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This article reports on literature review and the reflective practice of teachers and school principals on the use of action research in identifying teachers’ professional development (TPD) needs required for a successful implementation of blended and virtual learning. This article sought to contribute to the body of knowledge of teachers’ needs analysis and development; teachers’ digital competencies; and action research to the field of education. School principals and teachers who participated in this study confirmed that action research is an effective strategy that can be used in TPD. They further stressed that action research can be used to replace the existing ‘one size fits all strategy’ that is currently used blatantly across highly adequately and under-resourced schools. Using action research helped them expose realities entrenched within teaching and learning in less privileged schools. This study recommends the use of action research as strategy for identification of teachers’ and learners’ needs that should inform the contents and nature of teachers’ professional development programs.

This article aims to offer significant insights regarding the degree to which the Accounting curriculum in grade 12 prepares students for the Bachelor of Accounting program. In South Africa, secondary school students traditionally select topics based on their intended occupations. For example, students aiming to obtain a Bachelor of Accounting enrol in a commercial path, with Accounting as one of their primary disciplines. The grade 12 accounting curriculum is considered suitable for preparing students for a Bachelor of Accounting degree. Nonetheless, there are significant deficiencies regarding the degree to which the grade 12 Accounting program equips students for a Bachelor of Accounting. This qualitative study utilised a constructivist framework and implemented a case study research approach. Two Bachelor of Accounting students and instructors were intentionally selected for semi-structured interviews. The acquired data was examined by theme analysis. The research indicated that deficiencies in the grade 12 curriculum of secondary education insufficiently equip students for a Bachelor of Accounting. The university curriculum significantly differs, as the teaching materials for the grade 12 Accounting syllabus are outdated, and the training is solely theoretical.  Given the aforementioned findings, this study advocates for an upgrade to the grade 12 Accounting curriculum. by incorporating insights from Bachelor of Accounting specialists and integrating data from various businesses. Additionally, the grade 12 curriculum must incorporate practical learning experiences to provide students with exposure to the program.

This paper examines the challenges facing the provision of low-cost housing conundrum, with specific reference to the Eastern Cape Province. The paper will further explore policy alternatives to the idea of low-cost housing scheme delivery over time with a view to improving delivery of low-cost housing inquest for integrated sustainable communities in the province. Against the above stated background, the aim of this paper is to investigate challenges facing the provision of low-cost housing on the people of Eastern Cape Province.  The guiding research question of this paper is: what is the efficacy way of implementing integrated low-cost housing strategy in addressing the problem of affordable housing shortage for the poor in the Province through the Integrated Human Settlement Plan? This papers setting is in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A mixed method approach is employed to explore and describe the complexities at play in the policy tensions conundrum in the Eastern Cape Province. The findings of this paper suggest that the goal and vision of Integrated Human Settlement Plan should be consistently communicated in clear simple terms to all affected, especially the rural poor communities as they are most affected by the provision of low-cost housing provision. This article contributes to the scholarship of Public Administration and Development Management of resources surrounding the ongoing debate on the implementation of Integrated Human Settlement programme’s and government interventions that are targeted at low income and poor communities in South Africa with regard to transformation, development and policy implementation. The main argument of this paper is that with an adequate policy execution of the government’s development agenda we can improve service delivery as well as integrated human settlement that brings human dignity to the province of the Eastern Cape.

