Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / This thesis integrates social capital and ‘reasoned action’ theory to construct a theoretical model for investigating the factors which predict an individual’s intention to share tacit knowledge in a University of Technology. It utilizes Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1998: 243) definition and conception of social capital. They define social capital as “the sum of the actual and potential resources embedded within, available through, and derived from the network of relationships possessed by an individual or social unit”. This study examined tacit knowledge sharing behaviour (i.e., knowledge that is shared between individuals) within the context of social capital. The specific type of tacit knowledge that is being studied relates to work experience ‘know-what’ and ‘know-how’. ‘Know-what’ refers to the basic mastery of a discipline that professionals achieve through education and training. ‘Know-how’ refers to procedural knowledge about a business process and the individual’s capability to perform an action with an understanding of why the action is appropriate in the particular context, (i.e., action skill or applied competence). Specifically, this study examines the relationship between the structural, relational and cognitive dimensions of social capital and the individual’s attitude towards the sharing of tacit knowledge. It further examines the relationship between the individual’s attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing, their perceived norms and perceived behavioural control over the sharing of tacit knowledge (mediating variables) and their intention to share tacit knowledge. It is a case study which consists of a mixed methods research design, incorporating nine research interviews and five hundred and fifty four self administered questionnaires. The theoretical model is examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) and as a result of the findings, the initial model is revised into a set of theoretical models, which are tested using SEM and found to be consistent with the data (i.e., a good fit). The direct, indirect and total effects of the identified predictor (social capital) and mediating variables (‘reasoned action’) on the individual’s intention to share tacit knowledge, in each model, is examined and the results are presented. Each dimension of social capital is found to be significant for predicting the criterion variable ‘attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing’. The individual’s attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing is found to be highly significant for predicting the individual’s intention to share tacit knowledge but the ‘reasoned action’ variables are found to be not as significant, particularly perceived behavioural control over the sharing of tacit knowledge. The results of this study enrich our collective understanding regarding social capital and tacit knowledge sharing behaviour. / Academy of Management, National Research Foundation, Durban University of Technology

While several U. S. firms have invested in Knowledge Management (KM) tools and software, it has become apparent that investments must be made in additional facets of KM, such as knowledge sharing (KS), thought by many researchers to be the most important component of KM. Of the two types of KS, explicit and tacit, the sharing of tacit knowledge has been shown to contribute the most to an organization’s performance. However, since tacit knowledge is difficult to both convey and acquire, this unshared tacit knowledge may ultimately harm an organization when, without the appropriate knowledge, individuals cannot effectively perform their professional responsibility. Although research has been conducted on the motivators that contribute to the sharing of tacit knowledge, the research has been conflicting. These inconsistencies could conceivably stem from measuring KS as a single factor rather than as separate components. The purpose of this study was two-fold, first to discover what motivators contributed to the sharing of tacit knowledge and second, to discover whether the sharing of knowledge when solicited differed from the sharing of knowledge when not solicited. Utilizing the Theory of Reasoned Action and Self-determination Theory as well as measuring the transfer of knowledge through externalization, as expressed by the SECI model, three research questions and 14 different hypotheses contributed to a survey instrument resulting in 370 usable survey responses. Employing confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, analysis of the data confirmed that a significant difference existed between the solicited and unsolicited sharing of tacit knowledge. This study found that measures for external, integrated, and intrinsic motivation differed among the two situational constructs of knowledge sharing. In addition, the study confirmed that a difference occurred between motivators and the two types of sharing when the sharing was mediated by a favorable attitude toward sharing.

Customers adoption of Internet banking has become a widely-researched topic, although it is fair to state that some research gaps still exist. This research aims to fill some of the research gaps by examining the factors that determine the relevant behaviour of three different categories of Internet banking customers in China (i.e. current users, non-users, and discontinued users), and by developing two conceptual models that are derived from different, but complementary, theoretical approaches. The Decision Making Model and the Service and Relationship Evaluation Model are developed in this research. The Decision Making Model is grounded in the technology acceptance model (TAM) and it incorporates an additional construct of perceived value of using Internet banking. Additionally, the Service and Relationship Evaluation Model is derived from the service quality evaluation and relationship quality evaluation literature. Unlike in most other Internet banking adoption studies, these two conceptual models are used complementarily to deliver a comprehensive understanding of customers Internet banking adoption in China. The models are tested using a sample of 614 Chinese Internet banking customers collected via mall-intercept personal interviews based on questionnaires. Partial Least Square (PLS) path modelling and mediation analysis are applied to test the hypotheses advanced in the two models. The key findings of this research show that perceived value is a major factor for explaining customers Internet banking adoption, thus indicating to the banks that they should reduce costs associated with using Internet banking while providing more (perceived) benefits to customers; the importance of incorporating perceived value in Internet banking adoption model(s) is also demonstrated. The findings also confirm that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are important factors that determine the adoption of Internet banking by all categories of customers. Current users and non-users perceptions of their behavioural control over using Internet banking contribute to their adoption of Internet banking, and such control perceptions are shaped by self-efficacy, perceived government support and technological support. Additionally, it is demonstrated that both current users and discontinued users perceived value and perceived service quality of Internet banking have positive associations with their satisfaction with Internet banking, which lead to their Internet banking adoption. Moreover, the findings reveal that current users are more likely to continue with Internet banking if they are affectively committed to their banks; they are less likely to continue with Internet banking if they are calculatively committed to their banks due to the costs associated with leaving the banks. These therefore indicate the importance of establishing high-quality customer-bank relationships and placing less strict switching cost barriers that impose less pressure on their existing customers. This research contributes to the Internet banking adoption literature by (i) identifying the important category of Internet banking discontinued users, apart from current users and non-users; and (ii) using two complementary conceptual models, which are grounded in different theoretical streams, to investigate the relevant adoption behaviour of all three categories of Internet banking customers. It hence delivers a comprehensive understanding of personal customers adoption of Internet banking in China.

This research investigates the impact of the interaction between the consumer and mobile service provider on the adoption of advanced mobile commerce services by existing consumers of mobile technology. These factors include: 1) Perceived Relationship Quality (PRQ), which is the consumer’s evaluation of the quality of his/her relationship with the mobile service provider, and 2) Perceived Value of the Adoption Incentive (PVI), which is the consumer’s evaluation of the value of incentives that are offered by the service provider to entice him/her to adopt the mobile service. The influence of these factors on consumer attitudes and intentions towards adopting mobile commerce services is studied and compared with three other well-known adoption factors including perceived usefulness, ease of use and the subjective norm. / This study was undertaken in three parts. Firstly, a conceptual study was conducted to investigate and analyse the existing literature on consumer adoption of mobile commerce services. This phase started with a general review of the existing studies using a novel model: the Entities-Interactions Framework, EIF. The EIF explains adoption behaviour in terms of interactions between the consumer and the other entities including the mobile service, the service provider and the social system. This framework was used to analyse the extent to which important adoption factors have been covered by past research and therefore identify the research questions. The conceptual study resulted in the development of a research model and relevant hypotheses. / Secondly, a large-scale questionnaire survey was conducted to test the research model and the proposed hypotheses. This part of the research helped give a broad picture of the influence of consumer-service provider factors on consumer adoption of mobile commerce services. Thirdly, face-to-face interviews with mobile phones users were conducted in order to validate the survey results and provide an understanding of the mechanisms that control the impact of the investigated factors. The research found that PRQ and PVI have an important influence on the attitude and intention of existing mobile phone users towards accepting and using advanced mobile commerce services. Furthermore, the research found that these newly introduced factors are more influential on consumer adoption perceptions than other well-established factors. / The study enriches our understanding of technology adoption by individuals because it explains why an existing user of a technology, such as mobile technology, will or will not adopt advanced versions of that technology. The findings affirm that in the context of communication technologies, which are interactive by nature, understanding the interaction between consumers and service providers is a key to understanding the progressive adoption by consumers of advanced forms of these technologies. The thesis provides practitioners (particularly mobile service providers) with a better understanding of the impact and implication of their interaction with consumers on consumers’ acceptance and use of mobile services. The study emphasises the importance of incorporating this understanding throughout the mobile service provision process, starting from the conceptualisation of the service to the actual provision of the service to the market. The study also offers a novel comprehension of how to view each mobile service offer as a consequence of the previous offer and a precedent of the next in order to enhance consumer adoption of mobile service in the short and long runs.

