Wits Business School (ETDs)

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    Evaluating the impact of outsourcing ICT operations at Road Accident Fund
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Chonco, Siphephelo Francis; Munkuli, Bongani
    The Road Accident Fund (RAF) receives a high number of claims as a result of major road accidents. This required RAF to change its business model to meet consumer demand (claimants) and to enhance the internal processes. This is done through outsourcing services from highly specialized entities. According to Hati̇Poğlu (2015), outsourcing has evolved as a strategic option for attaining organizational goals through cost management and to sustain and maintain competitive advantage. The organization is forced to outsource various service to acquired insufficient skills and knowledge within the company. However, at the end of outsourced services contract, RAF usually remain without the knowledge and skills required to continue with service maintenance. This study aims to evaluate the impact of outsourcing ICT operations and to evaluate skills sharing between employees during outsourcing. Based on a review of the literature in the benefits of skills transfer during outsourcing, structured interviews were conducted to ICT specialist and junior managers. Participant were selected based on experience of outsourcingand ICT qualification. The analysis of the responses demonstrated that consultants were not willing to share information and, service providers dispatched unskilled consultant. The analysis further indicated that there was lack of management support, inadequate infrastructure to store knowledge and lack of policy enforcement from the management. The results indicate that management does not enforce or develop policies for knowledge sharing during outsourcing. On this basis, it is recommended that the organization must improve good relationship with the service provider and must ensure that there are policies in place which will easily enable knowledge sharing. Further research is needed to develop a model that will monitor a successful knowledge sharing processes. The study is limited to one organisation, and it followed a single case study research strategy. Thus, the findings might have been influenced by the unique characteristics of the organisation, even though the study was based on solid theories. Caution must be taken not to generalise the findings to other organisations with different characteristics
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    Digital Global Business Services: A diversification prospect for South African telecoms operators owning submarine cables
    (University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Ntseuoa, Pontso
    With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and digital transformation, telecommunications operators core business has become gradually commoditised with most of their revenues being cannibalised by “edge-players” who render innovative digital services, piggyback on telecoms operators’ connectivity infrastructure, whilst easily bypassing them to reach the industry’s lucrative client base. This poses a problem as the diminishing revenues of the telecoms operators mean they may not be sustainable in the future and might eventually collapse. This qualitative research explored a potential business case for South African telecoms operators owning submarine cables on how they can possibly diversify into digital Global Business Services (GBS), servicing new international markets, in a quest to expand their revenue generation prospects. Convenient sampling method was employed with the initial data collection, then followed by purposive and snowballing sampling approaches to reach 10 interview participants who are executives in the GBS and telecoms industries. Data was collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews and analysed using theoretical thematic analysis, based on 4 predetermined themes of vendor configurations and strategies, prerequisite strategic resources, prerequisite capabilities, and prerequisite core competencies premised by the study’s conceptual framework. The study found that SA telecoms operators with ownership in submarine cables, do have the potential to successfully diversify into the digital GBS industry servicing new international markets. The study determined that entering the digital GBS industry requires comprehensive market research, understanding of target markets and countries, collaborations, investment in talent, and leveraging of unique assets. The study also recommended that SA telcos should focus on their existing strengths and adapt to evolving digital technologies and global work environments in order to successfully enter into this competitive digital Global Business Services industry