Prior research on incumbent firm response to radical technological innovation identifies firm, technology, and environmental factors associated with incumbents’ performance after a technology shift. What remains unexplored are factors affecting choice of response made before a technological shift occurs. Such ex ante choices are important intermediate outcomes affecting long-term performance outcomes. Competitive considerations may be influential inputs in choice processes because technological innovation is often related to competitive strategy. The resulting research question for this study is: What role do competitive considerations play in incumbent firms’ ex ante strategic choices in response to potentially radical technological innovations? Findings from a survey of key informants in the electronics industry whose firms face a potential technological disruption (n=120) suggest that incumbents’ response choices are affected by competitor-related orientations and by perceptions of relative strength of their strategic assets. Limited support is found for a moderating effect of perceptions of the competitive environment. The results of this study extend theory on incumbent response to radical technological change by shedding light on the influence of competitor interdependence. Findings also suggest the importance of strategic choice as an intermediate variable in understanding incumbents’ long-term performance. Research examining choice factors at varied stages of a technology’s diffusion can further advance understanding of the evolving nature of strategic response choices and the effects they have on long-term performance.

M.Com. (Economics) / The objective of the thesis is to examine some of the aspects relating to the nature and scope of the electronification of the South African banking industry and the consequences of such electronification for the rendering of financial services to a market characterised by extreme dualism. The dualistic nature of the South African economy finds expression in a very sophisticated First World economy on the one hand and a very backward Third World economy on the other hand. Approximately 95 per cent of South Africa's economic activity is conducted in the First World economy. The rather well developed industrial, commercial, financial and technological activities are concentrated in the First World areas such as the PWV-area, the Western Cape, Port Elizabeth-Uitenhage and Durban-Pinetown. These areas are supported by modern and highly developed infrastructure [inclusive of a very sophisticated banking industry], skilled manpower and a strongly developed technology. These conditions are contrasted by a Third World sector where less than 5 per cent of the gross national product is produced and a far lesser need for sophisticated banking services exists. The Third World sector has little or no supporting infrastructure and trade is mainly conducted by barter or cash. These highly divergent socio-economic conditions place unique demands and restraints on the banking industry...

M.Ing. / The necessity for deployment of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology in the South African energy sector is examined in this dissertation. A background is given on the different technologies that exist in the solar power sector with specific reference to Concentrated Solar Thermal Power (CSTP). The economic, social and environmental benefits that this technology embodies in the near-, medium-, and long-term is discussed in detail. It highlights the local market potential for the establishment and large-scale roll out of CSP technology in a South African context and the economic value-chain that could subsequently be created...

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce in Information Systems (Coursework) at the School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, June 2017 / Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are now recognized as the driving force behind most thriving economies. This is mainly attributed to the role they play in most economies in reducing unemployment and their contribution towards Gross Domestic Product. This means that SMEs should have the right resources to enable them to enhance performance. Choosing the right technology to support their businesses is one of the important decisions that SMEs should make. Understanding the benefits and challenges of different technologies is often a problem for most SMEs. One of the new technologies that has gained prominence in recent years is cloud computing. Even though the value associated with this technology has been widely researched especially for large enterprises, the rate at which SMEs adopt cloud computing still remains low. The purpose of this research sought to explore and describe the determinants influencing the adoption of cloud computing by SMEs in South Africa. The study used Technology Organization Environment (TOE) framework as the theoretical lens in understanding the adoption of Could Computing phenomenon. Further, this qualitative exploratory and descriptive study used semi-structured interviews to collect data from five SMEs based in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, operating in different industries and belonging to the National Small Business Chamber. The main factors that were identified as playing an important role in the adoption of cloud computing by SMEs are, relative advantage, complexity, compatibility, awareness, trialability, culture, top management support, size, regulation and trade partner relationship. It is worth noting that there was not enough evidence that competitive pressure played a significant role in SME cloud adoption. / XL2018

