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This paper aims to examine the effects of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility (iCSR) practices on employees' job satisfaction, with specific focus on work-life balance and safety and health within commercial banks in Lusaka. In this paper, it is also aimed to explore the relative role of these iCSR dimensions in shaping job satisfaction in a developing country context where empirical evidence remains limited. We employed a quantitative research design using structured questionnaires administered to employees across 15 commercial banks. A dataset of 205 employees was collected, of which 146 valid responses were analyzed. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 29, applying descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) work–life balance has a strong and statistically significant positive effect on job satisfaction (r = 0.9268, p < 0.001), accounting for 85.9% of the variance and emerging as the most significant predictor; (ii) safety and health shows a positive correlation (r = 0.926), but is not a statistically significant predictor in multivariate analysis, suggesting it functions as a hygiene factor; and finally (iii) iCSR practices can be differentiated into motivational and baseline factors, contributing to theoretical understanding while providing a Sub-Saharan African perspective. The study offers practical implications, indicating that banks should prioritize work-life balance initiatives while maintaining safety and health standards. It also provides guiding knowledge for policymakers and managers seeking to enhance workplace satisfaction and improve iCSR implementation.

This study investigated the effects of internal Corporate Social Responsibility (iCSR) practices on employee job satisfaction among commercial banks in Lusaka, Zambia. The research examined two key dimensions of iCSR: education & training, and pay & benefits. The investigation was motivated by the need to understand how specific iCSR practices influence employee satisfaction in the Zambian banking context, where limited empirical research has been conducted despite the growing importance of human capital management in competitive banking environments. The study employed a descriptive research design utilizing a quantitative research approach. The study was grounded in the positivist research paradigm. Data was collected from 146 employees across 15 commercial banks operating in Lusaka through digital self-administered structured questionnaires, representing a 71.2% response rate from the target sample of 205 respondents. Stratified sampling technique was employed to ensure representative selection across management levels (senior, middle, and lower management). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Version 29.0, employing descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, standard deviations), Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05 level. The study revealed exceptionally strong positive relationships between pay & benefits and education & training iCSR dimensions and job satisfaction.  Pay and Benefits had a variance of (r = 0.9271, 85.96%. Education and Training demonstrated strong effects (r = 0.8935, 79.84% variance. A conceptual framework was developed that successfully integrated the two iCRS dimensions and their relationship with job satisfaction

Job satisfaction is widely recognised as a critical determinant of employee performance, organisational productivity, and long-term institutional effectiveness across diverse economic sectors. This paper examines the relationship between job satisfaction and employee performance through a comparative lens that considers both developed and developing country contexts. Drawing on a systematic literature review of empirical studies published between 2015 and 2025, the study synthesises evidence from a broad range of industries, including education, telecommunications, banking and financial services, information technology, automotive, healthcare, retail, construction, agriculture, logistics, energy, public administration, and manufacturing.The findings reveal a consistently positive and statistically significant association between job satisfaction and employee performance, either directly or through mediating mechanisms such as work engagement, organisational commitment, and motivation. Across sectors, job satisfaction is shaped by a combination of structural and motivational factors, including working conditions, training and development, leadership quality, compensation, career advancement opportunities, organisational support, and job design. Employees who report higher satisfaction levels tend to demonstrate stronger commitment, greater discretionary effort, higher productivity, and improved service quality.

Despite the rapid expansion of remote work, traditional human resource practices remain largely designed for office-based environments and are insufficiently aligned with the unique demands of remote work.  Furthermore, existing theoretical approaches do not clearly explain how HR practices can be systematically designed as organisational resources that mitigate remote work demands and enhance employee engagement and performance. This conceptual paper proposes a multi-dimensional framework to enhance employee engagement and performance in a remote work environment. Thes study seeks to bridge the gap in human resource practices by offering practices suitable for remote workers. Guided by the Job Demand-Resources model and the Ability, Motivation and Opportunity framework, this study employed a conceptual methodology that combined theory adaption and model-building. A systematic literature review using Boolean operators was conducted across Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scopus.  Twenty-five peer-reviewed studies published 2020 and 2026 were identified and thematically analysed.  Furthermore, the review revealed five job demands: social isolation, blurred work-life balance, communication complexity, technological strain, and performance visibility.  Consequently, these job demands can be mitigated by implementing strategic human resources practices such as recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation, and work-life balance.  By proposing a human resource management framework that may enable efficient remote work practices, promote sustainable development and the evolving business ecosystem.  The framework contributes to SDG 3 and by promoting employee well-being and productive work practices. The study also offer useful information for business looking to create robust HRM plans that maintain worker performance and engagement is digitally connected business ecosystem.

