This study focuses on measuring the corporate reputation of an organisation within the information technology (IT) industry in South Africa. An empirical investigation was conducted to identify the elements that influence corporate reputation. The research design selected was a case study. For purposes of confidentiality, the organisation used in this dissertation will be referred to as The Group. There were three specific objectives to this study; firstly to identify the channels of communication between the organisation’s stakeholders; secondly to identify the specific elements that influence corporate reputation for each stakeholder group, and finally to provide The Group with recommendations to develop an investor-orientated image and reputation within the South African business environment. This research study consisted of four phases: initial qualitative exploratory research, problem finalisation and re-conceptualisation, quantitative data collection and finally analysis reporting. Stakeholders included in this study were The Group’s employees, The Group’s executive board, clients, non-clients, financial analysts, trade and business media, partners and suppliers, public relations houses and the general public. The main conclusions drawn from the study are that the channels of communication internally and externally to the organisation influence corporate reputation. The most important disseminators of information regarding The Group are its employees. Corporate communications, clients and the media also play a vital role in influencing corporate reputation. These stakeholders should be targeted to receive the bulk of the reputation improvement activities so that a change in their perceptions can be filtered through to the stakeholders. Four specific business processes have been identified that have an impact on corporate reputation, namely general business management, financial management, corporate marketing and corporate communications. Recommendations emanating from this study to improve corporate reputation within the IT industry suggest that The Group create a stronger public awareness. Communication initiatives need to assure stakeholders that The Group is performing well although the share price is low. An extensive black economic empowerment (BEE) programme will enhance the corporate reputation. Finally, The Group needs to agree on a set of actionable initiatives across corporate functions, marketplaces and service lines to enhance the corporate reputation. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Communication Management / MCom / Unrestricted

The aim of this thesis is to create an innovation strategy for R&D Department of a company that is operating in IT industry with a special focus on Open innovation. It consists of theoretical and practical part. Theoretical part presents modern literature research on innovation and outlines main concepts. Definition of innovation, its types and different approaches are described. Moreover, main principles of audit of Open innovation readiness and its measurement is presented. The last part is devoted to the description of IT industry and future trends. Practical part is devoted to company's analysis, audit of readiness to implement Open innovation approach and creation of innovation strategy for R&D Department.

Corporate social responsibility has become a popular topic used throughout society. However, the topic of the employee perspective in CSR is rarely studied and even less studied is the impact CSR has on the IT industry. An industry currently facing a challenge where the demand for labor is higher than the supply due to its rapid growth. With characteristics of high, intense work that easily results in burn-out, the importance of CSR in this industry is crucial for survival. Additionally, through the use of CSR IT companies have the opportunity to stand out from their competitors and gain competitive advantages, such as attracting high-quality employees in the labor market. Therefore, the thesis will research to what extent IT companies in Sweden use the employee perspective in CSR in their operations, and the influence competition has on this decision to implement CSR. This resulted in the following research question:  How does corporate social responsibility initiatives towards employees affect the IT companies’ position and competitive advantages on the labor market?  To answer this research question, a qualitative study was conducted with employees from various medium to large-sized IT companies in Sweden. They were interviewed regarding their view of the company’s CSR for employees as well as their competitors, and how it affected them. The goal of the study was to understand if there is a correlation between competition in the labor market and the IT companies’ CSR for employees and its impact on the employees. To achieve this, stakeholder theory was used to analyze and draw comparisons to the results from the study. The main findings show that a correlation is present and that employees wish for further developed CSR practices for employees which are uniquely adapted to the company. It was also shown that CSR for employees could lead to competitive advantages in the labor market depending on the company’s execution of CSR for employees. Where competitive advantages can be financial gain while competitive disadvantages can be employee attrition. The results of the thesis are presented through a conceptual model that shows how employees’ perception of the IT company’s CSR is linked to the company’s position in the labor market. The implications of this thesis are many as it supports and extends previous research in the area of CSR and stakeholder theory. Furthermore, it can assist companies and managers to further develop their strategies with well-implemented and communicated CSR activities for employees. Additionally, the study opens the possibility for further research into specific areas in the IT industry and their relation to the employee perspective in CSR, as well as investigate what the size of the company has on its CSR practices for employees.

