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November 2015
DECLARATION BY THE CANDIDATE
I, Siphiwe Maseepe Salome Xaba, hereby declare that this research report is my own
work and effort and that it has not been submitted anywhere for any award. Where other
sources of information have been referred to and used, they have been duly acknowledged. It
is submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Business
Administration at the Business School of Tshwane University of Technology in
Pretoria.
Signature:
Date:
ii
DEDICATION
by nurturing me, they have introduced me to the purpose of education, enabling such a study
to take place today.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In whom I find hope and my life is dedicated to, I thank my Lord God for providing me with
abundance of grace and mercy while I conducted my MBA study at the Business School of
Tshwane University of Technology.
I wish to thank Student Governance & Leadership Development Officers, the Office of the
Registrar, Revenue Directorate and Faculties of Tshwane University of Technology for the
access to the student participants for collecting the data I needed for the study. Without their
precious support it would not be possible to conduct this research.
I thank my fellow MBA Lebone group members, for the stimulating discussions, for the
sleepless nights we were working together before deadlines, and for all the fun we have had
in the last four years.
Last but not the least; I would like to thank my husband, Gugulethu Xaba, and my entire
family for supporting me spiritually throughout writing this dissertation and my life in
general. And my friends, The Lillies, I thank them for their insightful comments and
encouragement, but also for the hard questions which incented me to widen my knowledge
and study management education.
iv
ABSTRACT
The study has the potential for assessing how effectively students utilise the online system of
enrolment at TUT. The impact of an introduction of and transition to a self-service
administration module will be discussed in detail – whether the transition from paper-based
enrolment to an online one is associated with the needs to be efficient and high in standards
of quality with respect to customer satisfaction.
The study is quantitative and descriptive in nature, responding to the ‘five Ws’ of research
specific to a descriptive design: Who? (students), When? (currently), Where (at TUT), Why?
(to investigate factors influencing the adoption of online enrolment), Way? (by identifying
students’ demographic characteristics, perceptions and attitudes towards online enrolment).
The research methodology is cross-sectional. Student participants from all faculties at TUT
are selected using stratified random sampling. The sample size of study is n=233. The
population size is over 50 000. Data is collected using a structured, pre-tested and validated
questionnaire of study.
The study found that demographic factors, including age, income and geographic area of
student respondents were found to have influences and impacts on decisions to adopt online
enrolment. Psychological factors, including perceptions of relative advantage, compatibility,
complexity, risk, and cost are found to be significant. The paper recommends that an
understanding about these factors about online enrolment will help the institution to
understand the students need in a better way.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
DECLARATION……………………………………………………………………..….. ii
DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………. iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………... iv
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………..………. v
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………. vi
LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………. ix
1.7. SUMMARY............................................................................................................ 4
vi
MANAGEMENT….………………..…………...…………………………….……... 7
3.1. INTRODUCTION……..…………………………………………………………… 21
vii
4.3. RESULTS FROM CROSS-TAN ANALYSIS ……………………….…….……… 49
LIST OF REFERENCES………………………………………………………………. 65
LIST OF APPENDICES
viii
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
ix
LIST OF ACRONYMS
x
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A typical South African university would have a dedicated office for admission and
registration within the university campus, where new students are expected to report to in
order to complete their admission and registration procedures. Normally, a new student
would be asked to fill out an admission form and to have the completed form submitted with
supporting legal and academic documents to the admission office. A current student would
fill out a registration form for selected courses in the upcoming academic semester.
All universities and colleges have physical or traditional admission and registration systems
in addition to some partially automated systems like course registration, where current
students have to login and electronically enrol in courses of interest, while some major
admission process is still not fully automated. Admission and Registration processes are
extremely important to both students and universities. Universities cannot create full
admission records of new and current students without proper admission and registration
system. Such a system is also essential and convenient to students because it provides them
with a faster and less cumbersome procedure and easy to use tools to register and enrol in
selected courses. The scale and the persisting nature of students’ admission and courses
registration issues in many universities in South Africa, warrant the need for a sophisticated
and advanced automated systems.
The Internet has brought about a revolution, changing the way that companies will interact
with their customers, business partners and suppliers in the future. In South African Higher
Education Institutions, online enrolment is a new industry. Consumer acceptance and the use
of online enrolment is still low and very little research has been conducted in South Africa
into factors influencing consumers to use online enrolment services. An understanding of
how demographic characteristics, social influences and consumers’ perceptions and attitudes
toward online enrolment influence the adoption of online enrolment will enable institutions
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to create solutions and strategies that attract consumers to use this type of enrolment.
There is a shortage of studies conducted for assessing the degree to which the current online
enrolment system at TUT is helpful for students and for answering queries from students.
According to Black (2008:15), many higher education institutions struggle to (1) utilize
technology to enable enrolment strategies and practices, (2) convert raw data into actionable
intelligence, (3) proactively exploit external opportunities and mitigate threats, (4) position
the institution effectively among competitors, (5) significantly impact student success and
retention, (6) align enrolment efforts with the goals and capacity of the academic enterprise,
and (7) build organizational capacity to sustain competitive advantage. Online or electronic
delivery is the newest delivery channel to be offered by the higher education institutions in
South Africa, and there is a wide agreement in the education industry that this channel will
have significant impact. The adoption of online enrolment, by students, has been sluggish
despite the efforts by TUT to promote the technology. This study attempts to investigate
whether the transaction from paper-based registration to an online one is suitable for students
at TUT.
To identify and quantify factors that affect the adoption of the online system of
enrolment at TUT by students;
To measure the relationship between the factors and the adoption of online enrolment;
and
To assess the degree to which the current online system of enrolment at TUT is being
used by students.
2
1.6 Chapter outline
This chapter presents an introduction to the study along with the relevant background of
study. It states the research questions and specific objectives. It also presents the potential
benefits and expected outputs of study.
This chapter examines literature about the proposed topic. The literature reviewed starts by
providing research on technology in higher education institutions, enrolment management,
the concept of and processes involved with online enrolment, the advantages and
disadvantages of online enrolment, and an overview of online enrolment in South Africa. It
further outlines the factors influencing student adoption of online enrolment, and process
improvement through the technology acceptance model.
This chapter presents the methods and materials used in the study. The chapter presents the
study design, the sample size of study, sampling technique, statistical methods of data
analysis, and tests of validity and reliability.
This chapter presents the results obtained from qualitative data analysis.
This chapter presents a discussion of the key results and findings. A thorough and critical
analysis of the results obtained from analysis will be conducted with a view to identify gaps
that should be addressed by other researchers. The discussion of results is guided by the key
research questions of study.
This chapter provides relevant recommendations based on the findings of the study.
3
1.7 Summary
This chapter has presented an introduction to the study, the background of study, the
rationale of study, the objectives of study and the research questions of study. It has also
explained the key objectives and potential benefits of study.
4
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This study examined the operations of the enrolment services centre, in a higher education
institution, by looking at various departments associated with it; such as admissions,
registration and financial aid – the factors that influence the adoption of the online system of
enrolment at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). The impact of an introduction of and
transition to a self-service administration module was discussed in detail – whether the
transition from paper-based enrolment to an online one is associated with the needs to be
efficient and high in standards of quality with respect to customer satisfaction.
This chapter examines literature about the proposed topic. According to Welman and Kruger
(2004: 128), research methodology is an organised way comprising of sequences, procedures
and systems to manage and run a research process. The literature reviewed starts by providing
research on technology in higher education institution, enrolment management, the concept
of and processes involved with online enrolment, the advantages and disadvantages of online
enrolment, and an overview of online enrolment in South Africa. The chapter further outlines
the factors influencing student adoption of online enrolment, and process improvement
through the technology acceptance model.
In terms of Chapter 1 of the Higher Education Act, 1997, (Act 101 of 1997 as amended), and
for the purpose of this study, higher education means all learning programs leading to a
qualification that meets the requirements of the Higher Education Qualifications Framework.
The programs are of post-secondary education level, assigned exclusively to universities and
universities of technology (referred to as institutions). Higher education institutions provide
necessary repetitive work processes which are both administrative and academic in nature. A
“process” is step-by-step collection of interdependent actions that together produce outcomes
that contribute to the success of an organisation (Maddison & Darnton, 1996:5). Processes
generic to educational institutions, as stated by Davuluru (2010:19), includes (1) Recruitment,
(2) Admission, (3) Registration, (4) Academic advising, (5) Semester – long study process
that gets repeated until the end of the academic program. These operations are provided to
students with the intention of preparing them for industry and providing industry with well
qualified, competent people. The processes help achieve and maintain optimum student
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enrolment of a higher education institution.
Since the merging of higher education institutions (2004), the general state of enrolling into a
higher education institution has become increasingly dynamic. There is a rich heterogeneity
of higher education reflected by the vast variety of ways in which universities actually
manage enrolment. Rigol (2003:3) mentions that the changing demographics, economics, and
the political, legal, social, and educational environment of the times have prompted many
institutions to review and modify their approaches to selecting students. In addition, shifts in
traditional admissions conventions (such as the increase in early decision and early action
applications) and technology e.g., online applications, electronic transcripts, and imaging,
have pressured and undoubtedly will continue to pressure institutions to rethink how to
manage their applications.
Institutions of higher education can improve their chances of attracting students by improving
the levels of service they offer in every “customer facing interaction” – which often times
necessitates improving internal work processes (Davuluru, 2010:6). Black (2004:1) state that
eighty percent of all customer dissatisfaction is caused by faulty structural systems, not
employee behaviour. Goyal and Goyal (2012:3) site that customers distinguish the quality of
customer interactions that take place during service delivery (functional quality) and the
quality of the outcome the customer receives in the service encounter (technical quality).
Information and communications technology (ICT) plays a vital role in staff and student
administration services. Adebayo (2013:507) state that, technology simplifies the
administrative support levels of the students’ academic in various levels of their academic
pursuit. In higher education institutions, students’ services like records, admission,
recruitment, class schedules, attendance, registration, time tabling and accessing result can be
realized via network of computers and other communication avenues called student portal.
The technology tools used for student interaction could provide significant atmosphere in the
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preparation of technical education graduate to face the challenges for the world to work.
Higher education institutions use technology to enable students to have access to course
materials and support services anywhere anytime.
There are researched findings that indicate that information and communications technology
could be more relevant in providing solutions to administrative problems (Adebayo,
2013:509).
According to Masuku (2008:42), the roles of technology are to support business processes,
support decision-making by its employees and support strategies for competitive advantage.
Laudon and Laudon (2007: 46) point out the following benefits of technology:
Helps organisations obtain operational excellence to improve the efficiency of their
operations in order to achieve higher profitability. They add that information systems
help develop new services and business models.
Improves decision making. Managers need to have the right information at the right
time to make informed decisions.
Helps customers to attain customer intimacy and service. Organisations need to
develop new or improved services. When customers are served well they often return
and also refer people to the organisation, which increases profitability.
i. Enrolment Management
The term enrolment management refers to the ability of institutions of higher education to
exert more systematic influence over the number and characteristics of new students, as well
as influence the persistence of students to continue their enrolment from the time of their
matriculation to their graduation (Kongolo, 2012:7318). Kemerer, Baldridge and Green
(1982:8) state that enrolment management is not just an organisational concept: it is both a
process and a series of activities that involve the entire campus. As a process it includes
tracking and interacting with students from the point of their initial contact with the
institution until their graduation. As an activity, EM is designed to attract and retain students.
Over the past five years enrolment management is increasingly being integrated into the
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strategic plan of higher education institutions. However, according to Black (2010:15), many
institutions still struggle to (1) proactively exploit external opportunities and mitigate threats,
(2) convert raw data into actionable intelligence, (3) utilize technology to enable enrolment
strategies and practices, (4) position the institution effectively among competitors, (5)
significantly impact student success and retention, (6) align enrolment efforts with the goals
and capacity of the academic enterprise, and (7) build organizational capacity to sustain
competitive advantage. Enrolment management as a concept then drives the coordination of
the marketing, admissions, recruitment, pricing and aid, retention programs, academic
support services, and program development as a strategy to achieve an institution‘s preferred
enrolment profile (Schuttinga, 2011:3).
ii. Information
Information is a collection of facts organised in such a way that they have additional value
beyond the value of the facts themselves (Stair & Reynolds 2003:8). Turning data into
information is a process or a set of logically related tasks performed to achieve a defined
outcome. If an organisation’s information is not accurate or complete, people can make poor
decisions, costing organisations lots of money. This view is confirmed by Long and Long
(2005:49) who state that data consists of raw or unprocessed facts. It is the raw material for
information. Once the data is processed it then becomes information.
iii. System
System is a set of elements or components that interact to accomplish goals. The elements
themselves and the relationships among them determine how the system works. Systems have
inputs, processing, output and feedback (Stair & Reynolds 2003). Masuku (2008:33)
confirms this by defining a system as any combination of related elements that work together
to achieve a goal. In addition to that, a system is merely a sequence of appropriate steps for
completing a task.
An Information System
Information systems are a basic infrastructure of the modern business organization; they co-
ordinate the resources and activities of the input, process and output subsystems of the
organization, thus monitoring and ensuring internal efficiency (Yasin & Quigley 1994:25).
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for the purpose of facilitating planning, controlling, coordinating and making decisions in
business and other organisations.
O’Brien (2001:7) state that an information system is any organised combination of people,
hardware, software, communications networks and data resources that collect, transforms and
disseminate information in an organisation.
The general purpose of information systems is to respond to customers in a dynamic and fluid
environment and to track material and manage internal problems such as services and
employees (Masuku 2008:33).
Higher education institutions utilise information system to enable the process of online
enrolment. Online enrolment (otherwise known as electronic enrolment, e-registration, or
even web based enrolment) is a secure website that students enter to indicate that they will
attend classes in the upcoming semester (Gbola, 2010:1). Students can access the e-
registration site from anywhere with an internet connection. Mostly these sites are portals.
Gbola (2010:1) describes a web portal as a site that functions as a point of access to
information on the World Wide Web and portals present information from diverse sources.
According to Seeman and O’Hara (2006:29), the student system components include:
academic records, accounts receivable/cash receipts, campus organizations, curriculum
management, degree audit, faculty information, financial aid, recruitment/admissions
management, registration, and residence life. To support the goal of student-centered
learning, the student information system features a streamlined application process that
allows anytime, anywhere registration with a date-driven set-up to support traditional and
distributed learning offerings. Student services access is provided, and students can access
and update their information without requiring assistance or service from a staff member
9
unless problems arise. In addition, comprehensive date tracking maintains all history and
status changes with student records available via the web. All transactions are immediately
reflected in the database and in related processes (such as a student dropping a course and
immediately having financial aid recalculated). Information about students and employees is
accessible to all functions (with appropriate security). With the elimination of multiple
databases and resulting duplicate records, the student view is no longer fragmented across the
organization. Instead, student data is stored in one place on a single system. This data
integration increases coordination among functional areas and synchronizes processes,
thereby improving customer service. Information about all faculties can be collected and
stored centrally in the data warehouse. This central repository accommodates information
retrieval and reporting for both analytical purposes such as data mining and for operational
tasks such as scheduling and registration. All systems utilize electronic forms and workflow
instead of paper forms that must be carried or sent between offices. This enhanced efficiency
improves speed, customer service and satisfaction.
Higher education institutions around the world are increasingly embracing student
information systems.
The North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) is the 3rd largest in the USA,
serving more than 750,000 students each year at the state’s 59 institutions. Community
colleges in the State of North Carolina realized that an enterprise-wide information system,
focused on the student as customer, could also enhance enrolment and retention. In May
2000, a contract was awarded to Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) to implement Datatel’s
Colleague software and custom develop several unique applications. The student system
components included: academic records, accounts receivable/cash receipts, campus
organizations, curriculum management, degree audit, faculty information, financial aid,
recruitment/admissions management, registration, and residence life (Seeman & O’Hara,
2006:26)
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all universities and colleges have physical or traditional
admission and registration systems in addition to some partially automated systems like
course registration, where current students have to login and electronically enroll in courses
of interest, while some major admission process is still not fully automated (Al Husari,
2013:94).
10
EDUGATE is an Online Academic Portal of King Saud University. It is a comprehensive,
user-friendly system that enables students to use many of service relevant to their course
registrations, modify, confirm and print their schedules. Its services are categorized mainly
into five sections: Academic Calendar, Courses Schedule, Major Plans, Graduation
Document and Student Reports Validation. The username and password are required to be
obtained initially from e-communications and transactions Deanship once a person is
associated with the King Saud University either as a student or staff. Hence the user types are
categorized as student and staff. EDUGATE is ranked number 8 367 on the World Wide
Web. Usually the lower the rank, the popular the web site is. PageRank is given as 5/10 with
a total of 104 750 unique visitors per day and 398 051 page views. The web portal address is
www.edugate.ksu.edu.sa. The server is located at Dallas, Texas, United States with a search
engine optimization (SEO) score of 61.9% (Anon, n.d.).
The registration system used in South Africa is the software called Integrated Tertiary
Software (ITS). This system provides the education sector with fully integrated
administrative software systems to support the functions and processes in universities.
Administrative services include student management systems, financial management systems,
human resources, payroll systems, a library system and management information system. The
system used for this research is part of the student management system called student
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registration. ITS is the most widely used tertiary software in South Africa and necessitates
human resources, hardware, software and technology (Masuku, 2008:70).
The goal of the enrolment services, according to Kongolo (2012:7318), is to manage the
overall size and shape of the university, stimulate future enrolment growth and support the
development of students, using a coherent and well-planned participation strategy that
supports the university's mission, ethos and strategic academic, financial, student
development and equity.
Enrolment Services provides information and guidance regarding admission, registration and
financial aid and student accounts. According to Davuluru (2010:9), the enrolment services
centre is a front-ended approach that links offices that have responsibility for satisfying the
students (e.g. admissions, registrations, and financial aid and student accounts).
2.5.1 Admission
If a student meets certain prescribed requirements (courses, grades, rank, and/or scores), they
are admitted into the institution of higher learning (Rigol, 2003:5).
2.5.2 Registration
The word “registration” means the act of officially joining as a participant or member.
(Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary, 2013). Students register as participants of a course for
learning at the university. The registered student is allowed access to both academic and
administrative services. She or he chooses the course and subjects they intend to be taught
and may attend classes.
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ii. Schedule revisions (drops and adds)
iii. Grade processing
iv. Maintaining and updating Academic Records
v. Processing Transcript requests
vi. Certification for graduation/commencement planning
vii. Enrolment/Degree verification
The personnel in the enrolment services centre are responsible for recording pertinent
information about each student who is admitted into the university. Personal data such as
address, phone number, ID number, residence classification, school and major, as well as
records of academic performance are maintained in historical format. The on-line computer
system facilitates the quick and easy processing of admission and schedule changes
(Davuluru, 2010:38).
A registration process is the process of formally assigning and recording the enrolment of a
student in a class or classes. It is open only to those who have already been admitted or re-
admitted to the academic institution, or who are eligible to re-register (Masuku, 2008:28).
The registration system allows students to register for the year and semester, add a course,
drop a course, substitute a course and view a list of courses already registered online
(Temple, 2006). A registration activity consists of the following operations: either opening an
existing record or creating a new one, displaying the record on the screen of the software
system, and either closing it unmodified, or storing the record in the database. Such
developments occur at various stages of the supply chain and may be customer focused or
more back office or process focused. As such, many student services may be delivered on-
line at reduced cost and customised or personalised, using principles of information and
knowledge management resulting in enhanced efficiency and effectiveness (Yiu, Grant &
Edgar, 2007:337).
Financial Aid administers a comprehensive financial aid program that includes scholarships,
grants, loans, and work-study (Davuluru, 2010:40).
National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is the South African government student
loan and bursary scheme. NSFAS provides loans and bursaries to students at all public
universities and public colleges throughout the country to support access to, and success in,
13
higher education and training for students from poor and working class families who would
otherwise not be able to afford to study.
The goal of the financial aid process is to reduce the manual effort to accurately calculate,
award, post and reconcile the NSFAS. The financial aid division depends on the state
government, it can only change some of the tasks in which awards are calculated internally.
All institutions of higher education have a variety of stakeholders, and while each institution
must work to satisfy them, the stakeholder with the most influence is the customer – the
student. The typical college student makes several trips to campus before classes start. These
include one visit prior to college selection, a registration visit and another visit to pay fees
and purchase textbooks. While telephone and web-based registration systems have alleviated
some problems, students are still faced with numerous administrative tasks to be completed
during their college careers. All too often, these tasks involve considerable time spent waiting
(Seeman & O’Hara, 2006:28).
Most students view administrative activities as necessary; thus, an information system with
an enhanced customer relationship management initiative that provides an individualized
fast-track to completing these activities can be a strong incentive for selecting a particular
institution (Seeman & O’Hara, 2006:25).
Adebayo (2013:507) state that students must rely on secure, easily accessible ICT for clear,
detailed information about enrolment, modules, courses, requirements, assessments,
expectations and sources of help; the opportunity to enroll, pay fees and complete all
administrative procedures, regular contact and timely response and feedback from
instructions, a variety of methods communicate with teacher (e-mail, online chat bulletin
boards), enrolment information linked to application forms, and online assessments.
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2.6.2 Benefits to higher education institutions
Reasons why organizations have a portal, according to Gbola (2010:1), include: (1)
Information customization (2) Information personalization (3) Efficiency in accessing
information (work flow) (4) Link integrity – software issues that link work (5) Enhancements
and features such as calendars, to do lists, schedules, hours of operation, discussion groups
and chat, announcements and alerts, job openings, career opportunities, reports and
documents, search, emails, course schedules, grades, transcripts, campus and world news,
links to reference materials, bookmarks, etc.
The roles that a portal supports includes those of students, faculty, staff, managers, workers,
provosts, academic departments, IT facilities, scholars, researchers, prospective students,
alumni, visitors, friends and vendors. Benefits of use include: (1) the fact that use of e-
registration provides information in a real-time, electronic format that allows confirmation of
students’ enrolment status; (2) students are also able to find and schedule more of the courses
they need; and (3) it is used as confirmation of a student's intent to remain enrolled for the
semester.
E-registration is a system that could easily manage its student body while also providing
added bonuses, with a main goal being to ease the transfer of information. It simplifies the
registration process through a Web-enabled, user-friendly wizard and digitizes all supporting
documents using intuitive processes and tools.
The education system requires a tremendous amount of data and documentation, and this e-
registration solution allows institutions to focus less on processing paperwork and more on
what matters most — meeting the educational needs of their students by having a cost-
efficient, secure registration process that allows for easy access to student files. Intranets and
portals are supposed to provide an infrastructure through which end-users can gain effective
access to information sources needed to assist in daily tasks such as effective decision
making, planning and research.
This section provides a foundation on which the study stands. The purpose of this literature
review is to understand the theory behind the problem, which is to investigate the factors
influencing the adoption of online enrolment. The main factors are then explored and make
15
up the focus of this study. These are: customer perception and attitude, which is analysed
under the sub-headings of relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, perceived cost and
perceived risk. Customer demographic characteristics demonstrate how age, education level,
area of residence and occupation are the demographic categories which are most influential in
shaping customer behaviour. Social influences concern the influence of reference groups and
how they impact on customer adoption of online enrolment. With a greater understanding of
how these factors affect customer adoption of new products, the institution will be able to
create new online enrolment solutions which are more acceptable to potential customers -
students.
According to Wu (2005:31), the basis for understanding customer behaviour is learning about
how customers will accept or reject product offerings, as well as the factors that shape these
decisions.
Muzividzi, Mbizi and Mukwazhe (2013:354) define adoption as the acceptance and
continued use of a product, service or idea. Consumers go through "a process of knowledge,
persuasion, decision and confirmation" before they are geared up to adopt a product or
service.
According to Saeidipour, Ranjbar and Ranjbar (2013:48) demographic factors are frequently
used as a basis for understanding consumer characteristics. The popularity of using
demographic factors is attributable to the observed relationship between the consumption of
certain products and certain demographic factors.
16
Higher education institutions must consider the students’, parents’ or guardians’ demographic
characteristics for online enrolment adoption and to offer the correct range of services. The
demographic characteristics include age, gender, area of residence, accessibility to computer
and internet - unless the consumer has a high level of internet accessibility at home or at
work, they are unlikely to consider using online enrolment.
Wu (2005:33) defines perception as the process whereby an individual selects, organises and
integrates stimuli into a meaningful and overall picture. Perception involves all the senses
(seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling and hearing), and these sensory stimuli play a role in
causing certain sensations which influence consumers in deciding whether to purchase or not.
Customer attitude refers to the feeling of liking or disliking that customers have towards
products, stores, brands and other marketing stimuli (Wu, 2005:33).
Customers’ attitude towards services has a significant positive effect on their intention to start
using/continue using the service (Maduku, 2013:82).
The different dimensions of attitudinal belief toward an innovation can be measured using the
perceived attributes: i) relative advantages - if the innovation is perceived to be better than
the existing system; ii) compatibility - is the innovation consistent with the needs of the
potential adopter; iii) complexity - is the innovation easy to understand and use Wu
(2005:34).
Consumer perception and attitude will be analyzed under the sub-headings of relative
advantage, compatibility, complexity, perceived cost and perceived risk.
i) Relative advantage
Relative advantage refers to an individual’s belief that online enrolment is better than manual
ways of enrolling and can be related to diverse economic, social, convenience and
17
satisfaction dimensions of online enrolment (e.g. convenience in the form of freedom from
time and place constraints, efficient management of finance, a better overview of registration
matters, and the speed of conducting registration activities). Research has identified relative
advantage as a major determinant of a customer’s intention to use online enrolment (Tan &
Teo, 2000:9).
Wu (2005:37) identify a perceived relative advantage as being a significant factor driving the
adoption of online enrolment. When individuals pass through the innovation-decision
process, they are motivated to seek information in order to decrease uncertainty about the
relative advantage of an innovation. Potential adopters want to know the degree to which a
new idea is better than an existing practice. Hence relative advantage is often the content of
network messages with regard to an innovation. Relative advantage, in one sense, indicates
the strength of the reward or punishment resulting from the adoption of an innovation.
The influence of one technology on the next generation of that innovation is expected to be
positive especially when the relationship between the two technologies is compatible. In
other words, willingness to adopt a new technology is affected by a prior adoption pattern of
related technologies and a greater level of compatibility. This will allow the new technology
to be interpreted in a more familiar context (Yousafzai, 2012:4).
iii) Complexity
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understand and use. Adoption will be less likely if the innovation is perceived as being
complex or difficult to use (Rogers, 1983:230).
Past research has indicated that an innovation with substantial complexity requires more
technical skills and needs greater implementation and operational efforts to increase its
chances of adoption (Tan & Teo, 2000:10).
Wu (2005:40) reports ease of use of innovative products or services as one of the three
important characteristics for adoption from the customer's perspective. For example, the user-
friendliness of domain names, navigation tools and the graphical user interface are important
determinants of the user-friendliness of a web page design.
iv) Perceived cost
According to Wu (2005:41) adoption will be driven by the perceived costs and benefits
inherent in the particular innovation. The cost of an innovation has many components – initial
investment costs, operational costs, and utilisation costs. If consumers are to use new
technologies, the technologies must be reasonably priced relative to alternatives. Otherwise,
the acceptance of the new technology may not be viable from the standpoint of the consumer
(Wu, 2005:41).
v) Perceived risk.
To understand, predict and explain why people accept or reject information systems;
researchers have developed and used various models to understand the acceptance of users of
the information systems (Davis, Bagozzi & Warshaw, 1989:982). The technology acceptance
19
model (TAM) that was introduced by Davis, Bagozzi and Warshaw (1989) is one of the most
cited models that researchers used to study underlying factors that motivate users to accept
and adopt a new information system. It was used to identify design problems before users
have experience with the new system. The primary goal of TAM is to provide an explanation
of factors affecting computer applications' acceptance in general. In addition, this model
helps researchers and practitioners to identify why a particular system is unacceptable (Al-
Smadi, 2012:296).
TAM is used to explain how a customer accepts or decline the use of a technology based
upon “perceived ease of use” and “perceived usefulness” of a technology (Perkins & Annna,
2013:96).
Perceived usefulness is define by Davis (1989:320) as the degree to which a person believes
that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance. This follows from
the definition of the word useful: capable of being used advantageously. A system high in
perceived usefulness is one for which a user believes in the existence of a positive use-
performance relationship.
Perceived ease of use, in contrast, refers to the degree to which a person believes that using a
particular system would be free of effort. This follows from the definition of the word ease:
freedom from difficulty or great effort. An application perceived to be easier to use than
another is more likely to be accepted by users (Davis, 1989:320).
2.8 Conclusion
This chapter provides a foundation for the research and drawing on the above literature, the
research question was reiterated as follows: “What are the factors influencing the adoption of
online enrolment at Tshwane University of Technology.”
20
CHAPTER 3: METHODS AND MATERIALS OF STUDY
3.1 Introduction
This chapter explains the plan to obtain appropriate data for investigating the research
question. It includes the research design, research methods, data collection techniques,
population and sampling applied to obtain representative data.
“A quantitative study, consistent with the quantitative paradigm, is an inquiry into a social or
human problem, based on testing a theory composed of variables, measured with numbers,
and analysed with statistical procedures, in order to determine whether the predictive
generalisation of the theory hold true” (Wu, 2005:53).
The design of the study is descriptive in nature, responding to the ‘five Ws’ of research
specific to a descriptive design: Who? (students), When? (currently), Where (at TUT), Why?
(to investigate factors influencing the adoption of online enrolment), Way? (by identifying
students’ demographic characteristics, perceptions and attitudes towards online enrolment).
A sample of n=233 student participants was selected using stratified random sampling. The
population was divided into the seven faculties of TUT which are:
Section B measures the dependent variable, which is the adoption of online enrolment; and
independent variables which include Attitude, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use,
Privacy, Cost, Trust and Adoption. In this section, each variable was measured by five point
Likert Scale from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree.
There is one dependent variable and forty nine independent variables. Dependent variable is
adoption of online enrolment, and independent variables used for data analyses are, amongst
others:
22
gender: gender (Female, Male)
age: age of respondent in years (16 – 18, 19 – 21, 22 and above)
internet: access to the internet at home (Yes, No)
easier: Online enrolment makes it easier for me to register at TUT
convenient: Online enrolment is a convenient way to manage my registration
compatible: Online enrolment is compatible with my life style
skilled: I am very skilled at using the internet
security: I am confident over the security aspects of online enrolment in TUT
confidential: I trust that my personal information captured through online enrolment
channel will be kept confidential
website: I find the TUT website information trustworthy
faster: Faster Internet access speed is important for online enrolment
long time: It takes a long time to finalize the enrolment online
speedup: TUT should speed up the time required to finalize the enrolment online
costly: Internet fee is not affordable for me
resources: I can save my money and time by enrolling online
difficulties: Help is available for assistance with the online enrolment system
difficulties at all times
like: I like enrolling online for my studies at TUT
pleasant: Using online enrolment is a pleasant idea
intend: I intend to continue using online enrolment services in the future
A complete list of the independent variables is on Annexure B.
23
version 13 (STATA Corporation, 2013). The fact that the magnitude of the Cronbach Alpha
coefficient was above 0.75 confirms that the 5-point ordinal scales used for measurement in
this study were all highly reliable.
1. Frequency tables
2. Graphs such as pie charts and bar charts
3. Cross-tab analyses (Dawson and Trapp, 2004) or Pearson’s chi-square tests of
association
The statistical package STATA version 13 (STATA Corporation, 2013) was used for data
entry and quantitative data analyses.
3.10 Summary
In this section, the methodology used in the study has been discussed. This chapter has also
shown that the methodology was designed to maximize reliability and validity, and thus the
findings of the study can be accepted with a reasonable degree of confidence. This discussion
of the methodology also allows an easier understanding of the following chapter, which
presents the results and analysis of the data collected.
24
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS OF DATA ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction
Chapter 4 presents results of data analyses obtained from the study. Frequency tables are
presented for each study variable along with a few graphical depictions. Next, results
obtained from Pearson’s chi-square tests of association are presented. Finally, results
obtained from factor analysis are presented. Interpretations of results are provided following
each set of results.
The 233 respondents who took part in the study were asked to provide answers to 49
questions that were related to the factors influencing the adoption of online enrolment at
Tshwane University of Technology.
The respondents were asked to consider the overall online enrolment system and process as
an effective tool for service delivery. A standardized and validated composite index was used
for the assessment of the efficiency.
Frequencies were used to determine how often a respondent made a certain response to a
particular question. This gives general information about what the information means. This
section introduces the demographic profile of the participants. The participants are introduced
together in terms of their demographics.
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
Female 129 55.36%
Gender
Male 104 44.64%
16 - 18 14 6.01%
Age 19 - 21 158 67.81%
22 and above 61 26.18%
African 228 97.85%
Race
Coloured 5 2.15%
Province Eastern Cape 4 1.72%
25
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
Free State 4 1.72%
Gauteng 138 59.48%
KwaZulu Natal 13 5.60%
Limpopo 32 13.79%
Mpumalanga 32 13.79%
North Wes 6 2.59%
Northern Cape 2 0.86%
Western Cape 1 0.43%
City Centre (CBD) 14 6.06%
Suburb 45 19.48%
Settlement Informal settlements 8 3.46%
Township 117 50.65%
Village 47 20.35%
Yes 79 34.20%
Access to PC
No 152 65.80%
Yes 88 37.77%
Access to Internet
No 145 62.23%
Desktop 22 09.44%
Laptop 76 32.62%
Device
Phone 122 52.36%
Tablet 13 5.58%
Home 119 51.07%
Inter café 42 18.02%
Location Library 29 12.45%
School 40 17.17%
Other 3 1.29%
26
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
5 001 – 7 500 14 6.28%
Degree 8 3.43%
Qualification Diploma 195 83.69%
Arts 21 9.01%
Engineering 3 1.29%
Faculty Humanities 67 28.76%
ICT 17 7.30%
Science 33 14.16%
Agree 80 34.33%
Disagree 19 8.15%
Online enrolment makes it easier
for me to register at TUT Neutral 46 19.74%
Agree 94 40.52%
Disagree 7 3.02%
Online enrolment allows me to
manage my registration more Neutral 58 25.00%
efficiently
Strongly agree 69 29.74%
27
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
Strongly agree 67 29.13%
Agree 92 39.83%
Disagree 17 7.36%
Online enrolment is compatible
Neutral 61 26.41%
with my life style
Strongly agree 60 25.97%
Agree 87 37.66%
Disagree 13 5.63%
Using online enrolment fits well
with the way I like to manage my Neutral 48 20.78%
registration at higher institution
Strongly agree 81 35.06%
Agree 80 34.63%
Disagree 8 3.46%
I am very skilled at using the
Neutral 73 31.60%
internet
Strongly agree 67 29.00%
Agree 86 37.23%
I consider myself knowledgeable Disagree 19 8.23%
about good search techniques and
the internet Neutral 70 30.30%
Agree 31 13.48%
Disagree 96 41.74%
I know less about using the
Neutral 52 22.61%
internet than most users
Strongly agree 12 5.22%
28
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
Neutral 23 9.96%
Agree 53 23.35%
Disagree 62 27.31%
Using online enrolment requires a
Neutral 64 28.19%
lot of mental effort
Strongly agree 26 11.45%
Agree 58 25.22%
Disagree 55 23.91%
Using online enrolment can be
Neutral 65 28.26%
frustrating
Strongly agree 29 12.61%
Agree 72 31.17%
Disagree 18 7.79%
Online enrolment is an easy way
Neutral 60 25.97%
to register at TUT
Strongly agree 74 32.03%
Agree 86 37.07%
Disagree 17 7.33%
I am confident over the security
aspects of online enrolment in Neutral 70 30.17%
TUT
Strongly agree 53 22.84%
Agree 89 38.36%
29
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
Agree 82 35.65%
Agree 42 18.26%
Disagree 68 29.57%
Information concerning my online
enrolment can be tampered with Neutral 79 34.35%
by others
Strongly agree 15 6.52%
Agree 24 10.62%
Agree 92 39.66%
Disagree 12 5.17%
I find the TUT website
Neutral 70 30.17%
information trustworthy
Strongly agree 52 22.41%
Agree 97 41.63%
Disagree 15 6.44%
I am confident of using online
enrolment only if I have the Neutral 59 25.32%
online instructions for reference
Strongly agree 59 25.32%
Agree 92 39.48%
I am confident of using online
enrolment even if there is no one Disagree 13 5.58%
around to show me how to do it
Neutral 45 19.31%
30
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
Strongly agree 80 34.33%
Agree 82 35.19%
Disagree 35 15.02%
I am confident of using online
enrolment even if I have never Neutral 71 30.47%
used such a system before
Strongly agree 40 17.17%
Agree 77 33.62%
Disagree 24 10.48%
I am confident of using online
enrolment if I have just online Neutral 71 31.00%
help function for assistance
Strongly agree 53 23.14%
Agree 65 27.90%
Disagree 9 3.86%
Faster Internet access speed is
Neutral 26 11.16%
important for online enrolment
Strongly agree 131 56.22%
Agree 42 18.03%
Disagree 66 28.33%
It takes a long time to finalize the
Neutral 75 32.19%
enrolment online
Strongly agree 30 12.88%
31
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
required to finalize the enrolment Disagree 22 9.57%
online
Neutral 50 21.74%
Agree 35 15.15%
Disagree 65 28.14%
Internet fee is not affordable for
me Neutral 69 29.87%
Strongly agree 35 15.15%
Strongly disagree 27 11.69%
Agree 73 31.33%
Disagree 9 3.86%
I can save my money and time by
Neutral 31 13.30%
enrolling online
Strongly agree 113 48.50%
Agree 67 28.76%
Disagree 11 4.72%
Online enrolment saves me
money than going to the TUT Neutral 24 10.30%
campus
Strongly agree 125 53.65%
Agree 10 4.31%
Disagree 85 36.64%
I do not know how to use online
Neutral 18 7.76%
enrolment
Strongly agree 13 5.60%
Agree 42 18.03%
Disagree 47 20.17%
I like meeting people and prefer
face-to-face enrolment at TUT Neutral 73 31.33%
Strongly agree 33 14.16%
Strongly disagree 38 16.31%
32
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
Agree 46 20.09%
Disagree 33 14.41%
Help is available for assistance
with the online enrolment system Neutral 99 43.23%
difficulties at all times
Strongly agree 41 17.90%
Agree 81 34.73%
Disagree 18 7.73%
I like enrolling online for my
Neutral 53 22.75%
studies at TUT
Strongly agree 74 31.76%
Agree 53 22.84%
Agree 75 32.19%
Disagree 10 4.29%
Using online enrolment is a
Neutral 29 12.45%
pleasant idea
Strongly agree 117 50.21%
Agree 55 23.61%
33
No. of
Characteristic Percentage
respondents
Strongly disagree 3 1.29%
4.2.1 Gender
Table 4.2 shows the TUT student headcount enrolment as analysed using the final submission
of the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) data of 2015. This
headcount represented the number of students enrolled at TUT over the three years by
gender.
From the data collected for this study, reflected in Figure 4.1, 55% of the study participants
were female and 45% were male. This indicates that both males and females were nearly
equally represented in the sample size of this research.
34
4.2.2 Age
Figure 4.2 shows the age groups into which respondents fell. It can be seen that 68% of the
students were between the age 19 – 21, and 26% of the students are 22 and above. The
remaining ones were is aged between 16 – 18 years. The demographic age profile of the
study participants shows that the 19 to 21 age group was dominant at TUT.
4.2.3 Race
As reflected in Figure 4.3, 98% of the study participants were African and 2% were
Coloured. Referring to Table 4.3, of the HEMIS data, TUT student profile consists averagely
of 93% African students.
35
White 3 463 7% 3 086 6% 2 758 5%
TOTAL 51 711 100% 54 159 100% 56 785 100%
As reflected in Figure 4.4, the 233 respondents who took part in the study represents all the
nine (9) provinces’ with 139 student respondents coming from Gauteng, 32 students from
Limpopo and 32 from Mpumalanga, 13 from Kwa-Zulu Natal, 6 from the North West
province, 2 from the Northern Cape and 1 from the Western Cape. Both the Eastern Cape and
Free State provinces were represented by 4 respondents each.
36
Figure 4.4 Province
The type of settlement which respondents resided in varied widely. Figure 4.5 shows that the
largest proportion of respondents resided in the township (51%), while 20% in the village and
another 20% in the suburb, 3% resided in the informal settlement and 6% resided in the city
centre.
37
4.2.5 Income
Figure 4.6 displays the total monthly income at the home of respondents. 35% of the
respondents come from homes where the total earnings are R2 500 or less, and 16% were in
the R2 501 to R5 000 total earnings bracket while 6% were in the R5 001 to R7 500 bracket.
This group is unlikely to have access to a computer or the internet. Those coming from
homes with the total earnings R7 501 and above accounted for 42% of the total respondents.
The respondents in these groups are likely to have their own computers with internet access.
Figure 4.7 indicates that 195 (84%) of the respondents were studying towards their national
diploma certificate; 30 (13%) were studying towards a higher national certificate and 8 (3%)
towards a bachelor’s degree. The higher education levels were particularly significant as
earlier research indicated that high levels of education enhance the consumer’s ability to
process more complex information and make decisions based on that (Wu, 2005:75).
38
Figure 4.7 Qualification of respondents
4.2.7 Faculty
The population was divided into the seven TUT faculties and as reflected in Figure 4.8. The
233 respondents who took part in the study represent all the faculties with 67 studying in the
Faculty of Humanities, 53 in the Faculty of Economics and Finance, 39 in Management
Sciences, 33 in Science, 21 in Arts, 17 in ICT and 3 in Engineering.
39
Figure 4.8 Faculty of respondents
As reflected in Figure 4.9, most (66%) of the study respondents did not have access to a
computer at home, while the rest (34%) have.
40
4.2.9 Access to internet at home
Figure 4.10 show that 62% of the study respondents did not have access to internet
connection at home, while the 38% had access to internet.
Table 4.3 shows that 52% of the respondents used their phones to access internet, 33% used
laptops, 9% used desktops and 6% used tablets device. This indicates that many of the
respondents used the internet from more than one device, but dominantly from their phones.
Desktop 22 09.44%
Laptop 76 32.62%
Phone 122 52.36%
Tablet 13 05.58%
41
4.2.11 The place where respondents access the internet
Table 4.4 reveals that 51% of the respondents accessed internet from home, 18% from
internet cafés, 17% from school laboratories and 12% at libraries. This indicates that many of
the respondents used the internet at more than one location, but dominantly from their homes.
As reflected in Table 4.5, a total 70% of the respondents agreed that online enrolment makes
it easier for them to register at TUT, 74% of the respondents agreed that online enrolment is a
convenient way to manage their registration at TUT, and 71% of them agreed that online
enrolment allows them to manage their registration at TUT more efficiently. Table 4.5 also
reflected that, 37% of the respondents did not agree to the notion that it takes a long time to
finalize the online enrolment however, 31% agreed that it takes long to enroll online.
The response to these questions confirmed that when customers perceive online enrolment as
being advantageous they then become far more likely to adopt online enrolment for
themselves. This construct is similar to the perceived usefulness in the Technology
Acceptance Model, defined as the degree to which a person believes that a particular
information technology would enhance his or her job performance (Leaderer, et al.,
2000:272). It has been revealed to be a factor towards the adoption of online enrolment.
Therefore this result is in keeping with the findings of Leaderer et al. (2000:272), which
suggest that perceived usefulness is associated with the adoption of electronic technologies.
42
Table 4.5 Perceived usefulness of online enrolment
Strongly Strongly
List of variables Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree
TUT should speed up the time required 77 33% 75 33% 50 22% 22 10% 6 3%
to finalize the enrolment online
The facility to enroll online through
mobile technology should be provided 142 61% 53 23% 26 11% 8 3% 3 1%
by all education institutions
The compatibility questions probed the students’ perception about the impact that online
enrolment has on their life style, if online enrolment is perceived to be convenient, and what
influence this has on their willingness to use online enrolment or whether this is a factor that
influence its usage. Table 4.6 reveals that 66% of the respondents agreed that online
enrolment suits their life style, 73% of them agreed that online enrolment fits well with the
way they like to manage their registration and 77% agreed that the facility of viewing their
own registration details though internet is available at their convenience. Table 4.6 also
shows that the respondents knew how to use online enrolment and preferred to enroll at a
location of their convenience. 83% of the respondents disagreed that they did not know how
to use online enrolment and 36% did not agree to like meeting people and did not agree
preferring face-to-face enrolment at TUT while 32% agreed.
43
Table 4.6 Compatibility of online enrolment
Strongly Strongly
List of variables Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree
These questions aimed to understand students’ perception of the ease of use of and
confidence to use online enrolment which influences their willingness to use online
enrolment. Table 4.7 shows that 63% of the respondents agreed that online enrolment is an
easy way to register at TUT. Though 38% of respondents agreed that using online enrolment
can be frustrating, 38% agreed that help is available for assistance with the online system
difficulties at all times. Table 4.7 also shows that 73% of the respondents were confident of
using online enrolment even if there is no one around to show them how to do it.
44
Table 4.7 Perceived ease of use of online enrolment
Strongly Strongly
List of variables Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree
Table 4.8 shows that 83% of the respondents perceived that online enrolment is cost-effective
by agreeing that online enrolment saves them money than going to the TUT campus to
register. 80% of the respondents also agreed that they can save money and time by enrolling
online. Table 4.8 also reveals that 40% of the respondents did not agree that internet fee is not
affordable for them, while 30% agreed.
45
Perception of cost plays an important part in the consumer decision-making process and
when viewed negatively, hampers customer acceptance of online enrolment. This finding
concurs with Botha (2002:23) who states that high Internet access costs is a factor which
inhibits growth in South Africa because people are too concerned about cost to maintain
lengthy internet connections.
Strongly Strongly
List of variables Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree
Internet fee is not affordable for me 35 15% 35 15% 69 30% 65 28% 27 12%
The questions aim to probe students’ beliefs about the safety of online enrolment at a TUT
campus. Table 4.9 shows that 67% of the respondents believed that their personal information
captured through online enrolment channel are processed securely, 70% of the respondents
agreed that their personal information captured through online enrolment channel are kept
confidential and 62% of them found the TUT website information trustworthy.
Strongly Strongly
List of variables Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree
46
Strongly Strongly
List of variables Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree
As reflected in Table 4.10, 64% of the respondents were very skilled at using the internet,
88% of them knew how to find what they want on the internet using a search engine and 61%
considered themselves knowledgeable about good search techniques and the internet. Table
4.10 also shows that 59% disagreed that they know less about using the internet than most
users, while 18% agreed.
Strongly Strongly
List of variables Agree Neutral Disagree
agree disagree
47
4.3 Results from cross-tab analysis
Cross-tab analysis refers to the Pearson chi-square test of association (Dawson & Trapp,
2004). It is used for assessing the strength of association or interdependence between two or
more categorical variables. At the 5% level of significance, the strength of association
between two categorical variables is said to be statistically significant if the P-value is
smaller than 0.05. If the P-value is greater than or equal to 0.05, it is said that the two
variables are independent of each other at the 5% level of significance. In this study, all
expected cell frequencies were greater than 5. As such, results of data analysis obtained from
Pearson’s chi-square tests of association were all valid.
Table 4.11, shows ten highly influential predictor variables that affect the effective
utilization of the online registration system at TUT. The table shows that utilization of the
online system of registration at TUT is influenced by convenience, suitability for efficient
management, suitability for purpose, simplicity of use, appeal to potential users, appeal to
applicants who intend to pursue their further studies at TUT, compatibility, the need to
utilize resources efficiently, the ability to view and follow registration process online, and
the desire to avoid face-to-face meetings during enrollment, in a decreasing order of
strength.
48
Observed
Factors associated with utilization of online system of P-value
Pearson chi-
registration
square value
I can save my money and time by enrolling online
27.7794 0.000***
(resources)
The facility of viewing own registration details through
26.5134 0.000***
internet is available (view)
Online registration enables me to avoid face-to-face
24.4862 0.000***
meetings during enrolment (meeting)
Results shown in the two-by-two table for the variables, namely easy and gender are
interpreted as follows:
The number of female respondents who found it difficult to use the online system of
registration was 44 out of 233 (18.88%). The number of male respondents who found it
difficult to use the online system of registration was 25 out of 233 (10.73%). The number of
female respondents who found it easy to use the online system of registration were 85 out of
233 (36.48%). The number of male respondents who found it easy to use the online system of
registration was 79 out of 233 (33.91%). All in all, 164 of the 233 respondents (70.39%)
found it easy to use the online system of registration. All in all, 69 of the 233 respondents
(29.61%) found it difficult to use the online system of registration.
The P-value for the association between gender and the ease of use of the online registration
system is equal to 0.094. This P-value is above 0.05. This shows that there is no significant
association between the two variables of study (gender and ease of use of the online system
of registration).
The number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and
agreed that the current registration system used by TUT student is convenient were 142 out of
the 233 (60.94%). The number of respondents who found it easy to use the online system of
registration and did not agree that the current registration system is easy and convenient is 2
out of the 233 (0.86%). The number of respondents who found difficult to use the online
system of registration and agreed that the registration system is convenient is 29 out of the
233 (12.45%). The number of respondents who found difficult to use the online system of
registration and did not agree that the registration system is convenient is 13 out of the 233
(5.58%).
49
The P-value for the association between the convenience and ease of use of the online
registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-value is below 0.05. This shows that the
association between the two variables of study (convenience and ease of use of the online
system of registration) is statistically significant at the 5% level of significance.
The number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and
agreed that the online system of registration allows them to manage their registration more
efficiently is 137 out of the 233 (58.80%). The number of respondents who found it easy to
use the online system of registration and did not agree that the current registration system
allows them to manage their registration more efficiently is 1 out of the 233 (0.43%). The
number of respondents who found it difficult to use the online system of registration and
agreed that the online system of registration allows them to manage their registration more
efficiently is 26 out of the 233 (11.16%). The number of respondents who found it difficult to
use the online system of registration and did not agree that the registration system allows
them to manage their registration more efficiently is 10 out of the 233 (4.29%).
The P-value for the association between the managing of the registration and ease of use of
the online registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-value is below 0.05. This shows that
the association between the two variables of study (managing of the registration and ease of
use of the online system of registration) is statistically significant at the 5% level of
significance.
The number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and
agreed that the online system of registration fits well with the way they like to manage their
registration at TUT was 139 out of the 233 (59.66%). The number of respondents who found
it easy to use the online system of registration and did not agree that the current registration
system fits well with the way they like to manage their registration at TUT was 4 out of the
233 (1.72%). The number of respondents who found it difficult to use the online system of
registration and agreed that the online system of registration fits well with the way they like
to manage their registration at TUT was 29 out of the 233 (12.45%). The number of
respondents who found difficult to use the online system of registration and did not agree that
the registration system allows them to manage their registration more efficiently was 11 out
of the 233 (4.72%).
The P-value for the association between the registration system fitting with the way they like
to manage their registration and ease of use of the online registration system is equal to 0.000.
50
This P-value is below 0.05. This shows that the association between the two variables of
study (the online registration system fits well with the way they like to manage their
registration and the ease of use of the online system of registration) is statistically significant
at the 5% level of significance.
The number of respondents who used the online system of registration and agreed that the
online enrolment method is easy was 124 out of the 233 (53.22%). The number of
respondents who use the online system of registration and did not agree that the online
enrolment method is easy was 8 out of the 233 (3.43%). The number of respondents who use
the online system of registration and agreed that the online enrolment method is difficult was
22 out of the 233 (9.44%). The number of respondents who use the online system of
registration and did not agree that the online enrolment method is difficult was 17 out of the
233 (7.30%).
The P-value for the association between method of registration used by respondents and the
ease of use of the online registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-value is below 0.05.
This shows that the association between the two variables of study (method of registration
used by respondents and ease of use of the online system of registration) is statistically
significant at the 5% level of significance.
The number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and agree
that they like enrolling online was 129 out of the 233 (55.36%). The number of respondents
who found the online system of registration easy to use and did not agree that they like
enrolling online was 10 out of the 233 (4.29%). The number of respondents who found it
difficult to use the online system of registration and agreed that they like enrolling online was
26 out of the 233 (11.16%). The number of respondents who found it difficult to use the
online system of registration and did not agree that that they like enrolling online was 15 out
of the 233 (6.44%).
The P-value for the association between liking of enrolling online and the ease of use of the
online registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-value is below 0.05. This shows that the
association between the two variables of study (liking of enrolling online and ease of use of
the online system of registration) is statistically significant at the 5% level of significance.
The number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and
agreed that they intend to continue using online system was 148 out of the 233 (63.52%). The
51
number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and did not
agree that they intend to continue using online system was 2 out of the 233 (0.86%). The
number of respondents who found it difficult to use the online system of registration and
agreed that they intend to continue using online system was 40 out of the 233 (17.17%). The
number of respondents who found it difficult to use the online system of registration and did
not agree that they intend to continue using online system was 9 out of the 233 (3.86%).
The P-value for the association between intending to continue using online system in future
and the ease of use of the online registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-value is below
0.05. This shows that the association between the two variables of study (intending to
continue using online system in future and the ease of use of the online registration system) is
statistically significant at the 5% level of significance.
The number of respondents who use the online system of registration and agreed that the
online enrolment method is compatible with a life style was 123 out of the 233 (52.79%). The
number of respondents who use the online system of registration and did not agree that the
online enrolment method is compatible with a life style was 6 out of the 233 (2.57%). The
number of respondents who use the online system of registration and agreed that the online
enrolment method is difficult was 29 out of the 233 (12.45%). The number of respondents
who use the online system of registration and did not agree that the online enrolment method
is difficult was 12 out of the 233 (5.15%).
