Browsing by Author "Singh, Upasana Gitanjali."
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Item Case study : an evaluation of the implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) at a South African municipal entity.(2018) Singh, Omesh Narain.; Singh, Upasana Gitanjali.Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a computer based software application that is widely implemented in many business organisations. These systems have evolved over the years into component based modules with the ability to easily integrate with other systems, provide real time information and improve information sharing and collaboration. Choosing an ERP system is a complex process and the literature clearly illustrates the failure of organisations to effectively specify, select and implement ERP systems resulting in the inability to effectively harness the associated benefits. This study focuses on a South African water utility and the processes followed in procuring and implementing an ERP system. It is interesting to note, that in this study, despite the utility having experienced a failed ERP implementation decided to replace the same? ERP system. A rigorous process was followed to find a replacement ERP system only to set aside all alternate commercial of-the-shelf systems and re-implement the original failed ERP system. To gain insight of the processes followed, the COTS theoretical framework is presented to bring the reader’s attention to associated theoretical studies. In this study, we will conduct a systematic literature review on ERP systems, its background, implementation processes and associated implementation outcomes. This research, presents a case study that will describe and explore the process of ERP implementation at the water utility. We will document the process the utility followed in acquiring and setting up functional and non-functional evaluation criteria for the ERP system. Further, we have considered the processes of preparation, evaluation, selection and implementation. The analysis of the implementation process has brought to light the importance of defining ERP scopes based on business requirements, specifications based on the business scopes and evaluation criterion. The findings and results from this case study will contribute to the conceptual and contextual understanding of the specification, selection and implementation of ERP systems.Item The compliance framework for the 7th POPIA condition in the SME ICT sector.(2021) Moraka, Lehlohonolo Itumeleng.; Singh, Upasana Gitanjali.Data privacy legislation has gained momentum throughout the world and affects users of electronic communication devices in both the private and public sectors. Organisations must adopt data privacy regulations to safeguard data belonging to parties who transact using electronic devices. Furthermore, they need to invest in an organised data privacy solution, such as an information security management system. POPIA, refers to the Protection of Private Information Act, which is the data privacy legislation in South Africa. The POPIA is a legal document consisting of eight conditions, and the 7th condition in the POPIA speaks directly to information security management systems. The aim of the data privacy legislation is for the government and legislature to give data owners control over their data, which is stored in third-party organisations. The third-party organisations, which store and process the data, must follow strict and mandatory protocols with the aim of protecting the data of a data subject, and using it with the consent of the data subject. The overall aim of this study is to produce a framework that will assist small and medium enterprises (SME) with complying with the POPIA. Furthermore, it seeks to understand the work done by SMEs in implementing information security by looking at what they do to align with data privacy; to implement data privacy; the resources used for compliance; security threats affecting SMEs; and resources made available for compliance. In the same light, the study looks at existing international data privacy rules and regulations and examines their relationship with the POPIA. The findings of the study indicate that organisations needed a frame of reference to assist them with implementing the 7th condition of the POPIA. In addition to this, the governments assistance is required by organisations as they implement the POPIA. Moreover, organisations seem to have a fairly knowledgeable structure internally which is resourced and supported by senior management with implementing the POPIA. However, they require external support and validation from government as they are not sure of their efforts align to what the 7th POPIA condition requires. Lastly, the frame of reference is developed by adapting best practice and frameworks which deal specifically to issues indicated in the POPIA 7th condition, and recommendations made by the participants in the study.Item E-textbook preferences: a case study of Information Technology students' preferences at a private higher education institution.