Wits Business School (ETDs)

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Browsing Wits Business School (ETDs) by Author "Alagbaoso, Manessah"

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    Consumer acceptance and adoption of metaverse environments in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Malebana-Metsing, Sekete; Alagbaoso, Manessah
    This research focuses on the acceptance and adoption drivers of metaverse (virtual world) environments in South Africa. In particular, it explores the influence of enabling technology, digital identity, access to economic resources in the form of virtual currencies and alternative digital payment capabilities as motivators of metaverse acceptance. The effect of an individual’s social circle is also examined in detail. The theoretical model used in this research is the Universal Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study used a cross-sectional, quantitative methodology that followed a positivist approach. Primary data was collected from a sample of adult individuals residing in South Africa through a self-administered online questionnaire. Data analysis included correlation analysis, item reduction, exploratory factor analysis, moderation variable analysis and multiple regression analysis for the constructs represented in UTAUT. The findings indicate that enabling technology, digital identity, social influence and access to economic resources (virtual currencies) are strong predictors of individual behavioural intention and usage behaviour regarding the metaverse technology. The current state of the metaverse technology in the country is considered nascent, although there is wider acceptance of console and personal computing gaming in virtual world games such as Second Life, Roblox Minecraft, World of Warcraft and Fortnite. This indicates that immersive virtual reality technology is yet to mature to the point where it can meet the needs of consumers.
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    The Enablers and Hinderances of Digital Transformation in a South African Corporate Bank
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Pillay, Jared; Alagbaoso, Manessah
    The success of many firms in the age of the fourth industrial revolution depends on the astuteness and pace of their response to digital transformation (DT). DT is a business phenomenon that is yet to be fully understood across industries and sectors. In the banking industry, most research pertaining to DT has focused on retail banking. There is very little research about DT in corporate banks and no research about it in a South African corporate bank, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge. The purpose of this research study was to assess DT in a South African corporate bank (referred to as “CIB”) by focusing on the following objectives: assessing the DT journey of CIB, assessing the digital maturity level of CIB, and investigating the enablers and hinderances of DT in CIB. The study adopted a qualitative research design and used a case study strategy of enquiry. Twelve participants that comprised executives, leaders, and employees of the bank were purposively selected and interviewed to generate rich data. The research findings showed that CIB is a complex environment with customer segments, products, and services that exhibit different characteristics related to volume and variation. CIB has achieved much progress regarding DT in a relatively short while. However, there are hinderances to DT that emanate from an imbalance in top-down and bottom-up strategies, the absence of a unifying digital vision, a conservative approach to innovation, misalignment with the greater banking group, and a lack of consistent basic digital knowledge. At a high level, this study recommends that CIB considers the elements of strategy and vision, people and culture, process and governance, and technology capabilities that are discussed at length in this research report to formulate a unified business strategy and vision for DT amongst other recommendations. The complexity of corporate banking means that DT will most likely have boundaries because of the necessity of physical engagement, and the requirement for human cognitive abilities, creativity, and ingenuity is likely to remain in this environment for longer than in most other sectors and industries.
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    The influence of trust on the adoption of peer-to-peer (P2P) asset sharing platforms in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Motsewakgosi, Abueng; Alagbaoso, Manessah
    This quantitative study explores the role of trust in the adoption of peer-to-peer (P2P) asset sharing platforms in South Africa. The research objectives were refined to investigate the influence of community reviews, platform trust, and visual trust on individuals' intention to adopt P2P platforms. Data was collected from a sample of participants who were users of P2P asset-sharing services in South Africa. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictors of intention to adopt and platform trust. The findings revealed that community review ratings, visual trust, and platform trust significantly and positively influenced individuals' intention to adopt P2P sharing services. Additionally, community review ratings showed a significant and positive relationship with trust in the platform. However, no significant relationship was found between visual trust and trust in the platform. These findings emphasize the importance of considering other factors, such as the platform's reputation, functionality, and user experience, in understanding platform trust and its impact on the intention to adopt. These insights contribute to the understanding of trust dynamics in the context of P2P asset sharing platforms in South Africa. Further research is warranted to explore additional factors that may influence trust and adoption in this domain