BOSTON SCHOLARLY REVIEW VOLUME 1: 2019/2020 - Serious about Education. Serious about You - Boston City Campus
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BOSTON
SCHOLARLY REVIEW
VOLUME 1: 2019/2020
Adjusted cmyk
Serious about Education.
Serious about You.
2 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020
Table of Contents
1. From the Editors 4
Rob Stegmann & Janet Viljoen
2. From the Academic & Institutional Head 6
Hendrik Botha
3. Part 1: Reframing Research, Teaching 8
and Professional Practice Through
the Lens of Scholarship
Rob Stegmann
4. Part 2a: Boston City Campus: 16
Postgraduate Diploma in Management
Research Outputs
5. Part 2b: Boston City Campus: 28
Faculty Research Outputs
6. Part 3a: Boston Media House: Bachelor 50
of Business Administration in Media
Operations Management Research
Outputs
7. Part 3b: Boston Media House: 64
Faculty Research Outputs
8. Concluding Remarks 68
Janet Viljoen
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Tel: 011 551-9000 Tel: 011 883-0933
Address: 247 Louis Botha Ave, Address: Sandton Head Office
Orchards, 2192, 137 11th & 128 10th Str,
Johannesburg Parkmore
Email: info@boston.co.za Email: info@boston.co.za
boston.co.za bostonmediahouse.ac.za
Boston City Campus & Business College (Pty) Ltd Reg. Boston Media House (Pty) Ltd. Reg. No. 2002/026252/07
No. 1996/013220/07 is registered with the Department is registered with the Department of Higher Education
of Higher Education and Training as a private higher and Training as a private higher education institution
education institution under the Higher Education Act, under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of
1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997). Registration Certificate No. 1997). Registration Certificate No. 2008/HE07/007.
2003/HE07/002.
3 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020
From the Editors
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Boston The review is structured into three parts. As
Scholarly Review (BSR)! the inaugural issue, the review proceeds by
outlining Boston’s position statement on re-
The BSR is a celebration of active academic cit- search, framing it as an outworking of schol-
izenship, noting the contributions of students arship (Part 1). The position paper, Reframing
and educators made during the 2019-2020 ac- Research, Teaching, and Professional Practice
ademic cycle. In addition to celebrating the Through the Lens of Scholarship, lays the foun-
achievements of the Boston community, the dation for Boston’s understanding of schol-
review serves two primary purposes. arship, research and professional practice, in-
cluding teaching, and underpins the Research
First, it is a public record of the research out- Management Policy for Boston.
puts and scholarly activity produced with-
in the 2019-2020 academic cycle. As strange, In Parts 2 and 3, we include the research out-
stressful, and challenging as the last year has puts produced by students and educators of
been, students and educators have managed to Boston City Campus (BCC) and Boston Media
maintain focus and remain active in a range of House (BMH). Centring the work of students
academic activities. This review honours their in the Postgraduate Diploma in Management
contributions. The BSR does not intend to be (BCC) and Bachelor of Business Adminis-
comprehensive in its recording of research-re- tration in Media Operations Management
lated and scholarly activities. Instead, it offers (BMH), we provide abstracts for each of the
a glimpse of Boston scholarship. pieces produced by our students. Following
on from this section, we include a range of
Second, the review showcases the calibre of research and research-related activities and
the work that our senior students and edu- artefacts engaged in and produced by faculty.
cators have produced as they contribute to
the academic landscape through the produc- The review launches with a short word from
tion of either new knowledge or enhanced the Institutional and Academic Head, Dr Hen-
understanding within a range of academic drik Botha.
disciplines. We are incredibly proud of the
research of our students whose work is posi- Enjoy the inaugural edition of the Boston
tioned front-and-centre in this review. Scholarly Review.
Dr Rob Stegmann Dr Janet Viljoen
Chair: BCC Research Committee Chair: BMH Research Committee
4 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020
5 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020
From the Academic
& Institutional Head
Participation in higher education in South Af- The funding of public institutions is partly
rica has always required institutions to give linked to a complex system of state subsidi-
attention to the three pillars upon which edu- sation that rewards institutions and the re-
cation is based, namely teaching and learning, searchers responsible for knowledge produc-
research, and community engagement. Of the tion with a financial incentive. This system is
three pillars, research has typically been the not available to private higher education in-
focus of operational energy, especially in pub- stitutions and explains, in part, why research
lic higher education institutions. Moreover, generation is not a high priority.
research is often positioned, not unproblem-
atically, as the primary purpose of higher ed- Private higher education institutions have, in
ucation and the credibility and influence of an consequence, focused attention on teaching
institution is largely determined by research and learning, recognising it as critical to con-
outputs (Peters 2019, Barron 2017). tributing to the employability of graduates.
The higher education landscape is changing.
A significant change on the horizon is the new
As private higher education legislation that will open up the possibility for
private institutions to register as Universities
institutions grow in number, size,
or University Colleges (Higher Education
and complexity—with some of the
Act, No. 9 of 2016). While the criteria for this
bigger institutions offering a more registration has yet to be decided, this shift is
comprehensive range of study a significant game-changer and a motivator
options across disciplines—more for private institutions to become more active
emphasis will be placed on improving in the research space. (Without question, re-
research capacity. search will be an important criterion for uni-
versity status).
As private higher education institutions grow
in number, size, and complexity—with some
While private higher education institutions of the bigger institutions offering a more com-
share the need to attend to the three higher prehensive range of study options across dis-
education pillars, the lion’s share of knowl- ciplines—more emphasis will be placed on
edge production through research has contin- improving research capacity.
ued to flow from public institutions (Deacon,
Van Vuuren, and Augustyn 2014). There are
reasons for the unequal distribution of labour
when it comes to knowledge production.