(2020) Osih, Shammah Chukwuehike.; Singh, Upasana Gitanjali.Textbooks can be defined as a printed and bound artefact that consists of certain idea or information about a particular topic. The debate between using printed textbooks (traditional) or e-textbooks (digital textbooks) is ongoing in the educational sector. Students are often required to buy textbooks in order to complete a course in the university, and this textbook can either be printed or e-textbook. Students who are usually reluctant to read a printed text or electronic texts are not familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each text, respectively. Thus, the absence of information prompts the students to employ only one kind of text either digital or printed. The purpose of this research was to investigate whether university students prefer printed textbooks or digital textbooks (e-textbooks). Through this research we will be able to discover the elements affecting the adoption of e-textbooks and printed textbooks and why university students prefer one to the other. The importance of the research is to understand why students are making the decision to use either traditional textbooks or e-textbooks and what makes them develop these preferences. The benefits that will be derived from this research will help illustrate what the students feel about traditional (printed) and e-textbooks (digital) and the choices that go into making that decision. Data was collected from Pearson Institute undergraduate students via questionnaires. The study applied the mixed methods to analyse the relationship between perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), attitude (ATT), complexity (CMX) and compatibility (CMP) on Behavioural intention to use. A final number of 80 responders were used as the research sample. Findings from the study revealed evidence that Perceived usefulness impacts Behavioural intent to use e-textbooks, Perceived usefulness impacts attitude to use e-textbooks, Perceived ease of use affects Behavioural intent to use e-textbooks, Perceived ease of use affects Perceived usefulness to use etextbooks, Perceived ease of use affects attitude to use e-textbooks, Attitude affects Behavioural intent to use e-textbooks., Compatibility impacts Behavioural intent to use e-textbooks, Compatibility impacts perceived usefulness to use e-textbooks, Complexity has little or no influence on intention to use etextbooks and complexity has little or no influence on intention to use e-textbooks. The overall result led to the conclusion that students prefer e-textbook to the printed textbook.Item The effect of Twitter as a social blog on corporate reputation management in the telecommunication industry in Zimbabwe=Umthelela weTwitter njengesocial blog ekulawuleni isithunzi sabezamabhizinisi embonini yokuxhumana ngezingcingo eZimbabwe.(2022) Moyo, Tabani.; Proches, Cecile Naomi Gerwel.; Mutambara, Emmanuel.; Singh, Upasana Gitanjali.The aim of the study was to determine how Twitter can be used as a social blog to improve the corporate reputation of organisations operating in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications industry. This was undertaken guided by the broader objective of developing insights on how the telecommunications industry is responding to shifts from traditional to contemporary approaches in corporate reputation being driven by social blogs. Analysis was made of the views of the internal stakeholders namely employees, operational and top-level managers, who are pivotal in the engagement of stakeholders including customers online. In that regard, the study tested the main relationship (H1), which was to understand whether Twitter has a direct influence on the corporate reputation of telecommunication companies operating in Zimbabwe. Since the study positions Twitter between the traditional corporate reputation guides (top-level managers, operation managers, general employees, and customers) and the contemporary methods (boundary theory, social cognitive, social blogs and social exchange), these became the intermediate variables (H2) for the research. The fact that Twitter is not the only social blog in the landscape resulted in comparison with other equal alternative types (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube) to assess their effect on corporate reputation against that of Twitter (H3). The study, therefore, confirmed the relationships and proposed a framework that guides contemporary approaches towards the management of corporate reputation in the telecommunications industry. For this reason, the study gave back new knowledge to the research community and practical frameworks on how to manage reputation in contemporary times, wherein social blogs are central in the shaping of reputations. A mixed-method approach was therefore employed in the study, where both quantitative and qualitative research designs were drawn upon in the data collection and analysis. A stratified random sampling process was employed in selecting respondents from whom to elicit the quantitative data, and purposive judgmental sampling was used to select participants from whom to obtain the qualitative data. A total of 369 survey questionnaires were distributed to the targeted sample with a response rate of 90%, as 332 employees in the telecommunications industry returned completed questionnaires. Eighteen (18) interviews were conducted, with key interview informants in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications industry, thereby allowing for triangulation of the data obtained from the quantitative survey with the insights from the qualitative interviews. The results show that social blogs, specifically Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, have a direct impact on the management of positive corporate reputation in the telecommunications industry as they contribute to the social capital of the organisation leading to the contemporary management of reputation. A framework on the effect of social blog platforms on positive corporate reputation management in Zimbabwe’s telecommunications industry was developed. Iqoqa: Inhloso yocwaningo kwakuwukuhlonza ukuthi uTwitter ungasetshenziswa kanjani ukwenza ngcono isithunzi sezinkampani ezinhlanganweni ezisebenza embonini yezokuxhumana ngezingcingo eZimbabwe. Lokhu kwakuqondiswa yinhloso yemibono efufusayo yokuthi imboni yokuxhumana ngezingcingo ibhekana kanjani nezindlelasu zakudala nezasesikhathini samanje zokuthi isithunzi sezinkampani sihlelwe amasocial blogs. Uhlaziyo lwalugxile kwabanesabelo bangaphakathi ababalulekile ekuxoxisaneni kwabanesabelo okufaka namakhasimende athenga ngobuxhakaxhaka bokuxhumana. Ucwaningo luhlole ubudlelwane obukhulu (H1), obabenzelwe ukuqonda ukuthi uTwitter unawo yini umthelelangqo esithunzini sokuhweba kwezinkampani zokuxhumana ngezingcingo eZimbabwe. Njengoba ucwaningo lubeka uTwitter phakathi kwesithunzi sokuhweba kwasesikhathini sakudala nezindlelasu zesimanje, lokhu kwaba amavariyebhuli amaphakathi (H2) ocwaningweni. UTwitter akuyona yodwa isocial blog ekhona eholela ekuqhathanisweni nezinye izinhlobo eziseceleni ezilingana nayo zokuhlola umthelela esithunzini sezinkampani uma kuqhathaniswa naleso sikaTwitter (H3). Izimo ezithinta isithunzi sezinkampani ngokwejwayelekile sixhumana nezindaba ezikhona njengamanje kanti uma kulawulwe ngendlela, zingakha utshalomali lomphakathi lwamabhizinisi okuxhumana ngezingcingo ukuze kugcine kuphuculwe isithunzi esihle sezezinkampani. Ucwaningo luqinisekise ubudlelwane nohlaka oluphakanyisiwe oluqondisa izindlelasu zesikhathi samanje uma kuziwa ekulawuleni isithunzi sezezinkampani embonini. Ucwaningo lwanika ulwazi olusha emphakathini ocwaningwayo kanye nezinhlakansebenziseko zokuthi kulawulwa kanjani isithunzi ezikhathini zamanje, kanti amasocial blogs awumongo ekwakheni izithunzi. Indlelasu exube izindlelakwenza yabe isisetshenziswa kulolu cwaningo. Isamba sezinhlumibuzo zesaveyi sasatshalaliswa esampuleni elihlosiwe ngesikalosilinganiso sezimpendulo ezingama-90%, njengoba abasebenzi abangama-332 embonini yokuxhumana ngezingcingo babuyisa izinhlumibuzo ezigcwalisiwe. Kwaba nezimposambuzo eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili (18), ezenziwa nabanikilwazi abasemqoka abasembonini. Imiphumela ikhombisa amasocial blogs, ikakhulukazi uTwitter, uFacebook noYouTube, zinomthelelangqo ekulawulweni kwesithunzi esihle sezinkampani embonini njengoba ifaka isandla kutshalozimali lomphakathi ezinhlanganweni okuholela ekulawuleni isithunzi kwasesikhathini samanje.Item The influence social media has on employees’ performance in the transport industry.(2021) Kissoonlall, Avith.; Singh, Upasana Gitanjali.The purpose of this study is to explore the influence social media has on employees’ performance in the transport industry. Advances in social media have proven to be beneficial to both employers and employees; however, it does pose substantial risks to employee safety and employee code of conduct. The research methodology was employed using the primary form of data collection, in which the researcher performed 15 semi-structured interviews to gather relevant data about the research subject in question. Furthermore, the researcher used an exploratory research design to accurately clarify all of the collected data as well as a non-probability purposive sampling approach to select participants for this analysis according to their characteristics. The key findings of the study revealed that social media is being used by employees in the transport industry and that reckless social media usage can cause accidents and unforeseen risks for companies. It was also found that social media creates mutual value through co-branding and collaboration during marketing activities; and that WhatsApp and Facebook are the preferred social media platforms for interactivity with clients and customers. Based on the findings, the study recommends that employees should engage with their companies to understand what the expectations around social media usage in terms of acceptable and unacceptable use are. Companies in the South African transport industry must also educate their employees on the risks of reckless social media usage and the detrimental impact it could have on not only employees’ health and safety; but also the reputation, operational, regulatory, financial and security risks to the employer. The major implication of this study is the development of a framework that highlights how having a social media usage policy as an intervention measure can promote better levels of employee safety and ultimately encourage more engagement and interactivity between employees and customers by posting about activities that create mutual value.Item The relationship between work-family conflict, psychological distress and physical symptoms of illness among office workers within the South African Police Service.(2019) Singh, Upasana Gitanjali.; Bobat, Shaida.; Buitendach, Johanna Hendrina.The aim of this study is to investigate the experience of work-family conflict and well-being among office workers within the South African Police Services (SAPS). The balance between individuals’ work and family domains has been a point of increasing concern in recent time. This is due to a multitude of factors. Firstly, there has been an increase in gender equity within the workplace, i.e. there are now more women in the workplace (Statistics South Africa, 2017). This has resulted in work-family conflict being experienced on a larger scale than in past years, and research has indicated that women experienced a higher rate of work being interrupted by family matters than men (Graaf, 2007). Secondly, there has been an increase in workplace diversity in South Africa (which refers to aspects other than gender, such as race, disability, etc.) which result in certain cultural factors needing to be taken into account. The issue of work-family conflict can affect the well-being of employees negatively, both psychologically and physically. This is evidenced in the findings from studies conducted by Winefield, Boyd and Winefield, (2014) and Drummond, O’Driscoll, Brough, Kalliath, Siu,Timms and Lo, (2017), which indicate that work-family conflict results in stress, anxiety and depression, which manifests in different forms of physical illness such as insomnia, weight loss/gain, headaches, as well as more serious effects such as coronary heart disease, which can be fatal. This can also impact the functioning and productivity of employees, as employees who are ill stay away from work, with over 156 working days being lost per annum. In addition, presenteeism poses a challenge as employees who attend work, may not engage in tasks due to psychological distress and physical illness (The South African Depression and Anxiety Group, 2015). Work-family conflict and well-being can be conceptualised through the use of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) Ecological Systems Theory, Role Theory, which was posited by Kahn, Goode, Wolfe and Rosenthal in the 1960’s, Boundary Theory (Ashforth, Kreiner & Fugate, 2000) as well as Well-Being Theory (Seligman, 2011). This is due to each of the first three theories mentioned above positing that individuals can be understood through the different roles they play within the various systems in their lives (i.e. work, family, community, etc.), as well as the consequent impact of their conflicting duties and responsibilities on their well-being, conceptualised by Seligman’s (2011) Well-Being Theory. The study fell within the quantitative research paradigm and followed a cross-sectional design, which was used on a sample of office workers within the SAPS (N=202). A biographical questionnaire, the Work-Family Conflict Scale (Carlson, Kacmar & Williams, 2000), the General Well-Being Schedule (Dupuy, 1978) and the Physical Symptoms Inventory (Spector & Jex, 1998) were administered. For the purpose of this study, statistical analysis was conducted via the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) (IBM Corp., 2017). Additionally, in order to determine the construct validity and Cronbach’s alpha of the instruments used, statistical analysis was conducted, which revealed Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from a=0.85 to a=0.87. The results of the study revealed positive relationships between work-family conflict and physical symptoms of illness, age and physical symptoms of illness, number of children one has and work-family conflict as well as children under the age of six years old and work-family conflict. Furthermore, the results of the research yielded negative relationships between the number of children one has and general well-being as well work-family conflict and general well-being. Additionally, the results of the research conducted portrayed that work-family conflict is a predictor of general well-being as well as physical symptoms of illness. The present study paves the way for further research into the phenomenon. These studies should focus on further examining the relationship between the variables mentioned above. This is due to the fact that an increased focus on the above factors is a step toward alleviating work-family conflict and high levels of psychological distress and physical illness.Item The adoption of a big data approach to advance teaching and learning in the context of South African higher education.(2023) Obagbuwa, Oluwadamilola Samuel.; Singh, Upasana Gitanjali.Abstract in PDF.