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A framework to measure the value of Agile software projects

  • Authors: Van Wyk, Louis
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Agile software development
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/292419 , uj:31777
  • Description: M.Com. (Information Technology Management) , Abstract: Software projects delivered following an Agile approach are deemed more successful than those following a traditional methodology such as Waterfall. This notion is supported by multiple studies, including the 2015 Chaos Report. The purpose of this study was to determine how the success of Agile software projects is measured, rather than to confirm the results of previous studies. This study focused on the Agile principles highlighted in the Agile Manifesto and investigated whether Agile practitioners consider these principles as success factors. It was important to determine what other success factors are currently used to ensure the successful delivery of Agile software projects. The Total Quality Framework (TQF) was adopted as a research design to maximise the quality of the data and to build the readers’ confidence in the research outcomes. An inductive approach was selected to establish an acceptance criterion or theory that can be verified through further studies. The objectives to achieve the research goal were very specific and required conversations with experienced participants with an in-depth knowledge of Agile software projects. The research method best suited to collect the rich data required was semi-structured interviews; therefore the approach followed in this study was a qualitative research approach. The TQF is based on four principles: credibility, analysability, transparency and usefulness. It was important for the researcher to adhere to these principles so that the results formulated could be generalised internally as well as externally. It is important that the results and outcome of the research be useful, i.e. the research outcome was to design a framework that Agile practitioners can use. The assumption and key finding is that all twelve Agile principles are deemed to be critical success factors in Agile software projects. Another finding is that eight of the twelve principles are also considered success measures. Traditional success measures are still considered success measures, but not deemed the only measure of success. Agile software projects consider multiple success measures, but are ultimately deemed a success when the business value has been realised. The primary success measures recognised for Agile software projects include strategic success, business success, product success and project success, measured at different stages after the product has been delivered. The product of this research is a framework consisting of 30 control objectives and 46 supporting practices that could be considered when implementing Agile software projects. The framework includes Agile-specific success factors that would improve the value delivered on Agile software projects. It further highlights the success measures that are relevant to all software projects. This framework, named COSAF, is the first version and it is the researcher’s vision that it will be implemented, adopted and improved to increase the success rate of software projects across the globe.
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Information retrieval and processing with the use of intelligent mobile software agents

  • Authors: Kolb, Derek
  • Date: 2014-02-05
  • Subjects: Knowledge management , Information technology - Management , Information storage and retrieval systems
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:3655 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9040
  • Description: M.A. (Information Technology) , The Internet contains large amounts of information that researchers can use, however, finding the required relevant information can be a lengthy exercise. Internet search engines, such as Google, allow users to search the Internet but these search engines only supply lists of information that "could" be relevant thereby forcing us, the users, to manually examine the list to select the relevant information that we require. Instead of requiring users to use Internet search engines to find lists of possibly useful information, it would be advantageous to have a system that would give an academic user a research summary report for the specified research query. This research summary report can be formatted in such a manner that would allow the user to have a list of links to the relevant information obtained, which could be used as an aid in the researcher's research projects. The design of the Mobile Agent Information Processing (MAIP) model and prototype relied heavily on mobile software agents (MSA). These MSAs will move from the creator system (the user's computer) to other known peer computer systems participating in the MAIP system. Whilst the MSAs are on the remote computer systems, relevant information is extracted from any of the text documents that are acknowledged as available by the remote host system. The extracted information will be returned to the creator system by each MSA where it will be processed and used to create the research summary report. The MAIP model is designed to locate, retrieve, and summarise information that is relevant to a researcher's research query, it can, therefore, be said that the MAIP model meets all the stated research objectives. The new and innovative model is deemed to offer an effective and feasible technology solution to the problem of information overload that exists within the electronic environment.
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Information technology project managers’ commitment to sustainability

  • Authors: Clinning, Grant
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Project management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/124491 , uj:20923
  • Description: Abstract: The concept of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the face of dwindling resources and increasing demand, boding ill for future generations. Despite this, there are still many industries and disciplines in which sustainability is not actively addressed. The ability to meet current and future needs is not an issue from which IT projects are exempt. Ensuring sustainability requires managing sustainability in all activities. The field of IT and sustainability is one in which literature is appearing, albeit at a slow pace and this leaves many unanswered questions on, among other things, the state of sustainability in IT projects and the commitment of IT project managers to sustainability. In not knowing what the state of sustainability is, potential shortcomings remain unknown, and corrective action cannot be taken. This research focused on assessing the commitment of IT project managers to sustainability and, by extension, the state of sustainability in IT projects. The quantitative research methodology was followed through the use of a survey in the form of a structured questionnaire. This research was cross-sectional as the focus was to assess the state of sustainability at a single point in time. IT project managers were randomly sampled to get an objective view of how committed they are to sustainability. This research made use of a project management sustainability maturity model to measure the extent to which sustainability is addressed in IT projects. Furthermore, the underlying structure of sustainability in project management was assessed through the use of factor analysis in order to determine if it differed for IT projects. This research found that IT project managers are not committed to sustainability. While the economic dimension showed the best results, they were not ideal; it is, however, the social and environmental dimensions that require the most attention. This poor performance is not limited to select aspects within each dimension as each dimension’s aspects are in a similarly poor state. The results also indicate that the structure of sustainability in projects may not be static and may differ between projects of different types. This research suggests that sustainability needs to become a focus for IT project managers. However, for this to happen, they need to recognise the importance of sustainability and acquire the relevant knowledge. This research shows that as a means to address sustainability, projects can be broken down into aspects according to the three dimensions of sustainability. Each aspect can then be assessed to determine how the project is performing with regard to sustainability, resulting in an actionable base from which to address sustainability. Keywords: Sustainability, project management, IT project management, sustainability maturity... , M.Com. (Information Technology Management)
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Evaluating the career status of IT professionals

The design of a predictive model for the academic performance of university students

  • Authors: Ngala, Katambwa Olga
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Data mining - South Africa , College students - South Africa , Universities and colleges - South Africa , Academic achievement - South Africa , Bayesian statistical decision theory , College student development programs - South Africa
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/225856 , uj:22821
  • Description: M.Com. (IT Management) , Abstract: South African Universities are populated by students from different social-cultural backgrounds, countries and high schools. This suggests that these students have different experiences and levels of understanding. It is thus imperative for South African Universities to recognize this diversity in order for them to provide students with better support and equip them with the necessary knowledge so that they will be able to discover their full potential and enhance their skills. Contemporary universities are currently using different practices in order to contribute to the academic performance of students. Some of those practices include employing more tutors, the use of mobile devices for first-year students, employing student assistants and feedbacks measures. These practices are not efficient enough since the number of students who are quitting university is still high. Therefore, universities should embrace other methods that will allow them to improve the academic performance of their students. Data Mining is concerned with generating procedures and studying educational content to facilitate a better understanding of the performance of students. Data mining and artificial intelligence’s goal is to draw knowledge from data through the use of machine learning algorithms. Higher education institutions should embrace the use of Data Mining in order to measure hidden patterns that are affecting the academic performance of students and prevent a low graduation rate. However, in order for universities to use data mining or artificial intelligence, they should first identify the factors that are affecting the academic performance of students and then embed them in the tool that will be used. Algorithms such Bayesian Networks, support vector machines and decision trees can be used to construct a predictive model for the academic performance of students. The best model presented in this study was constructed through the use of support vector machine algorithm. The model does predict the performance of students well in advance of the year-end examinations outcome. Most comprehensive universities may benefit from the model. This study focused on developing a model to predict student performance using quantitative data.
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Improving the management of inappropriate utilisation of information technology by university students

  • Authors: Ramoshaba, Sefoko
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Information technology - Security measures , Information technology - Moral and ethical aspects , College students
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/262429 , uj:27702
  • Description: D.Litt. et Phil. , Abstract: The information technology (IT) revolution has brought about many global changes, revolutionalising the world in the way people live, learn, work and interact with one another. It has improved the conditions of living in a dramatic manner, from office paper work to computerised office space and automated manufacturing plants. The IT revolution has also brought with it ethical challenges, where human beings are tempted into using IT to commit crime and unethical behaviour. This has led to the challenges of IT ethics, and how to manage the challenges. Ethical problems related to the inappropriate utilisation of IT have been transplanted from society to the university environment. Universities are experiencing the same and/or more drastic kinds of unethical behaviour. These behaviours have been committed through the inappropriate utilisation of IT by students. The increment is because of the ever-increasing sophistication of new IT devices. This research project sought answers for the better management of inappropriate utilisation of IT by students. The current literature was assessed in order to find out how students use IT to commit unethical behaviour, and the types of IT devices students utilise to do this. Students inter alia use wristwatches, cellphones, laptops, computers, cigarette lighters, ultra-violet lights, USBs, translation software, calculators, pagers, websites, printers, scanners, portable wireless devices, photoshop, electronic pens, video cameras, portable radios, faxes and emails. Students use these devices to commit the following unethical activities, among others: online plagiarism, computer fraud, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, e-cheating, hacking, cybervandalism, distributions of viruses, flaming, cyberharrassment, pornography, sexting, hiring people online to write up academic projects on their behalf, sharing of individual academic projects against the instruction of their lecturers, online fights, theft of IT devices, damage to IT networks, piracy, and copyright infringements...
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Adapting IT management for effective IT strategy leadership

  • Authors: Langa, Mthandeni , Marnewick, Carl
  • Date: 2017
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Strategic planning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Conference proceedings
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/373894 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/231957 , uj:23644 , Citation: Langa, M. & Marnewick, C. 2017. Adapting IT management for effective IT strategy leadership. International Association for Management of Technology IAMOT 2017 Conference Proceedings.
  • Description: Abstract: This article argues that the lack of consistent information technology (IT) and organisational strategies heightens the proclivity to cancel IT initiatives. Organisational strategy loosely conveys a compounded perspective pertaining to business and organisational strategies. The combination of these strategies logically hinge on efficient enterprise IT integration concepts contextualising conceptual links between their respective architectures to best suit prevailing business and socioeconomic needs. However, an effective socioeconomy demands contextual strategic management of IT, aligned with geopolitical and other factors affecting the nature of IT, to optimise the applied context of principles of governance and management. Strategic management of IT is alleviated by the concept of levels of abstraction inherent in the principle of separation of concerns. Hence the strategic use of the concept in ‘opinion’ formulation within the paradigm of a sociotechnical system design, development and management. Accordingly, optimal business performance demands that business and IT leadership and management develop mechanisms to establish symbiosis between governance and management principles, glued together by an adaptive enterprise‐wide standard architecture. There is therefore a contended need to integrate IT, processes and strategies. This demands that business and IT professionals possess an interdisciplinary and a multidisciplinary set of competencies. The perceived set of competencies supposedly help professionals to effectively navigate the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature of information technology management (ITM). Thus the ensuing sociotechnical system constructs represent the challenge imposed by the journey to purposefully adapt ITM for effective IT strategy leadership for a competitive economic system. The research used an advanced mixed research methodology embedding quantitative methods in a qualitative study...
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Determinants of the penetration of Software as a Service (SAAS) for improving customer service

  • Authors: Motloung, Terence
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Enterprise resource planning , Management information systems , Information technology - Management , Information technology - Customer services , Performance technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/292281 , uj:31760
  • Description: M.Com. (Information and Knowledge Management) , Abstract: Due to immense competitive pressure which arises in the automotive industry, decision makers at Cummins Inc. are confronted by difficulties to implement effective and timely business decisions which are data-driven. The business has therefore decided to deploy new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Information Technology Applications (ITA) such as Distribution Management Systems and Guidance Application to enhance information flows and enable decision makers within the business to execute strategies that are data-driven. As a result, the business experiences some difficulties when it comes to aligning the business unit’s strategies with the corporate strategy and the cause of this is the disinvestment in the management of information systems within the branches. Therefore, the results of this challenge will normally affect the organisation negatively and this can be demonstrated when one is analysing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).The research method selected for this study is a mixed method. It has allowed the researcher to collect two dataset points, the quantative and qualitative information. The data was collected through surveys, interviews with participants to fully grasp their views. The analysis was done by interpreting the responses from partcipants by using analytical tools such as Minitab and smart survey analytical tool. Furthermore, integration of the enterprise resource plan, Software as a service and management information systems can enable users within the business to collect, process, store and extract data to support the managerial role of utilising information technology to enhance business and profits. According to anecdotal evidence, there are challenges which limit the implementation of SaaS at CAME (Cummins Africa Middle East) and in this case, it is recommended that the organisation evaluates its requirements before it can proceed with new technologies. It further states that new ERP-systems and applications to be deployed in the organisation, should be able to deal with more holistic business information and allow system integration to take place. Therefore, failure to invest into an ERP which can perform these functions would then lead the business into an environment where people take decisions based on feelings and not on data. In the long run this will not contribute to the organisation improving customer service.
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Creating tomorrow's financial services organisations : unlocking the business benefits for total customer satisfaction

  • Authors: Swart, Jacques Matthew
  • Date: 2012-08-14
  • Subjects: Financial services industry - Customer services , Reengineering (Management) , Information technology - Management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:9233 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5681
  • Description: M.Comm. , The aim of this study is to consider how to create tomorrow's financial services organisations. Information technology and business reengineering are important within financial services organisations and have a prominent role to play in using the long-term viability of the organisation. Customers' interaction with a new technology environment has resulted in higher levels of customer satisfaction with a corresponding demand for customised and specialised services instead of traditional standardised banking services. The constant challenge of all banks, however, should be to keep abreast of change by translating business intelligence into innovative strategies. Customer's demands will dictate the new wave of banking for years to come. Ultimately, the change will come in whatever form the market and consumers demand. Business success therefore depends not only on the development of an excellent strategy but also on its effective execution. With the best will in the world, companies can develop a convincing strategy to take business forward, provide excellent products and expand the customer base. Unless companies have the appropriate supporting cultural and technological skills to enable rapid and efficient response to customers' needs, they will undoubtedly fail. Another aspect that is discussed in the thesis is the close interrelationship between marketing and business requirements in product innovation within the banking industry, specific to customer demands. The objective of this study is to give an insight into better-informed decisionmaking and the important role that business process re-engineering can play as an overall strategic resource in financial services companies to gain a competitive advantage. The efficient and effective use of information as a strategic resource in a financial services company is becoming more and more important. The real competition is for market share and trying to satisfy the needs of customers. Finally, the aim of this study is to address the importance of how to obtain a better return on information, for managers to make informed decisions that are better, quicker, more accurate and timely.
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The development of an information model for the management of an employee assistance programme

