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What is Public Administration? How does Public Management operate? Who are the key role-players? What are the principles, and how are these applied practically in the developmental context of South Africa? Addressing the broad topics that form the foundations of Public Administration and Management in South Africa, this text introduces and critically explores all foundational and functional aspects of the development, theories, principles, concepts, approaches and structure of public administration. Key topic areas are accessed in dedicated chapters to provide a solid grounding in the discipline. Students are orientated in the theoretical foundations of public administration and the practical implementation of public management in developmental South Africa, across local, provincial and national government spheres. Covering the role and function of core aspects of public administration and management, topics addressed include: public decision-making; service delivery and policy implementation; leadership and control; human resources management; public financial management; and ethics in the public sector. An expertly designed pedagogical framework supports and develops important academic skills such as critical thinking, practical application and data interpretation. Presented in a real, applied and visual manner, this engaging text is the essential introduction for all students of BAdmin, BA, BSocSci or BCom degrees in public administration and public management.
'My name Mbu is a short version of Mbuyiseli, which in isiXhosa means something like "the one who returns something."? I once asked my mom why she gave me this name. She said: "I never got anything from life; I hope to get something back from my children one day ... maybe from you."' In this moving and gripping tale of his life, Mbu recounts his childhood growing up in the shacks of some of the poorest townships in the Eastern and Western Cape; the battle to survive hunger, neglect and sleeping on the streets; the beloved older brother who took care of him as a toddler; the unwavering dream of education that kept him going; and the search for values and dignity in a world of alcohol, drugs, crime and few positive role models. Mbu's story is the story of countless other young men and women in South Africa, born into similar situations of hardship, growing up abandoned or neglected by parents themselves in need of parenting. What makes his story different is that it is a journey not of despair but transformation, lit by the kindness of friends and strangers, and Mbu's own determination not to stop hoping for a better life. Mbu Maloni lives in HOKISA Children's Home in Masiphumelele Township, Cape Town South Africa. He is currently in Grade 11, and plans to matriculate next year. This book is dedicated to a dear friend of his and serves to provide hope for the many 'street children' out there who, if they believe strongly enough in something positive, can achieve more than they are often led to believe. Lutz van Dijk is an internationally acclaimed writer, who, amongst other books, has published the bestseller "Stronger than the Storm," the novels "Romeo and Jabulile" and "Themba" (made into a movie in 2010) and "A History of Africa" (preface by Archbishop Tutu).
Exploring how urban professionals plan, manage and govern cities in emerging economies, this insightful book studies the actions and instruments they employ. It highlights how the paradigms of interventions and approaches to urban management are shifting, indicating that urban governance is becoming increasingly important in dealing with wicked issues, like climate change and social and economic inequalities in cities. Urban Planning, Management and Governance in Emerging Economies offers rich international examples looking at housing, public space, water, climate change, the environment and economic development. Chapters showcase the changing role of urban professionals, with a particular focus on the dynamic social, cultural and economic transformations of cities in emerging economies. Exploring contemporary approaches to urban governance, contributors draw attention to the prevalence of smart cities, new forms of partnerships and just transitions in a changing urban landscape. Researchers and students of urban development, planning, management and governance will appreciate the multiple theoretical angles and the key case studies used throughout the book. The examples and theories will be helpful for urban leaders, strategists and advocates working in emerging economies.
This book discusses the question of how a regional economy can develop under the influence of an ageing and declining population, and how regional development policies can help make labor markets more resilient and more inclusive. As the greatest impacts of demographic change and policy and fiscal challenges can be observed at the local level, examples from European, North American and Asian regions are combined to present a comprehensive, global range of strategic solutions from different policy contexts. The book shows how institutions, organizations and communities can enhance their pathways for sustainable development through the intelligent management of their demographic transition, and offers a synthesis of valuable lessons and strategies.
