Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (ETDs)

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Subject: search.filters.subject.SDG-9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 202
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    The Perception of Bookkeepers on the Adoption of robotic process automation in the automotive industry in Gauteng
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Dlamini, Nozipho; Robert, Venter
    Background: The automotive industry in Gauteng, South Africa, stands at the cusp of transformative technological integration, with Robotic Process Automation (RPA) emerging as a key driver of efficiency and innovation. However, the successful adoption of RPA hinges not only on technological prowess but also on the perceptions and attitudes of the Bookkeepers tasked with its implementation and utilization. Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of Robotic Process Automation on bookkeeping staff in Gauteng's automotive industry. By understanding their perspectives, this study aims to investigate the effects of Robotic Process Automation on bookkeeping staff in Gauteng's automotive industry. Method: In the study, a qualitative method approach was employed to comprehensively capture employee perceptions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders across the finance and controlling domains within an automotive company. Data analysis involved thematic coding of interview transcripts and statistical analysis of survey responses to uncover patterns, themes, and correlations. Results: Preliminary findings suggest a diverse range of attitudes towards RPA adoption among Bookkeepers in the Gauteng automotive industry. While some express enthusiasm for the potential efficiency gains and reduced mundane tasks, others harbor concerns regarding job displacement and skill obsolescence. Additionally, organizational culture, leadership support, and communication emerge as critical factors shaping employee perceptions and readiness for RPA implementation. The synthesis of qualitative data provides a rich understanding of the complex interplay between individual attitudes, organizational dynamics, and technological integration in the automotive sector.
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    Integrating Internet of Things into household waste collection processes in Ekurhuleni
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Monobe, Dikeledi; Robert, Venter
    Numerous South African regions face serious waste management difficulties as a result of urbanization, population increase, and ineffective collection systems. Backlogs and inappropriate garbage disposal techniques have resulted, endangering the environment and public health. Reducing inefficiencies and streamlining waste collection procedures are possible with the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The aim of the study was to investigate how adopting IoT can improve household waste collection in Kempton Park, located in the Ekurhuleni municipality of Gauteng province, South Africa. A quantitative research approach was employed utilising a questionnaire to collect primary data from residents. The Technology Acceptance Model is used as the theoretical framework to examine factors influencing IoT adoption. The results provided perceptions on how well-and poorly received IoT-enabled waste management systems are perceived. Difficulties in incorporating IoT into home waste collection mitigate the impact of perceived usefulness and perceived simplicity of use on the variables influencing technology adoption. By addressing hurdles, the study advances our understanding of how IoT might facilitate more effective waste collection. Policymakers and service providers can use the findings as a reference when deciding whether to use smart technologies to solve South Africa's waste management problems
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    The role of digital technologies in enabling subsistence farming in rural KwaZulu Natal
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Zulu, Mamakhethe; Magida, Ayanda
    Food security has grown in importance over the years, ranking among the world’s most pressing issues. High food demand has led to poverty, yet sustainable food production methods have proven effective in reducing it. Because of both macro and micro environmental factors, the adoption of digital technology in agriculture have recently had a significant impact on the global landscape. Digital technologies are assisting in meeting the increasing need for sustainable food production on a worldwide scale. This has been achieved by incorporating several digital technologies such as robotics, automation, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics into agricultural processes to maximize crop yields, lower emissions, and optimize farming inputs. By allowing the traceability of goods and processes, this can enable transition from hard human labour to continually automated processes and thus improving agricultural productivity. This study aimed to investigate how digital technologies can enable subsistence farming in KwaZulu Natal. A qualitative approach was adopted for the research, thirteen participants who were subsistence farmers were interviewed using open ended questions. Thematic approach was used to analyse the findings. The findings revealed that adoption of digital technologies was still in its infancy stages, and this was attributed to socio-economic factors such as lack of digital skills, lack of capital to purchase and maintain farming technologies, access to reliable power sources and water. Incorporating technology into farming practices could lead to innovative farming in the rural communities of KZN who still practice conventional farming methods. By applying digital farming technologies, farmers can obtain precise and up-to-date observations on several factors impacting their yield, including plant health, soil quality, meteorological conditions, and the prevalence of pests and diseases. Digital technologies assist agricultural The role of digital technologies in enabling subsistence farming in rural KwaZulu Natal iii producers and academics to make better judgments by analysing the findings. Data obtained can enhance productivity, cut expenses, and oversee resources. Though unevenly, Southern Africa has been rapidly going digital. But the revolution that digitisation promised has not yet materialised in the food and agriculture sectors. Even if these technologies may still be in their infancy in Southern Africa, policymakers must have a forward-thinking mindset to foster an atmosphere that encourages the usage of digital solutions. Encouraging regulations, infrastructure, expertise, and government assistance will be critical in building the foundational elements required to enable DT in agriculture to flourish. It is important not to undervalue the importance of straightforward, useful, and relevant digital tools in African agriculture, particularly when interacting with farmers in rural arears.
