WIReDSpace
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For technical support contact Lewatle Phaladi by email: lewatle.phaladi@wits.ac.za, Tel : +27 11 717 6594.
Communities in WIReDSpace
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- This community is for all faculties and schools' theses and dissertations by masters and doctoral students.
Recent Submissions
Balancing the roles of Employee Aad Primary Child Caregiver: Experiences of Single Mothers formally Employed in Otjiwarongo, Namibia
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2020) Markus, Julia Ndeyapewa
The number of single mothers entering the workforce is an ever-increasing trend throughout the world, including countries in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Namibia. Usually, single mothers face many challenges fulfilling the roles of employee and primary caregiver simultaneously. Although the challenges experienced by employed, single mothers have been well researched in developed Western and European countries, there is a gap of knowledge regarding how formally employed, single mothers in sub-Saharan Africa, including Namibia, experience trying to balance the responsibilities of employee and primary caregiver of their children. Occupational social workers can play a meaningful role in supporting employees in the workplace, including employed, single mothers who are facing caregiving challenges that are negatively impacting on their work responsibilities. The main aim of this research was thus to explore how employed single mothers in Namibia experience trying to balance the roles of primary caregiver and employee, so that key role players within the workplace, especially occupational social workers, can gain more insight into how these challenges can best be addressed. To realise this aim, a qualitative research approach was adopted using the phenomenological research design. Fifteen employed mothers in Otjiwarongo, a small town of about 28 000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa region, were purposively selected as the research sample. Data were gathered by conducting individual interviews with the participants. The research tool was pre-tested with an employed single mother who met the sample selection criteria. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse data. The main findings based on data analysis were that fulfilling the role of mother is difficult when facing work pressure and working long hours. Stress experienced in the work environment is often carried over to the home environment, and vice versa. Focus on work activities can also be undermined when experiencing concerns about the well-being of their children, especially if they are young. Women try to balance their simultaneous roles by employing reliable caregivers to take on the responsibility of caregiving when they are at work. Based on research findings, it is recommended that occupational social workers work towards implementing policy and practice within the work environment that facilitates personal contact between mother and child.
Brand Loyalty through loyalty programs in the South African banking industry: perspectives from Gen Y and Z
(2022) Magano, Ikanyeng Cleophus
The recent growing popularity of loyalty programmes across industries has sparked a whole lot of interest from not only researchers, but also consultancy firms and practitioners alike. Though there has been noticeable research conducted on loyalty programmes in the preceding decade, not enough focus has been channelled on the youthful age cohorts (Gen Y & Z) in South Africa, especially in a sophisticated industry such as banking.
A subject of loyalty programmes is understood and accepted to be premised around the relationship marketing theory, which primarily encourages long-term bonds with customers. As such, the study then sought to assess the intermediating influence of customer brand experience, consumer-brand engagement (CBE) and emotional brand attachment in the relationship between loyalty programmes and brand loyalty in the South African Banking sector.
The methodology relied on a cross-sectional survey design in a form of a selfadministered online questionnaire partially adapted from preceding studies. Data was then collected from 265 Generation Y and Z targeted respondents who are retail banks loyalty programme members.
The study assessed seven hypothesis utilizing standard regression techniques and the study findings presented demonstrate that all seven hypotheses were supported. The findings therefore reveal that loyalty programmes can play a positive role in building customer brand experience, Consumer-Brand engagement (CBE), emotional brand attachment and subsequently brand loyalty. The study not only subsidizes the existing knowledge on loyalty programmes among youthful age cohorts, but it also assists with relevant context to a developing market such as South Africa. It must also be mentioned that the study can aid marketers and practitioners with formulating attractive and thorough loyalty programmes, particularly targeted at the youthful market in South Africa.
Climate change and heritage tourism: threats to Makgabeng in a regional context, Limpopo South Africa
(2020-11) Mcpherson, Fazlin Ahdielah
The Makgabeng area is situated in the north-west corner of the Limpopo province in South Africa. The Makgabeng area is an emerging tourist destination with a variety of activities to offer. The area is rich in ancient rock art sites and, as a result, has great potential for the development of heritage tourism. Extensive research has been conducted on the rock art in this region. However, the impact of climate change on heritage tourism has not yet been explored. The local community of the Makgabeng area is developing a heritage tourism destination within the region and it is important to determine whether the initiative will be sustainable, especially in the context of climate change threats to the region. In a region
such as Makgabeng where the primary attraction is natural heritage tourism rather than cultural, this then poses a severe threat to tourism within the region, especially since most of these attractions are outdoors. Hence, this research project is primarily aimed at determining climate change threats to heritage tourism in the Makgabeng region, South Africa. The research has employed a mixed-method approach consisting of interviews done with various stakeholders within the tourism industry and community members in the Makgabeng region. The other methods used are hard-copy and online questionnaires, TripAdvisor reviews, and the Tourism Climatic Index (TCI). What the research has found is that people do not know that Makgabeng exists, and for those who are aware of its existence they have never visited the region. this is because the area is not being marketed effectively. The TCI scores show that winter is the best time of the year for tourism. Consequently, stakeholders and community members should market the area with this in mind. However, tourists have said they enjoy the weather in the region all year round.
Sustaining and supporting SMME use of big data in South Africa
(2021) Xegwana, Siviwe
SMEs play a significant role in the South African economy because of their contribution towards employment which makes this a very important sector. Big Data plays a significant role in propelling the digital economy and organisations that are dominant across various industries are those that have effectively adopted and assimilated BDA technologies in their business strategies. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of Big Data Analytics BDA) technologies on sustaining growth strategies of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in South Africa.
The study was carried out using a non-experimental quantitative research method that draws from a post-positivist worldview. Data collection was done using an online survey in a form of a self-administered questionnaire. The research survey was distributed through email to a random sample of participants sourced from online business directories and IT professionals who work for SME entities and are actively involved in big data initiatives.
The key findings of the study reveal that BDA technologies do positively influence SME’s competitive advantage, and resource constraints do have a negative impact on SME growth strategies, but the relationship between adoption and assimilation of BDA technologies and SME growth was found to be very weak and insignificant. Leveraging and delivering value through BDA, SMEs can develop and sustain a robust SME sector and make a considerable contribution towards employment and improve socio-economic conditions for the South African public.