Doctoral Degrees (Information Systems and Technology)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/6926

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Alleviating higher education challenges through strategic integration of technology: a case of selected universities in Africa.
(2018) Abatan, Omotayo Kayode.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
The higher education sector in Africa is evolving and information technology continues to play a key role in driving these changes. Information and communications technologies are improving the creation and transmission of knowledge. This is attributed to the way people learn and create ideas as well as disseminate information within the educational environment and in the public sphere. In this study, an exploratory research was conducted to identify and understand the challenges and opportunities associated with information technology integration in higher education. A survey of 592 staff at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and University of South Africa was undertaken to address the research problem. The study makes use of a blend of theoretical frameworks to provide the foundation for identifying, proposing, planning and suggesting information technology strategies that can be integrated into higher education to alleviate higher education challenges in order to enhance teaching and learning outcomes. The three models used are: The Change Management Model; Model of Technology Adoption in the Classroom; and the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The study evaluates the role of ICTs in higher education and also identified issues, challenges and instances of ICT strategic integration in higher education institutions at the selected universities in Africa. In the process of understanding the strategic integration of information technology in higher education institutions at the selected universities, the study identified what was considered successful technology integration strategies, what were not as successful, and why this was the case. The study further identified the factors that influence information technology integration in higher education. Having identified the limitations to technology integration and the significance of information technology in higher education at the selected universities, the study proffered recommendations and proposed a strategic framework. The framework offers strategies for the integration of information technology into higher education which can be used to alleviate higher education challenges, enhance teaching and learning outcomes, sustain the integrated information technologies and achieve ICTs promised benefits to higher education.
An analysis of the role of competitive intelligence (knowledge management and business intelligence) in globalisation of Saudi Arabia ICT firms.
(2019) Alarjani, Hasan Mesfer Falah.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
This study explored the role of technological, organisational, environmental and attitudinal factors in facilitating the globalisation of Saudi Arabian ICT companies. In particular, the study focused on identifying the drivers of globalisation, especially knowledge management and business intelligence, and steps Saudi ICT companies should take before expanding their businesses outside of Saudi Arabia. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. A total of 81 ICT companies registered with the Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) in Saudi Arabia participated in this study, including the three largest ICT operators in Saudi Arabia, namely STC, Mobily, and Zain. Publicly available data from the Saudi stock exchange and other sources were analysed in respect of the three large ICT companies. The CITC organisations were surveyed via questionnaires. A quantitative analysis of the survey data viewed through the lens of the Technology, Organisation, Environment (TOE) framework and the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) model was undertaken, while a qualitative analysis of the documentary data from the three large companies was viewed through the TOE lens only. It was identified that the efficiency of software used in organisations helps them to globalise at any time and that competitive intelligence tools (KM and BI) are also very important. The organisational context is important; large ICT companies can globalise their activities while smaller companies have difficulties in doing so even though they recognise the potential economic benefits of regionalisation and globalisation. Regarding the environmental context, a country’s legislation helps and supports companies to globalise their activities. This is clearly noticeable in the three telecommunications operators, which have no obstacles to prevent them from operating in any country in the world. Finally, ICT and the attendant networked applications have accelerated the integration of the world’s economy through the globalisation of businesses. These effects are also felt by Saudi ICT companies, which are reconsidering their roles as regional economic players.
Application of knowledge management approaches and information and communication technologies to manage indigenous knowledge in the agricultural sector in selected districts of Tanzania.
(2009) Lwoga, Edda Tandi.
This study investigated the extent to which knowledge management (KM) approaches and information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be used to manage agricultural indigenous knowledge (IK), and introduce relevant exogenous knowledge in some local communities of Tanzania. The recognition and management of local practices do not only give confidence to farmers that their knowledge and skills are valued, but also leads to the preservation and continued use of their IK. Managing IK within and across communities can help to enhance cross-cultural understanding and promote the cultural dimension of agricultural development in the local communities. The current state of managing agricultural IK and access to relevant exogenous knowledge in the selected local communities in Tanzania was investigated. The study used mixed research methods, where the qualitative approach was the dominant method. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered simultaneously during a single phase of data collection. The primary purpose was to gather qualitative data through the semi-structured interviews, focus groups, non-participant observation, and participatory rural appraisal tools (information mapping and linkage diagrams, and problem trees). The secondary purpose was to gather quantitative data through closed questions which were embedded in the same semi-structured interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative data analyses were kept separate, and then they were combined or integrated into the meta-inferences. Some of the qualitative themes were also transformed into counts, and these counts were compared with descriptive quantitative data. The study participants included three categories of respondents: local communities (farmers and village leaders), IK policy makers (institutions that deal with intellectual property policies in Tanzania), and knowledge intermediaries (institutions that deal with agricultural KM activities in the rural areas). The findings indicated that KM approaches can be used to manage IK and appropriately introduce exogenous knowledge in the local communities, and thus the integration of both indigenous and exogenous knowledge can be feasible. The study findings showed that farmers possessed an extensive base of agricultural IK. However, this knowledge was acquired, developed and shared within a small, weak and spontaneous network, and thus knowledge loss was prevalent in the surveyed communities. Formal sources of knowledge mainly focused on disseminating exogenous knowledge in the local communities, which showed the predominance of the exogenous knowledge system over IK in the surveyed local communities. The study found that most of the farmers’ knowledge was tacit and it was created and shared through human interactions, and thus lack of ICTs did not constitute a barrier for KM practices in the rural areas. The study findings showed that radio was the major ICT used to access exogenous and indigenous knowledge in the local communities. There was low use of ICTs to share and preserve agricultural IK in the local communities. Although there was a predominance of the exogenous knowledge system over IK in the local communities, farmers applied IK gained from tacit and explicit sources of knowledge in their farming systems as compared to exogenous knowledge in the surveyed communities. Farmers trusted their own knowledge since it did not challenge their assumptions as would new knowledge from research institutions and universities. Low use of exogenous knowledge on some farming aspects was attributed to the fact that few knowledge intermediaries had identified and prioritized farmers’ knowledge and needs in the local communities. Individual and collective interactions were already used to integrate farmers’ knowledge and exogenous knowledge in the local communities, however, they needed to be strengthened through KM practices. The study findings showed that various factors determined access to knowledge in the communities, which included ICTs, culture of a certain locality, trust, status, context and space. The findings also showed that the lack of IK policy and existence of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) that inadequately recognised and protected IK, limited acquisition, sharing and preservation of IK in the surveyed communities in Tanzania. The study concluded that unless KM approaches are applied, IK will continue to disappear, and the rural farmers will have nothing to rely on, for their farming practices. Since knowledge is the collective expertise of everyone in the communities, this study recommends that KM practices should be embedded in the community, private and public agricultural actors and other government and private institutions as they currently function in the local communities. The government and private agricultural actors should foster the KM practices in the local communities by engaging the community leaders and rural people in the whole process. Since IK is site-specific, it can therefore seldom be scaled up without an adaptation, however it can be used to stimulate experimentation and innovation in other communities. With this view, this study recommends that knowledge should not be separated from the individuals who possess it, instead efforts should be made to enable the communities to manage their own knowledge, and to adapt other knowledge systems to suit their local context for effective KM practices. Indigenous knowledge would be effectively managed and integrated with exogenous knowledge if the government ensures that there are policies and Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) that recognise and protect the existing knowledge in the country. These policies may include sectoral policies that deal with IK, rural development, agriculture, ICTs, education issues and various other issues. These policies should comprise the following: (i) a shared definition of and vision for KM in the country; (ii) the clear goals/strategies for the innovation initiatives to take place in the rural areas; and (iii) guidance with regard to prioritizing, deciding upon, and taking action to institutionalize KM processes in the rural areas with linkages to gender perspectives. Issues related to the capacity building, culture, content, infrastructure, and leadership should be addressed at this level for effective implementation of KM services in the rural areas. This will enable the communities and agricultural actors (such as research, extension, NGOs, libraries) to establish KM practices and a culture that is conducive for KM activities in their localities. Further, the study recommends that public and private institutions, knowledge intermediaries (such as research, extension, NGOs, libraries) and village leaders should be involved in the KM practices in the rural areas, and they should ensure that there is a committed leadership for KM activities, knowledge culture, appropriate ICTs, favourable context and space, and mapping to locate knowledge bearers and knowledge resources in the rural areas. However, the absence of ICTs should not constitute a barrier for KM and knowledge integration processes, since the findings showed that communities are more likely to understand, acquire and use knowledge that is shared through indigenous communication channels which are oral in nature rather than other approaches such as ICTs.
Assessing the cyber-security status of the metropolitan municipalities in South Africa.
(2018) Mabaso, Nkosiyephana Jerome.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
The intention of this enquiry was to assess the status of cyber-security in the metropolitan municipalities in South Africa. The focus on this level of local government was driven by the fact that metropolitan municipalities are the economic hubs with a variety of industrial facilities and are the places with high population densities. The metropolitan municipalities have adopted information infrastructures to support the daily administrative processes and, equally important, to support the delivery of essential services such as the distribution of electricity and clean water to the local citizens and communities. Entrenched in the adoption of information infrastructures are the cyber ills which if left unattended could have devastating consequences on people and industrial facilities. Failures or interruptions to information infrastructures have cascading effects due to interconnectedness of these infrastructures. The study used the Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology to explore the activities that are performed by the metropolitan municipalities with the intention to determine what needs to be in place to safeguard their information infrastructures from cyber ills. Cyber-security is a serious concern in all types of businesses that are largely supported by information infrastructures in pursuit of the business objectives. Information infrastructures are susceptible to cyber-security threats, which if left unattended can shut the municipality operations down with disastrous consequences. A substantive theory of integrated development cyber-security emerged from the Constructivist Grounded Theory Methodology processes of data collecting through comprehensive interviews, initial coding, focused coding, memoing, and theoretical coding. A municipal cyber-security conceptual framework was developed from the integrated development cyber-security theory constructs of integrated development cyber-security which are the core category, cyber-security governance category, cyber-security technical operations category, and human issues in cyber-security category. The conceptual framework was used to formulate the cyber-security status assessment survey questionnaire that was adopted as an instrument to assess the cyber-security status in the metropolitan municipalities. The cyber-security status assessment instrument was deployed in metropolitan municipalities, wherein data was collected and statistically analysed to test and confirm its validity. The assessment results were analysed and showed the as is posture of cyber-security, the gaps in the current implemented cyber-security controls were identified together with the risks associated with those gaps, corrective actions to address the identified deficiencies were identified and recommended/communicated to the management of relevant municipalities.
Assessing the implementation of electronic consultation in the Ghanaian health sector.
(2023) Nketia, Mark Ofori.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
The Covid-19 pandemic sparked the buzz word “e-consultation” because people preferred having medical attention remotely. The researcher carried out this study with the aim to help improve access to healthcare by identifying the key issues in the adoption and use of e-consultation in the Ghanaian Health Sector. The study evaluates how e-consultation systems influence the delivery of health care services in hospitals, assesses the attitudes of clinicians and patients towards e-consultation systems and provides a framework to enhance its usage. To assess the implementation of successful e-consultation, the researcher developed a conceptual model that bridged the Delone & Mclean’s IS success model, and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory to form a suitable model for the study. The research utilized a sequential exploratory method, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to gain an in-depth understanding of the dynamics and challenges associated with e-consultation in the specific context of Ghana. The study found that the implementation of e-consultation is integrated in the internal hospital management system of very few hospitals. Hence most clinicians resort to using e-consultation informally with the help of WhatsApp video, Zoom, phone calls and other open source platforms. Also, it was found that the attitudes of clinicians and patients towards e-consultation implementation is influenced by various factors that range from system quality, information quality, ease of use, connectivity, and education. Besides, the growing concern of privacy and data security issues shows that healthcare providers should strengthen the development of e-consultation information systems. It transpired that the Ministry of Health does not have a suitable policy on software standards for e-consultation. The poor regulatory framework is a major factor contributing to resistance to the use of e-consultation. The rotated factor matrix extracted using the Principal Axis Factoring shows a high level of correlation and consistency among various factors under study. Attitude came first followed by Regulatory framework, acceptance and diffusion. The study, therefore, proposed a model for e-consultation implementation which would help regularize the implementation of e-consultation as well as enhancing the rate of diffusion of e-consultation, its adoption and usage by hospitals and the public.
Bridging the training needs of cybersecurity professionals in Mauritius through the use of smart learning environments.
(2020) Sungkur, Roopesh Kevin.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
Teaching and Learning confined to within the four walls of a classroom or even online Learning through Massive Online Courses (MOOCs) and other Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) are no longer seen as the optimal approach for competency and skills development, especially for working professionals. Each of these busy learners have their own training needs and prior knowledge. Adopting the one-size-fits-all teaching approach is definitely not effective, motivating and encouraging. This is why this research presents the use of SMART Learning Environment that makes use of Intelligent Techniques to personalise the learning materials for each learner. It has been observed that on one hand the country is not able to provide the required number of IT professionals with the desired skills and on the other hand, the number of unemployed graduates in areas other than IT is increasing. This mismatch in skills is becoming a pressing issue and is having a direct impact on the ICT Sector, which is one of the pillars of the Mauritian Economy. An in-depth Literature Review was carried out to understand the training needs of these Cybersecurity professionals and also to understand the different Intelligent Techniques that can be used to provide personalisation of learning materials. Data was collected during three phases, namely an Expert Reference Group Discussion, a pre-test questionnaire and a survey questionnaire. The Expert Reference Group Discussion was carried out to further shed light on the research question set and to further understand the training needs and expectations of Cybersecurity professionals in Mauritius. A SMART Learning Environment making use of Artificial Neural Networks and Backpropagation Algorithm to personalise learning materials was eventually designed and implemented. Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM), Activity Theory, Bloom’s Taxonomy and the Technology Acceptance Model were used in this study. Due to the inherent limitations of the models mentioned, the researcher also proposed and evaluated an emergent conceptual model, called the SMART Learning model. The major findings of this research show that personalisation of learning materials through the use of a SMART Learning Environment can be used to effectively address the training needs of Cybersecurity professionals in Mauritius.
Business intelligence information systems success : a South African study.
(2016) Mudzana, Taurayi.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
Business Intelligence (BI) systems hold promise for improving organisational decision making in South Africa. Additionally, BI systems have become increasingly important over the past few decades and are one of the top spending priority areas of most organisations. Yet till now, the factors influencing the success of BI systems in South Africa have not been fully investigated. The study found no scholarly research for managers and other practitioners to assess post implementation success of BI systems in South Africa. This lack of research may directly affect managers’ not knowing how best to implement BI systems and could thereby delay the successful implementation of BI systems in South African organisations. The study extends that of DeLone and McLean (2003), conducted in developed economies by applying it to a developing economy context, namely South Africa. The DeLone and McLean (2003) model has been widely utilised to study factors that influence information systems (IS) success. This study extends the DeLone and McLean (2003) by adding a user quality factor and suggests a theoretical model consisting of six factors, which are: (1) system quality, (2) service quality, (3) information quality, (4) user satisfaction, (5) individual impact, (6) and user quality. The theoretical model was formulated from the literature review. It was then validated and enhanced through a qualitative study of three interviews with end users of BI systems based in South Africa. The theoretical model was then presented to a panel of experts for verification. A questionnaire survey method was employed as the main method to collect data and to answer the main research question. Statistical analysis methods and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with SPSS was used to analyse the data. The results of the hypotheses were mixed. Three suggested that relationships were statistically significant, while the other four did not. The study finds that information quality is significantly and positively related to user satisfaction in a BI system. The results also indicate that user quality is positively related to user satisfaction in a BI system and system quality is positively related to individual impact in a BI system. The results have both managerial and research implications. The results of this study will add value to IS and specifically BI literature. Organisations, which have adopted BI or are planning to adopt BI, can use the important variables of the study to undertake an internal check to find out how they compare in terms of these variables. The unique contribution of this study is the identification of post implementation success factors of BI systems in a South African context. The factors identified also served in providing a set of management guidelines for the BI environment in South Africa.
Computer-based productivity estimation of academic staff using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy topsis method.
(2014) Parbanath, Steven.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
Universities generally use a human-intensive approach such as peer evaluations, expert judgments, group interviews or a weighting system to estimate academic productivity. This study develops an algorithmic approach by integrating the fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and the fuzzy TOPSIS methods to estimate productivity of academic staff at tertiary institutions. Currently, evaluations are done in the conventional manner and as a result, the outputs are difficult to quantify. There are no standard methods in evaluating the outputs and the estimates are therefore hard to validate. It is therefore suggested that a data intensive approach (also referred to as algorithmic approach) be adopted. An algorithmic approach is empirical and will produce results that are easily quantifiable. The algorithmic approach allows for the IS Principles of data collection, processing, analysis and interpretation to be easily applied. If an algorithmic approach were adopted, it would generally revolve around the numeric-value approach, which produces a precise measure of productivity. Recently however, the software engineering domain had to also consider non-numeric attributes (also referred to as linguistic expressions) such as very low, low, high and very high for productivity estimation (Odeyale et al., 2014). The imprecise nature of these attributes constitutes uncertainty in their interpretation and therefore could not be measured or quantified appropriately in the past. It is now possible to do so using fuzzy logic and fuzzy sets. Since academic departments are constantly faced with imprecision and uncertainty, an algorithmic fuzzy-based decision model is the most suitable approach that can be used to estimate productivity. The nature of duties performed by academic staff lends itself more efficiently to a qualitative rather than a quantitative evaluation (Chaudhari et al., 2012). These qualitative evaluations are reliant on human judgment and could be described using linguistic expressions such as weak, average, good and excellent (Khan et al., 2011). In this study, a fuzzy MCDM method called Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is used to estimate productivity of academic staff. Choosing the most preferred alternative, ranking and selection will be done using the fuzzy TOPSIS method. The Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) was used to develop a fuzzy-based productivity estimation system using these two methods. The results of the study indicated that the fuzzy-based system produced results that were more reliable than conventional methods. Future research should however explore how fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory could be integrated into other productivity estimation techniques such as the DEA and SAW models.
Developing a predictive model using Twitter dataset for recruiting job-fit candidates in higher education institutions=Ukubunjwa kwemodeli-sifanekiso yokuqagula kusetshenziswa imininingo ekuTwitter ukuqasha abasebenzi abawufanele umsebenzi ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme.
(2022) Vela Vela, Junior.; Rontala Subramaniam, Prabhakar.
Organisations in a variety of industries are being confronted with challenging issues and trends like population changes, globalisation, and high-performance expectations. Thus, in such a competitive market, organizations have begun to pay particular attention to the recruitment and selection process, as people are their most precious assets. Employees are the most important part of any organisation as they offer values and perspectives. Employees are generally products of universities and colleges. The growth of any university depends on its ability to recruit and select qualified employees in terms of skills, knowledge, behaviour, and attitudes at all levels. However, the key aspects involved in the staff selection process, have not been thoroughly investigated. The selection process that includes interview sessions has not attracted much research. It is argued that a job interview may fail to provide a true picture of the suitability of a job candidate. As some candidates use deceptive ingratiation by claiming to correspond to the interviewers and/or organization’s values, beliefs, opinions, or attitudes to appear more appealing or pleasant, thus misleading the interviewers into selecting them for the jobs. Interview faking appears to be hard to detect, and methods for reducing it are hardly available. Nevertheless, it is important to assess the attitudinal suitability of potential academics. This can be done through various techniques such as machine learning and deep learning using social media platforms such as Twitter. Social media is an important aspect of people’s lives nowadays. As people increase their digital presence on social networking sites, the use of social media as a recruiting channel is slowly gaining momentum. This study aimed at determining how the suitability of academics can be classified using Twitter dataset. To this end, the design and development of deep learning job-fit predictive artefacts using Twitter dataset followed rigorous steps of the design science methodology. The results of this study reveal that academic suitability can be predicted using deep learning methods. This study recommends that Universities, Higher education departments consider using artefacts based on social media datasets as supplement tools to enhance the recruitment and selection process. Iqoqa Izinhlangano ezimbonini ezinhlobonhlobo zibhekene nezingqinamba nokuningi okwenzeka kule mihla njengokushintsha kwenani labantu, ezomhlaba jikelele, nokulindeleka kokwenza izinto ngokwezinga eliphezulu. Ngakho-ke, kulo mhlaba ogcwele ukuncintisana, izinhlangano seziqalile ukubhekisisa izindlela zokuqasha nokukhetha abasebenzi njengoba abantu beyifa elikhulu kuzo. Abasebenzi bayingxenye ebaluleke kakhulu yenhlangano njengoba beletha ubugugu nezindlela ezahlukene zokubuka izinto. Ngokujwayelekile, abasebenzi bawumkhiqizo wamanyuvesi namakholeji. Ukukhula kwanoma iyiphi inyuvesi kulele ekhonweni layo lokuqasha nokukhetha abasebenzi abaqeqeshiwe ngokwamakhono, ulwazi, ukwenza, kanye nendlela ababuka ngayo izinto. Nokho, izingxenye ezibalulekile ezibandakanyekayo ekukhetheni abasebenzi bezingakacwaningisiswa. Inqubo yokukhetha ngokusebenzisa inhlololwazi ibingakabhekisiswa ngendlela yocwaningo. Impikiswano iqubuka ngokuthi inhlololwazi eyimposambuzo ingahluleka ukuletha isithombe esiphelele sokuthi umuntu uwufanele ngempela yini umsebenzi. Abanye abagaqele ukuqashwa basebenzisa izindlela ezikhohlisayo ngokuphendula kahle imibuzo yenhlololwazi nokwazi kabanzi ngobugugu benhlangano, izinkolelo zayo, imibono nendlela yokwenza ukuze babukeke bethandeka ngalokho bayenge abahlolilwazi ukuba babakhethele umsebenzi. Ukukhohlisa ngezikhathi zenhlololwazi kunzima ukukubona, kanti nezindlela zokukunciphisa ziyindlala. Nakuba kunjalo, kubalulekile ukuhlola ukufaneleka kwendlela yokubuka izinto kulowo msebenzi wakwangqondonkulu ongase athathwe. Lokhu kungenziwa ngokusebenzisa amasu ahlukene njengokufunda imishini nokufunda okujulile kusetshenziswa imigudu yezokuxhumana neningi njengeTwitter. Ezokuxhumana neningi ziyingxenye ebalulekile yezimpilo zabantu ezikhathini zanamuhla. Njengoba kwanda ukuthutheleka kwabantu ezinkundleni zokuxhumana neningi, kuyakhula nokusetshenziswa kwazo njengensiza ekuqasheni abasebenzi. Lolu cwaningo lwaluhlose ukuthola ukuthi ukufaneleka kwabasebenzi bakwangqondonkulu kungahlelwa kanjani ngezigaba kusetshenziswa amaqoqo emininingo yakuTwitter. Ukuklama nokubunjwa kwezinsiza zokuqagula ukufaneleka kwalowo ozoqashwa kusetshenziswa uTwitter kwalandela izinyathelo ezinqala zendlelakusebenza yokuklama enobusayensi. Imiphumela yaveza ukuthi ukufaneleka komsebenzi wakwangqondonkulu kungaqagulwa ngokusebenzisa izindlela zokufunda ezijulile. Ucwaningo luphakamisa ukuba amanyuvesi neminyango yemfundo ephakeme iyicabangisise indaba yokusebenzisa izinto ezigcinwe yimininingo yezinkundla zokuxhumana neningi njengesu lokuthuthukisa inqubo yokuqashwa nokukhethwa kwabasebenzi.