6 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020
Boston has always been committed to sup-
porting faculty in a range of scholarly activ-
ities, but we are ramping up our capacity as
a maturing institution that continues to be ac-
tive in shaping the space in which we operate.
This inaugural edition of the Boston Scholar-
ly Review (BSR) represents a significant mo-
ment in our story as a private higher educa-
tion institution. As our editors, Drs Stegmann
and Viljoen, note in their editorial introduc-
tion, the BSR is indeed a celebration and pub-
lic record of the critical work of scholarship
produced by our students and faculty.
I am confident that this effort is just the begin-
ning of revitalising research capacity and re-
newing focus on the kind of scholarship that
serves a philosophy of teaching and learning
committed to adding value and supporting
our graduates’ employability.
Dr Hendrik Botha
Academic & Institutional Head
References
Barron, Gary R. S. 2017. “The Berlin Principles on
Ranking Higher Education Institutions: lim-
itations, legitimacy, and value conflict.” Higher
Education 73:317-333.
Deacon, Roger, Rex Van Vuuren, and Dave Au-
gustyn. 2014. “Research at private higher educa-
tion institutions in South Africa.” Perspectives in
Education 32 (3):5-21.
Peters, Michael A. 2019. “Global university
rankings: Metrics, performance, governance.”
Educational philosophy and theory 51 (1):5-13. doi:
10.1080/00131857.2017.1381472.
7 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020
Part 1
Reframing Research, Teaching and Professional
Practice through the Lens of Scholarship
By Rob Stegmann, PhD
Purpose Statement
This position paper attempts to:
a. Clearly define how the institution understands the terms scholarship, research and profes-
sional practice within the broader academic project and as a response to meeting regulatory
expectations.
b. Provide an unpacking of scholarship, research, and professional practice, including teaching,
by framing the conversation in terms of scholarship as the conceptual point of reference.
c. Locate the discussion about scholarship, research, and professional practice against the back-
drop of the institutional mission and vision. In so doing, the position paper foregrounds
how the institutional mission and vision informs the particular conceptualisation of the core
functions of higher education: teaching and learning, research, and community engagement.
d. Declare the institutional position on scholarship, research, and professional practice as
foundational to the Research Management Policy which, as a policy, guides decision-mak-
ing, informs the implementation of procedures and protocols, and ensures a consistent,
fair, and equitable experience for all.
Introduction
Participation in higher education provision is Take public University A as an example. Uni-
framed by three widely recognised core func- versity A has defined its mission and vision
tions: teaching and learning, research, and along the lines of being a research-led institu-
community engagement. Whether public or tion (see figure 1). While University A prior-
private, institutions are required, at the reg- itises research, it still needs to give attention
ulatory level, to account for these core func-
to and account for the other two functions of
tions. While teaching and learning may be
higher education, namely, teaching and learn-
considered the sine qua non of (higher) edu-
ing and community engagement. University
cation, institutions are given the freedom to
A is merely signalling the emphasis of their
frame their research and community engage-
efforts as an outworking of their institutional
ment activities in ways that make sense for
the institutional identity and purpose. That is mission and vision.
not to say that an institution can choose to ex-
clude either research or community engage- Given the differences in mission, vision and
ment. Instead, the institutional purpose in- institutional emphasis across higher educa-
forms how these functions are implemented. tion institutions, we can expect to see varia-
8 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020
Institutional Mission & Vision tions in where the accent falls on each of the
core functions. A private higher education
institution, for example, might decide to ac-
centuate teaching and learning because its
mission and vision align with a commitment
Research Teaching to preparing students for the world-of-work
& Learning
rather than producing career academics (see
figure 2). Again, it would be expected that
there is evidence of research and community
Community engagement. However, these functions would
Engagement
be framed against the backdrop of the institu-
tion’s emphasis on teaching and learning.
Figure 1 - Reasearch-led institution
Boston has positioned itself as a provider of
primarily undergraduate qualifications. That
Institutional Mission & Vision
is, while the intention is to include postgrad-
uate programmes, the bulk of what we offer
intends to serve students who are looking to
higher education as a means of accessing the
Teaching world-of-work. Our students are not typically
& Learning Community
Engagement going to think of pursuing an academic career;
they are looking for work-ready programmes
that make the connection between academic
and theoretical learning and practical appli-
Research
cation explicit. While some of them may go
on to do postgraduate programmes, Boston’s
purpose is to equip and skill graduates with
Figure 2 - Teaching and Learning-led Institution employable skills.
Defining Terms: Thinking Through Boston’s Research
Management Policy
The Research Management Policy offers a tice, scholarship is firmly located within
high-level set of definitions for research, an academic discipline which circum-
scholarship, and professional practice: scribes, through its discourse, the mode
a. Research is an open and contested term of inquiry. The discipline, moreover, es-
reflecting the interests of a range of philo- tablishes the field within which the schol-
sophical and political perspectives. Given ar engages in practices of questioning
that the term is porous, it loosely refers to and exploring. Scholarship, framed in
activities undertaken either to enhance un- this way, constitutes an essential bridge
derstanding or to contribute new knowl- between teaching and research.
edge. Research is undertaken by different c. Professional practice is the outworking of
agents (i.e., students, educators, research- academic citizenship; a recognition that
ers) and serves a variety of purposes. the work of an academic is always framed
b. Scholarship is an embodied practice char- by the broader context within which such
acterised by a disposition that always scholarly activities play out. Professional
seeks to question and explore. As a prac- practice also implies professional devel-
9 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020
opment, the goal of which is to cultivate the parameters of scholarship and determines
a culture of teaching and learning in a re- the normative discourse, methods, and scope
search mode (Elton 2005)—that is, a mode of the field.
committed to critical enquiry.