Employee engagement has become a prominent topic in workplace discourse, particularly within academia, yet the academic literature on this subject remains relatively limited, especially in the context of Ghana. This paper seeks to address this gap by examining the factors contributing to employee engagement among academics and exploring their interrelationships for enhanced engagement of faculty. This was done through a comprehensive literature review, drawing on peer-reviewed journal articles, working papers, textbooks, and other relevant published sources, as well as online databases, including EBSCO Business Source Premier, Emerald Full Text, Google Scholar, Sci-Space, Science Direct, Sci-Hub, and Scopus. This study identifies key factors influencing employee engagement in higher education institutions as co-worker relationships, effective supervision, confidence in management, meaningful work roles, perceived organisational politics, organisational resources, effective leadership, and compensation and monetary benefits. The findings reveal a concerning trend of a higher number of disengaged or unengaged employees compared to those who are actively engaged. Furthermore, the consequences of employee engagement identified in the literature include job satisfaction, employee retention, and organisational citizenship behaviours, while challenges and barriers to engagement include poor management-union relationships, poor work environments, poor management practices, and inadequate communication. This paper contributes to the understanding of employee engagement in academia and provides insights for improving engagement levels in higher education institutions in Ghana.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of 3D printing cost, 3D printing technology adoption and regulatory compliance on environmental sustainability among 3D printing firms in South Africa. The study also investigated the mediating effect of regulatory compliance on the relationships between 3D printing cost and 3D printing technology adoption on environmental sustainability. The study adopted a deductive research approach, quantitative research method and an explanatory correlational research design. Simple random sampling technique was used to select a total of 152 employees of 3D printing firms in South Africa. Questionnaires served as the data collection instruments, and online data gathering was done using Google Forms. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 software was used for data coding, data entry, and descriptive statistics. Smart PLS 4 was used to conduct partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Modelling. Results of the study indicate that a significant negative relationship exists between 3D printing cost and environmental sustainability while a significant positive relationship was found to exist between 3D printing technology adoption and environmental sustainability among 3D printing firms in South Africa. A significant positive relationship also exists between 3D printing regulatory compliance and environmental sustainability. For mediation effects, it was found that 3D printing regulatory compliance negatively mediates the relationship between cost and environmental sustainability. The results also indicated that regulatory compliance does not mediate the relationship between 3D printing technology and environmental sustainability. The study concludes that, in as much as 3D printing costs and technology adoption are essential, regulatory compliance has significant role to play in ensuring the maximization of environmental sustainability in South Africa’s 3D printing industry.

As the 3D printing industry continues to gain momentum in South Africa's SME sector, issues about their financing and financial management need to be investigated. This is due to the capital-intensive nature of the business as well as the financing challenges encountered by 3D printing SMMEs. This study aimed to contribute to research on financial management practices and sources of finance as predictors of performance for 3D printing small and medium enterprises (SMMEs) in terms of profitability and increase in client base. The study adopted the interpretivist research paradigm, exploratory research design, inductive research approach and qualitative research method to achieve the objectives of the study. A total of twenty (20) 3D printing firms participated in the study. Employees and managers were purposefully selected to participate in the study. The participants comprised finance managers, senior managers and managers of the twenty (20) 3D printing firms that participated in the study. Structured interviews served as the instrument for data collection based on the objectives of the study. Data gathered from interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that effective working capital management practices boost the profitability of 3D printing SMMEs, particularly through adopting no-credit policies and hiring competent finance officers. These practices also help expand the client base by ensuring timely delivery of products and services, with customer relationship management being a strategic approach. The study also revealed that liquidity management practices significantly boost the profitability of 3D printing firms by ensuring sufficient cash flow to meet financial obligations, managing financial risks, and ensuring timely product delivery, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and contributing to growth in the customer base. The study recommends the need for 3D printing SMMEs to prioritise cash flow management and develop robust systems to monitor and control working capital components, including inventory, receivables, and payables.  

Myriad research studies across the spectrum continue to emphasize one common goal, namely, sustained desired performance/results. Such an outcome is dependent on employees’ commitment and engagement among others and is a function of astute leadership. This study aimed to contribute empirically to an understanding of and determine the effect of leadership on organizational commitment and engagement among the workforce, especially during and post-crisis. The study adopted a deductive i.e., quantitative research approach, that is descriptive in nature. It used a cross-sectional survey research design in a five-point Likert scale to randomly collect data from 220 dispatched questionnaires to participants across various sectors of the economy in the Free State Province. A total of 181 questionnaires were collected for data analysis, yielding a response rate of 82%. The standard multiple regression analysis (MRA) and interpretation were conducted to assess the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The MRA results reveal that both leadership (?= 0.332) and ownership/accountability (?= 0.346) have a positive and statistically significant (p-values <0.05) impact on organisational commitment/engagement. Leadership and ownership/accountability reflect a significant power of predictability towards organisational commitment/engagement (F = 44.106; R2= 0.361; p<0.05) of the respondents. To ensure sustained exceptional performance, advocating for a servant-leadership culture, and being fearless of being led, will most likely inspire confidence, engagement and commitment among the workforce. The study provides empirical evidence of the positive effect of leadership on commitment and engagement, confirming that these independent variables are predictors of the dependent variables namely, employee commitment and engagement.     

The focus of this study was to examine the mediating effects of operational efficiency on the relationship between budgeting practices (budget planning and budget participation) and financial performance among 3D printing SMMEs in South Africa. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. The stratified sampling technique was used to select 3D printing SMMEs in South Africa. A total of two hundred and fifty (250) managers and employees of 3D printing SMMEs formed the sample size of the study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software versions 26 and Smart PLS 4 were used to analyze the data gathered. PLS-Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the hypothesis for both direct and mediation effects. The results indicate that a significant negative relationship exists between budget planning and financial performance, as well as budget participation and financial performance. Significant positive relationships were found to exist between the following variables: budget planning and operational efficiency, budget participation and operational efficiency, and operational efficiency and financial performance. Operational efficiency was found to mediate the relationship between budget planning and financial performance as well as budget participation and financial performance. The results imply that the implementation of budgeting practices such as budget planning and budget participation in 3D printing SMME is not enough to achieve financial performance unless operational efficiency is given the utmost attention in 3D printing SMMEs in South Africa.

The antecedents of counterproductive work behaviour (CWB) in the higher education sector have remained unexamined in available literature. Moreover, the impact of job insecurity, job stress, and negative emotions on the occurrence of CWB within the academic context have hardly been interrogated. This study therefore, aimed at investigating the impact of job insecurity, job stress and negative emotions on CWB and further examining the mediating role of job stress and negative emotions in the occurrences of CWB among academics. Data was collected from 716 academics in Technical Universities in Ghana using self-reported questionnaires with close-ended questions and a convenient sampling technique. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted to verify the measurement structure of the constructs. Structural Equation Model was employed to test the hypotheses in the conceptual model. The result showed a statistically significant direct effect of job insecurity, job stress and negative emotions on the occurrence of counterproductive work behaviour among academics. It was further revealed that there is a positive relationship between job insecurity and job stress, with job stress partially mediating the relationship between job insecurity and counterproductive work behaviour. Furthermore, negative emotions acted as a partial mediator in the relationship between job stress and counterproductive work behaviour. The findings have implications for higher education institutions in taking steps to address job insecurity, job stress, and negative emotional experiences of academics to mitigate counterproductive work behaviour among academics.

This study sought to identify significant barriers to market access and marketing connections for small-scale rural farmers, evaluating the impact of demographic factors (gender, education level) and operational factors (years in farming, distance from home, type of commodity) on these constraints. The research employed a cross-sectional descriptive and inferential quantitative approach to examine the barriers to market access and marketing connections among small-scale rural farmers in Ghana's Volta area. The conceptual framework is based on a multi-theory approach. The contingency theory elucidates the significance of farm size, resource availability, and geographic location; the human capital theory delineates the impact of education level and years of farming experience; and the logistics and spatial analysis framework examines how transportation infrastructure, geographic location, and commodity type affect market access and connections. The investigation indicated that inadequate road infrastructure and elevated transportation expenses were the primary obstacles for small-scale rural farmers in accessing markets, with notable disparities based on gender and educational attainment. The commodity kind, years of cultivation, and distance from home substantially influenced limitations. The study concentrated on the Volta region, however the results are probably relevant to other regions in Ghana because of comparable agro-ecological zones and rural socio-economic traits. The rigorous research design, data collection techniques, and comprehensive analysis guarantee dependable and valid outcomes. Notwithstanding possible constraints in generalisability, the research provides comprehensive insights into the distinct issues encountered by small-scale farmers. It emphasises socio-economic factors affecting market access, illustrates the impact of farm-level contingencies on market access and linkages, identifies both diversity and uniformity among small-scale farmers, and addresses a gap in the literature by offering empirical evidence on market access constraints specific to the Volta region that may have global relevance. These contributions are significant for both academic comprehension and practical initiatives aimed at assisting small-scale rural farmers in Ghana and analogous environments worldwide.

The study aims to explore inadequate pedagogical training for higher education and strategies that could enhance effective teaching. The study adopted a constructivist paradigm and qualitative research design as it is qualitative in nature. Bandura’s social cognitive theory forms the basis for the study. The theory holds that learning occurs in a social context, interacts with the surroundings and actions, and applies the already stored schemata to acquire new knowledge. Data were generated from the critical review of the relevant literature. It was interpreted and analyzed thematically following Castle and Amanda’s five steps of thematic analysis. The results showed inadequate funding and wrong assumptions about the teaching abilities of lecturers with advanced degrees. In addition, there is also a lack of formal training programs, which contributes to the poor state of teacher training. The study revealed that enough funding and transparent lecturers’ pedagogical training structures can enhance lecturers’ teaching abilities. The study concludes that teacher training for higher education is insufficient. However, proper financial support for relevant and effective teacher training programmes could improve lecturers’ teaching skills and thus better students’ performance. The study recommends that all lecturers in higher education should go under formal teacher training. Universities should also source funds to enhance formal teacher training for novice lecturers. There should be frequent refresher courses on the latest teaching methods for gurus already in the field.

The economic vibrancy of most small communities is generally driven by Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) of different kind. Although the existence of these SMMEs tend to depend mainly on the disposition of the entrepreneur, the role of demographic variables tend to be very significant when it comes to their profitability and long-term survival. A myriad of research studies have highlighted the role of demographic characteristics. The paper aims to establish the influence of demographic variables on SMME sustainability and success. We employed a positivist research approach, which is descriptive in nature. A survey was used to collect data from 117 randomly sampled owners/managers respondents from a myriad of SMMEs in the Matjhabeng municipality in Welkom. Yielding a response rate of 69%. A regression analysis and interpretation was conducted to determine the influence of variables to each other. The regression data analysis revealed a mixed-bag of results with (i) education level, (ii) household income and (iii) consumer mobility reporting a significant relationship with SMME sustainability. Conversely, (iv) age level and (v) past work experience showed no significant relationship with SMME sustainability. To ensure sustained SMME growth and success, owner/managers must embrace and entrench a culture of investing not only in their self-development, but that of their team members/workforce as well. The study provides empirical evidence of the positive relationship between demographic variables and SMME’s sustained success and survival. Confirming that education and experience in particular are critical predictors of SMME success if investment on the most important asset, people, is given a high priority.

 Even though the role of effective human resource management, including organizational climate, has been cited as a crucial predictor of diverse employee outcomes such as employee job satisfaction, the mechanism through which the organizational climate and job satisfaction can be enhanced or diminished is underexplored in human resource literature. This study dwells on Herzberg's two-factor perspective to push the boundaries of knowledge by showing that the organizational climate-job satisfaction link depends on varying conditions of leaders' emotional intelligence. The proposed model was tested using survey data from randomly selected 602 Youth-Owned and Managed Small Businesses employees in Ghana. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling with the aid of SMART PLS. The findings revealed that organizational climate has a significant positive direct effect on job satisfaction. Emotional intelligence also exhibited a significant positive relationship with job satisfaction. Additionally, emotional intelligence positively moderated the organizational climate-job satisfaction link, such that higher emotional intelligence enhanced this relationship. The findings indicate that though organizational climate drives job satisfaction, emotional intelligence serves as an amplification mechanism to extract even greater satisfaction in small businesses in Ghana. Our findings make a contemporary contribution to Herzberg's two-factor and important managerial guidance for owners and managers of Small Businesses in resource-constrained regions like SSA.

