IMPACT OF ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE ON INTERNAL KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION: A CASE STUDY OF THE AFRICA INSTITUTE OF SOUTH AFRICA

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Shingi Muzondo ◽  
Ezra Ondari-Ekemwa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Think Tank ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Internal Knowledge

This article reports on a study that investigated the impact of organisational culture on internal knowledge production and assessed the challenges of producing knowledge at the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA), which is seen as a model knowledge producing think tank in sub-Saharan Africa. The broad objectives of the study were: identifying AISA’s achievements in knowledge production; finding out the challenges AISA confronts in producing knowledge; examining how AISA’s organisational culture impacts on internal knowledge production; and suggesting ways in which knowledge production at AISA and other think tanks may be improved. A case study was conducted and self-administered questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, document analysis, and observation were used to collect data. The findings showed that AISA’s knowledge production efforts are confronted by several challenges, including: organisational culture and employees’ negative attitudes towards sharing knowledge freely, and employees encountering difficulties in finding the information and knowledge they need. If these challenges could be identified and clearly confined, it is argued that AISA would be in a better position to effectively produce and utilise knowledge, enabling it to achieve its objectives more efficiently. It is recommended that AISA acquire knowledge from external sources; produce knowledge internally which it uses and is used by its clientele; and establish itself as a knowledge-based organisation by creating a knowledge friendly culture as a framework for addressing the issue of organisational culture. The study results will hopefully lay a foundation for understanding ways of improving knowledge production at AISA and thus influence positive public policy in sub-Saharan Africa.

Utility privatisation in Sub-Saharan Africa: a case study of water

2003 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Bayliss
Keyword(s):  
Financial Management ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
The Past ◽  
Economic Context ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Privatisation Process ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Over the past twenty years, the focus of development policy has shifted from the state to the private sector. Privatisation is now central to utility reform in much of SSA. This paper sets out developments in water privatisation and reviews the evidence regarding its impact. Water privatisation has been carried out to some degree in at least fourteen countries in the region, and many other governments are at various stages in the privatisation process. However, in some cases privatisation has been difficult to achieve, and a few countries have successfully provided water under public ownership. Evidence on the impact of privatisation indicates that the performance of privatised utilities has not changed dramatically, but that enterprises have continued to perform well, or not so well, depending both on their state when they were privatised and on the wider economic context. The evidence points to internal improvements in terms of financial management. However, governments face considerable difficulties in attracting investors and regulating private utilities. Furthermore, privatisation fails to address some of the fundamental constraints affecting water utilities in SSA, such as finance, the politicised nature of service delivery, and lack of access for the poor. A preoccupation with ownership may obscure the wider goals of reform.

scholarly journals Migrants’ Vulnerabilities and Their Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Mobile Shoe Shine Boys in the Cape Coast Metropolis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
King David Dzirasah
Keyword(s):  
Informal Sector ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Cape Coast ◽  
Customer Base ◽  
Vulnerability Model ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Covid-19 pandemic has impacted socio-economic activities in sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana for that matter. Occupations in the informal sector such as shoe-shine business have been affected by the disease outbreak. This paper focuses on migrant vulnerabilities and their responses to Covid-19 with a specific focus on shoe-shine boys in Cape Coast Metropolis. The study is guided by the IOM determinants of migrant vulnerability model, empirical review on the shoe-shine business and conceptual framework on shoe-shine business within the informal sector. Using an interview guide, ten shoe-shine boys were interviewed in the Cape Coast Metropolis. Their responses were transcribed and a content analysis was employed to analyze the data. The main challenges caused by Covid-19 were the reduction in income, decrease in customer base and changes in the nature of work. The study concluded that the irregular nature of the shoe-shine business exacerbated the impact of the covid-19 on the occupation but individual coping strategies were key in ensuring the sustainability of the occupation.

scholarly journals Helminths in South Africa: management of cestode and trematode infections in humans

