Department of Business Management

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https://univendspace.univen.ac.za/handle/11602/1952

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Open Access
An appraisal of the efficacy of selected macrotourism policies of South Africa
(2009-09-08) Zembani, Pamela Edna; Steyn, p. e.
See the attached abstract below
Open Access
An assessment of the potential for sustainable community tourism development in the villages affected by the Nandoni Dam
(2014-01-10) Manavhela, Pfarelo; Spencer, J. P.; Nethengwe, T.
Open Access
A context-aware business intelligence framework for South African Higher Institutions
(2016) Mutanga, Alfred; Kadyamatimba, Armstrong; Mavetera, Nehemiah; Zaaiman, Jannie J.
This thesis demonstrates the researcher’s efforts to put into practice the theoretical foundations of information systems research, in order to come up with a context-aware business intelligence framework (CABIF), for the South African higher education institutions. Using critical realism as the philosophical underpinning and mixed methods research design, a business intelligence (BI) survey was deployed within the South African public higher education institutions to measure the respondents’ satisfaction and importance of business intelligence characteristics. The 258 respondents’ satisfaction and importance of the 34 observed business intelligence variables, were subjected to principal components analysis and design science research to come up with the CABIF. The observable BI variables were drawn from four latent variables namely technology and business alignment; organizational and behavioural strategies; business intelligence domain; and technology strategies. The study yielded good values for all the observed satisfaction and importance business intelligence variables as indicated by the Kaiser- Meyer-Olkin (KMO) Measure of Sampling Adequacy and the Bartlett Test of Sphericity. The data set collected from the survey deployed at the South African public higher education institutions, was reliable and valid based on the Cronbach α values which were all above 0.9. The researcher then used the descriptive and prescriptive knowledge of design science research, and the meta-inferences of the results from the principal components analysis to produce five contexts of CABIF. The BI contexts developed were, the Basic Context; the Business Processes Context which was divided into Macro and Micro business process contexts; the Business Intelligence Context; and the Governance Context. These contexts were extrapolated within the University of Venda’s business processes and this researcher concluded that the CABIF developed, could be inferred within the South African higher education institutions. At the University of Venda, this researcher managed to draw up CABIF based business intelligence tools that spanned from leveraging the existing ICT infrastructure, student cohort analysis, viability of academic entities, strategic enrolment planning and forecasting government block grants. The correlations and regression measures of the technology acceptance variables of the business intelligence tools modelled using CABIF at University of Venda, revealed high acceptance ratio. Overall, this research provides a myriad of conceptual and practical insights into how contextualised aspects of BI directly or indirectly impact on the quality of managerial decision making within various core business contexts of South African higher education institutions.
Open Access
Franchising in a volatile business environment: a case of the fast food industry in Harare, Zimbabwe
(2016-05) Shumba, Knowledge; Zindiye, S.; Jacobs, J. H.
See the attached abstract below
Open Access
Mobile and social networking technologies for teaching and learning in South African Universities: A case study of University of Venda and University of Limpopo
(2016-05) Chakuzira, Wellington; Kadyamatimba, A.; Zindiye, S.; Chibonda, T.
See the attached abstract below
Open Access
The use of digital mobile devices in enhancing teaching and learning at the University of Venda
(2017) Chikurunhe, Ratchel; Kadyamatimba, A.; Runhare, T.; Munyoka, W.
Mobile technology is progressively being used to support students’ learning, extending learning and educator-student contact beyond class hours. Mobile technology has been identified as a potential solution to the problem of scarcity of computers to access online learning materials in higher education institutions. The University of Venda distributed tablet personal computers to students so that they could use them for facilitating and enhancing their studies. However, the provision of tablet PCs to students may not be a panacea for quality learning, especially to a population that is not familiar with latest information technologies. The aim of the study was to investigate the use of digital mobile devices (tablet personal computers and smartphones) for enhancing teaching and learning at the University of Venda. The research questions focused on determining the current level of use of mobile devices, how they could be used effectively for teaching and learning; and the perceptions of students and lecturers on mobile devices as tools for teaching and learning. Case study research design was considered most suitable for this study as it involves collecting and reporting descriptive information about a specific environment. Mixed methods approach was applied with data being solicited from a convenient sample of 370 students, 8 lecturers and 1 IT technician at the University. Semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to students. The results of the study indicated that many students are active and spending much time on the different internet activities. The study also found that students prefer mobile learning and spend much time on the internet surfing information. Lecturers found it easy to communicate with the students via emails and social media platforms where they send study materials. Students use their smartphones and tablet PCs to download learning materials. However, many lecturers and students are not making use of the Learning Management System, the Blackboard due to lack of training. The results of the study are to be used to explicate, forecast, and advance the integration of the digital mobile devices for promoting learning and teaching accomplishments and standard competencies at the University of Venda. Recommendations were made on how students and lecturers can effectively use digital mobile devices for teaching and learning.
Open Access
Investigating Factors Influencing the Implementation of e-learning at Rural Based Universities
(2017) Patel, Naziyabanu Mohmedsalim; Kadyamatimba, Armstrong; Madzvamuse, Solomon
Objective: This research aims to investigate the factors influencing the implementation of e-learning at University of Venda which is one of the rural based universities in South Africa. The university recently introduced the use of blackboard, learning management systems (LMS) platform. The researchers looked at the implications faced by both students and lecturers when LMS was introduced. Methodology: Mixed methods research methodology was used for the study. To understand the impact of the LMS on teaching and learning activities, the researchers found it necessary to establish the adoption rate of the LMS for the university and compare it to that of urban universities which have already implemented similar systems. The researchers went on to establish the factors influencing the poor implementation rate in rural universities. Factors such as the level of usage of the LMS and perceptions of users were identified to assist in reaching at the conclusion on failure or success of the e-learning program. Results: The results indicated some positive perception by both educators and students. There were noted interest for the LMS usage and eagerness to apply the LMS in teaching and learning activities. Conclusion: However, the results indicated that, lack of training, poor awareness program and poor infrastructure, were the contributing factors of the failure of the e-learning program. Reshaping the perceptions by learners and educators might also contribute to the success of e-learning implementation
Open Access
Profiling ecotourists within the Capricon District Municipality
(2017-04) Nheta, Daniel Silent
Increasingly, third-world countries are relying on ecotourism to boost their economies. Similar to other forms of tourism, ecotourism as a business initiative is perceived to contribute positively to economic development. However, tourism service providers generally do not deliver satisfactory services to ecotourists due to misunderstanding the segment’s needs and the customer traits. In emerging countries such as South Africa, which has a conducive economic environment for tourism businesses, some provincial departments such as the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism has set objectives to make the Limpopo province a preferred ecotourism destination. These have been propagated by service providers who passively participate in ecotourism yet claim to be ecotourism service providers. Moreover, the attitude of passiveness by service providers is derived from insufficient knowledge of the ecotourist. This set the foundation for the current study, which sought to provide detailed profiles of ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality in order to gain a clear understanding of the ecotourists visiting the Limpopo province. The study reviewed theoretical and empirical works conducted by tourism scholars. The study was developed on a descriptive research design and employed a quantitative approach. It made use of self-administered questionnaires with a sample of 295 participants selected from tourism establishments and attractions in the region, utilising convenience and purposive sampling methods respectively. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24 and Microsoft Office Excel was used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, cluster analysis and Chi-square tests were conducted to analyse the data of the study. The findings revealed demographic, psychographic and behavioural descriptors associated with the ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality. In addition, information sources preferred by ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality were identified. It is envisaged that the findings of the study will be of value to ecotourism service providers as they will provide a sound understanding of ecotourists and thereby help to deliver satisfactory ecotourist experiences. This will ultimately provide valuable input for the planning of the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism in promoting the Limpopo province as a preferred ecotourism destination in South Africa.
Open Access
Consumer acceptance of mobile marketing through mobile phones: a case study of South African University students
(2017-05-18) Donga, Gift Taruwandira; Kadyamatimba, A.; Zindiye, S.; Chibonda, T.
Consumer mobile phone adoption is on the rise exponentially, and offers marketers with many new opportunities to reach and serve customers. The South African mobile phone market has increased rapidly and a significant proportion of mobile services usage in South Africa is the youth. South African youths are following international trends as well as becoming the fastest-growing group in terms of technology adoption in the country. The prevalence of mobile technology as well as its capability to enable laser precision marketing on an individual basis has directed marketers to consider the adoption of mobile marketing. However, the question remains whether consumers are ready for uptake of mobile phone marketing. The purpose of this study was to bring light and create an understanding of the factors affecting university students’ willingness to participate in mobile phone marketing in South Africa. This study used a positivist paradigm that ensures that there is a gap between the researcher’s subjective bias and the objective reality being studied. The study was descriptive in nature with survey method being used to complete the study. The quantitative research technique was applied with data being collected from respondents by a self-administered questionnaire targeted at youth students from selected South African Universities. The questionnaire was pre-tested in a pilot study involving the research participants to identify errors in the research questionnaire and to ensure that the data collected would be relevant and as precise as possible. Findings from this study revealed how consumers want to participate in mobile marketing as well as the contributory factors influencing the acceptance of mobile marketing. Furthermore, this study supplements to the increasing body of evidence on mobile marketing acceptance. The study can also assist managers to utilise the potential of this marketing medium amongst university students in South Africa. More essentially, this study also provided information that can be used to monitor decision making towards mobile advertisements and marketing planning.
Open Access
Profiling ecotourist with the Capricorn District Municipality
(2017-10-18) Ntha, Daniel Silent; Tshipala, N.; Madzunye. T.
Increasingly, third-world countries are relying on ecotourism to boost their economies. Similar to other forms of tourism, ecotourism as a business initiative is perceived to contribute positively to economic development. However, tourism service providers generally do not deliver satisfactory services to ecotourists due to misunderstanding the segment’s needs and the customer traits. In emerging countries such as South Africa, which has a conducive economic environment for tourism businesses, some provincial departments such as the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism has set objectives to make the Limpopo province a preferred ecotourism destination. These have been propagated by service providers who passively participate in ecotourism yet claim to be ecotourism service providers. Moreover, the attitude of passiveness by service providers is derived from insufficient knowledge of the ecotourist. This set the foundation for the current study, which sought to provide detailed profiles of ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality in order to gain a clear understanding of the ecotourists visiting the Limpopo province. The study reviewed theoretical and empirical works conducted by tourism scholars. The study was developed on a descriptive research design and employed a quantitative approach. It made use of self-administered questionnaires with a sample of 295 participants selected from tourism establishments and attractions in the region, utilising convenience and purposive sampling methods respectively. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24 and Microsoft Office Excel was used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, cluster analysis and Chi-square tests were conducted to analyse the data of the study. The findings revealed demographic, psychographic and behavioural descriptors associated with the ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality. In addition, information sources preferred by ecotourists in the Capricorn District Municipality were identified. It is envisaged that the findings of the study will be of value to ecotourism service providers as they will provide a sound understanding of ecotourists and thereby help to deliver satisfactory ecotourist experiences. This will ultimately provide valuable input for the planning of the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism in promoting the Limpopo province as a preferred ecotourism destination in South Africa.
Open Access
Challenges faced by rural-women entrepreneurs in Vhembe District: the moderation role of gender socialisation
(2018-05-18) Karasi, Yvonne; Shambare, R.; Nkondo, L. G.
South African economic policies (for example, the National Development Plan [NDP] and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act [BBBEE]) place high emphasis on promoting entrepreneurial activities. In particular, these policies seek to provide for interventions that minimise challenges faced by entrepreneurs. In spite of this there is a segment of entrepreneurs that continues to experience numerous challenges – women entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study was to analyse the challenges faced by rural-women entrepreneurs. Rural women entrepreneurs in particular face challenges or barriers, which can be categorised under entrepreneurial, socio-cultural, personal, and technical barriers. The notion of gender socialisation can be used as one of several explanations as to why males and females behave differently. This kind of socialisation is also thought to be at the root of gender stereotyping, including chauvinism. This kind of socialisation has been said to influence the degree to which women face entrepreneurial challenges in rural areas. To address this research problem, which focuses on social perceptions, the critical realism paradigm was used. The research methodology used was a quantitative one, with the sample size 151 participants. Snowballing was utilised to locate participants with the desired characteristics. Self-completing questionnaires adapted from previous studies were utilised to gather data. The collected data was analysed using IBM-SPSS. Various descriptive and multivariate statistical tests, including ANOVA, cluster analysis, and factor analysis were used to analyse the data. The data collected indicated that women entrepreneurs with higher levels of gender socialisation (‘strongly believe’) are affected by entrepreneurial challenges more than those with low levels of gender socialisation. The results also indicated that education plays a key role in changing women’s’ attitudes towards their gendered roles and how they are socialised from a young age through to adult status. The researcher recommended equal opportunities for both males and females with regard to access to state resources such as education and finance, and access to information about businesses.
