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The use of competition as a conflict-handling style aimed at win-lose end results has been highlighted by some researchers to be common during project execution. However, the impact of such competition on project performance remains largely under-researched. This article seeks to address this gap in the existing literature. A system dynamics simulation model of competition between two key project participants (client and engineering consultant) was formulated through a mixed methods research methodology incorporating the system dynamics approach. Data gathered for two sets of unique projects were used separately to conduct model calibrations, simulation experiments, and impact analyses. The results suggested that the competition negatively influenced project performance. Sommige navorsers het die gebruik van mededinging, as 'n styl van hantering van konflik wat gemik is op wen-verloor as eindresultaat, uitgewys as redelik algemeen tydens die uitvoering van 'n projek. Die impak van sodanige kompetisie op projekprestasie is egter min nagevors. Hierdie artikel poog om die gaping in die bestaande literatuur aan te spreek. 'n Stelseldinamika-simulasiemodel van mededinging tussen twee belangrike projekdeelnemers (kliënt en ingenieur-konsultant) is geformuleer deur middel van navorsingsmetodologie wat gemengde metodes en die stelseldinamiekbenadering insluit. Data wat vir twee stelle unieke projekte ingesamel is, is gebruik om modelkalibrasies, simulasie-eksperimente en impakanalises afsonderlik uit te voer. Die resultate hiervan impliseer dat die kompetisie die projekprestasie negatief beïnvloed het.

This article presents research relating to the challenges of conducting research in a complex socio-technical system. The result of this research is that a conventional research approach is fundamentally reactive, and does not always produce the desired results when applied to such a complex socio-technical system. The literature suggests that approaching the research from a problem investigation and problem improvement point of view will provide better results. This article describes the design of a research tool using a design science research methodology that can be used for such investigations and improvement identification and evaluation activities. Hierdie artikel bespreek van die uitdagings wat ondervind word wanneer daar navorsing gedoen word in 'n komplekse sosio-tegniese stelsel. Die navorsing toon dat die tradisionele navorsings-benadering in n komplekse sosio-tegniese omgewing fundamenteel reaktief is, en dat dit nie altyd die gewense resultate teweeg bring nie. Uit die literatuur het dit duidelik geword dat n meer gewense oplossing is om die navorsing van uit n probleemondersoek- en probleemverbeteringsoogpunt te benader. Hierdie artikel bespreek die ontwerp van n navorsingsinstrument deur gebruik te maak van n ontwerpswetenskap navorsingsmetodologie. Dit kan gebruik word vir soortgelyke ondersoeke en vir die identifisering en evaluasie van moontlike verbeterings.

The Vasi peatland complex is situated in the northeast of South Africa. It is an unprotected area surrounded by pine (Pinus sp.) and blue gum (Eucalyptus sp.) plantations. Little is known about the conditioning factors for the area’s development and causes of degradation. In order to understand the ecohydrological system of this complex, water tables and ionic composition of surface water and groundwater, as well as natural isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, were measured. Macrofossils and radiocarbon dating of the peat layer were used to describe the historical environmental conditions. We found that peat accumulation started during the Early Holocene and was initiated by terrestrialisation of inter-dune lakes. Our results also show that the Vasi peatland complex is primarily dependent on a perched water table due to the presence of iron-rich deposits close to the surface (i.e. KwaMbonambi Formation). The Vasi peatland basins appear to be hydrologically connected and some basins show indications of cascading through-flow systems, which means that the water flows from a higher basin to a lower one through the permeable parts of the sand dunes and peat layers. The stratigraphy indicates continuous peat accumulation, and thus that the water table was perennially high for thousands of years, despite evidence of the occasional natural occurrence of fires. We conclude that the most likely cause of the observed signs of degradation is land use change, i.e. the recent establishment of plantations, which affect the groundwater system.

