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The problem addressed in this paper relates to the high road fatalities among the youth in South Africa. The high youth fatality rate is concerning as it results in immediate economic impacts as well as the future loss of productive people. The objectives of the paper include identifying the most prominent educational strategies and ascertaining the applicable communication media for mitigating road fatalities among the youth in South Africa. The research followed a quantitative approach to determine the perceptions of traffic offi3cers and crash investigators regarding the driving behaviour of the youth. It was found that the most effective education strategy is to include road safety in the school curriculum and educate future drivers from a young age. The study further found that social media is the most effective medium for promoting road safety for the youth. Policymakers are encouraged to take a holistic approach when educating the youth and include all educational stakeholders. The paper makes a theoretical contribution because it tested the most applicable strategies with the associated educational media to circumvent fatalities among the youth. Recommendations regarding the strategies are made towards road safety authorities. The paper further makes a managerial contribution by providing guidance towards policymakers and transportation providers on developing road safety strategies aimed at the South African youth that will benefit the greater community.

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

Decentralized approaches to solid waste management (SWM) have gained global attention because of their provision for the effective participation of local communities. This study investigates community participation in decentralized solid waste management policy-making processes, drawing insights from Ghana. Using mixed methods, the study reveals that community participation only takes place at the policy implementation stage and takes the form of planning and managing community-led solid waste management initiatives such as occasional community clean-up exercise during festivals and public holidays, which are usually organized on a frequent basis. Regarding the factors that promote the solid waste management policy-making process, it was realized that “including the community in the solid waste management policy-making process” was the most important factor for the community to participate in the solid waste management policy-making process. Based on these findings, the top-down approach in solid waste management policy should be reversed to bottom-up approaches.

Population growth at the household level increases pressure on water and land resources. This study examined the impact of household population growth on water and land resource depletion in Limpopo Province of South Africa, using a desktop research approach with secondary data from academic journals, government reports, and relevant policy documents. The findings show that as household population size increases, the demand for water and land also rises, leading to overuse, environmental degradation, soil erosion, pollution, and reduced availability of these resources. The study also found that low use of family planning and contraceptives contributes to faster household growth and unsustainable resource use, threatening ecosystem services and food security. Using the lens of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) theory, the study highlighted that improving access to family planning and reproductive health education could help manage household population growth and reduce pressure on natural resources. The study concluded that household population growth negatively affected water and land resources in Limpopo Province and recommended promoting family planning programs, sustainable development practices, effective resource management, and stronger local government involvement in planning and policy implementation to ensure environmental sustainability.

In contemporary organizations, leaders are increasingly required to manage contradictory demands while supporting employees’ psychological resources in dynamic and uncertain work environments. This study examines the effects of paradoxical leadership on two important employee-level outcomes: creative self-efficacy and resilience. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, the study aims to explain how leaders who simultaneously balance autonomy and control, flexibility and structure, and support and challenge can strengthen employees’ confidence in generating creative solutions and their capacity to adapt to workplace difficulties. A quantitative research design was employed, using survey data collected from employees working in the Information and Communication Technology sector. The proposed relationships were tested through structural equation modeling, after assessing the reliability and validity of the measurement model. The findings indicate that paradoxical leadership has a significant positive effect on both creative self-efficacy and employee resilience. These results suggest that paradoxical leaders can help employees interpret complexity as manageable, maintain confidence in their creative abilities, and recover more effectively from setbacks. Theoretically, the study contributes to paradoxical leadership research by positioning creative self-efficacy and resilience as key psychological outcomes of paradoxical leader behavior. Practically, the findings suggest that organizations, particularly in technology-intensive sectors, should develop leaders’ capacity for paradoxical thinking and balanced leadership behaviors in order to foster a more creative, adaptive, and resilient workforce.

The aim of this study is to examine the dynamic relationships among alternative investment instruments in Turkey using advanced time-series methods. The findings indicate evidence of granger causal relationships among some of the variables. However, the direction and statistical significance of these relationships vary across the variables examined. The analysis employs monthly data covering the period from February 2010 to December 2018. The stationarity properties of the variables were examined using the Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) test. Causal relationships among the variables were subsequently investigated using the Toda–Yamamoto causality test. The findings indicate that there are statistically significant short-term and long-term relationships among alternative investment instruments. It was determined that the exchange rate and gold prices have on the stock market. Furthermore, its interest rates play in both financial markets and housing prices. This study contributes to the literature by examining the relationships between alternative investment instruments using linear methods. Moreover, the results offer researchers and policymakers important implications for financial stability for investors' portfolio diversification strategies at both the national and international levels.

