Hands-on Postgraduate Research Proposal Design

The purpose of this article is to provide an account of empirical research among postgraduate first-time researchers regarding what skills are required to develop sound quality research proposals. The authors identify challenges that novice researchers encounter when designing their research proposals. The first of these challenges is to design a problem statement. The second challenge is how the researcher identifies an appropriate theoretical framework that is compatible with the problem set under investigation. This contribution also explains how the matrix method of literature review could be used ensure a review only references that relate to the problems under investigation

Evaluation of Information System Service Quality in a South African Governmental Department

The research project was undertaken to investigate the effective usage of Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT) in theDepartment of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT), taking into consideration other factors impacting onservice delivery in the Department and their challenges. The survey was confined in the DEDECT Provincial office and at middle managementrespondents with access to IS equipment and tools. A sample of 25 respondents was selected. The collected data was presented in frequencytables and graphs. The main findings of the study reveal that there is a strong correlation between service delivery and the IS infrastructure in thedepartment and encompassing other factors which may include perceptions of clients, support systems to IS and the capabilities of the IS operators. It is therefore imperative that the various arms of government start working smartly and effectively by using IS and IT to increase productivity. At the end of this article, several general strategies are put forward as possible solutions to achieve this goal

Evaluation of the adoption of information and communication technology in secondary school management.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.In this Information and Communication Technology (ICT) era, any business transactions can now be effectively and efficiently carried out to realise organisational goals, with education administration in secondary schools not spared. Specifically, this research was driven by the realisation that despite support by the Department of Education through the purchase of ICT infrastructure, these resources remain underutilised and therefore, become obsolete. While there is considerable literature on the use of ICTs in supporting learning and teaching, not much has been covered on the use of ICTs in managing secondary schools. The cited theories revealed that ICT usage in the management of secondary schools were likely to improve the quality of education. This study therefore aimed at evaluating the use of ICT in the management of secondary schools in Mashishila Circuit. The quantitative research method was used to analyse data. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher employed purposive sampling, where 77 respondents from senior management teams (SMT) were drawn from Mashishila circuit, which had a total population size of 152 staff members. The sample comprised 28.6% males and 71.4% females, with the majority of the respondents (40.3%) being in the 50 to 59 age group. The researcher collected data using a questionnaire that was tested to generate relevant data. The results of the study revealed that there was sufficient evidence to suggest that ICT for management was being used in some secondary schools of the Mashishila Circuit, although insignificantly. The results also showed that the majority of the senior managers lacked ICT management professional qualifications, with some of them having received little training in the area. However, over the years, they have developed hands-on skills, with regards to carrying out different managerial activities through self-discovery. This was attributed to some informal training which they received from the Department of Education. It was also revealed that several reasons negatively impacted on the senior managers’ willingness to use ICT for management in schools. These were seen to be dealt with by the various authorities, including the Department of Education and education officers. Further findings showed that ICT for management tended to improve managerial duties of leaders in these schools. Additionally, school leaders were able to monitor financial records and stores quite effectively using ICTs. Based on these findings, the study therefore recommended that leaders of schools needed to structure their activities through cooperation and the adoption of ICTs. This was to be supported by control objectives of information related technologies. The study further recommended some future enquiry that deals with an integrated system incorporating school management with education district and regional offices, through comprehensive training and empowerment, specifically focusing on the use of ICTs in the management of secondary schools

The Effect Of South African Internet Service Providers’ Service Quality On Corporate End Users’ Business Performance

The Internet is used for commercial purposes, and companies utilise the Internet to stay competitive in the market. The increase in Internet adoption has led to an increase in Internet Service Provider (ISP) competition in the South African market, with Service Quality playing a key role in differentiation. ISPs are key stakeholders in the Internet industry, and therefore have a direct influence on Internet Service Quality. There have certainly been a number of studies conducted around the difficult, technical side of Internet Service Quality; however, very few studies have delved into the softer side of ISPs’ Service Quality and the evaluation of the impact of this Service Quality on customers’ business performance. This study aims to close this knowledge gap by providing a critical comparative analysis of South African ISPs, and the challenges experienced by ISPs. In addition, this study confirms a Service Quality measurement model for the South African Internet industry, and further contributes to the existing body of knowledge by investigating the impact of ISPs’ Service Quality on corporate customers’ business performance. This thesis employs an empirical, mixed-methods approach through the use of both qualitative and quantitative research strategies. The researcher interviewed top management at ISPs, and distributed online surveys to customers of ISPs. The findings of this research are beneficial to ISP management, and academics aiming to expand their research in this arena.Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL

The adoption of agile software development methodologies by organisations in South Africa.

Master of Commerce in Information Systems and Technology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2015.The software development life cycle (SDLC) is considered to be the oldest software de-velopment methodology and is often described as a deliberate, methodical and structured approach that is used by development teams to develop information systems. There are two SDLC methodologies, which are currently being utilized by programming practition-ers, namely traditional development and Agile development. The traditional view to software development assumes that the customer does not have a full understanding of their requirements and would thus need a detailed specification de-signed before development begins. Unlike the traditional view, the agilest views software as unpredictable and rely on people and their creativity rather than on processes. Anecdotal evidence suggests various benefits associated with Agile methodologies, these include increased collaboration, the quality of the end product, transparency and produc-tivity. An international Survey conducted, amongst software development companies, shows that 80% of respondents indicated that they had practiced Agile. While international research shows the popularity of Agile methodologies very little is known about Agile in South Africa. This research provides insight into the adoption of Agile, by South African organisations. The results of the study indicate that Agile methods are being used by organisations in South Africa. However, there is no evidence to suggest its being used overwhelming. Furthermore, this study uses the Gartner hype cycle as the underpinning theoretical model and places Agile methods on the Gartner hype cycle as being in the trough of disillusionment

An investigation into digital vaccination records for minors in Gauteng, South Africa

The design and development of “e-Vaccination” applications are not extensively researched within developing economies, in part because of the difficulty in gaining access to government officials and medical experts. Vaccination cards have been used to keep track of minors’ immunisation records in South Africa for over 30 years. The South African government is moving towards the use of electronic systems for the storage of such information. South Africa has a clearly defined electronic health strategy, which is to utilise information and communications technologies in healthcare to inter alia, engage in medical research, promote health education, monitoring of diseases and tracking public health. Supporting this strategy means digitising current paper-based systems. The result would be information that can be stored safely, backed up and analysed more easily than paper-based journals, documents and vaccination cards. The purpose of this research is to develop a better understanding of key stakeholders’ perceptions to the replacement of paper-based vaccination cards with an electronic system. This is important because digital records can be considered as a more effective method of storing vaccination data. This study is quantitative in nature and primary data in the form of Likert scale questionnaires were collected from 118 key stakeholders being nurses, doctors, parents and school administration staff. The Likert scale questionnaire data was analysed using the following statistical techniques: Cronbach Alpha Test, Chi-Square Test, Analysis of Variance Test and Principle Component Analysis. The analysis provided a deeper understanding of the key stakeholder’s perceptions to the use of e-Vaccination applications. e-Vaccination applications are affected by user friendliness of the application, the graphical design of the application, practicality of the application, user experience of the application as well as the usability of the application. The practical implications of this research on e-Vaccination applications is that designers, developers, policymakers and government have a deeper understanding of nurses, doctors, parents and school administration staff perceptions to the use of e-Vaccination.School of Computin

Measuring Mobile Collaborative Learning and academic achievement : whatsapp and students in South Africa

