Bussecon Review of Social Sciences

The recruitment process is more of an issue for many businesses. The process of determining the appropriate candidate to hire is often a costly, time-consuming process. Besides, due to incorrect decision-making or lack of objectivity in hiring processes, recruitment processes may not proceed effectively. Businesses are trying to use technology in their recruitment processes to avoid these problems. Currently, many businesses use internet and software technologies to receive applications and evaluate candidates. But despite these technologies, it takes time and additional personnel costs for people to coordinate all processes. Due to these and similar situations, there has been an increase in the use of artificial intelligence technologies in recruitment processes in the world recently. The use of artificial intelligence in recruitment processes has the effect of reducing costs and decision-making errors and appears to be beneficial in saving time. In this study, the use of artificial intelligence in the recruitment processes of businesses in Turkey was examined. In this context, interviews were conducted with the human resources managers of 22 businesses. According to research results, it was understood that artificial intelligence was benefited only as an auxiliary element in recruitment processes. It has been found that businesses do not rely much on artificial intelligence in their recruitment processes, so they do not use it or partially use it.

Spiritual well-being is the affirmation of one’s life in a relation to external world, one’s ownself and a transcendental power like God. It reflects positive feelings, attitudes, and perceptions leading to a sense of identity, wholeness, peace, harmony, and purpose in life. In this study, it is predicted that individuals with high spiritual well-being will be more spiritually resistant during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is one of the most noteworthy periods when people need to be psychologically strong and resilient. In this study, resilience has been defined as the individual endurance against difficulties and the ability to bounce back and even get better. Hence we hypothesized that spiritual well-being of individuals will be effective on their resilience. We conducted our study in Turkey among adults older than 20 years old. We obtained 384 usable data and we analysed our date by using SPSS 20.0 program. Results confirmed the assumption of this study, regarding spiritual well-being/ resilience relationship.

This paper aims to develop a critical approach to flight safety by assessing theoretical and empirical studies on fatigue risk factors in cockpit and cabin crew. This paper also builds a fundamental basis for managing fatigue risk factors in the aviation industry. The main contribution of the paper demonstrates the fact that primary and secondary fatigue risk factors in cockpit and cabin crew affect the level of job satisfaction, operational efficiency, and flight security.

With the negative effects of global financial crisis in 2008-2009 and recent Covid 19 pandemic, the need for stress management for individuals and business organizations is significantly increasing. However, the latest advances in digitalization and digital transformation of service companies are reshaping and redesigning the working conditions. This study aimed to explain how stress and burnout syndrome affects the individuals and business organizations. It is also aimed to maintain a theoretical perspective on burnout syndrome models. Main contribution of the paper to literature is its theoretical perspective with fundamental theories and models of burnout syndrome.

Organizational culture and firm performance are some of the most researched topics in management because of their importance to organizations. Many studies have explored the relationship between organizational culture and firm performance.  The aim of the study is to link organizational culture and firm financial performance and this link was explained by conducting a literature review. The paper investigated the linking organizational culture and financial performance and found that there are different types of organizational cultures and all of them affect the performance of organizations.

Despite extensive legislations and child protection policies, Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) remains a persistent problem across South African rural communities. CSA remains a challenging issue globally with evidence of emotional and psychological impacts on victims, families and professionals assigned to respond to these incidents. This paper aims to examine institutional and  systemic barriers to preventing CSA in rural areas, with focus on low reporting and effective response to CSA cases focusing on Community Policing Forum (CPF), police officers and social workers. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) the study adopted qualitative research approach to explore participants’ experiences of CSA investigation processes. Twenty-four participants: 5 CPF members, 15 police officers and 4 social workers were purposively selected. Data was collected through one-on-one semi structured interviews and analysed using Thematic Analysis (TA) informed by Braun and Clarke’s six phase approach. Three interrelated themes emerged: 1) insufficient knowledge, 2) Motivational fatigue, and 3) Dysfunctional institutional systems. Findings in this study revealed that failure to effectively respond to CSA emerges from inadequate facilities, individual capability and motivational fatigue. The study recommends clearly defined stakeholders’ roles, training, institutional support, and community-based prevention and awareness programmes. Furthermore, the study  recommends sustained intersectoral and multidisciplinary collaboration to address and eradicate barriers to CSA investigations through community-based programmes. Sustainable prevention method that can promote awareness, motivation, and effective collaboration to prevent, detect and diminish CSA are also essential to improve institutional accountability and ensure effective response to CSA in rural areas.

