This dissertation analyses public health service delivery at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital (S.S.R.N.H.) in Mauritius. Particular emphasis is laid on the historical development of public health service delivery at S.S.R.N.H. Public health service delivery has been approached from the view points of its nature and scope. The core components of the research survey have been on some major obstacles and flaws in effective public health service delivery at S.S.R.N.H. The measuring instrument used for the research survey was a self­ administered questionnaire. The main findings were discussed especially absenteeism, personnel turnover, stress, burnout, morale, sexual harassment, lethargy and disobedience, nepotism, shirking responsibility, alcohol and drug abuse, active political interference, bribery and corruption, dishonesty and retaliation and neglect of duty. Attention was also devoted on the current national health policy for improving public health service delivery at S.S.R.N.H., inter-alia, the National Policy for Public Heath Act 17 of 2000 and the White Paper on Health Sector Development and Reform of December 2003. The public health environment is constantly altering. Therefore, it is essential to adjust to the changing health environment. This dissertation has addressed the future challenges in the micro health environment and macro health environment of S.S.R.N.H. Ultimately, a holistic instead of a parochial approach to addressing shortcomings identified in public health service delivery at S.S.R.N.H. has been advocated in this dissertation. / Public Administration and Management / M.Admin. (Public Admin)

This thesis investigates the capacity of the newly introduced Chinese Special Economic Zones in Africa (CSEZAs) to deliver ‘cooperation' and ‘mutual development' to China and Africa. Referring to existing scholarship on other forms of liberal spatial economics, it addresses the conceptual, methodological and theoretical void in which the subject of CSEZAs evolves in academia. As extensive global interactive processes are identified in the schema of the CSEZA, this thesis advocates Andre Gunder Frank's Dependency Theory as the appropriate prism through which to explicate the new zone format. Empirical data about the seven CSEZAs outline the problematic and development-conducive aspects of the zone model. It is argued here that the failure to customise the SEZ model to the African context is what corrodes the developmental prospects of the CSEZAs. The Mauritius JinFei Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone is taken as an example of a problematic CSEZA. A detailed analysis of the Mauritian case allows a visualisation of the respective role of China and the African state in the CSEZA context. As the exploitative and non-developmental nature of the CSEZA model (in its current form), is established, this thesis concludes that the CSEZA gives a new interpretation to the traditional practice of dependency. This new version, nonetheless, exacerbates the dialectic development-underdevelopment processes integral to the global capitalist economy.

Literature survey shows that with, a few exceptions, the consumer behaviour of domestic water consumers has not been a common area of research. This explains the scarcity of information in this specific field. This scarcity was noted in the region and very much so in the context of Mauritius. And yet, such information is very much relevant for the management of the water sector, for the improvement of the service, for policy makers, for personal and social development and for achieving consumer satisfaction. This research brings about information that would contribute in its own way to these areas. The object of this thesis is to study the consumer behaviour in respect of domestic water consumers in Mauritius, to develop new theories and to build a consumer behaviour model. The thesis, at its outset, gives the background of the research. It contains the description of the water supply situation in Mauritius, its production, its distribution and its management. The brief on the people of Mauritius helps to put in the right context the pluricultural nature of the Mauritian society which is important for the understanding of the consumer behaviour of Mauritians. The literature survey, inter-alia, gives the historical development of consumer behaviour, its relevance to marketing, and its study as a discipline in its own right. The very scarcity of theories and models of consumer behaviour of domestic water consumers cannot be overlooked. The literature survey, therefore, covers some of the theories and models specifically on commodities. These models along with the literature review serve as theoretical foundation for the present research The models of consumer behaviour which have been literature reviewed have further enabled to construct an integrated model of consumer behaviour which serves as a framework for the discussion and analysis of the new model which is developed during the course of this research. The research is one mainly of general interest and can be classified as an exploratory research with a substantial contribution of descriptive research. The research has necessitated the collection of primary data. For this purpose, the objective approach was adopted and a consumer survey was carried out with the use of a direct structured questionnaire. The survey has been supplemented by discussions of focus groups. The analysis of the consumer survey is followed by the testing of the hypotheses, the development of theories and discussions on results obtained. The building of a new model of consumer behaviour based on the findings of the research is then undertaken and discussed. The thesis covers a wide spectrum from the need of a domestic water connection, consumption of domestic water, post-consumption behaviour to the illegal use of water in Mauritius. The thesis winds up with conclusions and recommendations. The specific topic of this thesis is a rare one. This research is but a step in the furtherance of knowledge. It stands as an original regional contribution to the science of management and to its development. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / DBL