2020 ◽  
pp. 33-38
Author(s):  
RL van Zyl
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
The South ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa has to contend with many challenges, including inadequate healthcare systems, lack of optimal sanitation, and clean water and food. All of these contribute to malnutrition and an increased risk of infections, including parasitism by cestodes and trematodes. Schistosomiasis is a category-2 notifiable trematode (fluke) infection, whereas cestode (tapeworm) infections need not be reported to the South African Department of Health. Epidemiological data for helminthiasis in South Africa is scant, with a paucity of publications on the South African scenario. As such, a complete picture of the impact of helminth infections on all age groups in South Africa does not exist. These parasitic diseases not only have an impact on socio economic development of a country, community and families, but also contribute to the chronic and detrimental effects on the health and nutritional status of the host, including the impaired development of children. In order to break the cycle of poverty and disease, a strong education drive is required in schools and communities to provide effective strategies and guidelines on preventative measures that result in avoidance of exposure to infective stages of Schistosoma and Taenia tapeworms. Also, it is imperative that healthcare professionals are able to recognise the signs and symptoms, so that interventions can be promptly initiated. The current anthelmintic treatments available in South Africa are effective against cestodes and trematodes, with no drug resistance having being reported. The need for compliancy when taking anthelmintic drugs must be emphasised.

scholarly journals The Impact of Foreign Aid Conditionality on Poverty Alleviation in Bangladesh: A Recipient’s Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 151
Author(s):  
Mehadi Mamun
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Aid ◽  
Poverty Alleviation ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
Aid Conditionality ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Recipient Government ◽  
The Impact

Donors provide aid to the recipient government with conditions to implement some policies so that the recipient government can use aid effectively and able to improve its economic, social, and political situation as well as reduce its poverty. However, concerns have been raised that aid conditionality has promoted reforms that could not reduce the poverty situation in some countries such as sub-Saharan Africa, while some countries in East Asia were able to break out of poverty and find themselves better off than before the conditional aid was accepted. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of foreign aid conditionality on poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. The paper is qualitative in nature and a case study on Bangladesh. The study has been conducted by using secondary data, like journal articles, research papers, and Bangladesh government and aid donors’ reports. The study finds that Bangladesh has started to show considerable improvement in reducing poverty, though it is still ranking low on the Human Development Index. The findings have important implications for policymakers and captured insights about the foreign aid conditionality in Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Attitudes of Local Communities towards Marula Tree (Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra) Conservation at the Villages of Ha-Mashau and Ha-Mashamba in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Resources ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Ndidzulafhi Sinthumule ◽  
Mbuelo Mashau
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sclerocarya Birrea ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Communal Land ◽  
Sub Saharan

The marula tree (Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra), a common species in sub-Saharan Africa, grows naturally in both protected and communal land. Although considerable research has been undertaken on these trees in southern Africa, to the authors’ knowledge, the attitudes of local communities towards the protection of marula trees, particularly in communal land, has not been researched. This study intends to fill this gap in knowledge by examining the attitudes of local people towards conservation of marula trees. Studying the attitudes of people can provide insights on how they behave and how they are willing to coexist with S. birrea. The case study is set in Limpopo Province of South Africa in the villages of Ha-Mashau (Thondoni) and Ha-Mashamba where marula trees grow naturally. To fulfil the aim of this study, door-to-door surveys were carried out in 2018 and questionnaire interviews were used as the main data collection tool in 150 randomly selected households. The study revealed that local communities in the study area had positive attitudes towards conservation of marula trees. Strategies that are used by local communities to protect marula trees in communal land are discussed.

scholarly journals Household food waste disposal in South Africa: A case study of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni

2018 ◽  
Vol 114 (5/6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzan Oelofse ◽  
Aubrey Muswema ◽  
Fhumulani Ramukhwatho
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Municipal Waste ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Sub Saharan

Food waste is becoming an important issue in light of population growth and global food security concerns. However, data on food wastage are limited, especially for developing countries. Global estimates suggest that households in developed countries waste more food than those in developing countries, but these estimates are based on assumptions that have not been tested. We therefore set out to present primary data relating to household food waste disposal for South Africa within the sub-Saharan African context. As the Gauteng Province contributes about 45% of the total municipal waste generated in South Africa, the case study area covers two of the large urban metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng, namely Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg, with a combined population of 8.33 million, representing nearly 15% of the South African population. Municipal solid waste characterisation studies using bulk sampling with randomised grab sub-sampling were undertaken over a 6-week period during summer in 2014 (Johannesburg) and 2016 (Ekurhuleni), covering a representative sample of the municipal waste collection routes from households in each of the two surveyed municipalities. The food waste component of the household waste (excluding garden waste) was 3% in Ekurhuleni and 7% in Johannesburg. The results indicate that an average of 0.48 kg (Ekurhuleni) and 0.69 kg (Johannesburg) of food waste (including inedible parts) is disposed of into the municipal bin per household per week in the two municipalities, respectively. This translates into per capita food waste disposal of 8 kg and 12 kg per annum, respectively, in South Africa as compared to the estimated 6–11 kg per annum in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia.

