School of Business Sciences (ETDs)
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Item Predictors of Willingness to Participate in E-waste Recycling in Johannesburg: A Case of Electronic and Electric Repair Firms(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Chinomona, Rudo Cynthia ChristineThis study examines the predictor variables of willingness to participate in e-waste recycling in Johannesburg. Nine hypotheses are posited and in order to empirically test them, a sample data set of 307 was collected from Gauteng Province of South Africa. The results indicate that The results of the study reveals that awareness of e-waste hazard, awareness of benefits of e- waste practices and awareness of e-waste policies each have a significant, direct and positive influence on knowledge of e-waste practices and attitude towards e-waste practices. Furthermore, the results revealed that knowledge on e-waste recycling practices and attitude towards e-waste recycling practices each have a direct positive influence on willingness to adopt e-waste recycling practices. Drawing from the study’s findings, managerial implications are discussed and limitations and future research directions are suggested. By and large, this study immensely contributes new knowledge to the existing body of e-waste recycling literature in South Africa - a context that is often most neglected by some researchers in developing countries.Item Mobile banking apps curation: Assessing the factors that influence mobile banking’s continuous use amongst Millennials and Generation Z(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mashishi, Neo; Zulu, MelissaThe proliferation of mobile banking platforms and the widespread use of intelligent devices like smartphones and tablets have caused a paradigm change in the banking industry in recent times. Millennials and Generation Z (Gen Z), dubbed the "digital natives," make up most of these service consumers. Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly using mobile banking apps, which has transformed how financial services are delivered. Nevertheless, despite being widely adopted, banks need help to ensure the continuous use of these apps to sustain a devoted and loyal consumer base while competing in the market. This study, therefore, investigates the factors influencing Millennials and Gen Z's continuous use of mobile banking applications. Five theoretical frameworks have been adopted to direct the research inquiry: Computers As A Social Actor (CASA), Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT-IS), Social Response Theory (SRT), Task Technology Fit (TTF), and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study adopted these frameworks based on their theoretical and empirical applicability and ability to provide perspectives into the variables impacting Millennials and Gen Z's continuous use of mobile banking apps. The study employed SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for the analysis of descriptive statistics. To validate the theoretical model and investigate the interactions between variables, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). PLS-SEM, Smart PLS software was used to assess the validity and reliability of the constructs as well as the strength and importance of the proposed paths in the structural model was made possible by the PLS-SEM methodology. This provided an overview of the dataset and made it possible to do a thorough analysis by outlining important features like means, frequencies, and standard deviations. The research used quota sampling for a sample size of 505 participants. The study's conclusions indicate that there is a substantial correlation among perceived anthropomorphism, expectation confirmation, service quality of mobile applications, mobile banking app satisfaction, technology fit, and consistent usage of mobile banking apps. The study’s goal is to advance our understanding of the field of banking and financial services marketing. The banking sector can apply the findings and insights to differentiate its offerings from its competitors and gain a competitive edge while potentially boosting profitability.Item Embracing technology to rejuvenate South African mining: a comparative case study analysis of a South African and an Australian mining firm(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Vink, Tarryn; Callaghan, ChrisIt is well recognised that the mining industry is the historic bedrock of the South African economy. However, since 2000 the industry has shown signs of decline that include, inter alia, a slowdown in growth along with productivity issues. Since South Africa (SA) lags behind its global competitors in terms of technological innovation and implementation; many leaders in the mining industry are of the view that the increased use of technology will arrest this decline and restore the mining industry to a stronger position in the South African economy. What is, however, not fully understood is the extent to which technological change is contextually path dependent. This meaning that technological change in an industry is restricted by past events which enhance its resistance to change. This results in a lack of knowledge regarding how best to manage technological change. This would include understanding the most suitable implementation methods for certain contexts. The intention of this dissertation is to explain why firms in the South African mining industry lag behind their global competitors in terms of technological adoption. It aims to understand how differing contextual factors influence mining firms’ behavior, that, in turn, has an industry- level effect. It aims to understand how firms should manage this technology properly to optimise its interaction with its environment. Additionally, it aims to understand which theoretical approach, in relation to technological change, mining firms should follow to properly navigate their technological trajectories in light of contextual imperatives. The unit of analysis in this methodology is at the firm level. It takes specific contextual factors into account to determine which method of implementation is more appropriate for new technological advancements. This was executed by conducting two methodology phases. Phase 1 of the methodology which consisted of a holistic comparative