Digital skills preparedness of higher education students for the “Real Estate, Finance and Business” sector in South Africa.
(2020) Civilcharran, Surika.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
The 21st century is experiencing rapid technological advancements. Industry need to keep abreast of these advancements, in order to remain competitive. These rapid technological advancements create added pressure for higher education institutions to equip their graduates to meet industry demands. This means that graduates must possess the digital intelligence necessary for the workplace, in order to ensure a thriving economy. Research further suggests that society has high expectations of universities to provide employable graduates. However, with the job market changing so rapidly, universities are finding it difficult to deliver digitally prepared graduates to industry. Furthermore, while researchers view digital skills with the same importance as reading or arithmetic, the South African Qualifications Authority have not yet established and implemented a digital skills framework in their South African National Qualifications Framework with the aim of reducing the digital skills gap. It is therefore important to understand the digital skills that are required of graduates by industry, the digital skills gap between graduates’ digital abilities and the expectations of industry. Further to this, it is also essential to identify the incessant challenges that create the lag in the delivery of adequately equipping graduates with the necessary digital skills, as well as the challenges that impedes the alignment between industry requirements and higher education offerings. In order to achieve these aims, the study adopted a multiphase mixed methods approach, constituting three phases: (1) quantitative, (2) quantitative, and (3) qualitative. In phase one, professionals from the Real-Estate, Finance and Business Services sector in South Africa were surveyed by means of convenience sampling. In phase two, final year commerce students from the top four universities in South Africa that typically feed into the said industry sector, were surveyed by way of proportionate cluster sampling. In phase three, the academic leader of teaching and learning, or the equivalent, from each of the top four universities were purposively selected for structured interviews. Phase one of the study has identified and outlined the digital skills that are required by the Real Estate, Finance and Business Services sector in South Africa, in addition to the level of importance of each digital skill from three individual constructs, namely use of software applications and Web tools, use of information systems, and security measures in digital environments. The results from phase one similarly prompted the development of the proposed digital skills framework, which was designed to be versatile and may be used as a ‘blueprint’ for other industry sectors in South Africa, as well as by other countries to determine the digital skills needed for their industry sectors(s). Phase two results indicated that South African higher education institutions are not adequately preparing their students to meet the requirements of the said industry sector, and this is attributable to a number of challenges. The results from phase three presents ten challenges that hinders the alignment of academic curricula to industry’s digital skills requirements. It further presents the mechanisms used to address the digital skills expected of graduates by industry, in addition to higher education’s envisaged transformation needed to ensure that their digital skills offerings are aligned to industry requirements. These findings will help higher education institutions to systematically align their curricula to meet this sector’s digital skills need. Additionally, the proposed framework may be used to periodically determine the changing needs of the said sector, and may be applied by researchers to determine the digital skills requirements of other industry sectors within South Africa, as well as globally. Furthermore, scholars may use this framework to underpin their study by building additional constructs/items onto it that was not considered in this study. It can be further used as a benchmark by tertiary institutions to determine probable curriculum inadequacies. These findings will also help government in understanding the type of support required by higher education institutions to ensure that graduates are adequately equipped with the necessary digital skills for the said industry sector, which will ultimately sustain the economy and reduce the unemployment rate of graduates that ought to feed into Real-Estate, Finance and Business Services sector of South Africa.
Do Web 2.0 social media impact transnational social advocacy? : a study of South African civil society and Greenpeace.
(2012) Pillay, Kirubagaran Jagathesan.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
This study focuses on how civil society organisations deploy Web 2.0 technologies for transnational social advocacy, the context of this technology use, and the effect of this adoption in achieving organisational goals. It analyses the effectiveness of these technologies in an attempt to understand the strategic intent in deploying these social media services. The reciprocal impact of this technology adoption on civil society organisations’ roles, structure, and orientation was also investigated. The technologies targeted for study are those commonly described as Web 2.0 social media including social networking sites, blogs, podcasts and wikis amongst others. While the literature points to many studies relating to the use of the Internet for advocacy it also suggests that emerging technologies have not been studied in any detail. In particular there are no recent studies that investigate Web 2.0 technologies. These studies have the potential to provide new perspectives to current theoretical frameworks. This study is designed as part case study and part exploratory. The research adopts an interdisciplinary approach using both qualitative and quantitative methods. A survey of South African civil society organisations painted a picture of the extent of adoption of Web 2.0 social services across South African civil society, and detailed the reasons, and the benefits - both perceived and actual - of such adoption. The global environmental justice organisation, Greenpeace is used as a case study. The organisation’s major goal is to advocate for changes in environmental policy and behaviour, has been at the forefront of environmental issues since its inception, and has used the mass media as an effective campaigning tool. The key findings that emerged in the South African context was that of a sector that has a low-level of knowledge of social media services and an accompanying low level of adoption. This is partly explained by factors at a national level including macro-economic policies, and a low level of Internet penetration and ICT readiness. Using Greenpeace as a case study revealed that while social media-led activism is increasingly being seen as strategic, there is a level of organisational introspection that is required to precisely determine how traditional CSOs can exploit social media while maintaining their core values and traditions. Social media is not a panacea for the issues confronting activism in an increasingly connected world, but rather is seen as complementing traditional advocacy with its ability to coordinate, synchronise and document campaigns.
