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Knowledge sharing practices within an organisation's information services division

  • Authors: Radebe, J.
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Knowledge management , Information services , Academic libraries , Information technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/237743 , uj:24363
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: Advances in technology and the changing demands of library clients have brought about a demand for innovative, higher quality services from academic libraries. Academic libraries find themselves in a position where they have to either re-evaluate their service models to meet the technologically influenced needs of the library clients, or face redundancy. Research has proven that the practice and implementation of knowledge management (KM) aids an organisation in gaining a competitive advantage, which is at the pinnacle of ensuring that an organisation remains a preferred service provider. In order to address these issues, this research focused on exploring the knowledge sharing (KS) practices of employees within the Library and Information Services (LIS) division at a higher education institution. The researcher employed a qualitative research design, guided by a case-study research strategy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, with seventeen respondents who were purposively selected for the sample. Data was analysed using thematic analysis, creating categories of subjects relating to the identified research questions. The findings of the study revealed that KS was limited within the LIS and mostly occurred informally between employees within the same section. Furthermore, it was found that the culture at LIS was not conducive for the advancement of KS, as respondents felt unsupported by the LIS' management in terms of KS endeavours. A silo culture, encouraging the creation of specialists in specific roles, was identified as a barrier to potential KS practices within the LIS. In terms of encouraging KS within the LIS, the findings showed that respondents were most enthusiastic about the concepts of rewards and incentives. A need for a formalised KM strategy and consequent policies guiding the acquisition and implementation of KS tools and mechanisms, was also identified. Recommendations arising from the study included: 1. A need for renewed commitment by LIS management in terms of encouraging a KS culture. 2. A drive to find affordable technologies that would enable the storage, retrieval and sharing of knowledge within the LIS, to ensure that the right knowledge reaches the right person, employee or client, at the right time.
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Managing information technology service delivery : a conceptual frame work

  • Authors: Sliep, Rachel Marie
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Information technology - Management , Management information systems , Information technology , Strategic planning
  • Language: English
  • Type: Doctoral (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/422288 , uj:36030
  • Description: Abstract: Managing information technology (IT) in higher education institutions (HEIs) is not merely difficult but has almost become impossible. Information technology (IT) leaders in HEIs face a challenge to integrate and provide for the continuous accelerating transformation of technology and the way it is applied in HEIs to improve the quality of IT service delivery to satisfy their stakeholders’ expectations. IT leaders need to embrace change with the understanding that IT will need more than a secure set of knowledge and skills in today’s technology demands required from the unique composition of stakeholders. To position HEIs in their current marketplace and ensure competitive advantage, just implementing new technologies and innovations is not nearly enough. It is a requirement from institutional leaders to recognise IT as a key business enabler and to ensure that IT is positioned within the organisation as an investment rather than a cost. Key requirements for IT leadership are to recognise, agree and integrate various frameworks to ensure stability and agility when addressing the continuous challenges of HEIs and providing them with a dynamic application landscape and borderless end-user experience. IT departments within HEIs should dynamically change their philosophy, standards and way of thinking to meet the rapidly changing, everyday organisational demands. .. , Ph.D. (Information Technology Management)
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Online community portals for small businesses

  • Authors: Chen, Her-Jiang
  • Date: 2014-02-11
  • Subjects: Small business , Business enterprises - Computer networks. , Information technology
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:3794 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9168
  • Description: M.A.(Information Science) , The first part of the study is a literature review which indicate that small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) represent an important vehicle to address the challenges of job creation, economic growth and equity. Modern economy is driven by innovations and knowledge. Transforming information resources into knowledge and maximise the value of knowledge is the new challenge in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. Information resources are needed by small businesses as much as their larger counter parts but small businesses are usually in a disadvantaged position in terms of finance and expertise. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) offer small businesses new opportunities in the information economy. Exciting ICT applications such as Web portals provide platforms for business communities to share information and communicate more efficiently than ever. Such information resources enable small businesses to react faster and adapt better to the changing global market. The stimulation of SMMEs must be seen as part of an integrated strategy to develop the society to a higher level. The research findings of this study provide all stakeholders in small business development in South Africa including government, industries and academics a better understanding and practical guideline for delivering information resources to small business owners and managers and the design of information portals that can address the information needs of small businesses in South Africa. The empirical components that follow the literature review comprised a questionnaire survey. The survey focused on non-franchised small businesses in the retail industry in the greater Johannesburg metropolitan. A total of 150 questionnaires completed by small business owners and managers were used for statistic analysis in this research. The questionnaire consisted of four sections: business biographic information, business information and agencies, information and communication technologies usage, and community and portal activities. The survey results revealed valuable insights and trends in the use of ICTs and attitudes towards information sharing amongst small business owners and managers. Textile, clothing, footwear and leather goods were the most popular trade for the small businesses use in the survey. Nearly all respondents prefer English for business communication and the businesses are typically owner manager with a small number of employees. . Infrastructure for ICTs is in place for small businesses, but the usage level is still basic. Short message service (SMS) and e-mail are the most commonly used leT tools. Traditional media such as television, radio, newspapers and magazines remain the most important source of information for these small business owners and managers. Younger businesses adapt better to ICTs than the older businesses. Despite a mixed attitude towards sharing business information, small business owners and managers showed a high level of interest in networking with other businesses, in particular with potential customers and suppliers. Most respondents do not belong to any professional or industrial organisation primarily because they were not aware of these organisations. Based on the literature review and the empirical research, the final conclusion that was made from this research is that Web community information portals can, to a great extent, promote the use of information resources for small businesses in South Africa. The results from this research give a better understanding and are useful guidelines to stakeholders in small business development in South Africa.
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Online learning ecologies : towards supporting teachers of information technology for the new curriculum

  • Authors: Louw, Thomas Arnoldus
  • Date: 2010-06-08T07:31:54Z
  • Subjects: Teachers' in-service training , Information technology
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:6874 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3322
  • Description: D.Ed. , Professional skills development is an important aspect in the professional life of Information Technology (IT) teachers. The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in South African schools brought about the possibility of using web-based education (WBE) for the purpose of bettering continuous professional teacher development (CPTD) for IT teachers in Further Education and Training (FET). This study aims at developing an online learning ecology embedded by a programme that facilitates the continuous professional development focussing on IT teachers. The rationale for this study argues about the Internet and WWW as alternative means of communication with and training of IT teachers. Theory on adult education, web-based pedagogy, and the available web-technologies, assist in creating the theoretical framework for this study. Subsequently, theory on instructional design (ID) is applied in developing the online learning ecology, online programme, as well as developing a community of practise (CoP) for IT teachers. A qualitative study guided by a partial design experiment methodology constructed the research. Therefore, the design and development in this study have secondary reference to methods for ID. A needs analysis was done by conducting a document analysis on government policies, curriculum design as well as the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for FET. Consequently, the thesis was constructed by following the design, development and evaluation of a learning ecology. Hence, the online learning ecology was validated using constructed rubrics by research participants against the instructional design, online programme and community of practice efficacy, aimed at continuous professional development of IT teachers. Findings of this research have shown that an online learning ecology, populated by virtual tools, effectively hosts an online programme and likewise hosts a community of IT teachers. The validation further claims that the ecology was effectively designed and that interaction among IT teachers occurs on a high level against the principles of good _______________ Table of Contents iii teaching practice, classroom practices, methodology and ultimate professional development. Furthermore, the level on which knowledge transfer and skills development of IT teachers have been applied to pedagogy, became evident in applicable online teaching principles in a web-based environment for adult learning. Conclusions deduced from the study claim for face-to-face interaction to be utilised with an online programme. This assists cluster meetings to be conducted more effectively and retains influences such as time constrains and transport problems. Consequently, this leverages better facilitation during shorter time periods and delivers more concise cluster meetings. Moreover, suggestions have been made for online moderation possibilities, access to more, relevant study material, collaborating ideas, sharing experiences and having more social presence from a professional perspective. The virtual tools used in the learning ecology were found to be highly effective with ease. Further conclusions brought about a suggestion for generalising such a learning ecology that hosts CPTD to other learning areas. A final conclusion reveals that the online programme shows to be aligned with professional teacher development at various levels and complied with critical- and developmental cross-field outcomes to enhance generalisability and generic application within the South African educational context.
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Optimizing ICT trends to enhance Open Distance Learning : impact of a practical assignment on professional relationships.

