Magister Commercii - MCom / The research focuses on the acceptance of new technologies within the telecommunications industry. The study examines three models namely Innovation theory, Theory of Reason Action (TRA), and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This study explores the technology acceptance models in order to explain why certain monitoring officers at ICASA would prefer specific technologies over others. Models of interest could be the innovation theory, TRA and TAM. After reviewing both models, the author will examine the TAM in detail as a model of interest in this study. In turn, this model is expected to assist us to understand why monitoring officer's at ICASA would prefer a particular frequency monitoring technology over the other. / South Africa

Magister Commercii (Information Management) - MCom(IM) / This research work investigates and reports on the contribution of usability and perceptual frameworks towards understanding and ultimately increasing usage of a sales website and a corporate marketing website for a major insurance company in South Africa. It investigates whether the application of usability principles to the sales web positively influences the usage of the sales web system as a tool by intermediaries, and in so doing help the organisation recoup their investment and lower operational costs. This financial services (traditionally insurance) company, like many organisations, is in the process of migrating key operational systems onto web platforms to take advantage of benefits such as the ubiquity of web access and services orientated architecture among others. The research reviewed key frameworks in the area of technology acceptance or usage namely Nielsen‟s usability attributes (Nielsen, 2003). The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), (Davis, 1989). The Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). The Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985); and derived a theoretical summative model (the Conceptual Research Model) that combined both usability and perceptual dimensions. The applicability of this summative model was empirically tested using quantitative data relating to system usage and user perception. Empirical evidence was gathered to prove and refine the Conceptual Research Model (CRM), and the data substantiated the inclusion of the constructs in the CRM, as well as the efficacy of the model in a financial services organisation. Through testing of the CRM, this research has also confirmed which specific attributes of usability can be focussed on to bring about positive change in users' usage behaviour and adoption of a website or web application. / South Africa

Text in English / The study investigated the usage of Open Access Institutional Repositories (OAIR) in university libraries in Ghana to develop a strategy on how the usage of OAIR in university libraries in Ghana may be enhanced. The study adopted the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which was then modified to fit the study. Accessibility, availability and visibility were proposed in addition to the conventional variables of TAM to improve the fit between the data and the theoretical model. Pragmatism paradigm, mixed methods research approach and convergent parallel mixed method design (survey and case study designs) was used for the study. Simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, purposive sampling techniques and the sample size converter were the sampling procedures and methods employed. A total of nine hundred and ninety-eight (998) respondents completed the questionnaires distributed, but for the qualitative phase twelve (12) OAIR managers were purposively selected. The questionnaire and interview guide were used as research instruments to gather relevant data for the study. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multinomial logistic regression and CFA using SEM) were used as statistical tools to analyse quantitative data and thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. The study revealed that there was a low level of OAIR usage in universities among academic staff, notwithstanding the high level of understanding of OAIR. This was evident in the number of research work uploaded onto the OAIR by the OAIR team. Inadequate advocacy, ICT connectivity, infrastructure, funding, power supply, insufficient technological skills, institutional repository policy, absence of incentives, institutional culture and politics and copyright issues were the challenges facing the usage of OAIR in university libraries in Ghana. The study concluded that advocacy, policies, software and staffing enshrined in an institutional guideline on OAIR would enhance OAIR usage. The study developed an OAIR Usage Model and OAIR User Manual, which would be very instrumental in the usage of OAIR in university libraries in Ghana. The model will enhance user satisfaction and intention to reuse the OAIR and making OAIR research outputs available, accessible and visible. The manual specifies the contents and documentsaccepted by the OAIR and ensuring the quality of documents archived. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

El presente estudio se basa en la investigación, realizada por los autores, denominada “Increasing e-government adoption by emphasizing environmental sustainability: an extended case study in Peru” [42] que constó de lo siguiente: Análisis y propósito de la investigación: Se tiene como propósito el analizar y comprender la intensión de uso del Gobierno Electrónico por parte de los ciudadanos mediante la consideración de un valor público, específicamente la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, como principal influenciador. En la actualidad existen bajas tasas de adopción de este tipo de sistemas por parte de la población, lo que permite que se puedan aprovechar al máximo los beneficios de su correcta implementación y uso. Diseño/Metodología/Aproximación: Mediante un caso de estudio en Perú, se diseñó una extensión del Modelo de Aceptación Tecnológica (TAM) considerando un Valor Público como variable independiente: Sostenibilidad Ambiental. Se elaboró e implementó una encuesta de 18 elementos a ciudadanos expuestos previamente al Gobierno Electrónico de Lima, Perú, para recolectar la data necesaria para validar la propuesta e hipótesis mediante el modelado de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM). Resultados: Los resultados confirmaron de manera positiva las hipótesis planteadas mediante el análisis estadístico. Esto debe ser considerado por las autoridades y administradores de iniciativas gubernamentales para aumentar la adopción de este tipo de servicios entre los ciudadanos. Principal conclusión: Se demostró que los ciudadanos son influidos de manera positiva por el Valor Público Sostenibilidad Ambiental para adoptar al Gobierno Electrónico. / This study is based on the research developed by the authors called “Increasing e-government adoption by emphasizing environmental sustainability: an extended case study in Peru” [42] which consisted of the following: Analysis and purpose of the research: The purpose of this study is to analyze and understand the intention of using Electronic Government by citizens through the consideration of a public value, specifically Environmental Sustainability, as the main influencer. Currently, there are low rates of adoption of this type of systems by the population, which allows the benefits of its correct implementation and use to be maximized. Design/Methodology/Approach: Through a case study in Peru, an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was designed considering a Public Value as an independent variable: Environmental Sustainability. A survey of 18 elements was prepared and implemented among citizens previously exposed to the Electronic Government of Lima, Peru, to collect the data necessary to validate the proposal and hypothesis through the modeling of structural equations (SEM). Results: The results positively confirmed the hypotheses raised by statistical analysis. This should be considered by the authorities and administrators of government initiatives to increase the adoption of this type of services among citizens. Main conclusion: It was shown that citizens are positively influenced by Public Value Environmental Sustainability to adopt Electronic Government. / Tesis

Research Question: Which are the decisive factors that impact the adoption of business intelligence systems (BIS) among IT SMEs in Sweden? Purpose: This paper aims to examine Swedish SMEs and understand which decisive factors have an impact on the decision makers and their adoption of BIS. This study aims to study SMEs that have already adopted BIS. Method: A deductive qualitative approach was used to answer the study’s research question. The primary data was conducted through seven semi-structured interviews with Swedish IT SMEs. Empirical Findings: The empirical findings highlight that some factors had a greater influence on the adoption of BIS than others. These were possession of the right type of data, support of top management and service provider support. Conclusion: The presented study identified that small and medium sized enterprises are prone to BIS adoption when considering three decisive factors. First, the importance of possessing data and having the right type of data was a critical need and a factor for BIS adoption. Second, the use of service provider support for SMEs seemed to contribute with important value according to the findings. Third, working proactively with change management affected the perceived usefulness of technology and led to a higher chance of small and medium sized adopting BIS. / Frågeställning: Vilka är de avgörande faktorerna som påverkar antagande av business intelligence-system bland små och medelstora (SME) IT företag i Sverige? Syfte: Den här uppsatsen syftar på att undersöka svenska små och medelstora företag (SME) och förstå vilka faktorer som påverkar beslutsfattare och deras antagande av BIS. Uppsatsen syftar till att studera SME som redan har antagit BIS. Tillvägagångssätt: Denna studie använde en deduktiv kvalitativ metod för att besvara forskningsfrågan. Den primära datan samlades in genom sju semistrukturerade intervjuer med svenska SME inom IT-branschen. Bidrag: Resultaten visar att vissa faktorer hade ett större inflytande på antagande av BIS än andra. Dessa var innehav av rätt typ av data, stöd från högsta ledningen samt support från tjänsteleverantörer. Slutsats: Den presenterade studien identifierade att svenska SME är benägna att anta BIS när man överväger tre avgörande faktorer. För det första var vikten av att ha data och ha rätt typ av data ett kritiskt behov och en faktor för BIS antagande. För det andra verkade användningen av tjänsteleverantör stöd för små och medelstora företag bidra med ett viktigt värde enligt resultaten. För det tredje, att arbeta proaktivt med förändringsledning påverkade den upplevda användbarheten av teknik och ledde till en högre chans för SME att antagande BIS.

The recent advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the past two decades have influenced many aspects of live ([19] and [7]). These advances make the issue of acceptance of ICTs a topic of increasing importance, particularly in educational research and practice [18]. Many studies have been conducted to understand, explain, and predict the issue of acceptance and use of new technologies. Fortunately, these studies have resulted in several serious theoretical developments [9]. Overall understanding of the role of culture and social norms in influencing acceptance and use of education technologies, particularly collaborative and interactive technologies such as the internet, can facilitate the successful implementation and use of these technologies in the educational context. This study concentrates on providing insight into the influence of culture and social processes on staff members’ acceptance and use of educational technology, namely the internet at Khartoum state universities (KSUs). Specifically, the study aims to identify the influential role of these factors on acceptance and the use of the internet as a helpful collaborative educational technology. To achieve this aim, the study adopts technology acceptance model (TAM), which is modified (i.e. extended) with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (mainly uncertainty avoidance and masculinity). With the help of a structural equation model (SEM), the data assessment demonstrates the validity of the model and proves that social influence process and cultural factors have significant (direct and moderate) influence on staff members’ acceptance and use of internet technology for teaching and academic activities – i.e. the authors are able to assert that community matters in the adoption of these new ICTs. The article concludes by offering important implications and recommendations for both research and practice.

La résolution de problèmes complexes (RPC) est une compétence du 21e siècle essentielle chez les gestionnaires. Or, bien que les programmes en gestion visent à développer cette compétence, de nombreux diplômés récents éprouvent des lacunes lorsqu’ils arrivent sur le marché du travail. Si leur manque de connaissances disciplinaires et leur faible niveau de compétences métacognitives peuvent les expliquer en partie, ces lacunes sont aussi possiblement attribuables aux méthodes pédagogiques couramment utilisées en gestion, qui n’enseignent pas explicitement un processus de RPC. Considérant l’importance d’enseigner explicitement une démarche générale de RPC et le développement des compétences métacognitives, cette recherche est fondée sur la théorie de l’échafaudage. Ainsi, des outils d’échafaudage numériques visant à assister temporairement les apprenants, afin qu’ils puissent internaliser un processus de RPC et développer leurs compétences métacognitives, ont été intégrés à une application numérique utilisée par des apprenants de 1er cycle universitaire en gestion. Cette recherche mixte a permis d’évaluer l’influence de ces outils d’échafaudage numériques sur l’apprentissage de la RPC et le développement de compétences métacognitives, de comprendre leur influence durant le processus de résolution, et de décrire l’intention d’utilisation des apprenants. Les résultats quantitatifs montrent que l’accès aux outils a amélioré la performance de RPC à une reprise et soutenu le développement de la compétence métacognitive de planification. Les résultats qualitatifs suggèrent que les apprenants considéraient que les outils les aidaient à améliorer la qualité de leurs évaluations, mais ils ne percevaient pas qu’ils visaient aussi à développer leurs compétences métacognitives. Les résultats suggèrent que ces apprenants peuvent être qualifiés de novices quant à leur compétence de RPC. En effet, ils semblent accorder un temps insuffisant à l’analyse de la situation problème, n’évaluent pas les autres solutions possibles, ne considèrent pas les conséquences négatives de leur solution et mobilisent peu leurs compétences métacognitives de monitoring et d’autocontrôle et d’autoévaluation. La perception d’utilité serait corrélée avec la perception de pertinence, d’amélioration de la qualité du travail et du caractère agréable des OÉN. Considérant la perception de facilité d’utilisation fortement élevée parmi tous les participants, cela suggère que l’intention d’utilisation serait principalement liée à la perception d’utilité Les résultats suggèrent que ces OÉN seraient davantage pertinents en formation à distance, plutôt qu’en présentiel. Les questions incitatives influenceraient davantage le processus de RPC, comparativement à une liste de vérification et des vidéos de solutions d’experts. Plusieurs recommandations ont été élaborées pour améliorer la conception et l’usage des OÉN. Les apprenants doivent être formés par leur enseignant à utiliser les OÉN, qui doit leur montrer la pertinence et la manière de les exploiter adéquatement. Les OÉN doivent offrir un niveau de soutien cognitif suffisant et constant à toutes les étapes de la RPC. L’application doit être dotée de fonctionnalités qui permettent de comprendre pourquoi les outils doivent être mobilisés. Les concepteurs doivent considérer les déterminants qui influencent la PU pour susciter leur usage. En somme, bien que cette recherche comporte plusieurs limites, notamment une collecte de données pendant la COVID-19, elle contribue significativement à la littérature grâce à ses recommandations visant la conception et l’usage des outils d’échafaudage numériques en enseignement supérieur. / Complex problem-solving (CPS) is an essential 21st century skill for all managers. Although most of the business administration programs aim to develop this skill, many graduates still feel gaps when they enter the labour market. If their lack of content knowledge and their low level of metacognitive skills can explain in part these gaps, they might also be caused by the teaching methods commonly used in business administration education. Indeed, these methods do not demonstrate a process for CPS explicitly. Considering the importance of teaching a CPS process explicitly and the development of metacognitive skills, this research is based on the scaffolding theory. Thus, digital scaffolds aiming at temporary assisting learners to internalize a CPS process and to develop their metacognitive skills were integrated to a digital application that has been used by undergrad students in business administration. By using a mix method, this research evaluated the influence of these scaffolds on the learning of CPS and the development of metacognitive skills. It also contributes to understand how these scaffolds influence learners during their problem-solving process and to describe their intention of use. Quantitative results indicate that access to scaffolds improved the performance on one assessment and show that it led to the development of the planning metacognitive skill. Qualitative results suggest that learners considered that these scaffolds were helping them to improve the quality of their assessments, although they did not perceive that these tools were also designed to develop their metacognitive skills. The results suggest that these learners can be called novices regarding their CPS skill. Indeed, they seem to allocate insufficient time to analyze the situation, they do not evaluate alternative solutions nor consider the negative consequences of their chosen solution and they insufficiently used their metacognitive skills of monitoring, self-regulation, and self-evaluation. The perceived utility of these scaffolds seem correlated with the perceived relevance, the perceived output quality, and the perceived enjoyment of using them. Considering a high perceived ease-of-use amongst all participants, this suggests that intention of use is mostly linked to the perceived utility. The results suggest that these scaffolds are more relevant in online learning, compared to face-to-face learning. Prompts, compared to a check list and videos of experts’ solutions, seem to have more influence on CPS process. Several recommendations are proposed to improve the design and the use of digital scaffolds. Learners should be trained by their teacher to use them efficiently. Teachers should demonstrate their relevance and the manner that students should use them for learning purposes. Digital scaffolds should offer a sufficient cognitive support throughout the CPS process. The application should include functions that allow students to understand why these should use these tools. Designers should consider the determinants of perceived usefulness when they conceptualize scaffolds to foster their usage. In sum, although this research has some limitations, notably a data collection done during the COVID-19 pandemic, it significantly contributes to the literature by proposing several recommendations aiming at improving the design and the use of digital scaffolds in higher education.

Ph. D. (Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The use of technology in supply chain management has increased over the years. Procurement is one of the primary supply chain management areas where the use of technology has gained momentum. This has been realised through the use of e-procurement systems. However, the adoption and implementation of e-procurement can be achieved more effectively if available models of technology adoption are taken into consideration. This study tested a conceptual framework integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of the Acceptance and use of Technology (UTAUT) in the implementation of e-procurement practices in the South African public sector. Although there are several studies that have focused on procurement in the public sector in South Africa, there is no evidence of studies that extended the use of the TAM and the UTAUT within the public sector in South Africa. This study was conducted to fill this gap by proposing a framework combining the TAM and UTAUT and modelling their role in the adoption of e-procurement in the public sector. The study adopted a survey design and a quantitative research approach was used to evaluate relationships between different variables. The final sample for this study consists of 263 supply chain management (SCM) practitioners drawn from the public sector in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. A self-completion survey questionnaire was used to gather data to measure the eight constructs of the TAM and UTAUT. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) procedure was performed to assess the factor structure of the data collected in the study. Descriptive statistics were applied to examine the demographic profile of respondents and the perceptions of respondents towards the research constructs. Pearson correlations were used to test relationships and regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. In the EFA, two new factors, labelled as Personal Competence and External Assistance, were identified. The results of the hypotheses tests showed that five factors, namely: perceived use, self-efficacy, facilitating conditions, personal competence and external assistance significantly predicted attitudes towards the use of e-procurement systems. However, perceived ease of use was statistically insignificant. The results further show that attitudes towards system use significantly predict behavioural intention, which in turn significantly influences actual e-procurement system use. The theoretical framework fusing the TAM and UTAUT models provides useful insights for other researchers and adds valuable knowledge to the factors that might contribute to the adoption of e-procurement in the South African public sector. The study further makes significant contributions to SCM professionals in the public sector. It reiterates the challenges faced in SCM in the public sector and then demonstrates how the adoption of e-procurement could improve the system, while reducing service delivery inequality. By indicating the factors either promoting or impeding the adoption of e-procurement in the public sector, the study provides practitioners and other decision makers in SCM with suggestions on how to facilitate more rapid adoption and circumvent the influence of irrelevant factors. Among other things, the study recommends that to improve the adoption and continued use of e-procurement systems in the public sector in the Gauteng Province, it is necessary to customise the e-procurement system to ensure that it responds to the needs of users. In addition, it is important to increase the confidence and competence of users of the systems, providing the relevant technical infrastructure and support to users in order to positively influence their attitudes and behavioural intention towards the use of e-procurement systems.

「行動革命」到來，智慧型手機、平板或各式行動載具滲透人們日常生活，對人類的傳播模式產生了極大的變化。同樣的，這場行動革命，也襲捲到了公部門，「行動化」趨勢改變了政府現有的傳播方式。 在臺灣近年的行動媒介環境中，Line成為最普及的大眾化通訊程式，臺灣公部門也藉Line此行動平臺，試圖突破過往的傳播方式，公部門在Line平臺中的公共服務類官方帳號也先後上線。隨著行動裝置成為不可或缺的工具，這樣的行動官方帳號，更已成為臺灣政府在行動媒體時代資訊發布的重要管道。 基於上述研究背景與動機，本研究擬達成之研究目的為：(1)瞭解臺灣Line公共服務類官方帳號使用者的輪廓形貌；(2)調查臺灣群眾對於Line公共服務類官方帳號的使用行為；(3)瞭解影響臺灣群眾採用Line公共服務類官方帳號的因素；(4)建立並驗證描述「知覺實用性」、「知覺易用性」、「資訊內容品質」與「使用滿意度」之因果關係的假設和觀念性架構。 最終，以436份網路問卷資料，經結構方程模型驗證，本研究的5項假設均成立：Line公共服務類官方帳號中，使用者的「知覺實用性」、「知覺易用性」和「資訊內容品質」，皆對Line公共服務類官方帳號使用者的「使用滿意度」有正向且顯著的相關性。此外，研究中也檢驗出Line公共服務類官方帳號的「知覺易用性」以及「資訊內容品質」皆對於其「知覺實用性」有正向且顯著的關係。其中「知覺實用性」，是影響使用者採用Line公共服務類官方帳號的最重要因素。 本研究構建並驗證影響臺灣群眾對Line公共服務類官方帳號採用之因果模型，當中各構面之間皆具顯著相關，因此，以TAM為基礎，並加入「資訊內容品質」 的擴增模型，在預測臺灣群眾對Line公共服務類官方帳號的採用上，具有顯著效果。 / The development of mobile access technologies and the rapid growth of mobile broadband along with explosion of the mobile application ecosystem have created a new communication channel between the public administration and citizens. With mobile devices being one of the main tools of communication, Taiwan government agencies are increasingly using Line, one of the most popular messaging Apps in Taiwan, in a bid to increase effective communication with their citizens. Therefore, the purpose of the paper is to (1)understand the behavioral and demographic attributes of the Public Service Line Official Account users; (2)propose an integrated model of Public Service Line Official Account acceptance by integrating perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use from Technology Acceptance Model(TAM), information quality theory and user satisfaction theory. The model and relationships were tested and validated with the Structural Equation Modeling(SEM), using data gathered from 436 users of Public Service Line Official Account in Taiwan. The results suggest that user satisfaction is directly influenced by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and information quality, whilst perceived usefulness is directly influenced by perceived ease of use and information quality. In addition, perceived usefulness to be a major influence on the adoption of Public Service Line Official Account in Taiwan.The implications of these findings are discussed.

本研究以科技接受模型為基礎，企圖整合資訊品質、系統品質和網站服務品質作為認知有用性和認知易用性的前置變項，期待了解三種品質構面對科技接受模型的影響效果，藉以探討民眾在使用電子化政府入口網時，會受到何種網站品質的影響，增加其使用意圖，以獲得對電子化治理的相關理解。另外本研究並嘗試以形成性指標的方式建構三種品質構面，以修正過去文獻誤用品質構面為反映性指標的情形。 透過線上問卷系統*蒐集1459位民眾的意見後，本文的研究結果顯示對認知易用性影響最大者為網站服務品質，認知有用性則受到認知易用性最大影響。對使用意圖有最大影響者為使用者的態度。三種品質的形成性指標對品質構面皆可達到顯著，在解釋上較為符合品質構面應為形成性指標的建構形式。文後並提供了對政府建置政府網站的實務建議，希冀能夠對未來政府網站建置提供參考。 / Based on technology acceptance model(TAM), this study develops a reaserach model that integrate information quality, system quality and website service quality as antecedents of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The purpose of study is to explore how the three quality might influence technology acceptance model, and what might strengthen user intention on e-government portal website. In addition, this study develops quality constructs as “formative-indicators”rather than reflective ones to correct the misuse of some literatures. The model is then tested using a sample of 1459 users from online survey and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling. The results show that(1) website service quality(WSQ) have the most effects on ease of use(EOU), and that (2)ease of use have the most effects on usefulness(PU). They also demonstrate that (3)attitude predit user intention the most. The significance illustrate logically the relation between formative-indicators of three quality and the constructs. Implications of this study for research and practice are presented.