African Journal of Inter/Multidisciplinary Studies
Not a member yet
282 research outputs found
Sort by
Internal Drivers of Innovation and Sustainability in South African Manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises
Get PDFThe study aimed at determining the relationship that exists among internal management systems, innovativeness, and the sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) within the South African manufacturing sector. As a result of the changes that are taking place daily in technology and business operational policies, organisations are to revisit their internal management systems, level of innovativeness and sustainable measures with main reference to SMEs. A quantitative research approach was used in the study, as it was meant to establish the relationship that exists amongst the set variables, internal management systems, innovativeness, and sustainability of SMEs in the manufacturing sector. In the study, the target population consisted of all the SMEs in the manufacturing industry of South Africa. The scale accuracy was performed using Smart PLS 3.0. The findings from the study show that there is a positive and significant relationship between all the variables. The study recommends that there is a need for the government through the small and medium enterprises development department to review their approach to SMEs so that they can have adequate resources to enhance their business operations
Do Firms’ Growth Rates Follow a Random Walk? Evidence from Incubated Small and Medium Enterprises in South Africa
Get PDFDebate on the validity of the Law of Proportionate Effect (LPE) on firm growth is ongoing decades after it was postulated by Gibrat in 1931. The theoretical model which asserts that firm growth follows a random walk has been largely tested in developed economies using data from non-incubated firms, with scanty research in developing regions like Africa. This paper, therefore, aims to address this gap by being the first to assess the validity of Gibrat's law on incubated small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa. The study utilised four-year panel data from 300 incubated SMMEs across the country, for the period between 2018 to 2021. Utilising the Law's generalised growth rate model, the generalised least square regression modelling was harnessed, using R Software. The findings, using sales as firm size proxy, confirmed Gibrat’s Law. The results showed that firm size had no effect on the sales growth rate of incubated firms, on the other hand when employment proxied performance the LPE was rejected. The findings provide important implications for both practitioners and pertinent stakeholders in the SMME sector in South Africa
My African Husband did not Conform to Gender Roles while Supporting Me through Doctoral Studies
Get PDFBoth men and women with doctorates are known to have significantly contributed to the advancement of continental and national growth through knowledge and skills acquired while conducting research in the pursuit of a doctorate. However, the percentage of women on the African continent with PhDs is still low across all nationalities. Students enrolled for PhD programmes have been known to exit at some stage for a variety of reasons, including financial hardships, obligations to one's family, and demotivation engendered by prolonged research. Some women seek divorces because they believe that their husbands hindered their paths to accomplishing their goals. This article presented a research narrative on an African woman PhD graduate who attended a university in South Africa. Mandisa talks about how her husband assumed gender roles perceived to be that of a woman to help her successfully complete her doctoral studies. This qualitative research was underpinned by the interpretivist paradigm. Through the lens of the capabilities approach, this article demonstrated how spousal support is essential for a wife to achieve success in PhD studies. The results revealed that Mandisa's husband inspired her to succeed in her doctoral studies by relieving her of taking care of the household chores. The article envisions promoting doctoral education scholarship through highlighting the value of familial support, especially for African women
The Effect of Social Media Brand Engagement on South African Consumers’ Purchase Intentions
Get PDFSocial media has perennially transformed consumers’ purchasing cycles. Today, consumers can effortlessly conduct online information searches about brands based on their interest in brands' social media pages or read brand reviews made by other consumers on social media networks. Social media is undisputedly characterised by ratings, comments, reviews, and other features found on websites that indicate what users think of the content being discussed. Taking note of what users say on social media and engaging in discussions is a great way for brands to influence these discussions and condition consumers’ purchase decisions and intentions. To achieve the objectives of this research, this study adopts a quantitative research method in which convenience and purposive sampling were utilised to recruit research participants. Self-administered, structured questionnaires are used to collect primary data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are utilised in this study. Data is analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. The outcomes of this research advocate that social media is an immensely powerful communication tool that can be used to shape consumers’ purchase intentions
Challenges Impacting Higher Education Leaders in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of Quality Education in South Africa
Get PDFDeveloping economies such as South Africa face numerous challenges to achieve sustainability within higher education (HE). This study examined the key challenges facing leaders within HE institutions (HEIs) in South Africa, as they aim to contribute significantly towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 related to quality education. Using a qualitative research design, the study surveyed 75 leaders in various South African HEIs using an online survey platform. The findings revealed two overarching challenges across public and private institutions: an absence of strong leadership and a complex sociopolitical context. Within public institutions, additional challenges related to bureaucracy, outdated curricula, resourcing, and values were noted. Within private institutions, bureaucracy was also observed, as well as the digital divide; curricula and foundation; finance and affordability; inequitable access; lack of resourcing, benefits, and support
