Between 1980-2006, thousands of South African pension funds converted members from defined benefit to defined contribution structures. This research set out to answer the questions of why this phenomenon occurred and whether peculiar environmental circumstances influenced the outcome. The research framework identified various stakeholders in the retirement fund industry - government; regulator; pension fund adjudicator; ombudsman for long term insurance; trade unions; members; trustees; business; employers and service providers - and isolated the elements to be considered in the research. Industry experts were interviewed to obtain a macro view of the phenomenon and specific manifestations of the phenomenon were also considered in case studies. The purpose of the research was to develop a model for managers to assist them in dealing with environmental change. Qualitative research methodology was utilised and feedback from semi-structured interviews was categorised into several emergent themes. Within-case and cross-case analyses were conducted. Research results indicate that the conversion phenomenon occurred in two waves - one initiated in the 1980s and driven by the trade unions and a second in the 1990s, driven by employers, often at the advice of their consultants. Evidence of the start of a third wave also emerged. Results indicate that an environmental shock exerted a substantial influence on the course of events. Under these:  Various factors combined to drive organisational evolution (i.e. adaptation to the environment).  Adaptation speed was inappropriate and exceeded that which was required for sufficient thought.  Uncertainty and vacuum circumstances arose leading to consequences that require redress.  The power of the relative stakeholders changed and influenced the strategic outcome.  An imbalance in stakeholder interests arose and ethical factors became consequential.  Business acted to restore certainty for itself. Existing literature explained organisational behaviour in environments of competitive shock and high turbulence, but not in circumstances of environmental shock. A model emerged to assist managers to deal with environmental change, which was applied to an analysis of pension fund reform. It was also applied to the pension fund perspective on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment. This model may also be applied in analysis of land redistribution, sanctions and constitutional development. / Business Management / DBL

This study is an exploration, through ethnographic and auto-ethnographic inquiry, of the personal world, gambling experiences and underlying biopsychosocial vulnerabilities of three individual case studies - one male and two females - each representing a different sub-type of pathological gambler. It comprises the integration and implementation of a psycho-structural stage matching model to explore comorbidity and identify certain biopsychosocial manifestations in the respective stages of pathological gambling. Long term treatment strategies were identified and patient treatment matching was explored. Further, it comprises my personal relationship and therapeutic treatment of these sub-types of gamblers over a period of one year and longer. In this study it is hypothesized that formulating appropriate matching long term treatment strategies should be based on the stage of change, the phase in the psycho-structural model, as well as the gambler's underlying vulnerability. From this a comprehensive gambling disposition profile can be completed with proper intervention matching approaches. A number of other hypotheses emerged from this study that could provide valuable information and serve as a guideline to those working with pathological gamblers. / Psychology / D.Phil.

Between 1980-2006, thousands of South African pension funds converted members from defined benefit to defined contribution structures. This research set out to answer the questions of why this phenomenon occurred and whether peculiar environmental circumstances influenced the outcome. The research framework identified various stakeholders in the retirement fund industry - government; regulator; pension fund adjudicator; ombudsman for long term insurance; trade unions; members; trustees; business; employers and service providers - and isolated the elements to be considered in the research. Industry experts were interviewed to obtain a macro view of the phenomenon and specific manifestations of the phenomenon were also considered in case studies. The purpose of the research was to develop a model for managers to assist them in dealing with environmental change. Qualitative research methodology was utilised and feedback from semi-structured interviews was categorised into several emergent themes. Within-case and cross-case analyses were conducted. Research results indicate that the conversion phenomenon occurred in two waves - one initiated in the 1980s and driven by the trade unions and a second in the 1990s, driven by employers, often at the advice of their consultants. Evidence of the start of a third wave also emerged. Results indicate that an environmental shock exerted a substantial influence on the course of events. Under these:  Various factors combined to drive organisational evolution (i.e. adaptation to the environment).  Adaptation speed was inappropriate and exceeded that which was required for sufficient thought.  Uncertainty and vacuum circumstances arose leading to consequences that require redress.  The power of the relative stakeholders changed and influenced the strategic outcome.  An imbalance in stakeholder interests arose and ethical factors became consequential.  Business acted to restore certainty for itself. Existing literature explained organisational behaviour in environments of competitive shock and high turbulence, but not in circumstances of environmental shock. A model emerged to assist managers to deal with environmental change, which was applied to an analysis of pension fund reform. It was also applied to the pension fund perspective on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment. This model may also be applied in analysis of land redistribution, sanctions and constitutional development. / Business Management / DBL

<p>The purpose of this research experiment was to explore and implement a cost-effective automation solution into a low volume production line for loading parts onto a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for dimensional inspection. Quality control practices have historically been separated from production process by inspection routines being performed in a controlled lab. The system demonstrated the possibilities of an in-process automation of the quality control process that was feasible to be implemented for small and mid-sized manufacturing companies. The process involved an APSX horizontal injection mold machine dispensing parts onto the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt was controlled by a Phoenix Contact PLC and two line sensors that provided two stopping point for cooldown before inspection. A MyCobot 320-M5 robotic arm was used to select the part off the line and places it into a fixture on a Hexagon coordinate measuring machine (CMM).</p>

