DUT Open Scholar:: Home

Open Scholar is the institutional repository of Durban University of Technology. As far as possible, it provides open access to the academic output of the University.

item types	authors	articles	theses

Some publishers do not permit the archiving of your article in institutional repositories if they have published it:

BASE is one of the world's most voluminous search engines especially for academic web resources:

https://www.base-search.net/

Communities in Open Scholar

Select a community to browse its collections.

Now showing 1 - 5 of 11

Recent Submissions

Saving journalism 2 : Global strategies and a look at investigative journalism
(Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung USA., 2022) Schiffrin, Anya; Clifford, Hannah; Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame
A year after publishing Saving journalism in 2021, we’ve gone back to see what happened to some of the promising measures we documented in our last report. The appetite for sweeping change and broad support for quality information we described then has grown. Many of the organizations we spoke to last year are close to making major announcements and all feel they made headway in 2020. In the absence of research and hard evidence as to what works best (not unique to journalism—some things are essentially unknowable) we’re seeing pragmatism, with different groups backing policies that seem politically feasible. There is continuing tension between the larger, established outlets that benefit from many of the government programs to support journalism and the niche players/digital startups, which have less to gain. This is getting in the way of agreements as to which, if any, government policies to support. However, given the political and economic contexts in many countries, it’s not clear what the counterfactual would be: If there were agreement and a concerted push, would it make a difference given the political constraints that exist around the world? There is lots of useful new research on media viability and how to help save journalism. One outstanding example was the 2021 report from Reporters without Borders calling for a New Deal for journalism.
State-owned enterprises in Africa and the economics of public service delivery
(2022-11-2) Netswera, Fulu; Fagbadebo, Omolulu; Dorasamy, Nirmala; Dorasamy, Nirmala
The African continent is a paradox. Despite its vast natural and human resources, it ranks among the poorest economies in the global system. In terms of human development, African countries are lagging. Most African citizens live in poverty, with harsh economic realities (World Poverty Clock 2020). Most African countries are struggling to fight hunger, exacerbated by the excruciating pain of poverty. Thus, with traits of state fragility, these countries are vulnerable to implosion (Fragile State Index [FSI] 2019). A considerable proportion of the countries in Africa rank among the least developed countries (Kazeem 2017). The above are the consequences of poor service delivery, occasioned by mismanagement of the public sector resources. In the annual Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International (TI), a preponderance of African countries has records of high-level corruption (Corruption Perception Index 2019). The development of the post-colonial ‘third-world’ countries – and Africa in particular – or the lack thereof has historically been premised on two praxes: 1. The underdevelopment of the colonies was a direct outcome of the colonial powers’ economic and political power dominance and influence (Rodney 1972). 2. The post-colonial governance chaos that ensued as a result of, among others, greed, coup d’état, corruption, poorly performing economies and poor or lack of credible governance institutions (Fanon 1963; O’Kane 1993). As the era of democracy comes of age in Africa and the era of coup d’état slowly fades into the background, underdevelopment and poor economic performance seem to have taken on a new form and meaning, that is, in the form of embedded corruption in the state procurement machinery. This book focuses on the performance and activities of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in relation to their service delivery responsibility. Despite its vast natural and human resources, Africa ranks among the poorest economies in the global system, with its attendant effect on human development. The above are the consequences of poor service delivery occasioned by mismanagement of the public sector resources. The rampant cases of corruption and mismanagement of public resources are associated with warped procurement systems in state institutions, especially the SOEs. State supply chain management (SCM), also commonly referred to as procurement, is a source of devastating corruption implications on the African governments. Poorly managed and corruption-led procurement systems have a major consequence on these fledgling economies, negatively affecting employment and economic growth. Poor service delivery by these SOEs has cumulative effects on society’s growth and the citizens’ well-being. This book focuses on the SOEs’ performance and activities in relation to their service delivery responsibility. Despite its vast natural and human resources, Africa ranks among the poor economies in the global system, with its attendant effect on human development. These are the consequences of poor service delivery occasioned by mismanagement of the public sector resources. This book provides a continuous assessment of the crisis in governance in Africa. As it is, there are huge deficits in the capacity of the African state to harness the vast human and material resources to promote good governance. This manifests in pervasive corruption, collapsed service delivery, collapsed state-owned enterprises, eroded social trust, capital flight, escalating levels of poverty and wars, human insecurity and stunted growth. The public sector is the pulse of service delivery because the entire governance system revolves around sourcing materials and services, mostly from the private sector, to achieve its public policy intents. Therefore, the procurement process ordinarily ought to yield positive economic outcomes and an efficiency-driven system in favour of the government itself and its service recipients. However, this is often not the case. Despite its enormous wealth, the African continent is in an economic quagmire, a dilemma that requires multifaceted research activities. This is the motivation for this volume. The authors of the chapters address the challenges associated with the performance of the SOEs from different perspectives and contexts that indicate the various unethical practices prevailing across the respective countries. While corruption in the activities of the SOEs and other public sector institutions across the continent is a common phenomenon, the forms and intensities differ. This provides deeper insights into the factors that engender the failure of government in public service delivery. This book, therefore, seeks to present multiple viewpoints on the intensity and consequences of failed public sector institutions in African states. It lays bare the incidents of the failure of state institutions for all to see, understand, learn from and avoid the pitfalls that have incapacitated states in Africa
Academics well-being as a pillar of institutional autonomy : a study on work-life balance in higher education amidst and post Covid-19
(SUNJournals, 2025-8-23) Shange, Mzwakhe Ellen; Nyide, Celani John
In higher education, intricate relationships among academic freedom, academic welfare, institutional autonomy, and public accountability have become increasingly evident. This research investigates the critical issue of balancing work and home lives for academics and its significant ramifications. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of work life balance on academics productivity at a specific university in South Africa. Three sophisticated quantitative approaches, the JD-R Model, structural equation modelling (SEM), and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) 27 statistical software, were applied in the study of 175 full-time academics. The results of this research indicated a substantial negative connection among academics performance and work life imbalance (β = -0.232†, p < 0.100). This is an example of how difficult it is to be an academic and have a life. It is evident that productivity and meaningful contributions to an institution will increase when academics are able to successfully manage their personal and professional lives. However, institutional autonomy has an impact on administrative decisions and measures, which in turn affect the work environment, resources at disposal, job security, and overall welfare of academics.
Textual elements of The Great Gatsby
(AOSIS Books, 2023) Vooght, Ursula
An empirical investigation into the effect of lodging establishment attributes on water conservation efforts in Zimbabwe
(IGI Global, 2024-6-28) Sucheran, Reshma; Ushamba, Kudzai Norman; Kumar, Pankaj; Gupta, S.K.; Rout, Prakash; Madhurima
Water conservation is a global concern, particularly in regions like Zimbabwe grappling with water scarcity. The hospitality industry is pivotal in sustainable water management with its diverse lodging establishments. This research examines the effect of lodging establishment features on water conservation efforts in Zimbabwe. Based on survey responses from 203 lodging facilities, the empirical investigation reveals significant associations between various lodging facility attributes and water conservation practices. Established lodging businesses demonstrate a propensity for standardised water sustainability initiatives, while higher-graded establishments focus on more advanced practices. The study also reveals that newer lodging facilities are more likely to embrace advanced water conservation methods due to accessibility to technological advancements. The findings contribute valuable insights into the dynamics influencing water conservation practices within the lodging sector seeking to address sustainability challenges.