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The main aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of different leadership styles on the performance of organisations in the banking sector of South Africa. The outcomes are expected to be utilised in order to construct leadership development initiatives, which will facilitate the cultivation of leadership competencies that contribute to the success of a company. The research conducted a synthesis of 50 empirical studies through the use of secondary source content analysis. A one-sample t-test was used to assess the presence of a statistically significant association between organisational success and a manager's lifestyle. A unidirectional analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine the correlation between different leadership styles and organisational performance. The Pearson's Correlation Coefficient was employed to examine the correlation between leadership styles and organisational performance. Research has confirmed that Transformational leadership has a positive impact on financial success, customer satisfaction, and staff engagement. Transformational leaders foster innovation and exceptional performance through their inspiring vision and tailored assistance. Transactional leadership ensures operational stability and adherence to regulations, but it does not have a substantial impact on staff engagement and innovation. Servant leadership emphasises the establishment of a supportive work environment through the enhancement of staff morale and customer service. An optimal approach for enhancing organisational performance in the South African Banking sector is to adopt a well-rounded strategy that incorporates transformational, transactional, and servant leadership principles. The Transformational leadership style has been determined to be the most effective in the banking sector, as it has shown the highest improvement in organisational performance. Banks executives and managers should consider embracing transformational leadership, cultivating innovation, and allocating resources towards staff development.

Even with the urgent need for public universities to transform into entrepreneurial universities in Botswana, very little is known especially in developing countries such as Botswana on what it takes to transform. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the critical success factors for the creation of entrepreneurial universities in Botswana. Our core research question asks: What are the critical success factors for the transformation of public universities into entrepreneurial universities? The study used a descriptive literature review methodology to collect secondary data. A data set of 150 articles were reviewed which dated from 1987 to 2024. Data sources identified were books, academic journals, academic papers, technical reports, theses, articles, and working papers from reputable academic databases such as Scopus, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, Web of Science, ProQuest, Research Gate, Scientific Research Publishing and Wiley. The study revealed four main success factors in creating entrepreneurial universities - strategic, internal, environmental and external. The study underscored the need for resources, entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial leadership and entrepreneurial culture in the creation of an entrepreneurial university. Moreover, flexible governance structure, enterprise support policies, role model and reward system, entrepreneurial architecture and collaborations with stakeholders were also highlighted as crucial for a successful transformation of public universities into entrepreneurial universities. The study further revealed that the transformation requires external support mechanisms from government, industry, and regional interventions. Consequently, creating an entrepreneurial university requires a collective effort between the university itself, government, industry and regional interventions. The implication is that public universities should forge partnerships and synergies with external stakeholders to transform into entrepreneurial universities. In light of the above, the study recommends the adoption of a quadruple helix model in creating entrepreneurial universities. Future research is recommended to fully evaluate the efficacy of the quadruple helix model in the development of an entrepreneurial university. The study contributes to the body of knowledge and global debates surrounding the creation of entrepreneurial universities.

The number of new HIV cases worldwide has gradually declined; however, South African adolescent females and young women continue to account for the most infections. Although the availability and accessibility of antiretroviral drugs have improved the survival rates of women, some still transmit HIV to their children despite the availability of HIV prevention interventions, resulting in a dual responsibility for the care of themselves and their infected children. This study aims to explore the challenges experienced by caregivers of HIV-infected children in Limpopo Province. The study employed qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive designs, and data was collected from 12 caregivers through semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Tesch’s eight steps of analysis. The study identified three challenges facing caregivers of HIV-positive children. Caregivers struggled with disclosure and stigma, finding it difficult to reveal the child's HIV status. The burden of care was significant, including the management of the child's unstable health, ensuring compliance with treatment, and attending frequent hospital visits. The unemployment rate posed a financial burden, particularly in arranging hospital travel costs and providing adequate nutrition to HIV-infected children. These challenges highlight the need for increased support for caregivers of HIV-infected children, including education and awareness campaigns to reduce stigma. Policymakers should consider providing financial support to caregivers. A holistic, multisectoral approach involving healthcare, education, social services, and policymakers is essential.

In response to unemployment and socio-economic challenges in the South Africa's higher education institutions introduces entrepreneurship education (EE) with the aim to create sustainable job opportunities. However, higher education (HE) struggles to integrate EE within the university programmes and make it as practical as possible. Furthermore, fostering entrepreneurial mindset and intentions among students is not an easy task. The primary objective of this conceptual paper is to examine the level of entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions among the students within the South African higher education. We used qualitative case study methodology, to purposive select 30 articles using a google scholar search engine. The paper was driven by three research questions, namely, what is the level of entrepreneurship education among students in South African higher education? What are the entrepreneurial intentions of these students? Does the design of the EE curriculum foster students' entrepreneurial mindset and intentions? The findings identified a need to curriculum transformation that integrate EE across various disciples; not just a stand-alone module that fails to foster a broad-based entrepreneurial mindset. Furthermore, the findings shows that policy support and infrastructural development should be geared towards the growth and sustainability of EE programs and launching of innovation hubs and other support structures within universities to provide practical EE experiences.

This paper aims to evaluate the different financial reporting guidelines used by governing bodies in public schools across 9 provinces. Therefore, developing an integrated financial reporting framework to improve accountability by SGBs that can be used by public schools in South Africa. This situation motivates the researcher to explore the lack financial reporting by SGBs in section 21 schools. The study also aimed to make recommendations to all stakeholders on how integrated financial reporting can promote accountability and transparency. The target population consisted of 56 section 21 schools in KwaZulu Natal province. A mixed methods approach was employed, and a questionnaire was developed and sent to participants using monkey survey. In addition, principals were interviewed one on one online using Microsoft Teams. SPSS version 25 was used to analyse the data, generating table and bar graphs. The findings revealed that the department of basic education should formulate the audit committee to monitor and evaluate financial statements of section 21 schools. The independent auditors should report back to the department of basic education not to the SGB to promote transparency and accountability. The study recommends that the current financial reporting structure can be improve by adopting integrated financial reporting framework where all stakeholders are actively involved. The Auditor General should audit the independent audit that are auditing section 21 schools and give an annual report on their performance.

There is a scarcity of research on the analysis of thresholds of official development assistance (ODA), foreign direct investment (FDI), and economic growth in Africa. Most of the studies focused on analysing the correlation between official development assistance (ODA) or foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic growth. This study stands out from others by adopting a comprehensive approach to analyse the threshold analysis of ODA, FDI, and economic growth in many countries on a continental scale. We examine the threshold for ODA, FDI, and economic growth by analysing annual data from 1980 to 2018 in 30 African countries. The primary method used for the estimation was the panel threshold regression approach. The threshold analysis test assessed the impact of ODA, FDI, and economic growth. The current study utilised threshold analysis and found a positive coefficient of 0.0620, indicating a favourable correlation between FDI and economic growth. On the contrary, the negative coefficient of 0.0683 shows a detrimental correlation between ODA and economic growth. Therefore, officials must enforce the level of ODA that is necessary to stimulate FDI and foster economic growth in Africa. Furthermore, it is crucial for authorities to implement a monitoring system to closely monitor these thresholds and adjust the policy accordingly in response to changing economic situations. The findings of this study will not only contribute to academic discourse, but will also provide vital perspectives for politicians, practitioners, enterprises, and foreign investors on how to effectively implement policies that stimulate economic growth and attract foreign investment in Africa. Furthermore, this study offers recommendations for further research in the domain of international capital flows.

