Measuring Meaning in Life in South Africa: Validation of an Instrument Developed in the USA

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremias J. de Klerk ◽  
Adré B. Boshoff ◽  
René van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Covariance Structure ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Psychometric Instruments ◽  
The Usa ◽  
African Sample

Investigations into the construct of meaning in life is an important focus area of psychological research. Research has consistently shown a sense of meaning in life to be a significant correlate of mental health and well-being. Most of this research on meaning in life is conducted worldwide with instruments developed in North America. However, inter-cultural measurement of psychological constructs is a concern, as psychometric instruments in one culture are not necessarily transferable to different cultures. In this case study, we examine whether the Life Regard Index (LRI), developed in the USA and a popular scale for measuring meaning in life, is transferable to a sample from South Africa. The results confirm the construct validity of the LRI, but indicate that the LRI's factor structure has changed and two of the original 28 items were not part of the covariance structure. From these results, we conclude that the LRI is transferable to the South African sample, but not irrespectively and without adjustments. It should be used as a one-dimensional instrument with only 26 items before applying it to the South African sample. The study provides evidence that LRI, which was developed in the USA and became a popular instrument for measuring meaning in life, cannot be transferred indiscriminately to a South African sample. This insight contributes to the quality of future research studies in South Africa, not only on the important aspect of life meaning, but also when applying other psychometric instruments developed elsewhere.

scholarly journals The competitive status of the South African Wheat Industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 651-666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Van der Merwe ◽  
Philippus Cloete ◽  
Herman Van Schalkwyk
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
South African ◽  
Wheat Flour ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
The South ◽  
Wheat Market ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Trade Partners

This article investigates the competitiveness of the South African wheat industry and compares it to its major trade partners. Since 1997, the wheat-to-bread value chain has been characterised by concentration of ownership and regulation. This led to concerns that the local wheat market is losing international competitiveness. The competitive status of the wheat industry, and its sub-sectors, is determined through the estimation of the relative trade advantage (RTA). The results revealed declining competitiveness of local wheat producers. Compared to the major global wheat producers, such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany and the USA, South Africa’s unprocessed wheat industry is uncompetitive. At the same time, South Africa has a competitive advantage in semi-processed wheat, especially wheat flour. The institutional environment enables the importation of raw wheat at lower prices and exports processed wheat flour competitively to the rest of Africa.

Pathways through homelessness: the perceptions of homeless children in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-160
Author(s):  
Anna Wilshire Jones Bornman ◽  
Carol Jean Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Well Being ◽  
South African Context ◽  
Homeless Children ◽  
The South ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
African Context

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore children’s pathways through homelessness within the South African context, with particular attention paid to pathways out of homelessness. This study focusses on factors influencing children’s successful transitions out of homelessness. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative exploratory design was used, using interviews with nine children who had exited or were in the process of exiting homelessness. Interviews were conducted at a children’s shelter in Pietermaritzburg or in the children’s home environments. Interviews were analysed thematically. Findings An ecological framework was used to frame the factors influencing children’s pathways in, through and out of homelessness in the children’s narratives. These included institutions, relationships and intrapersonal strengths and resources. The study suggested that constructive relationships with shelter staff and parental figures, as well as intrapersonal strengths, were the most prominent factors in children successfully negotiating their way through their homelessness. The importance of a relationship with the paternal family within some African cultures was also a point of leverage. Research limitations/implications Implications for policy and practise include the need for systemic change, as well as greater support for shelters and shelter staff. The issue of rivalry in the shelter context and the role of the paternal family in the reintegration process require more research attention. The research is limited to homeless children in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Practical implications This study provided feedback to the shelter regarding their strategies for assisting homeless children off the streets. It further provided evidence for the importance of the work of the shelter, to strengthen advocacy efforts. This may be useful to others in similar circumstances. Social implications This study highlights the importance of macrosystemic interventions in the efforts to assist homeless children, while at the same time not ignoring the inter and intra, personal elements to enhancing their well-being. Originality/value This paper is singular in its exploration of factors influencing children’s successful transitions out of homelessness within the South African context.

Do White South African Managers Suffer from Exceptional Levels of Job Stress?

