Journal of Management World is a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to advancing knowledge and research in management and its applications across various fields. Our mission is to provide a platform for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to explore contemporary management challenges and solutions in an increasingly complex and dynamic world.
Influence of Digital Marketing on Sustainable Supply Chain Innovation and Market Performance: Evidence from Saudi Arabia
This study investigates the strategic role of digital marketing in fostering sustainable supply chain innovation and improving market performance within the context of Saudi Arabia. Drawing on the Resource-Based View and dynamic capabilities theory, the research conceptualizes digital marketing not solely as a communication mechanism but as a strategic organizational resource capable of reshaping sustainability practices and strengthening competitive advantage. Using survey data collected from 100 respondents and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, the findings reveal that digital marketing has a positive and significant impact on both sustainable supply chain innovation and market performance. Specifically, digital marketing acts as a catalyst for sustainability-oriented innovation across supply chains while simultaneously contributing to enhanced performance outcomes, including higher sales, greater market share, and successful entry into new markets. These results highlight the dual contribution of digital marketing: aligning firms with environmental and social priorities while supporting superior competitive positioning. The study underscores the importance for managers to view digital marketing as a critical enabler of sustainable competitiveness. It also encourages future research to examine potential boundary conditions, including industry characteristics and levels of technological maturity.
AI-Augmented Leadership and Employee Well-Being in the MENA Region: Mediating Effects of Fairness and Psychological Safety and the Moderating Role of Authoritarian Leadership
This study aims to investigate the influence of AI-enhanced leadership on employee well-being in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). It examines the mediating role of psychological safety and perceived fairness of AI, and explores the moderating effect of authoritarian leadership styles. A quantitative study was conducted using data collected from a survey of 104 professionals in Tunisia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. This research applied the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique to test the proposed conceptual framework. The results show that AI-augmented leadership has a positive impact on employee well-being. This relationship is partially mediated by psychological safety and perceptions of AI fairness. Furthermore, the presence of authoritarian leadership reduces the beneficial effects of AI-augmented leadership on reducing employee stress, suggesting that cultural norms of leadership influence the effectiveness of AI deployment. This research is among the first to empirically explore the intersection between AI technologies, leader behavior, and employee well-being in the underinvestigated context of the MENA region. It proposes a regionally based, human-centered model of technology leadership, thus addressing the pressing need for ethical and inclusive AI adoption frameworks in public and private organizations undergoing digital transformation.
Is Crowdfunding an Alternative Financial Model for Social Enterprises?
Social enterprises face difficulties in financing. Because investors concentrate too narrowly on risk and return, social enterprises may have difficulty competing with commercial enterprises for investment capital. In this context, loans and equity financing have not been adequately examined, and their growing importance in financing enterprises makes it important to understand their implications for social enterprises. We discuss the fact that crowdfunding represents values that are attractive to social enterprises. In addition, crowdfunding sometimes offers higher value or more capital to social enterprises, compared to other sources of funding. We find that several benefits are particularly important in the start-up phase of a business. However, crowdfunding can also result in greater stress for the management team and can take time and resources. Entrepreneurs must also take into account factors such as public discomfort when campaigns have failed.
Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles and Employee Turnover Intentions in Public Services Organizations. A Mediated-Moderation Model
The study examines the mediated –moderation relationship between leadership styles and employee turnover intentions through organizational commitment and general self-efficacy in the public sector organizations in Ghana. The data were collected from 330 cross-sectional full-time employees in the public sector organizations in Ashanti and Bono regions in Ghana. The data were analyzed by the use of SPSS Version 25 and Process Macro 3.5 to determine regression and correlational analysis to evaluate direct and indirect effects of the mediator-moderator variables under consideration. The study found that organizational commitment partially mediates transformational leadership and employee turnover intentions. Transactional leadership was also found to positively relates to employee turnover intentions while lower general self-efficacy was found to cause employee turnover intentions. The study findings bring to bear the need for leaders to adopt strategies that inspire trust and confidence in the employees through which higher commitment levels will be attained thereby reducing turnover intentions. Public sector organizations in the sub-Saharan Africa are experiencing actual turnover of its strategic employees to multinational companies. The study is the first to combine transformational leadership, transactional leadership, organizational commitment, general self-efficacy, and employee turnover intentions in a study model in the sub-Saharan African.
