The fundamental nature of the research question for this study was centred on the functions of internal communication. It was within this context that functionalism as theoretical approach was selected for the study of internal communication within the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) in South Africa. Functionalism’s interest in the structure and function of communication is evident in its major assumption, namely that the phenomenon of mass communication is a system that is a whole consisting of several interrelated and interdependent parts. In addition two related theories, systems theory and classical management theory, were employed as departure for the study. Related literature on internal communication bears evidence that the flow of internal communication differs from one environment to the other. This depends on the type of information that has been communicated and the type of organisation in which the internal communication occurs. Managing employees effectively requires communication and the quality of communication amongst the people that comprise an organisation is a crucial variable in determining organisational success. This requires a common understanding of the role and structure of communication and its functions. Internal communication is the strength of any organisation. Communication scholars such as Verwey and Du Plooy (2003), Kitchen and Daly (2002), Gibson and Hodgetts (1991), Murabe (1990) and numerous others already demonstrated the overwhelming importance of internal communication in today’s business environment. Internal communication creates a platform for participative decision making, employees’ interaction, information sharing, creativity and innovation, as well as an environment that fosters productivity and creates a sense of organisational ownership.A comprehensive internal communication system is required to unambiguously translate the vision, mission and strategic objectives of any organisation into reality. Furthermore effective internal communication has a potential to build and sustain social interaction within the organisation and most importantly to drive a service delivery message to all employees. Effective communication and service delivery have recently become issue of exceptional importance in government departments in South Africa, particularly in government agencies. Factors such as organisational culture and leadership style have an influence on internal communication. Organisational culture defines and describes what the organisation stands for. Leadership is very critical for internal communication as it informs the organisation’s vision. If the leadership is negatively inclined, there is no way in which the internal communication will thrive. It is always advisable to strike a balance between organisational culture, leadership and internal communication. The findings of this study indicate that management and employees of the GCIS perceive the function of internal communication differently; that both management and employees have inadequate general understanding of the communication channels and communication structure within the GCIS and reveal that though there are numerous communication channels available, only few are used and preferred within the GCIS. The selection and the understanding of communication channels within the organisation are critical elements for internal communication. Therefore, the communication department or division should ensure broader consultation with all key stakeholders within the organisation. It is regrettable to have communication channels within the organisation that are not understood by the majority of employees and to discover that out of the twenty that are implemented, only five are mainly used and two preferred by most of the management and the employees. / Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / hb2013 / Marketing Management / unrestricted

This thesis provides a systematic literature review of a selection among current papers andarticles on Green Information Systems (IS). The main focus is on the current state of Green ISin academic research. This study aims at gaining a deeper understanding and a clearer view ofthe state-of-the-art of IS for environmental sustainability research, with the goal of clarifyingthe diffuse idea of what Green IT/IS is, and what differentiates Green IS from Green IT.To support the objective of this study, the articles selected for data analysis were collected byusing a systematic literature review as research and analytical method. Within the thesis, adescriptive angle with an interpretative character is used to analyse the data extracted.A theoretical framework based on concepts from sustainability, Green IS and Green IT isemployed in order to analyse and compare terminologies and frameworks used in the studiedarticles. Furthermore, the different dimensions of sustainability and the various terms used todescribe Green IS are analysed comparatively.The result and analysis are discussed in a conclusion confirming the on-going ambiguity ofthe terms Green IT and Green IS and the transformative power of IS. This study aims tocontribute to our understanding of some of the existing problems that hinder further researchin the context of Green IS. Finally, we emphasise the importance of clear definitions in orderto advance the IS position for transforming society in a sustainable direction. / Program: Systemvetarutbildningen

Outsourcing has become a popular mode of developing information system (IS) in practice during the last two decades. Although efforts have been done about evaluating vendors¡¦ capabilities and product¡¦s quality so as to assure high success rate, empirical studies keep reporting that outsourcing is not as successful as expected. Therefore, research based on different perspectives is needed to provide other plausible answers. Draws on this issue, an emerging concept is adopted, called Service-Dominant Logic (S-D logic), which highlights the importance for clients to possess required capabilities in order to maximize the value co-created. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to comprehend and examine critical capabilities that an outsourcing client should possess, and hybrid research model, consisting both traditional and S-D logic was built to reflect our intention. Survey method was then used to test our hypotheses empirically. Data collected from 400 practitioners showed that client¡¦s capabilities have stronger impact on the outcomes variables than conventional variables, such as product quality and vendor¡¦s capabilities. This study contributes to literature by incorporating a new concept, S-D logic, into IS research and emphasizing the critical role of clients¡¦ capabilities.

As competition has changed and made the environment more dynamic and complex for the hospitality and tourism industry, the concept of strategic management has become more important. However, under the force driving change of technology innovation, information has gone digital and electronic for business development and management. Adopting information technology (IT) for strategic management becomes an important issue for an organization. The co-alignment model is believed to be one of the effective models for the purposes of strategic management in the field of hospitality and tourism. The primary objective of this study was to investigate important considerations for the design of an information system (IS) to improve the utility of the model. Once the important considerations are taken into account for constructing the system, such an IS is expected to facilitate the information flows associated with the co-alignment model and further work in concert with the model to strengthen the processes of strategy formulation and implementation. Together, the co-alignment model and the IS can be viewed as a Coordination Strategy Framework which also has theoretical underpinning from the review of the literature of strategy, hospitality and tourism, management information system (MIS), computer science (CS), and information science. Because this research topic or its similar kind has not been studied in the field of hospitality and tourism, this study is exploratory in nature. A qualitative research approach adopting a single-case study method was used. Using the co-alignment model as one of its theoretical supports along with other techniques to collect and test the interview data, the study achieved reliability and validity of the research findings. As a major part of the conclusions of this study, the findings are the important considerations for the design of the future IS. They included the seven key issues in five dimensions, eleven recommendations, and ten propositions that explained the relationships among the managerial aspects implicated in the framework implementation, especially the interactions between the future IS and the co-alignment model. Furthermore, as the framework is an integration of a strategy model and an IT application, it also gives a new perspective to the term "strategic IT" that denotes the strategic use of IT. / Ph. D.

Altos investimentos são feitos na área de tecnologia da informação (TI), especialmente em sistemas de gestão empresarial (ERP). Entretanto, tais investimentos não garantem o sucesso do sistema. Estudos indicam que o sucesso de um sistema de informação pode ser avaliado através da satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O tema deste estudo é a satisfação do usuário final e do usuário-chave de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP) como forma de avaliar o sucesso do sistema. O objetivo da pesquisa é medir a satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O método utilizado é a pesquisa Survey, realizada a partir da combinação de dois modelos apresentados pela literatura, um para o usuário final e o outro para o usuário-chave. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas: o estudo piloto e a pesquisa final. O processo de validação e refinamento do instrumento utilizou diferentes técnicas, como: Validade de Face e Conteúdo, Análise de Confiabilidade (Coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach), Análise de Item Total Corrigido (CITC), Análise Fatorial Exploratória Convergente (Teste de Unidimensionalidade) e Discriminante. Foi verificado que as variáveis Acuracidade e Confiabilidade se agruparam em uma única variável (Exatidão). As demais variáveis permaneceram iguais e nenhum item precisou ser excluído. Através da Análise de Regressão, foi possível constatar que existe uma relação entre as variáveis 'Percepção de Sucesso do Sistema’ e ‘Satisfação com o Sistema’. A principal contribuição desta pesquisa tanto para a prática gerencial como para o meio acadêmico e empresarial é a validação de um instrumento de pesquisa adaptado para a realidade brasileira, capaz de medir a satisfação do usuário de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP), através da percepção dos usuários do sistema. / Large investments are made in Information Technology (IT), specially in Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). But such investments are not a success guarantee. Previous researches show that the Information System (IS) success might be evaluated by determining the system users’ satisfaction. The subject of this paper is the ERP end-users’ and key-users’ satisfaction as a mean to evaluate ERP success. The purpose of this research is to measure ERP users’ satisfaction. The method used is a survey, which was based on a combination of two previous models, one about end-users’ and the other about key-users’ satisfaction. The survey was conducted in two steps: pre-test study and final study. The instrument was validated and refined through the use of qualitative and quantitative procedures such as face and content validity, reliability analysis (Cronbach Alfa), corrected item total correlation (CITC), exploratory factor analysis within and among blocks. As a result, the variables Accuracy and Reliability merged into a new variable (Exactness). All other variables remained the same, and none had to be excluded. Through the Regression Analysis it was possible to verify that there is a relationship between ‘System Perceived Success’ and ‘System Satisfaction’. The main academic and managerial contribution of this paper is a research instrument, duly validated and adapted to Brazilian reality, to measure ERP users’ satisfaction.

