Electronic Theses and Dissertations (Masters/MBA)

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    Implementation of Knowledge Management to improve performance in national government departments in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Kwadjo, Mittah Lebogang; Stacey, Anthony
    Government Departments are still lagging behind in implementing Knowledge Management. Managing knowledge is critical to the success and longevity of any business. Whilst the private sector is gaining traction in this management practice, government is still behind. The benefits of knowledge management are improved decision making, increased innovation and business efficiency. The unique barriers to implementing Knowledge Management in government departments warrant investigation. The purpose of this research was to identify barriers to implementing knowledge management processes and systems in national government departments in South Africa and to rate the extent of significance to knowledge management implementation. Methodology used to collect data was an online survey questionnaire. The sample was taken from the population of National Department of Transport employees, and results generalised to all national government departments. Thirty-five (35) statements on a 7-point Likert scale were used. Using Principal Component Analysis, 6 components were extracted and analysed. The 6 components were 1) strength of knowledge management leadership 2) departmental support of knowledge management, 3) level of employee interaction, 4) use of technology, 5) accessibility of technology and 6) level of team work. Seventy-five (75) participants, who were managers, senior managers and knowledge experts responded to the questionnaire. The study found that the barriers to knowledge management were strength of knowledge management leadership, level of employee interaction, departmental support, and use of technology. The study also identified the most significant barriers in implementing knowledge management in government departments were the “strength of knowledge management leadership” and the “level of employee interaction”. A further study on leadership in government departments in implementing knowledge management in recommended. Future research examining the level of interaction among government employees related to increased sharing of tacit knowledge is also recommended
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    Investigating the reasons for the differences in the accessibility of renal replacement therapy in the public and private healthcare sectors in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Asmal, Zubair Mahomed; Ameyibor, Leeford
    The number of patients with kidney failure is increasing. This increase is secondary to an increase in the risk factors resulting in kidney disease, and will result in an increase in the number of patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). South Africa has a two-tiered healthcare system, a public and a private sector. At present, there is a significant disparity in the number of patients receiving RRT in the two sectors with more in the private sector. This disparity has been attributed anecdotally to a lack of resources in the public sector and specific legislation, although no research have been done to confirm this. Health disparity in general is complex and involves an interplay between multiple factors, including historical, political, economic, legislative and environmental factors. The hypothesis is that the disparity in RRT is complex, based on multiple factors, and cannot be ascribed to only two factors. To test the hypothesis, we interviewed the stakeholders in the RRT industry regarding their perspectives of the causative factors. In total, 33 interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed and analysed using the grounded theory from a constructivist angle. The objective of the analysis was to determine which factors contributed to t he number of patients receiving RRT in the public sector, compared with the private sector. As the renal transplantation programme is managed collectively by the two sectors, it was considered separately. Based on the interviews, five themes were extracted to explain the disparity. These themes follow the journey of a kidney failure patient from the factors that contributed to the condition, to being diagnosed and ultimately treated. The themes are the prevalence of kidney disease in the two populations, the decision-making process of who receives RRT, the accessibility of receiving RRT, the resources available for RRT and the impact of the transplantation. Each theme has subthemes and combined they form a holistic explanation to account for the disparity. This study identified possible causative mechanisms to explain the disparity. It is hoped that by uncovering these mechanisms, corrective Page 5 of 15 measures can be implemented, a more equitable and just healthcare service can be offered to all citizens and in the process save a multitude of lives
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    Retention of senior managers in the South African public sector: implications for coaching
    (2021) Nkhumise, M. L.
    The South African public sector is expected to ensure provision of speedy, consistent and high-quality service to its citizens, however, this has not been the case. As a result, the situation of poor service delivery has given rise to protests which are a common reality in South Africa and these sometimes become violent in nature. At the heart of these service delivery unrests is that the South African government is beset by high staff turnover rates especially at Senior Manager levels, which hampers the ability of institutions to deliver services to the public. The retention of Senior Managers in the public service is a growing HR challenge and it has become necessary to determine the factors that are important for them within the South African public sector. By understanding these retention factors, the research established what the implications are for coaching. The method of data collection from Senior Managers in the public service was semi-structured interviews. The key findings of the study were that retention of Senior Managers was influenced by a multiplicity of factors such as organisational culture, leadership, job satisfaction, remuneration, work life balance. These factors were identified as essential for the retention of Senior Managers within the South African public sector. The paradigm that was used for the study was constructivism which sought to understand the phenomenon from the lived and unique experiences of participants. The study used thematic analysis to identify, analyse, and interpret patterns of meaning (‘themes’) within data received from interviews. The findings of the study revealed the retention factors that Senior Managers consider significant. It was also found that some participants viewed exposure to executive coaching as necessary as it led to the discovery of their purpose and meaning in life and helped them to decide to pursue their aspirations, whilst other participants indicated that exposure to executive coaching influenced their decision to continue working for the public sector. Based on the outcome of the study, it is recommended that further studies be conducted on the topic with specific focus on theoretical and research coaching implications within the South African public sector context.
