Non-formal adult education and training (NFET) in South Africa was adopted in 1990 with the aim to respond to the learning needs of adults who do not have access to formal education; to increase their employment opportunities; to reduce the high rates of poverty in the country and to enhance social inclusion (Aitchison, 2007:2-4). The study was informed by a concern that graduates from NFET centres in KwaZulu-Natal continue being unemployed and excluded from the labour market. The goal of the study was to assess the enabling environments (internal and external) of non-formal adult education and training centres in enabling trainees’ employment and poverty reduction in KwaZulu-Natal. The researcher used the mixed methods research approach in conducting the study. Quantitative data was gathered through a survey and qualitative data by means of multiple-case studies and interviews. A total sample of 472 participants was drawn from 21 centres in four districts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The study’s findings indicate that at micro-level, the internal training delivery environments are significantly effective in contributing to technical and business skills acquisition. At macro-level, the policies, regulations and institutional environments create external enabling environments to foster skills utilisation in the labour market. However, at meso-level (centre level), the weak institutional centre linkages result in graduates not having access to essential post-training support, community resources, public goods and services which could enable them to access employment in KwaZulu-Natal. The study concludes that NFET programmes can foster adult trainees’ employment if the centres create adequate linkages with external enabling environments for skills utilisation in the labour market in KwaZulu-Natal. Adult centres that focus on self-employment in income-generating activities are more likely to create external enabling environments in terms of formal and informal linkages with other stakeholders who provide post-training support to graduates. The study proposes an integrated framework for NFET centres to create the internal and external enabling environments for wage-employment and/or self-employment of NFET graduates in KwaZulu-Natal. To ensure that the adult NFET programmes lead to employment, a key recommendation from the study is that centre managers should establish strong institutional linkages with community leaders, public agencies and private sectors from the beginning of the training programmes. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Social Work and Criminology / PhD / Unrestricted

The study investigated how principals discharge their responsibilities with regard to educator professional development and what factors, if any, assist or hinder principals in the execution of their responsibilities for educator professional development. The following research question informs this study: "What role do principals play in educator professional development in secondary schools in Gauteng Province?" The theoretical framework used in this study is that of human capital theory. In the words of Van Loo and Rocco (2004:99), human capital theory is "an economic approach to the evaluation of the costs and benefits of the investment in skills and knowledge", and in this regard, it implies investment in people themselves in education and training with a view to enhance economic productivity and competence, in this case, educational output. The study followed a qualitative research design wherein data were collected through semi-structured interviews with principals and two educators in four secondary schools, two fee-paying and two no-fee paying schools, in Gauteng Province. The sampling method used was convenience sampling because of practical constraints, namely, time and costs, involved. This study found that principals do play a role, though not appropriately, in educator professional development in secondary schools. In some schools, it was found that proper management of professional development programmes was non-existent, and this led to educators being not clearly sure of what role their principals play exactly in their professional development. Principals indicated that most professional development activities were carried out by the district offices. Some principals were not certain of what the scope of professional development entails and in this way, they were not quite sure where exactly development was required. It became evident that the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS), as a developmental tool, was reported not to be efficiently implemented in most schools in this study, and challenges faced were also attributed to poor management of the process by the Staff Development Team (SDT), including the principals. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

Between 2000 and 2011, the United States suffered the loss of manufacturing jobs 6 times faster than the rate in the 20 years prior. North Carolina ranked first in manufacturing employment in 1992; however, in 2012 it ranked fourth. The loss of manufacturing jobs created a trend away from manufacturing industries to services industries. The purpose of this study was to explore strategies that nonmanufacturing managers use to facilitate the transferable skills of displaced manufacturing workers to nonmanufacturing industries. To address the problem, a purposeful sample of 3 nonmanufacturing managers in service industries was obtained from a major manufacturing city in North Carolina. The human capital theory was used as a conceptual framework. Data for this case study were collected from face-to-face, semistructured interviews and review of company documents. Data were coded and analyzed using a qualitative analysis software to identify recurring themes. The 4 prominent themes that emerged were: (a) characteristics that displaced manufacturing workers possessed for employment in service industries, (b) workers' willingness to obtain training and education, (c) managers' specific strategies, skills, and experience for hiring displaced manufacturing workers, and (d) workers' transferable skills. The findings from this study could contribute to social change by defining strategies nonmanufacturing leaders could use to identify and transfer skills from displaced manufacturing workers to nonmanufacturing labor sectors, thereby introducing transferable skills for diverse labor sectors for increasing employment and increasing the standards of living for employees and families.

