scholarly journals Business rescue practices in South Africa: An explorative view

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talira Naidoo ◽  
Adnan Patel ◽  
Nirupa Padia
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Success Rate ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Definition Of Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Rate Of Success ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low Rate

Business rescue proceedings attempt to rehabilitate businesses that are in financial distress. In spite of its importance, there is a seemingly low rate of success of the current business rescue regime (at just 15% as at June 2016). This article seeks to understand the issues that may be hindering the current rate of success of business rescue proceedings and provides practising accountants (in their capacity as business rescue practitioners) with a better understanding of the issues surrounding business rescue attempts. This will allow them to better perform their duties and give corporates in need of rescue a fighting chance. Through the use of qualitative interviews, the research findings show that there is a lack of clarity of the definition of success, which may be cause for concern. However, in the view of practitioners, the success rate is expected to improve with time. This study provides details on a few key insights into business rescue practices in South Africa, namely, the practitioners’ perceptions of success, their perceptions of the trust of stakeholders during the course of business rescue, their perceptions of the impact of the qualifications and experience of the business rescue practitioner, and their perceptions on the preparation of the business rescue plan.

scholarly journals A pragmatic reevaluation of the efficacy of nonhuman primate optogenetics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliza Bliss-Moreau ◽  
Vincent D Costa ◽  
Mark G Baxter
Keyword(s):  
Success Rate ◽  
Nonhuman Primate ◽  
Biological Effect ◽  
Viral Vectors ◽  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Unpublished Studies ◽  
Definition Of Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Rate Of Success

A recent paper published in Neuron by Tremblay et al. (2020) introduces an openly available resource detailing published and unpublished studies using optogenetics to manipulate the nonhuman primate (NHP) brain. The open science efforts of the team are important and rare in NHP neuroscience, but the conclusions drawn about the success rate of optogenetics in the NHP brain are problematic for quantitative and theoretical reasons. Quantitively, the analyses in the paper are performed at a level relevant to the rodent but not NHP brain (single injections) and individual injections are clustered within a few monkeys and a few studies. Theoretically, the report makes strong claims about the importance of the technology for disease related functional outcomes, but behavior was not widely tested. The original article reports a 91% success rate for optogenetic experiments in NHPs based on the presence of any outcome (histological, physiological, or behavioral outcomes) after an injection of viral vectors. Reanalysis of the data clustered at the level of brain region and animal with a modified definition of success that included a behavioral and biological effect reveals that the rate of success was approximately 62.5%, and only 53.1% for strong outcomes, in experiments that attempted to measure a behavioral and a biological effect. Only 6% of the experiments in the total database successfully achieved histological, physiological, and behavioral endpoints. This calls into question the current efficacy of optogenetic techniques in the NHP brain and suggests that we are a long way from being able to leverage them in "the service of patients with neurological or psychiatric conditions".

scholarly journals The impact of disinformation on dangerous goods operation

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (2018) ◽  
pp. 137-140
Author(s):  
Razvan Bazaitu ◽  
Adrian Nicolae Antohi
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Moral Values ◽  
Global Business ◽  
New Era ◽  
Dangerous Goods ◽  
Definition Of Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Informational Networks

It becomes increasingly obvious that the current social stage comes with unique challenges, so the definition of success as gaining advantages only to one party to the detriment of the other must be overcome. In the new era, highly interconnected and transparent, we must find solutions to raise ourselves together, or together we will collapse. Our goal is to build a global community, energized by the vast informational networks (which have canceled all distances), based on responsibility, creativity, common benefits and values. Using new approaches and solving problems not solitary but synergistically, effectively, principally, the new strong currency in the global business strategy will become the trust. This cannot be achieved either by fear or legal over-regulation, but only by higher moral values, assumed and followed as the only long-term sustainable solution.

scholarly journals Impact of the Integrated Food and Nutrition Programme in Kungwini, South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reineth Prinsloo ◽  
V. Pillay
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Nutrition Programme