Altos investimentos são feitos na área de tecnologia da informação (TI), especialmente em sistemas de gestão empresarial (ERP). Entretanto, tais investimentos não garantem o sucesso do sistema. Estudos indicam que o sucesso de um sistema de informação pode ser avaliado através da satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O tema deste estudo é a satisfação do usuário final e do usuário-chave de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP) como forma de avaliar o sucesso do sistema. O objetivo da pesquisa é medir a satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O método utilizado é a pesquisa Survey, realizada a partir da combinação de dois modelos apresentados pela literatura, um para o usuário final e o outro para o usuário-chave. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas: o estudo piloto e a pesquisa final. O processo de validação e refinamento do instrumento utilizou diferentes técnicas, como: Validade de Face e Conteúdo, Análise de Confiabilidade (Coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach), Análise de Item Total Corrigido (CITC), Análise Fatorial Exploratória Convergente (Teste de Unidimensionalidade) e Discriminante. Foi verificado que as variáveis Acuracidade e Confiabilidade se agruparam em uma única variável (Exatidão). As demais variáveis permaneceram iguais e nenhum item precisou ser excluído. Através da Análise de Regressão, foi possível constatar que existe uma relação entre as variáveis 'Percepção de Sucesso do Sistema’ e ‘Satisfação com o Sistema’. A principal contribuição desta pesquisa tanto para a prática gerencial como para o meio acadêmico e empresarial é a validação de um instrumento de pesquisa adaptado para a realidade brasileira, capaz de medir a satisfação do usuário de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP), através da percepção dos usuários do sistema. / Large investments are made in Information Technology (IT), specially in Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). But such investments are not a success guarantee. Previous researches show that the Information System (IS) success might be evaluated by determining the system users’ satisfaction. The subject of this paper is the ERP end-users’ and key-users’ satisfaction as a mean to evaluate ERP success. The purpose of this research is to measure ERP users’ satisfaction. The method used is a survey, which was based on a combination of two previous models, one about end-users’ and the other about key-users’ satisfaction. The survey was conducted in two steps: pre-test study and final study. The instrument was validated and refined through the use of qualitative and quantitative procedures such as face and content validity, reliability analysis (Cronbach Alfa), corrected item total correlation (CITC), exploratory factor analysis within and among blocks. As a result, the variables Accuracy and Reliability merged into a new variable (Exactness). All other variables remained the same, and none had to be excluded. Through the Regression Analysis it was possible to verify that there is a relationship between ‘System Perceived Success’ and ‘System Satisfaction’. The main academic and managerial contribution of this paper is a research instrument, duly validated and adapted to Brazilian reality, to measure ERP users’ satisfaction.

Altos investimentos são feitos na área de tecnologia da informação (TI), especialmente em sistemas de gestão empresarial (ERP). Entretanto, tais investimentos não garantem o sucesso do sistema. Estudos indicam que o sucesso de um sistema de informação pode ser avaliado através da satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O tema deste estudo é a satisfação do usuário final e do usuário-chave de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP) como forma de avaliar o sucesso do sistema. O objetivo da pesquisa é medir a satisfação dos usuários do sistema. O método utilizado é a pesquisa Survey, realizada a partir da combinação de dois modelos apresentados pela literatura, um para o usuário final e o outro para o usuário-chave. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas etapas: o estudo piloto e a pesquisa final. O processo de validação e refinamento do instrumento utilizou diferentes técnicas, como: Validade de Face e Conteúdo, Análise de Confiabilidade (Coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach), Análise de Item Total Corrigido (CITC), Análise Fatorial Exploratória Convergente (Teste de Unidimensionalidade) e Discriminante. Foi verificado que as variáveis Acuracidade e Confiabilidade se agruparam em uma única variável (Exatidão). As demais variáveis permaneceram iguais e nenhum item precisou ser excluído. Através da Análise de Regressão, foi possível constatar que existe uma relação entre as variáveis 'Percepção de Sucesso do Sistema’ e ‘Satisfação com o Sistema’. A principal contribuição desta pesquisa tanto para a prática gerencial como para o meio acadêmico e empresarial é a validação de um instrumento de pesquisa adaptado para a realidade brasileira, capaz de medir a satisfação do usuário de um sistema de gestão empresarial (ERP), através da percepção dos usuários do sistema. / Large investments are made in Information Technology (IT), specially in Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP). But such investments are not a success guarantee. Previous researches show that the Information System (IS) success might be evaluated by determining the system users’ satisfaction. The subject of this paper is the ERP end-users’ and key-users’ satisfaction as a mean to evaluate ERP success. The purpose of this research is to measure ERP users’ satisfaction. The method used is a survey, which was based on a combination of two previous models, one about end-users’ and the other about key-users’ satisfaction. The survey was conducted in two steps: pre-test study and final study. The instrument was validated and refined through the use of qualitative and quantitative procedures such as face and content validity, reliability analysis (Cronbach Alfa), corrected item total correlation (CITC), exploratory factor analysis within and among blocks. As a result, the variables Accuracy and Reliability merged into a new variable (Exactness). All other variables remained the same, and none had to be excluded. Through the Regression Analysis it was possible to verify that there is a relationship between ‘System Perceived Success’ and ‘System Satisfaction’. The main academic and managerial contribution of this paper is a research instrument, duly validated and adapted to Brazilian reality, to measure ERP users’ satisfaction.

Aims/Objectives: The objectives of this thesis were to examine and discuss the existing information and communication technology (ICT) tools used in the healthcare sector for older adults with dementia, the benefits and challenges of using these ICT tools from the perspective of older adults with dementia and their health care providers. Research methods: Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with older adults with dementia and health care providers and managers at a nursing home in Nigeria. All interviews were audio recorded with the consent of the research participants and then transcribed verbatim. All interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis using the deductive approach. The coding scheme used for data analysis was derived from an existing framework called the Human-Organization-Technology fit (HOT) Framework. In addition, existing literature were reviewed on the use of ICT tools by older adults with dementia, their caregivers and their health care providers. Empirical findings: A total of six participants were interviewed for this study: two older adults with dementia, two nurses and two managers (one senior manager and one manager from the medical team). One older adult was 72 years old and was diagnosed with dementia one year ago. The other older adult was 70 years old and was diagnosed with dementia two years ago. The nurses that I interviewed have been working at this nursing home for 3 and 4 years respectively. The mangers that I interviewed have also been working at this nursing home for 3 and 4 years respectively. Two ICT tools are currently being used at this nursing home: 1) a GPS tracker and 2) a device that assists older adults with their daily activities. Eight themes emerged from the interviews: system quality, service quality, user satisfaction (perceived usefulness), system use, user expectation, organization structure, organization environment and net benefits. Conclusion and Future research: This study demonstrated that older adults with dementia and their caregivers (i.e. nurses) perceived the GPS tracker and the ADL assistant as userfriendly and helpful for supporting the daily activities. Most of the existing research on ICT tools used for dementia care have been conducted in North America and Europe. Therefore, there is a need for more research in Africa.