scholarly journals Geographic Variation of Hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study of South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 382-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.-B. Kandala ◽  
W. Tigbe ◽  
S. O. Manda ◽  
S. Stranges
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

AFRICAP - The impact of climate change on agriculture in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Chapman ◽  
Cathryn Birch ◽  
Edward Pope ◽  
Susannah Sallu ◽  
Catherine Bradshaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Comprehensive Treatment ◽  
Climate Projections ◽  
Suitability Analysis ◽  
Crop Suitability ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

<p>Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most food insecure regions in the world and is highly vulnerable to climate change. We use a comprehensive set of bias-corrected global (CMIP5) and regional (CORDEX-Africa) models and a new convection-permitting pan-Africa simulation (and its parameterized counterpart) to examine changes in rainfall and temperature and the impact on agricultural suitability of maize, cassava and soy in sub-Saharan Africa by 2100 (RCP8.5). This is the first time a convection-permitting projection has been used to examine agricultural suitability in Africa. Increasing temperatures and declining rainfall led to large parts of sub-Saharan Africa becoming unsuitable for multiple staple crops, which may necessitate a transition to more heat and drought resistant crops to ensure food and nutrition security. Soy was resilient to temperature increases, however maize and cassava were not, leading to declines in crop suitability. Inclusion of sensitivity to extreme temperatures led to larger declines in maize suitability than when this was excluded. The variation in rainfall projections within the multi-model ensemble was examined in detail for Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and South Africa. In each country the range of projections included wetting and drying, but the majority of models projected rainfall declines, except in Tanzania, leading to declines in crop suitability. Overall, the CORDEX and CMIP5 models gave similar results for agricultural suitability. Explicit-convection led to more temperature extremes, but had little systematic impact on temperature and rainfall, and the resulting suitability analysis. Global model uncertainty, rather than convection parameterizations, still makes up the largest part of the uncertainty in future climate. Explicit-convection may have more impact if suitability included a more comprehensive treatment of extremes. This work highlights the key uncertainty from global climate projections for crop suitability projections, and the need for improved information on sensitivities of African crops to extremes, in order to give better predictions and make better use of the new generation of explicit-convection models.</p>

scholarly journals A Framework of Engagement Practices for Stakeholders Collaborating around Complex Social Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10828
Author(s):  
Frederick Robert Peter Edlmann ◽  
Sara Grobbelaar
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Causal Factors ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
The Impact

South Africa’s interventions to address complex social challenges rely on coordination across several sectors and between different levels of government and society. Improved alignment, planning and coordination are needed when addressing the causal factors of these social challenges. These causal factors include the environments in which people live and their behaviours. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on the recurring engagement of civil society, especially of marginalized stakeholders, as participants in the efforts to address the challenges. The study draws from the promise shown by stakeholder networks, termed Innovation Platforms, in other Sub-Saharan Africa countries to address such complex social challenges. The study aimed to improve the understanding of how a stakeholder network’s engagement practices impact the effectiveness of the network. To this end, a conceptual framework and management tool for stakeholder engagement in IPs is proposed. The study followed the conceptual framework analysis procedure to develop, evaluate and refine the conceptual framework. The article describes the core research outcomes of the framework development approach, starting with a systematized literature review to identify core concepts, followed by interviews with experts and a case study to refine the framework content. The case study applied the framework to develop recommendations for improved engagement in a stakeholder network which has been established around the challenge of vagrancy in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The result of the approach is a multidimensional framework for conceptualizing stakeholder engagement practices in a variety of contexts. The focus of the framework content remains on the practices of engagement which enable effective and fruitful stakeholder interactions within and around a network. The study delivered valuable insights into the nature of some development initiatives in South Africa and the impact of stakeholder engagement on them.

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