Child sexual abuse cases are particularly important in ensuring that victims and falsely accused individuals are protected and perpetrators are successfully convicted. Recent and continuing increases in the number of children who allege that they have been victims of sexual abuse have emphasized the need for evaluating the competence and credibility of young witnesses. This research focussed on evaluating the use of a structured, evidence-based interview protocol which can determine whether legal action is required and whether the investigation process is legally sound and scientifically validated. The empirical investigation focused on obtaining data by conducting focus groups. This is called group interviewing, and is considered a qualitative method. An exploratory research design was used to gain insight into the use of the forensic interview that is relatively new and unstudied in South Africa. Two different focus groups were held, one of which consisted of participants with post graduate training in conducting a forensic interview using evidence-based protocols. In contrast, the other focus group participants had no post graduate training, but nevertheless conducted interviews with abused children. It was evident that the social workers who had post graduate training in forensic interviewing and employing a structured evidence-based protocol perceived it to be an indispensable tool. The social workers without post graduate training showed limited knowledge of the structured forensic interview. The outcome of the findings proved the necessity of having a structured evidence-based protocol to conduct forensic interviews. If a forensic interview is used, it is possible to obtain a single, objective, clear picture of the details of the alleged abuse – who abused the child, when and how often, how it occurred and where. The forensic interview can lead to the successful investigation and prosecution of criminal offences that depend on obtaining reliable information from child victims and witnesses. / Thesis (MSW (Forensic Practice))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Child sexual abuse cases are particularly important in ensuring that victims and falsely accused individuals are protected and perpetrators are successfully convicted. Recent and continuing increases in the number of children who allege that they have been victims of sexual abuse have emphasized the need for evaluating the competence and credibility of young witnesses. This research focussed on evaluating the use of a structured, evidence-based interview protocol which can determine whether legal action is required and whether the investigation process is legally sound and scientifically validated. The empirical investigation focused on obtaining data by conducting focus groups. This is called group interviewing, and is considered a qualitative method. An exploratory research design was used to gain insight into the use of the forensic interview that is relatively new and unstudied in South Africa. Two different focus groups were held, one of which consisted of participants with post graduate training in conducting a forensic interview using evidence-based protocols. In contrast, the other focus group participants had no post graduate training, but nevertheless conducted interviews with abused children. It was evident that the social workers who had post graduate training in forensic interviewing and employing a structured evidence-based protocol perceived it to be an indispensable tool. The social workers without post graduate training showed limited knowledge of the structured forensic interview. The outcome of the findings proved the necessity of having a structured evidence-based protocol to conduct forensic interviews. If a forensic interview is used, it is possible to obtain a single, objective, clear picture of the details of the alleged abuse – who abused the child, when and how often, how it occurred and where. The forensic interview can lead to the successful investigation and prosecution of criminal offences that depend on obtaining reliable information from child victims and witnesses. / Thesis (MSW (Forensic Practice))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The purpose of this study was to explore nurse educators‟ perception of Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) as summative assessment for students‟ clinical competence ,with the aim of recommending alternatives to the current situation. The rationale behind the study is that the researcher became aware of concerns raised by nurse educators regarding the appropriateness of OSCE as summative assessment of students clinical competence and differences of opinion on the matter. An explorative, descriptive, contextual, qualitative research design was chosen. The sample included nurse educators actively involved in OSCE as summative assessment of nursing students in the provincial nursing college for at least 5 years or more. Data was collected by means of two (2) focus group interview sessions with fourteen (14) participants. During data analysis it became clear that data saturation had not been reached and a third focus group interview was conducted with seven (7) participants from the original sample who were available. The focus of the interviews was to explore participants‟ perception of Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation as summative assessment for students‟ clinical competence. The data was independently analyzed by the researcher as well as an independent co-coder according to the principles for content analysis as described by Creswell (2008:251). Three (3) themes and nine (9) sub-themes emerged from the data collected from participants. The first theme described the value of OSCE as summative assessment method for students‟ clinical competence. Theme two described the obstacles in using OSCE as summative assessment for students‟ clinical competence. Theme three described the suggested alternatives. The collected data was discussed and integrated with relevant national and international literature to culminate in three (3) conclusive statements. The conclusive statements served as basis for recommending alternatives to the nursing educators and managers in order to enhance the value of OSCE as summative assessment forstudents‟ clinical competence. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The purpose of this study was to explore nurse educators‟ perception of Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) as summative assessment for students‟ clinical competence ,with the aim of recommending alternatives to the current situation. The rationale behind the study is that the researcher became aware of concerns raised by nurse educators regarding the appropriateness of OSCE as summative assessment of students clinical competence and differences of opinion on the matter. An explorative, descriptive, contextual, qualitative research design was chosen. The sample included nurse educators actively involved in OSCE as summative assessment of nursing students in the provincial nursing college for at least 5 years or more. Data was collected by means of two (2) focus group interview sessions with fourteen (14) participants. During data analysis it became clear that data saturation had not been reached and a third focus group interview was conducted with seven (7) participants from the original sample who were available. The focus of the interviews was to explore participants‟ perception of Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation as summative assessment for students‟ clinical competence. The data was independently analyzed by the researcher as well as an independent co-coder according to the principles for content analysis as described by Creswell (2008:251). Three (3) themes and nine (9) sub-themes emerged from the data collected from participants. The first theme described the value of OSCE as summative assessment method for students‟ clinical competence. Theme two described the obstacles in using OSCE as summative assessment for students‟ clinical competence. Theme three described the suggested alternatives. The collected data was discussed and integrated with relevant national and international literature to culminate in three (3) conclusive statements. The conclusive statements served as basis for recommending alternatives to the nursing educators and managers in order to enhance the value of OSCE as summative assessment forstudents‟ clinical competence. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the economy should not be overlooked. The main function of SMEs is to contribute to the economic activities in a country, through the provision of goods and services to the public or other firms. These goods and services could be traded internationally, thus increasing a country?s export performance. It is important for economic growth that SMEs grow within their respective economies. One way that SMEs can achieve growth is through internationalisation. Firms are internationalising faster than ever before (because of advances in telecommunications and transportation) and internationalisation theories that can provide practical guidance to firms are more important today than in the past. A firm?s ability to internationalise no longer only depends on the quality of the product, the delivery terms and competitive prices. Internationalisation increasingly depends on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to grant credit. Obtaining trade finance has become a major hindrance to SME internationalisation, especially in Africa. By overcoming the difficulties in obtaining trade finance, African SMEs will be able to expand into foreign markets. The purpose of this study is to determine how African SMEs can overcome trade finance barriers to internationalisation. SMEs can do so by mitigating the risks involved in every international transaction and by becoming ?trade finance ready?. A trade finance facility that is well suited for African SMEs (because it revolves around identifying and mitigating the risks involved with their international transactions) is structured trade and commodity finance. In trading with China, African SMEs can obtain structured trade and commodity finance from a specialist financial institution that focuses on the Chinese market (which is the focus of this study). China Construction Bank (Johannesburg branch), through their association with Rand-Asia Trade Finance, provides structured trade and commodity finance to African SMEs. The key to receiving structured trade and commodity finance is that these SMEs, together with China Construction Bank (Jhb) and Rand-Asia Trade Finance have to mitigate the risks involved with their international transactions so that the SMEs can become ?trade finance ready?. / Thesis (M.Com. (International Commerce))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the economy should not be overlooked. The main function of SMEs is to contribute to the economic activities in a country, through the provision of goods and services to the public or other firms. These goods and services could be traded internationally, thus increasing a country?s export performance. It is important for economic growth that SMEs grow within their respective economies. One way that SMEs can achieve growth is through internationalisation. Firms are internationalising faster than ever before (because of advances in telecommunications and transportation) and internationalisation theories that can provide practical guidance to firms are more important today than in the past. A firm?s ability to internationalise no longer only depends on the quality of the product, the delivery terms and competitive prices. Internationalisation increasingly depends on the ability and willingness of financial institutions to grant credit. Obtaining trade finance has become a major hindrance to SME internationalisation, especially in Africa. By overcoming the difficulties in obtaining trade finance, African SMEs will be able to expand into foreign markets. The purpose of this study is to determine how African SMEs can overcome trade finance barriers to internationalisation. SMEs can do so by mitigating the risks involved in every international transaction and by becoming ?trade finance ready?. A trade finance facility that is well suited for African SMEs (because it revolves around identifying and mitigating the risks involved with their international transactions) is structured trade and commodity finance. In trading with China, African SMEs can obtain structured trade and commodity finance from a specialist financial institution that focuses on the Chinese market (which is the focus of this study). China Construction Bank (Johannesburg branch), through their association with Rand-Asia Trade Finance, provides structured trade and commodity finance to African SMEs. The key to receiving structured trade and commodity finance is that these SMEs, together with China Construction Bank (Jhb) and Rand-Asia Trade Finance have to mitigate the risks involved with their international transactions so that the SMEs can become ?trade finance ready?. / Thesis (M.Com. (International Commerce))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Text in Afrikaans / This study is aimed at the development of a guiding framework for fathers and their adolescent sons by focusing on male identity as the main binding factor in the relationship between father a and son. The establishment, as well as the confusion regarding male identity, have been stated as starting point and problem statement of the study. The need regarding the way in which the father and son can be guided within this dynamic relationship in order to establish male identity, has been stated as motivation for the study. The need regarding the guidance of fathers and their sons was thus the primary aim with the research question, namely what the most applicable factors in a guiding framework should be that would guide fathers and their sons in order to support the formation of male identity within the sons. The research methodology that has been followed, was from a Gestalt perspective as meta theoretical assumption from which qualitative, explorative and descriptive strategies were followed. The qualitative strategy consisted of an auto-ethnography and semi-structured interviews. The trustworthiness of the research has been strengthened by a quantitative component of the research by utilizing questionnaires, after which data was collected and analysed. A purposive sample was drawn that included respondents from the Drakenstein municipal area in the Boland district. Categories that were identified from data from the semi-structured interviews, as well as indicators from the questionnaires, have been integrated, from which propositions were constructed. Six themes and resulting guiding strategies were presented in the form of a guiding framework. / Hierdie studie is gerig op die ontwikkeling van 'n begeleidingsraamwerk vir vaders en hulle adolessente seuns deur te fokus op manlike identiteit as die samebindende faktor in die verhouding tussen vader en seun. Die vestiging, asook die verwarring ten opsigte van manlike identiteit, is as vertrekpunt en probleemstelling vir die studie gestel. Die behoefte ten opsigte van die manier waarop vader en seun binne hierdie dinamiese verhouding begelei kan word ten einde manlike identiteit te vestig, is as motivering vir die studie gestel. Die behoefte aan begeleiding vir vaders en huile seuns was dus die primere doel met 'n navorsingsvraag, naamlik wat die mees toepaslike faktore sal wees wat in 'n begeleidingsraamwerk aan vaders en hulle seuns leiding sal bied ten einde die vorming van manlike identiteit by die seuns te ondersteun. Die navorsingsmetodologie wat gevolg is, was vanuit die Gestaltperspekief as metateoretiese aanname waaruit kwalitatiewe, verkennende en beskrywende strategies gevolg is. Die kwalitatiewe strategie het bestaan uit 'n outoetnografie en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Die vertrouenswaardigheid van die navorsing is deur 'n kwantitatiewe komponent van die navorsing versterk deur vraelyste te benut waarna data ingesamel en geanaliseer is. 'n Doelgerigte steekproef is getrek, wat respondente ingesluit het uit die Drakenstein munisipale gebied in die Boland distrik. Kategoriee wat vanuit die data van die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude geidentifiseer is, asook indikatore vanuit die vraelyste, is geintegreer waaruit proposisies saamgestel is. Ses temas en voortspruitende begeleidingstrategiee is aangebied in die vorm van 'n begeleidingsraamwerk. / Social Work / D.Diac. (Spelterapie)

Text in Afrikaans / Satanisme het ‘n destruktiewe effek op die ontwikkeling en welsyn van die adolessent en beïnvloed alle vlakke van sy of haar ontwikkeling. Sataniste gebruik verskeie wyses om adolessente te lok, onder andere ‘n fokus op individue se behoeftes aan lewensmiddele soos geld en aanvaarding, Tydens hierdie studie is die gebrek aan riglyne vir spelterapeute in die hantering van adolessente wat in Satanisme betrokke is, as navorsingsprobleem geïdentifiseer. In die lig van die navorsingsprobleem is die doel van die studie geformuleer, naamlik om riglyne te formuleer waarvolgens spelterapeute die probleem van adolessente wat by Satanisme betrokke is te hanteer. Ten einde die doel te bereik, het die navorser inliging ingesamel aan die hand van kwalitatiewe prosesse, gebaseer op die basis van bewys gebondenheid Satanism has a destructive effect on the development and wellbeing of the adolescent and is known to influence all levels of his or her development. Satanists use a variety of forms of entrapment and their focus on the individual’s need of worldly goods, wealth and acceptance makes the adolescent easy prey. During this study the lack of guidelines, for play therapists who became involved in the handling of adolescents entrapped in Satanism, was identified as the research problem. Bearing in mind the research problem, the aim of this study had thus been formulated, namely to formulate guidelines according to which play therapists will be enabled to address the problem of adolescents entrapped in Satanism. To fulfill this aim, the researcher had gathered information by means of qualitative processes, based on evidence. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Summary in Afrikaans and English / Die Nasionale Biblioteek van Suid-Afrika ervaar 'n behoefte aan 'n metode van menslikehulpbronontwikkeling waarvolgens die vaardighede van werknemers ontwikkel kan word sodat die organisasie kan aanpas by plaaslike en globale veranderinge. Gestruktureerde mentorskap is vervolgens geidentifiseer as 'n geskikte metode om in die bestaande behoefte te voorsien, aangesien mentorskap se loopbaan- en psigo-sosiale funksies die ontwikkeling van die professionele en persoonlike vaardighede van die werknemer moontlik maak. Daarby is mentorskap nie net voordelig vir die betrokkenes nie, maar dit hou ook besliste voordele in vir die organisasie en die sektor waarbinne die organisasie werksaam is. Die suksesvolle toepassing van gestruktureerde mentorskap is egter daaraan onderhewig dat die kontekstuele omgewing waarbinne dit toegepas gaan word, geskik moet wees, en werknemers moet bereid wees om betrokke te raak by so 'n program. 'n Konseptuele raamwerk vir die bestudering van mentorskap soos opgestel deur David Marshall Hunt en Carol Michael is derhalwe aangepas om die verskynsel "mentorskap" deur middel van 'n verkennende literatuuroorsig te bestudeer. Die bevindinge van die literatuuroorsig word ondersteun deur 'n empiriese ondersoek van die geskiktheid van die Nasionale Biblioteek van Suid-Afrika as kontekstuele omgewing vir die toepassing van mentorskap en die bereidwilligheid van die werknemers van hierdie biblioteekorganisasie om betrokke te raak by die mentorskapproses. Die data wat ingesamel is, word ontleed en die gevolgtrekkings wat gemaak word oor bogenoemde twee vereistes vir die suksesvolle toepassing van mentorskap word uiteengesit. Die studie word afgesluit deur aanbevelings wat gemaak word oor aspekte van die toepassing van mentorskap wat verdere navorsing regverdig, maar wat nie binne die bestek van hierdie studie na behore aangespreek kon word nie. / Structured mentoring was identified as a method to develop the professional and personal skills of the employees of the National Library of South Africa in order to adjust to local and global changes. A conceptual framework for the study of mentoring, as developed by Hunt and Michael, was therefore critically adapted in order to investigate fully the phenomenon of "mentoring" by means of an exploratory literature review. The findings of the literature review are supported by an empirical survey to test the suitability of the National Library of South Africa as contextual environment for the application of mentoring, as well as the willingness of its employees to participate in mentoring. This culminated in an analysis and interpretation of the findings and formulation of conclusions regarding the two abovementioned requirements for the successful application of mentoring. The study ends with recommendations for further investigation into aspects of mentoring which could not be covered in this study. / Information Science / M. Inf.

Text in Afrikaans / This study is aimed at the development of a guiding framework for fathers and their adolescent sons by focusing on male identity as the main binding factor in the relationship between father a and son. The establishment, as well as the confusion regarding male identity, have been stated as starting point and problem statement of the study. The need regarding the way in which the father and son can be guided within this dynamic relationship in order to establish male identity, has been stated as motivation for the study. The need regarding the guidance of fathers and their sons was thus the primary aim with the research question, namely what the most applicable factors in a guiding framework should be that would guide fathers and their sons in order to support the formation of male identity within the sons. The research methodology that has been followed, was from a Gestalt perspective as meta theoretical assumption from which qualitative, explorative and descriptive strategies were followed. The qualitative strategy consisted of an auto-ethnography and semi-structured interviews. The trustworthiness of the research has been strengthened by a quantitative component of the research by utilizing questionnaires, after which data was collected and analysed. A purposive sample was drawn that included respondents from the Drakenstein municipal area in the Boland district. Categories that were identified from data from the semi-structured interviews, as well as indicators from the questionnaires, have been integrated, from which propositions were constructed. Six themes and resulting guiding strategies were presented in the form of a guiding framework. / Hierdie studie is gerig op die ontwikkeling van 'n begeleidingsraamwerk vir vaders en hulle adolessente seuns deur te fokus op manlike identiteit as die samebindende faktor in die verhouding tussen vader en seun. Die vestiging, asook die verwarring ten opsigte van manlike identiteit, is as vertrekpunt en probleemstelling vir die studie gestel. Die behoefte ten opsigte van die manier waarop vader en seun binne hierdie dinamiese verhouding begelei kan word ten einde manlike identiteit te vestig, is as motivering vir die studie gestel. Die behoefte aan begeleiding vir vaders en huile seuns was dus die primere doel met 'n navorsingsvraag, naamlik wat die mees toepaslike faktore sal wees wat in 'n begeleidingsraamwerk aan vaders en hulle seuns leiding sal bied ten einde die vorming van manlike identiteit by die seuns te ondersteun. Die navorsingsmetodologie wat gevolg is, was vanuit die Gestaltperspekief as metateoretiese aanname waaruit kwalitatiewe, verkennende en beskrywende strategies gevolg is. Die kwalitatiewe strategie het bestaan uit 'n outoetnografie en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Die vertrouenswaardigheid van die navorsing is deur 'n kwantitatiewe komponent van die navorsing versterk deur vraelyste te benut waarna data ingesamel en geanaliseer is. 'n Doelgerigte steekproef is getrek, wat respondente ingesluit het uit die Drakenstein munisipale gebied in die Boland distrik. Kategoriee wat vanuit die data van die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude geidentifiseer is, asook indikatore vanuit die vraelyste, is geintegreer waaruit proposisies saamgestel is. Ses temas en voortspruitende begeleidingstrategiee is aangebied in die vorm van 'n begeleidingsraamwerk. / Social Work / D.Diac. (Spelterapie)