OpenUCT :: Browsing by Author "Van Belle, Jean-Paul"

Browsing by Author "Van Belle, Jean-Paul"

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Open Access
An interpretivist case study of a South African rural multi-purpose community centre
(2005) Van Belle, Jean-Paul; Trusler, Jonathan
This article presents an in-depth case study analysis of a single rural telecentre located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The study embraces the socio-technical research paradigm and uses a combination of hermeneutics and actor-network theory as the theoretical foundation with which to explore the mutual interaction between people and ICTs. The objective of the analysis is to gain a much deeper and richer understanding of the implementation issues of a multi-purpose community centre in a rural development situation.
Open Access
An interpretivist case study of a South African rural multi-purpose community centre
(2005) Van Belle, Jean-Paul; Trusler, Jonathan
This article presents an in-depth case study analysis of a single rural telecentre located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The study embraces the socio-technical research paradigm and uses a combination of hermeneutics and actor-network theory as the theoretical foundation with which to explore the mutual interaction between people and ICTs. The objective of the analysis is to gain a much deeper and richer understanding of the implementation issues of a multi-purpose community centre in a rural development situation.
Open Access
Assessment of cloud computing readiness of financial institutions in South Africa
(2014) Akande, Akinlolu Olumide; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Cloud Computing (CC) is becoming popular among organisations from different industries in South Africa (SA) because of its promises such as cost reduction, on demand self-service, broad access network, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service, little or no set up capital and faster time to market. As a result, many organisations are already in the early stages of their CC implementation while others are planning to adopt CC. Although CC promises many benefits, it is equally important to note that there are some barriers to its adoption which needs to be considered before adoption in order to ensure implementation success. Proper understanding of these barriers and coming up with ways to mitigate them will improve the CC readiness level of organisations. Among the various industry sectors, the financial industry in SA has been one of the early adopters of CC but they have not fully implemented it because of barriers such as security and privacy (Vignos, Kim, & Metzer, 2013), governance issues, inadequate cloud service level agreements (SLAs), vendor lock in, poor vendor transparency, inability to assess risks, confidentiality, integrity and availability. Because CC is relatively new and is still in its early stages, not much work has been done to inform organisations about the barriers and enablers of CC. Available guidelines to help organisations improve their CC readiness level are also inadequate. This is risky for financial institutions that deal with sensitive customer information as the safety of that information is not guaranteed if a desired readiness level is not attained before implementation.
Open Access
Attitudes Toward And Experiences of Digital Labour by Current and Potential Crowdworkers: A South African Perspective
(2020) Chidoori, Cuthbert; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Digital labour is the creation of new products and services through mainly various digital media forms in exchange for a form of remuneration. Digital labour addresses some of their critical issues in South Africa, such as high unemployment, low income and others. Digital labour initiatives, particularly crowdsourcing and others are thought to provide essential benefits such as flexible working times and skills development. However, digital labour can also bring about drawbacks such as the exploitation of workers and low remuneration. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the attitudes toward and experiences of digital labour in South Africa, with a primary focus on crowdworkers in South Africa. A framework built from certain concepts described in the literature review would be used to guide the research. The main research questions would be concerned investigating how the attitudes and experiences affect the intention to participate, the initial and the continued participation in digital labour. The research data were obtained by conducting an online survey amongst 70 participants who would either be potential or current crowdworkers. The research data were analysed using a mixed methods approach, with quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques being used. From the research data collected, some notable findings that unearthed critical digital labour insights included the relationship between the attitude of personal information security and the initial participation in digital labour. This relationship was found to be considerably significant. Also, the relationship between the barrier of internet access cost and the actual participation in digital labour was not significant which was unexpected in a developing country context. The experiential expectations around a living wage and sharing of knowledge notably had the strongest relationship with the continued participation in digital labour of all the experience aspects. However some survey respondents, according to the qualitative responses, noted that the digital labour wages earned were very little compared to the abundant amount of work they would have to produce and therefore felt they were being exploited in their digital jobs. Other aspects such as client networking opportunities, digital skills and work opportunities had a considerable impact on digital labour experiences for digital workers in South Africa. Some major limitations that impacted the research included limited funding to meet the survey respondents' remuneration demands and difficulty in contacting respondents on crowdsourcing sites. The research yields a valuable contribution to the research community by identifying key theories that affect participation in digital labour. Also, by examining the workers' experiences and motivations, the research could provide critical insights for policymakers, platform owners and crowdworkers to utilise for making business decisions. Considerations for future research could be further explored around this research such as exploring the impact of social security for workers in digital labour to ensure fair work conditions and analysing aspects of digital labour more specifically for impoverished and rural communities.
