Quality assurance has been a vexed and troubled journey for private providers in South Africa in a complex and burdensome educational environment. It is well recognised that private providers are significant role-players in the provision of education and training in South Africa and the stated intention is to create a more enabling regulatory framework The focus of this thesis is on the private providers at the post-school level. The quality assurance regime was examined and contextualised to analyse what is required, and to determine how the private provider is impacted by the regulatory requirements for the establishment and operation of a private tuition provider in South Africa. The experience of private providers, CEOs of professional bodies, ETQA managers and ETD practitioners was investigated using a mixed methods research approach. The conclusion is a call for a far more streamlined system with a centralised oversight body, greater stakeholder consultation, less political interference and a deeper appreciation for the contribution that private providers make to the education of learners in South Africa. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / This study focuses on academic entrepreneurship. It commences with a literature review on international trends in academic entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on incentive schemes used by selected countries to encourage innovativeness in academic institutions. Linkages between these incentives schemes and the improvement in the level of innovations made are demonstrated. This study will also show that in some countries, such as Brazil and Finland, these innovation incentives have led to the formation of start-up companies and an increased number of patents. The international scenario in academic entrepreneurship is linked to the South African scenario, as presented in the chapter on the science and technology landscape in South Africa. The main focus of the South African scenario will be on the National Innovation Competition (NIC), which is an instrument of the Innovation Fund specifically aimed at encouraging and providing innovation incentives at the level of higher education institutions. This research report also provide findings of interviews with different people within the academic entrepreneurship fraternity as well as an assessment of the differences between the winning and the non-winning business plans, which are used as a basis of providing incentives to the winners of the NIC. Recommendations are made in an attempt to provide solutions to the challenges encountered in the NIC at both institutional levels, as participants, and at government level, as funders of the NIC. This will hopefully improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the NIC. Although the NIC was only started in 2004, it is envisaged that areas of improvement can be identified at this early stage. This, coupled with the lessons learnt from the international literature review, will provide a mechanism that will make the NIC a powerful instrument to encourage innovation at HEI (Higher Education Institution) level. The conclusions drawn from this report include lessons learnt from the international literature review.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Tertiary institutions worldwide as well as locally have investigated sexual harassment on their campuses. This was done partly because of the negative consequences of sexual harassment on students and staff, particularly their work performance. Incidents of sexual harassment reported at universities range from rape and sexual assault to threats and sexist remarks by lecturers. When researching this phenomenon, difficulty is normally encountered partly due to the uncertainty that surrounds this activity. This is because perceptions differ as to what kind of conduct constitutes sexual harassment. Research further indicates that there are gender and racial differences in the assessment of sexual harassment. The current study investigates the uncertainty, gender and racial differences that exist regarding sexual harassment at a specific university campus. By means of a survey the perceptions of students regarding these three issues were determined at the Faculty of Military Science, a satellite campus of the University of Stellenbosch. With the utilisation of statistlcal packages, frequencies and statistical differences amongst the various sub-groups at the campus were determined. This was done in order to compare these findings with those of other universities who conducted similar sexual harassment surveys on their campuses in South Africa. It was found that no clear idea of what constitutes sexual harassment exist amongst these students. In particular women in the survey consistently viewed more incidents as contributing to sexual harassment than men. As oppose to other findings, Blacks registered a more conservative attitude when assessing whether certain incidents can be viewed as sexual harassment. The above was found notwithstanding the differing social context, especially the socialisation process and the fairly rigid codes of conduct, that students at the Military Academy are exposed to. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verskeie tersiêre instellings, wêreldwyd sowel as plaaslik, het seksuele teistering op hul kampusse ondersoek. Dit was deels gedoen as gevolg van die negatiewe gevolge wat hierdie aktiwiteit op studente en personeellede het, veralop hul werksprestasie. Gerapporteerde insidente by universiteite wissel vanaf verkragting en seksuele aanvalle tot dreigemente en seksistiese opmerkings deur dosente. Probleme is ondervind tydens navorsing oor die verskynsel wat deels toegeskryf kan word aan die onsekerheid wat hierdie aktiwiteit omhul. Dit hou verband met persepsies wat verskil ten opsigte van die soort gedrag wat seksuele teistering teenwoordig. Navorsing wys verder daarop dat geslags- en rasverskille bestaan by die assesering van seksuele teistering. Die huidige studie ondersoek die onsekerheid, geslags- en rasverskille ten opsigte van seksuele teistering by 'n spesifieke universiteitskampus. Deur middel van 'n opname word die persepsies van studente rakende die drie kwessies bepaal by die Fakulteit Krygskunde, 'n satelietkampus van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Met behulp van statistiese pakkette, word frekwensies en statistiese verskille tussen die verskillende subgroepe op die kampus bepaal. Dit was gedoen ten einde in staat te wees om die bevindinge te vergelyk met die van ander Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite wat seksuele teistering opnames op hul kampusse gedoen het. Daar word bevind dat geen duidelike idee van wat seksuele teistering behels bestaan onder die studente nie. In besonder word bevind dat vroue in die opname deurlopend meer insidente aanslaan as seksuele teistering, as mans. In teenstelling met ander bevindinge, registreer swart persone 'n meer konserwatiewe houding wanneer bepaal word of sekere insidente seksueel teisterend van aard is, al dan nie. Bogenoemde was bevind desondanks die eiesoortige sosiale konteks waarin studente hulself bevind, veral die sosialiseringsproses en die redelike streng gedragskodes, waaraan studente van die Militêre Akademie onderwerp word.

Thesis (PhD (Education)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / 287 leaves printed as single pages, preliminary pages i-xxii and numbered pages 1-253. Includes bibliography and appendixes. Digitized at 600 dpi grayscale to pdf format (OCR), using a Bizhub 250 Konica Minolta Scanner. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is aimed at developing a curriculum framework for consumer learning at a higher education institution, using a case study design. To determine the need for consumer learning at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology - the "bounded context" of the study - a situation analysis was conducted as the first phase of curriculum development. Methods to triangulate data included the use of quantitative and qualitative research methods, together with a thorough literature study. The two sets of empirical data were obtained from two research instruments, namely self-administered survey questionnaires and semistructured interviews with learning facilitators (lecturers) at the institution. The survey amongst first-year students was used to assist in the needs assessment for curriculum development at the CPUT and to determine the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of first-year respondents regarding consumer rights and responsibilities, as well as other consumer-related issues. This not only provided data to analyse the situation, but also assisted in the planning and development of a curriculum framework for consumer learning. The researcher used semi-structured interviews to determine the views and perceptions of learning facilitators regarding the importance of consumer learning, and to gauge the need for such learning at the institution. Aspects relating to the contents, teaching strategies, level of introduction, potential for critical crossfield outcomes development, benefits and major obstacles in the implementation and/or integration into the curriculum were also investigated. The two-tiered situation analysis indicated that students expressed a clear need for consumer learning at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, especially regarding the areas of consumer rights and responsibilities. The importance of consumer learning and the "readiness climate" from the perspective of the learning facilitators was also clearly established. The study culminated in the development of a curriculum framework for consumer learning that is compatible with the requirements of the South African Qualifications Authority and the Higher Education Qualifications Framework in South Africa. Key findings reported in the form of a curriculum framework could serve as a guideline for the planning and implementation of a consumer learning programme at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is onderneem met die doel om 'n kurrikulumraamwerk vir verbruikersleer aan 'n hoëronderwysinstelling te ontwikkel. 