One of the aims of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is infrastructural development. In pursuance of this goal, partnerships and collaborations remain key responses. Thus, Goal 17, which is the climax of the SDGs, revolves around partnering with private investors to generate the required capital for the attainment of said developmental goals. Using some public-private partnership (PPP) projects as case study, this paper aims to analyse how early involvement or non-involvement influences the project communities to trust the project handlers and give support towards sustainable infrastructural development. The researcher applied qualitative method data gathering techniques and analysis. Findings show that communities that seemed to have been well engaged at the initial stages only experienced ‘therapeutic’ and ‘manipulative’ involvement because firstly there was a flagrant disregard for initial agreed-upon principles and tenets of inclusive governance and secondly the promoters of the collaborations did not do enough to have an all-inclusive advocacy with community groups. The study recommends that the law governing the implementation of PPP in Lagos State be modified to allow community representatives feature prominently on the committee for infrastructural projects right from the initial stage through the entire process.
{"title":"Building Trust and Support for Partnership Agendas through the Requisites of Early Community Involvement","authors":"Oladimeji Ashade, Sybert Mutereko","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v3i1.874","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v3i1.874","url":null,"abstract":"One of the aims of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is infrastructural development. In pursuance of this goal, partnerships and collaborations remain key responses. Thus, Goal 17, which is the climax of the SDGs, revolves around partnering with private investors to generate the required capital for the attainment of said developmental goals. Using some public-private partnership (PPP) projects as case study, this paper aims to analyse how early involvement or non-involvement influences the project communities to trust the project handlers and give support towards sustainable infrastructural development. The researcher applied qualitative method data gathering techniques and analysis. Findings show that communities that seemed to have been well engaged at the initial stages only experienced ‘therapeutic’ and ‘manipulative’ involvement because firstly there was a flagrant disregard for initial agreed-upon principles and tenets of inclusive governance and secondly the promoters of the collaborations did not do enough to have an all-inclusive advocacy with community groups. The study recommends that the law governing the implementation of PPP in Lagos State be modified to allow community representatives feature prominently on the committee for infrastructural projects right from the initial stage through the entire process.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131114193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1160
Robin Gengan
Creativity and innovation are fundamental traits of a creative leader in the film industry. This article explores the South African film landscape and the innovative opportunities for creative film entrepreneurs. It further explores and describes emerging film creative leadership in terms of an Entrepreneurial Conceptual Framework (creative output 2) that includes a functional relationship equation (creative output 1). The conceptual framework explores the relationship between the four key dimensions (soft skills, innovation, film project management, and iterative content generation) and the four key competencies (high-quality content, influence, education, and entertainment) and their ultimate effect on entrepreneurial creative leadership in the local filmmaking landscape. The functional relationship equation identifies four key characteristics (vision, collaboration, adaptability, and emotional intelligence) that distinguish a creative leader in the local film industry from other forms of leadership. Both the conceptual framework and the functional relationship equation set innovative and structural foundations and form creative outputs for emerging filmmakers, local independent film productions, and future academic studies.
{"title":"Innovative Entrepreneurship through Creative Outputs for Emerging Filmmakers in South Africa: A Conceptual Framework","authors":"Robin Gengan","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1160","url":null,"abstract":"Creativity and innovation are fundamental traits of a creative leader in the film industry. This article explores the South African film landscape and the innovative opportunities for creative film entrepreneurs. It further explores and describes emerging film creative leadership in terms of an Entrepreneurial Conceptual Framework (creative output 2) that includes a functional relationship equation (creative output 1). The conceptual framework explores the relationship between the four key dimensions (soft skills, innovation, film project management, and iterative content generation) and the four key competencies (high-quality content, influence, education, and entertainment) and their ultimate effect on entrepreneurial creative leadership in the local filmmaking landscape. The functional relationship equation identifies four key characteristics (vision, collaboration, adaptability, and emotional intelligence) that distinguish a creative leader in the local film industry from other forms of leadership. Both the conceptual framework and the functional relationship equation set innovative and structural foundations and form creative outputs for emerging filmmakers, local independent film productions, and future academic studies.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"204 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116243118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1127
N. Xulu, K. Naidoo
This study examines the impact of traditional hygienic milking practices employed by rural small-scale dairy farmers on the quality of raw milk. While advancements in technology have revolutionized hygienic milk production methods for both small- and large-scale farmers, rural small-scale milk producers, particularly in countries like Zimbabwe, continue to rely heavily on hand milking as their primary method of milk harvesting. To investigate this issue, a convergent parallel mixed research approach was utilized, involving face-to-face interviews with 53 selected rural small-scale dairy farmers using a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive, frequency, chi-square, and cross-tabulation analyses. The findings revealed that participants aged 50 and above constituted the majority (58.5%) and were more likely to report low income. Additionally, households with 8 to 11 members (38%) and those with no formal education (18.9%) were also more likely to report low income. Several parameters were identified as significantly affecting milk quality (p < 0.05), including hand washing after milking, back leg tying, washing of milking utensils, use of towels, teat dipping, milking when sick, covering of milk, mixing of fresh and old milk, and lack of milk pasteurization before consumption. The study concludes that traditional hygiene practices contribute to milk contamination by rural small-scale dairy farmers, compromising the quality of raw milk. To support these farmers, interventions such as the provision of a dairy extension officer, practical workshops, incentives, entrepreneurial skills training, and farmer-to-farmer visits are recommended.