<p>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)&nbsp /  The Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein &amp / 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&nbsp / 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.</p>

<p>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)&nbsp /  The Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein &amp / 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&nbsp / 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.</p>

當今智慧型手機成長快速，市場潛力大，影響消費者的智慧型手機購買決策因素成為近年來值得研究的議題。但過去有關智慧型手機購買決策的研究中，大多著重在手機的作業系統或是功能層面，並未將行動應用程式(APP)及人際面的影響因素納入考量。因此，本研究以網路外部性、科技接受模型及理性行為理論為基礎，分別從智慧型手機及行動應用程式的屬性面和人際面來探討，目的為找出影響台灣地區現有智慧型手機使用者對智慧型手機再購意圖的因素，並進一步探索這些因素如何影響使用者的態度及再購意圖。本研究結果發現： 1.智慧型手機屬性面：當使用者認為智慧型手機是越有用的、越具娛樂性的，則使用者對智慧型手機的採用態度越正向；當使用者認為智慧型手機是越容易使用的，並不會直接影響其對智慧型手機的態度。 2.智慧型手機人際面：當使用者認為有越多人使用智慧型手機，則使用者對智慧型手機的購買意圖越正向；而無論使用者認為其家人、伴侶、好友、同學或同事支不支持其使用智慧型手機，都不會影響其對智慧型手機的購買意圖。 3.行動應用程式屬性面：當使用者認為在短時間內行動應用程式的數量成長的越快速，則其對智慧型手機的態度會越正面；而無論使用者認為APP數量、種類的多少、價格是否可被接受以及APP的設計品質完不完善等，都不會直接影響使用者對智慧型手機的態度。 4.行動應用程式人際面：當使用者認為其家人、伴侶、好友、同學或同事越支持其使用行動應用程式時，使用者對智慧型手機的態度會越正向。

Syfte: Problem med vibrationsskador har funnits i branschen lika länge som vibrerande maskiner har funnits. Idag är upp till 51 procent av alla belastningsskador som vibrationsrelaterade, enligt AFA. Det vanligaste är att män i åldrarna 47–49 har problem med vibrationsskador, men på senare år har skadorna krupit nedåt i åldrarna. Skador som kan uppstå av för hög vibrationsexponering är cirkulatoriska symtom (kalla/vita fingrar), neurologiska symtom (domningar, stickningar, nedsatt känsel) eller en kombination av dessa. Karpaltunnelsyndrom är även en följd av för hög exponering. Föreliggande arbete undersöker huruvida det kan vara ett beteende som ligger bakom den höga vibrationsexponeringen och om det i sådana fall kan brytas. Yrkesarbetarnas och platsledningens kunskaper och förståelse för de körtider som finns för maskiner har även studerats. Metod: En litteraturstudie har genomförts i arbetet. Sedan har totalt har tolv intervjuer utförts, åtta intervjuer med yrkesarbetare, tre med platsledningen och en med maskintillverkare. Det har även gjorts en mindre dokumentanalys av arbetsberedningar. Resultat: Studien visar att ett beteende ligger bakom det faktum att körtider överskrids och hantverkare utsätts för vibrationsexponering över gränserna. Det står även klart att kunskapen och förståelsen hos yrkesarbetarna och platsledningen behöver ökas gällande körtider och hur man tar fram vibrationsaccelerationen på maskiner. Konsekvenser: Branschen bör ställa krav på beställare och företag att ge utrymme för den kostnad som tillkommer när körtider följs. På så sätt kan beteendet brytas genom att tiden finns för särskilda moment. Genom att utbilda sin personal om vibrationsskador kan företaget få en mer kompetent och förstående personal i utbyte. Begränsningar: Denna undersökning är inte företagsspecifik vilket medför att resultatet kan vara applicerbart på de flesta byggföretag i Sverige. Studien undersöker endast hand- och armvibrationsskador, medan helkroppsvibrationer har uteslutits. Nyckelord: Hand- och armvibrationsskador, Teorin om överlagt beteende, Arbetsberedningar, Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrifter, insatsvärde och gränsvärde. / Purpose: The issue with vibration injury have been around in the construction industry for as long as there have been vibrating machines available. Today it’s up to 51 percent of all strain injury’s that’s vibration-related, according to AFA. The most common thing is that men in the ages of 47-49 who suffers from vibration injury, but in recent years the injuries have crept down in the ages. The injuries that may emerge from excessive vibration exposure are circulatory symptoms (cold / white fingers), neurological symptoms (numbness, tingling, feeling impaired) or a combination of these. Carpal tunnel syndrome is also a consequence of too high exposure. This paper will investigate whether may be a behaviour that is behind the high vibration exposure and if it in such case can be broken. The operator’s knowledge and understanding of the operating hours for the machines have also been studied. Method: A literature study has been carried out at work. Then a total of twelve interviews have been conducted, eight with constructions workers, three with site managers and one with a power tool manufacture. A smaller document analysis of job planning has also been made. Findings: This study shows that behaviour is behind the fact that operating times are exceeded, and constructions workers are exposed to vibration exposure above the allowed limit. It is also clear that the knowledge and understanding of the workforce and the management team needs to be increased in operating hours and how to read vibration acceleration on machines. Implications: The industry should require customers and companies to provide space for the costs that are incurred when driving times are met. In this way, behaviour can be broken by giving time for special moments. By training their staff about vibration damage, the company can get a more competent and understanding staff in exchange. Limitations: This survey is not company-specific, which means that the results can be applied to most construction companies in Sweden. The study only examines hand and arm vibration damage, while whole body vibrations have been ruled out. Keywords: Vibrations injury of hand and arm, Theory of Reasoned action, Job planning, Swedish work environment authority regulation, Input Value and Limit.

