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dc.contributor.advisorMavetera, Nehemiah
dc.contributor.advisorLubbe, Sam
dc.contributor.authorWoldu, Ghebre Embaye
dc.date.accessioned2017-03-05T08:24:41Z
dc.date.available2017-03-05T08:24:41Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10394/20682
dc.descriptionPhD (Information Systems & Technology), North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2016en_US
dc.description.abstractClimate change and global warming are major challenges facing the environment today. The impact of climate change, together with pollution and the depletion of non-renewable natural resources, has raised an awareness to environmental sustainability. Even though there are many causes that affect climate change and global warming, technology affects the environment by far at a global scale. Technology is responsible for a minimum 2% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Universities need to pause and reflect on the growing green technology importance, and why it will be important for future generations. The importance of green technology cannot be disregarded. Recognising the need to challenge the environmental impacts, universities have to address environmental issues through the scientific study of Environmental Management Information Systems (EMIS). Government supervisory constitutions and consumer action groups have promoted businesses and organisations to adopt green practices in dealing with the issue of environmental consequences. The concept of green IT has become the centre of policy debates for the well-being of the society through an awareness of design and technology. This research outlines a framework for measuring sustainable green IT practices from an Information Systems and Technology perspective within South African tertiary institutions. Former research reveal how green ITs have significantly enabled and improved organisations in numerous significant ways. Nevertheless, these studies do not highlight the sustainable green IT practices particularly in universities of South Africa; this under-researched field of study is one of the research problems. Revisiting the environmental policies and creating a sustainable environment for South Africa’s dynamic energy and human health impacts are worthy goals towards which to strive. The framework is grounded in investigating the acquisition, utilisation and effectiveness of the operational carbon footprints and technological breakthroughs that will lead to a cleaner educational environment. In order to help universities in South Africa to adopt environmentally responsible practices, an in-depth qualitative research methodology was undertaken through interviews as survey instrument to gather data. The findings elucidate the necessity of ecological sustainability as a matter of fact to measure the performance of green IT implementation in universities. The result of the study exposed the role of the universities to reduce their environmental impact focused on bottom-line issues such as economic values, environmental issues, and social benefits. Some more practical guidelines are provided to assist in greening the university and recognising the need to become greener. The research made an original contribution to the academic body of knowledge in creating a framework for measuring green IT practices, addressing the issue of energy efficiency, reducing of carbon footprint, adopting clean technology and managing the disposal of e-waste such as computers and IT-related devices in universities throughout South Africaen_US
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherNorth-West University
dc.subjectAcquisitionen_US
dc.subjectCarbon footprintsen_US
dc.subjectEffectivenessen_US
dc.subjectEnergy efficiencyen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmental problemsen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmental sustainability (ecological sustainability)en_US
dc.subjectE-waste disposalen_US
dc.subjectFrameworken_US
dc.subjectGreen Information Technologyen_US
dc.subjectGreenhouse gas emissionsen_US
dc.subjectMeasureen_US
dc.subjectPracticesen_US
dc.subjectUtilisationen_US
dc.titleA framework for measuring sustainable green information technology practices in Universities of South Africaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.thesistypeDoctoralen_US
dc.contributor.researchID17063558 - Mavetera, Nehemiah (Supervisor)
dc.contributor.researchID22543635 - Lubbe, Samuel Izak (Supervisor)


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