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The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic for women entrepreneurs operating in the informal food sector. An exploratory qualitative approach is used to guide the collection and analysis of data which were collected from a sample of twenty women entrepreneurs. Verbatim transcriptions of digital recordings were analyzed thematically. The findings of the study indicate that women experienced the worst economic effects of the pandemic and faced a range of challenges, such as decreased customer base and demand, loss of income, lack of government and private support, safety and security fears, disrupted supply chains, and requirement for trading permits. Whereas the opportunities encompassed usage of digital technologies, alternative markets and new product offerings, and establishment of Informal women business networks. From the study findings, it is hence vital that policies acknowledge the importance of women and informal food vendors in the nation's informal food system.

Functional foods are foods that improve mental and physical well-being. Consumption of functional food has attracted much interest globally based on its benefit in the prevention of life-threatening diseases such as obesity, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and cancer. Notwithstanding the health importance of functional food consumption, research on the marketing of functional foods is sparse in the literature. The research seeks to evaluate consumers purchase behaviour toward functional foods. The research employed a quantitative method. A consumer survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire on a sample of 384 consumers at several grocery stores in the uMhlathuze region, South Africa. The findings demonstrate the significance of understanding consumer motivations and attitudes in enabling food producers to implement the best marketing strategy to increase sales as well as enabling dietitians and medical professionals to share information and create more awareness regarding the health benefits of consuming functional foods. Likewise, the findings showed a significant positive correlation between social factors and age. This indicated that as people increase in age, social factors have more impact on their purchase decisions toward functional foods.

This study aims to explore key drivers of tourism sustainability practices and their impact on the sustainable competitive performance of the tourism accommodation industry. The study adopts an exploratory research design under qualitative research, using semi-structured interviewing of owners and managers of tourism accommodation firms using the TOE framework and RBV theory. The findings reveal that technological sustainability expertise, executive sustainability support, organizational resources and capability, service intermediary sustainability practices, collaborative innovation adoption capability, tourism sustainability regulatory policy, and sustainability practices perceived by residents are the key drivers of TSP. The outcomes also show that tourism sustainability practices have a positive impact on the SCP of accommodation firms. This study makes a theoretical contribution to the literature on tourism sustainability by exploring how TOE antecedents motivate firms to adopt sustainability practices as product innovation, which in turn enhance SCP. Also, this study provides strong backing for the premises of the TOE framework, and RBV theory offers valuable practical insights for managers and owners. This will aid in identifying the pivotal factors influencing TSP and SCP, enabling the implementation of innovative strategies to enhance firm competitiveness. Also, the research can help the government and policymakers formulate sustainable tourism policies to promote tourism innovations. The adoption of sustainable practices has been a focal point for both academic researchers and professionals in the tourism industry. However, there has been insufficient exploration of the TOE drivers that facilitate the integration of tourism sustainability within the context of TAFs in a developing country. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap in knowledge.

Whenever the issue of poor employee performance arises, the question of the provision of staff training takes center stage. Staff training is seen as the principal driving force and central to effective and efficient job performance. The quest to achieve high performance at the workplace has always been derailed by an acute lack of skills. Despite the plethora of studies of staff training and employee performance in different sectors, the literature has not yet explored the relationship between the two variables in the transport sector, particularly in the South African context. However, the relationship between staff training and employee performance has been engulfed in and apprehended by complexities, mistrust, and misunderstandings. It is through this premise that this paper seeks to evaluate the influence of staff training on employee performance in the transport sector. The study adopted an exploratory research design and tapped into a qualitative research approach. Using the purposive sampling technique, a sample of 15 respondents, comprised of skill development representatives of organizations operating in the transport sector in Durban, were interviewed. Unstructured interviews were used to collect data from the respondents. The key findings revealed that staff training has a positive influence on employee performance in the transport sector. The study plays a pivotal role in extending knowledge in the fields of staff training and employee performance.

