Academic literature on the topic 'South African higher education institutions'

Sustainability has gained prominence globally among nations, regions and organisations as a result of factors such as the effects of climate change on the environment, diminishing natural resources and rising population growth with their concomitant impact on economies and social systems. South Africa is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) that promotes international principles and best practices on sustainable development. Sustainability Reporting is one such best practice. Sustainability Reporting is imperative for good governance and organisations are now expected to support sustainability issues, risks and performance in a balanced and reasonable way. The United Nations and other global bodies have been in the vanguard in promoting guidelines for sustainability reporting with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) being the most Prominent Sustainability reporting guideline. The South African Higher Education Institutions generate a number of reports in the course of any given academic year. As has been the case in the global corporate world, failures in governance in some South African universities point to weaknesses in their governance, especially when it comes to oversight of the operations of institutions. Considering this, it is important to critically examine strategic planning processes to understand the aspects that are important for the survival of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and therefore they should be regularly and closely monitored. The study begins by exploring literature relating to strategic planning, governance, sustainability reporting practices and Business Intelligence (BI) technologies in Higher Education. The primary objective of the investigation is to propose a sustainability reporting framework for Higher Education Institutions in South Africa. It is argued that with the aid of appropriate BI tools, the proposed Sustainability Reporting framework would be useful in tracking progress in the implementation of strategic plans and at the same time strengthen governance in institutions. The study identified elements of Sustainability Reporting that are important for strategic planning. To develop the proposed framework, an empirical investigation was undertaken. Four online questionnaires were completed and returned by 108 participants comprising of Registrars and Information Managers at 23 South African Higher Education Institutions as well as to Information Managers in selected International Higher Education Institutions and Managers at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). The online questionnaires were developed to elicit information to include in the proposed framework. To analyse results, both descriptive and inferential statistics such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used. Results from the surveys revealed that Higher Education Institutions globally and in South Africa are grappling with the same issues. When it comes to Sustainability Reporting, factors such as information culture and Business Intelligence maturity levels were not found to be very different among the various institutions. In the case study at NMMU, correlational analysis confirmed that variables such as Management buying and the availability of BI reports were positively related to effective strategic planning and vice versa. Similarly, a strong correlation was observed between reporting guidelines and strategic planning. Moreover, the study highlighted the critical role of management and leadership in a university in creating an environment that supports Sustainability Reporting. In conclusion, it was recommended that efforts should be directed at creating awareness and at training staff on aspects that promote sustainability. It is incumbent upon the institution to take advantage of and promote technological tools and techniques to enable the easy flow of data and information in understandable and usable formats to all its stakeholders. Finally, a Framework for Sustainability Reporting for Higher Education Institutions (FSRHEI) and guidelines for implementing Sustainability Reports are proposed.

The success of the most competitive companies throughout the world, including higher education institutions, lies in their highly skilled employees on which these institutions spend millions to retain. Literature reveals the cost of losing best employees to be enormous – beyond monetary quantification. Also worth noting is that the loss of one competent employee to a competitor institution strengthens the competitor’s advantage. This case study analysed human resources turnover data, and interviewed academic managers and employees in order to examine the possible employee retention factors for a higher education institution in South Africa. The findings reveal different institutional interests between institutional managers and employees. The former are concerned more about profits, business sustenance and justification for spending, while the latter are driven by introverted interests such as development, monetary rewards and personal fulfilment.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.<br>ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Reform is one of the most controversial elements in higher education and has therefore attracted much attention from within the academic community and from outside. The present higher education scene is characterised by demands for transformation and change, not only in South Africa but in Africa and the developed countries as well. The pressures and demands for change come from outside the field of higher education as well as from within. Some countries have been involved in the process of change and transformation for a period of over thirty years, while others have just embarked on the route or still have to start the change process. The post-apartheid era has marked an era of profound change for South African higher education institutions with concomitant legislation to ensure the change process. If effective and successful transformation of higher education institutions and systems can take place in South Africa with new models of transformation and the effective integration of cultures and openness to change at all institutional levels, these models could be instructive not only to Africa but also to the rest of the world and to academic life universally. However, the demands for change worldwide indicates not only towards new legislation but also towards flexible approaches and new forms of institutional structures and leadership to accommodate the significant, rapid and fundamental changes taking place in higher education and the realisation that institutions of the future will be different from those of the past and the present. In this study the influence of organisational models are used to establish a conceptual framework towards the development of learning organisations. The study reflects on how these new types of organisations will influence higher education institutions as organisations. It also considers what will be expected of higher education institutions to become learning organisations. Learning organisations have special qualities and higher education institutions or teaching institutions do not automatically qualify as learning organisations. The promise of the new millennium provides the higher educationcommunity with the opportunity to take stock of their position and to find out if they possess the necessary skills and have the enabling structures to accommodate a new world. Becoming a learning organisation involves more than a paradigm shift for higher education institutions. It requires a revolution, a quantum leap towards individual recognition and growth, leadership development and empowerment and institutional learning. The Academic 'Process Leadership' Super structure provides the space, structure and process for higher education organisations to re-organise and re-create itself to fit the demands of a new world. An analysis of leadership, leadership development and institutional change in higher education institutions brought to the fore that these institutions have not been effective in providing programmes that develop leaders because they simply do not know what is necessary for effective leadership development. Institutions do not have an in-depth understanding of leadership and they have not enculturated leadership development as a core aspect and activity in higher education institutions. There is grave concern regarding the development of 'soft' people skills. The qualitative research investigation into the process of change towards learning organisations in higher education institutions indicate that there are profound problems in the areas of leadership, leadership development, people management and satisfaction, knowledge management and learning dynamics. These areas form the core aspects within the new structures, that of learning organisations. The insights gained from the process analysis of five higher education institutions indicate that the implementation of the academic leadership model as described in the study will provide individual leaders with the necessary leadership skills to fulfill their roles in the recreated empowered institutions. This process of leadership development, as indicated in the study, could enable institutions to become learning organisations.<br>AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Die huidige konteks van hoer onderwys dui daarop dat verandering een van die belangrikste, maar ook mees kontroversiele aspekte aangaande die studieveld is. Die hoeronderwysomgewing asook hoeronderwysinstellings verkeer onder geweldige druk van beide binne en buite die akademiese gemeenskap om te verander. 'n Analise van die huidige stand van sake en konteks van hoeronderwysinstellings dui daarop dat verandering nie net in Suid-Afrika 'n faktor is en baie aandag geniet nie, maar dat Afrika sowel as die ontwikkelde lande ook onder geweldige druk verkeer om te transformeer. Sommige lande is al vir meer as dertig jaar betrokke by die proses van verandering. Dit wil egter voorkom dat sommige van die ander lande Of nog glad nie begin het nie 6f pas begin het met die proses van verandering en transformasie. Die tydperk na 1994 en die oorgang na 'n nuwe demokratiese regenng m Suid- Afrika was ook die begin van dramatiese verandering in die Suid-Afrikaanse hoeronderwysomgewing. Die kwessie van verandering is nie net in sekere nasionale beleidsdokumente aangespreek nie, maar ook in meegaande wetgewing. Indien Suid-Afrikaanse hoeronderwysinstellings in staat sou wees om nuwe modelle te kan akkommodeer en te kan verwesenlik terwyl hulle besig is met die transformasieen veranderingsproses, kan hierdie modelle van nut en van waarde wees, nie net vir Afrika nie, maar ook vir die ontwikkelde wereld en die internasionale hoeronderwysgemeenskap. Nuwe strukture en modelle kan ongelukkig nie net deur wetgewing daargestel word nie. Instellings sal toeganklik moet wees vir moontlike nuwe vorms van leierskap, leierskapsontwikkeling en die konsep van veranderde strukture om sodoende te kan aanpas by die eise van 'n voortdurend veranderende wereld en die geweldige impak wat verandering op hoeronderwysinstellings het. Hoeronderwysinstellings sal moet besef dat instansies wat op die toekoms gerig word nie kan vashou aan ou uitgediendemodelle nie. Toekomsgerigte modelle verskil van die huidige vorms, sowel as die van die verlede. Die invloed van organisasiemodelle op hoeronderwysinstellings verskaf konseptuele verwysingsraamwerke vir die ontwikkeling van nuwe begrippe en konsepte. Die konsepte help om rigting aan te dui en te bepaal wat van instansies verwag word om sodoende te kan verander na lerende organisasies. Dit is belangrik om kennis te neem dat lerende organisasies spesifieke eienskappe het en dat hoeronderwysinstellings nie sonder meer gereken en geklassifiseer kan word as lerende organisasies nie. Hierdie nuwe vorm van organisasiestruktuur sal 'n fundamentele invloed he op institusionele prosesse asook op die manier waarop instellings in die toekoms bedryf sal word. In die nuwe millennium sal hierdie paradigmaskuif die geleentheid aan hoeronderwysinstellings voorsien om nie net revolusioner te verander nie maar ook om 'n kwantumsprong te maak na die belangrike mens- en leervaardighede. Hierdie vaardighede is nie net noodsaaklik vir die ontwikkeling om 'n lerende organisasie te word nie, dit maak ook die kern uit van hierdie nuwe organlsaSles. Die proses van akademiese leierskap en leierskapsontwikkeling, soos wat voorgestel word in die model van die Akademiese Leierskapsproses Superstruktuur sal aan instellings die geleentheid bied om die noodsaaklike leierskapsvaardighede te ontwikkel. Dit sal ook die kreatiewe en innoverende omgewing skep wat dit vir hierdie soort organisasie strukture moontlik sal maak om nuut te kan ontwikkel en sodoende in staat sal stel om te kan herorganiseer binne 'n konteks van groter aanpasbaarheid. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie en navorsingsanalise ten opsigte van leierskap, leierskapsontwikkeling en die proses van verandering en transformasie het aangedui dat hoeronderwysinstellings in Suid-Afrika nie effektief ontwikkel ten einde lerende organisasies te word nie. Die ondersoek dui daarop dat instellings nie die onderliggende elemente van die begrip "leierskap" verstaan nie. Leierskap en leierskapsontwikkeling maak tans nie deel uit van die huidige institusionele kultuur nie.

