1,720,958 research outputs found
A digital transformation framework for South African financial service providers
Get PDFPhD (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusSouth African Financial Service Providers (FSPs) are characterised by turbulences and uncertainties that continuously affect business operations. Many writers summarize the current era of business as “adapt” or “die” era for many businesses, notably financial service providers. The way FSP operate has changed dramatically; there is now a new economy on the rise known as digital economy which requires Financial Service Providers to re-look at how they operate as a business. Financial Service Providers have to leverage on new technologies in order to remain relevant in the current times of banking. The majority of South African Financial Service Providers are investing in digital transformation. However, digital transformation phenomenon is not well understood, especially in the context of South African Financial Service Providers. The extant literature is limited to digital strategies and digital business models, providing a limited overview of a detailed and complete digital transformation for FSP ecosystem. Moreover, such literature, to date, has not linked digital transformation to business processes within Financial Service Providers. Hence, this thesis argues that digital transformation challenges and issues observed in South African Financial Service Providers could be alleviated by a sound digital transformation framework that is sensitive to the local context. The goal of this study was to conceptualize a framework that shows how South African Financial Service Providers could do digital transformation. The study used IT capability model, Resource dependency theory and the Technological, organizational and environmental theory as lenses to deeply understand what and how South African Financial Service Providers experience the digital transformation. The interpretive paradigm was followed in the study, with an inductive research approach and a case study research strategy employed for the study. Semi-structured interviews, observation and document reviews were data collection methods used. Hybrid thematic analysis and content analysis were the methods used to analyse the data collected. Study findings suggest that digital transformation is either enabled or inhibited by existing IT capabilities and resource dependencies. The thesis argues and concludes that IT capabilities and resource dependencies ought to manifest cognizant of the Financial services provider’s technological, organizational and environmental contexts. The framework conceptualised unpacks the theoretical, practical, and contextual contributions of this thesis.Doctora
Developing a Framework for Business Information Technology Alignment in South African Development Banks
No full textPhD (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusBusiness-information technology alignment is a current information systems research key issue and a current business challenge. Thus, the relevance of this thesis is in addressing business-information technology alignment issues within development banks in South Africa. Using government resources, development banks are mandated to address financial market failures through financing and funding finance projects, economic segments, and segments of the population that commercial banks do not finance. South African development banks, as state-owned institutions, have recently been subjected to intense scrutiny due to unjustified but rocketing IT investments that often do not produce improved or tangible productivity and performance. The research problem is that despite the investments in information technology, the development banks are not realising a tangible return on IT investment made. The thesis argues that the lack of return on investment is due to the business-information technology misalignment within the development banks. To improve their performance, development banks must align their business and IT strategies. It is argued that organisations tend to improve their performance when their business strategy and IT strategy are aligned. The issue and challenge is that development banks in South Africa currently lack a contextualised framework that may inform the aligning of business and IT strategies. To this point, the goal of the present study was to bridge this gap by conceptualising a framework for business-information technology alignment for South African development banks.
The present study used the Strategic Alignment Model, MIT90s Model, Strategic Alignment Maturity Model and the IT Capability Model as theoretical lenses to explore and describe when and how the alignment could be achieved in South African development banks. The study followed an interpretive paradigm and an inductive research approach with a case study adopted as a research strategy. Semi-structured interviews, observation and document reviews were used as data collection methods. The collected data were then analysed using thematic and content analysis techniques, respectively.
The interpretation of findings suggest that to achieve business-information technology alignment, South African development banks must institutionalise knowledge sharing practices among the varied business units with the IT division leading the synergy and mutual understandings. Senior and executive managers need to increase their involvement and contribution in the business-information technology decision-making, business-information technology resource allocations, and the prioritising of IT projects. The original contribution of this thesis is in conceptualising a contextualised framework that may help improve business-information technology alignment within the development banks in South Africa.Doctora
Developing an Information Systems Capability Framework for South African Mining Firms
No full textPhD (Business Administration), North-West University, Potchefstroom CampusInformation systems capability is considered one of a firm’s most valuable assets as it is what enables organisations to perform and achieve business goals. Scholars emphasise that the key to transforming a business into a successful entity is through its information systems capability. The relevance of this thesis is in addressing a current information systems capability key issue by conceptualising a framework, in the context of South African mining firms. The research argument driving the present study was that information systems (IS) value is derived when there is an integration of appropriate competencies, skills, leadership, experience, infrastructure, human resources, and stakeholder relationships. Consequently, information systems capability was studied by looking at how both technology and human resources, as well as the leadership and external resource dependency elements, play a role within mining firms.
The research problem is that, although mining firms invest millions of Rands in information technologies and systems, they hardly realise the IT value and a tangible return-on-investment. In this thesis, it is inferred that the challenge lies in a misaligned information systems leadership, resources, and competencies; that is, information systems capability. The thesis argues that a mine’s information system capability pays off if it is aligned within the specific context in which a mine functions and operates, hence a need for a South African context specific framework.
Triangulating three theoretical lenses - Information technology capability model, Upper echelon theory, and Resource dependency theory - the goal of the present study was to conceptualise an information systems capability framework, in the context of mining firms operating in South Africa. The study followed an interpretivist research philosophy with a case study as a research strategy. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and organizational documents to profoundly understand how information systems capability manifests in a typical South African mining firm. Thematic and content analysis were the methods used to derive meanings out of the collected data.
The study findings suggest that a sound information systems capability and information technology value could be derived when there is an integration of appropriate competencies, skills, leadership, experience, infrastructure, human resources and stakeholder relationships. The framework conceptualised shows the theoretical, practical, and contextual contributions of this thesis. That is, the framework addresses how Information Systems capability and Information Technology value may be derived, in the context of a South African mining firm.Doctora
Developing a change management measurement instrument for effective use of examination administration system
Get PDFThe quantitative change management measurement for effective use, which consists of operationalized change drivers, dimensions and sub-dimensions for effective use of Examination Administration System (EAS) in the South African context, has been scarcely discussed in the literature. This paper intends to develop and validate a change management measurement instrument (CHAMI) to measure the effective use of EAS in South Africa’s (SA) Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. The CHAMI was developed drawing on the survey measurement instruments literature for change management and effective use and assessed quantitatively using data collected from 215 EAS users across all 318 TVET colleges from nine provinces of SA. The empirical results found the existence of construct validity of the CHAMI with 11 dimensions (i.e. user involvement and change recognition, user satisfaction, performance measurement, technology use, EAS adaptive use, EAS verification, user learning, transparent interaction, representational fidelity, informed action, and effective use) and 63 questions. Another contribution this study stems from the way the research constructs in a measurement model are operationalized as they incorporate measurement class (i.e. reflective or formative). This paper presents a CHAMI for effective use of EAS. In the future, management, researchers and practitioners can use the CHAMI to measure effective use, espouse or adapt instrument as an additional use measurement dimension on United Nations digital transformation programmes index or test it in different settings to advance its generalizability
Change Management Model for Effective Use of Examination Administration System: Developing Country Case Study
Get PDFThere is inadequate knowledge on change management model (CMM) for post-acceptance phase of information systems. This paper intends to determine and model change management factors (CMFs) that explain effective use of Examination Administration System (EAS) in South Africa. A survey was used to collect data from 215 EAS users in Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges and was analyzed quantitatively. Empirical results evince existence of casual nexuses between user involvement and change recognition, user satisfaction, performance measurement with use of EAS which through EAS adaptive use (EAU) in turn together with EAS verification, user learning representational fidelity and informed actions influence effective use of EAS. This study results add to literature by explaining the indirect mechanisms (i.e., EAS and EAU) through which the CMFs can influence effective use. This paper also offers a novel integration of Effective Use Theory and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology with three CMFs which provides a holistic model. This study recommends that various communities endeavour to use CMM as a guide to influence user communities to effectively use information systems in diverse contexts. The model also has potential to drive improved return on investments and enhance employees’ productivity
Conceptual change management framework for effective use of examination administration system: a systemic review
Get PDFThis paper systematically reviews literature with the aim of conceptualizing a change management framework for the effective use of the Examination Administration System (EAS). Information systems (IS) change management factors in the implementation and the post-implementation phases are systematically reviewed to identify 37 reports between 2015 and 2023 and content was analyzed. Post-acceptance phase poses many challenges that often result in resistance from the user community thus relinquishing the expected gains. This paper explains change management factors in the post-implementation phase of information systems as they are not adequately addressed in existing literature. The conceptualization of the change management framework draws on the integration of the Unified Theory of Acceptance, Use of Technology and Effective Use Theory and nine change management factors as facilitating conditions. The paper concludes that effective use of EAS is realized through change management factors (i.e., user training, top management support activities, information flow, planning EAS as a change, change shared vision, performance measurement, user involvement and change recognition, user satisfaction and effective communication). This study further adds the indirect mechanisms (i.e., technology use and IS adaptive use) through which the change management factors can impact effective use. The study provides a useful guide to the practitioners and researchers to explain the change management strategies for the effective use of information systems and improve it. This paper also proposes that future studies adapt and/or empirically test conceptual change management apparatus for effective use to ascertain its validity within various contexts
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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