Issue #4 (Volume 7 2016)

This study benchmarks South African Excellence Model (SAEM) against selected similar models in developed economies. The primary research question is: Why are South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) not performing well in comparison to similar businesses in developed economies? The objectives of the study are to compare SAEM against worldclass best practice business excellence models, measure and rate SMEs management performance criteria.
Random sampling was used to select SMEs in the construction industry. The findings revealed SAEM as equally a good model as worldclass best practice models. Empirical results revealed low management performance scores in comparison with those of worldclass best practice. Recommendations included aggressive marketing of SAEM and introducing continuous performance management improvement strategies on poorly rated criteria.

Keywords: benchmarking, business excellence models, developed economies, management performance, small and medium enterprises.
JEL Classification: L26, O1, L25

The paper describes a simple, straightforward method to measure progress of business process optimization (BPO). The aim is to derive measures of the degree of BPO attainment in order to identify future priority focus for ensuing exercises. These measures can help to identify components of business that should be improved towards full optimization of processes in business. In an ideal case of the business containing all the components, a large business scenario is assumed. However, flexibility is permissible when changes are experienced with either some business aspects missing or new ones added. A measure of BPO progress was eventually developed based on these circumstances. A BPO measurement is described for presentation as a percentage or proportion.

Keywords: BPE, BPO, change management, measure, risk management, success factor.
JEL Classification: C1, C3, C5, C6, O3

Cosmovision is the worldview of a society that is deeply imbedded in the way in which that society is organized and evolves over time. It is a society’s attempt to explain and better understand all that surrounds it, including its place within the cosmos, or universe and how it conserves it environment. In Africa, like elsewhere, indigenous knowledge systems (IKSs) were used to administer peace, harmony, and order amongst the people and their physical environment. However, with the advent of colonialism in Africa, IKSs were not only marginalized, but demonized leaving their potentials for establishing and maintaining a moral, virtuous society, unexploited. It is in this light that this article argues for a correction to the vestiges of colonialism. The article adopts examples of IKS success stories in pre-colonial era showing the beauty of the undiluted African indigenous knowledge systems and their potential for establishing a moral, virtuous society. To this end, the article argues that Africa, today, is in the grips of high crime rates, serious moral decadence, and other calamities because of the marginalization, false, and pejorative label attached to the African IKSs. This article criticizes, pulls down, and challenges the inherited colonial legacies, which have morally and socially injured many African societies.

Keywords: cosmovision, indigenous, knowledge, conservation, philosophy, taboos.
JEL Classification: D83, O13, O15

The ever-increasing traffic congestion echelons and the subsequent undesirable air quality in several metropolitan areas have raised the need for a successful public transportation system to ease the dependence on the private automobiles. Also the environmental economics is becoming more and more appealing taking into consideration different activities that have economic impact. One of such activities is public transportation. In the current scenario of globalization, public transportation services and systems need to perform introspective contemplation towards the quality of services offered (Michel, 2011). The research adopted a quantitative method of inquiry, therefore, a Survey Research Strategy was considered in order to provide a quantitative or numeric description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. It includes cross-sectional and longitudinal studies using questionnaires or structured interviews for data collection, with the intent of generalizing from a sample to a population (Babbie, 2010). In this context, this research study anticipated to critically evaluate the customers’ perception of the public transportation system and its impacts on service delivery: a case study of Busan Metropolitan City, Korea Republic. This paper is divided into five major sections.

Keywords: environmental economics, public transportation system, customer perceptions, managerial perspective, customers.
JEL Classification: Q50,Q56, R11, P43

Sustainable agricultural system contextualizes cooperative practices to reflect competitive economic returns, the continuous supply of essential and life-supporting ecosystem services, and enhanced food security. The study seeks to establish the challenges of small scale farmers in transforming into mainstream sustainable commercial farming and accessing competitive markets through greener economic functionality of the agricultural cooperative. To address these challenging phases and gaps towards growth prospects, this paper provides a comprehensive literature review and phenomenological approach on the underlying paradigm of personal knowledge and subjectivity. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to assess the extent of sustainable socio-economic network influence of Sicabazini farming cooperative on the potential shift in the living standard, and to examine the antecedent economics of environmental farming cooperative challenges to traverse the growth prospects with the context of cooperative social capital networks. The paper adopted the qualitative paradigm using interviews as data collection instrument on fifty participants from Sicabazini farming cooperative. In providing richer understanding and more insightful and inductive discussions on the phenomena, the rigorous application of case study content analysis reveals credibility assurance that the role of the sustainable farming cooperative benefits the economics of dual objectivity (social and economic nature) while simultaneously elevating environment of agricultural prosperity and creating sustainable job opportunities in remote rural areas. Furthermore, to transferability value of this study, the lack of resources and less accessible larger markets coupled by languishing commercial growth prospects influence the progressive phases of environmental cooperative.

Keywords: cooperatives, sustainable farming, social capital, stakeholder theory.
JEL Classification: Q13, Q56, Q58

The persistent high unemployment rate confronting South Africa, in particular among the youth, continues to be a cause of concern for all stakeholders including academic researchers dealing with labor market issues. As a contribution to efforts at finding solution to the unemployment challenge, the study sought to investigate the nature and causes of rural unemployment amongst the youth using data on a sample of 580 randomly and systematically selected youth from the four local municipalities in the Vhembe district of Limpopo province, South Africa. Binary logistic regression model was estimated to determine the socio-demographic, as well as economic factors that influence youth unemployment. Results of the binary logistic regression model showed that having received (skills) training and work experience were associated with reduced odds of being unemployed. This study highlights the importance of skills training opportunities, as well as apprenticeship in mitigating the unemployment challenge among the youth. The provision of necessary training infrastructure and funding for skills training, as well as work integrated learning and extended career specific internship programs to help to equip South African youth with work experience are major recommendations from this study.

Keywords: unemployment, youth, binary logistic regression, Vhembe district, South Africa.
JEL Classification: J64

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role water resources management can play in improving subsistence farming in rural South Africa, as well as reducing poverty. The study followed a mixed research approach where attributes of qualitative and quantitative methods were used. This paper indicates that due to water scarcity experienced amongst subsistence farmers in case study area, several farmers have opted out of farming. This has a negative consequence on food security and poverty among many subsistence farmers. The paper suggests the pathways for sustainable subsistence farming aimed at creating an economically viable rural community while addressing poverty through the implementation of an efficient water resources management practice. As highlighted in this paper, development is a gradual process, and water resources management can possibly be the first step in creating an economically viable community while alleviating poverty among subsistence farmers in water scarce rural areas of South Africa. Revamping the subsistence farming, as well as improving the standard of living amongst rural subsistence farmers requires a purposeful co-ordination and exchange of ideas between experienced agricultural extension workers, researchers in the field of context, policy makers, as well as other stakeholders. Such purposeful co-ordination should have an agenda of transforming the subsistence farming to a commercialized form of farming in the long term. The resultant effect will possibly result in an economically viable community; increase in household income, as well as food security, thereby reducing poverty.

Keywords: subsistence farming, rural development, water resource management, economic viability, poverty eradication, agricultural extension.
JEL Classification: Q12, N5

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efforts of Durban University of Technology to provide a more inclusive education for the transition towards an economic and sustainable environment. The paper is centred on assessing the current general education programme implemented by Durban University of Technology by exploring the general education environmental knowledge domains. In 2009, the Durban University of Technology Senate accepted the general education guidelines for curriculum renewal and stipulated the aims of general education as building a student-centeredness experience, preparing students for the complex and changing globalized environment and to cultivate responsible citizenship. Documentary analysis was undertaken to assess the graduate attributes and its incorporation into the general education modules. The general education policy documents, thematic clustering, module descriptors and study guides were inspected to establish the scope of the knowledge that would aid students to engage in a transitional and transformational world. The study findings highlighted that while the general education modules related to environmental sustainability, there was little evidence of the green economy being included in the general education curricula. DUT needs to progress towards becoming a sustainable university to enrich the students’ experiences in education in sustainable development (ESD) through committed leadership, being lecturer focused and developing a participatory monitoring and evaluation system for ESD. The study is of value to higher education and governmental institutions engaged in transformative learning and education policy development in environmental management and green economy.

Keywords: green economy, general education, sustainable development, evaluation.
JEL Classification: Q56, Q01.