Pivotal Decisions in Outsourcing

This discussion case follows a manager of IT for a global mattress manufacturer as he contemplates a decision surrounding conflicting feedback regarding a IT vendor named Pivotal IT. The case may be taught in both undergraduate (upper level) and graduate courses.

How to Fill the Holes in Mining Inventory?

JoAnn put down the inventory reports of four Mosaic mines that she had been contemplating. Much of the raw material for the company’s phosphate fertilizer production was mined and processed at these Florida facilities. Keeping track of the vast array of equipment, parts, and supplies required to operate the mines had become an issue.

Secure Data Integration in a Cloud Environment

Honeywell was an industry leader in the aerospace market for both government and commercial needs, and had a proud history of making best-in-class products for a wide range of customers. Mike Brutsman, senior project manager, thought, “We have great data, great analysts, and great products. Why can’t we provide better and timelier project data to …

University of South Africa: Change Management and Leadership for Open Distance And E-Learning

Antonia Makina, an education consultant in the Directorate for Curriculum and Learning Development at the University of South Africa (UNISA), was assigned the task of recommending a theoretical guideline for adoption by the management of the university in its quest to implement Open Distance E-learning (ODeL) at the university.

The Ethics of Conducting Research Using Social Media: A Discussion Case

In 2015, Samuel who was registered for a master’s programme in the Department of Business Management, housed within the Faculty of Management and Commerce at a prominent university located in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, decided on a research topic in the area of social media service quality using the E-S-SERVQUAL model. Once …

Transforming Higher Education Through ICT and Transport Infrastructure Development

The Head of Institutional Planning at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Mr. Stevens, was working with the 2016 UWC Institutional Operational Plan (IOP) White Paper. He was using this document in his planning. One of the goals of the IOP was the development of the campus and surrounding areas, which required his executive …

E-Literacy for Skills Development and Employee Engagement: The Case of VUT

Antoinette Lombard, Director of the e-skills unit at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), had initiated a skills development and employee engagement project for the Human Resource (HR) Department through offering an e-skills and e-literacy course to the service workers of the University. Service workers included cleaning, gardening, maintenance and electrical workers. After a reasonably …

Implementation of Text-To-Speech Audio System in isiXhosa for Dwesa Community in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Dr. ZW Saul, the Head of the Department of African Languages at the University of Fort Hare, was considering the future of a text-to-speech system that converted English text into isiXhosa audio. The system had experienced a successful pilot, but much work remained to be done in taking the project to full implementation and sustainability.