Bianca Chigbu | Walter Sisulu University (original) (raw)

Papers by Bianca Chigbu

Amid South Africa’s shift towards electric vehicles (EVs), building a lithium-ion battery (LIB) r... more Amid South Africa’s shift towards electric vehicles (EVs), building a lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling sector is essential for promoting sustainable development and generating employment opportunities. This study employs qualitative methodologies to collect insights from 12 critical stakeholders in the automotive, mining, and recycling sectors and academia to examine the feasibility and advantages of establishing such an industry. We implemented purposeful and snowball sampling to guarantee an exhaustive array of viewpoints. Thematic analysis of the interview data reveals that LIB recycling has substantial social, environmental, and economic implications. The results emphasize the pressing necessity of recycling infrastructure to mitigate environmental impacts and attract investment. The economic feasibility and employment potential of LIB recycling is promising despite the early stage of the EV industry in South Africa. These potentials are influenced by EV adoption rates, technological advancements, regulatory frameworks, and industry growth. In this sector, employment opportunities are available in various phases: battery collection, transportation, disassembly, testing, mechanical crushing, hydrometallurgical processes, valuable metal recovery, manufacturing, reuse, research and development, and administrative roles. Each of these roles necessitates a unique set of skills. This interdisciplinary research investigates vital elements of economic growth, employment creation, environmental sustainability, policymaking, technological innovation, and global collaboration. The study offers valuable guidance to policymakers and industry stakeholders trying to establish a sustainable and robust LIB recycling industry in South Africa by utilizing Transition Management Theory to develop a framework for improving the sustainability and circularity of the EV LIB recycling sector.

Frontiers in sustainability, Jun 10, 2024

The rapid worldwide transition to electric vehicles (EVs), propelled by progress in lithium-ion b... more The rapid worldwide transition to electric vehicles (EVs), propelled by progress in lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology, brings opportunities and problems in sustainable development and resource management. This study examines how incorporating circular economy ideas and enhancing skills in EV LIB recycling can be a strategic approach to meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The article explores the relationship between environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social fairness by studying EV battery recycling, the workforce skills gap, and the economic ramifications of a circular approach. Based on the existing literature, the study highlights the importance of circular economy practices in improving resource efficiency, decreasing environmental pollution, and supporting various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those concerning responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), and industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9). The study highlights the significance of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in preparing the workforce with the essential skills to adapt to a more sustainable and circular economy. It also highlights significant obstacles in present recycling methods, such as technological limitations, legislative discrepancies, and the necessity for worldwide collaboration and standardization. The paper suggests practical policy suggestions and future research paths to improve the sustainability of EV battery recycling. The initiatives involve establishing global recycling standards, promoting circular economy models through incentives, boosting technological innovation, and facilitating international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Health SA Gesondheid, Mar 26, 2024

Calls exist for the prioritisation of physical health, especially within the workplace (Internati... more Calls exist for the prioritisation of physical health, especially within the workplace (International Labour Organization 2009). The focus in promoting physical health is magnified by the guidelines set by the World Health Organization on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (World Health Organization 2020). The promotion of such physical health must be equalled with the Background: The working conditions in the South African public service, notably its challenging environment, pose significant threats to the physical health of employees. Calls exist in understanding how this can be addressed. Aim: The study investigated the predictors of physical health, accounting for the role of organisational climate and decent work. Setting: The study was conducted in Bisho in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Methods: An instrument was administered through a survey using a sample of 289 respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to test the hypothesised relationships. Results: No significant direct effect existed to show that the sounder an organisational climate, the better the physical health of employees will be (β =-0.014, t =-0.199, p = 0.843, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.153 to 0.125]). However, statistically significant evidence existed to show that the more focus on promoting decent work, the better the physical health of employees will be (β = 0.463, p = < 0.001, 95% CI [0.258 to 0.668]). Finally, decent work has a full mediating effect on the relationship between organisational climate and employee physical health (β = 0.105, 95% CI [0.054 to 0.167]). Conclusion: Public service organisations need to pay attention to the role of its climate and decent working conditions in promoting employee physical health. Contribution: Interventions are needed centered on improving decent work and the organisational climate as identified predictors of employee physical health.

