --- p.24 / Boundary Conditions of Country of Origin Effects --- p.24 / Cognitive Processes of Country of Origin Effects --- p.25 / Marketing Implications --- p.29 / Product image building --- p.29 / Product packaging --- p.30 / References --- p.31 / Footnotes --- p.39

by Wong Kwai Lin Christine. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-48). / ABSTRACT / TABLE OF CONTENTS / LIST OF FIGURES / LIST OF TABLES / ACKNOWLEDGMENT / Chapter / Chapter I. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- Research --- p.3 / Exploratory Research --- p.3 / Literature Search --- p.4 / Quality Concepts --- p.4 / W. Edward Deming --- p.5 / Joseph Juran --- p.8 / Philip Crosby --- p.10 / Quality --- p.11 / ISO 9000 Series --- p.12 / The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award --- p.13 / Status of Promotion of Quality Management --- p.13 / Specific Research --- p.14 / Theoretical Basis --- p.15 / Descriptive Research --- p.17 / Data Collection Method --- p.18 / Method of Administration --- p.19 / Sample Design --- p.21 / Target Population --- p.21 / Sampling Frame --- p.21 / Sampling Procedure --- p.22 / Questionnaire Design --- p.22 / Part I - Company Demographics --- p.20 / Part II - Company Performance --- p.23 / Part III - Quality Improvement Techniques --- p.23 / Data Analysis --- p.24 / Response --- p.24 / Managerial Knowledge --- p.29 / Quality Performance --- p.30 / Financial Performance --- p.30 / Past Quality Performance --- p.30 / Market Place Environment --- p.31 / Corporate Support for Quality --- p.31 / Role of Management Leadership and Quality --- p.32 / Quality Data and Reporting --- p.33 / Strategic Quality Planning --- p.33 / Employees' involvement and Participation --- p.34 / Employees' Training --- p.34 / Feedback and Recognition of Employees' Performance --- p.35 / Employees' Relations --- p.36 / Product Service Design --- p.36 / Process Management --- p.36 / Supplier Quality Management --- p.37 / Role of Quality Department --- p.38 / Customer Feedback --- p.39 / Chapter III. --- SUMMARY OF FINDINGS --- p.40 / Difference between Manufacturing and Service Companies --- p.41 / Difference between Companies with without Separate Quality Department --- p.41 / Difference between Companies with or without Certification --- p.42 / Chapter IV. --- CONCLUSIONS --- p.44 / Chapter V. --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.46 / BIBLIOGRAPHY / Chapter APPENDIX 1 --- Sample Questionnaire / Chapter 2 --- Figures 2 to 18

Adherence to a defined process or standards is necessary to achieve satisfactory software quality. However, in order to judge whether practices are effective at achieving the required integrity of a software product, a measurement-based approach to the correctness of the software development is required. A defined and measurable process is a requirement for producing safe software productively. In this study the contribution of quality assurance to the software development process, and in particular the contribution that software inspections make to produce satisfactory software products, is addressed. I have defined a new model of software inspection effectiveness, which uses a Bayesian Belief Network to combine both subjective and objective data to evaluate the probability of an effective software inspection. Its performance shows an improvement over the existing published models of inspection effectiveness. These previous models made questionable assumptions over the distribution of errors and were essentially static. They could not make use of experience both in terms of process improvement and the increased experience of the inspectors. A sensitivity analysis of my model showed that it is consistent with the attributes which were thought important by Michael Fagan in his research into the software inspection method. The performance of my model show that it is an improvement over published models and over a multiple logistic regression model, which was formed using the same calibration data. By applying my model of software inspection effectiveness before the inspection takes place, project managers will be able to make better use of inspection resource available. Applying the model using data collected during the inspection will help in estimation of residual errors in a product. Decisions can then be made if further investigations are required to identify errors. The modelling process has been used successfully in an industrial application.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries