Browsing by Subject "Business Administration"
Now showing 1 - 19 of 19
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemOpen AccessAdaptive vs. visionary-advocacy approaches in scenario planning : implications of contrasting purposes and constraint conditions(2013) Gordon, Adam Victor; Soko, MillsScenario planning has steadily grown to become a significant part of business and organisational foresight processes, particularly where planning situations demand approaches beyond traditional forecasting, due to extent of uncertainty variables or length of future time under consideration. However, despite general consensus as to the importance of the scenario approach in general, and rapid growth in both theory and practice in the field, fundamental questions remain over which situations are most tractable to scenario planning and why; and, in the face of uneven success in application, which among an apparent myriad scenario planning approaches best serves different planning situations, or organisations holding different goals. This dissertation makes an intervention into this problem, investigating to what extent scenario planning projects can be separated by underlying project purpose, and, based on original primary case studies and case-based structured interviews, finds that two meta-categories of purpose exist, which are here referred to as 'adaptive' and 'visionary-advocacy' purposes. It is argued that a purpose-based distinction of scenario modes provides part-explanation of the effective basis, or absence thereof, of scenario work for different situations - a basis which is achieved via congruence of scenario project purpose with (a) underlying organisational planning purpose, and (b) the extent of organisational influence over external conditions, including macro-variables of change, that constrain it. These findings suggest additions to scenario method as currently understood, particularly pre-project analysis (audits) of both an organisation's planning purpose and its external constraint conditions, to ascertain the presence of absence of necessary congruencies, so as to inform adoption of the purpose platform (and allied methodology) more likely to produce successful outcomes in application.
- ItemOpen AccessApplication of lean management in the provisioning of textbooks to Eastern Cape public schools(2008) Simayi, Siyabonga; Koelble, ThomasThis study is conceived to assess the apparently simple but very critical process of supplying textbooks in the Eastern Cape (EC) public schools. Lean Thinking and Value Stream Mapping (VSM) philosophies, a derivative of the Toyota Production System (TPS), was applied to evaluate the effectiveness of the current process and propose improvements as measured by reduced time and more effective support for learners. Further, usefulness of policies employed from 1998, such as South African Schools Act (SASA), National Standards and Funding Norms (NSFM) and LSM Review Report in ECDoE (2003), that relate to provisioning of textbooks were also assessed. Thirdly, the effect of the current provisioning process at school level was also investigated.
- ItemOpen AccessBroad-based Black Economic Empowerment : a human capital development approach(2007) Mbabane, Loyiso Mzisi; Horwitz, FrankThis study develops a theoretical framework for Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, using a Human Capital Development approach. This framework is then employed to evaluate the Codes of Good Practice on Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) (Department of Trade and Industry, 2005; 2007). A 'mixed methods research approach' is utilized, in some kind of triangulation. Three research methods are used starting with focus groups; then content analysis and finally descriptive analysis. Phase one utilizes focus groups to construct the key elements of the Draft BBBEE Scorecard for Employment Equity; Skills Development and Organisational Transformation (2005). In phase two, content analysis (documentation analysis) is applied to compare and contrast the draft BBBEE Scorecard of 2005 with the final BBBEE Scorecard of 2007, using the human capital development framework for the propositions. The third phase is designed to test proposition three, which enquires into the actual implementation of BBBEE by employers. This phase utilizes secondary data from various official reports of the Commission for Employment Equity (2000-2007) to measure the nature and extent of progress on Employment Equity; Skills Development and Management Control by employers, in relation to the BBBEE policy and its targets. The BBBEE Scorecards for Employment Equity and Skills Development are found to be generally in line with human capital development principles. The Organisational Transformation Index that was in the 2005 Draft BBBEE Scorecard is found to be a useful mechanism for moving away from a transaction-based approach to BBBEE toward a transformation-based approach. To this effect, the absence of the Organisational Transformation Index in the final Codes and Scorecards of 2007 is lamented. A recommendation is made for more emphasis to be placed on the transformation of companies/ organisations. The leadership role of Chief Executive Officers and their top management in the BBBEE process is propagated. At the leadership level, the Transformational Leadership approach is posited as the one that holds a better chance of driving BBBEE successfully. Quo Vadis; the study recommends two different theoretical frameworks; a Human Capital Development framework for BBBEE at the macro-level (national policy and strategy) and the Transformational Leadership-Organisational Transformation one at the micro-level. BBBEE, it is held; ought to be integrated into the country's new National Industrial Policy Framework. Conversely, the BBBEE targets and goals should also be aligned to the country's long-term socio-economic growth strategies.