Review of the Lockdown Regulations’ Impact on Informal Businesses during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFGlobally, the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown regulations caused enormous changes in all business sectors because many businesses were not allowed to operate. Only a few were regarded as essential businesses, such as pharmacies and grocery shops, and allowed to operate. Lockdown regulations negatively affected the South African informal sector. As a result, it is difficult to provide accurate statistics on the entrepreneurs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. There are no official statistics from the informal sector. This paper aims to examine how the informal sector was affected by the lockdown down restrictions within South Africa. The paper adopts a systematic review methodology using Google Scholar and Web of Science or Scopes to search for articles on informal entrepreneurship, COVID-19, and South Africa to draw a conclusion from the analysed data. The findings indicated that most of the businesses in the informal sector were negatively affected, including workers because some of them lost their jobs and others did not receive their usual salaries due to limited working hours. There were disruptions in the supply chain and pricing of goods and services, and people could not have sustained their income during the lockdown in South Africa. In conclusion, the informal sector is one of the most vulnerable sectors that lacks access to appropriate risk management structures, and most people live on a hand to mouth basis. COVID-19 has negatively affected the informal sector, mainly through distribution and marketing systems
Early Childhood Development: A Case Study of University-Community Engagement in South Africa
Get PDFThird sector organisations are effective links between Higher Education Institutions and communities in promoting and expediting Community Engagement programmes tasked with raising awareness, fostering social responsibility and civic mindedness in students and, thus, contributing to the common good. In recognition of this, Durban University of Technology (DUT) pre-emptively enabled collaboration between the institution and a cluster of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in 2004. This paper examines one of the partnership programmes between the Gandhi Development Trust and the Durban University of Technology, the Early Childhood Development Values Education Project and the successful Community Engagement partnerships created with three academic departments of DUT. It focuses on the Department of Drama programme based on Bloomgarden’s Preparation, Action, Reflection, Evaluation (PARE) framework integrating experiential and academic learning. The study draws on the theoretical lens of Dewey’s Democracy and Education and Freire’s Critical Pedagogy and uses the case study method to present the data gathered through the PARE phases. Foregrounded in the paper is the impact of democratic education characterised by values such as inclusiveness, participation, reciprocity, and an equality of respect for the knowledge and experience that everyone contributes to education and community building
Transforming Learning: Reimagining Writing Centre Tutor Training in a University Context
Get PDFTutors in the higher education environment play an important role in facilitating student learning. However, they are often inadequately supported in the contexts in which they work. Tutors often require support through structured training and development programmes that embeds theory and practice to equip them with the powerful knowledge needed in their work with students. A re-examination of the support, training and development of tutors is therefore needed. This paper explored a Writing Centre tutor training progamme within a University of Technology (UoT) context. An academics literacies approach to tutor training has been implemented as it enables the creation of opportunities for students and tutors to question the ways in which they are working with knowledge and demonstrating that knowledge through their writing. Through tutors’ narrative, written reflections and within a qualitative inquiry, this paper explored theory based tutor training and how it contributes to a more responsive Writing Centre practice by developing tutors’ undertsanding of their role in transforming thinking, teaching and learning. It argues for the implementation of on-going, structured and theoretically embedded training that foregrounds Writing Centre pedagogy and creates a foundation for tutors’ cognitive development in their work with students
Understanding Delegated Administrative Tasks: Beyond Academics’ Professional Identities
Get PDFThis paper examines the implication of administrative task delegation on academics’ professional identity construction at a Cameroonian university. Academics at Cameroonian universities are juggling multiple tasks, including teaching, research, outreach and administrative tasks. Using a qualitative case study design, 11 academics selected purposively from diverse disciplines were engaged in in-depth interviews to explore their experiences with administrative tasks and the implications on their professional identities. The force field model for teacher development and distributed leadership theory guided data production and analysis. The study found that administrative tasks are seen as an opportunity for professional growth and career advancement. However, they also prevent academics from engaging fully in their key professional roles because they spend more time on them. The study recommends that all stakeholders should encourage university leaders to move away from a “one-size-fits-all” philosophy that assumes a uniform understanding of the roles of all academics, where academics must integrate administrative tasks with their key roles. Administrative tasks should be delegated to those academics who consider it a path towards developing an additional identity in administration, not by coercing academics to prioritise administration over their key responsibilities
The Benefits and Challenges of the Gig Economy: Perspective of Gig Workers and Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa
Get PDFDigital work, otherwise referred to as 'gig' work, is heralded as a useful strategy that could help bridge the unemployment rate in South Africa by connecting job seekers and business organisations across the global spectrum. The purpose of this paper was to explore the benefits and challenges of the gig economy on SMMEs in South Africa. In this study, an interpretive research paradigm was followed to explore the benefits and challenges of the gig economy in the SMMEs in South Africa. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 20 participants, consisting of thirteen gig workers (n=13) and seven business organization employees (n=7). The data collected were thematically analysed with the aid of NVivo v12 software (QSR International Pty Ltd, 2015). The participants held the view that the gig economy can promote business growth and economic inclusion, and help organisations better manage their resources. While gig work offers some advantages, the participants highlighted concerns surrounding the lack of clear policy, occupational vulnerability, precarity, platform-based work, and the risks of gig work. The study suggests that gig work is critical to advancing the growth of Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa