Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The tourism sector in the province is regarded as one of the major economic sectors that have been found to have significant growth prospects. Indeed it’s revitalising and captivating to see the provincial tourism industry organizing itself to adapt to the new challenges of the knowledge economy, while also retorting to the new demands emerging from the needs and the expectations of the customers. The Western Cape tourism industry is currently preparing itself for the knowledge intensive marketing of its products and services and is also faced with challenges arising from the need to exploit electronic business systems for the benefits of the entire industry and its role players. In a nutshell, this requires the Western Cape tourism industry to understand the operation of global economic systems and strive towards locating itself strategically within them, and also develop strategic alliances with developing countries in order to reshape the system of global governance to achieve more equitable outcomes. Simultaneously, it requires that it equip the provincial economy as a whole, its sectors and enterprises to meet the challenges facing it in becoming sustainable competitive environment. This is an exploratory study of which the research problem is whether the selected tourism institutions are ready to implement electronic business systems. The proposed research study findings indicate the readiness level of the selected institutions in implementing electronic business systems. The research methodology instruments of the study were twofold. Both a modified questionnaire designed by Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to evaluate companies’ readiness in electronic business systems application was used, as well as a structured interview to acquire qualitative data was also used. The paper is not only a result of my personal interest in electronic business field, most importantly, it is of necessity to understand the concepts and principles of ‘electronic business’ and ‘Destination Marketing Organisation’ as they apply to the Western Cape tourism industry. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toerismesektor in die provinsie word beskou as een van die vernaamste ekonomiese sektore wat beduidende groeivooruitsigte toon. Dit is inderdaad opwindend en fassinerend om te sien hoe die provinsiale toerismebedryf homself organiseer om by die nuwe uitdagings van die kennisekonomie aan te pas, terwyl daar ook voldoen word aan die nuwe eise wat uit die behoeftes en die verwagtinge van die klante voortspruit. Die Wes-Kaapse toerismebedryf berei homself tans voor vir die kennis-intensiewe bemarking van sy produkte en dienste en kom ook te staan voor uitdagings wat spruit uit die behoefte om elektroniese besigheidstelsels tot voordeel van die hele bedryf en sy rolspelers te ontgin. Kortom vereis dit van die Wes-Kaapse toerismebedryf om die bedrywighede van wereldwye ekonomiese stelsels te verstaan en daarna te streef om homself strategies daarin te plaas, en ook om strategiese alliansies met ontwikkelende lande te vorm ten einde die stelsel van wereldwye bestuur te hervorm om billiker uitkomste te lewer. Terselfdertyd moet die provinsiale ekonomie as geheel, sy sektore en ondernemings toegerus word om te voldoen aan die uitdagings waarvoor dit te staan kom terwyl dit ’n volhoubare mededingende omgewing word. Hierdie is ’n verkennende studie waarvan die navorsingvraagstuk is, of die geselekteerde instellings gereed is vir die implementering van elektroniese besigheidstelsels. Die bevindings van die beoogde navorsingsondersoek sal die gereedheidsvlak aandui van die geselekteerde instellings om elektroniese besigheidstelsels te benut. Die navorsingsmetodologie het tweeledig van instrumente gebruik gemaak. Een daarvan was ‘n spesiaal aangepaste vraelys wat deur BDC ontwerp is om maatskappye se gereedheid vir die toepassing van elektroniese besigheidstelsels te evalueer, en die ander ‘n gestruktureerde onderhoud. Die studie is nie bloot ’n gevolg van my persoonlike belangstelling in die veld van elektroniese besigheid nie, maar die belangrikste is om die konsepte en beginsels van ‘elektroniese besigheid’ en ‘Destination Marketing Organisation’ te begryp soos dit op die Wes-Kaapse toerismebedryf betrekking het.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the main objectives of the new South African government who came into power in 1994 was to improve the daily living conditions of its citizens. To what extent did the government succeed in this objective? This is the basic research question informing the present study. In order to keep it within manageable proportions, the study investigated a very specific area of service delivery, namely the delivery of public health services. This was further narrowed down to the Western Cape and more specifically, to the role of public hospitals in the area. The Western Cape promised to be an interesting case, because although the government of national unity was dominated by the ANC, the Western Cape was ruled by a NNP dominated coalition. On the national level, the Province had to follow national policy guidelines, while on the provincial level it had more freedom to formulate and implement its own policies. The study itself consists of two parts. The first concerns policy formulation, the second policy implementation. As far as policy formulation is concerned, a study was made of basic documents articulating the fundamental values, national priorities and main objectives informing government policy. These included the Freedom Charter, the Constitution, and the Reconstruction and Development Program. It was found that these values and priorities were in general well translated into policy options on both the national and provincial level, especially in the various documents aimed at transforming the national health system. The second part of the study investigates the implementation of the broad policy guidelines in the area of public heath in selected public hospitals in the Western Cape. The main method of investigation was the use of structured interviews with representative employees from all different levels. The findings were therefore of a qualitative rather than a quantitative nature. The focal areas selected were personnel management issues, human resource planning, labour relation issues and human resource development issues. The main findings were that the formulation of policy both from basic values to the level of health care policies and from the national to provincial level in general was quite successful. On the other hand, there were serious shortcomings in the implementation of these policies on various levels. The investigation revealed a mixed and often contradictory picture. Although some hospitals made good progress in some respects, there is still a long way before quality health care will be delivered to all patients. A commitment to equity in the health services of the country implies a commitment to correcting the historical gender, class and racial imbalances in the development of human recourses for health care. Of necessity, a compassionate and caring health service will address the issue of corrective action. There is a real need to provide proper planning of those most disadvantaged by apartheid in managerial skills to fill managerial positions in the health sector. It is therefore is necessary to introduce as a matter of urgency new health management programmes, which will promote efficient and effectiveness management at all levels of health care service delivery. Current health managers need to be reoriented from the predominantly bureaucratic, rule-based approach towards a participative approach. The development of managerial capacity in areas such as participative and change management, leadership development, strategic planning, programme management and evaluation, and policy development and implementation is of crucial importance. The study concludes with a series of specific recommendations with regard to affirmative action, managerial and institutional capacity, human resource planning, and training needs for various sectors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die hoofdoelstellings van die nuwe Suid-Afrikaanse regering wat in 1994 aan bewind gekom het, was om die leefomstandinghede van al die land se inwoners te verbeter. Tot watter mate het die regering geslaag in hierdie doelwit? Dit is die basiese navorsingsvraag onderliggend aan hierdie studie. Ten einde die ondersoek binne hanteerbare grense te hou, is op slegs een aspek van dienslewering gekonsenteer, naamlik die lewering van gesondheidsdienste. Hierdie terrein is verder vernou tot die Wes-Kaap en meer spesifiek tot die rol van openbare hospitale. Die Wes-Kaap was interessant omdat hoewel die regering op nasionale vlak deur die ANC beheer is, die Wes-Kaap basies deur die NNP in die periode van ondersoek geregeer is. Die provinsie was verplig om nasionale beleidsriglyne te volg, maar op provinsiale vlak het dit 'n sekere speelruimte geniet om eie beleid te formuleer en te implementeer. Die studie bestaan uit twee dele. Die eerste het te doen met beleidsformulering, die tweede met beleidsimplementering. Wat beleidsformulering betref, is 'n studie gemaak van die basisdokumente wat die kernwaardes, nasionale prioriteite en hoof doelstellings van die regering bevat. Dit het ingesluit die Vryheidmanifes, die Konstitusie en die Heropbou- en Ontwikkelingsprogram. Daar is bevind dat hierdie waardes en prioriteite in die algemeen suksesvol vertaal is in beleidsopsies op beide die nasionale en provinsiale vlak, veral in die dokumente wat gerig was op die transformasie van die nasionale gesondheidsektor. Die tweede deel van die studie het die implementering van die breë beleidsriglyne in die area van openbare gesondheid in geselekteerde publike hospitale in die Wes-Kaap ondersoek. Die hoof-ondersoekmetode was gestruktureerde onderhoude met verteenwoordigende werknemers van alle vlakke. Die bevindinge was gevolglik meer van 'n kwalitatiewe as kwantitatiewe aard. Die fokusareas waarop geskonsentreer is, was personeelbestuur, menslike hulpbronbeplanning, arbeidsverhoudinge en die ontwikkeling van menslike potensiaal. Die hoofbevindinge was dat die formulering van beleid beide van basiese waardes na gesondheidsbeleid en van die nasionale na provinsiale vlak in die algemeen suksesvol was. Aan die ander kant het ernstige gebreke aan die lig gekom sover dit die implementering van beleid op verskillende vlakke betref. Die resultaat was 'n gemengde en dikwels kontrasterende prentjie. Hoewel sommige hospitale goeie vordering gemaak het in sekere opsigte, laat die lewering van gehalte-diens aan alle pasiënte nog veel te wense oor. Die verbintenis to gelykheid in gesondheidsdienste veronderstel 'n verbintenis tot die regstelling van geslags-, klas- en rasse-ongelykhede in die ontwikkeling van menslike hulpbronne in die gesondheidsektor. Dienslewering gebaseer op sorg en empatie is van deurslaggewende belang in hierdie opsig. Daar is 'n groot behoefte aan behoorlike beplanning vir die verbetering van bestuur- en ander vaardighede van agtergestelde groepe. Die implementering van behoorlike bestuursopleidingsprogramme is van die uiterste belang, wat kan bydra tot effektiewe en goeie dienslewering. Die huidige oorwegend burokratiese en reëlsgebonde bestuurstyl behoort in 'n deelnemende benadering omgeskakel te word. Die ontwikkeling van bestuurskapasiteit in gebiede soos deelnemende veranderingsbestuur, leierskapsontwikkeling, strategiese beplanning, programbestuur en -evaluering en beleidsformulering is van die grootse belang. Die ondersoek sluit af met 'n reeks konkrete aanbevelings met betrekking tot regstellende aksie, verbetering van bestuurskapasiteit, menslike hulpbronontwikkeling en die opleidingsbehoeftes van die verskillende afdelings.

This dissertation is a study about the faith action called "care" and covers the area of premarital pastoral work and marital pastoral work (marriage enrichment). Much has been written about the issue that marriage pastoral care and counselling is more than just dealing with troubled marriages or marital problems. The fact can't be ignored that pastoral care and counselling when it comes to married life have an important role to play in the sense of prevention and equipping. Premarital pastoral work in the form of marriage preparation and marital pastoral work in die form of marriage enrichment, focus on the prevention and equipping approach. The focus of this dissertation is prevention and equipping. In an effort to achieve this, this study looks at how pastors are doing premarital pastoral work with prospective marital couples, and marriage enrichment with married couples. This is done according to a twofold process. The first step focuses on the content of the programmes that the pastors present to prospective marital couples when they do premarital pastoral work. The second step in the study focuses on the needs of prospective marital couples. In this regard the focus is on the themes for marriage preparation that prospective marriage couples would like to see the pastor address when doing premarital pastoral work with them. Further this research deals with the preferences of prospective couples as to the timing, duration and presentation process with regard to marriage preparation sessions. In this study empirical research was undertaken to determine how pastors of the Apostolic Faith Mission in the Western Cape are doing premarital pastoral work and marriage enrichment, and how this is related to the needs of prospective marriage couples. The research problem was to determine whether pastors are addressing the needs of prospective couples when they are doing premarital pastoral work. The purpose of this study is to provide some guidelines which pastors can utilize when they are doing premarital pastoral work and marriage enrichment. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

The study sought to analyse the referrals received by a psychiatric unit in a general hospital in the Western Cape by studying the referral letters and the referral responses. The study sought to determine which departments were referring patients and which patients were being referred. The completeness and appropriateness of the referrals were also studied. The major inferences drawn from this study are that health care workers have a poor concept of what information the psychiatric units needs and about the scope and function of the unit. The poor feedback from the psychiatric unit to the referral source is indicative of the poor communication amongst the health care team members. / Health Studies / M.A. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

Thesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2015. / The concept and knowledge of slow tourism within the context of South Africa is limited. Very little local literature is available on this new, emerging niche form of tourism. International research on this topic, including the practise, development, implementation and promotion of slow tourism, has grown during the last decade. This study investigates the meaning, understanding and definition of slow travel and tourism, and how slow tourism differs from other alternative tourism types. International and local case studies where slow tourism was implemented successfully, were assessed. Slow tourism is considered an antithesis to mass tourism. Tourism role-players and visitor groups have become more environmentally conscious in how they develop, promote and consume tourism products. Sustainable and responsible tourism practices are the forefront of the slow tourism phenomenon which induces the demand and the supply chain of tourism products emphasised by ethical values. Slow tourism focuses on the concept of time spent at the destination, liberating the visitor from the angst and stress brought about by today's fast-paced lifestyles. Attention is directed at the visitor experiencing a qualitative more than a quantitative experience, found in a unique nature-based setting with the after-effects of feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Slow tourism is centred on building good relationships with the local community, preservation of and an appreciation for the environment, and the production and consumption of local and responsibly-sourced products. Within this context, this study aims at developing a slow tourism model for South Africa, using the economic resources of the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (KNBG). It investigates the literature of slow tourism at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) protected sites, parks and at KNBG. Botanical gardens are considered a place of recreation and leisure, taking time out to relax and enjoy the open green spaces. Moreover, the dissertation points out the elements that are required to develop slow tourism at a destination and the role of tourism policies which set the framework for managing and growing tourism sustainably. A qualitative research methodology was employed to collect the primary data, using the grounded theory approach at KNBG, which was the study site. Qualitative data were obtained through observing visitors, in-depth interviews with visitors and KNBG management. The results and findings from the analysis indicate a shift towards people slowing down, the need to connect with nature to feel less stressed and finding value in slow tourism activities such as those found at KNBG. A slow tourism model was developed based on the literature review and findings of the primary data that was collected. / South African National Biodiversity Institute

Thesis (MTech (Education))--Cape Technikon, 2004. / The study focuses on the level of parental involvement in the primary schools situated in informal settlements. The area of research was limited to the informal settlements of the Cape Flats in Cape Town. The identified areas were Philippi, Weltevreden valley, Khayelitsha and Crossroads. The principals, members of the governing bodies as well, as a sample of parents not serving on governing bodies were interviewed on the level of involvement. A case study of schools was undertaken on governance, communication, school involvement, home involvement as well as extra-curricular activities. The findings of the research were that parents are not innovative when it comes to school activities. They expect too much from the schools. Parents do not ask too many questions. They accept what the schools tell them. Parents generally do not help children at home with their studies. They hardly ever watch their children while participating in extra-curricular activities. The researcher made conclusions and made recommendations.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. / The wine industry is complex hence the farmers and emerging farmers who operate in it are faced with environmental, social and economic constraints. Even though various issues have been pointed out to be contributing to the slow uptake of ICT by emerging farmers (Cox, 1995), McCartney (2007) however pointed out that DSSs can enhance gains in economic, social and environmental benefits. This study investigates how wine farmers use ICTs to support decision making in order to assist emerging farmers adopt and use the ICTs for decision making. Decision making is crucial; it is one of the most important tasks of management in running a successful business (Dralega, 2007). Emerging farmers have to operate in a complex environment and ICT use can lead to the effective use of information to support decision making in the industry. Experienced farmers use ICT tools to support decision making and use information to make informed decisions in their operations. Emerging farmers are at a distinct disadvantage as they have no previous knowledge of farming and have to find their way on a day to day basis. This has the potential of reducing profitability and sustainability of the emerging farmers who have entered the industry. The main research question is: "how can emerging farmers utilise ICT for decision making in the wine industry in the Breede River Valley region in the Western Cape?" Interviews were done to gather primary data. In this case it is information about the technological and information needs of farmers which might help them in decision making. The literature is reviewed in this study to gather secondary data. The study took an inductive approach and the epistemological stance in this study is interpretivism. The case study was used as strategy for the study. The interviewees emphasised the importance of ICTs in their decision making; they mentioned that without the use of ICTs in decision their businesses will crumble. In order to prosper in their business, emerging farmers need to invest in ICTs as this will also assist in improving livelihoods of the farmers and their workers.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Budgets are inevitable strategic tools used in the planning of the effective delivery by any organisation. In a sense budgets become the financial interpretation of work, services or products to be produced or services to be delivered by the organisation. In the same vein, government departments have plans and programmes to be implemented, and these programmes are quantified in the form of budgets. The budgeting processes are determined by the strategic imperatives and the type of leadership in an organisation, thereby differing from organisation to organisation. The traditional approach in government budgeting is that the activities to be undertaken start as political decisions which will be cascaded down to the different departments. Though the different department units construct their own budgets, the ultimate budget comes top down more than it comes top up. This research aims to identify the extent of the involvement of budget managers in the budget development process and the possible limiting factors if any. The study goes further to try to understand why there is always a seeming perpetual difference between budgets and deliveries at the end of every year. This empirical research focussed on the ‘budget practitioners’ in the particular department under study with emphasis on how they operate. Questionnaires were used to collect data which was analysed using Excel Spreadsheet and the findings were interpreted. The findings imply a need for extensive training as well as empowerment of the budget practitioners to be able to create congruence between budgets, budgeting processes, project implementation and envisage delivery to the citizens.

