International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science

This paper aims to explore how Traditional Healers (THs) and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) support women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period in Soweto, Johannesburg. Traditional healing remains a central part of maternal healthcare in South Africa, where cultural beliefs and accessibility influence women’s health-seeking behaviours. Using a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design, data were collected through key informant interviews with eight participants (five THs and three TBAs) selected through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in traditional knowledge, practices, and beliefs related to maternal healthcare. Findings revealed that THs and TBAs play an essential role across the maternal care continuum. In the diagnostic phase, they identify fertility challenges, breech pregnancies, and spiritual causes of illness through ancestral guidance, bone divination, and dreams. During the antenatal period, they provide herbal remedies such as isihlambezo to cleanse and strengthen the womb and perform protective rituals against witchcraft and evil spirits. In the perinatal stage, TBAs assist with labour management, delivery, and placental expulsion using culturally informed methods. Their postnatal care includes uterine cleansing, breastfeeding support, newborn care, and follow-up home visits. These practices, grounded in indigenous knowledge systems, coexist with biomedical care and remain vital due to their cultural resonance and accessibility. The study concludes that strengthening collaboration between traditional and biomedical health systems could enhance culturally sensitive, community-based approaches to maternal healthcare in South Africa.

Workplace stress and nurse retention are critical challenges in healthcare, affecting organizational stability and public health outcomes. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of stressors and job satisfaction on nurses’ turnover intentions in the western region of Ghana, with a focus on the moderating role of transformational leadership. Methodologically, a descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 364 registered nurses working in four hospitals. Participants completed an online questionnaire measuring stress factors, job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and transformational leadership. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyze the data using Mplus 8.3. The results revealed stressors (stress from workload, superiors, and coworkers and daily life) significantly increased nurses’ turnover intentions while negatively influencing job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was inversely associated with turnover intentions, and transformational leadership moderated this relationship, reducing the likelihood of such intentions. The findings highlight the importance of fostering job satisfaction and implementing transformational leadership strategies, such as mentorship and effective stress management, to alleviate workplace stress and enhance nurse retention. These insights offer valuable guidance for hospital administrators and policymakers in designing interventions to improve nurse retention and overall organizational performance.

The research analyzes in depth how Beyond Budgeting influences financial results across the South African non-ferrous metal industry. The research solves the challenge of outdated budget systems alongside marketplace insecurities and operational obstacles in the examined sector. The 60-month period from 2020 through secondary financial statement analysis of non-ferrous metal firms constitutes the research approach. Financial performance analysis used a sample set of statements to conduct t-tests on paired data points for examining budgeting practice associations. Beyond Budgeting brought better revenue results to organizations but proved minimally effective in increasing profitability when associated with growing cost diversity levels. Beyond Budgeting produced enhanced revenue results but did not create substantial changes in operating profit numbers. Traditional budgeting methods proved unfit for handling the changing non-ferrous metal market environment because they produced erroneous financial prediction results. The study findings indicate South African non-ferrous metal firms should implement Beyond Budgeting for their revenue flexibility but must maintain cost control systems for profitability sustainability. Organizations should combine traditional budgeting components with Beyond Budgeting principles to attain financial security as well as market responsiveness according to research findings. Financial managers require training in adaptive budgeting and organizations should install real-time tracking systems which effectively regulate cost variances.

This study investigates the key factors influencing warehouse inventory performance at Eskom Distribution in the Gauteng Cluster using factor analysis. The aim is to identify critical elements that impact inventory management effectiveness and enhance operational performance. Eskom faces challenges in inventory control, including forecasting inaccuracies, procurement risks, and technology integration limitations, despite advancements in Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and Reorder Point (ROP) models. This research applies a quantitative approach with a positivist paradigm, using simple random sampling to select 144 respondents from a target population of 230 employees involved in inventory management. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to uncover the factors affecting warehouse performance. The study identifies three major components—operational efficiency, inventory accuracy, and record-keeping—that account for the majority of variance in performance outcomes. These findings are aligned with previous studies emphasizing the role of accurate inventory data, efficient operations, and technology in enhancing warehouse functioning. The implications suggest that Eskom and similar organizations should invest in advanced inventory management systems, improve staff training, and adopt real-time tracking solutions. Further research could explore how external disruptions and emerging technologies, such as AI and blockchain, influence inventory performance across various sectors. This study contributes valuable insights to the field of inventory management within the public sector, offering practical recommendations for improving warehouse efficiency and reducing operational delays.  

Marketing effectiveness, a technique aimed at improving marketers' outreach to customers to optimise marketing expenditures, has consistently demonstrated efficacy in a highly competitive landscape. Nonetheless, its empirical mediating function continues to be a subject of inquiry among many experts. This study aimed to examine the mediating function of marketing effectiveness in the relationship between interactive marketing and the marketing performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in the Nyanza Region, Kenya. A cross-sectional survey study approach was employed, targeting a population of 3,211 registered MSE owners in Nyanza, from which a sample size of 356 was determined using Yamane's (1967) formula. Data were gathered by questionnaires and analysed utilising descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS version 26.0. The analysis reveals that interactive marketing significantly influences marketing performance (t = 19.933, p < 0.5); interactive marketing also significantly affects marketing effectiveness (t = 19.331, p < 0.5); furthermore, marketing effectiveness significantly impacts marketing performance (t = 15.238, p < 0.5). The indirect test indicates that marketing effectiveness, as an intervening variable, can mitigate the impact of interactive marketing on marketing performance.

