Research Articles (Informatics)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/1697

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Understanding the inertial forces impeding dynamic cybersecurity learning capabilities : the case of a South African healthcare software services firm
(South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists, 2024-07-31) Nyakasoka, Lawrence; Naidoo, Rennie
Healthcare firms need to develop cybersecurity learning mechanisms to respond faster and more proactively to a rapidly changing cybersecurity threat landscape. Many healthcare firms lack the necessary cybersecurity learning capabilities to address ever-changing and unpredictable cyberthreats effectively. In this case study, we investigate the challenges faced by a major South African healthcare software services firm that offers software as a service (SaaS) solutions. We analyse the inertial forces that impede the firm’s cybersecurity learning capabilities by integrating concepts from dynamic cybersecurity learning capability (DCLC) and IS-enabled organisational learning perspectives. Furthermore, we identify strategic and operational level inertial forces through interviews with the organisation’s experts and examination of cybersecurity documents. We then present actionable recommendations for industry practitioners to overcome these inertial forces and strengthen their cybersecurity learning capabilities. Our suggested interventions include implementing proactive leadership structures, enhancing user learning capabilities, and adopting novel risk management approaches. Additionally, we propose further directions for scholars to research the impact of inertial forces on dynamic cybersecurity learning capabilities in healthcare firms.
Towards human-AI symbiosis : designing an artificial intelligence adoption framework
(South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists, 2024-07-31) Smit, Danie; Eybers, Sunet; Van der Merwe, Alta; alta.vdm@up.ac.za
Organisations need to adopt AI successfully and responsibly. AI’s technical capabilities make AI powerful. However, the implementation of AI in organisations is not limited to the technical elements and requires a more holistic approach. An AI implementation within an organisation is a sociotechnical system, with the interplay between social and technical components. Considering the sociotechnical nature of AI in organisations, the following research question arises: From a sociotechnical perspective, how can an organisation increase adoption of AI as part of its quest to become more data-driven? In light of the research question, we propose to create a sociotechnical artificial intelligence adoption framework with a target audience of both academics and practitioners. This study follows a design science research approach, constituting various iterative cycles. The study is conducted at an automotive manufacturer’s IT Hub based in South Africa and has the aim to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world organisation. To achieve this, focus groups serve as the primary research method. As the organisation at which the study took place is seen as a global leader in industrial digital transformation, the experience can help researchers and other organisations understand how an organisation can increase the adoption of AI.
Sensemaking and the potential future-focused curriculum for society 5.0 knowledge managers : a South African perspective
(South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists , 2024-07-31) Mearns, Martie; Meyer, Anika; Holmner, Marlene Amanda; Marshall, Linda; Hattingh, Maria J. (Marie); Bester, Elmi; martie.mearns@up.ac.za
When "quality being everyone’s business" coincides with the reality of a disruptive work environment, critical self-evaluation becomes an essential tool to ensure accountability. Academics who design curricula and their tuition offering have a certain degree of freedom in what and how they teach. However, academics need to be consciously discerning, yet inclusive, about the voices that should speak into curriculum design. This study operates from the principle of co-creation in curriculum design and acknowledges the multiplicity of relevant voices that speak into curriculum design. These voices are influenced by the past, present, and possibilities of the potential future. To remain relevant in the imagined future, this research identified the co-creators and curriculum design partners for the multidisciplinary field of knowledge management. The curricula of three related academic departments were analysed to determine knowledge management tuition linkages. These curricula were then compared with the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) level descriptors. Following on from this desktop analysis, Sensemaker®, a distributed digital ethnographic methodology was piloted that will be used to collect micronarratives from emergent curriculum co-creators. This article identifies gaps in current curricula, expresses expectations for future possibilities and highlights potential niche opportunities for knowledge management curriculum design.