South Africa’s additive manufacturing research has mostly concentrated on engineering and technical aspects, with a lack of studies on management and organizational dynamics. To fill this gap, we conducted research on the direct and moderating links between leader emotional intelligence, organizational emotional culture, and employee job performance in South African additive manufacturing enterprises. We used a deductive research approach, a quantitative research method, and a cross-sectional explanatory correlational study design. Our study used simple random sampling to select 148 employees of additive manufacturing firms in South Africa. Questionnaires served as the data collection instruments, and online data gathering was done using Google Forms. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 software was used for data coding, data entry, and descriptive statistics. Smart PLS 4 was used to conduct partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Modelling. Findings of the study demonstrate that a significant positive relationship exists between leader emotional intelligence and employee job performance. A significant positive relationship also exists between leader emotional intelligence and organizational emotional climate. A significant positive relationship was found to exist between organizational emotional culture and employee job performance. The finding also showed that organizational emotional culture moderates the relationship between leader emotional intelligence and employee job performance. The findings suggest that developing emotional intelligence among leaders in South African additive manufacturing enterprises could enhance both staff productivity and the organizational emotional environment. Our findings highlight the importance of prioritizing leader emotional intelligence training and development for additive manufacturing enterprises in creating a good emotional environment conducive to enhanced staff job performance.

The purpose of the study is to ascertain the influence of ecolabels in the consumption of certified green products. It explores ecolabels in Durban, hoping to gain valuable insights into ecolabels’ role in influencing the consumption of certified green products. The study employed a quantitative and a non-probability sampling method to understand the influence of ecolabels among green consumers in Durban. To ensure that the data represents the diversity of Durban consumers, a random sampling method was adopted. The data was collected using questionnaires and analysed using the IBM SPSS Version 25. The study employed a sample of 384 customers from retail malls within selected Durban suburbs. The findings revealed that consumers generally have a positive perception of ecolabels and are likely to recommend certified green products. However, the data also revealed that there is scepticism around certified green products as they are considered expensive and can perhaps be attributed to the high cost of certification, credibility issues and the cost associated with the ecolabelling. There is a potential trend towards wider acceptance, with more respondents trusting the authenticity of ecolabels than not. The study also found that older respondents and those with higher income tend to have a more positive perception of ecolabels, potentially due to higher disposable income and greater familiarity with the concept. This suggests that addressing concerns about cost and credibility could further increase positive consumer perception of ecolabels. Businesses can use these findings to develop strategies to address consumer concerns about the cost and credibility of certified green products. They can also target marketing efforts towards older demographics and higher-income consumers who are more receptive to ecolabels. Policymakers can use the findings to evaluate the effectiveness of existing ecolabeling programs and also develop strategies to increase consumer awareness and trust in ecolabels, especially younger audiences.

The problem this study investigated was high rates of school leaders’ work-related stress results with mental illness and death. The primary objective of the study was to investigate the influence of work-related stress on emotional and psychological well-being and performance of school leaders in Vulindlela Circuit.  The study was premised within interpretivism, and we used interviews qualitative technique, to elicit data from 25 secondary school leaderships about their reflections and experiences with work-related stress. The interview transcripts were analysed using NVivo version 14, a program for qualitative data analysis, analyzing the reoccurring themes and patterns of the study, supplemented with narratives. The study discovered that role conflict, role ambiguity, and overload were common workplace stressors affecting the emotional and psychological well-being of school leaderships. The findings are important because they will serve as awareness and mitigation of school leaders’ work-related stress. The study recommends the rolling out of tailormade wellness programmes that will promote mental wellness, and support well-being and stress-reduction techniques through greater task clarity. This study contributes education research on school leadership workplace stressors in Vulindlela Circuit and larger South African context, by laying the groundwork for future studies on interventions to improve school leaderships' performance and well-being.

Ghanaian universities have embraced a corporate identity and are actively participating in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which is referred to as University Social Responsibility (USR). The purpose of this is to enhance the perception of identification (organisational identity) and promote employee involvement. This research examines the effect of University Social Responsibility (USR) on the level of involvement and commitment of staff members in Ghanaian institutions. It also proposes that the sense of identity plays a role in mediating the relationship between USR and staff engagement. This study utilised a cross-sectional survey methodology. The poll utilised a two-stage multi-stage sampling procedure to choose 412 participants. The survey utilised a validated questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaire had a Cronbach's alpha coefficient (?) greater than 0.70. The data acquired from this questionnaire was customised for the survey. The data collected were configured and subjected to Structural Equation Modelling for analysis at a significance level of p<.05 using the SMART pls software. The findings indicate that identification perception does not significantly and directly predict the mediation effect of internal CSR on employee engagement (beta=0.008; t<1.96; p=0.439: p>0.05), and external CSR on employee engagement (beta=0.002; t<1.96; p=0.443: p>0.05) in the surveyed Ghanaian universities. The study concluded that the impression of identification did not operate as a mediator in the predicted association between the internal and external corporate social responsibility activities of the universities and employee engagement. According to the findings and conclusion, Ghanaian universities should take into account several elements and adopt a comprehensive approach when aiming to enhance employee job engagement. It is important not to exclusively concentrate on employee identification with the institution. It is advisable for the administration of Ghanaian institutions to develop efficient employee-focused engagement strategies and activities, both internally and externally, to boost the welfare of their workers, promote a sense of belonging, and improve overall performance.

Across the globe and particularly in the developing country settings, there has been an upsurge of interests from businesses, academics and policy-makers alike in understanding the relationship between corporate board characteristics and governance practices of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). This understanding especially in post-pandemic era would aid in formulating best policies for optimal performance of the SOEs. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of board characteristics on corporate governance practices in SOEs in Ghana. Utilizing a structured questionnaire, data was collected from employees across various SOEs and analysed through Smart-PLS structural equation modelling. The findings indicate that board demographic characteristics have a significantly positive impact on governance practices, underscoring the importance of diversity in board composition. This outcome highlights the need for SOE policymakers to prioritize board diversity to enhance governance efficacy. This research enriches the literature on corporate governance in the developing country context and has practical implications for enhancing SOE management and performance. It also provides a foundation for future research to explore the dynamics of board characteristics in different contexts.

In the current higher education environment in Ghana, universities have directed their attention towards fulfilling their social obligations, which are referred to as University Social Responsibility (USR), to both their internal and external stakeholders. This study, driven by the Stakeholders Theory, examines the premise that affective commitment serves as a positive and substantial mediator in the relationship between USR and employee engagement. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of both internal and external corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on the emotional commitment and level of involvement of employees in Ghanaian institutions. This study utilised the research onion framework to guide its methodology. It employed a cross-sectional survey design, based on the positivism paradigm and supported by the hypothetico-deductive model. The purpose was to test hypotheses and measure the relationships between user satisfaction and staff engagement, with affective commitment acting as a mediator. The study was conducted within the context of Ghanaian universities.  A two-stage stratified sampling method was utilised to choose 412 participants for the survey. The data collected via a 5-point Likert scale empirically validated questionnaire with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (?) > 0.70 was adapted for the survey. The data collected were configured and subjected to Structural Equation Modelling for analysis at a significance level of p<.05 using the SMART pls software. This survey found that affective commitment is a statistically significant factor that directly explains and predicts the mediation effect of internal CSR on employee engagement (beta=0.217; t>1.96; p=0.000: p<0.05), and external CSR on employee engagement (beta=0.065; t>1.96; p=0.000: p<0.05) in Ghanaian universities enrolled in the survey. This study recommends that public and private universities in Ghana should foster a strong sense of commitment and loyalty among employees towards the organisation and its CSR efforts.

Service quality and customer retention remain essential issues in the service sector. This research delves into unravelling the complex relationships between the facets of the SERVQUAL model (reliability, responsiveness, tangibility, assurance, and empathy) and the retention of hotel customers in less-urban areas of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey of 450 customers of hotels in the Volta Region produced data for descriptive and regression analyses using Smart PLS 4. The results show that service quality was rated moderately, only assurance and empathy significantly affect customer retention, while tangibility, reliability, and responsiveness do not. Generalizability of our findings to other regions of Ghana and elsewhere might be questioned because the study was limited to only one region. However, this seeming limitation provides novelty and value in several ways. Firstly, while SERVQUAL is widely used, its application to less-urban geographical areas like the Volta Region is uncommon. Moreover, the study provides a deeper understanding of how service quality affects customer retention by focusing on a specific, narrow regional area. Further, by differing from the usual broader hospitality research, this distinctive approach offers valuable insights into local customers' unique preferences and behaviours that larger-scale studies may overlook.