Bring back the signal: an evaluation of the existence of a digital public sphere in the South African mediascape.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Media Studies, 2017On the 12th of February 2015, in an unprecedented move, members of the media in South Africa (SA) protested in Parliament and chanted “bring back the signal”, waving their smartphones in the air after discovering that a signal jamming device had been activated to disrupt cell phone signals in the National Assembly. Their protest denied President Jacob Zuma the opportunity to deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) until the signal and connection to the internet had been restored. It was the first time in the History of democratic SA the SONA was disrupted. The presence as well as the rapid spread and use of new media technologies in the SA mediascape has led scholars like Yu-Shan Wu to question the nature of their use and impact on government policy decisions. This study contributes to such work as well as long standing debates about the role of new media technologies in advancing democratic ideals in emerging democracies and the internet’s role as a public sphere. It does this by using a case study research method focusing on SONA 2015 to evaluate whether the South African digital space constitutes a digital public sphere. This paper concludes that indeed the South African digital space does constitute a form of digital public sphere. This sphere is largely operated and structured by news media organisations that use their websites, social media and various online platforms to engender it.XL201

Proceedings of the 2nd African Operations Management Conference: Competitive Operations Management for Driving Automation in Africa Forward

Conference proceedingsColleges of Economic and Management Science

Engaging the fourth industrial revolution

The reality of a radically changing world is beyond dispute. The notion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a heuristic key for the world of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, big data, the internet of things, and biotechnology. The discussion of emerging technologies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution highlights urgent questions about issues like intention, function, risk, and responsibility. This publication stimulates further reflection, ongoing conversation, and eventually the production of more textured thinking. The conversation with technology and with thinkers on technology, holds the promise of a certain fecundity, the possibility to see deeper into human evolution, but also, may be, into the future of humankind

An assessment of the multi-disciplinary approach to investigate corruption in the South African public service

The aim of this study is to assess the multi-disciplinary approach in the investigation of corruption in the South African public service. Data was collected by means of in-depth interviews conducted with members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s Anti-Corruption Task Team to gain a comprehensive understanding of their experiences regarding the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Task Team in the investigation of corruption within the public service. In addition, the researcher conducted a comprehensive literature study of local and international legislation to curb corruption, supplemented with various multi-disciplinary approaches employed internationally. Furthermore, various global Anti-Corruption Agencies were studied to comprehend their functions and efficacy. The findings of the research identified and described various impediments facing the Anti-Corruption Task Team’s effectiveness in investigating corruption within the public service. As a result, this study recommends the need to establish a single Anti-Corruption Agency with a comprehensive mandate to prevent, investigate, and educate on corruption, to critically safeguard the independence of the Anti-Corruption Task Team against political interference, as well as the allocation of adequate resources and budget for its effective operation. The research identified best practices globally to combat corruption, which can be used to amend the current anti-corruption practices to suit the South African public service. Consequently, this study contributes significantly towards effective anti-corruption investigation in the South African public service.Maikemišetšo a dinyakišišo tše ke go lekola mokgwa wa go kopanya dikarolo tše mmalwa tša thuto go nyakišiša bomenetša ka ditirelong tša setšhaba tša Afrika Borwa. Data e kgobokeditšwe ka mokgwa wa dipoledišano tše di tletšego tšeo di dirilwego le maloko a Sehlophatšhomo sa Twantšho ya Bomenetša sa Ofisi ya Molaodimogolo wa Dinyakišišo tša Bosenyi bjo Bogolo go hwetša kwešišo ya maitemogelo a bona a go šoma ga Sehlophatšhomo sa Twantšho ya Bomenetša mo go nyakišišeng bomenetša mo ditirelong tša setšhaba. Go tlaleletše, monyakišiša o dirile dinyakišišo tše di tletšego tša dingwalwa tša peomolao ya gae le ya ditšhabatšhaba tšeo maikemišetšo a tšona e lego go fokotša bomenetša le mekgwa ya go kopanya dikarolo tše mmalwa tša thuto yeo e dirišwago ditšhabatšhabeng. Go tlaleletša, mekgatlo ya twantšho ya bomenetša bja lefase ya go fapana e nyakišišitšwe go kwešiša mešomo le mehola ya yona. Monyakišiši o utollotše le go hlaloša mapheko a go fapana go moholo wa dinyakišišo ka Sehlophatšhomo sa Twantšho ya Bomenetša mo bomenetšeng ka ditirelong tša mmušo. Ka lebaka leo, dinyakišišo di digela tlhokego ya go thoma mokgatlo o tee wa go lwantšha bomenetša wa taolela ye kgolo ya go thibela, go nyakišiša le go ruta ka ga bomenetša; go šireletša boikemelo bja sehlophatšhomo sa twantšho ya bomenetša le go thibela go tsenatsena ga dipolotiki; le go aba methopo yeo e lekanego le ditekanetšo gore e šome gabotse. Dinyakišišo di utollotše tirišo ye botse go feta ka moka lefaseng ka moka go lwantšha bomenetša, yeo e swanetšwego go mpshafatšwa go fihlelela dinyakwa tša ditirelo tša setšhaba tša Afrika Borwa.Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukuhlola inqubo ebandakanya amadisiplini ehlukene ukuphenyisisa ngenkohlakalo kwezezimali kumkhakha wabasebenzi bakahulumeni eNingizimu Afrika. Idata iqoqwe ngokwenza ama-interview ajulile enziwe nabethimba elilwisana nezinkohlakalo kwezezimali, i-Anti-Corruption Task team lwabophiko lwabenza uphenyiso lobugebengu obukhulu lwe-Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation ukuthola ukuqondisisa okujulile ngezipiliyoni zabo ngokusebenza ngendlela enomphumela kwethimba le-Anti-Corruption Task Team ekuphenyisiseni ngenkohlakalo kwezezimali kumkhakha wabasebenzi bakahulumeni. Nangaphezu kwalokho, umcwaningi uye wafunda ngokujulile ngemibhalo yocwaningo imibhalo yemithetho yezwe kanye nemithetho yamazwe omhlaba enenhloso yokulwisana nenkohlakalo kwezezimali, kanye nezinqubo ezihlanganisa amadisiplini ehlukene ezisetshenziswa kumazwe omhlaba. Nangaphezu kwalokho, ama-ejensi omhlaba alwa nezinkohlakalo nawo kwafundwa ngawo ukuqondisisa imisebenzi yawo kanye nemiphumela yemisebenzi yawo. Umcwaningi waphawula kanye nokuchaza izihibe ezihlukene maqondana nokusebenza ngendlela enomphumela kophenyisiso olwenziwa ngabethimba le-Anti-Corruption Task Team kwinkohlakalo kwezeziali emkhakheni wabasebenzi bakahulueni. Ngenxa yalokhu, ucwaningo luncoma isidingo sokuthi kusungulwe i-ejensi eyodwa enamagunya ajulile okuvimbela, ukuphenyisisa kanye nokufundisa ngezindlela zokulwa nenkohlakalo kwezezimali; ukuvikela ukuzimela kwethimba lokulwa nenkohlakalo kanye nokuvimbela ukuthi ithimba lingaphazanyiswa ngabezepolitiki; kanye nokuhlinzeka ngemithombo eyenele kanye namabhajethi ukuze ithimba lisebenze kahle ngendlela enomphumela. Ucwaningo luphawule izindlela ezingcono kuwo wonke umhlaba zokulwa nenkohlakalo kwezezimali, kanti futhi lezi zinqubo kumele zichitshiyelwe noma zihlelwe kabusha ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zomkhakha wabasebenzi bakahulumeni eNingizimu Afrika. Kanti-ke futhi emuva kwalokho, lolu cwaningo luthela esivivaneni kuphenyisiso olunomphumela lokulwa nenkohlakalo kwezezimali okwenziwa kumkhakha wabasebenzi bakahulumeni eNingizimu Afrika.Criminology and Security SciencePh. D. (Criminal Justice

Engaging the fourth industrial revolution

The reality of a radically changing world is beyond dispute. The notion of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a heuristic key for the world of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, big data, the internet of things, and biotechnology. The discussion of emerging technologies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution highlights urgent questions about issues like intention, function, risk, and responsibility. This publication stimulates further reflection, ongoing conversation, and eventually the production of more textured thinking. The conversation with technology and with thinkers on technology, holds the promise of a certain fecundity, the possibility to see deeper into human evolution, but also, may be, into the future of humankind

Essays on FinTech and financial markets

This thesis contains three essays on FinTech and financial markets. In the first chapter, I study the business models of cryptocurrency exchanges and their implications for token performance and the cryptocurrency exchange industry dynamics. As the most powerful financial intermediaries in cryptocurrency markets, cryptocurrency exchanges play the dual roles of traditional exchanges and underwriters. Based on two novel measures that capture the hidden heterogeneity of cryptocurrency exchanges, I show that 1) tokens listed in exchanges with large trading revenues perform better, and 2) exchange characteristics predict token returns, with stronger effects for exchanges with large trading revenues. A stylized reputation model shows how the interaction between trading and listing explains differences in token performance. I also argue that first-mover advantages lead to a natural concentration in the cryptocurrency exchange industry. In the second chapter (co-authored with Yang You), we find that Bitcoin trading is more active in countries where people express more distrust in others. The paper argues that distrust serves as a fundamental for cryptocurrency valuation by exploring price differences in panel data. We proxy for Bitcoin demand with transitory price deviations— Bitcoin prices in a local currency, converted into dollars, relative to the average worldwide dollar Bitcoin prices. A simple portfolio choice model generates several predictions that we test empirically. Price deviations rise when 1) perceptions of institutional failures grow, 2) crypto-trading frictions increase, and 3) cryptocurrency prices rally. Consistent with the model’s predictions, distrust explains price response heterogeneity: investors in low-trust countries demand more Bitcoins and drive up its price relative to the world dollar price when local institutional quality deteriorates, arbitrage frictions intensify, and risk appetite rises. In the third chapter, I construct a measure which captures the evolution of market beliefs based on option data. By tracking market belief updates over time, I find evidence of excess volatility in expected returns in one-month investment horizons. The evidence is inconsistent with expected returns being a martingale. I find no evidence of excess volatility in six-month investment horizons. Based on the dynamics of market beliefs, I measure uncertainty as the time-series volatility of expected returns. I show evidence of an uncertainty premium

Knowledge and Management Models for Sustainable Growth

In the last years sustainability has become a topic of global concern and a key issue in the strategic agenda of both business organizations and public authorities and organisations. Significant changes in business landscape, the emergence of new technology, including social media, the pressure of new social concerns, have called into question established conceptualizations of competitiveness, wealth creation and growth. New and unaddressed set of issues regarding how private and public organisations manage and invest their resources to create sustainable value have brought to light. In particular the increasing focus on environmental and social themes has suggested new dimensions to be taken into account in the value creation dynamics, both at organisations and communities level. For companies the need of integrating corporate social and environmental responsibility issues into strategy and daily business operations, pose profound challenges, which, in turn, involve numerous processes and complex decisions influenced by many stakeholders. Facing these challenges calls for the creation, use and exploitation of new knowledge as well as the development of proper management models, approaches and tools aimed to contribute to the development and realization of environmentally and socially sustainable business strategies and practices

Staring down the lion: Uncertainty avoidance and operational risk culture in a tourism organisation

The academic literature is not clear about how uncertainty influences operational risk decision-making. This study, therefore, investigated operational risk-based decision-making in the face of uncertainty in a large African safari tourism organisation by exploring individual and perceived team member approaches to uncertainty. Convenience sampling was used to identify 15 managers across three African countries in three domains of work: safari camp; regional office; and head office. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in which vignettes were incorporated, to which participants responded with their own reactions and decisions to the situations described, as well as with ways they thought other managers would react to these specific operational contexts. The data were transcribed and qualitatively analysed through thematic coding processes. The findings indicated that approaches to uncertainty were influenced by factors including situational context, the availability and communication of information, the level of operational experience, and participants’ roles. Contextual factors alongside diverse individual emotional and cognitive influences were shown to require prudent consideration by safari tourism operators in understanding employee behavioural reactions to uncertain situations. A preliminary model drawn from the findings suggests that, in practice, decision-making in the face of uncertainty is more complex than existing theoretical studies propose. Specifically, the diverse responses anticipated by staff in response to the vignettes could guide safari tourism management towards better handling of risk under uncertainty in remote locations

Assuming Data Integrity and Empirical Evidence to The Contrary

Background: Not all respondents to surveys apply their minds or understand the posed questions, and as such provide answers which lack coherence, and this threatens the integrity of the research. Casual inspection and limited research of the 10-item Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), included in the dataset of the World Values Survey (WVS), suggested that random responses may be common. Objective: To specify the percentage of cases in the BRI-10 which include incoherent or contradictory responses and to test the extent to which the removal of these cases will improve the quality of the dataset. Method: The WVS data on the BFI-10, measuring the Big Five Personality (B5P), in South Africa (N=3 531), was used. Incoherent or contradictory responses were removed. Then the cases from the cleaned-up dataset were analysed for their theoretical validity. Results: Only 1 612 (45.7%) cases were identified as not including incoherent or contradictory responses. The cleaned-up data did not mirror the B5P- structure, as was envisaged. The test for common method bias was negative. Conclusion: In most cases the responses were incoherent. Cleaning up the data did not improve the psychometric properties of the BFI-10. This raises concerns about the quality of the WVS data, the BFI-10, and the universality of B5P-theory. Given these results, it would be unwise to use the BFI-10 in South Africa. Researchers are alerted to do a proper assessment of the psychometric properties of instruments before they use it, particularly in a cross-cultural setting