3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions

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    Knowledge sharing in information systems development projects: a comparative study of social exchange and social cognitive theories
    (2018) Makhubele, Lean Mayana
    The knowledge-intensive nature of Information Systems Development (ISD) projects requires different types of knowledge and expertise from various Information Technology (IT) professionals. In this thesis, IT professionals are defined as individuals whose skills, trade and practice is in IT and or information systems. ISD projects are knowledge-intensive and they cannot be accomplished by a single individual; hence there is a need for the sharing of knowledge and expertise amongst ISD project IT professionals in order to successfully complete the project. IT professionals in ISD projects are often drawn from various functional teams within the organization and temporarily brought together for the duration of the project. Thus, knowledge sharing amongst IT professionals can be complex and challenging since individual backgrounds, contexts, and ISD expertise differ. Given the complexities, the relevance of this thesis is in explaining why individuals share knowledge during ISD projects. The thesis argues that the decision to share experiences and what you know is influenced by social cognition and the need (or expectation) for social rewards, also known as social exchange. The research argument is that there is a need for a theoretical model that may be used to explain knowledge sharing amongst IT professionals which may assist in putting together an ISD project team. The theoretical model needs to be sensitive to the contextual factors which influence knowledge sharing amongst IT professionals. The study used Social Cognitive (SCT) and Social Exchange (SET) theories as lenses to conceptualize the model for knowledge sharing in ISD projects. A positivistic research philosophy was selected as being the most appropriate in understanding the challenges of knowledge sharing in ISD projects. A deductive quantitative approach using a survey research strategy was adopted as the research methodology. Non-probability, purposive sampling techniques were used to sample participants and a close-ended questionnaire was used for data collection. The research model was tested using Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS - SEM) with quantitative data collected from 137 IT professionals and qualitative data collected from 70 IT professionals from various sectors in South Africa. The squared multiple correlations (R2), amongst independent variables explained and showed considerable amount of variance towards knowledge sharing as the dependent variable (R2 = 0.32 %). Knowledge sharing explained 25 % of variance in individual performance (R2 = 0.25 %). Knowledge sharing self-efficacy explained 25.3 % of the variance in outcome expectation (R2 = 0.253%). The comparison between SET and SCT were done by contrasting the explanatory power to knowledge sharing using R2 value. The explanatory power of SCT to knowledge sharing was weak at R2 = 3.2 % and SET explanatory power to knowledge sharing was strong at R2 = 14.6%. These results revealed that interpersonal trust, culture and knowledge sharing self-efficacy have a positive significant influence on knowledge sharing, that knowledge sharing self-efficacy has a positive influence on outcome expectation, and that knowledge sharing has a significant influence on individual performance. Insight from qualitative responses revealed that knowledge sharing shortens delivery times during ISD projects, as team members tend to rely on the assistance of their peers when they encounter problems in the project. The finding also reveal that monetary rewards do not entice project team members to share their knowledge, but they are motivated to share knowledge by their desire to help one another and to deliver a working product that meet or exceed customer expectations. Lastly, the results revealed that ISD project leadership should create an environment that is cognizant of different cultural beliefs in the project team, and they need to create an environment where individuals are appreciated for their contribution, and where their ideas are heard. They also need to encourage project team members to embrace the collectivist cultural values where project team members put the interest of the project first above their own. Through a model, this thesis establishes why SET explains knowledge sharing better than SCT. The model for knowledge sharing was conceptualized as an outcome of interpretation of the empirical evidence against the existing body of knowledge. Through this model, this thesis contributes theoretically by explaining the factors which are pertinent to IT professionals sharing knowledge in an ISD project environment. Practically, the thesis may inform decision makers in ISD projects with ways to improve effective knowledge sharing amongst IT professionals. Methodologically, the contribution is in showing the positivistic philosophy and the survey research strategy as appropriate to offer alternative insights into what really influence knowledge sharing amongst IT professionals during ISD projects. The thesis also contributes to context by providing the insight that is distinctive and unique to South African IT professionals and ISD projects.
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    Structural implications of the activation of moral disengagement in social cognitive theory.
