Background: In 2019, a new coronavirus broke out worldwide and caused a pandemic. It has been shown that this patient group requires more time for supervision and nursing than other patient groups who are cared for in intensive care units. Nurses who have cared for patients with coronavirus have shown psychological and physical strain.Purpose: to shed light on nurses' experiences of caring for patients with Covid-19 in intensive care unitsMethod: Qualitative inductive approach based on unprocessed material in the form of descriptive blogs from the internet. Data were analyzed according to a manifest content analysis.Results: The results revealed an overall theme: "Being nurses in the front line". Furthermore, three categories and seven subcategories emerged. The categories that emerged were: "The virus causes changes in work and private life", " To care for seriously ill patients where many die " and " To experience an unreasonable workload ".Conclusion: The degree project can be seen as a contribution to creating an understanding of the complex work environment that prevailed during today's first pandemic outbreak in the world and nurses' experiences of caring in this situation. Through its foundation in analysis of qualitative research, this can be made possible and contribute to creating tools for nurses in the future to handle similar situations and reduce the risk of ill health. / Bakgrund: År 2019 bröt ett nytt coronavirus ut världen över och orsakade en pandemi. Det har påvisats att denna patientgrupp kräver mer tid till övervakning och omvårdnad än andra patientgrupper som vårdas på intensivvårdsavdelningar. Sjuksköterskor som vårdat patienter med coronavirus har påvisat psykologiska- och fysiska påfrestningar. Syfte: att belysa sjuksköterskors upplevelser av att vårda patienter med Covid-19 på intensivvårdsavdelningar Metod: Kvalitativ induktiv ansats utifrån obearbetat material i form av beskrivande bloggar ifrån internet. Data analyserades utefter en manifest innehållsanalys. Resultat: I resultatet framkom ett övergripande tema: ”Att vara sjuksköterskor i frontlinjen”. Vidare framkom tre kategorier och sju subkategorier. Kategorierna som framkom var: ”Viruset orsakar förändringar i arbete och privatliv”, ”Att vårda svårt sjuka patienter där många dör” samt ”Att uppleva orimlig arbetsbelastning”.Slutsats: Examensarbetet kan ses som ett bidrag till att skapa en förståelse för den komplexa arbetsmiljö som var rådande under nutidens första pandemiutbrott i världen och sjuksköterskors upplevelser av att vårda i denna situation. Genom sin grund i analys av kvalitativ forskning kan detta möjliggöras och bidra till att i framtiden skapa verktyg för sjuksköterskor att hantera liknade situationer och reducera risken för ohälsa.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The value of accountability as a key feature of strengthening health systems and reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality is increasingly emphasised globally, nationally and locally. Frontline health professionals and managers play a crucial role in promoting maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services in an equitable and accountable manner. They are at the interface between higher-level health system management and communities, facing demands from both sides and often expected to perform beyond their available means. Although accountability is a central topic in the governance of MNCH literature, it has mostly been approached at global and national levels, with little understanding of how accountability is integrated into the routine functioning of local health systems. This PhD explores the forms and functioning of accountability at the district level focusing on MNCH as a programmatic area with long-established institutional mechanisms (structures and processes) in South Africa (SA). The thesis is presented in the form of four empirical papers (published or submitted), exploring different dimensions of accountability, which are embedded in a series of narrative chapters. In this thesis, accountability is understood as a set of relations between an accountholder and ‘accountor’ (or duty bearer), in which the latter provides information or justification for actions or decisions taken, and faces the resulting consequences of his/her actions (reward or sanction). Accountability mechanisms are the means to regulate accountability relationships and include broad strategies, interventions or instruments. These mechanisms can take various forms including performance, financial and public accountability, and operate both vertically (accountability inside bureaucratic hierarchies, or towards external stakeholders and/or the community), or horizontally (between peers, ‘neighbour’ units, departments or ministries in a national health system). Drawing conceptually on the field of governance and considering the complexity of the accountability phenomenon, I adopted a case study approach to the PhD research, using a combination of policy document review, interviews (with managers, providers, community representatives and members of labour unions) and field observations, conducted iteratively over 16 months. The study was conducted in Gert Sibande District, one of the three South African health districts in Mpumalanga Province, with an in-depth focus on two of the seven sub-districts in the District. The research found that frontline health professionals have a clear understanding and conceptualisation of accountability in the SA health policy context, despite the reported inability to define accountability by health professionals described in the literature. Respondents referred to accountability as responsibility, answerability and virtue, and also argued for strengthening accountability mechanisms as critical to addressing maternal and child mortality. While deeming accountability as important, frontline professionals experienced the existing accountability mechanisms as ‘too much’ and indicated the desire for the streamlining of existing mechanisms. In this regard, the study documented numerous mechanisms at district level, almost all related to performance accountability in MNCH. These included a performance management system, quality assessment and accreditation processes, quarterly reviews, and death surveillance and response processes. The existence of multiple and overlapping accountability mechanisms engenders operational confusion and ‘accountability overload’ for frontline providers, encouraging empty bureaucratic compliance, while critical gaps – notably in community accountability – remain. In practice, at their best, some mechanisms operate following a reciprocal1 pathway of capacity building with resource provision (from management) and expectation for better performance (from providers). There were, however, contextual variations in the implementation and practice of the mechanisms between sub-district settings. The fieldwork observations and interviews were also able to document how formal institutionalised mechanisms are embedded within a complex system of informal accountability relationships and social norms (‘accountability ecosystem’) that enables or constrains the ability of frontline professionals to fulfil their tasks. In addition, using a Social Network Analysis approach, the research identified key actors and their involved network, which form the relational backdrop to the functioning of accountability mechanisms for MNCH. By revealing complex relationships and collaboration patterns among frontline health professionals, the study was able to show the multi-level action and multiple actors required to achieve MNCH goals.

No description available.

Although disaster risk reduction is still not considered a priority by many countries and organisations, there is significant progress made towards the reduction of disaster risk. The experience of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR, 1990–1999) prompted a major conceptual shift from disaster response to disaster reduction underscoring the crucial role of human action (UNISDR, 2001:03). This circumstance led to the adoption of an International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR) in 1999 by the participants of the IDNDR Programme Forum. The adoption gave emphasis to the importance of a global strategy that encourages and facilitates concerted action to reduce risk and vulnerability to natural and related technological and environmental hazards. This research then focuses on the disaster risk reduction phenomenon and major or international initiatives and forums aimed at improving or raising the disaster risk reduction profile. It also focuses on disaster risk management in the South African context. In recent years, disaster risk reduction has grown in importance on the international agenda. This followed the prevalence of natural hazards such as floods, drought, earthquakes, tsunamis, as well as epidemics, which have had an increasing impact on humans, due to population growth, urbanization, rising poverty and the onset of global environmental changes. Aspects of environmental change include climate change, land degradation and deforestation. Practitioners and researchers widely acknowledge that poor planning, poverty and a range of other underlying factors create conditions of vulnerability that result in insufficient capacity or measures to reduce hazards‘ potentially negative consequences (IISD/UN/ISDR, 2007:01). It is in this light that in 2005 many governments around the world committed themselves to take action to reduce disaster risk, and thereby adopted a guiding document to reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards, called the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). The HFA was adopted in January 2005 at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, in Kobe Hyogo, Japan by 168 States. The aim of the HFA is to assist the efforts of nations and communities to become more resilient to, and cope better, with the hazards that threaten their development gains with the overriding goal of achieving a substantial reduction in global disaster risk. It also emphasizes that disaster risk reduction is a central issue for development policies, in addition to being of interest to various science, humanitarian and environmental fields. To help attain the expected outcome, the HFA identified five specific priorities for action (PFAs) which are: (i) making disaster risk reduction a priority; (ii) improving risk information and early warning; (iii) building a culture of safety and resilience; (iv) reducing the risks in key sectors; and (v) strengthening preparedness for response. The Global Network of Civil Society Organisation for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR) which was launched in 2007 in Geneva, is a major international network of civil society organisations working to influence and implement disaster risk reduction policies and practice around the world. The major programme of the global network is to collect perspective for the local level as to how the HFA is progressing. The Views from the Frontline (VFL) is the first independent assessment project undertaken towards the implementation of the HFA at the local level and is led by the Global Network. The aim of this project is to measure the gap between policy formulation at international level with the realities of policy execution at local level and to deepen the communication and coordination between different stakeholders on disaster risk reduction by involving government organisation and communities at the local level. The VFL perspective is that nationally formulated policies are not generating widespread systematic changes in local practices. There is a concern that the current approach is top–down and engages minimally with affected communities and fails to address their needs and capacities (GNDR, 2008:01). The main objective of this research was to provide an overview of progress made in the implementation of the HFA at local level particularly in the Kabokweni Location. The approach adopted in this study is called 'the Views from the Frontline', and explores the extent of the actual progress made toward the implementation and impact of the HFA priorities at local level, namely the Kabokweni community in the Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) situated in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. / Thesis (M. Development and management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Although disaster risk reduction is still not considered a priority by many countries and organisations, there is significant progress made towards the reduction of disaster risk. The experience of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR, 1990–1999) prompted a major conceptual shift from disaster response to disaster reduction underscoring the crucial role of human action (UNISDR, 2001:03). This circumstance led to the adoption of an International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (ISDR) in 1999 by the participants of the IDNDR Programme Forum. The adoption gave emphasis to the importance of a global strategy that encourages and facilitates concerted action to reduce risk and vulnerability to natural and related technological and environmental hazards. This research then focuses on the disaster risk reduction phenomenon and major or international initiatives and forums aimed at improving or raising the disaster risk reduction profile. It also focuses on disaster risk management in the South African context. In recent years, disaster risk reduction has grown in importance on the international agenda. This followed the prevalence of natural hazards such as floods, drought, earthquakes, tsunamis, as well as epidemics, which have had an increasing impact on humans, due to population growth, urbanization, rising poverty and the onset of global environmental changes. Aspects of environmental change include climate change, land degradation and deforestation. Practitioners and researchers widely acknowledge that poor planning, poverty and a range of other underlying factors create conditions of vulnerability that result in insufficient capacity or measures to reduce hazards‘ potentially negative consequences (IISD/UN/ISDR, 2007:01). It is in this light that in 2005 many governments around the world committed themselves to take action to reduce disaster risk, and thereby adopted a guiding document to reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards, called the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). The HFA was adopted in January 2005 at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, in Kobe Hyogo, Japan by 168 States. The aim of the HFA is to assist the efforts of nations and communities to become more resilient to, and cope better, with the hazards that threaten their development gains with the overriding goal of achieving a substantial reduction in global disaster risk. It also emphasizes that disaster risk reduction is a central issue for development policies, in addition to being of interest to various science, humanitarian and environmental fields. To help attain the expected outcome, the HFA identified five specific priorities for action (PFAs) which are: (i) making disaster risk reduction a priority; (ii) improving risk information and early warning; (iii) building a culture of safety and resilience; (iv) reducing the risks in key sectors; and (v) strengthening preparedness for response. The Global Network of Civil Society Organisation for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR) which was launched in 2007 in Geneva, is a major international network of civil society organisations working to influence and implement disaster risk reduction policies and practice around the world. The major programme of the global network is to collect perspective for the local level as to how the HFA is progressing. The Views from the Frontline (VFL) is the first independent assessment project undertaken towards the implementation of the HFA at the local level and is led by the Global Network. The aim of this project is to measure the gap between policy formulation at international level with the realities of policy execution at local level and to deepen the communication and coordination between different stakeholders on disaster risk reduction by involving government organisation and communities at the local level. The VFL perspective is that nationally formulated policies are not generating widespread systematic changes in local practices. There is a concern that the current approach is top–down and engages minimally with affected communities and fails to address their needs and capacities (GNDR, 2008:01). The main objective of this research was to provide an overview of progress made in the implementation of the HFA at local level particularly in the Kabokweni Location. The approach adopted in this study is called 'the Views from the Frontline', and explores the extent of the actual progress made toward the implementation and impact of the HFA priorities at local level, namely the Kabokweni community in the Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) situated in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. / Thesis (M. Development and management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Syfte - Syftet med studien är att i restaurangbranschen undersöka om service med integrerad självserviceteknologi medför en högre eller lägre kundnöjdhet jämfört med service utan integrerad självserviceteknologi. Hypotes - I restaurangbranschen medför service med integrerad själv-serviceteknologi en högre kundnöjdhet än service utan självserviceteknologi. Metod - Studien utgår från en tvärsnittsdesign med deduktiv ansats där sekundär- och primärdata består av tidigare forskning, teorier och enkäter. Analysen av den kvantitativa enkätdatan genomfördes med hjälp av Mann Whitney U-test och Spearmans rang-korrelation. Resultat - Studiens resultat visade att i restaurangbranschen medför service med integrerad självserviceteknologi en högre kundnöjdhet än service utan integrerad självserviceteknologi. Avgränsningar - Studien avgränsar sig till att granska kundnöjdheten i service-processer med mobilapplikationsbaserad självserviceteknologi och inte någon annan teknologi. Kunskapsbidrag - Skapa underlag för ledningar i restaurangbranschen om huruvida de borde ta hänsyn till digitaliseringen eller inte samt om de borde förändra sin strategi gällande serviceprocessen / Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine whether the service process with integrated self-service technology in the restaurant industry entails a higher or lower customer satisfaction than service without integrated self-service technology. Hypothesis - Service with integrated self-service technology in the restaurant industry entails a higher customer satisfaction than service without integrated self-service technology. Methodology - Secondary research and quantitative surveys were used to answer the research question. The study has a cross-sectional design and a deductive approach, where the analysis was conducted through a Mann Whitney U-test and Spearman’s rank correlation. Findings - The results of the study found that, in the restaurant industry, service with integrated self-service technology entails a higher level of customer satisfaction than service without integrated self-service technology. Limitations - The study examines the level of customer satisfaction in services with integrated mobile applications and no other self-service technology. Originality/Value - The study creates a basis for the leading positions in the restaurant industry about whether they should take into account the digitalization or not and if they should change their strategy regarding the service process.

No description available.

No description available.

All governments aim to ensure better health and nutrition to children. The Rajasthan state (India) has implemented a unique frontline coordination model where Accredited Health Social Activist (ASHA) Sahyoginis are expected to support two other frontline workers (FLWs) i.e. the Anganwadi Workers from the Integrated Child Development Services and the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives from the Health department to improve child health. This thesis focuses on examining the existing coordination between the three groups of FLWs in Rajasthan by exploring FLWs' participation in child immunisation and Vitamin A supplementation (two common activities), service coverage and beneficiary's' knowledge (expected outcomes), and the challenges faced and areas that need improvement for better frontline coordination. A mixed methods design was used. Sixteen villages from two blocks (tribal and non-tribal) of Udaipur district (Rajasthan) were selected using multistage purposive sampling. The formative stage included 12 FLWs' in-depth interviews (IDIs) as well as a review of FLWs' job descriptions to understand the process and government expectations on their participation in routine childhood immunisation, polio camps, routine Vitamin A supplementation and Vitamin A campaigns. The next stage included data collection from the 16 selected villages i.e. structured questionnaire survey of FLWs (46), observations of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Day (16), review of FLWs' immunisation and Vitamin A registers (32) and a structured questionnaire survey of registered infants' mothers (321)-all to ascertain the actual participation of FLWs in these four activities and the outcomes. IDIs with FLWs (46) and FLWs' line managers (17) were conducted to understand their experience, issues and solutions for better frontline coordination. The participation of FLWs in three of the four activities (except Polio Camps) was found to be limited. The FLWs and their line managers were also dissatisfied with coordination between FLWs. Poor outcomes also indicated unsatisfactory coordination. Overall, frontline participation and outcomes were better in tribal than non-tribal villages. A variety of factors (i.e. personal, professional, organisational, and geo-socio-cultural) appeared to affect coordination between FLWs. Appropriate recruitment, training, monitoring and supervision and rewards to the FLWs along with greater political commitment for coordinated approached and addressing intra-departmental challenges are proposed to improve frontline coordination and child health in Rajasthan.

Abstract in English, Zulu and Sothern Sotho / South African banks need to attract and retain customers in a highly competitive environment. Within this environment, the service quality of banks has been noted as an ongoing pressing issue. With all major banks embracing the technological revolution and offering similar financial services, the service quality offered through frontline employees has become a means to attain a competitive advantage. While a substantial body of research demonstrates the importance of service quality and identifies its dimensions, there is a lack of research specifically focusing on the antecedents for frontline employee service quality. This study set out to investigate the extent to which internal service quality, service climate and frontline employee satisfaction contribute to frontline employee service quality in a South African retail bank. With the aid of a structured questionnaire, a cross-sectional internet-based survey research design was applied to collect information from frontline employees pertaining to four constructs. From the full population of 8 720 frontline employees, 581 completed responses were received during the main study, and empirically tested with the aid of descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis and multivariate regression analysis. The findings culminate in a multivariate regression model indicating that service climate is not a significant predictor of frontline employee service quality, whereas frontline employee satisfaction and internal service quality are, with internal service quality being the larger predictor. Drawing from these findings, ten recommendations are made to improve frontline employee service quality in a retail bank. / Amabhange aseNingizimu Afrika adinga ukuheha futhi agcine amakhasimende endaweni enokuncintisana okukhulu. Ngaphakathi kwalesi simo, insebenzo yekhwalithi yamabhange ibhekwe njengengqinamba eqhubekayo. Ngawo wonke amabhange amakhulu amukela inguquko kwezobuchwepheshe futhi ahlinzeka ngezinsizakalo ezifanayo zezezimali, insebenzo yekhwalithi enikezwa ngabasebenzi abaphambili iba yindlela yokuthola inzuzo yokuncintisana. Ngenkathi ucwaningo oluningi lukhombisa ukubaluleka kwensebenzo yekhwalithi futhi lukhomba ubukhulu balo, kukhona ukungabi bikho kocwaningo okugxile kakhulu ezichasisweni zensebenzo yekhwalithi yomsebenzi ophambili. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuphenya ukuthi izinga lensebenzo yekhwalithi yangaphakathi, insebenzo yesimo sezulu kanye nokwaneliseka kwabasebenzi abaphambili kunikela kangakanani ensebenzweni yekhwalithi yomsebenzi ebhange lokuthengisa eNingizimu Afrika. Ngosizo lwemibuzo ehleliwe, kusetshenziswe ukwakheka kocwaningo olususelwa ku-inthanethi lokuqoqa imininingwane evela kubasebenzi abaphambili maqondana nokwakhiwa okune. Kusuka enanini eligcwele labantu abayizi-8 720 labasebenzi abaphambili, izimpendulo ezigcwalisiwe ezingama-581 zamukelwa phakathi kocwaningo oluyinhloko, futhi zahlolwa ngamandla ngosizo lwezibalo ezichazayo, ukuhlaziywa kwezinto eziqinisekisayo, ukuhlaziywa kokuhlobana kanye nokuhlaziywa kokuphindaphinda okuningi. Okutholakele kugcina kube yisifanekiso sokuhlehliswa sokuphindaphinda esikhombisa ukuthi insebenzo yesimo sezulu akusona isibikezelo esibalulekile sensebenzo yekhwalithi yomsebenzi ophambili, kanti ukwaneliseka komsebenzi ophambili kanye nensebenzo yekhwalithi yangaphakathi, ngensebenzo yekhwalithi yangaphakathi eyisibikezelo esikhulu. Ngokususelwa kokutholakele, kwenziwa izincomo eziyishumi zokuthuthukisa insebenzo yekhwalithi yomsebenzi ophambili ebhange lokuthengisa. / Dibanka tsa Aforikaborwa di tlhoka go ngoka le go tswelela go tshola badirisi mo tikologong e e tletseng kgaisano. Mo tikologong eno, boleng jwa tirelo ya dibanka bo lemogilwe jaaka ntlha e e tswelelang go tshwenya. Jaaka fa dibanka tsotlhe tse dikgolo di amogetse tiriso ya thekenoloji mme di tlamela ka ditirelo tsa ditšhelete tse di tshwanang, boleng jwa tirelo jo bo tlamelwang ka badiri ba ba kwa pele ke tsela ya go iponela molemo wa kgaisano. Le fa dipatlisiso tse dintsi di bontsha botlhokwa jwa boleng jwa tirelo mme di supa bogolo jwa jona, ga go na dipatlisiso tse di totang batlapele ba boleng jwa tirelo ya badiri ba ba kwa pele. Thutopatlisiso eno e ne e ikaeletse go batlisisa gore boleng jwa tirelo ya ka fa gare, tikologo ya tirelo le kgotsofalo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele bo tshwaela go le kana kang mo boleng jwa tirelo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele mo bankeng ya badirisi ya Aforikaborwa. Ka thuso ya lenaanepotsolotso le le rulaganeng, go dirisitswe patlisiso e e ralalang dikarolo ya mo inthaneteng go kokoanya tshedimosetso go tswa mo badiring ba ba dirang kwa pele malebana le dintlha tse nne. Go tswa mo sampoleng ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele ba le 8 720, go amogetswe ditsibogo tse di tladitsweng di le 581 ka nako ya thutopatlisiso e kgolo, mme di ne tsa lekelediwa ka maitemogelo ka thuso ya dipalopalo tse di tlhalosang, tokololo ya tlhomamiso, tokololo ya tsamaelano le tokololo e e lebelelang dipoelo tse di farologaneng. Diphitlhelelo di ile setlhoeng fa sekao se se lebelelang dipoelo tse di farologaneng se supa gore seemo sa tirelo se ka se ke sa dirisiwa go bonela pele boleng jwa tirelo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele, mme go ka dirisiwa kgotsofalo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele le boleng jwa tirelo ya ka fa gare, le gore boleng jwa tirelo ya ka fa gare bo ka dirisiwa thata. Go tswa mo diphitlhelelong tseno, go dirwa dikatlenegiso di le lesome go tokafatsa boleng jwa tirelo ya badiri ba ba dirang kwa pele mo bankeng ya badirisi / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)