Magister Economicae - MEcon / The 21st century marked the beginning of an era in which countries became increasingly dependent on information and communication technology (ICT). Technological change has not only become one of the key contributors to economic growth, it is also regarded as an essential element to enhance the general welfare of society (Hu, 2006). Not surprisingly, even governments of developing countries undertake various activities aimed at internalising the positive external impact of technological innovation in order to enhance the development of knowledge-based economies. Examples are the provision of basic information services, such as telephone- and internet services as well as distance learning technologies to make education more generally accessible. Another instrument that recently gained worldwide interest is the development of science parks, also known as information technology (IT) parks, techno parks or cyber parks. The rationale is to promote technological change, regional and/or urban development and to facilitate the diffusion of knowledge and technology through the establishment of knowledge networks. In 2004 there were approximately 600 science parks in the world, 70 percent of which were situated in the United States of America, Europe and Asia, but there is a growing trend towards its establishment in developing countries. However, the financing of such mega-projects in developing countries is especially problematic. A science park can be provided as a pure public project or pure private or through public-private partnerships (PPPs). Pure public financing is usually found in countries that have strong public sectors, such as China and India. On the other hand, in countries with well-developed private sectors they are mostly privately financed. In the case of most developing countries, private sectors are generally not developed enough and the public sectors cannot afford to finance projects of such a nature on a sustainable basis. These countries have no other option but to investigate the possibility of some other variation of a public-private-partnership (PPP) model.The Mozambican government acknowledges the urgency to enhance the development of a knowledge based economy and regards the establishment of a science park as a necessary policy intervention to provide the institutional basis for the diffusion of technological and communication innovation. As a result the country launched its first science park, to be developed in different stages, in 2008. But the real challenge for Mozambique lies in the financing of the park. It was estimated that only the first phase will require about 25 million USD. These funds were secured from the Indian government in the form of a loan. However, the government of Mozambique relies to a large extent on foreign aid to balance the national budget and there are no surplus funds to secure the sustainability of a project of such magnitude. This study firstly explored the economic rationale behind the establishment of a knowledgebased economy and the development of ICT. It then focused on science parks as institutions to secure the diffusion of technological innovation in Mozambique and also on empirical evidence from countries that have benefited greatly from investment in science park projects. The study also investigated the possibility to use a PPP-type of project to finance the science park in Mozambique and pointed out very important determinants for the successful implementation of PPP-projects. The study showed that the government of Mozambique is serious in its efforts to develop a knowledge-based economy although many projects are still in their 'infant' stages. It is strongly recommended that policy makers in Mozambique should study the outcomes of empirical research on various science parks projects in other developing countries. The study shows that Brazil seems to be successful in its use of a PPP for the country's science parks. Policy makers should also pay careful attention to other PPP-projects in Mozambique. Although they are mostly used for infrastructural projects, some failed, while others seem to be functioning efficiently and important lessons can be derived.

Magister Educationis - MEd / Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), through the use of iPads in English Home Language in the Intermediate Phase, with a special focus on Grade six, at one primary school in the Western Cape. Through the lens of the Sociocultural and Constructivist theories, the study investigated how iPads were used for language and literacy development in the Grade six classroom where English was the main medium of instruction. The study was purely a qualitative single case study involving one teacher and one class of 28 learners at a well-resourced former-white school in Cape Town. Data was collected through classroom observations and interviews. The interviews were conducted with six selected learners, one Grade six teacher, the Head of Department (HOD) and the Principal. The analysis of the transcribed interviews, video recordings and documents was done through the Atlast.Ti 7 software package. The findings of the study show that Grade six learners had good access to ICTs, and had no difficulties in using iPads for language and literacy learning. Their competence was associated with their high socio-economic backgrounds as most of them were from middle class families. The findings also indicated that teacher disposition had a positive impact on ICT implementation in the English lessons. Another interesting finding was that while the school had successfully adopted ICT as a teaching and learning resource, the Grade six teacher’s pedagogical strategies did not enhance learners’ comprehension of certain language (English) aspects such as grammar because there was no special training for integrating ICTs in language teaching. Overall, the results showed that the iPad is an extremely potential tool for literacy development and it encourages not only learners’ active engagement and collaboration as directed by the teacher, but also learner initiated engagement and collaboration. The study concludes that while many well-resourced schools seem to do well with regard to access to ICT and its integration in teaching and learning, technology cannot completely replace the role of the teacher in the classroom. There is a need for teacher development to enhance their own understanding of ICTs and how to use it for effective language and literacy teaching and learning.