'n Gevallestudiebenadering is gebruik om die sosiale verskynsel van verbruikersleer te ondersoek. Om die behoefte aan verbruikersleer aan die Kaapse Skiereilandse Universiteit van Tegnologie - die konteks van die studie - te bepaal, is 'n situasie-analise onderneem as die eerste fase van kurrikulumontwikkeling. Metodes van triangulasie in hierdie navorsing sluit die benutting van kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe gegewens in, asook 'n literatuurstudie. Die twee stelle empiriese gegewens is verkry vanuit 'n selfgeadministreerde opnamevraelys aan studente en onderhoude met leerfasiliteerders (dosente) aan die instelling. Die doel van die opnamevraelys was om te help met die behoeftebepaling vir kurrikulumontwikkeling aan die Kaapse Skiereilandse Universiteit van Tegnologie, en veral om die kennis, vaardighede, waardes en houdings van eerstejaarrespondente met betrekking tot verbruikersregte en -verantwoordelikhede te bepaal. Dit het nie alleen insig in die situasie-ontleding gegee nie, maar het ook gehelp met die beplanning en ontwikkeling van 'n kurrikulumraamwerk vir verbruikersleer. Die doel met die gebruik van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude in hierdie studie was om die navorser in staat te stel om die sienswyse en persepsies van leerfasiliteerders met betrekking tot die belangrikheid van verbruikersleer, asook die behoefte daarvoor by die instelling te bepaal. Aspekte wat verband hou met die inhoud, onderrigstrategieë, vlak van bekendstelling, potensiaal vir kritieke uitkomsontwikkeling, voordele en vernaamste struikelblokke in die implementering en/of integrasie van die kurrikulum is ook getoets. Die situasie-analise dui daarop dat studente aan die Kaapse Skiereilandse Universiteit van Tegnologie 'n behoefte het aan verbruikersleer, veral met betrekking tot die bevordering van verbruikersregte en -verantwoordelikhede. Die belangrikheid van verbruikersleer en die "gereedheidsklimaat" daarvoor vanuit die perspektief van die leerfasiliteerders is ook bevestig. Die resultaat van die navorsing het gelei tot die ontwikkeling van 'n kurrikulumraamwerk vir verbruikersleer wat versoenbaar is met die vereistes van die Suid-Afrikaanse Kwalifikasie-Owerheid en die van die Hoëronderwys Kwalifikasieraamwerk in Suid-Afrika. Sleutelbevindings in verband met verbruikersleer is ook in die raamwerk opgeneem. Hierdie bevindings kan as 'n riglyn dien vir die beplanning en implementering van 'n verbruikersleerprogram aan die Kaapse Skiereilandse Universiteit van Tegnologie.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation explores the notion of (higher) education transformation in relation to logically necessary conditions which guide the concept. These logically necessary conditions (constitutive meanings) include: equity and redress, critical inquiry, communicative praxis, and citizenship. I explore how instances of these logically necessary conditions manifest in institutional plans at the universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and the Western Cape. My contention is that these institutional plans seem to be tilted towards the exclusive implementation of performance indicator measures which might undermine deep educational transformation. In turn, deep educational transformation requires that logically necessary conditions be framed according to an African philosophy of educational transformation. KEYWORDS: Higher education, education policy, transformation, conceptual analysis, logically necessary conditions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie proefskrif word die konsep (hoër) onderwystransformasie ondersoek soos dit logies in verhouding staan tot die voorwaardes wat die konsep rig. Hierdie logiesnoodsaaklike voorwaardes (konstitusionele betekenisse) sluit in: gelykheid en regstelling; kritiese ondersoek; kommunikatiewe praksis en burgerskap. Ek stelondersoek in oorlhoe voorbeelde van hierdie logiese-noodsaaklike voorwaardes in die institusionele planne van die universiteite Kaapstad, Stellenbosch en Wes-Kaapland manifesteer. Volgens my lyk dit asof hierdie institusionele planne neig na die eksklusiewe implementering van maatreëls wat optrede aandui wat in-diepte opvoedkundige transformasie mag ondermyn. Aan die ander kant vereis in-diepte opvoedkundige transformasie dat logies-noodsaaklike voorwaardes binne 'n Afrika filosofie van opvoedkundige transformasie vertolk moet word. SLEUTELBEGRIPPE: Hoër onderwys, opvoedkundige beleid, transformasie, konseptuele analise, logies-noodsaaklike voorwaardes.