With the emergence of mobile dating applications like Tinder, people have changed how they pursue... more With the emergence of mobile dating applications like Tinder, people have changed how they pursue romantic relationships. However, real-world issues pertaining to race and ethnicity that often emerge as people interact are still being experienced in the virtual world. Given the increased popularity of mobile dating applications, there is a pressing need to explore how racialised digital dating are manifested online. The study therefore explored the racialised digital dating experiences of users of the mobile dating application Tinder as well as the influence of Tinder’s affordances on these experiences. Through a qualitative study based on 25 semi-structured interviews, the study identified three categories of racialised digital dating experiences,: Matching Experiences, Communication & Interaction as well as Fetichism & Stereotypes. The study also revealed how Tinder affordances of Locatability, Multimediality, and Visual Dominance could be actualised by users to achieve their pref...
Electronic Journal of Information Systems Evaluation, Jul 1, 2015
Scrum, a form of agile project management methodology, comes with many benefits derived from the ... more Scrum, a form of agile project management methodology, comes with many benefits derived from the iterative form of software development. Various organisations within South Africa have implemented Scrum within their development teams and are fast receiving positive benefits from it. While Scrum, in many aspects of the methodology, is highly effective and successful within different organisations, there are always going to be pitfalls and negative attributes associated with the adoption and use of a new methodology. The purpose of this research is to determine the factors leading to interruptions in the middle of a sprint while using Scrum. Case studies were conducted which included 3 companies in Johannesburg and Cape Town that have implemented Scrum. In particular, data was collected through the following methods: 12 face-to-face, one-on-one interviews with participating Scrum team members; and 1 group discussion with 8 participating Scrum team members. After analysis, five theoretical statements were formulated pertaining to: poorly understood and defined objectives from clients, management’s lack of understanding of Scrum processes, high workload, ad-hoc requests mid-sprint, and low interdepartmental communication. Results from this study reveal the need to conduct possible future research on: ways to prevent these forms of sprint interruption from having negative effects on the Scrum team and the project; and the effect that these interruptions have on the relevant stakeholders involved. The results of the study thus provide managers with the opportunity to take a deeper look into the sources of their Scrum problems and provide them with an understanding as to how they may prevent these interruptions from causing long term, negative effects on the project and the team
The purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical model describing what makes Scrum team memb... more The purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical model describing what makes Scrum team members successful at transferring knowledge. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted at two Scrum companies in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants interviewed ranged from project managers and Scrum masters to software developers, business analyst and testers. The interviews were all transcribed, then analysed using thematic analysis. Past studies have already identified factors (i.e. characteristics that enable people to transfer knowledge) that are known to impact knowledge transfer. This study further extends the body of knowledge by revealing how these existing factors are interrelated while impacting knowledge transfer. In addition, new factors (i.e. empathy and articulation skills of the source) are proposed, which were found to further impact knowledge transfer in Scrum teams. The results have shown that recipients perceive team members who are able to successfully transfer...
Proceedings of the 2020 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, 2020
Agile software development methodologies are used in many industries of the global economy. The S... more Agile software development methodologies are used in many industries of the global economy. The Scrum framework is the predominant Agile methodology used to develop, deliver, and maintain complex software products. While the success of software projects has significantly improved while using Agile methodologies in comparison to the Waterfall methodology, a large proportion of projects continue to be challenged or fails. The primary objective of this paper is to use machine learning to develop predictive models for Scrum adoption, identifying a preliminary model with the highest prediction accuracy. The machine learning models were implemented using multiple linear regression statistical techniques. In particular, a full feature set adoption model, a transformed logarithmic adoption model, and a transformed logarithmic with omitted features adoption model were evaluated for prediction accuracy. Future research could improve upon these findings by incorporating additional model evaluation and validation techniques.
