3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Exploring challenges in the interaction of forestry-related institutions in the employment of R&D in the South African forestry sector(2020) Mushangai, DandiraThe role of R&D in economic growth and development is increasingly acknowledged globally. With this is an acceptance that collaborative research ensures the benefits of R&D largely accrue to society as a whole. The growing recognition of the importance of R&D in economic growth and development through the generation and application of new knowledge, new skills, new processes, new technologies, functions, and new products by those involved in production processes has enhanced the drive by nations to build integrated systems of innovation. Systems of innovation encourage collaborative research through partnerships, cooperation, and participation in innovation networks. This is important in reducing R&D transaction costs and in ensuring that new knowledge, skills, processes, and products emanating from R&D activities are widely distributed within an economy. This study aims to identify and explain the challenges in relation to the ‘less integrated’ nature (OECD, 2007) of South African systems of innovation which has resulted in ‘weak coordination and linkages and limited resources and capacity’ (Greenberg, 2010) in the South African forestry sectoral system of innovation (SSI), with the effect that the benefits of the system of innovation to the economy are still not known (OECD, 2007). The study analysed the challenges in the formation and maintenance of partnerships, collaboration and networks as some of the issues working against the integration of the South African National System of Innovation (NSI), hence the forestry SSI. The study employed a qualitative methodology and a number of qualitative methods and techniques, such as semi-structured interviews, and observations, and case studies were used in data collection. This was guided by the systems of innovation approach, particularly the SSI as the conceptual framework within a critical research paradigm. A thematic analysis indicated that the lack of integration and the existence of ‘weak coordination and linkages and limited resources and capacity’ that limit the application of R&D by firms in the forestry SSI for the benefit of the economy as a whole are not a result of a single factor but of a convergence of factors that cannot be addressed quantitatively by neat technical solutions. The lack of integration of the South African System of Innovation (SI) is thus explained in terms of multiple realities. However, some of the challenges, such as limited funding and skills, could be greatly lessened through collaboration at sectoral, national or at supra-national levels. The historical and evolutionary approach adopted by the study allowed the tracing of the development trajectories of the forestry industry in South Africa since it started and the nature of racial interactions as determined by colonial and apartheid philosophies of separate development. This was important in understanding power relations under the colonial and apartheid systems in relation to knowledge generation and skills development and the differential economic outcomes linked to forestry resource development in the homelands and the white segments of colonial and apartheid South Africa. Historicising was also important in understanding the ideological changes brought in by the transition to democracy hinged on participatory approaches that informed policies such as the BBBEE. This also enabled the problematisation of the state of affairs in South Africa with regard to the emergence of a predatory and politically connected ‘class for itself’ (comprador bourgeoisie) dependent on state tenders as the main source of accumulation among the former revolutionaries (nationalists) vis-à-vis the empowerment of the ordinary South African and SMEs. The democratisation processes have to some extent led to emergence of crony capitalism as exemplified by the state capture case. The evolutionary approach and the historicisation of forestry resource development in South Africa therefore enabled the debunking of some ideas that have persisted unchallenged with regard to the nature of skills development, knowledge generation and application, accumulation processes and the benefits of the South African SI to the economy. These myths have clouded our understanding of R&D processes and role in economic growth and development hence imposing limitations in constructing suitable intervention measures enabling the emancipation of South Africans from the triple threat of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. The study rejected the arguement by Kruger & Bennett (2015) that the South African forestry research system as it developed was exceptional and was not influenced by the Indian and European traditions. It again rejected the idea by Kruger & Bennett (2015) that the apartheid forestry research system was more integrated than the current research system. It also rejected the argument by the OECD (2007) that the benefits of the NSI, especially with reference to the forestry sector, are unknown. It further rejected the SachsWarner hypothesis (Sachs and Warner, 1995) that ‘all’ natural resource rich countries suffer from resource dependency curse and cannot derive industrialisation and economic diversification from the exploitation of their resources. Moreover, the study rejects the notion that the big companies established during apartheid times are always exploitative of small upcoming businesses in value chains and demonstrated that, if anything, and at times, these big firms and their partnership schemes have offered the most effective way of transferring skills and technologies to SMEs outside the skills system. The emergence of crony capitalism debunks the arguement that the current development crisis in South Africa is only explained in terms of colonial and apartheid policies. The persistence of such arguments clouds the processes of designing suitable measures important in integrating the South African system of innovation for the benefit of the economy. While the thesis does not contribute to a major revision of the theory and conceptual framework, it does illustrate, through the case of forestry and the nested case studies of R&D, new ways of thinking about this literature that takes account of South Africa’s complexity.Item The impact of cloud computing on the innovation performance of South African SME's(2018) Murimbika, AbelphardThis study investigates the impact of adoption of cloud computing on the innovation performance of South African SMEs. Cloud computing adoption amongst SMEs is explored on the back of widespread usage of cloud services in South Africa. Extensive availability of a unique range of features endows SMEs with competitive advantage to achieve superior performance. How then does adopting cloud computing drive performance of SMEs and growth of the South African economy? By way of an online survey, the degree of adoption of cloud computing, the management attributes of EO and performance are investigated. Spearman correlation and multiple regression analysis is used to test results and adjudicate on hypothesis. The results show that there is vast adoption of cloud computing in the SaaS rather than PaaS and IaaS cloud service models in South Africa. Findings indicate that the interaction between adoption and EO leads to significant performance in SMEs. Usage of cloud computing is still at its nascent stages; managers need to recruit IT specialists who have the skills and expertise to configure complex cloud computing deployments. They also need to invest in purposive cloud computing projects that can drive further adoption to enable business growth. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on cloud computing usage, and the role of EO in the adoption of cloud computing to influence performance in South African SMEs.Item Implementation of e-procurement by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development and its impact on the development of small and medium construction firms(2017) Sithole, Ronald AlfredE-procurement has been implemented globally with the aim of optimising efficiency and effectiveness within procurement processes of organisations and has become one of the preferred systems for the acquisition of goods, works and services. In recent years, e-procurement processes have been widely adopted and their application has been the norm in many organisations’ procurement processes. However, while e-procurement presents some significant opportunities, a set of challenges has emerged with the implementation of e-procurement. For example, in the South African context, small and medium construction firms (SMCFs) that do not have access to technological infrastructure are often not able to participate fully in the e-procurement transactions. In that regard, the implementation of e-procurement by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (GDID), a public sector organisation within the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and its impact on the development of SMCFs was investigated in this study. This was done to ascertain the extent of e-procurement implementation and the experiences of SMCFs, benefits and challenges associated with this in the study area. In order to address the research question, the research design adopted involved a detailed examination of the e-procurement methodologies used by the GDID in its procurement for infrastructure projects. This was done through the utilisation of questionnaires. 10 GDID officials chosen through the utilisation of a combination of the stratified random and purposive sampling methods, participated on the research. Secondly, to ascertain the impact of e-procurement implementation on the development of SMCFs, 250 SMCFs within the GDID supplier database were emailed questionnaires to obtain information regarding their experience, benefits realised and the inhibiting factors associated with their participation in e-procurement. The 250 SMCFs were selected through purposive sampling method were selected on the basis that they participated in the procurement of infrastructure projects implemented by GDID in the previous three financial years which are 2014/15; 2015/16 and 2016/17. Twenty-seven of the 250 SMCFs responded. The e-procurement methodologies used by the GDID were found to be e-notification, partial e-tendering, e-contract award, e-contract management and e-maintenance, repairs and operations (e-MRO). There was no single integrated e-procurement system used for carrying out all the e-procurement activities. E-notifications were done through the notification of tender opportunities for infrastructure projects through the Government Tender Bulletin, Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) website, Department of National Treasury e-tenders’ portal and the Lead-2-Business website. Partial e-tendering is carried out through the Department of National Treasury e-tenders portal. E-contract award was done through sending of award letters to service providers as email attachments. E-contract management is done through the utilisation of Oracles’ Primavera P6 and Unifier software and Microsoft Project and emails for normal formal communication and circulation of instructions and project reports. E-MRO was done through the emaintenance software developed by GDID. It was also found that only around 33.3% of the 27 SMCFs that responded were able to fully engage with all the 5 major eprocurement methodologies, excluding e-MRO implemented by the GDID. The remaining SMCFs still relied on the utilisation of a combination of both electronic and paper based systems. The main impact of e-procurement on the development of SMCFs was found to be both positive and negative. On the positive side, it increased profitability through cost saving benefits and reduction in time required for transactions, increased their market access (as they are able to view more tender opportunities), made transactions faster, increased production rate on site (through reduction in the time spent on tendering, thus releasing more time for managing projects on site), and safer storage and back-up of information for reference purposes and benchmarking of other projects, as well as, for dispute resolution. The main disadvantages were found to be high capital cost of procuring and installing Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) infrastructure, the lack of resources, unreliable power supply, security risk and the lack of infrastructure and the non-compatibility of different software packages and application (interoperability challenge). The study confirms that the use of e-procurement by the GDID is still evolving and is yet to be fully implemented in a way that guarantees its full potential and benefits. It also confirms that e-procurement impacts both positively and negatively on the development of SMCFs, and that the systems need to be carefully designed and applied in order to ensure the growth, inclusiveness, sustainability and development of SMCFs in South Africa.Item Determinants influencing adoption of cloud computing by small medium enterprises in South Africa(2017) Matandela, WandaSmall Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are now recognized as the driving force behind most thriving economies. This is mainly attributed to the role they play in most economies in reducing