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This paper aims to examine the effects of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility (iCSR) practices on employees' job satisfaction, with specific focus on work-life balance and safety and health within commercial banks in Lusaka. In this paper, it is also aimed to explore the relative role of these iCSR dimensions in shaping job satisfaction in a developing country context where empirical evidence remains limited. We employed a quantitative research design using structured questionnaires administered to employees across 15 commercial banks. A dataset of 205 employees was collected, of which 146 valid responses were analyzed. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 29, applying descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) work–life balance has a strong and statistically significant positive effect on job satisfaction (r = 0.9268, p < 0.001), accounting for 85.9% of the variance and emerging as the most significant predictor; (ii) safety and health shows a positive correlation (r = 0.926), but is not a statistically significant predictor in multivariate analysis, suggesting it functions as a hygiene factor; and finally (iii) iCSR practices can be differentiated into motivational and baseline factors, contributing to theoretical understanding while providing a Sub-Saharan African perspective. The study offers practical implications, indicating that banks should prioritize work-life balance initiatives while maintaining safety and health standards. It also provides guiding knowledge for policymakers and managers seeking to enhance workplace satisfaction and improve iCSR implementation.

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

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.

Despite the rapid expansion of remote work, traditional human resource practices remain largely designed for office-based environments and are insufficiently aligned with the unique demands of remote work.  Furthermore, existing theoretical approaches do not clearly explain how HR practices can be systematically designed as organisational resources that mitigate remote work demands and enhance employee engagement and performance. This conceptual paper proposes a multi-dimensional framework to enhance employee engagement and performance in a remote work environment. Thes study seeks to bridge the gap in human resource practices by offering practices suitable for remote workers. Guided by the Job Demand-Resources model and the Ability, Motivation and Opportunity framework, this study employed a conceptual methodology that combined theory adaption and model-building. A systematic literature review using Boolean operators was conducted across Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scopus.  Twenty-five peer-reviewed studies published 2020 and 2026 were identified and thematically analysed.  Furthermore, the review revealed five job demands: social isolation, blurred work-life balance, communication complexity, technological strain, and performance visibility.  Consequently, these job demands can be mitigated by implementing strategic human resources practices such as recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation, and work-life balance.  By proposing a human resource management framework that may enable efficient remote work practices, promote sustainable development and the evolving business ecosystem.  The framework contributes to SDG 3 and by promoting employee well-being and productive work practices. The study also offer useful information for business looking to create robust HRM plans that maintain worker performance and engagement is digitally connected business ecosystem.

Financial pressures in South Africa’s public sector have increased efforts to control the wage bill, raising concerns about the long-term effects of stagnant remuneration on employee performance, retention, and service delivery. Although the link between pay and motivation is well known, less attention has been given to how prolonged salary stagnation, within a constrained fiscal environment, affects both employees and service delivery outcomes. This paper addresses this gap by examining the effects of stagnant remuneration in the South African public service. The paper used a qualitative narrative review of secondary data, including academic literature, government reports, and policy documents. Sources were selected based on their relevance to remuneration, employee performance, and service delivery, and were analysed thematically. The findings show that stagnant remuneration is not only a Human Resource issue but also a service delivery issue, as it directly affects employee motivation and institutional capacity. Guided by Equity Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and the paper’s conceptual model, the results indicate that perceived unfairness and rising living costs reduce motivation, increase turnover, and weaken organisational capacity, especially in sectors such as health, education, and local government. This creates a tension between fiscal sustainability and workforce effectiveness, which ultimately affects service quality. The paper contributes by linking remuneration challenges to service delivery outcomes and indicates the need for a balanced approach to managing the public sector wage bill.

This study investigates how managerial employees perceive workplace practices as conditions that enhance organisational performance using a qualitative approach. Although organisational performance has been analysed through quantifiable managerial and structural factors, there has been insufficient focus on the relational dynamics that influence how managers perceive daily workplace practices as either facilitating or hindering performance. The study adopted an exploratory research design to provide an in-depth understanding of workplace practices as conditions that enhance performance. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select 10 participants from a population of approximately 1200 employees. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managerial employees to obtain a comprehensive understanding of their perceptions of how workplace practices influence the ability and willingness of employees to perform. Through a thematic analysis, four key themes were uncovered from the dataset: clarity in communication, perceived fairness in remuneration and working conditions, feeling supported within the working environment, and feeling valued through appreciation and recognition. The results indicate that these practices function as relational signals within the organisational ecosystem, influencing managerial perceptions of clarity, fairness, support, and value. These perceptions serve as mediating factors that facilitate the conversion of workplace practices into performance results. This research enhances the literature on organisational performance by redirecting focus from static organisational factors to the relational and perceptual processes that facilitate performance in practice. From a strategic viewpoint, the results emphasise the significance of aligning workplace practices with organisational objectives through Human Resource governance frameworks that promote equity, support, and recognition.

This study examines the impact of wage disparities on employee performance within Zimbabwe's telecommunication industry using advanced structural equation modelling techniques informed by recent post-pandemic organizational behaviour research. A quantitative research approach was employed, collecting data from 227 respondents across various job levels in Harare through structured questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modelling, incorporating recent methodological advances in measurement invariance testing and multi-group analysis. Results reveal significant wage differentials with employees perceiving substantial unfairness in wage distribution. The structural model demonstrates that wage disparities significantly impact employee performance, with regulatory frameworks and economic instability identified as primary contributing factors. Organizations should adopt AI-enhanced transparent compensation systems and implement performance-based wage structures informed by recent Environmental, Social, and Governance frameworks to enhance employee satisfaction and organizational performance. 

Employee performance is increasingly recognized as being influenced not only by structural conditions but also by employees' psychological and relational experiences in the workplace. However, few studies have concurrently examined the comparative and mediated effects of sense of belonging, workplace spirituality, and job satisfaction within a unified framework. This study explores how these factors impact performance both directly and indirectly through organizational commitment, employing a quantitative explanatory design with survey data from 213 employees selected via proportionate stratified random sampling and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with validated and reliable measures. The results indicate that sense of belonging (β = 0.201, p = 0.043), workplace spirituality (β = 0.214, p = 0.007), job satisfaction (β = 0.357, p = 0.041), and organizational commitment (β = 0.276, p = 0.024) significantly predict performance. Additionally, sense of belonging (β = 0.297, p = 0.002), workplace spirituality (β = 0.211, p = 0.009), and job satisfaction (β = 0.725, p < 0.001) significantly predict organizational commitment, which mediates these relationships. Total effects reveal job satisfaction as the strongest predictor of performance (β = 0.312), followed by sense of belonging (β = 0.305) and workplace spirituality (β = 0.299). These findings demonstrate that employee performance is closely associated with affective and experiential workplace factors and highlight organizational commitment as a central explanatory mechanism. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing psychological attachment, meaningful work experiences, and satisfaction to support sustained performance, while providing an integrated empirical framework for future research.

This research examines the factors that influence the adoption of the ID badge-wearing policy and the subsequent use of ID badges in public offices at Dar es Salaam referral hospitals. The study also evaluates the impact of the badge policy on workplace efficiency and compliance, and analyses the perceived benefits and challenges associated with its implementation. Data was collected through interviews with employees. The study population comprised 800 public servants from various departments and roles at Dar-es-Salaam referral hospitals: Mwananyamala, Temeke, Amana, and Ubungo District Hospitals. Using simple random sampling, participants were selected from a comprehensive list of employees, ensuring everyone had an equal chance of selection. A final sample size of 260 public servants was chosen, representing approximately 33% of the population, to ensure reliable and generalizable results. ID badges policy received initial organizational-wide adoption and was driven by their perceived role in enhancing security and professionalism. Badges were found useful for quick identification of staff and for restricting unauthorized access to sensitive areas. However, they had minimal impact on routine tasks. Compliance was linked to accountability and professionalism, but without strong management support, adherence varied. Key barriers included: delays in replacing lost or damaged badges, lack of regular enforcement by supervisors, and dissatisfaction with the design and practicality of the badges. The findings indicate that while badges contribute to security by restricting access to sensitive areas and enhancing quick identification, their influence on day-to-day operations is minimal, as other performance support factors are required as well to influence change, such as employees’ buy-in, continuous monitoring, and feedback. Recommendations to improve adherence include modernizing the badge design, reducing replacement delays, integrating digital badges, providing regular reminders, and offering incentives for consistent use.