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study traces the development of the welfare state in Mauritius and South Africa from the early 1900s until the present, with specific reference made to the non-contributory old-age pension scheme. It seeks to understand the intersections between big capital, the state and broad-based social forces in heralding different welfare outcomes in the two countries. Mauritius has retained its long-standing traditions as a social democratic welfare state stretching back to the late 1950s. In contrast, the current welfare model of South Africa continues to be the embodiment of the liberal welfare state, similar to that of the ancien regime set up in 1928, even though it has maintained a generous social grants system since the advent of democracy in 1994. As a result it is important to unravel patterns of historical evolution that are responsible for different welfare outcomes in seemingly identical socio-political contexts. Similarly, it is important to scratch below the surface of these historical patterns of evolution to account for these disparate welfare frameworks which, nonetheless, exhibit identical outcomes in the social security sector in terms of their unfaltering commitment to old-age pensions. To this end the dissertation employs the comparative historical analysis approach in a bid to draw cross-national parallels between the social processes that unfolded and consequently underpinned development paradigms over time. This study suggests that accounting for the divergent policy outcomes is the disproportionate powers being wielded by neoliberal market forces within the main arteries of the South African economy, which hindered the state from defining the policy direction of its welfare framework to dovetail with expansive social reforms. This restraint was compounded by the left as a 'labour aristocracy', whose alliance with the political ruling class compromised their ability to champion the pro-poor agenda with as much vigour as they would have if they had pursued an independent course. This is a far cry from the welfare trajectory of Mauritius, in which a mutual understanding between the state, cross-class movements and capitalist market forces bridged contesting class interests by reconciling market economics with social fundamentals. Unlike in South Africa, the independence of the working classes in Mauritius – whose mobilising traditions cut across the class spectrum – has added special impetus to the social reform movement, having served as the bulwark against welfare retrenchments and/or less egalitarian reforms in the past. That the universal pension scheme and the state’s commitment to the pro-poor cause remain intact in Mauritius is a result of these pro-active class contestations. On the other hand, the absence of the balance of power struck between social actors and the economic élite in South Africa propelled a class compromise that allowed for the dominance of pensions to come at the cost of extensive social reforms. Such outcomes would not have come into effect in South Africa had the playing field for all relevant stakeholders been level, as in Mauritius. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie volg die ontwikkeling van die welsynstaat in Mauritius en in Suid-Afrika vanaf die vroeë 1900’s tot op hede, met spesifieke verwysing na die nie-bydraende ouderdomspensioenskema. Dit poog om die snypunte tussen groot kapitaal, die staat en breë-basis maatskaplike kragte wat gelei het tot verskillende welsynuitkomstes in die twee lande te begryp. Mauritius het sy langdurige tradisie as ’n sosiale demokratiese welsynstaat, wat sedert die 1950’s bestaan, behou. In kontras gaan die huidige welsynmodel in Suid-Afrika voort as die beliggaming van die liberale welsynstaat, soortgelyk aan die ancien regime wat in 1928 ingestel is, selfs al het dit ’n vrygewige stelsel van maatskaplike toelae sedert die vestiging van demokrasie in 1994 onderhou. As gevolg hiervan is dit belangrik om die patrone van historiese evolusie te ontsyfer wat verantwoordelik is vir verskillende welsynuitkomstes in blykbaar identiese sosiaal-politiese kontekste. Eweneens is dit belangrik om onder die oppervlak van hierdie historiese patrone van evolusie te krap om hierdie uiteenlopende welsynraamwerke te verklaar wat nietemin identiese uitkomstes in die maatskaplike sekuriteitsektor vertoon in terme van hulle onwrikbare verbondenheid tot ouderdomspensioene. Ten einde dit te bereik gebruik hierdie proefskrif die benadering van vergelykende historiese analise in ’n poging om dwarsliggende nasionale ooreenstemmings te vind tussen die maatskaplike prosesse wat gelei het tot die skep van ontwikkelingsparadigmas oor tyd en hulle gevolglik onderskraag het. Hierdie studie stel voor dat die verklaring vir die uiteenlopende beleidsuitkomstes berus in die ongelyke magte wat binne die belangrikste kanale van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie deur neoliberale markkragte beheer word, wat die staat daarvan weerhou het om ’n beleidsrigting vir sy welsynraamwerk te definieer wat by die breedvoerige maatskaplike hervormings pas. Hierdie remming word vererger deur die linkersy as ’n ‘arbeidsadelstand’, wie se alliansie met die politieke regerende klas hulle vermoë gekompromitteer het om die pro-arm agenda met soveel lewenskrag voor te staan as wat dit moontlik sou gewees het as hulle ’n onafhanklike koers ingeslaan het. Hierdie verskil hemelsbreed van die welsyntrajek in Mauritius, waar ’n wedersydse begrip tussen die staat, bewegings wat klas oorskry, en kapitalistiese markkragte kompeterende klasbelange oorbrug het deur die markekonomie met maatskaplike grondbeginsels te rekonsilieer. Anders as in Suid-Afrika het die onafhanklikheid van die werkersklas in Mauritius – wat se mobiliserende tradisies oor die klasspektrum heen sny – besondere impetus gevoeg by die maatskaplike hervormingsbeweging, aangesien dit gedien het as verskansing teen welsyninkortings en/of minder gelykmakende hervormings in die verlede. Dat die universele pensioenskema en die staat se verbondenheid tot die pro-arm saak in Mauritius onaangetas bly, is as gevolg van hierdie proaktiewe klasstryd. Andersins het die afwesigheid van ’n magsbalans tussen maatskaplike akteurs en die ekonomiese elite in Suid-Afrika gelei tot ’n klaskompromis, wat toegelaat het dat die oorheersing van pensioene gekom het ten koste van breedvoerige maatskaplike hervormings. Sulke uitkomstes sou nie in Suid-Afrika ingetree het nie as die speelveld vir al die relevante belanghebbers gelyk was, soos in Mauritius.