Open Access
Entrepreneurial success factors of immigrant spaza-shop owners in Thulamela Local Municipality
(2019-05-17) Mampheu, Vhuthu; Nkonda, L. G.; Dube, M. H.
The spaza-shop sector is an integral part of the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in the South African economy. The industry is made up of more than 100 000 enterprises with a collective annual turnover of R7 billion. Spaza shops also contribute about 4% (about 100 000 jobs) of employment in the informal sector. Spaza shops usually have a short lifespan and rarely grow; the failure rate of spaza shops, including those owned by immigrants is very high in South Africa. It is estimated that the failure rate of small businesses (including spaza shops) in South Africa is between 70% and 80%. It is also noted that about 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years of commencement of business, irrespective of the country. Despite severe competitive pressures faced by SMMEs, immigrants (especially Somalis and Ethiopians) have established a strong foothold in the spaza-shop sector. The main objective of the study was to investigate the success factors of immigrant-owned spaza shops in Thulamela Local Municipality. To address the research question, which focuses on the lived experiences and perceptions of participants, the interpretivist paradigm was used. A qualitative approach was adopted with a sample of 25 participants; purposive sampling was used to select participants with the required characteristics. Structured interview questions administered through face-to-face interviews were used to collect data and content analysis was used to analyse data. The data collected revealed that there are a plethora of success factors that are enhancing the continuance and sustenance of immigrant spaza shops in Thulamela Local Municipality. Of these, the most frequently given ones include - human capital, networks, culture, superior customer service, long operating hours and business location. The researcher recommended that immigrant spaza-shop entrepreneurs should establish a mentorship program that will assist in training other local spaza-owners to successfully manage their enterprises, in a bid to create harmony within the sector and to promote job creation.
Open Access
Using a grounded theory approach in a developing a taxonomy of entrepreneurial ventures in South Africa: A case study of Limpopo Province
(2019-05-18) Chakuzira, Wellington; Kadyamatimba, A.; Shambare, R.
The questions of what constitutes entrepreneurship and, in turn, who an entrepreneur is, have dominated entrepreneurship discourse in recent times. Over the years, a multiplicity of definitions of entrepreneurship has been proffered. However, most of these definitions to be either Eurocentric or Western-oriented and largely devoid of (South) African socio-economic imperatives. Naturally, the manner in which entrepreneurship in South Africa is conceptualised derives from the former definitions. Furthermore, the classification of entrepreneurship ventures in the country is also problematic. A Eurocentric classification regime is, on the one hand, too simplistic; and, on the other hand, it fails to fully capture the true essence of entrepreneurial activity within the South African economy. It is, therefore, not surprising that entrepreneurship development policies and interventions are not successful in stimulating entrepreneurship. This problem, this study argues, is a result of the lack of localised research aimed at understanding entrepreneurship classification dynamics in South Africa. This constitutes a research gap, which this study seeks to address. It is against this background that the aim of this study is to develop a taxonomy of entrepreneurial ventures in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. To achieve this purpose, which is pre-paradigmatic, the proposed study was designed along the dictates of a qualitatively grounded theory research. This facilitated the application of multiple methods of data collection. The study sampled 5 entrepreneurs in the Limpopo Province who were interviewed using an in-depth format. The value of this work is among the first in seeking to propose a framework (i.e. taxonomy) for classifying entrepreneurship ventures within the South African context. The implication of the study is that it potentially provides policymakers with valuable tools to understand South African entrepreneurship and the channels of intervention for small business ventures.
Open Access
Black tax and micro-entrepreneurship in Thulamela Local Municipality forms, challenges and coping strategies
(2019-05-18) Mikioni, Anyway; Shambare, R.; Khohomela, N. T.
Africans are, by nature, collectivist people. This is especially true for countries such as South Africa, where people live their lives as a community – they celebrate life’s achievements together and mourn life’s tragic moments together. Africans support each other as one big family, at least theoretically, however, in the recent past, effects of urbanisation and globalisation have reshaped, reorganised, and reoriented African families. The once communal and collectivist views towards life (that the community or family comes first before the individual) are fast being replaced by individualistic perspectives towards life. The nuclear family is rapidly taking centre stage. In the process, individual needs are crowding out those of the family and community. Communal needs are now being viewed as a burden. To describe this ‘new’ burden, modern society has coined a term to express its mixed emotions towards its responsibility towards the extended family; they call it “black tax”. As a form of tax, supporting one’s extended family results in greater good, at least in the long-run, however, in the short-run, high levels of indebtedness and growing personal needs make one’s obligation to the family almost seems morally wrong, insensitive, and illegal, hence, the word “black,” as in the black market – an informal underground market that is often immoral and illegal. By extension, contemporary South Africans seem to be saying that whilst looking after one’s extended family in the 21st century is immoral, insensitive, unreasonable, and expensive, we still will try our best to be play our part, whenever and wherever we can. Clearly, black tax affects the lives of individuals, particularly those being black taxed. Despite this growing phenomenon, the literature has largely ignored the effect of black tax on the life of ordinary people. The few available studies focus mostly on black tax within the middle class, employed, working population. Very little studies have looked at the effect of black tax on entrepreneurs, as they too are not immune to black tax. It was, therefore, opportune for this dissertation to address this gap within the literature. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of black tax on micro-entrepreneurs, as well as to identify coping strategies employed by the latter to balance business needs and communal expectations. A qualitative case study was conducted in which 12 entrepreneurs from the Thulamela Local Municipality area participated. Data were collected using in-depth interviews. After transcription, the interviews were analysed by means of thematic analysis using ATLAS.ti. Results indicate a high prevalence of various forms of black tax, challenges as well as well-structured coping strategies, as employed by the entrepreneurs. The value of this dissertation is that it is among the first in contributing towards understanding the impact of black tax on micro-entrepreneurship within the South African context. Several theoretical and practical implications have been suggested.
Open Access
Expenditure patterns of students at tourist attractions in the Vhembe District Municipality
(2019-11) Segooa, Malesini Magdeline; Tshipala, N. N.; Madzunye, T.
Tourism demand is mainly measured in terms of tourism arrivals and departures together with tourist expenditure and receipts. Further variables commonly cited in the literature are travel exports and/or imports, tourist length of stay and number of nights spent at the accommodation. This study aimed to analyse the expenditure patterns of students travelling to attractions in the Vhembe District Municipality and focused on how much students spend when travelling and when at the attraction. The researcher used a descriptive approach and employed a quantitative research design. A sample of 600 respondents was selected using the convenient sampling method, with data collected at three major institutions in the Vhembe District Municipality, namely the University of Venda, the Vhembe TVET College and the Limpopo College of Nursing (Vhembe Campus). To analyse the data, chi-square, factor analysis and cluster analysis were used. The findings revealed the demographic descriptors of time spent and activities preferred by student travellers when visiting the attractions. In addition, the expenditure patterns of students visiting tourist attractions were analysed. The information provided by this study should help service providers, product owners, government departments, private sectors and travel agencies in their decision-making regarding the planning, developing, packaging and marketing of Vhembe as a destination.
Open Access
The Impact of the Regulatory Environment on the Growth of the Small Business Sector in Polokwane, South Africa
(2019-12) Tambe, Dede Kelly; Nkondo, L. G.; Zindiye, S.
Government regulations are needed to achieve a range of economic and social objectives which are beneficial to the nation as a whole. However, many countries experience problems with their regulatory systems as they invariably impose costs on businesses. In South Africa, it comes in the form of red tape, high taxes, labour laws and corruption. This places various regulatory burdens including compliance, administrative costs and other costs that may adversely influence firms’ productivity and frustrate their overall business performance and growth, particularly the small business sector. Given this sector’s indisputable contribution towards the overall economic health of the nation, it is important to address its concerns regarding the issue of the regulatory environment and government policy, in order to initiate corrective action and introduce regulatory reforms. Again, it is important to point out that not all businesses within the small business sector suffer under the weight of regulation. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which South Africa’s regulatory environment curtails the growth of the small business sector as well as determine whether the different categories of firms within the Small Business Sector (micro, very small, small or medium) bears different regulatory burdens. This study was carried out in Polokwane, Capricorn District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. To address the research problem, the positivist paradigm was used. The study used the mixed research method and the descriptive research design. The stratified sampling technique was used to determine various characteristics of the study population, while the convenience sampling technique was used due to constraints in reaching everyone in the population. The aim was therefore to find a representative sample of that population. Thus, to ensure that the population was representative, a sample size of 121 participants was derived using the Raosoft sample size calculator as well as other criteria. Questionnaires were utilised as the data collection tool and the collected data were analysed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and Kruskal Wallis were also used to analyse the collected data. Results indicate that to a certain extent, the regulatory environment influences the small business sector negatively. On the other hand, the efforts and skills of the business owner influence their success and ability to remain in business, thus influencing the growth of the sector. The results also show that different categories of businesses within the small business sector bear different burdens, owing to certain characteristics they are defined by.
