Many articles in this first issue deal primarily with people issues and a knowledge of the technology is assumed. Meyer's article takes the reader on a quick tour of office information tools. As a foundation for discussion, it defines the scope, history, and current status of office automation. The office technology of today rests on a basis laid over decades by a number of management disciplines. Although there is a plenty of proof that office automation can quantitatively increase office output, it is the combination of qualitative and quantitative improvements that distinguishes today's office automation. The means to achieving this balance is a good office automation manager, able to coordinate various technologies and equally able to manage the people issues.
The promotion of entrepreneurship and small business development as possible solutions to job creation is a high priority for the government of South Africa as it plays a vital role in economic prosperity. Specifically, the focus is on empowering women to become entrepreneurial. Entrepreneurship training is important during all levels of education, including at the tertiary level, but also to people who may not be enrolled in a university. The purpose of this study is to provide an analysis of topics pertaining to fourteen female entrepreneurs enrolled in an adult entrepreneurship programme presented by a South African University. The research methodology included a self-administered questionnaire developed by the authors and compiled from an extensive literature review. Analysis was done to identify the success factors deemed important by the respondents as well as perceived barriers to business success. The study revealed inadequate funding and finance and the inability to clarify business goals as the main barriers restricting the success of the business. In addition, customer care, quality of products or services and business skills were considered most favourable success factors. The results provide valuable insight into areas of concern as well as recommendations for further research and development in the field of female entrepreneurial growth and policy development.
The facilitation and creation of an enabling environment by local government for business to prosper is one of the key factors in local economic development (LED). In this creation of an enabling environment, effective service delivery by local government is important. Local government can create this environment through good governance and transparent management. Globally however, many local governments are struggling to provide an acceptable level of management and service delivery to their communities. The study has the aim to test the hypothesis of the creation of an enabling environment leads to economic development. The geographical focus of this study is on the Vaal-Triangle region in Southern Gauteng, South Africa. The study will focus on two local municipalities namely Midvaal Local Municipality and Emfuleni Local Municipality, situated in Gauteng. The perceptions of business owners regarding the creation of an enabling environment and service delivery within this area will be analysed. A total of 150 business owners were interviewed using a quantitative questionnaire. Data were statistically analysed through descriptive analysis. The results revealed that effective municipal management relates to the creation of an enabling environment for local businesses to prosper and in turn translate to economic development. In contrast poor municipal management leads to poor service delivery and a lack of economic development.
Local economic development (LED) has been identified as a prominent tool in the facilitation of the development of local regions. The so-called "LED-triangle" of partners has been identified on the local level as business, government and communities. Business chambers represent business and need to play a leading role in the coordination of, in many cases, stagnating local economies. The objective of this study was to analyse the roles of business chambers in the development of local regions. The Vaal Triangle in South Africa was selected as the study region with its three functional business chambers: the Vanderbijlpark Business Chamber (VBC), the Sasolburg Business Chamber (SBC) and the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce (NAFCOC), Sedibeng branch. The management committees of the three business chambers were interviewed by means of semi-structured interviews and questionnaires which included both quantitative and qualitative assessments. Some of the results indicated that the role of a business chamber should be to allow flow of information, promote network opportunities, assist with the creation of an enabling environment and facilitate entrepreneurship training. Business chambers, together with other role players such as government, play a major role in the facilitation of economic development.
South Africa is facing the reality of extremely high youth unemployment rates. The problem poses a threat to the country's economic development and future labour force projections. In response, the South African government has promulgated the Employment Tax Incentive Act (Act 26 of 2013), a targeted employer-side supply wage subsidy which requires a significant degree of public-private sector co-operation. The purpose of this study is to determine perceptions of local businesses regarding youth unemployment and the aforementioned act to determine its feasibility as an appropriate tool to address this problem. A qualitative research approach was used to collect data. A total of 13 in-depth interviews were conducted with business representatives in the Vaal Triangle region, Gauteng Results of the study indicated that 92 percent of the interviewed business representatives support the act. However, its effectiveness in contributing to the employment of the youth is impeded by supply side issues of the said crisis that make businesses reluctant to hire young people. Strict labour polices and laws also induce difficulties restricting its implementation.
Abstract. Globalisation and interregional exchange of people, goods, and services has boosted the importance of and reliance on all kinds of transport networks. The linear structure of road networks is especially sensitive to natural hazards. In southern Norway, steep topography and extreme weather events promote frequent traffic disruption caused by debris flows. Topographic susceptibility and trigger frequency maps serve as input into a hazard appraisal at the scale of first-order catchments to quantify the impact of debris flows on the road network in terms of a failure likelihood of each link connecting two network vertices, e.g. road junctions. We compute total additional traffic loads as a function of traffic volume and excess distance, i.e. the extra length of an alternative path connecting two previously disrupted network vertices using a shortest-path algorithm. Our risk metric of link failure is the total additional annual traffic load, expressed as vehicle kilometres, because of debris-flow-related road closures. We present two scenarios demonstrating the impact of debris flows on the road network and quantify the associated path-failure likelihood between major cities in southern Norway. The scenarios indicate that major routes crossing the central and north-western part of the study area are associated with high link-failure risk. Yet options for detours on major routes are manifold and incur only little additional costs provided that drivers are sufficiently well informed about road closures. Our risk estimates may be of importance to road network managers and transport companies relying on speedy delivery of services and goods.
Abstract. Debris flows, triggered by extreme precipitation events and rapid snow melt, cause considerable damage to the Norwegian infrastructure every year. To define intensity-duration (ID) thresholds for debris flow initiation critical water supply conditions arising from intensive rainfall or snow melt were assessed on the basis of daily hydro-meteorological information for 502 documented debris flow events. Two threshold types were computed: one based on absolute ID relationships and one using ID relationships normalized by the local precipitation day normal (PDN). For each threshold type, minimum, medium and maximum threshold values were defined by fitting power law curves along the 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles of the data population. Depending on the duration of the event, the absolute threshold intensities needed for debris flow initiation vary between 15 and 107 mm day−1. Since the PDN changes locally, the normalized thresholds show spatial variations. Depending on location, duration and threshold level, the normalized threshold intensities vary between 6 and 250 mm day−1. The thresholds obtained were used for a frequency analysis of over-threshold events giving an estimation of the exceedance probability and thus potential for debris flow events in different parts of Norway. The absolute thresholds are most often exceeded along the west coast, while the normalized thresholds are most frequently exceeded on the west-facing slopes of the Norwegian mountain ranges. The minimum thresholds derived in this study are in the range of other thresholds obtained for regions with a climate comparable to Norway. Statistics reveal that the normalized threshold is more reliable than the absolute threshold as the former shows no spatial clustering of debris flows related to water supply events captured by the threshold.
The paper describes results of the BioCosts project in which a comprehensive analysis of the economic and environmental performance of the energy use of biomass was carried out for selected existing facilities throughout the European Union. It is demonstrated that the appropriately organized use of biofuels has significant environmental advantages compared to the use of fossil fuels. Mitigation of global warming is the largest single incentive to use biofuels. However, only a few technologies are economically competitive under prevailing conditions, while others lead to up to 100% higher energy production costs than fossil fuels. Employment effects of using biofuels are small but positive. ; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V2S-41JM99D-4/1/514a3253589af4590f84544e2966bcb3
Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm; individuals matter; inclusivity of individual animals; and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Recently, compassionate conservation has been promoted as an alternative to conventional conservation philosophy. We believe examples presented by compassionate conservationists are deliberately or arbitrarily chosen to focus on mammals; inherently not compassionate; and offer ineffective conservation solutions. Compassionate conservation arbitrarily focuses on charismatic species, notably large predators and megaherbivores. The philosophy is not compassionate when it leaves invasive predators in the environment to cause harm to vastly more individuals of native species or uses the fear of harm by apex predators to terrorize mesopredators. Hindering the control of exotic species (megafauna, predators) in situ will not improve the conservation condition of the majority of biodiversity. The positions taken by so-called compassionate conservationists on particular species and on conservation actions could be extended to hinder other forms of conservation, including translocations, conservation fencing, and fertility control. Animal welfare is incredibly important to conservation, but ironically compassionate conservation does not offer the best welfare outcomes to animals and is often ineffective in achieving conservation goals. Consequently, compassionate conservation may threaten public and governmental support for conservation because of the limited understanding of conservation problems by the general public.
