Browsing by Author "Ramluckan, Trishana."

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Assessing water management practices within the KwaZulu-Natal region: a case study of eThekwini Municipality.
(2020) Samuels, Alexander Bradley.; Ramluckan, Trishana.; McArthur, Brian Walter.
Our primary source of supply of water is through rainfall. It can be simply said that water is stored in dams, purified, and released at a cost to the public. Municipalities purchase water from their suppliers, and in the case of eThekwini, from Umgeni Water. Rainfall patterns have changed over a period and we are experiencing the effects of El Nino, a phenomenon that warms the Pacific Ocean and leads to drought in the southern hemisphere. The climate change scenario means lower and erratic rainfall and reduced water supply. The country will get drier, supply will be reduced while at the same time population increases, and economic and other activities create a huge water demand. Failure to supply water and failure to develop effective and adequate mitigating strategies carry grave human costs in the modern era. Economic losses due to water shortages are immense, impacting food supply, manufacturing, tourism, and other activities. The social cost includes a negative impact on the wealth of people and increasing the gap in living standards in society. The current water crisis affects millions. One of the main objectives of this study was to investigate the accessibility of water supply to consumers within the eThekwini Municipality region. The focus is on investigating the challenges experienced when trying to access water during erratic rainfall patterns. The rationale for conducting this study is therefore to help familiarise citizens of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) with the various restrictions and remedies that can help them conserve and utilise water more effectively and efficiently. This study emphasised the importance, causes, impacts, and current quality management system used for the limited water supply that is affecting not only the KZN province but South Africa. The study utilised an exploratory case study method to assess the water management practices within KwaZulu- Natal. A qualitative research approach was used which provided more value when determining the critical issues experienced during the supply of water. The research study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal at the eThekwini Municipality Water and Sanitation Department. Purposive sampling was employed, with the sample size consisting of nine participants. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were used as a data collection tool. NVivo 12 was employed as the software tool for thematic analysis for this qualitative study. This research study contributed to the creation of knowledge on a new implementation of a quality management system and how ISO 9001 can be used to ensure effective and efficient ii quality by implementing new practices that will ensure continuous improvement. Findings revealed that water accessibility is seen as a continuous water supply despite the implementation of water restrictions. It was noted that the current water scarcity situation has had an impact on the current water supply and dam levels. Findings also indicated that the eThekwini Municipality and Umgeni Reservoir had a very strong and healthy business relationship and that Umgeni Reservoir was supplying approximately 790MR litres of water daily. The SCADA system was the only criterion that could be used in the implementation of water restrictions. Water management practices were effectively managed in high consumption areas such as Umlazi and Tongaat. There was no actual quality management system in place and the eThekwini Municipality water and sanitation department were using various measures to meet the required quality standards. SANS241 and aggressive awareness programs were suggested to assist sensitive consumers. Revenue leakages were identified within the water supply system and recommendation for smart water metering was suggested for better reading, identifying water flow interruptions and illegal connections.
The assessment of organizational commitment of academic staff at University of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN).
(2018) Ntuli, Cebile.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
Organisational commitment refers to as the degree which an employee finds synergy in the goals and values of an organisation and is willing to exert great effort to stay within the organisation. This study aimed to assess organizational commitment among academic staff in the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study adopted the quantitative research design. The questionnaire survey that consists of organizational commitment items, namely affective commitment, normative commitment and continuance commitment has been utilized to collect data from the academic staff. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), was adopted to statistically analyze and interpret the data collected from the respondents. The Organisational Commitment Model or the theoretical framework, which is the threecomponent of organizational commitment model by Allen and Meyer (1990) was used, as it is appropriate for this study. This study identified the imperative factors which influences an employee’s commitment, the organizational commitment antecedents, as well as the factors that elevate organizational commitment among employees. There were fifty academic staff from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, who participated in the study. From the analysis it was reported that from the three forms of organisational commitment, affective commitment was found to be the most significant type of organisational commitment that drives the academic staff of College of Law and Management at UKZN.” Individuals that reflected an affective orientation towards the organisation and have psychological bond between the employee and the organisation, hence; the employee identifies with the organisational values and increases job involvement of the employee in the organisation. Few participants depicted low normative commitment. This indicated that the workforce will not retain their organisational membership because of the sense of obligation hence, can seek better employment opportunities if the employer does not meet their expectation and needs. Study findings revealed a low continuance commitment level among the academic staff. These employees perceived greater employment alternatives hence, will not commit to the organisation because of the scarcity of employment however; due to the passion and the benefit accrued whilst working in the organisation.