This article discusses the impact of the Integrated Food and Nutrition Programme (IFNP) in light of collaborative partnerships for poverty reduction in a developing municipal area in South Africa. The programme aimed to develop home, community and school food gardens to meet the daily nutritional needs of poor households and the process was then to be broadened into marketing surplus garden produce, providing employment and income-generating opportunities. The programme thus aimed to address more than just basic food and nutrition. The purpose of the research was to obtain data through participant observation, focus group discussions and extended household interviews. Drawing on the qualitative interviews conducted with the beneficiaries of the IFNP, the article describes the manner in which poverty can continue to entrench the social exclusion of the poor (despite a specific policy intervention to improve their circumstances) when appropriate stakeholder collaboration is not fully developed and harnessed. The research recommendations include improving weak institutional environments, which may hinder effective service delivery, identifying appropriate skills development for the poor, ensuring community involvement in policy processes, maintaining efficient communication in collaborative partnerships, and maintaining personnel training on policy development and in project management skills.

scholarly journals Accommodating nomadism and mobility

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 324-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoë James ◽  
Rebekah Southern
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
South West ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Socially Excluded ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how and why Gypsies and Travellers are socially excluded in England and how their experience may be reflected in other European contexts. Specifically, the paper explores the impact of planning policies on accommodation provision for Gypsies and Travellers in England and subsequently how their exclusion manifests due to the sedentarist binary definition of nomadism embedded within that policy. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on evidence from empirical research carried out by the authors in the South West of England in 2015 as part of an accommodation needs assessment of Gypsies and Travellers. The research was commissioned by a local authority but the analysis presented here was carried out in addition to the core report. The decision to comment further on the research findings in relation to policy and theory was agreed with the project funders. Findings The research findings show that there continues to be a lack of accommodation provided to Gypsies and Travellers in England, despite policy and legislative initiatives to the contrary. The paper identifies that current government policy in England is likely to diminish access to appropriate accommodation in the future for Gypsies and Travellers, particularly for the most vulnerable. Finally, the paper concludes that a sedentarist binary definition of nomadism has failed to recognise Gypsy and Traveller communities’ culture or mobility. Originality/value This paper sets out how an underpinning “sedentarist binary” definition of nomadism is used in England to determine policies of provision for Gypsies and Travellers. That definition is based on the sedentary notions of nomadism that are binary, distinguishing only between people who are mobile and people who are not, rather than acknowledging the cultural nomadism of Gypsies and Travellers. The findings are useful beyond the UK context as they help to explain why Gypsies, Travellers and Roma in wider Europe remain excluded within states despite extensive European initiatives for inclusion.

State Financed Social Housing Model in South Africa Requires Capacity Building Injection

2020 ◽  
pp. 399-412
Author(s):  
Vuyisani Moss ◽  
Hasan Dinçer ◽  
Ümit Hacıoğlu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Social Housing ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Housing Finance ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
Housing Developments ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter is based on the premise of Social Housing Institutions (SHIs) sustainability mechanisms. It is informed largely by National Housing Finance Corporation's (NHFC's) research findings on social housing developments commissioned on its behalf. The broad aim of the study was to conduct an audit survey through a critical appraisal and analysis of one of South Africa's social housing projects. The methodological approach was primarily through a thorough literature and documentation review this study had examined in addition to quantitative findings; the definition of social housing as a concept and how it has been operationalized in different markets. According to the findings the low levels of employment, low levels of income and the lack of industries in the area suggest that the affordability levels of the project tenants are low.

Impact That Elements of Agile Methodologies Have on IT Project Success

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-35
Author(s):  
Tat'yana Nikulina
Keyword(s):  
Project Success ◽  
Agile Methodologies ◽  
Project Outcome ◽  
Agile Practices ◽  
It Project ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
It Project Success ◽  
Definition Of Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Agile methodologies that have proven themselves are actively developing. Choosing a methodology is complicated as each of them has its own pros and cons. Project outcome depends not only on methodology, but also on the definition of success. There is lack of research on how agile practices independently impact project success. The aim of this work is to measure the impact agile practices have on IT-project success. The object of the study is agile practices used in IT-projects; the subject of the study are features of agile methodology usage in IT-project. The paper shows two practices — Stand-up and Kanban-board — are guaranteed to contribute to IT-project success if used correctly. At the same time, another significant characteristic of IT-project success is leadership openness to agile methodologies.

PACS Development in Austria: A Discussion of Success Criteria and Success Factors

2006 ◽  
Vol 45 (01) ◽  
pp. 102-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Gell
Keyword(s):  
Success Factors ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Order Effects ◽  
Medical Information Systems ◽  
Success Criteria ◽  
High Penetration ◽  
Picture Archiving And Communication ◽  
Definition Of Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Summary Objectives: The paper uses the example of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) in Austria (where some of the earliest large PACS projects were realised and led to a high penetration with state-wide networked PACS installations) to discuss success criteria and success factors of medical information systems. Methods: The paper describes the development of digital imaging in medicine and classifies the impact of systems according to their first or second order effects on patient care. The historic goals of PACS and the technical infrastructure in the eighties are shortly described.The paper then outlines the early PACS projects in Austria and their different approaches as well as the present state of PACS in Austria. Results: After giving a definition of success, success criteria (which allow to decide whether a system is in fact a success or not) are discussed in general – the final criterion being routine use – and in detail and it is concluded that PACS in Austria was and is indeed successful. Conclusion: The analysis of success factors shows a multitude of influences but the most decisive ones are the practical ability of the system to deliver a real service to health care and the ability to support the (key) users in their work and goals.

Ageing, wellbeing and development: Brazil and South Africa

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando Barrientos ◽  
Valerie Møller ◽  
João Saboia ◽  
Peter Lloyd-Sherlock ◽  
Julia Mase
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Pension Income ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Comparative Survey ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Satisfaction Measures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

This chapter discusses the impact of individual ageing on the wellbeing of older people and their households in low-income areas Brazil and South Africa. The research was based on a longitudinal and comparative survey of around 1000 older persons and their households in selected low-income locations in the two countries. A comparison of older people’s wellbeing levels in 2002 and 2008 found improvement over time in a range of wellbeing indicators: per capita household income and expenditure; multidimensional measures; and life satisfaction measures. For low-income households, pension income is essential to their wellbeing, livelihoods, and social inclusion. The research findings suggest that, with appropriate public policies, individual ageing is not necessarily associated with a decline in wellbeing in developing countries.

scholarly journals Formal Debt-Relief, Rescue and Liquidation Options for External Companies in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 85-126
Author(s):  
A. Boraine
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
Debt Relief ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Debt Collection ◽  
Definition Of

This article discusses how foreign companies doing business in South Africa during periods of financial distress and registered locally as external companies are, as a recent High Court decision confirms, denied the formal debt-relief measures of business rescue and therefore a compromise with creditors because of being excluded by the definition of “company” in the Companies Act 71 of 2008. Nor, for the same reason, may these companies, if solvent, rely on the current liquidation procedures. But they may possibly use the procedure preserved in the otherwise repealed Companies Act 61 of 1973 for liquidation as far as the transitional arrangements in the Companies Act 71 of 2008 allow. The purposive solution suggested in this article for the interplay between the two Acts may need legislative attention. This article surveys other possibilities relevant to these companies such as informal voluntary arrangements, applications for winding-up, ordinary debt collection, and perhaps compulsory sequestration applications. Finally, it raises the policy issue for the legislature to consider why these companies should be denied business rescue and/or a compromise with their creditors when these formal debtrelief measures might help them survive their financial stress and emerge stronger, to the advantage of themselves, their creditors, their stakeholders and communities, and the entire nation. It is submitted that these issues could and should be considered as part of the current law reform process of South African insolvency law.

scholarly journals A Strategy for Improved Student Success and Learning with E-Portfolios in Economics: A Case Study from the University of South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zurika Robinson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Continuous Assessment ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, more education will be conducted online worldwide. Problem-solving initiates alternative assessments such as e-portfolios and continuous assessments. The Public Economics module for third-year students at the University of South Africa has gone fully online with e-portfolios from 2021. This strategy has been implemented as a follow-up to the research findings of Robinson. The findings suggest that the final marks of Microeconomics have a significant impact on the results of the final-year students in Economics. Other factors such as assignment marks and module repeats played a role. The results reaffirm the importance and influence of Microeconomics as base knowledge for undergraduate and future postgraduate work. In addition, the findings indicate that the more the students tend to repeat or qualify for supplementary examinations, the higher the probability of them not progressing. The conclusion reaffirms the importance and influence of microeconomics as base knowledge for undergraduate and future post-graduate work. The importance of assignments emphasises the use of continuous assessment and thus e-portfolios in Economics. Future research entails further econometric and empirical work on the impact of the e-portfolios on third-year student success in Economics. E-portfolios are beneficial; if kept simple, they can provide students with continuous learning. However, e-portfolios need more lecturer feedback and self-directed learning for students to succeed.

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