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Thesis (Ph.D (Higher Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2022, Universities and communities should embrace engaged scholarship for sustainable development challenges, through co-creation of responsive knowledge for the public good. Therefore, academics have infused community engaged service-learning (CESL) into the functions of teaching-learning and research, to deliver engaged scholarship in democratic community-higher education partnerships. However, sustainable CESL practice and partnership development are challenged by the complex process of institutionalisation. This five-articles-style thesis explored the contribution of an integrated service-learning praxis approach towards the flourishment of engaged scholarship in community-higher education partnerships. The approach combined CESL, appreciative inquiry and appreciative leadership, to advance the praxis of engaged scholarship. The study was demarcated in the field of higher education, applied in the discipline of nursing education, and contextually bound to three interrelated action research cycles and settings – for international, national and local level engagement. The study followed a transformative paradigm and qualitative, strength-based action research design of appreciative inquiry. Participants were conveniently and purposefully selected, based on their practical, career-bound wisdom of engaged scholarship. Data was co-generated in paired appreciative conversations, which were followed by collective data analysis in small and large-group format and guided by a 5D-process-driven (define, discovery, dream, design and delivery/destiny) semi-structured interview protocol. The research contributed to practical theory development, by providing five articles for improved CESL practice towards positive change. These articles comprised (1) a practical framework towards an integrated model for advancing engaged scholarship; (2) best practices for national support of engaged scholarship; (3) a community-university research partnership model, which affiliated with the Glob

To ensure effective teamwork and a stable working environment networking needs to be enhanced and supported. Culture and generation play an increasingly important role in networking. This paper investigates the networking practices at a Gauteng mine by making use of probability, systematic proportionate stratified sampling to collect data. Kusasalethu mine employees were used as respondents. A total of 289 questionnaires were completed. Although similarities exist, for example, all respondents agreed that informal work environments are conducive to more effective networking practices; the findings indicated that there are indeed a number of salient differences between Black Generation X'ers, Black Baby Boomers, Caucasian Generation X'ers and Caucasian Baby Boomers. In view of the results it is recommended that managers of such diverse workforces become more aware of these underlying differences as such awareness may lead to more effective networking within businesses and a more stable and cohesive working environment.