International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy

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.

Technological advancement has transformed the grocery retail, fundamentally altering how consumers interact with retailers and purchase essential goods. Despite rapid digital adoption since the COVID-19 pandemic, uptake of online grocery shopping (OGS) in emerging markets remains uneven. The drivers of consumer attitudes towards this channel are not well understood in the South African context. This paper investigates the effects of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived risk on consumer attitudes towards OGS in Gauteng, South Africa. It investigate whether perceived usefulness mediates the effect of perceived ease of use on attitude. Data were collected through a structured, self-administered questionnaire distributed online to grocery shoppers aged 18 to 60 across Gauteng, yielding a final valid sample of 507 respondents. The data were analysed using a two-step structural equation modelling approach in Stata 17, with Spearman correlation and quantile regression conducted as additional robustness checks. Perceived usefulness emerged as the strongest, most consistent driver of consumer attitudes towards OGS (β = 0.555, p < 0.001). Perceived ease of use had a positive direct effect (β = 0.162, p = 0.020) that did not hold consistently under the quantile regression check; it was, however, strongly correlated with perceived usefulness (ρ = 0.589, p < 0.001). A formal mediation test found that perceived usefulness did not significantly mediate the relationship between perceived ease of use and attitude (Sobel p = 0.321), indicating that perceived ease of use influences attitude directly rather than through perceived usefulness. Contrary to previous studies and initial expectations, perceived risk did not significantly influence consumer attitudes (β = 0.059, p = 0.319). These findings extend the Technology Acceptance Model to an emerging online grocery market and offer practical guidance for retailers seeking to strengthen consumer adoption in similar developing-market contexts.

This paper provides a systematic constitutional analysis of telemarketing regulation in South Africa, arguing that intrusive practices violate the foundational rights to privacy, dignity, freedom of association, and equality. Using a doctrinal methodology, it examines the jurisprudential evolution of these rights in digital commerce, the efficacy of key statutes such as the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and the normative influence of international law. The analysis reveals a critical disjuncture between robust constitutional guarantees and their practical enforcement, exacerbated by systemic challenges including inadequate regulatory capacity, technological advancement outpacing legislation, and the disproportionate targeting of vulnerable populations. The paper concludes by proposing an integrated, rights-based reform agenda, contending that effective telemarketing regulation is essential not only for protecting fundamental rights and human dignity in the digital age but also for promoting consumer trust, ethical business conduct, and sustainable digital market development.

The research investigates the impact of conflicting role obligations on the aspirations for postgraduate education among administrative staff in higher education institutions (HEIs). It subsequently presents a conceptual framework aimed at enhancing comprehension of the obstacles and incentives linked to inter-role conflicts in regard to postgraduate ambitions inside higher education institutions. Utilising illustrative case data and employing a qualitative systematic literature review approach, the research investigates the impact of conflicting role demands on individuals' motivation and ability to attain advanced academic levels. Anchored on Role Conflict Theory, Boundary Theory, and the Conservation of Resources Theory, which together address role interference, domain permeability, and resource depletion, the research investigates how perceived conflicts within study domains influence aspirations for postgraduate pursuits. Research indicates that occupational stress combined with personal and familial obligations presents considerable obstacles to academic progress, while simultaneously driving individuals to seek postgraduate education as a means of career enhancement and professional development. The research emphasises the dual function of conflict as both a motivator and a limitation in influencing postgraduate educational ambitions. Despite the constraints posed by the lack of literature specifically addressing postgraduate ambitions among administrative staff in higher education institutions, the research provides significant exploratory perspectives on the lived experiences of this underexplored demographic and underscores the necessity for institutional measures that facilitate a balance between work and study. The study offers a cohesive conceptual framework that connects conflicting inter-role tensions to intentions for postgraduate studies, thereby making a significant contribution to career development research and laying the groundwork for future empirical studies within the administrative sector of higher education

The study focused on Sustainable adoption of cryptocurrencies for enhancing financial stability in emerging markets. The problem of the study is lack of awareness on the use of cryptocurrency resulted in many transacting people losing their money to scam and criminals who use fraudulent methods to deprive those with little knowledge to transact through the cryptocurrency. The specific objectives of the study are to; establish the factors influencing the adoption of cryptocurrencies for enhancing financial stability emerging markets, analyse the opportunities and challenges for the adoption of cryptocurrencies in emerging markets, establish strategies for enhancing financial stability through the adoption of cryptocurrencies in emerging markets. The research study is guided by the Technology Acceptance Model by Davis, (1989). the findings of the research indicated that the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use showed positive association on the intention to use cryptocurrencies. The ease and usefulness of cryptocurrencies was found in fulfilling various roles including making instant international money transfer, transacting at low charges, using it as an alternative source of currency, making free anonymous transaction and paying for the online service that accept cryptocurrencies. The results indicate that higher inflation and increased exchange rate volatility are positively associated with greater use of cryptocurrencies, explaining that such economic conditions drive individuals to seek alternative financial instruments. The study concluded that, the adoption of cryptocurrency is important for enhancing financial inclusion amongst people of different walks of life in emerging markets. The adoption of cryptocurrency by the emerging markets is significant in maintaining financial stability and reduce the erosion of the local currencies in emerging markets.

In the post COVId-19 era, online education has become an integral part of higher education, underscoring the need to understand students’ experiences, satisfaction and preferences to inform institutional strategies for optimising online education. The study follows a quantitative survey approach in which an online cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken among 295 purposively selected students’ in South African higher education institution. A self-administered validated online questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the reliability of the various constructs, mean scores, and standard deviations. Students found online teaching enjoyable (54.9%), (55.1%) engaging, with the opportunity to ask questions. Findings can inform HEIs’ managers and leaders’ strategic decisions regarding online education, including investment in infrastructure, faculty training, and support services. Creating interactive and engaging online content such as videos, simulations, and gamification to enhance student engagement. Providing online orientation, technical support and troubleshooting services to address technical issues and ensure smooth online learning experiences.