Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences

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The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences has a strong focus in applied research and has a number of specialised research units including the Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), the Entrepreneurship Development Unit (EDU), the Institute for Social Development (ISD), the African Centre for Citizenship and Democracy (ACCEDE) and the EMS Student Support and Research Unit (ESSRU).

Electronic theses and dissertations are available in the Electronic Theses and Dissertations Repository.

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Purification and biophysical properties of tomato spotted wilt virus
(University of the Western Cape, 1972) Joubert, J J; van Wechmar, Barbara; van Regenmortel, M.H.V.
The virus etiology of tobacco wilt, a disease of tobacco known in South Africa since 1905, was determined. by Moore (1933). After establishing the relationship between this virus and its thrips vector, she realized that this virus was identical to or a strain of the Australian tomato spotted wilt virus described by Samuel, Ba1d. & Pittman, 1930. Although the virus nature of this disease had already been established in 1950, the first attempt to obtain purified virus preparations was only reported twenty years later (Black, Brakke & Vatter 1952) a detailed description of the purification method appeared in a second paper when the authors also reported some biophysical properties of the virus (Black et al.1961).
Nursing personnel administration within a hospital
(University of the Western Cape, 1980) Thompson, Rosalie A.E; Beekman, Jan
The nurse qualified in the area of administration occupies a position with immense scope and potential in the profession and society. The task of senior nursing management is a matter of balancing and reconciling the values and aims of the organization with the values, aims, and professional aspirations of the nursing staff, and of related and interdependent groups of health professionals, while creating and gaining commitment to a wider concept of the service and the nurses' role in it. The balancing and reconciling of organizational, occupational, service, and educational demands with individual aspirations and expectations are delicate but essential if all available resources are to be optimally deployed. Success in the latter marks out an effective manager though it is difficult to measure this success. I believe this many-sided accomplishment is vital, for surely all philosophy, education, and research within nursing is valid ultimately only in its actual application to clinical practice. Professional nurses, fulfilling various degrees of administrative functions, are to be found in all areas and levels of nursing. It is the role of the upper echelons of Nurse Administrators (Matrons) in large, general teaching hospitals that this thesis will be focused on.
Nursing personnel administration within a hospital
(University of the Western Cape, 1980) Thompson, Rosalie A.E; Beekman, Jan
The nurse qualified in the area of administration occupies a position with immense scope and potential in the profession and in society. The task of senior nursing management is a matter of balancing and reconciling the values and aims of the organisation with the values, aims and professional aspirations of the nursing staff, and of related and interdependent groups of health professionals, while creating and gaining commitment to a wider concept of the service and of the nurses role in it. The balancing and reconciling of organisational, occupational, service and educational demands with individual aspirations and expectations are delicate but essential if all available resources are to be optimally deployed. Success in the latter marks out an effective manager though it is difficult to measure this success. I believe this many sided accomplishment is vital, for surely all philosophy, education and research within nursing is valid ultimately only in its actual application to clinical practice. Professional nurses, fulfilling various degrees of administrative functions, are to be found in all areas and levels of nursing. It is upon the role of the upper echelons of Nurse Administrators (Matrons) in large, general teaching hospitals that this thesis will be focused. Acceptance of nurse leadership and thus of nurses occupying the most senior administrative posts (in nursing) generally has been the norm in South Africa. Unfortunately, this approach is not universal. In some countries such posts are held by physicians or other non-nurses. In others, nurses hold the title but do not wield the power. According to Searle this has arisen because •••• role change to meet contemporary political, socio-economic and health care strategies has not kept pace with the changing demands and activities of the Health Care system2 ••••thus leaving nurses in such cases in historically limited rather than contemporary relevant roles. The discussion and appraisal of nurse leadership has resulted in various national and international bodies affirming the importance of the development of such leadership in ·order to ensure the continuing role of nurses in administration. The World Health Organisation has, in numerous documents, emphasised the need for nurse leadership3, and, together with the International labour Organisation (1977) and the International Council of Nurses, published a statement on conditions of work and life of nursing personnel. Recommendation 1Q states •••• There should be programmes of higher nursing education to prepare nursing personnel for the highest responsibilities in direct and supportive nursing care, in the administration of nursing services, in nursing education and in research and development of the field of nursing 4
The application of the marketing concept to independent radio and appliance retail
(University of the Western Cape, 1982) Venter, J; van de Byl Smuts, Michael
Independent Radio and Appliance retailers face very strong competition from chain groups, discounters and hypermarkets. These organisations rely on bulk-buying and negotiated deals to elicit favourable terms from suppl iers. Due to the volume of their turnover they can afford to work on lower profi t margins than the independent operator. Large marketing organisations also benefit from economi es of seal e in adverti si ng and promoti ons. In short the 1arge groups have a di fferenti al advantage over the small er i ndependents i n that thei r cost of sales and overhead structure is generally lower. The purpose of this study is to develop a marketing strategy for independent radio and appliance retailers which will enable them to survive, grow and trade profitably under current highly competitive conditions.
An investigation into the usefulness and empirical application of project planning and control techniques to small building contracting
(University of the Western Cape, 1985) Mentoor, Etienne R.; Kritzinger, A.
As gevolg van dte huldlge stram ekonomiese omstandlghede in suid-Afrlka is dlt noodsaakrik dat die bou-aannemers, veral die klelneres, deeglik moet besin oor die doeltreffendheld van hur bedrywlghede. Die bestuursfunksles, veral beplanning en kontrore, behoort meer aandag te genlet indien bou-aannemers hur proJekte op rn winsgevende basis wiI deurvoer. Die bestaande proJekbepranning- en kontroletegnieke, veral die Gantt-kaart en dle pERT-netwerk, kan tot rn groot mate by klein proJekte toegepas word. Heelwat voordele kan ook benut word deur dle gebruik van die genoemde tegnleke. Daar moet egter gelet word op die vermoef van dle projekbeplanner om die tegnleke sinvol te kan toepas. verderre1 die bestaande tegnleke ook aala ernstige gebreke en tekortkominge. Dit skyn te blyk dat dle krein bou-aannemers in die Hottentots Holland gebied nie oor dle nodlge kennis en kundigheid besklk om die bestaande projekbeprannings- en kontroletegnieke te kan toepas en benut nle. Dle bepranning en kontrore van projekte geskied tans op rn baie onsistemati.ese wyse. Daar word weinlg rekords vau vortooide proJekte gehou met dle gevorg dat die bou-aannemers baie op hu1 geheue, €D selfs intulsie, moet staatmaak.
Stock returns as predictors of interest rates and inflation: The South African experience.
(University of the Western Cape, 1990) Swanepoel, C.V.; Van der M Smit, E
This study analyses the extent to which stock returns provide forecasts of changes in interest rates and inflation for the South African market. The period under investigation, January 1966 - February 1989, is characterised by structural changes in the South African economy, especially in the financial markets. The earnings yield on shares is used as a measure of the return on stocks. Stock returns of 10 specific industries are used in addition to the overall market return. Monthly inflation series were constructed by employing both the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Producer Price Index (PPI). Before examining that relationship, tests were done to examine the relationship between nominal stock returns and expected inflation. The relation between the stock market and expected inflation is estimated by using three measures of expected inflation. The results appear to suggest that the stock market reacted positively to expected inflation during the 1966 - 1982 period. Two proxies of expected inflation. Best results inflation are used to were obtained with measure future the Fama-Gibbons measure. In addition, the results suggest that stock returns provide additional information of future inflation to that contained in the Fama-Gibbons and interest rate models. Returns for specific industries, used in this study, appear to provide marginally better forecasts of inflation than the overall market return. The results also suggest that stock returns provide forecasts of changes in interest rates and inflation. There is no evidence that the specific industries used, provide consistent better forecasts of interest rate changes than the overall market.
'N doelwitbestuursmodel vir werkverrigtingbevordering op plaaslike owerheidsvlak
(Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland, 1990) Hohls, Orlando Eibert; Schwella, E.
Plaaslike owerheidsaangeleenthede in Suid-Afrika het in die algemeen deurlopend heelwat aandag vanaf owerheidsweë geniet (cf. die talle verslae en bevindings van komitees van ondersoek na aangeleenthede rakende plaaslike bestuur sedert Uniewording in 1910). Hierdie proses is sedertdien voortgesit, maar vanaf 1994 het dit verdere momentum verkry met die nuwe grondwetlike bedeling wat tot stand gebring is. 'n Verskeidenheid van wetgewing het gevolg wat spesifiek op plaaslike owerhede van toepassing is. Die belangrikste hiervan is die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, 1996; die Oorgangswet op Plaaslike Regering, 1993; Oorgangswet op Plaaslike Regering Tweede Wysigingswet, 1996; Wet op Ontwikkelingsfinansiering, 1995; Wet op Plaaslike Regering: Munisipale Strukture, 1998; Wet op Plaaslike Regering: Munisipale Stelsels, 2000; asook' die belangrike Witskrif op Plaaslike Regering van 1998. Hierdie verwikkelinge vestiq weer eens die aandag op die belangrikheid van instellings op die derde owerheidsvlak. Soos aanvanklik die geval was, is die oogmerk tans ook om onder andere werkverrigting en dienslewering te bevorder en effektiewe en doeltreffende aanwending van skaars hulpbronne te verseker. Hierdie aangeleentheid het veral momentum verkry met die Heropbou- en Ontwikkelingsprogram (HOP), wat in 'n groot mate op plaaslike oweheidsvlak afgestem is.
Industrialisation and the decline of the coastal cities in South Africa: A neglected dimension
(Development Southern Africa, 1990-05) Roux, A.D.; Black, A.D.
Empirical evidence points to a mismatch between the growth of population and the growth of manufacturing activity among the metropolitan centres of South Africa. While the coastal metropoles lag behind the PWV and certain secondary cities and towns in terms of manufacturing growth, the opposite applies to urbanization. Various market failures and policy-induced distortions may have contributed to the relatively poor performance of manufacturing in the coastal cities. Until such time as these distortions have been completely removed by suitable changes to government policy, temporary subsidies to offset the disadvantages of the coastal areas may be advisable. © 1990, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
The choice of technique in the brick making industry in the Western Cape: Opportunities for establishing worker controlled enterprises in this sector.
(University of the Western Cape, 1991) van der Westhuizen., Willem A; Loots, L.J.
The thesis focuses on the choice of technique as a key component in creating viable enterprises, including those controlled by their worker-members. A theoretical model of the choice of technique is presented, with its roots in the works of Pasinetti and others. Then a picture of the technological opportunities in the brick making industry is constructed through analyzing the actual technical choices made by a sample of firms in the industry. Implications for worker controlled enterprises are drawn throughout. The choice of technique function is shown to be more complex than is usually assumed. In the presence of uncertainty an enterprise has to search for a viable operating space rather than an optimum position.. The decision making criteria are firm specific decision rules built up over time. As such the enterprise can be viewed as 'embodied learning', with the power relations which characterise all social organisations. When making a choice, the enterprise has to reconcile the conflicting requirements of the technological system, the effective demand criteria and the the context in which the technique will operate. A key component of this context is the nature of the enterprise, the learning embodied in it, and the resources it possesses. The specific conditions within a worker controlled enterprise require changes to the institutional framework in which they can be successful. These are directly related to the distribution of income and the nature of the organisation of production. The former affects the capacity of a worker controlled enterprise to acquire human and physical resources required to invest in new techniques. The latter relates to the establishment of efficient management structures. The choice of technique in a sample of firms in the brick making industry in the Western Cape is investigated, and the technological opportunities and constraints analyzed. It is shown that smaller mechanised concrete masonry techniques seem to hold the most potential for a worker controlled enterprise under certain conditions. These conditions include particular state policies to foster the housing delivery systems geared towards small building contracts and squatter upgrading. These have to be supplemented with appropriate financing strategies and the provision of serviced land. The ability of worker controlled enterprises to attract efficient management skills will most probably depend on their capacity to integrate horizontally, and in so doing create economies of scale in the provision of managerial resources. The viability of an enterprise will ultimately depend on whether it is able to adopt a technique which can deliver the products wi th appropriate char act.erLst i cs , to a market segment which requires products of that nature at the cost required. In the Western Cape that growing market seems only to be possible in the sectors where housing is currently not affordable. Therefore, lack of effective demand places a limit on the viability of new enterprises until such time as state policies and the institutional context of land use and availability have been addressed.
The development region as opposed to the "Homeland" as the essential element of regional development policy.
(University of the Western Cape, 1991) Jared, Mohammed Iqbal; Roux, A
This study is an evaluation of development strategies that have been followed in South Africa. Lebowa is used as a case study for an assessment of the present strategy. The basic question is whether or not it is economically, politically and socially effective to follow the "homeland" development strategy. This approach places "homeland" states within confined political borders. Development policies are also confined to these borders. An alternative is to follow a broader regional development strategy, that spans across both political and economic borders. This may provide a more feasible approach to development. The present regional pattern of development, which focuses mainly on industrial decentralization, is discussed. The evaluation of the present strategy explores various other alternatives which may provide for a more effective regional development policy. In this context an assessment of 'backward regions/homelands' is provided. The central problem addressed is the country or 'homeland' versus regional orientation. To understand the problem, the core-periphery view on South Africa's regional growth pattern, is utilized. The PWV, Durban/ Pinetown and the Cape metropole areas may be taken as "core", where most of the economic activity takes place. One can also distinguish between the "inner-periphery", which is close to the core, and the "outer-periphery", further away from the core and which includes the Black Homelands. This core-periphery approach provides an understanding of the polarisation effect, which results in the "homelands" becoming poorer, whilst the urban areas grow richer. The main criticism of the of the modernisation or diffusionist approach is that the "trickle-down" or spread-effect from the core to the other regions does not really take place. Thus, regional aspirations are not satisfied. The South African Government's attempts to counter some of the forces of concentration have been questionable. Within the context of the diffusionist paradigm, trickle-down effects have not occurred because of the super-imposition of a political ideology onto this approach. Rather these areas are the result of polarization (re-inforced by political consideration) brought about by the concept of separate development. It is clear that South Africa's approach to regional development is in a process of change. This is mainly due to the failure of the "homelands" strategy. Since the mid 1970's it has become increasingly clear that the "homelands" could not really become economically independent (and internationally recognised), and development strategy concentrating on each that the uneconomic and inefficient."homeland" would be uneconomists critical of this unified economy. planners and politicians. approach have suggested that the whole South African economy should be planned as one economy, even if the homelands still maintain political independence. The nine development region mapping of South Africa, Regions A - J, came about as a result of attempting to address South Africa as a more unified economy. Up to now, the proposed role of the regions have not been clearly stated
An empirical study of the development of factory shops in the clothing industry in the Cape Peninsula
(University of the Western Cape, 1991) Visser, D.J.; Kritzinger, André
Over the 1ast eight years up to 1989, a new business phenomenon has manifested itself in South Africa. During this period, the so-ca 11ed "factory shop" concept has developed into one of the fastest growing industries in both the manufacturing and commercial sectors. In South Africa, factory shops have initially established in the Cape Peninsula.4,5. The nature of these shops is such that their creation may be attributed to the clothing industry itself ;" This trend originated in about 1980 at a few clothing manufacturers in Cape Town, inter alia, Desiree, Readywear, Atlantic Knitting Mills. Originally these factory shops were open for limited hours, I usually over lunch-time and on only one Saturday per month. They were strictly limited to and for the sole benefit of I the staff of those firms. Gradually, however, family and later friends and acquaintances of these staff members became aware of the so-called bargain prices at these stores. Both supply and demand played important roles in the development of factory shops. For example, increasing pressure on management to supply larger quantities of these merchandise items at bargain prices, as well as the fact that clothing factories had excess stock which was difficult to clear through the normal distribution channels. Factory owners recognized and seized this opportunity to reduce stock at little additional cost. From their inception, factory shops have had a significant influence on the turnover and profitability of the retail clothing industry. This trend is documented in reports by the organ i zed trade, 7 ,B where reference has been made to the influence of these factory shops and where independent clothing retailers have been calling for a plan of action for protect i on against the encroachment by these factory shops on their (the clothing retailers') markets. However, up to that stage, no in-depth study or formal research was done to justify such action for protection. The ref 0reitwa s felt that" An empirical stud y of the development of factory shops in the clothing industry in the Cape Peninsula" was needed to acquire an objective view of the state of affairs.
The econometrics of structural change: statistical analysis and forecasting in the context of the South African economy
(University of the Western Cape, 1994) Wesso, Gilbert R.; Kótze, D.
One of the assumptions of conventional regression analysis is I that the parameters are constant over all observations. It has often been suggested that this may not be a valid assumption to make, particularly if the econometric model is to be used for economic forecasting0 Apart from this it is also found that econometric models, in particular, are used to investigate the underlying interrelationships of the system under consideration in order to understand and to explain relevant phenomena in structural analysis. The pre-requisite of such use of econometrics is that the regression parameters of the model is assumed to be constant over time or across different crosssectional units.
The higher civil service and bureaucracy: A comparative analysis of Great Britain and the' United States
(University of the Western Cape, 1994) Madzivhandila, Lusani T; Pecorella, Robert
This thesis is a comparative study of the higher civil service and bureaucracy of Great Britain and the United States. The study analyzes the political framework of the British and the United States systems of governance, examples of administrative reforms in the two systems, and the impact of education, socialization, recruitment, and civil servants as policy-makers. The methodology used in this study involves longitudinal as well as cross-national comparison. In dealing with differences between Great Britain and the United States, the study concentrates on the antecedent variables (constitution, political framework, cultural and administrative reform), intermediate variables (education, socialization and recruitment procedures), and the dependant variables (status of senior civil servants as policy- makers)In the first part of the study, the constitutional allocations of political power, history and the political system in which the higher civil service and bureaucracy operate are analyzed. The purpose here is to show that the bureaucracy and the civil service do not exist in a vacuum, they are influenced by constitutional, political and cultural constraints. The second part of the thesis deals with the education, socialization and the recruitment of the higher civil servants of Great Britain and the United States. This section points to the disproportionate representation of educated, high-status officials at the top of the political and administrative hierarchy of both countries. In Britain, however, there are social traditions built into the education system. The education and recruitment process concentrates on a general approach. In the United States, on the other hand, the specialist tradition dominates the civil service. Thus, United States higher civil servants are essentially specialists. The third part of the study analyzes the impact of education, socialization and recruitment processes on the role and performance of senior civil servants as policy-makers, in both societies. It is evident that civil servants are involved in the process of policy-making and, therefore, have a political role. This is due to the intricacies of bureaucracy and the fact that civil servants relative permanency, experience and expertise gives them a vast amount of knowledge that is relevant to policy-making. The conclusions suggest that the generalist approach applied in Great Britain hampers the capability of senior civil servants when it comes to negotiating with interest groups involved in policymaking. A specialist approach applied in the United Sates should be followed .
Should the public sector (central government) borrow domestically or offshore
(University of the Western Cape, 1995) Maleka Dennis, Mandla
1. Taxes are an important source of government revenue (income). A failure by the government to collect sufficient taxes to cover for its ever increasing expenditures, engenders fiscal problems. Amongst others the government is compelled to borrow to finance its budget short fall. In this instance, should the government borrow domestically or offshore to finance its short fall . 2. Amongst the theories discussed in this paper, are the views of the Neoclassical Keynesian and the Ricardi an schools of thought. Further more, South African theories on government debt are also discussed. 3. There is a considerably large number of indicators that can be used to determine an appropriate level of both domestic and foreign debt of a country. Certain well establish criteria such as the ratio of foreign interest payments to exports, the ratio of foreign debt to gross domestic product, the ratio of·govemment debt to gross domestic product and the ratio of foreign debt to exports, are amongst the pool of indicators that can be used. However, the following indicators have been identified as the most commonly used in the analysis of budget deficits, and they are; ratio of deficit before borrowing and debt repayment to GDP, the ratio of government debt to GDP, the ratio of interest payments to government expenditure, the level of real interest rates relative to economic growth and the net asset value or net worth of the government. 4. Deficit financing refer to the ways in which the budgetary gap is financed. Overreliance on domestic borrowing may mean high real interest rates and falling investment, and overreliance on foreign borrowing can cause appreciating real exchange rates and unsustainable external indebtedness, amongst others. 5. Amongst the available remedies for debt ills in this country, is the suggestion to significantly cut government expenditure. However, realities currently confronting the authorities, like the increase in public servants as a result of the abolishment of homelands and the constitutionally guaranteed employment of civil servants from the old order, automatically put pressure on public consumption. 6. On the international front, South Africa is underborrowed. In this regard favour should go more for offshore borrowing. Certainly South Africa has to generate the means of meeting debt obligations by running a surplus of exports over imports of goods and services. The bulk of the country's debt is of domestic origin which account for well over 90 % of total debt. The current anti inflationary monetary policy with its concomitant high interest rates, makes domestic borrowing more costly.
African perspectives on the land question: The Native Laws Commission 1883
(University of the Western Cape, 1995) Swartz, Moshe Edward; Legassick, M
Both Am-Xhosa and the European farmers, being pastoralists "the search for land and grass was (their) first principle", notes Walker (1928). When they met, they differed fundamentally on the "vital matter oflandholding" . So different were their perspectives, that Lekhehla (1955) suggested, as far as the treaties were concerned: "The Native Chiefs either did not understand the implications of the border treaties, or if they did, never intended to respect such treaties" (p.2 1). Hopper (1980) says the tension between the Europeans and the Africans on the land issue emanated from the fact that "Xhosa expansion" and "colonial expansion" processes were entirely different. While Am-Xhosa expanded in order to "preserve their political integrity" colonists were driven by an economic dynamic they expanded because land was necessary to accommodate growth (1980:261).
A cost-analysis study of primary diabetes treatment at day-hospitals and a provincial hospital in the Western Cape
(University of the Western Cape, 1996) Hamdulay, G.
The provision of health care in South Africa is undergoing major restructuring. The aim is to achieve substantial, visible and sustainable improvements to the efficiency and accessibility of primary healthcare (PHC) services for all South Africans. One of the country's most critical problems is the weak and fragmented public sector PHC system. The most critical problems contributing to this are the maldistribution of resources (financial, physical and human) between hospitals and the primary care system, and between rural and urban areas. The health sector, therefore, faces the challenge of a complete restructuring and transformation of the national health care delivery system and related institutions. Choices need to be made about which services to cut, which to streamline and where savings can be made. Ways need to be found to use ALL of South Africa's resources optimally. This process of restructuring would be facilitated by the availability of accurate information on resource utilisation in the health sector. This study estimates the difference in the cost of primary diabetes treatment at dayhospitals and a provincial hospital in the Western Cape in 1992/93. Health economics is in its infancy in South Africa and serious data limitations exist. This study is therefore a pioneering effort in many ways. An appropriate methodological framework in which to conduct the costing had to be developed. The South African health sector, health spending arid the cost of primary diabetes treatment at day-hospitals and the provincial hospital are reviewed. Theoretical perspectives of the health care market and the methodologies of cost analysis are discussed. The cost analysis method of study is chosen, and arguments are advanced for its suitability in the South African context. A simple method of calculating the direct costs to obtain the average cost is proposed for the purpose of the study. Direct costs consist of staff costs and other related costs, such as medical supplies, non-medical supplies, building operations, equipment etc. These costs are then used to calculate the average costs per diabetic patient at the day-hospitals and the provincial hospital. The average cost per diabetic patient at day-hospitals amounted to R18.76, while at the provincial hospital the cost was R59.60.
The cross-cultural comparability of tile 16 personality factor inventory (16pf)
(University of the Western Cape, 1996) Abrahams, Fatima; Mauer, K F
This study focused on the 16PF (SA 92), a personality questionnaire that was developed in the USA and adapted for South African conditions. The main aim of the study was to determine whether the scores of the 16PF are comparable in a cross-cultural setting in South Africa. The influence of age, language, socio-economic status and gender on the scores were also determined. The sample consisted of black, white, coloured, and Indian university students and were drawn from the University of Western Cape, University of Pretoria, University of Durban- Westville, and University of Natal To achieve the aims outlined construct comparability studies and item comparability studies were conducted. In addition, descriptive statistics were also calculated to provide a general picture of the performance of the various sub-samples. A qualitative study was also conducted to determine some of the reasons for the occurrence of item incomparability of the racial sub-sample. The results showed that the racial variable had the greatest influence on the scores obtained. Problems existed with the construct and item comparability of the 16PF when the different race groups were compared. In addition, significant mean differences were also found on the majority of factors when the scores of the different race groups were compared. The results of the qualitative study showed that participants whose home language was not English or Afrikaans had difficulty in understanding many of the words and the construction of sentences contained in the 16PF. The implications of using the 16PF in South Africa, with its multicultural population was outlined, taking the new labour legislation pertaining to selection into consideration. Finally, a number of options for test users, and users of the 16PF in particular were presented.
A cost-analysis study of primary diabetes treatment at day-hospitals and a provincial hospital in the Western Cape
(University of Western Cape, 1996) Hamdulay, Goolam; Adams, Ismail
The provision of health care in South Africa is undergoing major restructuring. The aim is to achieve substantial, visible and sustainable improvements to the efficiency and accessibility of primary healthcare (PHC) services for all South Africans. One of the country's most critical problems is the weak and fragmented public sector PHC system. The most critical problems contributing to this are the maldistribution of resources (financial, physical and human) between hospitals and the primary care system, and between rural and urban areas. The health sector, therefore, faces the challenge of a complete restructuring and transformation of the national health care delivery system and related institutions. Choices need to be made about which services to cut, which to streamline and where savings can be made. Ways need to be found to use ALL of South Africa's resources optimally. This process of restructuring would be facilitated by the availability of accurate information on resource utilisation in the health sector. This study estimates the difference in the cost of primary diabetes treatment at dayhospitals and a provincial hospital in the Western Cape in 1992/93. Health economics is in its infancy in South Africa and serious data limitations exist. This study is therefore a pioneering effort in many ways. An appropriate methodological framework in which to conduct the costing had to be developed. The South African health sector, health spending arid the cost of primary diabetes treatment at day-hospitals and the provincial hospital are reviewed. Theoretical perspectives of the health care market and the methodologies of cost analysis are discussed. The cost analysis method of study is chosen, and arguments are advanced for its suitability in the South African context. A simple method of calculating the direct costs to obtain the average cost is proposed for the purpose of the study. Direct costs consist of staff costs and other related costs, such as medical supplies, non-medical supplies, building operations, equipment etc. These costs are then used to calculate the average costs per diabetic patient at the day-hospitals and the provincial hospital. The average cost per diabetic patient at day-hospitals amounted to R18.76, while at the provincial hospital the cost was R59.60. https://
The effects Personal of Income Tax on the savings behaviour of households in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 1997) Southgate, Ada Isobel; Loots, Lieb
The "new" South Africa faces a big challenge. Unemployment, poverty and economic hardship still characterise the life of the majority of South Africans. Most people expect this to change under democracy. This will only be possible, however, if the economy can grow fast enough. What type of economic policies can a future government adopt to bring about economic growth and the reduction of poverty? More specifically, can the government raise taxes in order to spend more on the poor without reducing economic growth? The increased expenditure, given the existing deficit, will pressurise government to increase taxes. If this were to happen, the question that comes to mind is whether a savings constraint will develop. At the moment South Africa is not experiencing a savings constraint. This can be attributed to the fact that investment declined more than saving over the past few years. However, if investment has to increase over the next few years to achieve higher economic growth, the question arises whether domestic saving will increase enough to finance it. This will be difficult if an increasing tax burden has a negative impact on saving. Saving has long been recognized as a major factor in the process of economic development, directly by its diversion of resources into the formation of capital, and indirectly through changes in technology which are implemented when new capital is put to use. Few would dispute that domestic saving is important for the financing of development and it is evident that a country will require higher saving rates if it wants to invest more.
The usefulness of the value added statement in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 1998) Van Staden, Christiaan Johan; Vorster, Quintus
The value added statement is published by about 200 of the 400 companies listed in the industrial sector on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. This is the highest incidence of publication of such statements reported to date. It appears from a literature review that the usefulness of the statement has never been tested in depth from the perspective of the users. The importance of this study stems from the increased incidence of publication of the statement in South Africa and the lack of evidence substantiating its usefulness. The study aims to investigate the usefulness of the value added statement in South Africa from the perspective of all the different users of external financial information. The literature review revealed that, although the value added statement is based on the theory of value added and was aimed at broadening the scope of financial reporting, it did not develop to the point of being governed by statutory requirements. This resulted in diverse accounting treatment in the statement and the resultant loss of consistency and comparability, which gave an early indication from the literature that value added statements might not be very useful. The usefulness of the value added statement was evidenced by users actually using the statement and the explanatory and predictive power of value added information. No reliable evidence of users actually using the statement was found in the literature. Evidence was found that value added information had greater predictive and explanatory power than earnings, but these findings were found to be inconclusive. A questionnaire survey among users representing the South African users of external financial reports revealed little evidence of actual use of the value added statement. The general usage trend from past to present, was to use the statement less rather than more. More than fifty percent of the respondents do not intend to use the statement in future, even if the shortcomings experienced could be overcome. The major reason for this lack of support for the value added statement seems to be the shortcomings experienced by the users when publishing and using the statement, which stems mainly from the lack of statutory requirements. Another reason is that the value added statement introduces very little information that is not already available from the other financial statements. The predictive and explanatory power of value added information was examined by doing statistical analysis on empirical data of South African listed companies. This analysis indicated that value added information did not have additional explanatory and predictive power when compared to earnings and that the high inter-correlation between value added and earnings prevented value added from being used in prediction models in combination with earnings. The predictive and explanatory power of value added information is therefore limited. This research study could not find sufficient evidence of the usefulness of value added statements to justify their continued publication, neither could it find significant support for future use. It is therefore suggested that the publication of the statement be discontinued and that additional information be included in the income statement disclosures to accommodate this.

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