Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Perceived usefulness

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    Attitude and acceptance of Artificial Intelligence technologies in the South African financial services. industry
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Wotela, Ruth Rumbidzai; Maier, Christoph
    Despite Artificial Intelligence (AI) being topical, the successful adoption of AI technologies within organisations has been slower than expected. Literature and past research highlights the mixed and contradictory views and findings regarding employees’ attitude and acceptance of AI technologies, which challenge the successful implementation and use of AI technologies. Further, research on employees’ attitude and acceptance of AI technologies in emerging market economies, such as South Africa, and specifically within mandatory settings is limited. The purpose of this research was to investigate and determine factors influencing employees’ attitude and acceptance of AI technologies amongst employees within the financial services industry, where the use of AI technologies is mandatory. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework were integrated and extended. This quantitative research study used a cross-sectional design. An online survey was distributed to employees within financial services organisations. A total of 410 valid responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis. Textual responses from the open-ended questions were categorised and presented visually in the form of word clouds. The research results indicate that each of the technological, individual, organisational, and environmental factors have a significant positive effect on attitude towards use of AI technologies. Multiple regression and stepwise regression analysis were used to identify the most influential determinants of attitude towards use of AI technologies from all the technological, individual, organisational and environmental factors. The results indicate that employee wellbeing, competitive pressure, perceived usefulness, management support, perceived ease of use, organisational justice and customer pressure are key determinants of attitude towards the use of AI technologies. The attitude-acceptance relationship is confirmed, as attitude towards use of AI technologies positively influences the acceptance of AI technologies. Although employees’ job roles do not moderate the relationship between attitude and acceptance of AI technologies, their experience with using AI technologies does. Based on these findings the ITOE model for implementing AI technologies is developed, and can be used to facilitate the successful implementation and use of AI technologies. The implications of this research, as well as recommendations for organisations and future research are also discussed.
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    Drivers of the use of AI-powered tools in academic research: A study of university students in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ngomane, Danisile Priscilla; Dorson, Thomas Anning
    The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various sectors, including education, has garnered significant attention due to its potential to enhance productivity, accuracy, and innovation. There has been a notable lack of research focusing on students' adoption of AI tools in research settings, within the context of South Africa. The primary objective of this study was to provide insights to inform strategies aimed at facilitating the effective implementation of AI-powered technologies within the academic research landscape. The study employed a theoretical framework grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which provides a foundation for understanding individuals' acceptance or rejection of technology. The study aimed to investigate the drivers influencing university students' utilisation of AI tools in educational research settings. Adopting a positivist research philosophy, the study utilised a quantitative research design as the primary inquiry strategy. This involved the administration of a research survey to collect and analyse numerical data, enabling the testing of hypotheses, identification of patterns, and quantification of relationships between variables. The study employed a cross-sectional time horizon and utilised convenience sampling to administer a survey questionnaire to 271 final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students at Witwatersrand University. Analysis of the collected data using descriptive and inferential statistics revealed several key findings. A positive attitude towards utilising AI tools was found to be driven by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, prior knowledge, and awareness about the tools. This relationship was moderated by factors such as trust and self-efficacy. The AI tools were primarily utilised for tasks such as searching and summarising articles, writing, editing grammar, and making unbiased judgments about articles. Importantly, students were influenced by the perceived benefits derived from using specific AI tools, and the ease of use associated with these tools. This research study findings suggest that promoting awareness of AI tools among university students has the potential to enhance research outcomes, improve scholarly efficiency and increase overall effectiveness. As the demand for AI technologies continues to grow, integrating them into higher education settings holds promise for unlocking substantial benefits and transforming the academic research landscape.
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    The Importance of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) on Customer Experience in the South African Financial Sector
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mndebele, Thandekile; Chalomba, Nakuze
    Robotic process automation (RPA) is a technology that enables businesses to automate repetitive business functions that are considered mundane in order to boost productivity and reduce expenses. Digital transformation, more specifically RPA, has received increased attention in the financial sector because of its potential to improve user and customer satisfaction. This study investigates how RPA affects customer experience in the financial sector in South Africa. A quantitative research approach was used in the study, which included an analysis of the data collected from 215 South African participants against a review of the current existing literature on the RPA subject matter. According to the results, the variables that drive RPA adoption can enhance the customer experience by increasing perceived usefulness, boosting reliability and availability, increasing perceived security, and enhancing perceived ease of use. However, RPA adoption is still in the early stages in the South African financial sector, and there are a number of obstacles to it, including concerns about data and job security. Additionally, to increase the adoption rates in order for financial services providers to fully gain the benefits of RPA, the businesses will need to confront the adoption barriers and make the necessary investments in infrastructure and resources. This study adds to the understanding of how RPA can enhance the customer experience within the financial sector and offers insightful intelligence to any South African business already making use of or considering to use RP
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    Adoption of embedded subscriber identity module (ESIM) technology services by South African smartphone users for international roaming
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Singh, Sharon
    The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the intention to adopt ESIM (embedded SIM) technology for international roaming services by South African smartphone users. Currently, the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is a physical hardware with an integrated chipset that is inserted into mobile handsets. Physical SIM cards allow a single profile to be provisioned for users. The next evolution in SIM card technology, ESIM, have the capability to support multiple user profiles. The development of services and new business models enabled through ESIM technology is dependent on the willingness of users to adopt these services. A theoretical model was developed using TAM as a basis with the additional constructs of trust and risk to test the intention to adopt international roaming services. A cross-sectional, quantitative study using an online survey instrument was employed. A sample size of 142 was collected. The sampling method used was a non-probability, convenience sampling technique and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to examine the reliability and validity of the measures and the main conceptual model was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were identified as the most significant factors that influence the intention to adopt ESIM roaming services. Perceived usefulness was identified as significant mediating variable between perceived ease of use and intention to adopt. Perceived risk presented as statistically significant, direct influences on intention to adopt. The trust factor had an insignificant influence of the intention to adopt. The study’s findings form a basis for future research on ESIM enabled services. These findings are relevant to mobile operators, technology platform owners and developers of services for ESIM enabled devices (smartphones, wearables and internet of things devices) with the intent to understand factors that drive users’ intention to adopt service