Enhancing access to socioeconomic development information using mobile phone applications in rural Zimbabwe: the case of Matabeleland South Province.
(2018) Maphosa, Vusumuzi.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
Mobile phone access has grown exponentially, transforming access to information and communication in Africa. Mobile phone penetration has increased dramatically across the urban-rural, rich-poor and literate-illiterate divides, which other technologies failed to bridge. The number of mobile phone subscriptions grew astronomically, from less than two million in 1998 to more than 620 million subscribers in Africa (Carmody, 2012). Internet users grew 85-fold from 4.5m users in 2000 to over 388m users in Africa at a rate higher than any other region (Internetworldstas, 2018). Global mobile app downloads have reached 175 billion in 2017, generating more than $85 billion, yet most African countries possess an insignificant share of this, due to low literacy levels, low economic opportunities and an infrastructure that is still developing (The Guardian, 2014; Perez, 2018). The growing presence of mobile phones must be harnessed to enhance access to socioeconomic information, in order to improve standards of life in the global south. Scholars and communication enthusiasts have argued that simply providing access to the internet, without considering the relevance of content, will not change the fortunes of rural communities (Internet.org, 2014; GSMA, 2015). There is the need to provide localised and relevant content – such as local news, market prices and bus timetables – to these communities. This research resonates with Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to increase access to information and communication technology, and provide universal and affordable access to the internet in least developed countries by 2020 (UN, 2016). In Zimbabwe, radio and television are basic technologies used for disseminating socioeconomic information, yet most of the rural communities have no access to radio and television signals, 37 years after independence. Rural mobile phone ownership is about 80%, and broadband penetration is 46.5% (ITU, 2013). In addition, Zimbabwe’s average rural literacy is about 90%. These two factors – high rural literacy levels and high rural mobile phone ownership – motivated the researcher to develop a mobile phone application prototype that could be utilised by rural communities to enhance their access to socioeconomic development information that could, in turn, anchor sustainable development. The mobile phone application prototype has the potential to provide a new platform for accessing socioeconomic development information in the rural areas of Zimbabwe, including information on agriculture, health, community activities, education and the markets, plus local and national news. These can all promote sustainable development. The study followed a seven-cycle design science research methodology, from problem identification to communicating the utility of the aertefact which guided the development of the mobile phone application (Hevner, 2007). The development of the prototype followed a user-centred design, as well user experience, where high-fidelity prototypes were presented to participants selected through a random sample to be part of the development process. This process is iterative, incorporating user feedback and redesign of the prototype until the users and developers agree on the design. After designing the prototype, participants were randomly selected to evaluate the mobile phone application prototype using an adapted TAM2, whose main constructs relate to perceived usefulness and ease of use (Davis, 1989).
Factors affecting adoption of mobile health among healthcare workers in Nigeria.
(2023) Adegbola, Omotanwa Moji.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
Mobile technology has been shown to play a significant role in the healthcare sector, especially in developing countries, because of their capacity in addressing some of the sector’s difficulties. One of the numerous benefits of m-health is that it is an affordable solution that increases access to health services. Despite the recognised benefits associated with m-health technology, there are concerns about the reasons why its adoption is relatively low in emerging economies. Therefore, this study was undertaken to examine the factors influencing the adoption of m-health from the perspective of healthcare workers and hospital management in Nigeria. The research explored the information and communication technologies available in Nigerian hospitals, and afterwards, the knowledge of healthcare workers on m-health technology and its uses was examined. Next, the individual, technological, organizational and environmental determinants of m-health technology were investigated. The study adopted a positivist standpoint in conducting the research. A survey design was employed for the study, using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The population of the study consisted of healthcare workers in Nigeria and the sample was drawn from six healthcare facilities in Lagos State, using stratified random sampling and purposive sampling. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires from 201 healthcare workers, while qualitative data were collected through interviews with three hospital managers. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to analyse quantitative data, while the qualitative data were analysed with Nvivo software. The Unified Theory of the Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Technology, Organization, and Environment (TOE) Framework underpin this study. The findings revealed the existence of ICT in all the hospitals surveyed and the common ICT tools used were the internet and mobile phones. Also, the findings showed a relatively good knowledge of m-health among healthcare workers. Lastly, self-efficacy, experience, effort expectancy, government support and external support were found to be factors that influence m-health adoption in Nigeria.The primary recommendation is that, in order to enhance effective service delivery, standard ICT policies that support the integration of mobile device use for the provision of healthcare throughout the country be established.
Fuzzy-based machine learning for predicting narcissistic traits among Twitter users.
(2022) Mursi, Japheth Kiplang’at.; Subramaniam, Prabhakar Rontala.; Govender, Irene.
Social media has provided a platform for people to share views and opinions they identify with or which are significant to them. Similarly, social media enables individuals to express themselves authentically and divulge their personal experiences in a variety of ways. This behaviour, in turn, reflects the user’s personality. Social media has in recent times been used to perpetuate various forms of crimes, and a narcissistic personality trait has been linked to violent criminal activities. This negative side effect of social media calls for multiple ways to respond and prevent damage instigated. Eysenck's theory on personality and crime postulated that various forms of crime are caused by a mixture of environmental and neurological causes. This theory suggests certain people are more likely to commit a crime, and personality is the principal factor in criminal behaviour. Twitter is a widely used social media platform for sharing news, opinions, feelings, and emotions by users. Given that narcissists have an inflated self-view and engage in a variety of strategies aimed at bringing attention to themselves, features unique to Twitter are more appealing to narcissists than those on sites such as Facebook. This study adopted design science research methodology to develop a fuzzy-based machine learning predictive model to identify traces of narcissism from Twitter using data obtained from the activities of a user. Performance evaluation of various classifiers was conducted and an optimal classifier with 95% accuracy was obtained. The research found that the size of the dataset and input variables have an influence on classifier accuracy. In addition, the research developed an updated process model and recommended a research model for narcissism classification.