  • Authors: Henning, J. C.
  • Date: 2010-05-17
  • Subjects: Distance learning , Open distance learning , Academic libraries , Information technology
  • Type: Presentation
  • Identifier: uj:1584 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3317
  • Description: The image of librarians and the Academic Library’s role in teaching and learning has always been a topic close to the heart of these professionals. Equally important for librarians are positive relationships with management and colleagues within the institution. Interdependencies between faculty and the library impact on the performance and delivery of services and require careful management as well. This paper focuses on how a library manager as a member of the Extended Management Committee of a university interacted with colleagues in senior management on a topic of mutual interest to complete a group assignment. The role played by the library manager and the changes in and impact on the relationships will be highlighted. The topic of the assignment “Optimizing ICT trends to enhance Open Distance Learning (ODL)” provided ample opportunity to demonstrate the changed role of the Academic Library in ODL as well as in online teaching and learning. A brief overview of ODL, information on the assignment and methodology followed will be presented. Information on the findings will be shared and the views of participants in the audience on these findings will be invited. An opportunity to share similar or different experiences will also be provided. The findings indicate that there is a better understanding of the role of the academic library in teaching and learning as well as appreciation for the way the library optimizes ICT developments to improve service delivery and access to services and resources. Another finding is that there is enhanced collaboration with the library as well as increased awareness of possibilities to utilize technologies in ODL. As leader / coordinator of the assignment and as a result of the interaction with the group, I experienced closer collaboration and improved communication with members of the group not only during the assignment but also on an ongoing basis.
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Project implementers’ perspectives on the deployment and uptake of Information Communication Technology for development initiatives

  • Authors: Nyoni, Ntombiyokusa
  • Date: 2019
  • Subjects: Information technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/414216 , uj:34927
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , Abstract: The implementation of Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) is increasing through the introduction of various projects. The main aim of this research study was to explore the perception of the project implementers on factors that affect uptake and deployment of ICT4D projects in a South African based organization namely, Digify Africa. A qualitative research method was utilized. In-depth interviews were conducted with the Digify Africa project managers. The findings from the interviews revealed that the main factors of ICT4D project uptake and deployment at Digify Africa were: 1. Social contextualization, 2. Funding from donors because most projects relied on external funding 3. Collaboration because in all the projects the project managers worked with other organizations. The limitations of the study included the following: This data was collected from four project managers who were in charge of the implementations of the ICT4D project this may yield biased information; This is a cross-sectional research, therefore there are time constraints because the research was conducted in a short period. The findings of the study are valuable for project managers in the future adoption of ICT4D projects. The future research recommended was a study emphasizing the importance and the benefits of ICT4D, which is a very wide discipline. Lately, there has been a rise in micro jobs through online platforms. A research in the influences and challenges of these online platforms in the South African context would be important because online micro-jobs create a new job market.
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Promoting project reviews as a best practice in multinational organisations

  • Authors: Maluleke, Mmatseleng
  • Date: 2011-09-15T08:02:32Z
  • Subjects: Information technology , Project management , Multinational organisations , International business enterprises
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7214 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3848
  • Description: M.Tech. , Many organisations rely on Information Technology (IT) projects to react to competitive pressure and innovation. IT projects are divers and they may include installing off-the-shelf hardware to developing software to basic technologies that provide information to support the operations, management, decisions-making functions within the organisation. In the past years, there had been an increasing number of Multinational Organisations (MNOs) working on IT projects together to create mergers and grow business in foreign countries. While IT projects are being undertaken, Multinational Project Teams are faced with challenges and among their challenges project reviews is one of them. Project reviews are an essential process of learning new things and capturing what had been learned in the current phase/project in order for future phases/projects to benefit. Moreover it is a stage where project teams assess if they had met their key deliverables and project performance. A related study was conducted on project reviews and the results revealed that 4 out of 5 organisations did not conduct post-project reviews. However, if they did conduct project reviews, there were no guidelines on how to do it. The aim of the study was to ascertain a set of guidelines that are used by MNOs to conduct project reviews and share lessons learned and experiences gathered during and after an IT projects for future usage. The significance of this study was to highlight the importance of guidelines for conducting project reviews in order for project teams to learn from the project. The findings can be utilised in building guidelines that MNOs can use to conduct project reviews and to integrate lessons learned back into the organisation. The scope of the research was limited to an MNO with headquarters in the Netherlands and subsidiaries in China and South Africa. The study was carried out using qualitative research approach through interviews, observation and gathering of documentation. Using Atlas.ti which is a ii CAQDAS, data was analysed to compare and contrast similarities by using categories. The categories constructed offered the integrative interpretation of what was learned. From the individual and focus group interviews 5 main categories were elicited: project review meetings, intervals of conducting project reviews, lessons learned, knowledge sharing, and information extracted from project reviews. Based on the results it was evident that the MNO in question requires a set of guidelines on how to conduct project reviews. Moreover, there was no formal mechanism used to integrate lessons learned back into the organisation. A Generic Model for when project reviews should be conducted was developed using various models and guidelines that are used by other organisations and this model could be utilised by MNOs. For each project phase as illustrated on the Generic Model, there are project review guidelines on what to measure during the phase review. This research contributes to the growing literature on the organisational processes and mechanisms for project reviews and lessons learned.
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Specific selective outsourcing services in the information technology (IT) industry in South Africa

