Flexible forms of employment Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to map the flexible forms of employment currently offered by the Czech legislation as well as those that might possibly become part of the legal system in the Czech Republic. Flexible forms of employment are currently on the rise, and it is therefore relevant to address the possibilities offered by the legislation. Part one focuses on defining the basic terms of the legal and theoretical framework of flexible forms of employment and in this context also the importance of flexicurity as a concept that has shaped the forms of flexible employment in the recent years. Second part of the thesis describes the specific forms of employment in terms of their legal regulation and what challenges are associated with the use of each individual form of flexible employment, furthermore this part explores aspects of flexibility that can be found within these types flexible employment. Examples of such flexible forms of employment mentioned include, but are not limited to, fixed-term employment, homeworking and, in terms of working hours, a condensed working week and flexible working hours. The next part discusses new emerging forms of flexible employment, namely job sharing, employee sharing, interim management, casual work, as well as new forms of...

The problem of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of teaching Spanish by non-specialist teachers in grade four. This study was planned to investigate the effectiveness of two programs designed to teach Spanish to non-Spanish-speaking fourth grade students.

The purpose of this study was to determine the personal reading interests of students in the third, fourth and fifth grades and to determine if advances in technology in the past twenty years have changed their reading interests.

We give a general introduction to physics, in particular the physics of the Standard Model (SM). Next we discuss one of the problems the SM faces, that of accommodating the neutrino masses. We discuss the concept of radiative mechanisms. Then we study three particular such models in depth. The first is a model due to Ma which introduces three neutrino singlets and one scalar doublet on top of the SM particle content. We discuss the different neutrino masses that this model can hold. It is found that only case of normal hierarchy among the neutrinos is allowed in this model. We also discuss several observable quantities currently being searched for in experiments, and their relation to this model The second model is due to Zee and Babu, and is commonly known as the Zee–Babu model. This model adds two electrically charged scalar particles to the SM. We find that this model can describe both the inverted hierarchy and normal hierarchy. The previously mentioned observable quantities are once again discussed, but with this model in mind. Finally we discuss a model which accounts for the neutrino masses by assuming that there exists a fourth generation of leptons. It is found that this framework is insufficient to describe the observed neutrino masses.

This thesis is a critical, exploratory analysis of the impacts to the banking industry in South Africa, in light of the wave of technological change and emergence, termed in popular discourse as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or 4IR. The 4IR has been argued to offer the transformative potential to change and disrupt current societal organization and provide opportunities for developing countries such as South Africa to “leapfrog” into development. Many argue that as technology advances and progresses, it can be used to address socio-economic, developmental challenges and deliver services. In the banking sector, particularly in the context of developing countries, as large portions of the population remain excluded from formal financial services, digital banking methods premised on the technologies of the 4IR have emerged as potential “solutions”. What is often understated, however, that this study highlights, is that such technological advancements hold challenges. Moreover, as they are presented as solutions to the socioeconomic difficulties of developing countries, like financial exclusion, it is important that this is understood contextually, and critically and such challenges are presented. Through primarily qualitative case studies of two banks, Standard Bank and TymeBank, the study aimed to uncover the processes of digitisation occurring as well as the social processes that underlie them. Findings show that indeed, tangible examples of “4IR”/digitisation are identified at the two banks through technical application of emerging technologies, such as cloud computing and machine learning. However, more concerning are the social processes and strategic decisions that result in and out of their adoption. The 4IR in the context of this study appears to replicate ongoing social and economic inequalities, through inadequate digital infrastructures, and omni-present interests of neoliberalism presenting as digital capitalism. Additionally, carrying concern of adverse effects to the employment and labour landscape, the 4IR is deconstructed for its rhetorical meaning which contrasts with the reality. Hegemonic representations of a 4IR and its proposed ‘transformative benefits' do not correspond with actual phenomena and risk the neglecting of fundamental social challenges that are deepened by and new ones emerging out of digitisation.

The Covid-19 pandemic is changing the international business environment. This global event has forced the world into an unbalance, which influences how Swedish SMEs interpret their international operations. Through the international fluctuations, the digitalization has come to partake as an important factor in order to enable the possibility of maintaining an international presence. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to explore how the Covid-19 pandemic influences the digitalization within Swedish SMEs international operations.        In order to provide a sustainable foundation of the subject, this research have utilized the qualitative strategy. Collecting the data through semi-structured interviews enables a vast set of data, which have been comprehended in relation to chapter 2 Literature review. Through analyzing all gathered data, the outcome of the research illustrates how the pandemic influences the digitalization as well as firms’ international operations. Finally, the thesis conclude that the Covid-19 pandemic accelerates the digitalization within firms, which further influences how firms maintain an international presence. Conclusively, it is contemplated that the Covid-19 pandemic further creates what the authors call “The New Normal”.

Thesis(M.Sc. (Computer Science)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Spectrum scarcity is one of the major problems affecting the advancement of wireless technology. The world is now entering into a new era called the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” and technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain are surfacing at a rapid pace. All these technologies and this new era need high speed network (Internet) connectivity. Internet connectivity is reliant on the availability of spectrum Channels. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has emphatically alluded on the urgency of finding quick and effective solutions to the problem of spectrum scarcity because the available spectrum bands are getting depleted at an alarming rate. Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks (CRAHNs) have been introduced to solve the problem of spectrum depletion. CRAHNs are mobile networks which allow for two groups of users: Primary Users (PUs) and Secondary Users (SUs). PUs are the licensed users of the spectrum and SUs are the unlicensed users. The SUs access spectrum bands opportunistically by switching between unused spectrum bands. The current licensed users do not fully utilize their spectrum bands. Some licensed users only use their spectrum bands for short time periods and their bands are left idling for the greater part of time. CRNs take advantage of the periods when spectrum bands are not fully utilized by introducing secondary users to switch between the idle spectrum bands. The CRAHNs technology can be implemented in different types of routing environments including military networks. The military version of CRAHNs is called Military Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks (MCRAHNs). Military networks are more complex than ordinary networks because they are subject to random attacks and possible destruction. This research project investigates the delays experienced in routing packets for MCRAHNs and proposes a new routing algorithm called Spectrum-Aware Transitive Multicasting On Demand Distance Vector (SAT-MAODV) which has been optimized for reducing delays in packet transmission and increasing throughput. In the data transmission process, there are several levels where delays are experienced. Our research project focuses on Routing Path (RP) delay, Spectrum Mobility (SM) delay and Node Relay (NR) delay. This research project proposes techniques for spectrum switching and routing called Time-Based Availability (TBA), Informed Centralized Multicasting (ICM), Node Roaming Area (NRA) and Energy Smart Transitivity (EST). All these techniques have been integrated into SAT-MAODV. SAT-MAODV was simulated and compared with the best performing algorithms in MCRHANs. The results show that SAT-MAODV performs better than its counterparts

The research introduces the fourth industrial revolution philosophically, exploring the application of innovation and automation in broad terms and the Internet of Things (IoT) specifically within the mining industry. It explains the business and societal motivation for such interventions, highlighting some of the key benefits. It further explores the inadvertent risks, some of which have already manifested in mining applications and others which can be inferred from other industrial and social applications. A critical analysis is conducted of the application of the South African Mine Health and Safety Act and Regulations on such applications in the mining environment, as well as considering key other pieces of South African legislation. A comparative analysis with Australian legislation confirms that Western Australia has recognised the need for regulation and have started regulating, primarily mining automation, at least. Through these analyses it is established that a legislative vacuum exists, despite the general application of many requirements in relation to safety considerations during the utilisation of IoT applications. The paper concludes by recommending collaboration between the Department of Mineral Resources and the Chamber of Mines to seek ways to lead legislative and regulatory developments in this space in order to enable the sustainability of the South African mining industry. In particular, the research suggests the emphasis should be to legally encourage and permit the implementation of IoT solutions in the mining industry in as many instances as reasonably possible, whilst consecutively addressing the new and emerging risks created through such. / Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Public Law / LLM / Unrestricted

Background: The Longitudinal Clinic attachment program for students (L-CAS) offers opportunities for students to visit complex and diverse learning sites in primary care settings where they can acquire and practice consultation skills. The three-stage assessment and plan were used as an objective indicator of the development of a number of competencies over the course of a year. Problem statement and research question: The aim of this study has been to explore and better understand learning related to L-CAS activities, so that the L-CAS curriculum can be planned and executed to specifically support learning with the question: How does the application of the two capability models support fourth-year medical student learning during and after L-CAS visits? Theoretical underpinning: Two models, namely the Medical Education Model of Capability and the Department of Family Medicine University of Pretoria (DoFMUP) Capability Approach to Learning, were identified, with capability as the theoretical basis, to describe the learning process. The Medical Education model provides a framework for planning and evaluating curricula. This model was used to identify and understand students’ aspirations and capability sets, their perceptions of enabling and hindering factors and the attainment of aspirations. The DoFMUP Capability Approach to Learning is a practical way of understanding the process of learning in a complex world. This model was used to determine the development of students’ competence to perform a three-stage assessment and management plan (3SAP) for patients encountered in various primary healthcare settings over one year, and scaffolding deemed necessary to support learning. Methods: Qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. Content analysis and grounded theory underpinned the qualitative analysis. Data from the questionnaire, focus groups and interviews was used to explain and understand students’ perceptions about their own development and learning in L-CAS, enabling and hindering factors, and how learning can be optimized. Quantitative analysis was used to report on students’ aspirations and their perceptions of attainment of those aspirations. Patient case reports were analysed to asses change in competencies over one year. Results: It is clear that L-CAS offers students ample opportunities to learn, but because of all the challenges they face, most students did not choose to address their learning needs personally but responded with being demotivated. Students were able to identify significant resources that can enable them but failed to use these in dealing with their challenges. Most students perceived growth, and reported learning, but unfortunately this was not evident in their patient cases. It is clear that the aspirations students set for themselves are different from what we expect of them. Discussions and Conclusions: A novel model is derived from both the capability models and aspires to support and enable the learning process before, during and after L-CAS visits. Better planning of the timing of L-CAS sessions and weighting of the credits are suggested as well as better preparation and empowerment of students using the “CHILL” acronym with focus on the resources available at the sites, like peers, community healthcare workers (CHWs) and electronic devices. The research question has been answered in that both the models highlighted challenges and potential areas of improvement of the L-CAS curriculum that could be addressed by the implementation of the novel model. / Thesis (PhD (Family Medicine))--University of Pretoria 2021. / NRF / Family Medicine / PhD (Family Medicine) / Unrestricted

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