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / A phenomenological philosophy underlies this research study which attempts to understand clinicians’ perception and understanding of an electronic patient record (EPR) system currently operational at a hospital in the Western Cape Province in South Africa (SA). Healthcare is a human right, thus patient records contain critical data and mostly paper-based in many SA hospitals. Clinicians are the EPR primary users and their attitude in its use is important for its success. This study explores, identifies and determines clinicians’ cognitive attributes towards EPR with a technology use framework developed. An initial quantitative approach was applied but unsuccessful due to low sample size. A pilot study was then conducted using 11 respondents. Purposive sampling was first initiated then snowball introduced later to improve the sample size qualitatively. Interviews were administered to 15 clinicians and tape recorded. Narrative content analysis was used as the preferred analysis technique because of the advantage of gaining direct information from study participants, unobtrusive and a nonreactive way to study the phenomenon of interest. Research findings tested 12 propositions and found high impact relationships between attitude (ATT) and each listed theme namely: perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), complexity (COM), facilitating condition (FC), use behaviour (USE). Use behaviour had high impact relationships with storage (STO) and retrieval (RET). There were moderate impact relationships between PU and USE; PEOU and PU; RA and ATT; job fit (JF) and ATT; USE and share (SHA). The implication here is that any EPR system to be implemented should be tested using this framework to ascertain its usefulness and fit with a hospital's objectives and users expectations. By so doing, anticipated problems can be mitigated against and resolved before implementation. The study contributes to the information system (IS) body of knowledge through the technology use framework. The framework is for adoption by hospital management and its use by clinicians where EPR is operational. Traditional IS frameworks can be adopted for hospitals about to implement EPR because of the relevance of the "intent to use" theme.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has grown exponentially in the recent past and has become one of the most important measures of globalisation. Today, Information and communication technologies (ICT) are viewed as one of the necessary conditions for the globalisation of business activities. ICT is also seen as a general purpose utility in many developed countries. Additionally, in many developing and so called emerging economies, there have been significant investments in ICT. Very recent studies show that the adoption and investment in ICT leads to economic growth and productivity gains at a macro-level. However, the link between ICT and FDI needs further exploration, especially in least developed and developing countries. This study aims to shed more light on internal factors that might explain the behaviour of FDI in emerging and developing economies and to understand if ICT capabilities of economies play a significant factor in foreign direct investments. The results from the study show that there is indeed a relationship between ICT and FDI in developing and developed countries; however, this relationship is not significant in least developed countries. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The shift in the strategic role that knowledge plays in business is forcing business managers to actively participate in, if not lead, knowledge management for decision making. Unfortunately there are not enough generic models or even guidelines for incorporating the management of knowledge into business and especially business strategy formulation. This leads to business managers considering knowledge management as being separate from business, leading to an inability to align knowledge management goals with corporate goals. The goal of the study was therefore to investigate the interdependency between knowledge, knowledge management and business from a managerial/strategic perspective rather than from a technological perspective. This was done to supply practitioners and managers with guidelines for successful institutionalization and management of knowledge. In order to achieve this goal, research focused on the following objectives: <ul> <li>Heightening awareness of the critical role knowledge plays as a strategic corporate resource.</li> <li>Determining the issues/models/methods and perspectives available, to guide strategists in the quest to efficiently and effectively manage knowledge, within a strategic/managerial perspective.</li> <li>The progression of knowledge management maturity from a strategic/managerial perspective.</li> <li>Knowledge management’s performance in relation to the objectives and measures that determine the overall efficiency and effectiveness of an organization.</li> <li>Formulation of guidelines (a knowledge management maturity questionnaire) to aid practitioners and strategists to successfully assess knowledge management maturity.</li> </ul> Finally, to expand the research beyond purely theoretical and/or academic value, i.e. to validate all propositions made in the scholarly review as being valid and applicable in a real world scenario, the knowledge management maturity questionnaire was tested in South African industry. Although not directly supportive of the aim, the knowledge gained from conducting research in industry supply knowledge management practitioners with a baseline of data to benchmark knowledge management maturity upon. The thesis therefore concludes with a summary of the main findings of the knowledge management maturity in 86 South African-based organizations. In focusing on the evolution of strategy, it was determined that knowledge has played an enabling role in the formulation of strategies. It was proposed that the evolution of strategy will continue not by replacing previous notions, but rather by building knowledgeably upon previous thought. The proposition was made that in order to set the stage for the successful institutionalization of knowledge management, organizations should decide upon issues that are proven to lead to the implementation of a knowledge management culture. In order to ensure uniformity in the institutionalizing of these issues, it was proposed that not only should issues be encapsulated within policy, but also that the strategic management process be used to determine the priority of issues. In placing knowledge management issues, policies and strategies in a chronological order, a new maturity model was formulated to reflect the progression of knowledge management endeavours from within a strategic/managerial perspective. Differences in opinion with regard to innovation’s role as measurement criteria for knowledge management were also critically reviewed. It was found that although numerous authors support a link between knowledge management and innovation, empirical evidence is not supportive. It was argued that the link between knowledge management and innovation is blurred, primarily due to the interdependency between knowledge, strategy and knowledge management. Owing to the complex nature of managing knowledge as a strategic enabler, the argument was proposed that the sum of the input will not equal the output. It was therefore proposed that knowledge management enables strategists to formulate winning strategies. The key to determining the value of knowledge management therefore lies in the extent knowledgeable reasoning leads to organisational growth, profitability and sustainability and not purely within the amount of innovation it