  • Authors: Mapetla, Palesa
  • Date: 2009-03-31T09:51:14Z
  • Subjects: Contracting out , Information technology
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8288 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2398
  • Description: M.B.A. , In the current decade, "whole of IT" outsourcing appears to be losing ground, and other options are being considered and sought, such as selective outsourcing. Every product, service, or technology has a life cycle, and although the outsourcing industry is at its maturity level, at the same time it is also going through various growth stages and still evolving with best practices. Wholesale or comprehensive outsourcing clearly seems to be on the decline. Highlights of this analysis are as follows: The whole of IT" outsourcing can be seen as a contract service agreement in which an organisation hands over the majority of IT responsibilities to an external company. These contracts are long-term agreements designed to give higher control and transparency on costs, generally with a fixed price arrangement. In the selective outsourcing model, organisations may choose to outsource part of their IT. For example, the IT infrastructure could be broken down into separate agreements for the IT network, desktop, applications, and help desk. Depending upon the spread and competencies of internal resources, the organisation may choose to outsource one or all of the components. Outsourcing has become one of today’s most powerful, organization shaping management tools and also more so in South Africa. Chapter Two covers the fact that companies experience growth based on specialization, expertise and excellence. It is growth based on focusing on those areas that most directly contribute to a company’s success. Outsourcing has become the new frontier for the modern business. When a decision is made to outsource, the company needs to decide which of the activities or services currently done in-house can be defined as being non-core to the business. It is very important that the management of these non-core functions is not outsourced. “The decision to outsource the IT function is primarily based on the need to get rid of an operational problem. IT can become a very expensive cost centre with all the difficulties associated with managing a technology intensive infrastructure” says Rose (1999:24). Outsourcing provides the opportunity to redesign the IT function, and the potential to access highly specialized skills to extend capability. The purpose of this research is to address the following problem statement: What percentage of the budget in the South African IT market by sector is spent on the specific mentioned selective outsourcing services? The author looks at this problem statement and uses available literature to do an in depth study to reach an understanding of the researched subject. In Chapter three, an appropriate research approach that is inductive has been followed. The telephone interview was chosen for data collection as the most suitable and cost effective method. A questionnaire was designed with undisguised questions to ensure consistency and relevance of the responses. The question construction that followed took into consideration question content, question wording, response structure, and question sequence. Finally, pre-testing of the measurement tool was done to ensure validity and reliability, thereby ensuring that a foundation was laid for Chapter Four in which presentation and analysis of the results are given. Chapter four presents the analyses and interprets the results of the study as supplied by respondents through the questionnaire. The results are presented in tables showing percentage figures and numbers for individual response categories, totals and averages to present a clear picture. Finally there is the analysis and interpretation of each section as presented in the tables. The researcher applies the literature discussed in Chapter Two to support and justify the use of the questions asked, and the application thereof to the concepts of the outsourcing and the specified selective outsourcing services business in South Africa. The research was conducted to address the problem and subproblems discussed in Chapter One. In conclusion in response to these problems, the investigated selective IT services which are mentioned in detail in chapter one model has emerged as an attractive alternative to the single-vendor approach. Essentially, a selective approach involves choosing best-of-breed vendors to administer various business services or business functions, leading to either a total or limited solution. However, although selective outsourcing may indeed address some longstanding outsourcing challenges, it also presents some new management issues.
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Subsidy and revenue maximization in developing countries

  • Authors: Sumbwanyambe, Mbuyu , Nel, A. L.
  • Date: 2012
  • Subjects: Information technology , Subsidized communication services
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: uj:6281 , ISSN 2078-0966 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9884
  • Description: Developing countries have embarked on the promotion of “ICT access for all” through subsidized Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), especially in underserviced areas of such countries. The main aim of the “ICT access for all” is to extend the communication services to the large areas of underserviced regions through subsidized communication services. In some instances, subsidies may lead to high ICT penetration and high resource utilization while in some instances unsubsidized services may lead to low utilization of resources and low ICT penetration, which may eventually lead to market failure and destroy market efficiency. With explicitly defined objectives, regarding subsidy policy, however, developing countries always fall short on the implementation of such subsidy policy due to economic reasons and unrealistic subsidy driven pricing models. In this paper we investigate the impact of subsidy driven pricing model on resource utilization and revenue maximization in a developing country. In this paper we try to find a middle ground between promoting “ICT access for all” (given a subsidy and diverse income variations between the groups) and resource utilization in a network.
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The alignment of information technology (IT) with business strategies in small and medium-size enterprises

