4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions
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Item Stakeholder perceptions of the job skills and job roles required by Industrial psychologists in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kekana, Lerato Valencia; Isreal, NickyThe Fourth Industrial Revolution and recent Covid-19 pandemic have brought large changes to the way work is defined and enacted, and these transitions have placed a unique demand on Industrial/Organisational Psychologists (IOPs) to help organisations and employees manage these workplace changes. This has further emphasised the need for the clarification and reassessment of the job roles and job skills required of Industrial/Organisational psychologists (IOPs) in South Africa. This study explored and compared the perceptions held by I/O psychology students and trainers (i.e., lecturers and supervisors) with regards to the job role and job skills required of IOPs in South Africa. Based on the review of literature, an online survey was designed and distributed to a group of 60 (59.4%) I/O psychology students and 41 (40.6%) I/O psychology trainers (n = 101) who voluntarily completed the survey. The survey collected both quantitative and qualitative data and this was analysed using a combination of statistics and content analysis. Both students and trainers in the sample emphasised the psychological and facilitative roles of IOPs in the workplace, with their facilitative functions taking precedence. Both groups distinguished IOPs from human resource practitioners based primarily on daily processes. Students rated most roles as significantly more important than trainers however both groups identified organisational development, employee wellbeing and work life, change management, training, psychological assessments, motivation and rewards, and research as the most important roles that IOPs fulfil in the workplace. There was agreement from both groups that the roles of IOPs would change at least moderately in the next five years. With regards to the job skills required of IOPs, a degree of congruence was observed in the top five skills that both groups noted, which included the four key skills of critical thinking; responsibility and reliability; honesty and integrity; and communication. Students prioritised people management as their fifth top skill while trainers prioritised emotional intelligence. Both groups emphasised practical work experience as the most important skill to be adequately prepared for the workplace and also identified interpersonal, communication and social skills; emotional intelligence; problem-solving; analytical and critical thinking; boldness; and business acumen as important. The findings of the study provide greater insight and possible directions for education and training of IOPs in South Africa, although further research in a broader range of stakeholders is needed.Item Evaluating the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) related technologies by the Department of Home Affairs(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Molobi, Sekie Michael; Moodley, KebashneeThe aim of this study was to provide insights into the factors influencing the adoption of 4IR technology by the Department of Home Affairs, including the perceived impact of these technologies on general operations and client service delivery. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a period characterised by rapid technological change and digital transformations, transforming how we live, work, and interact with the world around us. 4IR presents opportunities and challenges for the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) as it attempts to meet its mandate in an ever-changing environment. To remain effective in the face of the 4IR, the DHA must adopt new technologies that can help it improve efficiency and provide better service to its customers and key stakeholders. The study is based on the Technology Organisation Environment theoretical framework. A qualitative research methodology was adopted with the use of in-depth semi-structured interviews targeted at the Department of Home Affairs senior management personnel responsible for ICT, front end application and internal business owners. The outcomes of the study indicate that despite continued support from DHA leadership in terms of the use of new technologies and increased investment in these technologies, the Department of Home Affairs has lagged in terms of technological advancement. This is attributed to employee attitude towards new technology, their skill capacity, and resources capacity to conduct and major hindrances towards adopting new technology from an internal perspective. Externally, SITA's capacity to deliver the required services is seen as a major external factor with significant potential to hinder the Department's adoption of new technologyItem The effectiveness of technological advancements on project execution in the South African financial services sector(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Rantao, Samuel; Mupfawa , Shungu; Wotela, NkambidimaBackground: The digital age is filled with emerging digital technologies that are evolving at a rapid pace. The wide scope of digital technologies streams such as ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI), ‘automation’, ‘big data’, ‘cloud computing' and the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) have created opportunities and challenges to all involved in banking to embrace digital transformation. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of technological advancements on project execution in the South African financial services sector. The main emphasis for banks to remain relevant and gain a competitive advantage in this digital age, they would need to transform digitally by adopting appropriate emerging technologies and transition their backend processes and operations. The study further explores the mitigation of the problem statements through a management consulting start-up as a possible solution. Method: The research method was in the form of a quantitative research design, which involved 267 online surveys with banking professionals working within IT such as Chief Digital Officers, Head of Departments, and Project teams. The literature review indicated that digital transformation was reshaping the structure of the banking sector, and the role of IT project execution in the digital age. This has emphasised the need for banking professionals to stay abreast with the fourth industrial revolution developments and trends, and to prepare for imminent changes as the digital age requires new skills and competencies. Results: The findings from this study indicated that the issues pertaining to digital transformation are multifaceted and go beyond the incumbents in the financial services banking sector as they affect companies operating in other industries across SA. The findings from this study are expected to contribute to the extant literature in the field of digital transformation and competencies required by banking professionals. Conclusion: The fourth industrial revolution has introduced significant new technologies in all areas of business, and the banking sector is no different. The emergence of technologies has impacted the way projects need to be executed, in terms of speed, efficiencies and processes. All of this requires new mindsets with advanced skills which need to be quickly attained and practiced at the highest levels to make the most of the technologiesItem Grid-tied renewable energy solutions for the residential customers in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021) Munyai, VhuhwavhoSouth Africa is experiencing electricity shortage crisis that is causing loadshedding. The electricity shortage crisis has been going on for almost fourteen years without a successful solution. Loadshedding has become a common occurrence and it is moving from bad to worse. The electricity crisis is caused by various factors. The slow and delayed implementation of energy policy by the government. The overdue new build programme that has been running for nearly fifteen years that included the recommission of previously mothballed coal-fired power stations such as Camden, Grootvlei and Komati and building of new power stations Medupi, Kusile and Ingula, and the aging and poorly maintained Eskom power stations. This business venture proposes a grid-tied residential renewable energy system (RRES) to address the electricity shortage crisis for residential customers in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa. The grid-tied residential renewable energy system is an innovative renewable energy power system that will generate electricity for the residential customers and is fused with fourth industrial technologies to create great customer experience. Internet of things technology will be used to monitor and control all the appliances, entertainment systems, lighting and security system remotely in the homes of the customers. Artificial intelligence technology will be used to automate data analysis and visualisation for the customer generation and consumption data for their homes. RRES aims to disrupt the traditional way of supplying electricity and avoid loadshedding for residential customer. The business venture research aims to quantify the demand for RRES to determine the business venture viability. It seeks to understand and identify determinants that motivate or hinder individuals from purchasing and installing the RRES. Given that there has been low adoption rate of renewable energy systems in South Africa. The outcome from the study will inform the development of business venture, on how to address the low adoption rate of renewable energy systems by residential customers and create a business venture that is aligned to the customer’s demand and needs. Furthermore, it targets to develop a business venture that would survive for long and launch efficiently to the market. In order to determine the viability of the business opportunity and gain insights on key drivers and barriers that influence the purchasing and installing of RRES, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted involving 321 respondents from Midrand. The survey questions were based on the persuasion attributes of the Roger’s theory of innovation diffusion. The survey showed that there is a huge demand in Midrand with 85% of participants interested in purchasing and installing RRES. Financial projections analysis also showed that the business venture is viable, as the company will be profitable and has a positive net present value (NPV)Item The impact of digitalisation on the employment rate in the South African financial services industry(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Mokhabuki, Makoma Tiny; Lee, GregoryThis study aims to determine the impact of digitalisation on the employment rate in South Africa, with specific reference to the financial services industry. Many revolutions have been seen globally, from the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras to Agricultural Revolutions and the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. Technological changes and a significant movement in employment and unemployment have occurred with these revolutions. The study seeks to determine how technological advancements through digitalisation have impacted the employment rate in the South African financial services industry. A survey questionnaire was used to invite views from people employed in the financial services industry. The purpose of the survey was to determine perceptions regarding the introduction of technologies within the working environment and their impact on employee movements. The questionnaire also invited views on whether further introductions of technologies would create efficiencies and if this would impact their team sizes. An analysis