Objectives: Talent management (TM) and its practices are popular topics of discussion in the work context. These practices, however, have never been studied in the context of South African higher education institutions (HEIs). This study aims to identify what TM practices are prevalent in South African HEIs, as well as the extent to which they are applied in the institutions. Method: A quantitative research approach, using survey research, was followed in this study. The Job Characteristics scale, Satisfaction with Talent Management questionnaire, and the Intention to Quit questionnaire were administered to academics in the higher education sector across South Africa (N=146). Results: This study provides a view on current and perceived TM practices in HEIs in South Africa, as well as the extent to which these are applied, by looking at academics’ satisfaction with the TM practices, and their intention to resign from the HEIs. Academics also perceive more talent demands than talent enablers in their work. Conclusions: Despite a continuous proliferation of research on TM and its practices in the organisational context, little research could be found relating to the TM practices in the higher education sector in South Africa. The present research study makes an important contribution towards increasing the current knowledge on current TM practices and their perceived importance in South African HEIs.<br>Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012.<br>Human Resource Management<br>MCom<br>Unrestricted

Background: Higher Education (HE), through HE Institutions, plays a very important role in society. There is thus a need for this sector to be well managed, especially with regards to planning, organising, and controlling. Corporate Governance has received a lot of attention in recent times, especially to engender trust on the part of the stakeholders. There are many similarities, but also significant differences in the governance of HE institutions and public companies. Information Technology (IT) plays an extremely important role in the modern organisation, creating huge opportunities, but also increasing the risk to the organisation. Therefore, effective governance of IT in HE Institutions is of great importance.

Bibliography: leaves 87-90.<br>The purpose of this study is to compare and assess two theoretical models of higher education institutional change: the policy response and the adaptational model. The policy response model is essentially a measurement of policy impact, and through the application of an indicator framework allows the evaluation of the extent to which a higher education institution has applied a government policy directive. The adaptational model is based on the idea that institutional change can be explained in terms of the categorisation of the strategic choices an institution makes in order to adapt to and survive in a constantly changing environment. The application of the two models is demonstrated through case studies of two South African higher education institutions: the University of Port Elizabeth and Peninsula Technikon.