sparks. As mentioned earlier, building on the inductive reasoning followed in the literature review, a questionnaire of six sections, constituting 101 descriptive questions, was developed and used to empirically test the knowledge management maturity of 86 South African-based organizations. With regard to the level of knowledge management maturity reached it was found that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Information Management (IM) are fairly well institutionalised within South African industry. A large number of South African organizations still consider ICT, and especially, IM to be knowledge management. Most organizations understand the concepts and issues surrounding knowledge management. Organizations agree on the benefits of knowledge management. Findings also indicated that there are differences between the scores forwarded for small, medium, large and extra-large organizations. Also, it was found that there are significant differences between the score by the different managerial levels present within organizations. Organizations in general struggle with the successful institutionalization of formal knowledge management endeavours beyond their borders. Not only is there a strong indication that middle management (supported by senior management) hold the key to successful implementation and diffusion of knowledge management, but knowledge management maturity achievements seem to be more dependent on a deliberate, conscious and calculated managerial effort, than on factors such as organizational size, the industry competing within, number of managerial levels present and resources available such as ICT. The study not only commented on the knowledge management maturity of the 86 South African-based organizations, but also identifies the extent of maturity in South African organizations and industry groupings. It was found those organizations in the construction, building materials and mining sectors, banks and insurance, consulting, auditing, and service delivery and consumer goods and utilities were the leaders regarding knowledge management maturity. Score differences between groupings could mainly be attributed to the consistency of achievement over maturity. It was noted that sector leaders achieved higher than average scores in maturity sections, and in particular regarding the management of ICT and information, the formulation of knowledge management issues, plus policy and strategy. / Thesis (PhD(IT))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Informatics / unrestricted

Integrated project delivery (IPD) method has recently emerged as an alternative to traditional delivery methods. It has the potential to overcome inefficiencies of traditional delivery methods by enhancing collaboration among project participants. Information and communication technology (ICT) facilitates IPD by effective management, processing and communication of information within and among organizations. While the benefits of IPD, and the role of ICT in realizing them, have been generally acknowledged, the US public construction sector is very slow in adopting IPD. The reasons are - lack of experience and inadequate understanding of IPD in public owner as confirmed by the results of the questionnaire survey conducted under this research study. The public construction sector should be aware of the value of IPD and should know the essentials for effective implementation of IPD principles - especially, they should be cognizant of the opportunities offered by advancements in ICT to realize this. In order to address the need an IPD Readiness Assessment Model (IPD-RAM) was developed in this research study. The model was designed with a goal to determine IPD readiness of a public owner organization considering selected IPD principles, and ICT levels, at which project functions were carried out. Subsequent analysis led to identification of possible improvements in ICTs that have the potential to increase IPD readiness scores. Termed as the gap identification, this process was used to formulate improvement strategies. The model had been applied to six Florida International University (FIU) construction projects (case studies). The results showed that the IPD readiness of the organization was considerably low and several project functions can be improved by using higher and/or advanced level ICT tools and methods. Feedbacks from a focus group comprised of FIU officials and an independent group of experts had been received at various stages of this research and had been utilized during development and implementation of the model. Focus group input was also helpful for validation of the model and its results. It was hoped that the model developed would be useful to construction owner organizations in order to assess their IPD readiness and to identify appropriate ICT improvement strategies.

A sector affected by a constant rate of organizational growth is the healthcare sector. Consequently, the increased demand for healthcare services underline the importance to have a well-functioning organizational control that pushes towards continuous improvements to enhance the quality of care. This requires high standards regarding the formulation of objectives that are shared by the workforce and efficiently integrated into the organizations day-to-day operations, with the help of technological solutions.The purpose of this study was to investigate how the organizational control in the healthcare sector could be improved, in order to enhance the work towards the achievement of the objectives among the employees. To achieve the purpose, the research was conducted as a case study at the infectious disease department at Danderyds University Hospital, where the findings were derived from both qualitative and quantitative methods. To address the department’s objective areas, interviews with representatives from the management were conducted. A questionnaire was then distributed to gain insight in how the department’s operational activities are anchored, in relation to the employees’ respective profession.The findings showed a considerable gap between the employees’ awareness and their understanding of the objective areas, resulting in a misalignment of how each profession contributes towards the achievement of the objectives in their day-to-day operations. By analyzing the findings in relation to the selected theory of organizational control and change management, four improvement measures were identified: (1) visibility of the effects and outcomes of goal fulfilment, (2) establishment of incentives in relation to goal fulfilment, (3) formulation of well-defined internal key performance indicators related to each objective and (4) providing continuous feedback regarding the progress of each objective area. These areas need to be integrated into the department’s current information technology system in order to further streamline their operational work in reaching objectives. With the help of a strong coalition to initiate the change, the improvement areas can be found to affect the employees’ understanding and attitude toward the fulfilment of the objectives in the healthcare sector.