The assessment of the implementation of talent management at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2017) Mbatani, Mandisa.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal is one of the leading higher education institution with a reputation of academic and research excellence. The Human Resource division is one of the fundamental divisions in the university structure, which seeks to attract, recruit and ensure that a high calibre staff members are trained, developed and retained to enhance skills, performance, as well as job satisfaction. For the University of KwaZulu-Natal to achieve its goal of becoming the “employer of choice” for staff, talent management becomes one of the integral strategies to the university’s endeavours. It is evident that there are underlying weaknesses that hinders effective implementation of the existing integrated talent management policy. This research aimed to assess the implementation of the talent management process in the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study objectives were to: understand how talent implementation is identified at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, to understand how talent is assessed at the university, to understand how talent is developed and to understand ways in which talent is retained at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Due to the complexity of this, a case study approach was used for this study for the researcher to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the study as a case study approach allows for various perspectives, feelings and reality of participants of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A purposive sampling method was used to allow the Researcher to justify or generalize on the selected sample either analytically, theoretically or logically. In-depth, semi- structured interviews were carried out with 8 respondents at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, namely, the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance comprising of: 5 academics and 3 professional services staff members. The collected data was then analyzed in themes. Arears of improvement were identified for the university’s integrated talent management process. The findings indicated that it is important to recognize that talent management is more than a chain of human resource processes and programmes but should be driven by business strategy and also provide necessary support to drive business results. Therefore necessary strategies should be applied to obtain feedback from employees on the implementation of the talent management system. Furthermore talent management practices should be clear for all employees and management commitment is necessary in the development and retention of talent.
A brief comparative study of the Tetrabiblos of Claudius Ptolemy and the Vedic Surya Siddhanta.
(2005) Ramluckan, Trishana.; Hilton, John Laurence.
The Ancient Indians and Greeks had similar beliefs in the concepts of magic, superstition, and astrology. First I will look briefly at the beliefs of the ancient Greeks and the main astrological text- the Tetrabiblos of Claudius Ptolemy. Ptolemy moves away from the scientific account that he provides us in his Almagest, to defining astrology as an art acquired from the observation of the movements of the heavenly bodies. The main argument however is based on the fact that Ptolemy uses an almost apologetic tone in his defence of the Tetrabiblos. Whereas the ancient Indians appeared to be strong believers in astrology, the ancient Greeks always sought to justify it in terms of science. To analyse this concept in depth I will provide a comparative study of both these belief systems. But whereas the Greeks distinguished astrology from astronomy, in the Vedic tradition astrology consisted of observable science as well as mythological and magical elements. Some consideration must therefore be given to astronomical aspects of this tradition in drawing a comparison between the two. Astrology was prevalent in ancient India a long time prior to the writing of the Surya Siddhanta or any other astronomical text. The Surya Siddhanta is often held to be the main text on Indian astronomy as it tries to address the reasons why certain religious practices were performed at those specific times. However, much information can also be obtained from the verses of the Rig Veda, a religious text that formed the basis of Indian astrology. This mini-dissertation will first discuss the Surya Siddhanta and its relationship to the more 'mythological' Rig Veda. In order to reach a conclusion I will look specifically at the issue of the belief in individual human difference and fate and destiny in these two cultures.
Entrepreneurial intention amongst postgraduate students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
(2018) Ogun, Moyosore Kolapo.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
Whilst the rate of growth of unemployed graduates is gradually increasing, entrepreneurship is considered to be one of the factors that can increase employment and be a significant factor for economic growth in developing countries. Students’ entrepreneurial intentions may be affected by different factors. A students’ entrepreneurial intention is found to determine the students’ willingness to engage into entrepreneurial behaviour in future. The main objective for this study is to investigate how attitude towards behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control, entrepreneurship education and personality traits affect the entrepreneurial intentions of postgraduate students. A quantitative survey design was utilised in this study and the primary data was collected by distributing 129 survey questionnaires to respondents at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville campus. The Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability test which ensures high reliability result was conducted on every variable. Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Linear Regression Analysis were conducted in this study to test relationships of the independent variables (i.e. attitude towards behaviour, entrepreneurship education, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and personality traits) and the dependent variable (Entrepreneurial Intention). The findings show a positive relationship to exist between the independent variable and the dependent variable. The study focused on two postgraduate degrees (MBA and Masters) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville campus; therefore, the results may neither be generalised for the entire university nor for the entire South African population. However, they could be used to form the basis for further studies. Lecturers, Practitioners, and students can use the findings of this work to come up with interventions that promote the development of an entrepreneurial culture within the South African context.
An evaluation of succession planning effectiveness in Transnet pipeline KwaZulu Natal Durban.
(2018) Buthelezi, Nontobeko Renei.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
This study attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of succession planning so that a cohort of employees who are high flyers in terms of performance are capable of taking the organisation forward, therefore benefit from succession planning, are produced. It undertakes an analysis of factors that influence the effectiveness of succession planning. The identification of strategies that influence the evaluation of succession planning adds value in ensuring that succession planning must not be on paper only, but it must be practical and bear fruits in the organization. This study therefore exposes a potential gap in succession planning effectiveness, as a factor that influences leaders to evaluate effectiveness of succession planning which is currently not well understood. The research involved a case study methodology through a comprehensive study of Transnet Pipeline. It adopts a critical examination of the applicability of qualitative research methodology. The research design used in the study and the setting where this study was conducted, the study population, the sampling method used, the data collection instruments used and the data analysis techniques where 35 interviews with company management personnel formed the primary source of data. The findings revealed that several factors affected the identification of critical positions in the succession planning effort. Factors used for the identification of the capabilities for successful performance in key areas are: Qualifications; experience and registration with professional organization and talent Management. Management strategies that can be identified in the succession planning effort were found to be: Talent identification and management; and recruitment, training and mentorship. Tools used to expose roles and responsibilities that are identified in the action plan are: Key performance areas (KPAs), quarterly reviews, cost cutting, culture charter, and individual development plans (IDPs); management felt that it is HR’s responsibility to drive talent management and Individual Development Plans.
Factors influencing employee turnover at the Department of Justice in the KZN regional office.
(2018) Shangase, Mthobisi Sibusiso.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
Abstract available in the PDF.
The impact of government employees using biometrics in IT security management at KZN Treasury.
(2019) Ndaba, Nomkhosi Lucia.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
The aim of this study is to analyse the different opinions, draw up a balance, and determine the impact of biometrics on users that are using it as their IT security control, especially in financial systems that are used at KZN Provincial Treasury viz Basic Accounting System and Persal. It outlines the strengths and weaknesses, as well as discover the theoretical or conceptual frameworks to be used to examine this phenomenon. This study will assist in enabling to determine impact of using the Biometrics security technology on employees of the KZN Treasury. Today biometrics has been successfully deployed in various fields like security, identification and authorization system. Biometrics fingerprint has gained significant importance in this technical world for analysing of biological data. Biometrics is a technology that is used for analysing person characters based on physiological traits such as the face, fingerprint, iris, retina, voice, signature, etc. The KZN Treasury introduced biometrics systems to increase security on Basic Accounting System and Persal. Biometrics serves as a crucial point to resolve issues relating to personal identification and verification technology. The Biometrics fingerprint is used to establish one’s identity in order to minimize fraud within Government Departments. It ensures that acceptable access measures are implemented to protect crucial systems by providing secured access control. The biometrics system at KZN Treasury prevents information loss and unauthorised access and ensures that adequate non-repudiation measures are implemented. It also gives an audit trail of sensitive transactions with the information kept in a secured and protected database. The quantitative method is used for collecting data. The research tool used was a questionnaire with three groups of participants the managers, enrolment officers and employees or users. The five-point Likert scale questionnaire is used to gather the relevant data for analysis and interpretation as well as drawing relevant conclusions and recommendations. The findings in this study were analysed in detail to be able to produce a precise data analysis. The conclusion of the study is that the use of the Biometrics security system has created a good impact on the work performance of the employees of the KZN Treasury. It seems that most of the respondents believe that Biometrics has had a significant and positive effect on the level of work performance. This study only touches on four areas of Biometrics, which are Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use (user satisfaction and organizational impact), Influencing Factors and Technology and Security. This study is not aimed to cover a full and detailed list of biometric techniques.
The influence of work integrated learning on students studying at a University of Technology in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
(2018) Hlubi, Zamandaba Cynthia.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
This research study investigates the experiences of students during Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at a University of Technology in KwaZulu-Natal. Work Integrated Learning is a methodology of curriculum design that integrates academic learning with industry-based experiential learning that is structured, monitored and assessed to meet the outcomes of a learning programme. Students spend three to twelve months in the workplace (depending on the academic requirements of their qualification) under the mentorship of a workplace supervisor. The purpose of Work Integrated Learning is to develop the ability to apply knowledge and skills to the demands of real life and the world of work. WIL also provides students with an opportunity to learn by doing, understanding their role in the workplace and applying their skills and knowledge to complete work responsibilities. Of paramount importance in the investigation was the impact of WIL on student learning. In carrying out this investigation, this work made use of the framework of Kolb’s theory of learning (2014). Kolb’s theory of learning states that learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience and knowledge resulting from the combination of grasping experience and transforming it (McLeod, 2010). Kolb’s theory of learning defines the process of learning during experiential learning into four stages, namely: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation. According to this model, for learning to take place during Work Integrated Learning, students should be exposed to all four aspects of the learning cycle. This research study adopted a quantitative research methodology. The questions were formulated from each of the four constructs in Kolb’s theoretical framework. Data was analysed in an SPSS package. From the findings, it can be concluded that the students were exposed to active experimentation, and hence managed to obtain sufficient work experience. Furthermore, the students managed to see a direct link between classwork and their work experience. However, a significant percentage of the students expressed less confidence on given tasks where they had to work independently. These findings are of paramount importance in the re-design of the curriculum and lecture delivery.
Service delivery in the Chal Hospital Tebellong in Lesotho.
(2018) Khiba, Ntulela Alice.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
The healthcare service industry has never been so competitive than it is today (Goddard, 2015). In order to survive, health care facilities must focus on delivering quality to their patients and meeting their expectations. The global concern is to make health care freely accessible and affordable to all people. The purpose of this study was therefore designed to assess the experiences and expectations of both the healthcare workers and patients of Tebellong hospital. The SERVQUAL/RATER model was used as a basis for this in terms of the delivery of quality services. As part of the data collection for the study, a field survey was conducted. Based on the data collected from 66 healthcare workers and patients in the hospital, the results indicate that there is quality service delivery gap. This means that the expectations of both the healthcare workers and patients in regard to the provision of quality services are higher than what was initially perceived. The biggest gap that was discovered is for the construct of tangibles, with which there is an urgent need to improve the 'visible' aspects of the service at the hospital to make them more appealing to the eyes of the community. The results further indicate that the expectations of patients are substantially higher than that of the healthcare workers, which indicates that it is not about how managers and healthcare workers define quality in healthcare but it is about how the patients, the receivers of the services view it. As a result of the findings of the study, it has become evident that Hospitals in general should ensure that patients are always at the heart of what they do. The patient experience should be improved at Tebellong hospital, giving priority number one to the tangibles as per findings.
Social media as a communication tool during crises and disasters: a South African governance perspective.
(2016) Ramluckan, Trishana.; Subban, Mogesperie.; McArthur, Brian Walter.
Good governance is often a prevalent theme within the public administration sphere; being politically, socially and economically inclined. The focus of good governance is based on the responsibility of governments and governing bodies for the safety and well-being of their stakeholders. With the dominance of the technology age, social media and related technologies have become a strategic communications tool for the citizens of democratic states to voice their needs and opinions. Social media has proved to be a useful and effective communications tool in many crises internationally. However, in South Africa social media has not been fully embraced as a strategic communications tool by public organisations and is an evolving one. There is a lack of studies and knowledge of how social media can be used for crisis communication in South Africa or the factors that may influence it’s usage in crises. The study identified the gaps, and factors of using social media, thereby establishing the need for inclusion of social media in an organisation’s or government’s crisis management plan. Public Administrators play an important role in a crisis is to ensure that the citizens receive the vital information to ensure their safety in life-threatening situations and this became evident in the study. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to analyse the use of social media as a communication tool during crises and disasters from a South African governance perspective. As such, from the main aim, a few key objectives highlighted include amongst others: an investigation into the extent of social media usage in crisis and disaster communication; determining of the global factors affecting the use of social media in crisis and disasters and the proposal of updated communication flow models for the specific case of social media in crisis management; legislative and governance factors and developing an integrative model for the enhanced use of social media to address crisis communication whilst recommending social media strategies for effective use in crisis management for public/private South African organisations. A mixed methods approach was used to gather and analyse the findings. The study involved the collection of empirical data incorporating the use of questionnaires, interviews, secondary data and content analysis from authoritative documents to elicit relevant information from the relevant experts, specialists and academics in this field of study, utilising the Task Technology Fit (TTF) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as guidelines. From the identified factors which influence the adoption of social media, an issue regarding the awareness of the respondents toward the relevance of South African laws emerged. The #Feesmustfall campaign was one case study that revealed the extent to which social media was being used nationally and internationally. Key themes that emerged from the study include privacy and security which further emphasised the need for governing frameworks and legislation. Furthermore, social media strategies in terms of possible future legislation and or frameworks were recommended for the effective use in crisis management. The study concluded that social media is an important channel of communication in crisis and disaster but control mechanisms are required for its effectiveness. Furthermore, the study establishes the need for future research in this important area, which would be beneficial to the global community as a whole.
A study of performance management at UKZN’s School of Built Environment and Development Studies.
(2019) Mkhize, Bright Sipho.; Ramluckan, Trishana.
Background: Performance management is about the whole process of monitoring and evaluating the performance of employees. Armstrong & Baron (1998, cited in Kiragu et al., 2006) it is also about giving appropriate feedback, whether positive or negative, to individual employees, with the intention of improving their performance. At the University of KwaZulu-Natal, individual employees create performance agreements which are their key performance areas that are linked to their job descriptions, and also to the goals of the University. The Line Managers and employees both need to agree on these, because it then requires the employee to be working towards achieving these in a particular performance cycle. During the performance cycle, it is required that the Line Manager monitors the performance of the employee and, if there are things to be improved upon, then the employee should be informed of such. Employees need to be encouraged to do better throughout the cycle. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the perception of the academic staff of the performance management system in the School of Built Environment and Development Studies at a selected University in KZN. Methodology: The researcher used qualitative research for this study. The reason for choosing this research method was because the researcher wanted to describe the academic staff perception of the performance management system at a selected University in KZN. The researcher collected evidence on performance management and the impact this had especially in the higher education sector. This was done through structured interviews, the use of available university information (performance management system information available to the human resources department) and observations. Findings: The results from this study indicated that the performance management system was perceived as a system to capture the monitoring of staff performance, check employees’ quality, assess research output, and employees’ evaluation. Although performance management was positively perceived by academic staff, several challenges were reported to hinder effective implementation of performance management, and they included insufficient knowledge and skill on performance management, lack of on-the-job training or workshops, challenges in rating the staff in performance management, ineffective use of the institution guidelines on performance management. Conclusion and recommendations: The impact of effective performance management on the institutional success is pivotal. It is essential that institutions ensure that academic staff is well trained and prepared to meet the demands brought by new innovative approaches.