Browsing by Subject "Digital Transformation"

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    Digital transformation in South African consumer packaged goods companies
    (2025) Ngaleka, Tshepo; Kabinga, Mundia
    Technology-driven consumer expectations and increasing market competition are compelling Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies to integrate digital technologies into their processes and systems to remain competitive and thrive in the market. However, little is known about how digital technologies affects job losses, employee interactions, organizational strategies and digital transformation strategies in South African CPG companies. This study addresses these gaps by exploring three research questions using the theoretical frameworks, namely Resource Based View, Dynamic Capabilities View and Digital Business Ecosystem to understand the intricacies of digital transformation in the CPG industry in South Africa. The study employed a qualitative research approach and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain data from 20 industry professionals. The main findings showed that digital transformation changed employee roles and responsibilities over time, creating opportunities and challenges. It was also established that the adoption of digital transformation varied as some organizations employed inclusive practices that fostered cooperation and innovation, while others focused on efficiency and increasing productivity. Regardless of the approach, it was evident that excellent leadership based on communication and transparency was found as a crucial feature for successful digital transformation initiatives undertaken by these companies as it boosted employee morale and increased commitment to these initiatives.
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    Digitalization in the construction industry and its impacts on productivity: an empirical investigation of the South African construction industry
    (2025) Nxumalo, Mhlonipheni Darlington; Lefoka, Mochelo
    This study investigates the role of digitalization in the construction sector and its impacts on productivity, with a specific focus on the South African construction industry. Employing a quantitative research approach, data was collected using survey research design through close-ended questionnaires. A non-probability sampling method with both quota and convenience sampling techniques was used to select a sample of 200 participants to examine the relationships among digitization, digitalization concepts, digital transformation, and organizational productivity. Data was collected with a 17-item Digital Transformation Scale (DTS) adapted from Pettersson, Siljebo, Wolming, and Ferry (2024) consisting of three dimensions of digitalization (6 items), digitization (5 items) and digital transformation (6 items) and a 12-item Organizational Effectiveness Inventory (OEI) adapted from Szumal (2001) with three dimensions of organization level quality (6 items), departmental level quality (3 items) and external adaptability (3 items) was used to tap perceptions of organizational performance. The analysis incorporated reliability tests, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression modeling to identify significant trends and impacts. Hypothesis testing yielded essential insights into the relationships among the constructs. The size of an organization significantly affects perceptions of digitalization and productivity within the South African construction sector. ANOVA results indicate that larger organizations exhibit significantly elevated levels of composite digitalization and organizational performance. Marked disparities are apparent in areas such as departmental performance, overall performance, and adaptability, with smaller firms lagging due to limitations in resources and capabilities. The ANOVA results indicated that organizations with a higher number of years in business have significantly higher levels of composite digitalization. Digitalization was found to have a positive significant effect on organizational productivity, results also show digitization to have a positive significant effect on organizational productivity and digital transformation tools exhibited no significant impact. Composite digitalization showed a strong and significant positive effect on productivity highlighting the importance of an integrated and comprehensive approach to digitalization. The significance of this based on the need to the fill the critical knowledge gap in the academia regarding the impact of digitalization on productivity in the South African construction industry. Its findings inform the strategic decisions, drive innovation, and the approaches for efficient and competitive construction sector in South Africa.
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    Navigating equitable technological empowerment: insights from Ghana and Rwanda on digital literacy and the fourth industrial revolution
    (2025) Adotey, Sampson; Hall, Martin
    The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is reshaping global economies and societies. Triggered by several factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, assuming its dynamics in developing countries will mirror those in wealthy economies is perilous. With its unique challenges and opportunities, Africa requires a tailored strategy for the 4IR. At the core of this strategy is achieving widespread digital literacy, a critical factor for technological empowerment and inclusive development. However, the urgent need for improved digital literacy in many parts of Africa poses a significant barrier to progress. This dissertation explores the key factors and strategies for fostering equitable technological empowerment across sub-Saharan Africa through digital literacy. For this purpose, Ghana and Rwanda have been chosen as case studies. To answer this question, we compared the experiences a sample of students in tertiary institutions in both countries before their enrolment. We uncovered several critical constraints on achieving adequate digital literacy, thereby highlighting the necessary policy changes and practice reforms required for Africa to thrive in the 4IR context. Through this comprehensive analysis, the dissertation seeks to contribute to developing an Africa-wide 4IR strategy that leverages digital literacy as a cornerstone for sustainable growth and development. The outcomes of this study have been conceptualized into a praxis model for 'Equitable Digital Literacy Community Centres.' This model, which offers a practical and actionable approach to implementing the required changes, aims to provide accessible, inclusive, and sustainable digital literacy training and resources to communities across sub-Saharan Africa.
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    Perceptions of value consumption of digital business platforms by informal sector Traders in South Africa
    (2023) Makholwa, Clement; Reyneke, Mignon
    This research project is a quantitative enquiry focused specifically on the value consumption of digital business platforms (DBP's) in relation to how informal sector traders (IST's) are using them to buy, sell and market their product and services in their daily trade functions. This study has adopted the approach of classifying the social media platforms, internet banking platforms and mobile payments platforms, as a single collective and defined under the banner of Digital Business Platforms. The advantage to this approach, is that it provides a multi-dimensional view of the perceived value-axis based on positive and negative experiences of using a variety of digital platforms including messaging, payments, and banking applications on their mobile phones in their daily trading functions. This study examines the positive experiences of perceived value (PV), collectively in the form of social value (SV), emotional value (EV) and functional value (FV). On the opposite end of the value spectrum, are the negative experiences of perceived risk in the form of price risk (PR) and technical barriers (TB) for the same group of informal sector traders. Understanding the relational impacts of these positive and negative experiences of value consumption, may lead to an understanding of their influence in the perceived usefulness (PU) and the perceived ease of use (PEoU) of DBP's. The results of these relationships will shed some light towards the behavioural intention (BI) to adopt DBP's and their actual usage in the long term. The analysis yielded the following results: for positive experiences, emotional value had the least impact on both perceived ease of use and usefulness and functional value was higher than social value. This means that IST's place more value on the utility of DBP's, than the emotional and social values. Regarding the negative experiences, price risk had the most significant impact on the willingness to adopt DBP's by ISTs.