Open Access
Causal mechanisms that enable institutionalisation of open government data in Kenya
(2017) Mungai, Paul; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Open Government Data (OGD) has become a topic of prominence during the last decade. However, most governments have not realized the desired outcomes from OGD, which implies that the envisaged value streams have not been realized. This study defines three objectives that will help address this shortcoming. First, it seeks to identify the causal mechanisms that lead to effective institutionalization and sustainability of OGD initiatives in a developing country context. Second, it seeks to identify the social, economic, cultural, political structures and components that describe the OGD context. Third, it seeks to identify the underlying contextmechanism- outcome (CMO) configurations in the Kenya Open Data Initiative (KODI). The guiding philosophy for this qualitative study is critical realism, which is implemented using Pawson & Tilley's realist evaluation model. Data is obtained through observation of open data events, semi-structured interviews and documentary materials from websites and policy documents. Fereday & Muir-Cochrane's five-stage thematic analysis model is applied in conducting data analysis. Three main contributions arise from this study. The first contribution is the open data institutionalization analysis guide. This study collates several institutionalization concepts from literature with the aim of developing a lens for analyzing OGD initiatives. The second contribution is the identification of supporting mechanisms, including a description of the current CMO configurations. The resulting case study provides an in-depth account of KODI between 2011 and 2016. This will assist policy makers in understanding the current setup, identifying gaps, and establishing or supporting existing support structures and mechanisms. The third contribution is related to scarcity of empirical work based on critical realism in the field of information systems. This research will act as a reference point for future IS research, in determining how critical realism can be applied to conduct similar studies.
Open Access
Designing a knowledge resource to address bounded rationality and satisficing for ICT decisions in small organisations
(2013) Kabiawu, Oluyomi Olufemi; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Many Small Organisations in South Africa do not effectively adopt ICT in their operations due to lack of knowledge and Information. This Design Science study sets out to understand the situation and possibly proffer a solution. In particular, this study attempted to establish the relevance of information for ICT decision tasks. The sources of information for Small Organisations, as related to ICT decisions, were elicited through semi-structured interviews. This study also attempted through the same research method to ascertain if a reliable information source will be useful and ultimately improve the Bounded Rationality situation. The survey showed the Internet as the top information source, followed by social capital for Small Organisation-ICT decisions. The survey showed the Internet as the top information source, followed by social capital for Small Organisation- ICT decisions. Then, through the design thinking process guided by Hasso-Plattner-Institute School of Design Thinking (HPI-D) methodology, the information gathered from this survey process was used to create an appropriate, consolidated and enhanced Internet information source. A final prototype website was built, incorporating features and content as gathered from the respondents (the design criteria). Finally, a questionnaire survey was administered as a tool for the testing and evaluation stages of the design. The preliminary results indicate expected high usability and effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Open Access
The E-government artifact in the context of a developing country : towards a nomadic framework
(2009) Ochara, Nixon Muganda; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
This thesis is concerned with exploring alternative conceptualizations of the e-government artifact relevant to developing countries in Africa. The premise is that e-government, as an artifact of human conception, remains relatively poorly developed at the levels of theory, methodologies and practice. The investigation is focused on two problematic areas of e-government: its conceptualization and its operationalization as an artifact. There is evidence to suggest that conceptualization of e-government takes place at various levels: international, national, local.
