Doctoral Study on Leveraging the Green Economy

Green Economy expert, Dr Magash Naidoo in Beijing, China.

Some of the consequences of climate change can be turned into opportunities to grow the green economy, this is according to the results of a doctoral study conducted by a eThekwini Municipality’s Energy Office’s project manager, Dr Magash Naidoo.

Analysing the eThekwini Green Economy According to its Dynamic and Complex Components for Identifying Leverage Pointswas the title of Naidoo’s study supervised by Professor Cecile Proches and Dr Abdulla Kader.

‘The green economy offers an opportunity to address the negative legacies that we as South Africans have to deal with while building a sustainable future for future generations,’ said Naidoo.

Over the years while working in eThekwini’s Energy Office Naidoo realised the concept of a green economy was not well understood in terms of its dynamic and complex characteristics. Hence, the focus of his study was to identify the components that make up the eThekwini green economy, highlight the characteristics of the components, determine the manner in which those components interact, pinpoint leverage points in the system and develop a framework to depict eThekwini’s green economy.

Inequality, discretionary income, per capita GDP and unemployment were some of the areas identified as needing urgent attention by the City in order to stimulate the green economy.

Naidoo’s thesis is a follow-up to his 2014 master’s research work which was titled: Information Climate Change Mitigation Policy: An eThekwini Municipality perspective.

‘I was in my late 20s when I started the process and wanted to complete the doctorate earlier in life so that I could utilise the “credibility” to make further meaningful contributions to society. I have developed a hunger for learning and finding solutions to problems,’ he said.

‘My doctoral experience has been absolutely positive, I had awesome supervisors who were so accommodating and motivating. The only challenging aspects were that a PhD requires a lot of time and if you are collecting primary data from people/organisations, they are not always co-operative. In my opinion, holding a PhD is supposed to give hope to others, whether through academic findings that will enhance the country or more directly by motivating other people to pursue their studies more diligently.’

Naidoo is currently finalising a guide for people planning to do a PhD and it will soon be freely available. For further information, contact, Naidoo at magash.n3@gmail.com 

Words: Hazel Langa 

Photograph: Supplied

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Distinctions for Engineers Awarded Postgrad Diplomas in Business Management

Engineers Mr Craig Martin Arulappan and Mr Sameshan Pandarum who were awarded their Postgraduate Diplomas in Business Management with distinction.

Engineers Mr Craig Martin Arulappan and Mr Sameshan Pandarum were awarded their Postgraduate Diplomas in Business Management with distinction.

Arulappan works as an Automotive Engineer for Sumitomo Rubber South Africa which manufactures Dunlop, Falken and Sumitomo tyres.

He says that due to the nature of his work, a good business knowledge will help him achieve a more rounded understanding of his company. ‘A business qualification was also an attractive addition to my Engineering degree.

‘The experience was rewarding in terms of the sacrifices that come with working and studying. The course work was interesting and provided me with new ideas and a new level of understanding. The qualification is definitely worthwhile since its scope is so vast and it adds value to your portfolio and knowledge base,’ said Arulappan.

His plan is to advance his career and move into a senior management position.

Pandarum, who has a Chemical Engineering degree from UKZN, believes that the Business Management qualification will further enhance his skills within his current field in terms of management applications. ‘It will also prepare me for the MBA which I want to do in the future.

‘I underestimated the effort required in studying part-time,’ he said. ‘It is essentially similar to having two jobs, a day job and a night job. I commend all those who attempt such a monumental task and more so those who succeed. It really challenges and upgrades your efficiency and time management skills immensely.’

Pandarum recently obtained a position at the Anheuser-Busch InBev Headquarters, one of the largest beverage organisations in the world, where he hopes to apply his newly acquired skills and grow professionally and personally.

Words: Lungile Ngubelanga 

Photograph: Rogan Ward; Supplied

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MBA Degree for Operator in Hospitality Sector

Mr Kieron Moodley added an MBA to his list of qualifications.

UKZN alumnus, Mr Kieron Moodley is a firm believer in continuous learning as a strategy to keep abreast of the latest methods of addressing complex business challenges. This has seen him add a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree to his list of qualifications which includes a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting degree as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration.

Moodley’s MBA research, supervised by Professor Cecile Proches, was titled: The Role of Social Media in Influencing Tourist Consumer Behaviour within the Holiday Travel Process.  The research gave him insights into how a traveler uses social media in the decision making process which happens prior, during and after travelling.