Thesis (MA (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Botswana and Mauritius have been operating as stable, multi-party democracies since their independence, in 1966 and 1968 respectively. It is unclear, however, which country is the most consolidated democracy. Therefore, this study compares Botswana and Mauritius, using specific criteria as developed by writers such as Huntington (1991), Linz and Stepan (1996), Przeworski (1996) and Schedler (1998 and 2001) to determine which country is the most consolidated democracy. The criteria used to determine the most consolidated democracy, can broadly be subdivided as follows. Firstly, institutions impacting on democratic consolidation, and the presence of these institutions in Botswana and Mauritius will be studied, such as the rule of law; whether the respective countries are characterised by a system of Presidentialism or Parliamentarianism; the electoral system used; whether elections are competitive, free and fair, and whether these elections resulted in a peaceful change in political power; the presence of a usable state bureaucracy; and lastly, the rankings by Freedom House will be used to determine to what extent citizen political and civil rights are protected and guaranteed. Secondly, the socio-economic factors impacting on the erosion or deepening of democratic consolidation will be studied, with the focus on trends since independence. These factors include the existence of an economic society; per capita income; economic growth and inflation; as well as inequality reduction within the respective countries. Lastly, the social conditions influencing democratic consolidation will also be studied, such as ethnic homogeneity or heterogeneity; the prevalence and size of the middle class as influenced by urbanization and adult literacy; and lastly, the prevalence and role of civil society. Botswana and Mauritius were compared using the above criteria. This study comes to the conclusion that Mauritius is the most consolidated democracy. The following findings support the conclusion that Mauritius is the most consolidated democracy. Mauritius is a rechtsstaat, whilst Botswana is not. In Mauritius, there is a distinction between the position of Head of State and Head of Government, in contrast to the extensive power given to the President in Botswana. There is no single dominant party in Mauritius, whilst the political sphere in Botswana is characterised by the dominance of the BDP since independence. The FPTP electoral system in Mauritius is supplemented by the BLS, in an effort to ensure sufficient representation to minority groups in the National Assembly, whilst Botswana only uses the FPTP electoral system. Elections in Mauritius are considered to be competitive, free and fair, whilst the fairness of Botswana’s elections, given the electoral system, have been questioned. Mauritius also passes Huntington’s Two Turnover test, as there have been three changes in political power, whilst the BDP in Botswana have won every election since independence. Mauritius’ position on the HDI is much better than the position of Botswana, and the consociational compromises agreed upon in Mauritius resulted in a social environment which assists democratic consolidation. Lastly, Mauritius is also characterised by a lively civil society, whilst civil society in Botswana is considered to be a-political and weak.

Literature survey shows that with, a few exceptions, the consumer behaviour of domestic water consumers has not been a common area of research. This explains the scarcity of information in this specific field. This scarcity was noted in the region and very much so in the context of Mauritius. And yet, such information is very much relevant for the management of the water sector, for the improvement of the service, for policy makers, for personal and social development and for achieving consumer satisfaction. This research brings about information that would contribute in its own way to these areas. The object of this thesis is to study the consumer behaviour in respect of domestic water consumers in Mauritius, to develop new theories and to build a consumer behaviour model. The thesis, at its outset, gives the background of the research. It contains the description of the water supply situation in Mauritius, its production, its distribution and its management. The brief on the people of Mauritius helps to put in the right context the pluricultural nature of the Mauritian society which is important for the understanding of the consumer behaviour of Mauritians. The literature survey, inter-alia, gives the historical development of consumer behaviour, its relevance to marketing, and its study as a discipline in its own right. The very scarcity of theories and models of consumer behaviour of domestic water consumers cannot be overlooked. The literature survey, therefore, covers some of the theories and models specifically on commodities. These models along with the literature review serve as theoretical foundation for the present research The models of consumer behaviour which have been literature reviewed have further enabled to construct an integrated model of consumer behaviour which serves as a framework for the discussion and analysis of the new model which is developed during the course of this research. The research is one mainly of general interest and can be classified as an exploratory research with a substantial contribution of descriptive research. The research has necessitated the collection of primary data. For this purpose, the objective approach was adopted and a consumer survey was carried out with the use of a direct structured questionnaire. The survey has been supplemented by discussions of focus groups. The analysis of the consumer survey is followed by the testing of the hypotheses, the development of theories and discussions on results obtained. The building of a new model of consumer behaviour based on the findings of the research is then undertaken and discussed. The thesis covers a wide spectrum from the need of a domestic water connection, consumption of domestic water, post-consumption behaviour to the illegal use of water in Mauritius. The thesis winds up with conclusions and recommendations. The specific topic of this thesis is a rare one. This research is but a step in the furtherance of knowledge. It stands as an original regional contribution to the science of management and to its development. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / DBL

From the wave of policy reforms of the new Minister of Education and Human Resources for a "World Class Quality Education", stakeholders have been ascribing the poor quality of learner performance to a lack of motivated teachers. This study focuses on the factors that impact on teacher motivation in the Flacq district of Mauritius and on the role of the principal in enhancing teacher motivation. An empirical investigation based on qualitative research was conducted following the literature study on these two themes. Motivational factors pertain to the school-based personal and professional needs of the teacher. Due to centralised school governance and instructional leadership tasks being delegated to the School Management Team, principals are not effective teacher motivators. Recommendations relate to transformational, distributive and participatory leadership strategies for optimal instructional principalship. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational management)

The present study aimed at describing and analysing stakeholders' perception of the role of the school in providing moral education in a multicultural society. The relevance of moral education today in the context of the Mauritian society cannot be underscored given the widespread concern about the collapse of family structures and the demise of family role models as agents of moral education. The adoption of a materialistic philosophy of life and the increasingly influential role of the media have contributed to the disintegration of the moral fibre of society. Using a qualitative approach, the understanding of various categories of stakeholders, namely teachers, students, parents and school administrators, regarding the issue of morality, moral education and the role of the school have been investigated through a survey. The sample consisted of 33 teachers, 30 students and 9 school administrators and 10 parents. The data was collected through four focus group discussions with students and teachers respectively and a series of individual in depth interviews with parents and school administrators. The data collection period extended over eight months. The conceptual framework used in the study was based on the social learning model developed by Bandura (1991:91). The notion of modelling or vicarious learning as a form of social learning is particularly relevant in the case of moral learning and moral socialisation in the context of the school. The findings reveal a general consensus among adults of the need for schools to seriously reconsider its function as a moral educator. Their perceptions of the ways in which it ought to take place focus primarily on the use of role modelling and dialogue within the school set up. Adults also seem to believe that some form of direct moral instruction could be considered if the strategy used is more student-centred and based on discussions about case studies. The students, however, perceive indirect moral instruction through the hidden curriculum to be more effective in helping them to understand and internalise moral values. Chief among their concern is the role of the teacher and his or her professionalism as well as communication skills. In the light of the findings, guidelines have been developed to implement a moral education programme at secondary school level. / Educational Studies / D.Ed.(Psychology of Education)

Mathematics has been seen to act as a ‘critical filter’ in the social, economic and professional development of individuals. The Island of Mauritius relies to a great extent on its human resource power to meet the challenges of recent technological developments, and a substantial core of mathematics is needed to prepare students for their involvements in these challenges. After an analysis of the School Certificate examination results for the past ten years in Mauritius, it was found that boys were out-performing girls in mathematics at that level. This study aimed to examine this gender difference in mathematics performance at the secondary level by exploring factors affecting mathematics teaching and learning, and by identifying and implementing strategies to enhance positive factors. The study was conducted using a mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology in three phases. A survey approach was used in the Phase One of the study to analyse the performance of selected students from seventeen schools across Mauritius in a specially designed mathematics test. The attitudes of these students were also analysed through administration of the Modified Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scale questionnaire. In Phase Two a case study method was employed, involving selected students from four Mauritian secondary schools. After the administration of the two instruments used in Phase One to these selected students, qualitative techniques were introduced. These included classroom observations and interviews of students, teachers, parents and key informants. Data from these interviews assisted in analysing and interpreting the influence of these individuals on students, and the influence of the students’ own attitudes towards mathematics on their learning of mathematics. / The results of Phases One and Two provided further evidence that boys were outperforming girls in mathematics at the secondary level in Mauritius. It was noted that students rated teachers highly in influencing their learning of mathematics. However, the teaching methods usually employed in the mathematics classrooms were found to be teacher-centered, and it was apparent that there existed a lack of opportunity for students to be involved in their own learning. It was also determined that parents and peers played a significant role in students’ learning of mathematics. After having analysed the difficulties students encountered in their mathematical studies, a package was designed with a view to enhance the teaching and learning of the subject at the secondary level. The package was designed to promote student-centred practices, where students would be actively involved in their own learning, and to foster appropriate use of collaborative learning. It was anticipated that the package would motivate students towards learning mathematics and would enhance their conceptual understanding of the subject. The efficacy of the package was examined in Phase Three of the study when students from a number of Mauritian secondary schools engaged with the package over a period of three months. Pre- and post-tests were used to measure students’ achievement gains. The What Is Happening in This Class (WIHIC) questionnaire also was used to analyse issues related to the affective domains of the students. An overall appreciation of the approaches used in the teaching and learning package was provided by students in the form of self-reports. / The outcomes of the Third Phase demonstrated an improvement in the achievement of students in the areas of mathematics which were tested. The students’ perceptions of the classroom learning environment were also found to be positive. Through their self-reports, students demonstrated an appreciation for the package’s strategies used in motivating them to learn mathematics and in helping them gain a better understanding of the mathematical concepts introduced.

The mission of Catholic Education in Mauritius is to ‘humanise’ education and pedagogies to be consistent with Catholic values. The vision of a ‘humanised’ education explicitly teaches collaboration and cooperation. In January 2005, the Catholic Education Bureau (BEC) opted for a ‘mixed ability’ philosophy whose articulation fosters inclusiveness in all Catholic secondary schools. To achieve this, schools need to re-invent and restructure themselves into learning organisations to make obvious the ‘mixed ability’ philosophy at the middle level of schooling from Form I to Form III.The first purpose of this study is to explore an integral model for an effective education for Catholic secondary schools in Mauritius that acknowledges diversity in the classroom particularly in Form I. The second purpose is to investigate the beliefs and understandings of educators in Catholic secondary education in Mauritius of this model.For the first purpose, a review of the literature was undertaken to understand the concepts of middle schooling, differentiation, learning theories and implications for practice, the enabling structures for Catholic secondary schools to develop into learning communities and the leadership role of key actors. For the second purpose, the perceptions of educators were investigated using a predominantly qualitative, interpretative methodology around an instrumental multi-site case study.The study found a number of challenges faced by Catholic educators in Mauritius regarding the implementation of the integral model. These challenges present a new direction for these schools to focus on the human person, leading to the development and implementation of the ‘mixed ability’ program. The study concluded with a cogent set of recommendations and directions which need to be put in place in order to improve student learning outcomes at the middle level of schooling and achieve the vision of a human-centered education within the espoused Catholic mission.