M.Comm. / The global environment is changing drastically and companies need to respond to this change in order to survive. The concept of shared services has seen its boom in the market as one of the measures to adapt to the ever changing global environment. With the strengthening of the global economy, corporations implement shared services to enhance their competitive advantage. Shared services are implemented for various reasons inclusive of quality, cost, time and economies of scale. The result is changes in processes, technology and culture / people. Change is not easy. People resist as it impacts on culture i.e. the way they currently operate. The introduction of shared services is no different. The changes it leads to create a sense of discomfort thereby leading to resistance. It is, thus, of critical importance to manage the transition of people from the current to the future culture. It has been evident that the softer side of change (people) is the most neglected area when managing change. The study focuses on change management to transform people’s attitudes and behaviours from a functional culture to a service oriented culture. The researcher identified this transition as not successful when introducing shared services, and this forms the research problem. The study is qualitative and exploratory in design with the aim of identifying change management tools and techniques in the implementation of shared services. Various tools have been identified with communication being the most critical tool in managing change. The conclusion drawn is that focus should not only be on the technical areas of change, but involve people as well. No change can be successful without the involvement of the people that are expected to implement it, no matter how sophisticated the processes or technology is.

The constant evolution of technology and the prevalent demands of the 21st century continue to put pressure on both the business and education sector. Business is ever looking for competent workers to meet these progressive demands, while the education sector continues to struggle to produce such competent workers to meet the heightened needs of the business sector. Universities and business schools have a greater role and responsibility in ensuring that these competent employees are produced. The use of virtual platforms like Second Life has gained significant popularity in the education sector. Therefore the objective of this study was to explore and examine some of the prevalent benefits associated with using Second life for teaching entrepreneurship. This study was also extended to cover the following areas: The benefits of Second Life for business and education sector; - The benefits of Second Life for teaching and learning environment. The study followed an exploratory research design in an attempt to answer the main research question and the respective sub-questions related to the study. Using a qualitative approach, student’s perceptions, opinions, assumptions, observations and experiences during their interaction with Second Life were identified and reflected in the study. The research discovered that the associated benefits of Second Life were coherent with the reviewed literature findings. The research study concluded that Second Life can be used as a support teaching methodology for entrepreneurship for third year MBA students at NMMU Business School. In addition, the research also highlighted some recommendations regarding the introduction and implementation of Second Life at NMMU Business School and future research opportunities.

Connections between athletes and musicians have been drawn recently by scholars, sports psychologists, and musicians. Literature on these connections, however, has focused on individuals rather than exploring connections between teams and ensembles. The broad goal of our study was to determine whether leadership roles like those observed in sports research emerge in chamber music ensembles. We chose to focus on connecting the literatures of leadership in sports and music by using a questionnaire drawn from sports research (Fransen, et al., 2014) in a chamber music setting. Fransen’s model was designed to measure the emergence of four leadership roles (Task, Social, Motivational, and External) in teams. In our study, fifty local musicians responded to an online questionnaire derived from Fransen (2014). We found that all four of Fransen’s leadership roles were identified by respondents as present in chamber ensembles. Respondents were also asked to describe leadership roles in their ensemble that did not fit Fransen’s four leadership roles, where such existed. From their responses, we postulate the roles of “organizational leader” and “leader by example” in chamber ensembles. We interpreted the organizational leader to be an extension of Fransen’s “external leadership” role. We interpret he leader by example role to be a set of attributes as predictors of shared leadership in individuals, rather than as a separate leadership role. In light of our findings, we offer suggestions for improving the functioning of chamber ensembles and for future research in this topic.

Background: An increasing proportion of Canadian women are experiencing a Caesarean section (CS) and a subsequent repeat CS. While CS can be necessary and lifesaving for mothers and their infants in some situations, it is also associated with greater morbidity risks to women and infants than vaginal birth. Clinical practice guidelines recommend the involvement of pregnant women in making decisions about mode of birth and shared decision making improves the informed consent process. This research examines the factors that influence mode of birth after a previous CS. Methods: Two cross sectional descriptive studies and a prospective pre-post cohort study with control were conducted to investigate the high use of repeat CS at the levels of health care providers, maternity care clients, and the organizational structure of a birthing unit. 1. Interviews and surveys with obstetricians, family physicians, midwives, and nurses were conducted to investigate the attitudes, values, and perceptions that guide their care practices for clients with a previous CS. The specific research question was: What are the factors that influence the practices of maternity care providers (obstetricians, family physicians, midwives, and nurses) regarding mode of birth after a previous CS? Data was analyzed using iterative deductive and inductive coding. 2. Interviews and surveys were conducted during pregnancy and after giving birth with healthy women who have had a previous CS to explore their decision making processes regarding mode of birth after a previous CS. The specific research question was: How do women eligible for a VBAC make decisions about their upcoming mode of birth? A thematic framework approach was used for data analysis. 3. Data from the Better Outcomes Registry and Network (“BORN”) Ontario was analyzed to examine the effectiveness of a hospital based strategy on overall proportions of CS and within Robson groups 1, 2a, and 5. The Caesarean section reduction (CARE) strategy includes interventions that target health care providers, pregnant women, and hospital policies. Results: 1. Maternity care providers would recommend a vaginal birth after CS (VBAC) for healthy pregnant women with a previous CS. They had different perceptions of the safety of birth to the health of women and infants and different approaches to engage in decision making during consultation. Providers believed women make their decision about mode of birth outside of the clinical consultation and often prior to their subsequent pregnancy. 2. The main themes that influenced the decisions of maternity care clients about mode of birth were mothers’ experiential reasoning regarding mode of birth and recovery, experiential knowledge from significant others, scheduling of CS regardless of the mode of birth decision, rating and prioritizing risks, fear of risks, and decisional conflict. When women discussed the factors that impacted their decisions about mode of birth six to eight weeks after they had given birth, the main themes were the recovery experience and fear related to the mode of birth. A lack of time during consultation was identified as a major barrier inhibiting shared decision making, specifically among clients of obstetricians. Other barriers included reliance on routine obstetric practices that are not evidence based. 3. Proportions of CS decreased at the intervention hospital by 3.9% (p=0.0006), from 30.3% (n=964) in 2009/10 to 26.4% (n=803) in 2012/13. During the same time frame, proportions of CS in the control group were stable with 28.1% (n=23,694) in 2009/10 and 28.2% (n=23,683) in 2012/13. Within the Robson classification system, the proportions of repeat CS among all low risk women with a previous CS decreased at the intervention hospital by 5.6% (p=0.0044) from 84.3% to 78.7%. In the control group, also fewer women had a repeat CS over the study period, but the decrease was smaller with 3.9% (p<0.0001) from 84.5% to 80.6%. Conclusion: A true shared decision making process addresses the power imbalance between providers and women through an incorporation of the clinical expertise of providers and the experiential expertise of pregnant women before reaching a decision about mode of birth. The use of routine obstetric practices that are not evidence based inhibited women to make decisions about their mode of birth. The introduction of the CARE strategy to a hospital birthing unit was associated with improvements in proportions of CS and VBAC among low risk women.

This study is concerned with understanding decision-making in relation to out-of-authority educational placements for pupils with an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) in one Local Authority (LA). The aims of this research were twofold. The first was to explore what factors have the greatest impact on the decision to educate pupils with an ASC outside the local authority. The second was to explore the perceptions of key informants about the process for deciding those placements. The study involved examining 24 pupil cases where out-of-authority ASC placements had been agreed and interviews with case-informants contributing to those placement decisions in order to analyse their beliefs and understandings about the processes of decision-making. The literature review highlights the limited research with regard to decision-making about pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and draws examples from medical decision-making frameworks. Data analysis showed that two factors, complexity and range of pupil need and lack of LA provision to match the needs identified had the greatest influence on the decision to educate pupils outside the local authority. The response of the LA’s own schools, professionals and parents to those presenting needs as well as the consequent impact on the child/young person and others were recognised secondary factors. Case-informants offered a strong impression that for the majority of these pupils successful inclusion in their own LA would require increased and more integrated services in order to meet their identified needs. Data from the qualitative interviews provides a sense of the range of informants’ experiences relating to decision-making processes and the factors determining those perceptions. These related to whether the processes had been experienced as planned, were evidenced-based, child-focused and involved effective working with parents and other agencies. The findings, in part, reflect government concerns about the current statutory SEN framework and the case for change as made in the recent Green Paper (DfE, 2011). At a local level informants identified the need for a more explicit model of decision-making, ethically grounded with an emphasis for decision-making to be based on the holistic needs of the child and viewed that this would be better facilitated by having improved joint-working between services and stronger partnership engagement between the LA and parents/carers. Clinical professional-patient shared decision-making is discussed as a potential model which might be usefully applied to better understand and develop current SEN decision making.

