Dr Byron A Brown | Botswana Accountancy College (original) (raw)

Books by Dr Byron A Brown

Link: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/botswana-cultural-heritage-and-sustainable-tourism-development

While many service based companies globally have valued and utilised their intellectual capitals ... more While many service based companies globally have valued and utilised their intellectual capitals to gain competitive advantage, many service-oriented companies in African nations such as Botswana have not done the same. But with the rapid decline in mineral resources in Botswana, and the government's economic diversification drive, service-oriented companies are being encouraged by the government to contribute more to the economy. Weak understanding of the intellectual capitals constrained service-based companies from capitalizing on their assets for competitive advantage or other benefits. Harnessing these assets is critical to business diversification. This study investigated the varieties of intellectual capital disclosed by five service-based companies operating in the Botswana context. Using an interpretive approach, with documents as data sources, we found all three varieties of intellectual capital disclosed: human, structural and relational. The motives for disclosing these assets were linked to factors inside and others outside the companies. But while intellectual capital was disclosed, the reporting was sporadic. The value of intellectual capital that managers articulated in their rhetoric was absent in practice. Various implications are discussed. The study is of benefit to corporate managers, investors, academics and policymakers who are keen about intellectual capital development.

One of Africa’s most urgent societal and political challenges today is the promotion and construc... more One of Africa’s most urgent societal and political challenges today is the promotion and constructive management of human diversity. In terms of race and ethnicity, Africa is immensely diverse.

As with teachers in other parts of the world, the daily reality of teachers in primary and second... more As with teachers in other parts of the world, the daily reality of teachers in primary and secondary schools in South Africa is characterised by multigrade teaching. Schools on farm and in other parts of rural communities in the country have the greater proportion of multigrade classes. As the literature suggests, there is a long history of the practice in the country, dating back to the early days of segregated education.

Papers by Dr Byron A Brown

International journal of educational admin and policy studies, 2019

Affective commitment remains an essential factor in key outcomes such as work performance and pro... more Affective commitment remains an essential factor in key outcomes such as work performance and productivity, and has been shown to have the strongest positive relation with positive work behaviours when compared with normative commitment and continuance commitment. Using a sample of 164 academic employees at the University of Botswana, this study assessed the extent to which they had affective commitment to the organization. We also investigated factors that are associated with affective commitment and those that predict affective commitment of academic employees. The study found that only 34.1% of academic employees sampled had affective commitment. Logistic regression analyses identified three predictors of affective commitment among academic employees. They are satisfaction with management, contribution to policy making, and responding to emails. While some researchers have found that associations between affective commitment and demographic variables were generally low or weak, this study found no significant associations between demographic factors and affective commitment.

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 18146620701652648, Apr 25, 2008

South African Journal of Education, Aug 1, 2008

School governance is a feature of school leadership in schools in South Africa. Currently, there ... more School governance is a feature of school leadership in schools in South Africa. Currently, there is a dearth of research examining the dynamics in, and how parents navigate their way through, the process of school governance. Using a qualitative approach, we investigated these dynamics. The sample was parents in rural communities in secondary schools in the Eastern Cape. The parents responded to questions in semi-structured phenomenological interviews. Multiple factors linked to gender politics and African traditions shaped how parents participated in school governance. School governance practices were imbued with a tension between values inherent in African traditions/ customs and values of modern school policies/legislations. While outlining the implications for school leadership, we argue that conflict and tension in school governance is likely to continue unless leadership practices and policy provisions reflect more of people's customs/traditions.

A literature search of several databases reveals that there is a dearth of research output in Bot... more A literature search of several databases reveals that there is a dearth of research output in Botswana to study organisational commitment. Research output on affective commitment of academic employees is almost non-existence. Yet, such commitment remains an essential factor to improve key university outcomes such as academic employees‟ productivity.

The education reform efforts in Botswana have focused predominantly on teacher preparation, recru... more The education reform efforts in Botswana have focused predominantly on teacher preparation, recruitment and compensation. Recruitment efforts have resulted in a significant number of expatriates working with indigenous teachers in many schools. However. as the schools are currently upgraded and restructured, the quality of the working relationships forged between indigenous and expatriates teachers represents one vital aspect in the reform effort that has gone almost unchallenged. This article presents the findings of an exploratory study of the development of working relationships between indigenous and expatriate teachers

For many years, poverty has domi0nated international headlines as a global condition. In some cou... more For many years, poverty has domi0nated international headlines as a global condition. In
some countries, poverty has become a chronic socio-economic problem. This qualitative study
explored the incorporation process of poverty into adult identity and assessed the nature of
the learning that occurred. Destitute adults in Botswana were chosen and used as example.
The study shows that poverty shapes adult identity and learning is transformational. The
incorporation process is described. Implications for poor adult participation in education are
highlighted.