A conceptual framework for agility in sociotechnical contexts
(South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists , 2024-07-31) Lillie, Theresa; Eybers, Sunet; Gerber, Aurona
Organisational agility is crucial for organisations to thrive in dynamic business environments. While the Information Systems (IS) discipline recognises the need for IS to support organisational agility, current IS research has not sufficiently explained how organisations achieve agility given their sociotechnical contexts. Some scholars and practitioners propose scaling agility-building approaches from small software development teams to the enterprise level, and others argue that agility is not a predetermined outcome of linear processes, but instead emerges from intricate organisational contexts. Previous research proposed a conceptual model that identified the structural components of agility in IS. However, this structural perspective does not address the dynamic aspects of agility. To address this gap, two systematic literature reviews (SLR) were conducted to develop a conceptual framework for agility in sociotechnical contexts, which is the contribution this research makes to the IS field. The first SLR investigated frameworks that enable organisational agility. Consequently, the Cynefin framework was adopted to explain the dynamics of contextualised decision-making and agility. The second SLR identified the influence of heuristics on decision-making and dynamic capabilities. The resulting framework integrates the structural and dynamic aspects of agility in IS and explains how heuristics could potentially be managed to improve sociotechnical agility.
From dark data to insight : the role of knowledge management in promoting digital decarbonisation
(AOSIS, 2025-03) Smuts, Hanlie; Van der Merwe, Alta; hanlie.smuts@up.ac.za
BACKGROUND : Sustainable transformation is a key component of organisational sustainability, particularly as the exponential growth of data drives the need for energy-intensive data centres. This study focussed on knowledge management (KM), specifically dark data management, as a practice to reduce the demand on data centres that ultimately contributes to carbon emissions. OBJECTIVES : Data-driven technologies have exponentially increased data generation, much of which remains unused as dark data. Dark data contribute to the growing environmental impact of digital activities, as the storage and processing of unused data require substantial energy resources. METHOD : The study applied a survey strategy to analyse 539 responses through factor analysis, using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software tool to investigate dark data KM strategies and practices towards supporting digital decarbonisation and enhancing organisational sustainability. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis and integrated with the extracted factors. RESULTS : The study identified 13 key considerations to derive a socio-technical work system using KM strategies and practices in support of digital decarbonisation and sustainability: business process, data governance and stewardship, data management, data security, decision-making, interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge and information management, measurement, organisational culture, organisational goals, organisational learning, technology and organisational structure. CONCLUSION : Rather than considering typical Green Information Technology (IT) strategies, this study focussed on KM, specifically dark data management, as a practice to reduce the demand for data centres that ultimately contribute to carbon emissions. CONTRIBUTION : The study offers insights into applying KM capability as an additional approach to achieving Green IT goals for organisations focussing on Green IT strategies.
A strategic framework for passenger information systems in the rail industry : a Gauteng passenger rail study
(Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering, 2025-05) Chakabva, Muchafara P.; Pretorius, Henk W.; Turpin, Marita; henk.pretorius@up.ac.za
ENGLISH : This study investigates the impact of rail passenger information systems (PISs) on service delivery in South Africa. Poor service delivery causes rail transport and profitability to decline, as national statistical reports show. PISs in the rail sector have been largely regarded as operational support systems. An interpretive explorative case study’s findings suggest that PISs have characteristics that qualify them as strategic information systems (SISs) to extend a business strategy. A framework is proposed to guide rail organisations on how PISs could be used as SISs to improve service delivery and profitability in this sector. AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie ondersoek die impak van spoorpassasierinligtingstelsels (PISs) op dienslewering in Suid Afrika. Swak dienslewering veroorsaak ’n afname in spoorvervoer en -winsgewendheid, soos aangedui in nasionale statistiese verslae. Spoorpassasierinligtingstelels word grootliks beskou as operasionele ondersteuningstelsels. Die bevindings van ’n interpretiewe ondersoekende gevallestudie dui aan dat spoorpassasierinligtingstelsels gebruik kan word as strategiese inligtingstelels (SISs) om besigheidstrategie uit te voer. ’n Raamwerk word voorgestel wat spoororganisasies kan ondersteun om PISs te gebruik as SISs vir beter dienslewering en winsgewendheid in die sektor.
