Today, more than ever before, South Africa’s business climate is confronted with various challenges as a result of external environmental forces as well as internal nuances within the southern African context. The environment is characterised by change, turbulence and competitiveness, and therefore strategy is of the utmost importance for any organisation to survive and thrive. Many people’s lives and jobs are affected by strategic decisions and far too often, top management develops a strategy that is neither communicated to, nor fully understood by, other levels of management and employees, and may not even be relevant to the continued existence of the organisation. Strategic management explains the principles and application of the strategic management process, vital to sustaining the success of every organisation. Real southern African case studies are included to support these principles and applications.

This is the fourth edition of Strategic management, the first specifically southern African textbook on this subject. It emphasises the important role of corporate governance, with specific reference to the King IV Report. Appropriate southern African examples and case studies are used to illustrate the latest trends, particularly the history, development and strategy of Shoprite Checkers, which is used as a cohesion case study throughout this textbook. Key terms, summary questions and answers, relevant websites and recommended reading lists are also provided.

Strategic management: southern African concepts and cases will be invaluable not only to students of business management but also to organisations, from corporate companies with management training programmes to small business ventures struggling to hold their ground in a competitive environment.

Covid-19 has upended the world of work and the need to think differently, plan differently and execute differently is paramount for today’s organisations. Added to this, African countries in general and South Africa in particular are faced with other challenges – infrastructure, corruption, service delivery and an uncertain political environment. Business is increasingly confronted with challenges from external environmental forces and the internal nuances of the southern African context. Our environment is characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, and strategy is of the utmost importance for any organisation to survive and thrive. Strategic management explains the principles and application of the strategic management process that are vital for sustaining successful organisations.

This fifth edition of Strategic management emphasises various relevant and topical strategic challenges (such as corporate governance) and appropriate southern African examples and case studies are used throughout the text to illustrate the latest trends and to support the theory. A cohesion case study of Shoprite Checkers and its strategic choices (such as the Sixty60 concept) runs throughout this book. Key terms, summary questions and answers, relevant websites and recommended reading lists are also provided.

Strategic management: Southern African concepts and cases will be invaluable not only to students of business management, but also to organisations, from corporate organisations with management training programmes to small business ventures struggling to hold their ground in a competitive environment.

Quantitative techniques form the backbone of all statistical, economic and management models according to which forecasts and management decisions are made. Quantitative statistical techniques aims to help readers not only master these techniques, but also understand the role of each technique. Quantitative principles are stated simply and are specifically directed at the first-year student who is contemplating a career in the business sector. The topics that are dealt with reflect the relevant quantitative background specifically demanded by business careers.

Kwantitatiewe tegnieke vorm die ruggraat van alle statistiese, ekonomiese en bestuursmodelle ingevolge waarvan vooruitskattings gemaak en bestuursbesluite geneem word. Die doel van Kwantitatiewe statistiese tegnieke is om die rol van hierdie tegnieke aan lesers te verduidelik en hulle in staat te stel om dit te bemeester. Die kwantitatiewe beginsels word eenvoudig uiteengesit en is veral gemik op eerstejaarstudente wat 'n loopbaan in die sakesektor beplan. Die onderwerpe wat behandel word, sluit direk aan by die kwantitatiewe agtergrond wat vir bepaalde beroepe in die sakewereld vereis word.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

In a South African business environment characterised by change, turbulence and competitiveness, strategy is even more crucial today than ever before. Far too often top management develops a strategy for the company that is never communicated to or understood by other levels of management and employees, or is not even relevant to the future survival of the company. It is therefore crucial for students and practitioners of management at every level to understand the vital role of strategic management in the business world.

Quantitative techniques form the backbone of all statistical, economic and management models according to which forecasts and management decisions are made. Quantitative statistical techniques aims to help readers not only master these techniques, but also understand the role of each technique. Quantitative principles are stated simply and are specifically directed at the first-year student who is contemplating a career in the business sector. The topics that are dealt with reflect the relevant quantitative background specifically demanded by business careers. Guidelines describing how calculations can be performed with computer software are integrated throughout the text.