Of the three identified scholarly activities in
While the policy prioritises research (ex- figure 3, research is depicted with a solid line
pressed first in the list), this position paper because not all activities, as an outworking of
argues that scholarship functions as the fram- scholarship, qualify as research. Research car-
ing conceptualisation of research, teaching ries a more narrow definition which is intend-
and professional practice (see figure 3). Schol- ed to meet the criteria set by external bodies
arship, in turn, plays out within an academic (e.g., DHET, CHE, etc.).
discipline. Each academic discipline delimits
Institutional Mission & Vision
Scholarship
Teaching
Professional
Research
Practice
Scholarly Activities
Figure 3 - Scholarship, Research, Teaching and Professional Practice
10 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020The Educator as a Scholar
As educators, our choice of academic speciali- academic citizenship. To be a citizen of the
sation locates us within a particular academic academy (within an academic discipline)
discipline, or field of study (e.g., commerce, means the rules of the discipline regulate our
health sciences, social sciences, religious stud- participation. We can think of academic citi-
ies, etc.). That discipline shapes what and zenship analogously. For example, we might
how we go about our work, what we might consider a football player. A football player
call our scholarly activity. Scholarly activity en- belongs to a community of football players, a
compasses a broad range of undertakings, in- team among many other teams. The game of
cluding teaching, the research we produce, or football is regulated. That is, it has rules by
academic conferences we attend or at which which football players play the game. The ref-
we present papers. eree enforces the rules. Football players know
what is expected of them.
To be an educator in the context of higher ed-
ucation is to be a scholar or an academic. We Similarly, our scholarly identity is scripted.
may not always feel very academic about the We perform that identity within the acade-
work we do as educators, or we may even re- my, what French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu
sist the description because we see ourselves (1977, 1988) called the academic field. We are
as first a professional (accountant or graphic also produced by the scholarly community
designer) and second as an educator. Howev- to which we belong. When we think of the
er, participation in the work of higher educa- academic field as the context for playing the
tion, especially as an educator, means that we role of an academic, it is crucial to note that
also assume a scholarly identity. the rules for our participation are not nearly
as codified and explicit as the rules govern-
Our scholarly identity is an outworking of be- ing football. The rules shaping our play as
longing to the community of learning defined academics operate at a deeper, more implicit
within the parameters of the academic dis- level (Kloot 2009, 471).
cipline in which we have located ourselves.
Think of that scholarly identity as a form of
Scholarship as an Orientation and Embodiment
We should think, then, of scholarship as an
orientation to the work we do. That orientation
is characterised by always questioning and
exploring within our academic discipline; it [e]ducation at its best—this profound hu-
is marked by curiosity. We might even think man transaction called teaching and learn-
about scholarship as a form of learning in a ing—is not just about getting information
research mode. In other words, because our or getting a job. Education is about healing
primary role as educators is teaching students, and wholeness. It is about empowerment,
or facilitating the process of learning, we our- liberation, transcendence, about renewing
selves need to be passionate about and com- the vitality of life. It is about finding and
mitted to learning. We can even put it this way; claiming ourselves and our place in the world
our work is driven by pedagogic love (Elton (cited by Hooks 2003, 42).
2005, 113)—love for teaching, and love that
motivates and drives teaching. Parker J Palmer,
educator and social activist, reminds us,
11 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020What we do in the classroom is much more pline in which we have located ourselves and
than the dissemination of information. Our is active in exploring and asking questions.
work shapes individual lives and projects It is also curious about how best to approach
possible futures for the students entrusted to teaching, inviting us to consider the implica-
us. So, our scholarly activities which include tions of a changing educational landscape.
our teaching needs to translate and transmit Our scholarly being, in turn, informs a range
curiosity about the world (framed by our aca- of scholarly activities that broadly fall into
demic discipline). In turn, that curiosity gives three overlapping and interlocking categories,
birth to research (outputs) and mobilises us to namely, teaching, research and professional
be active within the broader academic world practice. It is important to note that scholarly
to which we belong. activity may also include non-research type
activities which are nevertheless an outwork-
Scholarship, then, is about our being, to use ing of our scholarly identity.
Barnett and Coate’s (2005) pedagogical frame-
work. That being is curious about the disci-
The Professional Educator as an Expression of Scholarship
The relationship between teaching and re- fine scholarship so narrowly that it becomes
search is typically assumed as a given. As it synonymous with being a researcher.
turns out, that relationship is far more com-
plicated and even less axiomatic than we Scholars committed to developing the craft of
sometimes imagine. The connection between teaching—the professional educator—to im-
teaching and research has been variously con- prove student experiences in the classroom are
ceptualised as follows (Boughey 2012, 629):1 embodying a scholarly orientation and iden-
tity as much as scholars who serve the acade-
• Research can serve teaching by working my through research outputs. The one form of
research findings into the curriculum. scholarly activity is not better than the other.
• Students can directly benefit from having a
research-active staff member teach them. It is perhaps best to think of research and
• Research on teaching and learning can teaching as an activity rather than an identity.
help improve teaching and learning. While the professionalisation of teaching has
meant that we naturally speak about being
There is another way of thinking about the re- a teacher as an essential description of iden-
lationship between research and teaching and tity, teaching is still something we do as an
teaching and scholarship. As we have noted embodied activity. Moreover, the activity of
in this paper, to be an academic is to belong teaching is reflective of an identity that is more
to a community committed to a way of think- textured than can be carried or transmitted
ing about the world, framed by our academic by assuming the title of teacher. The person
discipline. In as much as research is an aspect who teaches is always more than the teaching
of our scholarly identity, teaching should also she does. Similarly, doing research and pro-
be understood as an outworking of that iden- ducing outputs represent activities that give
tity. While it is reasonable to expect that every expression to a thickly textured identity as a
scholar will engage in a range of scholarly ac- scholar. And, to be a scholar is to make a state-
tivities, it is not reasonable, or helpful, to de- ment about the broader context within which
1
See also the analysis conducted by Boughey and McKenna (2011b, 2011a) of the national review produced by the Council on Higher Education (CHE). On each of the
conceptualisations, Boughey also offers a critique as she moves the conversation towards recognising that teaching within the HE space is not just about teaching knowl-
edge. What we do in the classroom, physical or virtual, is teach students “how knowledge is made” (2012, 634).
