School of Business Sciences (ETDs)

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    Competitiveness and Profitability of e-Hailing Vehicle Ownership in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Balekwa, Bingo; Malikane, Christopher
    A qualitative research method is employed to examine the competitiveness and profitability of owning an Uber and/or Bolt vehicle(s) in the e-hailing industry, in South Africa. In-person interviews were conducted with the use of unstructured paper-based questionnaire, on which participants’ responses were recorded. Porter’s Five Forces model is adopted as the research theoretical framework. A total of eight randomly selected participants from Uber and Bolt were involved in the study. Four interviews were conducted in the city of Johannesburg, in the Gauteng province, and four in the city of Durban, in the province of KwaZulu Natal, in South Africa. The results are based solely on the Uber and Bolt drivers’ personal experiences and perceptions. Part of the data was recorded from the Uber and Bolt drivers’ applications installed on the cellular phone device, that are used to conduct business. The results show that profits are significantly low, with the lowest monthly profit of just over R900, for one vehicle. All drivers interviewed, operated with fully owned vehicles that were not financed through debt. Competition is significantly fierce in the e-hailing industry in South Africa, with each Uber or Bolt vehicle driver having only 10% - 20% probability of securing business at any instance on a normal day. Lack of stringent regulations by the government, in the industry, also gives rise to unfair competitive advantage for (and rivalry between) some drivers. A lack of barriers to entry is significant, owing to establishment of regulations by the government
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    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, Freddy
    The 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 strategies
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    The effects of coronavirus on SMEs business performance, technology adaptation, financial innovation, and sustainability
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kolobe, Benjamin; Maisela, Sikhumbuzo
    Businesses have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in significant economic hardship. An analysis of COVID-19's impact on Small Medium Sized enterprises (SMEs) shows that these businesses' and their employees' financial outcomes are probably going to get worse before getting better. The main issue is that small and medium-sized business owners have restricted access to capital and innovative strategies, which has made it challenging for them to deal with the tight constraints. As a result, many SMEs have had to adopt innovative financial and technological strategies to promote sustainability and prevent closure (Puddister & Small, 2020). This study examines the impact on business performance, technology adaptation, financial innovation, sustainability, and lockdown restrictions of SMEs during the pandemic. An online questionnaire with 30 closed-ended questions was administered to entrepreneurs in the retail sector across Gauteng. The following inquiries are addressed in the study: What impact has the coronavirus had on SMEs' ability to do business? How has technology adoption improved small and medium- sized enterprises' performance during the coronavirus lockdowns? Is there a chance that financial innovation may sustain SMEs throughout the pandemic? Has the coronavirus epidemic affected SMEs' ability to survive? Using non-parametric tests, the researcher examined the correlations between the independent and dependent variables for each of the four hypotheses using IBM SPSS. The associations between the variables were examined using inferential statistics such as Spearman's rho correlation function, multinominal logistic regression, generalized linear model, and ordinal linear regression. All four of the hypothesis' correlations were determined to be significant. This study suggests that fostering financial inclusion, promoting technology adoption through training and grants, and encouraging innovative financial approaches can empower SMEs to navigate pandemic challenges and build resilience. Proactive policy interventions and support systems tailored to SMEs are crucial to mitigating the pandemic's economic consequences and promoting long-term sustainability
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    “Communication Agents Impacting Consumer Green Training and Competencies: Moderating Role of Creativity”
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Piperidis, Konstantinos Georgios; Duh, Helen Inseng
    Marketing 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.
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    The Role of Leadership in the Implementation of Strategic Projects in a Commercial Bank in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Mutshinya, Phathutshedzo; Wotela, Kambidima; Matshabaphala , Johnny
    This research highlighted the role of leadership in the delivery of strategic projects in a commercial bank setting. The research followed a quantitative research strategy whereby a sample of a commercial bank was approached to gather their insights and perceptions of the leadership role in the implementation of strategic projects. The views of commercial bank employees were analyzed to identify gaps that existed in the leadership behaviours and traits currently adopted in the banks. Findings from this research confirmed that there are indeed gaps in the leadership role that leave room for improvement for a more successful outcome of the strategic project implementation. The study highlighted that leaders in a commercial bank should lean towards agility to guide and support towards a more successfully implementation of strategic projects
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    Determinants of credit risk on residential mortgage loans in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2020) Mbulana, Alikho; Mthanti, Thanti
    Residential mortgages are an important asset class for banks as these assets provide the majority of bank’s income. By the nature of issuing loans to customers, this asset class also presents the greatest risk to the banks and as a result, banks need to constantly evaluate and review credit risk in order to ensure dynamic response strategies that curb losses and achieve sustainable profits. This study aims to investigate factors influencing credit risk on residential mortgage loans in South Africa. A regression analysis was conducted to capture the influence of both macroeconomic and bank specific factors on loans that have been in arrears for less than 89 days and on loans that have been in default for more than 90 days; using monthly data from an undisclosed bank over a period of eight years, 2010 to 2018. The results show that Housing Price Index, Unemployment, Household Disposable Income, Bank’s Capitalization and Operational Efficiency are the only significant determinants for non-performing residential mortgage loans that are less than 89 days. Credit Quality, Inflation, Unemployment, Household Disposable Income, Bank’s Capitalization, Operational Efficiency and are the main determinants of the non-performing residential mortgage loans greater than 90 days
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    Bancassurance on commercial banks and life insurance in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mapena, Thabang; Hoohlo, Mphekeleli
    The increase in competition and the scramble for customers in the financial industry has led to the convergence of banking and insurance to form what is known as Bancassurance. Bancassurance, as the name suggests is the distribution of insurance products using bank platforms. Although two parties get into the bancassurance agreement in search of some mutual gains, it comes with unintended consequences which among other things affect the banking efficiency of banks. This study assesses the efficiency changes brought about by Bancassurance in the SADC commercial banks. Using Data Envelopment analysis with the return to scale, an analysis was done on 21 banks with active insurance income on a case and control methodology. The results showed insurance income having no impact on the regional banks’ efficiencies. The income insurance however had an impact on some banks’ returns to scale
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    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, Jenika
    Application 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 mining
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    Coaching as a practice to develop and support social service professionals in the Gauteng Provincial Government
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Hartmann, Amanda Marié; Magida, Ayanda
    This research explored how Social Service Professionals (SSPs) in the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) perceive the role of coaching as a practice to develop and support the professionalisation of SSPs in the said department. For this basic qualitative study, semi-structured interviews assisted with data collection from fifteen (15) participants employed as SSPs in GDSD. Key findings are that coaching as a practice is non-existent for SSPs in GDSD and that the critical success factors for coaching in GDSD are no different from that in any other organisation. Most participants supported the contribution that coaching could be a practice to develop and support service professionals. Participants further indicated they would prefer a layered approach to introducing coaching to specific levels of staff in the SSP category. Participants favoured a systematic introduction of coaching to ensure its long-term sustainability and highlighted the organisational and personal hindrances that could impact its adoption and effectiveness as a practice
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    Business process management and innovation dynamics in a South African Bank
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Chang, Kai-Ruin; Mzyece, Mjumo
    Innovation has been a topical focus for banks in achieving strategic value through new products development, efficient processes and improved services. Whilstdriving innovation, banks are however faced with barriers such as inertia exerted by legacy systems, unsupportive organisation structures and restrictive mindsets that are too risk avoidant. Thus, how innovation is managed by banks has become critical in overcoming these barriers. Despite business process management (BPM) having an overlapping objective to that of innovation management in achieving efficiency and lowering costs for an organisation, it has developed as a separate discipline to that of innovation management. The purpose of this study is the exploration of integrating BPM principles in innovation management in banks to overcome barriers and provide practical recommendations. The study further aims to contribute to the gap that exists between the body of academic knowledge and what innovation managers are aware of in a South Africa bank context. In this study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with senior employees within a South African bank. The data were further analysed using a qualitative research method to identify and interpret themes based on interviews with subject matter experts and managers in the South African bank. The study has identified the key layers from the total innovation management paradigm and BPM principles that can enable the innovation performance for a bank and raises further areas that can be explored