Educator's pedagogy influencing the effective use of computers for teaching purposes in classrooms: Lessons learned from secondary schools in South Africa

The use of computers in the classroom could allow both educators and learners to achieve new capabilities. There are underlying factors, however, that are obstructing the adoption rate of computer use for instructional purposes in schools. This research focused on these problems with a view to determining which critical success factors promote a higher adoption rate of computer usage in education. To investigate the secondary school educator's perceptions of the use of computers for teaching purposes and to analyse the effect of these strategies on their teaching pedagogies in the present environment. The nature of the study required a mixed methods approach to be employed, making use of both quantitative and qualitative data. Two questionnaires, one for the educators and one for the principals of the schools were hand-delivered to 60 secondary schools. Exploratory factor analysis and various internal consistency measures were used to assess and analyse the data. The analyses of the data indicated that educator pedagogies were the highest predictors on the use of computers in the classroom. Although the quantitative analyses for educator support, training and attitude were the lowest predictors on the use of computers, the qualitative analysis, nevertheless, found sufficient support for it. Educationists and policy-makers must include all principals and educators when technological innovations are introduced into schools. All these role-players need to be cognisant of the implications if innovations are not appropriately implemented. Including the use of computers in educator training programs is important so that pre-service educators can see the benefits of using the computer in their own teaching. Educator pedagogy, theories and beliefs and access to computers were the highest predictors of using computers, hence a model was developed. The model aims to strengthen the educators' initiatives to increase the likelihood that would result in enhanced teaching and learning when using computers

Uncovering Knowledge Management Practices In Organizations

Background: An increasing number of organizations have accepted the importance of managing their company’s knowledge in a more structured manner. There have been many knowledge management projects that have been introduced, some which have been successful, but many have failed as well. Knowledge management can be introduced in the culture of the company, which then becomes paramount when the company deals with national and international markets. Objectives: There are concerns as to how to measure the benefits of a Knowledge Management (KM) strategy and its concomitant initiatives on the performance of the company. This paper discusses findings from an empirical investigation amongst 51 organizations. Methods: A mixed methods approach was used to capture the data using many previously validated questionnaires. The questionnaire was adapted to suite the requirements of this particular study. Results: The findings suggest that by providing effectual information systems infrastructure knowledge can be captured, transformed and disseminated to organizations. Investment in business information systems supports knowledge sharing and interpersonal interaction and therefore facilitates knowledge management processes and strategies. Conclusion: The importance of this contribution is that it offers suggestions to design a KM approach by means of a new framework emanating from the findings. Finally, contributing to the theoretical analysis and findings from the empirical investigation, this article concludes with suggestions that may assist organizations to address their KM barriers

Barriers to tacit knowledge retention: an understanding of the perceptions of the knowledge management of people inside and outside the organisation

BACKGROUND: Knowledge loss causes challenges for organisations that wish to remain competitive. These organisations must identify the risks that could lead to knowledge loss and become aware of issues that affect knowledge retention. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this research was to identify tacit knowledge retention barriers that could cause knowledge loss in an organisation. The paper presents a framework for the assessment of the impact of these barriers and discusses the research findings in order to critique that framework. METHOD: A quantitative strategy was used to interpret the findings. The target population is information technology (IT) professionals in a government organisation. Interviews were conducted in order to produce a more context-sensitive interpretation of the findings. A quantitative research approach was used to ensure the findings would precisely reflect the target population. RESULTS: The majority of respondents confirmed that career development requires professional development, training prospects and improves the employability of employees. The agreed result was that respondents seek autonomy, that is, the ability to make decisions. Job stress and burnout are experienced because of problems with in filling posts, and the competition between the private and public sectors for experienced IT employees. CONCLUSION: Certain determinants were found that affect barriers in knowledge management: organisational commitment, job satisfaction, job characteristics and talent management. These need to be measured to prevent barriers from occurring. Implications are drawn from the study; these provide a focus for further research to bridge some gaps in information technology that currently limit the widespread use of knowledge management.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Understanding retail strategy and shopping behaviour: Perspectives from a developing country

This research indicates that in order for retailers to achieve their primary objective of increasing the amount of customer traffic into their stores, some powerful, highly effective and strategic tools that retailers possess need to be utilised in an effective manner in order to meet their objectives. This research has been developed to examine the strategies that retailers can utilise in order to influence the customers' preference to shop in their stores. From the multitude of strategic choices available for each decision, a retailer can choose any combination. A survey was conducted, in order to collect data on customer behaviour, recruiting, store design, retail marketing, Supply chain management (SCM), customer relationship management (CRM) - as well as a few other criteria - in the South African retail sector. This descriptive study establishes whether a retailer who makes an initial choice about which strategy to implement, complies with the existing understanding on the customers' preferences. Patterns and trends were detected when studying the determinants of various strategic retail combinations for retailers. The data indicated asymmetric evaluations of choices, in combination with a few distinct patterns. Additionally, a few associations between store preferences and price were identified with specific locations for the customers. Some combinations are more alike than others; and a concern exists that the pricing strategy in isolation fails to portray a complete picture. The study reveals that retailers should be more customer-focused; while at the same time, providing the requisite skills to their employees, in order to retain their existing customers, and to attract new customers

The role of information technology innovations on organisational performance: a case study of selected SMEs

