{"title":"Predicting Work Engagement among Employees in Windhoek, Namibia","authors":"Mariette Fillipus, W. Pieters","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.970","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.970","url":null,"abstract":"Organisations are increasingly dependent on their employees’ strength; therefore, they need energetic and engaged employees. Engaged employees develop an abundance of resources which they devote to their job activities. When tackled with difficulties and limitations, engaged employees are determined to overcome challenges. A cross-sectional quantitative research design making use of a questionnaire is used in this study. The questionnaire was administered to n=124 employees (availability sampling) in Windhoek, Namibia across three institutions to collect data on the biographical details, emotional intelligence, job demands-resources, and the work engagement of employees. Data on the social skills, growth opportunities, and advancement opportunities predicted employees' work engagement. Positive organisational outcomes may be enhanced by focusing on job resources. This study also suggests that emotional intelligence is critical in ensuring that employees can withstand overwhelming job demands that they may encounter. Organisations need to expose employees to growth and advancement opportunities to foster work engagement. This study adds to the knowledge related to work engagement within Namibia and the field of psychology.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132608667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in South Africa: An Interdisciplinary Discourse Analysis of One Selected isiZulu and One Selected isiXhosa Literary Text","authors":"M. Diko","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1147","url":null,"abstract":"Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in South Africa is a post-colonial social ill. Women and young girls suffer double oppression in the country. First, they are oppressed for being women and young girls; and second, they are oppressed for being women and young girls of the lower class. This article aims to utilise one selected isiZulu and isiXhosa drama, respectively, to effectuate a meticulous examination of how and why GBV is a recurring pattern. The ultimate aim is to underline the unprejudiced reality that South African literature (isiZulu and isiXhosa, for example) engages contemporary social ills such as GBV, subordination of women and young girls, gender discrepancies, and neolithic stereotypes. African feminist technique is utilised as a conceptual framework to advance the said aims of the article. In the process, the qualitative research methodology is employed to describe and explain the nature of the data source. The discussions and findings demonstrate that although women and gender discourses research has been undertaken extensively, the fact that women and young girls continue to be tormented is enough to prove that there is a conundrum in South Africa and possibly, elsewhere.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"52 6","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120806323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Slindile Mdletshe, T. Tlapana, Raymond Hawkins-Mofokeng
{"title":"Adoption of Facebook as a Communication Tool amongst University Millennials in KwaZulu-Natal","authors":"Slindile Mdletshe, T. Tlapana, Raymond Hawkins-Mofokeng","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1104","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to understand the critical significance of Facebook as a communication tool in promoting social consciousness amongst South African millennials at various Higher Education institutions in KwaZulu-Natal. The study was exploratory and quantitative, with 400 undergraduate students identified using a purposive sampling technique. There were 150 students from the Durban University of Technology, 125 from the Mangosuthu University of Technology, and 125 from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The data were analysed using the most recent version of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) application. According to the findings, most millennials spend at least two hours, and up to considerably more than six hours, on social media every day. Furthermore, most participants believed that this forum allows them to express themselves whilst also exchanging information on academic concerns such as ongoing strikes and fee increases. The participants all agreed that accessing this social media platform was effortless for them, thus they perceived it as an effective awareness tool. Furthermore, the interviewees stated that Facebook is an excellent platform because it facilitates texting, voice recordings, and video uploads. As a result, it is suggested that universities use Facebook to raise awareness and communicate with key stakeholders.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"213 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123559631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Household Mobility Dynamics among Young Adults in Established Suburban Council Rental Housing Estates in South African Cities: A Case Study of Kenneth Gardens, Durban","authors":"Godfrey G. Musvoto","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v3i1.923","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v3i1.923","url":null,"abstract":"The household mobility dynamics of young adults are widely acknowledged as some of the central indicators of residential satisfaction and the quantitative housing deficit. Regardless of this, hardly any studies have been conducted to investigate the trend in South African neighbourhoods. This study investigated the dynamics of household mobility among young adults in the Kenneth Gardens, a subsidised council rental estate in the city of Durban, South Africa. It is based on a survey focusing on household characteristics, profiles of young adults, likely household mobility behaviour of young adults and the factors that influence the mobility of young adults. Descriptive statistical tabulations, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and cross tabulations were used in the analysis. The paper notes that established suburban council rental housing estates are multi-cultural and diverse. Likewise, household formation aspirations and mobility factors among young adults are influenced by ethnic cultural factors and cross-cultural socio-economic factors. The paper argues that the residential satisfaction of young adults and household mobility factors in diverse neighbourhoods should be differentially understood within the context of ethnic and cultural geographies. Furthermore, cross-cultural socio-economic constraints that delay the wishes of young adults to form new households must also be taken into consideration.