Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)
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Item Perceived barriers to digitalization by small-scale farmers Gauteng Province(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Choguya, DonaldDigitalization in the fourth industrial revolution era has transformed many industries across the board. However, there are some that have been affected more than the others as depicted in the digital vortex. Lagging is the agricultural sector. This study was a quantitative research study that utilized a sample of 40 small-scale farmers to be representative of the Gauteng Province small-scale farmers. The research related the perceived barriers to digitalization and its impact to the agricultural activities of small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province. The data was analysed using the multiple regression analysis and correlation coefficient. Analysis of the results showed a massive gap between small-scale farmers and commercial farmers on the adoption of digitalization. Further analysis indicated that small-scale farmers were less likely to be impacted by digitalization to adopt technological utilization. It was also found that small-scale farmers were contributors to food production. Finally, it was also discovered that small-scale farmers were less established to adapt and adopt to digitalization in their agricultural activities due to various barriers. The recommendations were that there was need to do more research to find ways to bridge the gap to digitalization between small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province and commercial farmers. So that small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province especially the small-scale farmers in rural areas could also be exposed to the digitalization of operations to enable them to improve productionItem Assessing the effectiveness of the employee health and wellness programme in Gauteng department of education(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Mhangwani, Chrisen Eddie; Malindini, K.Employee Health and Wellness Programmes (EHWPs) were initiated in the public service since 2009 following the Department of Public Service Employee Health and Wellness Strategic Framework 2008 which was later reviewed in 2019 with the idea to proactively enhance the productivity of employees by providing health enhancing preventive strategies which if not provided, may contribute to ill-health absenteeism which have been identified as having significant direct and indirect costs to organisations. Therefore this study sought to assess the effectiveness of the Employee Health and Wellness Programme (EHWP) in Gauteng Department of Education Head Office by exploring the perceptions of GDE employees towards the programme in averting ill-health absenteeism behaviour. The study adopted the qualitative case study to collect data using investigative in-depth qualitative survey targeting hundred (100) GDE employees to explore and understand their perceptions as described by their responses towards the programme. The sample consisted of participants who had experience in utilising the services provided by the employer sponsored EHWP. The idea of using qualitative survey interviews were informed by its strength to collect rich and dense information from multiple sources which in the context of this study were fifteen GDE Districts and Head Office. As theoretical saturation of information is the guiding principle in collecting qualitative data, the researcher ended up interviewing forty (40) participants as there were no divergent views from the survey interview responses. This was done to ensure the reliability of the study by ensuring that the variability of the responses is maintained. The findings of the study reveal the varying perceptions towards the EHWP in averting ill-health absenteeism behaviour showed that it is good in advancing employees’ health and productivity while others hold the view that its implementation is not tractable. Moreover, the lack of employing monitoring and evaluation strategies in implementation and the ethical dilemmas in the provision of this service, have been cited as hindering the effectiveness of the programmeItem Perceptions of Carbon Capture and Storage as a CO2 emissions reduction technology in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Malemane, Gcobisa; Surridge, TonyThis research aimed to establish the perceptions of role-players in South Africa of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. The CCS technology aims to capture CO2 emissions and prevent them from entering the atmosphere. The technology was mandated by Cabinet in 2012. The two role-players chosen for this study are the CO2 emitting Industry and Policy Influencers. The introduction of a new technology presents challenges, especially in its full adoption by those intended to use it. CCS was identified by government as a CO2 reduction technology, but has not been enforced on industry, it has merely been suggested as one of the climate change mitigation options, according to the National Development Plan 2030. Technology alone is not always a factor in its adoption, concerns of regulation, investment, safety and environment always arise. It is therefore of interest to ascertain if the mentioned role-players have the same or a differing understanding and regard for CCS. An aligned perspective is necessary so that each role-player may know its individual contribution to CCS development in South Africa. The study followed a quantitative approach using an electronic platform to reach respondents. The respondents received identical statements and were only differentiated by their sector of employment. The