3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Individual use of enterprise mobility application systems in a banking environment(2019) Manhuwa, AbigailAdvances 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.Item A sociotechnical approach to understand an online application system development: a university case study(2019) Sefoka, Machelane EliyaIn a rapidly changing world of technological advancement and innovation, academic institutions are propelled to automate manual processes for more efficiency and access to a broader spectrum of applicants. For this reason, universities are investing in online application system to deal with long queues, malpractice, loss of documents, and undue costs incurred by the university. However, online application systems that do not adequately address sociotechnical requirements may result in an unsuccessful implementation, wasteful expenditure and sometimes reputational damage to the university. This research suggests a general sociotechnical conceptual framework which was informed by both the traditional System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and Effective Technical & Human Implementation of Computer-based Systems (ETHICS) methodology to understand the development of an online application system using a sociotechnical approach. An exploratory research approach was used on an online application system case study to understand what sociotechnical aspects were considered during the application development and the outcome thereof. Qualitative data sources were examined to understand the context and rationale for any sociotechnical issues incorporated or excluded in the online application system development. Based on new discoveries, the sociotechnical conceptual framework was enhanced to be more relevant for academics, practitioners and organisations to use as a guide for a sociotechnical system development approach.Item Innovativeness and turnover intentions amongst continuous learners in Gauteng(2019) Adriano, Judite AndreInnovation is crucial in organisational survival; employees are critically important in managing and facilitating innovative ideas. Organisations simultaneously endeavour to retain employees, attributable to the increasing turnover rates that organisations are currently experiencing. A lack of studies on literature and studies identifying how turnover intentions can be influenced by innovative work behaviour in a South African context, with an important cohort of professionals, stressed by work, family and studies. Turnover intentions and innovative work behaviour are increasingly crucial for organisations in today’s competitive environment, this study tests theories predicting the extent to which innovative work behaviour influences turnover intentions in certain conditions. Theory predicting certain moderating effects is also tested to determine if the relationship between innovative work behaviour and turnover intentions is weakened or strengthened, influenced by various factors. Provided theory predicting the mediating effects of job satisfaction and perceived supervisor support on the relationship between individuals’ innovation and turnover intentions was investigated. The sample for this study comprised of employed professionals assuming degree classes on an evening programme at the University of the Witwatersrand, whilst operating in various companies within industries the Gauteng Province. This study uses a questionnaire as a mode of data collection. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse collected data and determine the relationships between the variables. Findings identified a significant relationship between innovative work behaviour, turnover intentions, core self-evaluations and turnover intentions of employees. This study found perceived supervisor support and job satisfaction as significant mediators in the relationship between innovative work behaviour and turnover intentions. The value of this study derives from the potential of findings from this research to advance the literature concerning this topic, specifically in the South African context where inadequate studies investigated the proposed relationships. This study may assist organisations by ensuring innovative employees are retained within organisations while adequately managing employees’ turnover intentions.Item A complexity management approach for designing viable IT service systems in South Africa(2019) Mokgala, Sekhwela MosesThis research investigates important determinants in designing, implementing and managing viable Information Technology (IT) service systems in the South African economy where digitalisation and globalisation are introducing unprecedented market and technological dynamics. The research adopts the Viable Systems Approach to provide a systematic, iterative process to service system design, tackling both service delivery and service co-creation complexities through the application of Viable System Theory. Having identified and discussed various existing service system design models available in the literature to date, the residual complexities these models present are discussed, and the research proposes an integrated model for designing viable IT service systems. The developed Integrated Service System Model is used for developing a complexity management approach to designing viable IT service systems within selected firms in South Africa. The finding is that the Viable Systems Approach efficiently reveals residual variety in operational IT services systems under investigation while also providing viable service system designs for services systems found to contain a residual variety. The use of the Cybernetics model within the Viable Systems Approach proves useful in analysing specified service system