unemployment and their contribution towards Gross Domestic Product. This means that SMEs should have the right resources to enable them to enhance performance. Choosing the right technology to support their businesses is one of the important decisions that SMEs should make. Understanding the benefits and challenges of different technologies is often a problem for most SMEs. One of the new technologies that has gained prominence in recent years is cloud computing. Even though the value associated with this technology has been widely researched especially for large enterprises, the rate at which SMEs adopt cloud computing still remains low. The purpose of this research sought to explore and describe the determinants influencing the adoption of cloud computing by SMEs in South Africa. The study used Technology Organization Environment (TOE) framework as the theoretical lens in understanding the adoption of Could Computing phenomenon. Further, this qualitative exploratory and descriptive study used semi-structured interviews to collect data from five SMEs based in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, operating in different industries and belonging to the National Small Business Chamber. The main factors that were identified as playing an important role in the adoption of cloud computing by SMEs are, relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, awareness, trialability, culture, top management support, size, regulation and trade partner relationship. It is worth noting that there was not enough evidence that competitive pressure played a significant role in SME cloud adoption.Item Business process improvements and innovations in support service processes and the effective measurement of their impact on the performance of manufacturing firms in South Africa(2017) Husvu, MunyaradziManufacturing companies have challenges implementing business process improvements and innovations (BPI) on support service processes effectively and find it difficult to measure the impact of such interventions on the overall performance of the organisation. Measurement of the impact of BPIs on overall performance of manufacturing companies is problematic due to the inadequacy of BPI metrics for support services. Furthermore, there are no universally accepted frameworks available for the measurement of the impact of improvements on support service processes on the performance of manufacturing companies. While there are frameworks available for performance measurement in general, they are not specific to measurement of the impact of BPIs in manufacturing support service processes. An initial exploratory study, based on an online survey of 50 companies that would typically conduct BPI or where known to the researcher to have conducted BPIs recently, was conducted to explore the nature of BPIs in manufacturing support service processes in South Africa. A second longer online survey was then conducted with 1000 respondents in manufacturing companies selected through expert sampling to further explore the nature and impact of BPIs in manufacturing support service processes considering selection of support service processes, the types and number of support service processes as well as BPI traditions and methodologies in use within manufacturing companies. In addition, four companies were selected for in-depth case studies in which ten projects were analysed by applying within case and cross case analysis The results of the surveys, the case studies and a revisit to the case companies were used to refine successive iterations of a theoretical framework initially developed from the literature. The framework provides a set of guidelines and actions for manufacturing companies to effectively conduct BPIs on manufacturing support service processes a basis from which the impact of improvements in manufacturing support service processes on manufacturing companies can be measured by providing the measurement areas to consider and a set of high level measures to use as high level indicators. Finally, the framework was checked for completeness using recommended criteria derived from the literature and was found to be complete and suitable as it met all the criteria for good measurement systems defined in the literature sources used in this study.Item Second generation innovation and academic research productivity in South African universities(2016) Rubin, AsafIt has been suggested that a global ‘Second Generation’ of innovation (SGI) is required in order to address the deficiencies of contemporary innovation practice. In the commercial context, contemporary innovation practice is often constrained by market forces and the profit mechanism, effectively resulting in stagnation in the innovation pipeline. As a consequence, many potentially profitable and beneficial innovations are not pursued. SGI is a proposed new paradigm that makes use of open innovation, open source and crowdsourcing in order to extricate the full potential of distributed knowledge systems to ultimately ameliorate the free flow of knowledge and innovation. Much of SGI theory relates to pharmaceutical research but there exists a paucity of literature that applies SGI theory in the academic research context, where similar problems exist. It has been purported that academic research is inherently non-innovative and the occurrence of ‘academic failure’, or the inability of academia to produce innovative research output is a serious concern. In order to examine the relationship between SGI and academic research, a mixed methodology approach, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies has been used. First, a model of relationships between important theoretical concepts was derived from the literature. Next, a questionnaire survey was distributed to a sample of 529 academic researchers across South African universities and research institutions in order to gauge potential ‘SGI Propensity’ in relation to academic research output (or productivity) along with all other relevant variables in the literature-derived model. It is argued that the relationship between SGI Propensity and academic research productivity can provide a clear indication of the potential of SGI in the South African academic context. Aggregated data collected from this sample was then tested using a variety of statistical tests, including correlation analysis, hierarchical multiple regression, as well as tests of moderation and mediation. Additionally, a sample of 30 high-ranking South African academic researchers was also sampled for a parallel qualitative study, which occurred through a one-on-one interview process. Results from both studies were recorded, analysed and contrasted. Thereafter, conclusions were drawn and recommendations made.