Frontiers in Sociology

African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, Dec 31, 2020

Through the lens of the evolutionary economic theory, this study aimed to investigate what drives... more Through the lens of the evolutionary economic theory, this study aimed to investigate what drives the implementation of technologies in the South African automobile industry and to understand the experiences employees have had with the introduction of technologies to the sector with regard to work collaboration, safety, and job satisfaction. Using a qualitative methodology, data were collected through a semi-structured in-depth interview, which induced its information from three automotive companies with a total of 30 participants that were purposively chosen as the sample size. Findings revealed that robots and human employees work efficiently together in the automobile sector. In an attempt to minimize product imperfection due to human inconsistencies and to increase productivity, the automobile industry will adopt more technologies to meet the needs of its customers. Findings further revealed that the human-robot collaborative work experiences are negatively impacting on the job satisfaction and confidence of autoworkers and resulting in underutilized skills of the autoworkers. The recommendation is that it will be best to pair robots with human employees in ways that autoworkers’ job satisfaction and job security are not constrained. This research contributes to the ongoing study of human-machine collaborative work in the global manufacturing industry and, for the most part, to the study of labour processes and technical advances in the automotive industry worldwide.

Heliyon, Mar 1, 2022

Graduates with a high level of competence can cope better with the disequilibria triggered by eve... more Graduates with a high level of competence can cope better with the disequilibria triggered by events such as shifting labor processes and job transitions. This study examined the relationship between prospective graduates' perceived job preparedness and the university's role in preparing students for the workforce. A sample of 335 South African university students was used. We discovered that skill inequalities vary greatly between faculties. Collegiate skill preparation of students for the workplace can explain the disparities in graduate skill development and recruitment opportunities. Universities and their faculties must reimagine themselves as the primary drivers of graduate skill development and expand pipelines for the most vulnerable prospective graduates to contribute to global skills need.

Heliyon, Jul 1, 2021

This study attempted to decipher the link between students' input, output, learning environme... more This study attempted to decipher the link between students' input, output, learning environment, challenges, and students' demographic variables at the tertiary level of education. First-year undergraduate students (n = 122) were surveyed with a structured questionnaire. As hypothesized in the input-environment-outcomes model adopted in this study, students' academic input and learning environment shape learners' study outcomes. Findings revealed that learners' academic performance is influenced by students' demographic variables, intellectual input, educational environment, and challenges, but most importantly, an excellent and effective study environment is what makes the most remarkable difference in the learner's scholastic achievement. If an academic environment does not deliver a broad-quality learning setting to its learners, then it fails in its mission. The educational environment has to gain more influence on how their new learners develop, and the university has to be guarded about how they plan to ascertain that these new entrants become agile learners irrespective of their high school background.

SSRN Electronic Journal

Higher education institutions have been aware of the mutually beneficial interaction between High... more Higher education institutions have been aware of the mutually beneficial interaction between Higher Education 4.0 (HE4.0), Industry 4.0 (I4.0), and Work 4.0 (W4.0). Teaching and learning (T&L) are best accomplished through the novel and blended approaches in today's smart manufacturing, services, and labor processes. The traditional T&L methods no longer complement the fourth industrial revolution and the future of work skills. Little research has focused on innovative pedagogies in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) globally and especially in South Africa from the Learning Ecosystem Framework perspective. This paper begins to address this void via a review of academic literature, aiming to understand new pedagogies of teaching and learning in HEIs and their effectiveness as we move into HE4.0. The emphasis of higher education research worldwide should be on reviewing and synthesizing current research outputs rather than performing new studies since there are fewer systematic literature reviews and a blend of systematic-narrative literature review approaches published in higher education journals. In light of this, exhaustive systematic-narrative literature reviews have been conducted to aggregate research findings within the context of global higher education pedagogy. Combined, this encompasses an analysis of 138 papers across different academic databases. We concluded that integrating teaching and learning methodologies such as flipped classroom, SCALE-UP, and blended teaching and learning are the most effective, sustainable, and student-centered pedagogy. Combining these teaching and learning approaches will ensure that students receive dynamic support, hands-on activities, practical assessments, active collaboration, and inquiry-based learning. Overall, our findings revealed that we need all parts of the learning ecosystem to work together toward teaching and learning that is transgressive, innovative, transformative, diverse, and inclusive with the I4.0, HE4.0, and W4.0 in mindthat is, if we aim to achieve effective blended teaching and learning, and sustainable student-centered academic output. Here, we point out where these discoveries might take us in research and what policies should be revised.

