Globalisation and technology change have created a new global economy fuelled by information and driven by knowledge. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been touted as potential powerful tools for enabling educational change and reform. Namibia is among those countries that have adopted the use of ICTs as a vehicle for change. This thesis explores the role of school principals in promoting and managing computer usage in selected schools in Namibia. The study was conducted at four schools in the Caprivi Region. The study employed a qualitative case study to collect and analyse data. A total of four school principals and four computer coordinators were interviewed, and responded to questions pertaining to the role of principals in the following areas: acquiring ICT equipment; providing access to the computer labs; promoting the use of computers; maintaining computers; capacity-building of teachers, and addressing challenges that could prevent computer usage. Two focus group interviews were also conducted at two schools, to find out what they perceived to be the role of school principals in supporting and ensuring the effective use of computers in schools. The findings on acquisition of computers reveal that principals were often the initiators of the acquisition process. Ministerial deployment is the most common form of acquisition, followed by the use of the school’s development fund to purchase administrative computers. Only one of the participating schools did not acquire its computers through Ministerial deployment. Some schools were more resourced than others. Availability and maintenance of equipment depended on the kind of school (advantaged or disadvantaged) and the way the computers were acquired rather than on the role of the principal. Schools that acquired their computers through the ministerial deployment received satisfactory technical support from the ministry while schools that acquired their computers through other sources had to rely more heavily on the principal to pro-actively seek support. School principals that demonstrated the qualities of transformational leadership promoted the usage of computers by taking part in training offered to teachers and encouraged teachers on different platforms to make use of computers. The study also found that schools in which principals actively supported and promoted the use of computers were successful in the usage of the computer labs, while in schools where principals left the running of the computer lab to an individual teacher, the usage was minimal. It was found that a number of challenges are hampering the usage. These include lack of internet connectivity, qualified personnel to cascade training, and minimum infrastructure. The study recommends that school principals should adopt trategies that encourage teachers to use computers in their daily routines. It also makes suggestions for further research on the impact of school culture on ICT integration.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / Understanding the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the Namibian's health sector is important in the global information society It is not clear how ICT is being deployed to support the delivery of health services to the Namibian patients. Health service providers (HSP) in both private and pUblic health sector must be aware of ICT use patterns because this may influence how they deliver services to their patients in the future. This study thus seeks to investigate how ICT have been used in the delivery of health services to patients in the Khomas and Oshana regions of Namibia. Based on the literature review and data collected from the HSP and patients, a 'generic' health service delivery landscape for Namibia was developed and regional landscapes for the Khomas and Oshana regions were further derived from it. The landscapes depicted health service provision to patients in the different health sectors in Namibia. After mapping the health landscapes primary data was collected from the health service providers (HSP) in private, mission and public health institutions using a questionnaire A second structured questionnaire was administered on the patients A total of 21 and 134 HSP patients respectively, responded to the survey questionnaire. Results from the descriptive analysis indicate a relatively high ICT use by both HSP and patients.

The integration of Information Communication Technology (ICT) into contemporary society and business operations is observed as a clear reality in Namibia. While Namibia faces one of the typical hurdles of developing nations, lack of a skilled knowledge workforce, literature presents a contrasting face of ICT investment in the country, in particular the financial services sector. This sector is considered a critical sector in the Namibian economy, embracing global trends while boasting world class ICT infrastructure. This is despite the sector struggling with a shortage of expertise. The situation in Namibia’s financial sector thus warrants a critical review of knowledge development practices as research shows. As literature explains, the financial institutions in Namibia are dependent on expertise from parent companies in the South African financial sector. The result is a need to identify means to develop the knowledge of Namibia’s workforce in the banking sector. Although there is evidence from literature to suggest that ICT can be used to create a skilled and knowledge based workforce mainly due to the promise of cost savings, and convenience, there exists a critical gap in literature on the adoption of ICT for knowledge development in the Namibian financial sector. This gap in knowledge as well as the high investment in ICTs in the banking sector pose a problem that the research aimed to address. This study explored the adoption of ICTs for knowledge development activities in the banking sector of Namibia identifying the perceptions and factors influencing its adoption for knowledge development purposes. Although adoption of ICT is influenced by various factors, this study focused on a specific factor, namely the impact of perceptions on ICT adoption. ICT adoption models such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) or the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) and more recently the Unified Theory of Adoption and Use of Technology (UTAUT) argue that the perceptions of users are fundamental determinants for the adoption of the ICT. Driving, thus, the need to understand the views of users of the ICTs in banks in order to understand the potential it may yield in knowledge development. The study adopts the Activity Theory (AT) as the means to uncover and clearly interpret the perceptions of banking staff, through its theoretic underpinnings of naturalistic investigation and beliefs of “intentional human-action”. This study thus set out to explore the perceptions of banking staff on the use of ICTs in knowledge development and identify the critical factors in their adoption of ICTs in the process. Drawing from the Activity Theory the investigation used a multi-case qualitative study that used semi-structured interviews that were administered on twenty-three respondents from three of the biggest banks in Namibia (cases). The respondents comprised of managerial and nonmanagerial staff with the three cases chosen based on their ties with South African banks. The findings show that all three Namibian banks have advanced ICT infrastructure which they have managed to adopt for knowledge development purposes. The Management of the banks in all three cases were of the belief that the use of ICT supports knowledge development. Nonmanagerial bank staff in all three cases likewise have a positive perception about the use of ICT for knowledge development purposes. However, key concerns about the development of ICT driven knowledge development initiatives which could affect adoption of the ICTs were expressed by the non-managerial staff. These included, management support, consultation in the development phase of the knowledge development initiatives, integration of knowledge development strategies into the staff processes and increasing awareness activities among the staff. The recommendations indicate a need for the institutions to drive knowledge management in general in the institution, which will in turn help foster knowledge development initiatives fully. Another recommendation concerning the design of knowledge development initiatives is the need to involve the targeted staff more fully. Yet another strong recommendation was the need to blend knowledge development initiatives into the work processes of staff and ensure active support by management. / Computing / M.A. (Computing)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The incumbent needs for business excellence has placed demands on seamless relations between the IT organization and the business. This is a relationship that can never be left to chance. Hence, the objectives of this research were to assess whether the information technology strategy is aligned to the business strategy of the Government Institutions Pension Fund in Namibia and to ascertain how to narrow the gap between IT and business strategies at GIPF. This research has utilized a questionnaire as the main data source. The questionnaire had a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient = 0.956, signaling a great internal consistency for the 33 questions of the survey instrument. The survey was performed on a random sample size limited to n=35, which indicates that the results may not be conclusive. The research revealed that the needs of the business should take pre-eminence in the alignment initiative and that IT implementations should be aimed at achieving those needs. However, there are times when IT needs to drive the business agenda in order to champion new opportunities and stimulate new efficiencies. In conclusion, it was established that the credibility of the IT organization, the management of demand for services and the relationship between IT and business executives are central to the quest for alignment. Proper consideration of these issues should be maintained to enable the use of IT for the benefit of business strategy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die huidige behoeftes vir besigheids-uitnemendheid het hoe vereistes geplaas op 'n geoliede en foutloose verhouding tussen inligtingstegnologie (IT) en die besigheid. Daar kan nie aanvaar word dat hierdie verhouding vanself sal ontwikkel nie. Die doelwitte van hierdie navorsing is juis om vas te stel of die GIPF van Namibie se inligtingstegnologie strategie in Iyn is met die besigheidsstrategie en om te bepaal hoe hierdie gaping nouer gemaak kan word. Die navorsing het gebruik gemaak van 'n vraelys as die hoof bron van data. Die vraelys het 'n Cronbach alpha betrouebare koeffisient van 0.956, wat aandui dat daar groot interne konsekwentheid is vir die 33 vrae van die ondersoek instrument. Die ondersoek was gedoen op 'n willekeurige toetsgrootte waar n=35 wat mag aandui dat die resultate nie bepalend is nie. Die navorsing toon dat die behoeftes van die besigheid prominensie moet neem in die belynings inisiatief en dat IT implementering daarop gemik moet wees om hierdie doelwitte te bereik. Maar, daar is kere waar die inligtingstegnologie se behoetes die dryfveer vir die besigheidsagenda moet wees om nuwe geleenthede te ondersoek en om nuwe bekwaamhede te stimuleer. Ter samevatting, is dit vasgestel dat die aanneemlikheid van die IT organisasie, die bestuur van die vraag na dienste en die verhouding tussen IT en die besigheids bestuur sentraal is vir die soeke na 'n verhouding wat volkome in Iyn is. Daar moet deurlopend deeglik aandag aan hierdie aspekte geskenk word om te verseker dat IT gebruik word ter ondersteuning van die besigheidstrategie.

The advancement of Information Communication and Technology, especially the vast development of the Internet, which makes information more widely available to more people, has brought changes to the publishing industry. This technological development includes the introduction of electronic information sources such as e-journals and e-books. The research aimed at investigating the adoption of views about and use of e-books at the University of Namibia. The research design was exploratory and the study adopted a mixed approach, in which both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Data collection was done through administering questionnaires, a focus group discussion and observation, combined with think-aloud methods. Both purposive sampling and random sampling techniques were used in selecting respondents. The results of this study reported a high awareness about e-books by students. The study also revealed frequent general use of e-books. The study further reported that respondents used both the non-library search engines and the library search tool as starting points to search for e-books, with the result that the use of the library provided e-books has not reached any significant level. The study also observed positive attitudes towards e-books by students, as they indicated a preference for e-books over printed books and reported using e-books mainly for course work and research purposes. In identifying factors that hinder the use of e-books, aspects such as slow Internet connections, lack of knowledge (including the awareness and skills required to utilise e-books), limited and/or lack of relevant e-books titles, preference for print, eye strain and difficulty reading on screen, as well as limited computers and lack of e-readers, were identified as major deterrents for the use of e-books. Additionally, the study found that the relative advantage, compatibility, trialability and observability have significant influence on the adoption of e-books. / Information Science / M. A.(Information Science)