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In this study, the role of the deputy-principal is examined. An attempt is made to gain a better understanding on how distributed leadership manifests in the role of the primary school deputy-principal by focusing on the deputy-principal’s activities and interactions with, among others, the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the principal, educators, the School Governing Body (SGB) and the community. A deputyprincipal is in the unique position of being not only the assistant to the principal and deputising for the principal during his or her absence, but also a teaching staff member. Education leadership literature shows that little attention has been given to the specific duties and responsibilities of South African deputy-principals in comparison to other leadership and management positions in schools. Due to the vaguely defined position of deputy-principals, their role and responsibilities remain largely undetermined. By posing the central research question to the study: “How is distributed leadership manifested in the role of the primary school deputy-principals?” the aim was to determine what primary school deputy-principals do on a daily basis at school, what the different perspectives are on the role and responsibilities of the deputy-principal with regard to school management and leadership, and also who determines what the primary school deputy-principal does and what criteria are used to determine these duties. Purposive sampling was used, selecting five large primary schools in the Tshwane South District of the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

In informal settlements, shared sanitation facilities offer pragmatic solutions as it allows inhabitants to access sanitation because they cannot install in-house toilets. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies shared sanitation as unimproved because there is a tendency for facilities to be mismanaged resulting in unhygienic practices. This study addressed the issues around the quality of shared sanitation by looking at how sanitation activities between men and women shape the use and management of shared sanitation facilities within and between households. The study adopted a qualitative research paradigm, at both macro and micro levels, of data collection. It made use of a thorough review of literature and in-depth interviews which provided a deeper insight into how sanitation policy and practice shape and influence sanitation processes in informal settlements and the wider implications they have on state-society relations. A case study method of inquiry of Phomolong informal settlement revealed that shared sanitation is embedded in a host of a complex and overlapping processes, which revolve around tenure insecurity, urban poverty, gender power relations and the historical legacies of racialised urban planning. The study concludes that the absence of a coherent sanitation policy for informal settlements has not only widened sanitation backlogs in informal settlements, but it has significantly deteriorated these communities’ sense of citizenship and belonging. To understand Phomolong’s informality, one has to appreciate that self-management underpins its sanitation processes as a result of inadequate state-led service delivery. Although the Free Basic Sanitation policy (FBSan) is designed to specifically cater for poor urban communities, it has done little to alleviate the challenges of informal urban sanitation. A host of social issues shape how shared sanitation is accessed, perceived and managed on a daily basis. Specifically, gender and tenure status provide an added layer of challenges as women navigate the burden of being the custodians of household health and hygiene as well as their own personal security and dignity. / Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Anthropology and Archaeology / MSocSci / Unrestricted

abstract: Limited spectral access motivates technologies that adapt to diminishing resources and increasingly cluttered environments. A joint positioning-communications system is designed and implemented on \acf{COTS} hardware. This system enables simultaneous positioning of, and communications between, nodes in a distributed network of base-stations and unmanned aerial systems (UASs). This technology offers extreme ranging precision ($<$ 5 cm) with minimal bandwidth (10 MHz), a secure communications link to protect against cyberattacks, a small form factor that enables integration into numerous platforms, and minimal resource consumption which supports high-density networks. The positioning and communications tasks are performed simultaneously with a single, co-use waveform, which efficiently utilizes limited resources and supports higher user densities. The positioning task uses a cooperative, point-to-point synchronization protocol to estimate the relative position and orientation of all users within the network. The communications task distributes positioning information between users and secures the positioning task against cyberattacks. This high-performance system is enabled by advanced time-of-arrival estimation techniques and a modern phase-accurate distributed coherence synchronization algorithm. This technology may be installed in ground-stations, ground vehicles, unmanned aerial systems, and airborne vehicles, enabling a highly-mobile, re-configurable network with numerous applications. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2019

Classroom teacher leadership is a very broad concept that evolved over years and includes various concepts in the paradigm of education leadership (York-Barr & Duke, 2004: 255). Two concepts in the education leadership paradigm, which are closely related to and interlinked with classroom teacher leadership, are instructional leadership and distributive leadership. A new school of thought emphasises the importance of the classroom teacher as an instructional leader (Horgn & Loeb, 2010: 66). The only way that the classroom teacher can assume this required role as instructional leader is within a distributive leadership environment and therefore, distributive leadership is at the core of instructional leadership (Hoadley, Christie & Ward, 2009: 377). We can therefore conclude that classroom teacher leadership refers to classroom teachers who teach and lead (York-Barr & Duke, 2004: 267). Classroom teacher leadership is the type of quality leadership required to create effective schools. In recent studies done in South African schools it was, however, clear that although research proposes that the classroom teacher should assume leadership roles within a distributive leadership environment, classroom teacher leadership has not yet realised in the schools studied. The gap in the literature is that it shows what should happen, it indicates that it is not happening in some South African schools but it does not indicate how it should happen. This study aimed through a qualitative, case study design to investigate classroom teacher leadership in effective top-performing schools in the Pretoria area in the Gauteng province. Through semi-structured interviews the experiences of classroom teachers and their principals on classroom teacher leadership revealed that classroom teacher leadership is evident in these top-performing, secondary schools. Through their experiences various classroom teacher leadership practices could also be identified shedding light on how classroom teacher leadership can be implemented and promoted in order to create the quality leadership required for an effective school. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted