To deal with the increasing information overload and with the structured and unstructured data complexity, many organizations have implemented enterprise content management (ECM) systems. Published research on ECM so far is very limited and reports on ECM implementations have been scarce until recently (Tyrväinen et al. 2006). However, the little available ECM literature shows that many organizations using ECM focus on operational benefits while strategic decision-making benefits are rarely considered. Moreover, the strategic capabilities such as decision making capabilities of ECM are not fully investigated in the current literature. In addition, the literature lacks a strategic management framework (SMF) that links strategies, business objectives, and performance management although there are several published studies that discuss ECM strategy. A strategic management framework would seem essential to effectively manage ECM strategy formulation, implementation, and performance evaluation (Kaplan and Norton 1996; Ittner and Larcker 1997). The absence of an appropriate strategic management framework keeps organizations from effective strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation, which affects the organizational capabilities overall. Therefore, the objective of this dissertation is to determine the decision support capabilities of ECM, and specify how ECM strategies can be formulated, implemented, and evaluated in order to fully utilize the ECM strategic capabilities. Structural equation modeling as well as design science approaches will be adopted to achieve the dissertation objectives.

Information security research states that corporate security policy and information security training should be socio-technical in nature and that corporations should consider training as a primary method of protecting their information systems. However, information security policies and training are predominately technical in nature. In addition, managers creating security policies rely heavily on security guidelines, which are also technically oriented. This study created a series of information security training videos that were viewed by four groups of managers. One video discussed the socio-technical aspects of security, another discussed only the social aspects of security, the third detailed only the technical aspects of security, and the fourth was a control video unrelated to information security. Each group was shown the video, and after this viewing, each group’s values toward information security were ascertained and converted into security objectives following Keeney (1992)’s value-focused thinking approach. Each group’s list of security objectives were used as the input to Schmidt (1997)’s ranking Delphi methodology, which yielded a more concise and ranked list of security objectives. The results thus obtained, indicate that manager’s objectives towards information security are affected by the nature and scope of the information security training they receive. Information security policy based on each group’s value-based security objectives indicate that manager’s receiving socio-technical training would produce the strongest information security policy when analyzing the value-focused thinking list of security objectives. However, the quality of security policy decreases when analyzing the ranked Delphi list of security objectives, thus providing mixed results. The theoretical contribution of this research states that technically oriented information security training found in corporations today affects manager’s values and security objectives in a way that leads them to create and support technically oriented security policies, thus ignoring the social aspects of security. The practical contribution of this research states that managers should receive socio-technical information security training as a part of their regular job training, which would affect their values and lead to socio-technical information security policy based on the manager’s socio-technical security objectives. The methodological contribution of this research demonstrates the successful use of the value-focused thinking approach as the input to the ranking of the Delphi methodology.

Incidents of computer abuse, proprietary information leaks and other security lapses have been on the increase. Most often, such security lapses are attributed to internal employees in organizations subverting established organizational IS security policy. As employee compliance with IS security policy is the key to escalating IS security breaches, understanding employee motivation for following IS security policy is critical. In addition to several types of extrinsic motives noted in prior studies, including sanctions, rewards, and social pressures, this study adds that an important contributing intrinsic factor is empowerment. Per Thomas and Velthouse’s (1990) intrinsic motivation model, empowerment is the positive feelings derived from IS security task assessments. Through survey data collected from 289 participants, the study assesses how dimensions of psychological empowerment (i.e., competence, meaning, impact, and choice) as derived from IS security task may impact the IS security performance of the participants, measured by their compliance with IS security policy. The study demonstrates that the competence and meaning dimensions of psychological empowerment have a positive impact on participants’ IS security policy compliance intention, while impact has a marginal negative influence on compliance. Furthermore, dimensions of psychological empowerment can be predicted by structural empowerment facets, particularly IS security education, training, and awareness (SETA), access to IS security strategy and goals, and participation in IS security decision-making. In addition, the competence and meaning dimensions of psychological empowerment may act as mediators for the relations between structural empowerment and participants’ IS security policy compliance. Theoretical contributions, managerial implications, and directions for future research of this study will be discussed.

