Research Publications (Accounting and Informatics)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/212
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Item Application of stakeholder management for business sustainability in the higher education sector(Kamla-Raj, 2016) Khanyile, Makabongwe; Green, PaulUniversities have not been able to manage their stakeholder identification and salience correctly, nor to establish the needs of each stakeholder. Stakeholder analysis is deliberately considered as the most important part of university management and marketing, and universities are required to take care of their key stakeholder groups and build long-term relationships with them. The study sought to determine how the university identified and managed stakeholders for its Research and Innovation Month. This single exploratory case study situated in a qualitative paradigm used interviews, questionnaires and a literature review to collect relevant data. This study found that the university, through the Research and Innovation Month, has created a platform for collaboration and partnerships, as well as intellectual engagement. In addition, the study found that the university looks at four components in stakeholder participation.Item Forestry Stewardship Council in relation to market accessibility by small scale timber growers : a case in KwaZulu-Natal(KRE Publishers, 2016) Mtengu, Sizwe; Green, PaulThis paper provides an assessment of the Forestry Stewardship Council in relation to market accessibility by the small scale timber farming in the KwaZibi Area. The market has shown an inclination to buy timber from small scale timber growers, provided they meet the minimum standards of Forestry Stewardship Council certification. However, these growers face a challenge in terms of compliance. The small scale timber growers find themselves being excluded from the forestry stewardship council certification due to certain barriers. A qualitative research method was employed in order to gain a deeper understanding of the problem. The population included small scale growers, forestry development practitioners, buyers and forestry stewardship council consultants. Data were collected from 12 respondents using a purposive sampling technique and analysed using thematic analysis. The study recommends that the forestry industry should look at forming a body that will assist the small scale timber growers with regards to price determination and certification-related issues.Item Perceived impact of public sector leadership on road infrastructure service delivery(Business Perspectives, 2016) Gqaji, Andile; Proches, Cecile; Green, PaulIt is well documented that road infrastructure is an important catalyst of the South African economy because of the interchange of people, goods and services which are dependent upon transport. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived impact of public sector leadership on road infrastructure service delivery. A qualitative methodology approach was employed using a purposive sampling technique. Twenty, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with respondents from both the public and private sectors. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and the findings of this research indicate that public sector leadership is ineffective in driving road infrastructure development. The results also suggest that the lack of accountability and corruption hinders the delivery of infrastructure.Item Evaluation of healthcare services : cross-sectional case in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa(Kamla-Raj, 2015) Gumede, Peggy Pinky; Dlamini, Bongani; Green, PaulGlobally, there have been numerous studies conducted on the evaluation of service quality in public health institutions. However, there remains a challenge in South African public health to provide quality service under difficult circumstances, thereby resulting in the offering of the service perceived as being poor. The purpose of this paper is to report on the investigation of service quality provided by two Public Clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in the quest to improve the delivery of service quality to the public. The study adopted a mixed methods’ methodology and a narrative research approach was employed using a case of two clinics. A purposive convenient sample of 35 patients per clinic was used. Data was collected via the distribution of questionnaires and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The data was captured using a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21 software and the results were processed using variables according to the importance of the statements. The findings reveal that patients are dissatisfied with the quality of service received in terms of courtesy and the waiting times are unacceptable at public health clinics.Item Examination of employee factors influencing organisational productivity: Perspective of a public entity(Virtus Interpress, 2015) Green, Paul; Adekanmbi, OluwoleThe influence of employees’ challenges on productivity at a provincial department in KwaZulu-Natal has been notably affecting the overall provision of houses and sanitation (service delivery). According to the Annual Performance Plan 2013/14 – 2015/16, the improvement of efficiency and quality of human settlements’ services is one of the strategic goals which focuses on the overall organisational productivity; however, it fails to consider employees’ day-to-day challenges. Thus, the primary purpose of this paper is to investigate challenges at an operational level and determine the impact they have on productivity. Using a quantitative approach, a questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 180 employees within the department. Applying factor analysis, the findings indicate Leadership as having the highest impact while Work-Life Balance displayed the least impact on Organisational Productivity. The results of this study are beneficial to other local, provincial and national public entities.Item Assessment of user authentication risks in a healthcare knowledge management system(The Clute Insitute, 2015) Adekanmbi, Oluwole; Green, PaulRisk management is a concept which has becomes very popular with a number of national and international businesses. Many companies often establish a risk management procedure in their projects for improving performance and increasing profits. Projects undertaken in the construction sector are widely complex, often having significant budgets; therefore, reducing risks associated with projects should be a priority for each project manager. Patient information security has become a matter of interest to healthcare professionals, governments and researchers worldwide. This paper proposes a comprehensive risk assessment methodology that provides a decision support tool, directed to a healthcare system, which can be utilized for evaluating risk involved during user authorization and authentication procedures. Within this context, a process technique was implemented to develop a risk assessment model, which is used to derive the relative priorities of the risk factors associated with a healthcare knowledge management system. The study showed risks involved when users are accessing a healthcare system. It proposes a model for assessing each risk occurring during the user authorization and authentication process. The results of the knowledge generated from the risk assessment provide a basis for deriving a system performance that is desirable for evaluating risk.Item Factors affecting the improvement of service quality at Universities of Technology: the case of South Africa(IFRD, 2014) Green, Paul; Adekanmbi, OluwoleSeveral research studies have been conducted on the evaluation of service quality at conventional universities. However, this study focuses on universities of technology which are fast growing value-based educational institutions in South Africa. The uniqueness of this study highlights the issues that can affect the improvement of service at universities of technology. Three factors namely: Organizational issues, Educational issues and Staff &Student issues were extracted as the main foci in the improvement of service at universities of technology. A mixed method methodology and an action research approach were employed in this study. The results obtained using factor analysis provides a basis for driving an equation system for evaluating the impact of the issues with respect to the factors named above. The results also show that some extraneous factors that are external to service delivery, have a substantial effect on the quality of service at universities of technology.Item A Meta-Heuristics based decision support system for optimal crop planning(MCSER Publishing, 2014-09) Adekanmbi, Oluwole; Green, PaulThis paper presents a meta-heuristic based decision support system to support farmers with optimal strategic decision making in the crop planning system. The analysis and modelling of crop planning decision making process are attractive for producing formalized knowledge on cropping plans in an agricultural farm. The formalization of the decision making process is generally becoming a crucial focal point for developing decision support systems that go beyond the limitation of formerly developed prescriptive approaches. The methodology of this research strikes a balance between mathematical formulations of crop planning problems and effective implementation of crop planning decision models. The new approach used to solve this problem is applicable to both medium and large scale farming; it is also integrated a systemic framework to build better decision support systems in agriculture.Item Prioritising factors influencing service quality at Durban University of Technology: AHP approach(Kamla-Raj, 2014) Ramroop, Shaun; Green, PaulThere have been numerous studies conducted on the evaluation of service quality at universities. However, there remains a deficiency on using a multi criteria decision making approach in determining factors to consider for the improvement of service quality at a university. The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a decision making tool in determining factors to consider for the improvement of service quality at a university. The study adopted a mixed method methodology and an action research approach was employed using a case at the Durban University of Technology. A purposive convenient sample of 30 participants was used.Data was collected via questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The data was captured inthe software Expert Choice and the results were processed by taking the aggregated group judgements as the geometric mean of the individual comparisons. The findings reveal that organisational and educational issues are paramount to providing an effective service at tertiary institutions.Item The effect of the National Credit Act, 2005 on home loans: a selected case in South Africa(Business Perspectives, 2015) Sewnunan, Teshani Devi; Green, PaulThe National Credit Act, 2005 (NCA) was introduced by the South African government mainly to bring about accessi-bility to credit markets, protect consumers from malpractices and market abuses by credit providers and reduce con-sumer over-indebtedness. As a result, credit providers are compelled to apply stringent rules and regulations when assessing a credit consumer’s affordability prior to granting home loans. The purpose of this paper is two-fold, firstly, to ascertain whether the NCA has prevented reckless lending by home loan providers, and secondly, to determine if the introduction of the NCA has prevented or reduced over-indebtedness amongst the home owners. The study ap-plied a mixed methods approach using a sample of 250 respondents from the Pinetown Metropolitan area of KwaZu-lu-Natal, South Africa. The results of the research indicated that the performance of affordability and credit risk procedures by credit providers helped to ensure the prevention of reckless lending and also reduced over-indebtedness in the long-term.