The success of numerous organisations nowadays, especially in the IT sector, is closely connected with project success. Project managers can influence and determine how a project is run and its overall success, as it has been well established throughout the literature. Psychological safety has also been found to affect different organisational aspects, including project success. Nevertheless, there needs to be more research regarding this topic in the leadership literature, especially in the information technology and systems domain. This study investigates how different leadership styles, and their behavioural characteristics can affect team members' psychological safety in IT project teams. Thus, the study was formulated around the following research questions: “What are the most commonly used leadership styles in IT Project Management?” and “How do the different leadership styles impact employees' psychological safety?”. In order to gain a better understanding and utilise each method’s advantages (qualitative and quantitative), a mixed-method approach has been chosen, with the use of a survey to gather empirical data. Throughout the study, we obtained 47 responses regarding the questionnaire from members of IT project teams, and 9 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the project managers/team leadersfrom those respective teams. The results indicated that IT project teams are led mainly by individuals who present characteristics of agile and democratic elements in their style. Furthermore, these leadership styles have also been found to favour team psychological safety by promoting a climate that values trust and cooperation. The study contributes to the existing literature in the fields of project management and psychological safety and provides practical implications for leaders and organisations within the IT sector. Since the study was limited to only a few IT project teams and organisations, it can serve as a starting point for future research that could further investigate the relationship between leadership and psychological safety and help practitioners better capitalise on the benefits of effective leadership.

The technological development of society has led to an increased demand for IT-related skills in multiple industries. The need has grown so large that demand exceeds supply, resulting in a significant skills shortage problem among companies. The purpose of this case study is to examine how the shortage of IT-related skills has been managed among local IT companies in a small island community and how a relatively new education concept, 01 Edu System, can function as a solution to the skills shortage. The concept provides an intensive campus-based programming education that, together with local IT companies who are partners, aims to solve the skills shortage. Six interviews were conducted with representatives from local IT companies that collaborate with a newly established school, grit:lab, which uses this concept. The study shows that it is still difficult to say whether the concept will solve the skills shortage, but several opportunities and weaknesses have been identified. A central problem is that IT companies demand experienced developers who are difficult to find and the companies also have limited ability to employ newly graduated developers. The new concept can therefore partly solve the skills shortage. This investigation provides insights into how various challenges related to the skills shortage can and should be addressed in the future, as well as how a concept like 01 Edu System can support companies' skills supply.

Cette recherche a eu pour but principal de montrer, à travers l’exemple de l’industrie informatique dans les années 90, que la stratégie de partenariat est aujourd’hui devenue un outil essentiel pour permettre aux entreprises à la tête d’une industrie à forte innovation technologique, confrontée à des changements structurels importants, et en particulier à la désintégration menant au leadership technologique partagé, de maintenir leur position dominante. Les quatre parties du travail constituent une suite logique d’étapes contribuant chacune à valider la thèse: la partie I porte sur la synthèse des principaux courants de la littérature scientifique sur les accords de collaboration et leur relation avec l’évolution des industries. Le but poursuivi dans la partie II est de décrire les changements intervenus dans l’industrie informatique au cours des années 90 et de formuler l’hypothèse d’une relation entre ces changements et la stratégie des firmes dans le domaine des accords de collaboration. Cette hypothèse est vérifiée empiriquement dans les parties III et IV à l’aide d’une banque de données sur les accords de collaboration. La partie III du travail présente les résultats descriptifs et la partie IV les résultats analytiques permettant de valider l’hypothèse.

<p>The last decade has seen the huge impact of globalization on the way organizations perform their routine activities with a greater than before extent of focus on project management in order to be in sync with the fast changing environment. Therefore the companies are required to understand a national culture’s impact on decision making in project teams in different countries. This thesis investigates the national cultures influence on decision making in project teams in Thailand and India by focusing on IT industry based on Hofstede’s (1980) five cultural dimensional framework. The researchers intend to identify similarities and differences in decision making styles of both countries. Throughout the study, useful lessons for project team on national cultures impact on decision making can be drawn for IT companies in Thailand and India and future mixed-culture teams. It also provides the insight for the project teams to have concern for and understand why people from different cultures act or respond to various situations differently giving high emphasis to decision making process.</p><p>An empirical qualitative research using semi-structured interviews was conducted from a total of 12 IT project team members in Thailand and India based on their experiences on cultural influence on decision making when working in project teams. The research revealed that there are significant differences in decision making styles of Thai and Indian IT teams, and the differences have strong links with cultural aspects. The results also addressed number of similarities in the decision making styles of Thailand and India. The major implication is that the knowledge of the cultural differences and similarities would facilitate better management of mixed Thai-Indian project teams. Therefore, by keeping in mind the importance as well as the impact of various national cultures and presenting each member with social working knowledge of peers within the mixed-culture team, arguments and conflicts due to misconception and pre-judgment can be minimized. Hence it will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the working process and environment in the project teams.</p>