Open Access
Embedding risk management within new product and service development of an innovation and risk management framework and supporting risk processes, for effective risk mitigation : an action research study within the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sector
(2016) Joubert, Janine; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
At first glance, innovation and risk management seem like two opposing disciplines with diverse objectives. The former seeks to be flexible and encourages enhanced solutions and new ideas, while the latter can be seen as stifling such innovative thinking. Since there is a failure rate of as many as eight out of every ten products launched, it is perhaps necessary for organisations to consider applying more structured approaches to innovation, in order to better manage risks and to increase the chances of delivering improved goods and services. A risk management approach is well suited to address the challenge of failure, as it focuses not only on the negative impact of risks but also on the opportunities they present. It aligns these with the strategic objectives of the organisation to increase the chances of its success. The research objective of this study was to establish how to embed risk management within the innovation divisions of an organisation to ensure that more efficient products and services are delivered to customers. To achieve this end, action research was conducted in a large organisation operating in a high-technology environment that launches many diverse products and services and rapidly expanding service offerings to other industries. The study took four years to complete and delivered multiple interventions that successfully embedded risk management within the organisation, leading to changed behaviours and double-loop learning. Two main knowledge contributions are offered by the study. Firstly, a generic and empirically validated integrated Innovation and Risk Management Framework (IRMF) is developed and guides new product and service development by considering both best practices and risks. Secondly, a risk dashboard is designed as a design science artefact within the action research cycles, which consolidates all the knowledge that was generated during the study. This is ultimately a visual interface to support stage-gate decision making. Since the context of the study was broad, extensive and complicated, the use of mixed-method research complemented and expanded on the findings by providing another layer of support and validation. This thesis highlights the complexity of innovation and presents the need for an organising framework that will encourage innovation but is sufficiently flexible to cater for diverse needs and risks. The study delivers several other, valuable contributions regarding what, how and why incidents occur within the real-world context of new product and service development. Several generic artefacts, such as risk processes and maturity frameworks, are also developed, which can guide risk and new product and service development practitioners to deliver more efficient product and services. This study offers several novel approaches to evaluating risks and provides practical support and recommendations, addressing shortcomings of fragmented research in similar, but smaller-scale studies that have been conducted in information systems. It is the premise of this research that a much wider number of risks need to be managed as new products and services are developed, than was noted in previous studies. Effective risk management in new product and service development could lead to competitive advantage for organisations by increasing knowledge and facilitating sustainable, informed risk decision-making.
Open Access
Exploring the Impact of Computer-Mediated Communication on Interpersonal Relationships: A Tentative Model Using Characteristics and Behavioural Outcomes
(2008) Van Belle, Jean-Paul; Hall, Nicholas; Riekert, Eloise
Communication forms the basis for personal relationships but technology has changed the way people communicate. This research investigates the impact that computer-mediated communication (CMC) has had on interpersonal relationships using a combination of technology characteristics and behavioural outcomes. These factors are explored by means of a qualitative study using interview and discussion group data from student users of email, mobile phone, Instant Messaging (IM) and Internet Relay Chat (IRC). this study provides a first-cut model that identifies some of these key characteristics and behavioural outcomes of CMC and their impacts on interpersonal relationships among South Africans.
Open Access
Factors affecting adoption of service -oriented architecture (SOA) at an enterprise level
(2011) MacLennan, Elizaveta; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Service-oriented computing is an emerging IT innovation. Among its manifestations is service-oriented architecture (SOA), an approach to designing and implementing IT solutions. Organizations adopting SOA are facing implementation challenges. Examining factors affecting SOA adoption at an organizational level can reduce uncertainty about SOA, its advantages and disadvantages, and implementation issues. This study uses quantitative analysis to investigate organizational SOA adoption in South Africa from DOI theory and TOE framework perspectives. Results highlight a number of factors influencing SOA adoption: use of multiple standards and platforms, complexity, compatibility, cost, top management support, good governance and strategy, adequate human and financial resources, vendor support for integration and development tools.
Open Access
A framework for enhancing government service delivery using mobile technologies: an African countries context
(2017) Ogunleye, Olalekan Samuel; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Electronic government (e-government) is how the providers of public services interact with the citizen and business via electronic means. The internet is the most commonly used electronic channel. E-government can provide major benefits to citizens and businesses by making the delivery of public services more efficient and effective. However, recent advances in mobile technology have offered the potential to support government services at various levels. This has made it possible to deliver services to the citizens who have no convenient physical access to government services, for example, people living in rural areas and those who are continually on the move, such as business professionals. This study explores the possibilities of effectiveness, resistance, opportunities and issues related to supporting government services delivery through using mobile cellular technologies. This research study focused on the South African and Nigerian contexts. The focus was to explore various ways that the government can use mobile technologies to improve the provision of government services. A major output of this research work is a conceptual framework to guide mobile government implementation as a vehicle for delivery of government services. Literature from both academic and professional domains were consulted throughout the study. Furthermore, a case study research was conducted in two organisations, which are different in terms of cultural and transformative settings (one in South Africa and another in Nigeria). The study followed an interpretive research approach, and collected data through semi-structured interviews in the two organizations. The data gathered were relevant to the implementation of m-government systems. The study relied on two underpinning theoretical frameworks, namely Structuration Theory and Actor Network Theory to understand the socio-technical factors affecting the implementation of m-government systems in government organisations. The perspective of duality of structure and moments of translation from both Structuration Theory and Actor Network Theory were adopted to analyse the data collected in the case study organisations.
Open Access
A framework for the analysis and evaluation of enterprise models
(2003) Van Belle, Jean-Paul; Miller, Jonathan; Licker, Paul; Hart, Mike
The purpose of this study is the development and validation of a comprehensive framework for the analysis and evaluation of enterprise models. The study starts with an extensive literature review of modelling concepts and an overview of the various reference disciplines concerned with enterprise modelling. This overview is more extensive than usual in order to accommodate readers from different backgrounds. The proposed framework is based on the distinction between the syntactic, semantic and pragmatic model aspects and populated with evaluation criteria drawn from an extensive literature survey. In order to operationalize and empirically validate the framework, an exhaustive survey of enterprise models was conducted. From this survey, an XML database of more than twenty relatively large, publicly available enterprise models was constructed. A strong emphasis was placed on the interdisciplinary nature of this database and models were drawn from ontology research, linguistics, analysis patterns as well as the traditional fields of data modelling, data warehousing and enterprise systems. The resultant database forms the test bed for the detailed framework-based analysis and its public availability should constitute a useful contribution to the modelling research community. The bulk of the research is dedicated to implementing and validating specific analysis techniques to quantify the various model evaluation criteria of the framework. The aim for each of the analysis techniques is that it can, where possible, be automated and generalised to other modelling domains. The syntactic measures and analysis techniques originate largely from the disciplines of systems engineering, graph theory and computer science. Various metrics to measure model hierarchy, architecture and complexity are tested and discussed. It is found that many are not particularly useful or valid for enterprise models. Hence some new measures are proposed to assist with model visualization and an original "model signature" consisting of three key metrics is proposed.Perhaps the most significant contribution ofthe research lies in the development and validation of a significant number of semantic analysis techniques, drawing heavily on current developments in lexicography, linguistics and ontology research. Some novel and interesting techniques are proposed to measure, inter alia, domain coverage, model genericity, quality of documentation, perspicuity and model similarity. Especially model similarity is explored in depth by means of various similarity and clustering algorithms as well as ways to visualize the similarity between models. Finally, a number of pragmatic analyses techniques are applied to the models. These include face validity, degree of use, authority of model author, availability, cost, flexibility, adaptability, model currency, maturity and degree of support. This analysis relies mostly on the searching for and ranking of certain specific information details, often involving a degree of subjective interpretation, although more specific quantitative procedures are suggested for some of the criteria. To aid future researchers, a separate chapter lists some promising analysis techniques that were investigated but found to be problematic from methodological perspective. More interestingly, this chapter also presents a very strong conceptual case on how the proposed framework and the analysis techniques associated vrith its various criteria can be applied to many other information systems research areas. The case is presented on the grounds of the underlying isomorphism between the various research areas and illustrated by suggesting the application of the framework to evaluate web sites, algorithms, software applications, programming languages, system development methodologies and user interfaces.
Open Access
Integration of e-learning systems into academic programmes in South African universities
(2010) Mlitwa, Nhlanhla; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
This study set out to investigate the identified contradictions in conceptions, and to explain limited usage of a C/LMS among lecturers in South African universities. The goal was to empower curriculum planners, educators, policy makers, learners, system administrators and developers, with insight to improve e-Learning activities, and to make conceptual and theoretical contributions to the scientific body of knowledge. For this purpose, the interpretive research paradigm was adopted, together with qualitative data collection and analytical methods to investigate the factors affecting the integration of C/LMSs into academic programmes. Interviews were held with individual lecturers, and with groups of students at the Universities of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch (US), the Western Cape (UWC), and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).
Open Access
Investigating the antecedents and consequences of e-participation on refugees sustainable livelihoods a case: Palestinian refugees in the Gaza strip
(2022) Aradeh, Osama Aabid; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
The use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has advanced in all socioeconomic strata, especially in developing countries. The use of ICT has had a significant impact on the participation of civilians, both citizens and refugees in the context of politics. In addition, ICTs have enabled innovative forms of participation, both in terms of participation channels and the outcomes of participatory processes. However, studies on the impact of electronic participation on the livelihoods of vulnerable and marginalized groups, and public service providers are limited. This study investigated the role of e-participation implementation on improving and sustaining of refugees' livelihoods in developing countries, precisely the Gaza Strip in Palestine. This study used a mixed-method approach of qualitative and quantitative research. The quantitative approach was utilized to examine the perspectives of Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, using a survey conducted to collect statistical information. 281 questionnaires were collected from Palestinian refugees over the age of 18. Furthermore, qualitative approach was carried out in an inductive approach by means of individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with public service providers in the Gaza Strip, such as of water supply, electricity, housing and infrastructure in their daily lives. Seven organizations with 19 interviews, including four municipalities, two nongovernmental organizations and one international organization, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the near east (UNRWA), participated. The literature and findings of this study provided a more comprehensive insight from the perspective of public services providers and refugees related to antecedents and consequences of e-participation influencing the sustainable livelihoods of refugees in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. This study therefore diverts some the attention of around the political context to an ICT-based participation phenomenon in developing countries' livelihoods. In conclusion, this research was intended to provide theoretical and practical contributions. In theoretical terms and the context of e-participation between service providers and vulnerable groups such as refugees, the conceptual research framework can serve as basis for Information Systems researchers. In practical terms, this research study has tangible implications for understanding the contributions of using electronic participation channels to improve livelihoods of other similar groups inside or outside Palestine.
Open Access
Investigating the factors affecting the development of digital innovations in Zimbabwe's SMEs
(2020) Vakirayi, Tafara; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
This study set out to investigate the factors affecting digital innovation development, and the relationship between these factors in the context of Small and Medium Enterprises in Zimbabwe. The research is founded on the seminal work of other scholars who have worked tirelessly to bring understanding to the contemporary phenomenon that is digital innovation. Unfortunately, SMEs in developing countries remain an under-researched and marginalised group – a gap which this explanatory research is intended to cover. The research is curious about the types of digital innovations that occur in Zimbabwe's SMEs, the factors affecting development of these digital innovations and areas of ameliorative action for improving the digital innovation performance of SMEs. The research is guided by a conceptual model developed through a literature review and utilises both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse data which was collected from SME business owners, managers and partners. Although there is evidence of digital innovation in the country, the study establishes that both the innovative capacity and performance of SMEs is very low. Additionally, the results also point to a deliberate tendency to suppress the introduction of digital products by some businesses due to the prevalent market demands. Other notable outcomes include the impact of constrained financial resources on digital innovation performance, lack of knowledge management frameworks and more critically a general lack of understanding on what digital innovation is about. It was also established that culture, firm demographics and industry impact a firm's digital innovation capacity significantly while the market and opportunities for external collaboration is a significant moderator of the relationship between digital innovation capacity and performance. Fundamentally, this empirically grounded study represents a timely approach to technology, innovation, and intellectual integration which can be continuously enhanced to improve the narrative and comprehension on digital innovation especially in developing countries.
Open Access
Investigating the use of a social networking site in the facilitation of internationalisation in higher education
(2014) Keith , Kim Jacqueline; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Internationalisation is the movement of people, their belief systems, culture, technologies, education, concerns and economy across geographical borders but where the national higher education system boundaries remain intact. Internationalisation is a growing area in world-wide higher education. To respond to the challenges of internationalisation, universities need to ensure that the service to international students is improved. In order for local and international students to develop into responsible global citizens, they need to understand diverse cultures and be able to relate appropriately to individuals from different backgrounds. Both local and international students, therefore, need to interact while they are on the university campus together. However, international students tend to interact only within their own cohorts, and local students do not see the value in building relationships with international students who may not remain in the country once they graduate. International students leave the university wishing that they had made more local friends and had learned more about the cultures of the country in which they had studied. To respond to the problem of getting local and international student to interact more, a virtual environment on the SNS Facebook was proposed as a safe space for the students, and other key stakeholders, to network. A Facebook Page called IAPO @ UCT was set up by the International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO) - an administrative department at the University of Cape Town (UCT) - in order to provide IAPO stakeholders with an online community in which to interact. The page was set up and monitored over a two and a half year period to see what types of interactions would occur. Actor Network Theory (ANT) was used as the main, high level lens for analysing the interactions on IAPO @ UCT. Certain concepts from the theories of Networking, Social Capital, Social Presence and Social Identity were further used to scrutinise and explain the actions of the Page Poster on IAPO @ UCT. IAPO @ UCT was able to facilitate internationalisation at UCT as there was evidence in the page posts that key stakeholders were interacting with each other online. Supernodes were identified who could increase the dissemination of information on the page, and the value of offline events was highlighted as a means for increasing student participation both off- and online. IAPO branding and inclusion of student assistance in events was suggested in order to increase a sense of belonging to IAPO @ UCT. In addition, the effect of deleting posts and hiding comments was discussed with regard to the building of trustworthiness within the online community.
Open Access
Investigation into the use of learning analytics in online learning at South Africa's higher education institutions
(2021) Molokeng, Palesa Maralitle; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Teaching and learning have evolved over time as students desire to engage with technology as part of their learning process. Technological advances are introducing new possibilities for higher education institutions (HEIs). Developments in educational technologies as well as the need by HEIs to improve both the teaching and learning environment are contributing to the growth of learning analytics (LA). Research in LA has predominantly been exploratory in nature and a shift is needed for evaluative research that explores the impact and outcomes of LA on students, educators and the institution as a whole. Moreover, there is limited research on the use of LA at HEI in a South African context with most research focusing on the Global North and Australia. This study aimed to understand the state of LA at HEIs in South Africa (SA) by identifying barriers of use as well as future potential of the use of LA in informing decision making, predicting learner outcomes and improving the overall learning and experience. The study draws on the Technology-OrganisationEnvironment (TOE) framework and DeLone and McLean IS success model to develop a theoretical integrated model to understand the state of LA at HEI in order to gain insights on the barriers and drivers of use, as well as potential of more advanced LA at institutions. To meet the objective of the study and to test the model, data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with participants at four prominent HEIs in SA. It was important to have a diverse representaion of roles to gain a balanced view on the use of LA across institutions. A qualitative thematic analysis approach was used following a hermeanutic cycle in the analysis process. The outcome of the study showed that a big variety of data are currently being collected at HEIs within SA and the data is used for LA to varying degrees. These findings show that data is used for various decision-making purposes in order to improve learning and teaching. The data is also used to understand student behaviours in order to predict student outcomes and to meet student support needs. Barriers and challenges exist that have impacted the adoption of LA; these include technological, organisational and environmental challenges such as quality of systems, culture to use data and ethical concerns. Opportunities for more advanced use of LA also exist which are econcouraging institutions to prioritise LA initiatives in their drive of being more data-driven. The main contributions that this study makes is to bring an SA context to a growing field of research and implementation of LA. This study demonstrates the challenges that are unique to SA in the adoption of LA within an online learning perspective as well as highligting challenges that are similar to other global institutions.