12 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020we give expression to our identities. The argument is not that teaching should now
become the focus, and research should receive
It is unfortunate that higher education almost less attention. The argument is that teach-
exclusively defines its purpose in terms of re- ing and research as expressions of scholarly
search. And, because research is elevated to identity should be both recognised as crucial
such a high and lofty status, it is also valued to the world of higher education. The scales
more significantly than other scholarly activi- are tipped more towards research at present,
ties. Research is literally valued. It carries a fi- so there may be a need for some counterbal-
nancial and reputational value that has made ancing. Those scholars committed to teaching
it a commodity to be accumulated, sold, and should be afforded the same recognition as
traded. And, it is more highly valued than scholars dedicated to research. Indeed, both
teaching because research can be monetised scholarly orientations need each other and
(Budd 2016, Clark 2006, Tomlinson and Water- allowing for the differentiated expression of
meyer 2020, Wilkinson and Wilkinson 2020). scholarly identity along the teaching and re-
2
Bourdieu’s notion of the homo academicus is a deep and reflexive sociological idea that recognises the academy as a construction, a field into which an academic is induct-
ed and in which an academic acts and is acted upon. The academic habitus, that is, the “deeply engrained habits, skills, practices, and dispositions that become habituated
or embodied, and thus naturalised” (Stegmann 2020, 83) is circumscribed by the field. The field also identifies the specific capital required to occupy the space, to be
the academic. The homo academicus, therefore, represents an embodied (academic) identity. That identity is both shaped by and serves to maintain the academic field. It
is an identity that relies on the academic field for its existence and is therefore committed to reproducing the habitus and reinforcing the specific capital necessary for
membership.
13 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020search lines acknowledges that scholarly iden- demic discipline, personal agency, and several
tity is constructed. Its construction is framed other, often competing factors, that produce
and informed by institutional affiliation, aca- the homo academicus (Bourdieu 1988).2
Scholarly Activities: Research and Professional Practice3
Research, very simply, is the scholarly activ- • Artwork as part of an exhibition for
ity that produces an artefact of one kind or critical review
another that is meant to contribute to—a new • A film submitted for consideration at an
perspective, understanding, configuration, arts festival
arrangement, theory, performance, etc.—or • Performance (dramatic, poetic, dance, etc.)
enhance understanding of the body of knowl- • A script submitted for critical review
edge specific to our academic discipline. A • Business case analysis
broader definition of research recognises both
the idea that for an artefact to be considered a
research contribution, it must either be new or In addition to a range of research activities,
enhance understanding. scholarship is also evidenced in several other
activities, including those activities that are
However, even with a broader definition, an typically considered aspects of professional
important criterion must be met for a piece to practice and/or relate to personal develop-
qualify as a research output; namely, it must ment. For example, conference attendance,
be subject to peer evaluation or adjudication. CPD workshops/seminars, occasional studies,
In other words, what we produce as research membership of a professional body or schol-
must be submitted to peers within our disci- arly society, community engagement, teach-
pline who render a judgment on its value as ing practice, etc.
a contribution to the discipline.4 Concrete ex-
amples of research (qualitative, quantitative, Professional practice, like teaching and re-
and performative) include: search, is framed by scholarship. In other
words, the activities that contribute to en-
• Peer-reviewed journal articles hancing professional practice need to be un-
• Dissertations/theses derstood as being in the service of and giving
• Chapter(s) in a book (peer-reviewed) expression to our scholarly identity.
• A book/textbook
Conclusion
Having conceptualised scholarship as the overarching framework for defining research, teaching, and
professional practice, this position paper has sought to disentangle some of the layers that constitute
the relationship between institutional identity (mission and vision) and scholarly activities, maintain-
ing that the former informs the latter. Intending to argue that the while research continues to be (prob-
lematically) positioned as primary, teaching, and professional practice are legitimate outworkings of
3
While the scope of this position paper precludes a detailed discussion about the importance of community engagement, it is nevertheless crucial to both frame it as an
outworking of scholarship and reposition it as critical to the work of higher education. Institutions that prioritise closer alignment between the world of the academe
and the world-of-work tend to frame community engagement in terms of professional practice and stakeholder engagement that contributes to improved graduate
employability.
4
According to the DHET Policy and Procedures for Measurement of Research Output of Public Higher Education Institutions (June, 2003, 3), research output is defined as “tex-
tual output where research is understood as original, systematic investigation undertaken in order to gain new knowledge and understanding. Peer evaluation of the
research is a fundamental prerequisite of all recognised output and is the mechanism of ensuring and thus enhancing quality.” While this definition narrows research to
a textual output, we choose to broaden the definition to both recognise and include critical contributions from a wider range of disciplines, especially the arts, including
the production of artwork, film, etc. Recognition of works produced within the arts, corresponds with the notion of performative research which is differentiated from
quantitative and qualitative research (Haseman 2006). While widening the definition, we nevertheless require that the artefact be subjected to peer evaluation.
14 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020scholarship and scholarly identity to be equally recognised and valued.
