Добірка наукової літератури з теми "Employees effect of technological innovations on case studies"

This study assessed the impact of technological innovation on employee performance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Data were gathered from private and government banks that applied technological innovations to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The author also elucidated more about the influence of technological innovation on employee performance, influenced by job satisfaction, work-life balance, and burnout. This study described technological innovation within the Jabodetabek Area’s banking industry by using variables that affect employee performance. The questionnaires were distributed through social media to 123 respondents under 40 years of work. The data were then analyzed using PLS-SEM through SmartPLS 3 software. Findings. The results of this study indicated the positive effect of technological innovation on the performance of bank employees. Utilizing technological innovation will increase employees’ satisfaction at work, balance employees' lives, reduce burnout, and improve employee performance eventually. This paper focused on the variables used in the banking industry, especially in COVID-19 Pandemic. Mediating variables used also have never been explored in the previous research.

PURPOSE: The theoretical aim of this study is to explore the nature of the “technological innovation–labor market” relationships presented recently in the literature, based on publications indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The empirical purpose is to examine these relationships in companies operating in the confectionery industry in Poland. METHODOLOGY: Literature studies, as well as a mixed-method empirical research approach, were used, including an online survey of engineers working in the confectionery industry and the case study method (with interviews and observation). FINDINGS: Publications from the past eleven years have covered the problems of the analyzed relationship but have not taken into consideration the market in Poland or the confectionery industry. More often than the classic literature, these publications present different relationships, not focusing mainly on the issue of unemployment resulting from technological innovation. Meanwhile, empirical studies show that the analyzed relationships are non-reciprocal. Fifty percent of the employees surveyed indicated that implementing technological innovations results in job losses. The remaining respondents were convinced that technological innovation has a neutral quantitative impact on the internal labor market. We identified that technological innovations have an impact on the labor market (both internal and external) more often than changes in the labor market affecting innovations, and that this impact is rather negative. Moreover, empirical research shows that technological innovations are positively connected with qualitative changes in the internal labor market. IMPLICATIONS: This study emphasizes the need for lifelong learning among employees and for a field for development at educational institutions. It should also draw the attention of top managers to the skills that their employees have now and should have in the future. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The paper presents an original typology of the relationships between technological innovation and the labor market, which can serve as the basis for further development and qualitative or quantitative research. The paper also presents pioneering research because previous studies were not based on a complex framework, including different kinds of impacts (from negative through neutral to positive), treating the labor market and technological innovations relative to each other as dependent or independent variables, or highlighting two types of labor market.

The shift to the knowledge-based economy and fast technological development put pressure on higher educational institutions with regard to the modernization of curricula, providing possibilities to overcome the skill gap and finding new tools for ensuring the quality of education services that correspond with the labor market needs. The purpose of the paper is to present the analysis of challenges and results of a currently piloted tool – dual studies – based on best German applied education practices. Authors investigate formal and informal obstacles for the introduction of this innovation in the national context, as well as solutions and potential benefits. The latter are social (decreasing the graduates’ unemployment level), economic (providing the labor market with well-educated labor force equipped with relevant qualifications) and individual (image improvement of companies, advancement of higher educational institution competitiveness and financial support of students, as well as smoothening the shift to the world of work) both short- and long-term. However, despite clear positive socio-economic effects, the dynamics of dual studies introduction as an innovation by stakeholders is far from optimistic due to the unfinished process of the formation of approaches to the dual studies management, which undermines the development of cooperation networks of the three key stakeholders – a higher educational establishment, a company and a student. There is also a current need in updating teaching methodologies, development of new relevant educational programs, curricula, modernization of the content of pre-tertiary and tertiary professional education based on an integrated approach and dual education principles. With regard to the above-listed tasks to be solved and despite a number of structural obstacles, the dual form of education is being implemented in Ukraine, which adds up to building social partnerships between educational institutions, students and employers.