This paper aims to explore how Traditional Healers (THs) and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) support women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period in Soweto, Johannesburg. Traditional healing remains a central part of maternal healthcare in South Africa, where cultural beliefs and accessibility influence women’s health-seeking behaviours. Using a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design, data were collected through key informant interviews with eight participants (five THs and three TBAs) selected through purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in traditional knowledge, practices, and beliefs related to maternal healthcare. Findings revealed that THs and TBAs play an essential role across the maternal care continuum. In the diagnostic phase, they identify fertility challenges, breech pregnancies, and spiritual causes of illness through ancestral guidance, bone divination, and dreams. During the antenatal period, they provide herbal remedies such as isihlambezo to cleanse and strengthen the womb and perform protective rituals against witchcraft and evil spirits. In the perinatal stage, TBAs assist with labour management, delivery, and placental expulsion using culturally informed methods. Their postnatal care includes uterine cleansing, breastfeeding support, newborn care, and follow-up home visits. These practices, grounded in indigenous knowledge systems, coexist with biomedical care and remain vital due to their cultural resonance and accessibility. The study concludes that strengthening collaboration between traditional and biomedical health systems could enhance culturally sensitive, community-based approaches to maternal healthcare in South Africa.

The research analyzes in depth how Beyond Budgeting influences financial results across the South African non-ferrous metal industry. The research solves the challenge of outdated budget systems alongside marketplace insecurities and operational obstacles in the examined sector. The 60-month period from 2020 through secondary financial statement analysis of non-ferrous metal firms constitutes the research approach. Financial performance analysis used a sample set of statements to conduct t-tests on paired data points for examining budgeting practice associations. Beyond Budgeting brought better revenue results to organizations but proved minimally effective in increasing profitability when associated with growing cost diversity levels. Beyond Budgeting produced enhanced revenue results but did not create substantial changes in operating profit numbers. Traditional budgeting methods proved unfit for handling the changing non-ferrous metal market environment because they produced erroneous financial prediction results. The study findings indicate South African non-ferrous metal firms should implement Beyond Budgeting for their revenue flexibility but must maintain cost control systems for profitability sustainability. Organizations should combine traditional budgeting components with Beyond Budgeting principles to attain financial security as well as market responsiveness according to research findings. Financial managers require training in adaptive budgeting and organizations should install real-time tracking systems which effectively regulate cost variances.

This study investigates the key factors influencing warehouse inventory performance at Eskom Distribution in the Gauteng Cluster using factor analysis. The aim is to identify critical elements that impact inventory management effectiveness and enhance operational performance. Eskom faces challenges in inventory control, including forecasting inaccuracies, procurement risks, and technology integration limitations, despite advancements in Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) and Reorder Point (ROP) models. This research applies a quantitative approach with a positivist paradigm, using simple random sampling to select 144 respondents from a target population of 230 employees involved in inventory management. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to uncover the factors affecting warehouse performance. The study identifies three major components—operational efficiency, inventory accuracy, and record-keeping—that account for the majority of variance in performance outcomes. These findings are aligned with previous studies emphasizing the role of accurate inventory data, efficient operations, and technology in enhancing warehouse functioning. The implications suggest that Eskom and similar organizations should invest in advanced inventory management systems, improve staff training, and adopt real-time tracking solutions. Further research could explore how external disruptions and emerging technologies, such as AI and blockchain, influence inventory performance across various sectors. This study contributes valuable insights to the field of inventory management within the public sector, offering practical recommendations for improving warehouse efficiency and reducing operational delays.  

Workplace stress and nurse retention are critical challenges in healthcare, affecting organizational stability and public health outcomes. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of stressors and job satisfaction on nurses’ turnover intentions in the western region of Ghana, with a focus on the moderating role of transformational leadership. Methodologically, a descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 364 registered nurses working in four hospitals. Participants completed an online questionnaire measuring stress factors, job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and transformational leadership. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyze the data using Mplus 8.3. The results revealed stressors (stress from workload, superiors, and coworkers and daily life) significantly increased nurses’ turnover intentions while negatively influencing job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was inversely associated with turnover intentions, and transformational leadership moderated this relationship, reducing the likelihood of such intentions. The findings highlight the importance of fostering job satisfaction and implementing transformational leadership strategies, such as mentorship and effective stress management, to alleviate workplace stress and enhance nurse retention. These insights offer valuable guidance for hospital administrators and policymakers in designing interventions to improve nurse retention and overall organizational performance.

Marketing effectiveness, a technique aimed at improving marketers' outreach to customers to optimise marketing expenditures, has consistently demonstrated efficacy in a highly competitive landscape. Nonetheless, its empirical mediating function continues to be a subject of inquiry among many experts. This study aimed to examine the mediating function of marketing effectiveness in the relationship between interactive marketing and the marketing performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in the Nyanza Region, Kenya. A cross-sectional survey study approach was employed, targeting a population of 3,211 registered MSE owners in Nyanza, from which a sample size of 356 was determined using Yamane's (1967) formula. Data were gathered by questionnaires and analysed utilising descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS version 26.0. The analysis reveals that interactive marketing significantly influences marketing performance (t = 19.933, p < 0.5); interactive marketing also significantly affects marketing effectiveness (t = 19.331, p < 0.5); furthermore, marketing effectiveness significantly impacts marketing performance (t = 15.238, p < 0.5). The indirect test indicates that marketing effectiveness, as an intervening variable, can mitigate the impact of interactive marketing on marketing performance.