Financial pressures in South Africa’s public sector have increased efforts to control the wage bill, raising concerns about the long-term effects of stagnant remuneration on employee performance, retention, and service delivery. Although the link between pay and motivation is well known, less attention has been given to how prolonged salary stagnation, within a constrained fiscal environment, affects both employees and service delivery outcomes. This paper addresses this gap by examining the effects of stagnant remuneration in the South African public service. The paper used a qualitative narrative review of secondary data, including academic literature, government reports, and policy documents. Sources were selected based on their relevance to remuneration, employee performance, and service delivery, and were analysed thematically. The findings show that stagnant remuneration is not only a Human Resource issue but also a service delivery issue, as it directly affects employee motivation and institutional capacity. Guided by Equity Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and the paper’s conceptual model, the results indicate that perceived unfairness and rising living costs reduce motivation, increase turnover, and weaken organisational capacity, especially in sectors such as health, education, and local government. This creates a tension between fiscal sustainability and workforce effectiveness, which ultimately affects service quality. The paper contributes by linking remuneration challenges to service delivery outcomes and indicates the need for a balanced approach to managing the public sector wage bill.

This study investigates how managerial employees perceive workplace practices as conditions that enhance organisational performance using a qualitative approach. Although organisational performance has been analysed through quantifiable managerial and structural factors, there has been insufficient focus on the relational dynamics that influence how managers perceive daily workplace practices as either facilitating or hindering performance. The study adopted an exploratory research design to provide an in-depth understanding of workplace practices as conditions that enhance performance. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select 10 participants from a population of approximately 1200 employees. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managerial employees to obtain a comprehensive understanding of their perceptions of how workplace practices influence the ability and willingness of employees to perform. Through a thematic analysis, four key themes were uncovered from the dataset: clarity in communication, perceived fairness in remuneration and working conditions, feeling supported within the working environment, and feeling valued through appreciation and recognition. The results indicate that these practices function as relational signals within the organisational ecosystem, influencing managerial perceptions of clarity, fairness, support, and value. These perceptions serve as mediating factors that facilitate the conversion of workplace practices into performance results. This research enhances the literature on organisational performance by redirecting focus from static organisational factors to the relational and perceptual processes that facilitate performance in practice. From a strategic viewpoint, the results emphasise the significance of aligning workplace practices with organisational objectives through Human Resource governance frameworks that promote equity, support, and recognition.

This study examines the impact of wage disparities on employee performance within Zimbabwe's telecommunication industry using advanced structural equation modelling techniques informed by recent post-pandemic organizational behaviour research. A quantitative research approach was employed, collecting data from 227 respondents across various job levels in Harare through structured questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modelling, incorporating recent methodological advances in measurement invariance testing and multi-group analysis. Results reveal significant wage differentials with employees perceiving substantial unfairness in wage distribution. The structural model demonstrates that wage disparities significantly impact employee performance, with regulatory frameworks and economic instability identified as primary contributing factors. Organizations should adopt AI-enhanced transparent compensation systems and implement performance-based wage structures informed by recent Environmental, Social, and Governance frameworks to enhance employee satisfaction and organizational performance. 

Employee performance is increasingly recognized as being influenced not only by structural conditions but also by employees' psychological and relational experiences in the workplace. However, few studies have concurrently examined the comparative and mediated effects of sense of belonging, workplace spirituality, and job satisfaction within a unified framework. This study explores how these factors impact performance both directly and indirectly through organizational commitment, employing a quantitative explanatory design with survey data from 213 employees selected via proportionate stratified random sampling and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with validated and reliable measures. The results indicate that sense of belonging (β = 0.201, p = 0.043), workplace spirituality (β = 0.214, p = 0.007), job satisfaction (β = 0.357, p = 0.041), and organizational commitment (β = 0.276, p = 0.024) significantly predict performance. Additionally, sense of belonging (β = 0.297, p = 0.002), workplace spirituality (β = 0.211, p = 0.009), and job satisfaction (β = 0.725, p < 0.001) significantly predict organizational commitment, which mediates these relationships. Total effects reveal job satisfaction as the strongest predictor of performance (β = 0.312), followed by sense of belonging (β = 0.305) and workplace spirituality (β = 0.299). These findings demonstrate that employee performance is closely associated with affective and experiential workplace factors and highlight organizational commitment as a central explanatory mechanism. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing psychological attachment, meaningful work experiences, and satisfaction to support sustained performance, while providing an integrated empirical framework for future research.

This research examines the factors that influence the adoption of the ID badge-wearing policy and the subsequent use of ID badges in public offices at Dar es Salaam referral hospitals. The study also evaluates the impact of the badge policy on workplace efficiency and compliance, and analyses the perceived benefits and challenges associated with its implementation. Data was collected through interviews with employees. The study population comprised 800 public servants from various departments and roles at Dar-es-Salaam referral hospitals: Mwananyamala, Temeke, Amana, and Ubungo District Hospitals. Using simple random sampling, participants were selected from a comprehensive list of employees, ensuring everyone had an equal chance of selection. A final sample size of 260 public servants was chosen, representing approximately 33% of the population, to ensure reliable and generalizable results. ID badges policy received initial organizational-wide adoption and was driven by their perceived role in enhancing security and professionalism. Badges were found useful for quick identification of staff and for restricting unauthorized access to sensitive areas. However, they had minimal impact on routine tasks. Compliance was linked to accountability and professionalism, but without strong management support, adherence varied. Key barriers included: delays in replacing lost or damaged badges, lack of regular enforcement by supervisors, and dissatisfaction with the design and practicality of the badges. The findings indicate that while badges contribute to security by restricting access to sensitive areas and enhancing quick identification, their influence on day-to-day operations is minimal, as other performance support factors are required as well to influence change, such as employees’ buy-in, continuous monitoring, and feedback. Recommendations to improve adherence include modernizing the badge design, reducing replacement delays, integrating digital badges, providing regular reminders, and offering incentives for consistent use.

Investigations into establishing a framework for incentivising non-academic personnel in universities have been scarce. The research sought to establish a paradigm for motivating non-academic personnel in institutions. The study was informed by Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Adams’ equitable theory of motivation. The research employed a quantitative methodology, wherein a sample of 216 non-academic personnel at the Zimbabwe Open University filled out closed-ended questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS version 30.0. The resulting framework details the obstacles, intrinsic motivators, extrinsic motivators, and performance outcomes of university non-academic personnel. The report advises colleges to utilise the framework to create motivational programs for non-academic personnel.

In South Africa, productivity is crucial for individual livelihoods and business performance.  A workplace that fosters employee engagement and participation is a means to cultivate an environment that attracts motivated teams for enhanced productivity.  This perspective supports the notion of employee engagement.  This study investigates the impact of employee engagement on enhancing labour productivity in South African automobile parts manufacturing firms.  Employee involvement denotes the degree of commitment and participation that employee exhibits towards their organisation. The study goals were fulfilled by analysing the production and associated experiences of the automobile parts manufacturing organisation that implemented an employee involvement strategy to enhance labour productivity.  The corporation functions within the eThekwini Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa.  The study was conducted by gathering pre- and post-quarterly data on absenteeism, spoilage, and attained production targets.  Nevertheless, findings indicate that the employee participation ideology lacks the capacity to enhance labour productivity within the automobile parts manufacturing sector in South Africa.  There is no correlation between absenteeism and spoiling rates, nor with the production standards attained, in connection to labour productivity following the implementation of the employee involvement strategy. This study reveals the advantages and disadvantages of employee engagement on labour productivity within automobile parts manufacturing firms in South Africa. 