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    The perceived role of digitisation of electronic health records in South African hospitals
    (2023) Laullchander, Ashleigh
    In South Africa, patients experience stark differences in the health care provided by private and public hospitals (Ward et al., 2017). Patients in public hospitals often feel neglected and unsafe, while private hospital patients are more satisfied with the patientcenteredness of their received care (Miller, 2019). Primary factors that lead to these significant differences in healthcare experiences are the waiting periods in both hospital settings (Sastry et al., 2015). Lengthy waiting times in public hospitals cause difficulties for patients and healthcare workers alike (Sastry et al., 2015). The long waiting times endured before receiving care are considered the leading cause of skipped appointments, low healthcare worker morale, and poor medication compliance, all leading to poorer healthcare outcomes (Sastry et al., 2015). Differences in waiting times between the private and public domains of health care exist globally. With the introduction and improvement of computerised systems, digitisation of medical records and all clinical data in healthcare systems has become standard practice worldwide (Dash et al., 2019). Additionally, healthcare organisations are sources of big data, which includes records of patient information, results of medical examinations, and medical records information (Catalyst, 2018). Should this data not be managed appropriately, it fails to provide any value to the organisation in question (Dash et al., 2019).
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    Sources of brand equity in a government programme: a case of the renewable energy independent power producers programme (REIPPP) in South Africa
    (2020) Mojanaga, Nonesi Desiree
    Assessing the sources of brand equity in the government sector is an area of limited research. This research report applies the Brand Equity theoretical model developed by Aaker (1991a; 1991b) to determine the sources of brand equity in a public sector energy programme in South Africa. The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme (REIPPP) is a private-public partnership in the renewable energy sector, introduced in 2010. A brand is considered to be one of the most important intangible assets of any organisation, and therefore the determination of the sources of its value, or brand equity, is of great importance. A quantitative research approach was adopted to guide the study, using a structured survey questionnaire. Data was collected through an online survey from a sample of thirty-two respondents, most of whom have been extensively involved in the REIPPP and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The results of the research study highlighted the most important factors affecting brand equity in the REIPPP, which are brand awareness and perceived benefit. The findings show that Aaker’s (1991a; 1991b) Brand Equity model has relevance and applicability in the public sector. The contribution of this report is to enhance academic understanding of brand equity in the public sector and to explore the implications for management practice whilst providing marketers in the public sector with the tools for public sector marketing
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    Coaching behaviours of Senior Managers within the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Gauteng
    (2021) Motalieb, Zeenat
    The role of the manager in the 21st century has evolved and expanded beyond their traditional responsibilities to include coaching. The current literature reveals that coaching is a critical element of management, more specifically relating to the manager’s role as a facilitator of learning. In our ever-changing world, now more than ever, managers need to develop their coaching behaviours to ensure constant learning, organisational agility, and the ability to compete in the wider environment. Even though there has been a significant increase in the literature on managerial coaching behaviours, there is limited knowledge on how this concept is conceptualised, defined, and developed within the public sector in South Africa. By employing an interpretive inductive approach this research aimed to explore the empowering and facilitating coaching behaviours of senior managers in the Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Gauteng, South Africa. A qualitative research methodology was adopted in which a semi-structured interview schedule was administered to 15 senior managers. Information obtained from the interviews was analysed using thematic analysis and two main themes and several sub-themes emerged. The findings illustrated that senior managers do in fact exhibit both empowering and facilitating coaching behaviours and that these behaviours are driven by the belief of the manager in their role as a facilitator of learning and the Leadership and Management Competency Framework. The implications of the findings are that coaching behaviours have now been identified and can be used to develop training and development initiatives for managers in the public sector. By developing these coaching behaviours, other officials in the public sector will be developed, in turn assisting with the strategic goal of the Government, which is to develop an ethical, capable, and developmental state.