The Status of Adoption of Social Media Analytics: Three Cases in South African and German Government Departments

Lack of access to technologies and quality data are key challenges for reducing the digital divide and developing digital citizens to support Smart City initiatives. This paper reviews efforts towards Smart Cities and access to smart technology and Open Data in developed economies globally and in South Africa. Reviews of literature and websites were conducted and the Qualitative Content Analysis method was used to analyse the data. The contributions are the commonalities and differences between Smart City initiatives in developed economies and in South Africa. The findings revealed that in developed countries the focus was mainly on e-services, citizen engagement, Intelligent Transport Systems and energy systems. They provided city-wide connectivity and addressed integration and interoperability challenges. The technologies included large IoT sensors and WiFi in-motion networks incorporating internationally accepted standards. Initiatives in South Africa were less mature, mostly in the initial stages and are not addressing other more urgent needs of the country such as water, food, shelter and education. Collaboration with best practice Smart Cities is needed to provide support to current and future initiatives in South Africa and for the development of African digital citizens

The Intention to Use e-Learning in Corporations

The introduction of e-learning has allowed companies to re-engineer the process in which training is conducted, whilst realising the benefits that e-learning has to offer. It is important to identify and understand the driving forces behind users’ behavioural intention to use ICT and e-learning in order to improve the chances of success of these projects. The purpose of this paper is to explore the intention to use e-learning in a corporate context. A case study approach with a survey strategy was used and the case was a South African software development company that has identified e-learning as part of its management strategy. A theoretical model of the intention to use e-learning is proposed and is used to guide the research. The results showed that the respondents have positive intentions to use e-learning and positive computer self-efficacy whereas they rated their computer anxiety negatively. From these results and the theoretical model it can be deduced that respondents will have positive intentions to use e-learning. Possible limitations of this study are that it only investigates one company and it does not investigate the relationship between the three constructs and the intention to use

The Technology, Organization, and Environment Framework for Social Media Analytics in Government: The Cases of South Africa and Germany

This paper investigates factors influencing the adoption of social media analytics (SMA) for citizen relationship management (CzRM). Three real-world cases of government departments, two in South Africa and one in Germany, were investigated, and focus group discussions were conducted. The technological, organizational, and environmental (TOE) theory and qualitative content analysis guided the data analysis. The findings revealed that in all cases, staff usually conducted a manual analysis of social media and SMA had not been implemented sufficiently to realize its full potential. Insights were obtained from TOE and factors were identified that should be considered for improving the planning of SMA adoption in government. Data quality, methods and tools for SMA, and resources (e.g., skills and budget) were the most important factors identified for achieving success in SMA projects in government. The contribution is an improved understanding of the adoption of SMA for CzRM and can lead to effective monitoring of social media posts by citizens to improve service delivery and, hence, lead to more citizen-centric government

A Process for Designing and Developing Interactive Learning Objects for Organisations

Organisations are increasingly adopting e-learning environments for employee and customer training projects. These environments use educational technologies and interactive learning objects (ILOs) to increase the quality of digital training experiences. ILOs are growing in popularity because material is multimodal but even more so, interactive which engages trainees and increases motivation to learn. Several studies have proposed processes and guidelines for improving the usability and user experience (UX) of system applications and websites. However, the processes and guidelines for designing ILOs are limited and the majority of these focus on ILOs adopted in educational institutions. Corporations need to consider additional factors, such as the organisational culture and the disparate profile of users when designing their e-learning environment and the ILOs to be adopted. This paper seeks to answer the research question, “What process should be followed when designing interactive learning objects (ILOs) in a corporate context?”. The purpose of this paper is to propose a process for designing and developing ILOs (PDILO) that can be used to increase the UX of these ILOs and ultimately, the usage thereof in an e-learning environment for corporate contexts. A case study approach was adopted and the case was a software development company incorporating e-learning into its management strategy. The design process was used to design ILOs that formed part of a module in the company’s new e- learning environment. The proposed process can be used to guide content developers with the design of ILOs in e-learning environments and ultimately improve the success thereof

Access to Technology and Data in Smart Cities for South African Digital Citizens

Lack of access to technologies and quality data are key challenges for reducing the digital divide and developing digital citizens to support Smart City initiatives. This paper reviews efforts towards Smart Cities and access to smart technology and Open Data in developed economies globally and in South Africa. Reviews of literature and websites were conducted and the Qualitative Content Analysis method was used to analyse the data. The contributions are the commonalities and differences between Smart City initiatives in developed economies and in South Africa. The findings revealed that in developed countries the focus was mainly on e-services, citizen engagement, Intelligent Transport Systems and energy systems. They provided city-wide connectivity and addressed integration and interoperability challenges. The technologies included large IoT sensors and WiFi in-motion networks incorporating internationally accepted standards. Initiatives in South Africa were less mature, mostly in the initial stages and are not addressing other more urgent needs of the country such as water, food, shelter and education. Collaboration with best practice Smart Cities is needed to provide support to current and future initiatives in South Africa and for the development of African digital citizens

A Comprehensive, Competency-Based Education Framework Using Medium-Sized ERP Systems

Graduates with industry-relevant ERP competencies are highly sought after. This requirement is due to a dominance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and the positive affect which good quality ERP specialists have on the success rate of ERP system implementation projects. Universities are therefore increasingly pressurised to supply graduates with the appropriate competencies and as a result have adopted a hands-on approach to teaching ERP systems in Information Systems (IS) degree programmes. Whilst several frameworks for ERP education have been proposed, they are not comprehensive and do not link the competencies required for ERP specialists with an appropriate approach to ERP adoption in the IS curriculum. A comprehensive, competency-based education framework for ERP education is proposed and implemented at a South African university. Analysis of the results reveals that the students enjoyed the hands-on use of the ERP system and that there was a positive improvement in self-efficacy and the competencies of the students

A framework for the adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in higher education

Information Communication Technology (ICT) practitioners and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) specialists are highly sought after globally and in South Africa. In order to address this need for ERP specialists, several studies propose that ERP systems should be adopted in the Information Systems (IS) curricula in higher education institutions (HEIs) for instructional purposes. Whilst many HEIs in the United States, Australia and Europe have successfully adopted ERP systems into their curricula, less than 30% of South African HEIs have followed this trend. The adoption of ERP systems is a challenging process as such systems are resource-intensive, costly, complex, and have a steep learning curve. Educators are faced with resource problems and a dearth of options relating to the adoption process. In addition it is critical that the skills and knowledge competencies attained in these courses are industry-relevant. Several education frameworks have been recommended to assist educators with the process of adopting an ERP system in the curriculum, but these frameworks are not comprehensive since they do not consider all the factors relating to the adoption of an ERP system. In addition existing frameworks are not based on industry-relevant competencies but rather on educational objectives. This has resulted in a difference between the competencies required by organisations and those produced by higher education. Whilst there are several research studies on ERP education, empirical studies on frameworks supporting the adoption of ERP systems in HEIs for instructional purposes are limited, particularly on the impact of these frameworks on educational outcomes. The impact of the usability of the ERP system on educational outcomes has also not been fully explored. A survey of ERP consulting organisations in South Africa confirmed that these organisations struggle to obtain ERP specialists with the appropriate competencies. The survey results also contributed to a standardised, comprehensive, set of industry-relevant ERP competencies. The competency set forms part of a comprehensive Competency Framework for ERP System Adoption in IS Higher Education (ERPEd), which can assist educators with the decisions relating to the adoption of an ERP system into the IS curriculum. It includes all the categories of competencies relevant to industry and maps these onto a recommended ERP system adoption approach, an ERP learning tool, as well as the appropriate level of adoption. The application of the ERPEd framework to a case study, the Management Information Systems (MIS) course at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), resulted in the adoption of the SYSPRO medium-sized ERP system into the MIS course with the hands-on approach. The empirical results of the evaluation of the case study revealed that the hands-on use of a medium-sized ERP system, SYSPRO, can successfully contribute to the attainment of educational outcomes. These outcomes were mapped to the three core competencies addressed by the MIS course, which were ERP Theory and Concepts, ERP Transactions and Business Process Management (BPM). The educational outcomes evaluated were the measures of performance, self-efficacy and usability. Self-efficacy included satisfaction with the adoption approach. The results were positive in terms of all the metrics of performance, and all three competency categories had positive post-intervention self-efficacy ratings. In terms of growth in self-efficacy from pre-intervention to post-intervention, BPM was the only competency category that did not show a significant growth, however the satisfaction data indicated that students found that the use of SYSPRO improved their competencies in business process understanding. Usability was evaluated in terms of navigation, presentation and learnability. Learnability was the only usability measure in the neutral range, with the other measures falling in the positive range. This confirms related studies reporting that ERP systems are not designed for learning. Overall the students enjoyed the practical application of the theory by using SYSPRO. Several positive and negative features of the user interface were provided which can be used in the design of improved ERP systems for instructional purposes. The results of this investigation can assist in narrowing the gap between industry requirements and IS education programmes. The ERP competency set provides a standardised list of skills and knowledge which is the starting point for any skills improvement program. The ERPEd framework can improve the quality of ERP courses and the competencies of IS graduates. This in turn, can benefit the business community since it will improve the chances of ERP project success. This research is a major contribution to both government and academic initiatives in South Africa to address both the ICT skills problem as well as the need for ERP specialists

Technical and Environmental Factors Affecting Cloud Computing Adoption in the South African Public Sector

Cloud computing can bring many benefits to organisations and countries. However there are technical and environmental factors that could hinder the adoption of these technologies in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of these factors in the public sector in developing countries such as South Africa. A detailed literature review revealed several factors to cloud computing adoption and these were empirically validated using a survey approach. Fifty one respondents from forty public sector organisations in South Africa completed the survey. The findings revealed that the majority of the respondents showed concern regarding the availability and privacy of data. The environmental factors that were of the most importance to respondents were adoption strategies of cloud computing implementations as well as the provision of usage guidelines and regulatory requirements in organisations