This paper examines how organizational culture and transformational leadership directly and indirectly affect employee performance through organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) within Lembaga Perkreditan Desa (LPD) or Village Credit Institutions in Buleleng Regency, Bali. It also clarifies how social exchange processes underpin these relationships in a community-based finance setting. A hybrid analytic method combining instrument pretesting, measurement-model evaluation, and variance-based structural equation modeling with mediation testing was employed. Primary survey data were collected from 88 staff-level employees across nine sub-districts over a six-month field period. The findings reveal that supportive culture significantly increases OCB and performance while transformational leadership enhances OCB but has no direct effect on performance. OCB improves performance and mediates both the culture–performance and leadership–performance links. Practically, LPD leaders should treat OCB as a performance lever, engaging staff in decision-making, recognizing discretionary effort, and aligning incentives, resources, and routines. Strengthening collectivist culture, long-term orientation, fair gender norms, and adaptive rules will help ensure that extra-role behaviors consistently translate into measurable performance outcomes

Employee promotion in State-Owned Commercial Bank (SOCB) and Private Commercial Bank (PCB) depends on Key Determining Factors (KDF). The study aims to identify these factors. The objective is to compare the impact of KDF on employee promotion between SOCB and PCB. The study finds that Education, Qualifications, Job performance and Skills do not impact promotion in SOCB, whereas Experiences, Tenures, Work ethics and Dependability determine employee promotion in PCB. Social relationships and interpersonal relationships both influence employee promotion at PCB. Bias and Favouritism exist from a certain level in SOCB, whereas the study unveils a strong presence of Bias and Favouritism in PCB. There is no presence of Age, Gender and Ethnicity in employee promotion in SOCB, while PCB experienced a mixed influence of Age, Gender and Ethnicity on employee promotion. While there is no influence of Union Status, Firm Size on employee promotion in PCB, an indirect influence on employee promotion has been observed in this study. Luck and External factors both influence employee promotion in SOCB and PCB. Seniority is maintained up to a certain level in SOCB, after that, both merit and seniority is considered whereas performance plays a pivotal role in employee promotion in PCB.

Employee turnover is a significant issue for organizations worldwide, affecting stability, productivity, and innovation. In South Africa, public service departments face challenges in retaining qualified personnel as they migrate to higher-paying jobs. The study aims to investigate factors contributing to high turnover of Heads of Department or Accounting Officers within the Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT) in Mpumalanga Province. In order to gather information from a sample of 67 employees and to propose empirically supported strategies to lower employee turnover, increase retention, and boost organisational effectiveness, the study used qualitative research methodology, interviews, and semi-structured interviews. Main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) employees are leaving due to negative factors within the department and short-term employment contracts (ii) employees with limited skills or experience being placed in key positions, further contributing to dissatisfaction and high turnover (iii)due to a lack of attention to addressing employee turnover, the department suffers from low morale, poor service delivery, and negative public perception, ultimately impacting the organization's performance. The findings are recommended for sharing with the Department of Economic Development and Tourism and other government departments in South Africa as it could provide a reliable approach of dealing with staff turnover throughout the public sector.

The mining sector is vital for economic growth, yet it encounters considerable workforce challenges, such as hazardous working conditions, fluctuating job security, and low levels of employee motivation. This study investigates the motivation strategies implemented by Tronox KZN Sands to tackle these issues, offering insights that can be beneficial for the broader mining industry. Utilizing Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory as a foundation, the study assesses the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, leadership, and organizational culture on employee engagement and productivity. A quantitative methodology was adopted, with data collected from 100 employees at Tronox KZN Sands. The findings indicate that concerns regarding job security, limited recognition, and insufficient financial incentives notably affect motivation levels. The study emphasizes that while hygiene factors, such as workplace safety and equitable compensation, are critical for preventing dissatisfaction, motivators—including career development opportunities and recognition programs—are essential for enhancing engagement and performance. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified workforce challenges, highlighting the necessity for adaptive motivation strategies. The research advocates for a balanced approach that integrates both hygiene factors and motivators to maintain employee commitment. Recommendations include enhancing financial incentives, establishing structured career development initiatives, and promoting a culture of recognition and empowerment. Furthermore, organizations should emphasize transparent communication and workforce stability to alleviate uncertainty and improve job satisfaction. These insights offer practical guidance for stakeholders in the mining sector aiming to formulate effective motivation strategies to enhance workforce productivity and retention.