This book presents a study of cooperatives as a two-layer entrepreneurial model, and analyzes cooperative enterprises. Above all, it explores how inducements (from the firm) and contributions (from its members, in their respective roles) are aligned, and seeks to answer the question of what this means for managing each cooperative as a firm as well as a group. The book is divided into three parts, the first of which begins with an analysis of specific aspects of cooperative enterprises, with a focus on the added value of cooperation, the weighing of interests, and a behavioral perspective on the imminent communities and their goals. In a structured approach, the book examines the various facets of relationships in cooperatives on a transactional, financial and control level. Further, a case study on the Dutch cooperative Rabobank illustrates what happens when members fail. In turn, part two concentrates on integrating the lessons learned with the existing economic literature on cooperatives, so as to contribute to a theory of cooperative management. Finally, the book links the theoretical approach to practice: in the third part, it reports on the outcomes of using a computerized simulation game to show members of cooperatives how to manage their business and the cooperative business at the same time, enabling them to understand and actively practice two-level entrepreneurship.
When author and operational excellence consultant Menno R. van Dijk joined ING Domestic Bank in the Netherlands, the company had already been using the Lean system a few years. But van Dijk felt something was missing-the fun factor: experiments, improvements, a supportive management style, and teamwork. He wasn't seeing the sense of invigoration and renewal that comes when employees on the shop floor experience the improvement brought on by a Lean implementation. He went to work and created a new approach-Super7-that took the Lean system in financial services to the next level. It radically reduced customer waiting times with less management and more responsibility on the shop floor. In Super7 Operations, he discusses Super7 in detail-how it was developed, what it does for customers, how it changes culture on the shop floor, and how it affects employees and managers. He explains its benefits, which include flexible capacity to cope with fluctuating demand-no inventory, no waiting; small, autonomous teams committed to getting the job done for their customers; output management and delegated responsibilities; and continuous improvement of performance without the need for tight controls. Including case studies, this guide provides valuable tips and tricks for implementing Super7 in an organization that is looking for ways to improve their customers' experience.
This book applies a novel conflict-based approach to the notions of `idea', `concept', `invention' and `immateriality' in the legal regime of intellectual property rights by turning to the adversarial legal practices in which they occur. In doing so, it provides extensive ethnographies of the courts and law firms, and tackles classical questions in legal doctrine about the immaterial nature of intellectual property rights from a thoroughly new perspective. The book follows the legal proceedings of disputes in patent, copyright and trademark law as they circulate from the sites of enterprises, through the offices of law firms, the court registry, the courtroom and the judge's office, until they finally arrive at judgment. In this way, the central matters of a dispute are gradually transformed into immaterial works, inventions, or signs through the ceaseless `material' operations of legal practices. This analysis sheds light on how seemingly abstract philosophical notions are rendered workable as concrete legal concepts with important consequences. Grounds of the Immaterial offers an inventive and refreshing take on intellectual property rights which will be valued by academics and students in philosophy, legal theory, legal anthropology and intellectual property.
A turnaround expert offers a practical management guide to surviving a recession or any other tough business environment, from an industry downturn to getting blindsided by competitors. Theo van Dijk has spent a lifetime getting companies out of difficulties. In Managing When Times Are Tough he shares his expertise, offering practical advice on honing management skills and employing simple techniques that are highly effective in helping companies weather nearly any storm. Urging managers to rediscover that business is a team sport, and he argues that the key to success in tough times is to ignore the "big gloom and doom picture" and concentrate on the issues a manager can and must control. In a text interspersed with anecdotes from his own experiences, van Dijk teaches managers and business owners how to concentrate on real cash flow, emphasize product differentiation, implement marketing tools without adding expense, and practice the technique of "inverse marketing." Stressing that management requires personal commitment and great attention to detail, he demonstrates a "lean and mean" approach, enforcing practical skills that will work now—and prepare the team for the opportunities to come.
