International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy

This integrative review explores the intricate and interconnected issues of workplace bullying, quiet quitting, and turnover intention—three pressing challenges that have a significant impact on organizational performance and employee well-being. The review highlights workplace bullying as a significant precursor to employee disengagement, often exemplified by quiet quitting, where employees diminish their discretionary efforts while remaining in their positions by synthesizing literature from organizational behavior, psychology, and management studies. This disengagement subsequently contributes to an increased intention to leave the organization. The review employs Organizational Justice Theory as a framework to elucidate how perceived disparities in distributive, procedural, and interactional justice contribute to this detrimental cycle of behavior. The findings indicate that unresolved bullying not only deteriorates organizational culture but also diminishes employee motivation and elevates the risk of voluntary resignation. Consequently, the review underscores the critical necessity for proactive organizational strategies, such as implementing anti-bullying policies, fostering supportive leadership, and monitoring employee engagement, as effective interventions. It also suggests avenues for future research, recommending longitudinal and cross-cultural studies to deepen the understanding of the causal relationships and variances in these dynamics across different organizational contexts.

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.

This integrative review examines the persistent governance challenge between meritocracy and cadre deployment within public administration in the Global South. Meritocracy focuses on the selection and advancement of individuals based on their qualifications, skills, and performance, while cadre deployment pertains to politically motivated appointments within the civil service, often rationalized in post-liberation or dominant-party environments. The review integrates empirical research, policy analyses, and comparative case studies to evaluate the effects of these competing approaches on state capacity, public service delivery, institutional integrity, and governance outcomes. The findings suggest that meritocratic systems, as demonstrated by countries such as Botswana and Rwanda, are positively correlated with administrative efficiency, professional ethics, and developmental progress. Conversely, cadre deployment, prevalent in contexts like South Africa and Zimbabwe, is typically associated with diminished institutional autonomy, corruption, and state capture. Grounded in the Developmental State Theory, this review highlights the significance of capable, independent, and professional bureaucracies for sustainable development. The study concludes that incorporating meritocratic principles into governance frameworks is vital for fostering long-term institutional resilience and public trust in the Global South.

Developing countries are experiencing significant governance challenges in the form of corruption, fraud, and mismanagement of public funds. These issues are most pronounced at the local government level, where municipalities are particularly affected. In South Africa, the persistent failure of mechanisms intended to hold public servants accountable for maladministration and unethical conduct has been evident. This has contributed to weakened governance structures and compromised service delivery. Numerous instances of unethical behaviour have gone unpunished, highlighting the absence of effective consequence management and posing ongoing threats to sustainability in local governance. The purpose of this research paper is to examine and evaluate the role of effective oversight mechanisms in strengthening accountability and promoting appropriate consequences for misconduct within local government systems, with an emphasis on improving public service delivery. A qualitative desktop research methodology was employed, relying on existing literature and data to explore the topic under investigation. The findings revealed that, despite the introduction of several accountability initiatives, these have not succeeded in holding local government officials responsible for their actions. Significant gaps in monitoring, enforcement, and the application of sanctions for unethical conduct have undermined progress. As a result, essential services continue to suffer. The review recommends the implementation of robust and participatory oversight mechanisms to foster a more enforceable and inclusive accountability model that supports improved governance and service delivery outcomes at the local level. This research provides insight into the persistent weaknesses of local government oversight systems and emphasizes the need for more effective accountability frameworks to achieve sustainable service delivery and governance in South Africa.

Sustainable procurement has become a crucial strategy for attaining the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite the growing emphasis on the concept, understanding the development of sustainable procurement over the last two decades remains limited. This paper offers a comprehensive examination of sustainable procurement, outlining significant research topics, leading authors, relevant countries, and notable publications in the discipline. Nineteen (199) publications from 2004 to 2024 were retrieved from Scopus following the PRISMA protocol. Bibliometric analysis is utilised, followed by the construction of clusters through co-citation analysis. The clusters are analysed to identify emerging themes and potential areas for further research. The co-citation analysis identifies five distinct clusters of research themes: sustainable procurement practices and drivers, environmental management and performance in procurement, sustainable public procurement and implementation challenges, green procurement strategies and supplier management, and sustainable procurement adoption and influencing factors. Publications have been sourced exclusively from one database. Only publications from relevant academic journals have been utilised for the bibliometric analysis. Only articles with high citation counts were selected for co-citation analysis and cluster formation. The analysis of the identified clusters delineates study domains for further exploration aimed at improving the understanding of sustainable procurement and implementing its practices to achieve sustainability..

There is inadequate literature on research comparing the motivations of Generations Y and Z, especially for non-academic university staff. Therefore, this research compared the motivation of the two generational cohorts amongst non-academic staff at the Zimbabwe Open University. Two sub-objectives guided the research: first, to compare the intrinsic motivation of the two generations and the extrinsic motivation of the two generations. The generational theory guided the research, elaborating that generational cohorts have different preferences. The supplementary theory was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which shows how employees are motivated by the provision of needs from basic to fulfillment needs. The study was quantitative, using descriptive statistics to compare the motivation of Generation Y and Z. The research utilised closed-ended questionnaires, which were distributed to 196 respondents. SPSS version 30.0 was used for data analysis. Reliability, validity, and data normality tests confirmed the data. The findings show that both generations are motivated intrinsically, but preferences on the intrinsic motivators diverge. The research found that Generation Y is more extrinsically motivated than Generation Z. The research recommends using intrinsic motivation for Generation Z employees and using both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for Generation Y employees.

Investigations into establishing a framework for incentivising non-academic personnel in universities have been scarce. The research sought to establish a paradigm for motivating non-academic personnel in institutions. The study was informed by Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Adams’ equitable theory of motivation. The research employed a quantitative methodology, wherein a sample of 216 non-academic personnel at the Zimbabwe Open University filled out closed-ended questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted with SPSS version 30.0. The resulting framework details the obstacles, intrinsic motivators, extrinsic motivators, and performance outcomes of university non-academic personnel. The report advises colleges to utilise the framework to create motivational programs for non-academic personnel.

Developing countries are experiencing significant governance challenges in the form of corruption, fraud, and mismanagement of public funds. These issues are most pronounced at the local government level, where municipalities are particularly affected. In South Africa, the persistent failure of mechanisms intended to hold public servants accountable for maladministration and unethical conduct has been evident. This has contributed to weakened governance structures and compromised service delivery. Numerous instances of unethical behaviour have gone unpunished, highlighting the absence of effective consequence management and posing ongoing threats to sustainability in local governance. The purpose of this research paper is to examine and evaluate the role of effective oversight mechanisms in strengthening accountability and promoting appropriate consequences for misconduct within local government systems, with an emphasis on improving public service delivery. A qualitative desktop research methodology was employed, relying on existing literature and data to explore the topic under investigation. The findings revealed that, despite the introduction of several accountability initiatives, these have not succeeded in holding local government officials responsible for their actions. Significant gaps in monitoring, enforcement, and the application of sanctions for unethical conduct have undermined progress. As a result, essential services continue to suffer. The review recommends the implementation of robust and participatory oversight mechanisms to foster a more enforceable and inclusive accountability model that supports improved governance and service delivery outcomes at the local level. This research provides insight into the persistent weaknesses of local government oversight systems and emphasizes the need for more effective accountability frameworks to achieve sustainable service delivery and governance in South Africa.

Machine efficiency and performance are crucial for attaining company objectives economically. High-tech industries, marked by substantial expenditures, can adapt to swift changes and consumer demands within their established operational parameters and available resources. Providing high-quality products at competitive prices has posed a problem for machine-driven manufacturing organisations. This study investigates the implementation of mechanisation to enhance quality in a chosen automobile assembly company in South Africa. The study employed a quantitative methodology to investigate the production and associated experiences of a chosen automotive assembly organisation that implemented a mechanised system for quality enhancement in its Deck Tailgate process within the welding facility. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model was employed to analyse data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The corporation functions within the eThekwini Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa. This research examines the influence of mechanisation on product quality, defect rates per unit, and operational downtime inside an automotive assembly firm in South Africa. Analysis of pre- and post-mechanisation quarterly data using OLS regression indicates that mechanisation substantially enhances product quality; however, no significant effects were seen regarding defects per unit and downtime. This study reveals the advantages and disadvantages of mechanisation inside this automotive assembly organisation in South Africa. 

In South Africa, productivity is crucial for individual livelihoods and business performance.  A workplace that fosters employee engagement and participation is a means to cultivate an environment that attracts motivated teams for enhanced productivity.  This perspective supports the notion of employee engagement.  This study investigates the impact of employee engagement on enhancing labour productivity in South African automobile parts manufacturing firms.  Employee involvement denotes the degree of commitment and participation that employee exhibits towards their organisation. The study goals were fulfilled by analysing the production and associated experiences of the automobile parts manufacturing organisation that implemented an employee involvement strategy to enhance labour productivity.  The corporation functions within the eThekwini Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa.  The study was conducted by gathering pre- and post-quarterly data on absenteeism, spoilage, and attained production targets.  Nevertheless, findings indicate that the employee participation ideology lacks the capacity to enhance labour productivity within the automobile parts manufacturing sector in South Africa.  There is no correlation between absenteeism and spoiling rates, nor with the production standards attained, in connection to labour productivity following the implementation of the employee involvement strategy. This study reveals the advantages and disadvantages of employee engagement on labour productivity within automobile parts manufacturing firms in South Africa.