5 research outputs found
A proposed theoretical model for successful implementation of franchising in the South African chicken-based fast food industry
No full textThe purpose of this case study research effort was to develop and propose a theoretical model for the successful implementation of franchising in the South African chicken-based fast food industry. Design/Methodology/Approach - A single case with embedded units of a franchisor and a franchisee was initially adopted, but inaccessibility to respondents resulted in the adaptation of the study into a single holistic case. This is justified as the case serves a revelatory and explanatory purpose (Yin, 1994, p. 44). The case provided insight into the implementation processes of franchising in the South African chicken-based fast food industry; where franchised chicken-based concepts are leading the industry. The inaccessibility to original target respondents considered a limitation in the original research design. The limited contextual knowledge of the transcriber, and inexperience resulted in a sub-par transcript which slightly limited the interpretation of the data. Originality/Value – The case study examines the current implementation of franchising in the South African chicken-based fast food industry; with particular focus on the chicken-based fast food franchise systems which have consistently outperformed other types of fast food franchise systems. The proposed theoretical model can be applied in any industry or geographical location with an adjustment of the model‟s contextual considerations
Data Privacy in the Digital Economy Agreement (DEA): Balancing Economic Growth with Individual Rights in Rwanda
No full textRwanda’s digital economic integration via Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) presents a challenge: balancing economic growth with data privacy. This study rigorously analyzes Rwanda’s data protection framework, assessing alignment with international standards and identifying vulnerabilities and ethical dilemmas arising from digital trade. Employing qualitative methods, including document analysis, comparative evaluation, and AI-assisted text mining, we juxtapose Rwanda’s Data Protection and Privacy Law (2021) against global benchmarks, notably the GDPR, and regional African norms. Findings indicate that while Rwanda has legislated key data subject rights and principles, effective implementation is hindered by resource constraints at the Rwanda Data Protection Authority (RDPA), low public awareness, a stringent data localization mandate, and weak cross-border data governance, potentially exposing data to exploitation. Deviations from international best practices in data portability and enforcement penalties, alongside a centralized supervisory structure, raise concerns about regulatory independence. Ethical challenges include conflicts over data sovereignty, digital colonialism risks, algorithmic labor exploitation, and tensions between global privacy norms and local communitarian values. These are analyzed through the lenses of Digital Sovereignty, Postcolonial Tech Ethics, and African Communitarianism. To address these issues, we propose strategies such as adaptive data governance with flexible transfer mechanisms, investment in privacy-by-design and technological sovereignty, AI-powered regulatory intelligence, embedding ethical values in data projects, and asserting international leadership for African-aligned data governance models. This study contributes novel methodology (AI-driven comparative analysis) and theory (integrating Digital Sovereignty with African Communitarianism) to data governance literature, providing a roadmap for Rwanda and other emerging nations to navigate the complexities of the digital economy, protect individual rights, and foster sustainable growth
International Business and Trade Graduate Outcomes: Pathways, Patterns, and Skill Implications
No full text**Project Overview**
This Open Science Framework (OSF) project, *African Graduate Futures: Career Pathways, Skills, and Competitiveness*, curates and disseminates a series of empirical manuscripts that investigate how higher-education programmes across the continent translate into employment, entrepreneurship, and postgraduate study. The flagship study, “International Business and Trade Graduate Outcomes: Pathways, Patterns, and Skill Implications,” provides a robust tracer analysis of 339 alumni from African Leadership University’s International Business and Trade programme, revealing employment rates exceeding regional norms, exceptionally high venture-creation activity, and critical skill patterns that underpin graduate success . Building on this foundation, the project will archive subsequent country- or programme-specific manuscripts that apply comparable mixed-methods designs to illuminate graduate trajectories in other disciplines and institutions.
**Aims and Scholarly Contribution**
The project pursues three interrelated aims. First, it offers transparent, open-access datasets and analyses that help policymakers, educators, and industry leaders understand whether—and how—African tertiary education is closing employability and skills gaps. Second, by employing consistent tracer-study protocols, it enables cross-case comparison, thereby refining theory on human-capital formation, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and skills-mismatch dynamics in emerging economies. Third, it models rigorous, reproducible research practices for scholar-practitioners committed to evidence-based reform.
**Scope and Methodological Framework**
Each manuscript in the series adopts a convergent mixed-methods approach: quantitative alumni-survey data and administrative records establish baseline outcome patterns, while qualitative interviews and document analysis contextualise sectoral, geographic, and skills-specific nuances. Analyses are situated within global benchmarks (e.g., OECD, WEF) and framed by human-capital, new-institutional, and capability theories. All instruments, anonymised datasets, and analysis code will be deposited here to facilitate replication and secondary synthesis.