Optimal workforce allocation for quality delivery in devOps teams : a case study
(IADIS, 2024) Smuts, Hanlie; Louw, Paul; Smit, Danie; Waechter, Ingo; Sardinha-da Silva, Vanessa
Software development, integration, deployment, and operational management necessitate a diverse array of complex skills. Additionally, there is a growing demand for organizations to expedite the delivery of product-based applications and services compared to traditional software development methods, all while adhering to specific cost, speed, and quality criteria. To address these challenges, IT organizations adopt a DevOps approach, structuring their software teams to integrate development and operations seamlessly. As the complexity varies across different product lines, determining the ideal mix of DevOps workforce becomes important. In this case study, we formulated a generic DevOps workforce profile for product line delivery using stratified systems theory, which considers weighted factors influencing the workforce mix. We then compared this profile with actual workforce data to identify the optimal alignment. Furthermore, qualitative data from 17 product line owners within the organization delineated their key considerations when allocating workforce to DevOps teams. By conducting a thematic analysis of these considerations, we refined the workforce allocation method and proposed a set of systematic guidelines to help organizations better grasp the distribution of DevOps workforce mix, thereby enabling them to staff teams with an optimal balance of expertise, delivery quality, and operational efficiency. This enhanced understanding can further inform talent development and allocation strategies.
Business model innovation based on disruptive technologies : a critical success factors categorization
(IADIS, 2024) Edwards, Mikhail David; Smuts, Hanlie
Business model innovation (BMI) holds significant importance in today's digital landscape, empowering enterprises to leverage disruptive technology for value creation and competitive advantage. However, the rapid evolution of these technologies presents various challenges, including uncertain market conditions, potential financial risks during the initial phases, employee resistance, and the risk of distraction from core responsibilities. This research aimed to identify the characteristics essential for the successful implementation of BMI through effective utilization of disruptive technologies. This was accomplished through a thorough review of existing literature, organizing critical success factors into the business model canvas framework, and applying a framework for identifying and classifying digital technologies based on demand. The findings underscored the importance of trust, efficiency, and adaptability across various BMI components. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence enhance objective alignment and personalized client experiences, while blockchain technology fosters trust and transparency. Cloud computing, on the other hand, enhances resource accessibility and flexibility. To achieve optimal BMI in today's digital landscape, it is important for organisations to proactively integrate these technologies into their operations, while fostering adaptability and engaging stakeholders.
Elicitation of security threats and vulnerabilities in Insurance chatbots using STRIDE
(Nature Research, 2024-08-02) Bokolo, Zilungile; Daramola, Olawande; wande.daramola@up.ac.za
Although chatbots are used a lot for customer relationship management (CRM), there needs to be more data security and privacy control strategies in chatbots, which has become a security concern for financial services institutions. Chatbots gain access to large amounts of vital company information and clients’ personal information, which makes them a target of security attacks. The loss of data stored in chatbots can cause major harm to companies and customers. In this study, STRIDE (viz. Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information disclosure, Denial of service, Elevation of privilege) modelling was applied to identify the data security vulnerabilities and threats that pertain to chatbots used in the insurance industry. To do this, we conducted a case study of a South African insurance organisation. The adopted methodology involved data collection from stakeholders in the insurance organisation to identify chatbot use cases and understand chatbot operations. After that, we conducted a STRIDE-based analysis of the chatbot use cases to elicit security threats and vulnerabilities in the insurance chatbots in the organisation. The results reveal that security vulnerabilities associated with Spoofing, Denial of Service, and Elevation of privilege are more relevant to insurance chatbots. The most security threats stem from Tampering, Elevation of privilege, and Spoofing. The study extends the discussion on chatbot security. It fosters an understanding of security threats and vulnerabilities that pertain to insurance chatbots, which is beneficial for security researchers and practitioners working on the security of chatbots and the insurance industry.
The use of heat maps to explore perceived visual indicators of online fake news
(Elsevier, 2024) Matthee, Machdel C.; Hattingh, Maria J. (Marie); Normund-van Wyk, Ludwig; machdel.mathee@up.ac.za
The study uses heat maps to explore visual indicators of online fake news as perceived by news consumers. Participants in this study were asked to browse through three separate documents, two of which contained fake news, which they were not made aware of. After browsing the three documents, participants were asked a series of questions via a questionnaire relating to the three articles’ content. These answers, in combination with the participants’ combined heat map data, were analysed to determine what participants consider as visual indicators of online fake news. Participants attempted to establish the source’s credibility and evaluate the indicators provided in the articles. It appeared that the title, URL and website names were important indicators. In addition, images attracted attention, too many adverts were considered a red flag, and an organized layout with an author, date, sources, and secure website increases the credibility of the source.
Student intentions to continue with distance learning post-COVID : an empirical analysis
(Public Library of Science, 2024-01-17) Steyn, Adriana Aletta (Riana); Van Slyke, Craig; Dick, Geoffrey; Twinomurinzi, Hossana; Amusa, Lateef Babatunde; riana.steyn@up.ac.za
The aftermath of COVID changed how students learn, mainly moving to a distance learning model. The research reported in this paper investigated the organizational and individual factors that influence the preference for continuing with distance / online learning post-COVID. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to a model developed for this research, based on data from 452 students from residential universities in South Africa. The key results reveal an overall reluctance to continue with distance learning. This is despite the technological and faculty support offered to university students and how distance learning fits their learning styles. This is likely due to student living conditions and their perception of low institutional concern. On the other hand, faculty support has a more substantial impact on continuance, compared with a generally negative perception of support from the universities. The research underscores the importance of addressing student reluctance to continue with distance learning by improving institutional support and tailoring learning styles. The research enhances our understanding of crucial factors influencing students’ preference for distance/online learning post-COVID. It also underscores the pedagogical shifts brought about by the pandemic, particularly highlighting the changing roles of faculty support and the impact on students’ living conditions.
A bibliometric analysis review : the emerging technology of artificial intelligence for non-bio inspired and bio-inspired algorithm of wireless sensor network from 2005–2022
(Cerebration Science Publishing, 2025-02) Aroba, Oluwasegun Julius; Rudolph, Michael; Naicker, Nalindren; Karodia, Khadija; Gupthar, Avintha; Bugwandin, Vinay; Ramchander, Manduth; Adeliyi, Timothy
Rapid developments in technology, business, and social norms have been observed in the twenty-first century. The fourth industrial revolution has been brought about by most industries moving toward automation and reducing human intervention. Wireless sensor networks are incredibly important to the fourth industrial revolution since they help with modernization. WSNs are networks of sensor and routing nodes that can be integrated into a variety of control systems, such as those used for home automation, electric-power automation, and environmental monitoring. A key problem that typically afflicts wireless sensor networks is node localization (WSNs). As a result, several algorithms, to ameliorate the challenges WSNs confront, both bio-inspired and non-bio-inspired solutions have been presented. From 2005 through 2022, the Scopus database was searched for publications. WSNs are used in published research paper statistical analysis, Microsoft Excel 365, VOSviewer, RStudio, and Biblioshiny packages were used. For this seventeen-year study period, a total of 36,377 published documents were in the Scopus database. 765 papers in all were examined following the implementation of the exclusion criteria. This study highlights the global research production of bio-inspired and non-bioinspired algorithms in wireless sensor networks, together with their status and tendencies. It can assist IoT and wireless sensor network researchers in gaining a thorough understanding of the most advanced algorithms in this area.
Investigating the Internet skills of older adults in South Africa
(CHRIST University, 2024-10-10) Gwala, Nkonzwenhle; Mawela, Tendani; tendani.mawela@up.ac.za
The older adult population is growing in South Africa. However, it is reported that approximately only 3.6% of older adults use the Internet. Using information technology resources and the internet can enable older adults to be independent for longer, and the internet may improve older adults’ quality of life. Additionally, access to technology and the internet supports access to information and digital inclusion. This study investigated older adults’ level of internet skills in South Africa and their experiences regarding internet use. The research followed a positivist, quantitative approach and used online questionnaires for data collection. The results showed that older adults appear to be lacking in internet skills in South Africa. The overall mean scores were low, where mobile skills seemed to be the lowest-rated skill for the respondents. The evaluation also showed that online operational and creativity skills appeared low for older adults.
Navigating cultural tensions and adaptation across changing global IT work environments : a case study of a South African IT unit reorganization
(Routledge, 2025) Naidoo, Rennie; Van der Merwe, Jean-Pierre
Navigating cultural tensions during a reorganization to a globally distributed IT unit is a formidable challenge for IT managers and workers across diverse cultural contexts. Our case study integrates and extends national cultural dimensions and organizational culture models in global IS research with the relational dialectics perspective to explore the discursive and material nature of cultural tensions experienced by local IT unit workers in a multinational technology organization. Drawing from in-depth interviews, we use thematic and contrapuntal analysis to examine the cultural tensions onsite local IT unit managers and specialists from South Africa expressed about their changing relations with an offshore global IT headquarters. Our results reveal an overarching autonomy versus control tension and three interrelated subtensions—workplace flexibility versus workplace standardization, strategic position versus compliant position, and empowerment advocacy versus bureaucratic dictates—which influenced contradictory meanings and responses to the reorganization. These tensions and adaptation strategies, though rooted in the South African IT unit context, resonate with global IT work environments, particularly in emerging economies and high- and low-power-distance cultures like China and Western Europe, where similar dynamics of cultural negotiation between local autonomy and global control are evident. The central contribution of this research is a global IT cultural tensions model, offering practical implications for fostering more inclusive and harmonious IT work environments across diverse cultural and regional contexts.
Systematic literature review on opportunities for digital innovation in the healthcare sector
(Koegni-eHealth Innovation for Development, 2024-03) Osembe, Lufungula; Adebesin, Funmi; Smuts, Hanlie
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The concept of digital innovation has garnered significant attention recently and has the potential to revolutionise industries. With the recent advancements in healthcare and the emergence of new digital technologies, this manuscript reports the results of a systematic literature review (SLR) aimed at identifying the opportunities that digital innovation can afford the healthcare sector. These opportunities could guide policymakers and healthcare practitioners in making informed decisions regarding the implementation of digital innovation in healthcare. METHODS: This study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) that involved defining the purpose of the literature review, establishing inclusion and exclusion criteria, identifying data sources and search strategies, screening and determining eligibility, and making inclusion/exclusion decisions. This study also included quality assessment criteria to evaluate the selected publications. 1478 research papers were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis to identify themes from the papers included in the SLR. RESULTS: The findings presented nine themes related to opportunities for digital innovation in healthcare. The following themes were discussed: precision/personalised medicine/healthcare, interoperability, privacy, and security, improved decision-making process, real-time/remote monitoring, enabling new processes/services/products, training/education, knowledge acquisition/sharing, and other themes that could not be categorised. These themes include cost, effectiveness, and time management. CONCLUSIONS: This study utilised thematic analysis to examine the themes that emerged from the findings. These themes centred around the opportunities for digital innovation in healthcare. Awareness about each opportunity for digital innovation in healthcare is discussed. This study discussed the limitations of this SLR and future research opportunities for policymakers and healthcare practitioners wanting to implement digital innovation in healthcare.
A reflective thematic analysis into the perceptions of pregnant radiographers regarding the usefulness of the Pregidose mobile app to enhance fetal dosimetry and well-being : qualitative exploration
(JMIR Publications, 2024) Essop, Hafsa; Kekana, R.M. (Mable); Brosens, Jacques; Smuts, Hanlie
BACKGROUND : Pregnancy apps are widely used by pregnant women, who benefit from self-tracking features to support their health goals. Pregnant radiographers are considered a high-risk group of health workers practicing in ionizing radiation environments. Radiation exposure above threshold limits can cause harmful genetic effects on a fetus. Accordingly, pregnant radiographers are required to wear special fetal dosimeters, which provide real-time readings of radiation dose exposure to the fetus. Pregnant radiographers have the responsibility to self-track their fetal doses to ensure that the threshold limit of 1 mGy is not exceeded. The traditional method used to track doses includes a written log of doses in a notebook. Thus, PregiDose, a unique offering in the context of pregnancy apps, was developed to enhance fetal dose tracking and monitoring using technological methods. OBJECTIVE : This study aims to describe the users’ perceptions of the app’s usefulness using PregiDose in a natural setting. METHODS : The overarching framework adopted for the study was a design science research (DSR) methodology encompassing five steps, namely (1) problem awareness, (2) suggestion, (3) development, (4) evaluation, and (5) conclusion. This paper presents the evaluation step of DSR. DSR step 4 included a qualitative approach to explore users’ perceptions regarding the app. Data were collected using a semistructured interview guide. Open-ended questions were guided by the app’s core features, namely dose tracking, education, and wellness. In total, 17 pregnant radiographers in South Africa enrolled to use the app, 9 (53%) engaged with the app, and 4 (24%) agreed to participate in the feedback interviews. The data were collected from October 2023 to March 2024 and analyzed using a reflective thematic data analysis method. RESULTS : Three overarching themes emerged from the data, namely (1) usefulness of PregiDose, (2) barriers to PregiDose adoption and use, and (3) recommendations for the advancement of PregiDose. Users labeled the app’s usefulness as positive and perceived it as a modern approach to traditional dose-tracking methods. They perceived the graph output of the dose-tracking feature to be useful for viewing their accumulative doses. They did not fully engage with the journaling feature, indicating that it was a personal preference and not a practice they would usually engage in. Physiological barriers, such as fatigue and “pregnancy brain,” were contributors to decreased engagement. Finally, because of the demanding workload and fast-paced nature of the radiography department, users recommended the automation of fetal dosimetry through the Internet of Things. CONCLUSIONS : PregiDose is an occupational health and safety mobile app developed for pregnant radiographers through a DSR approach. The app offers a modern method of dose tracking consistent with technological advancements in the context of self-tracking. However, future implementation would require using Internet of Things to make fetal dose tracking more effective.
Embedding sustainability : sociotechnical knowledge management guidelines for digital decarbonization in the Society 5.0 era
(MDPI, 2025-02) Smuts, Hanlie; Van der Merwe, Alta; hanlie.smuts@up.ac.za
Economic, social, and environmental sustainability emphasizes the need for organizations to integrate sustainability strategies into their core business and business development plans. The era of Society 5.0 is characterized by human-centeredness and digital leadership. It requires embedding sustainability practices and Green Information Technology (IT) while leveraging human–technology relationships to promote social good. However, embedding these practices into organizational culture is challenging due to resistance to change and the need for widespread mindset shifts. This study selected a focus group of eight South African participants to define sociotechnical knowledge management (KM) guidelines for embedding sustainable practices in organizations to promote digital decarbonization aligned with the Society 5.0 vision. Our findings suggest ten elements for the guidelines to incorporate: external environment, organizational context, business drivers, business outcomes, monitoring and evaluation, KM processes, technology enablers, sociotechnical KM tactics, knowledge assets, and execution considerations. By adopting such guidelines as a sustainability strategy, organizations can integrate KM practices into the human-centered and cyber-physical philosophy of Society 5.0. This approach aligns employee behavior with technological tools, enabling organizations to make data-driven decisions, reduce digital waste, and foster a culture of environmental responsibility. In addition, this approach enhances collaboration and innovation, benefiting all stakeholders and advancing sustainable development.