This is both the first systematic introduction to Discourse Studies for students and scholars of social movements and a study of discourses on the European "refugee crisis", by leading theorist, Teun A. van Dijk. Concrete examples of different kinds of discourse are vital for the study of social movements because their activities are not limited to such well-known forms of contention as marches, occupations or strikes, but also daily discursive activities, such as meetings, assemblies, interviews, press conferences, manifestos, pamphlets, banners, graffiti, websites, blogs, social media posts and everyday talk. This book proposes that empirical analyses of these discourses should go beyond the popular but vague notion of "frame" and engage in more detailed and explicit analyses of the text and talk of social movements. This is a much-needed introduction to the most important structures of discourse and a detailed theoretical account of the notion of "solidarity" defining the Refugees Welcome movement.
Ankle injuries are often sport related and pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Over the past 25 years, Niek van Dijk, founder of the Amsterdam Foot and Ankle School and author of this book, has developed a new philosophy of ankle arthroscopy. It entails a comprehensive approach which includes various diagnostic strategies and the application of a number of minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. The procedures are based on research programs and long-term outcome studies performed at the Orthopaedic Research Center Amsterdam. Use of these techniques has spread throughout the world; they are now recognized as the state of the art and have been used to treat many leading professional athletes. This diagnostic and operating manual presents the Amsterdam Foot and Ankle School approach for a wide variety of ankle and hindfoot problems. Clear step-by-step instructions are provided with the help of numerous high-quality illustrations, most of which are in color. Access to a web-based educational site is also available to readers.
This volume introduces databases containing the results from the recent revolution in sequencing technologies. Chapters in Plant Genomics Databases: Methods and Protocols describe database content, as well as typical use-cases. Some chapters explore databases that primarily present genome sequences focusing on one or a few related species, while others include additional datatypes and/or data from various plant species. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Plant Genomics Databases: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for providing clear guidance in accessing an important collection of plant databases that can be used to add biological value to genomic data.
Drawing on new studies from major European countries and Australia, this exciting collection extends the ongoing debate on falling crime rates from the perspective of criminal opportunity or routine activity theory. It analyses the effect of post WW2 crime booms which triggered a universal improvement in security across the Western world.
Sex is the queen of problems in evolutionary biology. Generations of researchers have investigated one of the last remaining evolutionary paradoxes: why sex exists at all. Given that sexual reproduction is costly from an evolutionary point of view, one could wonder why not all animals and plants reproduce asexually. Dozens of contemporary hypotheses attempt to explain the prevalence of sex and its advantages and predict the early extinction of fully asexual lineages. The major theme of this book is: what is the fate of animal and plant groups in which sex is lost? Initial chapters discuss theory behind asexual life: what major disadvantages do asexual groups have to face, what are the genetic and ecological consequences and what does this theory predict for more applied aspects of asexual life, for example in agricultural pests, diseases as well as in cultural crops such as grapes. Cases studies in many animals (focusing on both invertebrates and vertebrates) and plants reveal parallel, but also singularly novel adaptations to the absence of meiosis and syngamy. And last but not least, are asexuals really doomed to early extinction or do genuine ancient asexuals exist? This book assembles contributions from the most important research groups dealing with asexual evolution in eukaryotes. It is a milestone in research on parthenogenesis and will be useful to undergraduate as well as graduate students and to senior researchers in all fields of evolutionary biology, as the paradox of sex remains its queen of problems. Written for: All who are interested in parthenogenesis and evolutionary biology, including undergraduate and graduate students and senior researchers
Global pesticide use is currently estimated at approximately 2. 5 billion kg per year (Pimentel eta/. , 1998). To be effective, pesticides need to persist for a certain period of time. However, the longer their persistence, the greater the potential for transport of a fraction of the amount applied away from the target area. Pesticides are dispersed in the environment by water currents, wind, or biota. Pesticides can directly contaminate ground and surface waters by leaching, surface run-off and drift. Pesticides can also enter the atmosphere during application by evaporation and drift of small spray droplets, that remain airborne. Following application, pesticides may volatilise from the crop or the soil. Finally, wind erosion can cause soil particles and dust loaded with pesticides to enter the atmosphere. The extent to which pesticides enter the air compartment is dependent upon many factors: the properties of the substance in question (e. g. vapour pressure), the amount used, the method of application, the formulation, the weather conditions (such as wind speed, temperature, humidity), the nature of the crop and soil characteristics. Measurements at application sites reveal that sometimes more than half of the amount applied is lost into the atmosphere within a few days (Spencer and Cliath, 1990; Taylor and Spencer; 1990; Van den Berg et a/. , this issue).