There are several critical success factors suggested for why agile software development projects succeed, including organisational and process factors. Although there are an increasing number of identified critical success factors, IT professionals lack the modelling techniques and the theoretical framework to help them meaningfully understand their influences. To solve this problem, this study developed a model by employing the following theories: Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to create a fit model for agile software development projects. The research sought to answer the question: What are the critical success factors that influence the success of agile software development projects? The literature review considers the continued failure of agile and traditional software development projects which have led to the consideration of, and dispute over, critical success factors — the aspects most vital to a methodology’s success. Though TRA, TPB and UTAUT have previously been applied to agile methodologies, empirical models have not been completely integrated to develop a fit model. This research sought to fill this gap. Data was collected in South Africa through a web-based survey using structured questionnaires and an interview guide. Face-to-face interviews were done to identify the critical success factors in agile projects. The data was captured and analysed for descriptive statistics, convergent and discriminant validity, composite and internal reliability, and correlation in order to inform the structural equation modelling (SEM). SEM was used to test the research model and hypotheses to answer the research questions. The results informed development of a comprehensive model that could provide guidelines to the agile community. The study contributes towards understanding the critical success factors for agile projects. It examined direct, indirect and moderating effects, and the findings contribute towards developing a framework to be used by agile professionals. These key result shows that organisational factors have a great influence on performance expectancy characteristics. To ensure success of agile projects, managers are advised to focus on the effect of the organisation’s environment, culture and policies on performance and effort expectancy. / School of Computing / Ph. D. (Computer Science)

Sociala medier är idag en integrerad del av människors vardagsliv och kan ses som en ny typ av hälsorelaterad levnadsvana som kan innebära både positiva och negativa hälsoeffekter för individen. Självskattad hälsa används för att mäta hälsostatus i en befolkning och lite forskning finns på hur användning av sociala medier påverkar människors hälsa generellt. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur användningen av sociala medier påverkar ungdomars självskattade hälsa samt vilka könsskillnader som finns. Målgruppen för studien är gymnasieelever och studien är baserad på kvantitativ data. En tvärsnittsstudie med en enkätundersökning som datainsamlingsmetod har använts. Frekvenstabeller har gjorts för att beskriva ungdomars användning av sociala medier och deras självskattade hälsa och chitvå test har använts för att påvisa eventuella samband. Resultaten visade på signifikanta värden mellan kön och självskattad hälsa samt mellan användning av sociala medier och självskattad hälsa. Resultatet har diskuterats utifrån teorin om övervägda handlingar.