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The attitude that employees have towards their job is well believed to have an influence on their performance. This study investigated the influence of job satisfaction on employees’ performance. Herzberg’s two-factor hygiene and motivation theory was used to explain employees' motivation for best performance. A cross-sectional survey design in the form of a structured questionnaire was used to randomly sample one hundred (100) employees of the University of Zululand, South Africa. Descriptive and correlation analysis were used to analyze the collected data. The findings indicate that job satisfaction does not influence employees’ performance. The study concludes that UNIZULU employees enjoy their roles despite the unsatisfactory benefits attached. In spite of the unsatisfactory level of benefits, they perform their duties effortlessly. This research contributes to research-based knowledge that will assist universities’ management in identifying the factors that will enhance employees’ performance.

This study investigates the total rewards (TR) and employee retention (ER) to understand whether better remuneration leads to retention among the employees of First Aluminum of Nigeria. It further emphasizes and reviews the findings of previous articles and journals conducted by various researchers to establish rewards' efficacy in attracting and retaining employees in any given organisation. The study aimed to explore the total reward instruments to attract and retain employees in an organisation. A quantitative design using a sample of 270 employees working in the First Aluminum of Nigeria is adopted. Self-administered questionnaires were administered to employees as respondents for data collection. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and tables and figures were used to present data. Arising from the empirical findings and comparison with the concept of this study, a discussion on the differences and similarities is made. This study reveals weight and ascertains various kinds of rewards, such as extrinsic, intrinsic, and total rewards, to attract and retain employees at the organization. Thus, this study summarised the results of existing literature on the factors influencing ER at FAN, such as salary; benefits package; compensation; developmental opportunities and quality supervision; compensation and appreciation of work done; promotion, and development opportunities.   It is, therefore, contextualized that growth and advancement opportunities do not influence the ER as a monetary reward does.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) Training College, Paarl is facing challenges to reward, motivate and ensure service delivery at the Academy. In any organisation, employees are working to provide service to both internal and external clients for this it is important to take care of employees because they are interacting with these clients. Thus, a cardinal question is how can organisations retain and motivate employees in order to offer a quality service to their clients? The aim of this study was to determine the influence between rewards, motivation and service quality at the SAPS Training College, Paarl. Semi-structured interviews with 10 managers and supervisors utilizing purposive sampling were conducted. The findings revealed that participants at the Training College, Paarl are motivated by only intrinsic as the morale is slow due to a lack of extrinsic factors with particular emphasis on pay or remuneration. Lack of recognition or perceived favouritism with the SAPS where rewards are not linked to performance was identified to be the best de-motivating factor for employees at the SAPS Training College, Paarl. The quality of academic services has a significant effect on the consumer behavior of customers, the students.

This paper investigates how work-life balance affects job satisfaction and organisational commitment among academic and non-academic personnel in higher education institutions in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  Increasingly, in recent years, institutional pressures and professional expectations have come under fire for their influence on the well-being and motivation of university staff members.  Though work-life balance affects job happiness and organisational commitment in the higher education sector concurrently, few empirical research in South Africa have looked at this in light of the worldwide movement towards employee health.  Rooted on the interpretivist paradigm, this study uses a qualitative, descriptive approach.  Ten academic and administrative staff members at the Richfield Institute of Graduates were interviewed semi-structured to gather data.  Long working hours, administrative pressure, and lack of personal time were identified by the study to harm worker satisfaction and impair organisational commitment.  Many of those who answered said they felt emotional tiredness and work-related stress, which led to lower motivation and performance.  Employees showed more job satisfaction and greater emotional connection to the company where institutions encouraged flexible work policies, management assistance, and team-oriented workplace cultures.  The research shows that a good work-life balance increases general well-being among employees as well as more organisational loyalty and drive.  It advises universities to adopt unambiguous rules and support systems meant to enhance staff work-life integration.  Inclusive settings that assist personnel holistically help to sustain human resource practices and improve institutional performance.  This study adds to the larger conversation on human resource management in academia and provides useful ideas for university administrators, legislators, and HR experts trying to promote better working conditions in South Africa's higher education scene.

There is a disconnect between corporate communication and employee engagement which often leads to poor organizational culture and ultimately poor performance. Therefore, the study aims to address this phenomenon and connect corporate communication to employee engagement for organisational success. Organizations are aware of the indisputable connection between their success and employee engagement in the current competitive environment. With a qualitative method using an interpretivism research paradigm, this study explores how corporate communication at Bakoena Services Pty Ltd. promotes employee engagement. Senior, middle, and junior staff members provide detailed perspectives. The study used semi-structured interviews to investigate how employees feel about the channels of communication that are currently in place, as well as how effective they are perceived to be and how they affect engagement. It also looked at tactics and planned communication enhancements that Bakoena Services Pty Ltd. might use to encourage employee engagement. This study added to our knowledge of the complex interplay within a particular organizational setting between corporate communication and employee engagement as well as made contributions theoretically to the stakeholder theory which underpinned the study. The conclusions provided Bakoena Services Pty Ltd. with insightful information about modifying its communication strategies to foster a workforce that is more engaged, content, and eventually more productive. The study's findings give suggestions for enhancement as well as insight into the role of corporate communication in promoting employee engagement at Bakoena Services Pty Ltd. The study's main recommendation is to strengthen the role of human resources, which is crucial in addition to communication reform. The study also concludes that human resource staff members ought to be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in communication, engagement strategies, feedback management, and leadership development.

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.