A framework to measure the degree of alignment between corporate and IT/IS objectives at Randwater
- Authors: Sigasa, Moshane Lydia
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Information technology -- Management , Business enterprises -- Computer networks
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48841 , vital:41145
- Description: The South African Government has institutionalised a Corporate Governance of ICT Policy Framework which was developed by Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA). The framework has adopted some elements of KING III, ISO 38500 and COBIT. Consequently, it is now a requirement by the South African Government that all its entities must adopt this framework. Nevertheless, it is not clear how government has emphasised this alignment in such entities. The problem statement in this study was that Randwater is unable to realise full value of the investment in IT/IS because there is misalignment between IT objectives or deliverables and the corporate objectives. This study sought to identify a suitable framework which meets the ICT policy criteria as set out by the DPSA, which will facilitate the alignment between corporate objectives and IT/IS objectives at Randwater. This was achieved through the development and refinement of the artefact through the various iteration phases. Additionally, an online survey was used to collect data from a focus group comprising IT experts and senior management at Randwater. The Information Technology Governance Institute Framework was employed to assist in the development of the questions. The survey results were utilised during the validation of the artefact produced by this research study in a workshop. The findings were then linked with the related literature which either supported or rejected the findings through discussions on the literature and thereafter conclusions were made based on these findings. Furthermore, a literature review was conducted to gain a better understanding of what has been done in the field of research in order to assist in defining the problem that this research seeks to solve so as to inform the development of design characteristics. The research process employed the Nelson Mandela University – Design Science Strategy Methodology referred to as (NMU – DSSM) with the goal of developing an artefact in the form of a framework. The research process entailed studying the existing literature and analysing the aspects relating to corporate governance, IT governance, frameworks, and strategies to be able to measure the degree of alignment. The phases of designing the artefact were analysis, design, evaluate, validate and diffuse phases. The final artefact developed was a framework that incorporated the principles of King IV and ISO 38500 in corporate governance and ICT goals alignment. The final artefact also embedded transparency, accountability and security as important elements in the implementation of the artefact. v The survey findings were instrumental in the development of the artefact that brings alignment between business strategy and IT objectives at Randwater. From the findings, in terms of IT flexibility, it was revealed that the interrelated parts of the system at Randwater were modular. It was also concluded that there is lack of communication about the manner in which the components of the information systems are organised and integrated in order to allow for rapid changes and that the organisational IT infrastructure and applications were loosely coupled. The findings further revealed that the business had established corporate rules and standards for hardware and operating systems to ensure platform compatibility. It was also revealed that organisational IT applications were developed based on compliance guidelines. In terms of IT-enabled dynamic capabilities, it was revealed that IT systems at Randwater are not capable of scanning the environment and identifying new business opportunities and are not capable of anticipating discontinuities arising in the business domain by developing greater reactive and proactive strength. It was also revealed that it was concluded that IT systems were capable of achieving strategic alignment between IT flexibility and dynamic capabilities. Therefore, design science was the ideal research paradigm towards addressing the research problem and the artefact designed was a viable research contribution. The significance of the study was that it contributed to the development of technology-based solutions to an important and relevant business problem of alignment of business strategy to IT goals. The design evaluation, the utility, quality, and efficacy of the final design artefact was rigorously demonstrated via well-executed evaluation methods. The study also contributed to the literature available on business strategic alignment with ICT goals.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Sigasa, Moshane Lydia
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Information technology -- Management , Business enterprises -- Computer networks
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/48841 , vital:41145
- Description: The South African Government has institutionalised a Corporate Governance of ICT Policy Framework which was developed by Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA). The framework has adopted some elements of KING III, ISO 38500 and COBIT. Consequently, it is now a requirement by the South African Government that all its entities must adopt this framework. Nevertheless, it is not clear how government has emphasised this alignment in such entities. The problem statement in this study was that Randwater is unable to realise full value of the investment in IT/IS because there is misalignment between IT objectives or deliverables and the corporate objectives. This study sought to identify a suitable framework which meets the ICT policy criteria as set out by the DPSA, which will facilitate the alignment between corporate objectives and IT/IS objectives at Randwater. This was achieved through the development and refinement of the artefact through the various iteration phases. Additionally, an online survey was used to collect data from a focus group comprising IT experts and senior management at Randwater. The Information Technology Governance Institute Framework was employed to assist in the development of the questions. The survey results were utilised during the validation of the artefact produced by this research study in a workshop. The findings were then linked with the related literature which either supported or rejected the findings through discussions on the literature and thereafter conclusions were made based on these findings. Furthermore, a literature review was conducted to gain a better understanding of what has been done in the field of research in order to assist in defining the problem that this research seeks to solve so as to inform the development of design characteristics. The research process employed the Nelson Mandela University – Design Science Strategy Methodology referred to as (NMU – DSSM) with the goal of developing an artefact in the form of a framework. The research process entailed studying the existing literature and analysing the aspects relating to corporate governance, IT governance, frameworks, and strategies to be able to measure the degree of alignment. The phases of designing the artefact were analysis, design, evaluate, validate and diffuse phases. The final artefact developed was a framework that incorporated the principles of King IV and ISO 38500 in corporate governance and ICT goals alignment. The final artefact also embedded transparency, accountability and security as important elements in the implementation of the artefact. v The survey findings were instrumental in the development of the artefact that brings alignment between business strategy and IT objectives at Randwater. From the findings, in terms of IT flexibility, it was revealed that the interrelated parts of the system at Randwater were modular. It was also concluded that there is lack of communication about the manner in which the components of the information systems are organised and integrated in order to allow for rapid changes and that the organisational IT infrastructure and applications were loosely coupled. The findings further revealed that the business had established corporate rules and standards for hardware and operating systems to ensure platform compatibility. It was also revealed that organisational IT applications were developed based on compliance guidelines. In terms of IT-enabled dynamic capabilities, it was revealed that IT systems at Randwater are not capable of scanning the environment and identifying new business opportunities and are not capable of anticipating discontinuities arising in the business domain by developing greater reactive and proactive strength. It was also revealed that it was concluded that IT systems were capable of achieving strategic alignment between IT flexibility and dynamic capabilities. Therefore, design science was the ideal research paradigm towards addressing the research problem and the artefact designed was a viable research contribution. The significance of the study was that it contributed to the development of technology-based solutions to an important and relevant business problem of alignment of business strategy to IT goals. The design evaluation, the utility, quality, and efficacy of the final design artefact was rigorously demonstrated via well-executed evaluation methods. The study also contributed to the literature available on business strategic alignment with ICT goals.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
The role of the African Union in Burundi from 2015 to 2016: an examination of African led mediations in electoral conflicts
- Authors: Mutangadura, Chido Samantha
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Burundi -- Politics and governemnt -- 1993- African Union Conflict management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20714 , vital:29378
- Description: The African Union’s role in the formulation and the implementation of the Arusha Agreement in Burundi has been hailed as a hall mark of success for the organisation’s conflict management on the continent. A decade and a half later Burundi once again finds itself at the precipice of civil war due to the controversy surrounding President Pierre Nkurunziza’s election to a third term in office in 2015. At the time of writing, the mediation efforts are tethering on the brink of failure. The African Union’s response to the political crisis in Burundi has been characterised by policy incoherence, reversals and ineffectiveness as member states have not committed to a particular strategy. This study explores the underlying factors that resulted in the failure of the African Union’s mediation efforts in Burundi by analysing the contingency framework for mediation by Bercovitch Anagnoson and Wille (1991: 11) with specific reference to the eight context variables. The study seeks to understand the failure of mediation in the context of the African Union’s previous success in mediating the signing of the Arusha Agreement. The study reveals that the competing and contradictory narratives surrounding the mediation and the conflict played a significant role in influencing the outcome of the mediation. The study concludes that mediation remains a relevant conflict management strategy for the African Union. The normative framework of the regional organisation however must be shifted to reconceptualise the principle of sovereignty in responding to electoral based conflicts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Mutangadura, Chido Samantha
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Burundi -- Politics and governemnt -- 1993- African Union Conflict management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/20714 , vital:29378
- Description: The African Union’s role in the formulation and the implementation of the Arusha Agreement in Burundi has been hailed as a hall mark of success for the organisation’s conflict management on the continent. A decade and a half later Burundi once again finds itself at the precipice of civil war due to the controversy surrounding President Pierre Nkurunziza’s election to a third term in office in 2015. At the time of writing, the mediation efforts are tethering on the brink of failure. The African Union’s response to the political crisis in Burundi has been characterised by policy incoherence, reversals and ineffectiveness as member states have not committed to a particular strategy. This study explores the underlying factors that resulted in the failure of the African Union’s mediation efforts in Burundi by analysing the contingency framework for mediation by Bercovitch Anagnoson and Wille (1991: 11) with specific reference to the eight context variables. The study seeks to understand the failure of mediation in the context of the African Union’s previous success in mediating the signing of the Arusha Agreement. The study reveals that the competing and contradictory narratives surrounding the mediation and the conflict played a significant role in influencing the outcome of the mediation. The study concludes that mediation remains a relevant conflict management strategy for the African Union. The normative framework of the regional organisation however must be shifted to reconceptualise the principle of sovereignty in responding to electoral based conflicts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Strategies to equip females for managerial positions
- Authors: Smailes, Chanél
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Women executives -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8696 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1095 , Women executives -- South Africa
- Description: The study was concerned with identifying both organisational and personal strategies utilised by females in managerial positions within South Africa. From an analysis of both primary and secondary data, it was concluded that executive women in South Africa are utilising personal strategies more extensively than relying solely on organisational strategies to facilitate them to managerial positions and the respondents therefore deemed these personal strategies to have a greater impact than that of the organisational strategies. Both organisations and individuals would benefit from this study as the study brings to the fore the lack of organisational strategies utilised by organisations within South Africa, as well as highlighting those strategies found most beneficial by executive women as having the greatest impact on their careers. This indication would allow for organisations to efficiently invest in those strategies having the most impact on female executives’ careers. Individual women at non-management or junior management levels could integrate the personal strategies highlighted in this study as being most effective into their career development plans. By ensuring both organisations and women together are working to equip females for managerial positions, both organisational and personal performance of South African female managers will be maximized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Smailes, Chanél
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Women executives -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8696 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1095 , Women executives -- South Africa
- Description: The study was concerned with identifying both organisational and personal strategies utilised by females in managerial positions within South Africa. From an analysis of both primary and secondary data, it was concluded that executive women in South Africa are utilising personal strategies more extensively than relying solely on organisational strategies to facilitate them to managerial positions and the respondents therefore deemed these personal strategies to have a greater impact than that of the organisational strategies. Both organisations and individuals would benefit from this study as the study brings to the fore the lack of organisational strategies utilised by organisations within South Africa, as well as highlighting those strategies found most beneficial by executive women as having the greatest impact on their careers. This indication would allow for organisations to efficiently invest in those strategies having the most impact on female executives’ careers. Individual women at non-management or junior management levels could integrate the personal strategies highlighted in this study as being most effective into their career development plans. By ensuring both organisations and women together are working to equip females for managerial positions, both organisational and personal performance of South African female managers will be maximized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
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