The objective of this paper is to derive the innovation profile in developing countries, such as South Africa, from a technology roadmapping practitioner's point of view. The specific research questions that are addressed are i) what are the main priorities for innovation in South Africa? and ii) what are the actual or perceived innovation competitive advantages for South Africa? A mixed methodology research is used that combines online quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, and document analysis. The quantitative survey was conducted with researchers and practitioners involved with technology roadmaps in South Africa. Through the realism research philosophy that combines both inductive and deductive approaches, an analytical inference is made through the five propositions that have managerial and policy implications for the technology roadmapping community in developing countries. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die innovasieprofiel wat in ontwikkelende lande soos Suid-Afrika in gebruik is, uit die oogpunt van 'n tegnologiepadkaartpraktisyn af te lei. Die spesifieke navorsingsvrae wat aangespreek word, is i) "Wat is die belangrikste prioriteite vir innovasie in Suid-Afrika?" en ii) "Wat is die werklike of waargenome innovasie mededingendheid voordele vir Suid-Afrika? 'n Gemengde metodologie-navorsing is gebruik wat aanlyn kwantitatieweopnames, kwalitatiewe onderhoude, en dokument-analise kombineer. Die kwantitatiewe opname is uitgevoer met navorsers en praktisyns wat betrokke is by tegnologiepadkaarte in Suid-Afrika. Deur die realisme navorsingsfilosofie wat beide induktiewe en deduktiewe benaderings kombineer, is 'n analitiese inferensie gemaak deur die vyf stellings wat bestuurs- en beleidsimplikasies vir die tegnologiepadkaart gemeenskap in ontwikkelende lande het.

Central to project management is risk management - and the need to develop better and more specific tools to manage risk. This is driven by the desire to reduce uncertainty and risk on projects. Quantitative tools such as Monte Carlo simulation are sometimes used to analyse risk, but it is not clear how widespread, accepted, or useful such tools are for practising project personnel. This research was undertaken to gain feedback from practising project and risk management personnel about the use of risk management tools. Special attention was given to the levels of use of quantitative risk management tools and the benefits gained from their use. A conceptual framework was created linking the factors that affect tool use to the actual tool use levels, and ultimately to project performance. Research questions reported on in this paper addressed levels of tool use, factors that affect tool usage, and the benefit aspect of tool use on project performance. Data were gathered via an on-line questionnaire that was statistically analysed, and a number of hypotheses were tested. The results of this study show that the levels of use of both qualitative and quantitative risk management tools are low compared with general project management tools. Correlations were found between a number of factors that affect tool use. Sentraal tot projekbestuur is risikobestuur - en die behoefte om beter en meer spesifieke metodes te ontwikkel om risiko beter te bestuur. Dit word gedryf deur onsekerheid en risiko op projekte te verminder. Kwantitatiewe tegnieke, word soms gebruik om risiko te analiseer, maar dit is nie duidelik hoe wydverspreid, aanvaar, en nuttig sulke tegnieke is vir die beoefening deur projekpersoneel nie. Hierdie studie is onderneem om terugvoer te verkry van praktiserende projek- en risikobestuurspersoneel ten opsigte van die gebruik van risikobestuursmetodes. Spesiale aandag is gegee aan die benuttingsvlakke van kwantitatiewe risikobestuursmetodes en die voordeel daarvan. 'n Konseptuele raamwerk is geskep wat faktore wat die gebruik van hulpmiddels skakel met die werklike vlakke vir die gebruik van instrumente, en uiteindelik skakel met projekprestasie. Navorsingsvrae waaroor in hierdie artikel verslag gelewer word, het betrekking op die gebruiksvlakke van instrumente en metodes, faktore wat die gebruik van instrumente en metodes beïnvloed, en die voordele-aspek van die gebruik van instrumente en metodes op projekprestasie beïnvloed. Data is ingesamel via 'n aanlyn vraelys, statisties ontleed, en 'n aantal hipoteses is getoets. Die resultate van hierdie studie toon dat die benutting vlakke van beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe risikobestuurinstrumente en metodes laag is in vergelyking met algemene projekbestuursinstrumente.