{"title":"Traditional Milking Hygiene Practices and their Effect on Raw Milk Quality of Rural Small-Scale Dairy Farmers in Kwa-Hlabisa, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa","authors":"N. Xulu, K. Naidoo","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1127","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1127","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the impact of traditional hygienic milking practices employed by rural small-scale dairy farmers on the quality of raw milk. While advancements in technology have revolutionized hygienic milk production methods for both small- and large-scale farmers, rural small-scale milk producers, particularly in countries like Zimbabwe, continue to rely heavily on hand milking as their primary method of milk harvesting. To investigate this issue, a convergent parallel mixed research approach was utilized, involving face-to-face interviews with 53 selected rural small-scale dairy farmers using a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive, frequency, chi-square, and cross-tabulation analyses. The findings revealed that participants aged 50 and above constituted the majority (58.5%) and were more likely to report low income. Additionally, households with 8 to 11 members (38%) and those with no formal education (18.9%) were also more likely to report low income. Several parameters were identified as significantly affecting milk quality (p < 0.05), including hand washing after milking, back leg tying, washing of milking utensils, use of towels, teat dipping, milking when sick, covering of milk, mixing of fresh and old milk, and lack of milk pasteurization before consumption. The study concludes that traditional hygiene practices contribute to milk contamination by rural small-scale dairy farmers, compromising the quality of raw milk. To support these farmers, interventions such as the provision of a dairy extension officer, practical workshops, incentives, entrepreneurial skills training, and farmer-to-farmer visits are recommended.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"29 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131872315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1108
A. Isabirye, Khadijah Moloi
This study was designed to explore the academics’ experiences of the performance management system (PMS) at a university and to understand which of their performances enhanced the achievement of the university’s strategic goals. Furthermore, the study sought to establish the support required by the academics to achieve the performance as captured in their key performance indicators (KPIs) within the faculty. A qualitative research design was adopted using semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews to collect data from 18 academics, coded L1 to L18. Interview questions revolved around the participants’ four KPIs, namely quality teaching and learning, research productivity, community engagement and participation in management activities. Through content data analysis, participants’ experiences were highlighted. It was revealed that PM at the institution revolved around pre-determined KPIs that were given to the academics in advance before the exercise. The four KPIs later came out as the key PM practises applied by the university to enhance the achievement of its strategic goals. It was also possible to establish the participants’ performance, the support given by the university and the gap between the participants’ performance and the institution’s expectations, as captured in the KPIs. It emerged that whilst the participants had the needed competencies to ensure quality teaching and learning, they also required, among others, a mechanism to assess the impact of teaching on the students’ performance. It further emerged that little was done in terms of research productivity; and that participants required enormous support from the university, and rewards to enable them to publish and supervise. Regarding community engagement and participation in administrative activities, participants indicated that it was more challenging due to pressing teaching loads. Based on the findings, recommendations to enhance all the identified KPIs were proposed.
{"title":"Exploring Academics’ Performance Management Experiences at a University of Technology in South Africa","authors":"A. Isabirye, Khadijah Moloi","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1108","url":null,"abstract":"This study was designed to explore the academics’ experiences of the performance management system (PMS) at a university and to understand which of their performances enhanced the achievement of the university’s strategic goals. Furthermore, the study sought to establish the support required by the academics to achieve the performance as captured in their key performance indicators (KPIs) within the faculty. A qualitative research design was adopted using semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews to collect data from 18 academics, coded L1 to L18. Interview questions revolved around the participants’ four KPIs, namely quality teaching and learning, research productivity, community engagement and participation in management activities. Through content data analysis, participants’ experiences were highlighted. It was revealed that PM at the institution revolved around pre-determined KPIs that were given to the academics in advance before the exercise. The four KPIs later came out as the key PM practises applied by the university to enhance the achievement of its strategic goals. It was also possible to establish the participants’ performance, the support given by the university and the gap between the participants’ performance and the institution’s expectations, as captured in the KPIs. It emerged that whilst the participants had the needed competencies to ensure quality teaching and learning, they also required, among others, a mechanism to assess the impact of teaching on the students’ performance. It further emerged that little was done in terms of research productivity; and that participants required enormous support from the university, and rewards to enable them to publish and supervise. Regarding community engagement and participation in administrative activities, participants indicated that it was more challenging due to pressing teaching loads. Based on the findings, recommendations to enhance all the identified KPIs were proposed.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"59 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122179453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Separation of powers among the three branches of government, in most Constitutional democracies, is a design to avert the tyranny of a personalized rule. With specific roles, in relationships characterized by separated but shared powers, each branch of government is a watchdog against the other in case of any abuse. In the South African governing system, the Constitution guarantees functional power relationships among the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary branches of the government. Nevertheless, the dominant party system, in practice, has weakened the legislative oversight and accountability powers to tame the excesses of the executive, contrary to the intendments of the drafters of the Constitution. Judicial review of the various legislative and executive actions, however, has created precedents that seek to reassert legislative capacity to hold the executive accountable. At one time or the other, the judiciary had indicted the legislature and the executive of dereliction of duties. Using primary and secondary data from judicial pronouncements, constitutional provisions, and other public documents, with extant literature, respectively, this paper reviewed the environment that prompted the activist posture of the South African judiciary. An entrenched culture of party loyalty and the incapacity of the legislature to enforce accountability have bolstered the need for assertive judicial review in ensuring accountability. The failure of the legislature to exercise its oversight power has provided the platform for the judiciary to rise as a formidable accountability instrument. Judicial independence, guaranteed by The Constitution, would continue to sustain the tenets of South African representative democracy.
{"title":"Judicial Review as an Accountability Mechanism in South Africa: A Discourse on the Nkandla Case","authors":"O. Fagbadebo, N. Dorasamy","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.993","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.993","url":null,"abstract":"Separation of powers among the three branches of government, in most Constitutional democracies, is a design to avert the tyranny of a personalized rule. With specific roles, in relationships characterized by separated but shared powers, each branch of government is a watchdog against the other in case of any abuse. In the South African governing system, the Constitution guarantees functional power relationships among the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary branches of the government. Nevertheless, the dominant party system, in practice, has weakened the legislative oversight and accountability powers to tame the excesses of the executive, contrary to the intendments of the drafters of the Constitution. Judicial review of the various legislative and executive actions, however, has created precedents that seek to reassert legislative capacity to hold the executive accountable. At one time or the other, the judiciary had indicted the legislature and the executive of dereliction of duties. Using primary and secondary data from judicial pronouncements, constitutional provisions, and other public documents, with extant literature, respectively, this paper reviewed the environment that prompted the activist posture of the South African judiciary. An entrenched culture of party loyalty and the incapacity of the legislature to enforce accountability have bolstered the need for assertive judicial review in ensuring accountability. The failure of the legislature to exercise its oversight power has provided the platform for the judiciary to rise as a formidable accountability instrument. Judicial independence, guaranteed by The Constitution, would continue to sustain the tenets of South African representative democracy.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"20 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125090792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Globalisation is creating profound and substantial changes for businesses and industries worldwide. These changes have forced businesses to re-evaluate their organisational philosophy and strategic approaches to become more competitive. Corporate-level entrepreneurship is indispensable in improving productivity and promoting economic growth. The paper’s purpose was to determine the mediating role of corporate entrepreneurship between human resource management practices (HRMPs) and business performance. Following this purpose, the interrelationship between specific human resource practices, corporate entrepreneurship and business performance was investigated. After that, the mediating role of corporate entrepreneurship in the relationship between human resource practices and business performance was examined. A quantitative, formal, and cross-sectional approach was used. Data were collected using a survey, and self-administered questionnaires were emailed to 744 human resource managers in medium and large businesses in Gauteng. A response rate of 47.6 per cent was achieved as 351 usable questionnaires were received. The results provide empirical evidence that corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is stimulated by better employee relations, selection practices, compensation, high level of employee development and skills training. The evidence further shows that HRMPs influence business performance and that a positive relationship exists between innovation intensity and risk propensity and business performance.
{"title":"Human Resource Management Practices and Business Performance: The Mediating Effect of Corporate Entrepreneurship","authors":"Johan Van der Westhuizen, Christine Van Rensburg","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.957","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.957","url":null,"abstract":"Globalisation is creating profound and substantial changes for businesses and industries worldwide. These changes have forced businesses to re-evaluate their organisational philosophy and strategic approaches to become more competitive. Corporate-level entrepreneurship is indispensable in improving productivity and promoting economic growth. The paper’s purpose was to determine the mediating role of corporate entrepreneurship between human resource management practices (HRMPs) and business performance. Following this purpose, the interrelationship between specific human resource practices, corporate entrepreneurship and business performance was investigated. After that, the mediating role of corporate entrepreneurship in the relationship between human resource practices and business performance was examined. A quantitative, formal, and cross-sectional approach was used. Data were collected using a survey, and self-administered questionnaires were emailed to 744 human resource managers in medium and large businesses in Gauteng. A response rate of 47.6 per cent was achieved as 351 usable questionnaires were received. The results provide empirical evidence that corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is stimulated by better employee relations, selection practices, compensation, high level of employee development and skills training. The evidence further shows that HRMPs influence business performance and that a positive relationship exists between innovation intensity and risk propensity and business performance.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124157906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Over the years, practitioners and stakeholders have regarded the practice of stakeholder engagement as a non-essential part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The only standard corporate practice was to invest in developing CSR and sustainability programmes with minimal involvement of those they materially affect, also known as their stakeholders. However, engaging with stakeholders is no longer optional. In theory, the reflective public relations paradigm emphasises the need for organisations to meet stakeholder and societal expectations, values, norms, and standards by conducting themselves in a socially responsible manner in their communities. Against this background, this study evaluated PR practitioners’ conceptualisation of the role of stakeholder engagement in Corporate Social Responsibility planning and implementation using the Public Relations reflective paradigm conceptualised by Susanne Holmström. The study also adopted the stakeholder approach to CSR formulated by Freeman. The study followed an exploratory qualitative research approach, involving six PR practitioners involved in CSR within their organisations in Cape Town. The researchers selected participants through the purposive sampling technique. The findings of this study revealed that stakeholder inclusivity and engagement vary for each organisation. However, in many organisations’ corporate social responsibility strategies, the most common goal is to engage and put all their stakeholders at the forefront.
{"title":"PR Practitioners’ Conceptualisation of the Role of Stakeholder Engagement in Corporate Social Responsibility Planning and Implementation","authors":"Sivenathi Jayiya, B. Makwambeni, J. Adebayo","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.999","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.999","url":null,"abstract":"Over the years, practitioners and stakeholders have regarded the practice of stakeholder engagement as a non-essential part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The only standard corporate practice was to invest in developing CSR and sustainability programmes with minimal involvement of those they materially affect, also known as their stakeholders. However, engaging with stakeholders is no longer optional. In theory, the reflective public relations paradigm emphasises the need for organisations to meet stakeholder and societal expectations, values, norms, and standards by conducting themselves in a socially responsible manner in their communities. Against this background, this study evaluated PR practitioners’ conceptualisation of the role of stakeholder engagement in Corporate Social Responsibility planning and implementation using the Public Relations reflective paradigm conceptualised by Susanne Holmström. The study also adopted the stakeholder approach to CSR formulated by Freeman. The study followed an exploratory qualitative research approach, involving six PR practitioners involved in CSR within their organisations in Cape Town. The researchers selected participants through the purposive sampling technique. The findings of this study revealed that stakeholder inclusivity and engagement vary for each organisation. However, in many organisations’ corporate social responsibility strategies, the most common goal is to engage and put all their stakeholders at the forefront.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129092497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The spread of COVID-19 over the span of over two year is a strong testament to the fact that we live in a truly integrated global community. The estimation of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is at an early stage but is significant, even catastrophic, for many emerging economies. The precise economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the measures taken by the South African government to mitigate the transmission of the virus is still unknown, and the effect of COVID-19 on South African businesses has not yet been widely reported in the literature. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in the Western Cape, South Africa. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a sample of 1694 business executives in the Western Cape province, South Africa. The findings show how businesses in different industries, and of all sizes, adapted their business models to the changing environmental conditions within a short period. The results indicate that the crisis is causing major business changes, including loss of revenue, work-from-home arrangements, bridging finance, restructuring debt, retrenchment and closing of businesses. In addition, the crisis has led to a tentative digitalization.
{"title":"Coping with Crisis: A Regional Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer-Facing Businesses in South Africa","authors":"N. Madinga, James Lappeman, D. Nel","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.940","url":null,"abstract":"The spread of COVID-19 over the span of over two year is a strong testament to the fact that we live in a truly integrated global community. The estimation of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is at an early stage but is significant, even catastrophic, for many emerging economies. The precise economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the measures taken by the South African government to mitigate the transmission of the virus is still unknown, and the effect of COVID-19 on South African businesses has not yet been widely reported in the literature. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in the Western Cape, South Africa. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a sample of 1694 business executives in the Western Cape province, South Africa. The findings show how businesses in different industries, and of all sizes, adapted their business models to the changing environmental conditions within a short period. The results indicate that the crisis is causing major business changes, including loss of revenue, work-from-home arrangements, bridging finance, restructuring debt, retrenchment and closing of businesses. In addition, the crisis has led to a tentative digitalization.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115590131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
South Africa’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have reportedly found it difficult to conserve their financial position in order to improve financial performance. Working capital management (WCM) is a significant component of financial management practices by which firms can be measured and improve financial performance. The study aims to examine the employees’ perceptions of the effect of WCM on financial performance of an SOE in South Africa. Cross-sectional, quantitative research and questionnaire approaches were used to collect data from 51 respondents. The study identified the gaps in cash management. The regression coefficient suggests that there is a strong causal relationship between WCM and financial performance of the firm (r=0.597; p<0.001). The F test indicates that the relationship is statistically significant (p<0.001). It was found that review of WCM accounts for 35.7% (R2 = 0.357) of the variance in finance performance F (1, 49) = 27.1560, p<.000 and it (review of WCM) is also a significant predictor of financial performance, where the relationship was positive (β = 0.597, p<.001). The study recommends that the SOE considers WCM as a tool for its economic growth.
{"title":"Effect of Working Capital Management on Financial Performance of a State-Owned Enterprise in South Africa","authors":"S. Ntuli, Z. Nzuza","doi":"10.51415/ajims.v4i1.991","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.51415/ajims.v4i1.991","url":null,"abstract":"South Africa’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have reportedly found it difficult to conserve their financial position in order to improve financial performance. Working capital management (WCM) is a significant component of financial management practices by which firms can be measured and improve financial performance. The study aims to examine the employees’ perceptions of the effect of WCM on financial performance of an SOE in South Africa. Cross-sectional, quantitative research and questionnaire approaches were used to collect data from 51 respondents. The study identified the gaps in cash management. The regression coefficient suggests that there is a strong causal relationship between WCM and financial performance of the firm (r=0.597; p<0.001). The F test indicates that the relationship is statistically significant (p<0.001). It was found that review of WCM accounts for 35.7% (R2 = 0.357) of the variance in finance performance F (1, 49) = 27.1560, p<.000 and it (review of WCM) is also a significant predictor of financial performance, where the relationship was positive (β = 0.597, p<.001). The study recommends that the SOE considers WCM as a tool for its economic growth.","PeriodicalId":389941,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies","volume":"105 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1900-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131631364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.51415/ajims.v5i1.1080
Iram Osman, V. Singaram
Interest in Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) with healthcare professionals has become increasingly popular. However, healthcare professionals’ busy schedules and low help-seeking behaviour requires the intervention to be easily accessible, convenient, and practical. This paper explores the reflections of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals regarding implementing a brief online MBI to draw on lessons learned that could guide future implementation and interventions in similar multicultural, resource-constrained settings. An online MBI was implemented with healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in urban and rural hospitals in South Africa during the first wave of Covid-19. Fifty-five healthcare professionals from various disciplines participated in a four-week online training programme via the Zoom platform. Participant reflections and feedback were collected via WhatsApp and Zoom room chats. The data collected were thematically analysed. Reflections from the implementation of the MBI were classified into questions of where, when, who, what, why, and how. The results reflect that a four-hour online mindfulness-based intervention could work more effectively if departments offered and supported the programme during work hours. The findings also reveal the greater potential for a brief online MBI to enhance resiliency in HCPs, especially during a pandemic emergency, as demonstrated in the study. The study proposes that mindfulness training could be offered to HCPs at many levels to help with psychological first aid and task shifting to reduce stress and prevent burnout.
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