viability operating in dynamic markets by providing the analytical tools and methods to interrogate systemic behaviour from a complexity perspective. The recommendation is that in erratic dynamic markets where previous performance history does not guarantee sustainable performance, residual variety presented by the market environment and the ability to effectively implement viable service system designs are critical determinants to designing viable IT service systems that can survive in the digital economy. The implications for management is the foundational understanding and a multi-disciplined application of Organisational Cybernetics (OC) in the design and management of service systems. Further research is suggested in applying the developed Integrated Service System Model in other industries and service system context to prove or improve the tenacity of the model in designing service system that adapts to dynamic market environments over the entire service system lifecycle.Item Correlates of organisational culture, employee creativity, and innovation towards explaining entrepreneurial banks(2018) Gcabashe, SkhumbuzoThe South African commercial banks have undergone immense regulatory and technological changes post-1994, to such an extent that these changes have increased competition among the big players in South Africa, which have forced financial innovations, and other strategies to reduce costs and propel intrapreneurship. In this research, the relationships between organisational culture and entrepreneurial orientation, as well as human resource management and entrepreneurial orientation were explored. Furthermore, the relationship between employee creativity and innovation, were investigated using the perceptions of employees at specific banks selected for the study. Entrepreneurial orientation was applied using its three dimensions, innovation, risk-taking and pro-activeness. The banks selected for convenient sampling were: FNB, ABSA, Standard Bank, Nedbank, Investec, and RMB. A structured online survey was used to examine the constructs: organisational culture, employee creativity, human resource management, innovation, and entrepreneurial orientation. A link was sent to the employees in the selected banks and once all responses were received, the data was cleaned and the relevant statistical tests were applied. The results showed an inter-relationship between the constructs. It was determined that a significant relationship existed between organisational culture and entrepreneurial orientation, human resource management and entrepreneurial orientation, as well as employee creativity and innovation. The study concluded by noting the importance of leaders in organisations in driving a culture of inclusion where employees were given resources to innovate, and were motivated and encouraged to be entrepreneurial.Item The effect of innovation in automatic identification technology on new venture sustainability in Southern Africa(2019) Darlington, ChristopherThe study explored the effect of innovation in automatic identification technology on new venture sustainability in Southern Africa as measured by entrepreneurial orientation and technological orientation on business performance. The research evaluates the representation of perceived entrepreneurial orientation & technological orientation of new technology ventures within the Auto ID supply chain and how the continuous adoption of new technologies impacts firm performance within the supply chain. The research investigates how entrepreneurial orientation and EO dimensions moderated by technology orientation affect non-financial business performance of these new technology ventures. An observation identified as a motivation for the study is that new venture opportunities arise after technological breakthroughs or radical changes in existing technology that are offered to retail supply chains. However, within retail supply chains implementation, it is not always done by the new technology ventures who develop it. The purpose of the research is to conceptualise how NTV’s entrepreneurial orientation affects non-financial business performance and how entrepreneurial orientation moderated by technological orientation influences non-financial business performance. The research design is cross-sectional with primary data in that it is identifying an observational study analysing a population at a specific point in time. The rationale of the research is primarily quantitative. The targeted respondent sample size of 284 returned questionnaires was selected using a form of probability sampling from a targeted 1500 potential respondents. The target population comprised of the following types of NTV’s namely; a) Auto ID Software Providers; b) Hardware Suppliers and c) Process Service & Support Providers (Datalogic, 2018). The primary research data was targeted towards senior & middle management or specifically to representatives within the sample population entities as derived from pre-existing database from a reliable auto-ID distributor operating throughout the SADC region.Item Exploring ICT pedagogic integration of economics teachers in two Johannesburg schools(2019) Mlotshwa, Handson FingiThis study was designed to investigate how teachers make meaning of the concept of ICT integration and to determine pedagogic value in their practice. This study assumed that teaching and learning are a form of dialogue as conceptualized by Laurillard (1999). The conceptual framework developed also drew on the interactive equivalency theorem (Miyazoe and Anderson, 2010) and the taxanomy of affordances (Conole and Dyke, 2004). Data was collected through both interviews and classroom observations. The interaction equivalency theorem was used to analyze the different interaction modes that happen in the classroom. The study found that learner to teacher interaction was the most common and dominant interaction facilitated by the technology. In learner to learner interaction, ICT use was limited to the projection of group activity. In learner to content interaction ICT was predominantly utilized as a source of content through videos, images and text in slides. The key finding of this research is that the use of ICTs can enhance classroom interaction in teaching FET economics.Item Effectiveness of policy on digital transformation in Kenya's national government : Huduma service delivery case study(2017) Goga, Kevin, O.“Flagship projects” is a hackneyed phrase that features prominently in Kenya’s government policy documents. Yet soon after their unveiling, some of these projects, notably ICT projects have stagnated or diverged from their core objectives as outlined in the said documents. Combining two established theoretical approaches, Hanna’s (2016a) digital transformation approach and McConnell’s (2010b) policy-as-a-programme framework, this study makes an original contribution to address the gap in literature and policy analysis, by tackling the complementarities in thinking about digital transformation as a programme and policy as a programme as it relates to Kenya’s Huduma citizen service experience. Employing a multi-method case study, including 20 key informant interviews, one 7-person focus group, observations at Nairobi’s City Square Huduma Centre and Huduma’s Network Operations Centre, and analysis of 18 policy documents relevant to this study, the research found that most digital innovation projects emphasised technology, while neglecting other key elements in the digital transformation space. However, the Huduma programme was different in that it paid due attention to several framework elements namely, policies and institutions, ICT infrastructure, ICT industry, human capital and public value, resulting into the category of resilient success. The analysis emphasises that sustainable digital transformation of public services can only be realised if all the transformational elements are prioritised in order to fit into the citizen’s way of life and integrate the Kenyan government’s “islands of automation”. The study makes a case for a “whole-ofgovernment” (WoG) digital transformation that extends beyond flagship projects. This will require creating and fostering collaborative leadership structures to enable digital transformation across national government ministries, departments and agencies, encouraged by youthful, highly-trained, non-political, professional leadership, and continuous learning in order to inculcate policy effectiveness and sustainability of digital transformation as a culture in all facets of national government. Key words: Digital transformation, effectiveness, policy, Huduma programmeItem The influence of infrastructure flexibility on the relationship between innovative capability, human and growth : a study of high technology business in Gauteng(2017) Mothopeng, NeoThe ‘innovation imperative’ - a salient demand on organisations to outclass their competitors in services rendered, products generated, as well as the channels of delivery - or face elimination, is a motivator behind the level of competitiveness in today’s global economy. As a result, innovation and the advent of technology has been a central and wide-ranging theme in academic research. In the recent past, business growth has been attributed to the mere development of Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. Contrary to that notion though, more and more authors are referring to the flexibility of IT infrastructure as a cornerstone for optimal business operations and a response mechanism to changing organizational needs (MacKinnon, Grant, & Cray, 2008). Given the failure of the formal and public sector to absorb the growing number of job seekers in South Africa, increasing attention has focused on growth enterprises and their potential for contributing to economic growth, job creation and innovation (Herrington et al., 2009). The researcher sampled firms occupying the high technology spaces within Johannesburg as Information Communication Technology (ICTs) have permeated every facet of the contemporary organisations’ value chain, thus generating an automated grid of interrelated applications and information for business processes (Kohli & Melville, 2009). The study found that operational firm performance would improve if organisations were to make investments in IT infrastructure flexibility and exploit the human capital and innovative capability at their disposalItem Strategic alignment of information technology and business(2016) Coetze, Maarten Jacobus PetrusThe importance of information technology (IT) strategic alignment with organisational goals is considered and discussed. Internal and external factors that affect this alignment are identified. A method to strategically align business and IT is developed. A case study methodology was used, which relied on both quantitative and qualitative methods. The focus of the case study is the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The research identified current IT alignment barriers and the special requirements of this domain by conducting interviews, using questionnaires and focusing on relevant strategic documentation. Data from the case-study environment was used to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The researcher identified a lack of commitment on the part of management both within the School and in the broader University to the University’s strategic objectives as the main obstacle to IT and business strategic alignment. A revised IT strategic plan is developed for the School.