Digital disruption consists of breaking down long established business models. In most organizati... more Digital disruption consists of breaking down long established business models. In most organizations, IT managers are charged with management of technology-enabled change. It is therefore important that IT managers understand the opportunities and challenges posed by digital disruption to aid the organization’s response. The purpose of this study was to explore what South African IT managers perceive, and what their responses (or planned responses) to digital disruption within the context of a financial services organization are. The study is interpretive, exploratory and qualitative, drawing from situational awareness theory to ground the participants’ perception of digital disruption. The study draws on Disruptive Innovation Theory to assess the participants’ actual (or planned) responses to digital disruption. The findings indicate that IT managers perceive digital disruption as both technological disruption and sense making mechanism for changes in work practices, along with pos...
The use of open educational resources (OER) is gaining momentum in higher education institutions.... more The use of open educational resources (OER) is gaining momentum in higher education institutions. This study sought to establish academics' perceptions and knowledge of OER for teaching and learning in an open distance e-learning (ODeL) university. The study also sought to establish how perceptions are formed. The inductive approach followed the lens of commodification to answer the research questions. The commodification phase allowed for a better understanding of the academics' prior knowledge, informers, academics behaviour about OER, and how they perceived OER to be useful for teaching and learning. The study employed a qualitative method, with semi-structured interviews to collect data. The study found that academics with prior experience and knowledge of OER are more successful in the use of these resources for teaching, learning, and research. OER is also perceived as a useful tool to promote African knowledge, showcase the contributions of African academics, improve ...
Tools are commonly utilized by distributed agile software development teams to support communicat... more Tools are commonly utilized by distributed agile software development teams to support communication and collaboration. However, few studies have systematically unpacked the affordances of such tools. Moreover, with the rise of COVID-19 in 2020, teams are faced with new dynamics and challenges that are not addressed by traditional remote work literature. Building on affordance theory, this study explores how teams can actualize tools affordances to support communication and collaboration during COVID-19 remote work. The chosen method is an in-depth case study of a distributed agile software development team, with data being collected using semi-structured interviews. The paper outlines 25 perceived affordances which were exploited from the various features of 10 tools. These affordances were actualized by the teams, resulting in 4 outcomes: Fostering of Engagement, Streamlined Communication, Enhanced Virtual Meetings and Increased Shared Understanding. The outcomes supported communication and collaboration during COVID-19 remote work
2020 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI), 2020
Organizations must constantly evolve and adapt to meet customer demands in an ever-changing busin... more Organizations must constantly evolve and adapt to meet customer demands in an ever-changing business environment. The most notable differences have been in the way fintech companies use agile practices to speed up software development and their time to market for new products. This has impacted the way how large financial institutions operate. Large Scale Agile Development (LSAD) is popular, and many studies are being conducted in that domain. However, there is a need to understand the research landscape and the level of theorization on all the studies that where conducted, so that future research opportunities and needs can be identified in this domain. This study aims to synthesize and analyze the research trends and provide a synopsis on the levels of theorization in LSAD research while at the same time also recommending areas for future research in the field of LSAD in the financial sector. Using a systematic literature review protocol, we identified 39 primary studies that focu...
Blockchain is an archive of data records known as blocks with key functionalities that include va... more Blockchain is an archive of data records known as blocks with key functionalities that include validation, security and preservation. Blockchain has been applied in a wide range of industries, including the financial sector. However, little is known about its adoption and usefulness in industries operating within developing countries. Moreover, while some studies have focused on the financial sector, the Asset Wealth Management (AWM) industry remains relatively unexplored. This preliminary study has identified factors influencing the adoption of blockchain in the AWM industry in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Through a qualitative exploratory study, perceptions of AWM experts were gathered on how blockchain adoption is influenced by the technology’s compatibility, complexity and relative advantage. The influence of the South African context was also explored. A preliminary framework is being proposed that will inform an in-depth, longitudinal study on blockchain adoption...
