Thesis (Ph.D. (Information Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / This research report serves as an empirical investigation into the utilization of information technology to support information and knowledge management in law firms, as well as an attempt to design an information and knowledge management model for law firms. Members of the legal profession attached to law firms in the Polokwane City were investigated to find out how optimally they utilize information and communication technologies to support information and knowledge management in their daily operations. The research indicated that there are several ways in which information technology could be used to support the creation, organization, and transfer of information and knowledge in law firms, for the benefit of both lawyers and their clients . In order to provide for an empirical basis for this research, a survey research method, through the use of the questionnaires and interviews, was conducted, followed by a detailed content analysis of law firm websites. An in-depth literature review on the utilization of information technology to support information and knowledge management in law firms was also carried out to determine the findings of other studies that have been conducted elsewhere on the current topic. The results of this research showed that lawyers attached to law firms in the city of Polokwane appear to be non-users of information technology in as far as information and knowledge management is concerned. Most of the members of the law firms in the city seem to be utilizing information technology for basic purposes such as word processing, legal research, client billing, and communication through the e-mail. Other information and knowledge management tools, such as intranets, extranets and web portals, appear not to be utilized by most of the law firms in the city. Based on the findings of this research project, an information and knowledge network model, in a form of Wireless Local Area Network for the law firms in the Polokwane City, is proposed. This network could be utilized by law firms operating in the city to deposit, organize, retrieve, and share information and knowledge collaboratively through the use of information technology. Factors that should be taken into consideration in attempting to implement the proposed model are also discussed. At the end of the research report, some recommendations on encouraging lawyers to utilize information technology optimally are provided, together with recommendations for future research.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / The requirement for appropriate information management and usage is critical in any modern day organisation. Without proper information structures and management, organisations may be affected badly in terms of sustained growth and competition. Social factors affecting information usage and management are seldom seen as needing proper attention and, therefore often neglected. Due to this obliviousness, organisations may subsequently suffer serious losses economically, without the awareness of the casual factors. To this point, this study explored the social factors that may influence the use and management of organisational information. The study analysed the organisational structure, actions, processes, operations and role of information users and managers, in a financial organisation.

M. Tech. Business Information Systems / Information technology (IT) rapidity, and the pervasive implementation of new technologies in the education system, has tremendously improved the way teaching and learning is conducted. Institutions are being reshaped by the rapid provision of education services anytime, anywhere regardless of the constraint of space and geographical boundaries. This has enhanced collaboration among educators as well as their learners by sharing and disseminating of knowledge. However, this sharing of knowledge is still limited as educators have not fully exploited IT to share knowledge. The major objective of this study was to develop a framework for utilizing IT to enhance knowledge sharing for mathematics and science teachers.

M. Tech. Business Administration (MBA) / Information technology (IT) services have become strategic to business. Complex IT environments are usually managed according to a service management framework of which the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is the de facto standard. Due to a lack of studies on service quality and the Information Technology Infrastructure Library in South Africa, this research was focused on how service quality is perceived by the business after the adoption of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library. The purposes of this research were: to identify which dimensions of service quality contributed most significantly to the service quality gap; to determine what the perceptions of service quality were after the implementation of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library; and how the opinions of service quality differ between the Information technology division and the business.

The world economy and industry in turn is driven by technology and innovation at a rapid rate. Worldwide, the information technology (IT) industry is volatile in terms of turnover intentions of IT professionals The unemployment level in South Africa is high according to global standards. The option of contracting as an IT consultant or self-employment is a form of an alternate employment arrangement. This arrangement will benefit the unemployed in South Africa if they choose to skill themselves and pursue a career in self-employment in the IT industry. There are internal and external employment factors that affect an IT professional’s employment arrangement. Moore’s (2000) information technology employee turnover model was adapted as a basis for this research. An external factor, entrepreneurship (self-employment) was introduced to Moore’s model. This research also tests Moore’s (2000) model for its internal factors. The following factors, role ambiguity, role conflict, autonomy, perceived workload, fairness of reward, work exhaustion and entrepreneurship were formulated in the hypotheses to determine which of these factors influences self-employment in IT professionals. Information technology professionals based in Durban were the target respondents in the City of Durban. The survey questionnaire was emailed to respondents using Questionpro. The sample data was based on 123 respondents who completed the survey. The data was then validated for internal consistency using Cronbach alpha ratio generated by the SPSS (version 19.0) software tool. The quantitative research design was chosen. Frequency tables and Pearson’s bivariate correlation coefficient statistics was used in the data analysis phase. The research objective was achieved successfully and the following factors were determined, they are role ambiguity, role conflict, autonomy, work exhaustion and entrepreneurship. The IT industry is volatile with IT professionals constantly re-skilling themselves to be on par with changing technology and innovation that make them very competent and competitive as a result, these IT professionals create a market for self-employment. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree in Masters of Technology in Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Background The rapid growth in information and communication technology (ICT) in the 21st century has impacted all spheres of human activity, including the health sector. The change introduced by ICT requires educational institutions to relook at the way in which they develop and implement their education programmes. In contemporary clinical practice environments, ICT skills are providing benefits for nurses as well as for the patients they care for. Aim The aim of the study was to investigate the status of usage of ICT by academic staff, students and administrators within campuses of the KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing which consists of 11 main campuses and 14 sub-campuses. Methodology A quantitative, cross sectional study was conducted which included academic staff, administrative staff, and students (R425 and R212) of the KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing. A random sample of 576 individuals participated in the study consisting of academic staff (176); administrative staff (30) and students (340). Participants completed a questionnaire that established their demographic data and ICT usage. Results The questionnaire response rate was academic staff (80%), students (89%) and administrative staff (93%). The findings showed that while respondents were able to manage work related activities; they experienced poor access to computer training with 66% indicating they had access to computer training. The access to computer training for the administrative staff was 50%, with 8% of rural and 1% of urban students having access to training. The majority of academic staff have access to desktop computers with there still being a divide in terms of rural access as compared to urban access p=0.24. Significantly more administrative staff had access to desktop computers than those who do not p<.0005. The access to desktop computers for students was low, with 22% of respondents in both rural and urban campuses indicating that they have access. Access to the internet was low for all respondent groups with a significant difference between those who have access compared to those who do not have access p=<.0005, for both the academic and student groups. There is a low use of ICT for the purposes of teaching and learning with the majority of respondents (60%) indicating that they do not use ICT for teaching compared to those who do p=.0007. All respondent groups have experienced poor ICT support with the majority indicating that they do not receive ICT support p=<.0005. The usage of the online library was low for all groups, with 61% of academic staff, not accessing the online library for reasons of access, or knowledge about the library, 23% of urban students and 20% of rural students have indicated ever using the online library. Conclusion The study highlights the need for the KZNCN to be on par with higher education institutions globally in access to and usage of ICT. Benchmarking with higher education institutions in the health and other sectors is essential, in order for the KZNCN to benefit from the trend in incorporating technology into the teaching and learning process. Strong collaboration is necessary between the KZNCN as an academic institution and clinical health facilities to ensure that the developments in ICT within both sectors are reflected in the teaching and learning process, so that graduating nurses are able to function effectively. Clear policy documents and guidelines are required for the KZNCN which reflect the norms required for both ICT equipment and systems to enable functioning of the institution within an increasingly technological environment.

No description available.

Thesis (MTech (Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008. / When prospective students decide to register at a university, their first encounter with university life will be the Registration Department. Should the process be inefficient without much regard for the personal wellbeing of the prospective student, it will leave a lasting impression on the student, and more often than not serve as an indication of the manner in which he or she would be treated in the future at the university. With the need for the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to attract top grade students, the institution needs to improve their registration process. This study attempts to measure students and staff attitudes and perception of the registration process, explore the different processes involved during registration and application, and investigate the different technologies available to improve these processes. This research attempts furthermore to determine what processes could be put into place to assure that Academics and the Administration Department works together to achieve a mutually beneficial database that could be used to the benefit of the students and the institution alike. This database should be accessed from any computer on the different campuses and be user friendly, to maximise the efficiency and throughput.

Pressure is on organisations the world over to report to their stakeholders, not only on their economic performance, but also on their environmental and social performance. In South Africa the King II code of corporate governance provides the guidance and impetus for this integrated “triple bottom line” sustainability reporting. The ICT sector in South Africa has been cited as lagging behind other sectors with regards to sustainability reporting, particularly in environmental sustainability reporting. Many ICT organisations would appear to be using their office and service based existence as reasons for having little or no impact on the environment. The study of the impacts of ICT on environmental sustainability in this research suggests that this is not necessarily the case. An assessment tool based on the internationally recognised Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines was developed in this research to investigate the level of environmental sustainability reporting in the South African ICT sector. The investigation showed the level of environmental sustainability reporting in the sector’s 2005 annual reports to be low. To get an indication of the level of reporting in more developed countries, a small sample of international ICT and service organisations was assessed using the tool, which showed significantly higher levels of environmental sustainability reporting. A set of ICT specific environmental sustainability performance indicators are proposed to enhance and encourage more significant levels of environmental sustainability reporting in South Africa.

The advent of the 21st Century has seen a number of technological developments which affect almost every spectrum or aspect of our lives. Castells (2001) likens the power of ICT to the impact that access to electricity and clean running water in a community have had on human development. In the field of educational, information and communication technology (ICT) has become a core part in helping to improve the efficiency and productivity of both teaching and learning of any particular subject (Fallows and Bhanot, 2002).The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent ICT had enhanced learning at Pearson High School in the Summerstrand area of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM). The results of the study were compared with similar studies in other schools in NMBM conducted at the same time. The study was qualitative and methods of data collection used were key informant interviews and focus group discussions.