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External environmental changes manifest in erratic economic situations that adversely impact human lives, economies, and SMEs globally. This constitutes a significant global danger to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Small and medium-sized enterprises significantly contribute to the national gross domestic product. Nevertheless, the majority of SMEs have limitations, particularly in terms of resources. SMEs must embrace CI to forecast and make educated decisions regarding the efficient management of existing, often limited resources. Government assistance, in multiple capacities, is equally essential. Moreover, the implementation of Continuous Improvement (CI) by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) may facilitate nations in attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 8, which aims for reduced unemployment through sustainable economic growth, employment, and decent work for all. Nonetheless, there exists a paucity of literature regarding CI implementation frameworks that assist SMEs in implementing CI techniques for resource management and the advancement of a sustainable economy. This study seeks to establish a framework for Continuous Improvement (CI) implementation to assist SMEs in adopting CI technologies for resource management and enhancing operational efficiency. A systematic literature review (SRL) methodology is utilised to discern essential elements vital for the implementation of continuous improvement (CI) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study enhances the sparse information on CI in SME contexts by synthesising best practices and significant insights from global literature. It enables SMEs to manoeuvre through economic volatility and assists policymakers in formulating specific actions. The framework ultimately promotes sustainable economic development and enhances the capacity of SMEs to endure external shocks, including IoT and AI analytics, as well as their consequences for business ecosystems.  

The Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly transformed the competitive intelligence (CI) landscape across various businesses. The research examines the swift trend of competitive intelligence by bibliometric analysis. A total of 356 documents were picked from the Scopus database, covering the years 2020 to 2024, to delineate the domain of competitive intelligence and its research horizons.  Findings indicate a substantial shift towards digital transformation, improved data analytics, and an increased focus on agility and resilience in competitive intelligence initiatives. These findings illustrate the dynamic influence of CI and delineate the developmental trends, themes, and patterns for academic practitioners and policymakers, who must adopt these emerging trends to enhance, promote, and sustain CI longevity, operational efficiency, and capability within the swiftly evolving business ecosystem. Prevalent topics encompass digital transformation, agility, resilience, collaboration, networking, ethics, and compliance. Geographically, Asia, North America, and Europe dominate research production in CI during and after Covid-19, although emerging economies exhibit interest. Citation analysis identified prominent authors, providing direction for subsequent research. Nonetheless, research deficiencies and obstacles remain, particularly the necessity for additional empirical investigations, the amalgamation of competitive intelligence with big data, comprehensive competitive intelligence frameworks for small enterprises, innovation, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This bibliometric literature study seeks to analyse and synthesise the fast developments in CI during and subsequent to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyses major topics, approaches, and changes in CI practices through the examination of several academic articles. The study offers significant insights and underscores the transformative potential of CI techniques.

This study examines the influence of strategic foresight on the financial performance of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) within the mining sector of South Africa's Eastern Limb. It examines the roles of scenario planning, external environmental assessment, and organisational culture in fostering financial resilience and competitive advantage. The research utilises a quantitative methodology, employing survey data gathered from 310 participants, comprising firm owners, managers, and employees within mining SMEs. The study employs linear regression analysis to evaluate the correlations between strategic foresight activities and financial performance metrics, including revenue growth, profitability, and return on investment (ROI). Reliability was established via Cronbach’s alpha (exceeding 0.9 for all constructs), while validity was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients. The findings demonstrate that all three elements of strategic foresight—scenario planning, external environmental scanning, and organisational culture—exhibit a substantial and favourable correlation with financial success in mining SMEs. The investigation indicates that SMEs with strong strategic foresight systems are more adept at risk mitigation, regulatory adaptation, and maintaining financial growth. The research highlights the essential function of strategic foresight in improving financial resilience and stability in mining-focused SMEs. Companies that actively participate in scenario planning and environmental monitoring while fostering a robust organisational culture are more likely to adeptly manage market uncertainty. The findings provide guidance to SME leaders, policymakers, and researchers on incorporating foresight-driven strategies for enduring sustainability and financial prosperity.

Competitive intelligence strategies are employed by higher education institutions to assist with student recruitment. These competitive intelligence (CI) strategies help maintain or increase market share in education. Utilising competitive intelligence is crucial for firms in competitive markets, assisting in strategic planning and execution. Higher education organisations can benefit from CI to make informed decisions and develop strategic goals. The competition between selected public universities that reside in the same town has resulted in devising competitive strategies to attract grade 12 students with effective and innovative student recruitment strategies. The study sought to examine how competitive intelligence is used as a strategy to promote student recruitment at selected public universities. The study adopted a quantitative research approach where 234 first-time entering university students were used as key informants. To collect data, a questionnaire was used and is attached. It was discovered that both institutions utilised similar strategies to recruit students. Results reveal that the selected public universities employ traditional and technology-based strategies for student recruitment, relying on past success rather than a standardised approach based on competitive intelligence. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of competitive intelligence strategies in student recruitment, aiming to promote diverse communication needs among current and potential students.