Mousaion: South African Journal of Information Studies

Trust in Electronic Records-keeping Systems among selected Botswana Parastatals

Mogogi Thabakgolo — 2023-12-04

Electronic records are essential for efficacy in organisational services. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that employees’ behaviour regarding trust in a records-keeping system is sustained. Trust in electronic records-keeping systems is essential to guarantee the utilisation of the system used by the organisation. This is because a lack of trust in the systems can be detrimental to organisational records-keeping practices. This study examined the extent of employees’ trust in electronic records-keeping systems used by selected parastatals in Botswana using the Information Culture Assessment Framework. The study adopted a mixed-method approach. The target population comprised 139 respondents and 106 employees from the three parastatals that participated. For sampling, the study adopted a list-based random sampling technique that was employed to select participants for the online questionnaire. A questionnaire link was sent to 133 randomly selected participants, of whom 101 responded to the survey, yielding a 76% response rate. Five interviews out of the six targeted respondents were conducted with records managers’ and chief executive officers’ representatives. The study findings elicited differing sentiments concerning trust in electronic records-keeping management systems. However, the study’s main finding was that there was generally a lack of trust in electronic records-keeping management systems. Furthermore, the findings revealed a lack of satisfaction with the records-keeping systems in the selected parastatals.

Factors Influencing the Failure to Manage Official Email Records by the Central Government of Zimbabwe

Samson Mutsagondo — 2023-12-04

Email has emerged as one of the most important and frequently used business records in almost all types of business organisations. This has been due to the advantages inherent in email such as low cost, speed of transmission and ease of use as well as opportunities brought about by the adoption of the electronic government programme. Nevertheless, many organisations face challenges when it comes to managing email as an official record where email messages are captured into the record-keeping system of the organisation, classified, appraised and preserved for future use and reference, and appropriately destroyed when no longer needed. This study seeks to promote the economic, efficient and effective management of email as official records in Zimbabwe’s central government. The case of Zimbabwe’s central government was used and 12 out of 22 head offices of government ministries participated in the study. Using a mixed methods research approach with an explanatory sequential research design, the study collected data using structured questionnaires and open-ended interviews. The study revealed that many government ministries failed to properly manage email as official records due to lapses in the regulatory, policy and procedural frameworks as well as due to skills and infrastructural deficiencies, among other factors. If no urgent efforts are effected, a lot of email records will be lost, thereby compromising accountability, transparency and informed decision-making in Zimbabwe’s central government. The study recommends that Zimbabwe’s central government should channel requisite material, financial and human resources as well as craft legal, policy and procedural frameworks in order to make email a useful record of choice worth its salt.

Management of Land Resettlement Records in a Rural Village in Zimbabwe

Theresa Mahlangu — 2023-12-04

Land records are considered proof of ownership, right to land ownership, and boundaries. Land records provide two types of important evidence. First, they often document family relationships. Second, they place individuals in a specific time and place. This study sought to examine the management of land resettlement records in one of the rural districts in Zimbabwe (this rural district will be anonymously referred to as the “Village”). The research problem was triggered by the heirs of a late neighbour who were on the verge of losing their homestead due to lack of documentation stating the ownership of their acquired land. It remains uncertain whether proper records management practices are being adhered to in this rural village. Therefore, this article sought to determine the types of records created at this village. Furthermore, the article meant to establish the processes and procedures involved in the management of land resettlement records at this village and also to identify if there are challenges faced in the management of such and what these are. The constructivism paradigm and a qualitative research methodology were applied. A case study design was used. The findings revealed that the records were kept at the village clerk’s homestead. The major challenges identified were the lack of proper records management systems, the lack of storage facilities, the invisibility of the governmental archival support structures such as the National Archives of Zimbabwe and trained records officers. The study recommends a collaboration between the National Archives of Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement and the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, including the Village being researched, so as to train them about proper records management practices.

