International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478)
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Technology and entrepreneurial perceptions among management sciences students at a South African University of Technology
Get PDFThis study investigates the perceptions of Management Sciences students in Bloemfontein, South Africa, regarding the role of technology in facilitating entrepreneurship and its impact on business success. In the context of a rapidly evolving technological landscape, the research aims to evaluate students\u27 knowledge, attitudes, and comprehension of how technology influences entrepreneurial endeavours. Utilising a quantitative approach, this study identifies gaps in students\u27 understanding, assesses their readiness to embrace technological advancements, and evaluates their awareness of the strategic importance of technology in the entrepreneurial journey. Findings reveal significant insights into students\u27 perceptions and highlight areas for improvement in educational curricula designed to enhance technological literacy among aspiring entrepreneurs. This study contributes to the development of interventions that equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the increasingly digital entrepreneurial landscape, thereby promoting a generation of technologically proficient and entrepreneurial-minded individuals
Barriers to sustainable integration of ICT in Pietermaritzburg public secondary schools
Get PDFThe integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has the potential to enhance teaching and learning; however, several barriers hinder its effective adoption in South African schools. The paper reports on the study that examined the barrier to sustainable integration of ICT in Pietermaritzburg public secondary schools. The study used qualitative interview technique to collect data from 20 teachers. The Technology Organisation Environment (TOE) framework was used as a theoretical framework. The findings reveal that a lack of technological pedagogical content knowledge among teachers, high ICT infrastructure support costs, resource constraints, resistance to change, and theft and vandalization of ICT equipment significantly impact ICT adoption. Many teachers lack essential ICT skills, which affects their confidence in integrating technology into their teaching practices. Financial constraints further limit schools from maintaining ICT infrastructure, and resistance from experienced educators impedes change. Additionally, frequent theft and vandalization of ICT resources pose a serious risk, further hampering implementation. To address these challenges, the study recommends capacity-building initiatives to enhance teacher training, increased financial and technical support for schools, leadership-driven encouragement of ICT adoption, targeted awareness campaigns to mitigate resistance, strengthened security measures to protect ICT infrastructure, and equitable distribution of ICT resources to bridge the digital divide. A strategic and collaborative approach is essential to overcoming these barriers and ensuring effective ICT integration in South African schools
Digital skill improvement in creative economy industries
Get PDFThis study focuses on digital leadership in improving the digital skills of creative economy workers in Depok City through the mediation role of digital collaboration and individual innovative capabilities as moderation. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of digital leadership on the digital skills of creative economy workers both directly and indirectly through the mediation of digital collaboration and the moderating role of individual innovative capabilities. The object of this study is the creative economy workers in Depok City. The sampling technique uses probability sampling with proportionate random sampling technique. The sample in this study was 204 people based on calculations with the Slovin formula. The analysis method used is descriptive analysis with SPSS 29.0, Partial Least Square (PLS) using the smartPLS 3 software application, and the Sobel test. The results of the study show that digital leadership has a significant effect on the digital skills of creative economy workers, mediation testing shows that digital collaboration partially mediates the influence of digital leadership on digital skills. Meanwhile, Individual innovative capabilities do not moderate the influence of digital leadership and digital collaboration on digital skills
Understanding the factors influencing individuals’ intention to buy second-hand clothing: A Mauritius perspective
Get PDFIndividuals are becoming more aware of the negative effects of the rapid fashion industry and are shifting to second-hand clothes. Due to its potential to minimize clothing waste, purchasing second-hand garments is reflected as environmentally friendly. Using an online questionnaire survey, this research examines the factors influencing consumers’ purchasing intention of second-hand clothing via the mediation of individualism and product attitude by applying the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25.0 and the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) 25.0 to analyze the data collected information. The proposed models are expanded by additional construct factors to evaluate their influence on purchase intention. The results indicate that online second-hand clothing purchase intention (PI) is partially explained by the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with product attitude (PA) and individualism (IN). Among the additional factors encompassed, consumer perceived value (CPV) and consumer perceived risk (CPR) negatively impacted the consumer’s intention to buy second-hand clothing. Additionally, this study validates the effectiveness of the integrated model of TPB in interpreting customers’ buying intentions for second-hand clothing. This study also yielded theoretical and managerial implications, as well as proposals for further research
Influence of demographics on drivers of, and preference for, digital personal banking in South Africa
Get PDFThis paper evaluates how the perceptions of consumers from different demographic backgrounds influence their adoption and use of digital personal banking, and suggests marketing activities required to increase digital banking by these different demographic target groups. The method involved an online survey of a sample of 400 respondents with bank accounts in the iLembe district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, focusing on the demographic dimensions of age, gender, education and income. The study found that high digital banking users were older (24+), with higher education and a higher income, while low digital banking users were younger (18-23), with a lower level of education and a lower income. No differences according to gender were found. The convenience of digital banking and a good online banking experience were the factors that most encouraged digital banking use by high users, while perceptions of high cost and having low control over their online banking activities were factors that discouraged low users from more digital banking use. These findings confirmed the previous research about the influence of age and education on digital banking use, but contributed new knowledge about the influence of income, and the lack of influence of gender, on digital banking adoption and use. Comprehensive recommendations for banks, policy makers and other stakeholders are provided
Examining the impact of marital status and gender on household income dynamics
Get PDFMarriage, despite its evolving role in society, has for generations played a fundamental role in shaping social relations. This paper examines household income by gender and the marital status of the head of household, with a focus on assessing the average total incomes for these different groups. The significance of household income in determining a household\u27s poverty status cannot be overstated. While the use of multidimensional measures of poverty, such as the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and other household resources, has increased, it remains true that these measures are directly influenced by the household\u27s income level. Therefore, household income continues to be the primary determinant of poverty. Analyzing income dynamics by gender provides insight into broader household issues, such as gender relations and the significance of marital status in the 21st century. The study employed Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and descriptive analysis to derive the results. The findings indicate that married individuals have higher household incomes compared to all other groups. Notably, never-married single females have the lowest income among these groups. The analysis also reveals that, on average, males have higher incomes than females within the same marital status categories. These results confirm that both gender and marital status continue to influence household income levels. The policy implication is that, while marriage cannot be regulated, gender disparities can be addressed to ensure that individuals with the same qualifications and experience receive equal pay. To address these disparities, it is recommended that policies focus on promoting equal pay for equal work and enhancing women\u27s economic empowerment, particularly for vulnerable groups. Supporting cohabiting households through legal and financial protections will also contribute to improved economic stability. These measures aim to reduce income disparities associated with gender and marital status, ultimately fostering greater social equity and economic growth
Assessing poverty dynamics in social grant dependent household: a comprehensive analysis
Get PDFPoverty persists in many countries especially those in the sub-Saharan African region where the levels have been getting worse. The extent of poverty has been worsened in the last 5 years by the many exogenous factors that have gone beyond the control of individual countries. From Covid-19 in late 2019 to early 2020 going all the way to 2021, to Ukraine Russia war that disrupted global supply chains, to the war between Israel and Hamas that have left countries divided. Several countries have also witnessed natural disasters like cyclones and heavy rains and tidal waves that have caused irreparable damage to livelihoods. In the wake of these external factors over and above country specific a number of governments introduced social grants as safety nets to help households in danger of abject poverty. This study assesses the dynamics of poverty within social grant-dependent households in South Africa, exploring the extent to which social grants mitigate poverty across varying levels of deprivation. Using 2023 data from a representative national survey, the analysis applies conditional probability models to examine the influence of social grants on household poverty risk, considering three distinct poverty thresholds: the Food Poverty Line, the Lower Bound Poverty Line, and the Upper Bound Poverty Line. Findings reveal that households receiving grants experience a statistically significant reduction in poverty risk, particularly at the lower poverty levels, underscoring the effectiveness of grants as a targeted poverty alleviation tool. However, unemployment, single-headed households, and racial disparities are found to compound poverty risk, pointing to the need for an integrated approach that combines social grants with employment and empowerment programs. Female-headed households are especially vulnerable, showing a higher likelihood of poverty across all poverty lines, likely due to factors such as lower income and greater caregiving responsibilities. The study concludes that while social grants play a critical role in reducing poverty risk, additional measures are essential for addressing the underlying socioeconomic disparities that affect poverty dynamics. Recommendations include increasing grant values to match inflation, expanding job creation efforts, and implementing targeted support programs for the most vulnerable demographics, particularly single-parent and female-headed households. These measures would enhance the efficacy of social grants and support long-term poverty reduction efforts in South Africa.
 
Strengthening financial sustainability through corporate governance: a study on commercial banks of Bangladesh
Get PDFThis study investigates the relationship between banks\u27 corporate governance practice and its impact on financial sustainability. In this study, twenty-four private commercial banks\u27 data have been analyzed from 2014 to 2023. Our investigations included a variety of econometric models, including cross-sectional GLS, fixed effect, random effect, and pooled OLS. In our study, we found that including women on the Board of directors plays a positive role in ensuring the financial sustainability of banking sectors in Bangladesh. Apart from that, increasing the participation of independent directors on the board of directors, expenditures in research and development in the best banking practices, and inflation positively increase banks\u27 profitability, which translates into financial sustainability. This finding is consistent with the findings of the random effect model. On the other hand, whenever we used ROE as an explained variable, we found that both in pooled OLS and random effect methods, board diversity, CEO tenure, firms audited by the big four firms, and inflation have a positive association with ROE. In the fixed effect method, we observed that audit committee size and ownership concentration play a vital role in explaining the financial sustainability of private commercial banks in Bangladesh. In the FGLS method, We found that CEO tenure, age of the firm, firms audited by the big four firms, presence of the independent director on the board, and inflations significantly impact the financial sustainability of commercial banks of Bangladesh
Risk management in the oil and gas sector: management of government equities in the Nigeria oil and gas sector
Get PDFPetroleum is a gift of nature deposited under the earth’s surface. The ‘black gold’ as it is generally called, is viewed as a treasure that has the capabilities of transforming the social and economic fortunes of any country. This study explores risk management in Nigeria oil and gas sector with reference to management of government equities in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. A survey design was used for the study. By means of questionnaire, primary data was obtained from randomly selected members of the sampled organisations. The research hypotheses were subjected to chi-square analysis. Analysis was based on fifty-three copies of questionnaire filled and retrieved out of seventy-five questionnaires administered to employees of NNPC, NLNG and Shell companies in Nigeria. Findings from the study revealed some deficiencies in the way government equities in the Nigerian oil and gas sector are being managed, such lapses include government undue interference, lack of transparency, absence of established positive culture and too much bureaucracy. The study concludes that the Nigerian government equities in the oil and gas sector are not effectively managed; the fiscal policy in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is inadequate; NNPC as presently constituted is not managing government equities invested in oil and gas JV agreements. Among the recommendations of the study include: the government should monitor returns on equities in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria; the government and stakeholders need the establishment a good culture and practice to ensure profitable ownership and collaboration
The influence of financial socialization, financial attitude and locus of control on financial behavior with financial literacy as a mediating variable: study on Generation Z in Malang City
Get PDFThe study aims to examine and analyze the role of financial socialization, financial attitude, and locus of control on financial behavior with financial literacy as a mediating variable. This study uses quantitative data. The object of this research is generation z in Malang city. The sample size in this study was determined using a purposive sampling technique with a total sample of 240 generation z in Malang city. The data collection method uses a questionnaire, data is analyzed using PLS-SEM. The research results show (i) financial socialization not influences financial behavior, (ii) financial attitude influences financial behavior, (iii) locus of control influences financial behavior, (iv) financial socialization, financial attitude and locus of control influences financial literacy, and finally (v) financial literacy mediates between financial socialization, financial attitude, locus of control and financial behavior. The importance of financial behavior cannot be ignored, as it plays a crucial role in achieving individual well-being and overall economic stability. Good financial behavior helps individuals manage their spending, savings, and investments wisely, so that they can achieve their short-term and long-term financial goals. This research makes a theoretical contribution by supporting the theory of Planned Behavior and for educational institutions, non-governmental organizations and other related parties can take the initiative to provide training related to financial literacy. It is hoped that future research can add new variables to influence financial behavior