Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37778

Browse

Filters

2021 - 20222

Settings

Subject: search.filters.subject.Fourth industrial revolution

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring the inhibitors of digital transformation in the South African Mining Industry
    (2022) Mistry, Kamal
    While there is strong evidence for the drivers of technological disruption in the South African mining industry, understanding the industry's ability to transform digitally, including the adoption levels of digital technologies, becomes key in progressing its digital maturity. This qualitative research inquiry explores the concepts of digital transformation and digital maturity, its application to the South African mining industry, and identifies and explores the inhibitors of digital transformation based on relevant digital maturity and digital adoption models. The research study population is focused on the South African mining industry, which includes various stakeholders. The sampling frame of this research study centres on three key stakeholder groups: mine owners/operators, the mining workforce, and mining contractors, all of whom have a direct influence and impact on the digital maturity and transformation of the South African mining industry at large. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews are used for data collection due to their flexibility in allowing in-depth analysis. This research is based on the perspectives of 15 individuals that are interviewed based on their skills, experience, knowledge, and exposure to digital transformation within the South African mining industry. The unified model of digital maturity has been proven relevant and appropriate for organisations within the South African mining industry in pursuit of an increased level of digital maturity. The study acknowledges the current digital maturity, identifies an aspirational or to-be digital maturity, examines the resultant gaps between the two states of digital maturity, and proposes critical areas of improvement. The significance of this research is to identify and investigate the challenges and complexities involved in developing, implementing, and maintaining digital transformation programs in the South African mining industry, and incidentally, provide critical insights to accelerate the transformation process and increase the industry’s overall digital maturity thereby enabling safe, sustainable, and competitive mining that could reposition South Africa as a world leader in mining once again.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The effect of investments in digital assets on the performance of the company
    (2021) Mofokeng, Senzekile
    The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has been topical for South Africa as one of the strategies to gain a competitive advantage as a country. 4IR comprises artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), virtual and augmented reality, 3D manufacturing, and blockchain. Due to an increase in data volumes, the need for storage capacity and computational power, business intelligence, and cloud computing are also regarded as foundational technologies influencing trends. This study focuses on three categories of 4IR technologies namely, artificial intelligence, business intelligence (BI) & data sciences, nd cloud computing to investigate the share price performance of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Using a quantitative design, an events study methodology is used based on the efficient market hypothesis. This determines whether public announcements made through the stock exchange news service (SENS) result in an increase in the share price and correspondingly market value measured through abnormal returns. The news tested was for a JSE listed company purchase of a target company to acquire digital fourth industrial revolution assets. Four hypotheses were tested, whether share price showed any response to 4IR technology investments. Second, whether share price increase within three days after an announcement. Third, increase in abnormal returns on the day of the news release, and fourth, enquiry into increased abnormal returns three days after the announcement date. Empirical evidence failed to support hypotheses 1, 2,and 4, whereas hypothesis 3 was supported. Significantly, BI data science related announcements could predict an increase in abnormal returns on the day of the announcement as well as the debt ratio. Whilst the adoption of 4IR technologies in South African corporates have increased, from the study one can infer that investors do not perceive a positive effect on wealth and value increase from these investments with the exception of business intelligence and data science investments