case study analysis of a South African and an Australian mining firm. This study phase analysed archival documents that tracked changes in the responses of these mining firms over time. This was conducted using information from their financial statements and company reports, with the aim of investigating how these matched the government and environmental contexts seen in policy and country related documents. Phase 2 of the methodology comprised a qualitative analysis that used individual interviews in an attempt to develop useful insights that contextualise and support the findings of Phase 1. Various theoretical predictions have been derived in the form of propositions. The theory thus inductively developed has been used to answer some how and iii why questions about the strategic responses of firms to contextual imperatives. The study therefore produced a holistic analysis illustrating how each firm engaged with its respective contexts and how this may have resulted in path dependant relationships regarding technological innovation. The research emphasises that the South African mining industry's lag in technological adoption compared to global competitors could be attributed to an imbalanced innovation focus and a restrictive business context. It suggests that firms should address their technological and contextual needs separately to effectively manage innovation. The findings also stress that incremental improvements alone, are unlikely to enable a catch-up up with global leaders. Instead, radical interventions are necessary to shift the current trajectory toward one that prioritises productivity to achieve social objectives, enabling a plausible catch up.Item Perceptions and Adoption Trends of Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio Construction and Management in the Financial Services Industry of South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Agjee, Zeyn; Horney, SylvesterThe adoption of Artificial intelligence (AI) in portfolio construction promises to revolutionise financial services, offering opportunities to enhance efficiency, foster innovation, and drive disruptive change. This qualitative study investigates the perspectives and adoption trends of AI-driven portfolio construction methods among South African financial services organisations. The research uncovers attitudes, challenges, and aspirations surrounding AI adoption through in-depth interviews with nine industry professionals. The study finds that while there is widespread enthusiasm within the industry for AI adoption in portfolio construction and the industry, professionals express reservations about trust, lack of understanding, data challenges, costs and AI's efficacy in navigating the complexities of the South African market. The study highlights complexities in AI adoption, including transparency, regulatory compliance, accountability, data considerations, overfitting issues, human-machine interactions, lack of agility in companies and potential job displacement concerns. Despite the increasing acceptance of AI in investment management, significant obstacles persist, necessitating concerted efforts to address problems and cultivate trust and openness within the industry. The paper presents valuable insights into the patterns of AI adoption in South Africa, offering practical recommendations for industry practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. It emphasises the importance of trust-building strategies among industry practitioners, highlighting the need for transparent communication and ethical considerations throughout AI adoption. Additionally, the paper underscores the role of policymakers in developing regulatory frameworks that promote responsible AI integration, advocating for guidelines that uphold ethical principles and protect consumer rights Further, there is a call for continued support for research and development efforts tailored to the South African market, aiming to address specific challenges and foster innovation in AI technologies. Overall, the findings emphasise the necessity of collaboration between stakeholders to ensure the ethical and widespread practical adoption of AI in South Africa's financial sectorItem An empirical study of perceived usefulness, ease of use, risks and the intention to use mobile marketing by millennials in Botswana(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Shukla, Shuchita; Mgiba, FreddyThe use and impact of mobile marketing platforms have significantly increased in the Botswana market over the last few years, especially during the nationwide lockdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. To better understand this, this research applied the technology acceptance model (TAM) and social penetration theory (SPT) to study the impact of perceived usefulness, ease of use and risks on millennials' intention to use mobile marketing in Botswana. The findings of this study showed that (a) perceived pessimism and privacy issues do not have a negative impact on the final intention to use mobile marketing platforms, while (b) perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, financial issues and invasiveness does have an impact on the user’s final intention to use mobile marketing platforms. The results of this study offer academic and managerial implications that can contribute to businesses engaged in or intending to engage in mobile marketing strategiesItem “Communication Agents Impacting Consumer Green Training and Competencies: Moderating Role of Creativity”(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Piperidis, Konstantinos Georgios; Duh, Helen InsengMarketing management scholars are examining the extent to which knowledge, skills and competencies in environmental management assist in protecting the environment while gaining economic benefits. However, there are questions as to the communication agents developing the green training and resultant competencies. Thus, this dissertation employs the Ability- Motivation-Opportunity (AMO), Socialisation, and Natural-Resource- Based-View (NRBV) theories that guided the development of a conceptual model to examine the extent to which four socialisation agents (peer, family school, and media) impacted green training and ultimately green competencies. The research also examined the mediating role of green