- Brenda is a Professor at the Computing Sciences department at the Nelson Mandela University. Her main research area i... moreBrenda is a Professor at the Computing Sciences department at the Nelson Mandela University. Her main research area is in data analytics and business intelligence. She has published over 80 articles in accredited conferences and journals. She is also a reviewer for several top IS and Computer Science journals.edit
Water shortages in developing economies exacerbate the challenges of socio-economic growth and the development of Smart Cities. Information flow through intelligent technologies is a crucial element of Smart Cities that has the potential... more
Water shortages in developing economies exacerbate the challenges of socio-economic growth and the development of Smart Cities. Information flow through intelligent technologies is a crucial element of Smart Cities that has the potential to improve the knowledge of citizens regarding water sustaina-bility. The role of knowledge in citizens’ attitudes and practices of water sus-tainability is under-researched. This study used a positivist paradigm and col-lected quantitative data using an online survey to examine the relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and practices of citizens regarding water sus-tainability. The respondents were citizens in the Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City Metro municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province of South Af-rica. The findings revealed that knowledge is closely correlated to the atti-tudes and practices of citizens regarding water sustainability. The contribu-tion is the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) Model for Water Sus-tainability, which provides a deeper understanding of the KAP profile of citi-zens. It can be used by both researchers and practitioners for designing cam-paigns and technological solutions that aim to improve citizens’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward water sustainability.
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A need exists for behaviour change and transparency in modern organisations where the focus needs to shift towards sustainability thinking rather than just sustainability reporting for compliance reasons. The number of organisations which... more
A need exists for behaviour change and transparency in modern organisations where the focus needs to shift towards sustainability thinking rather than just sustainability reporting for compliance reasons. The number of organisations which are undertaking Green Initiatives and reporting on sustainability are increasing. However many of these organisations are not viewing these initiatives strategically. The effect on information requirements and business processes is often not considered and the available tools and technologies are not used to their full potential. As a result, whilst sustainability reports are produced, the underlying infrastructure consists of “sustainability silos” comprising of a lack of integrated systems, inconsistent data and information where the integrity is not reliable. In order to address these issues this study investigates the extent to which organisations consider environmental information requirements and processes when planning their information systems and Enterprise Architecture (EA). The inclusion of Green Initiative strategies into the design of an organisation’s enterprise systems and EA is proposed. This will ensure alignment between environmental management and IT planning and result in integrated systems, an improved sustainability reporting process and more effective decision making regarding the environmental impact of organisations.
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This article presents findings from pilot testing of elements of an information extraction (IE) prototype designed to assist legal researchers in engaging with case law databases. The prototype that was piloted seeks to extract, from... more
This article presents findings from pilot testing of elements of an information extraction (IE) prototype designed to assist legal researchers in engaging with case law databases. The prototype that was piloted seeks to extract, from legal case documents, relevant and accurate information on cases referred to (CRTs) in the source cases. Testing of CRT extraction from 50 source cases resulted in only 38% (n = 19) of the extractions providing an accurate number of CRTs. In respect of the prototype’s extraction of CRT attributes (case title, date, journal, and action), none of the 50 extractions produced fully accurate attribute information. The article outlines the prototype, the pilot testing process, and the test findings, and then concludes with a discussion of where the prototype needs to be improved.
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Patient-centred care allows patients to have complete autonomy in managing their health information and encourages patients to be proactive. Unfortunately, most patients do not have access to their complete health information as they are... more
Patient-centred care allows patients to have complete autonomy in managing their health information and encourages patients to be proactive. Unfortunately, most patients do not have access to their complete health information as they are stored across the various institutions that they have visited over their lifetime. The purpose of this paper is to report on an investigation into developing a mobile system for patient-centered healthcare using blockchain technology. A design science research approach was used to design, develop and evaluate a prototype that implemented a three-tier architecture using blockchain. Formative evaluations of the prototype revealed that the system could successfully support patient-managed healthcare. The implications of this project would be changing the way patients and healthcare practitioners interact with each other by improving the quality of clinical encounters by allowing patients access to their health information, sharing the information with healthcare practitioners and both parties collaborating in the development of a treatment plan.
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The integration of personal health record (PHR) systems, which manage a patient's entire health history with smart health, provides better assistance to practitioners in making diagnostic-related decisions about a patient's healthcare.... more
The integration of personal health record (PHR) systems, which manage a patient's entire health history with smart health, provides better assistance to practitioners in making diagnostic-related decisions about a patient's healthcare. This integration will encourage patients to be more involved in the diagnostic process, and more accurate results will be provided. Unfortunately, currently, PHR and smart health systems exist as separate entities, and are not used in virtual encounter contexts. This paper provides a set of guidelines for the design of a smart health system that provides diagnostic assistance for practitioners during virtual encounters. A qualitative literature review covering the requirements and design of personal health records, smart health and clinical decision support systems, was performed, analysing the studies through the lens of Meaningful Use. The findings revealed five important characteristics for allowing PHR and smart health systems to integrate with each other. These are: Communication; Customisability; Portability; Automated Data Collection, Information Transformation and Health Information. Each characteristic has related guidelines. An extant systems analysis of four systems was conducted using the recommended guidelines to identify the strengths and weaknesses thereof. This analysis successfully served as an exploratory study into the applicability of these guidelines.
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The task to improve water management has become more critical and due to the increase in water resource issues. These issues, including the water shortage problem, call for a transition towards improved water management including... more
The task to improve water management has become more critical and due to the increase in water resource issues. These issues, including the water shortage problem, call for a transition towards improved water management including consideration of urban water resilience towards water sustainabil-ity. A noticeable gap in the literature is the lack of empirical research on indigenous knowledge systems, particularly relating to promoting awareness of water resource issues. Water shortages are becoming increasingly common and promoting awareness thereof has been proposed as a key strategy for empowering citizens with knowledge relevant to water resource issues. In-digenous knowledge that is incorporated in gamified systems is recognised as a key solution to sustainability that supports urban water resilience. This pa-per contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting guidelines for de-signing a gamified indigenous knowledge system that promotes awareness of water resource issues.
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The percentage of male entrepreneurs still exceeds that of their female counterparts. Diversity in economic systems is essential and for this successful female entrepreneurs are needed. Several studies have investigated the differences... more
The percentage of male entrepreneurs still exceeds that of their female counterparts. Diversity in economic systems is essential and for this successful female entrepreneurs are needed. Several studies have investigated the differences between male and female approaches to founding a company. However, whilst research in the field of entrepreneurship is plentiful, there is a need for more studies relating to female entrepreneurship and in particular for research into the perceptions and understanding of female entrepreneurship. In this study perceptions of female entrepreneurship are explored and several characteristics and motivations of female entrepreneurs are identified in literature. The literature results are then empirically validated by means of a survey of students at a South African university. The students’ understanding of the characteristics of female entrepreneurs is compared with their understanding of entrepreneurs in general and their understanding of ecopreneurs.
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Innovative digital solutions and digitalisation initiatives globally are contributing to addressing challenges to cities regarding energy, healthcare, public safety, transportation and poor water supply. Small businesses can take... more
Innovative digital solutions and digitalisation initiatives globally are contributing to addressing challenges to cities regarding energy, healthcare, public safety, transportation and poor water supply. Small businesses can take advantage of these opportunities to promote Smart Communities in cities. Although Smart City and Smart Community initiatives in South Africa are in their infancy, they can complement existing Integrated Development Plans in the country and have the potential to transform these cities. However, existing research has focused on Smart City infrastructure and not on Smart Communities, which has a more “citizen-centric” approach that focuses on the value provided to the citizens. This chapter investigates several Smart Community initiatives that are taking place in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and addresses the following two research questions:
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What technologies are being used in innovative digitalisation initiatives for Smart Communities in the Eastern Cape province in South Africa?
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How do Smart Community initiatives impact and add value to the stakeholders?
A case study and survey strategy were used and interviews were conducted with key stakeholders of these initiatives. The three aspects of the Technology, Organisation, Environment (TOE) theory were used as first-level themes to analyse the interview data. The interview questions were then used as the second-level themes, and within these 44 sub-themes were identified. The findings revealed that Smart Community initiatives conducted in the two case studies used several new technologies to improve mobility, increase ICT skills and data awareness and improve processes and efficiencies in businesses.
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What technologies are being used in innovative digitalisation initiatives for Smart Communities in the Eastern Cape province in South Africa?
2.
How do Smart Community initiatives impact and add value to the stakeholders?
A case study and survey strategy were used and interviews were conducted with key stakeholders of these initiatives. The three aspects of the Technology, Organisation, Environment (TOE) theory were used as first-level themes to analyse the interview data. The interview questions were then used as the second-level themes, and within these 44 sub-themes were identified. The findings revealed that Smart Community initiatives conducted in the two case studies used several new technologies to improve mobility, increase ICT skills and data awareness and improve processes and efficiencies in businesses.
Smart city initiatives are widely becoming part of the world agenda to address crises and to identify new initiatives for countries to manage resources while providing better living conditions for all citizens. The purpose of this study... more
Smart city initiatives are widely becoming part of the world agenda to address crises and to identify new initiatives for countries to manage resources while providing better living conditions for all citizens. The purpose of this study was to design a model to support the alignment of value in Smart City initiatives. To address this purpose, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to find what Smart City initiatives have been addressed in empirical studies, and what dimensions and factors are linked to these initiatives. The SLR also identified the stakeholders in a Smart City, and what their roles should be linked to these initiatives. Six theories were identified and used to undergird the researcher’s understanding of the domains of Smart Cities, value and alignment. The concepts from these theories were then used with the SLR findings to design a conceptual model for Smart City initiatives. The proposed Value Alignment Smart City Model (VASC) can be used to plan or assess Smart City initiatives. The main contribution is the alignment of value amongst stakeholders to support the success of such initiatives. Further research is required to investigate adopting the model and empirically evaluate it.
The emergence of Citizen Relationship Management (CzRM) for government plays a central role in developing citizen relationships and e-participation. As such, the South African government has shown its commitment towards citizenry and the... more
The emergence of Citizen Relationship Management (CzRM) for government plays a central role in developing citizen relationships and e-participation. As such, the South African government has shown its commitment towards citizenry and the provision of effective service delivery. Social Media Analytics (SMA) has emerged as a potential new solution to support decision-making for service delivery in CzRM. It is believed that the demand for SMA adoption will increasingly rise. However, the reality of social media Big Data comes with the challenges of analysing it in a way that brings Big Value. The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges of social media Big Data Analytics (BDA) and to incorporate these in a conceptual model that can be used by governments to support the e-participation of citizens. The model was developed through a systematic literature review (SLR). The findings revealed that data challenges relate to designing an optimal architecture for analysing data that caters for both historic data and real-time data at the same time. The paper highlight that process challenges relate to all the activities in the data lifecycle such as data acquisition and warehousing; data mining and cleaning; data aggregation and integration; analysis and modelling; and data interpretation. The paper also identifies six types of data management challenges: privacy, security, data governance, data and information sharing, cost/operational expenditures, and data ownership.
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In recent years crowdsensing has become a hot topic amongst researchers. Crowdsensing can incentivise and empower citizens to use their mobile phones to collect and share sensed data from their surrounding environments. The purpose of... more
In recent years crowdsensing has become a hot topic amongst researchers. Crowdsensing can incentivise and empower citizens to use their mobile phones to collect and share sensed data from their surrounding environments. The purpose of this paper is to report on the application of the incentive theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a lens from which to investigate the non-monetary incentives and participation profiles (intentions and motivations) of citizens from around the world, who could participate in a crowdsensing project for water resource monitoring (WRM). The conceptual framework was used in a survey of citizens. The findings revealed that TPB can be successfully used for predicting behavioural intentions and classified several types of motivational factors for participation in crowdsensing projects for WRM. Guidelines for crowdsensing projects are provided that can improve the success rate of WRM projects.
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Sustainability has increasingly become the focus of development agendas in recent years due to advancements in technology and urbanisation, which brings about new challenges. Researchers, governments and industry regard technology as a... more
Sustainability has increasingly become the focus of development agendas in recent years due to advancements in technology and urbanisation, which brings about new challenges. Researchers, governments and industry regard technology as a solution to these challenges. Social media is one such technology at the forefront of research into sustainability due to its social nature and ability to monitor human behaviour. The information economy provides big data, which can potentially solve sustainability problems. However, evidence of current applications and impact of research on social media big data on sustainability is currently unavailable or inaccessible. This paper seeks to fill this gap and answer the question "How is social media big data being used to address sustainability issues in relation to the SDGs?" This question is answered through a systematic literature review that assesses 90 articles. Social media applications, challenges and future research directions related to these SDGs were identified.
Research Interests: Social Media and Big Data
A Health Information System (HIS) is a repository of information regarding the health status of a subject of care in a computer processable form, stored and transmitted securely, and accessible by multiple authorised users. Safeguarding... more
A Health Information System (HIS) is a repository of information regarding the health status of a subject of care in a computer processable form, stored and transmitted securely, and accessible by multiple authorised users. Safeguarding sensitive health information is important but if wrongly implemented it can expose patient information to unauthorised users resulting in increased cost due to the additional expense in fixing errors. This position paper investigates the security and economic implications of HISs for South Africa. A desk approach involving secondary data of documents, reports and the Internet was used. No formal protocol was adopted although set criteria were used; for example, the search term "Health Information System" was used. The paper identified key challenges of HISs in South Africa relating to the security and privacy of patient data. Another challenge was reducing the cost to the economy without disadvantaging other social sectors. In spite of these challenges for the country, the cost-benefit of HISs over the long-term looks positive.
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The task to manage water as a resource is critical and has become relevant due to the increase in water resource issues, particularly in Africa. The problem of water shortages is increasingly reported as a compromising threat to the... more
The task to manage water as a resource is critical and has become relevant due to the increase in water resource issues, particularly in Africa. The problem of water shortages is increasingly reported as a compromising threat to the sustainability of developing countries worldwide. The lack of water knowledge is a key factor in addressing the awareness of the public regarding water resource issues. Reducing water shortages requires an understanding and awareness of water knowledge of the specific characteristics of resource usage. The knowledge should incorporate indigenous knowledge, which is unique and more relevant to a particular culture. The data revolution and the emergence of relevant technologies present the potential to transform the way citizens consume natural resources, including water. This paper addressed the research problem by conducting a critical review of the literature on factors that affect water resource issues and possible technologies that can be used to address these issues. From this review, a conceptual framework was designed such that it incorporates indigenous knowledge within appropriate technologies to promote awareness of water resource issues.
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There is a need for new inventive strategies to communicate to the public on particular subjects such as climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainability. Social Media Influencers (SMIs) are an emerging type of third-party endorsers... more
There is a need for new inventive strategies to communicate to the public on particular subjects such as climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainability. Social Media Influencers (SMIs) are an emerging type of third-party endorsers who can aim to shape and influence the attitudes and perceptions of people through social media. In the field of marketing, SMIs have had great impact on customer retention and relationships. SMIs could help in engaging with the public to adopt pro-environmental behaviour. However, there is limited research related to SMIs in the field of environmental awareness. This study reports on a grounded theory analysis that explored the literature related to the characteristics of SMIs and the techniques used by SMIs that could be used by researchers for influencing the public regarding environmental awareness and pro-environmental behaviour. This paper fulfils a need for identifying strategies for engaging and influencing the public to gain insights into their pro-environmental behaviour. CCS CONCEPTS • Information systems → Information systems applications → Collaborative and social computing systems and tools; World Wide Web → Web searching and information discovery; Social and professional topics → Professional topics → Sustainability
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Entrepreneurship education in developing countries faces additional challenges for developed countries, such as poverty, unemployment and poor education. The aim of this article is to propose approaches to promote entrepreneurial thinking... more
Entrepreneurship education in developing countries faces additional challenges for developed countries, such as poverty, unemployment and poor education. The aim of this article is to propose approaches to promote entrepreneurial thinking among students in order to equip them for the development of successful entrepreneurs. Action-oriented entrepreneurship education (EE) enables students to “do” entrepreneurship and not just learn from a theoretical point of view. The research methods used were critical literature research, content analysis and observations of economic programs at universities in Africa. The results showed that action-oriented EE is not common in traditional curricula in South Africa.
The lack of access to finance is hindering growth and development to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly in developing countries. Access to finance can be facilitated by ICT and e-finance, which can reduce the cost of... more
The lack of access to finance is hindering growth and development to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly in developing countries. Access to finance can be facilitated by ICT and e-finance, which can reduce the cost of financial services and increase access to international markets. However, in spite of the potential benefits of e-finance, developing countries have been reported to be lagging behind in terms of e-finance adoption as compared with developed nations. The reason for non-adoption could be due to barriers such as lack of ICT infrastructure, data privacy and security concerns. The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the extent of understanding and adoption of e-finance by SMEs. A survey of SMEs in two developing countries, South Africa and Bangladesh, was conducted. The results of the survey revealed that access to financial products and services was the highest rated benefit of e-finance to respondent SMEs, whereas regulatory environment and policy was the highest rated barrier.
The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has brought new improvement and development opportunities to the automotive industry, such as electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are well-known for their short ranges and many studies have reported... more
The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has brought new improvement and development opportunities to the automotive industry, such as electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are well-known for their short ranges and many studies have reported on the challenges of trip planning and accurate remaining driving range (RDR) estimation. While the demand for connected vehicle applications and its enabling technology has progressed significantly in recent years, there are several constraints for connected and collaborative vehicle application deployments. Data integration issues are currently hindering the development of effective trip planning and RDR estimation solutions for drivers of EVs. Additional constraints have been identified in developing countries, including lack of charging station networks, EV data sources, and software applications. The purpose of this paper is to report on some of the main issues hindering EV data integration, as well as to report on an implementation in South Africa of a Data Integration Platform for EV data using the IoT. The findings show that data integration issues primarily relate to data availability, data quality, and interoperability between devices, IoT platforms, and EV service providers. The paper also identifies enabling technologies, drivers, and future directions for researchers in the IoT and EV domains.
Research Interests:
In today’s global, competitive economy, downtime has been identified as a key performance indicator for field service organisations. The emergence of an Internet of Things (IoT) has brought new enhancement possibilities to various... more
In today’s global, competitive economy, downtime has been identified as a key performance indicator for field service organisations. The emergence of an Internet of Things (IoT) has brought new enhancement possibilities to various industries such as the manufacturing and field service industry. This paper provides a vision and motivation for using IoT in Field Service Management (FSM) in order to address data quality and service delivery issues. The theory of information quality was used to undergird the research and a model for the optimisation of downtime management in the field service industry using the IoT is proposed. The model was used to drive the design of a “proof of concept” prototype, the KapCha prototype. The paper also includes a report on an empirical study of the application of the proposed IoT model in FSM. The experiment findings showed that the prototype reduced the round trip delay time for sending and receiving data and was scalable. As a result, access to quality information supporting advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence was provided. Therefore, service technicians can be alerted more quickly as soon as any potential technical problems occur. In turn improved diagnostics and more efficient decision making can be achieved. The model and the lessons learned provide valuable guidance to other researchers and fill the gap in research of empirical studies conducted on IoT implementations.
Research Interests:
Technology trends and challenges in industry today are pressurising higher education institutions to rethink their curricula design, particularly for IT programmes. The World IT Project was designed to examine important issues confronting... more
Technology trends and challenges in industry today are pressurising higher education institutions to rethink their curricula design, particularly for IT programmes. The World IT Project was designed to examine important issues confronting IT employers in many parts of the world. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the findings of a survey of South African IT employees, particularly related to the top technical and organisational IT issues faced by IT management and other IT staff. The results obtained were compared to those previously reported in earlier years, and to those of other countries that participated in the World IT Project. We found that the top technical and organisational issues in South Africa are not necessarily those receiving the most hype; rather, bread-and-butter issues such as reliable, efficient IT infrastructure or enterprise application integration are key concerns: issues often receiving insufficient attention in our academic curricula. Another important finding with educational policy implications is that the IT skills shortage is of much higher priority in South Africa than in the developed world; this highlights the need for additional resources in IT education.
Research Interests:
Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) face a number of challenges in effectively managing and reporting on sustainability information, such as siloes of data and a limited distribution of information. Business intelligence (BI)... more
Purpose
Higher education institutions (HEIs) face a number of challenges in effectively managing and reporting on sustainability information, such as siloes of data and a limited distribution of information. Business intelligence (BI) can assist in addressing the challenges faced by organisations. The purpose of this study was to propose a BI framework for strategic sustainability information management (the Sustainable BI Framework) that can be used in HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach
The research applied the design science research methodology whilst using a South African HEI as a case study. The problems with sustainability information management were identified, and a theoretical framework was proposed. In addition, a practical BI software tool was developed as proof of concept to address these problems and to assist with the management of strategic sustainability information in an HEI.
Findings
The proposed sustainability BI tool was evaluated through heuristic and usability evaluations with senior management. The results indicated that the usability of the BI tool was positively rated and that the framework can assist in overcoming the constraints that HEIs face in effectively managing sustainability information.
Research limitations/implications
The research was limited to a single case. However, the theoretical framework was derived from and expanded on existing stakeholder theory, sustainability reporting theory and literature on BI dashboard development. The framework was implemented successfully in the Sustainable BI Tool prototype at the case study, and the results reveal in-depth information regarding information management for sustainability reporting in higher education.
Practical implications
The Sustainable BI Tool is a solution that integrates data from multiple areas of sustainability and provides a single integrated view of the information to stakeholders. The information is provided through performance dashboards, which provide predictive capabilities to enable management to report on sustainability and determine if the institution is meeting its strategic goals. The lessons learnt can also assist other HEIs considering implementing BI for sustainability reporting.
Social implications
Improved sustainability reporting for HEIs provided by the BI framework can improve the environmental and social impact of the educational community.
Originality/value
This study provides the most comprehensive framework for guiding the design of a BI tool to assist in effectively managing sustainability information in HEIs.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) face a number of challenges in effectively managing and reporting on sustainability information, such as siloes of data and a limited distribution of information. Business intelligence (BI) can assist in addressing the challenges faced by organisations. The purpose of this study was to propose a BI framework for strategic sustainability information management (the Sustainable BI Framework) that can be used in HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach
The research applied the design science research methodology whilst using a South African HEI as a case study. The problems with sustainability information management were identified, and a theoretical framework was proposed. In addition, a practical BI software tool was developed as proof of concept to address these problems and to assist with the management of strategic sustainability information in an HEI.
Findings
The proposed sustainability BI tool was evaluated through heuristic and usability evaluations with senior management. The results indicated that the usability of the BI tool was positively rated and that the framework can assist in overcoming the constraints that HEIs face in effectively managing sustainability information.
Research limitations/implications
The research was limited to a single case. However, the theoretical framework was derived from and expanded on existing stakeholder theory, sustainability reporting theory and literature on BI dashboard development. The framework was implemented successfully in the Sustainable BI Tool prototype at the case study, and the results reveal in-depth information regarding information management for sustainability reporting in higher education.
Practical implications
The Sustainable BI Tool is a solution that integrates data from multiple areas of sustainability and provides a single integrated view of the information to stakeholders. The information is provided through performance dashboards, which provide predictive capabilities to enable management to report on sustainability and determine if the institution is meeting its strategic goals. The lessons learnt can also assist other HEIs considering implementing BI for sustainability reporting.
Social implications
Improved sustainability reporting for HEIs provided by the BI framework can improve the environmental and social impact of the educational community.
Originality/value
This study provides the most comprehensive framework for guiding the design of a BI tool to assist in effectively managing sustainability information in HEIs.
Research Interests:
Thehands-onuseofcomplex,industrialEnterpriseResourcePlanning(ERP)systemsineducationalcontextscanbecostly and complex. Tools that simulate the hands-on use of an ERP system have been proposed as alternatives. Research into the perceived... more
Thehands-onuseofcomplex,industrialEnterpriseResourcePlanning(ERP)systemsineducationalcontextscanbecostly and complex. Tools that simulate the hands-on use of an ERP system have been proposed as alternatives. Research into the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of these simulation tools in an m-learning environment is limited. As part of this study, an m-learning simulation application (SYSPRO Latte) was designed based on experiential learning theory and on a previously proposed theoretical framework for m-learning. The application simulates the hands-on experience of an ERP system. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the results of a study of 49 students who used SYSPRO Latte and completed a questionnaire on its PEOU and PU. The results revealed that students perceived SYSPRO Latte to be easy to use and useful, and verified other studies identifying a correlation between PEOU and PU. The study also confirmed the benefits of simulation-based learning and m-learning particularly for content presentation. The importance of considering design principles for m-learning applications was highlighted. This study is part of a larger, comprehensive research project that aims at improving learning of ERP systems in higher education.
Research Interests:
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory for evaluating social media usage in higher education. The paper reports on a social media awareness campaign which was designed and implemented... more
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory for evaluating social media usage in higher education. The paper reports on a social media awareness campaign which was designed and implemented in a higher education context as extra-curricular content.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study research approach was used and the theoretical model was adopted in a South African higher education institution where a social media campaign was conducted to improve environmental awareness. The activities of the environmental awareness campaign were conducted using popular social media such as Facebook and YouTube. The U&G theory was used to evaluate social media usage before and after the campaign. Three gratifications (or factors) of the U&G were used, namely coordination, immediate access and social presence.
Findings
The findings revealed an increase in environmental knowledge during the campaign and a positive correlation was found between activity on the social media campaign and environmental knowledge. However, the ratings for the U&G gratifications were lower in the post-test evaluation than in the pre-test evaluation for all three factors. This low rating could indicate that the use of social media for these gratifications and the acceptance of social media used for extra-curricular educational purposes are low. Through qualitative feedback three other factors that influenced the usage and acceptance of the campaign social media were identified, namely: time, attitude and a fast internet connection.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation of the study was the relatively small sample size of 72 students in one higher education institution.
Practical implications
The findings of the study still provide deeper insight into students’ usage of social media for extra-curricular education and the theoretical model can be used in other studies on social media usage.
Originality/value
Whilst several studies have investigated social media use for learning, there is limited research which explores the usage and acceptance of social media for extra-curricular knowledge.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory for evaluating social media usage in higher education. The paper reports on a social media awareness campaign which was designed and implemented in a higher education context as extra-curricular content.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study research approach was used and the theoretical model was adopted in a South African higher education institution where a social media campaign was conducted to improve environmental awareness. The activities of the environmental awareness campaign were conducted using popular social media such as Facebook and YouTube. The U&G theory was used to evaluate social media usage before and after the campaign. Three gratifications (or factors) of the U&G were used, namely coordination, immediate access and social presence.
Findings
The findings revealed an increase in environmental knowledge during the campaign and a positive correlation was found between activity on the social media campaign and environmental knowledge. However, the ratings for the U&G gratifications were lower in the post-test evaluation than in the pre-test evaluation for all three factors. This low rating could indicate that the use of social media for these gratifications and the acceptance of social media used for extra-curricular educational purposes are low. Through qualitative feedback three other factors that influenced the usage and acceptance of the campaign social media were identified, namely: time, attitude and a fast internet connection.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation of the study was the relatively small sample size of 72 students in one higher education institution.
Practical implications
The findings of the study still provide deeper insight into students’ usage of social media for extra-curricular education and the theoretical model can be used in other studies on social media usage.
Originality/value
Whilst several studies have investigated social media use for learning, there is limited research which explores the usage and acceptance of social media for extra-curricular knowledge.
Research Interests:
“Gamification”, or the use of game elements outside the gaming context, is a recent trend in learning approaches and has been used to digitally engage and motivate people to accomplish their learning objectives. The study described in... more
“Gamification”, or the use of game elements outside the gaming context, is a recent trend in learning approaches and has been used to digitally engage and motivate people to accomplish their learning objectives. The study described in this article investigated components of a gamification system and the impact of these components on user experience, usability and education usability. The Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics (MDA) classification framework for gamification design was used to guide the authors’ design of a gamification system intended to improve learners’ knowledge of careers in computing sciences (CS). Criteria for evaluating e-learning systems were derived from literature and used to extend the MDA framework via addition of criteria for evaluating usability, user experience (UX) and educational usability of a gamification system. The extended MDA framework was found to be successful in guiding the design, development and evaluation of the system prototype, and the results gathered from the summative usability evaluation indicated that positive UX and educational usability were achieved. The results suggest that gamification designed for UX and educational usability can potentially play an important role in equipping young people in South Africa with a knowledge of CS-related careers.
Research Interests:
The pervasive and open nature of the Internet in the everyday lives of South African children has facilitated benefits such as increased collaboration, learning opportunities and access to knowledge (A2K). However, the online... more
The pervasive and open nature of the Internet in the everyday lives of South African children has facilitated benefits such as increased collaboration, learning opportunities and access to knowledge (A2K). However, the online environment’s increased visibility has at the same time provided new ways for children to bully each other, and the evidence in the available literature suggests that online bullying – “cyberbullying” – may result in more harmful consequences than offline variants of such behaviour.
This article provides findings from an online survey of cyberbullying experiences among a sample of high school students aged 15 to 21 years in the city of Cape Town. The survey found clear evidence of cyberbullying, as reported by both victims and perpetrators, and it was found that social networking sites (SNSs) were the online spaces most-used for cyberbullying, followed by short message service (SMS) platforms. Among perpetrators, 19% reported that they cyberbullied once or twice a week and 10% said they cyberbullied every day or almost every day. The survey also uncovered gender differences in the length of time it took for victims of cyberbullying to put the incidents behind them, with more females than males taking a long time (i.e., a few weeks, or a month or two or more) to stop feeling “bothered” by the incident.
The authors conclude that the findings show a need for improved efforts, in schools and in student households, towards building learners’, parents’ and teachers’ e-safety awareness and capacity for preventative action.
This article provides findings from an online survey of cyberbullying experiences among a sample of high school students aged 15 to 21 years in the city of Cape Town. The survey found clear evidence of cyberbullying, as reported by both victims and perpetrators, and it was found that social networking sites (SNSs) were the online spaces most-used for cyberbullying, followed by short message service (SMS) platforms. Among perpetrators, 19% reported that they cyberbullied once or twice a week and 10% said they cyberbullied every day or almost every day. The survey also uncovered gender differences in the length of time it took for victims of cyberbullying to put the incidents behind them, with more females than males taking a long time (i.e., a few weeks, or a month or two or more) to stop feeling “bothered” by the incident.
The authors conclude that the findings show a need for improved efforts, in schools and in student households, towards building learners’, parents’ and teachers’ e-safety awareness and capacity for preventative action.
Research Interests:
ABSTRACT The critical importance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in modern business has created a demand for ERP consultants with the appropriate competencies to implement, maintain and support these systems. Education and... more
ABSTRACT The critical importance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in modern business has created a demand for ERP consultants with the appropriate competencies to implement, maintain and support these systems. Education and training programmes have been implemented in order to provide ERP specialists and graduates with the required industry-relevant ERP competencies. The majority of these education and training programmes utilise large ERP systems for instructional purposes, however users of these systems encounter usability issues whilst learning to use these systems. The use of medium-sized ERP systems has been proposed for educational purposes as they are less complex and easier to learn than large ERP systems. Empirical studies on the usability of ERP systems, particularly for medium-sized ERP systems are limited. This paper reports on empirical research on the usability evaluation of a medium-sized ERP system. The study identified three categories of criteria and 10 criteria which can be used for usability evaluations of medium-sized ERP systems. The criteria were used in a case study to evaluate the usability of a medium-sized ERP system and to obtain qualitative feedback on the usability of the system. The most frequently reported positive usability features of the ERP system were the tree structure of the menus and the grouping of logically related items. Negative features which were reported included the clutter of the user interface and difficulties with finding information and controls. These results can provide valuable insight into the ERP learning process for university educators and researchers. The usability evaluation results can assist ERP designers with improving ERP usability, which can increase the quality of ERP training and education programmes and ultimately ERP project success. The usability evaluation results provide considerable insight into the usability problems encountered by students when learning to use ERP systems in their university courses and provide a valuable contribution to usability theory and in particular frustration theory.
This paper examines the impact of a social media campaign on the environmental awareness of staff members in a Higher Education Institution (HEI). The campaign was designed based on a theoretical model and implemented in a case study of a... more
This paper examines the impact of a social media campaign on the environmental awareness of staff members in a Higher Education Institution (HEI). The campaign was designed based on a theoretical model and implemented in a case study of a South African HEI. A centralised website together with selected social media formed the technological foundation of the campaign. Throughout the campaign information about environmental management was distributed by means of these technologies to selected staff members in the case study. Issues related to environmental management as well as suggested strategies to deal with them was also communicated to the staff members. In order to determine the growth of knowledge related to environmental issues and to get feedback on the campaign benefits and problems, surveys and interviews were conducted at regular periods throughout the campaign. The findings revealed that the campaign had many positive benefits, particularly for promoting environmental awareness. The limitations of the study are the small sample size which could be addressed by future research.
Environmental awareness campaigns have the ability to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills and attitude required to reduce environmental impact. Social media have been used by environmental activists to conduct environmental... more
Environmental awareness campaigns have the ability to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills and attitude required to reduce environmental impact. Social media have been used by environmental activists to conduct environmental awareness campaigns. This paper proposes a conceptual model for improving knowledge and thereby awareness of environmental issues by means of a social media campaign. The model, called the Social Media for EnviroNmental Awareness (SMENA) model, consists of three phases of the campaign and factors impacting each phase. The model was implemented at a South African university and activities of the environmental awareness campaign were conducted on a social media website (SMENA website) and the popular social media sites Twitter and Facebook. The results showed that environmental knowledge increased as a result of the campaign. Generally the campaign was well received; however several students were resistant to the idea of using social media for education purposes on a topic which did not contribute to course credits.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly addressing their environmental impact and to do this need to improve access to environmental information in order to improve decision making and sustainability efforts. Educational... more
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly addressing their environmental impact and to do this need to improve access to environmental information in order to improve decision making and sustainability efforts. Educational institutions have a different focus to other more industrial organisations and therefore frameworks for these organisations are not necessarily suited to educational environments. Whilst several environmental management information systems (EMIS) have been proposed there is a lack of understanding of the components which should be included in such a system due to the existing broad definitions. In addition there are not many best practice guidelines to support the design and development of these systems. This paper proposes a framework for EMISs in higher education. The framework is derived from several literature studies and includes guidelines which can assist with the design of an EMIS. These guidelines are classified according to the components of EMIS.
The concept of sustainability has become an important phenomenon globally with many organisations being affected by the heightened awareness in sustainability. Organisations are more aware of the importance of promoting sustainability in... more
The concept of sustainability has become an important phenomenon globally with many organisations being affected by the heightened awareness in sustainability. Organisations are more aware of the importance of promoting sustainability in all areas of operations. This is no different in the higher education sector, with a number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) playing a leading role in promoting sustainable initiatives. Effectively managing these initiatives however can be a complex task and requires data and information from multiple aspects of operations. In an HEI, operating sustainably means ensuring financial sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability and educational sustainability. In order to manage sustainability effectively, HEIs require an integrated tool that can provide information on all areas of sustainability. This paper highlights the importance of effectively managing sustainability information and the challenges HEIs face in sustainability reporting. Business Intelligence (BI) is a solution to overcome the challenges and effectively managing sustainability information. However, HEIs need to overcome a number of challenges associated with BI to ensure a BI solution is correctly implemented and is effective in solving the problem of effective sustainability information management. This study focusses on the management of sustainability information in South African HEIs. The results indicate that there are many challenges to managing sustainability information in South African HEIs, including siloed data and information as well as poor sharing and communication of information. These two challenges can be overcome by a correctly implemented BI solution.
The purpose of this study was to investigate approaches (techniques and technologies) for the coordination of collaborative tasks using synchronous gesture manipulation. Business Process Modelling (BPM) tasks are often performed in teams... more
The purpose of this study was to investigate approaches (techniques and technologies) for the coordination of collaborative tasks using synchronous gesture manipulation. Business Process Modelling (BPM) tasks are often performed in teams of modellers who need to collaborate with each other in order to coordinate and integrate their individual contributions into the various process models in a co-located environment. These collaborative BPM tasks were used as a case study in order to develop the artifact (the BPM-Touch approach) as a proof of concept. The BPM-Touch approach allows for the coordination and collaboration of BPM tasks in co-located modelling teams using synchronous gesture manipulation approaches. The Design Science Research (DSR) methodology was used and several cycles of developing and evaluating the artifact took place. This paper reports on the last cycle and set of evaluations. The proposed approach was implemented in a BPM software package in order to provide empirical validation. Usability evaluations of the software were undertaken with both students and BPM professionals as participants. The empirical results of the evaluations revealed that the participants found the approach to be effective and rated the usability and satisfaction of the collaboration and gesture manipulation aspects of the software positively.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have been widely adopted by the majority of organisations worldwide as well as in South Africa. Despite the current economic and business climate, there is still a positive forecast for the ERP... more
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems have been widely adopted by the majority of organisations worldwide as well as in South Africa. Despite the current economic and business climate, there is still a positive forecast for the ERP market. There is however, according to some analysts, still an increasing need for ERP systems which is creating a shortage of necessary ERP skills and a demand for ERP consultants internationally. Despite several national and international higher education institutions adopting the use of ERP systems in Information Systems (IS) curricula, the competencies of IS graduates produced by higher education institutions do not meet the ERP competency requirements of industry. In order to address this limitation, a standardised set of industry relevant competencies (skills and knowledge) for ERP consultants is required against which IS programs which incorporate the use of ERP systems can be measured. Competencies for ERP consultants have previously been identified, but it is perceived that these sets are not comprehensive and have not been validated in South Africa. A survey of South African consultants confirmed and verified the need for ERP consultant competencies in South Africa. The survey results further identified several problems involved with obtaining ERP competencies. A comprehensive competency set for ERP consultants for the South African environment is proposed to address the gap between the competencies of IS graduates and that which ERP consulting organisations require. This paper makes a significant contribution to the business community as the proposed set of ERP competencies is comprehensive and relevant to South African consulting organisations. These organisations can use the competency set to improve the skills and knowledge of their employees which in turn will improve the service and support of ERP systems in the marketplace.
Research Interests:
Citizens are not aware of water quality issues and their impact on the environment. It was this finding that motivated a project that aimed to design a game to educate users on water quality issues. Design Science Research (DSR)... more
Citizens are not aware of water quality issues and their impact on the environment. It was this finding that motivated a project that aimed to design a game to educate users on water quality issues. Design Science Research (DSR) methodology was adopted for the development of the water quality awareness game, which focuses on ocean plastic pollution. This paper reports the usability of the game and the increase in knowledge and awareness of ocean plastic pollution of users. The main findings revealed that whilst initial knowledge of ocean plastic pollution was low among the participants, their knowledge increased after playing the game. The participants found the game to be “enjoyable”, “informative” and “eye-opening”, but that they would have preferred more variability in difficulty levels. This study provides valuable lessons learnt and demonstrates that gamification can be used to educate citizens of water quality.
Research Interests:
Crowdsensing empowers citizens to collect and share sensed data from their surrounding environments using their mobile devices as sophisticated sensors. However, whilst many studies have done research on crowdsensing, very few researchers... more
Crowdsensing empowers citizens to collect and share sensed data from their surrounding environments using their mobile devices as sophisticated sensors. However, whilst many studies have done research on crowdsensing, very few researchers have investigated the potential participation profile of citizens. Understanding these profiles can assist with designing crowdsensing systems with appropriate incentive mechanisms to achieve adequate user participation and good service quality. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the participation profiles (intentions and motivations) of citizens who potentially could participate in crowdsensing projects for water resource monitoring (WRM). The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was used to investigate citizens' intentions to participate and to determine the influence of their attitudes, norms and perceived behavioural control on these intentions. An extended framework of motivational and demotivational factors for crowdsensing was used to determine citizens' motivations. The findings show TPB can be effective for predicting behavioural intentions, and that there is potential for citizens to submit data for WRM. The results of this study provide a fundamental basis that can assist researchers and practitioners to gain an understanding of citizens' perceptions of WRM. Recommendations for project coordination and data collection protocols are made that can be used to improve the success of crowdsensing for WRM.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Citizens are not aware of water quality issues and their impact on the environment. It was this finding that motivated a project that aimed to design a game to educate users on water quality issues. Design Science Research (DSR)... more
Citizens are not aware of water quality issues and their impact on the environment. It was this finding that motivated a project that aimed to design a game to educate users on water quality issues. Design Science Research (DSR) methodology was adopted for the development of the water quality awareness game, which focuses on ocean plastic pollution. This paper reports the usability of the game and the increase in knowledge and awareness of ocean plastic pollution of users. The main findings revealed that whilst initial knowledge of ocean plastic pollution was low among the participants, their knowledge increased after playing the game. The participants found the game to be "enjoyable", "informative" and "eye opening", but that they would have preferred more variability in difficulty levels. This study provides valuable lessons learnt and demonstrates that gamification can be used to educate citizens of water quality.
Research Interests:
Citizen Relationship Management (CzRM) can improve governmental service delivery and offer citizens an opportunity for e-participation and collaboration and improved service delivery. Social Media Analytics (SMA) holds the potential to... more
Citizen Relationship Management (CzRM) can improve governmental service delivery and offer citizens an opportunity for e-participation and collaboration and improved service delivery. Social Media Analytics (SMA) holds the potential to provide a decision making framework that can measure the activities of citizens from social media data and thereby facilitate CzRM. However, the benefits and potential applications of SMA are rarely realised by governments. The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse literature to classify the benefits and applications of SMA as a potential solution for supporting CzRM. Grounded theory was used to identify core categories related to SMA and the relationships between categories. These were then analysed in more detail to compile a classification of six main categories of benefits of SMA to government, with several related applications. The benefits are 1) improved CzRM and service delivery; 2) improved decision making; 3) transparency, engagement and Open Government Data (OGD); 4) improved data management and quality; 5) data analysis and intelligence; and 6) data value for innovation. The analysis of SMA benefits and applications can be used to assist governments with planning SMA projects and to ensure the greatest opportunity for success. Researchers can use the findings to undergird further empirical research related to SMA particularly in the context of e-participation, decision making in government and CzRM.
Research Interests:
Existing literature perceived Economic, Social and Environmental (ESE) factors as three key drivers of Sustainable Manufacturing Practice (SMP). ICT is not considered as a driving factor, but only as a tool that supports the achievement... more
Existing literature perceived Economic, Social and Environmental (ESE) factors as three key drivers of Sustainable Manufacturing Practice (SMP). ICT is not considered as a driving factor, but only as a tool that supports the achievement of SMP. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of ICT in achieving SMP in South Africa. A systematic literature review was conducted. The Google Scholar search engine was used to retrieve 1,352 articles that were analysed in this study. Themes and constructs were analysed based on the scope of the study. The findings revealed that South African manufacturing stakeholders are leveraging the advancement of ICT such as Artificial Intelligence and smart production systems to drive SMP through reduced waste and optimisation of resources. Also, the findings revealed that ICT plays a significant role that warrant its consideration as a fourth factor that drives SMP. This study emphasised the role of ICT as a driver in achieving SMP and presents the ESET model (ESE with the addition of Technology) to support the argument that ICT is a major driving factor for SMP. Understanding the role of ICT can influence how the issues of SMP are addressed and stakeholders can rethink strategies for SMP. Further empirical studies with a broader scope are encouraged because the review process and the scope of this study limits its generalisability.
The purpose of this paper is to identify best practice approach to teaching research in the field of Computing in South Africa. The methods used included a systematic literature review and a preliminary investigation of seven South... more
The purpose of this paper is to identify best practice approach to teaching research in the field of Computing in South Africa. The methods used included a systematic literature review and a preliminary investigation of seven South African higher education institutions. The findings revealed a set of outcomes and best practice approaches to address these outcomes. The most popular research methods used in Computing in the seven largest higher education institutions in South Africa were identified as literature reviews, data analysis and case studies. The primary challenges reported relate to over dependence on supervisors, writing skills, critical reflection and confusion regarding the wide array of research methodologies. The findings provide a high-level understanding of postgraduate research in Computing disciplines in South Africa and indicate a need for more research on curriculum design for teaching Computing research in South Africa using best practice approaches such as integration, reflection and a common research culture.
Mobile Health CrowdSensing (MHCS) is the use of sensor-based smart mobile devices to generate, collect, share and analyse real-time patient data from a population for improving health. The purpose of the paper is to report on a scoping... more
Mobile Health CrowdSensing (MHCS) is the use of sensor-based smart mobile devices to generate, collect, share and analyse real-time patient data from a population for improving health. The purpose of the paper is to report on a scoping review of research conducted on MHCS using a proposed classification framework. The framework has five categories of attributes (purpose; adoption and barriers; system attributes; software; and benefits and outcomes). Repositories searched were Medline/PubMed, Embase/Science Direct, PsycINFO, EBSCOHOST, IEEE, ACM Digital and accessible University library repositories from January 1998 to December 2018. Certain exclusion criteria were applied. 'Mobile crowd sensing' and 'mobile crowdsensing' keywords were separately used as search terms. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings revealed that MHCS applications in healthcare are scant. Most MHCS studies were from conference proceedings rather than traditional journals because of the fast-pace of technology-driven research. Healthcare research is costly and time-consuming thus there is a need to adopt MHCS as it can contribute towards low cost research due to the affordable devices used in generating, collecting and providing access to real-time data.
Research Interests:
Cities globally are facing an increasing forecasted citizen growth for the next decade. It has therefore become a necessity for cities to address their initiatives in smarter ways to overcome the challenges of possible extinction of... more
Cities globally are facing an increasing forecasted citizen growth for the next decade. It has therefore become a necessity for cities to address their initiatives in smarter ways to overcome the challenges of possible extinction of resources. Cities in South Africa are trying to involve stakeholders to help address these challenges. Stakeholders are an important component in any smart city initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to report on a review of existing literature related to smart cities, and to propose a Smart City Stakeholder Classification Model. The common dimensions of smart cities are identified and the roles of the various stakeholders are classified according to these dimensions in the model. Nine common dimensions and related factors were identified through an analysis of existing frameworks for smart cities. The model was then used to identify and classify the stakeholders participating in two smart city projects in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
Research Interests:
Crowdsensing empowers citizens to collect and share sensed data from their surrounding environments using their mobile devices as sophisticated sensors. However, whilst many studies have done research on crowdsensing, very few researchers... more
Crowdsensing empowers citizens to collect and share sensed data from their surrounding environments using their mobile devices as sophisticated sensors. However, whilst many studies have done research on crowdsensing, very few researchers have investigated the potential participation profile of citizens. Understanding these profiles can assist with designing crowdsensing systems with appropriate incentive mechanisms to achieve adequate user participation and good service quality. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the participation profiles (intentions and motivations) of citizens who potentially could participate in crowdsensing projects for water resource monitoring (WRM). The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was used to investigate citizens' intentions to participate and to determine the influence of their attitudes, norms and perceived behavioural control on these intentions. An extended framework of motivational and demotivational factors for crowdsensing was used to determine citizens' motivations. The findings show TPB can be effective for predicting behavioural intentions, and that there is potential for citizens to submit data for WRM. The results of this study provide a fundamental basis that can assist researchers and practitioners to gain an understanding of citizens' perceptions of WRM. Recommendations for project coordination and data collection protocols are made that can be used to improve the success of crowdsensing for WRM.
Research Interests:
Legal researchers spend too much time on locating the most applied case. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive model to assist legal researchers in accessing legal data, specifically the most applied case for a field of... more
Legal researchers spend too much time on locating the most applied case. The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive model to assist legal researchers in accessing legal data, specifically the most applied case for a field of law. An extensive critical review of the literature was conducted to identify the status of research in this field. The findings revealed that existing studies did not present models to specifically recommend the most applied case, nor did they indicate database methods to store and query legal documents. The model was derived based on the findings from the literature review and extended to include the adoption of a graph database for information storage. A case study approach was used to empirically test the concepts. Testing was limited to a small number of documents as proof of concept and future research will test for scalability. The model can contribute to the research community in the fields of information retrieval, information extraction, database retrieval methods, as well as the legal domain. For legal researchers, the findings can be used to assist them with the process of accessing the most applied case quickly and reducing time spent searching.
Adopting a cloud ERP system instead of a traditional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system promises improved flexibility, improved business efficiency and reduced IT costs. However in spite of these benefits some companies are not... more
Adopting a cloud ERP system instead of a traditional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system promises improved flexibility, improved business efficiency and reduced IT costs. However in spite of these benefits some companies are not adopting cloud ERP systems. In emerging markets such as Africa the adoption rates are much lower than the rest of the world. One reason for non-adoption of cloud ERP systems could be due to misperceptions regarding the benefits and drawbacks of cloud ERP systems. Whilst cloud computing can reduce the environmental impact of traditional ERP systems, the increased size of datacentres require high energy usage. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model of the perceived benefits and drawbacks of cloud ERP systems which is derived from an extensive review of the literature. The model is then verified by means of a survey of South African companies. The results show that security and strategic risks are the most frequently reported drawbacks of adopting a cloud ERP system whilst increased flexibility and collaboration are strong reasons or benefits for adopting them. A more in depth understanding of the perceptions of cloud ERP systems by organisations in South Africa is obtained through this study.
The concept of sustainability has become an important phenomenon globally with many organisations being affected by the heightened awareness in sustainability. Organisations are more aware of the importance of promoting sustainability in... more
The concept of sustainability has become an important phenomenon globally with many organisations being affected by the heightened awareness in sustainability. Organisations are more aware of the importance of promoting sustainability in all areas of operations. This is no different in the higher education sector, with a number of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) playing a leading role in promoting sustainable initiatives. Effectively managing these initiatives however can be a complex task and requires data and information from multiple aspects of operations. In an HEI, operating sustainably means ensuring financial sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability and educational sustainability. In order to manage sustainability effectively, HEIs require an integrated tool that can provide information on all areas of sustainability. This paper highlights the importance of effectively managing sustainability information and the challenges HEIs face in sustainability reporting. Business Intelligence (BI) is a solution to overcome the challenges and effectively managing sustainability information. However, HEIs need to overcome a number of challenges associated with BI to ensure a BI solution is correctly implemented and is effective in solving the problem of effective sustainability information management. This study focusses on the management of sustainability information in South African HEIs. The results indicate that there are many challenges to managing sustainability information in South African HEIs, including siloed data and information as well as poor sharing and communication of information. These two challenges can be overcome by a correctly implemented BI solution.
Research Interests:
The use of interactive dashboards has become a popular technique to aid users in Business Intelligence (BI) analysis and data discovery. The increase in the number of BI platforms on the market is driven by the expanding end-user... more
The use of interactive dashboards has become a popular technique to aid users in Business Intelligence (BI) analysis and data discovery. The increase in the number of BI platforms on the market is driven by the expanding end-user population. A wider range of novice users, such as business users with minimal Information Technology (IT) or data science skills, are demanding BI tools that support rapid and easy dashboard development. Dashboard development is often a tedious process, involving a number of developers and software tools. Self-service BI tools are becoming prominent environments in which novice users can fulfil their BI requirements without the intervention of IT experts. However, the usability of BI tools has not fully matured to a level where novice users can utilise its features efficiently and effectively without the assistance from IT experts. Limited research has been conducted regarding usability criteria specific to BI tools that support novice users. The purpose of this paper is to expand on existing BI usability criteria for supporting novice users with their data analysis activities. Furthermore, the study proposes a set of design guidelines that can be used as a reference for designing, evaluating and selecting BI tools that aid novice users. Evaluations were carried out on current BI tools to investigate its usability and the extent to which these tools follow the proposed guidelines. Additionally, a field study was conducted with novice users to evaluate the difficulties of current BI tools. This study is concerned with the design of front-end features and usability of BI tools and not on the design of dashboards itself. The results indicated that the proposed design guidelines can be effectively used to select a BI tool for novices.
Research Interests:
Globally, the number of international students studying abroad has doubled since the year 2000 and there are nearly 5 million students that are enrolled outside their country of origin. Over the past ten years new insights and approaches... more
Globally, the number of international students studying abroad has doubled since the year 2000 and there are nearly 5 million students that are enrolled outside their country of origin. Over the past ten years new insights and approaches to internationalisation of higher education have arisen which has influenced global research and education. Currently, there are several international organisations and projects that manage student mobility data from various Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the globe and report on this data. The Open Doors data report and Project Atlas are two well-known projects in the field of internationalisation that manage student mobility data collected from countries across the globe. However, data for Africa is included, although it is not as detailed and useful as the data provided about other countries. The purpose of this paper is to propose a possible solution to the lack of efficient and effective management of student mobility data in Africa using a web-based data repository. The International Office at NMMU approached the researcher with the idea of designing and developing a web-based data repository for student mobility data for Africa. The data repository, known as the African International Portal (AIP), will assist in facilitating the effective and efficient management of student mobility data for African HEIs.
The increase in awareness of social and environmental responsibilities has led Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to invest in their role of developing inclusive communities. HEIs are increasing environmental sustainability awareness by... more
The increase in awareness of social and environmental responsibilities has led Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to invest in their role of developing inclusive communities. HEIs are increasing environmental sustainability awareness by monitoring and managing their environmental impact and involving communities in sustainability efforts and thus developing an inclusive community. The relatively low adoption of the concept of environmental sustainability in African HEIs is due to a number of factors such as problems with data access and quality of information. This paper investigates best practices for environmental information management and data centralisation in HEIs and analyses some of the AS-IS processes relating to environmental information management at a South African HEI. The paper proposes a model for addressing the gap between the existing AS-IS and the desired TO-BE environmental information processes in HEIs. The application of the model can improve environmental information management and reporting to the HEI community. This can in turn raise the environmental awareness of students, staff and external stakeholders of the institution and they can take action to reduce their contribution to the negative environmental impact of the institution.
Research Interests:
Graduates with Business Process Management (BPM) competencies are highly sought after and Business Process (BP) modelling skills form an integral part of the BPM skillset. One challenge facing modellers is that only a few existing BP... more
Graduates with Business Process Management (BPM) competencies are highly sought after and Business Process (BP) modelling skills form an integral part of the BPM skillset. One challenge facing modellers is that only a few existing BP modelling languages have intuitive validation techniques which check for syntactic issues or rule violations. Not having an intuitive validation technique to support the effective and accurate creation of BP models can affect the success of BP modelling projects and have a negative impact on the operations of the business. In this paper a composite, real-time validation technique is proposed which provides both graphical and textual feedback. The Event-Driven Process Chain (EPC) modelling notation is used to demonstrate the proposed validation technique. Investigating the effectiveness and usability of the approach when implemented in a Microsoft Visio environment reveals that a composite, real-time validation technique reduces the volume of issues that typically are made during the modelling activity and enables modellers to distinguish between the severities of the different types of issues. The validation technique can also assist modellers in learning the rules and syntax of a modelling language.
Research Interests:
Sustainability reporting should be addressed in a strategic, forward thinking manner and not as a reactive decision due to obligatory or legal pressure. In South Africa, companies listed on the Johannesburg... more
Sustainability reporting should be addressed in a strategic, forward thinking manner and not as a reactive decision due to obligatory or legal pressure. In South Africa, companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) are referred to as mandatorily reporting companies since they are legally obliged to report or explain their sustainability efforts. Several non-listed companies are producing sustainability reports voluntarily and effective sustainability reporting poses many challenges to companies. This paper investigates the adoption of an Enterprise Architecture (EA) for improving the effectiveness of sustainability reporting through facilitating business-IT alignment and the incorporation of sustainability management and reporting into the strategy of a company. In addition the paper highlights significant differences between mandatorily and voluntarily reporting companies in South Africa with regards to integrating sustainability practices into their organization. In particular the approach these companies take with regards to the use of EA for the support of strategic sustainability thinking is investigated. Data are analysed from a survey conducted with 31 South African companies on the integration of sustainability and environmental information and reporting into a company’s EA. The survey results reveal an imbalance in the reporting focus. For both types of companies, economic reporting is still the most dominant type of reporting compared with environmental and social reporting. Voluntarily reporting companies seem to be more progressed in terms of integrating environmental information into their EA.
In recent years the field of Business Process Modelling (BPM) has gained increasing attention from both the business and research communities. One of the primary drivers for BPM is the improved understanding of business processes,... more
In recent years the field of Business Process Modelling (BPM) has gained increasing attention from both the business and research communities. One of the primary drivers for BPM is the improved understanding of business processes, improved communication and the competitive advantage gained over competitors. BPM is a collaborative activity that needs to be carried out in a team environment, and Collaborative Business Process Modelling (CBPM) promotes improved accuracy and quality of process models. In spite of the increased popularity of CBPM, there is limited research related to the collaborative nature of the modelling tasks performed by modellers and specifically to the synchronisation of shared process models. The main research problem addressed by this study is that modellers experience difficulties conducting BPM activities in a co-located collaborative environment. The first research question addressed relates to the benefits and challenges of CBPM, whilst the second research question involves identifying the critical success factors and measures for CBPM. A survey of modellers in South African Information Technology (IT) consulting companies is reported on in order to provide a more in-depth understanding of the status, benefits and challenges of CBPM in IT consulting organisations. The survey results revealed that CBPM provides for sharing of ideas and increased understanding of the processes being modelled. Several challenges were reported with regards to the integration and synchronisation of models. The study provides a valuable contribution to the field of process modelling and will assist IT management with understanding the problems and challenges involved in CBPM. Analysis of these factors can contribute to the improved planning for CBPM. This in turn can facilitate improve BPM in organisations thereby providing them with a competitive edge.
Research Interests:
The percentage of male entrepreneurs still exceeds that of their female counterparts. Diversity in economic systems is essential and for this successful female entrepreneurs are needed. Several studies have investigated the differences... more
The percentage of male entrepreneurs still exceeds that of their female counterparts. Diversity in economic systems is essential and for this successful female entrepreneurs are needed. Several studies have investigated the differences between male and female approaches to founding a company. However, whilst research in the field of entrepreneurship is plentiful, there is a need for more studies relating to female entrepreneurship and in particular for research into the perceptions and understanding of female entrepreneurship. In this study perceptions of female entrepreneurship are explored and several characteristics and motivations of female entrepreneurs are identified in literature. The literature results are then empirically validated by means of a survey of students at a South African university. The students' understanding of the characteristics of female entrepreneurs is compared with their understanding of entrepreneurs in general and their understanding of ecopreneurs.
Research Interests:
The effective training of users is a key factor of the success of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system projects. This need for ERP system training is exacerbated by a demand for quality ERP consultants which is evident in Europe and... more
The effective training of users is a key factor of the success of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system projects. This need for ERP system training is exacerbated by a demand for quality ERP consultants which is evident in Europe and in African countries, particularly in South Africa where science and technology education has been identified as a national priority. However, the high costs of traveling in developing countries within Africa can make it difficult to offer traditional face to face training by vendors. Mobile learning or m-learning has shown a significant rise in use by companies and researchers developing learning platforms. M-learning can be used to aid in the training of ERP users who are on the go as well as those who do not have direct access to desktop PCs in their work environment. Whilst several studies propose the use of m-learning systems, research related to the implementation and evaluations of m-learning systems which focus on ERP system education are limited. In this paper success factors for m-learning of ERP systems are identified. An understanding of these factors can improve the design of an ERP m-learning system, thereby facilitating an improvement in ERP and more broadly speaking, technology education. This paper reports on field studies where the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to evaluate the acceptance, usefulness and perceived ease of two systems, the OpenSAP e-learning application and the SAP Learn Now m-learning application. The study found that the m-learning system was accepted by the learners and was rated positively for perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU). The study results also showed that the TAM model could be successfully used to evaluate e-learning and m-learning systems.
Research Interests:
The strength and flexibility of the Balanced Scorecard (BS) framework has made it immensely popular in a wide variety of industries. The BS combines an enterprise's financial measures with non-financial, operational measures in order to... more
The strength and flexibility of the Balanced Scorecard (BS) framework has made it immensely popular in a wide variety of industries. The BS combines an enterprise's financial measures with non-financial, operational measures in order to visualise an enterprise's strategic and operational goals and drive future financial success. Several vendors have developed software solutions to implement and support a BS. Software solutions range from well-known, pre-packaged spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel, to lesser-known, custom made solutions specifically aligned to an enterprise's requirements. A number of BS software solutions make use of visualisation techniques such as graphs and diagrams, including visual “strategy maps”. The use of visualisation techniques can provide several benefits to users. These benefits include allowing users to more easily comprehend large amounts of processed data, enabling users to perceive problems with data more easily and facilitating the understanding of large and small scale features of data with greater ease. Some software solutions do little more than provide window dressing for Microsoft Excel data. Others provide a wide array of features, making them complex, difficult to use and expensive. This paper identifies several criteria for evaluating a BS software solution, and reports on a usability study of two existing BS software solutions. Identified criteria are evaluated by means of a usability study. The usability study includes an analysis of the preferences of users regarding the various visualisation techniques provided by these tools.
Research Interests:
A changing market demand and technological evolution has required that enterprise systems constantly be updated and reengineered. Enterprise Architectures (EAs) emerged as 'tools' to assist organisations with managing enterprise systems.... more
A changing market demand and technological evolution has required that enterprise systems constantly be updated and reengineered. Enterprise Architectures (EAs) emerged as 'tools' to assist organisations with managing enterprise systems. The potential benefits obtained by the adoption of an EA programme has resulted in a steady increase in the interest in EAs and in a study of EA activity worldwide, South Africa was ranked 10th. However, EA is a challenging concept and a number of heterogeneous architecture definitions, interpretations and classifications have been developed. It is imperative that an EA programme is considered not only as an issue for the Information Technology (IT) function, but also as a strategic and organisational challenge. Organisations embarking on an EA programme are faced with many complex decisions regarding which EA framework to select, which models and modelling notations to use, as well which technology strategies to adopt. Some organisations are embracing these programmes and are obtaining many benefits, others are faced with an abundance of challenges. This study investigates three popular EA frameworks and proposes an EA component classification map. Several medium to large South African organisations are investigated to validate and update elements of the classification map.
Research Interests:
The structure and abundance of Online Resource Usage (ORU) data restricts the effective and efficient analysis of this data by decision makers. Existing enterprise data warehouse (DW) methodologies do not provide sufficient support for... more
The structure and abundance of Online Resource Usage (ORU) data restricts the effective and efficient analysis of this data by decision makers. Existing enterprise data warehouse (DW) methodologies do not provide sufficient support for the full DW development lifecycle in that support for metadata documentation, logical design, physical design and implementation is often neglected. This paper proposes an extension to the Triple-Driven Data Modelling (TDM) methodology to include the addition of a design and implementation phase. The Adapted Triple-Driven Methodology (ATDM) supports the generation and documentation of semantic and technical metadata that describes an enterprise data warehouse structure at the logical, physical and implementation levels. The ATDM was successfully applied to the Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) department of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). The application of the ATDM to ICTS resulted in the generation and documentation of semantic and technical metadata for both the logical and physical design of an enterprise data warehouse structure. The implementation phase was applied using the Microsoft SQL Server integrated tool to obtain an implemented DW for ICTS that is described by technical metadata at an implementation level. Several experiments were conducted to benchmark the accuracy, effectiveness and efficiency of the ICTS DW against the existing operational model used for running ad-hoc queries. The results of the investigation have shown that the ATDM can be successfully applied to obtain an effective and efficient enterprise data warehouse for analysing ORU data.
Research Interests:
Global warming, deforestation, disposal of toxic wastes and ozone depletion are examples of environmental concerns which have a negative impact on the balance of the natural system of the environment and on all living organisms on earth.... more
Global warming, deforestation, disposal of toxic wastes and ozone depletion are examples of environmental concerns which have a negative impact on the balance of the natural system of the environment and on all living organisms on earth. Human beings are regarded as the main contributors to these natural system imbalances. Environmental awareness campaigns have the ability to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills and attitude required to reduce environmental impacts. The Social Media for Environmental Awareness (SMENA) model was created to facilitate an environmental awareness campaign which was driven by means of a social media website and social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. The SMENA model was implemented in a university environment in order to improve the environmental awareness of students. The evaluation of the SMENA model was based on the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory which was found to be an improved method for evaluating social media adoption to the Technological Acceptance Model (TAM). This paper reports on an empirical analysis of the U&G results. The factors used in the U&G theory for measuring social media usage, are coordination, immediate access and social presence. The results show that most participants use social media to easily access their peers in other locations (immediate access). However, the social media used for SMENA were limited in satisfying these factors since it was focused on achieving educational goals rather than socially related goals.
Research Interests:
Online Resource Usage data is generated by organisations in large amounts and has the potential to significantly support the decision making processes of an organisation. In order to enable organisations to utilise the advantages of... more
Online Resource Usage data is generated by
organisations in large amounts and has the potential to
significantly support the decision making processes of an
organisation. In order to enable organisations to utilise
the advantages of analysing this data, a suitable and
efficient data warehousing architecture is required,
which is designed using best practices. This paper
reports on initial research done to investigate the design
of a data warehousing architecture to support efficient
analysis of online resource usage data.
organisations in large amounts and has the potential to
significantly support the decision making processes of an
organisation. In order to enable organisations to utilise
the advantages of analysing this data, a suitable and
efficient data warehousing architecture is required,
which is designed using best practices. This paper
reports on initial research done to investigate the design
of a data warehousing architecture to support efficient
analysis of online resource usage data.
Research Interests:
Database system development is a code intensive, time consuming task for a developer. It is suggested that the underlying database and program code can be inferred from a well designed Graphical User Interface (GUI). GUI analysis... more
Database system development is a code intensive, time consuming task for a developer. It is suggested that the underlying database and program code can be inferred from a well designed Graphical User Interface (GUI). GUI analysis DEvelopment (GUIDE) is part of a two phase process for the creation of an information system. Firstly, the developer creates the GUI front end of the intended information system. Secondly, GUIDE analyses field groupings and performable actions in the GUI to infer the underlying database structure and the data manipulation operations.
The GUI analysis approach is validated by means of a proof of concept case study. The creation of a simple information system using the GUIDE prototype is presented. The main result of the case study is a confirmation that the proposed approach can be successfully applied in system development. Secondly, this pilot study indicates that a significant amount of development time can be saved by using GUIDE.
The GUI analysis approach is validated by means of a proof of concept case study. The creation of a simple information system using the GUIDE prototype is presented. The main result of the case study is a confirmation that the proposed approach can be successfully applied in system development. Secondly, this pilot study indicates that a significant amount of development time can be saved by using GUIDE.
Research Interests:
This paper examines the environmental awareness of staff members in a higher education institution through the use of social media and an environmental awareness campaign. The key question raised is whether the use of social media is an... more
This paper examines the environmental awareness of staff members in a higher education
institution through the use of social media and an environmental awareness campaign. The key
question raised is whether the use of social media is an effective tool to run an environmental
campaign to raise awareness and evaluate knowledge of the green initiatives that are happening
with in the organisation as well as in popular media. The sample used for the campaign consists of
academic, professional and support staff at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University which
boasts an environmentally-friendly core value and has driven a significant amount of research in
renewable energy, environmental management, estuarine protection and biodiversity protection,
amongst other fields. The campaign was conducted through a centralised website which provided
information about environmental management and challenges. The content was provided three
times a week with the goal of raising awareness between the start of the campaign and the end,
where knowledge interventions were performed to determine a difference in knowledge and social
media usage for environmental awareness. The qualitative findings of the campaign through
surveys and questionnaires indicate that, despite typical time restrictions, Facebook is the most
effective social media platform used use to spread information and initiate “green practices”.
Participants indicated an increase of knowledge which was validated through assessment. Coupled
with increased knowledge, participants indicated a positive attitude to the subject matter in
encouraging them to play a role in the environment. This attitude is thus beneficial in a tertiary
learning environment as educators can encourage students to be responsible custodians for the next
generation.
institution through the use of social media and an environmental awareness campaign. The key
question raised is whether the use of social media is an effective tool to run an environmental
campaign to raise awareness and evaluate knowledge of the green initiatives that are happening
with in the organisation as well as in popular media. The sample used for the campaign consists of
academic, professional and support staff at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University which
boasts an environmentally-friendly core value and has driven a significant amount of research in
renewable energy, environmental management, estuarine protection and biodiversity protection,
amongst other fields. The campaign was conducted through a centralised website which provided
information about environmental management and challenges. The content was provided three
times a week with the goal of raising awareness between the start of the campaign and the end,
where knowledge interventions were performed to determine a difference in knowledge and social
media usage for environmental awareness. The qualitative findings of the campaign through
surveys and questionnaires indicate that, despite typical time restrictions, Facebook is the most
effective social media platform used use to spread information and initiate “green practices”.
Participants indicated an increase of knowledge which was validated through assessment. Coupled
with increased knowledge, participants indicated a positive attitude to the subject matter in
encouraging them to play a role in the environment. This attitude is thus beneficial in a tertiary
learning environment as educators can encourage students to be responsible custodians for the next
generation.
Research Interests:
Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) face a number of challenges in effectively managing and reporting on sustainability information, such as siloes of data and a limited distribution of information. Business intelligence (BI) can... more
Purpose
Higher education institutions (HEIs) face a number of challenges in effectively managing and reporting on sustainability information, such as siloes of data and a limited distribution of information. Business intelligence (BI) can assist in addressing the challenges faced by organisations. The purpose of this study was to propose a BI framework for strategic sustainability information management (the Sustainable BI Framework) that can be used in HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach
The research applied the design science research methodology whilst using a South African HEI as a case study. The problems with sustainability information management were identified, and a theoretical framework was proposed. In addition, a practical BI software tool was developed as proof of concept to address these problems and to assist with the management of strategic sustainability information in an HEI.
Findings
The proposed sustainability BI tool was evaluated through heuristic and usability evaluations with senior management. The results indicated that the usability of the BI tool was positively rated and that the framework can assist in overcoming the constraints that HEIs face in effectively managing sustainability information.
Research limitations/implications
The research was limited to a single case. However, the theoretical framework was derived from and expanded on existing stakeholder theory, sustainability reporting theory and literature on BI dashboard development. The framework was implemented successfully in the Sustainable BI Tool prototype at the case study, and the results reveal in-depth information regarding information management for sustainability reporting in higher education.
Practical implications
The Sustainable BI Tool is a solution that integrates data from multiple areas of sustainability and provides a single integrated view of the information to stakeholders. The information is provided through performance dashboards, which provide predictive capabilities to enable management to report on sustainability and determine if the institution is meeting its strategic goals. The lessons learnt can also assist other HEIs considering implementing BI for sustainability reporting.
Social implications
Improved sustainability reporting for HEIs provided by the BI framework can improve the environmental and social impact of the educational community.
Originality/value
This study provides the most comprehensive framework for guiding the design of a BI tool to assist in effectively managing sustainability information in HEIs.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) face a number of challenges in effectively managing and reporting on sustainability information, such as siloes of data and a limited distribution of information. Business intelligence (BI) can assist in addressing the challenges faced by organisations. The purpose of this study was to propose a BI framework for strategic sustainability information management (the Sustainable BI Framework) that can be used in HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach
The research applied the design science research methodology whilst using a South African HEI as a case study. The problems with sustainability information management were identified, and a theoretical framework was proposed. In addition, a practical BI software tool was developed as proof of concept to address these problems and to assist with the management of strategic sustainability information in an HEI.
Findings
The proposed sustainability BI tool was evaluated through heuristic and usability evaluations with senior management. The results indicated that the usability of the BI tool was positively rated and that the framework can assist in overcoming the constraints that HEIs face in effectively managing sustainability information.
Research limitations/implications
The research was limited to a single case. However, the theoretical framework was derived from and expanded on existing stakeholder theory, sustainability reporting theory and literature on BI dashboard development. The framework was implemented successfully in the Sustainable BI Tool prototype at the case study, and the results reveal in-depth information regarding information management for sustainability reporting in higher education.
Practical implications
The Sustainable BI Tool is a solution that integrates data from multiple areas of sustainability and provides a single integrated view of the information to stakeholders. The information is provided through performance dashboards, which provide predictive capabilities to enable management to report on sustainability and determine if the institution is meeting its strategic goals. The lessons learnt can also assist other HEIs considering implementing BI for sustainability reporting.
Social implications
Improved sustainability reporting for HEIs provided by the BI framework can improve the environmental and social impact of the educational community.
Originality/value
This study provides the most comprehensive framework for guiding the design of a BI tool to assist in effectively managing sustainability information in HEIs.
Research Interests:
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly addressing their environmental impact and to do this need to improve access to environmental information in order to improve decision making and sustainability efforts. Educational... more
Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly addressing their environmental impact and to do this need to improve access to environmental information in order to improve decision making and sustainability efforts. Educational institutions have a different focus to other more industrial organisations and therefore frameworks for these organisations are not necessarily suited to educational environments. Whilst several environmental management information systems (EMIS) have been proposed there is a lack of understanding of the components which should be included in such a system due to the existing broad definitions. In addition there are not many best practice guidelines to support the design and development of these systems. This paper proposes a framework for EMISs in higher education. The framework is derived from several literature studies and includes guidelines which can assist with the design of an EMIS. These guidelines are classified according to the components of EMIS.
Research Interests:
Environmental awareness campaigns have the ability to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills and attitude required to reduce environmental impact. Social media have been used by environmental activists to conduct environmental... more
Environmental awareness campaigns have the ability to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills and attitude required to reduce environmental impact. Social media have been used by environmental activists to conduct environmental awareness campaigns. This paper proposes a conceptual model for improving knowledge and thereby awareness of environmental issues by means of a social media campaign. The model, called the Social Media for EnviroNmental Awareness (SMENA) model, consists of three phases of the campaign and factors impacting each phase. The model was implemented at a South African university and activities of the environmental awareness campaign were conducted on a social media website (SMENA website) and the popular social media sites Twitter and Facebook. The results showed that environmental knowledge increased as a result of the campaign. Generally the campaign was well received; however several students were resistant to the idea of using social media for education purposes on a topic which did not contribute to course credits.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Range anxiety is a barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). One of the factors influencing range anxiety is the remaining driving range (RDR) of these vehicles. Existing models used for estimating the RDR are often simplified... more
Range anxiety is a barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). One of the factors influencing range anxiety is the remaining driving range (RDR) of these vehicles. Existing models used for estimating the RDR are often simplified and rely on a limited number of factors. The RDR is a parameter that changes under environmental and behavioral conditions. Factors relating to these conditions and their influence on RDR estimation are often ignored by researchers. The aim of this paper is to critically analyze literature to identify the key factors that influence the RDR. A critical review of related literature was used to propose a taxonomy of key factors influencing the RDR of EVs. The findings of this paper reveal that five key factors influence the RDR and that more than 50 data attributes can be used as input during RDR calculations. Presenting accurate RDR estimations can reduce range anxiety for drivers, thereby improving the adoption rate of EVs. This paper provides a contribution to research in terms of a comprehensive taxonomy of key factors, together with related data attributes that can be used in a big data analytics model to intelligently calculate a more accurate RDR of an EV.
Research Interests:
Economic growth is facilitated by entrepreneurial activity, particularly in developing countries where employment levels are low. Education institutions need to support and encourage entrepreneurial motivations and intentions since this... more
Economic growth is facilitated by entrepreneurial activity, particularly in developing countries where employment levels are low. Education institutions need to support and encourage entrepreneurial motivations and intentions since this support can positively influence entrepreneurial activity. However, studies of entrepreneurship in developing countries are extremely limited. This study provides a valuable contribution to the field of entrepreneurial motivations of students in developing countries such as South Africa when compared with European countries such as Germany. An empirical study of the intentions and motivations of students to start their own companies is undertaken in the form of a survey. Barriers to entrepreneurial activities of students are also investigated as well as the extent of support provided by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The results indicate a strong difference between the intentions and motivations of South African and German students towards entrepreneurship, whilst several similarities were identified with regard to motivations regarding educational support factors.