Faculty of Management Sciences
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Item Enterprise Resource Planning tools management in private higher education in South Africa(2021) Mithi, Joseph; Govender, SathsPurpose of the study: In this thesis on Enterprise Resource Planning Tools Management in Private Higher Education in South Africa, the study utilised multiple sources of data collection in a mixed manner, namely; use of interviews and focus groups (in-depth interviews) in qualitative investigations and questionnaires in the survey method in order to determine critical issues influencing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools in academic management in Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) in South Africa. Research problem: Mithi, Mabiza, and Edoun (2016:42), stated that the integration of digital software technological tools (ERPs) to support academic management showed that it was “possible to digitalise learning systems and find adequate acceptance from stakeholders. However, there is still a need to understand whether an improvement in Enterprise Resource Planning Software tools is appreciated, fully supported in the vision of contributing to the academic activities of PHEIs as businesses. Research methods: A mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) research methodology was used pragmatically in the study paradigm to triangulate the results of the research from an interpretive position. The research analysed and reported on subjective and quantitative data to ascertain knowledge about the participants’ recognition of critical issues affecting management of ERP tools in academic management in Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) in South Africa. In this study, the following groups of participants were purposefully sampled: students, lecturers and management staff working in the three PHEIs in Gauteng. The study found that academic attainment in PHEIs could be enhanced through ERP tools management in ICT integration. Findings and recommendations: In light of the research outcomes, the study suggests that there is enhanced coaching and students personal interactions through online conference tools, a practice that may be backed up and carry the same weight and recognition as physical learning contact hours. The qualitative data analysis raised a debate that HE ERPs must or may integrate all those particular factors that coordinate and interact as changes made in one factor should also reflect in another factor or module. ERP tools security features should be instituted at all levels of the main tools. Issues of integration in the selection of any robust, dynamic PHEI tools may call for a firm’s financial readiness and company-wide consultations with potential users of the system. Bringing in such a discussion in preparation to single out tools that may be selected over time may be an issue that is seldom shared by top HE executives, as other decisions in the ERP tools selection may seem to be imposed upon departments. HE ERP that does not have a student portal, without integrated online issues of applications, checking of results, enhancement of teaching and learning but partly integrating one or two departments in isolation to others, may not be considered fit or robust as a higher educational ERP.Item A systems approach to the production and retention of academic staff with PhD : a case study of a University of Technology(2021-05) Kotelana, EthelCompared to most countries with similar economies, South Africa presents figures that reflect that per million there is a critical shortage of doctorate holders. Doctoral education has been linked to economic growth and global competitiveness; however, several scholars have bemoaned the country’s extremely small doctoral output in relation to its economic and social development needs. The higher education (HE) system has set a throughput rate of 20% per annum but higher education institutions have, to date, only achieved 11%. This should come as no surprise as decades into democracy the South Africa HE system is still reliant upon the top 10 traditional universities for its doctoral graduate output. This anomaly can be attributed to how these higher educational institutions were established during apartheid and their approved programme qualification mix (PQM) mandates. During this period in South African history, only traditional white universities located in urban areas had the required research infrastructure and were permitted to offer doctoral degrees. This lack of access to further postgraduate training left South Africa with a dearth in highly skilled academics (professoriate), of which an estimated 20% will retire within a decade leaving a vacuum in the higher education system. Efforts to fill this vacuum are hampered by the following factors: i) there is a global demand for the limited available academic talent, ii) the current South African doctoral output is inadequate to replace its ageing professoriate at an equivalent rate, iii) programmes aimed at developing the next generation of academics (nGAP) have not been fully implemented, further, the posts complement constitutes a mere 25% of the country’s needs. The nGAP programme had envisaged the allocation of 15 posts per institution to meet the annual demand for academics however to date it has only managed 5 posts on average since inception in 2016. This study thus seeks to explore the challenges of producing and retaining academic staff with PhDs within and from outside the nGAP programme in the UoT sector and, in particular, at one institution through a systems lens. The study focusses then on XYZ institution and adopts a systems lens approach. From data analysis it has emerged that the profiles of PhD candidates in the country and the production and retention of academic staff with PhDs are the key determinants of the percentage of academic staff with PhDs. A qualitative system dynamics causal loop diagram (QCLD) conceptual model that illustrates the dynamics between these variables is presented and discussed. CLDs were chosen as they are powerful tools that visually illustrate the interdependence and interrelationships between variables embedded in any system under review and assist in the identification of leverage points for effective policy intervention.Item Decision support systems : critical success factors for implementation(1998) Averweg, Udo Richard Franz; Melville, Stuart W.Decision Support Systems (DSS) are interactive computer-based systems developed to support managers in complex tasks requiring human judgment. DSS utilise data, provide an easy user interface and allow for the decision maker's own insights.