scholarly journals The Effect of the Covid‑19 Pandemic on Students and the Living and Learning Spaces at a South African University

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-106
Author(s):  
Blessing Kanyumba ◽  
Nondumiso Shabangu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
South African ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Design

In March 2020, the South African President Mr Cyril Ramaphosa announced a national lockdown due to the rising cases of the Covid‑19 pandemic. As a result, some of the higher education institutions closed under lockdown level 5 and strategies had to be developed to adapt to the “new norm”. Consequently, students and the living and learning spaces in South Africa were affected, necessitating therefore that transformation in all spheres takes place. This study, through a qualitative research design, investigated the effect of Covid‑19 on students and the living and learning spaces at a selected university in South Africa. Fifteen students and ten Residence Advisors (RAs) were telephonically interviewed. The results revealed that the living and learning spaces had been significantly transformed by the Covid‑19 pandemic. The operations of these spaces had been compelled to change in order to comply with the Covid‑19 regulations, such that student learning was shifted from face-to-face to online learning. This meant more time spent indoors, stricter measures now in place and the RA roles having been broadened to ensure that they also monitor compliance. The study also noted that even after the pandemic, things will still take time to get back to normal. This article concludes that Covid‑19 has had a huge effect on the living and learning spaces as well as students at the selected university and that both students and staff should play their roles effectively to ensure that everyone remains safe.

scholarly journals Challenges faced by libraries in a democratic South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 408-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Maredi Mojapelo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
Arts And Culture ◽  
Convenience Sampling

Community libraries are crucial for people to have access to information to satisfy their multiple needs. As custodians of information and knowledge in diverse spheres, they play a role in the socio-economic development of nations. This article attempts to investigate challenges faced by libraries in three different settings in post-apartheid South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research design. The users, librarians and a well-placed official of the relevant department were interviewed. Convenience sampling was used to select users and librarians while purposive sampling was used to select an official. Face-to-face interviews and observation and a checklist were used to collect data. Senior officials of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture need to study challenges revealed by the findings and to take action to remedy the situation.

scholarly journals Formal financial institutions financing of immigrant small and medium enterprises in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis T. Asah ◽  
Lynette Louw
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Interest Rates ◽  
South African ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Orientation: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) owned by immigrants in developing economies, such as South Africa, tend to trust formal financial institutions (FFIs) for financial support.Research purpose: Even though immigrant SMEs create opportunities that have important implications for the South African economy; less than 5% of them can access credit from FFIs. This study, therefore, explores the accessibility of credit from FFIs to immigrant SMEs from a supply-side perspective.Motivation for the study: Research studies on improving financing from FFIs to immigrant SMEs will help to boost the survival of immigrant SMEs and promote economic development in South Africa.Research design, approach and method: This qualitative research design used an interpretivistic research paradigm to achieve the research objectives. Data were collected from 16 purposively selected participants and analysed using the five-step process of content analysis outlined by Terre Blanche, Durrheim and Kelly.Main findings: The findings revealed that FFIs are uninterested and biased against considering financing immigrant SMEs and tend to charge them higher interest rates. Collateral, equity contribution and the possession of a South African permanent resident permit with a South African ID are the most important requirements that impact the willingness of FFIs to finance immigrant SMEs.Practical/managerial implications: Implications for the financial institutions in policy development were provided.Contribution/value-add: This research study highlights the requirements and the challenges faced by immigrant SMEs in accessing credit from FFIs. The use of qualitative research design further contributed to the literature on FFIs financing of immigrant SMEs.

scholarly journals Malaysian evidence supporting theoretical integration of roles of non-executive directors

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-14
Author(s):  
Hairul Azlan Annuar
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Executive Directors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Company Directors ◽  
Code Of Corporate Governance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of independent non-executive directors (INEDs) in Malaysian public listed companies (PLCs), other than the control role prescribed by agency theory and reformatory documents such as the Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design, consisting of face-to-face interviews with 27 company directors of Malaysian-owned PLCs, was instigated. Findings The interviews revealed that INEDs do more than just monitor their executive counterparts. Apart from the control role, INEDs of Malaysian companies provide a conduit for mitigating uncertainties in the environment and perform invaluable services to the host companies. Research limitations/implications This research utilized interviews. Generalizations may be an issue when interviews are used as the method of inquiry. Also, the sample is not random as access to many of the interviewed directors depended on recommendations. In addition, respondents were consciously selected in order to obtain various board positions that include independent and non-independent directors. Originality/value There are limited studies using qualitative research design in investigating INEDs’ performing other roles apart from the control role of the board in developing countries. Many of previous studies and literature in this area of corporate governance were predominantly based upon experiences of western economies.

SAFEGUARDING SOUTH AFRICA’S PORTUGUESE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANISATIONAL RECORDS: THE QUESTION OF CUSTODY

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-94
Author(s):  
Tony Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
South African ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Research Article ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Take All

This research article made an effort to uncover the attitudes of South African Portuguese community-based organisations in Gauteng, South Africa, towards the custody of their potential archival records and where these organisations would prefer to house any archival records they may hold. The literature reviewed revealed that community records often present community organisations that hold these records with a dilemma regarding who might take custody of their potential records if they do decide to participate in an archival collecting effort of their community. The literature also showed that archival custody options come in different forms, ranging from traditional approaches to custody of physical and legal transfer of ownership to a mainstream archive, to alternative methods often referred to as the post-custodial and stewardship approaches. Utilising an interpretive qualitative research design, similarly the empirical findings from the interviews held with the Portuguese organisations in Gauteng also revealed that these organisations’ preferences towards custody were not uniform. The results showed that any proposed archival collecting effort of the Portuguese community will have to take all their divergent views into consideration if an archival collecting strategy that facilitates the contribution of the records from all their organisations is to be achieved. It also became evident that each organisation’s preference towards the custody of their records is often contentious and therefore needs to be respected if these community records are to be preserved in the long term.

scholarly journals Does the Nature of Interactions with Higher Education Institutions Influence the Innovative Capabilities of Creative Firms? The Case of a South-Western Norwegian County

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 67-79
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Calignano ◽  
Kari Jøsendal
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Creative Industries ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Innovation Dynamics ◽  
Innovative Capabilities

Abstract Our study contributes to a limited body of literature and aims to examine the type and frequency of linkages between creative industries and higher education institutions (HEIs). The objective of our study is to investigate the extent to which various types of linkages contribute to enhanced innovative capabilities in creative industries. Based on a qualitative research design and a case study carried out in a peripheral south-western Norwegian county, our empirical analysis shows that HEIs are generally not very relevant partners and that other actors are mainly involved in innovation dynamics. As clarified and discussed in the paper, this finding largely depends on some specific characteristics of HEIs, the form of knowledge primarily employed by creative firms (symbolic knowledge base), and the cultural divergence between the two spheres.

scholarly journals From Face-to-Face to Digital Learning; Seen from EFL Student's Lenses Enrolled in Online Group Work

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-267
Author(s):  
Ika Harianingsih ◽  
Zailani Jusoh ◽  
Ridwan Muhammad Nur
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Main Technique ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Online Group

Numerous higher education institutions around the world must shift their instructions from face-to-face (FTF) to online learning due to Corona Virus Disease in 2019 (Covid19). Furthermore, with the increase in popularity of group work in higher education, especially in the language classroom, and the pivotal changes over the last years, the group works encounter new challenges as they transition to the online world. The study aims to explore the experiences of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' engagement in online group works to explore the benefits and challenges in a new learning environment. The qualitative research design provided an in-depth understanding of the students' perceived value of online group work. Further, an interview was used as the main technique in collecting the data from the entire participants. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that students had generally good attitudes about online group work; however, some students noted that language and communications concerns presented difficulty at times. Nevertheless, the findings also demonstrated that the benefits of this experience surpassed the drawbacks. Thus, the study's findings can be valuable for practitioners and curriculum designers since they highlight the benefits of group work in an online learning setting and the students' problems they may confront during these classes.

scholarly journals On Being Unable to be A Single Mother by Choice in Turkey

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-34
Author(s):  
Hanife KAHRAMAN
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Single Mother ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Research Design

Motherhood, which seems to be a women’s issue in principle, has always been a phenomenon that needs to be regulated through various practices by the rulers, in order for the patriarchy to sustain itself. This affects especially the lives of women who are not married but want to have a kid in many ways. In this research, the women in Turkey who want to but cannot have a kid because they are not married were asked semi-structured questions. The research evaluates why these women want to have a kid, what the psychological and social effects of being unable to have a kid are, how they cope with this situation, and whether they prefer to be a mother in a society where gender equality is ensured and single motherhood by choice is possible. In the research, case study, which is a type of qualitative research design, and homogenous sampling, which is a purposive sampling method, was used. Twenty women who were single and over 30 years old were interviewed face-to-face. The women were asked 16 questions. Then content analysis of the responses was done. The findings reveal that the women who cannot have a child have serious psychological and social problems.

scholarly journals Defining and identifying stakeholders: Views from management and stakeholders

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Benn ◽  
R. Abratt ◽  
B. O’Leary
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
South African ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Stakeholder Theory ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Stakeholder Satisfaction ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
New Finding

The focus of an organisation’s marketing efforts has shifted in recent years from satisfying customer needs to value creation for stakeholders. The purpose of this research is to establish how the senior management of an organisation define and identify stakeholders. The organisation’s stakeholders are then asked to identify their role as stakeholders. The research employed a qualitative research design. The subjects being the senior management of the South African subsidiary of one of the world’s largest paint manufacturers as well as a sample of the firm’s stakeholders. The results reveal a set of primary and secondary stakeholders that include some differences from current stakeholder theory. The results also confirm the importance of legitimacy as well as the new finding of the importance of reciprocity in stakeholder attributes. From a marketing point of view the focus of the organisation should not be on customers alone but include all stakeholders. This will mean that organisations should focus on stakeholder satisfaction and developing strategies that recognize the importance of all legitimate stakeholders.

scholarly journals A value clarification on quality within Nursing Colleges in Gauteng

Curationis ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Armstrong ◽  
M. Muller
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Nursing Education ◽  
Quality Audit ◽  
Audit System ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
A Value ◽  
Process And Outcome ◽  
Role Players

Quality assurance in higher education has been legislated. It is therefore necessary to develop a quality audit system for Nursing Colleges in Gauteng. The process of developing such a system is complex and needs to foster ownership by all the stakeholders. The first step in this process is to conduct a value clarification on quality. The purpose of this article is to explore and describe a value clarification on quality within the Nursing Colleges in Gauteng. An explanatory and descriptive qualitative research design was utilised. The results are grouped into structure, process and outcome values. Comparisons between the views of the different role-players are also presented. It is recommended that these results be utilised as the basis of a conceptual framework for the quality audit system for Nursing Colleges in Gauteng, as well as the development of quality indicators for Nursing Education Institutions in South Africa.

scholarly journals ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY THE MICE SECTOR IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 1203-1210
Author(s):  
Refiloe Julia LEKGAU ◽  
◽  
Tembi Maloney TICHAAWA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Adaptive Strategies ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Operational Costs ◽  
Mice Industry ◽  
Virtual Events

COVID-19 has brought to the fore drastic and transformative changes to MICE tourism. The current study therefore sought to examine the adaptive responses employed by the MICE sector of South Africa to survive and maintain business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopting a qualitative research design, 19 representatives of various subsectors of the MICE industry (including organisers, suppliers, and associations) were interviewed. The data reveals that the immediate strategies implemented by many MICE organisations involved the reevaluation of their operational costs. Moreover, the study found that the sector has readjusted its business models to include virtual events in order to ensure recovery and resilience in light of the pandemic. The study argues the importance of understanding adaptive strategies as broadening theory on tourism and crises (specifically to the MICE sector) as well as understanding the process of sector resilience post-COVID-19.

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