The utilization of powerful machine learning models in artificial intelligence offers novel prospects for the identification of fraudulent activities. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary technological tool that enhances the ability to detect and prevent fraud by improving efficiency and effectiveness. This research offers a thorough examination of the utilization of artificial intelligence technology in the realm of procurement fraud prevention and detection. Additionally, it highlights the obstacles that arise when employing machine learning techniques for the purpose of identifying and preventing fraudulent activities. A mixed methods approach was employed in this study, wherein data was collected through an unstructured interview and questionnaire. We conducted a comprehensive review of relevant scholarly articles and online resources. The findings indicate that fraudsters are progressively advancing in their skills, which poses a significant challenge in detecting fraudulent activities. The advent of AI in fraud detection has demonstrated its transformative impact. AI has achieved unparalleled precision and velocity in crime detection and prevention, surpassing the capabilities of any human. Artificial intelligence (AI) enhances the capacity for automation. Accessing unstructured data in the form of spreadsheets, digital documents, and email inboxes poses a significant issue for the procurement function. In order to achieve a successful procurement transformation, businesses should prioritize the creation of essential tools, guarantee acceptance through the establishment of a superior user experience, and integrate both novel and pre-existing technology. It is imperative to disseminate knowledge to the general public regarding the escalating sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm of fraud detection and prevention. This includes elucidating the potential benefits of AI in identifying patterns of suspicious activities, assessing its efficacy in predicting potential threats or fraudulent activities prior to their manifestation, and exploring its utility in analyzing historical data pertaining to both familiar and unfamiliar forms of fraudulent behavior.

Financial inclusion, especially the adoption of fintech, has emerged as a crucial avenue for removing the financial access divides in developing countries, including Bangladesh. Following the comprehensive analysis, this article intends to outline Bangladesh's recent experiences with fintech-based financial inclusion, identify the short-comings and hence make policy suggestions. Being a descriptive research, cross-sectional and observational research approaches are applied for the explanatory analysis of secondary data. Results suggest an urban-rural gap in the implementation of digital financial services, with urban areas consistently having higher rates of fully online branches and a greater number of financial machines. Despite this, the sharp rise in the issuance of active cards is a positive sign suggesting an expansion of consumer base and an adoption of electronic modes of payment. Moreover, inter-bank electronic fund transfers and online banking have experienced increasing uptake, revealing a progressing trend towards digital transactions within the banking industry. Additionally, the study identifies a speedy growth in the number of mobile financial services accounts in both urban and rural areas. This study adds to the exchange of ideas regarding financial inclusion by carrying out a detailed study of Bangladesh's digital financial transformation, exemplifying the accomplishments, obstacles, and future research directions. It highlights the need for targeted policies and ongoing research efforts to build inclusive financial systems to serve the entire society’s interest. Nevertheless, the observations will have both theoretical and practical significance, contributing towards building capability in harnessing technology for sustainability, community uplifting, and shaping a brighter future.  

This paper aims to establish the uptake of Internet of Things (IoT) by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the digital era in emerging economies. This study aims to 1) determine adoption of IoT by SMEs during digital era in emerging economies, 2) establish challenges faced by SMEs in implementing IoT in emerging economies, and 3) develop a framework for digital transformation for SMEs in digital era in emerging economies. Systematic literature review approach was used. Articles from Scopus database ranging from 2018 to 2023 was used. 57 articles were shortlisted out of 153 articles. PRISMA framework was therefore used to perform systematic review analysis. Results demonstrate that in emerging economies, SMEs do not or are slowly adopting IoT concepts, making them less competitive. The results also determine that although IoT has great promise in SMEs, the key constraint is a lack of strategic implementation frameworks for its deployment and widespread adoption. This study was therefore carried out to develop a framework that supports digital transformation for SMEs in the digital era for emerging economies. Results have significant managerial and practical implications as they offer some insights to SME managers on how they can improve on the uptake and adoption of internet of things in digital era.

The 21st century has witnessed a rapid surge in industrial pollution, accompanied by the depletion of natural resources, prompting a collective call to action. As a result, the greening of corporations and ecological sustainability has emerged as a matter of paramount importance for decision-makers worldwide. This study, thereby, aims to examine the implementation of environmentally responsible (Green) human resource management practices in the health sector and their influence on organizational sustainability performance. Methodologically, a descriptive approach was employed, utilizing a questionnaire survey to collect data from 250 healthcare employees within Pakistan's healthcare sector. The study's statistical outcomes indicate that green hiring positively influences economic performance but not social and environmental performance. However, green training, involvement, performance management, and compensation are all positively related to organizational sustainability performance, encompassing social, economic, and environmental aspects in Pakistan’s healthcare sector. By summing up, this study concludes the significance of customizing green HR practices for enhancing sustainability performance in the healthcare sector. It underscores the crucial role played by green human resource management practices and their impact on organizational sustainability performance in a developing country context, specifically in Pakistan.

