Browsing by Author "Manhuwa, Abigail"

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Individual use of enterprise mobility application systems in a banking environment
(2019) Manhuwa, Abigail
Advances in mobile technology, coupled with the explosive growth in the use of mobile devices, have seen the birth of a new organisational technology trend termed Enterprise Mobility. Enterprise mobility is where employees can work from any location other than their offices. Mobile technology use is potentially changing people’s everyday tasks and freeing individuals from tethered systems such as desktop computers. Nevertheless, the Information System (IS) field has witnessed the use and non-use of organisational technologies which has led many researchers seeking to understand what influences employees to use or not use the innovated technologies. Purpose: The study sought to describe the use of enterprise mobility application systems by individual employees in a banking environment through the theoretical lens of Task-Technology Fit (TTF) model. The goal was to determine the appropriateness and fit of enterprise mobility technologies to employees’ tasks, in the context of a South African banking environment. Design/Methodology/Approach: This is a descriptive case study following an interpretive philosophy and using a qualitative research approach. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were administered with study participants at their offices, in a South African bank. Originality/Value: The study describes what influences the use of enterprise mobility. That is, the study extends enterprise mobility body of knowledge in the context of a banking environment. It informs practitioners with factors that may influence use and non-use of enterprise mobility application systems. Findings in Summary: Through the lenses of TTF theoretical framework the study findings reveal that, to influence individual use of enterprise mobility applications systems there should be harmony between the tasks at hand and the technologies used. The study shows that for the enterprise mobility technologies to be used, banking organisations should look on improving the underlying technology capabilities so that they are scalable to accommodate the changing user tasks requirements. The study further shows that, organisations should strike a balance between enterprise mobility and working in the office so that the essence of human interaction is not completely lost.
The impact of virtual meetings on organisational culture in the South African banking industry
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Manhuwa, Abigail; Christoph, Maier
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant global disruption, which has accelerated various business trends, including the rise of working from home (WFH). The sudden implementation of stay-at-home regulations by governments has resulted in a significant shift from in-person work meetings to virtual meetings. However, existing studies on working from home do not provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of abrupt enforced WFH policies on organisational culture. As a result, this phenomenon presents an opportunity for researchers to explore further. Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of the transition from physical to virtual meetings on organisational culture. The study sought to determine the degree of adaptability or resistance of physical meetings to the virtual environment within a South African bank context. Schein’s Model of Organisational Culture was employed as the theoretical framework to examine organisational culture, and the Process Virtualisation Theory was used to evaluate the feasibility of virtualising physical meetings. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study employs a qualitative approach that focuses on a single case of a banking organisation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10participants selected from the Johannesburg head office of a major bank in South Africa. Originality/Value: This study aims to provide insights into the impact of virtual meetings on organisational culture within the South African banking industry. The study aims to inform banking organisations of the implications of virtualising meetings, thereby facilitating the maintenance of “business as usual”. Therefore, this study extends the existing literature on working from home, work meetings, and organisational culture, specifically within the context of the banking industry in South Africa. Findings: Examining the data through the lenses of Process Virtualisation Theory, the findings of this study reveal a significant increase in the number of meetings, which has led to a high cognitive load on employees. The study also identifies new cultural behaviours such as multitasking during meetings and joining multiple meetings simultaneously. Furthermore, the study indicates that virtual meetings pose challenges in building interpersonal relationships and promoting effective collaboration within teams, particularly for new employees. The research suggests that banking organisations should strive to strike a balance between on- site and virtual meetings to avoid losing the essence of interpersonal relationships and team collaboration. The study concludes by recommending the creation of meeting guidelines/policies to foster the desired organisational culture.