In the health and human service industry, employee turnover affects business practices and causes disruption of the lives of vulnerable individuals with intellectual disabilities receiving support. Using a human capital conceptual framework perspective, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used to increase employee retention. The criteria for participation included organizational leaders from 3 Pennsylvania human service agencies that supported individuals with intellectual disabilities, tracked employee turnover for at least 2 years, and developed strategies to increase employee retention. Organizational leaders volunteered to participate and the first 3 organizations meeting the criteria were selected. Data collection included semistructured telephone interviews with organizational leaders, in addition to a review of company policies and turnover data. The interviews were transcribed and participants were asked to member check the draft findings. Constant comparison analysis occurred to analyze collected data. The findings included that the human capital theory alone did not inform retention strategies. Reoccurring themes included retention strategies that focused on developing the organization's intellectual capital through development of human capital, structural capital, and relational capital. Organizational leaders could develop intellectual capital to reduce employee turnover costs, increase employee productivity, create a stable life for the individuals in need of support, and develop relationships with the community where integration occurs. The implications for positive social change include the potential to reduce employee turnover to organizational leaders from Pennsylvania agencies supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities.

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<p>This study explores connections between school discipline policies and educational inequality by examining the implementation of “Progressive Discipline” (PD) in an Ontario school board. By using positive reinforcements, preventions, and early and ongoing interventions, PD has replaced more punitive “zero tolerance” approaches as the official approach to student discipline in provincial public schools. This study poses two broad research questions that are guided by prominent theories of school organization and family-school relations: i) Given prevailing schooling practices, how is PD actually implemented, ii) can PD compensate for student inequalities in exposure to cultural orientations demanded by schools. To address these questions, this study draws on 36 qualitative interviews with key actors in several schools, and has two key findings. First, despite the official shift from zero tolerance to PD, student discipline continues to be managed by schools and individual school-based actors along a continuum, with some becoming more progressive, while others remaining more punitive. Thus, this policy evolution has involved a shift from a tighter to a more “loosely coupled” form of organization. But despite this variation, school-based actors are gradually embracing PD, since more progressive perspectives on student discipline appear to resonate with many educators and administrators. Second, the shift to PD is creating new forms of cultural practices in schools, and these practices are generating considerable variations in the outcomes of discipline processes. Building on these findings, this study concludes that progressive discipline policy has the potential to serve as a mechanism of “cultural mobility” and partially compensate for students’ unequal exposure to the values, behaviours and skill sets that are needed to comply with schools’ standards of behaviour.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Knowledge sharing–the dissemination of knowledge from an individual/group to another–has been an interesting topic for knowledge management scholars. Previous studies on knowledge sharing in online communities have primarily focused on communities of practice (organizational/business communities) and the social factors of knowledge sharing behaviour. However, non-business-oriented online communities have not been rigorously examined in the academic literature as venues for facilitating knowledge sharing. In addition, the burst of new age Internet tools (artifacts) such as social bookmarking has changed the face of online social networking. Within the context of Web 2.0, this socio-technical research investigation introduces both social and technical factors affecting attitude towards knowledge sharing in communities of relationship and communities of interest, and proposes a relational model of knowledge sharing attitude in Web 2.0 online communities. Social Capital Theory provides the main theoretical backbone for the proposed model. Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and social constructionsim have also been used. Following the description of the proposed hypotheses and research methodology using a survey about three Web 2.0 websites (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Cnet), data analysis through Partial Least Squared (PLS) method is applied to examine the effect of social and technical antecedent of knowledge sharing attitude. The R2 value of 0.78 indicates the strong explanatory power of the research model. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The evolution of the Internet has connected people worldwide through various social media applications (i.e. Facebook, Instagram). One of which is the trending and controversial social media platform known for its short-form content, TikTok. Additionally, social capital theory pertains to a person's capacity to acquire benefits and valuable goods through meaningful social relationships and group affiliations. This quantitative study explores how the emergence of TikTok impacts social capital theory among young adults. The respondents were 18 to 25-year-olds who use TikTok (N = 490). The findings demonstrate that TikTok cultivates trust in content creators' authenticity and credibility, fostering meaningful interactions and communication dynamics among users. Interactions on TikTok, including likes, comments, and shares, serve as expressions of social support. Users engage actively by creating and sharing short videos, participating in trends and challenges, and directly interacting with content creators. This research contributes to our understanding of digital social interactions and highlights the importance of tailored engagement strategies to enhance social capital in online environments.

Lesotho is a country plagued by underdevelopment and poverty. This research is a case study of an indigenous community organisation in the northern district of Botha-Bothe in Lesotho. Boseele is a rural development organisation which attracted international donor investment in the aftermath of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The study aims at investigating the impact of capacity development processes on Boseele and its members. The study identified capacity building landmarks over a period of ten years. A case study approach was used within a qualitative research design. Data was collected through individual and group interviews, observations, story-telling and transect walks. The results were analysed through thematic, chronological, narrative and document analysis. Boseele’s successes with CIDA funding reflect positive foreign aid contributions towards the work of civil society organisations in Lesotho. However, setbacks and lack of continuity by a nursery project funded by MS-Lesotho show that the empowerment process is vulnerable where social and economic problems of individual members and communities are not fully addressed.