Heliyon, 2022

African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2020

Technology in Society, 2021

This paper focused on uncovering the preparedness of the automobile labour force in embracing the... more This paper focused on uncovering the preparedness of the automobile labour force in embracing the outcome of technological domination in the motor industry in South Africa. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were initiated to generate data from three motor companies with purposively selected 30 participants. Findings revealed that auto employees who are not electrically inclined are self-encouraged to seek technical and electrical careers to secure a future in the automobile industry. These workers may also pursue careers in computer science. Many autoworkers have supplemented and stabilized their incomes through FOREX and Bitcoin mining trading. Simultaneously, these employees are receptive to changing careers in agriculture. Again, autoworkers prefer self-employment to the job insecurity associated with industrial positions. In general, motivation for upskilling for a future job in the automotive industry is low. Before the Covid-19 crisis, organizations were adopting new ways of doing business that tend to unready workers' readiness. This trend increased very steeply during the pandemic. Retraining and reskilling as steps for workers' readiness to face job automation are not outright answers that will lead to job security. Nonetheless, automobile workers have to treat their careers as businesses and invest in skills under the umbrella of non-automatable technical and non-technical job families.

Heliyon, 2021

Economic and Industrial Democracy, 2020

This study argues that the automobile sector’s body shop is fully automated, the paint shop is 80... more This study argues that the automobile sector’s body shop is fully automated, the paint shop is 80% automated, there is about 20% technology utilization in the car assembly line, and the supply for logistics is making a lot more use of machines as well. These percentages are an indicator of how workers have lost the contest with technology in the industry. Many workers are being deskilled and the remaining workers are being reshuffled to assembly lines likely to be automated with time. There should be interventions to ready the workers to adapt to society and the economy, or there will be massive unemployment.

The levels of skill disparity range significantly between faculties. An exclusionary approach to ... more The levels of skill disparity range significantly between faculties. An exclusionary approach to university skills training for the job market may explain the disparity in skill development among university faculties. Learning is the result of a complex interplay between educational institutions and the performance of students. The university faculty must address existing educational issues and become more proactive in the changing labor market.

This chapter examines the incorporation of adaptive intelligence in higher education, focusing on... more This chapter examines the incorporation of adaptive intelligence in higher education, focusing on its influence on conventional learning approaches and long-lasting educational strategies. Adaptive intelligence merges artificial intelligence with human cognition to provide personalized learning by utilizing real-time customisation and data analysis. Adaptive intelligence enhances sustainability by integrating sustainability principles into the learning process in a dynamic manner. The chapter discusses obstacles such resource constraints, instructor opposition, and ethical issues. The

Promoting decent work and sustainable economic growth within the framework of Sustainable Develop... more Promoting decent work and sustainable economic growth within the framework of Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8) entails addressing gender inequality, the consequences of market economies, and the role of the informal sector while also considering environmental sustainability. Research on SDG 8 remains limited, often adopting an appraisal perspective, and the concept of decent work within this goal remains relatively unexplored. Additionally, the focus on the challenges and inadequacies of achieving sustainable economic growth through decent work in the context of SDG 8 is insufficient, resulting in significant knowledge gaps. To contribute to filling these gaps, this paper adopts a descriptive and critical review perspective, systematically analyzing 108 journal papers and reports to investigate the concept of decent work within SDG 8. The research addresses the challenges and inadequacies related to decent work embedded in SDG 8. The review reveals that while progress has been made in tackling gender inequality in the labor market, gender bias, income discrepancies, and underrepresentation of women in senior positions persist, hindering inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all-SDG 8. Moreover, SDG 8's focus on inclusive and sustainable development falls short of effectively addressing market economies' structural disparities, insecure working conditions, and exploitative labor practices. Additionally, support for informal sector workers, who lack essential rights such as legal protection and social security, remains insufficient. Ecological destruction is sometimes an unintended consequence of purely market-based labor markets with an emphasis on economic growth, with SDG 8 lacking sufficient integration of environmental sustainability in its framework. The novelty of this study comes from its in-depth, critical, and policyfocused analysis of the ideas around decent employment in the context of SDG 8. The findings underscore the importance of providing fair, safe, and secure employment opportunities to support economic growth and development while upholding workers' rights. In conclusion, we emphasize the crucial role of promoting decent work and sustainable growth in achieving SDG 8's overall objectives, as it directly impacts other SDGs.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY