Browsing by Department "Graduate School of Business (GSB)"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 456
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    Open Access
    ‘A beggar has no choice' A Mixed Approach Exploring Blended Finance for Africa's Infrastructure
    (2020) Wildschutt-Prins, Alvino; Alhassan, Abdul Latif
    The United Nations estimated that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals globally, they require approximately USD6 trillion per annum, totalling between USD90 to a USD100 trillion of investments needed over the 15 years. African countries are struggling to finance their infrastructure development needs and require innovative solutions to finance their infrastructure gaps. The African Development Bank noted that Africa's infrastructure needs can be estimated between USD130 and USD170 billion per annum with an estimated financing gap of USD68 billion to USD108 billion. Blended finance received international attention during the Third International Conference on Finance for Development in 2015 when it was mentioned in the adopted resolution report dubbed the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (here forth the Addis Agenda). The overall objective of this study is to explore the private sector participation investing in economic infrastructure in Africa and the public sector's understanding of blended finance. The research also focuses on the role of multi-and bilateral development banks in mobilising the private sector and the government support required to attract private sector participation investing in infrastructure projects For this study, the Convergent Parallel Design mixed research method is employed where both the quantitative and qualitative data are collected concurrently or in the same phase. The World Bank PPI database is used as the primary quantitative data source, while nine qualitative indepth interviews were conducted. The results from the multiple linear regression model indicate that projects with multi-lateral development bank' support are characterised by lower private sector participation in infrastructure investments in Africa. Furthermore, countries receiving concessional support from the International Development Association (IDA) are receiving lower private sector participation in their projects. In-depth interviews with public sector officials indicated that most of the officials had an overall understanding of blended finance in line with current market definitions. Officials, however, were not convinced with the use of concessional funding and loans in the blended finance structure due to the conditions precedents which came with it but felt like they had no choice but to accept these conditions due to the needs of the countries and the project involved. Informed by the findings of the study, the study recommends that blended finance should be localised for the African context and makes key policy recommendations linked to the OECD principles for blended finance.
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    A complex ecosystem: a grounded theory approach to understanding student lending in tertiary education
    (2020) Muramba, Faith; Ryan, Tom Professor
    ABSTRACT Education, including tertiary education, has a valuable role to play in addressing developmental challenges such as poverty, income inequality, unemployment and gender equality. The challenge to providing tertiary education is financing given competing needs on the national fiscus from other sectors such as basic education, healthcare and energy. Student loans are a solution that have been argued to be a more equitable and sustainable form of financing tertiary education but come with their own challenges. An ecosystem lens to tertiary student lending was applied due to the complex combination of economic and social motivations for education, the significant roles played by participants in both the private and public spheres and the financial resources required by student loan programs. By considering the ecosystem and not just an aspect of the student loan market such as default rates, as commonly done in the literature, the results of this study reflect the intricate decision making and multiple agents involved in student loan programs. A qualitative research method was selected as it suited the research question, the textual form of the data and the complex nature of the relationships under investigation in a student lending ecosystem. Applying the grounded theory approach, core categories were identified by a process of abstraction from a representative sample of documentary sources accessed electronically. The conceptual model developed from the core categories, and the insights gained from the literature review were adapted to a scientific framework in order to create a causal loop diagram in the theory building. The scientific framework used in this theory building process is that of archetypes that describe scientifically established generic structures of systems and the associated patterns of behaviour. The final model and theory presented in this study, represents a broad set of stakeholders and highlights the important considerations to improving tertiary student lending. In the theory presented, decisions regarding tertiary student lending are distinctly bounded in two areas – government and non-government, and communication of information between these areas is subject to delays that will hinder efforts to increase loans to students. Students are at the centre of the reinforcing mechanisms supporting loans as they process loan information, availability of loans and expected repayment in the evaluation of their borrowing decisions. Balancing mechanisms to this are centred in government policy as the provision of capital from government has a limit while hidden grants and flexibility in delinquency reduce the expected repayments. The theory predicts stagnant or decreasing levels of loan disbursement if the mechanisms and boundaries above are not addressed and resource limitations removed. To demonstrate practical adequacy, the theory is applied to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in South Africa
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    A Conceptualisation of the self-perceptions of black professionals in relation to business leadership in South Africa
    (2021) Myeza, Angel; April, Kurt
    The research aimed to gain an understanding of the self-perceptions of black South African professionals (and leaders) in relation to business leadership and how these self-perceptions influenced their behaviours, aspirations and self-perceived abilities in leadership positions. The leadership behaviour of black leaders was found to be influenced by their upbringing, educational background, workplace experiences and the country's historical context. Leadership behaviours exhibited by black leaders included Ubuntu, difficulty with owning authority, deliberate bias in management behaviour across colour and a profound sense of shared responsibility toward other black professionals and black communities. Black professionals demonstrated signs of deep-rooted pain, fear, anger, isolation, pride, empathy and general emotional fatigue stemming from workplace, socio-economic and political triggers that evoked generational trauma and an overall negative black lived experience. The negative lived experience could have led to racial identity dissonance and in extreme cases, complete racial identity disassociation. On occasion, black professionals leveraged white relationships to propel their careers forward, however, this practice reportedly resulted in feelings of self-doubt. Self-doubt was shown to eventually lead to self-deselection, negatively impacting the aspirations and career advancement prospects of black professionals in organisational leadership. Career progression of black professionals was additionally impacted by 'multiple shades of black', which determined if the black professional could be 'authorised' as a leader. These 'shades' included aspects such as the 'twang', complexion, and for black women, even hair. Black professionals that were perceived to better resemble 'whiteness', achieved faster career progression. The research found that black leaders perceived that their blackness, specifically, its unique texture of experiences and history in South Africa, provided them with superior empathetic leadership capability towards black employees, although it severely diminished empathy towards white employees. Furthermore, black professionals considered their blackness to detract from their leadership capability, by reducing the odds of being authorised as a natural leader, enforcing a skewed self-perception of their leadership capabilities.
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    A critical analysis of the use of blended finance for public infrastructure development in South Africa: The IIPSA Case Study
    (2021) Kopeledi, Mosa; Alhassan, Abdul Latif
    Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are a commonly used procurement strategy, adopted to advance the achievement of national developmental goals. The transactions match the efficiency of the private sector, with the large market potential of the public sector, to establish mutually beneficial partnerships and address increasingly growing public infrastructure development demand. Blended finance, as a subject on alternative financing for public infrastructure finance, has gained popularity in developing counties with poor balance sheets and deteriorating sovereign credit ratings, as an option to raise capital to address infrastructure backlogs and developmental challenges by creating commercially viable public infrastructure markets for sustainable development. However, the results on blended finance transactions and initiatives have not realised the benefits purported for the adoption of blended finance in developing countries. This study sought to critically explore the perceptions of stakeholders on the outcomes of blended finance in the Infrastructure Initiative Programme for Southern Africa (IIPSA) programme. A qualitative research method approach is utilised to explore the factors that advanced or hindered the achievement of the objectives of IIPSA, and based on their experience, further identifies CSF for the adoption of blended finance in South Africa. The thematic analysis utilized in the study, reveals that participants do not believe that the objectives of IIPSA were met due to a Mis- alignment in expectations between the European Union and the SA stakeholders. Governance, State Capacity, DFI mandate restriction, Ambiguous communication of programme objectives, Misalignment in Expectations, Resistance to change, Performance measure, Regulatory restrictions, and an Unstable political environment constitute the nine main themes to emerge from the analysis of factors that hindered the achievement of IIPSA objectives. The CSF are organized around six main themes of Context, Institutional Capacity & Coordination, Alternatives to blended finance, Transparency, Motives, and Environment. The study recommendations are categorized at the Country level, where environmental factors are fundamentally at play, the Institutional Capacity level, where the competency factors of the implementing institutions are highlighted, and at the Project level, where the study relates these to motivation factors of the stakeholders.
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    A critical analysis of the use of blended finance for public infrastructure development in South Africa: The IIPSA Case Study
    (2022) Kopeledi, Mosa; Alhassan, Latif
    Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are a commonly used procurement strategy, adopted to advance the achievement of national developmental goals. The transactions match the efficiency of the private sector, with the large market potential of the public sector, to establish mutually beneficial partnerships and address increasingly growing public infrastructure development demand. Blended finance, as a subject on alternative financing for public infrastructure finance, has gained popularity in developing counties with poor balance sheets and deteriorating sovereign credit ratings, as an option to raise capital to address infrastructure backlogs and developmental challenges by creating commercially viable public infrastructure markets for sustainable development. However, the results on blended finance transactions and initiatives have not realised the benefits purported for the adoption of blended finance in developing countries. This study sought to critically explore the perceptions of stakeholders on the outcomes of blended finance in the Infrastructure Initiative Programme for Southern Africa (IIPSA) programme. A qualitative research method approach is utilised to explore the factors that advanced or hindered the achievement of the objectives of IIPSA, and based on their experience, further identifies CSF for the adoption of blended finance in South Africa. The thematic analysis utilized in the study, reveals that participants do not believe that the objectives of IIPSA were met due to a Mis- alignment in expectations between the European Union and the SA stakeholders. Governance, State Capacity, DFI mandate restriction, Ambiguous communication of programme objectives, Misalignment in Expectations, Resistance to change, Performance measure, Regulatory restrictions, and an Unstable political environment constitute the nine main themes to emerge from the analysis of factors that hindered the achievement of IIPSA objectives. The CSF are organized around six main themes of Context, Institutional Capacity & Coordination, Alternatives to blended finance, Transparency, Motives, and Environment. The study recommendations are categorized at the Country level, where environmental factors are fundamentally at play, the Institutional Capacity level, where the competency factors of the implementing institutions are highlighted, and at the Project level, where the study relates these to motivation factors of the stakeholders.
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    A day to bleed: exploring the effects of Zambia's Mother's Day policy on the representation of women in the financial sector
    (2025) Chirwa, Memory Bwalya; Daya, Preeya
    This study examined how Zambia's menstruation leave policy, locally referred to as Mother's Day, influences the recruitment and retention of women in the financial and insurance sectors. As the only African nation to formalise menstruation leave, Zambia provided a distinctive context to explore the operation of gender-specific workplace policies within postcolonial African organisational settings. The research drew on qualitative data from 32 interviews with employees and managers across four organisations, revealing several key findings. Firstly, organisational size significantly shaped implementation approaches, with large organisations employing bureaucratic processes, medium organisations adopting hybrid practices, and small organisations favouring Ubuntu-inspired community-oriented methods. Secondly, a leadership policy paradox emerged, where senior women often avoided using menstruation leave to safeguard their professional credibility, thereby perpetuating stigma around its use. Thirdly, varying levels of cultural integration were observed, ranging from surface-level adoption to deeply embedded practices that reflected local values. Women adopted different strategies to navigate the policy, balancing health needs with career aspirations. These strategies highlighted the complicated interplay between professional identity, organisational context, and cultural dynamics. While the policy aimed to support women's workplace participation, its impact on recruitment and retention was nuanced, particularly when compounded by other types of leave such as maternity, sick, and study leave. Implementation challenges were shaped by implicit biases, practical difficulties, and societal stigma. This research contributes to the nascent discourse on menstruation leave policies in the Global South by extending Acker's (1990, 2006) theory of gendered organisations to postcolonial African contexts and applying the social ecological model to workplace policy implementation. It offers practical recommendations for organisations, including the development of size appropriate implementation guidelines. The findings underscore the need for gender-specific policies to move beyond symbolic compliance, fostering genuine workplace equity.
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    A framework for discretionary effort based on performance expectancies in integrated work environment
    (2011) Katoma, Victor; April, Kurt
    In an age of immense business competition, and far-reaching leadership requirements, Discretionary Effort is required as part of a value creation and enhanced performance strategy. Discretionary Effort is the unsolicited effort, which employees expend when certain work expectations are met. Traditionally, Expectancy, Valence and Instrumentality (VIE) have been the leading variables of this construct. Research has however, revealed that self-affirmation (A) adds another important dimension to the Discretionary Effort Framework (VIEA) (April & Katoma, 2008). This research investigated Discretionary Effort (the full VIEA) in an integrated work environment, using professional networks, consisting primarily of 1548 managers and specialists, who were either co-located or virtually located in different sectors. The survey instrument was divided into four parts, with the first and second parts measuring expectancies at individual and work level respectively. The third and fourth parts measured the degree of discretionary behavior of employees, and the extent to which organizations considered these relevant. The data were collected through faxes, emails, and online survey tools from employees attending leadership courses at the Business School. Results revealed that Discretionary Effort was not significantly different in clusters at the micro level of units of employees, but significantly different at the macro (sector) level - with service-oriented sectors, such as retail, scoring higher Discretionary Effort compared to product-oriented industries, such as engineering. Within the clusters or units, process-oriented influencer variables, such as experience, showed significant effects on the aforementioned Discretionary variables. Employees were also more generally concerned with higher levels of needs (social needs), as specified in Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1968), partly due to interpersonal interrelations and knowledge-dependent professional networks. The most significant hypotheses included individual network learning, team sustainability, effort learning all at p<.001, while interpersonal performance and mutual reciprocity were at p<.10. Construct validity, using covariates, revealed an acceptable Discretionary Effort model fit of VIEA: χ = 102, df = 17, RMSEA = .0584, NFI = .95, CFI = .95 and GFI = .983.
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    A health information platform for Case Managed Neglected Tropical Diseases - A case study from Mozambique
    (2020) de Kruijff, Arie; Nilsson, Warren
    Leprosy, as one of the neglected tropical diseases, is an ancient disease that requires a slow and patient approach for its diagnosis and treatment involving various actors along the way. This care system has traditionally been supported by a paper based health information system still in use today in many endemic countries. In Mozambique, various attempts at modernizing the system have failed. The continued transmission of the disease is again highlighting the need for sharper strategic approaches supported by detailed information and better coordination between the various care actors in the system. This study coincided with the design and implementation of a new health information system for the case managed neglected tropical diseases (NTD) care sector in Mozambique. A Soft Systems Methodology (Action Research) approach was followed during this implementation process in an attempt to incorporate the perspectives of various actors and many institutional relationships that have an impact on the outcomes of this complex disease. The aim of the study was not only to identify factors that would contribute to the successful introduction of the health information system, but also to contribute to better knowledge management within this specific NTD care context. The study utilized group work, rich picture creation and individual interviews to build conceptual models for knowledge management in this context. It also tried to ground this by analyzing lessons from previous unsuccessful NTD information systems as well as the experiences from other countries in Africa where a similar infrastructure was implemented successfully.
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    A model for the utilisation of networks and leveraging of the economic benefits of migration capital in emerging markets
    (2018) Chunnett, Wanda Ingrid; Shelley, Elanca
    The research considers the question: What can emerging market economies do to leverage sustainable growth opportunities from resource constrained, involuntary migrant entrepreneurs? It explores the positive economic impact that involuntary migrant entrepreneurs have made in an emerging market economy, South Africa, through the establishment of sustainable businesses. The objective is to understand the underlying enablers and constraints that facilitated the establishment of such businesses historically and to use them to develop a model that might be implemented by public and private institutions to maximise the economic benefits that groups of migrant entrepreneurs can deliver. It took the form of an inductive study of behavioural attributes to which a critical realist epistemology has been applied, using network theory and the lens of “desirable difficulties” within the context of social, economic and migration capital. The research was inspired by the work of Elizabeth and Robert Bjork (1996 and 2015) and extends the concept of desirable disabilities into the realm of societal “disabilities” that have been overcome by resource constrained migrant entrepreneurs, to accumulate the necessary social, knowledge and economic capital (Bourdieu, 1985) to establish sustainable businesses. The theoretical contribution of the research is to take the involuntary migrant debate beyond the "refugee as burden" paradigm, by focusing on constrained, involuntary migrants as potential economic contributors through: 1. A theoretical proposition that the legal, knowledge, language and economic capital required by constrained migrant entrepreneurs to leverage the enabling disabilities that they have and to establish their locus of power, is augmented by additional "migration capital", an offshoot of mobility capital, which originates from the interactions within and between the migrant group networks. 2. The development of a model, based on migration capital, which may be used by emerging market countries to maximise the economic growth opportunities that severely resource constrained entrepreneurs can offer. The model utilises a newly defined form of capital, namely migration capital, as its basis. It provides an alternative view to traditional, “push” based economic theories which have categorised refugees and migrants as economic burdens that must be supported by the host country for extended periods of time, to the detriment of the local population. The “pull” model is premised on the finding that migration is a temporal rather than geographic or ethnic issue and that there is additional value to be extracted over the lifespan of a migrant business if the social integration can be expedited through the facilitation of migration capital in addition to individual social, knowledge and economic capital. It considers the benefit that can be realised by the host country, where the process driver remains the migrant entrepreneur, eager to become established in a new country and achieve their long term vision.
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    A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of Social Housing Residents in Relation to their Digital Exclusion
    (2018) Williams, Jonathan; Walton, Marion; Nilsson, Warren
    There is no more significant threat to a prosperous South Africa than the persistent socioeconomic exclusion and continuous spatial segregation of South African society. Social housing and digital inclusion both play a critical role as inclusionary interventions for the socioeconomic advancement of the previously disenfranchised and the reintegration of apartheid-era segregated communities. Access to ICTs provides marginalised communities with platforms and tools to amplify their voices, gain access to information and reaffirm their citizenship, thereby allowing for more vigorous participation in the national discourse. “The goal of ICTs is not to necessarily solve the digital divide but rather to further the process of social inclusion.” (Warschauer, 2003) Furthermore, these technological platforms provide access to life chances, capital enhancing activities, information and the possibility of building networks outside of individuals’ modest social networks. This study seeks to understand how digital exclusion influences the experience of overall inclusion in South African social housing. This dissertation is a qualitative study employing a mixture of phenomenological and ethnographic methods to document and make sense of the lived experiences of participants in relation to their exclusion. The study uses of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and surveys to explore participants’ adaptation and integration into local formal institutions and the host community of Blue View Terraces, a mostly white, middle-income neighbourhood located in Cape Town. The study discovered the coexistence of many different and competing forms of exclusion. Firstly, a key finding during the process of residential desegregation or spatial inclusion was participants’ pervasive experiences of power dynamics. These power dynamics manifested as discrimination and marginalisation that was partly caused by the absence of relocation support, public awareness programs about social housing and a failure by the social housing institution to adequately address more forms of inclusion than just spatial. Secondly, the findings showed the design of the housing development to be hopelessly inadequate to support newcomers’ actual lives. Necessary infrastructure was omitted in favour of a lower build cost. This led to a higher cost of living that is unaffordable for social housing residents and negates the benefits of lower cost rental accommodation. Lastly, findings showed that digital exclusion negatively influences the adjustment of low-socioeconomic status children into high-socioeconomic schools and leads to forced assimilation when learners come into daily contact with schools in their locality. The findings signify that social and economic inclusion efforts and even building projects can and should not be considered in isolation. Each form of exclusion competes with another, often exacerbating its effects. Also, of significance is the default approach to integration in South African schools of assimilation rather than multiculturalism. The outcomes of this study highlight the importance of considering multiple forms of exclusion together rather than in isolation, especially in the context of social inclusion projects.
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    A phenomenological study of the lived experiences of social housing residents in relation to their digital exclusion
    (2019) Williams, Jonathan; Nilsson, Warren
    There is no more significant threat to a prosperous South Africa than the persistent socioeconomic exclusion and continuous spatial segregation of South African society. Social housing and digital inclusion both play a critical role as inclusionary interventions for the socioeconomic advancement of the previously disenfranchised and the reintegration of apartheid-era segregated communities. Access to ICTs provides marginalised communities with platforms and tools to amplify their voices, gain access to information and reaffirm their citizenship, thereby allowing for more vigorous participation in the national discourse. “The goal of ICTs is not to necessarily solve the digital divide but rather to further the process of social inclusion.” (Warschauer, 2003) Furthermore, these technological platforms provide access to life chances, capital enhancing activities, information and the possibility of building networks outside of individuals' modest social networks. This study seeks to understand how digital exclusion influences the experience of overall inclusion in South African social housing. This dissertation is a qualitative study employing a mixture of phenomenological and ethnographic methods to document and make sense of the lived experiences of participants in relation to their exclusion. The study uses of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and surveys to explore participants' adaptation and integration into local formal institutions and the host community of Blue View Terraces, a mostly white, middle-income neighbourhood located in Cape Town. The study discovered the coexistence of many different and competing forms of exclusion. Firstly, a key finding during the process of residential desegregation or spatial inclusion was participants' pervasive experiences of power dynamics. These power dynamics manifested as discrimination and marginalisation that was partly caused by the absence of relocation support, public awareness programs about social housing and a failure by the social housing institution to adequately address more forms of inclusion than just spatial. Secondly, the findings showed the design of the housing development to be hopelessly inadequate to support newcomers' actual lives. Necessary infrastructure was omitted in favour of a lower build cost. This led to a higher cost of living that is unaffordable for social housing residents and negates the benefits of lower cost rental accommodation. Lastly, findings showed that digital exclusion negatively influences the adjustment of low-socioeconomic status children into high-socioeconomic schools and leads to forced assimilation when learners come into daily contact with schools in their locality. The findings signify that social and economic inclusion efforts and even building projects can and should not be considered in isolation. Each form of exclusion competes with another, often exacerbating its effects. Also, of significance is the default approach to integration in South African schools of assimilation rather than multiculturalism. The outcomes of this study highlight the importance of considering multiple forms of exclusion together rather than in isolation, especially in the context of social inclusion projects.
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    A qualitative investigation into customer participation on social customer relationship platforms adopted by home-based enterprises
    (2024) Reddy, Shalen; Samuelsson, Mikael
    The emergence of social media has made it possible for home-based businesses to manage client interactions online. Low user acceptance rates are responsible for up to two-thirds of failures, have historically plagued small and medium enterprises that have implemented a customer relationship management method (Heller Baird & Parasnis, 2011). This study investigates the factors that influence customer participation on social customer relationship management systems used by small and medium enterprises, with a particular emphasis on home-based businesses. It addresses the Question: How can customers be persuaded into participation on social customer relationship platforms of home-based enterprises? A constructivist grounded theory technique was used to conduct this study. Data was gathered from nine home-based businesses through social media recommendations based on active customer engagement. A four-cycle model is implemented to analyse the data that was obtained through coding. Seven key variables emerge, and a customer participation theory is developed. This study concludes that for home-based businesses to improve customer participation on social networks they must first build trust with their target market. This research contributes to literature of home-based enterprises operating in the social customer relationship management space with the development of a substantive theory to improve customer participation thereby increasing customer engagement. Future studies should aim to broaden their findings by including all SME consumers. In this way added dimension may be developed with the inclusion of platform developers and business owners
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    A review of factors affecting the attractiveness of Angola to private equity (PE) investments
    (2014) Jover, Estefania; Mlambo, Chipo
    Angola’s attractiveness to PE investors and the potential to increase PE investments in the country are explored. Primary data were collected using a survey of 18 PE funds that invest or have considered investing in Angola, followed by 10 expert interviews to gain deeper insight into the country’s institutional and economic environment, and its potential for PE investments. It is found that most PE funds are attracted to Angola by its rapid economic growth and high potential returns. The country is also vastly undersupplied, and many key economic sectors are fast developing, presenting exciting opportunities for investors. Nevertheless, PE in Angola remains limited, mainly owing to the difficulty of doing business in Angola, and owing particularly to the unfavourable regulatory environment. There is no regulation or process when it comes to the registration of PE funds in Angola, and any new regulation that applies to foreign investments is marred by unnecessary red tape, making it difficult for the investment to enter the market. Only two funds are authorised to operate in Angola: Fundo de Investimento Privado de Angola (FIPA), and BESA Activ. Streamlining regulation is critical to increasing PE flows to Angola in order to advance the country’s economic and social objectives.
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    A review of the National Payment Systems ecosystems in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria
    (2025) Davids, Saarah; Alhassan, Abdul Latif
    Remittances are a critical financial connection between migrant workers and their families back home. They contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like reducing inequality and ending poverty, while aligning with the objectives of South Africa's National Development Plan, which seeks to foster economic growth, financial inclusion, and regional integration. This dissertation examines the cost elasticity of remittance flows between South Africa and 11 sub-Saharan African countries from 2011 to 2023, focusing on how changes in remittance costs influence the volume of remittances sent. Panel regression analysis reveals a significant negative relationship between remittance costs in South Africa and remittance outflows to 11 SSA countries, particularly for smaller transfer amounts. Specifically, a moderate statistically significant negative correlation between the remittance cost of sending USD $200 and the personal remittance received. This indicates that an increase in remittance costs results in a decrease in the remittance volumes, supporting cost elasticity and the Law of Demand. The variability of remitting $500 is less than remitting $200, indicating that it is cheaper for migrants to remit at larger amounts due to lower transaction costs. However, remittance behaviour suggests inelastic demand: while costs increases, the remittance inflows decrease however not drastically. Regression analysis results show that an increase in the transaction costs results in a steady decline in volumes, while descriptive statistics suggest variations across the different South Africa-SSA corridors. Additionally, results indicate a statistically negative relationship between remittance inflows and GDP of the home country, indicating both influence remittance behaviour. This means that with a higher income in the home country, there is less reliance on remittances. Higher GDP per Capita in both sending and receiving countries is associated with higher remittance costs, suggesting income-related pricing trends. The study highlights how lower remittance costs can contribute to financial inclusion, economic growth, and poverty reduction and empower household savings, and is consistent with National Payment System's Vision 2025 of the South African Reserve Bank and policies such as the Conduct of Financial Institutions (COFI) Act. The findings underscore the need for targeted policy interventions aimed at fostering competition, innovation and cost effectiveness to reduce remittance costs and improve financial access, to promote equitable economic participation and supporting broader development objectives in the region.
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    A Stakeholder Accepted Tool to Monitor and Measure Service Delivery in South Africa
    (2021) Mkhize, S'ngaye Christopher Phumlani; Zolfaghari, Badri, Sibanda, Babusi
    The aim of this study was to develop a stakeholder accepted tool to monitor and measure service delivery. The question underlying this research was what drives service delivery and its related protests and what makes it so problematic? The need for this study arose out of continued reports of these protests in South Africa. Evidence suggests that there may be a disconnect between the real experiences of communities on the ground and the causes cited by politicians and often reported in the media. The study used a mixed method approach to examine where the disconnect lies and built on the data to develop an audit tool. The study used primary and secondary data to understand the nature of service delivery and its related protests. The primary and secondary data provided both qualitative and quantitative data that highlighted the nature of service delivery landscape in South Africa. The quantitative data was instrumental in shaping and informing data collection protocol and shaping the draft tool for monitoring and measuring service delivery protest. Qualitative methods (i.e. interviews) were used to collect data in a purposive manner and to gather information from knowledgeable respondents and who are directly involved in service delivery. The findings showed that there is a disconnect in information sharing and knowledge between officials to the communities. The information was either not available at all or did not reach the intended recipients in order for them to make informed decisions. Furthermore, fake news from various sources clouded the communities from making sound judgments about their livelihoods. This disconnect may be regarded as a one of many fundamental reasons for the nature of service delivery protests in South Africa. The study also generated helpful insights and guided the development of a ‘service-delivery tool' for organisations and practitioners aiming to introduce and improve on their monitoring and evaluation framework for service delivery and its related protests.
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    A study on how franchisees finance their owner's contribution when buying a franchise
    (2020) Ngqola-Sebone, Lumka; Zolfaghari, Badri; Alhassan, Abdul Latif
    The South African economy has been lagging its forecasted economic growth statistics in recent years, particularly following the worldwide economic recession of 2008. The year-on-year economic growth of South Africa is forecasted to continue to be lower than other developing countries. SMMEs are a significant contributor to a countries GDP and most franchises are classified as SMMEs. Entrepreneurs in the SMME space often use franchises to not only penetrate the market but to grow existing ventures. In its annual report for the year 2016, the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) states that the franchise industry contributed an estimated 11.6% to South Africa's GDP. When applying for finance at most institutions, prospective franchisees are required to also contribute to the total funding required; this is known as owner's contribution. This study explores what challenges franchisees experience in trying to raise owners' contribution and how the y overcame these challenges. It further explores what prospective franchisees can learn from the experiences of the participants. Through research conducted predominantly through an online survey and interviews to a limited extent, this study found that the franchise model has many advantages, but also has disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages remains the accessibility of finance, particularly that most financiers and franchisors require substantial owners' contribution. Many participants faced challenges when having to raise owner's contribution They most used personal savings and donations or borrowings from friends and family. The negative impacts that were identified were mainly personal stress and anxiety, strained personal relationships and delays in personal and/or business plans. In conclusion, in attempting to address these challenges highlighted by participants, recommendations are made to all stakeholders on how to overcome some of the challenges identified.
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    A tale of two countries: adapting Chinese leadership styles to a South African context
    (2020) Zhou, Ying; April, Kurt
    The status of multinational organisations continues to expand, as global opportunities increase. In particular, Chinese manufacturing companies continue to grow and expand overseas. Given the fact that Chinese Paternalistic Leadership performed by Chinese managers is rooted in Chinese culture, that is different from that practised in other countries of the world. Cross-cultural acumen plays a vital role in leadership success or failure in globalizing organizations. Without cultural adaptation, Chinese managers would be less effective and efficient, when dealing with employees from other cultural backgrounds. Thus, there appears to be a need for the adaptation of Chinese leadership, in order to optimize the outcomes of leadership in the organization in various multicultural settings. This study posits a new research context for Chinese Paternalistic Leadership; and it attempts to explore the question of the leadership-adaptation challenges of Chinese managers, working in a South African Zulu cultural context. The study has used a mixed-methods research approach to collect the data, and for the analysis thereof. Quantitative data were collected by means of surveys from Chinese workers and South African Zulu workers, who were working in Chinese clothing factories – in order to compare their cultural values and perceptions of Chinese leadership behaviours. Qualitative data were collected by semistructured, in-depth interviews with Chinese managers, who were the leaders of Zulu subordinates, in order to investigate their cross-cultural experiences and perspectives. The results from the cultural-values survey data confirmed the distinct differences of cultural dimensions: Power Distance (PDI), Individualism (IDV), Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI), Masculinity (MAS) and Long-Term versus ShortTerm Orientation (LTO) between Chinese and Zulu people. Additionally, no significant difference between the two groups was found on Indulgence versus Restraint (IVR). When compared with Chinese people, the Zulu people hold the characteristics of being low in power distance, collectivism, feminism, high in uncertainty avoidance, short-term orientation, and restraint. On the perceived leadership behaviours scale, the differences between Chinese and Zulu people were shown in all the three dimensions of Chinese leadership behaviours. Compared with Chinese employees, Zulu employees perceived Chinese leadership behaviours as being high on authoritarian leadership behaviour, but low on benevolent and moral leadership behaviour. In addition, it was proved that culture caused different perceptions of authoritarian leadership behaviour in relation to power distance. In interviews, Chinese managers overwhelmingly indicated that the characteristics of Zulu employees were very different from those of Chinese employees. Meanwhile, the Chinese managers confessed that they were confronted with difficulties and challenges in South Africa, including communication barriers, legal constraints, and differences in collective relationships and work ethic. However, they recognised that they were in a different culture, and have identified the need to adjust their leadership behaviours. The participants suggested that they have made progress in establishing relationships, and in improving communication with the Zulu employees. Overall, this study concluded with a discussion of the various strategies for the adaptation of Chinese leadership styles concerning authority/decision-making, relationships and communication in authoritarian leadership styles, benevolent leadership styles, and moral leadership styles respectively. The outcomes of this study are expected to contribute to the theories of Chinese leadership, as well as to Chinese-management practices in South Africa. Nevertheless, future research is recommended, in order to validate the current results, and also to further explore various issues that are beyond the scope of this study.
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    Academics’ Organisational Identification and Commitment: Influences of Perceptions of Organisational Support and Reputation
    (2018) Shrand, Beverly Celia; Ronnie, Linda
    “Affective commitment” and “organisational identification” represent psychological relationships between employees and their organisations. These constructs are established predictors of turnover intentions, performance, and other desirable work outcomes. This study investigated the affective commitment and organisational identification of academics. It was argued that there is a strong need to understand how to nurture academics’ identification with, and commitment to, their institutions, since changes in the higher education sector have profoundly — and mostly adversely — impacted their work lives. Two specific status-related constructs are known to influence both identification and commitment: “perceived organisational support”, representing an informal status or internal respect, and “perceived external reputation”, a proxy for externally derived status. It was hypothesised that both these constructs would positively impact on affective commitment, and organisational identification, respectively. In addition to these direct effects, the study considered the mediation effects of organisational identification in the relationship between the two proposed predictors and affective commitment. Underpinned by social exchange theory, the social identity approach, as well as the group engagement model, the study contributes to research that seeks to understand how these theories complement each other and provide alternative mechanisms for explaining employee-organisation relationships. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used to answer the research questions. An online survey of permanent academics at one South African university generated 215 responses. This was followed by a qualitative phase, conducted with a subset of the survey respondents, comprising 15 semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Supporting the relevant hypotheses, perceived organisational support was found to influence affective commitment, both directly, and indirectly via organisational identification. However, contrary to expectations, perceived external reputation was found neither to impact on organisational identification, and nor on affective commitment in the presence of perceived organisational support. The qualitative insights revealed how each construct manifested in the context of the study, enriching the explanation of the results. Using the integrated findings, a new conceptual model of perceived organisational support, organisational identification, and affective commitment was proposed, incorporating potential influencing factors for each construct. It was suggested that university leadership would be well-advised to pay relatively more attention to the internal status that is conveyed to academics via perceptions of support from their institution, than to managing perceptions of the institution’s external reputation.