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 2017
Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to describe how various Kanban elements can help alleviate two promi... more Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to describe how various Kanban elements can help alleviate two prominent types of challenges, communication and collaboration in Global Software Development (GSD). Background: Iterative and Lean development methodologies like Kanban have gained significance in the software development industry, both in the co-located and globally distributed contexts. However, little is known on how such methodologies can help mitigate various challenges in that occur in a globally distributed software development context. Methodology: The study was conducted using a single-case study based on a general inductive approach to analysis and theory development. Through the literature review, collaboration and communication challenges that GSD teams face were identified. Data collected through semi-structured interviews was then inductively analyzed to describe how the case-study teams employed various Kanban elements to mitigate communication and collaboration challenges the...
Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning, 2018
Contribution: This study contributes to scientific literature by detailing the impact of specific... more Contribution: This study contributes to scientific literature by detailing the impact of specific factors on the privacy concerns of citizens living in an African city Findings: The findings reveal that the more that impersonal data is collected by the Smart City of Cape Town, the lower the privacy concerns of the digital natives. The findings also show that the digital natives have higher privacy concerns when they express a strong need to be aware of the security measure put in place by the city. Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners (i.e., policy makers) should ensure that it is a legal requirement to have security measures in place to protect the privacy of the citizens while collecting data within the smart city of Cape Town. These regulations should be made public to appease any apprehensions from its citizens towards smart city implementations. Less personal data should also be collected on the citizens. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should further in...
The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 2017
ICTs and ICT4Ds are powerful socioeconomic enablers within developing countries and provide membe... more ICTs and ICT4Ds are powerful socioeconomic enablers within developing countries and provide members of "underserved" communities within these countries with tools for selfempowerment and circumvention of inequalities. Telecentres provide public access to ICTs to meet the educational, social, psychological and economic needs of a community. However, few studies have focused on the influence that telecentres have on the psychological empowerment of members of "underserved" communities in which they are situated. This study addresses this gap by investigating the perceived influence of telecentre components on the psychological empowerment of "underserved" community members in Cape Town, South Africa. This study is interpretive and has been executed through the use of a qualitative case study. Deductive in nature, the research was guided by a conceptual model depicting constructs (intrapersonal factors, interactional factors and behavioural factors) related to the psychological empowerment of telecentre users. The research findings confirm that the various components of telecentres such as services, computer training and entrepreneurial support can positively influence and contribute to the perceived psychological empowerment of "underserved" community members. The findings could improve our understanding of the relevance of various components of telecentres towards leveraging psychological empowerment. In practice, emphasis could be placed on the implementation and elaboration of the most significant components of telecentres within "underserved" communities.
Journal of Information, Information Technology, and Organizations (Years 1-3), 2009
Global Software Development (GSD) is a growing sector in Mauritius and South Africa. With an incr... more Global Software Development (GSD) is a growing sector in Mauritius and South Africa. With an increasing number of information technology (IT) investors, both countries are being recognised as IT hubs in the Southern African region; hence the need for further research on GSD in those two countries. Furthermore, due to a highly diverse cultural setting prevailing in Mauritius and South Africa, common GSD practices derived from other studies might not be fully successful when applied in these contexts. It is thus useful to explore how alternative GSD practices have been put in place to handle these cultural disparities and the resulting communication requirements. The study has been undertaken in an attempt to enlighten investors on the communication and cultural practices that could be followed while partaking in GSD in Mauritius and South Africa.
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 2016
Agile global software development (AGSD) is an increasingly prevalent software development strate... more Agile global software development (AGSD) is an increasingly prevalent software development strategy, as organizations hope to realize the benefits of accessing a larger resource pool of skilled labor, at a potentially reduced cost, while at the same time delivering value incrementally and iteratively. However, the distributed nature of AGSD creates geographic, temporal, socio-cultural distances that challenge collaboration between project stakeholders. The Cloud Computing (CC) service models of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) are similar to the aspirant qualities of AGSD as they provide services that are globally accessible, efficient, and stable, with lower predictable operating costs that scale to meet the computational demand. This study focused on the 12 agile principles upon which all agile methodologies are based, therein potentially increasing the potential for the findings to be generalized. Domestication The...
The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 2009
Research has shown that traditional Internet has not been successful in alleviating social exclus... more Research has shown that traditional Internet has not been successful in alleviating social exclusion in developing country. Since a significant number of the population in developing countries use mobile phones, others have suggested that mobile internet may be the solution to the problem. However, to date there has not been empirical studies in developing countries to explore that possibility. This study aims therefore to explore whether the mobile internet may be a viable option for addressing social exclusion in a developing country context. Data for the study was gathered using semi-structured interviews with socially excluded individuals and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study show that usage of mobile internet amongst the socially excluded is low mainly because internetcapable cell phones are still beyond the reach of the socially excluded and because of limited awareness of what mobile internet is and what it can achieve. The study also shows that while mobile internet has significant impact in addressing exclusion from social participation, its impact on economic as well political dimensions of exclusions is still limited.
Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 2015
This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Syste... more This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Systems courses. The various techniques employed through this approach are described. These techniques were underpinned by a theory of coherent practice, which is a pedagogy that provides a framework for the design of highly structured interventions to guide students in their learning experiences. The paper also describes the students’ perceived benefits and limitations of the approach. The students’ performance was compared with that of the previous year where a traditional teaching method was followed. Overall, the flipped classroom approach had a positive impact on students’ attitude to learning, level of understanding, ability to apply concepts, engagement and performance. Limitations were mostly in line with a reluctance to take charge of their own learning (for some of them) and inability to engage in group discussions. A set of recommendations are proposed to address these gaps in line...
2016 IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Innovative Business Practices for the Transformation of Societies (EmergiTech), 2016
The outsourcing of software development projects has lead to the emergence of global virtual team... more The outsourcing of software development projects has lead to the emergence of global virtual teams. However, the use of outsourcing strategies and consequently the establishment of global virtual teams by multinational corporations have had mixed reviews even though they often create access to a wider talent pool and sometimes at more affordable labor costs. This is the case because it is difficult to maintain a good performance level for those teams. This study utilized the framework from Kunze and Brahm as a guide and then expanded on it to explore factors that influence performance in global virtual teams: team cohesion, goal setting, task conflict, awareness climate, trust climate, leadership, and shared understanding. The study found that in addition to the aforementioned factors, collaboration, communication and cultural diversity also influenced performance in the global virtual teams. The findings are important because when a team's leadership has a better understanding of where they need to focus their energy in order to promote optimal performance, they can make informed decisions regarding plans and strategies to achieve that performance. The study thus offers important insight on the factors that could be nurtured and mitigated within an outsourced software development environment in order for global virtual teams to achieve and maintain a good performance level.
2016 IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Innovative Business Practices for the Transformation of Societies (EmergiTech), 2016
Small and Medium Enterprises are recently engaging in the adoption and use of IT systems to not o... more Small and Medium Enterprises are recently engaging in the adoption and use of IT systems to not only participate in the global economy but to also become efficient in their service provision. Unfortunately the downfall has been the increasing threats that accompany IT system use, specifically cyber security concerns. Although these concerns have been documented, cyber security remains a mystery, and this is more so for developing countries which tend to be sidelined from the main stream in the cyber security research domain. This study is a contribution towards filling this gap; as it strives to examine the cyber security phenomenon from the perspective of South African SMEs. The purpose is to investigate the factors that influence SMEs cyber security implementations. Following a qualitative approach and interviews as a means of data collection; the findings show that organization readiness determined the type of cyber security measures implemented within an SME. There was a strong indication that both web server logging and intrusion detection were not as useful methods for addressing cyber security. SMEs acknowledged that they lacked the relevant skills and financial means to address cyber security concerns.
With the emergence of mobile dating applications like Tinder, people have changed how they pursue... more With the emergence of mobile dating applications like Tinder, people have changed how they pursue romantic relationships. However, real-world issues pertaining to race and ethnicity that often emerge as people interact are still being experienced in the virtual world. Given the increased popularity of mobile dating applications, there is a pressing need to explore how racialised digital dating are manifested online. The study therefore explored the racialised digital dating experiences of users of the mobile dating application Tinder as well as the influence of Tinder’s affordances on these experiences. Through a qualitative study based on 25 semi-structured interviews, the study identified three categories of racialised digital dating experiences,: Matching Experiences, Communication & Interaction as well as Fetichism & Stereotypes. The study also revealed how Tinder affordances of Locatability, Multimediality, and Visual Dominance could be actualised by users to achieve their pref...
Electronic Journal of Information Systems Evaluation, Jul 1, 2015
Scrum, a form of agile project management methodology, comes with many benefits derived from the ... more Scrum, a form of agile project management methodology, comes with many benefits derived from the iterative form of software development. Various organisations within South Africa have implemented Scrum within their development teams and are fast receiving positive benefits from it. While Scrum, in many aspects of the methodology, is highly effective and successful within different organisations, there are always going to be pitfalls and negative attributes associated with the adoption and use of a new methodology. The purpose of this research is to determine the factors leading to interruptions in the middle of a sprint while using Scrum. Case studies were conducted which included 3 companies in Johannesburg and Cape Town that have implemented Scrum. In particular, data was collected through the following methods: 12 face-to-face, one-on-one interviews with participating Scrum team members; and 1 group discussion with 8 participating Scrum team members. After analysis, five theoretical statements were formulated pertaining to: poorly understood and defined objectives from clients, management’s lack of understanding of Scrum processes, high workload, ad-hoc requests mid-sprint, and low interdepartmental communication. Results from this study reveal the need to conduct possible future research on: ways to prevent these forms of sprint interruption from having negative effects on the Scrum team and the project; and the effect that these interruptions have on the relevant stakeholders involved. The results of the study thus provide managers with the opportunity to take a deeper look into the sources of their Scrum problems and provide them with an understanding as to how they may prevent these interruptions from causing long term, negative effects on the project and the team
The purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical model describing what makes Scrum team memb... more The purpose of this study is to propose a theoretical model describing what makes Scrum team members successful at transferring knowledge. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted at two Scrum companies in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants interviewed ranged from project managers and Scrum masters to software developers, business analyst and testers. The interviews were all transcribed, then analysed using thematic analysis. Past studies have already identified factors (i.e. characteristics that enable people to transfer knowledge) that are known to impact knowledge transfer. This study further extends the body of knowledge by revealing how these existing factors are interrelated while impacting knowledge transfer. In addition, new factors (i.e. empathy and articulation skills of the source) are proposed, which were found to further impact knowledge transfer in Scrum teams. The results have shown that recipients perceive team members who are able to successfully transfer...
Proceedings of the 2020 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, 2020
Agile software development methodologies are used in many industries of the global economy. The S... more Agile software development methodologies are used in many industries of the global economy. The Scrum framework is the predominant Agile methodology used to develop, deliver, and maintain complex software products. While the success of software projects has significantly improved while using Agile methodologies in comparison to the Waterfall methodology, a large proportion of projects continue to be challenged or fails. The primary objective of this paper is to use machine learning to develop predictive models for Scrum adoption, identifying a preliminary model with the highest prediction accuracy. The machine learning models were implemented using multiple linear regression statistical techniques. In particular, a full feature set adoption model, a transformed logarithmic adoption model, and a transformed logarithmic with omitted features adoption model were evaluated for prediction accuracy. Future research could improve upon these findings by incorporating additional model evaluation and validation techniques.
Digital disruption consists of breaking down long established business models. In most organizati... more Digital disruption consists of breaking down long established business models. In most organizations, IT managers are charged with management of technology-enabled change. It is therefore important that IT managers understand the opportunities and challenges posed by digital disruption to aid the organization’s response. The purpose of this study was to explore what South African IT managers perceive, and what their responses (or planned responses) to digital disruption within the context of a financial services organization are. The study is interpretive, exploratory and qualitative, drawing from situational awareness theory to ground the participants’ perception of digital disruption. The study draws on Disruptive Innovation Theory to assess the participants’ actual (or planned) responses to digital disruption. The findings indicate that IT managers perceive digital disruption as both technological disruption and sense making mechanism for changes in work practices, along with pos...
The use of open educational resources (OER) is gaining momentum in higher education institutions.... more The use of open educational resources (OER) is gaining momentum in higher education institutions. This study sought to establish academics' perceptions and knowledge of OER for teaching and learning in an open distance e-learning (ODeL) university. The study also sought to establish how perceptions are formed. The inductive approach followed the lens of commodification to answer the research questions. The commodification phase allowed for a better understanding of the academics' prior knowledge, informers, academics behaviour about OER, and how they perceived OER to be useful for teaching and learning. The study employed a qualitative method, with semi-structured interviews to collect data. The study found that academics with prior experience and knowledge of OER are more successful in the use of these resources for teaching, learning, and research. OER is also perceived as a useful tool to promote African knowledge, showcase the contributions of African academics, improve ...
Tools are commonly utilized by distributed agile software development teams to support communicat... more Tools are commonly utilized by distributed agile software development teams to support communication and collaboration. However, few studies have systematically unpacked the affordances of such tools. Moreover, with the rise of COVID-19 in 2020, teams are faced with new dynamics and challenges that are not addressed by traditional remote work literature. Building on affordance theory, this study explores how teams can actualize tools affordances to support communication and collaboration during COVID-19 remote work. The chosen method is an in-depth case study of a distributed agile software development team, with data being collected using semi-structured interviews. The paper outlines 25 perceived affordances which were exploited from the various features of 10 tools. These affordances were actualized by the teams, resulting in 4 outcomes: Fostering of Engagement, Streamlined Communication, Enhanced Virtual Meetings and Increased Shared Understanding. The outcomes supported communication and collaboration during COVID-19 remote work
2020 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI), 2020
Organizations must constantly evolve and adapt to meet customer demands in an ever-changing busin... more Organizations must constantly evolve and adapt to meet customer demands in an ever-changing business environment. The most notable differences have been in the way fintech companies use agile practices to speed up software development and their time to market for new products. This has impacted the way how large financial institutions operate. Large Scale Agile Development (LSAD) is popular, and many studies are being conducted in that domain. However, there is a need to understand the research landscape and the level of theorization on all the studies that where conducted, so that future research opportunities and needs can be identified in this domain. This study aims to synthesize and analyze the research trends and provide a synopsis on the levels of theorization in LSAD research while at the same time also recommending areas for future research in the field of LSAD in the financial sector. Using a systematic literature review protocol, we identified 39 primary studies that focu...
Blockchain is an archive of data records known as blocks with key functionalities that include va... more Blockchain is an archive of data records known as blocks with key functionalities that include validation, security and preservation. Blockchain has been applied in a wide range of industries, including the financial sector. However, little is known about its adoption and usefulness in industries operating within developing countries. Moreover, while some studies have focused on the financial sector, the Asset Wealth Management (AWM) industry remains relatively unexplored. This preliminary study has identified factors influencing the adoption of blockchain in the AWM industry in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Through a qualitative exploratory study, perceptions of AWM experts were gathered on how blockchain adoption is influenced by the technology’s compatibility, complexity and relative advantage. The influence of the South African context was also explored. A preliminary framework is being proposed that will inform an in-depth, longitudinal study on blockchain adoption...
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 2017
Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to describe how various Kanban elements can help alleviate two promi... more Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to describe how various Kanban elements can help alleviate two prominent types of challenges, communication and collaboration in Global Software Development (GSD). Background: Iterative and Lean development methodologies like Kanban have gained significance in the software development industry, both in the co-located and globally distributed contexts. However, little is known on how such methodologies can help mitigate various challenges in that occur in a globally distributed software development context. Methodology: The study was conducted using a single-case study based on a general inductive approach to analysis and theory development. Through the literature review, collaboration and communication challenges that GSD teams face were identified. Data collected through semi-structured interviews was then inductively analyzed to describe how the case-study teams employed various Kanban elements to mitigate communication and collaboration challenges the...
Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning, 2018
Contribution: This study contributes to scientific literature by detailing the impact of specific... more Contribution: This study contributes to scientific literature by detailing the impact of specific factors on the privacy concerns of citizens living in an African city Findings: The findings reveal that the more that impersonal data is collected by the Smart City of Cape Town, the lower the privacy concerns of the digital natives. The findings also show that the digital natives have higher privacy concerns when they express a strong need to be aware of the security measure put in place by the city. Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners (i.e., policy makers) should ensure that it is a legal requirement to have security measures in place to protect the privacy of the citizens while collecting data within the smart city of Cape Town. These regulations should be made public to appease any apprehensions from its citizens towards smart city implementations. Less personal data should also be collected on the citizens. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should further in...
The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 2017
ICTs and ICT4Ds are powerful socioeconomic enablers within developing countries and provide membe... more ICTs and ICT4Ds are powerful socioeconomic enablers within developing countries and provide members of "underserved" communities within these countries with tools for selfempowerment and circumvention of inequalities. Telecentres provide public access to ICTs to meet the educational, social, psychological and economic needs of a community. However, few studies have focused on the influence that telecentres have on the psychological empowerment of members of "underserved" communities in which they are situated. This study addresses this gap by investigating the perceived influence of telecentre components on the psychological empowerment of "underserved" community members in Cape Town, South Africa. This study is interpretive and has been executed through the use of a qualitative case study. Deductive in nature, the research was guided by a conceptual model depicting constructs (intrapersonal factors, interactional factors and behavioural factors) related to the psychological empowerment of telecentre users. The research findings confirm that the various components of telecentres such as services, computer training and entrepreneurial support can positively influence and contribute to the perceived psychological empowerment of "underserved" community members. The findings could improve our understanding of the relevance of various components of telecentres towards leveraging psychological empowerment. In practice, emphasis could be placed on the implementation and elaboration of the most significant components of telecentres within "underserved" communities.
Journal of Information, Information Technology, and Organizations (Years 1-3), 2009
Global Software Development (GSD) is a growing sector in Mauritius and South Africa. With an incr... more Global Software Development (GSD) is a growing sector in Mauritius and South Africa. With an increasing number of information technology (IT) investors, both countries are being recognised as IT hubs in the Southern African region; hence the need for further research on GSD in those two countries. Furthermore, due to a highly diverse cultural setting prevailing in Mauritius and South Africa, common GSD practices derived from other studies might not be fully successful when applied in these contexts. It is thus useful to explore how alternative GSD practices have been put in place to handle these cultural disparities and the resulting communication requirements. The study has been undertaken in an attempt to enlighten investors on the communication and cultural practices that could be followed while partaking in GSD in Mauritius and South Africa.
Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 2016
Agile global software development (AGSD) is an increasingly prevalent software development strate... more Agile global software development (AGSD) is an increasingly prevalent software development strategy, as organizations hope to realize the benefits of accessing a larger resource pool of skilled labor, at a potentially reduced cost, while at the same time delivering value incrementally and iteratively. However, the distributed nature of AGSD creates geographic, temporal, socio-cultural distances that challenge collaboration between project stakeholders. The Cloud Computing (CC) service models of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) are similar to the aspirant qualities of AGSD as they provide services that are globally accessible, efficient, and stable, with lower predictable operating costs that scale to meet the computational demand. This study focused on the 12 agile principles upon which all agile methodologies are based, therein potentially increasing the potential for the findings to be generalized. Domestication The...
