scholarly journals The role of insurance in the achievement of universal coverage within a developing country context: South Africa as a case study

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex M van den Heever
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Universal Coverage

Exploring Guanxi in a Cross-Cultural Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
_ _
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Employment Decisions ◽  
Employment Relationships

Abstract Using a case study of recently arrived Cantonese-speaking migrants, this article examines the role of guanxi in shaping Chinese newcomers’ economic activities and opportunities in South Africa. In Johannesburg, Cantonese-speaking migrants tend to be employed in restaurant and fahfee (gambling) sectors, which are partially inherited from the early generations of South African Chinese. Through narratives and stories, this article reveals that Cantonese newcomers often strengthen personal and employment relationships through the practice of guanxi, but that doing so can also constrain their employment decisions. Moreover, the ambiguous boundary between the act of bribery and the practice of guanxi may facilitate Chinese participation but can also result in the victimization of the newcomers.

scholarly journals Industrial strategy and local economic development: The case of the foundry industry in Ekurhuleni Metro

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 448-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Phele ◽  
S Roberts ◽  
I Steuart
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Action Plans ◽  
Foundry Industry ◽  
The Past ◽  
Concrete Action

This  article explores the challenges for the development of manufacturing through a case study of the foundry industry in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. Ekurhuleni Metro covers the largest concentration in South Africa, but the industry’s performance has been poor over the past decade.  The findings reported here highlight the need to understand firm decisions around investment, technology and skills, and the role of local economic linkages in this regard.  The differing performance of foundries strongly supports the need to develop concrete action plans and effective institutions at local level to support the development of local agglomerations.

Institutional work and implementation of a performance measurement and management system in a developing country

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.K. Siti-Nabiha ◽  
Teddy Jurnali
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Cultural Work ◽  
Institutional Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
Norms And Values

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the actions and activities undertaken by public managers of a local government to institutionalise an externally mandated performance measurement and management (PMM) system in a developing country. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study of one of the best-ranked early adopters of PMM in a local government in Indonesia was undertaken, with interviews with public officers at various organisational levels, along with an extensive documentary review. An institutional work perspective was used to explain the types of work undertaken to institutionalise PMM at the organisation. Findings The PMM change was shown to be centralised and directed from the top and facilitated by other public officers. The Mayors’ instrumental and political view of PMM as a tool for efficiency and societal legitimacy enabled the adoption of PMM. The political and cultural work of the Mayor and the key officers involved constructing new rules pertaining to PMM, specifically in dealing with resource allocation and its associated sanctions and rewards, which encouraged more substantive implementation. The substantive implementation of PMM had a significant influence on the norms and values of the local government. Research limitations/implications The case organisation is the local government of a relatively medium-sized city. Therefore, it may be easier to achieve tighter control and coordination as compared to the local government of other larger cities. Originality/value The paper highlights the interrelated nature of institutional work in the creation and disruption of institutions. In addition, the three main types of institutional work, i.e. political, cultural and technical work, are not mutually exclusive. The paper also indicates the processes involved in the implementation of PMM, which unfolds from the establishment of a policy, its impact, and the role of the actors in the process.

Exploration role of volunteerism on the digitisation project: case of the office of the premier in Mpumalanga province, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nkholedzeni Sidney Netshakhuma
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Youth Empowerment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mpumalanga Province ◽  
Volunteer Labor

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of volunteerism during the digitisation project by the Office of the Premier in Mpumalanga with a view recommending the best practice. Design/methodology/approach The empirical data was collected through the semi-structured qualitative interviews with the records manager and ten volunteer archivists employed by the Office of the Premier. Findings Local pupils within the Mpumalanga province were recruited to participate in the digitisation project as a form of youth empowerment. The Mpumalanga Provincial Archives was not involved in the digitisation project to ensure that all digitisation specification was in line with the requirement of the provincial archives. Furthermore, a lack of resources to implement the digitisation project was cited as the main stamping block for the successful implementation of the project. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to the Office of the premier, in the Mpumalanga province. Practical implications Archivists interested in recruiting volunteers on a digitisation project can use this paper to understand the benefits and cost of volunteer labor before putting volunteer projects into practice. Social implications The success of a digitisation project depends on the involvement of the Mpumalanga Provincial archives. Originality/value This paper presents a unique case study in South Africa of a digitisation project staffed with volunteers in the office of the Premier.

scholarly journals Systematic conservation planning: a review of perceived limitations and an illustration of the benefits, using a case study from Maputaland, South Africa

Oryx ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Smith ◽  
Peter S. Goodman ◽  
Wayne S. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Systematic Conservation Planning ◽  
Conservation Assessment ◽  
Game Ranching ◽  
Setting Process

Systematic conservation planning is widely considered the most effective approach for designing protected area and other ecological networks. However, many conservation practitioners still ignore these methods and we suggest that five perceived limitations of this process are affecting its uptake. These perceptions are that (1) systematic conservation planning software is difficult to use, (2) the process requires extensive biodiversity distribution data, (3) setting targets for representing conservation features is not possible, (4) the advantages of systematic conservation planning do not outweigh the costs, and (5) the resulting plans often identify unsuitable areas. Here we review these perceived limitations and argue they are all misplaced, although we recognize difficulties in the target setting process. We then illustrate the value of systematic conservation planning to practitioners using a case study that describes a low-cost exercise from Maputaland, South Africa. This preliminary conservation assessment measured the effectiveness of the existing reserve system and identified a number of candidate areas that could be the focus of community- or privately-run ecotourism or game ranching ventures. Our results also emphasize both the importance of producing planning outputs that are specifically targeted for stakeholders, and the role of systematic conservation planning in providing a framework for integrating different provincial, national and transnational conservation initiatives.

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