Botswana has been a host country to migrant teachers from various countries and regions of the wo... more Botswana has been a host country to migrant teachers from various countries and regions of the world for many years. This paper reports on the migration motives that prompted teachers from four countries to move to Botswana to work in junior and senior secondary schools, and their attitudes towards human resource management (HRM) policies and practices in these schools.

Teacher mobility has become a common feature of the cross-border flows and transnational networks... more Teacher mobility has become a common feature of the cross-border flows and transnational networks that constitute globalisation. International and intraregional migration of teachers is an important factor in education provision and management in countries in the Southern Africa region, for example Botswana and South Africa. In an increasingly global context of teacher migration, education practitioners continue to strive for quality education. But has the mobility of teachers mediated the quality of education, and what are the implication of this for teacher education and training in higher education? This article explores teacher migration trends and dimensions of quality education, and assesses the impact that such teacher mobility has on education quality dimensions.

The government of South Africa, through the national department of education and various provinci... more The government of South Africa, through the national department of education and various provincial education branches, has called for an upscale in the use of multigrade teaching in primary schools, many of which are located in rural areas where, for various reasons, it is a challenge to get teachers to take up teaching appointments. At the same time as the country faces teacher shortages, there is also a situation of underqualified and unqualified teachers in the school system. Drawing on a literature review and data collected in a qualitative study, this article sampled 25 multigrade teachers in rural township and farm schools in the Eastern Cape and reported on the professional training needs of these teachers and the implications for teacher in-service education and training in a higher education institution.

School-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Experiences 45-52 The study investigated sex and age... more School-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Experiences 45-52 The study investigated sex and age differences in the experiences of posttraumatic stress disorder by survivors of school violence in urban and rural schools in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa. One hundred and thirty five survivors of school violence (males =57, females =78, age range: 10 year or younger, 11-15 years, and 16 year or older) described their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms using a numeric measures of PTSD on a 37 items scale. The survivors were learners in primary (n=73) as well as secondary schools (n=62). The study found that survivors experienced three forms of violence, namely: verbal, physical, and sexual in nature. The sex of survivors was not a significant factor in either the forms of violence or the PTSD symptoms experienced. Age differences were significant for four of the six PTSD symptom categories.

Teachers’ Accounts of the Usefulness of Multigrade Teaching in Promoting Sustainable Human-Develo... more Teachers’ Accounts of the Usefulness
of Multigrade Teaching in Promoting
Sustainable Human-Development Related
Outcomes in Rural South Africa

The study investigated experiences of dropouts in schools in rural secondary schools in the Easte... more The study investigated experiences of dropouts in schools in rural secondary
schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Ten learners who previously dropped
out of school described their experiences in school subsequent to re-enrolling. The
implications of these experiences for educational leadership were explored. Using
a qualitative approach, which included focus group interviews with 10 participants,
the study found that social hostility and an impetus to pursue their academic work,
defined the experiences of these dropouts. Social hostility reflected itself in
prejudices and bullying. The dropouts lived with, inter alia, inner conflicts, selfdoubt
and “scars” associated with their reasons for dropping out of school. Various
lessons emerged for educational leadership. The study argues that the presence of
dropouts in school poses a challenge to educational leadership and theorises that
the integration of these learners into the school population could be made less
problematic not only through a recognition of the potential risk that they quite
often pose, but also through the provision of support strategies aimed at helping a
resettlement of dropouts into the schools and classes. Suggestions have been made
regarding possible support strategy.

Dropout recovery and return to school is an education access priority for government in countries... more Dropout recovery and return to school is an education access priority for government in countries in both the western and non-western worlds. In a qualitative investigation involving a sample of dropouts who had re-enrolled in secondary school in South Africa, this study explored antisocial aspects in their social experiences at school. The aim was to explore the social treatment of ex-dropout who rerolled in secondary school and discuss ways to help them reintegrate in the school community. The study revealed that the major antisocial aspects in dropout experience were prejudice and social hostility, expressed through experiences of social ostracism, isolation, categorisation and rejection. This was motivated by a matrix of intersecting modern and traditional forces. Relational and physical aggressions, which occurred in response to dropout out-group labelling and categorisation, were major factors in the social interactions. The evidence of hostility and reactions substantiated previous studies. The various implications of the findings for the school climate were highlighted. The study stressed that for dropouts to reintegrate, the entire school culture that condones social categorisation, relational or physical aggression against them, needs to be altered.