Open Access
Mobile government readiness in Africa : the case of Malawi.
(2012) Mtingwi, John Edward; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
The research problem is: To what extent are governments of least developed countries ready to realise mobile government? Malawi as a least developed country was the sample used as case study. The objective was to assess the extent of government preparedness to realise mobile government in Malawi. To assess the government readiness for m-government, a study was conducted to find out the availability of factors that would support m-government and mobile services in Malawi. The motivation of the study was that there is scanty/no m-government readiness research that has been conducted before for LDCs. Concentration is not on the individual dimension such as technology, but rather the focus is on an overall m-government readiness, which includes the high level dimensions (themes) of technology, organisation, environment and tasks.
Open Access
The nature and impact of cyberbullying among South African youth : an explanatory analysis
(2015) Payne, Alister; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
Cyberbullying, bullying via electronic media and communication, is on the increase. It has been thrust to the forefront of the public agenda, with concerns about the psychological and health impacts resulting from online victimisation. There is limited research on the phenomenon and the extent of the problem is unknown in South Africa. Furthermore, inconsistencies between the various definitions has added to our understanding of the problem, and factors influencing cyberbullying are not comprehensively known. This dissertation proposes an alternate definition which does not rely upon repetition as a major characteristic, and investigates the extent of which guardianship and self-control influence online behaviours. 3033 adolescent children aged 11 to 17 from seventeen South African schools responded to our survey examining the nature, extent and impacts of cyberbullying. Incidents of cyberbullying were examined in relation to gender, age and school grade, internet usage, traditional bullying factors, and economic factors. There was a significant incidence of cyberbullying including in primary schools (Grades 6 and 7), and among those pupils exhibiting traditional bullying victim and perpetrator attributes. In contradiction to current research, there were correlations to gender with girls reporting significantly more incidents of cyber victimisation. Cyberbullying impacts were perceived as negative, eliciting feels of anger, fear and depression. Where significant, the results from 2014 were compared to the 2012 results. The results also indicate that in online bullying, repetition was not a factor, and victims reported no less impact from a single incident compared to repetitive incidents.
Open Access
Quick Start to Microsoft Excel 2013
(2015) Shivute, Meke; Van Belle, Jean-Paul
This unit will provide the basic introduction to MS-Excel 2013. The emphasis is on the minimum knowledge required to work productively. The next module will concentrate on more advanced Excel skills. At the end of this module, you should be able to: • Explain where spreadsheets can best be used • Identify the basic parts of a Spreadsheet • Enter labels, values, formulas and functions into a Spreadsheet • Construct simple business formulas using arithmetic operators, cell references and summation function. • Copy cells containing values and formulas. • Use relative, absolute and mixed cell references • Change values and evaluate their impact on dependent cells • Use the formatting commands to change the appearance of a spreadsheet including: inserting and deleting rows and columns, formatting numbers (currency, accounting, and percentage), aligning text and numbers, generating borders, patterns, and font colours. • Save and Print a Spreadsheet