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    Organisational innovation in the public sector: the case of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC)
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Zulu, Bheki
    The project seeks to determine, in the South African context, whether or not public/government agencies have a systematic way of managing of innovation, and if so, to find out if they have method of learning and building innovation capabilities. It highlights possible problems that remain within public sector agencies, the CIPC in particular, with respect to learning and capability building, thereby laying the foundation for a more detailed study to be carried out in the future. The current study further aims to meaningfully contribute to the necessary core skills and teachings in the field of innovation management by trying to improve the understanding of how public sector organisations or government agencies build their internal learning and innovation capabilities. Therefore, the study will make use of two relevant theoretical frameworks, one of which is mostly used to analyse the private sector, that is, dynamic capabilities (DCs), while the other, the Smart Intellectual Property Office Framework (SIPO), is more widespread in the public sector. During the execution of its mandate, the CIPC makes use of technologies and ought to establish its process to optimise its administration and service delivery to the public for both local and international stakeholders. The responsibility of CIPC inter alia, is to administer, regulate and protect Intellectual Property assets and companies in line with requirements derived from a number of legislations/laws that have been in existence for a number of decades. This suggests that the CIPC ought to have the innovation capabilities to deal with issues regarding the technologies it uses and services it provides in executing its mandate. It is also recognised that public sector innovation has a substantial and varied impact on performance with regard to private sector, such as the services provided by CIPC, which include the registration of companies and intellectual property. This study adopted a qualitative approach in analysing the CIPC as a case study. In general, qualitative research methods are quite effective in gathering information that deals with matters that are intangible such as the experiences of the population of interest. In this case, the perspectives of participants provided informed conclusions regarding organisational innovation and its management in the public sector, particularly government agencies. The study was executed using both interviews and the analysis of official documents. iii In conclusion, it was revealed that public organisations that do not nurture learning and the building of coordinative/integrative capabilities risk losing relevance. This is because coordinative/integrative capabilities reflect the ability of an organisation to properly make use of its resources to support the sustainability and constant renewal of the organisation.
