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Amid the dynamic manufacturing landscape of the modern world, innovation remains key in fostering competitiveness and growth. Whereas psychological safety has been proven to be an inducer of innovative work behaviour (IWB), fewer studies have probed the mechanism through which this is achieved, particularly in emerging economies. Addressing this literature gap, the current study examines the mediating effect of perceived organisational support (POS) between psychological safety and innovative work behaviour in a South African manufacturing company. We adopted a quantitative cross-sectional design, where data were collected from 423 employees with the help of reliable and validated measures. Data were analysed using STATA version 17, and all the respondents were collected with the help of a structured, closed-ended questionnaire. The results indicate that perceived organisational support plays a partial mediating role in the association of psychological safety with innovative work behaviour. In other words, perceived organisational support enhances the positive effect of psychological safety on employees' inclination to innovate, which highlights its strategic significance. This study contributes to the organisational behaviour field by unpacking the indirect role of POS in the safety–innovation relationship and offers practical implications for HR practitioners and leadership. Organisations are encouraged to create inclusive feedback systems, reward the contributions of employees, and infuse support mechanisms into workplace culture to release employee innovation and build adaptive capacity in competitive environments.

Entrepreneurship is a fundamental driver of economic growth and innovation, particularly in emerging economies where youth unemployment remains a critical challenge. This study examines the role of self-efficacy in shaping entrepreneurial motivation and behaviour among students at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), South Africa. Grounded in Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, this study integrates Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour and Becker’s Human Capital Theory to explore the link between self-efficacy, entrepreneurial intentions, and long-term business success. A qualitative research design was employed, involving in-depth interviews with purposively selected students enrolled in entrepreneurship programs. Thematic analysis was utilised to extract key themes related to self-efficacy, resilience, risk-taking behaviour, and socio-economic influences. The findings indicate that students with higher levels of self-efficacy demonstrate stronger entrepreneurial motivation, persistence, and proactive business engagement. The study further explores the role of mentorship programs, institutional support, and policy interventions in enhancing self-efficacy among young entrepreneurs. The research offers critical policy recommendations for higher education institutions, government bodies, and business incubators, advocating for structured entrepreneurship training, financial accessibility reforms, and mentorship-driven ecosystem development. The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on entrepreneurial self-efficacy in emerging markets and provide actionable strategies to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among university students.

Pandemics result in significant devastation, leaving considerable destruction in their wake. Numerous researchers contend that the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic exceeded prior pandemics in various aspects. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global economies, businesses, and societies, resulting in substantial damage and lasting effects. The aviation industry experienced a significant near-collapse for the first time since the advent of aeroplanes, attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research was initiated to synthesise existing studies on the strategies utilised by Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) to sustain operations during disasters such as COVID-19 in South Africa. This systematic literature review analyses the survival strategies and failures of SMMEs in Africa in response to the economic disruptions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixteen accredited journals were incorporated into the data analysis. The thematic analysis identified several themes from the original data: Networking and Accessing Financial Support, Response to Crisis Conditions, Digital Technology, Disruption of Supply Chains, and Inadequate and Insufficient Government Support. This study synthesises existing research to identify factors that supported SMMEs in sustaining operations and recovering from challenges induced by the pandemic. This study offers significant insights into the survival strategies and challenges faced by SMMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. African leaders should supervise the execution of digital transformation initiatives, focused financial assistance, and strategies for long-term business continuity.

This study investigates the relationship between sectoral labour productivity and unemployment in South Africa by answering the question how has labour productivity across different sectors affected employment rates in South Africa? Both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Augmented Dickey–Fuller and Phillips-Perron tests and Autoregressive Distributed Lag Bound test and estimation techniques) were applied on obtained timeseries data for the period 1991-2022. The analysis surprisingly shows that none of the sectoral labour productivity variables contribute to unemployment reduction in the country. Plausible reasons for this finding include the adoption of automation and technological advancements in labour intensive, imbalance between rate of job loss in labour intensive sector and rate of job creation in the service sector during sectoral shifts and economic transition, and general lower purchasing due to unequal distribution of labour productivity gain and income inequality that could have boosted consumer demand, these measures can stimulate economic growth and job creation. Various recommendations are suggested to reduce unemployment in the light of these findings.

The study investigates the nexus between income inequality and crime in the two provinces of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, which combines both primary and secondary data sources, including interviews with nine participants and consultation with academic journals, monographs and reports, respectively. Thematic data analysis was utilised to analyse the participants' insights. The theoretical frameworks are relative deprivation theory and economic theory of crime. Inequality breeds social jealousy in societies and seemingly culminates in crime. The findings of this study revealed that the country’s history coated in apartheid and other factors are responsible for the high income inequality in South Africa, which in turn is a major factor influencing crime in the country. It recommended that through good leadership by the political class, objective anti-corruption drive and provision of infrastructure, the private sector would thrive so that they can provide more jobs. The study also recommended that good education and skill acquisition to promote the entrepreneurship capacity and employability of youths should be promoted.