Genetic algorithm based prediction of students' course performance using learning analytics.
(2024) Raghavjee, Rushil.; Subramaniam, Prabhakar Rontala.; Govender, Irene.
Learning Analytics (LA) can play a key role in understanding students’ learning and academic performance. By identifying poorly performing students early, LA can also be used to identify students who are at risk of dropping out of programmes. This enables academic advisors to intervene early and provide help to ensure students stay on track and succeed in their studies. Hence, LA is becoming a common trend in education particularly in higher education. Previous studies of LA have not dealt with specific courses in information systems and information technology. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a model for the application of LA to different courses with the discipline of Information Systems and Technology using various data sources. This study used the design science research approach to help towards solving the problem of understanding students’ learning and performance in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Multiple data sources were used. The data that was obtained was pre-processed using MS Excel. Thereafter, the WEKA tool was used in the analysis of the data and prediction of performance. Decision tree, Random Forest and genetic-based algorithms were used to develop prediction models for each of the courses in the discipline of Information Systems and Technology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study also resulted in the development of an integrated dataset for the discipline of Information Systems and Technology in higher education and a process model for the implementation of LA in a specific discipline. The involvedness of the data allows future researchers to continuously improve/evolve the area of LA. This study should, therefore, be of value to LA practitioners wishing to implement LA to courses within other disciplines as well.
Information and communication technology as a tool for craft market traders in promoting community tourism.
(2017) Mkhize, Thokozani Agnes.; Klopper, Rambrandt.
This is an interdisciplinary study, taking information and communication technology (ICT) as a point of departure, incorporating tourism, art and craft, e-business and community development as the field of knowledge. The craft market traders around Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (HIP) lack essential business tools, such as ICT devices, to improve craft market trading with tourists, nationally and internationally, without the intervention of the middleman, who could help to enable sustainable community development. Craft market traders manufacture or produce their crafts using natural resources such as Juncus maritimus and thatch grass for mats, bowls and hats. They use tree trunks and natural wood for sculptures and meat platters. Most of these natural resources are already depleted outside the protected areas and local communities have to rely on natural resources inside the park. Harvesting without permission in the park is illegal. The researcher has provided a step-by-step outline on how she intends to execute the logical chain of events that would produce solutions to the problems identified and answers to critical questions. The researcher examined the historical background of craft, the cultural background of the craft market traders and ICT devices that can improve their business performance. The business sector, as well as government, played a role in the success of this research. ABSA Bank and the Department of Economic Development were engaged. There are possible positive outcomes, such as the installation of an ABSA automatic teller machine in HIP. The overall objective of the research was to find solutions that can enhance the standard of living of the local communities, by increasing the employment rate in terms of craft market traders selling their craft, nationally and internationally.
Information and communications technology (ICT) integration in teaching and learning : a critical analysis.
(2006) Govender, Desmond Wesley.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
Technology availability is quite often mistaken for technology adoption and use. In the White Paper on E-Education, launched by the South African National Department of Education, the government has indicated its intention to ensure that every school has access to a wide choice of diverse, high quality communication services which will benefit all learners and local communities. It is important that the National Department of Education recognizes that, regardless of the amount of technology and its sophistication, technology will not be used unless educators have the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to infuse it into the curriculum. The study focused on educator preparedness to integrate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into the curriculum. The findings of the study suggest that educators have positive attitudes towards ICT integration in education. One strong predictor of educators' attitudes towards ICT integration was computer attributes followed closely by cultural perceptions and, to a limited extent, by computer competence. Educator attitudes were also predicted by constructs extracted from the different Information Systems (IS) model/theories for technology adoption. The strongest construct to predict educators' attitudes toward ICT integration was extrinsic motivation followed by perceived usefulness, complexity, perceived behavioural control and relative advantage. The results point to the importance of educators' vision of technology itself, their experiences with it, their perceived computer competence, and the cultural conditions that surround its introduction into schools in shaping their attitudes towards technology and its subsequent diffusion into their educational practice. A combination of the different constructs from the IS models/theories was able to account for as much as 83% of the variance in educator attitudes toward technology and thus technology adoption. This is a significant result since most previous research has only been able to account for between 17% and 69% (Venkatesh et a!., 2003) of the variance in user intentions to use technology. These constructs (the strong predictors) were grouped to form a new model which is proposed for predicting educator technology adoption. Further, Perceptual Control Theory was used as a framework for understanding educator adoption of technology. This framework considers educators' use of technology by examining the goals of educators and how the use of technology might help or hinder their goals. Educator lack of computer competence is a major challenge for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, and an immediate plan of action is required that will address this through educator professional development.
The interpretation and application of triangulation in information systems research.
(2020) Mutinta, Given Chigaya.; Govender, Irene.; McArthur, Brian Walter.