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    Understanding The role of digitalisation in funeral insurance claims in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Suliman, Mohamed Ameen; Tweneboah, George
    This research report studies the role of digitalisation in funeral insurance claims in South Africa. The study seeks to understand the benefits as well as the challenges faced by digitalisation in funeral insurance claims in South Africa. A qualitative research study was undertaken within a large funeral insurer based in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees of the organisation who had expert knowledge of funeral insurance claims. Inductive thematic analysis was the method of choice for understanding the results. The study's findings were that digitalisation has a role to play across multiple points in the claims journey. Benefits of digitalisation include driving efficiency of back-end processes with applications like automation of the claims process as well as supporting fraud detection with artificial intelligence. Challenges of digitalisation include the adoption of digital tools by the insurer and the customer, cybersecurity and the socio-economic dynamics of customers in rural areas. Insurers would benefit from digitalising their workflows to unlock efficiencies within their existing claims processes. Customers would benefit from these efficiencies, as well as the enhanced customer experience that digital channels can provide. The study was limited to employees within a single funeral insurer in South Africa. Further study could be to replicate the study across the broader funeral insurance industry, capturing more players within the market. Additionally, further study on the interactions between particular technologies and their effect on the claims process would be valuable
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    The influence of Entrepreneurial Capital on the performance of subcontracting SMMEs in Gauteng, South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2019-03) Rampa, Mmatsatsi; Galawe, Jabulile
    This study explores the prospect of entrepreneurial capital in stimulating SMME performance. It seeks to investigate the use of non-financial capital (entrepreneurial capital) in SMMEs registered under the CIDB, in the general building sector, and its influence on SMME performance. It unpacks the two dimensions of entrepreneurial capital which are entrepreneurial commitment and entrepreneurial competence. This study is a quantitative research, based on a positivism research paradigm. The survey structured research instrument was collected using Qualtrics. The primary data, with a sample size of 377, was distributed using emails and was consolidated via Qualtrics. The data analysis and interpretation was based on descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, exploratory analysis and multiple linear regression analysis. The study was initially designed to analyse the two dimensions (entrepreneurial competence and commitment) collectively with their antecedents (opportunity, relationship, conceptual, organising and strategic competencies); and (normative, continuous and affective commitment) respectively. The survey findings could not converge into a clear multi-dimensional factor structure for each construct. Hence the analysis could only be undertaken at the dimensions level without breaking them down any further into their sub-sets. Entrepreneurial competence was the only one of the two that emerged as the statistically significant predictor of SMME performance. However, both dimensions had a positive influence with business performance, though entrepreneurial commitments’ influence was weak and not statistically significant. SMME owners/managers should continuously advance and assess their specific entrepreneurial competence in order to positively influence their business performance. Policy makers, training and support programmes should align content to specific entrepreneurial competence.
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    Predicting Systematic Risk Using Artificial Neural Networks
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Setloboko, Thabiso; Alovokpinhou, Sedjro Aaron
    Financial institutions and investors are always investigating mathematical models that can enable them to make accurate predictions of time varying variables. For the longest time, statistical and autoregressive models have been at the forefront of forecasting. However, these are only accurate in short horizons; that is, these models are more accurate in daily, weekly, and monthly forecasts. This paper seeks to investigate long-horizon (yearly) forecasts using machine learning models called Artificial Neural Networks. The network uses neurons similar to biological neurons in living things, allowing them to study complex data patterns and retain pattern behaviors that allow them to make accurate predictions. The paper is based on the novel discovery that in forecasting long-horizon time series data, neural networks outperform statistical models significantly. The paper uses market data from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange to represent the emerging and advanced markets, respectively. The forecasted data involves pre and post COVID-19. The shock introduced by the coronavirus is investigated to check if the forecasting ability of the model is affected. The empirical results demonstrate that the models accurately forecast systematic risk in the South African market more than in the American market. The accuracy of the model is measured by using root mean square error and mean absolute error. The model produced low error values for both markets, indicating their effectiveness in forecasting. It was expected that the error measures would consistently get lower as the time horizon increased; however, there were inconsistencies. For a portfolio manager, the results obtained in this research are interesting because the model handles large quantities of data and forecasts long-horizon systematic risk with little error. However, further investigation on this model still needs to be done.
