Economic and Management Sciences

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Browsing Economic and Management Sciences by Subject "Absenteeism"

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    An evaluation of an out of school program to increase access to education for children in the rural areas of Zimbabwe
    (University of the Free State, 17-Feb) Tokotore, Rujeko; Van Wyk, C. J.
    After independence, Zimbabwe made significant progress in providing access to education for almost all children. The policy environment for supporting education for all is positive as the country is party to the all the major international agreements that promote education for all and the right to education, and has domesticated these in the Constitution and other legislation. However, with the introduction of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme in the early 1990s, followed by the economic crisis of 2000 to 2008, this momentum was not maintained. Many children dropped out of school before completion, and others did not to go to school. The Fit for Life Programme was implemented to offer second chance non-formal education to children aged between 15 to 18 years who did not complete formal primary education or never went to school. This research evaluated effectiveness of the Fit for Life Programme in increasing access to education for children in the rural areas of Zimbabwe. A process evaluation approach was applied and questionnaires were used for data collection. The results revealed that the Fit for Life Programme was effective in increasing access for Out of School children in the rural areas of Zimbabwe. The livelihoods and quality of life of the beneficiaries who graduated from the programme differ from those children within the communities who did not enrol in the programme as they are in engaged in ill social behaviours. However, the research also revealed that the programme had some shortcomings which were not anticipated and this was a setback in achieving some of the objectives in some of the programme areas. The shortcomings included a relatively high dropout rate and high levels of absenteeism by the beneficiaries and lack of a MoU. Absenteeism was a major challenge in the programme resulting in a longer training period. The study concluded that the Theory of Change was effective in analysing the implementation of the Fit for Life Programme. Recommendations were made on the improvement of the Fit for Life Programme and these included enhancement of the non-formal vocational and technical training by providing more opportunities for the children; strengthening the implementation of education policies on the ground by availing the necessary resources to monitor and evaluate progress; making education affordable and accessible to all children and conducting more research on areas that need further attention on the problem of out of school children.
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    The impact of musculoskeletal disorders on absenteeism in hospital workers in the Mangaung Metropolitan District
    (University of the Free State, 2014-11) Qhomane-Mhlanga, Teboho; Markham, Lyle
    The study was prompted by the high rate of absenteeism among the personnel at hospitals within the Mangaung Metropolitan District, which has a negative impact on services provided to the patients. The primary objective was to examine the extent to which the musculoskeletal disorders, due to poor ergonomic environment, contribute to absenteeism. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used in this study, to determine the relationship between the prevalence, the level of discomfort of musculoskeletal disorders, and the ability to work. Data was collected using an adapted Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), and analysed using the chi-square test. The results show a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, shoulders, upper back and lower back. The pain in these areas was mostly moderate, but those who indicated unbearable pain also indicated substantial interference with ability to carry out their duties. On the lower peripheral joints, the prevalence was high for the feet, followed by the knees and the hips. The feet had a higher level of discomfort leading to substantial interference to carry out duties than the knees and hips. The chi-square tests indicated significant relationship between the level of discomfort due to pain of musculoskeletal nature and the interference to work for neck, shoulders, upper back, lower back hips and feet. Thus the level of discomfort in these areas significantly contribute to absenteeism. With the rest of the body parts, there was no significant relationship as the p-value is greater than 0.1. The observations indicated postures and ergonomics which posed a risk for musculoskeletal disorders.
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    The relationship between absenteeism and physical workplace conditions at Tshepong mine
    (University of the Free State, 2015-10) Gouws, Willem Johannes Stefanus; Markham, L.
    The purpose of this study was to determine whether a positive correlation exists between the physical workplace conditions underground and the rate of absenteeism underground at Tshepong Mine. The research was designed as a quantitative study during which data was obtained from a sample group of employees from the group 4-8 employees who frequently absent themselves from work. A questionnaire was used to obtain information from the respondents in determining the reasons for absenteeism. A statistical analysis was performed on the data that was obtained. The study indicated that the main reason for absenteeism was health and domestic problems as indicated by 82% of the respondents. Most of the respondents believe that their workplace conditions were good (71%) and that they are satisfied with their work (78%) The Null hypothesis is thus accepted in that a positive relationship between absenteeism and physical workplace conditions underground at Tshepong does not exist based on the fact that only 9% of the respondents were of the opinion that it was the reason for absenteeism.