South Africa is acknowledged as having the highest Gini coefficient in the world. The Gini coefficient is a measure of income inequality in a country. The eradication of all forms of inequality was probably the most important aspiration for people pre-democracy. After two decades of democracy, not only has the eradication of inequality not materialised, but inequality has worsened. The aim of the research is threefold. Firstly, to understand the origins and the ensuing reasons for inequality as it is experienced in South Africa in 2013 and secondly, to investigate what the effects of this inequality are on the lives of South Africans, socially, politically and economically. Lastly, the research aims to find what, if anything, South Africans can do to address the issue, in order to determine if the aspiration is indeed attainable. Qualitative exploratory research was conducted by interviewing 16 prominent South Africans with the requisite knowledge of the topic and experience in their respective fields. Semi-structured, in-depth face-to-face interviews were performed. Content and theme analysis were carried out on the transcripts, followed by the recording of the responses in logically ordered tables. The literature informed the interpretation of the results in the tables. The reasons for and causes of South Africa’s high Gini coefficient were identified, with the apartheid legacy and the present government’s governance style as the two greatest contributors. The effects of the high inequality in the South African context were considered far more detrimental to society, than to the politics and the economy of the country. The research yielded a number of actions that could be considered to reduce inequality, thereby improving the Gini coefficient. The two most important proposals were addressing the current poor education system and finding a solution for unemployment. / Dissertation (MBA)--Gordon Institute of Business Science, 2013 / mn2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Land Use Planning))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / M Inst Agrar / unrestricted

This study is concerned with the role of the survey method in assisting the citizens to participate in the planning of community welfare services. It attempts to point out how the survey can be a medium through which professional and non professional agencies and individuals are able to participate, to co-operate and to learn through the group process in the field of welfare planning. Because a Council of Social Agencies is accepted as the obvious channel through which people may come together for discussion while attempting to solve their problems, this study shows the contribution which a council can make in this regard. The study assumes the premise that any sustained interest in and planning for welfare services must accept the fact that the citizens being served have a right to be a part of the overall planning for these resources in their respective communities. Each example of a survey presented for discussion is analysed in order to show the degree of attention paid to the three criteria for a social survey: co-operation, participation and education. In its theoretical aspect, the study stresses the democratic nature of Canadian and American society and attempts to point up how social welfare and democratic principles may be co-ordinated in an effort to build a strong society. As social work philosophy recognises the dignity of the individual and his right to plan for himself, it therefore behooves the professional body to study and to analyse the ways in which it is possible to secure a wider and more effective representation from the community in the planning for welfare services. The study concludes with a summation of democratic and social work philosophy as demonstrated by the examples contained in the thesis and adds some suggestions to the local planning agency concerning the development of a more effective programme within that agency. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

Years of unregulated fishing activity have resulted in low abundances of elasmobranch species in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Coastal populations of sharks and rays in the region remain largely understudied and may be at risk from large-scale coastal development projects. Here we aim to address this pressing need for information by using fish market, unmanned aerial vehicle and baited remote underwater video surveys to quantify the abundance and diversity of sharks and rays in coastal habitats in the Saudi Arabian central Red Sea. Our analysis showed that the majority of observed individuals were batoids, specifically blue-spotted ribbontail stingrays (Taeniura lymma) and reticulate whiprays (Himantura sp.). Aerial surveys observed a catch per unit effort two orders of magnitude greater than underwater video surveys, yet did not detect any shark species. In contrast, baited camera surveys observed both lemon sharks (Negaprion acutidens) and tawny nurse sharks (Nebrius ferrugineus), but in very low quantities (one individual of each species). The combination of survey techniques revealed a higher diversity of elasmobranch presence than using either method alone, however many species of elasmobranch known to exist in the Red Sea were not detected. Our results suggest that aerial surveys are a more accurate tool for elasmobranch abundance estimates in low densities over mangrove-associated habitats. The importance of inshore habitats, particularly for batoids, calls for a deeper understanding of habitat use in order to protect these environments in the face of unregulated fishing, mangrove removal, and anticipated developments along the coastline of the Saudi Arabian Red Sea.

This study details results of small mammal surveys at 24 sites in four biomes (Nama- and Succulent Karoo, Albany Thicket, Grassland) as part of the Karoo BioGaps project to augment baseline biodiversity information needed to guide proposed fracking activities in the Shale Gas Development Area (SGDA) (Holness et al. 2016). A strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), commissioned by the South African Government, evaluated the potential to exploit the supposedly substantial reserves of shale gas using hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in the Great Karoo Basin of South Africa. Terrestrial micromammals (<500g) were captured using Sherman livetraps (September 2016 to March 2017). Sampling over 6580 trap-nights produced 339 captures of 271 individuals representing 14 taxa. Trapping success was low 5.14% (mean per site 0.37± 0.61%). Most captures (87%) and individuals (83%) were recorded in the Nama-Karoo (294 captures, 226 individuals, 15 sites), whereas only 5 captures were recorded in Albany Thicket (3 sites). Four xerophilous/generalist species (Micaelamys spp. (Rock rats), Gerbilluscus paeba (Hairyfooted Gerbil), Macroscelides proboscideus (Round-eared Sengi), and Elephantulus spp. were numerically dominant at most sites, and within most biomes/bioregions; while five rare species were only ever recorded once. Mean α diversity (observed species richness Sobs) per site (2.88 ±1.99) and Shannon-Wiener diversity (1.70 overall, 1.04 ±0.33 per site) were low, with only 5.47 effective species (mean = 3.04 ±1.08 per site) and low equitability (0.64 overall). Sobs was highest in Nama-Karoo (13 species), and lowest in the Grassland and Albany Thicket biomes (2-5 species). Species accumulation/rarefaction curves did not reach asymptotes, and Sobs values for most sites/biomes/bioregions were significantly lower than Chao1 predicted species richness, suggesting that sampling effort did not accurately estimate species richness. However, trapping efficiency was generally high (56-100%; mean 86.7%) which compares favourably with that of two recent published studies in South Africa. Multiplicative beta diversity (βMt) across the SGDA was 4.56 indicating high species turnover between sites/biomes/bioregions. Species turnover was high across biome boundaries, notably Albany Thicket-Grassland (15), Nama-Karoo-Albany Thicket (14), and Succulent Karoo-Grassland (12). Biomes and bioregions tended to plot apart in ordination analyses with relatively low (40-60%) Sorenson similarity, indicating that most regional small mammal communities were well-differentiated. Despite data limitations, 66 new distribution records for 21 sites are reported for the SGDA. Total species richness (including historical records) was highest in the Nama-Karoo (19), particularly the Upper Karoo bioregion (19, mean 6.45 ±2.16, 11 sites), followed by the Grassland (16), and Albany Thicket (5) biomes. Total species richness records for most sites/regions fell within the iChao2 CI bounds, thus integrating trapping and historical records provided a relatively robust data set for subsequent spatial diversity analyses. However, even the total species richness dataset is likely to underestimate true diversity owing to not sampling arboreal species or detecting some cryptic species. Generalized linear analyses indicated that small mammal diversity indices were significantly associated with certain environmental/climatic parameters (livestock, drought). Despite the west to east increase in precipitation, highest diversity was concentrated in the arid north-west Nama-Karoo where dwarf shrubs and succulents predominate. This suggests that environmental and niche filtering are significant proximate factors shaping small mammal assemblages. No significant effects of biotic interactions (particularly competition following Diamond's (1975) first two rules) or resource-mediated niche limitations were evident for SGDA species assemblages. However, results for the Nama-Karoo (i.e. for a natural phytogeographical rather than geoeconomically-defined area) were significant suggesting that biotic interactions may also be proximate factors shaping local assemblages. Site assemblages were significantly nested, indicating that species at species-poor sites were subsets of those at richer sites; and thus, that site communities may have been structured by either long-term (ultimate) regional biogeographic processes (e.g. immigration and extinction related to distances between sites) or habitat filtering operating at local scales. Data deficiencies notwithstanding, my results present the most comprehensive landscape-level analysis for small mammals, and the only baseline dataset (based on randomized sampling) for the Greater Karoo and SGDA. While my results must be treated with caution, I am confident that the recommendations I make on species, sites and regions potentially vulnerable will be a useful guide to possible impacts of fracking in the study area.

Examines patronage motives and product purchase patterns within the context of a mall. Specifically, determines: the relative importance consumers attach to a set of 24 patronage motives when choosing a place to shop; these shoppers’ purchase patterns of a set of 21 products; and inter and intra similarities/dissimilarities among motives and product purchase patterns. Managerial implications for mall administrators are discussed. Concludes that to enhance its appeal to variety seeking shoppers, the mall should monitor consumer buying trends and make necessary adjustments to its tenant mix. Amenities and center quality also need to be considered. Recommends further research of this type in other communities.

House Bill 38 will allocate up to $13 million per year in state sales tax revenue to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) beginning in Fiscal Year 2001. To plan for this major budget enhancement, the VDGIF asked us (in cooperation with Responsive Management and Dr. Brett Wright) to identify the agency programs and functions that VDGIF employees gave high priority to for the allocation of additional resources, and to compare these priorities with those of the agency's external constituents. We also evaluated how internal and external stakeholders rated agency performance in its programs. Of all VDGIF functions, employees felt most strongly that more resources should be allocated to enhancing public awareness of VDGIF and to providing general wildlife-related education and information to Virginia citizens. Among constituent groups, employees placed higher priority for additional resources on educating and informing children and youth than they did on allocating additional resources to educate urban/suburban constituents, women and minorities. Employees assigned high priority for additional resources to capital improvement needs and to land acquisition-related issues. Activities that improved the agency's ability to provide hunting opportunities such as enforcing laws that protect habitat, encouraging private landowners to open their lands for hunting and managing game animals also received high priority for additional resources. Although employees felt that nearly all agency programs needed additional resources, their assessment of agency performance varied widely. Programs in which agency performance was relatively poor, such as acquisition of additional land and water for wildlife conservation, educating and informing citizens, and providing education and outreach to schools, have greater need for additional resources than programs in which agency performance was quite good (e.g., hunter education and enforcement programs). Virginia citizens felt law enforcement and providing safety education for boating and hunting were VDGIF's most important functions. Both citizens and employees placed greater importance on the existence value of wildlife than they did on its recreational value. Virginia citizens placed significantly less importance on providing hunting opportunities than did VDGIF employees and substantially more on providing wildlife viewing opportunities than did agency personnel. This study also revealed substantial latent interest in fish and wildlife-oriented recreation among Virginians who currently do not participate and that all forms of wildlife-related recreation in Virginia have substantial growth potential. / Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers perceptions of administrators who completed Mississippi's Orientation for School Leaders Training (OSL) Module. This study was conducted with an emphasis on determining whether school administrators who have been trained using OSL were implementing the knowledge gained from the training to be deemed effective in the areas of school governance, instructional leadership, and school culture and climate. Participants in this study consisted of a population of 109 teachers from Central Mississippi. This study used a causal comparative research design to examine differences among teachersâ?? perceptions of the principalsâ?? leadership qualities. The instrument used was the Principal Leadership Profile that served to provide current information about Mississippi administratorsâ?? implementation of strategies that coincide with school governance, instructional leadership, and culture and climate. The participantsâ?? responses were recorded and reported in tables in the form of percentages and frequencies. In addition, the t-test and the F-ratio were conducted to determine if differences existed among teachers. The majority of the teachers in this study seemed to have a positive view of their principalsâ?? leadership effectiveness. In each of the individual categories of leadership that were assessed, teachers appeared to have a favorable view of the principals performance. This could be viewed by many as indicative of the efficacy of the OSL training program. A review of the analysis of each of the sections suggests that there is widespread support from the teachers for the performance of the principals as educational leaders.

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