Browsing by Subject "Motivations"

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    B Corp certification in Africa: motivations, opportunities and challenges in promoting socially and environmentally responsible management practices
    (2025) Grand, Savannah; Surmeier, Annika; Zolfaghari, Badri
    African businesses are increasingly recognising the importance of balancing profit with social and environmental responsibility, aligning with the global trend toward sustainable practices. B Corp certification, a globally recognised standard and associated certification system, offers businesses a formal pathway to commit to these values. However, despite its international prominence, the adoption of B Corp certification in Africa remains limited. African businesses face unique challenges such as limited resources, complex regulatory environments, and varying levels of awareness about sustainability. There is limited insight into the specific motivations, challenges, and contextual factors that shape how African businesses navigate and implement the certification process. This suggests a significant gap in understanding the unique motivations, challenges, and contextual factors that influence how African businesses navigate and implement the certification process. This study contributes to addressing this gap by using purposive sampling of 12 participants and employed thematic coding to analyse qualitative data. The interviews were conducted with key stakeholders such as representatives from certified B Corps in Africa, sustainability experts and members of B Lab. The findings show that African businesses pursue B Corp certification to tackle specific social and environmental challenges while boosting their brand reputation locally and globally. The certification provides external validation that builds trust with stakeholders, including consumers, partners, and investors. It is also seen as a strategic asset for attracting socially conscious audiences and aligning business operations with international sustainability standards. The study identifies several challenges that hinder the adoption of B Corp certification in Africa. Smaller companies, in particular, find the financial burden of certification challenging. Moreover, a lack of awareness and understanding of B Corp standards, which are often not fully adapted to local contexts, further complicates the process. The study contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable business practices in Africa by offering valuable insights into how B Corp certification can drive social and environmental change on the continent
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    Healthcare workers’ beliefs, motivations and behaviours affecting adequate provision of sexual and reproductive healthcare services to adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa: a qualitative study
    (BioMed Central, 2018-02-13) Jonas, Kim; Crutzen, Rik; Krumeich, Anja; Roman, Nicolette; van den Borne, Bart; Reddy, Priscilla
    Background: Adolescents’ sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH) needs have been prioritized globally, and they have the rights to access and utilize SRH services for their needs. However, adolescents under-utilize SRH services, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Many factors play a role in the under-utilization of SRH services by adolescents, such as the attitude and behaviour of healthcare workers. The aim of this study therefore, was to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare workers’ beliefs, motivations and behaviours affecting adequate provision of these services to adolescents in South Africa. Methods: Twenty-four healthcare workers in public SRH services in Cape Town, South Africa participated in this qualitative study through focus group discussions. To fulfill the aims of this study, nine focus group discussions were conducted among the SRH nurses. Results: SRH nurses indicated that they are experiencing challenges with the concept and practice of termination of pregnancy. They explained that this practice contradicted their opposing beliefs and values. Some nurses felt that they had insufficient SRH skills, which hinder their provision of adequate SRH services to adolescents, while others described constraints within the health system such as not enough time to provide the necessary care. They also explained having limited access to schools where they can provide SRH education and pregnancy prevention services in the surrounding area. Conclusions: Nurses are faced with numerous challenges when providing SRH services to adolescents. Providing the nurses with training programmes that emphasize value clarification may help them to separate their personal beliefs and norms from the workplace practice. This may help them to focus on the needs of the adolescent in a way that is beneficial to them. At the health systems level, issues such as clinic operating hours need to be structured such that the time pressure and constraints upon the nurse is relieved.