Yes / This is the twelfth workshop to be organised under the postgraduate programmes in electrical and electronic engineering (EEE). In total, thirty-four papers from forty-nine submissions have been selected for the Proceedings. The Proceedings comprises eleven themes, which reflect today's research agenda.

The impacts of emerging adults' social media use have been shown as generally negative, especially in decreasing their self-esteem and self-concept and increasing anxiety, depression, and more. Although there is research on social media's impact on various communities of adolescents and young adults, limited research has focused on this effect for young adults with mental health diagnoses or served under IDEA's emotional disturbance eligibility criteria. Additionally, no research has studied this topic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to examine how various types of social media use impact young adults' self-esteem, including those who are psychologically vulnerable. Participants included 119 individuals, 18 to 19-years of age, with and without mental health diagnoses or Emotional Disturbance special education eligibility recruited utilizing social media pages and social media hashtags. Participating individuals answered demographic and social media use questions and completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale to provide information about self-esteem. Additionally, participants responded to questions regarding what role they feel social media use has had on their mental health, including contribution to or exacerbating their symptoms. Univariate statistics were run to control demographic factors and determine the percentage of participants who believe social media has negatively affected their mental health. Multiple regression analyzed if time spent on social media or specific social media platform or activities were predictive of participant self-esteem. Limitations and implications are discussed.

This study was informed by a phenomenon observed by a variety of members from the multidisciplinary team at an acute psychiatric facility, where the researcher works daily. It appeared to clinicians as if the individual between the ages of 18 and 25 years was reluctant to engage in therapeutic intervention. The researcher considered current literature and discovered that this phenomenon seems to be globally relevant and an issue in the field of mental health. Emerging adulthood is the developmental phase that occupies the transitional period between adolescence and adulthood. The life phase is an essential developmental phase where an identity is established and skills are acquired to equip the individual through his/her life process. Emerging adulthood is predominantly defined by the individual’s progress to independence and autonomy and the establishment of a personal and societal identity. Developmental tasks include taking responsibility for him/herself, deciding on future career paths and re-evaluating introjected values to form an independent belief system. Literature indicates that emerging adults’ life phase can cause severe distress due to a variety of social and personal stressors. Emerging adults who are enrolled in university often face additional stressors with regards to adapting to campus life, academic pressure and a need to establish themselves within their new environments. A high prevalence and onset of mental health disorders is noted not only in the general emerging adult population, but also in the population of emerging adults who attend university. Despite the increase in stressful experiences the percentage of emerging adults who experience distress is not reflected in the percentage of emerging adults who actually seek and receive therapeutic intervention as a means to manage their distress. As therapeutic intervention is seen as an effective tool in managing distress, the fact that emerging adults negate the help is a clear area of concern. This urged the researcher to closely consider which factors might lead to negation of therapeutic services by the emerging adult. The study was performed at a South African university where students residing in campus residences where approached to volunteer their participation. In total fifteen participants participated in one of three focus groups with the focus on understanding which factors contribute to the negation of therapeutic services by emerging adults. The data crystallised into eleven main themes with different subthemes to support and describe the relevant main theme. The themes clearly emphasised the lack of awareness, pervasiveness of stigmatisation and the internalised beliefs emerging adults have about themselves and therapy that induce help negation. In addressing the issue of help negation in emerging adults this study suggests solutions and actions to the role players involved in the therapeutic intervention of emerging adults that would support the promotion of mental wellbeing and mental health awareness. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study was informed by a phenomenon observed by a variety of members from the multidisciplinary team at an acute psychiatric facility, where the researcher works daily. It appeared to clinicians as if the individual between the ages of 18 and 25 years was reluctant to engage in therapeutic intervention. The researcher considered current literature and discovered that this phenomenon seems to be globally relevant and an issue in the field of mental health. Emerging adulthood is the developmental phase that occupies the transitional period between adolescence and adulthood. The life phase is an essential developmental phase where an identity is established and skills are acquired to equip the individual through his/her life process. Emerging adulthood is predominantly defined by the individual’s progress to independence and autonomy and the establishment of a personal and societal identity. Developmental tasks include taking responsibility for him/herself, deciding on future career paths and re-evaluating introjected values to form an independent belief system. Literature indicates that emerging adults’ life phase can cause severe distress due to a variety of social and personal stressors. Emerging adults who are enrolled in university often face additional stressors with regards to adapting to campus life, academic pressure and a need to establish themselves within their new environments. A high prevalence and onset of mental health disorders is noted not only in the general emerging adult population, but also in the population of emerging adults who attend university. Despite the increase in stressful experiences the percentage of emerging adults who experience distress is not reflected in the percentage of emerging adults who actually seek and receive therapeutic intervention as a means to manage their distress. As therapeutic intervention is seen as an effective tool in managing distress, the fact that emerging adults negate the help is a clear area of concern. This urged the researcher to closely consider which factors might lead to negation of therapeutic services by the emerging adult. The study was performed at a South African university where students residing in campus residences where approached to volunteer their participation. In total fifteen participants participated in one of three focus groups with the focus on understanding which factors contribute to the negation of therapeutic services by emerging adults. The data crystallised into eleven main themes with different subthemes to support and describe the relevant main theme. The themes clearly emphasised the lack of awareness, pervasiveness of stigmatisation and the internalised beliefs emerging adults have about themselves and therapy that induce help negation. In addressing the issue of help negation in emerging adults this study suggests solutions and actions to the role players involved in the therapeutic intervention of emerging adults that would support the promotion of mental wellbeing and mental health awareness. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how women experience midlife. Social constructionism, which fits within the postmodern tradition, was the epistemological framework informing this study. Participants were asked to provide their life stories in text form. Texts were interpreted using the hermeneutic method of analysis. The researcher attempted to understand the midlife experience from the perspective of each participant whose meaning, attitudes and ideas have developed within a social context, keeping in mind that the researcher's own social context, ideas and values affected the interpretation of the texts. The research results add a new perspective to the `grand narrative' of midlife as a `crisis'. The new `voice' speaks of the possibility of positive development - of overcoming adversity; taking control; re-assessing life; breaking old patterns; discovering peace; putting down roots; confronting reality; gaining independence and finding new meaning. / Psychology / MA (Clinical Psychology)

Is inflation targeting an appropriate framework for monetary policy? Experience from the inflation-targeting countries countries are optimistic about inflation targeting as a monetary-policy framework. South Africa is also following this trend. The international literature review of the topic offers lessons to be learnt from the common experience of the countries considered. It shows that inflation targeting is not a universal remedy to modern economic ills -- there is an emerging danger of assigning monetary policy a larger role than that which it can perform; a danger of expecting monetary policy to accomplish tasks that it cannot achieve; and a danger of preventing monetary policy from making the contribution that it is capable of doing. Therefore, inflation targeting cannot address all the macroeconomic problems that face many countries, except for inflation. Nonetheless, it plays a crucial role in improving macroeconomic performance. / Economics / M.A. (Economics)

