Doctoral Degrees (School of Public Leadership)
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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (School of Public Leadership) by browse.metadata.advisor "Brent, Alan C."
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- ItemBuilding corporate resilience : based on a case study of Spier Holding's search for a lower carbon future(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-12) Pahwa-Gajjar, Sumetee; Swilling, Mark; Brent, Alan C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A study of the sustainability journey of Spier Holdings, a well known wine and leisure business in South Africa, offers a unique opportunity for interrogating corporate drivers for a lower carbon future. The business has established sustainability as a brand identity, declared carbon neutrality as a macro organisational goal in response to the global challenge of climate change, and sought scientifically and technologically appropriate ways of addressing this challenge. A preliminary analysis revealed various initiatives that are in place for measuring and reducing the business’ environmental impact, including carbon emissions. However, an in-depth study of the establishment’s environmental performance over two decades showed inconsistencies in year-on-year reporting, delays in shifting the supply chain, and gaps in implementation, particularly in the area of energy efficiency and adoption of renewable energy technology. Understanding and interrogating the business’ sustainability journey through a systems ecology and corporate citizenship framework proved inadequate. The case highlights that organizational goals for environmental performance areas, including the aim of carbon neutrality, and sustainability reporting are not sufficient catalysts for change. A complexity-based resilience approach allowed the business to be understood as an adaptive system. The sustainability story tracks different phases of a modified adaptive renewal cycle, which also determine the dominant management paradigms, strategic responses and forms of collaboration during each phase. Spier’s sustainability journey was found to be underpinned by a quest for corporate resilience which includes the resilience of the business (enterprise resilience) and of the social-ecological system within which it resides (SES resilience). The business responded to interdependent risks and uncertainties in its internal and external contexts, through investment strategies in key areas of corporate environmental performance. As a contribution to new knowledge, this thesis proposes an integrated corporate resilience framework for building enterprise resilience and ecological sustainability. This framework, and the accompanying mapping tool, reveals deep, ecological drivers for Spier’s environmental performance across corporate areas of lower carbon emissions, water sustainability, wastewater treatment, solid waste recycling and ecological custodianship. The framework is recommended for use by similar businesses, eager to configure their relationship with natural resources and ecosystem services, and by scholars, for investigating corporate performance towards environmental sustainability.
- ItemConnecting the urban informal settlement to the city : a system dynamics approach(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-01) Smit, Suzanne; Musango, Josephine Kaviti; Brent, Alan C.; Kovacic, Zora; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Understanding increasing urbanisation and the proliferation of slums requires a holistic scrutiny of the metabolism of cities. However, existing urban metabolic analyses exclude a detailed grasp of how urban slums function and contribute to the metabolism of cities. Furthermore, conventional urban metabolism analytical methods are not suited to capturing informal flows and processes that contribute to urban resource use. This study therefore investigated the questions: i) What are urban informal settlements and how do they connect to the broader urban context? and ii) How does a Multi-scale Integrated Assessment of the Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach contribute to the study of informal settlements in the context of sustainable urban development? The first question was addressed through a critical literature review which provided the global perspective and understanding of slums. A conceptual framework was developed for classifying urban slums based on physical and legal characteristics, forming the basis upon which different slum types may be analysed. In applying the typology to South Africa, it was found to exhibit a more nuanced typology, where five distinguishable settlement types were established. However, to achieve sustainable urban development, it is argued that urban informal settlements also need to be analysed from a metabolic perspective. The study then focused on one particular slum type, using the case study of Enkanini informal settlement in Stellenbosch, and applied MuSIASEM to address question two and to demonstrate that the societal metabolic dimension of the settlement can be quantified in terms of the use of time, money and energy. The results highlight issues to be addressed through spatial, developmental and local economic policy, such as the need for improved transport linkages. Furthermore, the MuSIASEM results highlighted issues related to the introduction of a renewable energy solution, in the form of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, to address energy access. This led to the emergence of a third research question: What are the electricity legitimacy dynamics of Enkanini informal settlement? While it is argued that MuSIASEM is a suitable approach for analysing the metabolic dimension of slums, it does not account for sociopolitical dynamics that influence the metabolic dimension. The study therefore further used Community Based System Dynamics to investigate the electricity legitimacy dynamics in the Enkanini informal settlement. Several causal relationships between the factors that affect energy fuel choice and energy access in Enkanini were found, resulting in 17 feedback loops. The use of Community Based System Dynamics modelling identified the root cause of the resistance to solar PV energy as threatening residents’ struggle for legitimacy. The key feedback loops related to community empowerment and representation. Finally, this study demonstrates the need for deeper engagement and transparent communication with the residents of informal settlements, and recognition of the non-technical, and aspirational factors that drive their energy behaviours. Whilst the Enkanini case does not deliver a comprehensive set of metabolism results, as an exploratory study into the societal metabolism of slums, it has led to and informed several subsequent studies and contributes to the development and improvement of the method for future cases.
- ItemExpediting transitions in unmet electricity markets : the case of leapfrogging renewable energy in Africa(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12) Batinge, Benjamin; Musango, Josephine Kaviti; Brent, Alan C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY : The importance of access to modern energy, especially electricity, is evident in the quality of service it offers in sectors such as education, health, business, manufacturing, construction, and many other facets of human living. Despite the enormous benefits derived from access to electricity, over one billion people in the world, 588 million of whom are in Africa, still did not have access to electricity as at 2016. The abundant renewable energy resources available in Africa can quickly supply the needed electricity through new technologies. It is therefore essential to consider potentially leapfrogging Africa’s unmet electricity markets from traditional energy to renewable energy, in order to achieve the Sustainable Energy for All goal of universal energy access by 2030. Thus, the overall research question for this study was: how can an energy transition, particularly leapfrogging to renewable energy, accelerate universal access to electricity in Africa? This question was addressed through systematic literature review, which resulted in the development of a modified transition framework that captures the unique characteristics of unmet electricity markets. These characteristics included unmet power market; small-scale; renewable energy; fast transition time; niche opportunities, and multi-dimensional pressures. The study highlights the need for contextual awareness, and socio-cultural and political lock-ins in adopting the energy transition framework for unmet electricity markets. The study also identified key drivers of energy leapfrogging in an African context. They included large unmet electricity market, the urgency for universal energy access, and the availability of renewable energy resources. Three potential leapfrogging paradigms were eventually conceptualised, namely: Revolutionary, Scattered, and Coned leapfrogging. They were defined by the pace and magnitude of transition, and depended on the intensity of the leapfrogging drivers. The study concluded that Africa has the opportunity to leapfrog the fossil-intensive energy regime, to a renewable energy regime. Further, two system dynamics models were developed, namely: the African Electricity Access (AFELA) model, and the Ghana Electricity Access (GELA) model. The AFELA model results showed access to funding for energy infrastructure as a key challenge in Africa, and the reason for its large unmet electricity market. After examining four different scenarios, the Electricity Access Investment Scenario, which entailed an increase in the annual power investment by two per cent of GDP, was found to be most ideal path to close the funding gap and ensure attainment of universal access to electricity in Africa by 2030. Further, the GELA model results indicated that under the existing electricity investment trajectory, Ghana would not achieve its dual energy goal of universal electricity access and 10% renewable energy in the electricity sector energy mix by 2020. In order to accelerate universal access to electricity in Africa, the study recommended regulatory reform to attract investment from private sector, and investment diversification to promote renewable energy leapfrogging.
- ItemAn innovation systems approach to sustainability transitions: analysing socio-cognitive institutions in Austrian and South African cases(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12) Van Heyningen, Jan Pieter; Brent, Alan C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Choosing new socio-economic pathways for sustainable development requires one direction of economic development to be selected above another. This dissertation discovers which factors within innovation systems may lead to these trajectory changes. Little understanding exists of how socio-cognitive institutions (SCIs) within innovation systems (ISs) may enable or hamper this shift. The ability of nations and regions to direct socio-economic activity towards sustainability is an increasingly significant global challenge, with distinctive characteristics in different socio-spatial contexts. It is urgent that better comprehension of how transitions to sustainability can be induced within society is conveyed to those who need it. While the sustainability transitions (STs) literature confronts this problem, it neglects the finer intricacies of socio-economic influences of change, which may hamper or enable socio-technical transitions. In contrast, innovation systems, whether national, regional or local, do not confront the challenge of sustainability head-on, but arguably provide an excellent conceptual framework and policy tool for doing so. ISs also provide a strong theoretical framework for comprehension of these intricate mechanisms within national, regional and local economies, which may shift them to more sustainable trajectories. This dissertation seeks to overcome this challenge. It will highlight the dearth of understanding of the configurations of a sustainability-oriented innovation system. It is assumed they are both social and institutional. This study aims to investigate the socio-cognitive institution, assumed to be crucial. From this a primary research question follows: How do SCIs within regional innovation systems (RISs) constrain or enable pathways to socio-economic development for sustainability, in turn affecting socio-technical transitions to sustainability at different structural and scale levels? The primary research question is divided into three investigative themes and research sub-questions. This informs the analytical framework for a content analysis (CA) of the derived data stemming from the investigation of the case studies. What is investigated from an ethnographic and transdisciplinary research process is: First, how the strengths or weaknesses of ISs enable or constrain the ability of nations and regions to transform toward sustainability. Second, how sustainability-oriented SCIs may influence the direction of regional innovation systems (R)ISs, resulting in socio-economic pathways effecting STs. Third, how SCIs form within ISs at macro, meso and micro socio-structural levels and national, regional and local geographic scales. The derived data of the research in the form of interview texts are explored via a content analysis methodology. A rigid and deductive analysis framework is employed before an inductive approach is used to reflect on the extensive literature reviews of IS and ST theory. While the Austrian case represented an established sustainability-oriented RIS, the South African case ‘Transforming Technopark’ (TTP) in the context of the Western Cape Regional Innovation system was a contemporary and transdisciplinary case study. The transdisciplinary approach involved the researcher acting as a consultant, and co-developing a vision and strategy with various triple-helix stakeholders of the town of Stellenbosch. The study also extended to the regional level to gain perspective on the regional embeddedness of the case. The findings of both cases strongly support the notion that SCIs are powerful enabling factors, within regional innovation systems. Their direction is strongly influenced by both internal and external factors in the RIS. SCI can exist as both informal and formal structures in society. Informal SCIs for sustainability may diffuse within the RIS to become formal SCIs. Knowledge generation for sustainability was recognized as the most important and powerful driver of both SCI change and the formation of sustainability-oriented innovation systems. The findings of the research, which are generalized to provide a theoretical background and model of sustainability-oriented innovation systems (SoIS), can be aimed at policy development for STs. The investigation was undertaken from a more macro-economic vantage point, of RIS. Recommendations are that more micro, business and organizational sets of perspectives of the influence of sustainability-oriented innovation systems on the functioning of the economy is now required. This would enhance the notional understanding of socio-economic transitions to sustainability considerably, and build upon what has been achieved in this study.
- ItemIntegrated sustainability transitions framework to guide governance of strategic electricity planning(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Mqadi, Lwandle Jackie; Musango, Josephine Kaviti; Brent, Alan C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY : South Africa’s electricity sector is characterised by the unique social, political and economic legacy of apartheid, which still profoundly impacts decision making and the contemporary politics of sustainability transition. A series of processes is converging to force the issue of sustainability and to drive South Africa’s low-carbon energy transition. The overall research question of this study was: Can a sustainability transition framework be conceptualised to address the challenge of low-carbon electricity transition in South Africa? This was achieved through a critical literature analysis, qualitative system dynamics using causal loop diagrams and stakeholder and expert interviews. From the literature, it was observed that the challenges facing South Africa’s strategic electricity planning result from the related politics, differing views owing to different stakeholder preferences, lack of transparency in electricity planning and misalignment between development policies and objectives. On this basis, the study developed a conceptual integrated electricity sustainability transition framework. From qualitative system dynamics, it was observed that resistance to Integrated Resource Plan development, adoption and overall implementation has contributed negatively to the electricity sustainability transition agenda. Further, ongoing interventions merely deal with symptoms rather than the root cause of the Integrated Resources Plan challenges. It is in this context that this study engaged with the stakeholder and various experts and reviewed the strategic electricity planning process in South Africa, taking into consideration the socio-political economy complexity challenges within an established theoretical sustainability transition framework. The study finally recommends for the need to entrench the integrated electricity sustainability transition framework into the existing Integrated Resources Plan approach in South Africa. This would ensure that the complex sustainability policy objectives are aligned within the electricity planning process. An examination of implementation feasibility and relevance of the proposed conceptual framework affirmed the persistent resistance towards Integrated Resources Plan development and its adoption as well as how its implementation has negatively impacted the electricity sustainability transition agenda. Further, the study established that a policy governance-driven framework, embedded in South Africa’s Integrated Resources Plan approach, is vital to tackle issues of policy and governance, transparency, vested interests and associated politics, alignment, stakeholder engagement and monitoring and evaluation.
- ItemA mining perspective on the potential of renewable electricity sources for operations in South Africa(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12) Votteler, Roman Gunter; Brent, Alan C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.ENGLISH SUMMARY: The economic situation in South Africa has in recent years presented considerable challenges for mining corporations to stay globally competitive. One of the challenges has been the increase in average electricity costs, which contributed especially to large corporates experiencing a rise from 7% to 20% in total operational expenses since 2007. This was brought about by the escalation of cost of the current electricity sources, namely diesel generators and grid connections to the state-owned electricity provider Eskom. Forecasts for the next decade indicate that this trend will continue at similar rates. It is also the case that recurring blackouts or load shedding have decreased the reliability of Eskom. The technological and economic progress of renewable electricity sources in recent years has increased their attractiveness in comparison to the current sources. The use of renewable sources is, thus, a potential opportunity for mining corporations to reduce longterm electricity costs, diversify energy supply, become less dependent on fuel price volatility, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and show green leadership. However, with only one pilot hybrid diesel generator and solar photovoltaic project being realised in South Africa so far, the progress on the renewables front has only recently made it worthwhile for mining corporations to consider renewable sources. The purpose of this research was, therefore, to investigate a possible fit regarding how renewable electricity sources can perform within South African mining operations with their specific characteristics. Consequently, to maximise the contribution to this field, it was important to include in the study, the perspective of mines on evaluating possible electricity sources. The research process consisted of three phases. The first phase comprised a literature review, to investigate the influences on the possible use of renewables for mining operations in South Africa. During the second phase, a literature review was conducted to identify the best approach for the analysis of electricity sources, combining the external environment and an evaluation of internal processes of mining corporations. The multicriteria decision analysis approach was selected. This was followed by an investigation of the different multi-criteria decision analysis methods. The multi-attribute value theory method was identified as the most suitable to be used, with specific adaptations for this study. Previous adaptations to similar cases in energy planning were analysed. The third phase involved conducting semi-structured interviews to reveal the internal evaluation criteria used by mining corporations to evaluate electricity sources. Based on interviews with four mining corporations and five energy companies, the model was created and implemented. The results of the study may contribute to the field of multi-criteria decision analysis and energy planning of mining corporations in that new insights were gained regarding the implementation of a multi-criteria decision analysis method to a corporate, especially mining, environment in energy planning. The outcome showed that the more profitoriented nature and special characteristics of mines had an impact on the selection of evaluation criteria. Previous multi-criteria decision analysis approaches were conducted for governmental or general purposes. The main results of the study contribute towards the performance of renewables for mining operations in South Africa. The analysis identified the current sources of diesel generators and grid-connection to Eskom in hybrid versions with either solar photovoltaic, on-shore wind or geothermal power, as the most attractive renewable options. The business model of self-generation was selected as most promising. To focus on technologies and reduce variables, the project had to be funded through of own-investment. The implementation and analysis of the multi-attribute value theory method showed that the hybrid versions with solar photovoltaic and on-shore wind always performed favourably in comparison with diesel generators or Eskom grid-connection alone. The advantage over diesel generators is significantly higher than over Eskom grid-connection. In combining the macro-economic influences with the multi-attribute value theory results of this study, hybrid solar versions are identified as having the greatest potential. Hybrid wind solutions were placed second in the evaluation, as favourable wind conditions occur only in coastal regions where there are fewer mining activities. Geothermal hybrid versions were selected as the least favourable owing to a low service infrastructure and high initial investment costs.