A Master’s dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Commerce (School of Economic and Business Sciences) Johannesburg, 2016 / It has been suggested that a global ‘Second Generation’ of innovation (SGI) is required in order to address the deficiencies of contemporary innovation practice. In the commercial context, contemporary innovation practice is often constrained by market forces and the profit mechanism, effectively resulting in stagnation in the innovation pipeline. As a consequence, many potentially profitable and beneficial innovations are not pursued. SGI is a proposed new paradigm that makes use of open innovation, open source and crowdsourcing in order to extricate the full potential of distributed knowledge systems to ultimately ameliorate the free flow of knowledge and innovation. Much of SGI theory relates to pharmaceutical research but there exists a paucity of literature that applies SGI theory in the academic research context, where similar problems exist. It has been purported that academic research is inherently non-innovative and the occurrence of ‘academic failure’, or the inability of academia to produce innovative research output is a serious concern. In order to examine the relationship between SGI and academic research, a mixed methodology approach, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies has been used. First, a model of relationships between important theoretical concepts was derived from the literature. Next, a questionnaire survey was distributed to a sample of 529 academic researchers across South African universities and research institutions in order to gauge potential ‘SGI Propensity’ in relation to academic research output (or productivity) along with all other relevant variables in the literature-derived model. It is argued that the relationship between SGI Propensity and academic research productivity can provide a clear indication of the potential of SGI in the South African academic context. Aggregated data collected from this sample was then tested using a variety of statistical tests, including correlation analysis, hierarchical multiple regression, as well as tests of moderation and mediation. Additionally, a sample of 30 high-ranking South African academic researchers was also sampled for a parallel qualitative study, which occurred through a one-on-one interview process. Results from both studies were recorded, analysed and contrasted. Thereafter, conclusions were drawn and recommendations made. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management specialising in Innovation Studies Johannesburg, 2015 / It has been stated in literature on National Systems of Innovation, growth theory and competitive advantage, that there has been an emergence of a consensus on the impact of technology on economic prosperity and competitiveness. The systems approach, with its emphasis on knowledge, learning and institutions has stressed the need for institutional change and greater integration between technology policy, industrial policy, and other aspects of public policy. There is also a need for greater coordination and integration between technology and industrial policy, and of employment and income distribution policies on each other. The ability of the government (policy makers and implementers) to achieve this intergration and coherence is key in ensuring achievement of the goals. The study assessed and evaluated the processes set up by the South African government to achieve coherence in the formulation and implementation processes. Research Questions:  Does coherence exist between the Innovation and Industrial Policy? What is the extent of the coherence?  What are the factors hindering or promoting coherence?  What is the impact of coherence or lack thereof on the achievement of goals? The methodology used in this study was document review and analysis, combined with elite interviews of senior managers in the government departments that are custodians of the policies being studied. Having coherent policies leads to achievement of set objectives and priorities. In order to achieve this coherence, there must be political leadership and commitment. It must be a general objective in all action taken by government. In South Africa, the intention is there and the structures have been set up. The evidence of Political leadership is in the Constitution, the highest law of the land. It is stipulated in the Constitution (RSA, 1996) that the policies of the government-of–the day should be executed in a cooperative manner, because in the Republic of South Africa, government is constituted as national, provincial and local spheres that are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. The Constitution further stipulates that all spheres of government and all organs of state within each sphere must exercise their powers and perform their functions in a manner that does not encroach on the geographical, functional or institutional integrity of government in another sphere, and co-operate with one another in mutual trust and good faith. In order to manage and address the challenges of policy coherence and coordination, the South African Government has established a cluster system. These clusters are called Ministerial Clusters, which were established to foster an integrated approach to governance that is aimed at improving government planning, decision making and service delivery. The main objective is to ensure proper coordination of all government programmes at national and provincial levels. The main functions of clusters are to ensure alignment of government wide priorities; facilitate and monitor the implementation of priority programmes; and provide a consultative platform on cross-cutting priorities and matters being taken to Cabinet (SA Government, 2015). Regulations have been also put in place to foster intergovernmental relations through the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act, Act No. 13 of 2005. Challenges of capacity and resources exist in the goverment in terms of policy coordination. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting structures have been created in the form of a ministry in the presidency, the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME). This monitoring is confined to the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the departments and the clusters against the outcomes stated in the Plan of Action. More reviews need to be undertaken by policy scholars to assess the impacts of the policies on the overall governmental goals.

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

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Variable speed motors are achieved by varying the voltage of a DC machine or by varying the frequency of an AC machine, the former method being the simpler of the two. DC motors have the major disadvantage of brushes and commutators which require regular downtime for maintenance, a fact already recognised by Tesla [1] in 1888. Thus the AC motor, in particular the induction motor, is of a more rugged design and does not suffer from the commutator problem of its DC counterpart. Recent advances in the technology of the power electronics used to supply a variable frequency to the motor has allowed the induction motor to be a viable alternative to the DC motor in variable speed applications. Problems have been encountered in industry when an inverter is injudiciously selected to be combined with a motor. Such problems were highlighted by difficulties being experienced with some 400 kW inverter drives. The inverters had been bought from one supplier and the motors from another. When this system was coupled together, there was excessive heating in the motors and the overall plant was only able to operate well below its capacity, incurring a substantial weekly loss of income. The motor and inverter were evidently incompatible, and since the inverter could not be modified, the motor was redesigned to make it less susceptible to the harmonics present in the inverter waveform, These problems have led to the development of a variable speed drive simulation package at the University for use by the local industry which can accurately model the complete system of inverter, motor and its associated load. It is envisaged that this package could be used to predict the performance of a drive system and highlight problems that may occur. To be able to do this, an accurate model of the motor is required. This investigation gives the development of an induction motor model which is suitable . for variable speed drive system simulations. The model accounts for the deep bar effect by using lumped parameter circuits and includes saturation of the leakage paths using only information which is typically available from motor design data. A complete analysis is given of the different lumped parameter models and their suitability for use in this application. The thesis also shows the utilisation of the deep bar model to simulate reswitching transients and double cage motors. The author hopes that the models used in the simulation package wallow industry to predict problems prior to their occurrence, alter the designs and thereby avoid costly remanufacture of the system. / Andrew Chakane 2018