  • Authors: Makhathini, Bongumusa Emmanuel
  • Date: 2014-09-03
  • Subjects: Small business , Information technology
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/382731 , uj:12209 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11978
  • Description: M.Com. (Business Management) , In the current economy, leveraging information technology (IT) is of vital importance to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. To accomplish this, companies must ensure the alignment of IT with business strategy. The fundamental goal of alignment should be for IT capabilities to support, enable, and, where appropriate, lead business strategy. Such alignment will maximize the effective use and value of IT in a strategic context. The alignment of IT and business strategy is not easily achieved and has always presented IT and business executives with numerous problems. One of many challenges facing small businesses is that IT strategy appears to take a parallel course to business strategy, maintaining a common direction with business strategy but at a distance. The objective of this research is to identify the impact of this separation of strategy, and understand how to enable enhanced alignment of IT and business strategy. The research scope focuses on the alignment of IT and business strategy in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Strategic Alignment Model will be used to analyse IT and business strategy alignment. The value that IT contributes to the organisation will be analysed in terms of three dimensions: systems, users and the wider business. The research will seek to establish whether a relationship exists between strategic alignment and the value of IT to the organisation. Data has been collected through structured interviews conducted with management executives from various SMEs. A concise introduction with each participant ensured a common understanding of key terms and concepts. Questionnaires were also mailed to willing participants where personal interviews were not possible. The findings of this study are expected to assist the alignment of IT and business strategy in SMEs in South Africa resulting in greater realisation of IT value and benefits
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The alignment of information technology (IT) with business strategies in small and medium-size enterprises

  • Authors: Makhathini, Bongumusa Emmanuel
  • Date: 2011-09-15T07:58:04Z
  • Subjects: Information technology , Business strategy , Small business
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7213 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3847
  • Description: M.Comm. , In the current economy, leveraging information technology (“IT”) is of vital importance to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. To accomplish this, companies must ensure the alignment of IT with business strategy. The fundamental goal of alignment should be for IT capabilities to support, enable, and, where appropriate, lead business strategy. Such alignment will maximize the effective use and value of IT in a strategic context. The alignment of IT and business strategy is not easily achieved and has always presented IT and business executives with numerous problems. One of many challenges facing small businesses is that IT strategy appears to take a parallel course to business strategy, maintaining a common direction with business strategy but at a distance. The objective of this research is to identify the impact of this separation of strategy, and understand how to enable enhanced alignment of IT and business strategy. The research scope focuses on the alignment of IT and business strategy in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Strategic Alignment Model will be used to analyse IT and business strategy alignment. The value that IT contributes to the organisation will be analysed in terms of three dimensions: systems, users and the wider business. The research will seek to establish whether a relationship exists between strategic alignment and the value of IT to the organisation. Data has been collected through structured interviews conducted with management executives from various SMEs. A concise introduction with each participant ensured a common understanding of key terms and concepts. Questionnaires were also mailed to willing participants where personal interviews were not possible. The findings of this study are expected to assist the alignment of IT and business strategy in SMEs in South Africa resulting in greater realisation of IT value and benefits.
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The application of Technology Acceptance Model in predicting user acceptance (adoption) of mobile devices in the workplace

  • Authors: Mabaso, B.G.
  • Date: 2016
  • Subjects: Mobile computing , Information technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/82676 , uj:18991
  • Description: Abstract: The study examines the relationship between external and internal variable constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to predict the adoption of mobile devices in the workplace. It is general knowledge that once a technology adopter or user perceives a technology device to be useful, this ultimately influences their behavioural intention to use that device. It is also stated in the literature that perceived ease of use influences perceived usefulness leading to behavioural intention to use and ultimately leading to actual usage of a technology. The study takes a quantitative approach using a survey questionnaire as a data collection method and Chi square for hypothesis testing. A survey questionnaire was send to respondents via email for data collection purpose and the response rate was 73%. Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Perceived ease of Use (PEOU) are hypothesized to be the fundamental determinants of user acceptance. Three hypotheses were stated and the relationship between the external variable (IT Policies), PU & PEOU, and the behavioural intention towards use was tested using the chi-square statistic. It was found that a positive relationship existed between IT policies and the behavioural intention towards use, PU and attitude towards use, and also between PEOU and the behavioural intention towards use and in all three tests the null hypothesis was rejected. These results will therefore be of benefit to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) as they will be using the TAM as a tool to predict adoption on any future technology. , M.Com. (Information Systems)
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The computer auditor's involvement in IT strategic planning