training and the moderating role of green creativity in how much green training drives green competencies. Quantitative data was collected from 425 students and non-student respondents through online questionnaires. SPSS was used to examine descriptive statistics and SmartPls was used to conduct structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for the testing of the hypotheses. The results revealed that the socialisation agents (i.e., peer, family, school, and media) significantly impacted green training, which in turn significantly impacted six dimensions of green competencies (i.e., green knowledge, green skills, green awareness, green ability, green attitude, and green behaviour). Green training mediated all the relationships between the socialisation agents and green competencies. Consumer creativity significantly moderated the relationships between green training and the awareness and knowledge dimensions of green competencies even though negative. Environmentalists and consumer interest groups would benefit from this study by identifying the communication agents that can best train consumers to consider the environment in their consumption behaviours and develop competencies in assisting in environmental protection. Marketing practitioners and social marketers can also benefit from the knowledge of which communication agents can be best targeted to educate customers and develop their green competencies, while their green creativity makes its influence.Item The Application of Robotics in Deep Level Mining in South Africa and its Influence on Health and Safety(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Gaokgorwe, Tebogo; Gobind, JenikaApplication of robotics in mining operations particularly in deep mining is considered to be challenging when factoring the impact of health and safety in day to day operations. Majority of the employees in South Africa’s mining industry have low training levels, unskilled work content as well as large figures of underground employees labouring for survival at lower-end cost curves and excessive exposure to deprived underground conditions. The rising demand for mineral products is compelling mining companies to go deeper in mines even where such increase in the depth results in higher costs, risks, and a further decline in the conditions of working. This paper examines the current application of robotics in deep level mining, discusses the challenges in robotics adoption and their influence in health and safety. Trusting on the qualitative content analysis methodology the study adopted to interview participants and collect data from the mining journals for sampling and data collection. The findings suggest that although deep-level mines have embraced an increase in robotics and extensive methods due to global competition and the need for better access to mineral reserves trends in productivity in the gold mining industry remains unchanged for a long period and mining labour remains impacted by slow technological advancement. Inadequate application of robotics and developed control policies and measures for dealing with occurring mining disasters are some of the key challenges with the robotics adoption. The application of robotics will allow all safety experts to plan for exploration, extraction, optimisation of operations and worker monitoring as well as protection. The limitations of the study is that there are few current publications peer reviewed articles and the prevailing literature is old for the current research. The study concludes that there is a gradual advancement of technical capacities in deep-level mining. The main technical challenges to the application of robotics is the availability, reliability as well as fail-safe operations of robotics. Lastly robotics will improve exploration, mapping of mining operations as well as worker equipment. The study recommends future studies on comprehensive approaches to the socio-economic effect of robotics mechanisation and application in deep-level miningItem Organisational culture, innovation, and environmental performance in South African iso 14001 certified organisations(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022-06) Nokaneng, Tshepo Isaiah; Callaghan, ChrisThis study investigates the link between organisational culture, innovation, and organisational environmental performance, with a focus on South African ISO 14001-certified organisations. The study uses Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory and the competing values framework to make predictions and collects empirical data from 400 SABS-certified organisations using PLS-SEM. The findings are of interest to academics, organisations, and researchers and have potential for future studies to build upon. The study found that human resource management (HRM) policies are more effective in cultures that prioritise collectivism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and developmental and rational culture. Labour relations also predict innovation and organisational environmental performance (OEP). The Schwartz individual values (SIV) model shows that age predicts openness to change, and the industrial sector predicts intrinsic satisfaction factors, conservation, and self enhancement values. Position predicts intrinsic satisfaction, conservation and self-enhancement values, openness to change, self-transcendence, and extrinsic satisfaction. Organisational tenure negatively predicts conservation and self- enhancement values, openness to change, self-transcendence values, and intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction. The industrial sector positively predicts individual environmental performance. These findings can aid policymakers, managers students, researchers, and practitioners in enhancing innovation, OEP, individual environmental performance (IndEP) and contributing to sustainability management literature using Hofstede cultural dimensions theory (CDT), competing values framework (CVF), Schwartz's values and motivational factors. This study provides evidence of the effects of cultural dimensions on OEP and identifies mediating or moderating factors. The findings offer knowledge to improve OEP, inform policymakers, and add value to managers, students, researchers, and practitioners. The study aids in implementing and improving environmental management systems, thus enhancing OEP. It also provides insights into using Schwartz's values and motivational factors that could enhance IndEP and contribute to the sustainability management literatureItem Factors Influencing Artificial Intelligence Adoption in South African Organisations: A Technology, Organisation, Environment (TOE) Framework(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Hoosen, Kaneez Fathima; Cohen, JasonArtificial intelligence (AI) refers to the formation of machines that mimic human intelligence and encompasses various technologies. AI technology is changing the landscape for South African organisations and how they operate. Using current literature and other online reports by auditing firms, the study aimed to identify a suite of AI technologies used by South African organisations. Technologies such as robotic process automation, image and speech recognition, machine learning and chatbots were defined. In addition, this research paper investigated the factors influencing AI technology adoption by South African organisations. The technology, organisation and environment factors of the TOE framework were examined to understand adoption decisions. It was important to close this gap as lack of understanding of how factors influence AI decisions, and an undefined suite of AI technologies could impact adoption decisions. A cross sectional relational research design was chosen for the study. A survey instrument was used and administered through a web-survey to 252 IT decision makers or IT leaders from South African organisations who served as key informants for their organisations. Responses were received from 55 organisations. Reliability and validity tests were used to evaluate the consistency and reliability of the data and to evaluate whether measures correctly represent the variables that they intend to measure. Correlation analysis, stepwise and multiple regression were used to test the hypotheses of the conceptual model. It was found that of the suite of AI technologies, robotics process automation followed by machine learning and image recognition had the highest levels of adoption. Results showed that data availability and top management support were supported as the most significant technology, organization, environment (TOE) factors influencing AI technology adoption in South African organisations. It was found that perceived technology benefits, IT infrastructure, resource capability and normative pressure were also strongly correlated to AI technology adoption. Financial resources and competitive pressure were not supported as determinants. Artificial intelligence is receiving much attention in both practice and research. This study addresses the gap in the current body of knowledge on AI adoption in South Africa by making use of the TOE framework to study adoption of artificial intelligence technologies in organisations. Useful insights are provided to South African organisations so that they can benchmark their adoption against other industry players and manage their response to those factors most significant for AI adoptionItem Investigating factors that influence online purchase behaviour using Augmented and Virtual reality in the South African furniture industry(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mankhili, Mulalo Lusan; Zulu, MelissaIn South Africa, the furniture industry plays a significant role in the country's economy, contributing to Growth Domestic Product (GDP) and employment rates. As the trend of online shopping continues to gain popularity, integrating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies into the retail sector has become increasingly important. Research has demonstrated that these technologies can offer a competitive edge to brands operating in the furniture sector. Consequently, this study aims to explore the factors influencing the adoption of AR and VR in the South African furniture industry. According to a report from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTIC), the South African furniture industry has experienced a decline in recent years, with consumers shifting towards purchasing furniture online through e-commerce platforms. Given the growing significance of e-commerce, it is imperative for businesses to understand the determinants of consumers' online purchasing behaviour to enhance their online sales performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the utilisation of AR and VR technologies can impact online purchase behaviour by dissecting the various factors influencing AR and VR adoption. To achieve this, the study has incorporated three theoretical frameworks: the Stimulus Organism Response theory (S-O-R), the Uses and Gratification theory (UGT), and the Flow theory. The research has identified several constructs derived from these theories to examine the interrelationships and influences among hedonic and utilitarian benefits, decision comfort, spatial presence, perceived intrusiveness, personal privacy concerns, mental imagery, perceived social presence, brand attitude, VR adoption, online purchase intention, and purchase behaviour. Data was collected from 400 South African online furniture customers, and the study utilised the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the relationships betweenthese variables. The study formulated eleven hypotheses, of which nine were supported. The findings revealed that hedonic and utilitarian benefits, decision comfort, spatial presence, mental imagery, perceived social presence, brand attitude, and VR adoption have an influence on online purchase behaviour. However, perceived intrusiveness and personal privacy concerns had no influence on online purchase intentions when using AR apps. This suggests that consumers' concerns about intrusiveness and privacy may not significantly affect their purchase intentions when interacting with AR technology. Additionally, the research highlights the roles of brand attitude and VR adoption as mediators between mental imagery and online behaviour and between iii perceived social presence and online purchasing behaviour. These findings offer valuable insights for businesses seeking to refine their online sales strategies and have the potential to contribute to the growth and development of the South African furniture industry