The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 2009
Research has shown that traditional Internet has not been successful in alleviating social exclus... more Research has shown that traditional Internet has not been successful in alleviating social exclusion in developing country. Since a significant number of the population in developing countries use mobile phones, others have suggested that mobile internet may be the solution to the problem. However, to date there has not been empirical studies in developing countries to explore that possibility. This study aims therefore to explore whether the mobile internet may be a viable option for addressing social exclusion in a developing country context. Data for the study was gathered using semi-structured interviews with socially excluded individuals and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study show that usage of mobile internet amongst the socially excluded is low mainly because internetcapable cell phones are still beyond the reach of the socially excluded and because of limited awareness of what mobile internet is and what it can achieve. The study also shows that while mobile internet has significant impact in addressing exclusion from social participation, its impact on economic as well political dimensions of exclusions is still limited.
Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 2015
This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Syste... more This paper describes the flipped classroom approach followed in two second year Information Systems courses. The various techniques employed through this approach are described. These techniques were underpinned by a theory of coherent practice, which is a pedagogy that provides a framework for the design of highly structured interventions to guide students in their learning experiences. The paper also describes the students’ perceived benefits and limitations of the approach. The students’ performance was compared with that of the previous year where a traditional teaching method was followed. Overall, the flipped classroom approach had a positive impact on students’ attitude to learning, level of understanding, ability to apply concepts, engagement and performance. Limitations were mostly in line with a reluctance to take charge of their own learning (for some of them) and inability to engage in group discussions. A set of recommendations are proposed to address these gaps in line...
2016 IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Innovative Business Practices for the Transformation of Societies (EmergiTech), 2016
The outsourcing of software development projects has lead to the emergence of global virtual team... more The outsourcing of software development projects has lead to the emergence of global virtual teams. However, the use of outsourcing strategies and consequently the establishment of global virtual teams by multinational corporations have had mixed reviews even though they often create access to a wider talent pool and sometimes at more affordable labor costs. This is the case because it is difficult to maintain a good performance level for those teams. This study utilized the framework from Kunze and Brahm as a guide and then expanded on it to explore factors that influence performance in global virtual teams: team cohesion, goal setting, task conflict, awareness climate, trust climate, leadership, and shared understanding. The study found that in addition to the aforementioned factors, collaboration, communication and cultural diversity also influenced performance in the global virtual teams. The findings are important because when a team's leadership has a better understanding of where they need to focus their energy in order to promote optimal performance, they can make informed decisions regarding plans and strategies to achieve that performance. The study thus offers important insight on the factors that could be nurtured and mitigated within an outsourced software development environment in order for global virtual teams to achieve and maintain a good performance level.
2016 IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Innovative Business Practices for the Transformation of Societies (EmergiTech), 2016
Small and Medium Enterprises are recently engaging in the adoption and use of IT systems to not o... more Small and Medium Enterprises are recently engaging in the adoption and use of IT systems to not only participate in the global economy but to also become efficient in their service provision. Unfortunately the downfall has been the increasing threats that accompany IT system use, specifically cyber security concerns. Although these concerns have been documented, cyber security remains a mystery, and this is more so for developing countries which tend to be sidelined from the main stream in the cyber security research domain. This study is a contribution towards filling this gap; as it strives to examine the cyber security phenomenon from the perspective of South African SMEs. The purpose is to investigate the factors that influence SMEs cyber security implementations. Following a qualitative approach and interviews as a means of data collection; the findings show that organization readiness determined the type of cyber security measures implemented within an SME. There was a strong indication that both web server logging and intrusion detection were not as useful methods for addressing cyber security. SMEs acknowledged that they lacked the relevant skills and financial means to address cyber security concerns.
Uploads
Papers by Maureen Tanner