Colombia has some 2.5 million emigrants (KNOMAD 2016), many of whom likely experience diaspora as a state of mind and transnationalism as a feature of their familial interactions. Storytelling constitutes an intersection at which individuals and families create and recreate themselves. Today, much of this process is mediated via information and communication technologies (ICTs). Hence, the central question guiding the thesis is: How do ICTs catalyze and constrain storytelling within transnational families? Drawing from information gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews with six Colombian families with members who immigrated to Canada from Colombia, this thesis investigates the technologically mediated familial interactions and storytelling of 12 adult Colombians residing in Montreal, and six of their respective family members who remain in Colombia. The participants report that prior to migrating their familial stories were mainly oral and occurred in very warm face-to-face situations whereas after migrating their family narratives and stories are being altered in various ways through the presence, interactive, and multimodal affordances ICTs provide.

With the increasingly salient role of business in development, the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) approach is sparking great interest in multinational corporations, donor agencies, and academic circles. The BOP proposition holds that profit-generating enterprise-based ventures – typically led by multinational corporations – can reduce poverty and improve the standard of living by offering goods and services to the poor or integrating them in the value chain. BOP as a development strategy is predicated on the “inclusion” of the poor into market to enable them to reap the benefits of greater wealth and prosperity. This thesis critically investigates to what extent BOP interventions contribute to the social inclusion of marginalized groups in developing countries like Bangladesh. The thesis analyzes the case of public access information and communication technologies (ICTs) venues such as telecentres. Such venues provide access to ICTs such as Internet that enable people to access, use and share information and knowledge at an unprecedented level, offering great potential for socio-economic development. Overall, the thesis reveals the limitations in the BOP approach in contributing to inclusion, by showing the contradictions between the economic logic of business and the social imperative of inclusion. Through focusing on a broader view of inclusion, the findings highlight the complex relationship between digital inclusion and social inclusion in developing countries. In particular, the thesis problematizes the notion of “inclusive business”, which, by aiming to integrate the poor as consumers and women as entrepreneurs, serves the purpose of extending the reach of business. Thus inclusive business is rather different from a view of inclusion towards meaningfully contributing to one’s social and economic advancement. The thesis also argues that the various dimensions of inclusion are highly contingent on the business strategies and motivations of corporations as well as meso-level organizational formations. The analysis of corporate strategies uncovers how revenue making considerations are driving BOP interventions at the cost of accountability towards their stakeholders. By interrogating some of the issues silent in the discussions on business and development, such as inequality and exclusion, the work provides a counter narrative to the BOP discourse, raising questions about the uncritical repositioning of business as a development agent.

Knowledge is one of the most central driving forces in today’s economy. Thus, organizations need to recognize knowledge as a valuable resource and develop tools for tapping into the collective intelligence and create a greater organizational knowledge base. However, to stay competitive on today’s global marketplace actors must collaborate and share knowledge across organizational boundaries. Companies must therefore consider barriers to knowledge sharing. While the importance of knowledge sharing across organizational boundaries has been highlighted, researchers emphasize that an interesting factor to examine in further research is the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to mitigate barriers for knowledge sharing. The purpose with this study is to explore in what way ICT may be used to mitigate barriers for knowledge sharing between individual forest landowners and forest companies within the Swedish forest industry. The study is divided into two research questions: (1) What critical barriers for knowledge sharing exist between individual forest landowners and forest companies within the Swedish forest industry? and (2) In what way may ICT be used to mitigate barriers for knowledge sharing between individual forest landowners and forest companies. To answer the research questions, a multiple case study consisting of 23 interviews was conducted with forest consultants, forest landowners and forest companies. In addition to prior literature regarding individual, organizational and technology barriers, our study emphasize that firms also must consider inter-organizational barriers to knowledge sharing. By mapping the most critical barriers according to individual forest landowners and forest companies, our study assess in what way ICT may be used to mitigate these barriers. In addition, the study contributes with an emerging framework for managers to visualize and prioritize barriers to mitigate, which is useful when planning and evaluating knowledge management activities.