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This systematic review examines how organisational culture (OC) influences organisational change in developing countries, addressing a literature gap concentrated in Western, high-income contexts. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we analysed 35 studies published between 2000 and 2025, spanning healthcare, manufacturing, higher education, public administration, and finance across 15 developing nations. The synthesis employed thematic analysis guided by the Competing Values Framework and institutional theory. Results indicate that organisational culture operates as a contingent mediator rather than a uniform driver or barrier. Clan culture consistently facilitates change through empowerment, trust, and participative decision-making. Conversely, a hierarchy culture typically impedes implementation through centralised authority, information hoarding, and suppressed psychological safety. Adhocracy and market cultures produce context-dependent effects, moderated by sectoral constraints and managerial practices. National cultural dimensions, political interference, and resource scarcity significantly moderate these relationships, often neutralising formal change policies. The findings demonstrate that change management practices mediate the culture-outcome link but require multi-level alignment to succeed. This review contributes a contextual model for OC-change dynamics, extending Western frameworks by showing that hierarchy in developing contexts is frequently an institutionalised norm rather than a managerial preference. Practically, the study provides evidence-based guidance for diagnosing cultural fit, adapting change strategies to national realities, and addressing systemic resource constraints.

Cross-sector fraud between South Africa’s financial and telecommunications sectors has intensified, driven by sophisticated criminal networks that exploit operational disparities between these industries. Traditional fraud detection systems, which depend on centralised data sharing and siloed organisational structures, encounter substantial legal and practical obstacles under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). These include restrictions on cross-entity data transfer, data minimisation requirements, and transparency obligations for automated decision-making. This study developed and evaluated a privacy-preserving framework that integrates Federated Learning (FL) and Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) to enable collaborative fraud detection while safeguarding customer privacy and ensuring regulatory compliance. A mixed-method approach was employed. Quantitative experiments were conducted on a dataset of 35,675 credit card transactions linked to telecommunications parameters, training a federated global model across simulated financial and telecommunications providers. A qualitative systematic literature review identified key barriers to cross-sector collaboration and distilled lessons from prior Federated Learning and Explainable Artificial Intelligence implementations. The federated model demonstrated strong detection performance, achieving a ROC-AUC of 0.98, near-perfect precision and recall for legitimate transactions, and an F1-score of 0.89 for the minority fraud class, all without exchanging raw customer data between institutions. SHAP analysis identified TransactionAmt and card1 as the most influential features, thereby satisfying POPIA's transparency mandates. While federated approaches did not consistently surpass siloed models in raw accuracy, this marginal trade-off reflects the essential privacy-utility equilibrium required for legal compliance. The framework effectively reconciled collective security with individual privacy, confirming that POPIA adherence need not diminish detection efficacy. This study provides a validated blueprint for financial and telecommunications providers in South Africa to collaboratively counter cross-sector fraud within regulatory constraints. The framework further supports audit trail generation and decision rationales, addressing compliance obligations. Drawing on systematic literature review insights, particularly regarding collaboration barriers and prior Federated Learning and Explainable Artificial Intelligence implementations, the findings offer regulators and investors practical guidance for meeting statutory requirements without compromising privacy rights.

Globalisation has intensified cultural diversity within organisations, foregrounding cultural intelligence as an essential capability for effective functioning in multicultural work environments. This is particularly salient in South Africa, widely recognised as one of the most culturally diverse societies in the world. This article explores the role of cultural intelligence in promoting psychological well-being within South African organisations. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study involved twelve employees working in culturally diverse organisational contexts. Data were collected through one-on-one telephonic interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that cultural intelligence plays a pivotal role in facilitating psychological well-being by enhancing interpersonal understanding, reducing cross-cultural conflict, and fostering inclusive and supportive work environments. Participants highlighted cultural intelligence as a critical individual and organisational competency that enables employees to navigate cultural differences more effectively, thereby contributing to emotional resilience, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. The article argues that deliberate investment in the development of cultural intelligence across all organisational levels is imperative, as it not only promotes psychological well-being but may also strengthen organisational effectiveness and sustainability in culturally diverse contexts.