- ItemOpen AccessCompetitiveness of the banking industry in the Southern African development community(2014) Motelle, Sephooko Ignatius; Biekpe, NicholasThe literature is replete with the determinants of economic growth and identifies financial development as one of the important drivers of growth. Financial development is viewed as a process through which financial intermediaries such as banks lubricate the economy by creating a conduit for resources to flow from surplus sectors to deficit sectors. Effective financial development depends on many factors such as financial integration which facilitates international trade and free mobility of capital. However, in order for the positive impact of financial integration to be fully felt on financial development, it must stimulate competition in the domestic banking market without eroding financial stability. Therefore, the central hypothesis of this study is that financial integration can enhance financial development if such integration makes the local banking industry more competitive without increasing its vulnerability to financial instability. The study employs various panel data techniques to test this hypothesis using the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as a case study. The findings reveal that the banking industry in SADC is characterised by monopolistic competition. In addition, financial integration enhances banking competitiveness in the region through removal of barriers to free flow of capital between countries. Furthermore, higher competition is found to be good for financial development as it reduces the magnitude of the financial intermediation spread. Moreover, the study finds that the flipside of financial integration lies in its potential to cause financial instability in the region with negative repercussions for financial intermediation. The findings imply that, even though financial integration is good for financial development through its ability to increase the degree of competition in the banking industry and reduce the spread between lending and deposit rates, member states must put policies in place to effectively prevent the likely erosion of financial stability. No single policy is sufficient on its own to achieve this. Therefore, this study recommends that as members of SADC move towards deeper financial integration, they must ensure that they formulate and implement sound and appropriate common policies in order to ensure that financial stability is not compromised as restrictions to capital-flows are abolished or reduced. Such a policy-mix requires four ingredients, namely; sound financial liberalisation policies, competition policies, macroeconomic policies and regulatory and supervisory policies.
- ItemOpen AccessContextual quality, performance management practice and member outcomes favourability : evidence from a study of South African and Ugandan organisations(2010) Magoola, Isaac Wanzige; Horwitz, FrankAvailable literature on literacy for development concentrates on the role of various literacy forms at individual and community levels despite organisations constituting major units in any national development effort. At organisational level, due to the recency of organisational learning theory, there is no comprehensive model of how people, organisations and nations can become performance literate. This study investigated the effect of contextual quality on performance management practice and member outcomes favourability and developed models for the creation of performance literate organisations and nations.
- ItemOpen AccessCustomer experience as an antecedent to market orientation: a mixed methods study of postgraduate students(2023) Raja, Shameema Ebrahim; Bick, GeoffMarket Orientation and Customer Experience are both constructs that belong to the world of business. It has now become necessary for universities to also embrace these business concepts in order to remain relevant and competitive, given the vast changes in Higher Education landscapes globally. Previous studies have looked at the relationship between Market Orientation and Customer Satisfaction. However, Customer Experience has not been identified as an antecedent to Market Orientation. This exploratory study posits that it is Customer Experience that influences Market Orientation at Higher Education institutions. Customer Satisfaction alone does not provide opportunities for students to be co-creators of their educational experiences. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine whether focusing on Customer Experience rather than just evaluating Customer Satisfaction levels can be a greater source of information to guide Market Orientation objectives and its implementation. The theoretical frameworks that guided the conceptual model of this study were the ResourceBased View and the Service-Dominant Logic theory. A cyclical relationship between Market Orientation and Customer Experience was proposed, with the nexus of this relationship being the concept of co-creation. A mixed methods convergent design approach was applied to collect data at a University of Technology in South Africa. The focus was on the postgraduate master's programme, and both research supervisors and master's students were part of the study sample. During the quantitative phase, data was collected via online surveys from 151 research supervisors, using purposive convenience sampling. Twenty-four master's students were interviewed using the critical incident technique method during the qualitative phase. Descriptive statistics together with Exploratory Factor Analysis were used to analyse the quantitative data, whilst qualitative data was coded and categorised into positive and negative incidents inductively in order to analyse the content to derive themes. The quantitative results and qualitative findings were merged to establish whether the results