This study aims to analyse the influence of vigour and competitiveness on employee performance by considering the mediating role of involvement balance and the moderating role of employee intrapreneurship. A quantitative approach was used in this study, with data collected through questionnaires distributed to 258 employees in the Consumer Credit Business Division of PT Bank Central Asia, TBK (BCA). The sampling technique applied was a saturated sample, where all members of the population who met the research criteria became respondents. Data analysis was performed using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) method applied through the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. The results of the study indicate that vigour has a positive and significant effect on employee performance, and the same applies to competitiveness. In addition, this study also found that involvement balance acts as a mediating variable that connects the influence between vigour and employee performance, as well as between competitiveness and employee performance. Meanwhile, employee intrapreneurship was found to moderate the relationship between vigour and employee performance, but did not have a significant effect on the relationship between competitiveness and employee performance. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that the management of the Consumer Credit Business Division of PT Bank Central Asia, TBK (BCA) develop programs that support the improvement of employee vigour and competitiveness, as well as support their involvement in innovation to improve overall performance.

The decline in labour productivity in the South African manufacturing industry is a course for concern.  The majority of South Africans expect greater prosperity that can be achieved through greater employment and high productivity.  Thus, the industrial sector turns to employees for innovative productivity improvement initiatives.  This sentiment underpins the concept of employee engagement.  Hence, this study examines the effectiveness of employee engagement for productivity improvement in the selected industrial packaging organisation in South Africa.  Employee engagement is the degree of dedication and involvement an employee has towards his/her organisation.  The study was quantitative in design and examined production and the related experiences of the industrial packaging organisation that have adopted an employee engagement strategy for productivity improvement.  The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse data.  The company operates in the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.  The study was achieved by collecting pre- and post-quarterly data for the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), spoilage rate and labour productivity.  The results establish that employee engagement philosophy does not have a relationship with OEE and labour productivity.  However, it has an influence on the rate of spoilage.  The original value of this paper is its approach in uncovering strengths and weaknesses of employee engagement for productivity improvement in South Africa. This includes leadership engagement and the alignment of employee incentives with productivity goals.

This study aims to examine the impact of the hybrid working model on employee performance with the mediation of Remote Management and Effective Monitoring. Using a quantitative approach and a questionnaire, this research emphasizes how PT PLN (Persero) management manages distributed teams to work and perform effectively. The total population consists of 673 employees of PT PLN (Persero) across three divisions that implement the hybrid working model. The data analysis technique used is SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) PLS. The results indicate that the hybrid working model has a positive and significant effect on employee performance. The findings also show that remote management positively and significantly influences employee performance. In contrast, effective monitoring has a positive but insignificant impact on employee performance. The study's implications are expected to contribute to the improvement and refinement of the hybrid working model implementation within PT PLN (Persero).

This study analyzes the influence of work environment and compensation on employee performance with job satisfaction as an intervening variable in Perumda Tirta Kanjuruhan, Malang Regency. Using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach based on Partial Least Square (PLS) on 411 respondents, the results showed that the work environment had a significant positive effect on performance  and job satisfaction. Compensation had a negative effect on performance  but positive on job satisfaction . Job satisfaction acts as a significant mediator between the work environment  and compensation  on performance. The dominant factors of the work environment included leadership fairness and communication between colleagues , while compensation was influenced by performance-based appreciation. These findings indicate that compensation injustice and mismatch of employee expectations are the causes of performance declines, even though job satisfaction is able to mediate these negative effects. Research recommends improvements to a holistic work environment (physical, psychological, social) and a transparent and performance-based compensation system to improve organizational productivity. The study contributes to the literature by clarifying the crucial role of job satisfaction as a mediator in work environment relationships, compensation, and employee performance.

Since today’s market is highly competitive and constantly evolving, organisations are striving to achieve high levels of productivity and low levels of turnover. One of the key factors in achieving this goal is organisational commitment. Thus, the study advocates that the level of employee commitment and willingness to continue working with the organisation is reflected in their intention to stay. Based on the theory of reasoned action, this study aims to investigate how the dimensions of employee commitment influence their decision to stay with the organisation in the long term within a telecommunication company. The study adopted a postpositivist perspective, a descriptive approach, a quantitative research method and a structured questionnaire to collect numerical data. In addition, descriptive, factor, correlation and regression analyses were performed through SPSS version 26.0. The study population consisted of 470 employees working in different departments, ranging from entry-level positions to consulting engineers. A sample of 298 employees was selected through a simple random sampling to minimise bias. Regression results indicated a moderate positive relationship between organisational commitment and intention to stay. The study recommends organisations to prioritise strategies that promote and sustain organisational commitment for improved intention-to-stay outcomes. This can be achieved through various means such as providing opportunities for professional development, recognising and rewarding employee contributions, and promoting open communication.