The study focused on Sustainable adoption of cryptocurrencies for enhancing financial stability in emerging markets. The problem of the study is lack of awareness on the use of cryptocurrency resulted in many transacting people losing their money to scam and criminals who use fraudulent methods to deprive those with little knowledge to transact through the cryptocurrency. The specific objectives of the study are to; establish the factors influencing the adoption of cryptocurrencies for enhancing financial stability emerging markets, analyse the opportunities and challenges for the adoption of cryptocurrencies in emerging markets, establish strategies for enhancing financial stability through the adoption of cryptocurrencies in emerging markets. The research study is guided by the Technology Acceptance Model by Davis, (1989). the findings of the research indicated that the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use showed positive association on the intention to use cryptocurrencies. The ease and usefulness of cryptocurrencies was found in fulfilling various roles including making instant international money transfer, transacting at low charges, using it as an alternative source of currency, making free anonymous transaction and paying for the online service that accept cryptocurrencies. The results indicate that higher inflation and increased exchange rate volatility are positively associated with greater use of cryptocurrencies, explaining that such economic conditions drive individuals to seek alternative financial instruments. The study concluded that, the adoption of cryptocurrency is important for enhancing financial inclusion amongst people of different walks of life in emerging markets. The adoption of cryptocurrency by the emerging markets is significant in maintaining financial stability and reduce the erosion of the local currencies in emerging markets.

In Southern African higher education, gender-based violence (GBV) is still a major public health and human rights issue that has a significant impact on students' psychological health, academic achievement, and life paths. Integrative frameworks that direct the successful implementation of prevention and support programs in line with social and emotional learning (SEL) are lacking, despite rising prevalence. To close this gap, this study offers a conceptual framework for examining variables that affect how the Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relationships program is implemented in academic settings. It promotes a comprehensive strategy that incorporates pastoral care and psychological support by drawing on interdisciplinary viewpoints. Pastoral care uses techniques like story counseling and logotherapy to support meaning-making, spiritual resilience, and identity rebuilding while psychological interventions concentrate on emotional healing. The study highlights the significance of pastoral care in fostering justice-oriented, life-affirming interpretations by critically examining cultural and religious narratives that may sustain gender inequity through the application of theological viewpoints. In the end, it advocates for interdisciplinary, survivor-centered, contextually grounded institutional responses that go beyond policy commitments to address the existential as well as structural aspects of GBV.

This systematic review examines artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital transformation in mathematics education as a strategic business ecosystem issue rather than only a classroom technology concern. The objective is to synthesise how AI-supported pedagogies create educational value, what ecosystem risks accompany adoption, and which organisational capabilities and governance conditions enable responsible implementation. Guided by PRISMA 2020 principles, peer-reviewed empirical and conceptual studies published between 2018 and 2025 were identified from Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Education Source and Google Scholar. A total of 3,241 records were initially retrieved; after duplicate removal, screening and full-text eligibility assessment, 203 studies were included for structured extraction, quality appraisal and thematic synthesis. The evidence was analysed through a business ecosystem lens focusing on value co-creation, stakeholder interdependence, digital governance, teacher capability, infrastructure readiness and equity. The findings show that AI tools can strengthen adaptive practice, formative feedback, diagnostic analytics, multimodal representation and teacher decision-making when they are embedded in coherent institutional strategies. However, strategic value is weakened by digital inequality, data privacy risks, algorithmic opacity, cognitive offloading, platform dependence, weak curriculum alignment and insufficient teacher capability. The study contributes an ecosystem strategy framework that positions AI as a pedagogical and organisational mediator within a network of learners, teachers, institutions, technology providers, policy bodies, infrastructure actors and communities. It concludes that AI adoption in mathematics education should be strategy-led, ethically governed and capability-driven. Sustainable value creation requires inclusive infrastructure, teacher professional development, data governance, assessment redesign, transparent procurement and partnerships that protect educational equity while enabling innovation in resource-constrained and digitally uneven contexts.

The rapid evolution of digital technologies necessitates a transformative approach to accounting education, particularly in developing countries. Building on Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) foundational assertion that there is no universally accepted method for integrating technology into the educational curricula, this study proposes a TPACK-Bloom’s Taxonomy framework to articulate how technology enhances learning in accounting education. TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) offers a multidimensional lens for aligning technological tools with pedagogical strategies and disciplinary content, ensuring that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics are contextually and instructionally relevant. Bloom’s Taxonomy complements this by structuring cognitive development across six hierarchical levels, ranging from remembering to creating, within technology-enhanced learning environments. Together, these two frameworks provide a versatile tool for designing curriculum interventions that foster digital literacy, critical thinking, and professional competence. This study makes three key contributions to the literature. First, it bridges the gap between technology adoption and pedagogical effectiveness by linking digital tools to cognitive learning outcomes. Second, it contributes to human capital development by promoting the integration of technical, cognitive, and digital competencies. Third, it supports organisational transformation by offering a practical, scalable approach to technology-enhanced learning in resource-constrained contexts.

Decent work has become an impetus behind business success and a critical factor for boosting job satisfaction and for alleviating deviant behaviour in the workplace. This study sought to examine the consequences of decent work perception on employee job satisfaction and workplace deviance among casual workers in Zimbabwe transport industry. The study adopted a qualitative research approach embedded in interpretivism paradigm and multiple case-study design. The findings revealed that casual employees experience indecent work characterized by unfair remuneration, job insecurity, and limited employee representation and limited time to rest which affects their overall satisfaction with work. Job dissatisfaction was also found to positively influence negative workplace deviance. An important implication of this study is the need for bus operator companies to understand the value of fostering decent work if they are to have satisfied employees who would be loyal to the organisation and contribute meaningfully to the organisation’s bottom-line. The study is expected to contribute to empirical evidence on the consequences of decent work on job satisfaction and workplace deviance and provide recommendations to human resource practitioners on the essence of addressing workplace deviance and boosting employee job satisfaction through upholding decent work standards in the workplace.

This paper examined the connectedness between Copper returns and major cryptocurrency returns, with particular attention to their predictive ability and their roles in diversification and risk transmission across varying market conditions and investment horizons. In this study, it is also aimed to evaluate how these relationships evolve across different quantiles and frequency domains, thereby capturing both distributional asymmetries and time-dependent dynamics. We employed a hybrid analytical approach combining Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Quantile-on-Quantile Regression to decompose the return series and estimate dependence structures across multiple quantiles and time scales. A dataset comprising daily observations of copper and selected cryptocurrencies, Cardano (ADA), Binance Coin (BNB), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), TRON (TRX), Tether (USDT), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Ripple (XRP), covering the period from 17 September 2014 to 17 April 2026 was analysed. The main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) short-term connectedness between copper and cryptocurrencies is generally weak, indicating limited immediate transmission of shocks; (ii) medium- and long-term results reveal stronger and more structured dependence, with certain cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin and Binance Coin, exhibiting notable predictive influence on copper returns alongside time-varying co-movements; and finally (iii) the relationship is highly state-dependent, with stronger and asymmetric spillovers emerging during extreme market conditions, suggesting that cryptocurrencies primarily serve as diversifiers rather than consistent hedges. These results highlight the dynamic nature of the cryptocurrency–copper nexus and provide important implications for portfolio diversification, risk management, and financial market monitoring in increasingly interconnected global markets.

This paper examined the connectedness between silver returns and major cryptocurrencies, with particular attention to their predictive ability and their roles as hedging, safe-haven, and diversification instruments across varying market conditions and investment horizons. In this paper, it is also aimed to evaluate how these relationships evolve across different quantiles and frequency domains, thereby capturing both distributional asymmetries and time-dependent dynamics. We employed a hybrid analytical approach combining Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and Quantile-in-Quantile Regression to decompose the return series and estimate dependence structures across multiple quantiles and time scales. A dataset comprising daily observations of silver and selected cryptocurrencies, Cardano (ADA), Binance Coin (BNB), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), TRON (TRX), Tether (USDT), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Ripple (XRP), covering the period from 17 September 2014 to 17 April 2026 was analysed. The main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) the short-term connectedness between silver and cryptocurrencies is generally weak and statistically insignificant, suggesting limited immediate transmission of shocks between the two markets; (ii) the medium- and long-term results reveal stronger and more structured dependence, with cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin and Binance Coin, exhibiting notable predictive influence on silver returns, alongside evidence of time-varying co-movements; and finally (iii) the nature of the relationship is markedly state-dependent, as certain cryptocurrencies display hedging or diversification benefits under specific market conditions, while others exhibit mixed or asymmetric effects, especially during periods of extreme market stress. The findings indicate that the cryptocurrency–silver nexus is dynamic and evolves across both time horizons and market states, offering delicate implications for portfolio diversification, risk management, and financial market monitoring in an increasingly interconnected global environment.

This paper aims to explore how service quality mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and non-financial performance in Zimbabwe's tourism centres.  The study further examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and non-financial performance of tourism centres in Zimbabwe. Furthermore, the paper investigates the relationship between service quality and non-financial performance of tourism centres in Zimbabwe. Using a positivist paradigm, quantitative methods, and a sample of 549 respondents, data were collected via self-administered questionnaires and analysed with SPSS 29 and Amos 24 software. Main findings of the study demonstrate that  (i) emotional intelligence significantly enhance non-financial performance of tourism centres in Zimbabwe (ii) service quality has a statistical significance impact, but it negatively correlates with non-financial performance of tourism centres and finally (iii) service quality does not mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and non-financial performance of tourism centres in Zimbabwe relationship. These findings imply that managers should prioritise emotional intelligence directly rather than relying on service quality improvements alone. Policy recommendations include enhancing human capital, encouraging financial institutions to support tourism ventures, and integrating emotional intelligence and service quality into training curricula to foster better performance across Zimbabwe’s tourism sector.