**Expected Outputs**
The OSF project will host: (a) peer-reviewed manuscripts; (b) de-identified raw and cleaned datasets; (c) codebooks and statistical scripts (R/Python); (d) interview protocols and thematic matrices; and (e) reflective memos linking empirical insights to curriculum design and policy recommendations. Each item will be version-controlled and licensed under CC-BY 4.0 to maximise reuse.
**Relevance to Stakeholders**
For universities, findings offer actionable evidence to recalibrate curricula toward digital-literate, future-proof skillsets. Employers gain granular understanding of graduate competencies across sectors and regions, informing recruitment and in-house training. Development partners and ministries may leverage the synthesis to track progress on Continental Education Strategy and AfCFTA human-capital goals. Researchers benefit from reusable data that enlarge the comparative education evidence base on the Global South.
**Data Governance and Ethics**
All studies secure informed consent, conform to institutional ethics guidelines, and remove personally identifying information before upload. Sensitive geographic or demographic variables are masked or aggregated when necessary to preserve participant anonymity while retaining analytical value.
**Timeline and Sustainability**
The series launches with the IBT tracer manuscript. Forthcoming papers—currently in advanced draft—examine STEM graduate pathways in East Africa and social-science alumni trajectories in francophone West Africa. Updates, including replication files and pre-registration details for new studies, will be added semi-annually. Long-term stewardship is assured through OSF’s preservation fund, while citation metrics and download statistics will guide iterative improvements and community engagement.
By foregrounding rigorous, transparent, and context-specific analyses, this OSF project aspires to become a continental hub for scholarship that informs strategy, strengthens curricula, and ultimately enhances the career prospects of Africa’s burgeoning graduate population
Contextually Grounded Blended Learning (CGBL) Framework for Impact-Driven Organisations in Africa
No full textBackground: Africa’s education and training systems are turning to blended learning to address chronic access and quality deficits, yet imported models rarely survive local infrastructural, cultural, and funding realities. Objectives: This study develops and tests the Contextually Grounded Blended Learning (CGBL) framework, a mission-aligned model that integrates Resource Dependence and Complexity theories to guide impact-driven organisations in designing sustainable, equitable, and culturally resonant learning ecosystems. Methods: A systematic narrative synthesis of 78 peer-reviewed and grey sources (2020–2025) was paired with cross-case comparison of six African initiatives and an NLP-assisted meta-analysis of a 1.2-million-word corpus. Patterns of success and failure were mapped against mission alignment, resource strategies, and adaptive feedback loops, yielding four emergent framework pillars. Results: Effective programmes blended multimodal delivery with low-bandwidth contingencies, embedded learning analytics for rapid iteration, leveraged multi-sector ecosystems to dilute donor dependence, and foregrounded local language, indigenous knowledge, and gender inclusion. The CGBL framework crystallises these findings into four interlocking pillars—Blended Delivery Architecture, Ecosystem Orientation, Data-Informed Feedback & Analytics, and Contextual Grounding—operating in a cyclic, adaptive model that maintains relevance to 2035. Conclusions: CGBL offers a theoretically robust and evidence-based blueprint for educators, NGOs, policymakers, and donors seeking scalable learning innovation in low-resource contexts. By institutionalising continuous feedback, resource diversification, and cultural localisation, the framework mitigates mission drift and equity gaps while enhancing learner engagement and social impact. Future research should pilot the model across diverse African settings to refine metrics for cost-effectiveness, data ethics, and long-term societal outcomes
Reorienting Global Value Chains under AfCFTA: The Role of SEZs and Emerging Technologies in Boosting Value-Added Trade and Firm Upgrading
No full textThis study examines how Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and cutting-edge technologies can reposition Africa in global value chains (GVCs) under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) (Mondaq, 2023). Africa’s intra-continental trade remains low (≈15% of total exports), and its GVC participation (≈5%) and export value-added (≈14%) are far below other regions. SEZs - over 200 currently active in Africa - offer a policy vehicle to boost manufacturing and export diversification. We develop a conceptual framework combining Global Value Chain theory, Institutional theory, and Innovation Diffusion theory to analyze firm upgrading, trade composition, and technology adoption in SEZs. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach (trade data analysis, policy document review, and case studies of Rwanda (Kigali Innovation City), Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia), we find that well-designed SEZs can enable capability upgrading (especially via skill development and local linkages), modestly shift exports toward higher-value manufactures, and attract investment if backed by strong institutions. However, many SEZs remain “enclaves” with limited spillovers. Emerging technologies (blockchain, AI, IoT, 5G, additive manufacturing) show promise for enhancing SEZ operations by improving supply-chain transparency, productivity, and efficiency, but their adoption is hampered by infrastructure gaps, high costs, and skills shortages. We conclude with tiered policy recommendations (zone-level, national, and AfCFTA-level) to foster tech-enabled SEZs that promote value addition and regional integration, and outline areas for future research and long-run trends (e.g. digital GVC platforms and green value chains)
