International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478)
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Understanding the influence of investors\u27 risk perception on investment decision-making in South Africa’s financial markets
No full textThis study investigates the factors influencing investment decision-making within South Africa\u27s financial markets, focusing on psychological, demographic, and external market elements. Drawing from Prospect Theory, the research reveals a deviation from traditional behavioral assumptions, highlighting that external market dynamics, rather than individual risk perceptions or demographic traits, predominantly guide investor behavior. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected through structured questionnaires from 120 randomly selected South African investors aged 18 and older with market experience. Structural equation modelling assessed factors influencing risk perception and subsequently, investment behavior. The findings demonstrate that market-related variables significantly influence risk perception (? = 0.653, p < 0.001) and decision-making, aligning with the Efficient Market Hypothesis. In contrast to Prospect Theory\u27s expectations, risk perception had no significant direct effect on investment choices (? = -0.009, p = 0.933). Cognitive biases and emotional influences exerted a moderate impact, while demographic characteristics, including gender, education, and experience, showed minimal influence on investment decisions, suggesting that practical market experience outweighs formal training. With robust construct validation (CR = 0.711 to 0.951), the study enhances the reliability and credibility of the findings. It highlights global regulatory frameworks as crucial for investor confidence. These results contribute to behavioral finance literature and support practical implications for policy, market transparency, and investor education. Future research should consider diverse populations and qualitative investors\u27 perspectives
The Influence of Income on Financial Well-Being with Financial Literacy as a Mediating Variable: A Study of the Community in Poncokusumo Tourism Village
Get PDFThis study aims to examine and analyze the effect of income on financial well-being, with financial literacy serving as a mediating variable. A quantitative research approach was employed, with the object of study being the community of Poncokusumo Tourism Village. The sample size was determined using a saturated sampling technique, involving 154 respondents from the village community. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that: (i) income has a significant effect on financial well-being, (ii) financial literacy significantly influences financial well-being, (iii) income positively affects financial literacy, and (iv) financial literacy mediates the relationship between income and financial well-being. Income plays a crucial role as it significantly enhances individuals\u27 quality of life by enabling them to meet daily needs, improve living standards, and plan for future financial security. Furthermore, stable income contributes to greater economic resilience among families and fosters community development. Respondents reported a general satisfaction with their monthly income, which in turn facilitates better financial management and supports the achievement of both short-term and long-term financial goals. This study contributes to the literature by suggesting that village government institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders should take initiatives to provide financial literacy training. Future research is encouraged to incorporate additional variables to deepen the understanding of factors influencing financial well-being
Analyzing the impact of social media platforms and audience demographics on advertising campaign performance
Get PDFThis study investigates the strategic effectiveness of social media advertising by analyzing the relationship between platform selection, audience demographics, and campaign performance metrics. Using a dataset encompassing Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, the research evaluates key indicators such as engagement, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI). By employing statistical methods like ANOVA and regression analysis in SPSS, the study aims to identify optimal platform-audience combinations and assess how different campaign goals influence outcomes. The findings will provide valuable insights for advertisers and businesses seeking to enhance their social media strategies and maximize advertising effectiveness
Assessment of water governance institutions and their roles in smallholder irrigation schemes of Nzhelele Area, Limpopo Province
Get PDFSmallholder irrigation schemes have been a significant strategy to ensure food security and poverty reduction in rural areas worldwide. Despite the efforts by the South African government to rehabilitate and revitalise smallholder irrigation schemes, the schemes have been performing below expectations. This follows the failure of water governance institutions to execute their roles within the schemes, thus affecting optimum agricultural production. Therefore, it is against this background that this study sought to assess water governance institutions and their related roles at Nzhelele area of Vhembe District, South Africa. A mixed-methods research design was adopted. Fifty-six farmers were selected through a census sampling method to participate in qualitative and quantitative data collection using a semi-structured interview guide and a questionnaire. Qualitative data were analysed using Atlas.ti, Version 8.0 software to perform thematic content analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 28 for descriptive statistics. The study revealed that there are various water governance institutions within the schemes, namely, the scheme committee, the Water Users Association, and the Informal water institutions. These water governance institutions have varied roles regarding irrigation water governance within the schemes. Based on the findings, this study recommends that water governance institutions should be active in performing their roles and responsibilities in irrigation schemes to foster improvement in adherence to the water rules and regulations in place
Investigating the application of safety regulations in schools: a case study of two secondary schools in Alfred Nzo West District
Get PDFShortly after the inception of the new South African democracy in 1994, a series of national policies were introduced to overhaul the educational landscape in the country. Joubert (2007) highlighted the optimism placed in the potential of educational policies to reshape the system and drive social change. In 2000, the Safe Schools Project was initiated in South Africa to establish secure, well-disciplined learning environments that uphold innocence and prioritize human dignity. This study explores the implementation of school safety policy in two secondary schools in Alfred Nzo West, with a particular focus on the challenges and successes encountered in the process. It employs constructivism paradigm and follows a qualitative research approach. Data was collected through observation/field notes and semi-structured interviews with school principals, school governing bodies, and grade 12 learners. The research further uses the theory of change because it provides a framework for understanding and illustrating how a project, policy, strategy, or program, when implemented, leads to the intended outcome. The finding reveals that school safety policies are implemented in schools through the application of rules aligning with the policies and making use of posters and printouts that explain the policy to learners, parents and all staff members