Link: https://www.cambridgescholars.com/botswana-cultural-heritage-and-sustainable-tourism-development

International journal of educational admin and policy studies, 2019

Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 18146620701652648, Apr 25, 2008

South African Journal of Education, Aug 1, 2008

Using qualitative methods, involving interviews, the study explored, among a sample of 10 ex-drop... more Using qualitative methods, involving interviews, the study explored, among a sample of 10 ex-dropouts who re-enrolled in secondary schools in South Africa, whether social labels were used to define their social life and the form these social labels take, as they reintegrate at school. It also explored the reactions of these ex-dropouts to the social labels. Evidence in the literature on the effects of negative social labelling on children and adolescents, prompted the empirical investigation at schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The research found that negative social labelling and teasing were persistent force in the lives of ex-dropout at school. Consistent with social labelling theory proposed by Link and colleagues, these experiences were sources of social stress for ex-dropouts. The dominant form of social labels was negative labels. This suggests that ex-dropouts continue to suffer in one form or another beyond the initial circumstances that pushed them out of school. The paper argues that as a consequence of the above evidence, the larger development potential, which the return of ex-dropout to school might offer, will remain unfulfilled unless there is a transformed school context that supports ex-dropout. Suggestions to build a supportive social environment for ex-dropouts at school have been discussed.

In the non-western developing world, where the majority of the world's street vendors can be foun... more In the non-western developing world, where the majority of the world's street vendors can be found, service culture is under-researched. For instance, although street vendors are entrepreneurers, it is not always clear how or to what extent they value customers. Nor is it self-evident what kinds of service culture prevail in street vendors' business, or how such culture supports service improvement. Using a qualitative approach, involving a sample of 30 street vendors who were interviewed and observed, this research described the basic characteristics of the service culture practices and values among street vendors in micro-enterprises. The study found that unique service cultures prevail among street vendors, ranging from humane clues evidenced in practices and values in encounters with customers and interaction with each other, to mechanic clues evidenced in the orchestration of their physical environment. A major contribution of this study is in showing that understanding the characteristics of the service culture in terms of practices and values provides useful insights for service quality improvement in street vending. The study made various recommendations for informal sector development.

In many developing countries, researchers and policy makers have downplayed issues of age in grad... more In many developing countries, researchers and policy makers have downplayed issues of age in grade intentionally. This is done partly to avoid the pedagogical issues that over-age or under-age children in schools raise. It is also done to avoid putting extra pressure on government especially in developing nations that is still working hard to achieve and maintain universal enrolment targets. However, age-in-grade incongruence cannot be ignored as it has implications for pedagogy and child development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree of congruence between student-age and grade placement in the basic or compulsory education phase of the education system in one African country, Botswana. Contrast was made between grade placement practices at school and the Age-in-Grade placement policy of the country. Using data from the 2011 National Census, and adopting a survey research design, involving the entire population of 587,308 children still in basic education in 2011, the paper found high levels of incongruence between the actual grades in which students were in, and their age appropriate grade level. Lesser than 30 percent of the 7-13 year old still at school in the compulsory education phase was in their age appropriate grade. The population of learners in the basic education phase was either one or more grade levels ahead (or behind). Incongruence persisted across various demographic categories including citizenship, gender, and main language spoken at home which suggests the school system did not discriminate. None of the 28 Census Districts in the country had the majority of the population in the compulsory education phase in their expected grade level. There was gender variation in the age-in-grade incongruence. Compared to boys, more girls entered the compulsory education system early. More boys entered school over-aged. Likewise, compared to non-citizens, more citizens entered compulsory education over-aged, or at the right time. The evidence suggests a flouting of the age-in-grade policy, and points to systemic challenges such as drop out, repetition and re-enrolment which needs urgent attention. The paper theorized that the age-in-grade incongruence is indicative of chronic problems in the education system which in the long run can adversely affect education access, curriculum implementation, and educational attainment. Various implications for curriculum implementation and grade placement policy design have been discussed.

There is a pattern of low student enrolment in teacher education in many countries.