Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)
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Item The Enablers and Hinderances of Digital Transformation in a South African Corporate Bank(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Pillay, Jared; Alagbaoso, ManessahThe success of many firms in the age of the fourth industrial revolution depends on the astuteness and pace of their response to digital transformation (DT). DT is a business phenomenon that is yet to be fully understood across industries and sectors. In the banking industry, most research pertaining to DT has focused on retail banking. There is very little research about DT in corporate banks and no research about it in a South African corporate bank, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge. The purpose of this research study was to assess DT in a South African corporate bank (referred to as “CIB”) by focusing on the following objectives: assessing the DT journey of CIB, assessing the digital maturity level of CIB, and investigating the enablers and hinderances of DT in CIB. The study adopted a qualitative research design and used a case study strategy of enquiry. Twelve participants that comprised executives, leaders, and employees of the bank were purposively selected and interviewed to generate rich data. The research findings showed that CIB is a complex environment with customer segments, products, and services that exhibit different characteristics related to volume and variation. CIB has achieved much progress regarding DT in a relatively short while. However, there are hinderances to DT that emanate from an imbalance in top-down and bottom-up strategies, the absence of a unifying digital vision, a conservative approach to innovation, misalignment with the greater banking group, and a lack of consistent basic digital knowledge. At a high level, this study recommends that CIB considers the elements of strategy and vision, people and culture, process and governance, and technology capabilities that are discussed at length in this research report to formulate a unified business strategy and vision for DT amongst other recommendations. The complexity of corporate banking means that DT will most likely have boundaries because of the necessity of physical engagement, and the requirement for human cognitive abilities, creativity, and ingenuity is likely to remain in this environment for longer than in most other sectors and industries.Item Barriers to digital transformation in a South African water utility(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Paima, VeshalThis study offers a qualitative examination of the barriers hindering a leading South African water utility, referred to here as Organisation X, from fully embracing digital transformation. The qualitative case study scrutinises the utility's attempts at digitalising its processes for better efficiency and the significant barriers that disrupt the realisation of its digital initiatives. Through interviews, this study captures the perspective of these challenges from individuals deeply engaged in the digital transformation journey. The findings shed light on the intricate barriers that Organisation X faces, encompassing organisational culture, the integration of new digital tools with existing systems, governance, leadership, impacts on the value chain, and the overarching capacity for innovation. The conceptual framework of this study delves into the relationship between the organisation's strategy and its business model, focusing on how digital transformation can drive value creation by refining business operations. By investigating these factors, the study seeks to deeply understand the barriers that Organisation X faces in its quest to effectively implement digital strategies and advance its digital maturity. Furthermore, by evaluating the operational strategies of Organisation X, the research pinpoints congruencies, and disparities with its digital ambitions