Mobile learning has developed into an essential component within the education landscape and, with two billion users worldwide, the social media platform WhatsApp has become a prominent feature in this domain. Nevertheless, with ambiguity in the literature about the effects of WhatsApp on teaching and learning and especially a paucity of research measuring collaboration on WhatsApp in relation to students’ academic achievement. The purpose of the study was to explain and predict WhatsApp’s effect on academic achievement using a quantitative questionnaire. The results suggest that increased collaboration on WhatsApp may improve academic achievement. Additionally, improving other aspects, such as active learning, trust, support, formality, interaction and interdependence, may enhance collaboration and, in turn, improve academic achievement. The study has value by providing measurable scientific evidence about the effects of WhatsApp on learning that can be incorporated into the design of teaching and learning activities with WhatsApp to improve academic achievement.Uhlelo lokufunda uhamba (Mobile learning) selikhule ladlondlobala laba yisigaba esibalulekile ngaphansi komkhakha wemfundo kanti, lolu hlelo selunabasebenzisi abangamabhiliyoni amabili emhlabeni wonke jikelele, uhlelo lwenkundla yezokuxhumana komphakathi lwe-WhatsApp seluyinkanyezi egqamile kulesi sizinda. Yize-kunjalo, kukhona okungacaci kahle mayelana nombhalo wobuciko kwimiphumela yohlelo lwe-WhatsApp mayelana nokufundisa kanye nokufunda, kanti ikakhulu, uhlelo lwezocwaningo olulinganisa izinga lokusebenzisana kohlelo lwe-WhatsApp okumayelana nokuphumelela kwabafundi kwizifundo zabo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwaye kuwukuchaza kanye nokuhlahla umphumela wohlelo lwe-WhatsApp kwezemfundo, ngokusebenzisa uhlelo locwaningo lwemibuzo egxile kumanani (quantitative questionnaire) . Imiphumela iphakamisa ukuthi izinga lokusbenzisana ohlelweni lwe-WhatsApp lungathuthukisa umphumela wezemfundo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lungathuthukisa ezinye izinhlaka, ezinjengohlelo lokufunda olumatasa. Lungaletha ukwethembana, ukuxhasana, ukwenza izinto ngendlela esemthethweni, lungaletha ukuxoxisana kanye nokusebenzisana kwangaphakathi, lungaqinisa ukusebenzisana, kanti ngakolunye uhlangothi, lungaletha impumelelo kwezemfundo. Ucwaningo lubalulekile ngoba lunikeza ubufakazi bezesayensi obulinganisekayo mayelana nemithelela yohlelo lwe-WhatsApp ohlelweni lokufunda, okuwuhlelo olungafakwa ngaphansi kohlelo lokudizayina imisebenzi yohlelo lokufunda nokufundisa ku-WhatsApp ukuthuthukisa ukwenza ngcono imiphumela yezemfundo.Mobiele leer het in ’n noodsaaklike komponent van die onderwyslandskap ontwikkel en met twee miljard gebruikers wêreldwyd, het die sosiale mediaplatform WhatsApp ’n prominente kenmerk van hierdie domein geword. Nogtans bestaan daar dubbelsinnigheid in die letterkunde oor die uitwerking van WhatsApp op onderrig en leer, en is daar veral ’n gebrek aan navorsing wat die samewerking op WhatsApp in verhouding tot die studente se akademiese prestasies meet. Die doel van hierdie studie was om WhatsApp se uitwerking op akademiese prestasie aan die hand van ’n kwantitatiewe vraelys te verduidelik en te voorspel. Die resultate stel voor dat ’n groter mate van samewerking op WhatsApp akademiese prestasie kan verbeter. Dit kan ook ander aspekte soos aktiewe leer, vertroue, ondersteuning, formaliteit, interaksie en onderlinge afhanklikheid verbeter en kan samewerking verhoog, wat op sy beurt akademiese prestasie kan verbeter. Die studie is waardevol in die sin dat dit meetbare, wetenskaplike bewyse oor die uitwerking van WhatsApp op leer verskaf het, wat by die ontwerp van onderrig- en leeraktiwiteite geïnkorporeer kan word om akademiese prestasie te verbeter.School of ComputingM. Tech. (Information Technology

An empirical framework for banking digitally unbanked seniors

Abstract in English and AfrikaansThe main thrust of the thesis is an empirical analysis of the problems experienced by unbanked seniors to conduct digital banking. Population ageing is a worldwide phenomenon and seniors’ numbers are projected to grow to beyond 1 billion people globally by this year (2020). Currently, seniors and other banking customers are surrounded by various forms of e-banking technologies. E-banking is further envisaged to be the catalyst of the financial inclusion of the unbanked people of all ages. However, the problem is that customers’ adoption of e-banking is a challenge for the banks. Seniors are particularly not willing to use e-banking. Thus, seniors stay digitally unbanked and this makes their inclusion into the financial marketplace a priority. How the banks could use e-banking to bank digitally unbanked seniors and, as a consequence improve financial inclusion, is the problem the study set out to resolve. Therefore, an empirical analysis of the problems experienced by unbanked seniors to conduct digital banking was conducted and, as a result, an empirical framework of how the banks can extend these services to this population segment was developed. An original theoretical framework primarily founded on the TAM and Baroudi’s customers’ technology design involvement theory was proposed. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with latent constructs was utilised. The measurement model was first estimated and then covariance matrix between variables served as input to estimate the structural coefficients between constructs. The study’s data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire survey, utilising a probability sampling method with a sample of 420 digitally unbanked seniors. A focus group with banking industry experts was also held to consider the findings. The study’s findings empirically verified the study’s model’s strength in determining digitally unbanked seniors’ willingness to use e-banking. Latent constructs under consideration included customer co-creation, awareness and empowerment, design, perceived ease of use, usefulness, cost, attitude, privacy and security, and trust. The findings demonstrate that design, attitude, privacy and security are statistically significant determinants of digitally unbanked seniors’ willingness to use e-banking. Managerial implications and recommendations are provided in the recommendations chapter.Die hoofbetoog van die tesis is ’n empiriese ontleding van die probleme wat ervaar word deur ongebankte pensionarisse om hulle banksake digitaal te doen. Bevolkingsveroudering is ’n wêreldwye verskynsel en daar is voorspel dat die getal pensionarisse teen vanjaar (2020) 1 miljard mense wêreldwyd sou verbysteek. Tans is daar ’n groot verskeidenheid elektroniese bankdienste beskikbaar wat pensionarisse en ander bankkliënte kan gebruik om hulle banksake te doen. Daar word ook verwag dat elektroniese bankwese die katalisator sal wees van die finansiële insluiting van ongebankte mense van alle ouderdomme. Die probleem is egter dat die aanname van elektroniese bankwese deur kliënte ’n uitdaging vir banke is. Pensionarisse is veral nie gewillig om elektroniese bankdienste te gebruik nie, en hulle bly dus ongebank. Dit veroorsaak dat hulle insluiting in die finansiële mark ’n prioriteit is. Die probleem wat hierdie studie wil oplos is hoe die banke elektroniese bankwese kan gebruik om digitaal ongebankte pensionarisse te kry om bankdienste te gebruik. Dus is ’n empiriese ontleding uitgevoer van die probleme wat ongebankte pensionarisse ervaar om hulle banksake digitaal te doen. Gevolglik is ’n empiriese raamwerk ontwikkel van hoe die banke hulle dienste na hierdie bevolkingsegment kan uitbrei. ’n Oorspronklike, teoretiese raamwerk, wat hoofsaaklik gegrond is op die kliëntetegnologieontwerp-betrokkenheidsteorie van TAM en Baroudi, is voorgestel. Strukturele gelykstellingsmodellering (SEM) met lantente konstruksie is aangewend. Die metingsmodel is eers bereken en die kovariansiematriks tussen veranderlikes het gedien as inset om die strukturele koëffisiënte tussen konstrukte te bereken. Die studie se data is ingesamel deur middel van ’n gestruktureerde vraelysopname, met ’n waarskynlikheidsteekproefneming van 420 digitaal ongebankte pensionarisse. Daar is ook ’n fokusgroep met kundiges in die bankwese gehou om die bevindings te oorweeg. Die studie se bevindings het die studiemodel se vermoë om die gewilligheid te bepaal van digitaal ongebankte pensionarisse om elektroniese bankdienste te gebruik empiries bevestig. Latente konstrukte onder oorweging het medeskepping van kliënte, bewustheid en bemagtiging, ontwerp, waargenome gebruiksgemak, bruikbaarheid, koste, houding, privaatheid en sekuriteit, en vertroue ingesluit. Die bevindings demonstreer dat ontwerp, houding, privaatheid en sekuriteit statisties beduidende determinante is van digitaal ongebankte pensionarisse se gewilligheid om elektroniese bankdienste te gebruik. Bestuursimplikasies en aanbevelings word voorsien in die aanbevelingshoofstuk.Business ManagementD. B. L. (Marketing

An exploration of decision making oscillations in dynamic and undynamic environments

The rapidly changing nature of information and use of information systems within organisations has seen the emergence of a gradual mistrust of human decision-making approaches. This is evident today with both researchers and practitioners advocating for an increased use of data-driven decision making. Although the advantages of using a data-driven approach have been well-documented, there has been scant research on the interplay between a data-driven approach and more human-centric decision making from an information systems perspective. To that end, this research study seeks to explore oscillations in decision-making approaches while having access to information systems in dynamic and undynamic environments. Data was gathered across four case study locations, in two distinct environments. The first of these was classified as a dynamic environment and two case studies were investigated involving aircraft pilots and an air traffic controller. The second was classified as an undynamic environment, with two further case studies investigated involving a pharmacist and national grid controller. The output of this study makes a number of contributions to IS theory and practise. Firstly, this study extends cognitive continuum theory to the information systems domain. In doing so, this study validates that decision makers will oscillate between an intuitive, system-aided judgement, and data-driven approach to decision making. Secondly, two distinct mechanisms are identified and once activated these mechanisms will oscillate a decision makers decision-making approach. These mechanisms are referred to as the personal sensitivity to a negative outcome mechanism and the process loafing mechanism. Thirdly, this research has validated that the environment a decision maker operates is a factor in the decision-making approach used. However, it was also found that the personal sensitivity to a negative outcome mechanism will override the environment a decision maker is in once activated. Fourthly, this study highlights the need for organisations to consider decision making approaches when implementing new policies, procedures, and information systems