A DISSERTATION Submitted in full fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Commerce (Marketing) at the UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND 2016 / The financial services sector in South Africa is known for its innovative capability worldwide. Although ‘concentrated’ with few major players, the banking sector remains competitive as each bank continues to broaden its products and services to attract new customers and satisfy its existing client base. Therefore, it is of interest for banks to examine how to motivate consumers to take part in co-creation activities and develop favourable attitudes toward participating in those activities, and ultimately influence adoption intentions. Although significant research has been conducted on consumer motivation, attitudes, perceived characteristics of innovation and innovation adoption, respectively, little is known about the relationships between these constructs in the South African digital banking sector. Thus, the study aims to fill a gap by determining how intrinsic factors influence consumer attitudes toward participating in co-creation activities. Additionally, the study presents the impact of these attitudes on the perceptions consumers have toward innovation and then on adoption intentions. For the purposes of this study, intrinsic motives represent the predictor variable, while adoption intention is the outcome variable. There are four mediators, namely: attitude toward the act, perceived relative advantage, perceived complexity and perceived compatibility. This study undertakes a quantitative research approach in which 339 surveys were distributed online and in person. The findings support all seven hypotheses. Thus, indicating that intrinsic motives have a positive influence on a consumer’s attitudes toward participating in co-creation activities. Additionally, favourable attitudes toward the act have a positive relationship with perceived relative advantage and perceived complexity and a negative relationship with perceived complexity. Lastly, the results indicate that relationships exist between perceived relative advantage, perceived complexity and perceived compatibility, respectively and adoption intention. The contributions of this paper are as follows: this study adds to contextual knowledge of consumer motivation on adoption intention. Additionally, the study contributes to current knowledge by using relevant literature and empirical evidence regarding co-creation, motivation, attitudes and innovation in the South African banking industry. Lastly, the study provides guidance to managers on how to better manage their co-creation activities and investments, particularly in the financial services industry, and how to effectively engage and collaborate with their consumers and turn these co-innovation interactions into tangible profits for the firm. / MT2017

In the rapid technological urbanisation of the built fabric of the city during the 21st century it has changed the way we engage spaces within the city. It has had both a positive and negative effect on existing social structures. The more digitally reliant society becomes the more essential the role of architecture and infrastructure networks become. The city is plugged in. The young tech savvy generations have become consumed by technology in the era of mobile phones, tablets and personal computers while the older generations can feel overwhelmed or even rejected by the new technologically orientated processes and functions of the city. The city has become a network of information exchange; environments of high technical performance and reliance. This has created labour and work environments that require a more skilled work force with digital comprehension and technical proficiency. It calls for an education system that includes advance digital literacy as part of basic education requirements to make students well equipped in a technological utopian state of living (Teletopia). In the context of Johannesburg, South Africa, with our diverse cultures and beliefs we struggle with both past and new social inequalities. In the telecommunication global village technology has no bias for race, age or culture if you are not technically proficient you are rejected and left behind. The permanence of architecture gives it strength and integrity. The solidity of concrete, brick, steel and building materials that are assembled aid to the capacity to withstand loads and stresses. A built form that responds to contextual issues and the resolution of construction details that collectively makes for good design. The integration of technology within architecture calls designers to question its value it will add to the spaces created to the initial capital costs. Would a more technological orientated education system be able to address the issues of schooling in South Africa today? Will technical solutions reach students who can’t afford the high cost of education, the shortage of quality teachers or the struggle to get text books to schools and liberate the school of the timetable and the availability of teachers? The role of technology in both schools and architecture will be determined by the demands of society. The internet is an agent like fire and water only given direction and purpose by those who use it. The true influence will how it will encourage spaces in schools to become more fluid and adaptable which will encourage accidental learning and peer-to-peer learning environments. The role of schools is vital to the social development of the younger generation. They are more than just academic institutions but become community catalysts for the areas they serve. The more technical savvy generation growing up today have become a lot more self-absorbed with Facebook and other social media making the youth more concerned about the way other people perceive them. This makes the role of schools even more important to not only prepare students with the relevant technical skills required to engage the digital “Teletopian” city they live in but to develop the social skills that allows them to engage the physical environments of the city too. Society has drawn to technological advancements like a moth to a light bulb but no matter how technologically orientated we become we will always be tangible beings who need physical interaction with the spaces we appropriate from our homes, offices and schools.