College PhD Project Bears Fruit
College academics earn PhDs: from left, Dr Ntabeni Jere, Dr Evelyn Derera and Dr Sanjay Soni.For the first time in the history of the College of Law and Management Studies, a remarkable 43 doctoral degrees were conferred upon staff and students during the 2016 Graduation period. This was a resounding success if one considers that 19 and 23 doctoral degrees were awarded in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
The College has been working tirelessly to transform itself in terms of research productivity. Many interventions have been put in place by the College management including the monitoring of the PhD project on a monthly basis.
Amongst the PhD graduates were three College academics from its Pietermaritzburg campus who were awarded doctoral degrees on Monday, 18 April.
Dr Evelyn Derera’s thesis titled: “Women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship in Agriculture: A case of Mashonaland West Province in Zimbabwe” earned her a PhD in Entrepreneurship. She worked under the supervision of UKZN academics Dr Maxwell Phiri and Professor Roger O’Neill, both from the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance.
Dr Ntabeni Jere, College Academic Development Co-ordinator, graduated with a PhD in Information Systems and Technology. His study, supervised by Professor Manoj Maharaj, examined “The Role of Information and Communications Technology in improving food security in KwaZulu-Natal”.
“Service quality, student satisfaction and brand equity: A case of select South African Universities” was the title of Dr Sanjay Soni’s thesis which was supervised by Professor Krish Govender. Soni is a Lecturer in the School of Management, Information Technology and Governance.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College, Professor John C Mubangizi is pleased with the results. He commended the College Dean of Research, Professor Marita Carnelley, for her leadership in this area of research.
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .Entrepreneurship in the DNA of PhD Graduate!
Dr Thea van der Westhuizen with her parents Professors Philip (l) and Betsie (r) van der Westhuizen and her supervisor Professor Kriben Pillay.Entrepreneurship is surely in the DNA of Dr Thea van der Westhuizen, who was awarded a PhD in Leadership Studies based on a thesis titled: “Developing Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation: A Systemic Approach Through the Lens of Theory U”.
According to van der Westhuizen, her passion for entrepreneurship developed at a very young age when she traded anything from silkworms to homemade cookies and lemonade with primary school colleagues. These business passions furthered when she started two businesses in the Garden Route after she completed her master’s degree.
After intense corporate involvement over a period of 10 years, including visits to more than 20 countries, she felt she needed a break from business and returned to South Africa, choosing Durban as a place to develop her academic career as a Lecturer in the Discipline of Management and Entrepreneurship at UKZN.
Her study involved the establishment of a progressive social entrepreneurship programme now known as SHAPE (Shifting Hope Activating Entrepreneurship) which is aimed at instilling a culture of entrepreneurial self-confidence among UKZN students through various support interventions, including forming business friendships between aspiring young entrepreneurs and existing entrepreneurs.
According to van der Westhuizen, she was inspired to tackle the systemic action learning and action research programme because she wanted to contribute to a deeper and more radical change in young people that would help to develop their Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation and their levels of entrepreneurial self-confidence. She said: ‘In doing so I was hoping to contribute to developments in the microsystem which in turn might hopefully lead to positive development in meso- and macrosystems, ultimately assisting in long term socio-economic development in South Africa.’
She says the PhD journey was not easy but through financial support from the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Durban Chamber and eThekwini Municipality she was able to take her research further.
Van der Westhuizen is from a family of academics with both parents being NRF-rated researchers. Her parents are pleased with her academic achievement and they travelled from the North West to be at her graduation.
Her supervisor, Professor Kriben Pillay, Dean of Teaching and Learning in the College of Law and Management Studies, congratulated van der Westhuizen on her achievement.
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .PhD Study Examines Open Distance Learning
Dr Johleen Mouton with her supervisor Dr Mogie Subban.“Learner Support in Open Distance Learning at Unisa, KwaZulu-Natal: A Developmental State Perspective”, was the title of a thesis which earned Unisa’s Regional Academic Co-ordinator, Dr Johleen Mouton, her doctorate in Public Administration.
Under the guidance of Public Administration Expert Dr Mogie Subban, Mouton’s research focussed on Higher Education landscapes in distance education and Open Distance Learning (ODL) in a developmental state context.
Mouton understood that learner support is very important in an ODL environment, realising that research needed to be done on how effective and efficient the initiatives are in KwaZulu-Natal.
‘In general, the Higher Education environment in South Africa is struggling with throughput rates, therefore this study was undertaken to determine if learner support services can be strengthened and improved to assist students in their learning journey in an ODL educational environment and improve throughput rates,’ she said.