Differentiation of institutional mission and vision across the higher education system plays out in
how research, teaching, scholarship and professional practice are framed and implemented. The abil-
ity to account for the core functions of higher education, while important, must always be considered
contextually along two primary horizons: institutional autonomy and regulatory expectation.
Boston’s explicit emphasis on undergraduate programmes identifies teaching and learning as propor-
tionally more important than research and community engagement. However, by prioritising teach-
ing and learning, Boston nevertheless recognises and supports scholarly activities directly linked to
research and community engagement. The Research Management Policy articulates Boston’s position
on research as a specific scholarly activity and assumes that academic staff and students will engage
in research of various kinds.
References
Barnett, R., and K. Coate. 2005. Engaging the Cur- Haseman, Brad. 2006. "A manifesto for performa-
riculum in Higher Education. England: McGraw-Hill tive research." Media International Australia incorpo-
Education. rating Culture and Policy 118 (1):98-106.
Boughey, C, and S McKenna. 2011a. "A meta-anal- Hooks, Bell. 2003. Teaching community: A pedagogy
ysis of teaching and learning at five historically of hope. Vol. 36: Psychology Press.
disadvantaged universities." Pretoria: Council on
Higher Education. Kloot, Bruce. 2009. "Exploring the value of Bour-
dieu's framework in the context of institutional
Boughey, C, and S McKenna. 2011b. "A meta-anal- change." Studies in Higher Education 34 (4):469-481.
ysis of teaching and learning at four comprehen- doi: 10.1080/03075070902772034.
sive universities." Pretoria: Council on Higher Edu-
cation. Stegmann, Robert. 2020. Contested Masculinities:
Polysemy and Gender in 1 Thessalonians. Edited by
Boughey, Chrissie. 2012. "Linking teaching and Susanne Scholz, Feminist Studies and Sacred Texts.
research: an alternative perspective?" Teaching in Lanham: Lexington Books.
Higher Education 17 (5):629-635.
Tomlinson, Michael, and Richard Watermeyer.
Bourdieu, Pierre. 1977. Outline of a Theory of Prac- 2020. "When masses meet markets: credentialism
tice Translated by Richard Nice. Cambridge: Cam- and commodification in twenty-first century High-
bridge University Press. er Education." Discourse (Abingdon, England):1-15.
doi: 10.1080/01596306.2020.1814996.
Bourdieu, Pierre. 1988. Homo academicus. Translat-
ed by Peter Collier. Stanford: Stanford University Wilkinson, L. C., and M. D. Wilkinson. 2020. "Val-
Press. ue for money and the commodification of higher
education: front-line narratives." Teaching in higher
Budd, Richard. 2016. "Undergraduate orienta- education:1-17. doi: 10.1080/13562517.2020.1819226.
tions towards higher education in Germany and
England: problematising the notion of ‘student
as customer’." Higher education 73 (1):23-37. doi:
10.1007/s10734-015-9977-4.
Clark, William. 2006. Academic charisma and the or-
igins of the research university. Chicago: Chicago :
University of Chicago Press.
Elton, Lewis. 2005. "Scholarship and the Research
and Teaching Nexus." In Reshaping the University:
New Relationships between Research, Scholarship and
Teaching, edited by Ronald Barnett, 108-118. New
York: Open University Press.
15 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020Part 2a
Boston City Campus: Postgraduate Diploma in
Management Research Outputs1
Overview
The PGDip (Management) curriculum and design ensure that graduates are equipped with es-
sential twenty-first-century competencies necessary for navigating an increasingly complex
world of work. The programme provides students with a unique opportunity to gain advanced
knowledge of business and general management while foregrounding the contextual challenges.
The curricular objectives are realised, in part, by requiring students to complete a 16-credit re-
search project report supervised by a senior faculty member and supported by a dedicated ed-
ucator. Students are encouraged to explore a research topic that resonates with their interests.
Using a quantitative research methodology, students conduct surveys, engage in the relevant
literature, analyse data and draw conclusions about their research hypothesis.
The range of topics covered includes the ongoing challenges of women in business as they con-
tinue to carry the lion’s share of family responsibility, the impact of COVID-19 on business, Mil-
lennials’ brand attitude towards an online retailer, employee productivity in work-from-home
situations, and the impact of recycling on the preservation of the environment, to name a few.
1
Minor editorial changes have been applied to the abstracts.
16 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020Year 2020
An investigation into the challenges faced by women in the tourist
industry, Port Shepstone, South Africa
Student: Tarusha Gounder
Supervisor: Dr Hein Brand
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
This research report is specifically focused on Women worldwide face challenges in their
the tourist industry in Port Shepstone and in- endeavours to climb to the top of the ladder,
vestigates the scope for employment, up-skill- and this research aims to achieve the follow-
ing and promotion of women. This challenge ing objectives:
is, however, not restricted to Port Shepstone. • To establish the leading causes of challenges
women face as employees of Beekman group.
Historically, women in South Africa have been • To establish the role of culture and community
marginalised, although they are recognised as play as agents of challenges face by women.
the strength of the nation. In terms of South • To analyse how women’s challenges af-
Africa’s constitution, women must be given fect their performance and development
equal opportunities as men in education and of their career as employees and manag-
employment. Women, especially women of ers at Beekman Group.
colour, were restricted in education, employ- • To establish measures that help women in
ment and promotion during apartheid. Gov- the Beekman Group overcome these chal-
ernment has been assisting in this process, al- lenges to be more productive at work.
though funding of women-owned businesses,
scholarships for women and creating oppor- Based on research findings, recommendations
tunities even in government continues to be are offered to help curb the challenges faced
a challenge. The backlog is so significant that by women at the Beekman Group to contrib-
it will probably take many more years before ute positively to the business’s success.
full equality can be obtained.
