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.
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:
Communities in Open Scholar
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
Assessment of supplier and process quality during the COVID-19 pandemic : a case study in one of South African manufacturing companies
(2024) Ndlovu, Bhekisisa Nkululeko; Naidoo, R.; Singh, S.
This study focused on assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supplier
and process quality and how the company responded to the crisis to ensure the
seamless continuity of daily operations. The research evaluated the impact of the
pandemic on the supplier and process quality departments statistically. The
researcher also used statistics to determine whether supplier and process quality
departments should implement new processes to mitigate and prevent future
disruptions. The study examined employees’ general perceptions of the pandemic,
the strengths, and weaknesses of the company, and how the pandemic affected its
business, as well as the trends that were happening. The total sample size, as well as
sample size for questionnaire and interviews was 27 but only 20 participants manage
to participate on interviews and only 25 participants manage to participate on survey
questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed and tested using pilot study. A total of
6 employees were interviewed as part of pilot study process. A mixed method research
was used, this allowed the researcher to display findings statistically and theoretical.
NVivo software was used to analyse qualitative data and SPSS software was used to
analyse quantitative data.
The findings of the study indicated that the pandemic had a significant impact on both
supplier and process quality, with the entire company experiencing disruptions in its
supply chain. The company employed various actions, including remote work, a
reduced workforce, and virtual meetings to ensure daily operations were carried out.
These actions helped the company maintain business continuity and minimise the
impact of the pandemic on its operations. The study identified some of the strengths
and weaknesses, as well as visible trends within the company, which included its
ability to adapt quickly to changes and its adoption of remote working. The study
recommends that companies should focus on improving supplier and process quality,
enhancing communication with suppliers, and establishing contingency plans to
ensure business continuity. Companies should also adopt strategies to avoid
inconvenience, such as conducting supply audits, hiring skilled individuals, and
ensuring regular training. This research will assist the organisation in realigning its
commitment to providing quality products and services. The researcher worked hand in hand with supplier and process quality management
to find optimum solutions to COVID-19 challenges such as parts shortages, delays
between departments, and absenteeism, as these are the most important factors that
affected its business. It was also noted that since the COVID-19 pandemic started,
customers” expectations for better-quality products increased. Total quality
management (TQM) should be used as a tool to eliminate COVID-19 pandemic related
issues in the supplier and process quality department.
Sustainability Reporting (SR) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) : a corporate governance and ownership structure perspective
(2024) Blay, Marshall Wellington; Hoeyi, Prosper Kweku; Badu, Ebenezer Agyemang
The level of sustainability reporting (SR) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is still
low and unsatisfactory. Nonetheless, studies on corporate governance and
SR in SSA are limited. The immaturity of the capital markets of the SSA limits
the acquisition of valid and reliable sustainability data. Most studies on
corporate governance and SR are therefore, largely within the context of
businesses in the developed world with matured capital markets. There is
also evidence of limited emphasis on the boundary condition of ownership
structure in the relationship between corporate governance and sustainability
reporting. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of
ownership structure in the extent to which the corporate governance
practices of businesses in SSA promote SR. The study focused on SSA's
publicly listed non-financial firms as of 31 December 2021. STATA 14.1 and
GMM were used to analyze secondary data. The Arellano-Bond dynamic
panel-data estimation method was applied to a balanced panel of 1,969
observations from 275 groups spanning 2012 to 2021. The study revealed
ownership structure notably shaped corporate governance's effect on
sustainability disclosure in SSA listed businesses. In addition it was found
that government ownership bolstered board independence's environmental
sustainability reporting (ESR) impact, while foreign ownership weakened
Board female gender diversity (BFGD) influence. Board independence
enhanced social sustainability reporting (SSR), but government ownership
weakened audit committee attributes' SSR link. Foreign ownership amplified
the connection between audit committee size and SSR, but weakened it for
sustainability committee independence. BFGD, board independence,
independent remuneration, and sustainability committees positively
correlated with ESR. Conversely, larger remuneration committees and more
sustainability meetings negatively related to reduced ESR. It is therefore
imperative for SSA firms to establish standard CSR/ESG boards for
functional effectiveness. In a nutshell, the influence of corporate governance
on reporting is moderated by ownership structure, highlighting the importance
of tailored ownership arrangements to enhance sustainability reporting.
Policies should prioritize environmental and social reporting, as it receives
less emphasis compared to traditional financial reporting.
The key success factors and barriers within the Ghanaian tourism and hospitality industry : the balanced scorecard approach
(2024) Neequaye, Kate; Agbenyegah, Albert Tchey
Ghana has diverse array of attractions ranging from cultural heritage sites to pristine
beaches and vibrant wildlife reserves, Ghana has positioned itself as an increasingly
popular destination for both domestic and international travellers. As a result, this
study's goal is to address the issue that was discovered, utilizing the Balanced
Scorecard (BSC) as its assessment method. This study took the form of a descriptive
design where both qualitative and quantitative research design was adopted. A
questionnaire and an interview was used to collect primary data from a sample of three
hundred participants, based on multi-stage and simple random sampling techniques.
