Akwesi Assensoh-Kodua | Durban University of Technology (original) (raw)

Papers by Akwesi Assensoh-Kodua

Research paper thumbnail of Fintech: Controversies and Complexities around Device Size for Mobile Banking

The choice between a smaller device (SD) and a bigger device (BD) such as a laptop for example, f... more The choice between a smaller device (SD) and a bigger device (BD) such as a laptop for example, for banking impacts on the concept of mobile banking (m-banking) and its success in the financial technology (FINTECH) sector. Yet, only a handful of studies have been done on the mediating controversies and complexities between these two devices. Knowledge of m-banking can be used to remind people of how the concept can curb overcrowding in the banking hall, and how it offers other benefits. These notwithstanding, studies show that this new revolution of m-banking regarding has not reverberated well enough among banking clients. One of the reasons, is the impact of the size between the m-device types and their functionalities. Unfortunately, studies on these impacts have been ignored by the research community. This paper, was meant to: (i) identify the functionalities and (ii) technological factors mediating between SD and BD. A quantitative test of over 1000 users of m-banking, enabled by the Partial Least Squared-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) confirmed that users have preferences over SD and BD devices. The first (i) results which participants gave for preferring SD over BD were identified as: portability (easy to carry around), weight, and ease of use. The outcome which participants gave for preferring BD were: larger screen and better resolution, easy to key in data than with smaller devices, comfortability, durability of power, and technological functionality. For the second (ii) investigation, which looked at technological impact, the participants mentioned that: trust in technology, system quality and satisfaction played a concrete role in m-banking continuance intension and usage in the Fintech industry. The paper concludes that, banks can use these outcomes to increase mbanking acceptance and usage behaviour when they pay attention.

Research paper thumbnail of This Thing of Social Media!

IGI Global eBooks, 2021

Studies on online purchases abound, but are rarely on social media or social networking service (... more Studies on online purchases abound, but are rarely on social media or social networking service (SNS) to highlight its influence on participants with regards to online purchases. This paper dares to do this. The SNS, although it was envisaged to be a platform for socialisation, has transmuted into a business model that is actually impacting on sales volume of organisations. Predictably, it could be said that the sustainability of this new business phenomenon depends on the continuance patronage of the SNS participants. This study investigated the dynamics impacting on SNS participant to find out whether what makes them purchase through it depends on habit or sheer influence. The study embarked on an online data collection process and performed a structural equation modelling (SEM) with the aid of a partial least square (PLS) program known as PLS-SEM.

Research paper thumbnail of The resource-based view: a tool of key competency for competitive advantage

Problems and perspectives in management, Aug 9, 2019

The increasing turmoil in the external organizational setting or business environment has focused... more The increasing turmoil in the external organizational setting or business environment has focused attention on capabilities and resources as the primary source of competitive advantage. Obviously, this statement points to the application of the resource-based view (RBV) of organizational management. Nevertheless, what constitutes RBV remains an illusion in many quarters of organizational management, as scholars have managed to put up their personal ideas, and managed to converge on phenomenon-driven theories, in addition to RBV. This paper reviews the concepts of RBV in light of knowledge management to highlight some critical pitfalls that might have eluded the research community on the subject matter of RBV. To this end, this paper's educational value lies in the fact that it simplifies the concept of RBV to the new researcher in a fashion that is capable of appealing to his or her level. A cross-sectional qualitative research approach was employed in an effort aimed at understanding the role of RBV in creating a sustainable competitive advantage and key competencies. A total of 20 relevant articles were searched from different databases and search engines, including Scopus, EBSCO, ABI Inform, IEEE, PubMed, Science Direct, SABINET, IEEE, Bing, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The findings indicate that RBV plays an important role and assists organizations not only create, nurture, and maintain competitive advantage, but also understand the collective resources needed to compete favorably in a globalized and highly competitive market. With expert knowledge workers at its core to provide support for knowledge creation, sharing, and utilization, the RBV principles discussed in this paper promise to guarantee a methodological step geared towards the achievement of competitive advantage. It, therefore, makes an incremental contribution to the RBV to attain modest improvement in organizational settings.

Research paper thumbnail of A Review of Literature for Online Social Network Business Continuance Intention and the Hypotheses Thereof

World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dec 2, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of A Theoretic Extension and Empirical investigation of conducting Business Online Social Network: The Continuance Intention Phenomenon

Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, May 30, 2014

Online Social Network (OSN) is a web 2.0 enabled technology that permits OSN participants to inte... more Online Social Network (OSN) is a web 2.0 enabled technology that permits OSN participants to interact with both old and new friends initially. This model of OSN ventured into conducting business activities on platforms, which resulted in many springing up but not surviving, yet the explosion of business activities on these platforms continuous to grow. It is therefore important that OSN practitioners and researchers understand the key determinants of OSN business transaction and continuance intention propellants. The purpose of this paper is to establish the factors that determine OSN participant's continuance intention to do business on OSN platform. The research framework is grounded in an extended expectation-confirmation model (ECM). An online survey model was used to collect 300 valid responses from OSN participants who have ever conducted business using OSN. A partial least square version 2.0.M3 (PLS) and Warp PLS 4.0 were deployed to perform CFA analyses and structural equation modelling, respectively. The emerging results provide significant evidence in support of the five out of nine factors tested against the hypotheses proposed, namely: Perceived Behavioural Control (0.01), Satisfaction (0.14), Expected Benefit (0.15), Social Norms (0.24), and Habit (0.31), as the main determinants of OSN continuance intention.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioural Models for Business Usage: The Case of Online Social Network Users