This study aimed to examine the impact of the internal control system (ICS) on the performance of publicly traded Ghanaian commercial banks, within the context of the core components of the COSO integrated ICS. Accordingly, the study investigated employees' perceptions of the impact of the ICS components on financial performance-FP and non-financial performance-NFP and whether a significant relationship exists between these perceptions. In the study, the core components of the COSO’s ICS (control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information-communication, monitoring) were considered as independent variables, while FP and NFP of the banks were considered as the dependent variables. In line with the study's objective, the hypotheses were designed as follows: H1: The ICS has an impact on the FP. H2: The ICS has an impact on the NFP. Methodologically, a descriptive online survey method was used to collect data. The survey was sent to 113 managers and employees working in the internal control and audit departments of 23 listed Ghanaian banks, and 73 employees, representing 64.6%, provided voluntary feedback. Data were analyzed using SPSS-25. The survey, which was suitable for a 5-point Likert scale, included statements regarding COSO internal control components and FP and NFP. The study revealed that there were no differences in FP among the ICSs but there were differences in NFP among the ICS. The study concluded a statistically significant relationship between the ICS and FP overall. Additionally, compared to other components whose impact on FP was limited, the COSO Information-Communication component indicated the highest significant relationship with FP and the greatest positive impact, while the control activities component had an inverse effect on FP. Furthermore, the study also revealed a significant overall relationship between the ICS and NFP. In addition, compared to other components whose impact on NFP was much more limited, the COSO Information-Communication component showed the highest significant relationship with NFP and the highest positive impact on NFP. This study is considered to contribute to the literature and to investors, shareholders, policymakers, etc., by examining all factors together, such as the impact of COSO internal control components on FP and NFP, and the internal control and audit department staff at the headquarters and branches of listed Ghanaian commercial banks.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) are fundamental processes that provide administrators, policymakers, and stakeholders with methods for learning from experience and improving implementation through the reallocation of resources. However, the success of these interventions depends heavily on effective project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices. This study therefore examined the effect of project monitoring and evaluation practices on the success of the rural school feeding program in Rutsiro District, Rwanda. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of an M&E baseline survey on the success of the rural school feeding program in Rutsiro District; analyze the effect of M&E planning on program success; assess the effect of M&E data management on program success; and evaluate the effect of M&E stakeholder involvement on program success. The study adopted both the Theory of Change and Utilization-Focused Evaluation. It used descriptive and correlational research designs and adopted a census approach involving 103 respondents, including 89 teachers, 10 staff members, two representatives of school feeding committees at the school level, and two SEIs. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and document reviews. A pilot test was conducted with 10 respondents to determine the instrument's ability to produce consistent results over time. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlation and regression analyses. The findings revealed that all M&E components (baseline survey, planning, data management, and stakeholder involvement) had a strong and significant positive influence on program success. Respondents showed high levels of agreement, indicating that effective M&E practices improve decision-making, resource allocation, accountability, and overall program performance. The study concluded that well-implemented M&E systems are essential for enhancing the effectiveness, sustainability, and impact of rural school feeding programs. Based on these findings, the study recommends strengthening baseline surveys, improving M&E planning frameworks, enhancing data management systems, promoting active stakeholder involvement, and ensuring adequate resource allocation to support long-term program success.

Research Originality: This study investigates the relationship between inventory management and profitability within the textiles industry in Bangladesh, emphasizing the key factors that significantly enhance the industry's profitability. Research Objectives: This analysis investigates how various factors, including total assets, total equity, total revenue, share capital, retained earnings, finished items, work in progress, and raw materials, impact profit after tax (PAT). Research Methods: The data spans from 2011 to 2023 and encompasses 46 textile companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). To conduct this study, different models like Pooled Ordinary Least Square (POLS), Second Stage Least Square (2SLS), Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) are utilized. Empirical Results: Through the application of techniques including Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (POLS), Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS), and the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), we have established that total assets exhibit a significant negative correlation with PAT in both the POLS and 2SLS models. On the other hand, there is a notable positive correlation between total revenue and retained earnings on PAT across all 2SLS, POLS, and GMM models. The share capital shows a negative correlation with PAT in all three models: 2SLS, POLS, and GMM. The main independent variable, which is our fundamental focus, shows that finished goods have a positive correlation with PAT; however, this correlation lacks significance. The raw materials exhibited a negative correlation with PAT, and this relationship is significant. The correlation between Packing Materials and PAT is notably positive. This study highlights the importance of strategies that could facilitate sustainable growth in the textile industry.

The study was directed by the following specific objectives: (i) to examine the impact of the result-based approach on the performance of the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme, and (ii) to analyze the effect of the participatory approach on the performance of the scheme, and (iii) to investigate the role of the reflexive approach in enhancing the program’s outcomes. The theoretical framework drew on decision-making theory, agricultural insurance theory, and contingency theory. The target group for this study comprises roughly 1,463 people. From this group, a stratified sampling technique was been employed to select 313 respondents. Information for the research obtained via questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis, including monthly district reports. The instruments were pilot-tested, resulting in a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94, which confirms strong reliability. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically correlation and regression at a 0.05 significance level, with the assistance of SPSS Version 28. Ethical standards was upheld by securing informed consent from participants and ensuring the confidentiality of all responses.

This paper aims to develop a conceptual and measurement framework for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure quality in Nigerian banks. It also aims to demonstrate how ESG disclosure quality can be distinguished from ESG disclosure quantity, ESG performance, ESG practices, ESG ratings and sustainability reporting. We employed a conceptual review and framework development approach by synthesising stakeholder theory, institutional theory, Nigerian sustainable banking regulation, international sustainability reporting standards and related banking literature. The materials analysed include the CBN Sustainable Banking Principles, SEC Sustainable Financial Principles, NGX Sustainability Disclosure Guidelines, Nigeria’s IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards adoption roadmap, IFRS S1/S2, GRI, TCFD, PCAF, the Basel Core Principles for Effective Banking Supervision and literature on ESG disclosure, banking risk, financial stability and disclosure quality. The main findings of the study demonstrate that: (i) ESG disclosure quality is a distinct construct; and (ii) bank ESG disclosure quality should be assessed across environmental, social and governance dimensions. The paper proposes the ESG Disclosure Quality Index framework which provides a graded 0–5 scoring scale and three empirical model specifications for future panel data studies. The framework provides a basis for assessing ESG disclosure quality and examining its relationship with bank-level outcomes in Nigeria and comparable emerging market banking systems.               

This present study aims to expand the general understanding of bullying behaviour and to advance knowledge about bullying among pupils in public schools. Bullying is a global issue that can significantly impact learners’ educational and personal development. This paper analysed the complex and multi-faceted phenomenon of bullying, its prevalence, and its effect on learners in five public schools in Gauteng and Northwest provinces, South Africa. A quantitative approach was applied using questionnaires to a sample of 169 secondary public-school learners. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Version 23, employing ANOVA tests, Pearson correlations, and Chi-square tests, as well as descriptive statistics. The results show that, like males, a considerable proportion of female learners (varying from 70.7% to 90.2%) reported never engaging in bullying behaviour at school. This study's findings show that bullying happens in schools. For example, a small percentage of females engage in bullying behaviour at varied frequencies: infrequently (5.4-20.7%), twice to three times a month (0-5.4%), weekly (0-2.8%), and daily (1.1-8.7%). Despite the low frequency of bullying, 2.2% of female learners report experiencing physical bullying, such as kicking and hitting on a weekly or daily basis. These results highlight the contextual and cultural specificity of bullying. Authors encourage further research to better understand this nuanced and complex phenomenon, focusing not only on victims but also on bystanders. Addressing bullying requires a comprehensive approach to promoting a healthy learning environment for all learners.

Sustainable development aims to create a societal framework in which economic advancement transpires without undermining environmental integrity. Despite advancements in developed countries, an estimated 1.3 billion individuals worldwide continue to experience a lack of access to electricity, significantly impeding their socio-economic development. This study examined the potential strategies for Thulamela Local Municipality to augment its initiatives related to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, with a particular emphasis on the empowerment of small businesses to address energy requirements and advance sustainable development objectives. Therefore, the mixed-methods approach was employed, distributing 42 questionnaires to small enterprises at Tshilamba Rural Township and conducting semi-structured interviews with 5 key officials from the Thulamela Local Municipality. A comprehensive review of relevant literature was also conducted to guide the research process before fieldwork. The findings of this study elucidated several barriers to energy access, which included an unreliable power supply, elevated electricity costs, insufficient infrastructure, and the substantial investment necessary for the implementation of sustainable energy solutions. The literature has further underscored the inadequacies in energy production and supply infrastructure, which constrain the operational efficiency of small businesses. The results clearly indicate that although these businesses are robust and profit-generating, they do not have the necessary infrastructure and assistance to implement sustainable energy solutions. Thus, it recommended establishment of collaborations with renewable energy suppliers to provide cost-effective solar options or different energy sources ideal for small-scale businesses.