Academia is a demanding profession, as evidenced by a body of research that documents the debilitating impact of occupational stress and burnout on the personal and professional welfare of academics. In particular, high levels of these pathological phenomena, left unchecked, undermine the quality, productivity and creativity of the academics' work in addition to their health, well-being and morale. Despite these indicators of "weaknesses" and "malfunctioning", academics know that there is times that they operate in a "milieu" of work - there is an intense focus and pleasurable emotions, accompanied by high levels of enthusiasm. Especially, with the upcoming positive paradigm in Occupational Health Psychology, "positive" trends such as work engagement, optimism, organisational commitment and life satisfaction are also commonplace among academics. The first step in the enhancement of work wellness is the successful diagnosis of stress, burnout and work engagement. However, to measure these constructs, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments, and at the same time, take into account the cultural diversity in a multicultural setting such as South Africa. Clearly then, an assessment of this type should be concerned with the issue of construct equivalency. Furthermore, little information exists regarding the causes and effects of occupational stress, burnout and work engagement of academics in South Africa. The general aim of this study was to standardise an adapted version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) for academics in South African higher education institutions, to determine their levels of occupational stress, organisational commitment and ill-health, and to test a structural model of work wellness for South African academics. A cross-sectional survey design was used, with stratified random samples (N = 595) taken of academics in six South African universities. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Job Characteristics Inventory, the Health and Organisational Commitment subscales of the ASSET, The Life Orientation Test and Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlations, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Structural equation modelling was used to test a structural model of work wellness. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations resulted in a three-factor model of burnout, consisting of Exhaustion, Mental Distance and Professional Efficacy. The scales showed acceptable internal consistencies and construct equivalence for two language groups. Practically significant differences were found in the burnout levels of academics with regard to their age, marital status and working hours. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations resulted in a two-factor model of work engagement, consisting of Vigour/Dedication and Absorption. The scales showed acceptable construct equivalence for two language groups (Afrikaans and English). One scale, namely Vigour/Dedication showed acceptable internal consistency. Practically significant differences were found between the work engagement of academics with different job levels and qualifications. Compared to the normative data, academics reported significantly high levels of stress relating to pay and benefits, overload and work-life balance. Academics also reported high levels of psychological ill-health, but experienced high levels of commitment both from and towards their organisation. Organisational commitment did not moderate the effects of occupational stress on ill-health. Analysis of variance revealed differences between the levels of occupational stress and ill-health of demographic groups. Regarding a model of work wellness, the results showed that job demands contributed to burnout, while job resources contributed to work wellness (low burnout and high work engagement). Burnout mediated the relationship between job demands and ill-health; work wellness mediated the relationship between job resources and organisational commitment. Dispositional optimism moderated the effects of a lack of job resources on work engagement. Work wellness and health contributed to life satisfaction. Recommendations for future research were made.<br>Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

South African higher education institutions are facing increasing competition from both local and global competitors. This increasing competitive pressure has forced them to become aware of the importance of building and sustaining a suitable competitive advantage. Adding to this, South Africa’s economy, together with the world economies, has witnessed changing circumstances in relation to consumers’ needs, tastes and preferences. In this light, service quality has been recognised as a means to meet these challenges. As service industries play an important role in many economies around the world, the significance of providing an adequate level of service quality has emerged. Higher education institutions too are now being called upon to account for the quality of the services they provide. As service quality is a key strategic issue and a pervasive strategic force, the methods deployed in measuring service quality is of concern. Traditionally, higher education institutions used measures to account for the academic standards they provide, together with accreditation and performance indicators of teaching and research. However, from the viewpoint of their primary consumers, higher education institutions need to put measures in place to account for their students’ perceptions of service quality as well. Higher education institutions need to concentrate their attention on what the students feel is important in delivering the service. In measuring service quality from the perspective of the students, higher education institutions will be able to improve their service delivery processes, which will help to create consumer loyalty and, in the long-term, build a competitive advantage. The primary objective of this study was to provide a comparative view on the undergraduate students’ perceptions of the service quality delivered by two South African higher education institutions. The study comprised a literature review and an empirical study, and a descriptive research design was employed. The literature review focused on service quality. The literature review did not focus specifically on examining service quality from higher education institutions perspective but rather looked at service quality from the perspective of general service industries. In addition, in order to shape the literature on service quality, an introduction to services and services marketing was provided. Within the empirical portion of this study, quantitative research was applied using the survey method. Two South African higher education institutions formed the two sample groups in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was administered on the relevant first-, second- and third- year business and marketing management students of each sample’s respective faculties. The findings obtained from the main survey questionnaire are discussed in order to provide insights as to how students’ evaluate the service delivery of higher education institutions. Given the limitations and scope of the study, a balanced view of the two sample groups is provided in that the sample groups were split representatively. The recommendations provided in this study provide guidelines regarding the possible ways in which higher education institutions can market themselves in order to build a sustainable competitive advantage.<br>MCom, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012