Theses and Dissertations (Informatics)

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Enhancing users’ experience of a learning management system within higher education: chatbot design principles for service providers
(University of Pretoria, 2024-01) Matthee, Machdel C.; Hattingh, Maria J. (Marie); u23051478@tuks.co.za; Swanepoel, Maria Magrietha
Improving the user experience (UX) of learning management systems (LMS) in higher education institutions (HEIs) poses a significant challenge for service providers. This challenge centres around the limitations of the existing user support mechanisms within LMS platforms. A potential solution to this problem is the implementation of an LMS chatbot. However, an obstacle in deploying such a chatbot lies in the absence of well-defined guidelines and research-based design principles tailored specifically for integration within LMSs. Such design principles are necessary for service providers aspiring to improve the UX within the LMS environment. The LMS service provider aims to enhance the product delivered to its users. Therefore, the researcher proposes an LMS-integrated chatbot, distinguishing it from existing chatbots that are neither integrated nor based on empirical research. Unlike chatbots functioning as frequently asked question (FAQ) assistants or assuming the role of the lecturer, the proposed chatbot guidelines are designed for LMS service providers to consider the implementation of design principles, ultimately improving the overall UX. The absence of established LMS chatbot design principles, both in theoretical frameworks and in practical applications, poses a challenge for service providers seeking to offer efficient user support through an integrated chatbot. This gap increases the risk of user dissatisfaction with the LMS platform, potentially leading to frustration. This user dissatisfaction may drive HEIs to explore alternative LMS products or service providers. This study is driven by the need to address the abovementioned challenges and facilitate the effective utilisation of chatbots to ensure an enhanced LMS UX. To build a robust theoretical foundation for the development of design principles, this research employs activity theory (AT) as a framework to understand the diverse user activities within the LMS activity system. To address this problem, this study employed the design science research (DSR) methodology and incorporated a design thinking workshop approach in the development phase of the DSR. The workshop incorporated a design team comprising 12 team members, who are all active LMS users from diverse HEI environments: four students, four instructors and four LMS administrators. The workshop participants offered valuable insights into what an LMS chatbot should look like, as well as how it should feel and function. The insights gathered from the workshop, including participant worksheets, participant observations and field notes, formed the foundation for the tentative set of LMS chatbot design principles. These tentative LMS chatbot design principles were further evaluated by four LMS experts to ensure their relevance and effectiveness in enhancing the LMS UX. The resulting design principles offer a structured framework to guide the creation of LMS chatbots to enhance the LMS UX within HEIs, aligning them with existing design features and Peter Morville’s UX honeycomb (Morville, 2004). This study contributes to the body of knowledge in information systems (IS) by presenting a set of design principles grouped according to the categories technical mechanisms, language usage, UX and feedback mechanisms. These design principles aim to enhance the chatbot’s effectiveness across various dimensions, including responsive interaction and availability, seamless integration into the LMS platform, natural language understanding (NLU), multilingual support, focused conversation, intelligent error handling, engaging personality, progress tracking, personalised recommendations, transparency on capabilities and limitations, and privacy and data security. Each design principle outlines specific criteria and expectations, providing a comprehensive framework for designing and implementing an LMS chatbot that prioritises UX. These principles address a gap in LMS chatbot development guidance and have the potential to enhance the overall UX within HEIs. Additionally, this study underscores the crucial role of design principles in advancing knowledge dissemination within the IS research domain. Subsequent research endeavours could explore empirical evaluations of these design principles in real-world LMS implementations, assessing their effectiveness and broader impact on UX.
Digital innovation strategy : a framework for creating business value for an airline organisation
(University of Pretoria, 2024-04) Smuts, Hanlie; eswee.vorster@gmail.com; Vorster, Eswee
Digital innovation in the airline industry is a holistic approach that involves leveraging advanced technologies to improve customer service, drive value, and enhance efficiency. As a crucial strategic asset, digital innovation strengthens competitiveness and skills development within airlines. The sector's growing involvement with digital innovation reflects a commitment to experimenting with digital technologies and accelerating their adoption. However, the swift pace of technological change coupled with the high-costs of implementation and a lack of standardised protocols can often lead to fragmented customer experiences and operational silos. Addressing these challenges requires a focused strategy on integrating new technologies seamlessly with existing systems, ensuring interoperability, and aligning digital transformation with the overall business objectives to create a unified, customer-centric approach. This interpretive case study collected data from online questionnaires distributed to employees, customers, and suppliers of the airline organisation. The data analysis provided a detailed perspective on the organisation's agility and strategic approaches through diverse stakeholder lenses, revealing key themes that deepen theoretical knowledge. It concluded by connecting these insights to the core elements of a digital innovation strategy, aligning practical observations with the broader goal of strategic digital innovation. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the airline organisation's executive management team, executive foresight, and experience, which highlighted the practical challenges and opportunities in navigating digital transformation. This study introduced a layered digital innovation framework within an airline organisation operating in a volatile and rapidly evolving environment that demands an ability to innovate, scale, and revamp the organisational structure persistently to align with a digital innovation strategy. The first surrounding layer addresses factors critical to the core components: a company culture open to change, technological integration for smooth operations, and process efficiencies for scalability. The second layer presents outcomes such as improved decision-making and operational efficiency through optimised processes and strategic data use, integration of data and systems for better insights, and a culture of continuous digital improvement. The third layer highlights broader objectives like seamless customer and employee digital experiences, the emergence of new technologies, and overall digital transformation aiming for full integration of digital technology to enhance performance and competitiveness. The outermost layer represents strategic end goals like streamlined operations and new methodologies such as agile project management, data-driven strategy, and