Financial institutions predict the probability of default when making lending decisions using conventional credit risk scoring models. However, in emerging economies, the underbanked, widows, small and medium enterprises owners and youth are not able to access traditional forms of collateral or identification required by financial institutions due to lack of data for them to get access to loans. Financial institutions cannot obtain much of the information required about an applicant and they use alternative data sources such as public data or social media to deal with the problems of information asymmetry, adverse selection and moral hazard. To eliminate such problems, credit risk assessment models must be built on the foundation of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches in an effort to perform an accurate credit risk analysis, to properly assess the behaviour of the customers and subsequently perform a thorough verification of the potential of the applicant to repay the loan thereby allowing less privileged people to access credit. However, big data sourced from the internet and public data sources is characterized by huge volume, variety, veracity, the curse of dimensionality, class imbalance, concept drift and non-linearity among others. These challenges affect the generalization performance of credit risk assessment models used by most financial institutions. This paper proposes an efficient and effective credit risk assessment model capable of learning incrementally based on machine learning algorithm called Adaptive Heterogeneous Dynamic Ensemble Selection (AHDES) that uses big data from alternative sources for financial for the underbanked. The algorithm is agile and adaptive to unexpected world events, changes in customer behaviour and cognitively counter bias likely to be introduced by information asymmetry. Experimental results on four large credit datasets and five evaluation metrics show that our proposed algorithm performs better than other selected benchmark models allowing the underbanked and less privileged to access loans to stimulate economic growth.

There is a dramatic increase in substance use in South Africa, with nyaope use on the rise despite its illegalization in 2014. Nyaope is widely used by young people and people living in poverty in mostly black communities or townships of South Africa. It has severe withdrawal symptoms, and it is very addictive. The treatment for the withdrawal symptoms and the rehabilitation of Nyaope users has significant challenges. The study explored the understanding of social workers about nyaope substance and services provided to nyaope users. The study employed the qualitative research approach. A sample of 19 social workers providing services to Nyaope users at the Department of Social Development, Waterberg District, in Limpopo Province was chosen. The study applied interviews guided by a semi-structured interview schedule and used exploratory research design. Purposive sampling was used to select the samples for the study, and data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The study established that social workers have a better understanding of nyaope substance and provide effective programs aimed at rehabilitating the users. It further established that some of the ingredients used in nyaope include antiretroviral drugs, which are meant for other illnesses. Ecological systems theory was used to provide a foundation and background to the study.

This article examines the influence of mentorship on women entrepreneurs in Cape Town, South Africa. The study assesses the extent to which mentorship contributes to personal empowerment, entrepreneurial performance, and innovation, while accounting for the effects of systemic barriers and the policy environment. A qualitative research design was employed, incorporating a systematic literature review guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to synthesize existing evidence. The review followed an iterative screening process, identifying three peer-reviewed studies that explicitly address mentorship in relation to women entrepreneurs within the African context. The findings from the literature indicate that women entrepreneurs across Africa face persistent structural constraints, including social-cultural norms, limited access to skills development, weak support systems, financial exclusion, and inadequate policy frameworks.  To complement the literature, primary data were collected from ten young female entrepreneurs in Cape Town who participated in a mentorship programme at RLabs. The empirical finding reinforce the significance of mentorship as a critical enabler of entrepreneurial growth, particularly in enhancing self-efficacy, business capabilities, and innovative practices. The study concludes that mentorship functions as a context-dependent and multifaceted mechanism that bridges personal empowerment and entrepreneurial outcomes. However, its effectiveness is contingent on the alignment of mentorship programmes with the specific social-economic realities of women entrepreneurs. The article recommends the design and implementation of targeted, context-sensitive mentorship interventions supported by enabling policy frameworks. While women's entrepreneurship is increasingly recognised as a catalyst for economic development in Africa, persistent systemic constraints continue to impede their full potential. This study contributes to literature by advancing a nuanced understanding of mentorship as both an individual and structural lever for entrepreneurial success within emerging economies. 

This study investigates the manifestation of administrative sabotage within the South African policing domain, challenging traditional criminological discourses that isolate corrupt officials as individual bad actors. By adopting a critical victimology lens, the research explores how institutional bad barrels weaponise bureaucratic procedures to facilitate systemic infiltration and silence internal dissent. The analysis incorporates contemporary evidence from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry (2025–2026) and Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee reports including testimonies regarding the political disbanding of specialised task teams and the physical coercion of forensic analysts to demonstrate how knowledge sabotage and procedural exhaustion function as structural instruments of victimisation. The findings indicate that the intrusion of political interests into the high echelons of crime intelligence has effectively paralysed institutional neutrality, creating an environment where administrative infrastructure is used to obstruct rather than facilitate justice. The study concludes that existing reactive legal protections, such as the Protected Disclosures Act, are insufficient to counter these proactive structural assaults. Consequently, the paper recommends the establishment of a centralised, independent oversight body with the authority to interdict retaliatory administrative acts in real-time and the mandatory decoupling of policing functions from political interference

Children living in urban informal settlements are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards associated with polluted river water or degraded river stream systems. Regrettably, many communities are often not aware of the dangers degraded river systems pose both on environment and public health of the citizens living in their vicinity. Hence, this study assessed community perceptions of children’s vulnerability to environmental hazards in Umlazi Township, KwaZulu-Natal, and integrated these perceptions with targeted environmental exposure measurements. A household questionnaire (n = 190) was administered to adult residents to examine perceived stream conditions, health and safety risks, children’s exposure pathways, water governance, and community environmental awareness. Composite indices were developed to quantify children’s vulnerability, environmental hazard perception, knowledge and awareness, and governance barriers, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. To contextualize perceived risks, surface water samples were analyzed for select pharmaceutical, biological and chemical contaminants, such as Escherichia coli, total coliforms, phosphate, and nitrate. The pharmaceutical ecological risk was assessed using cumulative risk quotient and toxic unit approaches, while microbial and nutrient contamination were evaluated using guideline-based risk classifications. Results indicated that poor perceived stream condition, proximity to streams, governance barriers, and negative community attitudes were significantly associated with higher perceived vulnerability of children towards health risks. Environmental analyses confirmed elevated microbial contamination, nutrient enrichment, and high pharmaceutical mixture toxicity, supporting community concerns regarding unsafe stream environments. The convergence of social perceptions and environmental exposure evidence highlights compounded ecological and public health risks for children in the Umlazi Township and underscores the need for integrated interventions addressing wastewater management, sanitation, and child-focused urban planning.

Three decades after the advent of democracy in South Africa, and with only five years remaining towards 2030 of attaining sustainable development, youth unemployment remains alarmingly high. The national unemployment rate currently stands at approximately 34%, with youth unemployment exceeding 60%. This persists despite the United Nations’ Agenda 2030, which outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at eradicating poverty, fostering development, and stimulating inclusive economic growth. Specifically, SDG 8 seeks to “promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all”. Yet South Africa continues to grapple with entrenched unemployment, particularly among its youth, aggravating related social and economic challenges such as poverty, inequality, and crime. Achieving SDG 8 appears increasingly elusive for developing economies like South Africa, where political, social and economic realities often misalign with global development aspirations. This paper critically examines the embedded intricacies towards achieving SDG 8, focusing on the structural drivers of youth unemployment in South Africa. Guided by the Broken Window Theory, the study employs a qualitative, desktop-based research approach with systematic data analysis. Findings reveal that weak policy implementation, especially of pro-poor policies, remains a critical barrier, compounded by stagnant economic growth, high poverty rates, limited state capacity, corruption, policy uncertainty, and overreliance on the private sector for job creation. The paper concludes with recommendations for strengthening policy execution, expanding government capacity, and creating pathways for meaningful youth participation in the economy to realise the aspirations of SDG 8.

As aesthetic education extends beyond the classroom, it no longer concerns only individual cultivation of aesthetic sensibility, but also involves the formation of public value. However, existing studies remain insufficient in explaining how it is constructed as public value through cross-organizational collaboration within local contexts. Therefore, positioned as a conceptual paper with an illustrative policy-case orientation, this study adopts a public value management perspective to analyze the interactions among governments, schools, communities, and arts nonprofit organizations in the process of publicizing aesthetic education. The Taiwanese policy and practice examples are used as illustrative cases to clarify how cross-organizational collaboration supports the proposed framework, rather than as empirical cases for comparative or generalizable case-study analysis. The findings indicate that the public value of aesthetic education is not naturally generated by policies or curricula; rather, it is gradually formed through continuous coordination, integration, and collaboration among multiple actors, in which arts nonprofit organizations play a central intermediary role. Finally, this study proposes a cross-organizational construction mechanism as a reference for cultural governance and educational practice.