Scholars argue that a single research method is inadequate to investigate a complex phenomenon. As a result, there is growing interest in academic communities in the practicability of mixing research techniques in a process of triangulation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interpretation and application of triangulation within the disciplines of information systems (IS) at four universities in South Africa; the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand, and Stellenbosch University. This study employed the exploratory and descriptive research designs, and mixed methods. The target population were academic staff in the IS disciplines. Census and purposive sampling were used to select participants for the quantitative and qualitative study respectively. A sample size of fifty (50) and eight (8) academics was drawn for the quantitative study and qualitative study respectively. Data was collected using document collection, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews. In-depth interviews and documents were analysed using thematic analysis technique. Questionnaires were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.1. The findings show that all (100 per cent) respondents were aware of triangulation. Data source triangulation (100.0 per cent) and methodological (82.4 per cent) are the most known types of triangulation. Methodological (90.2 per cent), investigator (67.0 per cent), data source (65.6 per cent), space (60.8 per cent), theory (52.9 per cent), time (41.1 per cent) and analyst (14.0 per cent) triangulation are the most used in this order. In spite of high respondents’ high levels of knowledge of triangulation, the seven types of triangulation are mainly used to validate research findings and explain research problems. There is thus a gap between the knowledge of triangulation and application of triangulation. IS academics find it easy to use data source (65.6 per cent), time (45.3 per cent), methodological (37.0 per cent), investigator (35.0 per cent), time (40.0 per cent), time (29.0 per cent), and space triangulation (23.5 per cent) in this order. Intradisciplinary triangulation is the most used than interdisciplinary triangulation. The findings indicate that academics with doctorates find it easier to use different types of triangulation than those with master’s degrees. The findings show that the frequently used type of triangulation is data source (19.0 per cent) and methodological (14.0 per cent). Largely, the study suggests that triangulation should be interpreted as Data source, Investigator, Theoretical, Methodological, Analyst, Space, and Time (DITMAST) triangulation, and to be used to Validate findings, Explain research problem, Enrich research instruments, and Refute findings (VEER). There is need to empower IS academics with knowledge on the interpretation of the different types of triangulation (DITMAST) and their application (VEER) in research.
Maximising return on investment in IT training : a South African perspective.
(2012) Denny, Peter.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
This thesis explores the impact of teacher student cultural congruence, specifically in respect of race, home language and gender, on cognitive learning in the information systems and technology discipline. The study is conducted in the South African context and investigates the cultural factors that impact and predict information systems and technology students’ academic achievement. The research aims to contribute significantly to closing the culture-based academic performance gaps, and to improving the returns on investment that technology education and skills development stakeholders in South Africa are able to realise. A thorough review is undertaken of international studies that explore culture and teacher student congruence as significant factors in cognitive learning. Culture-based performance gaps are explored and the theories presented by international researchers to explain these gaps are considered. A review of the results of these international studies shows that different ethnic, language and gender groups perform differently on cognitive testing, suggesting that these groupings do indeed learn differently and that certain pedagogical strategies may favour some groups over others. This appears to be true across various age groups and across various subjects. Teacher student congruence as a predictor of performance is considered in detail in terms of learning style, home language, gender and ethnicity. International findings are reviewed which suggest significant relationships between teacher student cultural consonance and cognitive learning performance, as well as the role of teacher and student perceptions and racial identity as factors influencing the student learning experience and academic performance. The unique South African context for this research is discussed, including the history of inequality in education, the unusually diverse cultural landscape, the culture-based academic performance gap and the factors that account for this. The research conducted as part of this study investigates culture-based academic performance disparities and the impact on cognitive learning of matching teachers and students in terms of race, home language and gender among first year Information Systems and Technology students at a public university in South Africa. In addition, culture-based differences in student perceptions of collective self-efficacy in respect of teacher effectiveness are considered, as well as the relationship between these perceptions and student academic performance. The study finds that cultural factors are significant predictors of cognitive test performance and that matching teacher and student in respect of cultural factors significantly improves student cognitive test performance in information systems and technology education and training. The study further finds that both student and teacher perceptions of collective teaching self-efficacy vary among cultural groupings and are significantly related to higher student test scores for students who are matched with their teachers in terms of cultural factors. The findings are considered in the light of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and Phillips’ five level framework for return on investment in training analysis.
Potential adoption of mobile health technologies for public healthcare in Burundi.
(2016) Ndayizigamiye, Patrick.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewak.
Mobile health (or mHealth) describes the utilisation of wireless mobile communications devices in public and private healthcare. These include, but are not limited to, mobile telephones, personal digital assistants, and patient monitoring devices. Although the outcomes of mHealth interventions in developing countries have generally been assessed as positive, there is a need for designing mHealth interventions that are specifically tailored to the context of individual countries. It is in this context that this research investigates the potential adoption of mHealth technologies to provide healthcare services in Burundi from the institutional level point of view (Burundi’s Ministry of Health and Fight Against AIDS (MoH&A) and the Ministry of Communication (MoC)), users point of view (primary healthcare professionals) and mobile technology point of view (mobile technology providers). Using three theoretical frameworks i.e. the Capabilities Approach (CA) model, the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this research firstly identifies the determinants and impediments to mHealth adoption in Burundi. It further describes how mHealth could be used to address the current challenges that the Burundi’s Ministry of Health faces in terms of providing public healthcare services. It further proposes a framework for the adoption of mHealth in Burundi. At the institutional level and mobile technology point of view, semi-structured interviews were held with civil servants from the two Ministries and with mobile technology services providers. At the users’ level, a survey was conducted with primary healthcare professionals from 47 primary healthcare centres. Findings reveal that mHealth adoption can contribute to disease prevention, disease management and the provision of quality healthcare in Burundi. Although there is limited knowledge of mHealth capabilities within the Burundi’s public healthcare sector, there is a general willingness towards the adoption of mHealth notwithstanding challenges associated with its adoption. Although DOI construct-related factors such as relative advantage, compatibility, trialability and observability significantly influence the adoption of mHealth in Burundi, complexity does not. In addition, performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions are UTAUT constructs that significantly influence the adoption of mHealth adoption. The research advocates for an integrated and collaborative approach to addressthe impediments to mHealth adoption in Burundi.

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