Information technologies have been widely recognised for their capability to add certain value to organisations in terms of strategy and operation. Studies regarding SMEs and IT in different contexts across the nations of the world have shown that SMEs are confronted with technological issues leading to a low adoption rate of IT. This research propounds that IT innovation is an indispensable tool for gaining a competitive edge over business rivals. This research presents empirical evidence to validate the existence of a positive influence of adopting IT innovations to improve organisational performance. This will be achieved by measuring variables, such as organisational performance and information technology using the balanced scorecard. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used with multiple case study designs to attain the study objectives. Convenience sampling was used to select the participating SMEs, while purpose sampling was used to select the 47 participants that were interviewed. An interview guide was designed to have a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was transcribed, coded, analysed and interpreted using content analysis to provide transparency to the findings. The findings of the study showed that SMEs rely on some IT innovations to manage and market their products and/or services. IT innovations bring about speed delivery and efficient communication, propagated by digital technologies The role of IT innovations on organisational performance should not be discarded because non-usage of IT is tantamount to poor organisational growt

Small medium micro enterprise business goals and government support: a South African case study

Small and medium-scale enterprises (SMMEs) form the majority of the enterprises in the South African economy. The South African government has identified the SMME sector as one of the potential enablers to achieve its objectives of improving job creation opportunities, reducing poverty and creating a more equitable distribution of wealth. The aim of this article was to provide a perspective on the success government support initiatives has had on the SMME sector. To achieve this, the study sought to analyse the perceived strengths and weaknesses of government's national strategy and its institutions tasked with creating an enabling environment for the sector. The study employed a survey research design methodology in which mixed methods were used. The national business strategy employed by government was critically analysed. Empirical data was collected from 282 respondents in order to answer the research question. The results show that the government's approach has favoured 'supply-side interventions' including, providing access to training, credit, mentoring and information to existing and new business. Furthermore, this study has identified the lack of awareness as the primary reason for the under-delivery of the government support initiatives in SMME development. Respondents indicated that they frequently made use of the services of business consultants and external specialists from which they perceived added more value to their respective businesses.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Strategic alliance governance in Zimbabwe policy and strategy

Worldwide interest in strategic alliances has increased dramatically partly because of their potential to expand firms operations in the short run. Among the many issues posed by the increasing interest in strategic alliances, this paper focuses specifically on the dynamics associated with the governance of strategic alliance relationships. Furthermore, due to the constant deterioration of the Zimbabwean economy and the resultant heightened customer expectations, Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have to enter into collaborative relationships which involve a high level of trust, goal alignment and commitment. The research used a multi-method field approach to gather, information on strategic alliances and corporate governance from 50 strategic alliance relationships from a wide spectrum of firms in a variety of industries in Zimbabwe. Ultimately, this paper identifies four critical governance areas into a framework for strategic alliance governance. The advent of the Internet has increased the ease of application or collaboration to form strategic alliances. Factors such as increased competition because of easier market entry, speed of data, and demanding customer requirements are necessitating a revolutionary change in the way that SMEs are managed. The struggling economy of Zimbabwe provides a platform that enables SMEs to extend their alliances to its suppliers thereby forming dynamic industrial districts. These factors, shared with an eagerness to contribute towards information and technology flow, will enable an efficient alliance thereby responding to the needs of customers

The influence of the motivation theory on women startup enterprises in Kigali

Achievement motivation refers to the attainment of business goals. An entrepreneur can receive a reward from the achievement motivation in terms of intrinsic or extrinsic rewards. However, due to cultural norms, stereotyping, and patriarchy, Rwandan women face difficulties when starting a business. Some women broke the glass ceiling and launched their businesses amidst many challenges. A quantitative method guided this study. The survey collected 409 questionnaires from purposively selected women-owned SMEs in Kigali. The findings indicate the challenges they faced, such as HIV/AIDS, a lack of entrepreneurship skills, and market opportunities. Despite the challenges they faced, their businesses performed well, which supported the theory of ‘achieve motivation’. This resulted in rewards, such as respect among family members, the community, and an improvement in their lifestyle, which is critical in Kigali. This study provides novelty in discovering women’s SME achievements in Kigali based on motivation theories.  The findings of this study provide a directive to policymakers to improve women-owned businesses under patriarchal environments in Kigali

The Effect Of Mobile BI On Organisational Managerial Decision-Making

Managerial decision-making has always involved the use of numerous distinct information resources. Modern managerial decision-making processes require a wealth of information that is enhanced and transformed into knowledge in order to take effective action. Mobility in business is increasingly exercising influence on core business processes of organisations. Recent advances in wireless technologies coupled with the rapid growth of mobile devices in business have led to a new era in business computing. Mobile Business Intelligence (Mobile BI) is a system that has been conceived to assist, accelerate and to enhance the managerial decision-making processes. Drawing from an array of previous studies that attempted to measure the value of Business Intelligence (BI) and other IT systems in organisations, this study develops a new kind of measure which is based on an understanding of the distinct properties of Mobile BI systems in an organisational-oriented context

The use of computers among secondary school educators in the Western Cape Central Metropole

Philosophiae Doctor - PhDThe use of computers in the classroom could allow both educators and learners to achieve new capabilities. There are underlying factors, however, that are obstructing the adoption rate of computer use for instructional purposes in schools. The study focused on these problems with a view to determining which critical success factors promote a higher adoption rate of computer usage in education. This study derived its theoretical framework from various technology adoption and educational models Methodology: The nature of the study required a . Furthermore, it investigated ways in which computer technology could enhance learning. mixed methods approach to be employed, making use of both quantitative and qualitative data. Two questionnaires, one for the educators and one for the principals of the schools were hand-delivered to 60 secondary schools. Exploratory factor analysis and various internal consistency measures were used to assess and analyse the data.Conclusion: Educationists and policy-makers must include all principals and educators when technological innovations are introduced into schools. All these role-players need to be cognisant of the implications if innovations are not appropriately implemented. Including the use of computers in educator training programs is important so that pre-service educators can see the benefits of using the computer in their own teaching.South Afric