While employee agility has recently gained increased attention, there is a notable lack of research on its antecedents. This study investigates the impact of humble leadership on employee agility within the context of Egypt's hospitality industry. Utilizing survey data collected from 320 frontline employees within Egypt's travel agencies, the findings reveal a positive and significant impact of humble leadership on employee agility. Notably, the study identifies employees' self-efficacy as a partial mediator in this relationship, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms through which humble leadership shapes employee agility. These insights enrich the existing body of knowledge by providing a nuanced perspective on the influence of humble leadership on employee agility and offer practical implications for leaders and organizations seeking to enhance workforce agility in the dynamic setting of the hospitality industry.

This study aims to investigate and identify the current conditions regarding the role of Sharia microfinance institutions in developing MSME businesses. The community needs Microfinance institutions, especially low-income groups and small and micro-entrepreneurs who have yet to be reached by banking financial services, especially public banks. In providing loans to MSMEs, microfinance institutions must effectively educate and equip their clients with relevant entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. This research will use a qualitative approach with a case study method, which does not use statistical generalizations but uses logical generalizations and replication. Three Sharia microfinance institutions and sixteen MSME cases will be selected in this research. The research was conducted at Sharia Microfinance Institutions as providers of microcredit and MSMEs receiving microcredit in the Southern region of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Gunungkidul, and Kulonprogo. This research will use three data collection methods, namely interviews, observation, and documentation, to maintain the validity and reliability of the data. Data triangulation is used to test the validity of the data. The data analysis process in this research uses two stages: descriptive analysis and case analysis. The findings of this research show hope regarding the promise of easy access to capital or funding sources as an effective tool for improving MSME business development through effectiveness, supervision, and guidance carried out by Sharia microfinance institutions. This change can be realized if the community has economic stability obtained through easy access to capital, increasing business income, and empowering the community to be ready to become entrepreneurs. It supports the development of a creative economy industry based on entrepreneurship and globally competitive ethics.

This paper aims to examine the financial performance of Bangladeshi listed commercial banks. The study analyzed the financial performances of banks categorized into three generations—first, second, and third—based on their year of commencement of operations in the country. The data of a total of 24 banks, 8 from each generation, listed in the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), has been collected from audited financial statements for the time period of 13 years, from 2010 to 2022. Data has been analyzed using different ratios of profitability, liquidity, capital adequacy, operational efficiency, and credit risk. The ANOVA test also has been used to make a comparison of profitability—the return on assets (ROA), and return on equity (ROE) of the banks of different generations. According to the results, the average profitability ratios in terms of ROA, and ROE of the second-generation banks showed their credibility than banks of other generations; while first generation banks kept higher liquidity, and capital adequacy with higher credit risk than the banks of other generations. The first-generation banks also showed a lower cost-expense ratio, and a higher efficiency in terms of operation, than the banks in the second and third generations. The research also discovered that the profitability of banks of different generations significantly varies from one another.  

This paper uses politico-social capital theorisation of the relationship between public trust and democracy in order to demonstrate the interdependence of the African National Congress’ (ANC’s) declining electoral fortunes and the increasing public trust deficits in South Africa’s state, constitutional democracy and political institutions. As desktop-based research, the paper conducts literature survey to distils the relationship between public trust, as social capital, in institutions of society, and electoral performance and formation of societal leadership vacuum, within complexities of the political-economy and political culture and system such as those entrenched in South Africa under the ANC’s 28-year rule. The paper analyses statistical evidence from Afrobarometer’s 2022 survey about South Africans’ public trust in state and political institutions from 2006 to 2021, as well as national, provincial and local government election results from the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) from 1994 to 2019, to corroborate its theoretical framing. It makes three findings, thus: there is a direct relationship between the ANC’s declining electoral fortunes and the erosion of public trust in institutions of society; the ANC’s 28-years of state governance has created an ominous societal leadership vacuum, setting South Africa’s democracy on the precipice of civil strife; and, the ANC’s declining electoral fortunes will persist into the foreseeable future because public trust is hard to regain and sustain once eroded.

