Tiko Iyamu

A Guide to Selecting Theory to Underpin Information Systems Studies

Empirically or experimental, in every research, methodology (method, approach and technique) are employed. The methodology guides the study from the beginning to the end. What is even more important is how the researcher views and deduces the outcome through his or her analytical lens. Information systems studies are increasingly challenging, primarily because of human interactions with computing. This is mainly due to the fact that human beings are unpredictable, which has impact and influence on how systems are developed, implemented and used.

Developing Enterprise Architecture Skills: A Developing Country Perspective

Through different approaches, organisations strive to evolve their competitiveness, as well as their addressing their operational and strategic needs. Some organisations employ Enterprise Architecture (EA), to bridge the gap between the business and IT, and to providing strategic goals. However, there exists scarcity of EA Skills in many developing countries. This could be attributed to the uniqueness of the discipline. The skills are instrumental in the development and implementation of the EA. What is even more challenging is that EA skills cannot be developed from any training facility, due to its nature of specialisation and seniority of the specialists. The limited training facilities contribute to the scarcity of EA skills in many developing countries, which have impact skill and transfer, and other resource developmental factors. This study therefore explored how and where EA skills can be developed, and what constitute the competency. The study was carried out in Namibia, using the survey technique, in the data collection. Some of the findings include education and training, leadership, and political implications on EA skill development.

Actor Network Theory in Interpretative Research Approach

The main components of information systems include people, process and technology infrastructure. In many studies, these components are often viewed and examined from socio-technical perspectives. This is primarily because of the criticality of human actions. The complexities and the difference which humans bring in the development and implementation of information systems are not getting easier. Hence the increase studies in the field of information systems.

Developing the enterprise architecture for the Namibian government

The Namibian government strive to use the enterprise architecture (EA), to address the incidents of disparities, such as obsolesce, incompatibility, duplications, lack of uniformity, and integration challenges that hampers processes and activities in providing socioeconomic services to the communities of the country. Through its domains, the aim of the EA is to facilitate services towards transformation, development, and growth of socioeconomic activities in the country. However, the deployment of the EA is a challenge because there are implications of practice, which are constraints to the aim of the concept. The objective of this study was therefore to develop a framework, which can be used to guide the deployment of the EA. Based on the framework, we examine the implications of practice, which is intended to improve service delivery through the deployment of the EA. The qualitative methods were used in the study. The semi‐structure technique was applied to collect qualitative data. Based on the findings from the data analysis, a framework was developed, which depicts how the EA is influenced by interactions and relationships that happens between the involved actors, and draws on the implications for services delivery. This study is important to both academic and government, as it reveals on how certain factors manifests themselves, to enable, and at the same time, constrain processes and activities of information systems and technologies.

The Process-Oriented Implications in the Development of Health Informatics Curriculum for Teaching and Learning

The healthcare environment is complex and delicate in terms of its activities and processes. Some of the activities include storage, retrieval, use, and management of individual and group patient’s record and clinical data. As such, healthcare informatician needs to be equipped with diverse knowledge and skills for better healthcare services deliver, planning and management.

The Connective Scheme between the Enterprise Architecture and Organisational Structure

The demand for better services by customers and citizens keeps increasing at a rapid rate. Different methods and techniques are sought by various organizations to enable and support processes and activities to improve services, as well as to give the organization leverage towards competitive advantage. The enterprise architecture (EA) has merged as a possible solution for addressing organizational challenges and for competitive advantage. The EA deployment involves agents, which are both human and non-human. The agents, based on their interest, influence and determine how the EA is deployed. During the deployment of EA, agents transform themselves in accordance to their interest at the time and space.

Breeding ICT Skills for the Industries: The South African Experience

Skilled and competent personnel are required in the use of information and communication technology (ICT), for organisations’ competitiveness and sustainability. Many organisations rely on institutions of higher learning to produce ICT skilled personnel for them. However, many of the graduates are said to be incompetent in their roles and responsibilities. In an attempt to close that gap of incompetency, some organisations source for postgraduate candidates. Unfortunately, the gap of ICT skill shortage seems to remain, leading to this study. The study was carried out in South Africa, one of African countries to examine and understand the extent, as well as impact of ICT skills in the country. Different approaches and techniques of research methodology, such as qualitative and quantitative, and interpretivism were applied in the study. As found in the empirical study, the underlying factors in the challenges of ICT skill short in South Africa are the gap between the qualification and competency. Other influencing factors include government interference, organisational need, and curriculum development and transformative scheme.

Understanding the Deployment of Competitive Intelligence Through Moments of Translation

Organisations employ different strategic tools such as Competitive Intelligence CI to enable and support their goals and objectives, periodically. Unfortunately, the tools do not seem to resolve the challenges that they were deployed for. This could be attributed to the fact that there is too much focus on the tools, and less attention on the social interaction which occurs in the process. The CI is deployed by many organisations primarily to collect and analyse relevant data for decision making, and competitive advantage. However, CI products are deployed in various ways, and in different contexts. CI products differ in many ways such as in terms of compatibility and functionalities that they offer. These are some of the factors that are driven and shaped by non-technical interplay. How organisations deploy CI products has been a challenge, and it is difficult to understand. Some organisations did acquire CI products, unfortunately, they could not make use of it as intended. This is attributed to compatibility challenges which they encountered during the implementation of the product. This is the primary motivation for this article. A qualitative case study research was conducted in order to examine how CI products are deployed in organisations. Analysis of the data was done, using the Moments of Translation from the perspective of actor network theory to understand how the interaction and interplay amongst actors, shapes and deployment of CI in the organisation that deploys it.