Open Access
The influence of smart tourism on tourist's destination choice in the city of Tshwane, South Africa
(2020) Nengovhela, Munei; Ochara, N.; Madzunye, T.
Countries across the globe are relying on tourism growth and development for creation of employment and contribution to the country’s GDP. Societies have always been subject to change. Modern society has been increasingly changing and the changes are being brought about by the growth, development and innovation within the ICT sector. Such growth and development of ICT has created the birth of the Fourth Industrial Revolution of which has resulted in the proliferation of the word ‘smart’. Technology has thus successfully penetrated people’s communication patterns, consumption habits, lifestyles and work place relations, moreover it has also impacted the context of travel and tourist behavior. The concept of smartness gained its popularity in early 2000s and has somehow resulted in the creation and usage of concepts such as smart city, smart planet, smart tourism and smart tourist. The growth of ICT has therefore resulted in the growth of Smart Tourism Technologies which are developed to meet smart tourist’s demands. The city of Tshwane has been making strides to become an African World-class Smart City. Such then offers the city of Tshwane to position itself as a smart tourism destination that can meet the demands of smart tourists. Prior to such positioning efforts, research needs to be conducted to ascertain if tourists visiting the city use smart tourism technologies to make travel the decision to visit the city, such was the core problem of the study. To investigate the influence of smart tourism technologies on tourist’s decision to visit the city of Tshwane, the study adapted and made revisions to the Elaboration Likelihood Model of persuasion as a conceptual theory that can explain attitude changes of tourists through the usage of Smart Tourism Technologies. The study adopted a quantitative approach wherein a questionnaire with 29 seven-point Likert scales was used. Data was analyzed through SPSS Amos® Version 25. A total of 341 questionnaires were collected and Structural Equation Modelling was used to investigate the influence of smart tourism technologies on tourist’s decision. The findings of the study revealed that Information relevance and interactivity of smart tourism technologies significantly influence the decision of tourists to visit the city of Tshwane, which therefore critically suggest that the decision to visit the city of Tshwane is greatly influenced by consulting smart tourism tools that are interactive and carries relevant tourist information. It is envisaged that the findings of the study could be consulted when designing smart tourism tools that could be used in positioning the city as a smart tourism destination.
Open Access
The moderating effect of information security on the adoption of mobile marketing transactions among South African tertiary students
(2020) Donga, Gift Taruwandira; Kadyamatimba, A.; Shambare, R.
Despite the fast pace of development within the mobile commerce industry globally, marketers in developing countries are still lagging in understanding why and how consumers participate in mobile marketing transactions. The literature reporting on mobile marketing transactions’ adoption in a South African context remains largely inconsistent and fragmented as most previous studies are based on the experience of consumers in a non-South African (and nondeveloping country) context. Therefore, this study identifies a literature gap, in that there lacks a sufficient critical mass of studies into the moderating effect of information security on consumer adoption of mobile marketing transactions in South Africa particularly among the youth who have a strong affinity for constant mobile connectivity. Furthermore, confronted with rapid changes in emerging technology, previous models of technology adoption are slowly becoming outmoded. Consequently, this study considered testing a proposed model on the predictive power of marketing-related mobile activity to help improve understanding and prognosis of the adoption of mobile marketing transactions in South Africa. Specifically, in order to render these tests robust, perceived information security was applied as a moderator variable to increase the explanatory power of the model. The objectives set out for this research were measured utilising a single cross-sectional approach, guided by the positivist paradigm. In keeping with the dictates of ensuring the highest levels of reliability and validity, a measuring instrument developed from past studies was used. Using a self-administered questionnaire, data were collected from a sample of 810 students from selected South African universities. Descriptive and multivariate statistical tests including the moderated hierarchical regression analysis were used to analyse data. The implication of the study is that it provides both marketers and policymakers with a set of controllable variables that may be manipulated to promote the adoption of mobile marketing transactions.
Open Access
A Cloud-based business continuity framework for container terminal operations: A South African case study
(2020) Kutame, Felix Nyadzani; Kadyamatimba, Armstrong; Ochara, Nixon Muganda
Contemporary cloud-based computing is crucial for the efficient delivery of ICT systems to users, as well as for versatile disaster recovery and business continuity management (BCM) platforms. Based on the need for efficient and fault-tolerant port operations, this study proposes a cloud-based business continuity framework (BCM) for the container terminal operations (CTO) in South Africa. The study examined the impact of ICT systems and services on Container Terminal Operations (CTO); determined Critical Business Functions in operations that must stay operational and analysed the impact of the unavailability of ICT systems and services on critical operations. This empirical study employed both quantitative and qualitative research designs and collecting data through self-constructed and self-administered questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data was analysed using the IBM Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) Version 23 while qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis of interviews. Results show that to realize effective organizational resilience using BCM, three insights, as underlying mechanisms for assimilating cloud computing in BCM can be inferred: the first is that a digitalized BCM architecture ‘fits’ the cloud computing model. The specific BCM characteristics that befits cloud computing are continuous data processing; continuous data access and delivery; multi-platform data access; always – on ICT Services; and better decision making. Secondly, the cloud computing model is a ‘viable’ model that can contribute to managing complex organizations characterized by business units that are highly differentiated in terms of size, structure, ICT and investment levels. For such complex organizations, viability is visible in terms of how the multi-units can harness collective intelligence (CI) for more effective BCM. Collective intelligence, as a form of universally distributed intelligence that is constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, and which results in effective mobilization of organizational competence, is a core organizing metaphor for achieving BCM in a complex organization. Lastly, to realize BCM, underpinned by greater digitalization of BCM and harnessing of CI; there is need for rethinking strategy towards adoption of an ‘Intelliport strategy’ or ‘smart’ BCM for ports, currently intertwined with the notion of the 4IR. That the ‘smart’ nature of BCM require the assimilation of 4IR technologies that enable ubiquitous presence and real time information regarding organizational processes. Adopting an ‘Intelliport strategy’ is likely to have two main implications for BCM and practice: the first is linked to the development of a circular economy, in which aggregation of BCM activities can enhance sustainable development of the seaports; and secondly, adoption of a cloud computing model that can result in the enhancement of business growth of the units promote collaborative problem solving and decision making in BCM.
Open Access
Enhancing the running of small businesses in South Africa, the case of Limpopo Province
(2020-02) Nago, Denzel Thando; Zindiye, Stanislous; Shambare, Richard
The value of small businesses is known globally for its contribution towards economic growth, job creation and social progression. A plethora of entrepreneurial problems (for example, mismanagement of finance and lack of managerial skills) usually causes start-ups to have a short lifespan. Despite much effort by the government and private sector towards addressing these problems, high attrition rates among small businesses is still a problem in South Africa. Although considerable literature in entrepreneurship points out factors such as the lack of funding and lack of managerial skills as the leading causes for the high attrition rates among small businesses, research has overlooked one important factor which is entrepreneurs’ inability or ability to adapt to the volatile business environment. This is instituted on the synchronisation of entrepreneurship challenges. It is in this regard that this study seeks to understand entrepreneurship problems of funding and skills challenges when operating a small business. With such a gap, this study argued, the lack of localised research aimed at enhancing small businesses in South Africa. This constitutes a research gap, which this study addressed. To attain this purpose, an exploratory research design guided by a qualitative research method was employed. This was coupled with data collection procedure which involved extracting data on enhancing small businesses by means of interviews with 6 respondents who were selected purposively. The value of this work is that it sought to understand the finance and skills challenge within the South African context. The implication of the study is that it potentially provides NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs) and government with valuable tools to understand South African entrepreneurship and the effective channels of intervention for small business ventures.