Mouton said the PhD journey was gruelling but she felt privileged and blessed that Subban had been her supervisor. ‘She was there for me throughout my studies, supporting me and continuously encouraging me to work hard and stay committed. Her continuous valuable academic guidance was and still is of such high value as we will embark on further research projects.’
Mouton together with Subban has started sharing the findings of her study, presenting a research paper at the 2015 conference of the Association of Southern African Schools and Departments of Public Administration and Management (ASSADPAM).
Said Subban: ‘Johleen has been a diligent and disciplined student and I take this opportunity of congratulating her on this great achievement and milestone in her life. I wish her all the very best in her career and vocation.’
‘She has made an invaluable contribution to the teaching and learning fraternity through her thesis,’ added Subban.
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .PhDs for Husband and Wife
PhDs for husband and wife team Drs Ethel and Isaac Abel.There was a joyous family celebration when PhDs were conferred upon a husband and wife team Isaac and Ethel Abe.
Isaac’s study titled: “The Linkage between Individual Interpersonal Relationships and Work Performance in the South African Retail Sector” earned him a PhD in Leadership Studies.
His work examined interpersonal relationships in terms of interpersonal conflict and social support, and their influence on employee work performance, contributing to the body of knowledge by questioning such relationships in the South African retail sector.
Issac made recommendations to improve interpersonal relationships through social support and reduced interpersonal conflict.
Ethel’s study titled: “The Connection Between Work-Life balance (WLB) and Sense of Coherence (SOC) at a Municipality in the South African Public Sector”, examined the achievement of WLB vis-à-vis SOC, work-life balance strategies, work and family stressors. It found that professional level employees at the municipality had strong SOC, but did not achieve WLB. It also revealed that employees were exposed to many work stressors among many findings. The study also earned her a PhD in Management.
The couple said: ‘A PhD is easier for couples who understand that a marital relationship is not a competition. The achievement of one should encourage the other to work harder, not to compete with the other. Actually, we believe that it takes being a researcher to understand what another researcher is going through. So being in the same boat should boost understanding and support when the challenges of research become too daunting for anyone in the relationship. It’s tough but if we did it, others could do better if they tried.’
They agreed that love, understanding and support were vital to their success.
Even though they had each other’s support during their PhD journey, they experienced serious challenges, including delays in the renewal of their work permits which left them without an income for 14 months and a robbery at their home. ‘As a couple, we had never experienced such things but by God’s grace, our love for one another and the support of people in our lives helped us overcome the challenges.’
They are both grateful to their families and supervisors for the support throughout their journey. Financial support from their supervisors, Professor Roger Mason and Dr Ziska Fields enabled them to attend the 2015 conference of the Southern African Institute for Management Scientists in Cape Town as well as the 21st Century Academic Forum at Harvard in 2016.
The couple is currently considering whether to start a consultancy or post-doctoral fellowship.
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .LLM Graduate Opts for Career in Commercial Banking
Ms Meleshni Reddy.LLM degree graduate Ms Meleshni Reddy has chosen a career in the boardroom rather than in the courtroom.
Reddy is currently employed by Standard Bank in its Legal Graduate Programme where she works in the fiduciary space specialising in wills, trusts and estates.
Her master’s thesis, which explored the recently promulgated Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) in relation to spam was titled: “An analysis of the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 in the context of unsolicited electronic communications”.
She was supervised by Mr Lee Swales of the UKZN School of Law.
Reddy says the abuse of personal information by corporates was the motivation for her thesis. ‘Consumer rights is an area that I feel requires legislative development and POPI serves as a substantial advancement being South Africa’s first data protection statute,’ she said.
She said POPI served to safeguard and protect the constitutional right to privacy by providing protection against the abuse of personal information. ‘This new data protection Act marks a significant shift within South African law particularly in the context of spam, prohibiting any form of spam being sent without a consumer’s consent.’
In the near future, Reddy sees herself expanding her knowledge of business law through doctoral studies focusing on consumer rights and delving deeper into the area of data protection law in South Africa.
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .Master of Commerce Graduate Trio Bond and come up Trumps!
Masters graduates, Mr Hilary Mugoto, Ms Lorraine Rupande and Mr Kudawashe Chipunza. Academic brotherhood got a master’s degree trio over rocky roads and on to the highway to academic success.
Mr Kudawashe Chipunza, Ms Lorraine Rupande and Mr Hilary Mugoto struck up a bond that proved to be the glue in seeing them all through to Master of Commerce cum laude degrees.
‘Though the journey was challenging, the master’s cohort cushioned me and I am grateful for the support from my friends,’ said Chipunza.