A transformer-based approach to Nigerian Pidgin text generation
(Springer, 2024-12) Garba, Kabir; Kolajo, Taiwo; Agbogun, Joshua B.; taiwo.kolajo@up.ac.za
This paper describes the development of a transformer-based text generation model for Nigerian Pidgin also known as Naijá, a popular language in West Africa. Despite its wide use, Nigerian Pidgin remains under-resourced, particularly in areas related to text generation and natural language processing. These difficulties are primarily due to technological constraints rather than the language’s fundamental attributes. There is currently a demand for Nigerian Pidgin-specific solutions because it is used in everyday communication and has a unique linguistic blend. This paper aims to close this gap by exploring the application of state-of-the-art transformer technology to develop a text generation model for Nigerian Pidgin. This work uses the public Afriberta-corpus dataset to optimize the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-2) model across a sizeable dataset. The performance evaluators, BLEU and Perplexity metrics provide a detailed breakdown of the model’s text quality and predictive accuracy. Despite the difficulties caused by a limited amount of training data, preliminary evaluations show that the model can generate coherent Nigerian Pidgin text. The performance evaluation yielded perplexity scores of 43.56 for variable target reference length and 43.26 for fixed text length. BLEU scores of 0.15 for fixed max length and 0.56 for variable reference target length. This highlights the quality of generated text and the significant improvement when the generated text length is aligned with the reference target. Our work was benchmarked against African American Vernacular (AAVE) revealing that BLEU scores for AAVE are significantly lower than those for Standard American English, with BLEU given as 0.26. Our Nigerian Pidgin model, with a BLEU score of 0.56, shows a better performance. However, both results suggest that both dialects are challenging for language models. Leveraging the pre-trained transformer-based language model and evaluation metrics, we showcase the model’s capacity for coherent Nigerian Pidgin text generation. For future research, the research work can serve as a good foundation for advancement and progress in the Nigerian Pidgin language generation and other low-resource languages.
Open source software adoption in the financial services industry : exploratory evidence from South Africa
(IGI Global, 2024-01) Langerman, Josef; Daramola, Olawande
Although OSS has gained traction across industries worldwide, few studies have been reported on OSS adoption in the financial industry and even less in the context of developing countries. This paper presents an exploratory overview of the state of OSS adoption in the financial industry using the case of South Africa as a country with the largest and most developed financial sector in Africa. To achieve this, we conducted a qualitative study that leveraged the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework, and the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory as theoretical references and used thematic analysis to analyse the data collected from a focus group discussion (FGD) of eight experts from four financial services organisations based in South Africa. The study's findings reveal the state of practice of OSS and the technological, organisational, and environmental factors that affect OSS adoption, and diffusion in financial services organisations in South Africa. We also identified seven research themes that should gain the attention of researchers from now on.
Harnessing disruptive innovation : a conceptual model for SME growth and adaptation
(MDPI, 2024-11-27) Smuts, Hanlie; Weilbach, Elizabeth Helena (Lizette); Padachi, Kesseven; Boolaky, Aleesha; Mauree-Narrainen, Diroubinee; Ramphul, Needesh; Chittoo, Hemant
In the context of sustaining innovation, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) strive to enhance their market position through product improvements. However, globalization and rapid technological advancements pose significant challenges, urging SMEs to integrate innovative capabilities into their business models. Effective SME business model innovation, fueled by customer insights, process efficiency, and technology application, can promote development and unlock additional value-creation resources. Despite this, SMEs encounter difficulties in capitalizing on disruptive innovation due to the competitive, technology-driven, and volatile global market. This study aimed to define a comprehensive conceptual model of disruptive innovation specifically tailored for SMEs. Through an automated content analysis of relevant literature, 13 themes and 82 concepts were identified and categorized into four strategic alignment domains. These domains provide a framework for operationalizing the findings and constructing a conceptual model of disruptive innovation. Utilizing this conceptual model as a checklist can assist SMEs in turning disruption into opportunity, thereby supporting their adaptation and growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.

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