Academic Librarians’ Perception of Work-Life Balance and Self-Management Skills

Oluwole Olumide Durodolu — 2023-12-04

This study focuses on the work-life balance of librarians and considers significant factors that could influence this balance, such as the formulation of policies, workplace support, workload, financial assistance, work expectations and work satisfaction. This research adopted a positivist research paradigm in which a questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection. The survey targeted Kenneth Dike Library of the University of Ibadan, which is the first university library in Nigeria. With 103 members of staff, the sample size was purposively selected. The reliability of the research instrument was tested by using Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded an overall reliability value of 0.91. The study revealed the following: (1) Work-life policy documents were not at the disposal of the librarians because they were not implemented and no good programmes that could enrich the work-life balance of librarians exist. (2) Librarians want to receive fair treatment and respect among their colleagues and be recognised when they take the initiative on their job. It is crucial to communicate the policy to librarians, whether it is included in the employee’s handbook or not; it is vital to organise a seminar to alert library staff to the importance of the policy, the benefits it provides, and its implementation procedure.

Information Provision by Public Libraries in Limpopo Province, South Africa, during the Covid-19 Emergency: A Case Study of X Public Library

Madireng Monyela — 2023-12-04

Public libraries are established to promote literacy, cultural heritage, and the dissemination of information. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, public libraries across the globe had to close their physical spaces and change their service models. This qualitative study investigated information provision by a public library in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, during the national public health restrictions to determine what means were applied to sustain service provision. The paper reports on ways used by the library to provide information to users at the time. Data were collected from the chief librarian and four librarians using face-to-face interviews and one focus group. The data were thematically analysed. Findings indicated that no services were offered to users during the time of the Covid-19 restrictions. The paper recommends the digital literacy training of users, the use of free databases, and the introduction of online library services.

Undergraduate Students’ Post-Covid-19 Experiences with E-learning Platforms at Selected Public Universities in the Ashanti Region, Ghana

Stephanie Ansah — 2023-12-04

The study investigated students’ post-Covid-19 experiences with e-learning platforms among undergraduate students of public universities selected in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The study respectively drew 289 respondents from two public universities, i.e., Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Business School, and the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) Business School in Ghana. Given that the population from the two public universities was fairly high, sampling had to be done. The overall population of the study was 480 students, randomly sampled from the two public universities, using the sampling ratio given by Alreck and Settle (2004). The population constituted 360 students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Business School, and 120 from the Kumasi Technical University Business School (KsTU). The study employed questionnaires as a data collection tool. The data gathered were 289 responses out of 480 questionnaires administered; therefore, the response rate was 60.2%. The data were analysed using pie charts, bar charts, percentages, and line graphs. Findings revealed that the e-learning platforms were still useful. However, the students used them on a weekly basis in the post-Covid-19 era, unlike during the Covid-19 era, when they were used daily. All other academic activities, with the exception of examinations, are still undertaken on the e-learning platforms; however, they are being underutilised in the post-Covid-19 experience. The study recommends that universities should invest in infrastructure development to enable all academic activities, most especially examinations, to be undertaken by using e-learning platforms to curtail future challenges.

Limpopo Provincial Archives Public Programming Initiatives from 2015 to 2020

Maite Salphina Manganye — 2023-12-04

Public archival repositories house records of value to society. Even though such records are essential, these institutions remain largely unknown and underutilised. For this reason, public programming initiatives have become a necessary function in public archives. The Limpopo Provincial Archives was officially opened in 2015, but recent records show that only a few people engage with the records at this repository. The repository has conducted various public programming initiatives to raise awareness about the archives since its establishment. However, since 2015 there has been no effort to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the effectiveness of these public programming initiatives at this repository starting from 2015 up to 2020. A mixed-method approach to data collection was applied to gain information to address the objectives of this study. Participants in the study included 14 archivists and 100 community members. The study’s findings revealed that though the archivists had engaged in various public programming initiatives, more people did not engage with the archives. Challenges such as budget constraints and government red tape further complicated the archivists’ efforts. The study recommends measures such as collaboration, perfecting advocacy skills, and soft power to strengthen the repository’s public programming strategy.

How Do Demographic Characteristics of Faculty in Selected Universities in Ghana Explain Their Sources of Personal Information?

Williams Nwagwu — 2023-12-04

This paper examined the sources of faculty's personal information and the reasons for creating information. We tested the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their choice of sources of personal information. This study's population comes from four public universities and two private universities in Ghana. A sample survey research design and a sample of 235 faculty were used, and data were collected using a questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using Multinomial Logistic Regression in addition to frequency distributions. Demographic characteristics of faculty relate aptly to their personal information sources and be integrated into information literacy activities. Improving the PIM performance of faculty will require understanding their personal information sources to improve productivity and promote good health.