This study examines the notion of sustainable development in corporate organizations and argues that businesses’ adoption of systems/standards to support their sustainable development practices improves employee health and well-being in significant ways. Additionally, the paper analyses the effect of continual or progressive stress that employees face due to their job obligations, circumstances, surroundings, or other workplace pressures and how this affects the organization’s sustainability. Given the growing importance of occupational stress due to technological innovations and global economic progress, it has developed into a worldwide sustainability concern, affecting professionals and all types of employees. Additionally, this study proposes a framework for implementing an integrated management systems (IMS) approach centered on the iterative implementation of sustainable development practices to promote employee health and well-being and minimize workplace demands. Further, the significance of studies exploring the relationship between a company’s sustainable development policies, its employees’ health, and well-being are explored, and future research direction was discussed.

Most of the studies investigating innovation adoption behavior focus on technological products and services. Considering the significant gap in the conceptualization and operationalization of social innovation adoption behavior in the literature, the aim of this study is to provide an insight to the adoption behavior of social innovations. The effects of perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived ease of use and need for approval are investigated within the context of time bank activities in Turkey. The result of the analysis supported the significant effect of all independent variables with a higher impact of perceived enjoyment.

The prospects of boosting the modernization of Russian industry necessitate the study of resources that might stimulate such endeavors. Contrary to the global literature, Russian publications mostly focus on the studies of generalized and institutional trust, as well as on the influence it exerts on modernization processes at the macro-level. Meanwhile, the impact of intra-firm trust as a factor, contributing to employee involvement in innovation, remains relatively misattended. Our purpose lies in encouraging the discussion of the presence of intra-firm trust and the effect trust has in furthering the processes of technological modernization. The intermediary tasks include the assessment of trust’s prevalence between colleagues, employees, and managers, as well as an analysis of the impact these types of trust have on the employees’ involvement into innovative activities at the enterprise level. The empirical ground for the study includes the results of a formalized survey of main industry workers conducted at three industrial enterprises in the Perm Territory in 2018-2019 (n = 450) using the method of a continuous survey of people present at their workplaces. The input of our research is due to the approach we propose to measure the horizontal trust by examining the vertical trust on several levels of organizational hierarchy; in addition, we employ an expanded list of indicators of employee involvement in innovation. The survey data are collected at three industrial plants. This helps to arrive at conclusions distinct from the published results of the studies of employees, sampled and surveyed per municipalities. Our results manifest the wide expansion of trust in organizations studied. However, we have not discovered any relationships between the organizational trust and actual employees involvement in the initiation and implementation of innovations. The impact of trust was detected only for the employees’ preparedness to take part in the ongoing projects. Thus, trust-building efforts at the workplace have a limited effect on employee involvement in innovations. We stress the importance of considering other factors that make the relationship between organizational trust and involvement in innovation more specific.

In recent years, financial markets have been fundamentally transformed by innovations in information technology, in particular with regard to the web, social networks, high-speed computer networks and mobile technologies. We borrow the concept of Social Machines from Web Science as a single concept that captures the essence of all these recent technological changes to argue that the emergence of these Social Machines has aided the transformation of financial markets and society. This study explores the formation of these Social Machines with three sample disruptive technologies – automated/high-frequency trading, social network analytics and smart mobile technology. Through critical reflective analysis of these three case studies, we assess the impact of information technology innovation on financialisation. We adopt three case studies – automated trading; market information extraction using social media technologies; and information diffusion and trader decision-making with mobile technology on financial and real sector changes – which demonstrate the increasing trend of transaction velocity, speculative trading, increased complex information network, accelerated inequality and leverage. Our findings demonstrate that technologically enabled financial Social Machines harness crowd wisdom, engage disparate individual traders to produce more accurate price estimations, and have enhanced decision-making capability. However, these same changes can also have a simultaneously detrimental effect on financial and real sectors, in some situations exacerbating underlying distortions, such as misinformation due to complex information networks, speculative trading behaviour, and higher volatility with transaction velocity. Overall, we conclude that these innovations have transformed the fundamental nature of key aspects of the finance industry and society as a whole.

This paper presents an empirical study that shows the relationship between innovation activities and the sustainable performance of firms in terms of market share and profit. While previous studies of innovation effects have focused on one type of innovation in the industry, such as incremental or radical innovations, the study of both incremental and architectural innovations in the same industry would enrich our understanding of innovation. This study discusses and emphasizes the importance of continuous incremental innovation and how switching-over to architectural innovation affects the sustainable performance of firms in the NAND flash memory industry. A systematic content analysis, comparing the changes in market and profit leadership in terms of continuous incremental innovation and an introduction of architectural innovation, was performed, and it was concluded that both continuous incremental innovation and switching-over to architectural innovation positively affects the sustainable market and profit leadership of firms. Additionally, architectural innovation reframes the technological lifecycle in the industry and gives a firm a chance to retain and continue its technological leadership by establishing new dominant designs. This study suggests that continuous incremental innovation is very important for high-tech firms, and firms should consider the option of switching-over to architectural innovation instead of the incremental development of current dominant design when the complexity of technology and market is increased in order to have a sustainable advantage.

The environmental and social issues caused by agricultural and food distribution practices call for a profound reconfiguration of the agri-food system. This paper is aimed at contributing to a better understanding of the way such a reconfiguration may be fostered. Building on recent developments of transition studies that analyze whole system reconfigurations, it proposes a pragmatist, whole system approach to examine the socio-political dimension of sustainability transitions. Based on the ethnographic and longitudinal study of a unique case of (territorial) agroecological transition in France, it identifies the mechanisms involved in a transition and the way actors enacted them. It characterizes required prior, incremental system changes, and stresses the role of multiple niches that influence simultaneously the various components of the agri-food system. From an action-oriented perspective, these results suggest that transitions may be fostered by: (1) supporting the diffusion of an alternative technological paradigm within the regime that niches may be congruent with; (2) stimulating the development of a diversity of radical innovations related to the various dimensions of the agri-food system and fostering their interactions with the regime; and (3) moving from a technology-driven approach of innovation towards an emphasis on organizational innovations that foster the rebalancing of power relations.

An increasing number of start-ups, which create disruptive products, services, or platforms, is appearing within the logistics industry. Many of these start-ups are based on new technological innovations made possible by digitization. Compared with many of the start-ups founded during the “dotcom bubble”, current logistics start-ups seem to be more successful in creating lasting customer value. This paper aims to determine if the use of agile approaches, which have increased in importance in recent years, increases entrepreneurial success by means of the ability to better deal with the rapidly changing customer expectations, business model insecurities, and complex technological decisions. Due to the limited extent of empirical studies and the availability of only a few publications, an explorative multiple case study analysis has been executed to understand usage of agile approaches by German logistics start-ups and their interrelation with corporate performance. The main empirical foundation of the cases analyzed is a double-digit number of expert interviews conducted with company founders and executive managers. The findings of the multiple case study analysis demonstrate how logistics start-ups apply agile practices to deal with a high level of market insecurity and reveal how their application enhances company success. Future research should deepen these findings by analyzing more logistics start-ups and employees with different, non-management roles. It would especially be interesting to study direct competitors of those logistics start-ups interviewed to enable an analysis of discriminance and to deduce the best practices in use. The originality of the multiple case study presented lies in its contribution to the widely unexplored field of agility in logistics start-ups and the noteworthy opinions of the high-ranking interviewees.