  • Authors: Brown, Ronald Arden
  • Date: 2014-08-19
  • Subjects: Information technology , Strategic planning
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:12097 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11842
  • Description: M.Com. (Computer auditing) , 1. Overview of Topic This dissertation deals with the question of the computer auditor's involvement in IT (Information Technology) strategic planning. Increasingly, organizations have come to value IT for the competitive or strategic advantage that it can provide in the modern marketplace. IT has thus moved from being an administrative function to being of strategic importance to an organization. The IT strategic plan expresses an organization's beliefs and goals relating to the use of information technology and the use of IT for strategic purposes. The IT strategic plan should ideally support the organizational goals and the principles identified in the organizational strategic plan. 2. Research Problem and Methodology The purpose of this research project is to identify whether a computer auditor should be involved in IT strategy planning. It is contended that the involvement would normally be that of auditing an IT strategy, but could also extend to providing input into the development of such a strategy. This dissertation suggests that the IT strategy is a risk area in the organization and as such should be examined by the computer auditor. In addition, the concept of IT strategy being a key control system within the organization is introduced. A survey of literature is used to justify the above. Based on points gleaned from the literature survey, a suggested guideline for auditing an IT strategy is proposed. 3. Results of the Research Although a comprehensive survey of literature was performed. no indication was found that this topic had been dealt with in the past. The literature survey. however, proved to be of value in defining IT strategy and identifying it's risk areas. In addition, some of the literature did imply that there was scope for the involvement of the computer auditor in IT strategy planning. The literature survey also indicated that the topic of IT strategy was of importance to South African companies. Based on the literature survey it was concluded that, because IT strategy represented a risk area to the organization, the computer auditor should be involved in the audit thereof. The following guidelines were drawn up: one to assist in identifying when an IT strategy should be audited, one to identify control objectives relating to IT strategy and a corresponding audit guideline for each control objective. 4. Conclusion The literature surveyed indicated that there was a definite need for the computer auditor to become involved in the audit of IT strategy. The guideline presented for the audit of an IT strategy should prove to be useful to the computer auditor in identifying when and how an IT strategy should be audited. Investigating the actual involvement of the computer auditor in IT strategic planning was identified as an area for possible future research.
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The cooperatives model as an approach to SMME development in South Africa with specific reference to the information, communication and technology (ICT) sector

  • Authors: Mabuza, David Charles
  • Date: 2009-05-07T07:22:47Z
  • Subjects: Small business , Information technology , Small business research in South Africa
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:8360 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2501
  • Description: M.A. , Small enterprise development is considered a priority in most developing countries and, South Africa’s not an exception. The rationale for prioritising SMMEs is premised on their potential ability to contribute to the alleviation of the socio-economic challenges facing most developing countries such as unemployment, poverty and low levels of economic development. For South Africa, SMME development is seen as an appropriate strategy that could assist government in its endeavours of bridging the gap that exists between the two economies (first and second economy). To date, the government has utilised various business models to facilitate the entry and development of small enterprises in the mainstream economy. These models include amongst others a close corporation, cooperative and private company. Whilst all three models have been effectively applied across all sectors of the economy such as agriculture, retail services, manufacturing and others, the cooperatives approach/model has not been successfully exploited for the development of small enterprises within the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector. Using international case studies, this study has been able to demonstrate the critical role that could be played by the cooperative model in facilitating an accelerated development of viable small enterprises within the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in South Africa. Internationally, cooperatives have played a pivotal role in their contribution to economic development in both developed and developing countries. The model has the potential to promote economic growth at the community and regional level, building on the spirit of cooperation that is already prevalent in rural areas. In the ICT sector, the cooperatives approach has been applied as a model for the development of sustainable ICT small enterprises. In actual fact, the model has been instrumental in enhancing small enterprise development in countries such as Argentina, Poland, USA and Bolivia, just to mention a few. It therefore becomes critical for South Africa to consider lessons from these countries, so as to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the cooperative model. However, government needs to put in place appropriate ICT sector specific support structures that would assist people willing to start cooperative enterprises within the ICT sector. In the United States, government introduced a sector-specific bill to facilitate the establishment of the Rural Telephone Administration. The bill made it possible for long-term loans to be made to telephone cooperatives at low interest rates, thus accelerating the development and procurement of rural telephone systems. In Poland, government established a sector-specific Trust Fund referred to as “Balazs Social Trust Fund” solely to support the development of ICT cooperatives in rural areas. Thus, for South Africa to accelerate its pace of development it might need to adopt and customise this model. To ensure continuous monitoring and measurement of the impact of these interventions, government needs to put in place appropriate measurement tools.
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The efficiency of capital investment decisions pertaining to information technology: a multi-institutional approach

  • Authors: Gama, Mduduzi Edward
  • Date: 2011-06-22T10:50:19Z
  • Subjects: Capital investments , Information technology
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:7123 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3716
  • Description: D.Phil. , IT plays a vital role in most institutions, and decision-makers have to be concerned about ensuring that capital investment decisions pertaining to IT investments are efficient. This is even more crucial in the prevailing tough economic conditions. The intention of the study was to test the perceptions of IT decision-makers on the efficiency of capital investment decisions pertaining to IT within their various institutions. The management dilemma in this study was described as the inability by decision-makers to tell whether or not the IT investment would deliver the desired results. In order to resolve the management dilemma, a list of management questions was raised, for example:  Which factors had an impact on the efficiency of capital investment decisions pertaining to IT?  How did decision-makers quantify the financial and non-financial costs attributable to IT investments?  How did decision-makers quantify the financial and non-financial benefits attributable to IT investments? The primary objective of the research was to conduct a literature review on the identified research constructs and through scientific empirical research construct evidence in support (or otherwise) of the hypotheses that are put forward. The secondary objectives of the research were:  Identifying the factors that impact on the efficiency of capital investment decisions pertaining to IT;  Determining the levels of satisfaction by various stakeholders with regard to the value that IT investments add to their institutions;  Determining whether or not institutions were able to identify and quantify the financial and non-financial costs attributable to IT investments;  Determining whether or not institutions were able to identify and quantify the financial and non-financial benefits attributable to IT investments; iv  Determining whether or not IT investments created a competitive edge over other institutions;  Determining the applicability of risk management tools on IT investments within various institutions; and  Determining the extent to which current financial tools were utilised in evaluating capital investment decisions pertaining to IT.
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The engagement of educators with computers during the uptake of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

  • Authors: Tlhoaele, Malefyane Jacobeth
  • Date: 2009-02-11T08:54:28Z
  • Subjects: In-service training of teachers , Computer literacy , Information technology , Ga-Rankuwa (South Africa)
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: http://ujcontent.uj.ac.za8080/10210/376142 , uj:8133 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/2108
  • Description: M.Ed. , Die navorsingsdoel van die studie is om vas te stel hoe Intell® Teach to the Future die betrokkenheid van opvoeders met Informasie en Kommunikasie Tegnologië (IKT) beïnvloed. Opvoeders in Ga-Rankuwa het deelgeneem in die navorsing. ʼn Aantal privaatondernemings, soos Intel, het programme ontwerp ten doel om opvoeders met die integrering van IKT te ondersteun, maar onvoldoende gedokumenteerde bewyse van die invloed van privaat initiatiewe op die betrokkenheid van opvoeders met IKT bestaan. Skole in Ga-Rankuwa gebruik die IKT integreringsopleidingsprogramme van verskeie organisasies, dus is dit belangrik om die invloed van hierdie programme op die betrokkenheid van opvoeders met rekenaars te evalueer. Onderswyersopleiding in IKT integrering word beskou as die belangrikste en kritiese suksesfaktor om die tekort aan gekwalifiseerde opvoeders in IKT aan te spreek (Dawes, 1999:256). Volgens Orange en Hobbs (2000:86) om skole en opvoeders te betrek by IKT integrering, die beskikbaarheid van harde-en sagteware word as noodsaaklik beskou alhoewel die blote teenwoordiigheid van rekenaars in skole is onvoldoende om die kwaliteit van die onderwys te verander. Verdere pogings om opvoeders te betrek met IKT integrering in onderwys en leer so wel as ondersteuning is benodig. Verkeie lande gebruik verskillende strategiee van onderswyersopleiding in hierdie verband. Die navorsingmetodes is ‘n kombinasie van etnografie en ‘n gevallestudie. Waarneming, fokusgroeponderhoude en analise van dokumente is gebruik om data te versamel. Data analise het gelei tot vyf kategorieë. Die bevindinge toon aan dat Intel®, tot ‘n grote mate, die betrokkenheid van opvoeders wel beїnvloed het.
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The evolving role of information technology in internal auditing

  • Authors: Ravjee, Harshal Keshav
  • Date: 2015-09-28
  • Subjects: Auditing, Internal , Information technology
  • Type: Thesis
  • Identifier: uj:14198 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/14641
  • Description: M.Com. (Computer Auditing) , Modern organizations are increasingly dependent on information technology (IT) for various reasons: to enhance their operational efficiency, reduce costs or even attain a competitive advantage. The role of information technology in the organization continues to evolve and this has an impact for the internal audit functions that serve these organizations. The study investigated whether the King III report, ISACA standards and IIA standards assist the internal audit function in addressing the impact of information technology on the organization and, as a result, the internal audit function itself. This was performed by way of a comprehensive literature study on the internal audit function and the selected standards and corporate governance framework, the role of information technology in both the organization and the internal audit function, as well as an empirical study detailing a comparative analysis of the King III report, ISACA standards and IIA standards, utilizing key success factors. The study identified an alignment of the key principles and elements identified in the King III report, ISACA standards and IIA standards. There was direct support for ITrelated reviews in the King III report, ISACA Standards and IIA Standards. The comparative analysis performed between the King III report and IIA standards, as well as the ISACA standards and the IIA standards resulted in the formulation of key internal audit success factors. These key success factors compared favourably to those identified in the literature review. The study indicated that the King III report, ISACA Standards and IIA Standards assisted the internal audit function by addressing IT related risks, controls and governance elements.
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The future is now : new roles and relationships for academic libraries

  • Authors: University of Johannesburg Library and Information Centre
  • Date: 2010-05-17
  • Subjects: Academic libraries , Information technology , Academic publishing , Internet access , e-Learning , Conference proceedings
  • Type: Other
  • Identifier: uj:1585 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/3318
  • Description: Welcome to this very exciting conference focusing on the changing roles and relationships of academic libraries which goes hand in hand with the rapid development of information technology. Last year, when we started planning for the conference we came to the conclusion that the title ‘The Future is Now’ expresses our experience of being overtaken by technology, in a unique and innovative way. However, when we did a Google search on the phrase we found that it was a widely used phrase which gives expression to the global village’s experience that developments which we thought lie in the future are overtaking us as a result of the rapid development of Internet and mobile technologies. Despite its lack of originality, we decided to stick to the title, because there was no better way of saying what we wanted to say. I repeated the Google search about a year later, when I was busy writing this welcome note to you, and this time carefully noted the number of hits: 128 000 000. Most significantly I found two websites relating to the impact of information technology on the world of libraries within the first 20 hits. One was the website of an eponymous ALA conference on libraries and museums in the virtual word held on 5 and 6 March 2010 (http://www.opal-online.org/finindex.htm). The conference dealt with the use of Second Life in libraries and museums. The other was an article on the launch of Elsevier’s ‘Article of the Future‘ project (http://www.cell.com) on 7 January 2010. Both these hits underlined the impact of technology on our world and the need to consider the way forward as a result of it. George Will said that ‘the future has a way of arriving unannounced’. It is the sincere hope of the Conference Organising Committee that this conference will help prevent the future of taking us unawares. We believe that your presence here will inspire and motivate you to explore the new technologies and harness it to sustain and improve on academic libraries’ proud tradition and history of moving with the times. - Dr Anette van Vuren, Conference Chair.
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The impact of information communication and technology in rural development : a case of Moletjie, Limpopo Province

The influence of ICT tools and project management maturity on virtual team performance

  • Authors: Katane, Jacqueline
  • Date: 2018
  • Subjects: Virtual work teams , Communication in organizations , Teams in the workplace - Computer networks , Information technology
  • Language: English
  • Type: Masters (Thesis)
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/282975 , uj:30503
  • Description: Abstract: The expansion of organisations causes them into offering their products or services and/or consuming products and services that are offered abroad. It is no longer sufficient for organisations to operate locally if their desire is to reach their full potential. Broadening their scope provides the organisations with the desired growth. For the link between organisations and their offshore customers or suppliers to exist there needs to be communication across borders. Teams are formed between the different employees from the different locations to achieve a specified goal. The team members are not co-located and they need the assistance of information communications technology (ICT) tools to communicate with one another. This kind of team is referred to as a virtual team. A lot of attention has been given to virtual teams over the years but despite this attention, there is still little knowledge available about how to manage them (Dulebohn & Hoch, 2017). This indicates that there is still an opportunity to explore the success factors of virtual teams. Poor management of projects can cause the failure of a project (Anantatmula & Rad, 2013). This suggests that an organisation should invest in the maturity of their project management to ensure the success of their virtual projects. The research goal is to investigate the influence that information and communication technology tools and project management maturity has on the performance of virtual teams. This research looks at extended factors on virtual team performance which are: leadership, communication and trust. A good leader needs to have good communication skills in order to successfully coordinate a virtual team. Trust is needed for the virtual team to have honest communication among themselves. Face to face contact in virtual teams is minimal to none, affecting the performance of a virtual team and impacting on the authority and leadership in the virtual team. This also has an impact on the trust among virtual team members and the level of accountability by virtual team members. Virtual teams rely on ICT tools for communication and these tools are emerging at a frequent rate. This research aims to discover if keeping up with emerging ICT tools can supply virtual team members with improved communication which in turn will improve their performance... , M.Tech. (Applied Information Systems)
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