Recruitment and selection has become a specialised industry and is competing in a global market. To remain competitive, recruitment agents have to stay ahead of their competitors, by providing an excellent service to customers and applicants, and by keeping up with technological developments in their field. The current investigation focuses on an assessment of the attitudes of recruitment agents in a selected area of the Western Cape Province to the use of computer-based management information systems as a recruitment tool. A questionnaire was distributed amongst recruitment agents in the identified area. It focused on recruiter biographical information, the services they offer, the methods and processes they use in recruitment, the knowledge and skills they need in their field, and their knowledge and attitude towards electronic-recruitment. The literature indicated a move towards using technology in the field of recruitment, and this was consistent with the findings of the study. Although the respondents were familiar with developments in technology used for recruitment, only a small number were familiar with the major business information systems, namely, SAP R/3, Oracle and PeopleSoft. Information specifically related to recruitment agents in South Africa was limited, but the study provided some insight into this field. It was found that recruitment agents disagree on what a good advertisement, as well as a good résumé, should contain, and this is problematic as these are two of the most important things that recruitment agents work with every day. The literature provided no indication of the qualifications needed by a recruitment agent, and resulting from this, a second finding of the study indicated that, according to the respondents, the qualifications needed by a recruitment agent are varied. It was found that qualifications of the sample group varied from only a school-leaving certificate to post-graduate degrees. A significant trend identified that only 24.2 per cent of recruitment agents are involved in research related to recruitment, and write articles related to their field. This contributes to the fact that so little information is available about South African recruitment agents. The study indicated that recruitment agents hold a positive attitude towards computer-based information systems, although they are accepted with caution because of various logistical problems in the South African market. The study also provided useful information to start a process of drawing up a profile of the South African recruitment agency business.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Summary: Although South Africa has been a democracy since 1994, one of the key issues still facing the country is the development of skills in its people. There are still underlying problems that are quite prevalent in terms of the development of important skills, particularly information literacy skills of especially black South African students at tertiary institutions. It is not easy to understand the significance of information literacy if one does not take into account the student’s awareness level and his/her understanding of the concept of information. Unfortunately academics and librarians alike at times base many of their judgements on assumptions that need to be addressed. One of these assumptions is the computer literacy level of students, often viewed synonymously with information literacy. Although computer literacy is an important skill for searching electronic information sources, including online databases and the Internet, the researcher’s argument is that this is not enough to overcome conceptual and cognitive problems relating to information – seeking. Computer literacy is a component of information literacy. Students need to know when information is needed; identify the information needed to address a problem; evaluate the needed information; organize the information meaningfully and use the information to address the problem identified. Almost all of the students in this study encountered the library and computers for the first time when they came to the University of the Western Cape and the former Peninsula Technikon. Their search behaviour bears testimony to their lack of information searching skills. The study was conducted within the framework of Belkin’s anomalous state of knowledge (ASK) theory. Belkin’s premise is that searchers for information approach Information retrieval systems with some anomaly. According to Belkin this anomaly and user’s perception of the problem changes with each interaction between user and information retrieval mechanism. For this reason, he argues, information retrieval (IR) systems need to be designed to be iterative and interactive. The significance of this interaction is later identified as an integrated, dynamic whole aimed at retrieving information for helping the user manage a problem. It was found in this study that students experienced various states or manifested certain behavioural patterns. Searches were also found to be more cyclical than linear. So, although Belkin’s theory had some significance in this study, student search patterns were more complex. The researcher puts forward certain recommendations to address the problem. The end of apartheid brought about new challenges especially for institutions of higher learning. Both the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and former Peninsula Technikon (PENTECH) as institutions catering for especially the historically disadvantaged student need to adapt but at the same time maintain high standards in terms of student development. The merger between the former PENTECH and the Cape Technikon (CAPETECH) to form the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) puts further challenges on the academics and librarians at CPUT. This also calls for a stronger sense of commitment from librarians, academics and information communication technology (ICT) specialists before appropriate information technology systems can be designed or subscribed to. / South Africa