Chipunza’s thesis was titled: “The Impact of Internationalisation on Stock Volatility and Liquidity: Evidence from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange”. The research investigated whether stocks on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) exhibited an increase in share liquidity and lower volatility subsequent to listing on a foreign exchange. The study was supervised by Ms Kerry-Ann McCullough.
For Rupande, the fact that she did not have experience in statistic software programming vital for data analysis crucial for her research meant that she needed the help of her friends to guide her in this new skill.
‘The most significant hurdle in my research was programming,’ she said. ‘My research required that I analysed my data using the Eviews statistical software, however this software’s built in facilities were incompatible with the model I used so I had to write a programme code to use for this analysis.
‘The main problem was that I did not have any background in software programming so I had to invest a lot of time in learning how to do the programming in Eviews, with the help from my friends and supervisor. I can say this was a worthwhile investment and I acquired a skill that I can use for further research or to help others in that area,’ she said.
Rupande’s thesis was titled: “Positive Feedback Trading and Momentum Profits on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)”. The research, supervised by Ms Ailie Charteris, explored Positive Feedback Trading, a trend-chasing investment strategy of buying shares when prices rise and selling when prices fall in the absence of supporting fundamental information.
Mugoto said having a plan which detailed the progress of his research coupled with the role of his supervisor, Ms Ailie Charteris, ensured he stayed on course.
‘I had this beautiful mind map of what I wanted to prove and the probable implications that my research was going to have in the field of finance. That motivated me and nurtured a desire to see all that come to fruition. However, the whole process was not without its challenges.’
Mugoto’s research was titled: “Investor Sentiment as an Explanation for the Size and Value Anomalies on the JSE”. The central focus of the research was on behavioural finance, more specifically, investor sentiment and its impact on the stock market.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .PhD Study Contributes to the Fight Against Corruption in SA
Dr Prenisha Sugudhav-Sewpersad celebrating her achievement with her supervisor Professor John Mubangizi and her husband and daughter.Corruption plagues many public sector departments resulting in the slow pace of service delivery to the detriment of vulnerable and marginalised citizens in South Africa.
With this in mind, Port Shepstone lawyer Dr Prenisha Sugudhav-Sewpersad began research for her Law doctorate aimed at contributing to the fight against corruption within the public procurement sector in South Africa.
“Corruption and the Law: An Evaluation of the Legislative Framework for Combating Public Procurement Corruption in South Africa”, was the title of Sugudhav-Sewpersad’s study supervised by Professor John C Mubangizi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Law and Management Studies.
She says that while the South African government is doing a lot to try to meet its constitutional obligation of efficient service delivery, her time in the public sector brought her face to face with some ugly truths.
‘Corruption within the public sector and specifically within public procurement is not surprising. I have seen how corrupt acts negatively affect the lives of innocent people, who depend on a clean and honest public sector.
‘While I am under no illusion that my study is the panacea for public procurement corruption, I am sure it can find some small and meaningful part in the broader fight against the problem. In this way, I would have gone a long way in fulfilling my calling as a lawyer,’ said Sugudhav-Sewpersad.
She has started sharing findings of her study through participation in various forums including the 2016 eThekwini University Research Symposium held in Durban earlier this year where she presented a paper on anti-corruption agencies, with a proposal for the City of Durban to spearhead the establishment of an independent anti-corruption agency.
‘My paper looked at the iconic Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption and my proposal was highlighted as one of the top 10 issues emanating from the Symposium,’ she said.
‘Although I am a practising attorney, I intend to maintain and strengthen my ties with the academic world. I want to continue working with my supervisor in the publication of works pertaining to my area of expertise.’
Pleased with Sugudhav-Sewpersad’s achievements, Mubangizi said: ‘It was a fulfilling experience to work with such a committed and diligent student and I look forward to assisting on her project with the Municipal Institute of Learning.’
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .Improving Zimbabwe’s Public Procurement - Priority for Harare by PhD Graduate
Dr Abel Dzuke.Challenges of poor service delivery coupled with severe economic hardships facing public procurement in his home country of Zimbabwe motivated doctoral graduate, Dr Abel Dzuke to choose this area as his research interest.
‘I have been working in this field since 2000 and have grown to be very passionate and fell in love with it since then. The need to fight for the procurement profession to be granted the respect it deserves as a strategic function in an organisation continues to motivate me even more and this can only be possible through having procurement knowledge qualifications of this high magnitude,’ said Dzuke.
Through his thesis titled: “Public Procurement: Pancea or Fallacy-A Case of Public Service Delivery in Zimbabwe”, Dzuke will enhance his knowledge as a procurement practitioner operating within the government system which is crucial for service delivery.
‘Service delivery is a critical requirement in the public sector and the importance of public procurement to that effect cannot be over emphasised. Given that public procurement constitutes the largest chunk of government expenditure, the critical impact of this research on the society is well amplified. Taxpayers monies are supposed to be spent with a “handle with care” mentality where public procurement practitioners are under an “eagle eye” view by the taxpayers, hence a clear manifestation of the societal impact of this kind of research,’ he said.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Access of Refugee Women to Maternal Health Care Services Explored in Research
UKZN graduate Ms Tatenda Mushanguri (right) with her sister, Ms Lina Mushanguri.As one of the countries in Africa with the highest influx of asylum-seekers, refugee women in South Africa often face challenges in accessing maternal health care services.
Ms Tatenda Mushanguri, who graduated with a Master of Laws at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, is passionate about protecting the rights of refugee women who are often forgotten on the international agenda.
Her thesis titled: “Realising the Right of Access to Maternal Health Care Services for Refugee Women in South Africa”, touched on various branches of law including medical law and refugee law. ‘The aim of the thesis was to bridge the gap between policy and practice in accessing maternal health care services for refugee women by investigating the barriers faced in an environment characterised by xenophobic sentiments,’ said Mushanguri.
She said in terms of Section 27 (g) of the Refugees Act 130 of 1998, refugees ought to receive the same medical treatment services as local people within the availability of State resources. ‘Regardless of this provision it seems that at times health care workers within the public health sector fail to distinguish between refugees and other types of migrants thus violating their rights under international law.’
Mushanguri, who is currently studying towards the Zimbabwean Bar conversion examinations, believes the inability of refugee women to access maternal health care services in South Africa is mainly due to the lack of strict accountability measures within the public health sector.
‘Barriers such as medical xenophobia and the lack of interpreter posts, among others, can all be attributed to poor accountability. I also found that South African public health care workers do not receive training on the treatment of refugees and most of the refugees are traumatised people requiring special treatment.
‘At the moment, refugee camps are not a policy choice of the South African government. However, their establishment could greatly improve refugee rights education and the accessibility of maternal health care services within the camps. Specially trained health care workers could be employed within the camps,’ she said.
She thanked her family and UKZN staff for their steadfast support. ‘I thank God Almighty for granting me wisdom and strength during my research. My sincere gratitude goes to my supervisor, Adv. Victoria Balogun for her patience, criticism, encouragement and for sharing her rich knowledge on the subject.
‘I’m also grateful to my late father for encouraging me to pursue my dream of studying law. Though he is not here to see me graduate, I know he must be proud of me wherever he is. My utmost gratitude goes to my Mom, and my sisters Lina and Providence, as well as my sister-in-law, nephews and nieces for their unwavering support, love and care.’
She also thanked UKZN’s Dr Caroline Goodier, Dr Zaynab Essack, and Dr Anne Strode for assisting her in different ways. ‘My thanks also to other people whom I have not mentioned but who have contributed towards the successful completion of my thesis.’
Proudly Zimbabwean, she plans to register for a PhD soon and would like to do advisory work under a law firm or an organisation. ‘In time, I hope to establish a legal consulting practice in my home country,’ she added.
Raylene Captain-Hasthibeer
author : .author email : .Masters Study by Bollywood Dancer Investigates Unemployment and Economic Growth in SA
Ms Ashika Govender was awarded a Master of Commerce degree. Classical Indian dance choreographer and aspirant research economist Ms Ashika Govender received a Master of Commerce degree during UKZN’s Graduation ceremonies.
Govender, who teaches Bollywood dance and movement at her studio in Tongaat, is involved in researching socio-economic challenges facing South Africa.
The high unemployment rate in South Africa is what motivated her to investigate the relationship between economic growth and unemployment in post-apartheid South Africa.
Her study, supervised by Professor Darma Mahadea, was titled: “A Macro-Econometric Analysis of Economic Growth and Unemployment in Post-apartheid South Africa”.
According to Govender, her research produced important policy recommendations, highlighting the relationship between unemployment and economic growth in the spirit of the National Development Plan.
Proud of her achievement she said: ‘Attaining a Master’s degree in Economics is a significant milestone. This qualification is a stepping stone to career opportunities and hopefully an entrance into a doctoral degree programme in economics.’
Govender, who attained several merit awards and Dean’s commendations during her studies, values the support she received from the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance. ‘This achievement would not have been possible without the support and dedication shown by the team of lecturers in Economics and my supervisor, Professor Mahadea. They have set extremely high standards and have shown great commitment and provided professional support in my academic endeavours.’
Govender hopes to pursue a PhD in the field of Macroeconomics and then start a career as an economist in a research-based organisation.