converged, augmented, differed, or were contradictory. The major contribution of this study is a cyclical model rather than a sequential model, where a positive relationship between Customer Experience and Market Orientation is possible, contingent on the institution's ability to promote co-creation initiatives amongst its key stakeholders. This study's findings reflect, that the stronger the level of Market Orientation practiced by supervisors, the more likely it is that the student experience would be positive, and the greater the impact on students' customer satisfaction levels. Co-creation initiatives vii between the university and all its stakeholders, especially students, were viewed as enhancing this relationship. This study reaffirms the roles of the institution, academics/employees and students in building and designing the customer experience at Higher Education institutions. The knowledge contribution of this study was the focus on Customer Experience and Market Orientation in the context of a developing country like South Africa, among others, given its unique economic, social and cultural structures. Furthermore, this study advances the importance of institutional reputation and research service experience in promoting a conducive environment that supports timely output of postgraduate students who can transfer their knowledge and skills into sectors of the South African economy. The methodological contribution of this study was the validation of the UNIVERSITY-I-MARKOR in the context of the developing world, highlighting the specific dimensions of Market Orientation that needed to be stimulated to enhance the student experience and the quality of the services provided by Higher Education institutions. Notably, areas for possible future research considerations were highlighted by this study.
- ItemOpen AccessThe effect of organisational structure and managerial practices on the clinical behaviour and job satisfaction of primary health care doctors, as knowledge workers, in the managed health care industry in South Africa(2002) Pillay, Rubin; Horwitz, FrankThe financial crisis in the South African health care industry has forced participants in the industry to look for ways to contain costs. The subsequent deregulation of the private sector has resulted in the introduction and rapid growth of managed health care. This shift to a new paradigm were cost-effectiveness is a prerogative, has major implications for the doctor workforce. Due to concerns about the potential negative impact of this philosophy of health care delivery on the recruitment, retention and motivation of medical doctors, this study investigated the effect of managed care on their clinical performance and job satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey on a probability sample of 2023 general practitioners throughout South Africa was conducted using a mailed questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency measures were used to assess the instrument's validity and reliability. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistical models were used to evaluate the organisational structures and managerial practices associated with managed care, and to assess the impact of these on the clinical freedom and job satisfaction of the respondents.
- ItemOpen AccessFactors relating to and impacting eGovernment readiness in South Africa : a case of the Western Cape Government(2015) Noruwana, Nimrod; Sewchurran, Kosheek; Twum-Darko, MichaelInformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become increasingly important in enabling governments to deliver services to their citizens. Developing countries have limited understanding of what needs to be in place for governments to be considered ready for the implementation of eGovernment projects. As a result, most developing countries embark on these projects inadequately prepared, which results in failure. Large sums of money are spent on eGovernment initiatives which do not provide the envisaged benefit for citizens and businesses. This study therefore discusses factors influencing eGovernment initiatives by governments to improve services to their citizens, businesses and among their constituents. It further examines the stage of readiness of the South African government in implementing eGovernment initiatives to improve its services. The discussion uses Actor Network Theory (ANT) and in particular the concepts of 'moments of translation' and 'irreversibility' as a lens through which to understand and interpret the social phenomenon. Although a number of eGovernment researchers have argued that strong leadership and clear vision are required to implement eGovernment initiatives, the view is that governments have continuously failed to achieve the intended results. eGovernment potentials which are well documented in Information Systems and eGovernment research literature have not been institutionalised by governments to derive benefits due to limited capabilities in the administration of the public service. The study used ANT as the underpinning theory. A deductive approach with interviews was used for data collection in a selected provincial government (of the Western Cape) in South Africa. The outcome of this study is a general framework of readiness for eGovernment initiatives in South Africa, and more generally, Africa, to guide and determine the stage of readiness for eGovernment initiatives to achieve the intended results. This research contributes the application of the moments of translation and irreversibility of ANT as a lens through which the interplay between role players of socially constructed phenomena such as eGovernment readiness can be studied. Other forms of contribution are the application of an iterative process to moments of translation, and institutionalisation of each stage of moments of translation, during the implementation of eGovernment projects.