A conceptual information technology project management assurance framework

  • Authors: Mkoba, Elizabeth Sylvester
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Project management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/282548 , uj:30441
  • Description: Ph.D. , Abstract: Most organisations continue to align project activities with their business strategy to achieve strategic objectives and create business value. Most of these organisations have adopted information technology (IT) to increase performance and productivity, improve service delivery to customers and create competitive advantage in the market. Some of these initiatives are managed as IT projects. Despite this investment in IT, IT projects still fail at an alarming rate. These failed IT projects resulted in organisations wasting huge amounts of money and not realising a return on their IT investments. The purpose of this study was fourfold. Firstly, it explored the reasons why information technology (IT) projects are still failing. Secondly, it determined the factors influencing project success. Thirdly, it determined whether a positive relationship between project auditing and project success exists. Fourthly, it examined how project assurance can effectively mitigate IT project failure. These focus areas were addressed by developing a conceptual information technology project management assurance framework to successfully deliver IT projects in organisations. The research methodology employed a mixed-methods design which combined both qualitative and quantitative research methods. First, the qualitative research method was used to validate the conceptual framework through focus group discussion which was composed of IT project managers from South Africa. The results of qualitative data analysis were used to build an instrument to collect data in the follow-up quantitative research. The quantitative research method used survey questionnaires to validate the conceptual framework amongst IT project managers from Africa. The data were analysed using Atlas.ti 7.0 and SPSS 24.0. Factor analysis was conducted to determine possible correlations between the variables and factors as well as to determine how the conceptual information technology project management assurance framework fits the data. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to construct the conceptual framework. The key findings of this research are that project assurance can effectively mitigate IT project failure and the following factors influence IT project success: project auditing, top management involvement, project management methodology adherence, secure project deliverables, support and maintenance, and benefits realisation. The research also reveals that there is a strong correlation between the identified factors that influence IT project success. These factors were important in the development of a conceptual information technology project management assurance framework...
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The acceptance of technology-based knowledge management systems by knowledge workers

  • Authors: Moloto, Mothlago Stella
  • Date: 2014-02-05
  • Subjects: Knowledge management , Knowledge based systems , Information technology - Management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:3637 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9014
  • Description: M.A. (Business Information Technology) , Knowledge management has developed greatly over the last few decades, particularly in striving for economic and commercial effectiveness. With the growth of technology-based knowledge management systems and an increase in the number of organisations implementing them, there is concern as to how these systems are being accepted by knowledge workers. The systems are currently a pertinent issue on business agendas, and organisations across all sectors are recognising the critical role that effective ~ ones will play in their future success (Malhotra, 2000:56). This creates a concern where these systems are expected to bring success in organisations or to improve return on investments without a deeper understanding of their utilisation by knowledge workers. The goal of this dissertation is to understand the way in which technology-based knowledge management systems are being utilised and accepted by knowledge workers, and furthermore to establish if knowledge workers have full understanding of the systems they use. The focus of this research is therefore on the human dimensions in relation to the systems, and on how they support organisational intellectual capital. The history of interactive computlnq shows repeatedly that it is the human issues which make or break new methods and tools at work. What are technology-based knowledge' management systems? How are they managed? Moreover, how can managers harness the potential of the knowledge workers to expand the knowledge base of the organisation? In order to answer these questions, this research determines how knowledge workers utilise the systems and their level of acceptance of this technology. It considers the importance of organisations that want their employees to use the systems effectively by contributing ideas and knowledge out of their own goodwill. Employees will do so if the concept of trust (of any technology system) has been imparted to them fully.
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Adapting information technology management for effective information technology strategy leadership

