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Now showing 1 - 5 of 11

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We know more than you might think : community knowledge on climate change : a case study of eThekwini, Durban
(Integrated Publishing Association, 2025-11-18) Ruthanam, Melishnee; Reddy, Poovendhree; Bhagwan, Raisuyah; O'Donoghue, Sean
Climate change has never been more undeniable. The devastating effects have been experienced worldwide affecting communities through extreme weather events, food insecurity and water scarcity among others. Community knowledge of climate change is an understudied area particularly in the African context. Understanding communities’ knowledge of climate change and their information sources, will enable a tailored approach to climate change communication. This paper aimed to explore the knowledge of communities and their sources of information regarding climate change within eThekwini, in South Africa as a case study. The study was guided by a qualitative research approach, and purposively sampled participants comprising of community members from varying demographic, educational and socio-economic backgrounds. Participant groups were stratified reflecting the main sectors within South Africa i.e. rural, urban, peri-urban and informal. The findings provided an insight into the notions held by community members regarding the causes of climate change. Participants described their perceptions and experiences of the phenomenon as well as their beliefs on the causes of climate change. They also identified the platforms that introduced them to information on climate change. This is particularly significant for climate change communication. This study offers a nuanced perspective of communities’ understanding of climate change and highlights the opportunities for climate change communication to address the knowledge gaps.
Relationship between executive remuneration and performance of South African mining companies
(AOSIS, 2024-1-1) Siwendu, Tando O.; Swanepoel, Matthys J.; Stumke, Olive
Orientation: Managers are supposed to manage companies to maximise shareholders’ wealth. Instead, there are long-standing perceptions that managers are rent extractors who maximise their own wealth, implying a misalignment between executive remuneration and company performance. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the existence of a relationship between executive remuneration and the financial performance of South African-listed mining companies. Motivation for the study: Executive remuneration significantly increased over the past five decades relative to company financial performance. The mining sector was selected due to its susceptibility to external factors and shocks leading to volatility in the financial performance of mining companies. Research approach/design and method: This study was a quantitative archival study, using data from 2015 to 2021, by applying the hierarchical linear modelling technique at a 95% confidence level and a 5% significance level. Main findings: The study found a weak to strong relationship between executive remuneration and company financial performance. Furthermore, an analysis of executive remuneration revealed an increase in short-term incentive payments and a decrease in the fixed salary as a proportion of chief executive officer remuneration. Practical/managerial implications: Because the study found a strong link between executive remuneration and earnings-based financial performance metrics, governing bodies should ensure that financial performance metrics include cash flow-based financial metrics as company earnings are highly susceptible to management manipulation. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the existing literature on executive remuneration and will be useful to researchers, shareholders, boards of directors, remuneration committees and policymakers.
Information communication technology integration via Bloom’s taxonomy in accountancy curriculum
(AOSIS, 2023-1-1) Stumke, Olive
Accountants should stay relevant to the business world, making Information Communication Technology (ICT) competencies essential, as highlighted by professional bodies and employers. For this reason, how and when ICT competencies can be integrated into the accountancy curriculum following the guidelines of Bloom’s taxonomy was investigated. ICT competency integration into the accountancy curriculum remains a challenge at South African universities, further highlighted by online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research followed a qualitative approach. Data collection was done through a literature review of Bloom’s taxonomy, ICT requirements from the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and employers, responses from a self-developed questionnaire from lecturers of two participating universities focusing on the perceived inclusion of ICT competencies and when these competencies should be taught in the accountancy curriculum. The participants agreed with the inclusion of MS Excel and MS Word with a discrepancy of when. Contribution: Based on the sample selected, the results highlighted that how and when ICT competencies could be integrated is not in line with Bloom’s taxonomy approach. It is recommended that universities integrate ICT competencies for MS Excel and MS Word in the accountancy curriculum through the assignments already available in a structured and scaffolded approach. This research contributes to the body of knowledge of how and when ICT competencies can be integrated into the accountancy curriculum. Higher education must keep up with the fast-changing business environment and aim to transform their learning accordingly through applying Bloom’s taxonomy in a holistic view when integrating ICT competencies within the accountancy curriculum.
Dancing with decolonial curriculum theorists : technology as a shapeshifter in art and design education
(UJ Press, 2024-9-15) Olalere, Folasayo Enoch; Makwela, Mashaole Jacob; Fomunyam, Kehdinga George
In the past two decades, the concept of decolonisation of higher education in South Africa gained momentum. Amidst this growing concern, the role players in the education sector have interrogated their role in this discourse and examined how curricula and pedagogical approaches can stand up to this call for decolonisation. Some decolonial theorists have associated the concept with changing the nature of knowledge, shifting our position in relation to knowledge, and economic transformation. Even though there are multiple views and schools of thought, the question that remains unanswered in curriculum development is what the concept of decolonisation will look like in technologically advanced university settings.
Investigating top-down cracking of pavement in recycled waste plastic asphalt
(Materials Research Forum LLC, 2025-3-25) Abejide, Samuel; Adedeji, Jacob; Mostafa, Mohamed Mostafa Hassan
Abstract. This study investigates a new approach for the use of an alternative sustainable wearing course material on flexible pavement roads (recycled asphalt plastic pavement). Highway infrastructure plays a major key role in the domestic transportation of people, goods and services within the community and from a national perspective. Thus, highway infrastructure provides provincial and local accessibility, which promotes the growth and development of the economy. For this reason, there is a need to develop a sustainable approach to increase the efficiency of transportation infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate top-down fatigue cracking failure mode of asphaltic wearing courses for use in in pavement overlays, at high traffic intersection points and on parking sections using dual tire loads in finite element analysis. The process of developing alternative mixing materials is initiated by the need to provide a stable mixture for use on field sections different from cold mix or conventional hot mix (HMA) materials, which is subjected to stripping delamination mode with increasing moisture content. In this study, it was observed that the bonds formed between the molten plastic material has the potential to bind the bitumen and the aggregates together as a homogenous material in such a way that, when hardened at reduced temperatures, the mix is able to form a stronger bonded material that is semipervious and allows drainage of moisture or water across the surface of the asphalt plastic layer. This study adopts an alternative approach to the design of an ultrathin film asphalt concrete porous pavement layer for use in pavement surface wearing course and high-density traffic roads considering the effects of increasing temperature and moisture absorption on the asphalt plastic pavement mix.