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .Masters Study Assesses Appropriateness of Funding Model for Local Government
Ms Xolile Mpumela.Ms Xolile Mpumela’s research titled: “Equitable Share Formula and Fiscal Capacity in Municipalities with Particular Reference to the Msunduzi Municipality”, resulted in her being awarded a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree.
The study assessed the appropriateness of a funding model for local government in ensuring that municipalities are fiscally capacitated to satisfy their mandate of delivering priority services to their communities and thus enhancing the quality of lives of South Africans.
With National Treasury having completed a review on the Local Government Equitable Share Formula, Mpumela felt it was an opportune time to assess the appropriateness of the newly introduced formula in addressing service delivery challenges that municipalities were faced with.
Mpumela, former Senior Budget Analyst at the National Treasury and now Development Manager at Tongaat-Hulett Development, says completing her master’s degree required discipline. ‘I had to find time within my very busy schedule to accommodate my studies. This meant using my lunch breaks at work to download reading material and allocating time in the evening to read a journal article or a passage from a book. I also had to dedicate time at weekends to work on my research. It is an intensive programme but it is also possible to manage.’
Pleased with her achievement, she said: ‘It has not been an easy road but I had a very good support system around me. My supervisor, Dr Mogie Subban, was very supportive and always available to provide academic mentoring and guidance. She also encouraged me to push myself to achieve better results. So my supervisor’s trailblazing efforts to ensure I gave my very best has earned me a distinction for my research dissertation for which I am extremely excited. My family has also been very supportive throughout this journey and proud of my achievement.
‘My enrolment into the MPA programme came with a number of invaluable opportunities which have contributed to my personal and professional development. During the programme, my supervisor encouraged me to participate in conferences where I had to make presentations on my research. In 2014, I participated in the 4th International Toyin Falola Annual Conference and also had the opportunity to present at the 2015 Annual College Research Day where I was awarded a prize for best paper presentation.’
Mpumela plans to register for doctoral studies in the second semester this year.
Hazel Langa
author : .author email : .Sky is the Limit for Teenage Graduate
Ms Noluthando Cibane enjoying her special moment.At the age of 19 most people are at the beginning of their academic journey, but this is not so for Ms Noluthando Cibane who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
‘The last three years I’ve spent in Pietermaritzburg have been the most amazing years of my life. UKZN hasn’t just taught me theory and academic stuff only, but it has also taught me about life and made me a better person than I was three years ago,’ she said.
Cibane enrolled into grade 1 at the age of 5 after her mom, who was taking care of her during the day, got employment as a domestic worker.
‘My mom wanted me to start Grade 1 right away but at that time you had to be 7 years old to be admitted into that grade. The teachers suggested that I come back the following year but my mom convinced them to give me a chance. After I was enrolled I showed them why my mother had so much faith in me - I used to get the highest marks in class,’ she said.
Cibane excelled throughout her school days, matriculating from Umlazi Comtech and choosing UKZN to pursue a career in commerce. While her career aspirations were firmly on becoming a chartered accountant she is now doing an honours degree in finance.
‘Students who complete an honours in finance go on to be CEO’s, investment bankers and other key financial positions in business. I am leaning towards investment careers such as a merchant banker or a portfolio manager and this qualification will better enable and equip me to perform above average in the working environment. Even though I currently don’t have any funding to finance my postgrad studies, I know God will make a plan for me,’ she said.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .Summa Cum Laude Graduate Gearing up for a Future in Chartered Accountancy
Mr Julian Vorster.Bachelor of Commerce Summa Cum laude graduate, Mr Julian Vorster, says this qualification puts him one step closer to attaining his goal of becoming a Chartered Accountant.
‘Studying accounting at UKZN has been an amazing experience. The quality of lectures is high! Having a firm understanding of accounting, auditing, management accounting, finance and tax really assists us students in becoming more marketable and can also ultimately assist us in becoming entrepreneurs too,’ said Vorster.
Vorster added that this achievement would not have been possible without the support of his family, his faith which kept him going and accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
‘PwC has been a major financial sponsor of my studies and without them, I would not be able to study at UKZN. My family has always been very supportive. They have always assisted me in whichever way possible,’ he said.
Speaking on his future career choice, Vorster said deciding to pursue the Chartered Accounting designation was an easy decision as this goal is what fuelled his love for accounting.
‘My current goal is to pass my Honours and thereafter start my training contract with PwC for three years. My ultimate goal is to become a Chartered Accountant, I must admit, this is a daunting task as four long years still lie ahead but a CA qualification is most certainly worthwhile,’ he said.
Thandiwe Jumo
author : .author email : .