was made using Qualtrics and SPSS on the data received. The findings indicate that introductions to technology’s impact on employment are complex as it depends on various variables such as the type of skills which the employees possess and those which are required by the employer. Firstly, introductions in technology can cause structural unemployment, which is, in essence, only temporary. The introduction of technology causes unemployment in those occupational levels whereby the work is repetitive and can therefore be automated. In contrast, introducing technology causes employment in jobs requiring cognitive and abstract thinking and, therefore, cannot be automated. Within the financial services industry in South Africa, it was found that more employees in skilled positions were retrenched or transferred due to technology introductions. However, this was reduced by increased recruitment in professional positions requiring more technical skills and cognitive thinking. It was concluded that the advancement of technology should not be rolled out at a pace that would lead to a net unemployment rate; however, it should be rolled out efficiently, resulting in more employment in cognitive tasksItem The Impact of Data Privacy Breaches on Consumer Privacy Concern and Patronage in the City of Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Maseleme, Petronella; Chalomba, NakuzeThe ongoing globalisation, technological advancements, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, along with the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, have made digital security increasingly relevant. The shift towards conducting business and exchanging personally identifying information and personal data on digital platforms has resulted in an increased risk of cyber-attacks. The main aim of this study was to investigate data privacy breaches and their impact on consumer privacy concerns in Johannesburg. This study specifically focuses on the impact of these breaches on consumer retention within the South African context, where previous studies have not explored the phenomenon in sufficient detail. Six hypotheses were benchmarked against questions posed to 150 digital customers using cluster random sampling from employees of the City of Johannesburg and students at the University of the Witwatersrand Business School. The results were analysed using structural equation modelling, regression analysis, and analysis of variance through the use of SPSS 26 software. The findings revealed a meaningful relationship between privacy concerns, trust, assurance, regulation, and digital safety and their impact on customer retention and patronage. This study contributes to the field in three ways: conceptually, theoretically, and strategically. The results provide insights for leaders and strategists to develop multi-faceted security strategies and improve customer digital safety and online experiences.Item The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Change Management within Organisations in Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022) Manamela, Mamaphala Meriam; Gobind, JenikaOrganisations are changing their work to align with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Customers’ needs have adjusted to conform to ever-changing technologies. These pressure organisations to implement technology alterations simultaneously to ensure transformation within the organisations and keep their existing customers. Moreover, technological changes require organisations to refocus their strategies and assess the capacity of Change Management to support the 4IR amid challenges brought by the change. Currently, no technologies have been instituted to implement Change Management activities. Presently, Change Management processes are not digitally implemented within organisations. instead, they are implemented manually. This leads to a lack of performance in Change Management and an inability to evaluate successes and failures. Artificial Intelligence (AI), as a proposed technology to digitalise Change Management activities, will ensure the proper Change Management impact through the data flow, ensure the data is accurate and reliable, and improve performance. This study explored the role of AI in implementing Change Management within organisations in Johannesburg. It considers how AI can be utilised in Change Management activities, such as ensuring governance and planning of Change Management activities using the relevant data to predict the impact, communicate, and converse with stakeholders through AI technologies. Furthermore, learning and development, automatic problem solving, and speech recognition be used to implement Change Management. This research was conducted with the intention of comprehending participants’ experience, knowledge and involvement in Change Management. A triangulated qualitative research design was followed to gather data from sources that included nine one- on-one interviews and five participants for the first focus group session, seven participants for the second focus group session, and five participants for the third focus session. The participants, coming from different levels and positions, included executive management, senior management, change managers and Change Management specialists, and were interviewed using MS Teams or face-Item Benefits of using Internet of Things technology for fuel management at a mechanised underground platinum bord and pillar mine: A Bathopele mine case study(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024-01) Thema, Sephela Makete; Cawood, Frederick; Feroze, TariqThe advent of the fourth industrial revolution, Environmental Social and Governance (ESG), and push for green energy transition has propelled mining companies to reconsider their strategies. Over the past two decades, mining companies along the Bushveld Igneous complex in South Africa have been shifting towards mechanized mining methods which are generally safer