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is a conceptual analysis of “institutional culture” in higher education, especially because the concept has become a buzzword in higher education discourse in South Africa. The aim is to develop an understanding of the concept, and more specifically, to explore how institutional culture is organised, constructed and articulated in the institutional documents of Stellenbosch University (SU) and the University of the Western Cape (UWC). These analyses are preceded by an analysis of higher education policy documents. I employ critical hermeneutics as research methodology to construct constitutive meanings of “institutional culture”. Since it is difficult to work with a large set of constitutive meanings, I narrowed the list down to the four most frequently recurring meanings, namely: shared values and beliefs; language; symbols; and knowledge production. These constitutive meanings form the theoretical framework which is used to analyse institutional documents. My findings suggest that all the constitutive meanings of my theoretical framework are addressed in the institutional documents of both SU and UWC, which means that the institutional documents conform to my theoretical framework. SU has, in my opinion, an excellent and comprehensive base of well-prepared and compiled institutional documents. However, most of these documents seem to relate to quality and compliance to national policy requirements, with no significant actions or strategies to address the challenges related to transforming the University’s institutional culture. Even though SU has shown commendable strategic initiatives to transform its institutional culture, there has not been sufficient engagement with the challenges of transformation. Similarly, for UWC, it is my contention that even though UWC is committed to transformation and nurturing a culture of change in order to make meaning of and address the complex challenges of the world, there needs to be more rigorous engagement in shaping and managing strategic direction and planning to ensure an institutional culture to accommodate change. Even though the institutional documents analysed mostly conform to the constitutive meanings of the theoretical framework, what of concern is the lack of an adequate articulation of the concept “institutional culture”. If there is no articulation, it follows that there is an inadequate understanding of the concept. A deeper understanding is crucial if the important link between transformation and “institutional culture” is to be realised. I contend that there exists a disjunction between “institutional culture” and transformation policies. One of the reasons for this disjunction is an impoverished understanding among higher education policy practitioners of the concept “institutional culture”, which creates an impression of compliance with national policy requirements. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verhandeling behels ’n konseptuele ontleding van “institusionele kultuur” in hoër onderwys, vernaamlik omdat die konsep ’n modewoord in die diskoers in hoër onderwys in Suid-Afrika geword het. Die doel was om begrip van die konsep te ontwikkel, en meer spesifiek om te ondersoek hoe institusionele kultuur in die institusionele dokumente van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch (US) en die Universiteit van die Wes-Kaap (UWK) georganiseer, saamgestel en geartikuleer word. Hierdie ondersoeke word voorafgegaan deur ‘n analise van hoër onderwys beleidsdokumente. Kritiese hermeneutiek is as navorsingsmetodologie gebruik om die konstitutiewe betekenisse van ‘institusionele kultuur’ te bepaal. Aangesien dit moeilik is om met ’n groot stel konstitutiewe betekenisse te werk, is die lys tot die vier mees herhalende betekenisse beperk, naamlik gedeelde waardes en oortuigings; taal; simbole; en die voortbring van kennis. Hierdie konstitutiewe betekenisse het die teoretiese raamwerk gevorm vir die ontleding van die institusionele dokumente. My bevindinge doen aan die hand dat al die konstitutiewe betekenisse van die teoretiese raamwerk in die institusionele dokumente van sowel die US as UWK aan bod kom, wat beteken dat die institusionele dokumente met die teoretiese raamwerk ooreenstem. Na my mening het die US ’n uitstekende en omvattende basis goed voorbereide en saamgestelde institusionele dokumente. Die meeste van hierdie dokumente blyk egter met gehalte en nakoming van nasionale beleidsvereistes verband te hou, met geen beduidende handelinge of strategieë om die uitdagings aan te pak wat met die transformasie van die US se institusionele kultuur verband hou nie. Alhoewel die US lofwaardige strategiese inisiatiewe aanwend om sy institusionele kultuur te transformeer, blyk daar nie ’n genoegsame verbintenis te wees om die uitdagings van transformasie die hoof gebied nie. Eweneens, wat UWK betref, is my argument dat alhoewel UWK verbind is tot transformasie en die kweek van ’n kultuur van verandering ten einde sin te maak van die komplekse veranderinge van die wêreld en sodanige veranderinge aan te pak, ’n meer nougesette verbintenis nodig is rakende die ontwikkeling en bestuur van strategiese leiding en beplanning ten einde ’n kultuur wat verandering tegemoet kom, te verseker. Alhoewel die institusionele dokumente wat ontleed is hoofsaaklik met die konstitutiewe betekenisse van die teoretiese raamwerk ooreenstem, is die gebrek aan voldoende artikulasie van die konsep “institusionele kultuur” rede tot kommer. Die gebrek aan artikulasie lei tot onvoldoende begrip van die konsep. ’n Grondiger begrip is noodsaaklik ten einde die belangrike skakel tussen transformasie en “institusionele kultuur” te verwesenlik. My gevolgtrekking is dat daar skeiding tussen” institusionele kultuur” en transformasiebeleide is. Een van die redes vir sogenaamde skeiding is gebrekkige begrip van die konsep “institusionele kultuur” onder hoër onderwys beleidsrolspelers, wat die idee skep van nakoming van nasionale beleidsvereistes. / Andrew Mellon Foundation

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During the past number of years, the pressure on universities worldwide, including universities in South Africa, has increased to bridge the gap between higher education and society. This includes becoming active partners with its communities. Therefore, the importance of community engagement as one of the three pillars of higher education, alongside teaching and learning, and research, has gained considerable momentum. Higher education institutions in South Africa are also increasingly challenged to elevate the status of their teaching and to raise their levels of community engagement. This also pertains to the area of postgraduate education, which points to the need for a close relationship between teaching, learning and research. The aim of this study was to develop a contextualised and integrated curriculum framework for community-engaged teaching, learning and research in a postgraduate Play Therapy programme. This was done using a contextualised perspective on higher education with reference to current higher education legislation in South Africa as well as curriculum development in general. A literature review of community engagement provided a perspective on the current state of community engagement - nationally, as well as internationally. The study used a qualitative single case study design and an interpretive paradigm to generate empirical data. The first phase of the empirical part of the study focused on determining the current state of community engagement within the postgraduate Play Therapy programme. Data was generated using questionnaires completed by current students and lecturers. In the second phase of the empirical study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with lecturers from 13 national as well as international higher education institutions to review curriculum frameworks and content from other higher education community engagement models. The last empirical phase included two focus groups, one with current students and one with current lecturers in the postgraduate Play Therapy programme under investigation. From the findings of the study, a curriculum framework emerged which outlines community engagement within the postgraduate programme. The emerging framework points to the need for a stronger integration of teaching and learning with community engagement (service component) through service learning. In the South African context and within the programme that was investigated, service learning provides for engaged learning which includes experiential learning and opportunities for students to engage in interactive and experiential processes. The study has also pointed out that research within the postgraduate programme should reflect, in a much stronger way, links to community-based research. Such links may benefit a scholarship of engagement. Also, the research component of the programme needs to be linked more closely to teaching and learning in order to better inform the curriculum in terms of trends, needs and priorities. These activities need to take place within community partnerships with a reciprocal benefit to both the programme and the communities involved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Universiteite wêreldwyd, asook in Suid-Afrika, het gedurende die afgelope paar jaar druk ervaar om die gaping tussen hoër onderwys en die gemeenskap te verminder. Dit sluit in om aktiewe vennote van gemeenskappe te word. Die belangrikheid van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid as een van die drie pilare van hoër onderwys, saam met leer, onderrig en navorsing, het dus aansienlik toegeneem. Hoëronderwysinstansies in Suid-Afrika word ook uitgedaag om die stand van hul leer en onderrig te verhoog en die vlakke van hul gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid te versterk. Dit geld ook vir nagraadse opleiding, wat neerkom op 'n hegter verband tussen leer, onderrig en navorsing. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om 'n gekontekstualiseerde en geïntegreerde kurrikulumraamwerk vir gemeenskapsgerigte leer, onderrig en navorsing binne 'n nagraadse program in Spelterapie te ontwikkel. Dit is gedoen deur 'n kontekstuele oorsig van hoër onderwys te gee met verwysing na die huidige hoëronderwys-wetgewing in Suid-Afrika asook 'n oorsig oor kurrikulumontwikkeling. 'n Literatuuroorsig van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid het perspektief op die huidige stand van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid landwyd én wêreldwyd verskaf. Hierdie studie berus op 'n kwalitatiewe enkelgevallestudie-ontwerp en benut 'n interpretatiewe paradigma om die empiriese data te genereer. Die eerste fase van die empiriese gedeelte van die studie was gerig op die bepaling van die huidige stand van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie. Data is gegenereer deur die gebruik van vraelyste wat deur huidige studente en dosente ingevul is. In die tweede fase van die empiriese studie is semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met dosente van 13 nasionale asook internasionele hoëronderwysinstansies gevoer om die kurrikulumraamwerke en inhoud van ander hoër instansies se gemeenskaps-betrokkenheidsmodelle te verken. Die laaste empiriese fase sluit twee fokusgroepe in - een met huidige studente en een met huidige dosente in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie, wat die onderwerp van hierdie studie uitmaak. 'n Kurrikulumraamwerk het vanuit die bevindinge van die studie ontstaan wat 'n uiteensetting van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid in die meestersprogram in Spelterapie verskaf. Die opkomende raamwerk dui op die behoefte aan sterker integrasie van leer en onderrig met gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid (dienskomponent) deur middel van diensleer. In die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks en in die program wat ondersoek is, bied diensleer die geleentheid vir betrokke leer wat die volgende insluit: ervaringsleer en geleenthede vir studente om betrokke te raak by interaktiewe ervaringsprosesse. Die studie het ook uitgewys dat navorsing in die meestersprogram op 'n baie sterker wyse die verband met gemeenskapsgerigte navorsing moet reflekteer. Hierdie konneksies kan ook die vakkundigheid van betrokkenheid versterk. Daarby moet die navorsingskomponent van die program nader aan leer en onderrig beweeg sodat die kurrikulum altyd die jongste tendense, behoeftes en prioriteite weerspieël. Hierdie aktiwiteite moet in gemeenskapsvennootskappe plaasvind om voordele vir die program sowel as die betrokke gemeenskappe te bied.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa needs to ensure equal opportunity for all to higher education, and given that it also needs to correct the drastic imbalances brought about by apartheid, affirmative action is seen as a strategy to pursue both goals. Affirmative action is comprised of programs and policies that grant favorable treatment on the basis of race or gender to government-defined “disadvantaged” individuals. However, affirmative action is not without its own challenges and difficulties. The main question that this thesis addresses is “what are the tensions between applying affirmative action policies in South African higher education institutions and the demands of a knowledge economy within a globalised world?” I argue that though universities need to be more demographically representative and broaden access to previously disadvantaged individuals by adjusting entry requirements, they cannot compromise on their quality of graduates by adjusting their exit criteria in line with racial representivity. That would undermine the very worth of higher education as a social good, the dignity of the individual graduate, as well as the economic growth of the country. Accusations that affirmative action is merely “reverse discrimination” are refuted by an appeal to Rawls’s Principle of Difference which holds that policies of inequality can be socially just. Drawing on Charles Taylor and Wally Morrow, I posit that within a democracy, affirmative action should be seen as a shared rather than a convergent good for broadening access to quality education. But whereas broadening formal access seems like a legitimate and necessary step to address the inherited inequities, the broadening of epistemological access would undermine the very aims of quality education. Furthermore, I argue that formal access should be driven by the politics of difference, but that epistemological access that ensures educational success should be driven by the politics of equal dignity. In order to see how some of these concepts and policies of affirmative action play out in an actual institution, I look at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Here the main debates relating to its affirmative action policy are whether demographic representivity is the only outcome for evaluating the success of affirmative action, and whether “disadvantaged” individuals should be selected on criteria other than race. It also considers whether its affirmative action policies could compromise its functioning and ability to supply quality qualifications to the required number of disadvantaged individuals. There is no easy and simple answer to whether affirmative action in fact promotes equal opportunity to higher education and equips all South African graduates with the necessary skills for a knowledge economy. It would be therefore important to do further research on what nonrace based affirmative action policies might entail while keeping in mind the shifts in the global economy and the need for academic rigor. Furthermore, more longitudinal research needs to be done on the complex consequences of affirmative action, on both an individual level with issues of identity and career mobility, and on a broader socio-economic level with issues of economic growth and social welfare. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika moet hom beywer tot die daarstelling van gelyke geleenthede vir almal tot hoëronderwys, en gegewe dat daar ’n behoefte is om drastiese ongelykhede van apartheid reg te stel, word regstellende aksie gesien as a strategie om beide doelstellings na te streef. Regstellende aksie bestaan uit programme en beleide wat daarop gemik is om begunstigde behandeling te dien aan “voorheen benadeelde” individue, soos deur die staat gedefineer, op grond van ras en geslag. Maar regstellende aksie is nie sonder sy eie uitdagings en swaarhede nie. Die hoofvraag wat hierdie tesis addreseer, is: “Watter gespannenhede is daar tussen die uitvoering van regstellende aksie beleide in Suid-Afrikaanse Hoëronderwys instellings en die eise van ’n kennis-ekonomie binne ’n geglobaliseerde wêreld?” Ek argumenteer dat, ofskoon daar ’n behoefte is vir universiteite om meer demografies verteenwoordigend te wees en hul toegang tot voorheen benadeelde individue te verbreed deur toelatingsvereistes te wysig, kan hulle nie kompromeer op hul gehalte van gegradueerdes deur uitgangskriteria in lyn met ras verteenwoordiging nie. Dit sal juis die waarde van hoëronderwys as ’n sosiale goedheid, die waardigheid van die individule gegradueerde asook die ekonomiese groei van die land ondermyn. Aantygings dat regstellende aksie bloot “wedergekeerde diskriminasie” is, word weerlê deur ’n verwysing na Rawls se Beginsel van Verskil wat stel dat beleide van ongelykhede maatskaplike regverdiging kan hê. Gegrond op Charles Taylor en Wally Morrow, postuleer ek dat, binne ’n demokrasie, regstellende aksie beskou moet word as ’n gedeelde eerder as ’n konvergente goedheid om gehalte onderwys verder toeganklik te maak. Maar waar verbrede formele toegang gesien kan word as ’n wettige en nodige stap om geërfde ongelykhede aan te spreek, sal die verbreding van epistemologiese toegang juis die doelstellings van gehalte onderwys ondermyn. Verder voer ek aan dat formele toegang aangedryf moet word deur die politiek van verskil, maar dat epistemologiese toegang wat opvoedkundige sukses verseker, aangedryf moet word deur die politiek van gelyke waardigheid. Ten einde te sien hoe van hierdie konsepte en beleide van regstellende aksie hulself uitspeel in eintlike inrigtings van onderwys, kyk ek na die Universiteit Kaapstad (UK). Hier draai die debat aangaande regstellende aksie beleid om of die demografiese verteenwoordiging die enigste uitkoms is ter evaluering van die sukses van regstellende aksie, en of “benadeelde” individue geselekteer moet word op grond van kriteria anders as ras. Dit (UK) oorweeg ook of sy regstellende beleide sy funksionering en vermoë om gehalte kwalifikasies aan die verlangde getal benadeelde individue kompromiteer. Daar is geen eenvoudige en maklike antwoord betreffende regstellende aksie en of dit gelyke geleenthede tot hoëronderwys promoveer en alle Suid-Afrikaanse gegradueerders toerus met die nodige bevoegdhede vir ’n kennis-ekonomie nie. Dit sal derhalwe belangrik wees om verdere navorsing te doen oor wat nie-rasgebaseerde regstellende aksie kan behels terwyl in gedagte gehou word die skuiwe in die globale ekonomie en die behoefte aan akademiese kwaliteit. Verder moet veel meer longitudinale navorsing gedoen word oor die ingewikkelde gevolge van regstellende aksie op beide die individuele vlak met kwessies van identiteit en beroepsmobiliteit en op breër sosio-ekonomiese vlak met kwessies van ekonomiese groei en maatskaaplike welsyn.

The support and promotion of public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges is fundamental in addressing South Africa’s intermediate-level and artisanal skills as shortages in these areas contribute to considerable unemployment in South Africa. These institutions have been earmarked by the South African government for extensive growth. Therefore, efficient and effective management and accurate decision-making within these institutions are essential. The evaluation of the management information systems (MISs) within these institutions, which provide data and information to inform institutional short-term and long-term management decision-making and day-to-day operations, should take place on a regular basis to so enhance the reliability and accuracy of the data and information. The problem is that no evidence of a methodology (artefact) for the evaluation of MISs at public TVET Colleges in South Africa could be found in the literature. Therefore, the rationale for this study is to develop a methodology for the evaluation of MISs at public TVET Colleges in South Africa. Hence the main research question for the study was formulated as: What are the components that constitute a methodology for the evaluation of a MIS at a public TVET College in South Africa? The study was conducted according to a design science paradigm. Design science is underpinned by a pragmatic philosophical paradigm which considers thought as a tool for prediction, problem solving and action. The Design Science Research Process (DSRP) model informed the research process utilised to develop the artefact for this problem centred initiated study. The iterated activities of the DSRP model which include: design, demonstrate, evaluate and communicate, contributed to the refinement of the methodology (artefact). The artefact mainly underwent experimental evaluation to demonstrate its applicability. The methodology (artefact) was empirically evaluated at three cluster-random selected public TVET Colleges after all colleges, with similar MIS maturity levels, were clustered into groups. The study contributed to the extant knowledge base of: theory building, on different levels. The main theoretical contribution is the final evaluated methodology (DSR artefact) which enables IT practitioners and MIS managers at public TVET Colleges in South Africa to evaluate their MISs on a regular basis. The methodology (artefact) presents a theory for design and action which satisfies the conditions of importance, parsimony and novelty on a micro-level. The study furthermore contributed to the extant literature on the theory of MIS success evaluation by contributing to theory on the measurement of MIS success constructs and measuring of the relationships between the constructs. Another theoretical contribution is the innovative evidence-based method by which the public TVET Colleges were clustered. The clustering method was used to ensure a more rigorous sample selection technique than purposive or convenient sample selection of cases and is generalisable to other knowledge domain contexts. The research study furthermore produced results of interest to both technology-focused and management-focused audiences. For technology-focused audiences the processes by which the artefact was constructed and evaluated are described, thus establishing repeatability of the study and building the knowledge base for further research extensions by future design science researchers. The rigour of the artefact design process was complemented by a thorough presentation of the experimental design of the artefact’s field test in three public TVET College environments which provides sufficient detail for management audiences to determine if sufficient organisational resources exist for utilisation of the artefact. / Information Science / Ph. D. (Information Systems)

Industrial design is recognised for the value-oriented benefits it offers to businesses. Industrial design ensures that new products are more efficient, usable, convenient and safe to use within the evolving business environment. One of the important factors for the continuous achievement of high product quality and general economic growth and stability in countries such as West Germany, Korea and Japan is their sound industrial design base. Industrial design programmes can be instrumental to ignite an entrepreneurial and innovation spirit to assist in curbing the high unemployment rate and very low levels of entrepreneurial intentions in South Africa. The core of tertiary industrial design students has unique capabilities that can assist the South African economy to stimulate manufacturing, job creation and economic growth. The purpose of this study was to investigate the entrepreneurial intentions among industrial design students enrolled for the programme in Three-Dimensional Design, at Universities of Technology in South Africa. In addition, this study investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial intentions and actual business formation by graduates of the programme. Studies have been carried out in South Africa on entrepreneurial intentions, but not on the formation, occurrence and implementation of entrepreneurial intentions amongst industrial design students, specifically. To test the links between business education and entrepreneurial intentions, a research model based on Ajzen’s (1985) Theory of Planned Behaviour was adopted and tested using quantitative empirical data collected from students in industrial design at two Universities of Technology. Quantitative data were collected from a sample of 161 participants using a validated self-administered questionnaire. IBM SPSS and STATA were used to conduct descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, factor analysis, reliability and structural equation modelling on the primary quantitative data. The empirical evidence partially supports the effectiveness of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in predicting entrepreneurial intentions. Although perceived social norms and self-efficacy is positively related to entrepreneurial intentions, results failed to reach statistical significance. However, personal attitude was found to mediate the relationship between these variables and entrepreneurial intention. Whilst business education is positively related to self-efficacy, entrepreneurial knowledge is positively related to higher levels of personal attitude and self-efficacy. The transformation of entrepreneurial intentions into actual business start-ups were investigated using qualitative empirical data collected from past graduates of the Three-Dimensional Design programme. Qualitative data were collected from a sample of 22 graduates through structured interviews. ATLAS.ti version 7.5.9 was used to analyse the qualitative data. The researcher provided evidence that there is a relationship between entrepreneurial intentions and the actual start-up of a business, as 45.5 per cent of graduates started businesses. Furthermore, business education positively influenced the actual start-up of businesses. However, graduates experienced many challenges to business start-up, with implications for the teaching of business subjects and for policy makers. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)