- ItemOpen AccessInnovation team members: emotive outlook and profiles comparisons(2016) Swart, Christina; April, KurtContinuous innovation provides competitive advantage to organisations. Teams are considered as a vehicle for achieving innovative objectives, provided that they implement projects successfully. Several studies reported requirements on what constitute the most suitable team composition to ensure innovation success. The question remained unanswered as to what could be considered to increase the possibility and probability of innovation implementation team success. It was evident from the literature review that solutions could be provided should such challenges be viewed from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The emphasis and impact of team members' emotions were emphasised as an additional insight into optimising success for implementing innovation projects. The theoretical framework guiding this study was the Emotional Style Theory of Davidson and Begley (2012). This affective neuro scientific theory was approached from an industrial psychologist point of view. This research introduced the concept of emotive outlook depicting six constructs namely: mental acuity, self/reality orientation, emotional fitness/change agility, emotional management(self), social sensitivity and sensitivity to context. The study's main contribution was examining and comparing the emotive outlook profiles and patterns of successful and unsuccessful innovation project implementation teams, within the financial services industry. Data was collected from an International Case (providing data from a multi-national company's operations in nine African countries) and a National Case (providing data from three Namibian Institutions). The total sample size was 169 participants. In this mixed methods convergent parallel design study, the quantitative results of certain assessments and the qualitative findings utilising semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were merged, at the interpretation stage. The purposes of complementarity, completeness, diversity and compensation were achieved when the results were merged. The major contributions of this study were the findings that successful innovation implementation teams were characterized by intra-psychological strengths and cognitive abilities. The research findings concluded a weak focus on interpersonal aspects and team dynamics. The strengths of teams were found to be a reflection of the individual team members' strengths (mental acuity, emotional self-management, self-awareness and emotional intelligence). This led to postulations regarding team dynamics for innovation implementation teams and the importance of separating these teams from, for example, the creative teams in the innovation process. The context which could contribute to the success of these teams was highlighted by the qualitative strand of this research. The knowledge contribution of this study was the prioritising of the emotive outlook constructs presented as a formula. From a scholarly point of view mixed methods research was presented as an exciting methodological choice addressing business challenges. Practice implications were presented on team as well as Innovation Sponsors/ Champions selection criteria and Generation Y. Importantly, interesting areas for possible future research considerations were opened by this study.
- ItemOpen AccessAn inquiry into the nature of effective dialogue and discourse and peacebuilding through leadership(2016) Mwagiru, Nyambura; April, KurtThe research study and findings presented in this work underscore the necessity to design and develop effective strategies for inter-paradigm dialogue and discourse for peacebuilding. The study argues that adoption and application of appropriate dialogue strategies impact and engender the nurturing and emergence of a culture of leadership that can foster sustainable peace. Dialogue and discourse processes are considered as being intricately connected to processes of conflict transformation and resolution, and linkages of dialogue, peacebuilding and leadership are mirrored in macro- and micro- spaces of engagement, namely, much contested cultural, political and economic spaces in which myriad and diverse perspectives reside. The potential for peace, it is argued, substantially lies in the formulation and design of contextually-relevant frameworks for equitable and sustainable socio-economic development, and macro-micro intersections play themselves out in the dialogue field within which societies and individuals can seek and strive to anticipate, accommodate, attain and enact their life wisdoms into peaceful systems of co-existence. This view also speaks to the issue of how consensual and sustainable global and regional collaborative enterprise requires the parallel accompaniment of well-configured partnerships in support of cultural responsiveness and social cohesion. Through discussion of appropriate methodologies of dialogue and discourse, the identification and statement of objectives for this study, as well as the design, elaboration and configuration of its research framework, aimed to contribute towards furthering debate surrounding the integration of prevailing theoretical approaches, in order to gain a better understanding of the linkages and dynamics between peacebuilding initiatives, conflict resolution processes, and effective and sustainable leadership. Dialogue is adopted as the key component in the design of an effective model and architecture for peace building. The enquiry underscores emerging gaps that require addressing, and which may then highlight zones of ambiguity, or dialectics between action and practice, and between researcher and practitioner.