This dissertation explores the potential for computational systems to analyze and support individual and collaborative human sense-making activities. In this context human sense-making refers to the act of mentally and physically relating pieces of information so as to develop an understanding of a particular situation. Human sense-making activities such as brainstorming, decision-making, and problem solving sessions often produce a lot of data such as notes, sketches, and documents. The participants of sense-making activities usually develop a good understanding of the relations among these individual data items. These relations define the context. Because the relations remain within the minds of the participants they are neither accessible to outsiders and computational systems nor can they be recorded or backed up. This dissertation outlines a first set of computational mechanisms that construct relations from the spatial arrangement, use, and storage of data items. A second set of computational mechanisms takes advantage of these relations by helping users to keep track of, search for, exchange, arrange, and visualize data items. The computational mechanisms are both adaptive and evocative, meaning that the computational mechanisms dynamically adapt to users and changing circumstances while also trying to influence the human sense-making process.

M.Comm. / An operational information model is adapted in this study to suit the current municipal applications. Problems arising from the current changing environment will have to be dealt with to ensure future success of municipalities. A control centre forms the basis of the model from where the relevant information can be supplied to employees in a robust form for outdoor use. The information is updated regularly and control measures are in place for issuing of the information. The effective management of the system will ensure that functions such as training, reporting, safety, labour relations, etc. are optimally implemented.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Engineering, 2017 / Manufacturing companies have challenges implementing business process improvements and innovations (BPI) on support service processes effectively and find it difficult to measure the impact of such interventions on the overall performance of the organisation. Measurement of the impact of BPIs on overall performance of manufacturing companies is problematic due to the inadequacy of BPI metrics for support services. Furthermore, there are no universally accepted frameworks available for the measurement of the impact of improvements on support service processes on the performance of manufacturing companies. While there are frameworks available for performance measurement in general, they are not specific to measurement of the impact of BPIs in manufacturing support service processes. An initial exploratory study, based on an online survey of 50 companies that would typically conduct BPI or where known to the researcher to have conducted BPIs recently, was conducted to explore the nature of BPIs in manufacturing support service processes in South Africa. A second longer online survey was then conducted with 1000 respondents in manufacturing companies selected through expert sampling to further explore the nature and impact of BPIs in manufacturing support service processes considering selection of support service processes, the types and number of support service processes as well as BPI traditions and methodologies in use within manufacturing companies. In addition, four companies were selected for in-depth case studies in which ten projects were analysed by applying within case and cross case analysis The results of the surveys, the case studies and a revisit to the case companies were used to refine successive iterations of a theoretical framework initially developed from the literature. The framework provides a set of guidelines and actions for manufacturing companies to effectively conduct BPIs on manufacturing support service processes a basis from which the impact of improvements in manufacturing support service processes on manufacturing companies can be measured by providing the measurement areas to consider and a set of high level measures to use as high level indicators. Finally, the framework was checked for completeness using recommended criteria derived from the literature and was found to be complete and suitable as it met all the criteria for good measurement systems defined in the literature sources used in this study. / MT 2017

In fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems. In the Division of Information Systems , School of Economic and Business Sciences. University of Witwatersrand 2017 / This thesis is about how an organization adopted an information system (IS) and the subsequent current use of that system. That is, the relevance of this thesis is premised within the adoption and use of IS research fields. The adoption and use of systems is still a key IS issue as organizations strive to find ways to justify investments while the research issue is in striving to profoundly describe the adoption and use behavior. The thesis employs Human resource information systems (HRIS) as the system under study, with a South African university being the context. HRIS are adopted and used in organizations, including universities, to facilitate human resource functions and practices. The adoption and use of HRIS is often critical to achieving organizational visions and mandates; however, literature in this field is still in its infancy, with no known study conducted with a South African university context. To this point, there was a need to study behavior during HRIS adoption and the subsequent use behavior, in order to inform an efficient and appropriate ongoing use. Existing scholarly HRIS literature focus on either its adoption or its use, but hardly addressing both concurrently. This thesis argues that adoption may inform present use, and therefore, paramount to study both facets, and in the same locale. The study sought to understand how HRIS was adopted as well as understand how it is presently used, in the context of a South African university. The research argument driving the thesis is that HRIS is realized in a multidimensional environment, and thus, there is a need for a framework that may inform both adoption and use dimensions. The framework ought to be cognizant of the contextual determinants which influence both adoption processes and use behavior at varied levels, so that HRIS is adopted and used effectively and efficiently, sensitive to the South African context. To conceptualize the multidimensional framework, the study was underpinned by Upper echelon theory; Social cognitive theory; Technology, organizational and environment framework; and Task-technology fit, as theoretical lenses. Majority of HRIS adoption or use studies take a positivist stance; however, this thesis deemed an interpretivist philosophy as a more appropriate stance to understanding the complexities of adoption iii and use. A qualitative inductive approach using a case study research strategy was the methodology followed. Semi-structured interviews, field observations and institutional documents were ways to collect data. The empirical data were analyzed following thematic analysis and content analysis techniques. Literature and the interpretation of study findings informed the conceptualization of the multidimensional framework for the adoption and use of HRIS. The thesis contributes theoretically by providing a framework that informs adoption and use; practically, the framework may be used by policy and decision makers to improve use and appropriate use of HRIS; Methodologically, the thesis shows how a case study following the interpretive philosophy may be a better alternative to profoundly describe and explain adoption and the use of HRIS; finally, the thesis contributes to context by giving insights unique to South African universities. Keywords: Adoption and use framework, Human resource information systems Interpretive case study, Multidimensional, South African university / GR2018

Nos últimos anos, a adoção de TI nas empresas tem se caracterizado pelo crescente uso dos sistemas integrados de gestão, particularmente dos sistemas ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). Devido à sua natureza integrada e abrangente, esta ferramenta traz grande potencial de crescimento às empresas que o utilizam, através da melhoria de seus processos de negócio. As pequenas e médias empresas formam um mercado atrativo para os fornecedores de tais sistemas, dado que a oferta de ERP para empresas desse porte ainda é pequena; por outro lado, a necessidade das pequenas e médias empresas por uma solução de TI que a ajude a crescer faz com que a demanda por sistemas ERP seja crescente. O presente estudo buscou entender como atua o fornecedor de sistema ERP na transformação dos processos de negócio da pequena e média empresa. Este entendimento foi viabilizado através de um estudo de caso realizado em uma empresa de médio porte do ramo de fundição. No caso estudado, o sistema ERP implantado era adequado às necessidades da empresa e sua implantação acabou por ocorrer de forma bem-sucedida, porém houve atraso e gastos maiores que os esperados. Isto ocorreu porque a empresa que implantou o ERP ainda não havia realizado implantações em empresas de menor porte, e provavelmente supôs que poderia realizar a implantação na empresa estudada como se esta fosse de grande porte. Concluiu-se que o fornecedor do sistema ERP tem papel decisivo no sucesso da implantação desses sistemas em pequenas e médias empresas, fazendo com que a empresa onde o sistema foi implantado efetue saltos qualitativos nos níveis de maturidade de seus processos de negócio e de gestão. Porém, os fornecedores precisam levar em consideração as diferenças de maturidade entre as empresas de pequeno e médio porte e as de maior porte, para as quais o ERP era normalmente ofertado; as empresas de menor porte têm processos mais simples, possuem orçamentos de TI menores e seus funcionários têm menos intimidade com ferramentas de TI e de técnicas gerenciais mais profissionais que os funcionários de empresas de grande porte. Para obter benefícios dos sistemas ERP implantados, é necessário que essas características sejam consideradas num efetivo esforço do fornecedor do sistema ERP para transformar os processos de negócio e a gestão da pequena e média empresa, de forma a possibilitar um crescimento sustentado através do uso pleno de seus recursos. / In past years the adoption of IT in companies has been marked by the growth in integrated management systems, in particular ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. Because of its integrated nature this tool has given enormous potential for growth in companies that use it and improvements in business negotiation. Small to medium business have been enticed by suppliers of such systems, given that an offer of ERP to companies of this size remains small, on the other hand, the necessities of these small and medium sized companies for an IT solution that will assist in their growth makes that the demand for such a system as ERP is on the increase. The present study brought understanding as to how the supplier of the ERP system can transform the business process in the small and medium company. This understanding was made possible through the study of a company in foundries market. In this study, the ERP system installed was adequate to the needs of the company and its implementation was well received. However there was delay and expenses were more than expected. The reason for this was that the company supplying the ERP system had not previously dealt with a company of the size and treated the company as if it were of a larger size. We conclude that the supplier of the ERP system plays a decisive role in the success and implementing of these systems in small to medium companies, meaning that they have an affect on the growth and maturity of the companies? powers of negotiation in business. However, the suppliers need to take into consideration the differences in growth and maturity between companies of small to medium size and larger companies where ERP is normally found. Small to medium sized companies have a simpler running system, their IT budgets are smaller, and their employees have less contact with IT and managerial tools than the employees in larger companies. To obtain the most benefit, it is necessary that these points be taken into consideration in a real way by the ERP supplier to make able the changes necessary in the small to medium company enabling real and sustainable growth through full use of ERP resources.