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    The digital maturity of supply chain technology in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Nkwenkwe, Monde; Oba, Pius
    “The most profound technologies are those that disappear... They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it” wrote computer scientist and visionary Mark Weiser nearly 25 years ago in his essay The Computer for the 21st Century (Facchini, 2020, p.39) Agility, resilience, and reliability have emerged as increasingly vital factors in supply chain management, particularly in navigating the complexities of a digitalized landscape. The objective of the study is to assess the digital maturity of supply chain technologies in South Africa, contrasting them with global maturity standards. The study's motivation stems from the need to comprehend the capacity of supply chain networks to meet the growing demand driven by the adoption of e- commerce and other external factors affecting the supply chain. The study on the digital maturity of supply chain technology in South Africa is crucial as it provides a comprehensive assessment of how advanced and integrated digital technologies are within the country's supply chain sector. It highlights the current state of technological adoption, identifying areas where South African supply chains excel and where they lag. This understanding is vital for enhancing operational efficiency, competitiveness, and resilience against disruptions. Furthermore, the study's insights can inform policy making, guide investments, and support businesses in adopting best practices, ultimately contributing to economic growth and sustainability by optimizing resource use and reducing operational costs. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study explores patterns of technology adoption in the supply chain and the resulting maturity of the technology, as per the propositions. The conceptual framework provides a clear delineation of the evolution from a traditional supply chain to a digitalized value chain, integrating technology across various segments of the supply chain network. Furthermore, it elucidates the integration of 4IR technologies such as IoT, robotics, cloud services, and big data analytics and the resultant impact on the efficiencies and effectiveness of the supply chain. Data was gathered through both focus group sessions and individual interviews involving a diverse range of supply chain experts, including individuals from sales, consultancy, implementation, and support teams. The primary finding indicates a consensus in adoption between the global patterns and the south African context. However, it is evident that the maturity level of technology utilization remains in its infancy stage in South Africa. Resilience of the supply chain is limited by the siloed implementation approach of technologies that do not function across the full value chain and data inconsistencies across the value chain prohibiting end to end visibility for efficient fulfilment of consumer requirements. Mature digital implementation of supply chain technology can significantly impact businesses in a positive manner by enhancing efficiency, competitiveness, and strategic decision-making
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    Implications of the just energy transition for employees in the South African coal mining sector
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Njokwana, Zukiswa
    South Africa’s economy is heavily reliant on coal-fired power which greatly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, hence the country’s commitment to shift to renewable energy by 2030 as per the Paris agreement. However, this shift has the potential to leave employees in the coal mining sector uncertain of their jobs, thus, the need to implement the Just Energy Transition (JET) which aims to institute a just and fair transition for coal mining sector employees and affected communities. This research explored implications of the JET for employees in the South African mining energy sector in Mpumalanga province. It assessed employment benefits and challenges of the JET, and also examined forms of organisational employee support for employees in the coal mining sector in South Africa. Ten participants were interviewed and the collected data was analysed using thematic analysis. The data incorporated evidence from participants which revealed that there are employment benefits and challenges of the JET for employees in the coal mining sector in South Africa. The data further exhibited that coal mining sector organisations can play a role in supporting employees in the transition process. In conclusion, the study contributed in revealing the JET implications on the South African coal mining sector employees related to employment benefits and challenges, and organisational support mechanisms. Another revelation is that there is a lack of strong awareness about the JET among employees which implies inadequate organisational communication to employees about the JET. This is a threat to the implementation of a just transition for employees
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    Policy enablers and perceived impediments of rooftop solar photovoltaic projects in Gauteng, South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Munemo, Pride Takudzwa; Ngubevana, Lwazi
    The issue of climate change has necessitated that many countries shift to greener and more sustainable energy sources. South Africa’s plans to encourage the generation of power from solar energy is a positive move in decarbonising the country’s economy. The National Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) intends to, among others, contribute to this shift and transition in power generation technologies. Despite being one of the two provinces in South Africa with the highest solar PV potential that may aid the penetration of rooftop solar PV (RSPV), the Gauteng province’s roll-out of such projects is perceived to be slower than anticipated. This research sought to study the perceived impediments that are hindering the growth of RSPV in the Gauteng province, reveal their impact in this sector, and explore the enablers for the diffusion of RSPV evolution. The Diffusion of Innovation theory forms the foundation for this study. The research investigated perceived policy impediments and enablers and suggested some policy measures to address these cross-cutting issues and contribute to the academic body of knowledge. The research approach was quantitative, and descriptive in nature, and information was obtained using a questionnaire that was administered via Survey Monkey. Data was gathered by integrating perspectives from key rooftop solar industry experts from energy service companies and regulatory sector officials. The study administered questions to participants in key energy leadership positions in the rooftop solar industry in the Gauteng province to understand perceived barriers and policy enablers. This research paper may assist academics, energy practitioners, and regulators in focusing their future efforts on the adoption of rooftop solar technologies in the Gauteng province. Furthermore, it may help in developing a framework for policies and strategies to increase the uptake of rooftop solar in South Africa.