- ItemTechnology assessment of renewable energy sustainability in South Africa(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Musango, Josephine Kaviti; Brent, Alan C.; Amigun, Bamikole; Pretorius, Leon; Muller, HansENGLISH ABSTRACT: Technology assessment has changed in nature over the last four decades. It changed from an analytical tool for technology evaluation, which depends heavily on quantitative and qualitative modelling methodologies, into a strategic planning tool for policy-making concerning acceptable new technologies, which depends on participative policy problem analysis. The goal of technology assessment today is to generate policy options for solutions of organisational and societal problems, which at the operational level, utilise new technologies that are publicly acceptable; that is, viable policy options. Energy technology assessment for sustainability is inherently a complex and dynamic process that requires a holistic and transdisciplinary approach. In the South Africa context, specifically, there is no formal and coherent approach to energy technology assessment from a sustainability perspective. Without a formal comprehensive or well integrated technology assessment approach to evaluate the sustainability of any technology, the policy-makers, technology designers, and decision-makers are faced with difficulty in terms of making reasoned decisions about the appropriate technology options. This study developed a framework that incorporates a technology assessment approach, namely, system dynamics, within the broader scope of technology development for sustainability. The framework, termed the Systems Approach to Technology Sustainability Assessment (SATSA), integrates three key elements: technology development, sustainable development, and a dynamic systems approach. The study then provides a guiding process of applying the framework to energy technology assessment theory and practice within the context of sustainable development. Biodiesel, a cleaner burning replacement fuel, argued to potentially contribute to sustainable development, is used for the demonstration. Biodiesel development entails complex interactions of actors such as the technology developers, government at different levels, communities, as well as the natural environment. Different actions or responses in the greater system might hinder or undermine the positive effects of such a development. Based on the SATSA framework, a Bioenergy Technology Sustainability Assessment (BIOTSA) model was developed. The BIOTSA model was used to test the outcomes of a proposed biodiesel production development in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa on selected sustainability indicators. In addition, some policy scenarios were tested to compare how they assist in improving the selected indicators. The BIOTSA model results are useful in comparing dynamic consequences resulting from a proposed biodiesel production development and the respective policies and decisions that may arise from such a development. The testing and validation of the BIOTSA model was carried out based on structural validity, behavioural validity, and expert opinion. Potential policy scenario outcomes and their implication, on the selected sustainability indicators, were also tested. The opinions of the selected stakeholders indicated that the BIOTSA model was useful in providing an understanding of the potential impacts of the biodiesel development on selected sustainability indicators in the Eastern Cape Province. Thus, the SATSA framework can be applied for assessing sustainability of other renewable energy technologies. In addition, system dynamics provide a useful and a feasible dynamic systems approach for energy technology sustainability assessment. Finally, the model building process and transdisciplinary nature of this study enabled the identification of the potential problems that could arise during the biodiesel production development. In addition, gaps in data and knowledge were identified and the recommendation for future work in this field is highlighted. Nevertheless, the findings of the BIOTSA model could inform policy- and decision-making in biodiesel production development in South Africa. The development of similar models for other renewable energy development efforts is thus recommended. The current efforts to facilitate the large-scale roll out of concentrated solar thermal technologies in Southern Africa, for example, would require the development of a Solar Thermal Technology Sustainability Assessment (SOTTSA) model.