- ItemOpen AccessThe role of market-based incentives in promoting low carbon development in developing countries(2013) Fay, John G; Hamann, RalphThe economic advancement that society has experienced in the past two centuries is largely based on a carbon intensive development model. This is now causing a vexing problem because the exploitation of fossil fuels is a leading cause of global climate change. As developing countries advance energy-intensive developmental agendas, a more sustainable approach is necessary to facilitate growth without the accompanying negative environmental externalities inherent to the business as usual approach. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the relationship between market-based incentives (MBIs) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the underlying host country context. The main research question is: How does host country context affect MBIs in developing countries? The theoretical framework is drawn from the literature on market based environmental policy, and links to the literature on governance in areas of limited statehood. The thesis links five distinct empirical papers to present a cohesive body of research. The experience of the internationally mandated Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is explored via qualitative comparison between China and South Africa, and between Zambia and South Africa. A quantitative analysis of utilisation and underlying host country indicators is also presented to further understand the antecedents of CDM uptake at the national level. Furthermore, South Africa's nationally mandated promotion of renewable energy is explored. This includes a comparison with Germany to highlight how key considerations of renewable energy promotion vary between a developed and developing country. The research finds MBIs in developing countries, both internationally and nationally mandated, to be highly dependent on the overall host country context. The key aspects identified include 1) host country prioritisation of low carbon development; 2) supporting structures and policies that generate awareness, build capabilities and encourage private sector participation; and 3) access to finance, with a specific focus on cost of capital. The findings support the market-based environmental policy literature that suggests an effective regulatory framework by the state is a necessary condition for MBIs in developing countries. However it also shows that the regulatory framework alone is not a sufficient condition for successful implementation of MBIs in the developing world. Consequently, the overall host country context determines private sector interest in and the success of MBIs in developing countries.
- ItemOpen AccessThe role that courage plays in an experiential learning process(2014) Shelley, Elanca; Ryan, TomExperiential learning is a well-known learning theory that underpins management development. This study presents a causal theory that is based on experiential learning and explains why some students experience a transformational learning experience that increases their management effectiveness and others do not. This theory was developed within a critical realist ontology and it used a constructivist grounded theory methodology to emerge the key variables that formed the theory. Prior to the grounded theory study, a pilot study was conducted to develop the conceptual framework for the research. This pilot study included approximately 240 research participants from within the classrooms in my work context. The conceptual framework facilitated the development of the key research question: How do engaged, learning ready students, who can manage their own learning process, undergo transformational learning experiences that increase management effectiveness?
- ItemOpen AccessStrategy and financial performance of South African industrial companies(1979) Andrews, Grenville Stafford; Simpson, JohnThis thesis analyses the impact of strategy on the financial performance and risk of industrial firms quoted on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange over the period 1970 - 1976. This is the first study investigating the impact of strategy on economic performance in a developing economy and which utilizes a managerially orientated view of diversification to assess the association between strategy, performance and systematic risk. The strategic categorization scheme employed is based-on a-methodology which is common to exploratory studies carried out in more developed economies. Firms were placed into strategic categories based on the extent, manner and type of diversification that they exhibited. Four major and nine subcategories were identified. The results showed that South African industrial firms are not highly diversified and the composition of the firms suggest that they are at a stage of development that is comparable to that of the developed economies in 1950 when measured on the extent and manner of diversification. The growth and return performance of both major and sub-categories were analysed and a number of hypotheses were tested. The results showed that here are significant differences in performance between the categories and that utilizing the strategy classification system it was possible to distinguish between categories. In addition, the ranking of strat8gies, based on performance was -found to differ significantly from the United States research findings. An important aspect of the study was the evaluation of risk based on strategy.
