Mini-study project (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A study project is presented on the development and implementation of a Quality Management System for the Eastern Cape Technikon, that being informed by the Higher Education Legislation of the Republic of South Africa and its Statutory Bodies in an attempt to ensconce the provision of quality teaching and learning, academic and developmental research, and academic support services in Higher Education. Beginning with the conceptualisation of quality as a concept, evolving to being a quality system, and followed by how, when successfully developed and implemented, can it be monitored and evaluated for the achievement of Higher Education objectives, both nationally . and internationally. Emphases is on how the Eastern Cape Technikon can be successfully effective, efficient and economical in its attempt to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate such a system in comportment that will appropriately fit its programmes, including its operations in general, to the national agenda of providing quality higher education that is opportune for all, especially for the bucolic, rural and underdeveloped community that Eastern Cape Technikon seeks to serve. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Quality assurance has become a prominent and permanent feature of Higher Education in many countries, and South Africa has been no exception in this regard. The pressing need for social and economic development and the competition for scarce resources has spearheaded the demands for accountability in Higher Education and given rise to the promulgation of a series of Acts and regulations aimed at the transformation of the sector. The most important legislation introduced was the SAQA Act No 58 of 1995. It provides the legal framework for the transformation of the entire educational system in South Africa, and in particular for the evaluation of the quality of Education and Training by establishing structures such as National Standards Bodies (NSB's), Standard Generating Bodies (SGB's) and Education and Training Quality Assurance Bodies (ETQA's). A significant development in South African Higher Education was the publishing of the Education White Paper 3 and the promulgation of the South African Higher Education Bill in 1997. One of the outstanding features of this legislation is that the evaluation of the quality of Higher Education is compulsory, and will be done by the Council on Higher Education (CHE), co-ordinated by its permanent committee, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). There is a concern that rigidly enforced quality assurance systems could have a negative impact on the academic freedom of institutions. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to determine the most likely impact of quality assurance on academic freedom. In order to achieve this objective, quality assurance and academic freedom frameworks were developed respectively, and the interaction of the various elements in this framework explored. In most instances it was found that quality assurance could have a negative impact on academic freedom. One particular aspect that is of serious concern at the tertiary level is the programme-based as opposed to discipline-based approach to qualifications. This poses a serious threat to academic freedom as it effectively diminishes the space within which academic freedom is practised. However, this conclusion is based on a meta-physical study, and needs to be confirmed by appropriate empirical studies. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kwaliteitsversekering is reeds in baie lande 'n vername en blywende kenmerk van Hoër Onderwys, en Suid-Afrika het in hierdie verband nie agtergebly nie. Die dringende behoefte aan sosiale en ekonomiese ontwikkeling en die mededinging om skaars hulpbronne was aan die spits van die eise om aanspreeklikheid in Hoër Onderwys en het aanleiding gegee tot die promulgering van 'n reeks wette en regulasies wat op die transformasie van die sektor gerig is. Die belangrikste wetgewing wat ingevoer is, is die Wet op die Suid-Afrikaanse Kwalifikasieowerheid 58 van 1995. Dit maak voorsiening vir die wetlike raamwerk vir die transformasie van die hele onderwysstelsel in Suid-Afrika, en veral vir die evaluering van die kwaliteit van Onderwys en Opleiding deur strukture soos Nasionale Standaardeliggame (NSL'e), Standaarde-ontwikkelingsliggame (SOL'e ) en Onderwys-en-Opleidingskwaliteitversekeringsliggame (OOKVL's). 'n Betekenisvolle ontwikkeling in Suid-Afrikaanse Hoër Onderwys was die afkondiging van die Onderwys Witskrif 3 en die promulgering van die Wet op Hoër Onderwys in 1997. Een van die besondere kenmerke van hierdie wetgewing is dat die evaluering van die kwaliteit van Hoër Onderwys verpligtend is en deur die Raad vir Hoër Onderwys (RHO) uitgevoer en deur sy permanente komitee, die Hoër Onderwyskwaliteitskomitee (HOKK), gekoordineer word. Daar bestaan kommer dat streng toegepaste kwaliteitsversekeringstelsels 'n negatiewe uitwerking op die akademiese vryheid van instellings kan hê. Die doel van hierdie studie was dus om die waarskynlikste uitwerking van kwaliteitsversekering op akademiese vryheid te bepaal. Ten einde hierdie doelwit te bereik, is kwaliteitsversekerings- en akademiesevryheidsraamwerke onderskeidelik ontwikkel en is die wisselwerking van die onderskeie elemente in hierdie raamwerk verken. Daar is in die meeste gevalle bevind dat kwaliteitsversekering 'n negatiewe uitwerking op akademiese vryheid kan hê. Een besondere aspek wat ernstige kommer op tersiêre vlak wek, is die programgegronde benadering tot kwalifikasies in teenstelling met die dissiplinegegronde benadering daartoe. Dit hou 'n ernstige bedreiging vir akademiese vryheid in aangesien dit die ruimte waarbinne akademiese vryheid beoefen word, effektief inkort. Hierdie gevolgtrekking is egter op 'n metafisiese studie gegrond en moet deur toepaslike empiriese studies bevestig word.

Thesis (MBA) --University of Limpopo, 2007 / The main purpose of the study was to investigate the implementation of a performance management system for educators, named by the Department of Education: the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS). The investigation took place in the Zebediela schools of the Limpopo province. The research study targeted members of the School Development Teams (SDT’S) and the Principals of the schools in their capacity as accounting officers. The investigation was done by identifying the possible factors influencing the implementation of the system and its impact on the teaching profession, the motivation/productivity of educators and the efficiency of service delivery. Appropriate recommendations were suggested to improve the implementation of the IQMS. The study obtained primary data through structured questionnaires, interviews and secondary sources. Questionnaires were administered to all the 77 schools in the Zebediela area and personal interviews were conducted with a minimum of 15% of the population (schools) in each circuit of the Zebediela area. Ethical considerations were adhered to and all responses were treated as confidential while the names of the respondents will not be published if this research is published. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) with the aid of a contingency table analysis. The findings suggest that the implementation of the Integrated Quality Management System in Zebediela area is very slow while numerous respondents were undecided as to whether there was really implementation in the schools or not. This research attributed this slackness to various factors ranging from insufficient training, uncoordinated activities, lack of commitment, a high workload for only a low salary increase percentage and the slow progression through the professional ranks. All these factors were leading too the low morale of the educators. Based on the findings it is recommended that the Department of Education as an employer should offer thorough training and development for educators, well coordinate activities, competitive salaries, proper job design and team work, favourable working conditions and a better promotional system. ii These interventions will contribute to an increase in the motivational levels of educators’ that will ultimately uplift the low morale of educators.