The Impact of Working from Home on Employee Productivity
Student Name: Shumeez Hendricks
Supervisor: Dr Hein Brand
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
Working at home is often claimed to adverse- observation. This research examines the im-
ly affect employees’ career progress, pre- pact of working at home on productivity lev-
sumably because managers are inclined to els by comparing various measures of satis-
negatively evaluate employees’ performance faction levels by professional employees who
whose activities are not available to frequent work at home with similar employees who do
17 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020not. The conclusion for further research and The study used an online self-administered
practice are discussed. This research sought survey created on Google Forms. The sur-
to establish what factors contribute to the suc- vey results showed that individuals could
cess of working from home. Having collected successfully work from home through moti-
data, the researcher provides statistical analy- vation and support of managers, colleagues,
sis on each employee’s level of productivity to and/or family. Moreover, the study demon-
achieve the research objectives set out in this strated that working from home is the future
short dissertation. of every organisation, and concluded with
recommendations for strategies to effectively
and efficiently work from home.
The Impact of the CIDA Toastmasters Educational Programme
on CIDA Students’ Workplace Employability and Effectiveness
Student Name: Boitumelo Jwere
Supervisor: Dr Hein Brand
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
The CIDA City Campus Toastmasters pro- the extent of this impact. The programme
gramme was introduced to improve CIDA has made CIDA City Campus students to
students’ presentation skills, communication improve the way they sell themselves to pro-
skills, and listening skills. The impact of this spective employers. This has also allowed the
programme has mostly been positive, owing students to network with other companies to
to its affording students a good chance to learn improve their employment prospects.
from different people and each other in the
programme. Through individual and group Data was collected by distributing semi-struc-
rehearsals students had prospects and op- tured questionnaires and conducting personal
portunities of correcting each other, and ulti- interviews. Interviews had to be done to gain
mately became aware of where they needed to a personal experience from different people
improve as far as their presentation, communi- who had participated in the Toastmaster pro-
cation and listening skills were concerned. gramme. The study showed that some of the
causes of incompetence were inadequate re-
This research is based on an investigation of sources in the library, lack of proper materials
issues that cause lack of competence on CIDA for students are performing drama or present-
students and the resultant efficacy of the ing speeches, public speaking, and debates.
toastmaster’s programme to alleviate certain
flaws that contribute to poor presentation, The programme supports and attracts stu-
communication and listening skills. Because dents from different people, including exter-
of the evident change the Toastmasters pro- nal companies, classmates, entrepreneurs,
gramme has brought to the average compe- and lecturers. This programme is indeed
tence of CIDA students, which contributes what students needed to improve the said
immensely to the quality of human resources skills, which are critically significant for their
and ultimately to the economy, some research employability and workplace performance.
had to be done to investigate and document
18 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020Exploring Family-Life Responsibilities and Their Effect
on the Performance of Working Women
Student Name: Anben Kanabathy
Supervisor: Dr Alpha Mugari
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
As a result of the South African economy’s • To evaluate how family responsibilities
changing interface, more women are now par- affect women’s ability to discharge their
ticipating in the employment arena. However, responsibilities at the workplace.
although this is seen positively, women are still • Establish whether a relationship exists be-
viewed as the primary caregiver and predom- tween family responsibilities and perfor-
inantly in charge of managing and performing mance at the workplace.
domestic family duties. This results in women • To determine how to mitigate the chal-
having the considerable task of juggling dual lenges of family responsibilities on wom-
family roles whilst striving to perform at work en’s performance at the workplace.
and possibly building a professional career.
This study explores the various family respon- The researcher found that all four family vari-
sibilities working women in Durban have and ables measured contribute to poor work per-
the difficulties they face in performing ade- formance for women. The main factors emerg-
quately or excelling in their careers due to fam- ing from the data are Childcare and household
ily responsibilities. duties, which significantly contributed to a lack
of flexibility in women working extra hours or
Because this research sought to Explore Fami- studying for future career growth. The results
ly-Life Responsibilities and their Effect on the further showed that 95% of women are primar-
Performance of Working Women, a quanti- ily in charge of household duties and only 40%
tative study was conducted where data was of women have equally separated childcare
collected via a self-administered questionnaire duties and household chores with their spous-
using a convenience sample of 20 employed es. The results also show that women spill-over
women, in Durban, South Africa. This was attitudes, experiences, and feelings from one
followed by a presentation, descriptive statis- role to another were, women feel exhausted
tical analysis and synthesis of data to make a from family duties to the extent that they are
meaningful engagement with the findings of unable to perform at work.
the study which enabled the researcher to an-
swer the below research question and achieve The study then concludes with recommen-
the following objectives: dations and strategies to mitigate challenges
• What family responsibilities do women posed by family responsibilities which cause
have that pose as a challenge to working poor work performance for women.
women at the workplace?
• To identify the family responsibilities
that pose as a challenge to women at the
workplace.