Após a afirmação de Johnson e Kaplan, em 1987, através do livro ?Relevance Lost?, de que a Contabilidade Gerencial tinha perdido sua relevância, diversos artefatos foram desenvolvidos. Ao final da década de 1980, o IMA divulgou pesquisa que identificava quatro estágios evolutivos da Contabilidade Gerencial. A presente dissertação distribuiu alguns artefatos ? expressão genérica para atividades, ferramentas, filosofias de gestão, filosofias de produção, instrumentos, modelos de gestão e sistemas ? entre estes estágios. Os artefatos enquadrados no terceiro e quarto estágio foram considerados ?modernos?. Esta pesquisa é um survey, e foi orientada pela seguinte questão: empresas brasileiras utilizam artefatos modernos de Contabilidade Gerencial. Os objetivos do trabalho são: (1) verificar se as empresas que foram indicadas ao Prêmio ANEFAC-FIPECAFI-SERASA, Troféu Transparência, e as que constam da relação das 500 Melhores e Maiores, ano base 2004, utilizam artefatos modernos de contabilidade gerencial; (2) verificar se as empresas que utilizam artefatos, tanto tradicionais quanto modernos, possuem desempenho e porte diferenciado das que não utilizam; e (3) verificar se existe relação entre a utilização de artefatos com o setor econômico e com o controle acionário. A coleta de dados se deu por meio de questionário enviado pela internet no mês de novembro de 2005. O tratamento estatístico à que os dados foram submetidos é o teste de significância de médias de duas ou mais amostras independentes. A revisão da literatura apresenta resultados evidenciados por algumas pesquisas realizadas em âmbito mundial, os quais foram comparados aos resultados obtidos pela presente dissertação. Foram evidenciados os resultados obtidos sobre a utilização dos artefatos pelas empresas constantes da amostra, bem como testados estatisticamente, em cada um dos artefatos, o grau de concordância ?concordo totalmente? com ?discordo totalmente?. Algumas afirmações são possíveis: (1) 66% das empresas indicadas ao Prêmio ANEFAC-FIPECAFI-SERASA e 52% das empresas listadas entre as 500 maiores em vendas no ano de 2004 utilizam artefatos modernos de Contabilidade Gerencial; (2) empresas classificadas como ?modernas? apresentam desempenho diferenciado do que as classificadas como ?tradicionais?, (3) no que se refere a porte, as médias dos dois grupos de empresas (?modernas? e ?tradicionais?) foram consideradas estatisticamente iguais; (4) não foi possível identificar relacionamento entre setor econômico e utilização dos artefatos modernos; e (5) a exemplo do item anterior, não é possível afirmar que existe relacionamento entre controle acionário e utilização de artefatos de Contabilidade Gerencial. / After the affirmation of Johnson and Kaplan, in 1987, through the book "Relevance Lost", of that the Management Accounting had lost its relevance, diverse tools had been developed. To the end of the decade of 1980, the IMA divulged research that identified four stages of the Management Accounting. The present job distributed some tools - generic expression for activities, tools, philosophies of management, philosophies of production, instruments, models of management and systems - between these stages. The tools fit in the third and fourth stages had been considered ?moderns?. This research is one survey, and was guided by the following question: Brazilian companies use modern tools of Management Accounting. The objectives of the work are: (1) to verify if the companies who had been indicated to the Premium ANEFAC-FIPECAFI-SERASA, Trophy Transparency, and those that consist of the relation of the 500 Better and Biggest ones, year base 2004, use modern tools of management accounting; (2) to verify if the companies who use tools, as traditional as modern, they possess performance and differentiated size of that they do not use; and (3) to verify if exists relation between the use of tools with the economic sector and the shareholding control. The collection of data if gave by way of questionnaire sent for the Internet in the month of November of 2005. The statistical treatment to that the data had been submitted is of two or more independent sample test significance of averages. The revision of literature presents resulted evidenced for some research carried through in world-wide scope, which had been compared with the results gotten for the present job. The results gotten on the use of the tools for the constant companies of the sample had been evidenced, as well as tested statistically, to each one of the tools, the agreement