  • Authors: Langa, Mthandeni
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Strategic planning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/237644 , uj:24352
  • Description: M.Com. , Abstract: In this dissertation, it is argued that the lack of consistent information technology (IT) and organisational strategies heightens the proclivity to cancel IT initiatives in a given industry sector. Organisational strategy loosely conveys a compounded perspective pertaining to business and organisational strategies. In theory business, IT and organisational strategies are reasoned to hinge on efficient enterprise IT integration concepts that contextualise conceptual links between business, IT and organisational architectures to best address contextual business and socioeconomic needs. However, an effective socioeconomy demands contextual awareness of strategic management of IT, leadership and management, geopolitical and other factors affecting the evolutionary nature of the IT industry, enterprise architecture, enterprise risk optimisation and principles of governance and management. Business and IT leadership’s contextual awareness is necessitated by the concept of levels of abstraction inherent in the principles of separation of concerns. Hence the strategic use of the concept in ‘opinion’ formulation within the paradigm of a sociotechnical system design, development and management. Thus, optimal business performance demands that business and IT leadership and management develop mechanisms to establish symbiosis between governance and management principles, glued together by an adaptive enterprise-wide standard architecture. There is therefore a contended need to integrate IT, processes and strategies. This demands that business and IT professionals possess an interdisciplinary and a multidisciplinary set of competencies. The perceived set of competencies supposedly help professionals to effectively navigate the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary nature of the concept of information technology management (ITM). Thus the resulting entangled sociotechnical system constituents, responsible for the overall perspective of the ITM concept, are constructs representing the challenge imposed by the journey to purposefully adapt ITM for effective IT strategy leadership for a globally competitive economic system. The research balances deontological and teleological philosophical theories, embracing an advanced mixed research methodology and embedding limited quantitative methods in a predominantly qualitative study. These theories underline systemic and deliberate practice aimed at optimising similarly credible research findings as well as provide a realistic perspective. Consequently, analysis employs a systematic approach based on four contextual themes, viz. administrative, investment management, management and technology practices and a closing perspective, in deliberate efforts to optimise triangulation. The outcome is an adaptive ITM process model facilitating discovery, construction, governance and management of a purposeful sociotechnical system in any given geopolitical context. Thus the adaptive ITM process model can benefit both academics and practitioners in their respective quests to contextualise philosophies and concretise processes sustaining purposeful sociotechnical system design, development and management. In principle, the research introduces a general theory of collaboration theoretically thriving on ITM as the art, philosophy and science of orchestrating strategic management principles to enliven the value of IT in pursuit of an optimum strategic intent in a continuum.
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Change management in software implementation projects

  • Authors: Phiri, Asante
  • Date: 2013-05-27
  • Subjects: Organizational change , Computer software , Information technology - Management , Project management
  • Type: Mini-Dissertation
  • Identifier: uj:7546 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8404
  • Description: M.Ing. (Engineering Management) , Organizations sometimes invest in expensive and extensive operational software systems or packages in order to improve certain aspects of the organization. Change from one system to another is predominantly brought about by some sort of perceived added value. This added value is identified by a few individuals in an organization and must then be demonstrated and marketed to management as well as the system end-users, in order to obtain buy-in. Although software systems have become a prominent fixture in organizations, the success rates for software implementation projects remain reportedly quite poor. Researchers noted that 56% - 90% of software implementation projects are late or over budget and only 30% are successful. Potentially, the process of changing software systems is inherently fraught with resistance. This resistance towards this change and the management thereof can prove to be the deciding factor in the success or failure of the new software system. Presumably, there is a role for change management in software implementation projects. In order to understand the role of change management in software implementation projects, the current research aims to carry out an extensive literature review on change management and software implementation project challenges. Software implementation projects are often executed in a project management framework. Consequently, the literature review firstly investigates project management principles, standards and methodologies. Secondly, the literature review peers into several critical success factors that research has identified for software implementation projects. Lastly, the intricacies of change management psychology and organizational resistance are researched. The findings of the research indicate that change management plays a pivotal role in the success of software implementation projects. The role of change management in software implementation projects is to manage the individuals’ and organizational resistance such that the adoption of the new software or system is facilitated.Despite the availability of information regarding change management, the research indicates that a lot of software implementation projects fail because the required change management effort is underestimated by the organization. The current research raises questions regarding the level of change management awareness and proficiency amongst project managers and the suitability of project management standards and methodologies for software implementation projects.
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The impact of IT risk on external audit reports

