Computing Science Studies
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Item Teachers' perceptions of public employees' performance management Information system effectiveness in government secondary schools in Mzumbe Ward, Tanzania(African Quarterly Social Science Review, 2024) Komba, Mercy M.The Public Employees' Performance Management Information System (PEPMIS) was the focus of this study, which evaluated its effectiveness in government secondary schools in Mzumbe Ward, Tanzania. The expectancy theory guided the study, which provided a framework for understanding employee motivation and behaviour. A qualitative case study design was used, involving qualitative interviews with 13 teachers purposively sampled from Mongola and Mzumbe Secondary Schools. Data saturation determined the sample size. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. The findings reveal that while PEPMIS enhances administrative efficiency and supports professional development, its effectiveness is hindered by challenges related to fairness, transparency, training, technical functionality, and network reliability, necessitating improvements for greater usability and satisfaction. Addressing these challenges through targeted interventions can enhance the system's effectiveness, user satisfaction, and overall impact on organizational performance. The study recommends training programs for teachers and school administrators, addressing technical infrastructure issues, and incorporating feedback mechanisms into PEPMIS to make it more responsive to teachers' needs and expectations. This paper contributes to the understanding of PEPMIS from teachers' perspectives. It highlights important insights for policymakers and educators in improving PEPMIS implementation and its impact on the country's education sector.Item Usability and challenges of cloud storage: Perspectives of academic staff at Mzumbe University, Tanzania(East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 2024) Komba, Mercy Mlay; Komba, Gabriel VitusThis study aimed to explore the perspectives, preferences and challenges of Mzumbe University faculty regarding cloud storage adoption. Utilizing a case study design, the researchers conducted semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of 15 faculty members to capture diverse viewpoints. The study used the thematic analysis approach to analyse the data retrieved from interviews. Based on the findings, the study concluded that cloud storage systems have several advantages, such as easy accessibility features, robust security protocols, service compatibility and intuitive user interfaces. These benefits encourage academic personnel to collaborate and increase productivity. However, some challenges existed. These are related to internet access, cost, lack of formal training and security. The study recommends that enhancing the university internet infrastructure is critical to guaranteeing reliability and fast connectivity for effective utilization of cloud storage. The university may also think of offering financial assistance for supplementary storage requirements to academic staff.Item Factors for e-government adoption: Lessons from selected African countries(UNISA Press, 2012) Komba, Mercy Mlay; Ngulube, PThis article discusses various problematic issues of providing access to, and promoting the wider utilisation of government information as important factors in e-government adoption. The Tunisian, Mauritian and Egyptian e-government experiences are examined in this article in order to highlight both good practices and remaining challenges in e-government adoption. Some of the good practices that we can benefit from, may be summarised as: formulating a viable national information and communication technology strategy (ICT-based) for modernising the telecommunications infrastructure, developing a regulatory framework for the deployment of a digital economy, obtaining international cooperation in ICT, developing skilled human resources management in ICT, developing a national digital culture in order to overcome the problems of low individual usage and adoption of ICT, establishing an information infrastructure to connect the various local government authorities, and establishing security standards in order to address threats. The study concludes that overcoming the obstacles of providing access to, and promoting the wider utilisation of government information, remain some of the biggest challenges for any government planning to adopt and implement e-government.Item Government information seeking behaviour of citizens in selected districts of Tanzania(Journal of Library & Information Science, 2016) Komba Mercy Mlay; Lwoga Edda TandiThe study assessed the information needs and information-seeking patterns of citizens in Tanzania, focusing on three districts: Morogoro town, Njombe and Kinondoni districts. A questionnaire survey was self-administered to 450 citizens in selected districts, with a rate of return of 99.6 per cent. Findings revealed that citizens mainly required information on national examination results, followed by information on birth, death and marriage certificates, land, and health. Citizens relied on electronic sources and interpersonal communication with neighbours and friends more than explicit sources of information. Certain demographic factors related to education level and respondent’s age determined the use of various types of information sources. Common barriers of citizens’ information seeking behaviour were related to poor ICT infrastructure, difficulty in retrieving information, distant location and high costs of information sources. This is a comprehensive study that provides findings which might help the government in Tanzania and other countries with similar conditions to provide effective government information and services to their citizens.Item Factors that influence eBusiness adoption in selected districs in Tanzania(International Conference on eBusiness, eCommerce, eManagement, eLearning and eGovernance (2015): 1-19. Print., 2015) Komba, Mercy Mlay; Ngulube, PPurpose-Tanzania government has been making efforts to provide its information and services through internet. However, e-government adoption has been quite slow. Few publications explore e-government adoption in the Tanzanian context; therefore, this paper aims to assess factors that influence citizen adoption of e-government in Tanzania.Design/methodology/approach- A survey was administered to elicit factors for e-government adoption in Tanzania. Findings- The results of multiple linear regressions indicate that social influence and system quality significantly influence e-government adoption in Tanzania. Research limitation/implications- In light of these findings, researchers should conduct a similar study using other different e-government adoption models to identify more factors that influence e-government adoption in Tanzania. Practical implications- Policymakers and e-government project teams should consider these factors to facilitate e-government adoption within theItem The influence of ChatGPT on digital learning: Experience among university students(Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, 2024) Komba, Mercy MlayPurpose This study aims to investigate the influence of ChatGPT, an AI-based chatbot, on the digital learning experience of students at Mzumbe University. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative research design to gather in-depth insights from participants. Semi-structured interviews and an analysis of previous chat content were used as primary sources of data. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data, allowing for the exploration of participants’ perspectives, experiences and opinions regarding the integration of ChatGPT into the learning process. Findings The results of the study demonstrated that ChatGPT is widely used in educational contexts and has a positive influence on students’ study habits, academic performance, and understanding of course material. Students appreciated the system’s simplicity, tailored instructions, and the promptness and accuracy of the responses. Despite the possibility of isolated mistakes. Research limitations/implications It is important to recognize the limitations of this study. First, the sample size was small, limiting the broad application of the results. Second, this study’s narrow emphasis on students at Mzumbe University limits its applicability in other situations. Furthermore, depending on self-reported experiences, biases, such as individual interpretation or recollection bias, can occur. Practical implications Educators can maximize ChatGPT in the classroom by using study insights. Its advantages, such as effectiveness and enhanced performance, highlight the possibility for student-centered learning. Practitioners are guided by their awareness of problems, such as probable errors. Constant updates guarantee ChatGPT’s applicability and provide educators with useful advice. Social implications Peer impact is highlighted in this study concerning social factors on the adoption of AI in education. Resolving issues preserves public confidence. Views influence public opinion and direct policymakers in discussions about safe AI use. It influences public attitudes while navigating the ethical integration of AI. Originality/value This study offers insightful information about the impact of ChatGPT on digital learning in Tanzania’s higher education. It makes innovative research contributions that enhance educational practices and emphasizes the advantages, difficulties and demands of responsible usage in the context of AI-based chatbots.Item Antecedents of continued usage intentions of web-based learning management system in Tanzania(Education + Training, 2015) Komba Mercy; Tandi LuogaPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that predict students’ continued usage intention of web-based learning management systems (LMS) in Tanzania, with a specific focus on the School of Business of Mzumbe University. Specifically, the study investigated major predictors of actual usage and continued usage intentions of e-learning system, and challenges of using the e-learning system. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 300 third year undergraduate students, with a rate of return of 77 per cent. A total of 20 faculty members were also interviewed. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was utilized in the study. Findings – The results show that actual usage was determined by self-efficacy, while continued usage intentions of web-based learning system was predicted by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, self-efficacy, and actual usage. Challenges for using web-based LMS were related to information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure barrier, LMS user interface was not user friendly, weak ICT policies, management and technical support, limited skills, lack of awareness, resistance to change, and lack of time to prepare e-content and use the e-learning system. Practical implications – The study findings are useful to e-learning managers and university management to identify important factors and develop appropriate policies and strategies to encourage long-term usage of e-learning systems for future studies and lifelong learning. Originality/value – By using UTAUT in the context of continued usage intentions and the integration of an additional construct (“self-efficacy”), the extended UTAUT model fits very well in the web-based learning systems in Tanzania, in particular where such studies are scant. The findings can be used in other institutions with similar conditions in investigating the continued usage intentions of e-learning systems.Item E-government adoption in developing countries: Trends in the use of models(ESARBICA Journal, 2011) Komba, Mercy Mlay; Ngulube, P.Like the evaluation of all other information systems initiatives, the evaluation of e-government in both theory and practice has proven to be important and complex. The importance of e-government evaluation is due to the enormous investment put in by governments for delivering e-government services and to the considerable pace of growth in the field of e-government. However, despite the importance of the evaluation of e-government services, the literature shows that e-government evaluation is still an immature area in terms of development and management. The main aim of this article is to explore various theories and models which have been used in the developing countries context to evaluate e-government adoption. Developing countries suffer from poor citizen utilization of e-government initiatives. An assessment of various theories and models for e-government adoption in developing countries may positively contribute to enhancing government understanding of the factors that influence citizen utilization of e-government systems. Moreover, the understanding of these models can be used as means for providing valuable feedback for the planning of future e-government initiatives in the developing countries.Item Influence of information sharing behavior on trust in collaborative logistics(Springer International Publishing, 2017) Daudi, Morice; Hauge, Jannicke; Thoben, Klaus-DieterCollaborations are based on mutual trust to strengthen confidence in the sharing of various resources such as information. Particularly in logistics, collaborations benefit emerged rich-data environments to successfully manage demand fluctuation and visibility of in-store logistics; as well as the sharing of physical assets. Shared information is gathered from various sources and manipulated by specific partner to match or maximize individual payoff. Such information may become vulnerable to information sharing behavior of the partner to henceforth affect trust. This paper investigates the influence of the information sharing behavior on trust. It focuses on a dimension of information accuracy to answer a research question: how do information sharing behaviors of partner affect trust in logistics collaboration? A framework of information behavior is established, and subsequently a trust model specified. Afterwards, simulation experiments are conducted to observe resulting impacts. Results unveil that both, the positively and negatively manipulated information influence trust in similar magnitudes. It is further argued that partner’s deceitful behavior underlying information sharing can be reduced although it might be difficult to eliminate.Item A trust framework for agents’ interactions in collaborative logistics(Springer International Publishing, 2017) Daudi, Morice; Hauge, Jannicke; Thoben, Klaus-DieterTrust is an essential factor for successful resource sharing in logistics. To build and sustain trust among collaborating partners in logistics requires, amongst others, conceptualizing on various aspects constituting underlying mistrusts. The conception is achieved by setting up a framework describing trust-based collaborative interactions of these partnering entities, referred to as agents. This research establishes a trust framework addressing agents’ trustworthy interactions and thus aims at overcoming a knowledge gap identified in the literature. The framework depicts trust-based interactions concentrating to sharing of vehicle capacities. The trust framework is conceived on a foundation of theoretical body of knowledge in the literature. It engages knowledge on collaborative networks, logistics and transportation, agent behavior as well as trust. This research contributes by identifying key agents together with their roles, characteristics, tasks, information exchange as well as perceptions; all of which linked to agent trust. The framework is reusable in many ways, including formal conception of models aspiring to empirically investigate trust amongst agents sharing logistics resources. It also provides more understanding to practitioners, especially on issues relating to compromising differences resulting from agent’s perspectives.