IEEE International Conference on Cloud Computing Technology and Science, 2015

Social computing researchers are devoting efforts to understand the complex social behaviour of p... more Social computing researchers are devoting efforts to understand the complex social behaviour of people using social networking sites (SNS), such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, so as to inform the design of human-centered and socially aware systems. In light of this, this paper investigates the socio-psychological factors imparting on people to use online social network for business transaction. Predicting such intentions through a schematic model promises to be intriguing, yet it is rear in current researches. This study dares to capture behavioural intentions regarding the described phenomenon above. In order to validate the predictive capability of the models, an online survey was used to collect 300 useable responses from people who have used LinkedIn and Twitter social networking platforms for business transactions at least once, and analysed with the WarpPLS 4.0 bootstrapping technique. This result confirms the theoretical argument that the strength of user satisfaction to predict continuance intention is strengthened by trust. This results generally have practical implications for individuals who desire to offer commercial services on online social networking

Research paper thumbnail of Socio-psychological factors influencing continuance intention of participants using online social networks to buy

Journal of Governance and Regulation, 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of perceived trust (PT), social norm (S... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of perceived trust (PT), social norm (SN), user satisfaction (US) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) from the perspective of online social networks (OSNs) and how these factors influence continuance intention of OSN particpants who have ever been influenced to buy on this platform to continue buying from OSNs. Online survey was used to collect data from people who have ever used OSNs to buy, at least once. The WarpPLS 4.0 was used to analyse measurement and structural models resulting in significant evidence in support of PT, SN and US as predictors of OSN continuance intention, different from the traditional web-based transactions. For instance, trust in OSN is revealled to be based mainly on the degree of the social relations that users have with their vendors because they are members on the network, on top of their experiences of Web service use. US were influenced by PBC, while US also influenced SN and PT with PT exhibiting a strong relationship with SN. These results have practical implications for individuals desiring to engage in commercial activities on OSNs.

Research paper thumbnail of Social purchasing and the influence of social networking: a conceptual view

Banks and Bank Systems, Oct 12, 2016

Internet has enabled businesses to offer their merchandise through web-based applications, of whi... more Internet has enabled businesses to offer their merchandise through web-based applications, of which recent phenomenon includes online social networks (OSNs). This paper studies the influence of OSNs through the lens of perceived trust (PT), social norm (SN), user satisfaction (US) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) to find out how these influence participants of OSNs continuance buying intention. A model of IS continuance intention of web-based application was developed to test the above factors. The results show that trust in OSN is based mainly on the degree of the social relations that users have with their vendors, because they are members on the network, on top of their experiences of web service use. US was influenced by PBC, while US also influenced SN and PT with PT exhibiting a strong relationship with SN.

Research paper thumbnail of An investigation into the effectiveness of audit committees

Corporate Board: role, duties and composition, 2017

The fundamental purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of audit committees in... more The fundamental purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of audit committees in the eThekwini municipality within the province of KwaZulu Natal. The target population for the study was all the standing and audit committee members totalling 20, thus taking a census-based approach. The descriptive sections adopted a positivist paradigm employing quantitative methodology was used to examine information through techniques that revealed patterns, trends and relationships. Hence, a mixed methodology was the case in this study. The study revealed that the eThekwini audit committee was generally effective in discharging its oversight role in the council, though there were areas of concern, which include control frameworks and financial management to improve corporate governance. The study revealed that there was, to a large extent compliance with legal requirements regarding audit committees, as well as best practice processes. It is therefore important to point out that, this study outlines good practices of audit committees that are worthy of emulation and further improvement by the research community as a framework for good governance in local governments.

Research paper thumbnail of Marketing potentials of the social media tools in the banking market of an emerging country

Risk Governance and Control: Financial Markets & Institutions, 2016

There are many facts that attest to the pervasiveness of social media applications in the current... more There are many facts that attest to the pervasiveness of social media applications in the current world of business. This communication medium is replacing the well-known emails and complimenting the likes of short message service (SMS) and instant messaging and chatting. As part of technology, which is revolutionising the way we do business and live, organizations worldwide are gearing up efforts to take advantage of this phenomenon. In South Africa, the story is the same. However, the Banks in South Africa seems to have problems selling this form of communication to their clientele to augment their service delivery. In view of this, the current study aimed to research into social media concept in South Africa, to highlight its trajectory pros and cons, and investigate why it is not being adopted by these clients, in addition to measuring the continuance intention of those who have accepted banking through social media. It was discovered that, social norm (β=0.579), perceived trust (β=0.510) and user satisfaction (β=0.332), in that order, stood out as the most influencing factors impacting on user acceptance and continuance intention (β=0.384) of social media usage for banking. Perceived behavioural control made no significant impact on users to adopt social media for financial services. As the banking industry keeps investing in the marketing potentials of social media tools for banking, in order to gain competitive advantage in customer service delivery, this social media usage could make a lot of difference when well researched into and managed. In some countries, banking customers are able to do their banking through social media sites, but little is known in South Africa (according to research), regarding the usage of this tool for banking purposes.

Research paper thumbnail of Relationship between inflation and interest rates in Swaziland revisited

Banks and Bank Systems, Dec 20, 2017

The stability of economies all over the world over is largely a function of inflation and interes... more The stability of economies all over the world over is largely a function of inflation and interest rates. Over the past two decades, Swaziland's economy experienced increasing inflation and interest rates with the blame leveled against the absolute Monarchy's inability to manage the economy. In particular, the period of 2010 to 2014 was the hardest hit because of increasing poverty levels. The purpose of the study was therefore to assess the relationship between inflation and interest rates in the context of Swaziland with a view to constructing fiscal and monetary policies capable of driving an efficient economy going forward. The study employed a confirmatory and quantitative approach based on a review of secondary data over the period. The source and description of data included quarterly based data within the 2010-2014 period comprising information on interest rate, gross domestic product and inflation figures from the Central Bank of Swaziland, the national library, and the Central Statistical Department of Swaziland. A descriptive approach, using Microsoft excel, was used to analyze the data. The study findings showed that there was positive relationship between interest rates and inflation. Recommendations were that, Swaziland could craft appropriate fiscal and monetary policies towards controlling the prevailing economic challenges despite the peculiar socio-political nature where the absolute Monarchy holds executive authority and accountability.

Research paper thumbnail of Credit Risk Aversion Model During Economic Downturns and Recovery

Advances in finance, accounting, and economics book series, 2021

Credit defaulting in the financial sector is a worldwide delinquency that has become a nightmare ... more Credit defaulting in the financial sector is a worldwide delinquency that has become a nightmare for this sector. The search for a solution to root out this problem remains a big challenge for academics, the financial sectors, and the governments. For instance, per the American Bankers Association's (ABC) Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin, unserviced bank cards plunged two basis points to 2.96% of all accounts between July-August 2019. This value remained below the 15-year average of 3.68%. (Per ABC, delinquency is a late payment that is 30 days or more overdue.) Though these terrifying statistics sounds like good news, the Trans Union's Industry Insights Report found that the unserviced credit card rate reached 1.81% in the third quarter of 2019, rising from 1.71% for the third quarter of 2018. These figures from the credit bureau are based on accounts that are 90 days or more overdue.

Research paper thumbnail of Habit as a moderator and exogenous predictor of social networks: The case of online social networking

Journal of Governance and Regulation, 2015

This paper tests the factors likely to impact continuance intentions through the medium of online... more This paper tests the factors likely to impact continuance intentions through the medium of online social networks (OSN) for business transactions. The expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) from the consumer behaviour literature is made use of; to forward a set of theories that validate a prior model from IS usage research. Eight research hypotheses, after a field survey of OSNs participants for business transactions were conducted are empirically validated. 300 useable responses from LinkedIn and Twitter social networking platforms users for business transactions were analysed with the WarpPLS 4.0 bootstrapping technique. The study results provide significant evidence in support of perceived trust and user satisfaction, as determinants of the continuance intention of people using OSN platforms for business transactions. Above all, the research model was tested for the moderating effects of usage habit, which was found to impact relationships between continuance intention and perceived trust, resulting in an improved predictive capability of (R2=0.55) as compared to base model of (R2=0.52). The moderating result indicates that a higher level of habit increases the effect of perceived trust on continuance intention.

Research paper thumbnail of Establishing the relationship between an effective audit committee and infusion of a good control environment

Corporate Board: role, duties and composition, 2017

Audit Committees are a vital component of accountability and good governance for any serious orga... more Audit Committees are a vital component of accountability and good governance for any serious organisation and have progressively been perceived as an integral part of modern control structures and control practices in both the public and private sectors. However, Audit Committees can only discharge such gigantic responsibilities in a conducive environment to provide its effective performance of certain key functions in the areas of oversight of risk management, reporting, and internal controls. Nonetheless, the enablement of such conducive environments has become a challenge to many Audit Committees. It is against this background that this study investigates the relationship between an effective audit committee and infusion of a good control environment. The study used structured and unstructured questions to investigate population comprising standing committee members and Audit Committee members. Thus this study made use of a mixed methodology to collect quantitative data as well as reviewing audit documents, such as, the Audit Committee Charter and minutes of meetings in order to ascertain the environment under which such august practices are performed. The outcome concludes that the Audit Committee which was selected for the study has the good working environment.

Research paper thumbnail of This thing of social media! Going business or socialisation? Solving the great dilemma

Foresight, Sep 18, 2019

Purpose-Social media has become a ''thing'' not just for its historical purpose of socialisation,... more Purpose-Social media has become a ''thing'' not just for its historical purpose of socialisation, but a multifaceted platform of unpredictable possibilities. With the current high levels of actual usage, business on the platform has assumed different styles and has become one of the competing activities on this platform, creating a dilemma for the future. However, as social beings, we can manage such capricious adventure by means of research, to predict the possible destination before we are taken by surprise. One of such medium of studies is through the philosophies of the continuance intention theories. To this end, the purpose of this paper was to investigated some antecedents of social media that are capable of predicting the direction of this platform to test this theory of continuance intention, and the results from the predictive Smart PLS3 shows that the continuance intention for business on this platform will overtake socialisation to offer the biggest market among the elitist class in the near future, and not China, Nigeria or the NYSE. Design/methodology/approach-This paper uses Predictive Smart PLS3 to analyse the continuance intention of social media platforms. Findings-Predictive Smart PLS3 shows that the continuance intention for business on social media platform will overtake socialisation to offer the biggest market. Research limitations/implications-The questions asked in this study focussed on buyers and not platform managers. As the continuance intention depends on the latter as well, it would have been better if their opinions were also sought to determine what will make them continue to provide social media. Originality/value-This paper is among the first to do such a study.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of total quality management implementation in a manufacturing industry

In today's highly competitive market, the demand for quality is important factor for companies to... more In today's highly competitive market, the demand for quality is important factor for companies to survive in the ever-expanding global marketplace. The unprecedented pace of globalisation, trade liberalisation, and technological changes in addition to human capital movement in the later years profoundly poses serious challenges for African companies to compete in an open market. African trade liberalisation through the elimination of intraregional tariffs, imposed to serve as a protective barrier to local industries have also worsen the plight of local infant industries. African Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) poses challenges for South African companies as they have to compete with more industralised and older companies. The concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) developed as a result of intense global competition has therefore become a compelling concept for African companies seeking to survive in an uneven grounds of competition. This paper seeks to examine whether the implementation of TQM has effect on LMI in Durban by developing a research model to uncover the barriers and benefits of TQM. A sample population of employees from a manufacturing industry were selected to participate in this study. It became clear that, this study have found a significant relationship between the positions at the manufacturing industry and their opinion of TQM. The Spearman correlation coefficient indicated a significant relationship between TQM and factors such as Management and Commitment Leadership Importance, Work Environment and Culture Importance, Customer Focus Importance, Customer Focus Practice, Resource Management Importance. These findings are in agreement with other studies of scholars that highlights the benefits and barriers of TQM.

Research paper thumbnail of Determinants of Online Social Networks for Successful Business

Research paper thumbnail of Mobile banking in South Africa: a systematic review of the literature

Banks and Bank Systems, Apr 25, 2016

Mobile banking in South Africa recently has undergone rapid growth, and research on it is on the ... more Mobile banking in South Africa recently has undergone rapid growth, and research on it is on the increase. This paper seeks to improve authors' understanding of the current state of knowledge of mobile banking in South Africa by providing a systematic review of the existing literature on the phenomenon. The literature review shows that research to date has centred on small academic models with a high level of practitioner involvement, consequently, narrowing research issues of greater concern. Thus, issues of assessing mobile banking needs, factors imparting continuance usage, and the measurement of impact have been comparatively neglected. A future direction for research and practice within the mainstream of mobile banking and financial services is suggested to remedy this imbalance and to contribute to mobile banking applications in South Africa.

Research paper thumbnail of This Thing of Social Media!

International journal of social media and online communities, Jul 1, 2019

Studies on online purchases abound, but are rarely on social media or social networking service (... more Studies on online purchases abound, but are rarely on social media or social networking service (SNS) to highlight its influence on participants with regards to online purchases. This paper dares to do this. The SNS, although it was envisaged to be a platform for socialisation, has transmuted into a business model that is actually impacting on sales volume of organisations. Predictably, it could be said that the sustainability of this new business phenomenon depends on the continuance patronage of the SNS participants. This study investigated the dynamics impacting on SNS participant to find out whether what makes them purchase through it depends on habit or sheer influence. The study embarked on an online data collection process and performed a structural equation modelling (SEM) with the aid of a partial least square (PLS) program known as PLS-SEM.

Research paper thumbnail of Endangered Species in South Africa: Can the Office Management and Technology Programme be one of them?

The programme, office management and technology (OMT) is offered in many reputable institutions a... more The programme, office management and technology (OMT) is offered in many reputable institutions across the globe including South Africa with varied content to meet the particular needs of offering country. Job titles since the 20th centuries for people with the OMT qualification, hitherto known as “secretaries” have changed because of advancing technology changing the image and the responsibilities of today's OMT worker. Still, there are pockets of disregard and threats in some institutions to stop offering the programme. Perception culminating from wrong insight has tinted the respect and beauty of this programme in many developing countries including South Africa. It is against this background that this paper wishes to revisit the literature on the issues surrounding the office secretary or administrator to remind us of the importance, opportunities and urgency that is required to whittle down this dangerous perception.

Research paper thumbnail of Fintech: Controversies and Complexities around Device Size for Mobile Banking

The choice between a smaller device (SD) and a bigger device (BD) such as a laptop for example, f... more The choice between a smaller device (SD) and a bigger device (BD) such as a laptop for example, for banking impacts on the concept of mobile banking (m-banking) and its success in the financial technology (FINTECH) sector. Yet, only a handful of studies have been done on the mediating controversies and complexities between these two devices. Knowledge of m-banking can be used to remind people of how the concept can curb overcrowding in the banking hall, and how it offers other benefits. These notwithstanding, studies show that this new revolution of m-banking regarding has not reverberated well enough among banking clients. One of the reasons, is the impact of the size between the m-device types and their functionalities. Unfortunately, studies on these impacts have been ignored by the research community. This paper, was meant to: (i) identify the functionalities and (ii) technological factors mediating between SD and BD. A quantitative test of over 1000 users of m-banking, enabled by the Partial Least Squared-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) confirmed that users have preferences over SD and BD devices. The first (i) results which participants gave for preferring SD over BD were identified as: portability (easy to carry around), weight, and ease of use. The outcome which participants gave for preferring BD were: larger screen and better resolution, easy to key in data than with smaller devices, comfortability, durability of power, and technological functionality. For the second (ii) investigation, which looked at technological impact, the participants mentioned that: trust in technology, system quality and satisfaction played a concrete role in m-banking continuance intension and usage in the Fintech industry. The paper concludes that, banks can use these outcomes to increase mbanking acceptance and usage behaviour when they pay attention.

Research paper thumbnail of This Thing of Social Media!

IGI Global eBooks, 2021

Studies on online purchases abound, but are rarely on social media or social networking service (... more Studies on online purchases abound, but are rarely on social media or social networking service (SNS) to highlight its influence on participants with regards to online purchases. This paper dares to do this. The SNS, although it was envisaged to be a platform for socialisation, has transmuted into a business model that is actually impacting on sales volume of organisations. Predictably, it could be said that the sustainability of this new business phenomenon depends on the continuance patronage of the SNS participants. This study investigated the dynamics impacting on SNS participant to find out whether what makes them purchase through it depends on habit or sheer influence. The study embarked on an online data collection process and performed a structural equation modelling (SEM) with the aid of a partial least square (PLS) program known as PLS-SEM.

Research paper thumbnail of The resource-based view: a tool of key competency for competitive advantage

Problems and perspectives in management, Aug 9, 2019

The increasing turmoil in the external organizational setting or business environment has focused... more The increasing turmoil in the external organizational setting or business environment has focused attention on capabilities and resources as the primary source of competitive advantage. Obviously, this statement points to the application of the resource-based view (RBV) of organizational management. Nevertheless, what constitutes RBV remains an illusion in many quarters of organizational management, as scholars have managed to put up their personal ideas, and managed to converge on phenomenon-driven theories, in addition to RBV. This paper reviews the concepts of RBV in light of knowledge management to highlight some critical pitfalls that might have eluded the research community on the subject matter of RBV. To this end, this paper's educational value lies in the fact that it simplifies the concept of RBV to the new researcher in a fashion that is capable of appealing to his or her level. A cross-sectional qualitative research approach was employed in an effort aimed at understanding the role of RBV in creating a sustainable competitive advantage and key competencies. A total of 20 relevant articles were searched from different databases and search engines, including Scopus, EBSCO, ABI Inform, IEEE, PubMed, Science Direct, SABINET, IEEE, Bing, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The findings indicate that RBV plays an important role and assists organizations not only create, nurture, and maintain competitive advantage, but also understand the collective resources needed to compete favorably in a globalized and highly competitive market. With expert knowledge workers at its core to provide support for knowledge creation, sharing, and utilization, the RBV principles discussed in this paper promise to guarantee a methodological step geared towards the achievement of competitive advantage. It, therefore, makes an incremental contribution to the RBV to attain modest improvement in organizational settings.

Research paper thumbnail of A Review of Literature for Online Social Network Business Continuance Intention and the Hypotheses Thereof

World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dec 2, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of A Theoretic Extension and Empirical investigation of conducting Business Online Social Network: The Continuance Intention Phenomenon

Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, May 30, 2014

Online Social Network (OSN) is a web 2.0 enabled technology that permits OSN participants to inte... more Online Social Network (OSN) is a web 2.0 enabled technology that permits OSN participants to interact with both old and new friends initially. This model of OSN ventured into conducting business activities on platforms, which resulted in many springing up but not surviving, yet the explosion of business activities on these platforms continuous to grow. It is therefore important that OSN practitioners and researchers understand the key determinants of OSN business transaction and continuance intention propellants. The purpose of this paper is to establish the factors that determine OSN participant's continuance intention to do business on OSN platform. The research framework is grounded in an extended expectation-confirmation model (ECM). An online survey model was used to collect 300 valid responses from OSN participants who have ever conducted business using OSN. A partial least square version 2.0.M3 (PLS) and Warp PLS 4.0 were deployed to perform CFA analyses and structural equation modelling, respectively. The emerging results provide significant evidence in support of the five out of nine factors tested against the hypotheses proposed, namely: Perceived Behavioural Control (0.01), Satisfaction (0.14), Expected Benefit (0.15), Social Norms (0.24), and Habit (0.31), as the main determinants of OSN continuance intention.

Research paper thumbnail of Behavioural Models for Business Usage: The Case of Online Social Network Users

IEEE International Conference on Cloud Computing Technology and Science, 2015

Social computing researchers are devoting efforts to understand the complex social behaviour of p... more Social computing researchers are devoting efforts to understand the complex social behaviour of people using social networking sites (SNS), such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, so as to inform the design of human-centered and socially aware systems. In light of this, this paper investigates the socio-psychological factors imparting on people to use online social network for business transaction. Predicting such intentions through a schematic model promises to be intriguing, yet it is rear in current researches. This study dares to capture behavioural intentions regarding the described phenomenon above. In order to validate the predictive capability of the models, an online survey was used to collect 300 useable responses from people who have used LinkedIn and Twitter social networking platforms for business transactions at least once, and analysed with the WarpPLS 4.0 bootstrapping technique. This result confirms the theoretical argument that the strength of user satisfaction to predict continuance intention is strengthened by trust. This results generally have practical implications for individuals who desire to offer commercial services on online social networking

Research paper thumbnail of Socio-psychological factors influencing continuance intention of participants using online social networks to buy

Journal of Governance and Regulation, 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of perceived trust (PT), social norm (S... more The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of perceived trust (PT), social norm (SN), user satisfaction (US) and perceived behavioural control (PBC) from the perspective of online social networks (OSNs) and how these factors influence continuance intention of OSN particpants who have ever been influenced to buy on this platform to continue buying from OSNs. Online survey was used to collect data from people who have ever used OSNs to buy, at least once. The WarpPLS 4.0 was used to analyse measurement and structural models resulting in significant evidence in support of PT, SN and US as predictors of OSN continuance intention, different from the traditional web-based transactions. For instance, trust in OSN is revealled to be based mainly on the degree of the social relations that users have with their vendors because they are members on the network, on top of their experiences of Web service use. US were influenced by PBC, while US also influenced SN and PT with PT exhibiting a strong relationship with SN. These results have practical implications for individuals desiring to engage in commercial activities on OSNs.

Research paper thumbnail of Social purchasing and the influence of social networking: a conceptual view

Banks and Bank Systems, Oct 12, 2016

Internet has enabled businesses to offer their merchandise through web-based applications, of whi... more Internet has enabled businesses to offer their merchandise through web-based applications, of which recent phenomenon includes online social networks (OSNs). This paper studies the influence of OSNs through the lens of perceived trust (PT), social norm (SN), user satisfaction (US) and perceived behavioral control (PBC) to find out how these influence participants of OSNs continuance buying intention. A model of IS continuance intention of web-based application was developed to test the above factors. The results show that trust in OSN is based mainly on the degree of the social relations that users have with their vendors, because they are members on the network, on top of their experiences of web service use. US was influenced by PBC, while US also influenced SN and PT with PT exhibiting a strong relationship with SN.

Research paper thumbnail of An investigation into the effectiveness of audit committees

Corporate Board: role, duties and composition, 2017

The fundamental purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of audit committees in... more The fundamental purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of audit committees in the eThekwini municipality within the province of KwaZulu Natal. The target population for the study was all the standing and audit committee members totalling 20, thus taking a census-based approach. The descriptive sections adopted a positivist paradigm employing quantitative methodology was used to examine information through techniques that revealed patterns, trends and relationships. Hence, a mixed methodology was the case in this study. The study revealed that the eThekwini audit committee was generally effective in discharging its oversight role in the council, though there were areas of concern, which include control frameworks and financial management to improve corporate governance. The study revealed that there was, to a large extent compliance with legal requirements regarding audit committees, as well as best practice processes. It is therefore important to point out that, this study outlines good practices of audit committees that are worthy of emulation and further improvement by the research community as a framework for good governance in local governments.

Research paper thumbnail of Marketing potentials of the social media tools in the banking market of an emerging country

Risk Governance and Control: Financial Markets & Institutions, 2016

There are many facts that attest to the pervasiveness of social media applications in the current... more There are many facts that attest to the pervasiveness of social media applications in the current world of business. This communication medium is replacing the well-known emails and complimenting the likes of short message service (SMS) and instant messaging and chatting. As part of technology, which is revolutionising the way we do business and live, organizations worldwide are gearing up efforts to take advantage of this phenomenon. In South Africa, the story is the same. However, the Banks in South Africa seems to have problems selling this form of communication to their clientele to augment their service delivery. In view of this, the current study aimed to research into social media concept in South Africa, to highlight its trajectory pros and cons, and investigate why it is not being adopted by these clients, in addition to measuring the continuance intention of those who have accepted banking through social media. It was discovered that, social norm (β=0.579), perceived trust (β=0.510) and user satisfaction (β=0.332), in that order, stood out as the most influencing factors impacting on user acceptance and continuance intention (β=0.384) of social media usage for banking. Perceived behavioural control made no significant impact on users to adopt social media for financial services. As the banking industry keeps investing in the marketing potentials of social media tools for banking, in order to gain competitive advantage in customer service delivery, this social media usage could make a lot of difference when well researched into and managed. In some countries, banking customers are able to do their banking through social media sites, but little is known in South Africa (according to research), regarding the usage of this tool for banking purposes.

Research paper thumbnail of Relationship between inflation and interest rates in Swaziland revisited

Banks and Bank Systems, Dec 20, 2017

The stability of economies all over the world over is largely a function of inflation and interes... more The stability of economies all over the world over is largely a function of inflation and interest rates. Over the past two decades, Swaziland's economy experienced increasing inflation and interest rates with the blame leveled against the absolute Monarchy's inability to manage the economy. In particular, the period of 2010 to 2014 was the hardest hit because of increasing poverty levels. The purpose of the study was therefore to assess the relationship between inflation and interest rates in the context of Swaziland with a view to constructing fiscal and monetary policies capable of driving an efficient economy going forward. The study employed a confirmatory and quantitative approach based on a review of secondary data over the period. The source and description of data included quarterly based data within the 2010-2014 period comprising information on interest rate, gross domestic product and inflation figures from the Central Bank of Swaziland, the national library, and the Central Statistical Department of Swaziland. A descriptive approach, using Microsoft excel, was used to analyze the data. The study findings showed that there was positive relationship between interest rates and inflation. Recommendations were that, Swaziland could craft appropriate fiscal and monetary policies towards controlling the prevailing economic challenges despite the peculiar socio-political nature where the absolute Monarchy holds executive authority and accountability.

Research paper thumbnail of Credit Risk Aversion Model During Economic Downturns and Recovery

Advances in finance, accounting, and economics book series, 2021

Credit defaulting in the financial sector is a worldwide delinquency that has become a nightmare ... more Credit defaulting in the financial sector is a worldwide delinquency that has become a nightmare for this sector. The search for a solution to root out this problem remains a big challenge for academics, the financial sectors, and the governments. For instance, per the American Bankers Association's (ABC) Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin, unserviced bank cards plunged two basis points to 2.96% of all accounts between July-August 2019. This value remained below the 15-year average of 3.68%. (Per ABC, delinquency is a late payment that is 30 days or more overdue.) Though these terrifying statistics sounds like good news, the Trans Union's Industry Insights Report found that the unserviced credit card rate reached 1.81% in the third quarter of 2019, rising from 1.71% for the third quarter of 2018. These figures from the credit bureau are based on accounts that are 90 days or more overdue.

Research paper thumbnail of Habit as a moderator and exogenous predictor of social networks: The case of online social networking

Journal of Governance and Regulation, 2015

This paper tests the factors likely to impact continuance intentions through the medium of online... more This paper tests the factors likely to impact continuance intentions through the medium of online social networks (OSN) for business transactions. The expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) from the consumer behaviour literature is made use of; to forward a set of theories that validate a prior model from IS usage research. Eight research hypotheses, after a field survey of OSNs participants for business transactions were conducted are empirically validated. 300 useable responses from LinkedIn and Twitter social networking platforms users for business transactions were analysed with the WarpPLS 4.0 bootstrapping technique. The study results provide significant evidence in support of perceived trust and user satisfaction, as determinants of the continuance intention of people using OSN platforms for business transactions. Above all, the research model was tested for the moderating effects of usage habit, which was found to impact relationships between continuance intention and perceived trust, resulting in an improved predictive capability of (R2=0.55) as compared to base model of (R2=0.52). The moderating result indicates that a higher level of habit increases the effect of perceived trust on continuance intention.

Research paper thumbnail of Establishing the relationship between an effective audit committee and infusion of a good control environment

Corporate Board: role, duties and composition, 2017

Audit Committees are a vital component of accountability and good governance for any serious orga... more Audit Committees are a vital component of accountability and good governance for any serious organisation and have progressively been perceived as an integral part of modern control structures and control practices in both the public and private sectors. However, Audit Committees can only discharge such gigantic responsibilities in a conducive environment to provide its effective performance of certain key functions in the areas of oversight of risk management, reporting, and internal controls. Nonetheless, the enablement of such conducive environments has become a challenge to many Audit Committees. It is against this background that this study investigates the relationship between an effective audit committee and infusion of a good control environment. The study used structured and unstructured questions to investigate population comprising standing committee members and Audit Committee members. Thus this study made use of a mixed methodology to collect quantitative data as well as reviewing audit documents, such as, the Audit Committee Charter and minutes of meetings in order to ascertain the environment under which such august practices are performed. The outcome concludes that the Audit Committee which was selected for the study has the good working environment.

Research paper thumbnail of This thing of social media! Going business or socialisation? Solving the great dilemma

Foresight, Sep 18, 2019

Purpose-Social media has become a ''thing'' not just for its historical purpose of socialisation,... more Purpose-Social media has become a ''thing'' not just for its historical purpose of socialisation, but a multifaceted platform of unpredictable possibilities. With the current high levels of actual usage, business on the platform has assumed different styles and has become one of the competing activities on this platform, creating a dilemma for the future. However, as social beings, we can manage such capricious adventure by means of research, to predict the possible destination before we are taken by surprise. One of such medium of studies is through the philosophies of the continuance intention theories. To this end, the purpose of this paper was to investigated some antecedents of social media that are capable of predicting the direction of this platform to test this theory of continuance intention, and the results from the predictive Smart PLS3 shows that the continuance intention for business on this platform will overtake socialisation to offer the biggest market among the elitist class in the near future, and not China, Nigeria or the NYSE. Design/methodology/approach-This paper uses Predictive Smart PLS3 to analyse the continuance intention of social media platforms. Findings-Predictive Smart PLS3 shows that the continuance intention for business on social media platform will overtake socialisation to offer the biggest market. Research limitations/implications-The questions asked in this study focussed on buyers and not platform managers. As the continuance intention depends on the latter as well, it would have been better if their opinions were also sought to determine what will make them continue to provide social media. Originality/value-This paper is among the first to do such a study.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of total quality management implementation in a manufacturing industry

In today's highly competitive market, the demand for quality is important factor for companies to... more In today's highly competitive market, the demand for quality is important factor for companies to survive in the ever-expanding global marketplace. The unprecedented pace of globalisation, trade liberalisation, and technological changes in addition to human capital movement in the later years profoundly poses serious challenges for African companies to compete in an open market. African trade liberalisation through the elimination of intraregional tariffs, imposed to serve as a protective barrier to local industries have also worsen the plight of local infant industries. African Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) poses challenges for South African companies as they have to compete with more industralised and older companies. The concept of Total Quality Management (TQM) developed as a result of intense global competition has therefore become a compelling concept for African companies seeking to survive in an uneven grounds of competition. This paper seeks to examine whether the implementation of TQM has effect on LMI in Durban by developing a research model to uncover the barriers and benefits of TQM. A sample population of employees from a manufacturing industry were selected to participate in this study. It became clear that, this study have found a significant relationship between the positions at the manufacturing industry and their opinion of TQM. The Spearman correlation coefficient indicated a significant relationship between TQM and factors such as Management and Commitment Leadership Importance, Work Environment and Culture Importance, Customer Focus Importance, Customer Focus Practice, Resource Management Importance. These findings are in agreement with other studies of scholars that highlights the benefits and barriers of TQM.

Research paper thumbnail of Determinants of Online Social Networks for Successful Business

Research paper thumbnail of Mobile banking in South Africa: a systematic review of the literature

Banks and Bank Systems, Apr 25, 2016

Mobile banking in South Africa recently has undergone rapid growth, and research on it is on the ... more Mobile banking in South Africa recently has undergone rapid growth, and research on it is on the increase. This paper seeks to improve authors' understanding of the current state of knowledge of mobile banking in South Africa by providing a systematic review of the existing literature on the phenomenon. The literature review shows that research to date has centred on small academic models with a high level of practitioner involvement, consequently, narrowing research issues of greater concern. Thus, issues of assessing mobile banking needs, factors imparting continuance usage, and the measurement of impact have been comparatively neglected. A future direction for research and practice within the mainstream of mobile banking and financial services is suggested to remedy this imbalance and to contribute to mobile banking applications in South Africa.

Research paper thumbnail of This Thing of Social Media!

International journal of social media and online communities, Jul 1, 2019

Studies on online purchases abound, but are rarely on social media or social networking service (... more Studies on online purchases abound, but are rarely on social media or social networking service (SNS) to highlight its influence on participants with regards to online purchases. This paper dares to do this. The SNS, although it was envisaged to be a platform for socialisation, has transmuted into a business model that is actually impacting on sales volume of organisations. Predictably, it could be said that the sustainability of this new business phenomenon depends on the continuance patronage of the SNS participants. This study investigated the dynamics impacting on SNS participant to find out whether what makes them purchase through it depends on habit or sheer influence. The study embarked on an online data collection process and performed a structural equation modelling (SEM) with the aid of a partial least square (PLS) program known as PLS-SEM.

Research paper thumbnail of Endangered Species in South Africa: Can the Office Management and Technology Programme be one of them?

The programme, office management and technology (OMT) is offered in many reputable institutions a... more The programme, office management and technology (OMT) is offered in many reputable institutions across the globe including South Africa with varied content to meet the particular needs of offering country. Job titles since the 20th centuries for people with the OMT qualification, hitherto known as “secretaries” have changed because of advancing technology changing the image and the responsibilities of today's OMT worker. Still, there are pockets of disregard and threats in some institutions to stop offering the programme. Perception culminating from wrong insight has tinted the respect and beauty of this programme in many developing countries including South Africa. It is against this background that this paper wishes to revisit the literature on the issues surrounding the office secretary or administrator to remind us of the importance, opportunities and urgency that is required to whittle down this dangerous perception.

Research paper thumbnail of Credit Risk Aversion Model (CRAM)During Economic Downturns and Recovery

: Handbook of Research on Financial Management During Economic Downturn and Recovery, 2021

Credit defaulting in the financial sector is a worldwide delinquency that has become a nightmare ... more Credit defaulting in the financial sector is a worldwide delinquency that has become a nightmare for this sector. The search for a solution to root out this problem remains a big challenge for academics, the financial sectors, and the governments. For instance, per the American Bankers Association's (ABC) Consumer Credit Delinquency Bulletin, unserviced bank cards plunged two basis points to 2.96% of all accounts between July-August 2019. This value remained below the 15-year average of 3.68%. (Per ABC, delinquency is a late payment that is 30 days or more overdue.) Though these terrifying statistics sounds like good news, the Trans Union's Industry Insights Report found that the unserviced credit card rate reached 1.81% in the third quarter of 2019, rising from 1.71% for the third quarter of 2018. These figures from the credit bureau are based on accounts that are 90 days or more overdue.