This volume addresses controversies connected to the testing of the capacities and potentials of mediums. Today we commonly associate the term "medium" with the technical communication between transmitters and receivers. Yet this term likewise applies to those who cooperate with agencies that exceed the presumed domain of the material world. Insofar as one presumes a division between distinctly opposed categories of religion and the secular, technical media tend to be associated with the secular and human (trance) mediums tend to be associated with religion after 1900. This volume concerns the ways in which the term medium still marks an overlapping of - and thus problematizes - the aforementioned division between religion and the secular, the personal and the technological. The term medium carries with it a seed of doubt that is itself inseparable from investment in the medium's power: insofar as they communicate with an "other" realm, mediums offer the hope and promise of new possibilities and improved efficiency, and thus of a better life; yet they have simultaneously been under suspicion of altering (or even inventing) the messages they communicate. It is due to this combination of promise and suspicion that "mediumism" has tended to evoke scientific, religious, and moral controversies. Thus, we can speak of a "mediumistic trial" - that is, a process in which a medium is put to the test concerning its potentials and trustworthiness. Around 1800, experts were asked if a modern secular institution would be capable of inspiring, domesticating or excluding trance mediumship. This question has stayed with us ever since, and the answers have remained inconclusive. That is why the past and present of mediumship may be asked to elucidate each other.

Today we are seeing a new form of blended learning: not only is technology enhancing the learning environment but formal and informal learning are combining and there is self- and peer-assessment of results. Open learning cultures are challenging the old and long-practiced methods used by educators and transforming learning into a more student-driven and independent activity, which uses online tools such as blogs, wikis or podcasts to connect resources, students and teachers in a novel way.

While in higher education institutions most assessments are still tied to formal learning scenarios, teachers are more and more bound to recognize their students' informal learning processes and networks. This book will help teachers, lecturers and students to better understand how open learning landscapes work, how to define quality and create assessments in such environments, and how to apply these new measures.

To this end, Ehlers first elaborates the technological background for more collaborative, distributed, informal, and self-guided learning. He covers the rise of social media for learning and shows how an architecture of participation can change learning activities. These new paradigms are then applied to learning and education to outline what open learning landscapes look like. Here he highlights the shift from knowledge transfer to competence development, the increase in lifelong learning, and the importance of informal learning, user generated content, and open educational resources. He then shows how to manage quality by presenting a step by step guide to developing customized quality concepts for open learning landscapes. Finally, several methods dealing with assessment in these new environments are presented, including guidelines, templates and use cases to exemplify the approaches.

Overall, Ehlers argues for assessment as an integral part of learning processes, with quality assurance as a method of stimulating a quality culture and continuous quality development rather than as a simple controlling exercise.

This book presents a collection of expert reviews on different subcellular compartments of the cardiomyocyte, addressing fundamental questions such as how these compartments are assembled during development, how they are changed in and by disease and which signaling pathways have been implicated in these processes so far. As such, it offers the first overview of the cell biology of heart disease of its kind, addressing the needs of cell biology students specializing in vascular and cardiac biology, as well as those of cardiologists and researchers in the field of cell biology.

Quality and standardisation in e-learning have become crucial success factors for organisations in learning, education and training: E-Learning has changed from an early adopter stage to an integrated part of learning scenarios leading to major changes in educational organisations towards quality orientation.

For building a knowledge society, it is critically important to thoroughly understand quality and standards in e-learning. The handbook provides a cross-national perspective on these issues and draws a clear picture of the situation in quality development and standardisation. It covers topics of a rather foundational nature in quality and standardisation research as well as descriptions of quality approaches, instruments, standards, experiences and best practices. The Handbook is directed to learners, professionals, researchers and policy makers people creating the next generation of learning. "

Earth System Science in the Anthropocene aims to provide an in-depth perspective and update on special topics in Global Environmental Change in relation to Human Security. It gives an overview on the new Joint Projects of the four International Global Change Programmmes and on research efforts in Germany. It is also an up-to-date report on emerging necessities in Global Environmental Change research as well as suggestions for its future development.

Concentration tendencies, globalization, increasing cost pressure and well-informed customers all make up the hard competition faced by today's businesses. The "right" products, a successful market image, a strong positioning between suppliers and customers, efficient logistics and optimum organization structures contribute to a company's survival. Achieving this goal requires flexible information and communication systems that are fully adaptable to the specific situation. Modern retail information systems are not bound by organization borders but support both business partner cooperation and electronic commerce. This book presents the architecture of retail information systems, as well as the functions of SAP Retail, and in so doing links modern retail management with the implementation strategies based on innovative software systems.

This book presents a comprehensive compilation of registration requirements necessary for authorisation of biological control agents (viruses, bacteria, fungi, active substances of natural origin and semiochemicals) in OECD countries. It also reviews data requirements for invertebrate agents (insect, mites and nematodes) and provides proposals for harmonisation of the regulation process and guidelines for completion of application forms. Based on results of the EU REBECA Policy Support Action, which gathered experts from academia, regulation authorities and industry, risks and benefits of the specific agents were reviewed and proposals for a more balanced registration process elaborated, including recommendations for acceleration of the authorisation process and discussions on trade-off effects and policy impacts. All these aspects are covered in detail in this book, which points the way forward for enhanced utilisation of biological control agents. Content Level Research

Schools across the United States - as well as much of the world - are experiencing widespread change. Students are more diverse ethnically, academically, and emotionally. More attention is being paid to abuse and neglect, violence and bullying, and the growing inequities that contribute to student dropout. Within this changing landscape, cultural competence is imperative for school-based professionals, both ethically and as mandated by educational reform.

The "Handbook of Culturally Responsive School Mental Health" explores the academic and behavioral challenges of an increasingly diverse school environment, offering workable, cost-effective solutions in an accessible, well-organized format. This timely volume updates the research on cultural competence in school-based interventions, describes innovative approaches to counseling and classroom life, and demonstrates how this knowledge is used in successful programs with children, adolescents, and their families. Populations covered range widely, from African American and Asian American/Pacific Islander families to forced migrants and children who live on military bases.

By addressing issues of training and policy as well as research and practice, contributors present a variety of topics that are salient, engaging, and applicable to contemporary experience, including:

- Adolescent ethnic/racial identity development.
- Culturally responsive school mental health in rural communities.
- Working with LGBT youth in school settings.
- Cultural competence in work with youth gangs.
- Culturally integrated substance abuse prevention and sex education programs.
- Promoting culturally competent school-based assessment.
- School-based behavioral health care in overseas military bases.
- Developmental, legal, and linguistic considerations in work with forced migrant children.
- Cultural considerations in work/family balance.

The "Handbook of Culturally Responsive School Mental Health" is a must-have reference for researchers, scientist-practitioners, educational policymakers, and graduate students in child and school psychology; educational psychology; pediatrics/school nursing; social work; counseling/therapy; teaching and teacher education; and educational administration.