This autoethnographic (AE) paper draws directly from a national collaborative project called the New Academics Transitioning into Higher Education Project (NATHEP), which is funded by the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG). We adopted evocative and narrative AE methodology to confront, interrogate, and uncover our own biases, assumptions, and preconceptions of induction before NATHEP, how it is now, and how it should be understood and conducted after being part of the NATHEP project. Our AE showcases our critical and reflective thoughts on the learning acquired throughout the journey, consciously and intentionally asking ourselves whether the NATHEP journey was worth it and how it benefitted the induction programme we conceptualised and implemented. Through a combined autoethnography study design and technique, we were able to gather qualitative data from the two of us and present it as written reflective narratives. Together, we developed an open-ended questionnaire in which we asked questions that sought to elicit our experiences throughout the journey as a way of reflecting on the overall learning acquired by being part of the NATHEP project. Our responses and narratives are reflectively and thematically analysed to make sense of how we interpret our eventful NATHEP journey thus far. We conclude and submit that this paper has implications for academic development practice and academic developers who aspire to be reflective practitioners, constantly reflecting on their practices to dismantle and disrupt cultural tendencies in their quest to transform their context of work and induction practices.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the adoption of responsible business practices concerning economic, environmental and social principles, is a tool to develop market value for various stakeholder groups. CSR can create several competitive advantages and should not be seen as a cost, but as a strategic initiative to aid organisations in competing in the market. Effective internal CSR communication to employees enhances an organisation’s corporate identity (CI) – ultimately affecting employees’ attitudes and behaviour. This paper aims to explore South African retail employees’ perceptions of internal CSR communication methods used by their organisations. A dataset of 229 employees participated by completing a computer-aided self-administered survey, which was distributed via LinkedIn. The main findings of the study indicate that employees perceived their organisations to make use of e-mail communication, internal newsletters, web and social media platforms to communicate with them regarding CSR, indicating that other internal communication platforms such as intranet or internal meetings can be utilised more to communicate with employees.

Abstract Although significant research has already been conducted on the intricacies of the criminal record in South Africa and internationally, literature points to a disjuncture between research and policy, especially around topics relating to access to higher education (HE) and admission to professional registration councils by formerly incarcerated students (FIS) with a criminal record. This qualitative case study incorporated a discourse analysis approach to determine the tone of 23 policy documents. In addition, twelve participants were purposefully sampled to share their lived experiences regarding the regulation and reintegration of FIS when applying for admission to HE and professional registration councils and potential employment upon completion of their studies. The findings indicate that the construction of legal documents and application forms allows higher education institutions and professional registration councils to access students' personal data, such as their criminal records. This leads to implementing measures that exclude certain individuals, which in turn obstructs the effective social reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals into the workforce. The study recommends the implementation of a South African research-based HE policy aimed at addressing the systemic injustices that regulate the simultaneous admission and rejection of FIS when applying to access HE and admission to professional registration councils. Keywords: higher education, professional registration councils, criminal record checks, offender reintegration, South Africa.

The aim of this paper is to assess intergovernmental relations in the implementation of social housing policy in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Despite all mechanisms, efforts and resources, the pace of social housing delivery is not at a point where it is measurably satisfactory across all spheres of government. The performance of government shows a lack of institutionalised arrangements, coordination, and alignment in implementing social housing policy. A mixed-methods research approach was implemented. Interviews were conducted with senior managers and research questionnaires were administered with operational staff within the national, provincial government and the three metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng Province which included City of Tshwane, City of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, state agencies involved in the delivery of social housing units and municipal social housing institutions, private and non-governmental social housing entities. The data were complemented by documentary content analysis pertaining to the provision of human settlements and social housing. The paper acknowledges the role played by government in implementing social housing policy, however, it proposes a model to fast track social housing delivery in Gauteng Province.

The study seeks to explore the interrelatedness around the naming of children in the traditional societies of Southern Africa. Traditionally, among the Vhavenda, Vatsonga, Bapedi, Xhosa, Zulu, Swati and other various African cultures in Southern Africa, it was the duty of the grandparents to name their grandchildren. The naming was largely influenced by the events which occurred in the family. The study was conducted first to establish the interrelatedness in the naming of children among the multicultural context of traditional societies of Southern Africa, secondly to determine whether the naming has implications to the behaviour and character of the child while they grow. Senior citizens who are knowledgeable were interviewed on what were considered in the naming process and what are the cultural values that are attached to this process. Data was collected using semi structured interviews and analysed thematically. Afrocentric theory was utilised as the basis for the research findings.  The research findings were of paramount importance around some of the individual names among different cultures and the implications of the behaviour of a child when he grows. The paper recommends the reimagining of the spirituality around some individuals names and the naming process, the revival of the traditional naming process is meant for cultural heritage preservation.

A recurring theme in the literature and discussion of stock market analysis is the concept of the January effect which essentially implies buy in December and sell in January. The January effect is based on the perceived seasonality trend where short term investors hope to take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity between December and January. However, this perceived anomaly continues is seen as a myth and has been strongly rejected by many market participants in the current dispensation. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the January effect in the Nikkei 225, JSE, CAC 40, DAX, and the NASDAQ Index from February 2019 to February 2024. A F-test statistics was used to explore the phenomenon. The findings indicated that there is no significant difference between the realised returns in January and those of the other month for the most recent five years. This led to the conclusion that, while the January effect may have been observed, it is no longer evident in financial markets, hence market participants should avoid using this type of arbitrage approach because it may result in massive losses

The efficient market hypothesis assumes that financial markets fully incorporate all available information, rendering past information irrelevant for predicting future prices. However, numerous studies challenge this notion and suggest the presence of long-term memory in market dynamics. Understanding long-term memory in financial markets has important implications for investors and policymakers. The aim of this study was to empirically investigate long term memory in financial markets. This study employed a Hurst model for a sample of 5 financial markets from June 1, 2018, to June 1, 2023. The findings revealed that four out of the five sampled financial market exhibits long term memory which challenges the efficient market hypothesis concept. Therefore, portfolio managers and active market participants can utilize long-term memory to optimize asset allocation decisions by considering the persistent effects of past returns and adjust portfolio weights to take advantage of potential return predictability and manage risk.

There has been a proliferation of numerous investment strategies over the years, but one strategy is perceived to have stood the test of time. Investing in the foreseeable future is favored by many successful long-term investors which focus on maintaining a long-term investment horizon. Investing in the long term involves purchasing assets and holding onto them for an extended period, regardless of short-term market fluctuations. Exploring the benefits of this method can help investors make informed selections and build a disciplined investment mindset to achieve their financial goals. The goal of this study was to empirically evaluate the merits of a purchase and hold strategy in financial markets because of its perceived considerable influence on active market players. A Sharpe ratio was utilized for six financial markets from June 13, 2018, to June 13, 2023. The findings revealed that market participants can achieve a sustainable return by simply maintaining a long-term view of their portfolios. This was evident in the Nasdaq, CAC 40 and Nikkei 225. Upon selecting a particular risk tolerance and investment horizon, market participants may earn significant returns on their portfolios.

This article explores some of the shortcomings of the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) in regulating and   effecting control over the Private Security Industry (PSI) in South Africa. In South Africa, all Private Security companies must comply with PSIRA by registering as security providers, however this study revealed a non-compliance.  This shortcoming is demonstrated by fly-by-night security companies that provide security services at shopping centres and shopping malls particularly in the parking areas who fail to comply with PSIRA in terms of registration. The main aim of this research was to analyse whether the PSCs comply with the regulatory framework as per the Private Security Industry Regulation Act 56 of 2001 in South Africa in Gauteng Province.   A qualitative research design was applied to determine whether PSIRA enforces compliance as per regulatory framework and to establish whether the current private security service providers are registered with PSIRA. The population of the study involved security managers and owners of the private security companies in South Africa.  The findings revealed that there is non- compliance to PSIRA by Security providers. It is recommended that the regulator be capacitated with resources to improve its compliance.

In some parts of the Vhembe District in Limpopo Province of South Africa, vandalism is becoming a serious problem, and solutions are not easy to find. Vandalism has had a variety of negative impacts on livestock farmers. A few studies have studied the concept of vandalism, but studies employing empirical models to determine the factors that are of significance to vandalism are conspicuously rare, if not absent. This paper investigated factors of significance to on-farm infrastructural vandalism in the Musekwa Valley of the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province. The study used a mixed method approach and collected data using a cross-cultural semi structured questionnaire instrument translated from English into the native Tshivenda. Data were collected from fifty-five (n=55) purposively selected primary participants who were interviewed using face to face approach. Additional data were collected through key informant interviews administered on purposively selected key informants (n = 4), focus group discussions were done, and transect walks were employed for observation purposes. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to the data, and the following factors emerged as significant to vandalism: age, gender, education level, ownership of cattle, exposure to information, household expenditure, and reporting of incidents of vandalism to authorities. It is recommended that a community-based approach is adopted to find solutions to the problem of vandalism, to avoid a top-down approach that residents might undermine.

