scholarly journals eThekwini Municipality’s intranet for augmenting knowledge–sharing in the organisation

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo R. Averweg
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Organisational Context ◽  
Metropolitan Municipalities

Background: The age of technology, where information and knowledge perform important roles in the organisational context, creates an opportunity for local government organisations (such as metropolitan municipalities) in South Africa to support knowledge–sharing. One such technology that supports knowledge–sharing is an intranet. If an intranet is not effectively managed, knowledge–sharing in an organisation shall not be augmented.Objective: To investigate whether or not an intranet augments knowledge–sharing in the selected organisation of eThekwini Municipality.Methods: In this study a quantitative research approach was adopted.Results: The results of this survey suggest that firstly the intranet appears to be at a medium maturity level; secondly, whilst there is information sharing, the intranet does not appear to be effective as a knowledge–sharing structure; and thirdly there appears to be scope for improvement of the content on the intranet. The implication thereof is that eThekwini Municipality’s recently formed Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE) may be ideally poised to address the identified shortcomings.Conclusion: Intranet technology plays an important role in an organisation by enabling the effective acquisition, sharing and presentation of knowledge. Because of this an intranet must be effectively managed to readily augment knowledge–sharing in the organisational context of local government organisations (such as metropolitan municipalities) in South Africa.

scholarly journals Examining the Impact of Antecedents of Firm Performance on Companies in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6A) ◽  
pp. 30-42
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Chinomona
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Management Staff ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this study is to establish the impact of social media, information sharing and knowledge sharing on firm performance among companies in South Africa, Gauteng province in particular. In as much as the issue of social media communication has received great benefits and growth within organisations, little has been researched about the impact of social media on job performance, knowledge sharing and information sharing among companies in the Gauteng province, South Africa. Social Identity Theory (SIT) has been used to explain the associations in the model. Questionnaires were distributed to both management staff and lower level employees in the companies in Gauteng province of South Africa. This study used a quantitative research methodology using Smart PLS software. This software was employed to test the relationships among the four hypotheses. The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship among the four proposed hypotheses. Basing on the findings of this research, recommendations were made to both the top-level employees and lower level employees in the companies in South Africa. This study is expected to have real-world and academic implications to policymakers for the companies in South Africa. On top of this, the study will provide new insights and added first-hand knowledge to the existing body of literature which is meagre in South African companies.

scholarly journals The use of electronic learning centres in public libraries in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sifiso Michael Mbambo ◽  
Glenrose Velile Jiyane ◽  
Nkosingiphile Mbusozayo Zungu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electronic Learning ◽  
Metropolitan Municipalities ◽  
The City

Purpose This study aimed to establish the use of electronic learning centres in public libraries in the city of Johannesburg, which is under one of the biggest metropolitan municipalities in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was adopted, and questionnaires were used to collect primary data. The target population for this study was the entire users of the electronic learning centres and librarians in the public libraries within the city of Johannesburg. Findings The findings of this study revealed that there are different services, levels of awareness and training. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to public libraries in the city of Johannesburg. Academic, special and mobile libraries were not included in this study because they were not open to the general public. Users who were not using the electronic learning centres were excluded from this study. Practical implications Adequate use and awareness of services of electronic learning centres in public libraries are instrumental in the satisfaction of users’ needs using the electronic learning centres. The suggestions of this study will be useful to decision makers and heads of the electronic learning centres on how to enhance the use of the electronic learning centres in the city of Johannesburg. Originality/value This paper establishes the use of electronic learning centres in public libraries in the city of Johannesburg, which is under one of the biggest metropolitan municipalities in South Africa.

scholarly journals Academics Perceptions of Electronic Resources at the University of Venda, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 424-428
Author(s):  
Alugumi Samuel Ndou ◽  
Wanyenda Leonard Chilimo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Plagiarism Detection ◽  
Electronic Resources ◽  
Federated Search ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
The University ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

This study examined the perceptions of academic researchers regarding electronic resources (e-resources) provided by the library at the University of Venda (UNIVEN), South Africa. The quantitative research approach and survey research design were adopted to conduct the investigation. Data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire randomly distributed to 45 UNIVEN academics. The findings of this study revealed that although academics at UNIVEN find e-resources easy to use, believe the resources improve academic performance, and frequently encouraged postgraduate students to use them, the majority of them had plagiarism concerns and were only moderately satisfied with available e-resources at UNIVEN. This study recommends that the university library should train academics on plagiarism detection. In addition, the library should adopt innovative ways of improving e-resource services, such as providing an Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) with advanced and federated search capabilities.

Doing More With Less

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Jonathan Mukwevho ◽  
Mpho Ngoepe ◽  
Patrick Ngulube
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
Public Archives

Providing access and usage are the reason for existence of memory institutions such as archive repositories. Despite the importance of the visibility and accessibility of public archive repositories, various scholars concur that these repositories in eastern and southern Africa are not known and are accessed by few people. This chapter utilises the concept of soft power as a framework to examine the visibility and accessibility of public archives repositories in South Africa. A quantitative research approach utilising questionnaires, interviews, content analysis and the observation of landmarks were employed as data collection tools. The findings revealed that collaboration, especially with civil societies, is a key for successful public programming at the lowest cost. It concludes that the concept of soft power can provide deep insight and better understanding on how to develop inexpensive visibility programme, yet capable of attracting a large number of people in a sustainable manner.

scholarly journals The Nexus of Service Quality, Student Satisfaction and Student Retention in Small Private Colleges in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Chukuakadibia Eresia-Eke ◽  
Nokulunga Ngcongo ◽  
Tumelo Ntsoane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Private Colleges ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Context Specific

Small private colleges provide an important service to society while operating in a dynamic and competitive environment. The inability to operate in a manner that delivers desirable levels of satisfaction to students can prove fatal, more so given the relatively small size of their student populations. So, for these colleges, student retention is a critical condiment of business success and so the pursuit of service quality becomes amplified. In acknowledgement of the subjective nature of service quality that makes service quality studies very context specific, this empirical study takes a quantitative research approach to investigate the extent of association, if any, between service quality dimensions, student satisfaction and student retention in the specific context of small private colleges in South Africa. Study findings indicate the existence of statistically-significant positive (though moderate) associations between dimensions of service quality and student satisfaction as well as between student satisfaction and student retention. Though results ought not to be generalized, the study’s findings nonetheless, bode useful lessons for small private colleges, if the quest for improved business performance, based on student retention, is to be realized.

Organisational Culture and Environmental Performance of Hospitality Firms in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olawale FATOKI
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Hospitality Sector ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of organisational culture on firm environmental performance in the context of the hospitality sector. The study used the quantitative research approach with descriptive and causal research design. The Denison organisational culture questionnaire was used to measure organisational culture. The Denison questionnaire contains four traits namely involvement, consistency, adaptability and mission. The questionnaire was distributed among 500 owner/managers of formal hotels and guest accommodations in South Africa. Data gathered were analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling. The results of the study indicate that the four traits of organisational culture (involvement, consistency, adaptability and mission) have significant positive impacts on the environmental performance of firms in the hospitality sector. The findings of the study can assist firms in the hospitality sector to understand the significance of internal intangible factors such as the organisational culture in the implementation of environmental sustainability initiatives.

scholarly journals Business Succession in Indian Family Businesses in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3(J)) ◽  
pp. 73-80
Author(s):  
Yaaser Mahomed ◽  
Vuyokazi Mtembu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Business Continuity ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Objective Criterion ◽  
Indian Family ◽  
The Right ◽  
Business Succession

Family businesses play a pivotal role economically and socially in most countries. The study aimed to identify and understand the experiences of Indian family businesses in South Africa with regard to business succession. A quantitative research approach was used with data collected through Google forms online survey. Data was collected from sixty (60) business people from Indian-owned family businesses in South Africa. The study interrogated the following factors which have an influence on family business succession: business ownership influence in succession, business readiness for the exit of owner and succession, the role of the owner after exit from business and selection criteria of the right successor. Findings revealed that the majority of families (86.27%) said it is important to have a hundred percent or full ownership of the business and that a successor should be selected within the family from their bloodline. Findings also revealed that the majority of businesses (86.27%) were not fully ready for the exit of the owner or current leader of the business and that on the exit of the owner; a majority (90.2%) of businesses will prefer to have the owner playing an active advisory role in the business. It is recommended that family-owned businesses should plan for succession on time and draft a well-planned strategic succession plan for the business. It is also recommended that an objective criterion be used in selecting a successor who will take the business forward. Healthy business continuity should be the ultimate goal of succession and families should not sacrifice successful business continuity because of their, internal differences and conflict, culture, blood relations, gender or religion.

scholarly journals AN ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY AMONG ADULTS IN VHEMBE DISTRICT, A RURAL MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
Adam Ndou ◽  
◽  
Sam Ngwenya ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Vhembe District

Consumers in rural and low-income areas are the most financially vulnerable and are facing challenges with their finances and depend mostly on unsecured loans to finance their daily expenses. This has been exacerbated by global financial crises, which left many consumers in financial strains. The purpose of this paper is to measure the level of financial literacy focusing on the areas of day-to-day money management, financial planning, choosing appropriate financial services and products, and financial knowledge and understanding. The quantitative research approach was used to collect primary data among adults in Vhembe District Municipality (VDM), a rural and low-income municipality in South Africa. Primary data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. The results indicate that the level of financial literacy among adults in VDM is low at 38.73%. The low levels of financial literacy have serious consequences for an adult’s personal financial management skills and lead to their inability to make correct financial decisions. It is apparent that an individual’s level of financial literacy has become important in how individuals manage their finances in today’s complicated financial world. The paper concludes by suggesting interventions that could help adults to improve their level of financial literacy, manage and sustain their financial well-being.

scholarly journals Public outlook on small and medium enterprises as a strategic tool for economic growth and job creation in South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 412-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence Mpele Lekhanya
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Survival And Growth ◽  
Analyse Data ◽  
Medium Enterprises

In spite of the key role played by the Small and Medium enterprises in economic development, there has been little effort to look at what needs to be done to improve survival and growth of SMEs. There is still a general lack of in-depth understanding from policy makers and other relevant stakeholders of how SMEs can be used as a strategic tool for economic growth and job creation in South Africa. These misperceptions and misunderstand leads to continuous failure to SMEs survival and growth. This study seeks to address this research gap. The study investigates the public views on what needs to be done to grow South African economy through the development of SMEs. Quantitative research approach was used to collect and analyse data for the study. Primary data was collected from four (4) provinces of South Africa. 230 people participated in the study. Questionnaires were emailed to each respondent and follow-ups were made via telephone. It was found that many SMEs fail within five years of their existence due to the various reasons. The most critical of these were related to lack of access to finance, lack of management experience as well as human capital. Study further revealed that most the SMEs owners/managers do not have business management related skills but rather they are just ordinary entrepreneurs.

Information encountering and sharing behaviour of research students in an online environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waqar Ahmad Awan ◽  
Kanwal Ameen ◽  
Saira Hanif Soroya
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Extended Model ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Encountering ◽  
Research Students

Purpose Information behaviour exists in two forms: first when information is sought with a clear purpose and second, when we encounter it accidentally or serendipitiously. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the information encountering (IE) and encountered information sharing (EIS) behaviour of research students in an online environment. Design/methodology/approach The quantitative research approach was applied to carry out this research. The authors selected 120 MPhil and PhD research students (who research information as a part of their assignments) from six departments as sample for the study. Out of 120 research students, 93 returned the filled questionnaires. The collected data were analysed in SPSS version 22. First, descriptive statistics to estimate the IE and sharing behaviour; and later one-way ANOVA and post hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD tests were applied to investigate the EIS based on the frequency of internet usage. Findings The findings indicate that the mean scores of the responses remain between “sometimes” and “often”, in all the behavioural sub-constructs of the model of IE, i.e. noticing, stopping, examining, capturing, storing (keeping), sharing and returning. The extended model proved to be valid in an online environment in the context of Pakistani culture. While estimating EIS, the results indicated significantly higher sharing and large effect size among the research students who used the internet from 11 to 15 h a week than those who used it between 6 and 10 h. Practical implications Keeping in view the results the research students and parent organisations (universities) working for the improvement of research ranking and research students’ better performance, should know that research information is not only actively acquired but also huge amount of information is accidentally encountered and shared. Therefore, the universities should train their research students to enhance the information sharing of encountered information. That will promote the research culture and may enhance the speed of learning, research work and ultimately result in competitive advantage, without any extra effort. Originality/value This is the first study of its type in Pakistan to measure the IE behaviour of research students in an online environment. Moreover, it is the first study which investigates the extended model of IE using a quantitative approach in the Pakistani research environment, which originated in Japan via qualitative research approach.

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