The last decade has seen the huge impact of globalization on the way organizations perform their routine activities with a greater than before extent of focus on project management in order to be in sync with the fast changing environment. Therefore the companies are required to understand a national culture’s impact on decision making in project teams in different countries. This thesis investigates the national cultures influence on decision making in project teams in Thailand and India by focusing on IT industry based on Hofstede’s (1980) five cultural dimensional framework. The researchers intend to identify similarities and differences in decision making styles of both countries. Throughout the study, useful lessons for project team on national cultures impact on decision making can be drawn for IT companies in Thailand and India and future mixed-culture teams. It also provides the insight for the project teams to have concern for and understand why people from different cultures act or respond to various situations differently giving high emphasis to decision making process. An empirical qualitative research using semi-structured interviews was conducted from a total of 12 IT project team members in Thailand and India based on their experiences on cultural influence on decision making when working in project teams. The research revealed that there are significant differences in decision making styles of Thai and Indian IT teams, and the differences have strong links with cultural aspects. The results also addressed number of similarities in the decision making styles of Thailand and India. The major implication is that the knowledge of the cultural differences and similarities would facilitate better management of mixed Thai-Indian project teams. Therefore, by keeping in mind the importance as well as the impact of various national cultures and presenting each member with social working knowledge of peers within the mixed-culture team, arguments and conflicts due to misconception and pre-judgment can be minimized. Hence it will increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the working process and environment in the project teams.

This study analyses the process that an IT refurbishing organisation used to socialise 15 IT graduates to the norms of the working world. In addition, 5 IT industry and 2 governmental agency interviews were used, and 60 online job advertisements were analysed to develop a System Dynamic model. The main motivation for this study was to develop a system dynamics model of the graduate socialisation process, in an attempt to understand the cause and effect of practical exposure, to bridge the IT skill-expectations gap. The main source of data for the model was from a-priori coding and content analysis of job adverts, online blogs and reports created by the students, supported by a review of the existing literature. System dynamics modelling and simulation uses computer generated software to test the behaviour of real world cross discipline problems over time (Sterman 2000). System dynamic studies have been conducted in project management, education, engineering, geography, sustainable fuel development and agriculture, etcetera. System dynamics is a flexible approach, as it uses both qualitative and quantitative data to model and address a problem situation, gathering data from intellectual and observation experiences, as well as written and verbal databases. This research advises on the successful integration of IT graduates into industry by identifying the relevant casual relationships. It recognises that graduates are genuinely interested in a career in IT, despite initial difficulties of adapting to a new career. The study was further strengthened by showing that organisational and governmental requirements vary and that they occasionally recruit based on these varying requirements. Primary and secondary data was combined to model a casual loop diagram as well as a stock and flow diagram, which could benefit curriculum advisors in academia, professors, human resource managers in industry and most importantly recently graduated IT graduates. / Magister Commercii - MCom

The thesis “Acceptance and use of the Service Oriented Computing paradigm: the IT professionals’ perspective” focuses on the question: what are the critical factors that influence IT professionals’ intentions to accept and use the Service Oriented Computing (SOC) approach to systems development? This work considers IT professionals as the key stakeholders in the SOC acceptance and use process and argues that the acceptance and practical use of SOC depends – at an early acceptance stage – primarily on the individual-level acceptance decisions made by senior IT professionals working for an organisation. Consequently, SOC acceptance and use (in its early stage) is seen as a bottom-up process driven, and to a high degree controlled, by the “early adopters” (Rogers 1995) of this technological paradigm (i.e. involved senior IT professionals). Although SOC is considered the enabling technological approach in many different future areas (e.g. eBusiness, eGovernment, eScience etc.), very little research exists on the process of practical acceptance of this paradigm, in particular focusing on the perspective of the “early stage” key stakeholders of this acceptance process, namely the IT professionals. This thesis consists of four major parts. First, it reviews existing literature on technology acceptance and use and confirms the absence of an established theoretical framework in the domain of individual-level technology acceptance in the IT industry. Second, based on data collected in a series of exploratory interviews with senior IT practitioners, an initial model explaining the acceptance and use of SOC among IT professionals is being proposed. Third, the derived model is revised and reformulated using an eGovernment case study. And forth, based on the refined model, a survey instrument is developed, pilot-tested and administered to senior IT professionals currently using the SOC approach to systems development in their professional work. This thesis makes a contribution to IS research in several ways. While there exists extensive, well-grounded and well-accepted research in the domain of “IT end-user” individual-level technology acceptance, the research on technology acceptance in the IT industry (i.e. technology acceptance by the IT professionals) is very limited, and nearly all studies carried out in this IS research field are concerned with established approaches or technologies. The current study is among the few examining the perspective of “early adopters” or “innovators” (Rogers 1995) instead of investigating the acceptance process of “early majority” or even “late majority”. Moreover, to the author’s knowledge it is the first study examining the process of individual-level SOC acceptance with a particular focus on the perspective of the “early stage” key stakeholders of this acceptance process, namely the IT professionals. One of the additional strengths of the study is the usage of multiple research methodologies – exploratory open-ended interviews, qualitative case study and web-based survey. This research is expected to be very interesting to researchers focusing on technology acceptance in general and on technology acceptance in the IT industry in particular. This research might also be of interest to IT practitioners considering to accept and use the SOC approach in their future applications.