degree ?I agree total? to ?I disagree total?. Some affirmations are possible: (1) 66% of the companies indicated to Premium ANEFAC-FIPECAFI-SERASA and 52% of the companies listed between the 500 greaters in sales in the year of 2004 use modern tools of Management Accounting; (2) companies classified like ?moderns? present differentiated performance of that classified as ?traditional?, (3) in the that refer at size, the averages of the two groups of companies (?moderns? and ?traditional?) had been considered statistically equal; (4) it was not possible to identify to relationship between economic sector and use of the modern tools; and (5) the example of the previous item, is not possible to affirm that it exists relationship between shareholding control and use of tools of Management Accounting.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo entender os fatores que facilitam a utilização de sistemas de Business Intelligence em empresas de serviços. Para isso utilizou um modelo EXPECTATION-CONFIRMATION THEORY (ECT) adaptado para avaliar o que favorece a aceitação do sistema, além dos constructos do modelo original proposto por Bhattacherjee (2001b): Confirmação, Satisfação, Utilidade Percebida, Intenção Comportamental de Uso e Continuidade de Uso; foram incluídos três constructos no modelo adaptado: Hábito, Qualidade da Informação e Estratégia Direcionada pela Tecnologia. Após a validação de um questionário do tipo survey por especialistas, o instrumento foi enviado para usuários de Sistemas de BI e obteve 81 respondentes funcionários de empresas de serviços. As conclusões apontam que a maior parte das hipóteses foi confirmada, exceto o efeito moderador do Hábito na Continuidade de Uso e a influência da Estratégia Direcionada pela Tecnologia. Podem-se destacar as contribuições acadêmicas e gerenciais deste trabalho. Como contribuição acadêmica, destacam-se: a construção do referencial teórico sobre Business Intelligence, Big Data, Aceitação de Tecnologia, Estratégia e Empresas de Serviços; e o entendimento sobre a relação dos fatores que influenciam a aceitação de um sistema de BI no mercado brasileiro de serviços. Na implicação gerencial, ressalta-se a conclusão que o fato de a estratégia da empresa ser direcionada pela tecnologia não afetar positivamente a utilidade percebida do sistema de BI, isto pode ser um indício que, independentemente de como o empregado identifica a estratégia da empresa, ele percebe o valor do sistema de BI, o que indica que a ferramenta é útil não apenas para cenários de empresas tecnológicas. O trabalho permitirá diversos desdobramentos e análises alternativas, por seu ineditismo e detalhamentos obtidos sobre os aspectos teóricos selecionados. / The objective of this study was to understand the factors that facilitate the use of Business Intelligence systems in Service companies. To do this, it used an EXPECTATION-CONFIRMATION THEORY (ECT) model adapted to evaluate what helps the acceptance of the system, besides the constructs of the original model proposed by Bhattacherjee (2001b): Confirmation, Satisfaction, Perceived Utility, Behavioral Intention of Use and Continuity of Use; three constructs were included in the adapted model: Habit, Information Quality and Technology Driven Strategy. After the validation of a survey questionnaire by specialists, the instrument was sent to users of BI Systems and obtained 81 respondents from service companies. The conclusions indicate that most of the hypotheses were confirmed, except for the moderating effect of the Habit in Continuity of Use and the influence of the Technology Driven Strategy. It is possible to emphasize the academic and managerial contributions of this work. As an academic contribution, the construction of the theoretical reference on Business Intelligence, Big Data, Acceptance of Technology, Strategy and Service Companies; and the understanding of the relationship between the factors that influence the acceptance of a BI system in the Brazilian services market. In the managerial implication, the conclusion is that the fact that the company\'s strategy is driven by the technology does not positively affect the perceived utility of the BI system, this may be an indication that, regardless of how the employee identifies the company\'s strategy, it realizes the value of the BI system, which indicates that the tool is useful not only for technology companies. The work will allow many developments and alternative analyzes, for its originality and details obtained on selected theoretical aspects.