German text / Die vorliegende Arbeit versucht die Bedeutung des Begriffs Autokybernetik im theologischen Umfeld zu ergründen und ihre Auswirkung in Bezug auf die Persönlichkeit junger Leiter im kirchlichen Rahmen. Der Blick fällt besonders auf Leiter in der Entwicklungsstufe der sog. Emerging Adulthood (18 bis 28 Jahren). Durch die zunehmend gesellschaftlich geforderte Selbstorganisation und Selbstorientierung mit vielen Entscheidungszwängen kommt der Selbststeuerung im Leben des jungen Leiters eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit werden die Grundlagen zur Autokybernetik innerhalb der Praktischen Theologie gelegt. In einem zweiten Teil werden Faktoren der Autokybernetik anhand verschiedener Modelle erfasst und gebündelt. In einem dritten, empirischen Teil, sollen die ermittelten Faktoren in der Praxis überprüft werden. Dabei steht die Relevanz von Autokybernetik in der Praxis junger Leiter im Mittelpunkt. Es soll festgestellt werden, inwieweit junge Leiter diese Selbststeuerung bereits umsetzen und mit welchem Erfolg sie das tun. / The study tries to clarify the meaning of “auto-cybernetics” in the theological environment and to explore its impact in relation to the personality of young leaders in the church context. The view is especially noticeable in the stage of development of the so-called Emerging Adulthood (18-28 years). Due to the increasing self-organization and self-orientation required by the society with many constraints self-regulation becomes more and more important to the life of young leaders. In the first part of the work the fundamentals of auto-cybernetics within the Practical Theology are stated. In a second part factors of the auto-cybernetics are seized and bundled using different models. In a third empirical part the identified factors are to be tested in practice. The relevance of auto-cybernetics in the practice of young leaders is in the centre. It will be determine how young leaders do practice this self-regulation and in which extension. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Recently, it has been admitted by many researchers that students today are "digital natives" who already utilize several different technologies everyday with different purposes. Furthermore, while there is a plethora of research about learners' perceptions in language pedagogy, there is a paucity of information and research that could move beyond generic perception studies especially regarding new technologies. Accordingly, educators are still concerned not only with how to encourage EFL learners to adopt emerging technologies that could be invaluable in their language learning processes, but also with how to keep students interested in what they are learning. Thus, an understanding beyond students' perceptions with a purposive focus on their approach to technology by also exploring factors that have an influence on their adoption of emerging technologies is the key to knowing how to motivate students to integrate new technologies, and how to keep students interested in the learning process. Therefore, the purpose of this study was three-fold: to identify language learners' approaches to technologies; to examine their attitude toward emerging technologies with a focus on their familiarity, actual use, intentions and perceptions; and finally to analyze the factors and relationships among these factors that best predict language learners' intentions and decisions to use emerging technologies. The study specifically aimed to explore the following emerging technologies: (a) social networking, (b) mobile learning, and (c) digital games as major emerging technologies of today with also a focus on other emerging technologies: (a) augmented reality, (b) wearable technologies, (c) virtual assistants, (d) massive online open courses, (e) 3D printing and (f) online language learning platforms. This mixed methods study benefitted from multiple disciplines, and presented several different perspectives to achieve its aim. The data were obtained through a survey, open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. In addition, structural equation modeling was utilized and path analysis was employed to draw on two complementary frameworks: innovation diffusion theory (Rogers, 2003), especially its application in technology adopter categories (TACI) (Dugas, 2005), and the decomposed theory of planned behavior (DTPB) (Taylor & Todd, 1995), which was adapted for this research. The qualitative data was analyzed through thematic content analysis, and used to triangulate and affirm what the quantitative data was showing. The findings indicated that technology adopter categories were normally distributed among EFL learners at a public and a private university in Turkey. Although most EFL learners were quite familiar and confident with major emerging technologies, they were not very familiar with minor emerging technologies. As for an awareness of the benefits of all listed emerging technologies, the study revealed that EFL learners' awareness is quite high; however, it was also found that participants' intention to use these emerging technologies and their actual use were very low. Finally, the results showed that the adapted DTPB was useful in explaining much of the variance in the intention to integrate technology into language learning processes by EFL learners, and attitude was the most important predictor and factor of behavioral intention. Given these findings, this research aims to contribute to the literature in innovation diffusion, user adoption and language pedagogy by offering several theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical implications and directions for future research and applications.

全球化時代的來臨，促進企業的國際化並加速了國際貿易的成長。企業進行海外拓展國際化的第一步便是出口，也因此出口績效儼然成為許多國際商業或經濟學者探討的重要議題。然而，在如此眾多的出口績效研究中，研究目標卻鮮少為新興市場企業。 新興市場如今已於全球市場竄起，許多投資者皆對新興市場趨之若鶩。在與已開發經濟體大相逕庭的環境中，新興市場企業之出口績效決定因素又與已開發經濟體是否相異，本研究將以新興市場為主要目標探討出口績效因素以補齊過去文獻之不足。 本研究於B2B電子商務平台中隨機蒐集了319個樣本，透過後進者觀點切入，加入過去未受詳盡探討之因素並搭配樣本特性，歸納出五項因素：創新能力、產品品質控管、電子商務使用時間、海外地區多樣性、是否天生全球化，並在控制公司規模的情況下以階層式迴歸進行實證分析。 研究結果發現，雖然各變數對出口績效皆呈現正向影響，但創新能力與海外地區多樣性並未達到顯著水準，故無法使假設成立。而產品品質控管愈佳或使用電子商務時間愈久皆可提升出口績效。另外，天生全球化企業之出口績效也會較遵循傳統國際化步驟企業之出口績效為佳。希望本研究結果可提供欲於新興市場中成立之新企業提升出口績效的方向，或已立足於新興市場中之成熟企業欲改善出口績效之方法。 / Globalization makes the amount of international trade growing rapidly than before. Firms do more international activities and seek for superior export performance. Researchers of International Business and Economics see this trend as an important topic to discuss. However, among so many literatures of the determinants of export performance, there seems to be little about the export performance in emerging markets. To make the researches of determinants of export performance become more complete, I will take firms in emerging markets as the study subject. I randomly collected data of 319 firms from a B2B e-commerce marketplace. With the aspect of late mover advantage, I take innovation as one of the determinants of export performance. Also, product quality and international diversity are both considered. Firms in emerging markets think e-commerce as an efficiency tool to expand markets and this is the reason I put e-commerce usage time in the structure. Finally, some firms from the sample are so-called “born-globals,” I also study the relationship between born-global and export performance. In this paper, I found product quality and e-commerce usage time positively affect the export performance; while innovation and international diversity do not provide a significant result. Besides, export performance of born-globals in emerging markets is better than other firms, which were not born-global. Hope this paper can make people who are interested in export performance in emerging market understand the situation more.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Econophysics is a relatively new branch of physics. It entails the use of models in physics applied to economics. The distributions of financial time series are the aspect most intensely studied by physicists. This study is based on a study by Kleinert and Chen who applied the Boltzmann distribution to stock exchange data to define a market temperature that may be used by investors to indicate an impending stock market crash. Most econophysicists’ analysed the tail regions of the distributions as the tails represent risk in financial data. This study’s focus of analysis, on the other hand is the characterisation of the central portion of the probability distribution. The Boltzmann distribution, a cornerstone in statistical physics, yields an exponential distribution. The objective of this study is to investigate the suitability of using a market volatility forecasting method from econophysics, namely the Boltzmann/market temperature method. As econometric benchmark the ARCH/GARCH method is used. Stock market indices are known to be non-normally (non-Gaussian) distributed. The distribution pattern of a stock market index of reasonable high sampling frequency (typically interday or intraday) is leptokurtic with heavy tails. Mesoscopic (interday) distributions of financial time series have been found to be exponential distributions. If the empirical exponential distribution is therefore interpreted as a Boltzmann distribution, then a market temperature can be calculated from the exponential distribution. Empirical data for this study is in the form of daily closing values of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) All Share Index (ALSI) and the Standard & Poor 500 (S & P 500) index for the period 1995 through to 2008. The Kleinert and Chen study made use of intraday data obtained from established markets. This study differs from the Kleinert and Chen study in that interday data obtained from an emerging market, namely the South African stock market is used. Neither of the aforementioned two differences had a significant influence on the results of this study. The JSE ALSI log-return data displays non-Gaussian properties and the Laplace (double exponential) distribution fit the data well. A plot of the market temperature provided a clear indication of when stock market crashes occurred. Results of the econophysical (Boltzmann/market temperature) method compared well to results of the econometric (ARCH/GARCH) method and subject to certain improvements can be utilised successfully. A leptokurtic, non-Gaussian nature was established for daily log-returns of the JSE ALSI and the S & P 500 index. The Laplace (double exponential) distribution fit the annual logreturns of the JSE ALSI and S & P 500 index well. As a result of the good Laplace fit, annual market temperatures could be calculated for the JSE ALSI and the S & P 500 index. The market temperature method was effective in identifying market crashes for both indices, but a limitation of the method is that only annual market temperatures can be determined. The availability of intraday stock index data should improve the interval for which market temperature can be determined. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ekonofisika is ‘n relatiewe nuwe studieveld. Dit behels die toepassing van fisiese modelle op finansiële data. Die waarskynlikheidsversdelings van finansiële tydreekse is die aspek wat meeste deur fisisie bestudeer word. Hierdie studie is gebaseer op ‘n studie deur Kleinert en Chen. Hulle het die Boltzmann-verspreiding op ‘n aandele-indeks toegepas en ‘n mark-temperatuur bepaal. Hierdie mark-temperatuur kan deur ontleders gebruik word as waarskuwingsmeganisme teen moontlike aandelebeurs ineenstortings. Die meeste fisisie het die uiterste areas van die verspreidingskurwes geanaliseer omdat hierdie uiterste area risiko in finansiële data verteenwoordig. Die analitiese fokus van hierdie studie, aan die ander kant, is die karakterisering van die die sentrale areas van die waarskeinlikheidsverdeling. Die Boltzmann verspreiding, die hoeksteen van Statistiese Fisika lewer ‘n eksponensiële waarskynlikheidsverdeling. Die doel van hierdie studie is om ‘n ondersoek te doen na die geskiktheid van die gebruik van ‘n ekonofisiese, vooruitskattingsmetode, naamlik die Boltzmann/mark-temperatuur model. As ekonometriese verwysing is die “ARCH/GARCH” metode toegepas. Aandelemark indekse is bekend vir die nie-Gaussiese verspreiding daarvan. Die verspreidingspatroon van ‘n aandelemark indeks met‘n redelike hoë steekproef frekwensie (in die orde van ‘n dag of minder) is leptokurties met breë stert-dele. Mesoskopiese (interdag) verspreidings van finansiële tydreekse is getipeer as eksponensieël. Indien die empiriese eksponensiële-verspreiding as ‘n Boltzmann-verspreiding geinterpreteer word, kan ‘n mark-temperatuur daarvoor bereken word. Empiriese data vir die gebruik in hierdie studie is in die vorm van daaglikse sluitingswaardes van die Johannesburgse Effektebeurs (JSE) se Alle Aandele Indeks (ALSI) en die Standard en Poor 500 (S & P 500) indeks vir die periode 1995 tot en met 2008. Die Kleinert en Chen studie het van intradag data vanuit ‘n ontwikkelde mark gebruik gemaak. Hierdie studie verskil egter van die Kleinert en Chen studie deurdat van interdag data vanuit ‘n opkomende mark, naamlik die Suid-Afrikaanse aandelemark, gebruik is. Nie een van die twee voorafgaande verskille het ‘n beduidende invloed op die resultate van hierdie studie gehad nie. Die JSE ALSI se logaritmiese opbrengs data vertoon nie-Gaussiese eienskappe en die Laplace (dubbeleksponensiële) verspreiding beskryf die data goed. ‘n Grafiek van die mark-temperatuur vertoon duidelik wanneer aandelemarkineenstortings plaasgevind het. Resultate van die ekonofisiese (Boltzmann/mark-temperatuur) metode vergelyk goed met resultate van die ekonometriese (“ARCH/GARCH”) metode en onderhewig aan sekere verbeteringe kan dit met sukses toegepas word. ‘n Leptokurtiese, nie-Gaussiese aard is vir daaglike opbrengswaardes vir die JSE ALSI en die S & P 500 indeks vasgestel. ‘n Laplace (dubbel-eksponensiële) verspreiding kan goed op die jaarlikse logaritmiese opbrengste van die JSE ALSI en die S & P 500 indeks toegepas word. As gevolg van die goeie aanwending van die Laplace-verspreiding kan ‘n jaarlikse mark-temperatuur vir die JSE ALSI en die S & P 500 indeks bereken word. Die mark-temperatuur metode is effektief in die identifisering van aandelemarkineenstorings vir beide indekse, hoewel daar ‘n beperking is op die aantal mark-temperature wat bereken kan word. Die beskikbaarheid van intradag aandele indekswaardes behoort die interval waarvoor mark-temperature bereken kan word te verbeter.