Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important grain crop in the country. Approximately 12 million tons of maize grain is produced annually on approximately 2.5 million ha of land. However, increased farming intensity can lead to fragmentation of habitat and has a tendency to decrease the biodiversity of an area. Therefore, to ensure the continued functionality of agro-ecosystems, methods in agriculture must be assessed and adapted when necessary to ensure the persistence of biological diversity. Unfortunately, the effect of crop production on species diversity and composition in South Africa is still relatively unknown, and no baseline data exists with which to gauge the possibility of unknown extinction risks of important biological elements. The objectives of this study were to compare plant and arthropod diversity patterns and species turnover of maize agro-ecosystems between biomes (grassland and savanna) and along a maize field-field margin gradient (MAFFMAG). Surveys of maize agro-ecosystems were conducted in six provinces of South Africa, namely North-West, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State and the Eastern Cape. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significantly lower plant and arthropod species diversity and richness in maize fields compared to field margins. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that arthropod species composition differed between biomes although not along MAFFMAGs, indicating that arthropod species composition is dependent on biome rather than distance from maize field. Floristic data revealed unique species compositions for maize fields and field margins and also for biomes. Furthermore, maize fields and field margins of grassland sites were more similar in plant species composition than the savanna localities, suggesting higher regional beta diversity for savanna regions. Spearman‘s rank order correlations revealed generally positive but weak or no relationships between plant and arthropod diversity. This study provides baseline data for identification, monitoring and conservation of priority species and will allow the future evaluation of ecosystem services provided by plants and associated arthropods, especially natural enemies of pests, in maize agro-ecosystems. / MSc (Environmental Sciences), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The South African white maize market is considered to be significantly more volatile than any other agricultural product traded on the South African Futures Exchange (SAFEX). This accentuates the need to effectively manage price risk, by means of hedging, to ensure a more profitable and sustainable maize production sector (Geyser, 2013:39; Jordaan, Grové, Jooste, A. & Jooste, Z.G., 2007:320). However, hedging at lower price levels might result in significant variation margins or costly buy–outs in order to fulfil the contract obligations. This challenge is addressed in this study by making use of technical analysis, focusing on the development of a practical and applicable composite technical indicator with the purpose of improving the timing of price risk management decisions identified by individual technical indicators. This may ultimately assist a producer in achieving a higher average hedge level compared to popular individual technical indicators. The process of constructing a composite indicator was commenced by examining the prevailing tendency of the market. By making use of the Directional Movement Index (DMI), as identified in the literature study, the market was found to continually shift between trending prices (prices moving either upwards or downwards) and prices trading sideways. Consequently, implementing only a leading (statistically more suitable for trading markets) or lagging (statistically more suitable for trending markets) technical indicator may generate false sell signals, as demonstrated by the application of these technical indicators in the white maize market. This substantiated the motivation for compiling a composite indicator that takes both leading and lagging indicators into account to more accurately identify hedging opportunities. The composite indicator made use of the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Stochastic oscillator as leading indicators, and the Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) as lagging indicators. The results validated the applicability of such a composite indicator, as the composite indicator outperformed the individual technical indicators in the white maize market. The composite indicator achieved the highest average hedge level, the lowest average sell signals generated over the entire period, as well as the highest average hedge level as a percentage of the maximum price over the entire period. Hence, the composite indicator recognised hedging opportunities more accurately compared to individual technical indicators, which ultimately led to higher achieved hedging levels. / MCom. (Risk management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The South African white maize market is considered to be significantly more volatile than any other agricultural product traded on the South African Futures Exchange (SAFEX). This accentuates the need to effectively manage price risk, by means of hedging, to ensure a more profitable and sustainable maize production sector (Geyser, 2013:39; Jordaan, Grové, Jooste, A. & Jooste, Z.G., 2007:320). However, hedging at lower price levels might result in significant variation margins or costly buy–outs in order to fulfil the contract obligations. This challenge is addressed in this study by making use of technical analysis, focusing on the development of a practical and applicable composite technical indicator with the purpose of improving the timing of price risk management decisions identified by individual technical indicators. This may ultimately assist a producer in achieving a higher average hedge level compared to popular individual technical indicators. The process of constructing a composite indicator was commenced by examining the prevailing tendency of the market. By making use of the Directional Movement Index (DMI), as identified in the literature study, the market was found to continually shift between trending prices (prices moving either upwards or downwards) and prices trading sideways. Consequently, implementing only a leading (statistically more suitable for trading markets) or lagging (statistically more suitable for trending markets) technical indicator may generate false sell signals, as demonstrated by the application of these technical indicators in the white maize market. This substantiated the motivation for compiling a composite indicator that takes both leading and lagging indicators into account to more accurately identify hedging opportunities. The composite indicator made use of the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Stochastic oscillator as leading indicators, and the Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) as lagging indicators. The results validated the applicability of such a composite indicator, as the composite indicator outperformed the individual technical indicators in the white maize market. The composite indicator achieved the highest average hedge level, the lowest average sell signals generated over the entire period, as well as the highest average hedge level as a percentage of the maximum price over the entire period. Hence, the composite indicator recognised hedging opportunities more accurately compared to individual technical indicators, which ultimately led to higher achieved hedging levels. / MCom. (Risk management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This study provides the strategies that can be implemented to promote the agricultural sector in KwaZulu-Natal and the theory behind economic development, as well as the importance of trade and export growth. There are restrictions in terms of trade and it is important that these are addressed before making a decision to choose a viable, potential and realistic country to export to. This study is aimed answer the research question if agriculture can be seen as a primary export sector in KwaZulu-Natal. Furthermore, this study includes background on the KwaZulu-Natal Province and mainly focus on the indicators such as GDP, employment, health issues and other indicators that will indicate that this province is of importance in South Africa in terms of the agricultural sector. This study uses SARS data to analyse and calculate the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) of all agricultural products of the province. This is done to identify if there is a comparative advantage in the products studied in this study. The products of KwaZulu-Natal also show that this province’s agriculture can be seen as a primary export sector and that this sector is a major contribution to South Africa’s GDP and development. This study uses the Decision Support Model (DSM) to compare the results from the Revealed Comparative Advantage to identify the products and sectors which have the most export potential in the international market. This study reveals that the agricultural products and industries in KwaZulu-Natal with the highest overall export potential are chocolate and cocoa preps, refined soybean oil, and leather products as the three top performers among agricultural products and have the most export potential in the province. Concluding remarks are based on the findings made throughout the study. / Thesis (MCom (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

This study provides the strategies that can be implemented to promote the agricultural sector in KwaZulu-Natal and the theory behind economic development, as well as the importance of trade and export growth. There are restrictions in terms of trade and it is important that these are addressed before making a decision to choose a viable, potential and realistic country to export to. This study is aimed answer the research question if agriculture can be seen as a primary export sector in KwaZulu-Natal. Furthermore, this study includes background on the KwaZulu-Natal Province and mainly focus on the indicators such as GDP, employment, health issues and other indicators that will indicate that this province is of importance in South Africa in terms of the agricultural sector. This study uses SARS data to analyse and calculate the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) of all agricultural products of the province. This is done to identify if there is a comparative advantage in the products studied in this study. The products of KwaZulu-Natal also show that this province’s agriculture can be seen as a primary export sector and that this sector is a major contribution to South Africa’s GDP and development. This study uses the Decision Support Model (DSM) to compare the results from the Revealed Comparative Advantage to identify the products and sectors which have the most export potential in the international market. This study reveals that the agricultural products and industries in KwaZulu-Natal with the highest overall export potential are chocolate and cocoa preps, refined soybean oil, and leather products as the three top performers among agricultural products and have the most export potential in the province. Concluding remarks are based on the findings made throughout the study. / Thesis (MCom (International Trade))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie behels drie narratiewe wat gekonstrueer is uit onderhoude met boere wat die boerdery na 1994 verlaat het. Die fokus van die studie is om die private en openbare diskoerse wat ’n konteks skep vir boere om die boerdery te verlaat, te identifiseer. Daar is tans ’n eksodus van boere uit die landbou. Hierdie tendens skep ’n konteks vir destabilisasie van die platteland en beïnvloed al die betrokke rolspelers. Tog is min of geen navorsing in die sielkunde oor die belewenisse van hierdie groep mense onderneem nie. Die navorsing is uitgevoer vanuit ’n sosiale konstruksionistiese benadering wat binne die postmoderne diskoers geanker is. ’n Diskoersanalise is uitgevoer op die teks van drie navorsingsdeelnemers wat nog tot onlangs toe geboer het, maar intussen hul narratiewe moes rekonstrueer. Die unieke betekenis wat deur die navorsingsteks gekonstrueer word, is dat die verduidelikende lokus vir menslike gedrag vanaf die klassieke fokus op persoonlike belewenisse en verstandelike prosesse wat binne individue gesetel is, na ’n fokus op prosesse en strukture van menslike interaksie verskuif. Die navorsingsteks beskik dus oor die vermoë om ’n bewustheid by sielkundiges en verwante beroepe te konstrueer om vanuit ’n nuwe perspektief na die sielkundige diskoers te kyk. In hoofstuk een deel ek my eie boerderynarratief met die leser en stel die navorsingsvraag bekend. In hoofstuk twee word die konteks waarbinne boerdery in Suid-Afrika gesitueer is, aan die hand van ’n literatuurstudie uiteengesit. Dit word in hoofstuk drie opgevolg met ’n verduideliking van die paradigmatiese vertrekpunt, naamlik sosiale konstruksionisme. Diskoersanalise wat as ’n metode gebruik word om die teks te eksploreer word ook bespreek. Met hierdie agtergrond in gedagte word daar in hoofstuk vier oorgegaan na die fokus van die navorsing, naamlik die eksplorasie van teks. ’n Diskoersanalise is op die teks van drie navorsingsdeelnemers gedoen. Diskoerse wat in die proses geïdentifiseer is, sluit die volgende in: gesin-van-oorsprong-diskoers; beroepsdiskoers; politieke diskoers; misdaad-diskoers; ekonomiese diskoers; stoettelersdiskoers; middelman-diskoers; patriargale diskoers; ouderdomsdiskoers; beleggingsdiskoers; biomediese diskoers; opvoedingsdiskoers; die koöperasie as ’n instelling; sowel as diskoerse wat in die pers gevoer word. Hierdie diskoerse vorm saam die konteks waarbinne boere besluite oor hul toekoms neem. Die bevindings word nie as die waarheid hanteer nie, maar as die waarheid wat deur taal en magsverhoudings in stand gehou word. U word genooi om verder te lees en die sentrale posisie wat taal beklee in die skepping van die realiteit van die mens se bestaan, en in die konstruering van die navorsingsnarratief, vir uself te ontdek. ENGLISH : This study comprises three narratives that were constructed from interviews conducted with farmers who had given up farming after 1994. The focus of the study is to identify the private and public discourses that create a context for farmers to give up farming. Currently, an exodus of farmers is taking place from agriculture. This trend creates a context for the destabilisation of rural areas and affects all parties involved. However, in the field of psychology little research, if any, has been conducted into the experiences of this group of people. The research was conducted from a social constructionism approach anchored in the postmodern discourse. A discourse analysis was done of the text of three research participants who had been farming until recently, but who since had to reconstruct their narratives. The unique meaning constructed by the research text is that the explanatory locus of human behaviour has moved away from the classic focus on personal experiences and mental processes residing in individuals, to a focus on processes and structures of human interaction. The research text has the potential of constructing awareness among psychologists and related professions to view the psychological discourse from a new perspective. In chapter one I share my own farming narrative with the reader and introduce the research question. Chapter two comprises the context in which the farming industry is situated in South Africa based on a study of relevant literature. That is followed by an explanation of the paradigmatic point of departure known as social constructionism in chapter three. Discourse analysis is also discussed as a method used to explore the text. Bearing this in mind, chapter four moves on to the research focus, that is the exploration of text. A discourse analysis was done of the text of three research participants. Discourses identified in the process include the following: family-of-origin discourse; career discourse; political discourse; crime discourse; economic discourse; stud-farming discourse; middleman discourse; patriarchal discourse; age discourse; investment discourse; bio-medical discourse; educational discourse; the cooperative as an institution; as well as discourses conducted in the press. Together these discourses form the context within which farmers make decisions about their future. The findings are not dealt with as the truth, but as the truth maintained in language and relationships of power. You are invited to read on and to discover for yourself the central position which language holds in creating the reality of man’s existence and in constructing the research narrative. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

It is important that organisations are aware of factors that might affect the levels of well-being of employees, as employees are instrumental to the achievement of organisational goals. Well-being of employees can be conceptualised in terms of burnout and engagement. Studies have shown that different factors contribute to the employee experience of burnout and engagement. These factors include job demands and resources and psychological conditions (psychological meaningfulness, psychological availability and psychological safety). Although various studies regarding burnout and engagement can be found in literature, three research gaps have been identified from the studies. First, a reliable and valid instrument is needed to measure job demands and resources in a specific organisation. Second, given the cost of some measures of burnout, inadequacies in conceptualisation of the burnout construct and the inadequate psychometric properties of others, an inexpensive measure is needed which can be used to measure burnout in a valid and reliable way. Third, no studies seem to be found which focus on the effects of job demands and resources on burnout and engagement via specific psychological conditions (i.e. psychological meaningfulness, availability and safety). The general objective of this research therefore was to investigate the well-being of employees in a South African agricultural research organisation. It focused on job demands, job resources, burnout, work engagement and psychological conditions. The objective of the first study was to investigate the job demands and resources of employees in a South African agricultural research organisation. The study specifically examined the validity and reliability of a scale adapted to measure job demands and resources of the employees and established the prevalent job demands and resources of the employees. Differences that may exist based on the employees‟ demographic variables were also investigated. The aim of the second study was to provide an overview of current burnout measures that are used in the literature. From the literature, gaps were identified and used to develop a new Burnout Scale for use with employees within a South African agricultural research organisation. The research then examined the construct validity, reliability, construct equivalence and item bias of the newly-developed Burnout Scale. The research also investigated whether any differences in burnout existed in relation to the employees‟ demographic variables. The third study investigated the relationships between specific job demands, job resources, psychological conditions, burnout, and work engagement by testing a structural model of burnout and engagement in a sample of employees within a South African agricultural research organisation. The research method for each of the three articles consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A non-probability availability sample of 443 agricultural employees was used. A cross-sectional design, with a survey as the data collection technique, was used. Measuring instruments that were utilised included an adapted Job Demands-Resources scale (AJDRS), a self-developed Burnout Scale (BS), a self-developed Work Engagement Scale (WES), an adapted Psychological Conditions Questionnaire (PCQ), and a biographical questionnaire. The statistical analyses were carried out with the help of the SPSS programme (IBM SPSS statistics, version 21) and MPLUS version 7.11 (Muthén, & Muthén 1998-2013). The statistical methods utilised in the three articles included descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, principal factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, MANOVA, ANOVA, differential item functioning (DIF), and structural equation modelling. Evidence was established for the factorial validity and reliability of the AJDRS. The results indicate that the job demands experienced by employees in an agricultural research organisation are: overload and job insecurity; while job resources were: organisational support, growth opportunities, control, rewards, and physical resources (equipment). It was furthermore found that there were differences in the perceived job demands and resources of employees. In addition, the BS was found to consist of three reliable factors, i.e. fatigue, emotional exhaustion/withdrawal, and cognitive weariness. The results also showed construct equivalence for the Burnout construct, and no item bias for the language groups examined. Age was found to affect the level of perceived burnout of the employees. Furthermore, job resources (growth opportunities, control, and organisational support) were found to be positively associated with engagement, while lack of resources and job demands (overload) are positively associated with burnout of employees. Psychological meaningfulness, safety and availability are positively associated with work engagement, and negatively associated with burnout. The psychological conditions of availability, safety, and meaningfulness mediated the relationship between job resources and work engagement, as well as between lack of job resources and burnout. Psychological availability and meaningfulness mediated the relationship between job demands and burnout; however, the mediation effect of psychological safety on the relationship between job demands and burnout could not be established. Recommendations are made for practice, as well as future research. / PhD (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

It is important that organisations are aware of factors that might affect the levels of well-being of employees, as employees are instrumental to the achievement of organisational goals. Well-being of employees can be conceptualised in terms of burnout and engagement. Studies have shown that different factors contribute to the employee experience of burnout and engagement. These factors include job demands and resources and psychological conditions (psychological meaningfulness, psychological availability and psychological safety). Although various studies regarding burnout and engagement can be found in literature, three research gaps have been identified from the studies. First, a reliable and valid instrument is needed to measure job demands and resources in a specific organisation. Second, given the cost of some measures of burnout, inadequacies in conceptualisation of the burnout construct and the inadequate psychometric properties of others, an inexpensive measure is needed which can be used to measure burnout in a valid and reliable way. Third, no studies seem to be found which focus on the effects of job demands and resources on burnout and engagement via specific psychological conditions (i.e. psychological meaningfulness, availability and safety). The general objective of this research therefore was to investigate the well-being of employees in a South African agricultural research organisation. It focused on job demands, job resources, burnout, work engagement and psychological conditions. The objective of the first study was to investigate the job demands and resources of employees in a South African agricultural research organisation. The study specifically examined the validity and reliability of a scale adapted to measure job demands and resources of the employees and established the prevalent job demands and resources of the employees. Differences that may exist based on the employees‟ demographic variables were also investigated. The aim of the second study was to provide an overview of current burnout measures that are used in the literature. From the literature, gaps were identified and used to develop a new Burnout Scale for use with employees within a South African agricultural research organisation. The research then examined the construct validity, reliability, construct equivalence and item bias of the newly-developed Burnout Scale. The research also investigated whether any differences in burnout existed in relation to the employees‟ demographic variables. The third study investigated the relationships between specific job demands, job resources, psychological conditions, burnout, and work engagement by testing a structural model of burnout and engagement in a sample of employees within a South African agricultural research organisation. The research method for each of the three articles consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A non-probability availability sample of 443 agricultural employees was used. A cross-sectional design, with a survey as the data collection technique, was used. Measuring instruments that were utilised included an adapted Job Demands-Resources scale (AJDRS), a self-developed Burnout Scale (BS), a self-developed Work Engagement Scale (WES), an adapted Psychological Conditions Questionnaire (PCQ), and a biographical questionnaire. The statistical analyses were carried out with the help of the SPSS programme (IBM SPSS statistics, version 21) and MPLUS version 7.11 (Muthén, & Muthén 1998-2013). The statistical methods utilised in the three articles included descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, principal factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, MANOVA, ANOVA, differential item functioning (DIF), and structural equation modelling. Evidence was established for the factorial validity and reliability of the AJDRS. The results indicate that the job demands experienced by employees in an agricultural research organisation are: overload and job insecurity; while job resources were: organisational support, growth opportunities, control, rewards, and physical resources (equipment). It was furthermore found that there were differences in the perceived job demands and resources of employees. In addition, the BS was found to consist of three reliable factors, i.e. fatigue, emotional exhaustion/withdrawal, and cognitive weariness. The results also showed construct equivalence for the Burnout construct, and no item bias for the language groups examined. Age was found to affect the level of perceived burnout of the employees. Furthermore, job resources (growth opportunities, control, and organisational support) were found to be positively associated with engagement, while lack of resources and job demands (overload) are positively associated with burnout of employees. Psychological meaningfulness, safety and availability are positively associated with work engagement, and negatively associated with burnout. The psychological conditions of availability, safety, and meaningfulness mediated the relationship between job resources and work engagement, as well as between lack of job resources and burnout. Psychological availability and meaningfulness mediated the relationship between job demands and burnout; however, the mediation effect of psychological safety on the relationship between job demands and burnout could not be established. Recommendations are made for practice, as well as future research. / PhD (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014