and provide for the generation of greater volumes of output. Sibanye Stillwater’s Bathopele mine, which has a fleet of over two hundred and fifty (250) trackless mobile machinery (TMM) and a daily fuel consumption of approximately ten thousand (10 000) liters per day. The introduction of Internet of Things (IOT) technology in the fuel management system at Bathopele mine achieved benefits such as fuel consumption tracking, effective inventory management, prevention of fuel theft, detection of fuel leaks, determination of maintenance requirements and readily available access to fuel use data. This access to data enabled the mine to effectively apply for fuel use rebates from the South African Revenue Services (SARS) with ease. To determine the impact of the increased distance to underground working places on the refueling of TMM, the Theory of Constraints (TOC) method, qualitative and quantitative techniques were applied. A bivariate analysis conducted indicated a linear relationship between fuel consumption and production output at Bathopele mine, which suggests that an effective fuel management system had a positive impact on production output at the mine. A real-time or near real time model for fuel management in underground trackless bord and pillar mines in proposed.Item Assessing the impact of digital transformation on business performance in South Africa’s banking industry(University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Melamane, SiphokaziBackground: The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic have created a strong interest in digital transformation. Organisations have been focused on advancing their technological capabilities, thus increasing their IT investment capabilities. In the banking sector, the implementation of digital technologies has introduced the existence of digital banks and other non-financial organizations that have tapped into the financial services, such as fintech and retailer organisations. This has been gradually leading to a diluted market share, which was previously dominated by South Africa’s traditional banks. Digitising has therefore become an important aspect of organisations’ growth strategy. Purpose: This research study aims to investigate the impact of digital transformation on the financial performance of the traditional South African banks. Methodology: This study uses the quantitative research method where financial performance, is measured by return on assets (ROA) and digital technology (data analytics, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things). The data was collected using secondary data accessed from the traditional South African banks, namely; ABSA, Standard Bank, FNB, and Nedbank’s annual reports and full-year consolidated financial statements, from the year 2014-2021. Findings: Findings from this research study indicate that there is a strong relationship between digital technology and business performance, meaning that digital transformation does have an impact on the business performance of the traditional South African banks. Further, the relationship between the variables, digital technology and business performance is negative. This has been found by previous literature to be due to the initial costs of investment in digital technology. Research limitations/implications: Digital transformation is an important concept that continues to be explored by researchers and organisations. Therefore this research is relevant to many industries in the market, which presents an opportunity for it to be expanded to other industries. The impact of digital transformation on other performance factors such as operational performance can be studieSItem Supply and demand of Data Science skills in South Africa(2021) Mindu, NkululekoThe Fourth Industrial Revolution is redefining industries and the world as we know it. At the heart of the revolution is an explosion and the democratisation of data. Oftentimes organisations need to understand or make use of this plethora of data to make decisions that drive business imperatives. Unique skill sets are required to enable organisations to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Within this context, the study explores the Data Science profession through the lenses of skill supply and skill demand. The study reviewed the curriculum of Data Science training programmes, both university and non-university programmes were considered. The study then explored the skills currently being offered by incumbent Data Scientists by reviewing the profiles of Data Scientists on LinkedIn and looking at their featured skills as well as the academic background of these individuals. The demand for Data Science skills were then explored by looking at job posts for Data Science roles. Lastly to further explore skills in supply and the usage of Data Science skills in South African organisations, the study surveyed Data Science professionals, with a sample of 112 professionals being used. A conceptual competency framework was used to categorise the skills offered in the training programmes, skills supplied by incumbent Data Scientists and skills demanded by South African organisations. This was with a view of triangulating the skills from these different avenues and identifying the type of skills being emphasised. Results indicate a strong emphasis on quantitative and technology skills in the training programmes, skills by incumbent Data Scientists and skill requirements from organisations, when categorising according to the competency framework. There is also a strong emphasis on Data Tools such as Python, SQL, and R in the Data Science profession. It could be useful to consider different categories of Data Scientists and create specialised paths for the professionals. The broadness of the Data Science profession could benefit from making it a registered profession to create a unified understanding of the profession from all stakeholders from a skill supply and demand perspective