The data was collected within tourism and hospitality facilities in the Central and
Western regions of Ghana. The statistical programme, SPSS version 25.0, was used to
analyse the data. The study also made use of regression analysis, analysis of variance
(ANOVA) and cross tabulation. With regards to the qualitative analysis, the data was
analysed using a verbatim transcription analysis method. The results of the study also
provided baseline data that can, over time, assist other researchers to appreciate and
assess the tourism and hospitality industry in Ghana using the BSC approach. It also
provides an empirical basis for effective measurement of the tourism and hospitality
industry’s KSFs and contributes to the scholarly debate in tourism and hospitality
literature. This study also contributes to the theoretical orientation of KSFs and the BSC
in Ghana and the literature related to the tourism and hospitality industry, which
addresses some relevant concepts, such as profit making, branding, marketing and the
enhancement of employee and customer perspectives about the industry.
The effects of risk mitigation and local knowledge in disaster-prone communities in Jozini Local Municipality
(2024) Gumede, Ayanda Mumetheni; Fagbadebo, Omololu Michael
Risk mitigation and local knowledge in disaster-prone communities worldwide require an integrated approach to safeguard lives and minimize damages. Climatic changes in the Jozini area, resulting in flooding as well as other related hazards have underscored the necessity for the local government to consolidate its strategies for disaster risk mitigation together with traditional authorities to tap into local knowledge towards disaster management.
Challenges within the Jozini Local Municipality (JLM), include a shortage of trained personnel in risk assessment and disaster response, a lack of suitable community organizations with the necessary skills to participate in the disaster management process, and inadequate disaster preparedness kits. Further, the community of Jozini and its environs have their understanding about the causes and risk mitigation measures that in most instances run counter to the efforts and actions of the JLM disaster management protocols.
This study aims to identify solutions for the practical implementation of risk mitigation and local knowledge efforts and explore its related theoretical aspects. The research explores the existing risk mitigation and local knowledge in disaster-prone communities in use at JLM, along with the pertinent guidelines currently available.
The study adopts an interpretive research philosophy, grounded in a qualitative research approach. The Study draws on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) which sheds light on the threat as well as the coping appraisal of people within a community. Specifically, an exploratory research design is chosen to gain a deeper understanding of risk mitigation and local knowledge in JLM.
Convenience sampling was utilized to select ten tribal leaders from selected tribes within the Jozini community as well as 4 personnel from the Jozini safety and disaster management department for interviews. Data gathered from the interviews were transcribed, categorized, and analyzed thematically.
The findings indicated that the daily life practices of tribal leaders (elders) in Jozini, and by extension, the community, are influenced by ancestral wisdom, which sometimes contradicts modern science. There appears to be a strong correlation between cultural wisdom and mystical beliefs. Meanwhile, officials from the JLM are striving to leverage local knowledge to address disasters by collaborating with the community in decision-making for disaster management. This collaboration aims to ensure effective preparedness and response efforts.
Additionally, the findings underscored the crucial necessity of ensuring the positive impact of controlled practices and municipal initiatives for coping. Collaboration with stakeholders, such as water affairs, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), and the Department of Basic Education, needs to be pursued to make disaster mitigation efforts a collective responsibility.
Entrepreneurial financial governance strategies used by the Technical Universities in Ghana
(2024) Ofosu, Richard Dwamena; Lekhanya, Lawrence Mpele; Boadi, Eric Kofi
The primary research objective of this study is to identify those factors considered critical
that contribute to entrepreneurial financial strategies of governance in the TUs of Ghana
and propose strategies for improvement that could enhance the generating of revenue by
these institutions. Other sub-objectives examined the reliability of entrepreneurial financial
governance strategies in technical universities in Ghana and the a n a l y s i s of the
entrepreneurial financial leadership governance role in the dynamic capabilities of
developing TUs in Ghana. The study adopted a mixed methodology, comprising
quantitative and qualitative data gathering and analysis. The 10 technical universities in
Ghana made up the study population, with the target population comprising senior staff of
the Centre for Business Development and Entrepreneurship, Finance departments and
Directorate of Internal Audit of these institutions. The study selected 160 respondents for
the quantitative study and 12 participants for the qualitative study by means of census
sampling for the quantitative study and purposive sampling for the qualitative study.
Whereas the quantitative study instrument comprised a questionnaire, the qualitative data
instrument consisted of an interview guide, with the latter developed to enable the
researcher to question participants on issues the questionnaire could not provide. SPSS
enabled quantitative data processing; where analysis used descriptive analysis.
Frequencies, means, and standard deviations, as well as SEM. For the qualitative data,
thematic network analysis was used to generate themes after transcriptions had been
completed and the data coded using NVIVO 12 software. The study revealed Pearson’s
Correlation coefficient = 0.693 (p = 0.03), which shows a strong and significant relationship
between the financial governance and growth of the University. In addition, a significant
value of 0.01 suggests the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and growth is
significant. This further suggests that when the various leaders in the TUs have the
relevant entrepreneurial skills, their work ethics will propel and foster growth within the
TUs community. The findings further revealed that entrepreneurial financial governance
strategies of the surveyed technical universities are affected by both internal and external
environmental factors, including economic factors, limit of state regulation. Inadequate
budgetary allocation, and lack of financial monitoring systems, as well as lack of
entrepreneurship culture and management competence. The study concluded that benchmarking and continuous improvement, collaboration and strategic alliance, along
with income diversification, the role of leadership and entrepreneurship, and efficient
resource allocation can be effective strategies in financial governance in technical
universities in Ghana to achieve financial sustainability. The study supports national
efforts to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development by focusing
on entrepreneurial financial governance. The study's insights may have broader
applicability beyond Ghana, serving as a benchmark for other developing nations facing
comparable challenges in funding higher education.