Technological development has witnessed tremendous and an increase in business interactions as they execute their daily business. Information technology and broadband are significant drivers of productivity and efficiency growth for small firms as they expand their market. This development has raised growing concerns as it relates to data and information security, infrastructure, and related resources  due to an increase in cybersecurity hazards faced  by Small to Medium Enterprises globally. In South Africa, although, during the first four months of 2022, cyber-attacks decreased by 13% to account for 419506 internet attacks, this statistic remains high enough for concern. To counter escalating cybersecurity risks, organizations must have a cybersecurity strategy to safeguard their operations, clients, data, and infrastructure. The threat landscape is changing over time, and despite ongoing attempts to strengthen security, they don't appear to be enough to prevent evolving cyberattacks. The study aims to identify cybersecurity threats facing Small to Medium Enterprises in South Africa by reviewing the literature and identifying key Cybersecurity challenges. It also examines the strategies, resources, and techniques used in South Africa to reduce cybersecurity threats. Lastly, the paper recommends adopting a comprehensive Cybersecurity strategy to build future-proof cybersecurity for Small to Medium Enterprises in South Africa.

The involvement of families and communities in healthcare services by healthcare providers enhances accountability towards the community they serve. Guardians need to be involved in the integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI) to improve child health outcomes. The study aimed to explore challenges experienced by nurses regarding the involvement of guardians in the management of childhood illnesses in the Vhembe district. A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive design was followed in this study. Fifteen participants were purposefully selected for the study. One-on-one interviews following a semi-structured interview guide were conducted face-to-face with the participants. A voice recorder was used to record the interviews. Data analysis was done following Tesch's eight steps. Trustworthiness was ensured throughout the study. The study yielded two themes, namely: guardians-related challenges, which are lack of knowledge and understanding of IMCI, language barrier and lack of continuity of care and healthcare service-related challenges, which are lack of human resource, staff attitude towards the IMCI strategy, shortage of material resource and erratic water supply. For the strategy to be effective in reducing the complications of childhood illnesses and child mortality, the government needs to avail the required resources and develop measures to empower guardians in child health management.  

The main aim of this study is to explore challenges faced by learners who are survivors of school violence and the implications for support structures. Many schools are branded with violence, gangsterism, substance abuse and general crime. The scourge of violence in schools is cause for concern, citing daily reports that appear in the written and electronic media about high levels of violence, physical and sexual abuse, and gang-related activities in schools. Qualitative research design and phenomenology as a mode of inquiry were employed in this study. School principals' and teachers' experiences and perceptions were elicited through focus-group interviews, document reviews, and observations. The population comprised principals and teachers in five schools. Purposive sampling was used as a method of sample selection. The findings revealed that support is key, and lack of support can negatively impact learners’ access to schools and academic achievement in many ways. It was also found that most learners who leave school prematurely, through the fear of violence, do not report when they leave. The study recommended that support must be provided promptly, and parents, teachers, and caregivers must be capacitated to offer effective and efficient support.

This paper explored the causes of challenges of learner support in the foundation phase in Ekurhuleni South district. The goal of the study is to comprehend the fundamental causes of the challenges in delivering effective instruction to students. A purposive sampling technique was employed to choose fourteen teachers to participate in the study. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were the two techniques employed to gather data. Moreover, data analysis was done using qualitative content analysis. Two factors that contribute to difficulties with student support are teacher shortages and crammed classrooms. Together, these difficulties show how important it is for teachers, department heads, and members of the community at large to work diligently and together to remove these obstacles and create an inclusive learning environment where every student has an equal opportunity to succeed. Teachers must complete inclusive education training to confidently carry out the SIAS policy processes, which include screening, identification, assessment, and the provision and monitoring of support during teaching and learning in the classroom. It is essential to provide adequate classroom space through infrastructure development and wise resource allocation to create an environment that promotes the hiring of student support instructors and the provision of the greatest possible help to students.