- ItemOpen AccessStress management and organisation development : effects of transcendental meditation on psychological, physiological, and organisational variables at the worksite(1995) Broome, John Richard Napier; Human, Piet; Beaty, DavidThis study evaluated the effectiveness of a stress reduction intervention (SRI) offered to employees at one worksite where 80 were employed. 41 Volunteers (aged 21-65) participated in Transcendental Meditation (TM), and 18 (aged 19-46) in Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). Two groups did not attend the SRI. These were 11 non-volunteers for the SRI (aged 25-58) who served as on-site controls, while 16 outside attendees (aged 27-44) of a personal productivity workshop served as offsite controls. All subjects completed a standardised stress symptoms questionnaire (SCL-90-R) before and after the SRI. On-site subjects also had blood pressure, heart and breath rates measured by a trained nurse and completed a company climate questionnaire-before and after the SRI. Structured interviews were conducted at three year followup. An hypothesis that test groups would show significant reductions in psychological stress symptoms was supported at 6-week (TM p<0,0001, PMR p<0,001) and 5,5 month followup (p<0,0002, paired-t). TM groups showed significant reductions in blood pressure at 5,5 month followup (p<0,05). Overall company climate showed improvement at 6 weeks which tended to reverse at 5,5 months, following retrenchment of 10 staff. Psychological and physiological variables were found to be positively correlated. Non-volunteer on-site controls appeared to benefit almost as much as those who received training, whereas off-site controls did not. Company effectiveness improved over three years following the intervention though causality was not addressed.
- ItemOpen AccessThe impact of the multiple currency system on the performance of the stock market in Zimbabwe(2019) Mutodi, Energy; Ramaboa, KutlwanoThis study investigated the impact of the multiple currency system on the performance of the stock market in Zimbabwe. In particular, the study assessed the major determinants of stock market performance in the multiple currency environment in Zimbabwe, the impact of external factors, as well as the push and pull factors determining foreign investor participation in the Zimbabwean stock market. The study was motivated by the poor performance of the stock market experienced during the multiple currency system, despite some positive developments in the economy such as a positive growth trajectory and low and stable inflation rates of below 5%. The poor performance of the stock market thus underscores the need to understand whether the multiple currency system had an impact on the stock market. While some studies have looked at the impact of macroeconomic factors on stock markets, there is a possibility that due to the uniqueness of the Zimbabwean economy presented by the multiple currency system, existing studies may no longer be relevant in explaining the impact of the macroeconomic factors on stock market performance. Therefore, a gap exists in the economic literature on the potential impact of the multiple currency system in a dollarised economy such as Zimbabwe. The contribution of this study is therefore to assess the determinants of stock market performance under the multiple currency system in Zimbabwe, given its uniqueness. In addition, it adds to the existing empirical financial markets literature on how the multiple currency system influences the transmission mechanism of macro-economic factors on stock market performamce in Zimbabwe. The study applied a panel regression model on all the 54 listed companies operating on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, using quarterly data from 2009 to 2016. The study estimated the model using the OLS estimation method. For robustness checks, the study also used the Two Stage Least Squares (TSLS) and the General Methods of Moments (GMM) estimation methods. The results indicated that money supply, domestic interest rates and foreign interest rates were significant factors influencing stock market performance in Zimbabwe under the multiple currency regime. Further, in order to ascertain the validity of the results, a bootstrapping procedure was applied, which confirmed the results obtained in the panel regression model. On the impact of external factors on stock market performance, the stock market index was regressed against the external shocks, namely foreign interest rates, commodity prices, the volatility index which reflected movements in global stock markets, as well as domestic control variables, including domestic economic growth and money supply. The results indicated that only foreign interest rate had a direct influence on stock market performance whilst other external factors were statistically insignificant. It was found, however, that commodity price had an indirect impact on the stock market through its influence on economic activity and its influence on money supply. The results thus show that the multiple currency system influences the stock market through its impact on money supply in the economy. With regard to the push and pull factors influencing foreign investor participation, the value of shares bought by foreigners was regressed against the stock market index, the volume of manufacturing index representing economic conditions in Zimbabwe or pull factors, and foreign interest rates, with the volatility index representing the push factors from the global markets. The results indicated that only the stock market index was important in influencing foreign investor participation, while economic growth and foreign factors such as the volatility index and foreign interest rates were not significant. This could be explained by the low liquidity in the economy, which tends to depress stock prices. Overall, money supply is a major factor that influences stock market performance in Zimbabwe; the multiple currency system affects the liquidity conditions and hence money supply in the economy. The study, therefore, recommends the implementation of policies aimed at easing the liquidity conditions in the economy so as to stimulate economic activity. The study also recommends the removal of restrictions that deter foreign investor participation in Zimbabwe.