19 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020An investigation of the factors influencing consumers’ preference
of brick-and-mortar shops over online shopping in South Africa
Student Name: Pieter Kilian
Supervisor: Nick Hardwick
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
A quantitative study was conducted regard- Because this research sought to establish what
ing the reasons a part of the population still the factors are that influence consumers’ pref-
relies on brick-and-mortar shops rather than erence of brick-and-mortar shops over online
the online alternative. The study’s purpose shops, data was collected using a structured
was to explore the properties and characteris- survey, followed by a statistical analysis of
tics of consumers that still prefer retail shops the gathered data in an attempt to answer the
over online shopping and what the reasons following research questions:
were. It has become easier than ever to buy • Research Question 1 – Does age influence
anything you desire online, and have it deliv- consumers’ preference of brick-and-mor-
ered to your doorstep, yet, retail shops, shop- tar shops over online shops?
ping centres, and malls are still being built. • Research Question 2 - Does product type
So, retail shops still have the devoted support influence consumers’ preference of brick-
of a notable portion of the population. The and-mortar shops over online shops?
study was conducted in a quantitative ex- • Research Question 3 - Are there any neg-
ploratory manner. The population is defined ative associations that influence the pref-
as individuals over the age of 18, living in erence of brick-and-mortar shops over
Johannesburg, with access to the internet. A online shops?
researcher-administered survey served as the
data-gathering instrument, and the data anal- With the aid of an online, self-administered
ysed using Microsoft Excel. survey, 15 participants answered were anon-
ymously gathered. The study results showed
The main theory is that a portion of the pop- that, although all the factors influence con-
ulation still prefers brick-and-mortar retail sumers’ preference, product type and neg-
shops rather than online shops. Age Group ative perceptions had the most significant
Theory: this theory supports the notion that influence. The study concludes with recom-
a specific age group splits the population in mendations on what online shops can focus
terms of this preference. Product Group The- on to address these factors and improve cus-
ory: this theory supports the notion that a par- tomer satisfaction.
ticular product group splits the population in
terms of this preference. Negative Perception
Theory: this theory supports the notion that a
portion of the population still prefers brick-
and-mortar shops because of negative percep-
tions about online shops.
20 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020Impact of recycling on the preservation of the environment
in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
Student Name: Tsakani Mathye
Supervisor: Nick Hardwick
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Munici- the environment, with a focus on the City of
pality is one of the three metros in Gauteng Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. A quan-
Province and the biggest metro with seven titative study will be conducted whereby data
regions. The study aims to explore the impact will be collected anonymously via close-end-
that recycling has on the preservation of the ed surveys followed by statistical analysis
environment, with a focus on the City of Tsh- and synthesis, in an effort to respond to the
wane Metropolitan Municipality. research questions and achieve the following
research objectives:
Recycling has many immediate and long term • To assess the factors that contribute to the
benefits to the environment and the health of lack of recycling in the City of Tshwane
the population. Furthermore, recycling con- Metropolitan Municipality
tributes to the economy as create jobs. In this • To assess the factors that contribute to the
regard, the City of Tshwane must implement preservation of the environment
sustainable recycling programmes in commu- • To make recommendations to the City of
nities of the City to adhere to the legislation Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality on
and by-laws and improve the state of the en- how to implement sustainable recycling
vironment. This study aims to explore the im- programmes effectively
pact that recycling has on the preservation of
An investigation into the coping strategies employed by female
security guards against the challenges they face at work:
A South African township context
Student Name: Antoinette Moagi
Supervisor: Nick Hardwick
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
The research established that most women sure groups advocating for their recognition at
are engaging heavily in skills development work so that the workplace and work design
and training to stand against their inferiority recognise the ladies and their natural features.
ranking in the workplace. About 45% of the These groups had also roped in some govern-
women go to school for professional courses ment agents and ministries. Some women had
such as Information Technology and finance chosen to abandon and break with the cultur-
courses. About 30% had chosen to confront al and social norms. They are moving away
the organisational leadership through pres- from the ceremonial expectations and duties of
21 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020women. They are challenging men in the jobs the challenges. Due to their persistence, other
that used to be reserved, exclusively, for men, women end up getting deployed to higher of-
such as firearms officers, fleet drivers and man- fices hence climb promotional ladders. Some
agement. Some women are even delaying their women are forming some mentorship, career
marriage and engage in child/birth control to guidance and counselling programmes where
reduce their family burden hence pursue pro- the new female recruits are taken for intensive
fessional careers and climb the career ladder orientation and educated on the typical work-
like men. A significant number of ladies had place challenges so that when they encounter
resorted to building resilience against their them, it will not be a challenge anymore. Some
challenges, including social and religious ap- use emotional control and self-awareness as
proaches; others create good friends at work to their main resilience strength to avoid easily
increase their connectivity within and outside being hurt in the workplace. The other promi-
their organisations for skills and idea-sharing. nent finding is that some women had resorted
While a small number chose to quit and resign to flexibility, and others had chosen to ignore
earlier to reduce stress, a good number suggest- and accept their challenges as they feel it is dif-
ed that they continue with their jobs despite ficult to change.
An evaluation of the challenges in business operations and their
effects from a human resource perspective: A study of the
telecommunications sector
Student Name: Rallden Naik
Supervisor: Dr Alpha Mugari
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the paper since they would be directly involved
relevant factors affecting business operations with the business’s general daily operations.
from a human resource perspective and its The questionnaires were distributed with a
effects on telecoms business. Following on timeline and a mail address on where to send
from the findings of the study, the research- the completed questionnaires. Excel tools for
er offers recommendations and remedies to probability sampling were applied to the re-
the challenges. The data was collected using a ceived data. The research presentation results
data tool (quantitative method) with a Likert show that all challenges stated cause business
scaling system. All the data retrieved from failure if they are not remedied correctly and
this tool was then analysed through the data efficiently. Operations management, on the
analysis packing in Microsoft excel, whereby whole, will always have various challenges
descriptive data was displayed and explained that affect a business, due to the ever-chang-
in the research itself. The question papers ing world this can be problematic if this is not
were allocated to a specific business manag- appropriately remedied, resulting in negative
er, mainly the General Manager, Operations consequences for a business. The study gives
Manager or Human Resource Manager. If vital recommendations and remedies to the
they were not available, an Office Manager challenges researched with useful insight into
would be selected to respond to the question the research problem.