<p>Wind power industry has become the world’s fastest growing renewable energy source. A firm’s information requirements can only be understood by examining their Information System (IS) through Organizational, People, Technical and Strategic perspective.  Current study focuses on the value of Information System implementation for Swedish Wind Power Industry (SWPI) that has reached to more than one billion dollars in recent decade. A well-known integrated IS i.e. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) used by Swedish Wind Power Industry (SWPI) for decision making activities is not without its challenges, that consumes a significant portion of their capital and resources for implementation. Exploratory and explanatory research conducted for triangulation, through quantitative and qualitative methods, with empirical data of survey, multiple case studies, interviews and extensive literature review, to highlight the problems and solutions for implementing ERP in SWPI. Several, IS are highlighted with their functionalities and critical success and failure factors. A Model of Knowledge Sharing in ERP Implementation between system users, top management and project team is proposed for critical factors of ERP implementation.</p> / <p>Vindkraftsindustrin har blivit världens snabbast växande förnybar energikälla. Ett företags krav på information kan endast förstås genom att granska deras informationssystem (IS) med hjälp av Organizational, Människor, tekniska och strategiska perspektiv. Aktuell studie fokuserar på värdet av informationssystem genomförande för svenska vindkraftsindustrin (SWPI) som har nått mer än en miljard dollar under de senaste tio åren. En välkänd integrerad dvs Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) som används av svenska vindkraftsindustrin (SWPI) för beslutsfattande verksamhet som inte är utan dess utmaningar, som förbrukar en betydande del av sitt kapital och resurser för genomförandet. Undersökande och förklarande forskning som bedrivs för triangulering, genom kvantitativa och kvalitativa metoder, med empiriska data av undersökning, flera fallstudier, intervjuer och omfattande litteraturstudie för att belysa problem och lösningar för att genomföra ERP i SWPI. Flera är markeras med sina funktioner och kritiska framgångsfaktorer och faktorer misslyckande. En modell för utbyte av kunskap i ERP genomförande mellan systemanvändare, i högsta ledningen och projektgruppen föreslås för kritiska faktorer av affärssystem genomförandet.</p>

Cette thèse a pour objectif de répondre à la question suivante : Quel est le niveau de prise en compte de la Sécurité des Systèmes d’Information (SSI) par les collectivités territoriales françaises face aux risques numériques ? Ces dernières étant aujourd’hui confrontées à de nouveaux défis qui nécessitent un recours toujours plus important aux nouvelles technologies (administration électronique, e-démocratie, dématérialisation des appels d’offre…), le management de la sécurité des Systèmes d’Information (SI) territoriaux devient un enjeu majeur -bien qu’encore peu étudié- en matière de service public et de protection des données à caractère personnel. Etablie au travers de postures professionnelles successives et dans le cadre d’une approche naturaliste de la décision, notre modélisation théorique tend à mesurer le niveau réel de prise en compte du risque numérique en partant d’hypothèses fondées sur l’influence respective d’un ensemble de caractéristiques propres aux collectivités territoriales. Il se traduit par une enquête de terrain menée directement auprès de responsables territoriaux. Alors que cet enjeu nécessite une prise de conscience, par les décideurs locaux, de la nécessité de protéger les données qui leur sont confiés, il s’avère que ceux-ci n’ont, au mieux, qu’une connaissance très imparfaite des enjeux et des risques inhérents à la sécurisation d’un SI ainsi que de l’ensemble des menaces, directes ou indirectes, susceptibles de compromettre leur bonne utilisation. Une solution potentielle pourrait résider, simultanément à de la mise en place de procédures adaptées à l’échelon de chaque collectivité, par la définition d’une politique publique spécifique. / This doctoral thesis aims at answering a key question: what is the level of consideration given to Information Systems Security (ISS) by the French local authorities (LAs)? The latter are now facing new challenges that require an ever-increasing use of new technologies (e-government, e-democracy, dematerialization of call for tenders...). The under-researched territorial IT risk becomes a major issue in the sphere of public services and the protection of personal data. Theoretically based and constructed through successive professional positions, our theoretical model helps measure the actual level of inclusion of digital risk taking into account the respective influence of a set of characteristics of local authorities. A field survey was conducted with the close collaboration of representatives of LAs.While numerical risk requires a high level awareness by LA decision makers, it appears that they have a very imperfect knowledge of IT security related risks as well as of direct or indirect threats that may jeopardize their management systems. A potential solution lies with the definition of a specific public policy and with the implementation of appropriate procedures at the level of each community.