The book covers the ongoing shift from mass-marketing and micro-marketing to sensory marketing in terms of the increased individualization in the contemporary society. It shows the importance in reaching the individuals' five senses at a deeper level than traditional marketing theories do.
The concern over the entry of agrochemicals and other xenobiotics into drinking water resources and over the general quality of drinking water is increasing. The topic of water quality and water supply will continue to be of great interest during the next two decades in developed as well as in developing countries. The new volume discusses in an authoritative way the key issues of drinking water and its often necessary treatment.
This book focuses on the use of farm level, micro- and macro-data of cooperative systems and networks in developing new robust, reliable and coherent modeling tools for agricultural and environmental policy analysis. The efficacy of public intervention on agriculture is largely determined by the existence of reliable information on the effects of policy options and market developments on farmers' production decisions and in particular, on key issues such as levels of agricultural and non-agricultural output, land use and incomes, use of natural resources, sustainable-centric management, structural change and the viability of family farms. Over the last years, several methods and analytical tools have been developed for policy analysis using various sets of data. Such methods have been based on integrated approaches in an effort to investigate the above key issues and have thus attempted to offer a powerful environment for decision making, particularly in an era of radical change for both agriculture and the wider economy.
On the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary, in 1985, the Netherlands Society for Grassland and Fodder Crops (NVWV) agreed to organize an International Symposium on a topic related to intensive grass and fodder production systems. The theme selected was "Animal manure on grassland and fodder crops: Fertilizer or waste?" This Symposium was organized under the auspices of the European Grassland Federation and held at the International Agricultural Centre in Wageningen from 31 August to 3 September 1987. The problems connected with the disposal of animal waste have received much attention in recent years, especially in regions with intensive animal of animal manure per hectare agricul husbandry. Whereas the production tural land increased strongly, the need for it decreased because of the introduction of cheap inorganic fertilizers which are easier to handle and have a more reliable effect on crop growth. As a consequence, many farmers dispose of animal manure as cheaply as possible, whilst avoiding damage to grassland and crops and paying little attention to effective use of the plants nutrients contained in the manure. Present practices of manure handling and application often lead to environmental problems. The rise in awareness of these problems renewed interest in possibilities to improve the utilization of nutrients from animal manure in crop production. Research on this topic has been stimulated in many countries during the last decade and the aim of this Symposium was to review and assess present-day knowledge."
This text examines two major themes: the strain placed on local economic cultures and economic networks in the Southern hemisphere and Eastern Europe by global deregulation; and the success rates of both novel, locally-rooted and more traditional economic structures in their attempts to adapt to deregulation. Contributions from a variety of authors combine a "flexible specialization in clusters" approach with original empirical data. An introduction and concluding chapter by the editors brings out the common issues and conclusions.
Between 1945 and 1991, tension between the USA, its allies, and a group of nations led by the USSR, dominated world politics. This period was called the Cold War - a conflict that stopped short to a full-blown war. Benefiting from the recent research of newly open archives, the Encyclopedia of the Cold War discusses how this state of perpetual tensions arose, developed, and was resolved. This work examines the military, economic, diplomatic, and political evolution of the conflict as well as its impact on the different regions and cultures of the world. Using a unique geopolitical approach that will present Russian perspectives and others, the work covers all aspects of the Cold War, from communism to nuclear escalation and from UFOs to red diaper babies, highlighting its vast-ranging and lasting impact on international relations as well as on daily life. Although the work will focus on the 1945-1991 period, it will explore the roots of the conflict, starting with the formation of the Soviet state, and its legacy to the present day. |
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