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"148 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124722681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
E. Naidoo, Francis Akpa-Inyang, M. Odayan, J. Adam
{"title":"Assessing Infection Control Knowledge and Compliance of Cardiovascular Perfusionists in Theatre at a Private Hospital in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa","authors":"E. Naidoo, Francis Akpa-Inyang, M. Odayan, J. Adam","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1135","url":null,"abstract":"Infections acquired in a hospital (HAI) often referred to as nosocomial infections are related with increasing morbidity and death among patients that are hospitalised and are predisposed to an elevated risk of infection by health workers (HCWs). The need to maintain an effective infection prevention and control program is therefore essential for quality health care. This study sought to assess the knowledge and compliance of infection control practices of Cardiovascular Perfusionists in theatre at a private healthcare facility in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in the city of Durban. We conducted a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with 12 Cardiovascular Perfusionists (CP) who were purposively selected from private sector. The interviews lasted between 20 to 25 minutes and were transcribed, and then thematic analysis were applied using NVivo. The study found that there is a need for Clinical Technologist specialising in Cardiovascular Perfusion to undergo training in infection control and prevention practices at the higher education and training level. Subsequently, the study reveals that Cardiovascular Perfusionists have a good overall understanding of pathogens and the implications thereof. The study also notes that there is considerable compliance to infection control practices in theatre irrespective of the knowledge pertaining to infection control and prevention policies. We concluded that there is an overall good knowledge and understanding regarding infection control practices, although many felt that there exists an inequitable application of infection control policies due to professional biases.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"35 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124928017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Potential of the Language Portrait as a Self-Reflective and Decolonial Research Tool for Undergraduates: A Case Study","authors":"I. Etbaigha, A. Bayat, Khadijah Moloi","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.1007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.1007","url":null,"abstract":"The study reports on undergraduate students’ introduction to the Language Portrait (LP) as a creative inquiry resource that they used to embark on a scholarly journey through which they could potentially decolonise their subjectivities. We argue that the coloniality of English in the South African context has undermined subaltern students' scholarly knowledge production and contribution, ways of thinking, and how they value themselves outside the accepted Western norms as embodied in the English language. Consequently, this has shaped their subjectivity. By using LPs, students were able to reflect on their learning experiences. The study finds that self-reflective research skills can provide resources for shifts towards a non-colonial subjectivity. Using an exploratory case study design, students' engagement with LPs was utilised as data, accompanied by interviews. Twelve students studying at an Islamic higher education institute were asked to colour in a body silhouette (LP) and were then interviewed to explain the meaning of their LPs. The study found that the LP was an effective tool for reflecting on students learning and scholarly aspirations. Students responded very positively to the way they could do self-reflection in a colourful and playful manner. We also found that learning Arabic allowed the students to realise that there are alternative ways of thinking about who they could become. LPs added to their skill set by giving them a new research tool that they may use to pursue an epistemic delinking from the colonial project.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128785238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Itinerant Curriculum as an Alternative Pathway for Responsiveness in African Higher Education in the Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution","authors":"K. Fomunyam","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.989","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.989","url":null,"abstract":"The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, and it has serious implications for education globally. The educational curricula used in the first, second, and third industrial revolutions may not necessarily be useful in this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), as societal and organisational demands have changed. Curricula in African higher education needs therefore to adapt to the changing demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or else students may be unprepared for the demands of future organisations and the society. Therefore, to enhance the responsiveness of the curriculum in Africa, this paper examines the itinerant curriculum as an alternative pathway to other highlighted curricula in the literature. The study posits how the itinerant curriculum can be used to achieve curriculum responsiveness, economically, culturally, disciplinarily, and in learning. The study concludes that the itinerant curriculum is an important tool that can help African higher education achieve curriculum responsiveness in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"16 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125747581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Factors Influencing the Pattern of Wildlife Product Consumption in Indochina: Case Study of Lao PDR","authors":"T. Nguyễn","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1156","url":null,"abstract":"The illegal wildlife trade is the most significant direct threat to biodiversity in Indochina. This problem will likely worsen without immediate and effective measures to control wildlife consumption. This study determines the socio-demographic factors and knowledge of consumers on wildlife animals and the pattern of wildlife consumption in Laos. The framework constructed is based on a theory of planned behaviour. About 200 consumers from major markets in northern, middle, and southern parts of Laos were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to collect information on gender, age, ethnicity, religion, level of education, occupation, income, frequency of wildlife consumption, etc. Multinomial logistic regression results showed that consumers' places of birth and education levels have a significant relationship with the pattern of wildlife consumption. The results indicate that local consumers with a high education are more likely to buy wildlife products as a gift than those with low education who are more likely to consume wildlife products as a source of medicine/food. Regarding the use of wildlife products on occasions of traditional ritual/release, local consumers with high education levels are less likely to consume wildlife products than those with lower education levels. The findings suggest that the government should target local people and collate different propaganda for people with varying levels of education to reduce the use of wildlife products.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125030628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mentoring Undergraduate Research in Different College/University Settings","authors":"Elmer-Rico Mojica","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.1027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.1027","url":null,"abstract":"One innovative strategy that can improve higher education is undergraduate students’ engagement in research. Mentoring is one of the few opportunities that afford extended face-to-face and one-on-one instruction. However, mentoring undergraduate students in doing research is not the same at different types of colleges and universities. This paper gives insights from my perspective on how undergraduate students are being mentored in doing research in different university/college settings, namely a premier university (University of the Philippines Los Baños), a public research university (University at Buffalo), a public senior college (York College) and a private university (Pace University). The main goal of this paper is to compare the undergraduate research structure at the four institutions. I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each setting, emphasizing how I engaged my students to do research with emphasis at Pace University. This paper also includes the similarities and differences in how students achieved the following learning outcomes: knowledge, skills, attitudinal outcomes, and learned abilities.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125422189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Review of the Lockdown Regulations’ Impact on Informal Businesses during the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Zamaswazi Cele, Ndivhuho Tshikovhi","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1180","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1180","url":null,"abstract":"Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown regulations caused enormous changes in all business sectors because many businesses were not allowed to operate. Only a few were regarded as essential businesses, such as pharmacies and grocery shops, and allowed to operate. Lockdown regulations negatively affected the South African informal sector. As a result, it is difficult to provide accurate statistics on the entrepreneurs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no official statistics from the informal sector. This paper aims to examine how the informal sector was affected by the lockdown down restrictions within South Africa. The paper adopts a systematic review methodology using Google Scholar and Web of Science or Scopes to search for articles on informal entrepreneurship, COVID-19, and South Africa to draw a conclusion from the analysed data. The findings indicated that most of the businesses in the informal sector were negatively affected, including workers because some of them lost their jobs and others did not receive their usual salaries due to limited working hours. There were disruptions in the supply chain and pricing of goods and services, and people could not have sustained their income during the lockdown in South Africa. In conclusion, the informal sector is one of the most vulnerable sectors that lacks access to appropriate risk management structures, and most people live on a hand to mouth basis. COVID-19 has negatively affected the informal sector, mainly through distribution and marketing systems.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125720713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}