- ItemOpen AccessTowards a multifaceted understanding of the evolution of an Information System Ecosystem: The case of a mobile payment systems implementation and its contextual impact in South Africa(2021) Harry, Ricardo; Sewchurran, Kosheek; Brown, IrwinThe concept of IS ecosystem has grown beyond the organisational confines. Whilst the expansion of the IS ecosystems concept looked promising for the developing world the nature of its impact is not clearly understood in broader society. Most of the research available on implementation studies that involved IS ecosystems, past and present, have been in developed countries. A need arose to conduct studies in developing countries, especially those with an almost equal balance between formal and informal economies coined hybrid economies, shifting focus to the interplay between ICT4D and mainstream IS governed by a continuously changing context. A gap arose to understand the evolution of the IS ecosystem beyond the organisational confines, its impact on society its context, and how it is being influenced by society and its context. The aim of the study is to enlightened academia and industry on the IS ecosystems evolution through the theoretical lenses of Actor Network Theory (ANT), Structuration Theory (ST) and the Knowledge Creation Theory, especially the concept of Ba, by exploring the emergent and designed associations that impact it and how it influenced these associations. This study deploys a qualitative research strategy with an interpretive theme using inductive reasoning as the main method of enquiry with some elements of abductive reasoning. The case study approach is chosen with the focus on selecting data during a mobile payment implementation project in South Africa via interviews and observation, supported by internal and external documentation. The interpretation of the data collected led to discovering how different a mobile payment IS ecosystem evolved in the organisational, business and consumer environments. The results indicate that, although the implementation was successful in some settings like the organisational environment where more control can be exercised, when the implementation extends beyond the borders of the organisation the power dynamics change. The research further highlights how the mobile payment IS ecosystem influences and is being influenced by society and its context. It also highlights how context (time and space) “is both constitutive of social action and itself the outcome of social action. Social action reinforced the notion that context is a social structure which is identical to Giddens duality of structure theorem. This led to the understanding that the IS ecosystem is a never constant but constantly evolving and dynamic. Since social structures was evaluation in this study it also highlights the impact on IS ecosystem pre and post pandemic conditions. Additionally, traditional contextual analyses focus on the environment, this study proposes a different view on contextual analysis that may benefit future contextual analysis. Given this consideration, future research may consider focusing on the phronetic research approach to extract more detailed contextual data and how it impacts the value and well-being of the actors participating in the evolution of an IS ecosystem. This study will also contribute to the development or conception of new methods to aid similar IS ecosystems evolution and research studies in a pre and post pandemic environment.
- ItemOpen AccessUnderstanding the antecedents of employee sustainability behaviours: measuring and theorising self- and collective efficacy for sustainability(2018) Ferry, Andrea Joy; Hamann, Ralph; Bertels, StephanieOrganisations are increasingly committing to ambitious new environmental and social sustainability goals that will necessitate employees across the organisation changing their workplace behaviours. While both practitioners and scholars recognise the benefit of integrating sustainability into everyday work, we have less of an understanding about the antecedents of employees' sustainability behaviours. The psychological literature identifies efficacy - the perception of one's own ability (self-efficacy) and one's group's ability (collective efficacy) to complete a task successfully - as a measurable predictor of behaviour. It also empirically identifies efficacy builders and theorises judgements that give rise to efficacy. Yet, efficacy (at least that which is strongly predictive of behaviours) is task specific and we lack constructs for self- and collective efficacy for sustainability (SES and CES), and their corresponding measures. We also lack an empirically grounded understanding of the judgements that give rise to an individual's SES and CES. This results in two questions: 1) How do we define and measure SES and CES, and 2) what are the judgement factors that lead to SES and CES? To address the first question, I defined these constructs and developed and refined two scales (one each for SES and CES). I undertook preliminary item testing and refinement, assessed scale reliability and validity (Cronbach's alphas of 0.926 for SES and 0.941 for CES), and established construct, convergent and divergent validity through two rounds of testing with acceptably-sized samples. I then trialled the scales in a live corporate environment (Finco) with 781 respondents, further establishing face validity and practical workability. I also conducted a smaller test with MBA students (n=72) to collect qualitative data related to the scales' items. The result is an abbreviated five-item version and a full nine-item version of each of the SES and CES scales, accompanied by implementation guidance. To address the second question, I analysed the qualitative data collected during the scale trialling, as well as data from twelve interviews with Finco and MBA survey respondents. This resulted in a model highlighting eight judgement factors that give rise to SES and four for CES. I thus offer a scholarly and practically relevant set of constructs, measures, and antecedents to assess and enhance employees' efficacy for sustainability behaviours.
- ItemOpen AccessValue chain competitiveness analysis: entrepreneurial behavioural practices determining business success in Uganda's commercial sugar and forestry industries(2017) Mugabira, Michael Imaka; Chivaka, RichardGlobal value chain (GVC) participation has been placed on a high level policy agenda by Development Partners as a prescription template for agri-business growth and competitiveness of developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Despite, the GVC participation popularity in application, there is an intense debate questioning why some countries are advancing in the global marketplace, while others are failing to do so. Actors' (entrepreneur's) behavior has been highlighted by the value chain fraternity researchers as an area of interest to investigate this phenomenon. The purpose of this research was to contribute to the understanding of the link between the entrepreneur behavior and better enhanced competitiveness in GVC, and as such offer some key insights into the emerging GVC theory. Case Study Approach was the major research strategy complemented by the Survey. Polar types of Ugandan commercial sugarcane and forestry farmers were selected, namely high and low performing entrepreneurs. Principal unit of analysis was the entire value chain, analyzed at three levels: Micro (Farm Enterprises), Meso (Farmer/Miller) and Macro (National Policies & Regulatory Environment). Principal component analysis was run for purposes of grouping items. Empirical data was analyzed using within case analysis, and cross-case pattern analysis. Theoretically and policy practice this study has brought into insight new research frontiers: (1) The finding of internality behavior demonstrates that entrepreneur's traits, characteristics and actions are basically behaviors that can be learnt, nurtured, and developed into a business culture, competencies and capabilities for enterprise growth, productivity and competitiveness. Therefore, policy program designs should focus on igniting these behaviors which are already embedded in the minds of the entrepreneurs, and then supporting the strengthening of such behavioral changes for entrepreneurs to effectively participate in GVC in developing economies. (2) Institutional quality defined by the set of rules of the game with the associated governance power matters with respect to equitable wealth distribution and ultimately competitiveness. Findings of this study are being used to inform both the drafting of the National Sugar Bill 'Draft Uganda Sugar Act 2015' and improvement of the regulatory environment of Uganda's Forestry Industry Sector.
- ItemOpen AccessWomen's knowledge systems and their potential contribution to leadership and socio-political transformation(2016) Mwagiru, Njeri; April, KurtAt a theoretical and practical level of inquiry, the research presented in this thesis explores the potential of women's contributions to epistemology and knowledge for enhanced leadership, organisational performance and sustainable processes of socio-political transformation. The research inquiry is informed by a commitment to promote diversity, equity and sustainability, and prompted by the need to investigate women's continued low representation at senior and leadership levels in organisations, and characteristics of persistent gender bias. The main focus of the practical research is the experience of women in senior and leadership positions in organisations. The practical research inquiry focuses on how organisations facilitate or impede women's contributions to knowledge and leadership processes at senior and leadership levels. The objective of the research was to identify organisational facilitators and obstacles that respectively support or constrict women in senior and leadership positions, particularly with reference to the motivations, collegial relations and decision making capacity of women in leadership. A main stipulation of the research theoretical discussion is that current emergence of knowledge economies and societies, in environments of complexity and uncertainty, presents an opportune moment to explore diverse knowledges which may enhance leadership, organisational innovation and performance, as well as sustainable processes of socio-political transformation. In particular, focus is on the potential of women's contributions to knowledge and leadership towards expanded and alternative epistemologies and theoretical frameworks, conceptual models and practical approaches for improved organisational performance and sustainable socio-political transformation. The principal context of interest is Africa, motivated by optimism related to positive patterns of recent economic growth, ongoing processes of democratisation, and a youthful population expanding the region's potential. The discussion references widely however (see References and Bibliography), and may be relevantly applied for a variety of international contexts.