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Service quality and customer retention remain essential issues in the service sector. This research delves into unravelling the complex relationships between the facets of the SERVQUAL model (reliability, responsiveness, tangibility, assurance, and empathy) and the retention of hotel customers in less-urban areas of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey of 450 customers of hotels in the Volta Region produced data for descriptive and regression analyses using Smart PLS 4. The results show that service quality was rated moderately, only assurance and empathy significantly affect customer retention, while tangibility, reliability, and responsiveness do not. Generalizability of our findings to other regions of Ghana and elsewhere might be questioned because the study was limited to only one region. However, this seeming limitation provides novelty and value in several ways. Firstly, while SERVQUAL is widely used, its application to less-urban geographical areas like the Volta Region is uncommon. Moreover, the study provides a deeper understanding of how service quality affects customer retention by focusing on a specific, narrow regional area. Further, by differing from the usual broader hospitality research, this distinctive approach offers valuable insights into local customers' unique preferences and behaviours that larger-scale studies may overlook.

The study aims to explore inadequate pedagogical training for higher education and strategies that could enhance effective teaching. The study adopted a constructivist paradigm and qualitative research design as it is qualitative in nature. Bandura’s social cognitive theory forms the basis for the study. The theory holds that learning occurs in a social context, interacts with the surroundings and actions, and applies the already stored schemata to acquire new knowledge. Data were generated from the critical review of the relevant literature. It was interpreted and analyzed thematically following Castle and Amanda’s five steps of thematic analysis. The results showed inadequate funding and wrong assumptions about the teaching abilities of lecturers with advanced degrees. In addition, there is also a lack of formal training programs, which contributes to the poor state of teacher training. The study revealed that enough funding and transparent lecturers’ pedagogical training structures can enhance lecturers’ teaching abilities. The study concludes that teacher training for higher education is insufficient. However, proper financial support for relevant and effective teacher training programmes could improve lecturers’ teaching skills and thus better students’ performance. The study recommends that all lecturers in higher education should go under formal teacher training. Universities should also source funds to enhance formal teacher training for novice lecturers. There should be frequent refresher courses on the latest teaching methods for gurus already in the field.

This study aims to explore the culture of reading literary texts in higher education and the strategies that can enhance the acquisition and learning of the content knowledge for both English Language and Literature in English. The study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and qualitative research design. The study is qualitative in nature. Language in/for/with content and schema theories form the basis for the study. The former holds that language cannot be acquired outside content whilst schemata are stored mental structures that determine the acquisition of new knowledge; thus, literary content knowledge may not be acquired/learned outside linguistic and communicative competencies and vice versa. Data were collected from the relevant literature from the past six years. It was interpreted and analysed thematically. The results showed that students' habit of reading is poor which affects their academic performance. In addition, new technological devices make learning easier and more accessible, but it negatively affects students' ability to read authentic texts for information and entertainment. The study therefore concludes that university students do not read literary texts because of the bad use of information and communication technology. However, the use of digital libraries could improve the situation. The findings suggest that institutions of higher learning should have strategies to engage linguists and literary scholars in the habit of reading literary texts. University libraries should be equipped with relevant and updated digital reading materials.  

In the current higher education environment in Ghana, universities have directed their attention towards fulfilling their social obligations, which are referred to as University Social Responsibility (USR), to both their internal and external stakeholders. This study, driven by the Stakeholders Theory, examines the premise that affective commitment serves as a positive and substantial mediator in the relationship between USR and employee engagement. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of both internal and external corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives on the emotional commitment and level of involvement of employees in Ghanaian institutions. This study utilised the research onion framework to guide its methodology. It employed a cross-sectional survey design, based on the positivism paradigm and supported by the hypothetico-deductive model. The purpose was to test hypotheses and measure the relationships between user satisfaction and staff engagement, with affective commitment acting as a mediator. The study was conducted within the context of Ghanaian universities.  A two-stage stratified sampling method was utilised to choose 412 participants for the survey. The data collected via a 5-point Likert scale empirically validated questionnaire with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (?) > 0.70 was adapted for the survey. The data collected were configured and subjected to Structural Equation Modelling for analysis at a significance level of p<.05 using the SMART pls software. This survey found that affective commitment is a statistically significant factor that directly explains and predicts the mediation effect of internal CSR on employee engagement (beta=0.217; t>1.96; p=0.000: p<0.05), and external CSR on employee engagement (beta=0.065; t>1.96; p=0.000: p<0.05) in Ghanaian universities enrolled in the survey. This study recommends that public and private universities in Ghana should foster a strong sense of commitment and loyalty among employees towards the organisation and its CSR efforts.

Indigenous knowledge (IK) plays a crucial role in rural African communities by contributing to the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies, enhancing resilience to climate-related challenges. However, there is limited documentation of its application in South Africa. This study investigates the adoption of IK in the Vhembe district, focusing on general use, disease prediction and farming practices. Results indicate that the respondents possessed a rich reservoir of IK, with 76.1% affirming its use for different purposes. Most respondents (75.3%) use IK for farming, with 63.1% using it for disease prediction. Most participants (74.3%) reported adequate confidence levels in their use of IK for general purposes. Respondents who had stayed longer in Vhembe reported higher confidence levels in using IK, as did those above 66 years old in using this knowledge system for disease prediction. The use of IK indicators for early warning of malaria outbreaks was also documented. Investigating and documenting IK use in communities could inform the basis for preservation and hence, enhance IK recognition. The integration of IK in the development of early warning systems may enhance their relevance and effectiveness in combating the effects of climate change and infectious diseases.

In today’s era of disruption and rapid technological advancement, the demands for organisational competence development are on the rise (Richter et al., 2020; Schaeffer, 2017). Making investment in human capital development the single most guarantor or tonic for sustainable competitive advantage for any organisation. The primary purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between training, demographic variables and employee job satisfaction. The research employs a positivist paradigm, utilising a deductive approach characterised by quantitative methods. It incorporates a longitudinal study and a pre-post quasi-experimental survey design to gather data from a randomly sampled population of 526 participants from 5 companies in South Africa. Utilising diverse multivariate statistical methods, such as analysis of variance (ANOVA) and correlation and regression modelling, for data analysis. The study’s empirical evidence revealed that (i) those workers who received more training are more motivated than those who received less or no training at all. Further, categories of demographic variables that led to a significant increase in the dependent variable i.e. “employee motivation and job satisfaction” consisted of skilled workers, females, South Sotho language group, those who had post-Matric qualifications and those with 6 – 10 years’ experience in the same job. This paper offers insights to management, especially HR policy makers on creating a learning culture and embrace the value of continued investment in human capital. Plethora of documentary evidence proved T&D to be the predictor of organisational efficiencies, profitability and long-term survival and growth. 

Digital platform economies have restructured contemporary markets by shifting economic coordination from decentralised exchange toward algorithmically governed systems of visibility and participation. Although prior platform economics literature has primarily emphasised network effects, switching costs, and informational asymmetries as separate drivers of platform dominance, less attention has been given to their systemic interdependence within platform infrastructures. This study conceptualises platform economies as recursive systems comprising structural mechanisms and market outcome structures that co-evolve through reinforcing feedback loops. The structural system includes network effects, switching costs, informational asymmetry, two-sided market dynamics, and algorithmic governance intensity, while the outcome system consists of platform market power, market concentration, visibility allocation efficiency, transactional dependency, and consumer welfare outcomes. Platform dominance is theorised as an emergent property of these interacting systems rather than a function of isolated causal variables. Using Canonical Correlation Analysis on survey data from 308 active platform users in South Africa, the study identifies a strong and statistically significant multivariate relationship between structural mechanisms and market outcomes. Algorithmic governance intensity and network effects emerge as the most influential structural drivers, while platform market power and transactional dependency dominate the outcome structure. The findings further indicate a structural shift in platform power formation, where algorithmic governance increasingly supersedes scale-based explanations rooted in traditional two-sided market theory. However, consumer welfare outcomes exhibit a weaker and negative association, suggesting that intensified infrastructural coordination may coexist with reduced perceived autonomy and fairness. The study concludes that platform economies operate as recursive coordination systems in which algorithmic infrastructure, dependency formation, and market concentration mutually reinforce one another, positioning platform power as an infrastructural rather than purely competitive phenomenon.

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.

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.

This study examines how cognitive and structural factors jointly shape customer satisfaction in digital marketplaces, using South Africa as an emerging market context. Drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and network embeddedness theory, it investigates the effects of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, perceived network density, and perceived network centrality. A survey of 128 township entrepreneurs engaging with e-commerce platforms was analysed using multiple regression. Findings indicate that cognitive factors, performance and effort expectancy, significantly predict customer satisfaction, whereas structural factors, network density and centrality, have no direct effect when considered jointly, suggesting their influence is mediated through user perceptions of platform efficiency. This study contributes theoretically by integrating technology cognition with ecosystem network perspectives, highlighting the interdependence of platform design and structural coordination in shaping customer satisfaction. Practically, the findings inform platform managers on prioritising customer-centric design while maintaining effective ecosystem governance to enhance customer satisfaction. By linking cognitive evaluations and structural embeddedness, the study provides actionable insights for managing complex digital ecosystems in emerging markets. It further extends understanding of platform strategy beyond technology adoption and network structure alone.