  • Authors: Dempsey, Karlien
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Auditing - Data processing , Information technology - Management , Information technology - Risk management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/292142 , uj:31743
  • Description: Abstract: IT is an integral part of all organisations and consequently, all organisations should be considered as IT-affected entities. IT risk is therefore an entity risk which should be managed and mitigated through effective IT governance processes and the selection or design and implementation of IT governance frameworks. These frameworks should be designed and implemented at managerial level, however, the board and / or the audit committee should take overall responsibility for IT governance. The auditor uses the audit report as the primary tool to communicate their opinion to the users of the financial statements. The new audit report format, which superseded the previous format in 2016, should address the audit expectation gap as well as the shortcomings of the previous format, namely, limited communication and standardised language. The most significant change in this new format is the disclosure of items that are deemed of most significance in the audit, namely, Key Audit Matters. Through a content analysis of the JSE top 40 listed entities, it was found that those charged with governance in 39 of these entities regard IT as a significant risk and disclosed detail on IT governance or IT committees. However, although a total of 130 Key Audit Matters were raised by the entire study, none related to IT. This suggests a disconnect between the literature and the view of those charged with IT governance on the one hand, and the disclosure made by the auditor on the other. , M.Com. (Computer Auditing)
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A qualitative study of leaders’ work identity in outsourced projects

  • Authors: Lategan, Liesel
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Information technology - Contracting out , Information technology - Management , Project management , Leadership
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/293611 , uj:31928
  • Description: Abstract: Orientation The study explored the experiences of ten information technology (IT) project- and programme managers who led outsource projects. It explains the complex nature of outsourcing and requirements in leading inter-organisational teams. Implementation of these outsource projects is often concluded with varying degrees of success, and poor results lead to loss of income, reputation, and intellectual property, which impact people’s work identity. The study focused on the roles these leaders have to fulfil, what motivates them, and personal attributes required to deliver successful outcomes. Finally, the strategies and competencies the project- and programme managers developed to form and maintain their work identity are also discussed. Research purpose The purpose of the study was to explore the work identity of leaders working in complex inter-organisational structures through outsource arrangements. Motivation for the study The study was motivated by my own experiences as an IT project- and programme manager leading outsource teams. More specifically, I wanted to explore my observation of leaders having various levels of success in delivering projects. In addition, I was curious about how they managed themselves and what motivated them. Lastly, I wanted to know how they managed team viability within a complex inter-organisational team, creating an environment where team members wanted to work together on future projects. Research design A qualitative grounded theory research design was employed. Convenience- and snowball sampling were used in selecting ten research participants. Data was collected, first, by conducting interviews asking open-ended questions, followed by semi-structured interviews to clarify the participants’ everyday experiences. Finally, the interviews were transcribed and, with the aid of computerised qualitative data analysis software (ATLAS.ti), thematic data analysis was undertaken. Research findings The findings identified seven themes related to leaders building and maintaining their work identities. This informed a conceptual model of leaders’ work identity within an... , M.Phil. (Personal and Professional Leadership)
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Risk management in information technology projects

  • Authors: Antony, Tessy
  • Date: 2012-08-01
  • Subjects: Risk management , Risk management - Data processing , Project management , Information technology - Management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8902 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5374
  • Description: M.Ing. , Information Technology (IT) projects are typically accompanied by a wide variety of complex risks. The rapid rate at which technology is currently changing requires the use of updated processes for project risk management in the IT industry. This paper investigates the active management of risk by focusing on the causes of such risk and developing indicators to track project risk throughout all project phases. The current research focuses on Project Risk Management as described in the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK®) Fourth Edition, detailing the tools and techniques needed to make risk management work in IT projects. This Project Management Institute (PMI) Standard has been adopted for the current research as it is widely accepted by many organisations in order to ensure greater return on investment and other benefits from projects. The PMI’s PMBoK® details an approach to project risk management which includes the process concerned with identifying, analysing, prioritising and mitigating risk at regular intervals. Specifically, it focuses on budget-related risks in order to reduce IT project failure due to budget overruns. Risk measurement and risk control are also incorporated to achieve a sustainable risk management system for IT projects. Finally, a private sector IT project is used as case study in order to apply the research in practice. This case study makes use of Accenture's maturity model concept, which helps us to understand this organisation’s benchmarking in recent years.
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The relationship between information and communication technology project governance and project success