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.J.W. Strümpfer
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
South African ◽  
White Male ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Role Clarity ◽  
The South ◽  
The Usa ◽  
High Level ◽  
African Sample

A sample of 163 white, male, English-speaking managers from a diversity of disciplines, functional areas and kinds of business and industry completed self-report scales on job demands, role stressors and social support. Their scores were compared with those of comparable samples from elsewhere, mainly from the USA, for whom data were obtained from published sources. The South African mean of 48,9 hours worked per week was similar to those of comparable groups. On a variety of job demands the South African sample showed a trend towards higher demands, which was interpreted in terms of a shortage of high-level human resources, due to over-utilization of whites and under-utilization of blacks. The trend was towards greater role clarity in the South African sample and no greater role conflict was found. More social support was reported than in the case of Dutch samples but less than in USA samples. A generally positive interpretation was given, with an element of eustress also being present.

scholarly journals Disaster management and humanitarian logistics – A South African perspective

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilna L. Bean ◽  
Nadia M. Viljoen ◽  
Hans W. Ittmann ◽  
Elza Kekana
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Humanitarian Logistics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Management Context ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
The Impact

Disasters are becoming an unavoidable part of everyday life throughout the world, including South Africa. Even though South Africa is not a country affected by large-scale disasters such as earthquakes, the impact of disasters in South Africa is aggravated significantly by the vulnerability of people living in informal settlements. Humanitarian logistics, as a ‘new’ sub-field in the supply chain management context, has developed significantly recently to assist in disaster situations. This paper provides an overview of the South African humanitarian logistics context. Even though humanitarian logistics plays a critical role in the aftermath of disasters, it extends far beyond events that can typically be classified as ‘disasters’. Therefore the implication of the South African humanitarian logistics context on future research and collaboration opportunities in South African humanitarian logistics is also discussed. Finally, two recent case studies in the South African humanitarian logistics environment are discussed.

scholarly journals The Determinants of Interest Rate Spreads in South Africa: A Cointegration Approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2(J)) ◽  
pp. 101-108
Author(s):  
Ferdinand Niyimbanira ◽  
Sanderson Sabie Kuyeli . ◽  
Koleka Rangaza .
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Interest Rate ◽  
South African ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The South ◽  
Reserve Requirements ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Interest Rate Spreads ◽  
The Interest Rate

This study empirically identifies the determinants of interest rate spreads (IRS) in South Africa over the period 1990 to 2012. The study uses the Johansen Cointegration Approach and Vector ErrorCorrection techniques to identify the variables in explaining the interest rate spreads in South Africa. It considers the inflation rate, reserve requirements, Treasury bill, discount rate, money supply (M2) and gross domestic product per capita variables as they explain the movement of interest rate spreads. A significant short-run relationship between IRS and its explanatory variables was observed. These macroeconomic variables are significant in explaining the behavior of the South African IRS in the longrun. This paper has focused on illuminating on how the interest rate spreads are impacted by both exogenous and endogenous variables. If controlled, these variables are most likely to have the largest effects on reducing such spreads. In addition, it suggests that the reduction in the reserve requirements prescribed by the South African Reserve Bank would help to reduce the interest rate spreads. Based on the results of the study, policy implications and suggestion for future research are made.

A profile of accounting research in South African accounting journals

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniël Coetsee ◽  
Nerine Stegmann
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Current Profile ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the profile of accounting research in the two academic accounting research journals in South Africa (Meditari Accountancy Research and SA Journal of Accounting Research) during the ten‐year period from 2000 to 2009.Design/methodology/approachThe archival research method is applied, which analyses existing data (in this case the articles published in the South African (SA) accounting research journals) to come to research conclusions. The research method used to analyse the related articles in the SA accounting research journals is based on various international studies. The following dimensions are assessed: authorship; research field; the nature of the research; and research methods. Authorship is classified by institution, and the top seven authors by relative contribution are also identified. Both empirical and theoretical work are classified separately in different research methods.FindingsThese different dimensions provide a broad‐based review of the current profile of accounting research in South Africa.Research limitations/implicationsOther refereed academic articles in the field of accounting have been published in non‐accounting specific SAPSE‐approved journals. These articles are also excluded from the scope of this research since the journals in which they are published have not been established by accounting academics specifically.Practical implicationsThe motivation for doing this research is to identify the current profile of accounting research in South Africa that could be used as a basis for future research‐related development.Originality/valueKnowledge of the profile of accounting research in South Africa could provide opportunities for scholars to expand identified research areas and explore methods that are currently under‐developed in the South African accountancy research field. The paper also acknowledges the contributions by the most prolific authors in the identified journals.

scholarly journals ‘a night where june and moon rhyme’

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaydeep Sarangi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Salt Water ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
The South ◽  
University Of Cambridge ◽  
The World ◽  
Questions And Answers ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The University