This study seeks to assess patient satisfaction by examining the impact of trust, service quality, and hospital Sharia compliance on patient loyalty at Sharia hospitals in Pekanbaru City, Riau Province. The study takes an Islamic perspective and aims to enhance competitiveness by focusing on the development of high-quality and dependable services. The research uses structural equation modeling, a statistical methodology that combines quantitative data and qualitative causal assumptions to assess and estimate causal links. The study employed a questionnaire to gather primary data from 342 respondents, including patients. The research findings are as follows: (1) Trust has a positive and significant impact on patient loyalty. (2) Service quality does not have a significant impact on patient loyalty. (3) Sharia compliance has a positive and significant impact on patient loyalty. (4) Trust has a positive and significant impact on patient satisfaction. (5) Service quality has a positive and significant impact on satisfaction. (6) Sharia compliance has a positive and significant impact on satisfaction. (7) Satisfaction positively and significantly mediates the effect of trust on loyalty. (8) Satisfaction positively and significantly mediates the influence of service quality on patient loyalty. (9) Satisfaction positively and significantly mediates the influence of Sharia compliance on loyalty. (10) Satisfaction has a positive and significant influence on loyalty.

The specific goal of this study is to find out how retail investors consider company ESG issues while making investment decisions, with their moral awareness (MA) serving as a moderator. The framework's foundations are the norm activation model (NAM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The report is based on a questionnaire survey that was completed by 599 retail investors in Dhaka and Chattagram, Bangladesh. To examine the data and verify the theories, the PLS path modeling approach is employed. Six hypotheses are investigated using structural equation modeling; five are found to be significant and one to be non-significant. All of the hypotheses are positive. The findings of the research demonstrate that when making investment decisions, investors take a company's social, environmental, and governance issues into account. The moral awareness of investors seems to influence their investment decisions as well. By presenting empirical data on the relationship between business ESG issues and investment decisions with moderating impacts on investors' moral awareness, the paper advances the field of behavioral finance research. It implies that corporate advertising tactics may support global reporting requirements, draw impact investors, and promote moral and environmental education. To safeguard ESG concerns and promote sustainable growth of the capital market and economy, governments should enact laws, rules, and directives.

This discursive study explores the attempt to create feasible job creations for young graduates from various higher education institutions across South Africa. A systematic review of various literature sources on the phenomenon argues that entrepreneurship education can create and develop in students creative and innovative, business initiatives, risk-taking, strategic business minds, appropriate decision-making, and opportunities in diverse entrepreneurship activities, after graduation. The integration of entrepreneurship education into higher education across South African Higher Education will boost national economic development. The existing Department of Higher Education's initiative of Entrepreneurship Development into the country's Higher Education requires assessment and repositioning for effective approaches that can actualize the objectives of the initiative. The study recommends the need for universities' managements to re-strategise and connect theory with practical, in diverse significant collaborations with various private businesses, government institutions, and Non-Governmental Organisations.

MSMEs play a vital role in global economic development, as well as being the key to most businesses and important contributors to job creation and economic development. However, amidst the uncertain business and economic situation, most MSMEs have to struggle to maintain their business performance. So efforts are needed from various parties to improve business performance in MSMEs. This research aims to test and analyze the influence of financial literacy levels on business performance, with financial access and financial risk attitudes as mediating variables. Sampling in this research used a purposive sampling technique among tofu processing industry players in Kediri City. The sample was determined using the Slovin method and a sample of 400 respondents was obtained. The method used in this research uses Structural Equation Model (SEM) Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis through the SmartPLS data processing program version 3. The results of this research show that all hypotheses are accepted. Financial literacy, access to finance and financial risk attitudes have a positive and significant effect on business performance. Financial access is able to mediate the relationship between financial literacy and financial risk attitudes, and financial risk attitudes are also able to mediate the relationship between financial literacy and business performance in the Kediri City tofu processing industry.

Behavioral finance elucidates how investors rationally commit errors in the process of making investment decisions as a result of cognitive and emotional biases, ultimately resulting in unfavorable investment choices. People are unable to avoid a variety of behavioral biases that have an impact on investors' investment decision-making processes. The human mind employs shortcuts and emotional filters to interpret information, leading to errors in the decision-making process. The objective of this study is to investigate and assess the impact of behavioral biases such as disposition effects, herding, and overconfidence on investment decision-making. Additionally, we will examine how financial literacy moderates these biases. The research employed a purposive sample strategy to select generation Z investors in Kediri City. The sample size of 400 respondents was determined using the Krejcie & Morgan table. This research employs the Partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis method using the SmartPLS version 3 data processing application. The research findings indicate that the disposition effect and overconfidence exert a substantial impact on investment decision-making; however, herding does not exhibit a significant influence on investment choice-making. Financial knowledge enhances the impact of the disposition effect on investment decision-making in a positive way. Financial literacy has a negative moderating effect on the influence of herding and overconfidence on investment decision-making among Generation Z investors in Kediri City.

The Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) thrive on innovation and creativity, necessitating robust cross-domain collaboration among diverse stakeholders. However, the current state of CCI co-creation mechanisms is marked by inadequacies. The primary objective is to provide practical and effective strategic guidance for co-creation endeavors within the dynamic CCI landscape. This study employs the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) method to identify and analyze critical elements for industrial co-creation, offering a comprehensive framework for understanding the intricacies of co-creation processes. The Cultural and Creative Industries Digital Business Ecosystem (CCI-DBE) model is then developed to encompass four foundational pillars: participation of multiple stakeholders, mechanism of co-creation, uniqueness of consumer experience, and output of co-created value. Participation of multiple stakeholders recognizes the importance of integrating perspectives from content creators, other companies, suppliers, and customers. The mechanism of co-creation delves into the necessity of a robust platform, supported by technological infrastructure, to facilitate seamless resource and knowledge exchange. The uniqueness of consumer experience emphasizes the need for tailoring offerings to meet consumers' unique experiential and meaningful needs. Output of co-created value focuses on enhancing product novelty, resource sharing, communication efficiency, information interaction, and cross-domain integration. This CCI-DBE model not only contributes to academic discourse but also provides actionable insights for practitioners seeking to navigate and enhance the co-creation process within the evolving CCI landscape. It stands as a valuable guide for fostering innovation, collaboration, and strategic alignment in the CCI sector.

This research examines the effect of work motivation and work environment through work engagement on employee performance. This research is quantitative research with data collection methods using questionnaires. The sample in this study was 85 employees of PT. Pelindo Terminal Petikemas New Makassar who were determined using the Slovin method. The data analysis technique used is SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) PLS. The results of this research show that the two independent variables, namely work motivation and work environment, have a positive influence, but the work motivation variable does not have a significant influence, while the work environment variable has a significant influence on employee performance. Based on the results of mediation testing, it shows that work engagement provides a partial mediation role in the relationship between work motivation and work environment on employee performance. It is hoped that the implications of the results of this research will be input for companies in efforts to improve the quality of employee performance.

COVID-19 was a pandemic that hit the global world in late 2019, and by 2020 the international sectors were grounded with lockdowns. The lockdowns restricted human movement and gatherings to control the fast-rising waves of the deadly virus across the globe. The education system was significantly impacted as schools were shut down. Thus, academic activities conventionally face-to-face in African learning institutions were suspended for months before teaching and learning was transited to online, amidst many challenges, prospects and opportunities. Hence, this systematic literature review investigates the multifaceted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational transformation within African higher education, especially rural universities in the South African context. The review synthesises peer-reviewed articles, reports, and studies published from early 2020 to the present, analysing the challenges institutions face, innovative strategies employed, and potential long-term implications. The findings highlight the rapid shift to online learning, equity and inclusivity concerns, pedagogical innovations, assessment modifications, faculty development initiatives, and mental health considerations. The review underscores the pandemic's role in accelerating educational change and promoting the adoption of technology-enhanced learning in African higher education while also emphasising the importance of addressing digital disparities and ensuring educational equity.