Bibliography
Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the advent of the 21st century the world has been experiencing rapid changes in knowledge, technology and information. These changes pose challenges to the providers of education and training in general and vocational education and training in particular. The impact of technological advancement and the nature of organisational changes in the workplace demand skills of an increasingly higher level – particularly skills in the areas of information technology, problem solving and communication. The problem identified in this study was that graduates from vocational training centres (VTCs) in Namibia did not have appropriate employability skills needed at the workplace, as indicated by Namibian employers. The aim of this study was to identify the types of employability skills considered important by employers at the workplace and to determine how such skills could be integrated into the vocational education and training curriculum in Namibia. A literature review conducted revealed that employers require workers with the following key, core or employability skills: communication, information technology, working with numbers, working with others, problem solving and improving one’s own learning and performance. The population for this study was 493 employers providing on-the-job training or employing vocational training centre graduates. A total of 244 out of the 493 employers responded. The population of the study represented the following occupational sectors: auto trades, building construction trades, metalwork trades and electrical engineering trades. Data for the study were collected through reviewing the literature on employability skills, a survey questionnaire to employers and face-to-face interviews conducted with selected employers during the research. The following questions were explored in the questionnaire and structured interviews: i) Which employability skills are important at the workplace? ii) Who is responsible for developing employability skills? iii) If it is the responsibility of vocational training centres to foster employability skills, at which educational level should employability skills education be introduced? iv) How should the acquisition of employability skills be promoted? v) How should employability skills be assessed? The study found that employers in Namibia considered employability skills such as teamwork, time management, a positive attitude, problem solving, planning, and coping with multiple tasks as the most important skills they required from vocational training centre graduates. Employers further indicated that employability skills could be developed at family/home settings as well as at school and vocational training centres and suggested that employability skills education be introduced from level 1 during the first year of training. It was also found that portfolios, observation and practical assessment were credible approaches for assessing employability skills and that this should be done in real-life contexts. Based on the conclusions arrived at in the study, it is recommended that a policy framework for employability skills be developed and implemented in the Namibian vocational education and training system. Specific recommendations are made regarding the following aspects: the type of employability skills; whose responsibility it is to develop these skills; at which level of training the development of employability skills should be implemented; how they could best be learned and how the learning of employability skills could be assessed.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die snelle veranderinge op die gebied van kennis, tegnologie en inligting sedert die begin van die 21ste eeu bied groot uitdagings aan die verskaffers van onderwys en opleiding in die algemeen en beroepsonderwys en -opleiding in die besonder. Die uitwerking van tegnologiese vordering en die aard van organisatoriese veranderinge in die werkplek vereis groter hoërorde-vaardighede as vantevore – veral vaardighede op die gebied van inligtingstegnologie, probleemoplossing en kommunikasie. Die probleem wat in hierdie studie aan bod gekom het, was dat gegradueerdes van beroepsopleidingsentrums in Namibië nie oor voldoende indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede wat in die werkplek benodig word, beskik nie, soos aangedui deur Namibiese werknemers. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om die soorte indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede wat werkgewers by indiensneming van personeel as belangrik beskou te identifiseer, en om vas te stel hoe sodanige vaardighede in die kurrikulum vir beroepsonderwys en .. opleiding in Namibië geïntegreer kan word. Literatuuroorsig het getoon dat werknemers benodig word met die volgende belangrike, kern- of indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede: kommunikasie, inligtingstegnologie, syfervaardigheid, samewerking met ander persone, probleemoplossing en die verbetering van eie leer en prestasie. Die navorsingspopulasie vir hierdie studie het uit 493 werkgewers bestaan wat indiensopleiding verskaf of wat persone in diens het wat reeds hul beroepsopleiding voltooi het. Tweehonderd-vier-en-veertig werkgewers het uiteindelik aan die vraelysondersoek deelgeneem. Die motor-, konstruksie- en metaalwerkbedryf, asook die elektriese-ingenieurswesesektor, is in die navorsingspopulasie verteenwoordig. Data is ingesamel deur literatuuroorsig te doen oor indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede, en deur vraelyste en persoonlike onderhoude. Die volgende vrae is in die vraelys en tydens gestruktureerde onderhoude gestel: i) Watter indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede is in die werkplek belangrik? ii) Wie is verantwoordelik vir die ontwikkeling van indiensneembaarheids-vaardighede? iii) Indien dit die verantwoordelikheid is van beroepsopleidingsentra om indiensneembaarheids-vaardighede te bevorder, op watter opvoedkundige vlak behoort opleiding met betrekking tot indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede ingestel te word? iv) Hoe behoort die aanleer van indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede bevorder te word? v) Hoe behoort indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede geassesseer te word? Daar is bevind dat werkgewers in Namibië indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede soos spanwerk, tydbestuur, positiewe houding, probleemoplossing, beplanning en die hantering van veelvuldige take as die belangrikste vaardighede beskou wat hulle van potensiële opgeleide werknemers verwag. Werkgewers het aangedui dat indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede in die huis, in skole en deur beroepsopleidingsentrums ontwikkel kan word. Hulle het voorgestel dat opleiding in indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede in die eerste jaar van opleiding by die beroepsopleidingsentrums vanaf vlak 1 aangebied behoort te word. Verdere bevinding was dat die assessering van kwekelinge se portefeuljes, waarneming en praktiese assessering geloofwaardige benadering tot die assessering van indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede is en dat dit binne die konteks van die werklike lewe gedoen behoort te word. Daar word op grond van die bevindinge onder meer aanbeveel dat beleidsraamwerk vir die ontwikkeling van indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede in die Namibiese beroepsonderwys en .. opleidingstelsel ontwikkel en geïmplementeer word. Spesifieke aanbevelings word gemaak ten opsigte van die tipes indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede, wie se verantwoordelikheid dit is om hierdie vaardighede te ontwikkel, op watter opleidingsvlak die indiensnemingsvaardighede geïmplementeer behoort te word, hoe dit ten beste aangeleer kan word, en hoe die leerproses met betrekking tot indiensneembaarheidsvaardighede geassesseer kan word.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the late 80s and early 90s there has been a sustained debate on the concept of globalisation. This has been, to a larger extent, due to global industrial restructuring In most countries the effects have been felt mostly in the manufacturing sector, and these were evident in areas such as technology, employment pattern and composition of labour force. Globalisation introduces a tendency to create a division of labour between a core of relatively well paid, skilled and secured workers, and a large pool of workers doing non-regular forms of work e.g. 'casual' jobs or part-time contracts, and with much of the work sub-contracted to companies with less unionised and low paid workers. This research assignment explores the effects that changes in global production have on the South African automotive industry. As South Africa is becoming increasingly integrated into the world economy it certainly will not be unaffected by effects of globalisation. The auto industry, and Volkswagen in particular will be use as a case. The industry is one of the largest export industries in South Africa at the current moment, and is said to have embraced the realities of globalisation. It is also a fairly well developed industry, technologically. The auto industry has always epitomised 'Fordist' forms of production with inward-looking industrial activity. The waves of changes in the sphere of production globally have both positive and negative etfects on the automotive industry. They are spurring development and innovation in an ailing industry, and thrusting it on a path towards 'world-class' manufacturing. On the other hand festructuring trend which is an outflow of global isation poses a great threat on employment patterns, and in the long run may lead toil"'decline in formal employment and introduction of non-regular forms of work e g. part-time, casual employment, and subcontracting. This will happen as pressures mount on the industry in line with the logic of international competitiveness to rationalise and cut costs.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die konsep "globalisering" lok reeds sedert die laat tagtigerjare wydverspreid debat uit. Die kontensieuse aard van die begrip kan grootlike toegeskryf word aan die verskynsel van globale industriele herstrukturering. Wereldwyd is die impak van laasgenoemde veral gevoel in die vervaardigingsektor. Hierdie tendens het by uitstek in aspekte soos tegnologie, indiensnemingspatrone en die samestelling van die arbeidsmag gemanifesteer. Globalisering het die geneigdheid om 'n verdeling van arbeid te bewerkstellig in terme waarvan 'n kern van relatief goed besoldigde, geskoolde en beskermde werkers onderskei kan word van 'n relatief swak besoldigde groep wat stukwerk verrig. Die tweede groep verrig deeltydse werk, wat in baie gevalle uitgekontrakteer word aan maatskappye met lae vakbondverteenwoordiging. Die fokus van hierdie werkstuk val op die impak wat veranderinge in globale produksie op die Suid-Afrikaanse motornywerheid het. Namate Suid-Afrika toenemend deel word van die wereldekonomie, raak dit al hoe moeiliker om die negatiewe effekte van globalisering vry te spring. Die motornywerheid, en spesifiek die vervaardiger Volkswagen, word as gevallestudie gebruik. Die tegnologies ontwikkelde industrie is een van Suid-Afrika se vernaamste uitvoernywerhede, en volgens kenners het veral hierdie sektor die realiteite van globalisering ter harte geneem. Kenmerkend van die motornywerheid was nog altyd sy "Ford-agtige" vorm van produksie, gefokus op inwaartsgekeerde industriele aktiwiteit. Die golwe van verandering in wereldwye produksie hou sowel positiewe as negatiewe gevolge vir die motornywerheid in. Aan die positiewe kant moedig dit innovasie in 'n andersins stagnerende industrie aan. Die negatiewe sy hiervan is egter die bedreiging wat dit inhou vir indiensnemingspatrone. Dit mag op die langtermyn lei tot die agteruitgang van formele indiensneming en 'n toename in nie-algemene vorme van werk (bv. tydelike indiensneming en subkontraktering). Hierdie neiging sal posvat namate industriee deur die logika van internasionale mededingenheid gedwing word om te rasionaliseer.

This thesis explored the potential of engaging gifted and talented learners in an online community of inquiry promoted by the use of asynchronous discussion forums. It employed a mixed-method, case-study approach where non-participant observation of online interactions and focus group meetings with the tutors contributed to the qualitative analysis of how the members realised participation in the forums. Quantitative analysis of membership data and online questionnaire responses revealed member characteristics of the sample members and patterns of active (vocal and silent) participation. Analysis was inductive and interpretive, informed by an original synthesis of the theoretical perspectives of two theories: the online learning theory suggested by Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000); and the cognitive and affective domains for learning skills, proposed by Bloom et al. (1956) and Krathwohl et al. (1964). Content analysis of over 3000 messages posted or read by approximately 4500 members revealed community-based and ability-based characteristics that enabled the group to deal with social stigma, co-construct knowledge and promote meta- learning skills. The study concluded that participation in online discussion forums held the potential to address several of the needs identified by research for gifted learners: The need for the company of like-minded and similar ability peers; the need to develop higher order thinking skills; and the need to become independent learners. In this online network, the gifted learners could receive communal support from other members and tutors who acted as 'mentors' and role models for honing interpersonal and thinking skills such that they were motivated to pursue their interests to their full potential.

Community members benefit from the opportunities and services that are provided by park and recreation departments. As technology has continued to improve, it has begun to influence some of the services and programs offered by park and recreation departments. This study presents information regarding World Wide Web use in parks and recreation departments in 1998. The study surveyed those park and recreation departments who were members of the National Recreation and Parks Association's Great Lakes Region in 1998. A total of 419 departments were included in the study. These 419 departments were grouped into three population categories (Under 15,000; 15,000-49,999; 50,000 and above). A survey return rate of 58% was achieved. Survey respondents were asked to list current and future uses of the World Wide Web in their departments by program and by activity. Respondents were also asked to identify why they were or were not using the web. The study also examined if there were differences between agency size and World Wide Web use, agency size and the number of computers used, and agency size and the number of computer specialists employed. Recreation professionals can use this study to identify whether their department would benefit from World Wide Web use. The information can assist in identifying strengths and weaknesses of the web in the recreation profession and in departments similar to their own.
School of Physical Education

The aim of this thesis was to investigate organisational factors that can affect employee acceptance of organisational change involving new information technology. Five studies were undertaken using organizations that had implemented new information technology systems.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 2004

This study was conducted at the UNISA Library. The study sought to investigate the information technology skills and competencies of the library staff members in the Information Resource Distribution directorate of the University of South Africa Library, with regard to the utilisation and application of information technology tools to handle or process online requests from remote clients timeously and efficiently. Observation, questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data, whereby all the information resource distribution staff members and their supervisors were asked to participate. The study found that information resource distribution staff members were skilled and competent with regard to processing online requests from remote clients. This means that they were able to use IT to process and deliver requested information resources. However, observation indicated that staff members lack the dedication and commitment to ensure speedy processing and delivery of requests. In addition, they were faced with problems and challenges that impacted on them not providing quality services to remote clients. The researcher outlined some recommendations that could be helpful in solving these identified challenges.
Information Science
M.A. (Information Science)

Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements or the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Library and Information Science) at the University of Zululand, 2007.
The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify ICTs that provide access to information/ enhance quality of life, and improve the economic standards of rural women by conceptualizing a model for the development, management, exploitation and use of ICTs in an African rural environment. In order to obtain data from the respondents, two research methods were utilized, namely the case study and survey research. In the former, data was collected from key informants in organizations that work with ICTs and rural women. Using frame lists from both South Africa and Kenya, a total of four organizations were purposefully selected, i.e. Womensnet and the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) in South Africa, and AfriAfya and the Arid Lands Information Network (ALJN-EA) in Kenya. The survey research method was used to interview women aged between 16 and 60 years. 400 respondents formed the sampling size, randomly selected from census household data. Survey data in Kenya was obtained from the sub¬divisions of the Kaplamai Division in Trans-Nzoia district, namely: Kimoson, Sinyerere, Sitatunga and Makutano. The sample frame included: small-scale traders (68; 34%); housewives (29; 14.5%); educators/teachers (27; 13.5); farmers (26; 13.0); students (11; 5.5%); domestic workers (10; 5.0%); preachers (10; 5.0%); farm workers (6; 3.0%); large-scale entrepreneurs (5; 2.5%); nurses (4; 2.0%); clerical workers (2; 1.0%); and community development workers (2; 1.0%). In South Africa, a similar sample frame included: small-scale traders (58; 29.0%); housewives/homemakers (48; 24.0%); farm employees (25; 12.5%); domestic workers (18; 9.0%); educators/teachers (16; 8.0%); students (15; 7.5%); entrepreneurs managing large-scale enterprises (3; 1.5%); clerical workers (9; 4.5%); community development workers (6; 3.0%); and two preachers (2; 1.0%). Sampling data was obtained from census household data belonging to the magisterial districts of Umlalazi, i.e. Eshowe, Amatikulu, Gigindlovu and Mtunzini. By using the snowball sampling technique, female respondents directly and indirectly connected to one another were identified and consequently interviewed. A few major recommendations stemming from the study include the need for: women to be involved in deciding which ICTs would directly and immediately benefit their lives; sensitization and training in the use of ICTS before project implementation; resource centers with skilled human resources and technological capacities to train communities about ICTs; more enhanced collaboration with rural women by being flexible and aware of their needs and requirements; collaborative efforts with other stakeholders at community level; the establishment of intermediary working committees at community level for enhanced communication processes; and a feasibility study that assesses the physical infrastructure and needs assessment survey before project implementation. The study concluded that there is a strong co-relation between the levels of education of a community, types of ICTs used, information seeking behavior, and the socio-economic landscape/environment. It was also established that the enactment of a National Policy on ICT development does not guarantee the efficient and effective use of ICTs, especially by marginalized rural communities. Special efforts must be made to involve rural communities. These efforts would require policies that: encourage competition between various stakeholders in the telecommunications industry, govern the costs of ICTs, and govern connectivity in areas that are not commercially viable. As women form the majority of most rural households, special efforts need to be made in order to involve women in development initiatives such as skills enhancement initiatives, participatory mechanisms and follow-up programs.

There has been a global move towards involving people in process of change by developing organizations technologically, providing skills training and building capacity in all sectors of society, in spheres of government, the economy and civil society. As a result of global trends in South Africa attention is being given to the question of skills development and technological training within institutions and organizations operating in the developing environment in the public and private sector. Attention is also given to ensuring that such skills development and training includes goals of social, economic and political development. In the view of the above, this study will examine the question of skills development and technological training at Portnet Durban Harbour (PDH) in view of changing demands imposed by globalisation and new socio - political environment in South Africa as well as national responses to those demands. In examining this question, it would be recognised that the skill question couldn't be isolated from technological changes and increased economic competition resulting from globalization. Within this context, this study's aim would be to detennine the response of PDH to global challenges that impact heavily on the skills needs of this organization and technological changes. It will also examine whether PDH's responses take into account the current legislative and policy objectives in SA aimed at addressing the skill question. This study is infonned by Labour market theory and globalization theories. The first part of this study will attempt to capture the historical policies and legislation's on the issue of skills development in SA. Reflecting on the role played by this policies and legislation's to segment the labour market. Secondly, the study will look at debates on globalisation and the era in which organizations are operating. Thirdly, the role played by the SA government in this global era to reverse the past skills development imbalances. Lastly, the study will report on PDH's response to challenges imposed by globalization and how they address the question of skill.
Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

This study examined a web-based undergraduate course structured around social learning theories through the lens of social construction as a theoretical framework and a case study research method. The purpose of the study was to investigate students' learning experiences from a cognitively guided research framework. Instructional strategies practiced in the course, instructional design developed, and demonstrated students' learning outcomes were examined to help characterize students' learning experiences. The study proceeded from a social constructivist framework, employing a qualitative case study approach. Data collected to support the description of students' learning experiences included early course survey, in-depth interviews, course documents, students' artifacts, online class interactions, email correspondences among participants, and the researcher's journals based on online observations. The results of the study reveal that students' learning experiences and learning outcomes were greatly affected by the instructor's belief about teaching a distance course. Her belief that students should be fully responsible for their own learning in the web-based course resulted in minimal facilitation of the class in all aspects, including moderating students' online discussions, fostering learning communities within the class, and providing elaborate, critical feedback to elicit students' cognitive processes. As a result, the engaged cognitive processes and knowledge domains students demonstrated over the term were not significantly improved. Furthermore, the course goal of establishing a collaborative, interactive, and social learning environment for distance students was not met. The results of this study contribute to the picture of the facilitation skills and moderating practices that support more fully the goal of the development of a cognitively rich learning community.
Graduation date: 2006

Many studies in the literature focus the positive contribution of foreign direct investments, especially in the economic growth process of developing countries' economies. However, there is no consensus on the effects of foreign direct investments on unemployment yet. Accordingly, in this study, the short and long-term relationships between foreign direct investment and unemployment in Turkey between the years 1988-2020 were examined. The findings of the study confirmed the views in the literature that "the effect of foreign direct investments on unemployment is positive", in other words, "direct foreign investments increase unemployment". In addition, according to the Granger causality analysis results, a one-way causality relationship from unemployment to foreign direct investments was observed. Considering the policies followed by Turkey after the January 24 decisions, foreign direct investments are not an element that can be easily abandoned for the country, as it increases the domestic production volume, implements technological innovations, and sets an example for domestic formations in many aspects. Additionally, it is thought to be at a very important point in terms of ensuring integration with the outside world. In this context, the study points out that in addition to encouraging foreign direct investments within the scope of stable growth, domestic investors should be supported in terms of the consistency of employment policies.