  • Authors: Oguntade, Oluyemi
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Project management
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/283271 , uj:30544
  • Description: M.Com. (Information Technology Management) , Abstract: Information and communication technology (ICT) is used by organisations as a strategic enabler, and to drive operational efficiency. Previous research reveals that, despite the increased organisational adoption and knowledge of standard practices (both project and enterprise ICT governance), intended to elicit quality in governance and management of ICT investments, ICT project outcomes continue to deliver below stakeholder value expectations. Justifying ICT investment in this era of tight resources and conflicting priorities will therefore continue to be a laborious task unless this is addressed. This research focuses on determining the criteria stakeholders use to assess value delivered by ICT investments through project work, and explores the relationships between standard practices of project and ICT governance in order to improve stakeholder value expectations for ICT project outcomes. Literature on the evolution of ICT project stakeholder value assessment paradigms was explored, and various ICT governance and project standard practices compared and benchmarked. The research instrument was designed by factoring in common scholarly views to gather data from a group of professionals in the field of ICT project and enterprise governance. Data analysis established that there are great opportunity and synergy in ensuring that both project and ICT governance standards are entrenched in organisations. Adoption of one without the other will not deliver the desired result, as the two standard practices are complementary. The results of this study also show that these standard practices have a direct influence on the criteria stakeholders use to assess the value of ICT project outcomes; hence, ICT project stakeholder value expectations can be addressed for improvement by adopting and entrenching these standard practices in organisations.
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The functioning of the information technology internal audit departments at metropolitan municipalities in South Africa

  • Authors: Mamaile, Lukishi Jacob
  • Date: 2013-12-09
  • Subjects: Public administration - Data processing , Electronic data processing - Auditing , Internet in public administration - South Africa , Information technology - Management
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7855 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8749
  • Description: M.Comm. (Computer Auditing) , The internal auditors play an important role in any organisation, irrespective of the type of audit they perform. Metropolitan municipalities (Category A municipalities) in South Africa are established in terms of Section 155.1(a) of the South African Constitution as municipalities that execute all the functions of local government for a city and that have sufficient resources to perform municipal functions, as opposed to areas that are primarily rural, where the local government is divided into district municipalities and local municipalities. Recently, many weaknesses have been reported regarding these municipalities. This is evident when looking at the recent billing problems experienced within the City of Johannesburg metropolitan municipality, during which the city blamed its Project Phakama, an IT system intended to integrate municipal services accounts into one database for effective accounts management, for any deficiencies. The above considerations triggered the need to conduct this study. The study focuses on the types of internal IT audits that are conducted within these municipalities, the independence of the internal audit departments, the audit standards/guidelines/legislation followed, the roles and responsibilities of IT auditors, the knowledge expected from IT auditors, the IT audit skills (both core skills and soft skills) required to perform the audits and the IT audit tools and techniques that are applied while performing the internal audits. The study was therefore conducted to establish the functioning of the information technology internal audit departments at metropolitan municipalities in South Africa, given the above background. A quantitative research methodology was followed in the study, in which a detailed questionnaire was designed and sent to all heads of IT audits/Chief Audit Executives (CAE) in all eight metropolitan municipalities in order to find answers that would achieve the above-mentioned objectives. Seven out of the eight metropolitan municipalities in South Africa participated in the study. This study revealed the following key results, general controls reviews were the most performed type of audit, and municipalities were found to forward their internal audit reports to both municipal managers and audit committees. Computer knowledge is considered to be the main expected knowledge from the IT auditors, audit and technical skills are considered to be the most important core skills required from any IT auditor. The Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) is found to be used by all municipalities while conducting their internal audits. The detection role is singled out as the main role played by IT auditors in municipalities, followed by the oversight role. Ensuring that IT policies, procedures, laws and regulations are managed in accordance with standards, as well as identifying and evaluating IT risks are considered by internal auditors in municipalities as the most important responsibilities they perform on daily basis.
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A formal approach to the optimisation of information technology risk management

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