22 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020Online Shopping: The Brand Attitude of South African Millennials
towards Takealot
Student Name: Benyamin Orelowitz
Supervisor: Dr Hein Brand
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
Takealot is the leading online retailer in South in South Africa towards Takealot. This infor-
Africa. This research project sought to estab- mation can then be used in further research
lish the factors that contribute to Millennials’ to help build a complete picture of the Brand
brand attitude towards the online retailer. Equity of Takealot.
Data were thus collected giving context to the
world of online shopping, millennial shop- The results of the study showed that Millen-
pers and the brand Takealot. This research led nials generally have a favourable attitude to-
to a focus group survey and then the creation wards Takealot.
of an online questionnaire that was dissemi-
nated amongst millennial shoppers in South However, of course, there are always areas
Africa. The questionnaire gathered informa- that can be improved. This study showed
tion about the participants’ attitudes towards that the main area that needs improvement is
Takealot. that people feel that the prices for goods are
too high, and they want to see more compet-
Following this, the results of the question- itive and cheaper deals on goods. Moreover,
naire were then run through statistical analy- the delivery speed can be improved upon as
sis to achieve the following research objective: some people were not satisfied with the speed
• To determine the brand attitude of South of delivery of goods.
African millennial online shoppers using
the expectancy-value model through an The study concludes that for Takealot and the
online survey. general public to benefit from this research,
more research needs to be done to accompany
The online self-administered survey provided this study and help build a complete picture
details regarding the Attitude of Millennials of the brand equity of Takealot.
23 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020An Investigation into Customer Switching at a Selected Satellite TV
Company in Pretoria, South Africa
Student Name: Michael Schoeman
Supervisor: Dr Alpha Mugari
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
The selected company is South Africa’s lead- geographically distributed population. The
ing digital satellite pay-television broadcast- most available and accessible family members
ing service company. Remaining competitive and friends who are customers of the cho-
is essential for the success of any business. sen company in Pretoria, South Africa, were
With the rise of internet-based streaming plat- invited to participate in the study. The final
forms in South Africa, the selected company sample consisted of those who were willing
has seen a loss in its top-tier and mid-tier cus- to partake.
tomer base. This seems to be because many
customers are cancelling their subscriptions While all factors tested, except for customer
to switch to internet-based streaming services. service, contribute to customer switching, the
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to perceived price stood out as the main factor.
establish what factors contribute to customer There is a general perception that:
switching at the selected company. • The selected company is not affordable in
comparison to internet-based streaming
This research sought to establish the main fac- services;
tors that contribute to customer switching at • The selected company does not provide
the selected company. Therefore, data were value for money in comparison to inter-
collected via close-ended surveys from the net-based streaming services; and
most available and accessible family members • The prices of the selected company are
and friends who are customers of the selected not fair.
company in Pretoria, South Africa. This was
followed by statistical analysis and synthe- The results showed a strong correlation be-
sis in an attempt to achieve the following re- tween switching costs and the other factors
search objectives: that contribute to customer switching. Argu-
• To establish the main factors that contrib- ably, the likelihood exists that if switching
ute to customers switching from the se- costs were to improve, so would the other
lected company to internet-based stream- factors that contribute to customer switching.
ing services. The study concludes with recommendations
• To establish whether switching costs have for strategies that the selected company might
an effect on the other factors that contrib- use to increase customer retention. Successful
ute to customer switching. customer retention requires organisations to
• To recommend strategies that the selected thoroughly investigate, analyse and under-
company may use to improve customer stand the market in which they operate. The
retention. selected company will continue to lose cus-
tomers to internet-based streaming services if
Utilising online self-administered surveys al- they do not understand the factors that con-
lowed the researcher to conveniently and pur- tribute to customer switching.
posively select a sample from the larger and
24 Boston Scholarly Review Volume 1 2019-2020An Evaluation of the Factors Influencing Employees’ Work Ethics:
A Case Study of SMMEs within the Automotive Industry of Port Elizabeth
in South Africa
Student Name: Wessel Strydom
Supervisor: Dr Alpha Mugari
Educator: Zwelithini Mabhena
Abstract
Quality inspection within the automotive The study makes use of a questionnaire, as
industry has become an integral part of the this method is suitable for quantitative re-
industry. Since manufacturers in this in- search. This study aims to show that there is
dustry rely on large quantities of parts from a distinct difference in the motivational fac-
various first- and second-tier suppliers, they tors that influence work ethic for different
outsource the quality inspection of incoming generational cohorts. This study also seeks
parts to on-site contractors. These contractors to prove that work ethic is greatly influenced
are generally SMMEs with relatively small by motivation for personal gain. A direct cor-
teams consisting of mostly unskilled labour. relation between work ethic, work quality
The financial success and ability to win con- and productivity will be investigated. It will
tainment projects greatly rely on past perfor- subsequently be shown that employee perfor-
mances and work efficiency. The key contrib- mance has a direct impact on SMME reputa-
utor to this efficiency is the work ethic of the tion within the industry.
employees.
This study will show that Age does not nec-
The purpose of this study is to investigate essarily impact work ethic, but that factors
the factors affecting employees’ work ethics such as Generational Cohort, Ethical Egoism,
in SMMEs within the automotive industry of and Ethical Relativism influence work ethic.
Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The problem can The study will be shown to be successful in
be seen as a lack of employee work ethic nega- answering the research question and reaching
tively influences SMME reputations and sub- the research objectives.
sequently affects business competitiveness.
The study will provide guidance to SMME
management on how to effectively address
the work ethic of their employees in such a
manner that it promotes work quality and
productivity. Team leaders and higher man-
agement will benefit from additional knowl-
edge regarding the driving force behind good
work ethic and how work ethic impacts their
company’s reputation.
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