results were analysed using the Fisher’s exact test, suitable for small samples. Statistical significance was determined using p values as evidence against the null hypothesis. Key findings include a sizeable portion of respondents who neither agreed nor disagreed with posed statements. The role-player with the most overall neutral responses was Industry. Policy Influencers seemed to be more confident of their responses. The role-players produced more similar than differing responses. Industry respondents showed a noticeable gap (neutral) in the general knowledge of the CCS technology, compared to the policy influencers’ confidence in the general knowledge of the technology. Both industry and policy influencer are convinced that regulation and cost are potential barriers to the development of the technology in South Africa. Both industry and industry showed neutrality in the notion that CCS will lead to unintended consequences. The key message is that further stakeholder engagement is required between the two role-players, as both the Industry and Policy Influencers are in agreement of what could impede the development of CCS in South AfricaItem An exploration into change management perceptions and approaches of two provincial government departments(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Ndlovu, Zibusiso Khethiwe; Hobden, ChristineChange in the South African public sector is unavoidable due to the turbulent political and economic climate and developing technologies presented to us by the 4th industrial revolution. It is widely acknowledged that organizational change is often plagued by failure, however, this study argues that contextual organisational dimensions such as deep structures and change ownership are frequently overlooked in public sector change management discussions. This prompted a qualitative case study between two Gauteng Provincial Government departments. This design enabled an in-depth exploration of approaches to change management in the two different departments to gain a better understanding of change management approaches within the GPG. Data was collected from recorded 30–60-minute semi-structured interviews with 12 key informants (senior, middle, and junior management staff in the respective provincial departments) identified through purposive criterion & snowball sampling. Interviews were transcribed identifying emerging themes and codes aligned to answering the research questions. Additionally, a desktop review of academic literature, departmental documents, and reports was undertaken to gain deeper contextual understanding and perspective of the GPG change management landscape. The study results revealed that the nature of change is characterised by a lack of ownership and poor reinforcement of change in the GPG. Furthermore, that communication within GPG exists, however, it doesn’t always filter down to the lowest employeesItem Perceptions of human resource practitioners on the value of electronic human resource management: the case of Tshwane metropolitan municipality(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-01) Gwala, Zakhele H.; Nkomo, Emmanuel; Mazingi, ArethaThe current study was conceptualised to extract the views of the human resource practitioners in Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality about the effects of e-HRM on their individual performance. The nature of the research inquiry was to establish whether the introduction of e-HRM in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality resulted in an increased efficiency in business operations and enhanced employee performance. The concept of e-HRM (also known as paperless HRM or green HRM) encompasses the use of paperless systems in all HR occupations such as training, performance management and recruitment. One of the key benefits of e-HRM is to build a viable, globally friendly and competitive advantage through worker commitment (Fındıklı and Bayarçelik, 2015). The study applied a qualitative exploratory research design. It was not the intention of the study to generalise the findings to the study population. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from ten (10) respondents. Thematic coding analysis technique was used to analyse qualitative data that was extracted from the respondents. An ethical protocol was utilised to ensure that respondents were not subjected to any form of harm. The technology acceptance theory was used to underpin the current study. This theory describes how consumers adopt and use technology. A theoretical framework is the fundamental aspect of the research project since it serves as the base upon which all knowledge is constructed and is consistent with the research problem and purpose statement of the study (Kivunja, 2018). The study discovered that human resource practitioners had a positive attitude towards the introduction of e-HRM. Respondents to the study claimed that the introduction of e-HRM enhanced the operational capacity of the municipality. Other respondents were sceptical about the introduction of e-HRM. These respondents feared that e-HRM would cause them to lose their jobs in the long run. Load shedding was identified as the key factor in hampering the smooth utilisation of e-HRMItem Perceived barriers to digitalization by small-scale farmers Gauteng(University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Choguya, Donald; Oba, PiusDigitalization in the fourth industrial revolution era has transformed many industries across the board. However, there are some that have been affected more than the others as depicted in the digital vortex. Lagging is the agricultural sector. This study was a quantitative research study that utilized a sample of 40 small-scale farmers to be representative of the Gauteng Province small-scale farmers. The research related the perceived barriers to digitalization and its impact to the agricultural activities of small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province. The data was analysed using the multiple regression analysis and correlation coefficient. Analysis of the results showed a massive gap between small-scale farmers and commercial farmers on the adoption of digitalization. Further analysis indicated that small-scale farmers were less likely to be impacted by digitalization to adopt technological utilization. It was also found that small-scale farmers were contributors to food production. Finally, it was also discovered that small-scale farmers were less established to adapt and adopt to digitalization in their agricultural activities due to various barriers. The recommendations were that there was need to do more research to find ways to bridge the gap to digitalization between small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province and commercial farmers. So that small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province especially the small-scale farmers in rural areas could also be exposed to the digitalization of operations to enable them to improve production.Item Employee’s perceptions of information sharing for the delivery of services in the city of Tshwane’s customer relations department(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Cooke, Henry; Pooe, Kagiso ‘TK’Information sharing is one of the fundamental tools that enables organisations to deliver services. Since information is such a broad topic, the information referred to in this study is limited to information that is needed to keep citizens informed regarding the delivery of services in the Customer Relations Management Department, regarded as the front office of the City of Tshwane (Tshwane, 2021b). Previous research has showed that lack of information sharing leads to inefficient and ineffective service delivery. It is for these reasons that this study aimed to explore employee’s perceptions of information sharing for the delivery of services in the City of Tshwane’s Customer Relations Department. The study was rooted in practice and social exchange theory, practical theory, and expectancy–value theory. The chosen research approach for this study was the qualitative approach. This study used semi-structured interviews and a non-probability purposive sampling method. Ten participants across the regions of the City of Tshwane took part in this study. Permission was received from the City of Tshwane to conduct the interviews and the Wits School of Governance provided the researcher with ethical clearance. The main research question, "what are employees’ perceptions of information sharing for the delivery services in the City of Tshwane’s customer relations department?” was answered. This study found that the perceptions of employees on information sharing for the delivery of services in the customer relations department in the City of Tshwane were not to the standard required by a local government organisation. Based on these findings, the researcher was able to provide recommendations to the City for Tshwane on information sharing for the delivery of services, and these findings opened up others areas for future research.Item Perceptions of factors affecting growth in the Small-Scale Embedded Solar Photovoltaic sector in South Africa(2022) Hlebela, Meddas CharlesSouth Africa is experiencing electricity shortages due to the various challenges faced by Eskom. This has resulted in Eskom implementing rotational power cuts, commonly known as ‘load shedding’. Small-scale embedded solar photovoltaic systems are ideal in offering immediate solutions to address the current power shortages and to ensure the country’s security of electricity supply. The study utilised the socio-technical transition framework to investigate the perceptions of factors affecting growth in the small-scale embedded solar PV sector in South Africa. The study utilised a qualitative research approach. A total of thirteen (13) interviews were conducted, using a semi-structured interview guide. Purposive sampling, which is sometimes called selective sampling, was utilised for this study. The respondents for this study consisted of stakeholders with significant knowledge, expertise, and interest in the energy industry which included policy, regulation, commercial banks, utilities, financial, energy experts, as well as energy journalists and energy analysts. The findings indicate that socio-technical factors which include institutional, technical, economic, and social factors affect growth of the small-scale embedded solar PV sector in South Africa both positively and negatively. The findings identified the key challenges facing the sector to include lack of funding, regulatory burden, unattractive feed-in tariffs and lack of a clear regulatory framework. The key recommendations of this study include the development of active strategy from government and the regulator to promote the small-scale embedded solar PV sector, the need for shortening or streamlining of the regulatory processes to facilitate establishment of more small scale embedded generations in the country, introduction incentives such as feed-in tariffs and tax incentives, as well as increasing the threshold of small scale embedded generators of more than 1MW to only register and not need a generation licence. The findings confirm that socio-technical factors of institutional, technical, economic, and social factors affect growth of the sector. The growth of the sector is critical and is urgently required to address the electricity supply challenges in South Africa.