Dr Raphael d’Abdon is a writer, scholar, spoken word poet, editor and translator. In 2007 he complied, translated and edited I nostri semi/Peo tsa rona, an anthology of contemporary South African poetry. In 2011 he translated into Italian (with Lorenzo Mari) Bless Me Father, the autobiography of South African poet Mario d’Offizi. In 2013, he compiled and edited the collection Marikana: A Moment in Time. He is the author of three collections of poems, sunnyside nightwalk (Johannesburg: Geko, 2013), salt water (Johannesburg: Poetree Publishing, 2016) and the bitter herb (East London: The Poets Printery, 2018), and he has read his poetry in South Africa, Nigeria, Somaliland, Italy, Sweden and the USA. His poems are published in journals, magazines and anthologies in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Singapore, Palestine, India, Italy, Canada, USA and UK, he is South Africa’s representative of AHN (Africa Haiku Network), and he is a member of ZAPP (The South African Poetry Project) and IPP (International Poetry Project), two joint-projects of the University of Cambridge, UNISA and the University of the Witwatersrand, whose chief aims are to promote poetry in schools in South Africa, UK and beyond, and to instill knowledge, understanding and a love of poetry in young learners.This interview is conducted through e mails in the months of April-May 2020 when Corona virus ravished the world. We saw light through the wings of poesy. We reached out each other through questions and answers about poetry, life and the immediate.

scholarly journals Protecting Critical Databases – Towards a Risk Based Assessment of Critical Information Infrastructures (CIIS) in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mzukisi Niven Njotini
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
National Security ◽  
South African ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The South ◽  
Critical Information ◽  
Information Infrastructures

South Africa has made great strides towards protecting critical information infrastructures (CIIs). For example, South Africa recognises the significance of safeguarding places or areas that are essential to the national security of South Africa or the economic and social well-being of South African citizens. For this reason South Africa has established mechanisms to assist in preserving the integrity and security of CIIs. The measures provide inter alia for the identification of CIIs; the registration of the full names, address and contact details of the CII administrators (the persons who manage CIIs); the identification of the location(s) of CIIs or their component parts; and the outlining of the general descriptions of information or data stored in CIIs. It is argued that the measures to protect CIIs in South Africa are inadequate. In particular, the measures rely on a one-size-fits-all approach to identify and classify CIIs. For this reason the South African measures are likely to lead to the adoption of a paradigm that considers every infrastructure, data or database, regardless of its significance or importance, to be key or critical.

scholarly journals Cointegration and stock market interdependence: Evidence from South Africa, India and the USA

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohanasundaram Thangamuthu ◽  
Karthikeyan Parthasarathy
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Stock Market ◽  
South African ◽  
Stock Markets ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Series Data ◽  
The South ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Short Run

The purpose of this study is to explore the nature of the association and the possible existence of a shortrun and long-run relationship between the stock-market indices of South Africa, India and the USA. The idea behind this combination is to know how the stock markets of these three prominent countries are related to each other. The study employs monthly data from the stock indices, namely JALSH (South Africa), NIFTY (India) and NASDAQ (USA) composite from April 2004 to March 2014. After testing for the normality of the data distribution and the stationarity of the time series data, this paper discovered a strong correlation between the stock market indices of South Africa, India and the USA. The correlation among the stock markets is high, particularly between South Africa and India. In addition, the paper attempts to discover the presence of any predictive ability among these markets by applying the Granger causality test. The result indicates that the NASDAQ index has no predictive ability as far as the JALSH and NIFTY indices are concerned. However, the JALSH index has a predictive ability on the NIFTY index. After testing the Granger cause relationship, the existence of a long-run and short-run relationship is tested. The long-run relationships among the stock market indices are analysed, following the Johansen and Juselius multivariate cointegration approach. The result suggests the absence of a long-run relationship among the three stock market indices. Short-run relationship is investigated with the Vector Autoregression (VAR) model, and the outcome obtained shows that both the USA and the South African stock markets are predicted only by their own past lags. However, the Indian stock market is seen to be a function of its own past lags and the past lags of the South African stock index. 

“Wrestling with Apartheid”: South Africa–US Amateur Wrestling Relations, Rebel Tours, and the Anti-Apartheid Movement, 1960–1991

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Hendrik Snyders
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Far East ◽  
Cultural Exchange ◽  
International Competition ◽  
The South ◽  
The Far East ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Racial Lines

From the onset, South African amateur wrestling, under the auspices of the SA Amateur Wrestling Union and its successors, was organized along racial lines and, under apartheid, it continued to cater exclusively to white amateurs. By 1970, it was suspended from the International Amateur Wrestling Federation. Denied participation in international competition, it resorted to rebel and boycott-busting tours involving a number of sympathetic countries and individuals in Europe, the Americas, and the Far East. Organized mostly clandestinely, it succeeded in offering international competition to the South African national wrestling team for almost two decades. One program, the Oregon Wrestling Cultural Exchange, was particularly strong. This US-based program generated strong opposition from the Amateur Athletics Association, the International Wrestling Federation, and several anti-apartheid organizations. It survived until the end of the 1980s, when the USA Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act (1986) and the campaigns of the anti-apartheid movement closed it down.

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