In South Africa, the effective use of crime statistics by the South African Police Service (SAPS) is essential for monitoring and addressing contact crimes, such as murder, sexual offenses, and robberies. The quarterly release of these statistics is crucial for understanding crime trends, especially in the eThekwini District of KwaZulu-Natal, where contact crimes have been on the rise. This study evaluates how effectively SAPS utilizes crime statistics to combat contact crimes in the eThekwini District, identifies gaps in their current approach, and recommends strategies for improvement. Using a qualitative research design, this study engaged 18 participants, including station commanders, members of the Crime Information Management Analysis Centre (CIMAC), Strategic Management officers, and chairpersons of Community Policing Forums (CPFs). Semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted at selected police stations in the eThekwini District to gather insights on their perspectives regarding the use of crime statistics. Thematic analysis was applied to the collected data, revealing recurring themes and patterns. The findings indicate that while SAPS utilizes crime statistics to develop strategies and operational plans, significant gaps exist in their effective application. Socio-economic conditions were identified as factors influencing crime rates, underscoring the complexity of the issue. Furthermore, although crime statistics are used to assess the performance of station commanders, there is a need to review the criteria for these evaluations to better reflect the multifaceted nature of crime. This study highlights the importance of improving the effectiveness of crime statistics as a tool for monitoring and addressing contact crimes in South Africa. It contributes to the ongoing discussion on crime prevention and policing strategies by offering insights into SAPS’s utilization of crime data. The research provides guidance for enhancing policing efforts in combating contact crimes and promoting safer communities. In conclusion, SAPS has the opportunity to refine its strategies and interventions to align more closely with international best practices in crime prevention and community safety.

The study investigates the nexus between income inequality and crime in the two provinces of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, which combines both primary and secondary data sources, including interviews with nine participants and consultation with academic journals, monographs and reports, respectively. Thematic data analysis was utilised to analyse the participants' insights. The theoretical frameworks are relative deprivation theory and economic theory of crime. Inequality breeds social jealousy in societies and seemingly culminates in crime. The findings of this study revealed that the country’s history coated in apartheid and other factors are responsible for the high income inequality in South Africa, which in turn is a major factor influencing crime in the country. It recommended that through good leadership by the political class, objective anti-corruption drive and provision of infrastructure, the private sector would thrive so that they can provide more jobs. The study also recommended that good education and skill acquisition to promote the entrepreneurship capacity and employability of youths should be promoted.

Understanding the role of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) on the future contact centre managers in the South African Police Service (SAPS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of 4IR on future contact centre managers. 4IR has been discussed in different contexts, but its precise effects on the future of contact centre managers are still unclear, and this research intends to bridge this gap. This research employed a qualitative approach within interpretivism to gather information from 12 participants who fit the predetermined criteria using a nonprobability convenience sampling. ATLAS.ti was utilised to analyse data. The study found that the 4IR impacts the development and transformation of contact centre managers' roles, while also automating contact centre operations. Key themes identified in the study include the adoption of advanced technology, capacity building, rapid response, improved customer experience, and the facilitation of remote work and collaboration, all of which are essential for the future roles of contact centre managers within the SAPS. This has the potential to assist managers within the SAPS contact centres in comprehending the consequences of 4IR and embracing the use of disruptive technologies in contact centres. The study will assist the contact centre managers in ensuring the development and redefining of new skills and roles to enhance productivity in contact centres.

As globalization continues to reshape the business landscape, the use of Business process outsourcing services and activities is gaining significant popularity among businesses. The exact services and activities that benefits and create a sustainable competitive advantage to organizations remain underexplored and few studies have been conducted in the Southern Africa developing countries including South African mobile operators. The main purpose of this study was to redress the existing knowledge gap by ascertaining the actual services and activities that the mobile telecom operators are outsourcing for sustainable competitive advantage. A structured closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect raw data from 210 employees. Overall, the results indicate that some of the key services and activities outsourced for sustainable competitive advantage included building and managing network infrastructure, network roll-out and management, manufacturing of mobile network equipment, monitoring the mobile network on capacity overload and breakdowns and assembly operations, maintenance of the base stations of mobile network, manufacturing of hard software components and resolving software problems and fleet management. The practical implications of the findings, assist organizational management in making informed and structured decisions through the identification of critical activities and services that contribute to the attainment of a sustainable competitive advantage and performance improvement of the mobile telecom operators.

Amid the dynamic manufacturing landscape of the modern world, innovation remains key in fostering competitiveness and growth. Whereas psychological safety has been proven to be an inducer of innovative work behaviour (IWB), fewer studies have probed the mechanism through which this is achieved, particularly in emerging economies. Addressing this literature gap, the current study examines the mediating effect of perceived organisational support (POS) between psychological safety and innovative work behaviour in a South African manufacturing company. We adopted a quantitative cross-sectional design, where data were collected from 423 employees with the help of reliable and validated measures. Data were analysed using STATA version 17, and all the respondents were collected with the help of a structured, closed-ended questionnaire. The results indicate that perceived organisational support plays a partial mediating role in the association of psychological safety with innovative work behaviour. In other words, perceived organisational support enhances the positive effect of psychological safety on employees' inclination to innovate, which highlights its strategic significance. This study contributes to the organisational behaviour field by unpacking the indirect role of POS in the safety–innovation relationship and offers practical implications for HR practitioners and leadership. Organisations are encouraged to create inclusive feedback systems, reward the contributions of employees, and infuse support mechanisms into workplace culture to release employee innovation and build adaptive capacity in competitive environments.