Acknowledgements Section 1. Foundations 3 Chapter 1. Introduction: How to Use this Manual.. ................... Chapter 2. How Do We Understand Difference?. ...................... 17 Section 2. Dimensions of Difference: Culture, Socioeconomic Status, Race, Ethnicity, Language, and Parental Partnership 29 Chapter 3. Cultural Values and Worldview.. ............................ Chapter 4. Socioeconomic Status.. ....................................... 4 1 ............................................ 5 1 Chapter 5. Race and Ethnicity.. Chapter 6. Language in the Classroom.. .................................. 67 Chapter 7. Working with Diverse Families: Parental Partnership in Education.. ........................................ 8 1 viii Table of Contents Section 3 . Dimensions of Difference: Gender Chapter 8 . Gender ............................................................ Chapter 9 . Sexual Orientation and Youth ................................. Section 4 . Other Challenges to Diversity Chapter 10 . Bullying in Schools ............................................. Chapter 1 1 . Creating Community through Classroom Management .. Chapter 12 . Child Abuse and Resilience .................................. Section 5 . Understanding Exceptional Microcultures Chapter 13 . Exceptional Microcultures: Dealing with Trauma ...... Chapter 14 . Exceptional Microcultures: Youth with Emotional Disturbance- Childhood Depression. Eating Disorders .................. Chapter 15 . Exceptional Microcultures: How to Make a Referral .. Section 6 . Conclusion Chapter 16 . Conclusion: The Multicultural Educator .................. Selected Bibliography ...................................................... Glossary of Terms ........................................................... Appendix A . Sample Course Syllabus .................................... Appendix B . Educational Intervention Proposal Paper ................. Index ............................................................................ Diversity Training for Classroom Teaching: A Manual for Students and Educators is an excellent guide for preparing responsive teachers, capable of exploring the roots of a wide variety of types of diversity and acting with knowledge and sensitivity to improve student learning and self-efficacy.

Demontrating that the scope of clinincal psychology is much broader than had been previously thought, this new volume illustrates recent achievements in the field and outlines perspectives for futher applications in research and treatment.

During the last decades, continuum mechanics of porous materials has achieved great attention, since it allows for the consideration of the volumetrically coupled behaviour of the solid matrix deformation and the pore-fluid flow. Naturally, applications of porous media models range from civil and environmental engineering, where, e. g. , geote- nical problems like the consolidation problem are of great interest, via mechanical engineering, where, e. g. , the description of sinter materials or polymeric and metallic foams is a typical problem, to chemical and biomechanical engineering, where, e. g. , the complex structure of l- ing tissues is studied. Although these applications are principally very different, they basically fall into the category of multiphase materials, which can be described, on the macroscale, within the framework of the well-founded Theory of Porous Media (TPM). With the increasing power of computer hardware together with the rapidly decreasing computational costs, numerical solutions of complex coupled problems became possible and have been seriously investigated. However, since the quality of the numerical solutions strongly depends on the quality of the underlying physical model together with the experimental and mathematical possibilities to successfully determine realistic material parameters, a successful treatment of porous materials requires a joint consideration of continuum mechanics, experimental mechanics and numerical methods. In addition, micromechanical - vestigations and homogenization techniques are very helpful to increase the phenomenological understanding of such media.

The present volume offers a state-of-the-art report on the various recent scientific developments in the Theory of Porous Media (TPM) comprehending the basic theoretical concepts in continuum mechanics on porous and multiphasic materials as well as the wide range of experimental and numerical applications. Following this, the volume does not only address the sophisticated reader but also the interested beginner in the area of Porous Media by presenting a collection of articles. These articles written by experts in the field concern the fundamental approaches to multiphasic and porous materials as well as various applications to engineering problems.

The ever increasing relevance of European law which involves replacement or supplementation of and interaction with national law not only affects the states in Europe but also, and foremost, the citizens. The rights of the citizens in Europe are protected by the European Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. The aim of this textbook is to grasp and illustrate the meaning of these rights and to integrate it into a coherent system. For this purpose the book not only deals with the pertinent law of the European Union and the European Community, but also with the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms which, too, is becoming more and more important. In addition, regard is had to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Union which forms part of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Although the Charter is not yet legally binding since the Constitution has not been ratified by all EU Member States, the Community Courts already make reference to it as a concentrate of the constitutional traditions common to the Member States. It therefore does not seem entirely unlikely that the Charter might be included into the existing Treaties irrespective of the future constitutional developments on the EU level. On a similar anticipatory basis the book also takes into account those Protocols to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms that have not yet entered into force.