The findings of this study will assist tourism promoters to provide pertinent marketing stimuli to consumers at various stages of their travels.

Moodley’s career started in the field of Accounting and Finance however, he changed when he became bored with its rigidity and decided about eight years ago to follow his passion for the hospitality sector as he felt there was a high growth rate in the industry.

He is currently one of the owners and Directors of iNtaba River Lodge, a four star family resort in the Eastern Cape.

Commenting on his academic journey, Moodley said: ‘The motivation came from the recognition that I needed to enhance my skills and ability relating to how I manage my business on a daily basis. I felt that doing the MBA would assist in providing that foundation from which I could take what I learn and adapt pertinent aspects to my business setting.’ The delivery of lectures in a block mode allowed him to look after his business while completing postgraduate studies.

‘I believe the MBA programme helps one look at situations from different perspectives. The Programme is practical in a way that trains you to engage with others and find opportunities that present themselves. The MBA programme also blends theory with practice in a manner that has helped me find strategic alignment issues within my own business,’ he said.

His family, company directors and his supervisor provided a stable support structure during his studies. ‘I am the first in my family to achieve a masters so that is a big achievement for us as my academic success was without doubt a group effort.’

Words: Hazel Langa 

Photograph: Rogan Ward

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MBA Cum Laude Graduate’s Research Provides Insights into what Hinders Black Women from Entering the Petroleum Industry

Master of Business Administration cum laude graduate, Ms Thandi Ngxongo.

Investigating the factors hindering the entry of Black women into the petroleum industry was the aim of the research conducted by Master of Business Administration cum laude graduate, Ms Thandi Ngxongo.

The study titled: Transformation in the Petroleum Retail Business: A Case of African Black Women Ownership of Engen Service Stations in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, focused on Black women’s entry into owning Engen service stations in the province while ensuring that those who are already in the system survive.

‘Too many Black females battle to break into male dominated industries such as the petroleum retail industry,’ said Ngxongo,

‘They struggle to access funding from financial institutions which is necessary for their business to survive as they do not have inheritance or enough savings to access this industry. Secondly, those who are able to pass the finance stage and get funding often find themselves with yet another challenge. They do not have enough experience to handle the pressures of this industry and the complexity of running this business which runs twenty four-hours a day and incorporates different business streams.’

As a Chemical Engineer, Ngxongo says studying for an MBA has empowered her valuable insights to enhance her management and leadership skills in this technical field.

‘The findings of this study might inform policy makers in terms of how best to increase women participation in this business industry and other male dominated industries, thereby closing the gender gap in this regard. This will have an impact to the society, in terms of gender based injustices. I believe that South Africa has enough for all its people, irrespective of gender association and therefore economic equality. Economic and social justice is something that is achievable if we all stand up and add our solution-driven voices to it,’ said Ngxongo.

Words: Thandiwe Jumo 

Photograph: Rogan Ward

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Master’s Study Explores Fundraising Complexities for Higher Education in SA

Mr Steve Camp, Donor Relationship Manager at the UKZN Foundation, who obtained his master’s degree from the University.

The changing Higher Education landscape, which is negatively impacting on funding resources prompted Donor Relationship Manager at the UKZN Foundation, Mr Steve Camp, to embark on a master’s degree research project which has equipped him to deal with the challenge head on. 

Fundraising Complexities for Higher Education in South Africa: A Case Study of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, was the title of Camp’s reserach which identified poor economic growth, inflation, the reduction of state subsidies, the weak rand and the recent #FeesMustFall campaign as some of the factors which exacerbated the decline in funding previously available to institutions of higher learning.

‘Universities are finding it progressively more difficult to retain their academic credibility, research outputs and core infrastructure maintenance in the face of declining funds,’ said Camp. He believes it is important for sustainability for institutions of higher learning to proactively source third stream income from prospective funders, including corporates, trusts, alumni, and other philanthropic donors for sustainability.

Through his study, Camp aimed to gain a better understanding of the funding complexities faced by Higher Education in South Africa, in particular, looking at how UKZN, through its fundraising office, managed its stakeholders in the area of generating a third-stream income.

The study revealed the importance of stakeholder engagement in a highly competitive local and international context. ‘Donors want to be heard, they want regular feedback, they need inspirational causes and like to feel connected to the project they are funding,’ he said.

Camp added that fundraising in Higher Education was challenging and demanding. ‘When you sit down with a potential donor and begin to engage them about the future of UKZN, you have to be very clear about the over-arching strategy of the University and also be able to articulate our priorities, why we have chosen them and why investing would have positive outcomes for them.’

Through his work, Camp has developed a model of best practice for donor management that focuses on building donor stewardship, enhancing the University’s reputation, growing the fundraising investment of the institutional leadership and optimising the fundraising competencies of UKZN’s fund-raisers.

‘I am proud and honoured to have completing my master’s. It also proves that hard work, perseverance and passion are vital in the achievement of set goals,’ he said.

When not engaging with donors, Camp is an avid sportsman who participated in the 2019 Midmar Mile, the Dusi Canoe marathon, the Cape Town Cycle Tour and the Thomas Moore School 80 km Big Walk.

He is currently preparing for the three-day Sani2C mountain bike race later this month.

He has also been selected to take part in a parachute competition in the United States in August, which he plans to train hard for!

Words: Hazel Langa 

Photograph: Supplied

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MBA cum laude Graduate Investigates Impact of Working Hours on Employee Productivity

Master of Business Administration cum laude graduate, Ms Nerissa Vallo.

The critical need to maximise employee productivity prompted Master of Business Administration cum laude graduate Ms Nerissa Vallo to research the link between the number of hours worked by blue collar employees and the corresponding impact on their output.

The study titled: The Impact of Working Hours on Employee Productivity: Case Study of Sabertek, was supervised by Dr Pfano Mashau.

It compared the productivity of employees working a standard 40-hour week with those working more than 40 hours to explore how the number of working hours impacts on productivity.

‘Many manufacturing organisations try to ensure they meet weekly production targets. However, at times this might not be possible. This is due to high customer demand but insufficient capacity of resources. Therefore, workers are expected to work longer hours per week. Working longer hours leads to fatigue, stress and possible health issues for the workers in the long run and this can possibly affect their levels of productivity,’ said Vallo.

‘My study focused only on blue collar workers within a manufacturing environment. There is an opportunity for future research, to focus on white-collar workers within the corporate sector such as banks, for example to look into how the long working hours affect corporate workers. Many white-collar workers complain about the number of hours they work and its possible impact on their productivity and overall lifestyle. Due to the time constraints, I was unable to factor in the white-collar workers of the organisation in this research, but this would be interesting to explore in future studies.’

According to Vallo, her interest in this area was sparked by the need to understand how the number of working hours of South African employees affects their productivity especially when factoring in working times in comparison to European and Asian countries. Many European countries work fewer standard hours per week than South Africa, while Asian country employees can work up to 50 standard hours per week.

‘The study makes an important contribution to both scholarly and work practices. The topic is timely given the current debates on minimum wage, hours of work and productivity. The findings were conclusive that working longer than 40 hours per week will affect productivity,’ said Vallo.

As part of growing her research portfolio, Vallo presented this research at the 5^th Business Management Conference last year and is currently working on a journal article.

Words: Thandiwe Jumo 

Photograph: Rogan Ward

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Master’s Explores Leadership Change Impact on Organisational Culture in SA Mining

Master of Commerce in Leadership Studies graduate, Ms Lungile Faku.

Lonmin’s Marikana mine, Mpumalanga’s Lily Gold mine, Pamodzi and Aurora mines are the reflection of South Africa’s embattled mining industry hence Master of Commerce in Leadership Studies graduate, Ms Lungile Faku’s research explores leadership as a strong predictor of organisational culture in the South African mining industry for her degree.

The research, supervised by Professor Cecile Proches, is titled: The Impact of Leadership Change on Organisational Culture at a Limpopo Mining Company.

Faku is currently employed as a Senior Maintenance Co-ordinator at De Beers Marine in Cape Town. Her career experience includes working as a Surface Asset Management Superintendent at the Phalabora Mining Company as well as Chief Planner at Exxaro KZN Sands.

She hopes her research will contribute positively to the country’s mining sector which is a significant contributor to the GDP.

‘The study revealed that a positive organisational culture is important in a company as it plays a critical role in establishing a healthy environment which can influence employees’ work behaviour and attitude. What interested me more about my research was the cultural diversity where the company is owned by two diverse cultures (South Africa and Chinese Consortium).

The study findings revealed that leadership is a strong predictor of organisational culture and that there is a strong relationship between the leadership and the organisational culture,’ explained Faku.

He intends to complete her Government Certificate of Compliances in Mechanical Engineering (GCC) and then study for a PhD at UKZN.

‘I discovered that an MCom degree has a lot of scope and value and I believe it never loses its value. It has given me so much knowledge and covered so many aspects of practical things in the corporate world.

‘Combining studies with a demanding job such as mine is a massive commitment but not impossible if you have set your goals and are determined to achieve them,’ said Faku.

Words: Thandiwe Jumo 

Photograph: Rogan Ward

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DVC Scholarship Holder Graduates Summa Cum Laude

Bachelor of Commerce Honours summa cum laude graduate, Ms Amy Wagner.

Ms Amy Wagner – one of best performing candidates in the College of Law and Management Studies and recipient of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Scholarship graduated top of her class.

Wagner (21), is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree in Economics and says that the most rewarding part of her achievement is making her parents proud, especially after all the sacrifices they have made in order for her to be where she is today.

‘My parents worked hard and made financial sacrifices to put me through school. They also dedicated a lot of their time and showed me how much value they place in education. They were at every awards evening, every debate and every school production, cheering me on - no matter how small the achievement,’ said Wagner.

Driven by the motto: “Whatever you do, work at it with all you heart, as you are working for the Lord and not for men”, Wagner says she put in hard work from the first day of university because she knew it would pay off one day - graduating summa cum laude proved that.

Wagner said she chose to study Commerce for the exposure it would give her to the many exciting aspects of business as well as career options.

‘I think one of the most memorable aspects of doing my degree was interacting with people from different walks of life. I learned so much about other cultures, opinions, political views and backgrounds,’ she said.

After completing her honours degree, Wagner plans to gain corporate experience before pursuing an MBA.

Words: Lungile Ngubelanga 

Photograph: Rogan Ward

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Study on Student Leadership Leads to Master’s Degree

Clinical Placement Officer in UKZN’s Discipline of Dentistry, Mr Ryan Nkosi graduated with a Master’s in Commerce.

Clinical Placement Officer at UKZN’s Discipline of Dentistry, Mr Ryan Nkosi, graduated with a Master’s in Commerce degree for a study he conducted on student leaders at the Durban University of Technology (DUT).

As a person with a background of serving as a student leader during his undergraduate years, Nkosi’s study focused on leadership development of student leaders at residences in DUT.

During his studies, Nkosi was elected as a house committee member in residence and achieved the feat of being best House Committee for a year.

‘The Residence Life awarded me with a certificate of recognition as the Long Serving Residence Advisor,’ said Nkosi. ‘The residence problems I championed during my term in office in student leadership encouraged me to do research within residence leadership. It came at the time when most institutions in the country were facing residence problems generally. 

‘I believe that my research findings could assist in solving some of the current problems being experienced,’ said Nkosi.

The study was conducted among 80 student leaders within 29 residences. Key findings indicated that good leadership behaviour included encouraging the contribution of others (eg praising people for a job well done); enabling others (eg treating others with dignity and respect) and Ubuntu (humanity towards others) when dealing with conflict resolution issues.

A glaring shortcoming identified by the study was the lack of formal leadership training and mentorship offered to the students. Leadership behaviours are developed through peer interactions and the exercising of social influence rather than formal leadership courses, mentorship or coaching.

Nkosi’s study also found that the majority of the leaders fell short in setting good examples by following through on the promises and commitments made and inspiring a shared vision of common goals.

Nkosi, who now lives on Durban’s Berea, completed his matric at Newcastle Madadeni Bethamoya High School. He hopes to pursue a doctoral degree if his work commitments allow him to.

He thanked his family and friends for their ongoing support and advice. ‘Support comes in different forms. Sometimes, as students, we don’t need financial support from our families - we just need motivation and encouragement. By believing in us, it keeps us going every day. The challenge that young people face is having friends who don’t share the same thinking as they do. I have been lucky enough to have friends and family who motivated me to chase after my dreams.

‘I also want to acknowledge my supervisor and mentor, Dr MacDonald Kanyangale.’

Words: MaryAnn Francis 

Photograph: Rogan Ward

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Doctorate in Business Administration for Academic

Dr Tony Ngwenya, UKZN Doctor of Business Administration graduate, gets a big hug from daughter, Esihle.

Graduate School of Business and Leadership academic, Dr Tony Ngwenya, who hails from Pietermaritzburg’s Imbali, a township in Pietermaritzburg, has been awarded a Doctor of Business Administration degree.

Ngwenya joined academia as a participant of the Accelerated Academic Development Programme (AADP) in 2014. The programme is a UKZN initiative created to help increase the number of Black South Africans with PhDs. 

The main requirement of the AADP is to complete a doctorate within a period of five years and Ngwenya achieved just that!

‘The University played a crucial role in my achievements in terms of providing resources, time flexibility and ensuring an atmosphere conducive to learning. I am very grateful for that,’ he said.

In recent years, Ngwenya has taught postgraduate students and participated in conference proceedings in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship.

His passion for enterprise development led him to conduct research titled:The Impact of the Department of Small Business and Development (DSBD) on the performance of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) in Durban, South Africa. The study was supervised by Dr Wellington Zondi.

In his study, Ngwenya says that in both developed economies and emerging markets, institutions such as the DSBD play a pivotal role in the purposeful and systematic support of SMMEs. In the South African context, the DSBD is the custodian of the SMME aspirations providing strategic interventions in terms of support, development and empowerment, however, the impact on the beneficiaries was not reflecting.

His study revealed that the DSBD should seriously consider the creation of a monitoring and evaluation unit with resources such as human capital and material capacity, to drive the implementation of regulatory interventions on behalf of the SMMEs.

‘I want to make a constructive contribution in curriculum recalibration of entrepreneurship as a field of study and do research that stimulates innovative, creative and inventive disruption that has been rather stagnant in our economy during the previous Industrial Revolution,’ said Ngwenya.

Before becoming an academic, Ngwenya worked for organisations such as Business Partners, Lima Rural Development Foundation, BP Petroleum, United National Breweries, Mhlathuze Water, the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and Mtimande Business Solutions spanning more than 15 years.

Ngwenya says his family, friends and colleagues have been a source of inspiration which enabled him to stay focused on completing his research.

Words: Hazel Langa 

Photograph: Rogan Ward

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Business School Academic Graduates Five Master’s Students

Dr Vuyo Mtembu-Hlophe celebrating academic excellence with some of her students Mr Sipho Khuzwayo and Mr Vishal Poona. Insert: Mr Gregory Glossop and Ms Lungile Mnyandu.

The 2018 academic year was a productive one for Graduate School of Business and Leadership academic and Human Capital specialist, Dr Vuyokazi Mtembu-Hlophe, who supervised five master’s students who graduated this year.

The Impact of Performance Management Appraisal on the Employee’s Morale and Job Satisfaction in the City of uMhlathuze, was the title of the MBA dissertation by Mr Sipho Khuzwayo, an Engineer and manager responsible for Urban Roads and Rail Sidings in the city of uMhlathuze in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Mr Vishal Poona, a Water Loss Control Engineer and Director at Joat Group - a South African water management company - completed his MBA with a dissertation titled: Non-Revenue Water Reduction Programmes Funded by the Private Sector to Solve Under Staffing at KwaZulu-Natal’s Municipalities.

Training and Development manager at Hollywoodbets, Mr Gregory Glossop, did an MBA research project which investigated: The Relationship between Job Satisfaction and Absenteeism: A Case Study on Hollywoodbets.

UKZN researcher, Mr Caiphas Muyambo’s MBA dissertation examined: The Impact of Corporate Entrepreneurial Culture on the Quality of Intervention on Market Systems Development.

Exploring Quality Management as a Tool for Organisational Performance: A Case Study for eThekwini Municipality, was the title of Ms Lungile Mnyandu’s study which earned her a Master of Commerce in Leadership Studies. Mnyandu is a manager at the South African Revenue Service.

Mtembu-Hlophe said: ‘I am super excited to be graduating five students at the same time. It gives me a sense of fulfilment to know that my hard work was not in vain. I am inspired to work harder with the current cohort of students I am supervising.’

she says it was challenging to keep the students motivated to submit chapters on time as they all had demanding jobs. ‘I sent email reminders to my students. I also used a positive feedback method which motivated students to work even harder to finish the next chapter and submit quality work.’

It is important for the academic research work to be published so that it can be used to help solve complex business challenges so Mtembu-Hlophe has started working on journal articles with some of her students.

‘It is exciting and we look forward to having those papers published,’ she said. ‘We also look forward to ideas and recommendations made in them being implemented.’

Words: Hazel Langa 

Photograph: Rogan Ward

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