customer-centric product development. This study describes a multi-layered digital innovation strategy model with People, Technology, and Process at its core. These elements are foundational for any digital strategy, focusing on a prepared workforce, technological infrastructure, and efficient methodologies. Fundamental dynamic capabilities, such as sensing and seizing opportunities, navigating transitions, and transforming operations, are vital in fostering agility and resilience. These capabilities should inform and shape the foundation of a strategy focused on digital innovation, which rests on the interplay of human resources, processes, and technology. In the current fast-paced climate of the airline industry and its competitive market, it's crucial to devise a digital innovation framework that not only identifies but also effectively leverages the right strategic levers. Doing so is essential for extracting maximum business value from digital transformation efforts, ensuring they are well-aligned with the organisation's overarching goals and market demands. The study makes several significant theoretical contributions. Firstly, it deepens the understanding of digital innovation strategies in the airline industry, providing insights into how these strategies can be effectively developed and implemented. Secondly, it expands the knowledge of organisational agility and strategic alignment in the context of digital transformation, highlighting the critical factors that contribute to successful digital innovation. Lastly, the study provides a detailed theoretical framework that can be applied to similar industries facing rapid technological changes, offering a valuable reference for further research and practical application. Regarding practical contributions, the study offers actionable insights for airline executives on implementing and scaling digital innovations. It emphasises the importance of integrating new technologies with existing systems to ensure seamless operations and avoid operational silos. Additionally, the study identifies critical challenges and opportunities in digital transformation, providing practitioners with valuable information to develop effective strategies. This practical guidance can help airline organisations navigate the complexities of digital innovation and achieve their strategic objectives. Overall, the model advocates for a strategic, layered approach to digital innovation, where each level supports and amplifies the next, culminating in a business that is agile, efficient, and future-ready, thereby delivering substantial business value through enhanced competitive advantage, increased operational efficiency, and accelerated market responsiveness.
Towards an interoperability framework for blockchain in the banking sector
(University of Pretoria, 2024-03-28) Mawela, Tendani; senatemafike@gmail.com; Mafike, Senate Sylvia
Banking enterprises globally are considering the adoption and leveraging of the benefits of blockchain technology to enhance their processes. Most of these organisations seek ways to integrate blockchain into incumbent technologies to augment and support such systems. However, incompatibilities between different blockchain systems and extant banking systems mean that these systems cannot communicate as required. This lack of interoperability between heterogeneous blockchain systems and between blockchain systems and other non-blockchain systems is referred to as a lack of blockchain interoperability. An absence of blockchain interoperability is one of the obstacles to the mass adoption of the technology and, consequently, an obstacle to organisations wishing to leverage the technology to provide better, cost-effective and more efficient processes. Therefore, it is crucial for organisations to address blockchain interoperability. However, organisations do not currently have the appropriate tools, methods or frameworks to guide the complex process of implementing blockchain interoperability. This study is underpinned by the pragmatist philosophical paradigm and employs a design science research approach to address the blockchain interoperability challenge by developing and evaluating a blockchain interoperability framework. This qualitative study solicited data through systematic literature reviews, interviews with blockchain experts and industry webinars. The data were used to formulate an artefact, i.e., the blockchain interoperability framework intended to guide banking organisations during the process of implementing blockchain interoperability. The framework components were conceptualised and organised through a general system theory lens. Following the design science process, the proposed framework was evaluated through a summative, artificial and ex-post evaluation process, which included demonstrating the applicability of the framework and evaluating its utility and relevance. The applicability of the framework to the banking sector is demonstrated through an illustrative scenario. The scenario was derived from real projects focusing on the integration of real-time gross settlement systems and a blockchain system. Moreover, to evaluate the framework, the study conducted additional interviews with blockchain experts. These interviews were guided by a set of questions based on predefined artefact evaluation criteria. The main output of the study is the proposed blockchain interoperability framework. The framework includes a high-level architectural component framework, a process flow and a set of guidelines and considerations for organisations. Practitioners and researchers can use the framework components as a reference point to understand and guide the process of implementing blockchain interoperability. The key findings represented in the framework are organised according to general systems theory elements. The findings indicated that the following aspects should be considered to implement blockchain interoperability in the banking sector: legal and regulatory requirements for interoperability, a clear blockchain-focused use case or business case, an understanding of the goal of blockchain in the organisation, a determination of the systems involved, and determining the type of interoperability required for the selected use case. In addition, the organisation needs to consider the data to be shared. This involves identifying the type of data to be shared (normal business data, cryptocurrency or tokenised assets); the data formats, representations and standards, and identifying any inconsistencies in how the data are represented across the systems. Furthermore, the findings show that banking organisations should ensure the selected approach fulfils the required interoperability and enables the exchange of the necessary data while satisfying essential regulatory, security, privacy, and performance requirements. The study makes several contributions. From a theoretical perspective, the study offers an extended conceptualisation of blockchain interoperability for the banking sector. The study has expanded on the currently limited research on blockchain interoperability and contributes to opening opportunities for further academic research on the topic. Methodologically, the study offers insights on how Peffers’ (2007) design science research methodology, together with the general systems theory, could be utilised to interrogate a nascent topic such as blockchain interoperability and support the development of a blockchain interoperability framework. Practically, practitioners and banking organisations with an interest in enabling blockchain interoperability in their operations can use the developed framework, process flow and guidelines as a point of reference.
Employees’ cybersecurity awareness and behaviour in South African higher education institutions
(University of Pretoria, 2024-05) Steyn, A.A. (Adriana Aletta); u20800917@tuks.co.za; Yusuf, Abdullahi Abiodun
The widespread cyberattacks necessitate robust cybersecurity practices within South African higher education institutions (HEIs). System users, particularly employees, are often the inadvertent major entry for cyberattacks, highlighting the critical need for employees’ cybersecurity behaviour to adhere to ethical guidelines and adapt to evolving cyber threats. This study investigates how South African HEIs’ cybersecurity environment, encompassing factors like cybersecurity awareness, policies and prior employee experience, influences employee cybersecurity behaviour. Building on the protection motivation theory and the theory of planned behaviour, the study developed a conceptual model that integrates and explores the impact of cybersecurity awareness, policy awareness and experience within the institutional context on employee attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, threat appraisal, and self-efficacy, ultimately leading to cybersecurity-compliant behaviour. This model was tested using data from a survey of 283 employees in South African HEIs. Structural equation modelling, ANOVA and post hoc procedures are employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that employees are more competent in managing cybersecurity tasks when they are aware of or know their institutions’ cybersecurity policies than those unaware. The findings show that institutions’ cybersecurity environment, including cybersecurity awareness, policy and experience, positively influences employees’ attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, which, in turn, positively contribute to their cybersecurity-compliant behaviour. Similarly, perceived behavioural control, threat appraisal and self-efficacy directly and significantly impact cybersecurity-compliant behaviour. These results highlight the importance of fostering a comprehensive South African HEIs cybersecurity environment, highlighting awareness training, transparent policies, practical experience, and efforts to cultivate empowerment sense amongst employees regarding cybersecurity practices. This study contributes to advancing knowledge on cybersecurity behaviour in South African HEIs by offering insights specific to the institutional cybersecurity environment and ultimately fostering a more secure cybersecurity structure within these institutions.
A conceptual framework for adopting micro-credentials for skills development of South African entrepreneurs
(University of Pretoria, 2024-03-05) Steyn, A.A. (Adriana Aletta); u18031014@tuks.co.za; Marecha, Takunda Sharon
One of the main driving forces that fuels a business venture to be successful, is the skills of the entrepreneur and how the skills are applied into the business. Without adequate skills, entrepreneurs are bound to experience inevitable failure. This research study aims to address this issue by focusing on how micro-credentials (an emerging educational technology not yet widely explored in the context of entrepreneurial skills development) can be used by South African entrepreneurs for their skills development. The possession of core entrepreneurial skills and the knowledge to apply the skills effectively, has potential to steer entrepreneurs in the direction of success and sustainability. Fourteen interviews were conducted for this research study and findings showed that entrepreneurs recognise that there is a need for skills development and micro-credentials are capable of fulfilling that need. The collected data was analysed through the thematic analysis method, examined, and synthesised to produce a conceptual framework for micro-credential adoption.
An IT strategic decision-making framework in the midst of disruptive technologies
(University of Pretoria, 2019-07) Van der Merwe, Alta; Matthee, Machdel C.; rajan.padayachee@gmail.com; Padayachee, Rajan
Technological disruption enabled by the internet revolution has resulted in an exponential increase in the growth of new technologies and resultant technology disruptions in the workplace. Many firms do not grasp the new technology trends early enough to improve business processes and capitalise on these emerging technologies. Over the last five years, there has been exponential growth of technologies in the consumer space, mainly in social, mobile, collaboration, big data and cloud-computing technologies. As these technologies mature and gain momentum, they change the context in which businesses compete and the nature of competition, resulting in the blurring of the lines between digital and traditional business models across industries. Disruptive technologies are changing the rules of competition. The rate of change in technology in the traditional enterprise space has been relatively slow in comparison. Most chief information officers (CIOs) agree that there could be significant value in utilising new technology in creating a competitive advantage in an agile world; however, in practice the adoption and implementation of newer technology occur relatively slowly. Previous information technology (IT) research predominantly focussed on IT selection, IT risk and governance, user acceptance of technologies and IT investment criteria. However, there is very little research on factors influencing strategic IT decisions from a perspective of disruptive technologies. Business executives would generally invest in IT initiatives that can generate a return on their investment, grow their business and maintain or create a sustainable competitive advantage, but organisations are often hesitant to investment in disruptive technologies in agile business conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate critical factors that guide strategic IT decisionmaking in an agile business context. This research explored relevant literature on disruptive technologies, disruptive organisations, approaches to IT decision-making, expectations of CIOs and enterprise architects in a disruptive context. During literature reviews, various factors were identified that had an influence on strategic IT decision-making in organisations. These factors were tested with experienced IT executives who made or influenced strategic IT decisions, comprising CIOs, enterprise architects, business executives and IT consultants from organisations across industries. Some of the participants were based internationally or had gained extensive experience in IT while working for global organisations. The outcome of the data collection resulted in two contributions to the information systems discipline. The main research contribution is a framework for strategic IT decision-making (FIT framework) and a step-by-step guide on how this can used by IT decision makers in a disruptive context. The second research contribution is the BIDD model (business IT, internal IT, digital IT and digital business), which can be used to classify IT systems based on their functional purpose in organisations. The use of the FIT framework and the BIDD model provides CIOs with a comprehensive guideline to make strategic IT decisions in the midst of disruptive technologies.
Micro-credentials for employers : guidelines in reskilling workforce impacted by the changes caused by disruptive technologies
(University of Pretoria, 2023-11-20) Steyn, Adriana Aletta; u21686212@tuks.co.za; Mahlasela, Oyena
The constant change in technology is reshaping the workplace environment, forcing employers to upskill and reskill employees to meet business needs. Technology such as micro-credentials are viewed as catalysts for skills development. Therefore, this study aimed to assist employers in integrating micro-credentials when reskilling or upskilling their workforce. Two theories were adopted: the Andragogy in practice model that assisted in understanding adult learning and UTAUT2 for understanding technology adoption. Thereafter, ten participants were interviewed who had acquired skills through micro-credentials. The finding highlighted that micro-credentials could offer employees opportunities for flexible learning and learning from experts since experts in their field teach most digital credentials. The benefits of adopting micro-credentials discussed in the findings included career growth, gaining recognition across sectors, and learning work-related skills. However, the challenge of funding, quality of credentials and work-learn balance were also discussed. Thus, this study proposed a framework that will be integrated into the workplace to provide upskilling and reskilling in this digital age.
The development of a technology-enhanced, brain-based framework for science education : a South African case study
(University of Pretoria, 2023-11) Matthee, Machdel C.; De Villiers, Carina; hettiet@gmail.com; Terblanche, Hester Aletta
This study suggests a teaching framework to enhance the intrinsic motivation, mindset and science performance of undergraduate university students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds in South Africa. The Technology-enhanced, Brain-based and Science Knowledge (TBBaSK) Framework for science education is based on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Framework. However, it integrates elements, tenets and principles of brain-based learning (BBL) to assist lecturers in their planning and presentation of science lectures. It contributes to research on technological, pedagogical and content knowledge by adhering to the call to consider educational contexts and real-life classroom applications and develop metacognition in teaching and learning approaches. Furthermore, it reacts to recommendations from studies on brain-based learning to provide more support in science classrooms. The application of this framework includes brain-based learning principles and applications such as mindfulness techniques, the impact of mind moves as brain exercises, an understanding of mindset, multisensory teaching and the development of metacognition. These techniques are integrated with technology in science education, as described by the TPACK Framework. The TBBaSK Framework was applied using a case study strategy at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), a university of technology in South Africa. An experiment was conducted over six Saturdays, focusing on Fluids from the first-year Physics curriculum to determine the framework’s influence on mindset, motivation and science performance. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected during the experiment. The mindset and motivation of both a control group and an experimental group were measured before and after the intervention using standardised tests. Science performance was measured before and after assessment. The combination of the qualitative and quantitative results shows that implementing the components of the TBBaSK Framework positively influenced motivation, mindset and science performance. Qualitative results showed that 91.3% of the participants of the experimental group felt more self-motivated, believed they could kindle a growth mindset and felt optimistic that the intervention had helped them understand science better.
The use of digital gamification to improve money management
(University of Pretoria, 2023-10-23) Hattingh, Maria J. (Marie); thaverson.devar@gmail.com; Devar, Thaverson
South Africa is going through one of its most economically turbulent times in its history. This is compounded by worldwide economic instability. Increases in prices, unemployment, poverty, and failure of infrastructure has made it difficult for a large part of the population to make ends meet. It is therefore vital that South Africans become more financially literate and manage their money better. However, even on an individual level, individual financial literacy rates and levels of good money management practices in the country are low. Gamification has proven to be an effective way of educating and driving positive behaviour. Gamification is the use of the psychological and motivational factors that are influential in people playing games, in other real-life contexts. This study focuses on answering the question, to what extent can gamification be used to encourage people to improve their financial literacy and money management abilities to be able to improve their financial situation? To answer the research question a qualitative study was conducted. This involved interviewing twenty individuals to understand what challenges they face in managing their money well, what factors contribute to their current levels of financial literacy, and to understand what core drivers of gamification, as described in the Gamification Framework Octalysis, would motivate them to learn more about financial literacy and manage their money well. The study identified twelve challenges which affected the way in which participants manage their money well: 1) Lacking knowledge or education, 2) Personal circumstance or goals not catered for, 3) Financial jargon, 4) Lacking discipline, 5) Increasing prices/cost of living, 6) Low salary or not having enough money to manage, 7) Taking care of family members, 8) Unexpected costs or emergencies, 9) Fear of their current situation, 10) Lack of interest, 12) Having an overview of their finances, and 12) Lack of trust or comfortability with banks or financial institutions. It was shown through literature that gamification can have, or already has, a positive impact on eight of those challenges, with the other four challenges being external to the motivation of the individual. The study also identified ten factors that contributed towards the participants’ level of financial literacy: 1) Information from family and friends, 2) Information from financial advisors and bankers, 3) Life experiences, 4) Information gathered when a trigger or life event occurs, 5) Searching online/online articles, 6) Social media, 7) Learning through their jobs, 8) Banking or other financial institution applications, 9) Reading books, and 10) Online videos and podcasts. However, it was shown that these factors are not sustainable, accurate or consistent to progressively improve financial literacy. It was shown that more accredited and centralised sources of financial literacy need to be developed. This study has shown that “Development and Accomplishment” and “Empowerment of Creativity and Feedback” were the most important core drivers to the participants. However, it was also identified that other core drivers also need to be implemented in gamified solutions to ensure that individuals’ personalities are catered for. Lastly, it was shown that gamification can have an impact on improving financial literacy and money management in South Africa; however, it cannot be the only solution. It will need to be a part of a bigger, centralised and accredited solution that accounts for personalised circumstances of the individuals, the personality of individuals and their financial situation
Towards A requirements elicitation knowledge visualisation framework to improve the accuracy of information system requirements
(University of Pretoria, 2023-11-30) Smuts, Hanlie; iddo.imri@gmail.com; Scholtz, Iddo-Imri
The requirements elicitation process (REP) forms part of the earliest phases of the information systems development (ISD) lifecycle and is a critical process that impacts all subsequent phases. REP is acknowledged as one of the most important and knowledge-intensive processes involved in ISD projects, which requires a great deal of communication and collaboration among involved stakeholders to produce the requirements for an information system (IS). The essential requirements knowledge is primarily contained within the stakeholders, is inherently tacit and, therefore, difficult to communicate. Poor communication and collaboration between the involved stakeholders are the primary contributors affecting the successful creation, transfer and sharing of requirements knowledge that directly impacts the accuracy of the elicited IS requirements. Consequently, REP is plagued with the elicitation of inaccurate requirements, which negatively impact the success rate of ISD projects. It is acknowledged that the visual representation of knowledge is superior to verbal and written communication. Knowledge visualisation (KV), as an extension of knowledge management, aims to create, transfer and share knowledge through visualisations by utilising the key strengths of the human cognitive process to improve communication and collaboration. KV goes beyond the basic transfer of facts to convey insights, experiences, points of view, values, assumptions, outlooks, beliefs and prognoses in such a manner that empowers someone to rebuild, recall and implement these insights accurately. Therefore, this study aims to explore the possibility of using KV during REP to promote communication and collaboration between the involved stakeholders to increase the successful creation, transfer and sharing of requirements knowledge to improve the accuracy of elicited IS requirements. The study resides in the IS discipline and is rooted in the interpretivist research paradigm to form the underlying philosophical viewpoint. Building upon the foundation of interpretivism, the research design of the study used the survey research strategy along with the questionnaire and interview data collection methods. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data, which were analysed with the associated data analysis techniques. The quantitative data collected from the questionnaire was analysed using descriptive statistical analysis to determine the total and total percentage, with some instances also incorporating the mean, to identify key relationships and patterns in the data. The qualitative data was analysed using open, axial and selective coding to identify themes within the data relevant to the study. The findings of the study produced the final version of the requirements elicitation knowledge visualisation (REKV) framework. The framework provides guidance to requirements engineers to effectively visualise existing requirements knowledge to increase the communication and collaboration of the involved stakeholders to promote the successful creation, transfer and sharing of requirements knowledge to increase the accuracy of elicited IS requirements. The findings confirmed the relevance and validity of the framework from a practical perspective and established the use of KV during REP to address the issues associated with the elicitation of inaccurate requirements. The proposed REKV framework breaches the divide between KV and REP and forms a foundation for further advancement of the use of KV during REP.
Towards a user experience based online lead generation framework contributing to business value
(University of Pretoria, 2023-05-08) Smuts, Hanlie; van der Merwe, Alta; wynand.beukes@gmail.com; Beukes, Wynand
The digitalisation of business markets ensures a highly dynamic environment that can be difficult to navigate and also increases competitiveness within the market. Additionally, the rise of digitalisation grants (prospective) customers tremendous decision-making power. This makes attracting and retaining customers a cumbersome pursuit. With customers at the centre of any business, they are essential for creating value. Many businesses’ value-creating pathways have been fully explored; however, there is a lack of research on applying User eXperience (UX) knowledge to the lead generation process to increase lead conversions and business value. This research study aims to identify the components contributing to a User eXperience-based Online Lead Generation Framework (UXOLF) that can deliver increased business value. This design science research (DSR) study comprises a six-phase main cycle with three sub-cycles. The first phase of the main cycle, problem identification, used a questionnaire for data collection. The second phase, defining the objectives of a solution, used document analysis as data collection. Design and development, the third phase, has a sub-cycle consisting of three phases with a Participatory Design (PD) session as the data collection method across the sub-cycle. The first version of the UXOLF was created in this phase. The fourth phase of the main cycle has a sub-cycle consisting of four phases. This phase utilised A/B tests to demonstrate the UXOLF, where obstructions are identified, hypotheses formulated, interfaces updated and hypotheses tested. The study evaluated the UXOLF in the fifth phase, consisting of the final sub-cycle with two phases. The evaluation was conducted through the PD iteration, and the researcher made the final changes to the framework in the final development phase. Finally, the sixth phase, namely communication, is enacted through this paper. The UXOLF created by this research consists of nine concepts and nine design principles as sub-concepts. The main concepts of the UXOLF, in order of appearance, are 1) environment, 2) business strategy, 3) digital transformation strategy, 4) brand awareness, 3) value proposition, 4) user experience design principles (nine principles are presented), 5) communication, 6) online lead generation (with three steps on the process), 7) evaluation and data-driven decision-making, 8) customer and employee experience and 9) business value. The identified concepts underpins a business’s ability to effectively implement UX design principles onto their online lead-generating platform. These concepts are interrelated and should be considered in order of appearance since they require an outside-in perspective. The framework can be regarded as a meta-model that guides thinking and aids businesses in optimising their lead generation process as a value-creating pathway by implementing UX practices.
Identification and prioritisation of success factors in agile software development in the South African software development industry
(University of Pretoria, 2023) Hanslo, Ridewaan; ashleygwa@gmail.com; Gwangwadza, Ashley Shumirayi
Agile software development is a methodology initiated to offer "agility" by addressing the rigidity of traditional methodologies to limit the associated negative effects. It has been increasingly adopted in the South African software development industry. However, there is no comprehensive research on the factors that affect the success of agile software development projects in a South African context and the priority of these factors. This study addresses this gap through a case study of a South African software development organisation. The study identifies and prioritises the critical success factors of agile software development in the South African software development industry. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with agile practitioners in various roles in the case study organisation to identify the critical success factors. Twenty-five critical success factors were grouped into six categories: organisational, team, customer, process, technical and project. Based on the findings, the research proposes a framework for critical success factors in agile software development in South African software development organisations. The factors were then ranked based on the combined frequency of mentions of the factor and its descriptive attributes. Organisational culture was the highest-ranked factor, showing that the Agile project perceived it to have the most influence on Agile project success. The ranking shows that the organisational and team factors have the most highly ranked factors, while the project category has the least ranked factors. The research findings provide information that, if used by agile practitioners in South Africa, may increase the success of the Agile software development project in the South African software development industry.
The effect of self-regulating technology on workplace efficiency
(University of Pretoria, 2023-11-15) Hattingh, Maria J. (Marie); vanzylarno@yahoo.com; Van Zyl, Petrus Arnoldus
Self-regulation technologies are applications or equipment that allow end users to govern and manage their own technology use. The research indicates that distractions in the workplace are one of the primary contributors to reduced productivity, lower task completion, and lower task success rates. Self-regulation technologies are applications or equipment that allow employees to limit distractions from technological devices and maintain a focus on job-related activities throughout the workday. According to research, electronic devices commonly used in the workplace have increased employee distractions during daily work routines. This study analyzed how self-regulating technologies can promote workplace efficiency. The study employed a mono-method approach and compared the findings obtained from seventeen employees. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The results enabled an understanding whether self-regulating technologies can promote workplace efficiency. The study emphasized automated technology use and its influence on workplace efficiency. The research aims to provide an understanding of automated technology and how individuals in organizations can use the technologies available to them to ensure focus and attention on their job requirements. The study established that self-regulating technologies can help employees become more efficient and less stressed and distracted in their working environment while improving their work-life balance. Future research could expand the multitude of participants to include individuals from diverse working environments to obtain more information on the various types of self-regulating technologies being employed, whether the participants of the study deemed these technologies beneficial, and how easily these technologies can be incorporated into an average work routine. The importance of self- regulation technologies within the workplace is the various benefits observed including, improved overall effectiveness of employees, better work-life balance, improved job satisfaction, and reduced workplace stressors.
Empirical investigation of the determinants of cybersecurity behaviour among South Africans
(University of Pretoria, 2023) Adebesin, Funmi; u14006040@tuks.co.za; Sampson, Sindisiwe
Cybercrime is a borderless threat that affects both developed and developing countries and continues to grow. According to the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), in 2022 the average cost of data breach across the globe was $4.35 million. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated the digital landscapes of many countries, including South Africa. Subsequently, there was an increase in incidents of cyberattacks globally. Good cybersecurity behaviour encompasses the actions undertaken by individuals to protect their data, devices, and networks from cyberattacks. Consequently, this study investigated the factors that could influence the cybersecurity behaviours of South Africans and determine the factors that could exert the greatest impact on their cybersecurity behaviours. The study employed an online questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 329 South African participants. The theoretical frameworks used included Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). The findings revealed that an individual's intention to engage in good cybersecurity behaviours is significantly influenced by their Attitude towards good cybersecurity behaviours, Subjective norms, Perceived severity, and Response efficacy. Moreover, the study results revealed Perceived severity as a mediator in the relationship between Perceived vulnerability and Intention to practice good cybersecurity behaviours. The research findings underscore the importance of influencing these factors to effectively promote good cybersecurity behaviours amongst South Africans. Targeting and changing Attitudes towards good cybersecurity behaviours, Subjective norms, Perceived severity, and Response efficacy, could increase the practice of good cybersecurity behaviours in South Africans and mitigate the risks associated with cyberthreats.
Exploring green ICT implementation at a large Information and Communication Technology company in South Africa
(University of Pretoria, 2023) Naidoo, Rennie; imuranganwa72@gmail.com; Muranganwa, Isaac
Climate change is a global problem which has pushed world leaders and their respective countries to take definitive measures to address the environmental crises. One of the areas of attention is the information, communication technology (ICT) sector. ICT tools and infrastructure have higher rates of carbon emissions. Therefore, in line with the global call to address climate change, ICT organisations are increasingly becoming involved in the climate change agenda by committing to responsible Information Systems (IS) agenda. The aim of IS, is to ensure that organisational processes enhance the quality of life contribute, while ensuring business sustainability. Green ICT emerged as a result of the IS agenda. Green ICT is a call for ICT users and organisations to take necessary measures to reduce the environmental impact of ICT while enhancing the positive impact by reforming and allowing sustainable business practices. To ensure Green ICT implementation, it is important for organisations to assess Green ICT capabilities and constraints in order to run ICT in accordance with Green ICT best practices. This qualitative, exploratory study sought to investigate the implementation of Green ICT at a large IT professional services company in South Africa, Gauteng. The study employed the Green IT adoption model (GITAM) as a theoretical framework to explore the organisation's current approach to Green ICT implementation. The dimensions of the GITAM model that informed the study are Green IT context, Green IT readiness, Green IT drivers, and the intention to adopt Green IT. The study population were executive and senior management positions, including C-level managers and operational IT specialists involved in decision-making or day-to-day operations, such as user support and client system implementations in the large IT professional services company. Qualitative data was gathered using semi-structured interviews. The data was then analysed using thematic analysis and the emerging themes were linked to the GITAM model. The study’s findings revealed that cost reduction, operational efficiency improvement, and corporate image initiatives to fulfil regulatory requirements, customer expectations, andii industry standards drive Green ICT deployment. Green efforts are hampered by the lack of a clear Green ICT strategy and governance concerns. This is due to a lack of environmental responsibility and green metric monitoring. In addition, the findings revealed that the COVID- 19 emergency response had a catalytic effect on promoting the implementation of Green ICT. Telecommuting practices were widely adopted and accelerated, assisting the organisation in the implementation of Green ICT, and enhancing resilience to the economic shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study extends the GITAM model by proposing an interpretive framework for Green ICT implementation. In addition, the findings from the literature review expand understanding on how Green ICT adoption can be a sustainable business model innovation for sustainable recovery after a crisis. In addition to the framework, the study recommends that management should prioritise a comprehensive and principled design approach for Green ICT management. Furthermore, the study interrogates the conflicts of sustainability goals concerning the different environments and stakeholders, showing that addressing the sustainability goals of all relevant stakeholders is complex and challenging. Management should articulate the problem, devise a solution, and set responsibility, learning, and measurement systems for green practises and sustainable projects. Future studies might, among other things, expand on this research and use the G-Readiness Index as a tool to assess and compare the organisation's Green ICT capabilities and limits with other organisations in the industry.
Factors influencing the adoption of blockchain technology by South African commercial banks
(University of Pretoria, 2023) Smuts, Hanlie; Ridewaan, Hanslo; rishicassim@gmail.com; Cassim, Reshaad
Blockchain technology became known as the technology that powers the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Although this was blockchain’s initial purpose, in recent years, it has proven capable of disrupting numerous industries. Innovation within the financial services industry has changed how the world and businesses operate. Many organisations, including global banking institutions, leverage blockchain technology to improve their organisations. However, blockchain adoption rates in developing countries, such as South Africa (SA), are relatively low. Motivated by the potential which blockchain technology possesses to disrupt the banking industry in a developing country, this study aims to understand the key factors of blockchain technology adoption by commercial banks in SA. This study developed a categorisation framework to be used by Information Technology (IT) decision-makers and policymakers in banks in South Africa (SA) and other developing countries, to assist with strategy creation to accelerate blockchain adoption. The study employed an interpretivist qualitative research methodology to investigate the views of IT decision-makers and blockchain experts on the expected value and challenges hindering blockchain adoption in commercial banks of SA. Data was collected from IT decision-makers within commercial banks and blockchain experts within the South African context. Thematic analysis was used to analyse and understand the semi-structured interview responses of participants based on their backgrounds, knowledge of blockchain technology, and experience with IT adoption. The challenges and expected value for the adoption of blockchain technology by commercial banks in SA were investigated and technologically (T), organisationally (O), and environmentally (E) categorised using the TOE framework as a lens. The study found that smart contracts, new banking services, and interbank collaboration are the expected value of blockchain adoption for SA commercial banks. It was further found that the expected value for blockchain adoption by SA commercial banks included lower costs, improved transactional speeds, provision for metaverse banking and cryptocurrency investing, streamlined know-your-customer (KYC) processes, and finally improved payment settlements. The results also found that the technological challenge of blockchain adoption for SA commercial banks is blockchain complexity. Blockchain complexity was further found to be caused by scalability and interoperability challenges. In addition to this, the study extended the TOE framework through a new challenge of trust within the interorganisational context. Trust encapsulated the issue of privacy and KYC documentation trust amongst commercial banks in SA. The categorisation framework can be used by IT decision-makers and policymakers in banks in SA and other developing countries to accelerate blockchain adoption.
Designing a performance management information system to bridge trust : an action research case study
(University of Pretoria, 2023) Naidoo, Rennie; stefan.brandt.sa@gmail.com; Brandt, Stefan
Performance Management Programmes (PMP) are often fraught with complexities which could strain trust relations between employees and managers, thus inhibiting an organisation from achieving its strategic goals. Important elements of trust such as transparency, consistency and open communication are key ingredients to forming and maintaining trust between employees and organisational leaders. Information Systems (IS) that are designed effectively can play a critical bridging role in establishing trust. The purpose of this dissertation is to demonstrate how a continuous design approach of a Performance Management Information System (PMIS) is fostering improvements in trust in the performance reward programme and trust relations between employees and leaders at a South African Private Bank. This longitudinal case study used an action research approach underpinned by an interpretive research paradigm to understand the complex trust-related issues in the case organisation. These insights informed the design of a PMIS to foster greater trust in the overall PMP. The study assumes that trust is a social practice and therefore drew on recent advances in Giddens’s theory of modernity to develop a trust framework in order to conduct the action research study. The study demonstrates how the five stages of action research in conjunction with the trust framework are applied in the continuous design and development of PMIS. Through in-depth interviews, documents and thematic analysis, a contextually rich and descriptive case study is presented. The action research study presents the initial design and development phase of the new PMIS, the implementation and user adoption phase, as well as the continuous design and development of additional PMIS capabilities to support employees, line managers and executives increased understanding of the drivers of performance. The findings show the value of using a dynamic trust framework to focus IS practitioners attention on social practices relevant to designing a PMIS. The study demonstrates how the organisation is transitioning Human Resource Management (HRM) and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) from treating employees as passive recipients of HRM to active participants and encouraging employee engagement. Furthermore the study extends the limited research and evidence on employee compensation programme effectiveness facilitated by a PMIS by creating greater fairness and transparency in the reward distribution processes, clarity of communication and trust formation. A set of prescriptive design principles that is consistent with the concept of affordance and the design for socio-technical systems is presented to assist in improving organisational practice and fostering trust. To ensure that the performance reward programme remains trusted and relevant, it is recommended that future interventions by practitioners should focus on including trust enhancing PMIS affordances that support employees, line managers and executives. Future research should further consider the adoption of a dynamic trust framework to improve other IS designs which entail complex social practices.
A framework for creating educational virtual escape rooms to teach computational thinking
(University of Pretoria, 2022) Matthee, Machdel C.; u15237185@tuks.co.za; Janse van Rensburg, Theane
Due to the looming Fourth Industrial Revolution, massive changes in occupations are predicted that will require a new set of skills from the next generation. As a result, educational systems are struggling to equip students with the right skills to thrive in the future. The Institute for the Future identified Computational Thinking as one of the essential skills that will be critical for success in the future workplace. Although there is no clear definition for computational thinking, many researchers have come to accept Wing’s definition as an approach to solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior by drawing on concepts fundamental to computer science. However, integrating computational thinking into the curriculum remains an educational challenge. Escape room games could potentially aid in the development of computational thinking skills because they immerse learners in a narrative-based, problem-solving scenario. Nicholson defines an escape room as a live-action adventure game in which players find themselves locked in a room, or series of rooms, from which they must escape within a limited amount of time. This research study aims to illustrate a virtual escape room for teaching of computational thinking, reflect on its usefulness as a teaching tool, offer guidance on where to make improvements, and present a framework that educators can use to create their own virtual escape rooms. This research followed a Design-Based Research methodology that consisted of three iterative cycles. During the cycles, participants were given a pre-test before the virtual escape room and a post-test after the virtual escape room. Although the findings do not show a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test results, participants indicated that the experience with the escape room increased their motivation to learn more about computational thinking. This paper recommends that virtual escape rooms be investigated further since they could provide significant insight for learners in computational thinking
Preparing teachers in developing for computational thinking teaching in primary education : a Namibian case study
(University of Pretoria, 2022) Matthee, Machdel C.; kamweshi@gmail.com; Ausiku, Maria M.
In recent years, many countries in the developed world, have introduced computational thinking (CT) teaching in compulsory education, with few developing nations following. The introduction to teaching CT brought many challenges for teachers because these computing skills were not part of their initial teacher training and were less understood. Several professional development programmes have been developed to train teachers on the new CT content, but few studies have investigated the preparation of primary school teachers to teach CT and the impact of this training on the teachers’ understanding of CT concepts and self-efficacy in a developing country context. The main objective of this study was to develop a Professional Development for Primary School Teachers for the CT (PD4PCT) framework that can be used by training providers and researchers to integrate CT into teachers’ professional development programmes. Constructionism was a pedagogical framework for this interpretive study and the conceptual frameworks of Desimone and three existing professional development CT frameworks (3C, CTTD and ADAPPTER). Different data collection methods were used for a single interpretive case study to investigate the impact of a professional development programme on primary school teachers (n = 14), their CT knowledge, beliefs and attitudes and self-efficacy of CT using a participatory design approach. Data was collected through a literature review, pre- and postquestionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and self-reporting journals. Expert reviewers validated the framework through an online questionnaire. The study’s findings indicated that teachers who participated in the professional development programme have considerably increased their CT knowledge, their beliefs and attitudes towards CT altered for the better, and they had a substantial rise in confidence to teach CT. Overall, the results indicate that most teachers can design lesson plans and activities incorporating algorithms, decomposition, and pattern recognition concepts but abstraction and debugging to a lesser extent. Subject matter knowledge of teachers influences the integration plans for certain CT topics. To address the challenges teachers face in integrating CT into classrooms, the framework assists in identifying the components that must be considered to develop iii an effective professional development programme for teachers. The context of the school plays a vital role and should be considered as a first step in designing a teacher's professional development intervention. School leadership should support teachers with a collaborative environment where teachers can share CT knowledge and teaching strategies with others.
Social comparison of young men : the role social media influencers
(University of Pretoria, 2022) Hattingh, Maria J. (Marie); Estervigna10@gmail.com; Dos Santos, Ester Vigna Inacio
This study aims to highlight social media influencers’ (SMIs) role in social comparison, having young men as the target audience. Existing research published on SMIs and its impact are mainly focused on women. Studies focused on men and SMIs cover the topics of bodybuilding and body idealisation. This study’s main objective is to highlight SMIs role in social comparison. The researcher’s main goal was to thoroughly analyse both the positive and negative effects to conclude the overall impact SMIs have on young men. It has been determined that if current or known SMI trends persist in social media platforms, the impact may be more harmful than beneficial. This study attempts to carefully and appropriately evaluate the impact of SMIs and mitigate them to avoid adverse effects on society. The results of this research are essential and will be used to show the overall impact of SMIs on the day-to-day lives of many young men. For this study, the researcher opted for the social comparison theory as the study’s theoretical framework. This theory points out that people use the comparison process to create an effective benchmark to develop accurate evaluations (Guyer & Vaughan-Johnston, 2018). This theory process begins when individuals decide to learn about themselves by evaluating their traits, beliefs, opinions, and attitudes to others. The social comparison theory points out that people use the comparison process to create an effective benchmark to develop accurate evaluations. The underlying motivations for social comparisons include maintaining positive self-evaluation (downward comparison) and self-enhancement (upward comparison). The researcher discussed the existing literature on social media, the effectiveness of social media, drawbacks of social media, SMIs, and types of social media influencers and introduced the correlation between social media and young men. Regarding the research methodology for the current study, the philosophical paradigm followed was interpretivism. The approach to theory development chosen was the deducted approach. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach where 20 young men aged 18-26 years old, both from Mozambique and South Africa, were interviewed. For this research, the researcher opted for thematic analysis because it was the most flexible approach to generate mindful insights and concepts from the collected data. This study showed that young men with lower self-esteem are more likely to use strategies to boost their confidence and those with high self-esteem are likely to use strategies to maintain it. These results support previous studies that stated that people with high self-esteem are more likely to engage in self-enhancement as people with lower self-esteem avoid engaging in social comparison. The results also show that young men often used SMIs to push themselves to work harder. Data analysis determined that social media influencers influence participants according to their personal development goals and interests. The in-depth analysis also determined that appearance, purchase behaviour, and motivation were the most common answers on how social media influencers influence young men. The data collected showed that all study participants were aware of possible risks associated with SMIs. The participants believe that young men in today’s age can be easily influenced to promote or endorse dangerous political ideologies and beliefs. The study also determined that the unrealistic content created by SMIs might cause envy and depression due to exposure to desirable attributes. This is due to social pressure to follow the existing trends created by social media influencers. The findings of this research can lead to new lines of inquiry due to the limitations faced by the researcher. The researcher was also able to determine that future research should explore issues like how posts or images posted on social media platforms by SMIs may be less impactful to young men compared to women. Future research could compare their responses across all social media platforms and look at the possibility that young men are somewhat protected from any risks and effects of social media exposure regarding appearance. Future research should dive into these possibilities. Assessing the impact of social media influencers on young men’s lives focus on broader age gaps. SMIs impact must be carefully and appropriately evaluated and mitigated to avoid adverse effects on society.

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