Thesis (MTech (Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / Customer satisfaction is a topic of global interest in higher education and it also forms the backdrop of the research presented in this thesis. This study focuses on the employees (academics and non-academics) in the Faculty of Education at a South African university of technology (UoT) who play a key role in providing the services that their customers receive. The study is underpinned by the understanding that in order for the customer’s experience of service provision to be positive, a healthy relationship between the customer and the service provider is critical. The organization, in this case a higher education institution, has to have a sense of quality culture in order for the service provider to maintain a good relationship with a customer. Quality culture assessment can help to better understand complex organizational culture and its impact on service delivery. Quality culture assessment also helps to direct the implementation of organizational changes for better service delivery structures. The type of quality culture dominant in an organization may positively or negatively affect service quality, employee performance and motivation. As a result, the service delivery experience of the customer may be influenced. Quality culture affects the way in which employees interact with each other and with their customers. This study therefore, presents an inquiry into quality culture within a higher education context with the aim to evaluate quality culture within the Faculty of Education at a UoT using quality management principles (QMPs) as a framework. This study employed QMPs because of their increased effectiveness in enhancing customer satisfaction and improving customer loyalty. The quality management principles are: customer focus, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvements, evidence-based decisions and relationship management (ISO 9001, 2015:Online). This study used a quantitative research approach and was designed as a survey case study. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire that was disseminated to all the academic and non-academic staff in the Faculty of Education at the UoT. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used as a tool for data analysis. Findings in this study reveal that a safe working environment, communication between employees, communication between management and employees, in addition to good working relationships, may affect service quality in the Faculty of Education at the UoT. This implies that having a healthy working environment in an organization is beneficial for employees in order to perform their duties better and to provide quality services to their customers. In an organization with good quality culture, there is close cooperation between employees which leads to good service quality. If the institution under study is concerned with providing value to customers, it needs to consider improving customer value by formally applying QMPs throughout the organization. QMPs are central to the practice of quality management and service delivery. The findings of this study suggest that quality culture affects service quality in the Faculty of Education at the UoT as some of the quality management principles are lacking. This study recommends that the Faculty of Education have a closer look at improving communication between employees, communication between management and employees, in addition to encouraging good working relationships as well as an enabling environment that allows employees to work efficiently. It is also recommended that quality culture be on the Faculty of Education’s agenda in order to enhance the service delivery experience of customers. The Faculty of Education should support a quality culture environment by providing appropriate structures such as service delivery structures within their organizations. These structures may be needed in order to facilitate, maintain and show commitment of staff members towards a quality culture environment and service delivery. Furthermore, these structures may contribute to quality culture by introducing new shared values and behavioural norms that might facilitate the long-term success and well-being of the organization. It is also recommended that the institution under study formally apply quality management principles throughout the organization for the purpose of improving customer value, customer experience and meeting customer needs.

Thesis (MTech (Quality (Faculty of Engineering)))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009. / Customer satisfaction is one of the most important strategic mechanisms of best practice hotel organisations. Daily, managers and employees are continuously faced with the challenges of establishing and maintaining customer satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to seek and identify measures that can be used in the hospitality industry for purposes of assessing and evaluating customer satisfaction and customer service effectiveness. The results from the research will enable hotel owners, managers and decision makers to identify the best practices in customer service design, culminating in customer value. The primary objective of this study is to assess customer expectations and perceptions of service quality in Cape Town based hotels, and to identify the gaps between client expectations and perceptions. This will be used as a basis to investigate the challenges that Cape Town hotels experience pertaining to internal and external customer strategy development and satisfaction. These identified challenges will be used as learning opportunities for improvement in aspects of quality and to establish a usable model for the organisation (hotels) from which strategies can be developed for the effective management of customer relations, and to ensure that customer expectations of service quality are met. The researcher will use SERVQUAL and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) scoring method to rate the customer’s level of satisfaction with each service attribute into an overall service performance of each hotel. The researcher will recommend an appropriate quality improvement mechanism to measure, analyse and improve processes in the hospitality industry.

Includes bibliography. / School Effectiveness is a relatively new and poorly defined domain for which a structure is proposed, to facilitate future discussion. Three fields within School Effectiveness are identified, namely School Effectiveness Research (SER), School Improvement (SI) and Quality Assurance (QA). Three divisions are identified within each field on the basis of various criteria. SER has methodological generations, Sl is classified by decade, and three themes of QA are described, including performance indicators (Pis). A definition of effectiveness in terms of regression lines is described and the concept of added value or adjusted achievement developed. This study is concerned with the development of Pis for use within a single school to monitor and promote improvement. The context of the study (a model C senior high school in a predominantly white southern suburb of Cape Town) and the data collected is described before a review is made of some of the analyses which could be used to monitor effectiveness. A technique whereby pupil achievement is adjusted (for prior achievement and other background variables) and the residuals (or adjusted achievement) derived from the regressions investigated with one-way A NOVAs is described and tested using various models and subjects. With respect to groups, it is proposed that statistical significance of differences between mean residuals could be used as a PI. With respect to individual pupils, educators could set their own criterion for investigating cases where adjusted achievement is very large or very small. Statistical significance requires interpretation, however, and the role of professional judgement in modelling and monitoring adjusted achievement is discussed. The view that techniques such as regression analysis can only indicate when professional investigation and intervention might be necessary is stressed. It would seem unwise to rank teachers or subjects on the basis of adjusted achievement.

The purpose of this study was to look at how principals and educators managed and experience the implementation of Quality Assurance policies in secondary schools in KwaZulu Natal focusing on the bttegrated Quality Management System that is currently in place. This study was designed as a qualitative exploratory and descriptive survey. Data was collected in 2007 by visiting schools and conducting interviews with the principals and educators. School managers fell into two groups. One group was positive about Integrated Quality Management System and other group negative. Even though there were differences, all agreed that lntearated Quality Management System was good if it was to be introduced at a pace suitable to the educators. Educators preferred Integrated Quality Management System to systems that were not transparent. They then recommended that Integrated Quality Management System should not be linked to the educators' remuneration as this destroys what could be good about IQMS / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

Quality assurance forms an integral part of education and training programme delivery. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the quality management systems (QMS) used by nursing education institutions in Gauteng are aligned to the SAQA criteria and guidelines for education and training providers. A quantitative, descriptive and exploratory design was followed using a self-administered questionnaire as data gathering instrument. A total of 32 respondents from three selected nursing education institutions completed the questionnaire. The data were analysed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The findings revealed that the nursing education institutions only partially comply with SAQA’s core criteria for quality management systems. Recommendations to improve the current QMS were made. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The purpose of this study was to look at how principals and educators managed and experience the implementation of Quality Assurance policies in secondary schools in KwaZulu Natal focusing on the bttegrated Quality Management System that is currently in place. This study was designed as a qualitative exploratory and descriptive survey. Data was collected in 2007 by visiting schools and conducting interviews with the principals and educators. School managers fell into two groups. One group was positive about Integrated Quality Management System and other group negative. Even though there were differences, all agreed that lntearated Quality Management System was good if it was to be introduced at a pace suitable to the educators. Educators preferred Integrated Quality Management System to systems that were not transparent. They then recommended that Integrated Quality Management System should not be linked to the educators' remuneration as this destroys what could be good about IQMS / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

This study examined the nature of quality assurance frameworks in science education and the factors negatively affecting the quality of science education in the Johannesburg South district. The study explored the quality assurance practices, challenges that impede the attainment of quality science education in schools and the impact of quality assurance on the quality of science education. The Integrated Quality Management System, which encompasses whole-school evaluation, is the main policy used in secondary schools’ quality assurance system. A mixed methodology design was used in the research. The data collected was both qualitative and quantitative and was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. The qualitative data provided research opportunities which extended the type of information collected. It implied an interpretive or subjective approach with the focus being on how the respondents experienced and understood the quality assurance processes. Concurrent triangulation designs or convergent parallel design was used in order to develop a complete understanding of the research problem by obtaining different but complementary data for validation purposes and enhancing triangulation. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected at the same time and the findings were integrated in order to understand deeper the quality assurance mechanisms applied in science education. The use of multiple perspectives, theories and research methods resulted in rich information being gathered for analysis. The study revealed that quality assurance practices, ranging from Integrated Quality Management System, Whole-school Evaluation and Assessment Quality Assurance among others, had a positive influence on the quality of science education. The results indicated that quality assurance policies and mechanisms present were followed by schools and the district support helped to improve the quality of science education. The presence of quality assurance policies and mechanisms had a positive bearing on the quality of science education. The lack of infrastructural resources, non-availability of laboratory technicians, science educator work overload, parents’ non-involvement in academic support, poor learner subject selection criteria and non-rigorous quality assurance follow-up mechanisms were the main factors hindering the quality of science education. / Educational Studies / D. Phil. (Education)