There is evidence that several eHealth pilot projects in developing countries could not progress to full-scale implementation - sometimes referred to as the 'pilotitis' of the eHealth system. The sustainable eHealth implementation frameworks reported in the literature are linearly modelled, and fail to reflect the nonlinear and dynamic complexity of eHealth systems implementation. This study proposes a sustainable eHealth implementation framework to support the long-term sustainability of eHealth systems in developing countries. The framework addresses the nonlinear and dynamic relationships among elements of the ecosystem in the implementation of eHealth through feedback systems by following a system dynamics method. A literature review and systems approach is used to understand the interactions between the elements of a sustainable eHealth system. System dynamics modelling is applied to develop a nonlinear and dynamic model of sustainable eHealth implementation. The study indicates that the long-term sustainability of eHealth depends not only on technological factors, but also on economic, social, and organisational factors. Moreover, the causal loop diagram highlights the dynamic interplay between the factors of a sustainable eHealth system through feedback loops. Daar is bewyse dat verskeie elektroniese-gesondheid (e-gesondheid) proefprojekte in ontwikkelende lande nie kon vorder tot volskaalse implementering nie. Die volhoubare implementering van e-gesondheid raamwerke wat in die literatuur rapporteer word, is lineêr gemodelleer en reflekteer nie die ware nie-lineariteit en dinamiese kompleksiteit wat hiermee assosieer word nie. Hierdie studie stel 'n volhoubare e-gesondheid implementeringsraamwerk voor om die langtermyn volhoubaarheid van e-gesondheidstelsels in ontwikkellende lande te ondersteun. Die raamwerk adresseer die nie-lineêre en dinamiese verhoudings tussen elemente van die ekosisteem in die implementering van e-gesondheid deur terugvoer stelsels deur 'n stelseldinamika benadering te volg. 'n Literaturstudie en 'n stelselsbenadering is gebruik om die interaksies tussen die elemente van n volhoubare e-gesondheid-stelsel te verstaan. Die resultate toon dat die langtermyn volhoubaarheid nie net van tegnologiese faktore afhang nie, maar dat ekonomiese, maatskaplike en organisatoriese faktore ook 'n rol speel. Die oorsaaklike-lus diagram beklemtoon die dinamiese wisselwerking tussen die faktore van 'n volhoubare e-gesondheidstelsel.

Project controls have been defined in the existing literature as managerial decisions and actions aimed at rectifying poor project performance. Understanding the potential unintended negative effects of such controls will be beneficial to project management practice and to the resulting project performance. Using the system dynamics approach, this article investigates some unintended negative effects of client project cost controls. Empirical data from a raw-water infrastructure project are used to calibrate the formulated system dynamics simulation model. Simulation results suggest that the client project cost controls (aimed at minimising project cost), unintentionally generate some counteractive effects (an increase in the project cost and the time schedule duration). Projekkontroles is in die literatuur gedefinieer as bestuursbesluite en aksies wat daarop gemik is om swak projekprestasie reg te stel. Om die potensiële onbedoelde negatiewe gevolge van sulke kontroles te begryp, sal voordelig wees vir projekbestuurspraktyke en die gevolglike projekprestasie. Met behulp van 'n stelseldinamika-benadering, ondersoek hierdie artikel 'n paar onbedoelde negatiewe gevolge van kliëntprojekkostekontroles. Empiriese data uit 'n rou-water-infrastruktuurprojek word gebruik om die geformuleerde stelseldinamika simulasiemodel te kalibreer. Simulasie resultate dui daarop dat die kliënt projek koste kontrole (gemik op die vermindering van projek koste), onbedoeld sommige teenproduktiewe effekte genereer ('n toename in die projek koste en die projek tydsduur).