This paper examined the effect of TQM on environmental performance (EP) and the mediating role of innovation (INN) in this relationship. We employed a quantitative research method and collected cross-sectional data from 320 SMEs in the food and beverages manufacturing industry OF Ghana. We further utilised PLS-SEM to analyse the data collected. The main results revealed that TQM has a favourable and substantial impact on EP (β = 0.812, p-value = 0.000) and on INN (β = 0.771, p-value = 0.000). Additionally, INN has a favourable and substantial impact on EP (β = 0.163, p-value = 0.000), and, finally, INN partially mediates the direct link between TQM and EP (β = 0.126, p-value = 0.000). However, this mediating effect was strongly influenced by continuous improvement, employee involvement and product innovation. Therefore, SMEs in the food and beverages manufacturing sector should consider investing more in continuous improvement and employee involvement initiatives. Also, pay close attention to and adapt to changes in taste and market trends related to their products.

The study examined the critical approach adopted by entrepreneurship and policy development in promoting socio-economic development. In this review. It also looked at the difficulties small, micro, and medium-sized businesses in South Africa face. The conceptual research looked at the influence of small, micro, and medium-sized companies (SMMEs) on South African development. The study's objective was to evaluate how small, medium-sized businesses (SMMEs) are now driving economic growth and solving social issues in a setting where big businesses and governments appear to be doing very little. As a result, the study examines how SMMEs might help the nation solve persistent societal evils, including poverty, inequality, and social isolation. A desktop literature review research design was adopted to collect data on the role of entrepreneurship in South Africa. The study further looks at policies and practices of big business and government that exacerbate social issues in communities and impede socio-economic development, as well as the specific roles that SMMEs play in achieving socio-economic development goals. The findings reveal that, among various developmental outcomes, SMMEs are at the forefront of generating employment and promoting social and political justice within the nation. Future empirical studies should account for and evaluate the importance of SMME contributions to constructing economic, social, and political justice in the nation.

Digitalisation is increasingly promoted as a catalyst for agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and market integration. However, there is limited systematic analysis of how digital agricultural transformation unfolds within South Africa’s institutional and socio-economic context. This study examines the trajectory, drivers, and governance implications of digitalisation in South African agriculture. Anchored in an integrated Socio-Technical Systems and Digital Agriculture Ecosystem framework, the study applies a structured qualitative document analysis of 82 academic and policy documents published between 2013 and 2025. The findings reveal highly uneven digital adoption patterns that reflect a structural dualism between capital-intensive commercial agriculture and resource-constrained smallholder systems. While South Africa has developed a relatively advanced digital policy architecture, implementation fragmentation, infrastructure constraints, and limited capacity for extension impede inclusive digital outcomes. The study contributes by integrating socio-technical and ecosystem perspectives to analyse digital transitions in emerging economies and by providing a transparent analytical protocol for document-based research. Policy implications highlight the need for coordinated governance, investment in rural connectivity, and targeted support mechanisms to ensure equitable digital transformation.

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

This quantitative study assesses the effects of T&D programs on service quality at Indo-Zambia Bank. Few empirical studies have been conducted to assess the impact of T&D on service quality levels in banks in Southern African developing countries, including Zambia. This research tries to redress the existing knowledge gap and the limited body of literature by focusing on the Zambian bank. The study was grounded in a positivist paradigm with a descriptive research design. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire administered to 102 Indo-Zambia Bank employees selected through stratified random sampling. Descriptive and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted in SPSS to establish the statistically significant relationship between T&D and reliability and responsiveness. The results reflect a statistically significant relationship between T&D and reliability (p < .001) and responsiveness (p < .001). The most implemented T&D programmes included KYC Training, Induction/Onboarding, Ethics & Confidentiality, Customer Service Excellence, Service Recovery/Complaint Handling, Digital Systems & IT Training, Communication & Interpersonal Skills, and Leadership/Coaching.  The study concluded that T&D programs at Indo-Zambia Bank significantly and positively influence both SERVQUAL dimensions, with responsiveness most strongly enhanced by Induction/Onboarding and assurance most strongly driven by Ethics & Confidentiality training.  At the industry level, the study offers a contextually validated framework that regulators and training institutions may use to align professional development standards with measurable service quality outcomes in Zambia’s banking sector. Further research can be conducted in other sectors to verify whether the results will be the same

This study aims to identify the factors that influence the use of digital finance by SMEs. The study is mixed method in nature where literature review was used as a source of information in identifying variables to be tested in the questionnaire. Data was collected from different parts of the eThekwini metropolitan area. The sample consisted of 400 SMEs owners/managers who are operating in Inanda, KwaMashu and uMlazi. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was used, and data was collected through a 5-point Likert scale closed-ended questionnaire. The analysis was conducted using SPSS (Version 29.0). The main findings of this study were 87 percent indicated financial support as the challenge for the use of digital finance by their businesses. While in the qualitative response, the majority indicated that government policies are lacking in regards to the use of digital finance in these industries. It has to be noted that this study is confined in the eThekwini Metropolitan areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Therefore, the generalisation of these results needs to be made with care.

Amidst the strategic priorities of any government is the strengthening of public service delivery to citizens, the developmental state to more effectively serve the needs of the people and act as a driving force for socio-economic transformation and upliftment. The key priority in this regard is the strengthening of healthcare service delivery for a healthy citizenry, ensuring more efficient and caring service delivery. The purpose of this research report is to outline the challenges faced by the Eastern Cape Province in delivering quality services to the people of the Eastern Cape in the Health department. The objectives of the study were to provide and ensure accessible comprehensive integrated quality health services in the Eastern Cape, emphasis is on the primary health care approach, optimally utilizing all resources to enable all its present and future generations to enjoy health and quality of life. Although the Eastern Cape delivery of health is facing a myriad of challenges it is however pleasing to note that it’s in line with the implementation of the National Development Plan, the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (2014-2019), the Minister’s Negotiated Service Delivery Agreement (NSDA), National Health Council Priorities. Although the province is failing to fully provide quality health service in so far as Maternal Children’s and Women’s Health (MCWH) package, if the number of reported medico-legal cases from the province is anything to go by promotion of a better life for all is seemingly becoming a pipe dream. The research which was conducted throughout the province looking at the performance enablers in the form of social determinants of health qualitatively and quantitatively looked at the service delivery points and the infrastructure to determine Improvements on the quality and continuum of primary healthcare. However, from the results of the study it is clear that the Province is still managing to reduce morbidity and mortality due to communicable diseases and non-communicable illnesses and conditions by implementing high impact strategies to address prevention, detection, management and support at all levels of care despite the corollary of both institutional failures and Apartheid legacy.

Financial education has gained global attention as essential to financial well-being, yet national strategies often remain fragmented in design and implementation, constraining policy coherence. To address this fragmentation, this article explores the South African financial education ecosystem through a collaborative governance lens to enhance international efforts for sustained, coordinated policy approaches. The Quintuple Helix Model and the Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance informed a deductive qualitative analysis of statutory law, policy documents, and grey literature to delineate the mandates of key ecosystem actors. The findings reveal four categories—highly formal, semi-formal, knowledge-based and informal. The article introduces a novel Collaboration Mandate Framework for financial education within a governance regime to assist diverse actors in tackling South Africa’s persistent socio-economic challenges. The article concludes that operationalizing a financial education collaborative governance regime offers a viable pathway to enhance policy coherence, strengthen multi-actor collaboration, and improve financial well-being in South Africa.

Increasing linguistic diversity in higher education institutions across Southern Africa has highlighted translanguaging practices in academic discussions. In Zimbabwean universities, English serves as the official language of teaching and learning and international students frequently navigate complex multilingual settings that challenge conventional monolingual teaching methods. This study examines the challenges and opportunities associated with translanguaging practices among international students at a public university in Zimbabwe. The study aims to explore how international students use translanguaging in both academic and social settings, recognise the difficulties they face in largely English-medium environments and assess the potential advantages of translanguaging for achieving academic success and fostering inclusion. The research is grounded in translanguaging theory. A qualitative research approach was utilised and three focus group discussions were used as data collection methods. The groups comprised 17 international students studying at the chosen state university, enrolled in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses, from different nationalities and backgrounds. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. The data were analysed thematically to uncover recurring themes and insights. The study's findings indicated that translanguaging acts as an essential tool for constructing meaning, collaborating with peers and negotiating identity among international students. Nonetheless, institutional barriers, such as strict language policies and educators’ lack of understanding of translanguaging teaching methods, hinder its effective application. Students additionally expressed feelings of linguistic isolation and decreased involvement when confined to English-only practices. The research suggests that universities implement more adaptable language policies, offer training for instructors in multilingual teaching methods and establish supportive environments that acknowledge and utilise students' full linguistic skills. These measures may promote fairer and more efficient learning experiences for international students in Zimbabwean universities.