A framework for the adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in higher education

Information Communication Technology (ICT) practitioners and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) specialists are highly sought after globally and in South Africa. In order to address this need for ERP specialists, several studies propose that ERP systems should be adopted in the Information Systems (IS) curricula in higher education institutions (HEIs) for instructional purposes. Whilst many HEIs in the United States, Australia and Europe have successfully adopted ERP systems into their curricula, less than 30% of South African HEIs have followed this trend. The adoption of ERP systems is a challenging process as such systems are resource-intensive, costly, complex, and have a steep learning curve. Educators are faced with resource problems and a dearth of options relating to the adoption process. In addition it is critical that the skills and knowledge competencies attained in these courses are industry-relevant. Several education frameworks have been recommended to assist educators with the process of adopting an ERP system in the curriculum, but these frameworks are not comprehensive since they do not consider all the factors relating to the adoption of an ERP system. In addition existing frameworks are not based on industry-relevant competencies but rather on educational objectives. This has resulted in a difference between the competencies required by organisations and those produced by higher education. Whilst there are several research studies on ERP education, empirical studies on frameworks supporting the adoption of ERP systems in HEIs for instructional purposes are limited, particularly on the impact of these frameworks on educational outcomes. The impact of the usability of the ERP system on educational outcomes has also not been fully explored. A survey of ERP consulting organisations in South Africa confirmed that these organisations struggle to obtain ERP specialists with the appropriate competencies. The survey results also contributed to a standardised, comprehensive, set of industry-relevant ERP competencies. The competency set forms part of a comprehensive Competency Framework for ERP System Adoption in IS Higher Education (ERPEd), which can assist educators with the decisions relating to the adoption of an ERP system into the IS curriculum. It includes all the categories of competencies relevant to industry and maps these onto a recommended ERP system adoption approach, an ERP learning tool, as well as the appropriate level of adoption. The application of the ERPEd framework to a case study, the Management Information Systems (MIS) course at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), resulted in the adoption of the SYSPRO medium-sized ERP system into the MIS course with the hands-on approach. The empirical results of the evaluation of the case study revealed that the hands-on use of a medium-sized ERP system, SYSPRO, can successfully contribute to the attainment of educational outcomes. These outcomes were mapped to the three core competencies addressed by the MIS course, which were ERP Theory and Concepts, ERP Transactions and Business Process Management (BPM). The educational outcomes evaluated were the measures of performance, self-efficacy and usability. Self-efficacy included satisfaction with the adoption approach. The results were positive in terms of all the metrics of performance, and all three competency categories had positive post-intervention self-efficacy ratings. In terms of growth in self-efficacy from pre-intervention to post-intervention, BPM was the only competency category that did not show a significant growth, however the satisfaction data indicated that students found that the use of SYSPRO improved their competencies in business process understanding. Usability was evaluated in terms of navigation, presentation and learnability. Learnability was the only usability measure in the neutral range, with the other measures falling in the positive range. This confirms related studies reporting that ERP systems are not designed for learning. Overall the students enjoyed the practical application of the theory by using SYSPRO. Several positive and negative features of the user interface were provided which can be used in the design of improved ERP systems for instructional purposes. The results of this investigation can assist in narrowing the gap between industry requirements and IS education programmes. The ERP competency set provides a standardised list of skills and knowledge which is the starting point for any skills improvement program. The ERPEd framework can improve the quality of ERP courses and the competencies of IS graduates. This in turn, can benefit the business community since it will improve the chances of ERP project success. This research is a major contribution to both government and academic initiatives in South Africa to address both the ICT skills problem as well as the need for ERP specialists

Internet visibility and cyberbullying: A survey of Cape Town high school students

The pervasive and open nature of the Internet in the everyday lives of South African children has facilitated benefits such as increased collaboration,learning opportunities and access to knowledge (A2K). However, the online environment’s increased visibility has at the same time provided new ways for children to bully each other, and the evidence in the available literature suggests that online bullying – “cyberbullying” – may result in more harmful consequences than offline variants of such behaviour. This article provides findings from an online survey of cyberbullying experiences among a sample of high school students aged 15 to 21 years in the city of Cape Town. The survey found clear evidence of cyberbullying, as reported by both victims and perpetrators, and it was found that social networking sites (SNSs) were the online spaces most-used for cyberbullying, followed by short message service (SMS) platforms. Among perpetrators, 19% reported that they cyberbullied once or twice a week and 10% said they cyberbullied every day or almost every day. The survey also uncovered gender differences in the length of time it took for victims of cyberbullying to put the incidents behind them, with more females than males taking a long time (i.e., a few weeks, or a month or two or more) to stop feeling “bothered” by the incident. The authors conclude that the findings show a need for improved efforts, in schools and in student households, towards building learners’,parents’ and teachers’ e-safety awareness and capacity for preventative action