The current developments of geopolitical rivalry, pandemic disruptions, and techno-nationalism have led to a fundamental reconfiguration of the global economic order, creating strategic imperatives for the multinational enterprises (MNEs) that go beyond the traditional internationalization theory. This paper aims to contribute to the literature with a systematic review of the adaptation process of MNEs in the time of geopolitical fragmentation and deglobalization. We used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology to screen 200 initial records from Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and JSTOR databases, resulting in 47 peer-reviewed articles, mostly published in the last eight years (2018–2026), and a few seminal articles from the past 30 years of international business studies. The analysis of our themes indicates that there are six main strategic response clusters: (1) reconfiguration of the supply chain, including reshoring, nearshoring, and friend-shoring; (2) geopolitical risk management via real options and diversification; (3) a renewed focus on regionalization over global integration; (4) digitalization as a strategic buffer; (5) nonmarket strategies, such as political adaptation and lobbying; and (6) de-internationalization, including staged divestment. We combine these themes into an integrative conceptual framework by integrating the EDGES themes (Economic Systems, Digital Disruptions, Geopolitical Fracture, Environmental Sustainability, and Socio-Cultural Ideology) with firm-level dynamic capability responses and performance outcomes. We find certain gaps that are of critical importance: lack of micro-level empirical evidence, lack of MNE perspectives from the emerging markets, and limited integration of artificial intelligence and geopolitics. The review contributes to the international business theory and provides practical guidelines for the management of MNEs in an increasingly fragmented world economy.

Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being. It further requires the state to take reasonable measures to prevent environmental degradation, protect natural resources, and promote sustainable development. Despite this constitutional commitment, South Africa continues to experience increasing climate risks and environmental challenges. Small businesses, particularly those operating in informal and urban settings, are both contributors to and affected by these challenges. Their activities may contribute to environmental harm through poor waste management, inefficient energy use, and limited access to sustainable practices. At the same time, they remain vulnerable to climate impacts such as flooding, water shortages, and extreme weather events. This study examines how weaknesses in climate policy implementation undermine the practical realization of environmental rights under section 24. Using qualitative doctrinal and policy analysis, the study evaluates constitutional provisions, environmental legislation, climate policies, and governance frameworks. Literature reveal that South Africa has developed strong legal and policy frameworks, but implementation remains limited by weak enforcement, fragmented governance, inadequate institutional capacity, and poor coordination across government spheres. These challenges create a gap between constitutional commitments and the lived environmental realities of vulnerable communities and small businesses. Moreover, with appropriate support, these enterprises can adopt sustainable practices, improve resilience, and contribute to broader climate objectives. The study concludes that environmental rights under section 24 cannot be fully achieved through legislation alone. Effective implementation requires stronger accountability, coordinated governance, and practical support mechanisms. It recommends integrating small businesses into climate planning, improving access to climate education and green technologies, and providing incentives for sustainable practices. These measures can strengthen climate resilience, reduce environmental harm, and ensure that the constitutional right to a healthy environment is realized in practice.

Street food plays a vital role in the informal economies of many African countries, especially South Africa. However, evidence suggests that this food poses significant public health risks due to being prepared and sold under unsanitary conditions. This paper explored food safety challenges for street food vendors in Tshilamba, a rural township in Limpopo, South Africa, within the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC) context. This paper used a triangulated method to collect data from primary and secondary sources. It collected primary data from 23 street vendors and insights from 4 key stakeholders. The results indicate that over 80% of street food vendors work in informal, high-traffic areas such as bus terminals and marketplaces that often lack basic sanitation and infrastructure. This situation reflects comparable challenges faced by countries within the SADC region, such as Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In these contexts, vendors operating under analogous conditions are often subjected to eviction because of non-compliance with food safety regulations. Despite existing initiatives, food control programs throughout various regions of Africa continue to exhibit significant weaknesses and require substantial reform. Thus, the paper recommended the incorporation of informal food vendors into established food safety frameworks, the enhancement of regulatory oversight, and the allocation of resources towards the development of infrastructure that facilitates hygienic food vending practices. These actions are vital for improving public health and supporting informal livelihoods.

In contemporary organizations, leaders are increasingly required to manage contradictory demands while supporting employees’ psychological resources in dynamic and uncertain work environments. This study examines the effects of paradoxical leadership on two important employee-level outcomes: creative self-efficacy and resilience. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, the study aims to explain how leaders who simultaneously balance autonomy and control, flexibility and structure, and support and challenge can strengthen employees’ confidence in generating creative solutions and their capacity to adapt to workplace difficulties. A quantitative research design was employed, using survey data collected from employees working in the Information and Communication Technology sector. The proposed relationships were tested through structural equation modeling, after assessing the reliability and validity of the measurement model. The findings indicate that paradoxical leadership has a significant positive effect on both creative self-efficacy and employee resilience. These results suggest that paradoxical leaders can help employees interpret complexity as manageable, maintain confidence in their creative abilities, and recover more effectively from setbacks. Theoretically, the study contributes to paradoxical leadership research by positioning creative self-efficacy and resilience as key psychological outcomes of paradoxical leader behavior. Practically, the findings suggest that organizations, particularly in technology-intensive sectors, should develop leaders’ capacity for paradoxical thinking and balanced leadership behaviors in order to foster a more creative, adaptive, and resilient workforce.