The P-value for the association between compatibility of using online system with life style
of respondents and the ease of use of the online registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-
value is below 0.05. This shows that the association between the two variables of study
(compatibility of using online system with life style of respondents and the ease of use of the
online registration system) is statistically significant at the 5% level of significance.
The number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and
agreed that the use of online system of registration saves money and time was 139 out of the
142 (60.94%). The number of respondents who found it easy to use the online system of
registration and did not agree that the use of online system of registration saves money and
time was 9 out of the 233 (3.86%). The number of respondents who found difficult to use the
online system of registration and agreed that the use of online system of registration saves
money and time was 44 out of the 233 (18.88%). The number of respondents who found
difficult to use the online system of registration and did not agree that the use of online
52
system of registration saves money and time was 7 out of the 233 (3.00%).
The P-value for the association between the use of the registration system saving resources
and the ease of use of the online registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-value is below
0.05. This shows that the association between the two variables of study (use of the
registration system saving resources and ease of use of the online system of registration) is
statistically significant at the 5% level of significance.
The number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and
agreed that the facility of viewing own registration details through internet is available was
140 out of the 233 (60.09%). The number of respondents who found it easy to use the online
system of registration and did not agree that the facility of viewing own registration details
through internet is available was 2 out of the 233 (0.86%). The number of respondents who
found difficult to use the online system of registration and agreed that the facility of viewing
own registration details through internet is available was 38 out of the 233 (16.31%). The
number of respondents who found difficult to use the online system of registration and did
not agree that the facility of viewing own registration details through internet is available was
0 out of the 233 (0.00%).
The P-value for the association between viewing of own registration details through internet
and ease of use of the online registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-value is below 0.05.
This shows that the association between the two variables of study (viewing of own
registration details through internet and the ease of use of the online system of registration) is
statistically significant at the 5% level of significance.
The number of respondents who found the online system of registration easy to use and
agreed that the online registration system enables avoiding face-to-face meetings was 38 out
of the 233 (16.31%). The number of respondents who found it easy to use the online system
of registration and did not agree that the online registration system enables avoiding face-to-
face meetings was 73 out of the 233 (31.33%). The number of respondents who found
difficult to use the online system of registration and agreed that the online registration system
enables avoiding face-to-face meetings was 37 out of the 233 (15.88%). The number of
respondents who found difficult to use the online system of registration and did not agree that
the online registration system enables avoiding face-to-face meetings was 12 out of the 233
(5.15%).
53
The P-value for the association between the registration system enabling avoidance of face-
to-face meetings and ease of use of the online registration system is equal to 0.000. This P-
value is below 0.05. This shows that the association between the two variables of study (the
registration system enabling avoidance of face-to-face meetings and the ease of use of the
online system of registration) is statistically significant at the 5% level of significance.
4.4 Summary
This chapter presented the findings from the study which will be discussed in the next
chapter. The chapter presented results obtained from frequency tables and cross-tab analyses.
In the next chapter, the findings in this chapter will be discussed and recommendations made
based on findings obtained from the study.
54
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
This section will discuss the key results obtained from data analysis. Results obtained from
frequency tables and cross-tab analyses will be discussed sequentially.
It can be seen from the results on Table 4.5 that respondents perceived online enrolment
being advantageous, saving time and making registration at TUT more efficient. This result is
in line with the findings of Gerrard and Cunningham (2003:8), which identified the perceived
relative advantage as a significant factor in driving the adoption of online enrolment. The
greater the perceived advantage of using online enrolment, the more likely that online
enrolment would be adopted; hence the perceived relative advantage of online enrolment is a
significant factor in influencing consumers to adopt online enrolment.
5.1.2 Compatibility
Based on the results of this study shown in Table 4.6, online enrolment users perceived
online enrolment to be more suitable to their life style and more convenient to their life style.
This finding is in agreement with the research of Bradley and Stewart (2003:1089), that
consumers who believe that online enrolment is more compatible with their values are more
inclined to adopt it. The more a customer uses online enrolment, the more he or she perceives
online enrolment as being compatible with his/her lifestyles, and the more likely he/she is to
adopt it. Bradley and Stewart (2003:1089) also indicated that consumers who feel that online
enrolment is more compatible with their values are more intent on using online enrolment
services. The more a customer uses online enrolment, and the more he or she perceives online
enrolment to be compatible with his or her lifestyle, the more likely that customer will
55
continue to use online enrolment. Therefore, a perception of compatibility of online
enrolment is an influential factor in the use of online enrolment.
5.1.3 Complexity
Research conducted in Estonia states that the most important factors in starting to use internet
services are first and foremost better access to the services (convenience), better prices and a
high-level of privacy. Better service (i.e. preferring self-service over office-service) was also
of above average importance (Wu, 2005:40). Therefore the adoption of online enrolment is
likely to be increased when customers consider using online enrolment processes to be easy.
Therefore an individual is far less likely to adopt a new technology if this requires a high
level of technical skills. Conversely the adoption of online enrolment is far more likely to
occur if the online enrolment processes are simplified and are user friendly.
The results shown in Table 4.7 indicate that users of online enrolment perceived online
enrolment as not involving complex procedures. Users perceived the service to be easier, less
complex and simpler. This result concurs with the findings of Gerrand and Cunningham
(2003:26), which suggested that the more complex online enrolment is perceived to be; the
less likely it is that online enrolment will be adopted. Hence, the perception of complexity is
a significant factor influencing the use of online enrolment.
Table 4.8 indicates that the respondents view factors such as telecommunication costs and
travelling costs as being important in motivating them to use online registration system. Some
respondents find that internet costs are not affordable for them. However, most users do not
agree that internet costs are not affordable. These perceptions were confirmed by the
perceptions of the degree of cost effectiveness reflected in the responses of respondents who
perceived online enrolment to be more cost-effective for their needs. Hence, this result is in
line with results found in earlier research by Bradley and Stewart (2003: 1091), which
showed perceived cost to have an influence on the adoption of online enrolment. The
literature review reflects the degree to which perceived costs act as a deterrent to some
consumers and how institutions have attempted to address this factor.
56
5.1.5 Perceived risk
According to the results shown in Table 4.9, factors which encourage online enrolment usage
are:
consumers believe that it is safe to use online enrolment;
consumers are confident to disclose their personal information online; and
consumers believe that it is unsafe to reveal personal information on a website.
Security is a major concern wherever online transactions take place. Internet-based service
providers must implement access control, authentication procedures, encryption, firewalls,
audit trails and virus protection to secure their online services. Internet users are constantly
concerned about threats to their privacy while online. An empirical study found that
consumers are often reluctant to share personal information for fear that their financial life
will become an open book to the Internet universe (Wu. 2005:43).
This indicates an established perception in the mind of the consumer, making it easy to
convince customers to try new innovations. Consequently the lower the perception of risk in
using online enrolment the more likely an individual would be prepared to use it.
The study has significant implications as it provided, firstly, fresh information on the users of
online enrolment. Secondly, the findings of this study make an important contribution to the
literature by investigating a little studied, yet important, group of online enrolment adopters,
namely Tshwane University of Technology’s registered students. The findings from this
study can be directly compared with those obtained previously in other countries. Thirdly, the
study provides information of interest to the South Africa higher education industry. Last, but
not least, the instruments developed and validated in this study can be used in future research.
The validated research framework proposed in this study can hence serve as a basis for
hypothesis formulation for future research in this area.
The results of the study represent the views expressed by students of the Tshwane University
of Technology who are responsible for online enrolment and registration. The study assumes
57
that the views expressed by the respondents who took part in the study are objective. The
study did not have the necessary resources for conducting a forensic investigation with a view
to corroborate the factual accuracy of the views expressed by the respondents who took part
in the study. This failure constitutes a minor limitation of study, and can hopefully be
addressed in future by adequately resourced researchers.
5.4. Summary
This chapter presented a detailed discussion of the results obtained from data analyses. The
chapter has also presented the minor limitation of study. The next chapter presents
conclusions and recommendations that could be made based on findings obtained from the
study.
58
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Online registration enhances the development of the self-service administration system, and it
is considered as a strategic weapon for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Although it
provides various benefits for both HEIs and customers, low level of customers' adoption of
online registration services is noted in Tshwane University of Technology. However, online
registration services cannot achieve expected benefits if it is not used by customers.
Therefore, the main objective of the study is to identify factors that influence the adoption of
online enrolment by students at the Tshwane University of Technology. Institutions of higher
education can improve their chances of attracting students by improving the levels of service
they offer in every “customer facing interaction” – which often times necessitates improving
internal work processes (Davuluru. 2010:80)
Through the course and process of this study, the researcher has concluded that:
Users of the registration portal require; access to results, contact with lecturer,
communication and other features on the portal; users want more enrolment services accessed
through the portal. Therefore, it is concluded that studies on user requirements of online
enrolment should be continuous and at intervals to receive feedback from users by managers
of the portal with a view to meeting user requirements for better ease of use. It may not be
enough to just initiate online registration and associated services without taking into
consideration user perceptions, requirements, needs and challenges, all of which will
contribute to the overall goal of the institution to enhance learning and at the same time
manage student records appropriately. It becomes even more important to conduct similar
studies in our 21st century electronic driven environment.