Challenges in harvesting Mopane worms in conservation areas: Perceptions from Vhembe district municipality
Get PDFMopane worms are part of indigenous biodiversity and are indispensable in food security and livelihood in South African indigenous communities. However, the existence of the conservation areas prohibits the indigenous communities from harvesting mopane worms. Thus, this study explores Vhavenda’s indigenous people\u27s perceived challenges towards harvesting mopane worms in conservation areas. A qualitative approach was used in this study; therefore, purposive sampling was used to sample 13 participants from Ha-Gumbu, Matiyani, and Bokmakieries from the Vhembe District in the Limpopo Province. The sampled participants were mopane worm traders, rural householders, and indigenous knowledge holders. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed through thematic data analysis. The study findings reveal that legal and regulatory barriers, accessibility and transportation, economic pressures and market dynamics, and environmental and climatic factors are the key challenges that hinder the indigenous communities from effectively harvesting mopane worms in conservation areas
Future of accounting and auditing: Insights from Romania on artificial intelligence in financial reporting
Get PDFThis research highlights the perceptions of accountants and auditors in Romania, offering insights into how the use of Artificial Intelligence is impacting traditional financial reporting. This research addresses an important gap, respectively the lack of Artificial Intelligence in financial reporting in the Romanian context, as prior studies often focus on broader or economically advanced regions, such as more developed countries. The purpose of the study is to contribute to this emerging discussion, presented as a wide limitation of AI adoption in such a regulated sector. Insights were gathered through semi-structured interviews with pre-defined affirmations and open questions regarding the regulatory environment and how AI has been used to enhance financial reporting quality and accuracy but also how the regulatory environment limits the scope of AI. Additionally, a subset of international-level participants was interviewed for comparative purposes, enabling cross-border insights. Findings were further contextualized through the review of relevant literature to validate the comparative results by aligning them with perspectives with global trends. The key findings suggested companies often incorporate AI into their global strategies but fail to provide adequate training or support. Respondents also transparently communicated the lack of knowledge surrounding the subject given its benefits in the domain and lack of practical implications. Additionally, there is a clear need for a regulatory framework when applying AI in professions such as accounting
The role of knowledge management in stimulating organizational innovation: Empirical analysis in the Tunisian banking sector
Get PDFThis study investigates the impact of knowledge management on innovation in Tunisia\u27s banking sector through a survey of salaried executives. The results indicate a strong positive relationship, emphasizing that key components—knowledge acquisition, application, and sharing—drive both administrative and technical innovation. Effective knowledge management allows organizations to adapt to market trends and enhance business processes. Knowledge sharing fosters an innovative environment for idea creation. Therefore, organizations, especially banks aiming to boost innovation, should prioritize sustainable knowledge management to gain a competitive edge and become more agile in a fluctuating economy
Missionary teachers and indigenous language preservation in Vhembe
Get PDFThis study investigates the contradictory role of missionary educators in the preservation of Tshivenda and other Indigenous languages in South Africa\u27s Vhembe District from 1870 to 1950. This research utilises a decolonial theoretical framework, employing archival document analysis, historical textual analysis, and an examination of contemporary stakeholder perspectives to explore how missionary educators, operating within colonial systems for evangelical objectives, inadvertently established foundational resources for the preservation of Indigenous languages. The findings indicate that missionary educators functioned within a dual paradigm: advancing colonial linguistic dominance via assimilationist education while concurrently documenting, standardising, and safeguarding local languages through translation efforts, grammar formulation, and bilingual instructional methods. This preservation was inherently selective, emphasising religious material while sidelining traditional spiritual knowledge and dialectical diversity. The research illustrates that comprehending this intricate legacy is essential for modern language revitalisation efforts in post-apartheid South Africa, providing insights on leveraging historical linguistic foundations while mitigating their shortcomings through community-driven preservation initiatives that prioritise Indigenous cultural objectives over external interests
Optimizing road haulage firms’ operational performance in Zimbabwe through artificial intelligence: Moderating effect of driver training
Get PDFThis study investigates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve operational performance in Zimbabwean road haulage enterprises, with a focus on driver training as a moderator. As the logistics industry faces new difficulties, AI technologies have great promise for increasing efficiency and decision making. However, the usefulness of these technologies is determined by the skill levels of the drivers using them. This study demonstrated how extensive driver training improves the capacity to comprehend AI-generated insights, resulting in better route management, lower operating costs, and increased safety. This study examines how AI affects key performance variables such as cost savings, productivity, customer happiness, and environmental sustainability, using real data from road haulage companies. Key findings demonstrate how AI is transforming decision-making, improving operational effectiveness, and optimizing routes. The research highlights several noteworthy obstacles in addition to their obvious advantages, such as budgetary limitations, difficulty in obtaining pertinent data, and the need for more regionalized AI solutions. The findings, which are based on case studies and performance data from diverse enterprises, indicate that (i) organizations that invest in both AI and driver training benefit from a synergistic impact, resulting in higher operational outcomes, (ii) there is need to combine technical improvements with human experience to achieve maximum performance in Zimbabwe\u27s competitive road-haulage market and finally (iii) this study offers helpful recommendations for successfully integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into haulage processes, along with insights into best practices and alternative approaches to overcome current obstacles. This study emphasizes the importance of context-specific solutions in emerging regions, enhancing the expanding corpus of knowledge on AI applications, particularly in logistics