    (2013-08-01) Garbharran, Ameetha
    This thesis was constructed on the foundation of two broad theoretical criticisms levelled against Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory. The first was the lack of clarity about what constituted the building blocks of the theory and the second was the lack of clarity about how these constituent components interacted in consistent and predictable ways as an integrated model of human behaviour. These ‘theory-level’ criticisms, which detracted from the empirical testability of social cognitive theory, seemed to have filtered down to the level of its individual building blocks. Therefore, moral disengagement, which constituted the focal variable of interest in this investigation, was not unaffected by them. Bandura’s (1986) theoretical presentation of moral disengagement as either an eight or four-dimensional construct and the empirical treatments of moral disengagement by Bandura and his colleagues as a uni-dimensional (Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara & Pastorelli, 1996a; Bandura, Caprara, Barbaranelli, Pastorelli & Regalia, 2001b) and a four-dimensional variable (McAlister, Bandura & Owen, 2006), raised questions about its dimensionality. The first objective of this study was to examine moral disengagement’s dimensionality and the stability of its internal factor structure (i.e. longitudinal measurement invariance) over time. The general lack of clarity about how the constituent components of social cognitive theory were expected to cohere as an integrated framework of human behaviour had specific implications for the moral disengagement construct and its temporal position relative to other social cognitive variables. The second objective of this study was to examine moral disengagement’s temporal sequences relative to select social cognitive constructs (viz. proficiency-based self-efficacy, intention, and past and future behaviour) in order to comment on the likely temporal positions of these constructs relative to each other in the context of a model for predicting antisocial behaviour. Due to the exclusive activation of moral disengagement in antisocial contexts, the examination of its dimensionality and temporal sequences was contingent on an antisocial context. Software piracy, as a specific instance of antisocial behaviour, served as the context in which moral disengagement was researched in this study. A pilot investigation was conducted to test the psychometric properties of the scales that were developed to measure moral disengagement, proficiency-based self-efficacy, intention and behaviour in this study. Once their psychometric robustness was established, these scales were used in the context of a main longitudinal investigation separated by a three to four month time-lag in order to achieve the two main research objectives. Using the structural equation modelling family of data analysis techniques (specifically, confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis), the results of the main longitudinal study revealed that moral disengagement emerged as most meaningful as a uni-dimensional construct which consisted of four aggregated sets of items which represented the clusters of moral disengagement mechanisms that were likely to be activated at the four points in the self-regulation process envisaged by Bandura (1986). The findings suggested that this factor structure was longitudinally invariant when moral disengagement was measured across two assessment waves. Moral disengagement appeared to temporally precede intention and future behaviour and to temporally follow past behaviour. Self-efficacy, however, seemed to temporally precede future behaviour and to temporally follow past behaviour but unlike moral disengagement, self-efficacy appeared to temporally follow intention. Therefore, intention appeared to completely mediate the interaction between moral disengagement and proficiency-based self-efficacy in this study. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings were examined and directions for future research were proposed.
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    Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT) in a cross-nation study of software piracy.
    (2009-06-18T06:52:34Z) Matthews, M. S.
    This quantitative study is designed to examine possible cross-national differences between a Zambian and a South Africa student sample on specific aspects of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory in relation to software piracy. Software piracy is when people make copies of the computer software without permission or they load software onto more machines than the licensed agreement says they can. A questionnaire composed of previously developed scales measuring attitudes, social norms, piracy intentions, incentives, deterrents, self-efficacy and moral disengagement within the context of software piracy was collated. During economics classes in a major University in Zambia and one in South Africa 150 copies of the questionnaire were handed out. The South African sample consisted of 37 males and 34 females all aged between 18-28, 44 were in 2nd year and 27 were in 3rd year. The Zambian sample consisted of 57 males and 12 females, 53 were between 18-28, 12 between 29-38 and 4 between 39-49, 27 were in their 3rd years of study and 42 in 4th year. The scales had adequate reliabilities (.60 to .89). There was sufficient evidence to suggest that there is a statistical difference between the two countries on attitudes and social norms. The South African sample had more positive attitudes and more favourable social norms than Zambia. South Africa reported higher extrinsic motivators (monetary, reinforcement and reciprocal exchange, and self-evaluative and reciprocal exchange) and Zambia reported higher intrinsic motivators and being deterred by the threat of harsh punishments. There was also sufficient evidence to suggest that attitudes, social norms and self-efficacy predict (in order of best predictors) piracy intention in both samples. Moral disengagement did not act as a moderator or mediator between attitudes, social norms and self-efficacy and piracy intention in either sample. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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    The implementation of social cognitive theory in the understanding of unauthorised copying of software.
    (2009-01-28T09:35:25Z) Wentzell, Alethea
    Bandura s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) embraces an interactional model of causation in which environmental events, personal factors and behaviour all operate as interacting determinants of each other. This study aims to develop a model that predicts and explains incidents of unauthorised copying of software using SCT. To do this, the current study explored the relationship between attitudes, self-efficacy and social norms, with an individual s intention to copy software illegally. In addition, moral disengagement was considered as a mediator of the relationship. The study was conducted within one medium-sized South African Information Technology (IT) organisation, and one department of a large South African production organisation, within the surrounding Johannesburg area. In addition, a sample was also collected from four Zambian banking industries. The researcher received responses from 217 participants from across the organisations. Firstly the relationship between attitudes, self-efficacy and social norms with regard to intentions were analysed, by using correlations. The results of the correlation indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between each of the variables and intention to the unauthorised copying of software. The model predicted by the researcher is then tested empirically according to Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results of the SEM presented the researcher with four models, which will each be discussed independently, as well as suggesting the model that best fits the data. A discussion of the findings is presented, in addition to the limitations of the study and possible recommendations for improvement.
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