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    Accelerating regional trade integration in Africa through regional value chains: A SADC perspective
    (2020) Nare, Boitumelo; Alhassan, Abdul Latif
    Regional integration has been a key ambition, vision and standing agenda of the African continent for the past two decades. The recent signing of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) (signed by 54 of the 55 members of the African Union as of July 2019) brings to the fore the urgent need to accelerate the implementation of what has been thus far an elongated period of planning and discussion. One of the key mandates of the AfCFTA is to ensure acceleration of intra-African trade and boost Africa's trading position in the global market by strengthening Africa's common voice and policy space in global trade negotiations (African Union, 2018). Intra-regional trade can be considered as a quick avenue for the continent and its respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs) such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to implement this agenda by leveraging collective resources and opportunities such as increased focus on the establishment of regional value chains (RVCs). Currently, the SADC region has been at the forefront of driving regional trade integration (RTI) in the continent; however, intra-regional trade is still only but a fraction of the RECs total global trade, averaging 5-7% of total trade in 2015-2017. Because of the myriad of challenges in the region – including but not limited to the low rate of RTI, poor infrastructure, poor institutions, unstable political environments, and slow economic growth – RECs, let alone the continent as a whole, cannot take part in and capitalise on the opportunities from complex trade networks through global and regional value chains. Moreover, when African countries do participate in global value chains, they find themselves at the lower end of the value chain where it is harder to reap the benefits due to the unequal distributional effects of such trade activities. This study therefore examined the key factors that drive RTI, and sought to ascertain the relationship between regional value chains and regional trade integration. Lastly, the study aimed to uncover the contribution to economic growth of such trade activities. Thirteen SADC countries are observed over the period 2000-2017 using panel data analysis and various key estimation techniques to ensure robustness of the models used. The study finds that there are definitely key factors that drive regional trade integration in the REC that require increased focus from policy makers and trade activity participants as they have the potential to change the trajectory of the region and the continent's trade landscape. The study also indisputably finds a two-way relationship between RTI and RVCs, suggesting that if key aspects of these activities are addressed, this would lead to a mutual increase in iv these factors as they are highly complementary activities. Lastly, the study confirms the positive impact that RTI and RVCs would have on economic growth attributed to an increase in the level of productive economic trade activity thereby contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP) of countries as individuals and as a collective. The study therefore concludes that there should be more focus from policy makers and all key trade activity stakeholders on driving regional trade integration and participation in regional value chains as the benefits could prove highly rewarding to the SADC RECs and the continent as a whole. Such increased focus will ensure that the region is fully capitalising on the unique strengths of the African continent and driving collective growth and development.
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    Accumulation model processes of human suborbital space transportation industry emergence
    (2018) Davidian, Kenneth John; Chivaka, Richard
    To respond to the research question, “by what processes do new industries emerge?”, the author identified different models of innovation development and industry emergence. Relevant streams of literature included economics, innovation, sociology, economic sociology, and institution theory. A functional goal innovation development theory, referred to as the accumulation model, states that many organizations, from both the public- and private-sectors, collect and accumulate resources in three major social functions. Previous research defined the model state-of-the-art at a high level of abstraction, identifying the three main components (industry infrastructure elements), depicted as separate boxes with arrows between them. This research uses grounded theory extension to identify microscopic processes, delving within and between the three macroscopic infrastructure elements. The industry context of this research was the emerging human suborbital space transportation (“space tourism”) industry. Data came from secondary sources, archival data, and primary sources. This research collected more than 8,400 pieces of secondary and archival data from news aggregator web sites, distilled them into approximately 600 significant events, and categorized them within the accumulation model framework’s three main components: Institutional Arrangements, Resource Endowments, and Proprietary Functions. Industry structure and disruptive innovation studies provided additional analytical perspectives. Primary data, collected via 40 interviews of industry members, filled in and validated data gaps. The combined analyses resulted in a deeper understanding of the industry emergence process. Observations of the sequence of events, and of linkages between events and actors, allowed the author to propose a set of processes, describing how the accumulated industry resources resulted in industry emergence. Description of these processes required modifications to the original framework. Furthermore, this research analyzed a high-profile prize event that initiated the industry emergence, to propose a supplemental set of processes, describing how prizes influence industry emergence. The current research proposes that institutional activities contribute primarily to the accumulation of sociopolitical legitimacy, and resource endowment activities contribute primarily to cognitive legitimacy. Both forms of legitimacy are a significant moderator of interactions between the three infrastructure elements. Furthermore, prizes positively contribute to sociopolitical legitimacy, positively moderate the creation of cognitive legitimacy, and positively moderate many steps in the business development cycle. The proposed processes identify the steps of legitimacy creation and industry emergence. This research provides new insights into the industry emergence and evolution processes, for entrepreneurs, managers, policy-makers, and for developing countries on the African continent.