M.Ed. (Education) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. / The value of RAU as educational institution can be measured by the success being achieved by its graduates in the professional world in helping to improve economical, socio-political and educational development. To monitor and manage these environmental aims sensibly, it is essential for RAU to gather enough information regarding its alumni within electronically defined magisterial districts and postal code cells on a continuous basis. This research investigates the suitability of a geographical information system (GIS) to help highly qualified alumni through healthy management and useful information by the Alumni Society to develop a higher order quality environment. It is found and demonstrated that appropriate software, for example MAPINFO coupled to geographical quantified data provides a powerful means for mapping and analysis. Incorporating population statistics, environmental problems, employer evaluation, etc. into the data base, will enhance the powerfulness of such an environment-managerial system for the RAU Alumni Society in todays highly developed technological world.

With the demise of apartheid the higher education landscape of South Africa (SA) had to change as well. As a guiding document, the Restructuring of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997 (RSA 1997) sets out the programme for the envisioned new higher education system. Among some of the changes envisaged by this Act was that higher education needed to be responsive to the broader process of SA’s socio-economic and political transition. Of note is that, by virtue of the history of the higher educational landscape in SA, the changes were experienced in two phases. The first phase just after 1994 was characterised by debates on the restructuring centred on the changed political environment. This was a period where issues such as equal access to higher education institutions and opportunities for staff and students across race and gender lines, unequal funding, appropriateness of curriculum, shortages of graduates in the fields of science, and inefficiency and ineffectiveness of university management were attempted to be addressed. The second (current) phase is the “globalisation of education” – market principles are introduced into education, with a resultant rise in study fees; academic training is being steered more by market forces than by government; and incorporations and mergers of higher education institutions are being enforced to ensure efficiency, amongst other things. My intention to undertake a study on the restructuring of higher education was because the subject has raised different views and different reactions from different stakeholders. There are authors who are against the manner in which the restructuring of higher education is being formulated and implemented, especially in this second phase, i.e. the globalisation of higher education. Such authors include Komane (2002:7), Goedegebuure, Kaiser, Maassen and De Weert (1994:3), Berstelsen (1998:130), Kgaphola (1999:19) and Clark (1998:5). / Ms. Carina van Rooyen

This research commenced by looking at what the knowledge economy is and what the driving forces are. In order to decide on how knowledge in this new economy can be managed, it was first necessary to define the concept of knowledge. The difference between tacit and explicit knowledge and the interaction between the two were discussed and at the end ways of managing this knowledge were investigated. In a discussion of the term knowledge management it was concluded that it can be regarded as the handling of tacit and explicit objects of knowledge through information systems, so that it enhances innovation and learning in the enterprise. However, when this knowledge is used for creating economic value, it becomes an item of capital and it is therefore necessary to determine what Intellectual Capital is. The history of Intellectual Capital was discussed and in defining Intellectual Capital seven different models for Intellectual Capital were studied. It was found that Intellectual Capital is subdivided into three major components, viz. Human Capital, Structural Capital and Customer Capital. Each of these components was then thoroughly described and discussed. The aim of the research was to study the explicit management and measurement models of Intellectual Capital that would improve understanding of the mechanisms by which value is created and extracted. The different approaches that can be followed in managing Intellectual Capital were investigated. It was concluded that the three major components cannot be seen as independent from each other and must therefore be managed as a whole. The management of the interaction between the three components can be seen as the management of the intellectual assets of an organisation and this consists of two phases, viz. value creation and value extraction. In order to determine how successful an organisation is in managing its Intellectual Capital this management needs to be measured. The vehicle for measuring performance is a model with a set of indicators in each of the three major components. It was found that measurement models can be divided into four major categories: • Market capitalisation methods • Return on assets methods • Direct intellectual capital methods, and • Scorecard methods. Twenty-seven different models were investigated in order to understand which indicators were necessary to measure Intellectual Capital in an organisation. In order to propose a new framework a study was firstly done on what a framework should look like and which elements should be included. Thereafter an investigation was done to determine which indicators should be included in such a framework. As it was found that such a framework is very organisation-specific, a brief overview of the RAU was given and according to the strategic objectives of the University as set out in the three-year rolling plan a set of indicators was decided upon. It was necessary that each of these indicators indicate whether the University had been successful in the key performance area through the management of its Intellectual Capital. The criteria and indicators identified were applied in the composition of a new model in an effort to find a suitable model for use at universities. The evaluation process turned up the scorecard models as the most suitable for applying in this instance. An attempt was therefore made to modify and adjust these types of models to answer all the requirements of the University. Meeting the requirement that indicators from all three major components must be present was possible. Efforts to adapt existing models in such a way that sub-components can also be measured were met successfully. This model was then tested at RAU and it was measured whether the management of Intellectual Capital contributed to reaching the University’s strategic goals. / Prof. A.S.A. Du Toit

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Com. ( Business Management) / Daar is tans In nasionale gewaarwording dat daar In toenemende behoefte bestaan vir mensllke hulpbronontwikkeling wat bestuursopleiding Insluit. Die kritiese rol van bestuur in die bepaling van 'n organisasie se sukses, word allerwee aanvaar. Opleiding en ontwikkeling van bestuurders is een metode om uiteindelik die doeltreffendheid van In organisasie te verseker. Genoemde bestuursopleiding kan plaasvind 'deur' middel van interne indiensopleiding, ad hoc opleidingskursusse deur nie-tersiere instellings sowel as opleidingskursusse deur tersiere instellings. Erkende bestuurskursusse aan sodanige tersiere instelllngs is onder andere Magistergraad in Bedryfsleiding, Magistergraad in Bedryfsadministrasie en Magistergraad in Ondernemingsbestuur. Die afkorting MBA word hedendaags gebruik om te verwys na In Magistergraad in bestuurswese. Vir doeleindes van hierdie studie sal die begrippe bestuurskursus en bestuursopleiding sowel as die afkorting MBA verwys na In Magistergraad in bestuurswese. Hierdie studie fokus op bestuursopleiding as deel van menslike hulpbronontwikkeling.

Hierdie proefskrif is in twee dele verdeel. Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is die bestudering van aankope beheer en die daarstelling van beheer oor die aankopefunksie van die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit. Die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit bevind homself in ‘n maalkolk van verandering waarbinne die Regering ‘n belangrike rol speel in rigtinggewing en die beheer van hoëronderwysinstellings. Alhoewel die Regering nog nie betrokke geraak het by die mikro bestuur van hoëronderwysinstellings nie, het hierdie studie bewys gelewer dat daar wel gronde is vir groter inmenging in die finansiële bestuur van universiteite en technikons. Van die metodes wat die Regering kan gebruik om beter korporatiewe beheer e n finansiële bestuur te bewerkstellig is onder andere vinnige intervensie by die vind van wanadministrasie, ‘n duidelike definisie van die vertroue -verantwoordelikheidsposisie tussen hoëronderwysinstellings en die Regering, die toepassing van publieke -sektor finansiële wetgewing, sowel as korporatiewe beheerbeginsels wat spesifiek vir die publieke sektor geskryf is. Al hierdie stappe het ten doel om meer effektiewe finansiële beheer in hoëronderwysinstellings te vestig. Hierdie studie het bewys dat nie alle universiteite en technikons in die besonder goeie finansiële posisie is waarin die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit hom bevind nie. Ten einde net beter finansiële beheermaatreëls te vestig by die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit het hierdie proefskrif verder gegaan om in detail beheer daar te stel oor aankope. Die resultate van hierdie proefskrif sluit in die skryf van ‘n eenvormige aankopebeleid, prosedurehandleiding en standaard dokumente wat in die tender - en aankopeproses gebruik gaan word. Purchasing governance and control for the Rand Afrikaans University Die proefskrif sluit ook spesifieke reëls in ten opsigte van die toepassing van voorkeurverkrygingsbeginsels. Hierdie voorkeurbehandeling word toegespits op voorheen benadeeldes sowel as klein, medium, mikro en baie klein ondernemings. Die voorkeurbehandeling wat voorgestel word is in baie opsigte meer progressief as die reëls wat deur die Regering toegepas word en is ‘n refleksie van die wyer transformasie wat binne die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit plaasgevind het. Voorkeurbehandeling word egter net toegespits op tansaksies wat na die tenderkomitee verwys word. Opsigself is hierdie voorkeurbehandelingsmeganismes nie genoegsaam om blywende aankopehervorming aan die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit te weeg te bring nie. Die proefskrif maak dit duidelik dat daar normalisering moet kom in die besigheidsverhouding tussen die universiteit en verskaffers. Die metode wat voorgestel word om hierdie doelwit te bereik, is die daarstelling van ‘n omvattende goedgekeurde verskafferslys wat die demografie van die Suid-Afrikaans e samelewing weerspieël. Aangesien die beleid en prosedures wat in hierdie proefskrif voorgestel word tot ‘n groot mate afhanklik is van die mense wat die proses dryf, sluit deel A van die studie af met ‘n etiese kode vir aankopepersoneel. Deel B van die proefskrif sit die beleid, prosedures, reglemente en standaard dokumente uiteen wat ontwikkel is en wat inderdaad al ‘n geruime tyd in werking is by die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit. / Dr. G. Els

M.A. / This study determines the role of public relations as a marketing communication function in RAU's integrated marketing communication approach. The research topic was selected for numerous reasons. Firstly, dramatic changes have occurred in the tertiary educational domain, which causes universities to adapt their marketing communication approaches. Based on these environmental changes, the Public Relations Division at RAU commissioned the study on the research topic, which is the second consideration for the study. The debate on integrated marketing communication shows, in the third place, that this approach is increasingly important. On closer investigation there is a definite need for a thorough literature review with an authentic integrated marketing communication approach, driven by the integrated organizational functioning and processes. From a public relations perspective, on closer investigation, there is a need for the direct empirical examination of the role of public relations as a contributing function of integrated marketing communication in order to narrow the gap between literature and empirical evidence. To achieve the research objectives, an extensive literature study had to be undertaken. Integraled marketing communication had to be researched in depth, to achieve a thorough understanding of the philosophy of integrated marketing communication. Hence, the contextualization of integrated marketing communication was examined to understand how the concept is applied within an organizational setting. Following from this, it was established that the integrated marketing communication programme can be seen as the advanced application of integrated marketing communication within the organizational context. The role of public relations as a marketing communication function was then explored within this integrated marketing communication approach. It was established that a shift towards a more marketing:oriented approach to public relations was increasing, thus the importance of marketing public relations. The study was enhanced by two phases of research conducted within RAU to meet the objectives of the study. The first, quantitative phase determined the extent to which RAU's communication activities is integrated. The measuring instrument used is the integrated marketing communication mini-audit scale. It is essential to note that all organizations are integrated to a certain extent (Duncan & Moriarty, 1997:14). Therefore, this study did not focus on establishing whether RAU as an organization is integrated. In the second, qualitative research phase, the role of public relations as a marketing communication function within RAU's integrated marketing communication approach was determined. The issue that became apparent throughout this study was that integrated marketing communication in any organizational context is of strategic importance for the "unity of effort" of the greater well-being of the organization. It was found in this research project that there are fundamental concerns for RAU regarding integrated marketing communication, and that public relations is practised on a technical, traditional level. The results of this study are primarily based on three key findings: firstly, the lack of core competency within the Division of Public Relations, secondly, the lack of cross-functional planning and operations within this department, and thirdly, a lack of interactivity with stakeholders. It is put forward that RAU should concentrate on the basic requirements and infrastructure necessary to utilize integrated marketing communication and that marketing public relations should be an integral part of the functioning of RAU as a tertiary educational institution.

An information ecology, in the words of MIT Press, is “a system of people, technologies and values in a local environment” (2000:[online]). This inquiry uses the elements of the information ecology – the interdependent system, its wealth of diversity, the co-evolutionary nature of the relationships within the environment, the leadership of keystone species, and the relationships and technology within its locality – to provide a framework within which to reflect on my learning as a postgraduate student at the Rand Afrikaans University (now the University of Johannesburg). Situated in a postmodern philosophical perspective and informed by constructivism, deconstructionism and critical theory, the phenomenological inquiry uses John Dewey’s model of reflective thought (1933) to examine the reasons for the disparity in the transfer of their new expertise by students who have participated in postgraduate programmes at the University, and to determine the principle factor that led to my incorporating such new skills into my own teaching practice. Evidence of this transfer of skills is presented in the description of an action research intervention that I designed and implemented in teaching basic computer skills to a group of ACE students in 2004. / Mr. G.V. Lautenbach

M.A. / The language needs for non-mother tongue speakers of Afrikaans. The study of Afrikaans by non-mother tongue speakers of Afrikaans is not as simple as it sometimes appears. The aim of this study is to identify the specific language needs of individual learners and whether the course complies with all the requirements or meets all their expectations. The study concentrates specifically on the adult learner who is part of the ABET- programme at RAU. The study further tries to investigate any shortcomings by ways of quantitative and qualitative empirical research. The study seeks to make a valuable contribution by its recommendations to other institutions intending to introduce similar courses. Finally, possible further area of research that need to be explored are highligted.