The growing global awareness of the problems associated with the use offossil fuels has reached unprecedented levels that include documentednegative impacts on the environment, namely the emission of carbondioxide and greenhouse gases, leading to global warming and climatechange. In response to these challenges, the electric vehicle (EV) isemerging as a new frontrunner, aiming to change the reliance on fossil fuelsfor the automotive operation. This master thesis uses MATLAB simulationto determine the feasibility of installing a charging station for thirty electricvehicles (EVs) in designated parking areas. This station has fifteen chargers,each with two sockets. The primary source of energy is solar panelsstrategically located over the parking lot, supplemented by grid electricity asneeded. Where the electricity produced by the solar panels exceeds thecharging requirement, the excess is easily diverted to the grid and viceversa, if additional electricity is needed, it is easily obtained from the grid.Consequently, the profits of the stations come from both the charging ofEVs and the sale of excess electricity. This study investigates how thedesign of the solar system affects the overall gain of the charging station. Itdelineates worst-case scenarios and best-case scenarios, emphasizing thecomplexity of gains in different scenarios. / لقد وصل الوعي العالمي المتزايد بالمشاكل المرتبطة باستخدام الوقود الأحفوري إلى مستويات غير مسبوقة، تشمل الآثار السلبية الموثقة على البيئة، والتي تتمثل في انبعاث ثاني أكسيد الكربون والغازات الدفيئة، مما يؤدي إلى ظاهرة الاحتباس الحراري وتغير المناخ. واستجابة لهذه التحديات، تبرز السيارة الكهربائية (EV) كمرشح جديد، بهدف تغيير الاعتماد على الوقود الأحفوري لتشغيل السيارات. تستخدم هذه الأطروحة محاكاة MATLAB لتحديد جدوى تركيب محطة شحن لثلاثين مركبة كهربائية (EVs) في مناطق وقوف السيارات المخصصة. تحتوي هذه المحطة على خمسة عشر شاحنًا، كل منها مزود بمقبسين. المصدر الرئيسي للطاقة هو الألواح الشمسية الموجودة في موقع استراتيجي فوق ساحة انتظار السيارات، بالإضافة إلى شبكة الكهرباء حسب الحاجة. حيث أن الكهرباء التي تنتجها الألواح الشمسية تتجاوز متطلبات الشحن، يتم تحويل الفائض بسهولة إلى الشبكة والعكس صحيح، إذا كانت هناك حاجة إلى كهرباء إضافية، يتم الحصول عليها بسهولة من الشبكة.وبالتالي، تأتي أرباح المحطات من شحن المركبات الكهربائية وبيع الكهرباء الفائضة. تبحث هذه الدراسة في كيفية تأثير تصميم النظام الشمسي على الكسب الإجمالي لمحطة الشحن. وهو يحدد السيناريوهات الأسوأ والسيناريوهات الأفضل، مع التركيز على مدى تعقيد المكاسب في السيناريوهات المختلفة. / Den växande globala medvetenheten om problemen förknippade med användningen av fossila bränslen har nått oöverträffade nivåer som inkluderar dokumenterade negativa effekter på miljön, nämligen utsläpp av koldioxid och växthusgaser, vilket leder till global uppvärmning och klimatförändringar. Som svar på dessa utmaningar framträder elfordonet (EV) som en ny föregångare, som syftar till att förändra beroendet av fossila bränslen för fordonsdrift. Detta examensarbete använder MATLAB-simulering för att fastställa genomförbarheten av att installera en laddstation för trettio elfordon (EV) på anvisade parkeringsområden. Denna station har femton laddare, var och en med två uttag. Den primära energikällan är solpaneler strategiskt placerade över parkeringsplatsen, kompletterade med elnät efter behov. Där elen som produceras av solpanelerna överstiger laddningskravet, avleds överskottet lätt till nätet och vice versa, om det behövs ytterligare el så hämtas det enkelt från nätet.Följaktligen kommer vinsterna från stationerna från både laddning av elbilar och försäljning av överskottsel. Denna studie undersöker hur utformningen av solsystemet påverkar laddstationens totala vinst. Den avgränsar värsta scenarier och bästa tänkbara scenarier, och betonar komplexiteten i vinster i olika scenarier.

Omissions in Crimial Law Abstract The submitted thesis represents a relatively comprehensive, and given the contemporary state of the domestic criminal law theory, also a quite complex elaboration of questions associated with the phenomenon of omission in criminal law. From my point of view, the text itself deals with all significant problems related to criminal liability for omissive conduct. This concerns in particular the subject matter associated with the institution of omission within the doctrine of substantive criminal law, the term of omission in criminal law and the reason and historical evolution of criminalization of omission. Furthermore, the thesis deals with the individual types of criminal omissions and questions associated therewith, including a note of the differences between the traditional dual distinction on the one hand and the newer triple distinction of criminal omissions on the other, while comprising the emphasis of shortcomings of the traditional approach and the advantages of the newer concept. Saying that, in the most part the thesis focuses on the newer approach towards criminal liability for omission and it describes the foundation points thereof in great detail, since I consider it to be the key subject of this dissertation. I also comment on the very important subject of...

District heating, heat sources, cogeneration, boiler, biomass