Repository logo

School of Social Sciences

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/6487

Browse

Browsing School of Social Sciences by SDG "SDG8"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Evaluating critical success factors of remote work for bank employees, in Gauteng, South Africa.
    (2023) Hadebe, Pearl Mbali.; Naidoo, Karunagaran.
    Remote working occurs when employees conduct work outside the traditional office location of the employer. This practice has been steadily increasing over the years due to technological enablers and globalization. However, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated remote working in the past few years because of government social distancing regulations, that were enforced to circumvent the spread of the virus. The regulations influenced many organizations to unexpectedly adopt remote work policies. This was due to their required adherence to COVID-19 restrictions and sustained business continuity, during the global health crisis. Even though literature provides numerous studies on remote work, they are often not in the context of South Africa and the COVID-19 period. The focus of this research was to determine predictors of remote work success in a South African context, considering the pre- and post-COVID periods. This research was undertaken to evaluate critical success factors of remote work for bank employees in Gauteng, South Africa to provide conclusive evidence of the most important predictors of remote work success. This will facilitate, decision making for organizations that continue with telecommuting beyond the pandemic period. In this study, remote work success is defined as the ability of an organization tomeet or exceed its business objectives whilst working remotely. A conceptual framework was defined to frame the study and it included organizational, people, Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), location and environmental factors. Then a quantitative post-positivism research methodology was applied to further analyze each of the proposed critical success factors of telework. This study was conducted in the field of Information Systems and Technology, and it sought to understand the social phenomenon of employee perceptions of what they considered critical success factors of remote work. Therefore, the selected structured quantitative research approach was deemed suitable. The data collection for the study was conducted using a closed-ended electronic questionnaire. The sample population of this study consisted of 150 remote-working bank employees. Empirical evidence from statistical tests confirmed that all the proposed critical success factors suggested in the conceptual framework of this research were significant predictors of successful remote working except for organizational factors. The people factors were identified as the greatest predictor of remote working success. The research outcomes also indicated that even though the surveyed respondents had a great preference for remote work, they sometimes wanted to work from the office location. Despite the research outcomes demonstrating that employees perceived remote work as more successful and productive than working from the office. There were slight differences in significant agreements across the sample population demographics such as gender, marital status, ethnicity, and age. In conclusion, the research found that the most critical success factor of remote working was employees of the organization. The research outcomes demonstrated that people factors were instrumental to the success of remote working organizations. Provided the people felt empowered with adequate telecommuting IT tools, remote work policies and management support.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The role of sustainable tourism in improving local communities' livelihoods in South Beach area, Durban.
    (2022) Masuku, Xolani Rian.; Ndlovu, Joram.
    The purpose of the study was to examine the role of sustainable tourism in improving local communities’ livelihoods in the South Beach area in Durban. The study sought to analyse the complexities of interactions and relationships that exist between host communities, local government, and tourism businesses (private sector). The aim was to understand the stakeholders’ capability to enhance the livelihoods of local communities. Since tourism-related businesses are predominant in the South Beach area, the study focused on the level of support given to local communities by tourism businesses. A qualitative research was employed in this study to investigate how organisations work, and understand how conversations shape these relationships, as well as the perceived context of sustainable tourism. A total of fourteen (14) people participated in the study. The results show that the South Beach tourism sector has contributed immensely towards improving the livelihoods of local communities by enhancing local community’s equilibrium, fostering healthy attitudes and behaviours towards nature, and increased public environmental consciousness. Tourism has contributed towards lasting local economic development and created permanent jobs for local people. Furthermore, sustainable tourism has promoted the sustainable consumption and production of goods and services. Other contributions include the provision of socio-economic benefits for communities who live in and around the South Beach area. The study further revealed that tourism has enhanced conservation of marine heritage and created authentic experiences for both tourists and local communities. The study concludes that cooperation between the private sector and local government is essential to ensure the sustainability of coastal tourism. Additionally, NGOs need greater support financially to improve the quality of life for nearby deprived communities.