With respect to research sub-objective 1, the factors influencing the adoption of the
online system of enrolment at TUT by students were identified. These were
demographic factors and psychological factors such as perceptions of relative
advantage, compatibility, complexity, perceived risk, and perceived cost were
identified.
59
For research sub-objective 2, a measure of the relationship between the factors and the
adoption of online enrolment was determined. Demographic factors, including age,
income and geographic area were found to have influences and impacts on decisions
to adopt online enrolment. Psychological factors, including perceptions of relative
advantage, compatibility, complexity, risk, and cost are found to be significant.
However, negative perceptions of complexity, risk and cost were indications of
negative attitudes towards adopting online enrolment. Negative perceptions and
attitudes influence the decision-making process, resulting in negative consumer
behaviour outcomes. Social influences, including the opinions of friends were found
to have insignificant differences in having influenced online enrolment users.
With respect to research sub- objective 3 that identified the degree to which the
current online system of enrolment TUT is being used by students.
Based on the findings of study, the following recommendations are made to the Tshwane
University of Technology, Office of the Registrar, with a view to contribute for the
improvement of the quality of self-services technology that attracts consumers:
60
The registration process must be described, providing clear and detailed information
about each step in the registration process.
All registration methods must be clearly defined and described, informing students of
the different registration options available to them, especially if online registration is
not available.
Instructions for each registration method should be included.
Relevant policies must be defined, providing all institutional policies and procedures
that may affect a student’s registration decisions. These should be linked to relevant
sections of the institution’s handbook or course catalogue.
HEIs should not attach unnecessary charges to their customers for the online
enrolment services. This is because users have to incur other costs. However, if this
does not appear to be feasible, they would have to make sure that the costs of
enrolling manually within the campus does not exceed the costs of enrolling online.
Organisations cannot survive today without information systems. Information systems
consist of people, technology and organisation. The registration process is used by
people using technology and controlled by an organisation. The performance
measurement or evaluation of an organisation should include these three elements.
The role of information systems in an organisation should improve efficiency, save
time and energy, create growth, inform and improve people’s skills.
TUT should increase service value by collaborating with internet service providers;
offer free internet access; expand registration services across all campuses and
increase linkages to suppliers.
A feedback system should be implemented to determine whether the services
provided meet the requirements of the students. According to Masuku (2008:96), one
of the purposes of information systems is to respond to customers in a dynamic and
efficient environment. Conducting surveys during registration periods to assess
customer satisfaction may help enhance the registration process.
According to Laudon & Laudon (2007:17), a model of the problem-solving process
can help one to understand and solve business problems using information systems.
The model consists of four steps:
a. Problem identification - includes an understanding of the kind of problem
that exist
61
b. Solution design - involves the design of solution(s) to the problem(s)
identified.
c. Solution evaluation and choice - the next step is to choose the best solution.
However, there are factors that need to be considered before the
implementation of the solution. They are i) the cost of the solution, ii) the
feasibility of the solution for the organisation given the existing resources
and skills, and ii) the length of time required to build and implement the
solution.
d. Implementation - the best solution is normally the one to be implemented.
Implementing an information system solution involves building the solution
and introducing it to the organisation, thus providing the software,
hardware, technology, staff training and documentation on how to use the
system. The transition to the new system must be properly managed. This
refers to the techniques used to bring about successful change in business.
62
Engage more with customers to identify critical areas of need to improve the delivery
of electronic registration products.
The HEIs should make available more access points on-campus for ease of use and
access to web portal for enrolment.
63
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ANNEXURE A: Questionnaire of study
Analysis of factors that influence the adoption of the online enrolment at Tshwane
University of Technology
71
Tshwane University of Technology
Faculty: Management Sciences
Business School
This questionnaire is designed in order to collect data for my MBA study at the Business
School of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria. I intend to collect data by
using a structured, pre-tested and validated questionnaire of study. Participation in my study
is voluntary. You have the right not to take part in my study or drop out of my study at any
time of your choice without having to explain the reason why.
If you wish to take part in my study, please provide answers to each one of my questions by
reading each question carefully. My questionnaire of study has 2 parts. In each of the 2
sections, please select the choice of answer that best reflects your personal experience or
view. Taking part in my study entails minimal risk to participants. Taking part in my study
will not take more than 20 minutes of your time. The answers you will be providing will be
kept in confidence, and are anonymous.
Copyright issues:
The questionnaire of study is an adaptation of the questionnaire developed by Venkatessh,
Morris, Davis and Davis (2003). The reference for the original questionnaire of study is cited
as follows:
VENKATESH, V., MORRIS, M. G., DAVIS, G. B. & DAVIS, F. D. 2003. User acceptance
of information technology: toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3): 425–478.
72
(Please tick and specify when appropriate)
1. Gender
Female
Male
2. Age
Less than 15
16 – 18
19 – 21
22 and above
3. Race:
African
Asian
Coloured
White
73
Township
Village
74
11. Qualification registered for:
National Higher Certificate
Diploma
Degree
Other:Specify
…………………………………………………………………………….
Each of the questions in this section has 5 possible answers. Each question is measured based
on a 5-point ordinal scale. The values of the 5 possible answers are strongly agree, agree,
neutral, disagree and strongly disagree.
For each of the question in this section, please choose the answer that best reflects your view
on the question by displaying a tick in the box.
Strongly Disagree
Strongly Agree
No. Question
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
75
Strongly Disagree
Strongly Agree
No. Question
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Using online enrolment fits well with the way I like to
5.
manage my registration at a higher institution.
6. I am very skilled at using the Internet.
I consider myself knowledgeable about good search
7.
techniques on the Internet.
8. I know less about using the Internet than most users.
I know how to find what I want on the Internet using a
9.
search engine.
10. Using online enrolment requires a lot of mental effort.
11. Using online enrolment can be frustrating.
12. Online enrolment is an easy way to register at TUT.
I am confident over the security aspects of online
13.
enrolment in TUT.
I believe my personal information captured through
14.
online enrolment channel will be processed securely.
I trust that my personal information captured through
15.
online enrolment channel will be kept confidential.
Information concerning my online enrolment can be
16.
tampered with by others.
Information concerning my online enrolment will be
17.
known to others.
18. I find the TUT website information trustworthy.
I am confident of using online enrolment only if I have
19.
the online instructions for reference.
I am confident of using online enrolment even if there
20.
is no one around to show me how to do it.
I am confident of using online enrolment even if I have
21.
never used such a system before.
I am confident of using online enrolment if I have just
22.
seen someone using it before trying it myself.
I am confident of using online enrolment if I have just
23.
the online “help” function for assistance.
Faster Internet access speed is important for online
24.
enrolment.
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Strongly Disagree
Strongly Agree
No. Question
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
25. It takes a long time to finalize the enrolment online.
TUT should speed up the time required to finalize the
26.
enrolment online.
27. Internet fee is not affordable for me.
28. I can save my money and time by enrolling online.
Online enrolment saves me money than going to the
29.
TUT campus.
30. I do not know how to use online enrolment.
I like meeting people and prefer face-to-face enrolment
31.
at TUT.
Help is available for assistance with the online
32.
enrolment system difficulties at all times.
The facility of viewing own registration details through
33.
internet is available.
34. I like enrolling online for my studies at TUT.
The facility to enrol online through mobile technology
35.
should be provided by all education institutions.
36. Using online enrolment is a pleasant idea.
I intend to continue using online enrolment services in
37.
the future.
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ANNEXURE B: Independent variables of study
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register: Online enrolment is an easy way to register at TUT
security: I am confident over the security aspects of online enrolment in TUT
personal: I believe my personal information captured through online enrolment
channel will be processed securely
confidential: I trust that my personal information captured through online enrolment
channel will be kept confidential
tampered: Information concerning my online enrolment can be tampered with by
others
known: Information concerning my online enrolment will be known to others
website: I find the TUT website information trustworthy
instructions: I am confident of using online enrolment only if I have the online
instructions for reference
nobody: I am confident of using online enrolment even if there is no one around to
show me how to do it
never: I am confident of using online enrolment even if I have never used such a
system before
before: I am confident of using online enrolment if I have just seen someone using it
before trying it myself
help: I am confident of using online enrolment if I have just online help function for
assistance
faster: Faster Internet access speed is important for online enrolment
longtime: It takes a long time to finalize the enrolment online
speedup: TUT should speed up the time required to finalize the enrolment online
costly: Internet fee is not affordable for me
resources: I can save my money and time by enrolling online
money: Online enrolment saves me money than going to the TUT campus
not know: I do not know how to use online enrolment
meeting: I like meeting people and prefer face-to-face enrolment at TUT
difficulties: Help is available for assistance with the online enrolment system
difficulties at all times
view: The facility of viewing own registration details through internet is available
like: I like enrolling online for my studies at TUT
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mobile: The faculty to enrol online through mobile technology should be provided by
all education institutions
pleasant: Using online enrolment is a pleasant idea
intend: I intend to continue using online enrolment services in the future
80