Eco-Innovation and Reverse Logistics as Drivers of Green Firm Reputation: The Mediating Role of Operational Efficiency
This study examines the role of eco-innovation and reverse logistics practices in determining green firm reputation, with an emphasis on operational efficiency as a mediator. Anchored in the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and resource-based view (RBV), this paper develops and tests a conceptual framework that links environmental practices to firm-level reputation outcomes in manufacturing firms within Ghana. The data for the analysis were collected through a structured survey administered to supply chain, logistics, research and development, and operations employees, which was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The paper reveals that eco-innovation is a significant influence on the adoption of reverse logistics practices among firms. Again, the findings show that implementing reverse logistics practices (RLP) has a positive impact on green firm reputation. Also, operational efficiency partially mediates the relationship between reverse logistics and green firm reputation. This research refines current understanding of the mechanisms through which environmental capabilities enhance organisational performance and offers practical implications for managers who aim to improve sustainability and competitiveness in emerging markets.
Racism in Academia and Research Publishing: Unveiling the Hidden Struggles of African Researchers
This paper examines the longstanding and underreported systemic and, in fact, pervasive forms of racism in academia and intellectual literature with specific attention to African scholars and African institutions and epistemological norms. By applying Critical Race Theory, Postcolonial Theory, and the concept of Epistemic Injustice, we demonstrate how seemingly neutral processes still reinforce exclusion. The study design comprises a systematic narrative review from 2010 to 2025, a theory-based qualitative synthesis and key-informant interviews (KIIs). We included n:70 studies in the qualitative synthesis and conducted n:20 key informant interviews (KIIs). We operationalise Critical Race Theory, Post-Colonial Theory, and Epistemic Injustice using various mechanisms and align each of them with editorial and funding reforms that can be implemented. The findings are that (i) editorial gatekeeping is often supported by coded decisions, which marginalise African expertise and subject matter, including claims of insufficient international relevance; (ii) linguistic policing and waiver opacity have varying impacts on unfunded Africa-based authors; (iii) the structure of authorship in international collaborations and the article-processing-charge (APC) regime, often constrain conceptualisation and senior authorship, by keeping Africa-based scholars as data-collectors. We recommend: (a) a conceptual framework based on linking colonial legacy to modern metric bureaucracy and editorial power; (b) introductions of strictly operationalised theoretical views to the analysis of particular publishing mechanisms; and (c) a theory-consistent reform agenda, comprising redistributive editorial authority, multilingual review, imposition of an authorship equity, and metric pluralism, and challenges confronting the implementation of suggested solutions. We conclude that decolonising scholarly publishing requires changes not only among stakeholders but also in the meaning and administration of validity, relevance, and rigour.
Faculty Job Satisfaction in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies through Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory
This paper examines faculty job satisfaction in higher education by systematically reviewing empirical studies through Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. It clarifies how motivator (intrinsic) and hygiene (extrinsic) factors, alongside institutional and demographic variables, shape faculty motivation and retention. A structured literature review was conducted across Scopus, and several other digital data. Forty-five sources were synthesized. Results show that motivators such as recognition, autonomy, and intellectual challenge are central to satisfaction, while hygiene factors such as salary, workload, and governance structures primarily prevent dissatisfaction. Institutional support (e.g., mentoring, workload policies) moderates these effects, while variations in rank, gender, and cultural context create meaningful differences in faculty experiences. This study integrates Herzberg’s framework with complementary theories (Expectancy Theory, Job Characteristics Model, Self-Determination Theory) to propose a synthesized conceptual model of faculty job satisfaction. The synthesis extends Herzberg’s framework by situating motivators and hygiene factors within institutional, demographic, and cultural contexts.
Mitigating Precarity to Boost Engagement among Nigeria's Casual Telecommunication Workers? Investigating Employee Resilience and Organisational Support as Possible Factors
This study explores the role of employee resilience and perceived organisational support (POS) in promoting engagement among casual workers in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector—a key industry increasingly characterised by precarious employment and job insecurity. Grounded in the Conservation of Resources (COR) and Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theories, the research adopts a positivist paradigm and employs a quantitative cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 487 casual employees across major Nigerian cities and analysed using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM). The findings reveal that POS has a significant positive effect on employee engagement, while resilience does not directly predict either engagement or POS. Moreover, POS does not mediate the relationship between resilience and engagement. These results suggest that while personal attributes such as resilience are valuable, organisational factors—particularly perceived support—play a more decisive role in sustaining engagement within insecure work environments. The study contributes to the limited body of research on casual labour in developing economies and underscores the importance of supportive HR practices, inclusive organisational cultures, and policy reforms aimed at improving the well-being and engagement of precarious workers in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Brain Drain Intention: The Role of Improved Standard of Living on Quality of Work-Life among Nigerian Medical Students in Diaspora
This study investigates the determinants of brain drain intention among Nigerian medical students in the diaspora, focusing on how improved standards of living mediate the relationship between socio-economic push factors and the perceived quality of work-life. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 428 medical students enrolled in 18 universities across six countries, and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The study examined the influence of high unemployment, poor infrastructure, insecurity; poor pay, and mass poverty on quality of work-life, with improved living standards serving as a mediating variable. The results show that all five factors significantly and negatively affect the perceived quality of work-life, confirming their role as key drivers of brain drain intentions. Moreover, improved living standards fully mediated these relationships, indicating that favourable socio-economic and environmental conditions abroad offset the negative effects of poor domestic conditions and strengthen students’ intentions to remain overseas after graduation. These findings suggest that the decision of Nigerian medical students to stay abroad is shaped not only by professional and economic dissatisfaction but also by comparative perceptions of well-being and life quality. The study concludes that tackling brain drain requires integrated national retention strategies that simultaneously enhance professional welfare, living standards, and work-life quality within Nigeria.
Multidimensional Perspective on the Construction of Smart Canteens in Colleges and Universities: Integrated Framework, Practical Challenges, and Optimization Paths
Digital transformation and the concept of sustainable development are profoundly reshaping the logistics service system in colleges and universities. As a key hub of campus life, the smart construction of canteens has transcended the scope of mere technological upgrading and evolved into a systematic reform involving the reconstruction of service models, the innovation of management concepts, and the optimization of user experience. Based on the service-dominant logic and the theory of green service systems, this paper constructs a three-dimensional integrated analytical framework of "technology-process-management" for smart canteens in colleges and universities, and systematically expounds on its core connotations in terms of the deployment of intelligent facilities, the reconstruction of standardized processes, and the establishment of an integrated management platform. Combining cutting-edge research results and practical cases at home and abroad in the past five years, this paper focuses on analyzing the practical bottlenecks existing in the current construction, such as poor technology integration, lack of data governance, barriers to user acceptance, and dilemmas in sustainable operation. Furthermore, the study proposes optimization paths including strategic planning guidance, scenario-based design implementation, privacy protection enhancement, and collaborative innovation promotion, aiming to promote the paradigm transformation of smart canteens from "efficiency-oriented" to "value co-creation", and provide theoretical support and practical guidance for building a new generation of campus catering service ecosystem that integrates efficiency, human-centricity, and green development.
Good and Services Tax: Filling or Emptying the Coffers?
Taxation is a phenomenal device available to the government to reduce the gap between rich and poor and to establish vertical equity through income redistribution. It is the most important source of revenue for conducting the developmental activities of the government. The sales tax system has been constantly undergoing reforms with the latest being the introduction of Goods and Services Tax in 2017. The Goods and Services tax reform was introduced with a major intent to improve the revenue collections of the state. Five years have now passed since the introduction of the reform. The study aims at finding out the impact of this reform on the government revenue of the state of Kerala.
Assessing the Economic Growth Impact of Digital Innovation and Skill Acquisition: A Quantitative Analysis of the Nigeria Immigration Service
As e-governance becomes more imperative, governmental institutions in developing countries have come under increasing pressure to apply digital technologies to facilitate governmental services. One such organisation is the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), mandated to grow the country’s economy through trade facilitation and accurate collection of data on imports and exports for economic analysis and strategic planning. Consequently, we examined the role of digitalisation of the NIS in the growth of Nigeria’s economy and, whether digital skill acquisition by NIS staff plays a part in that process. The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of 375 immigration staff across the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria. Aided by Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) of data via AMOS, we found that digitalisation of the NIS directly supports economic growth (operationalised as trade and investment facilitation). Digitalisation of the NIS also leads to more training and skill-acquisition for staff. In turn, this increase in skills makes a stronger impact on trade and investment facilitation (i.e. economic growth). What the data trends suggest is that staff skill acquisition helped explain how and why digital tools lead to economic growth. The study implies that digitalisation isn’t enough. To make impactful contributions to the economic, Nigerian institutions also needs to invest in her people, supporting them with the right skills to use these innovative tools effectively. This study highlights the importance of combining technology with human development to make public services convenient and smarter and, the economy, even stronger.
What Makes a Striker Valuable? Strategic, Athletic, and Commercial Determinants in Modern Football
The financial valuation of professional football players is a critical component of the strategic and financial management of sports clubs. This paper focuses on strikers and attempts to provide a thorough review of the international literature on the factors affecting their transfer value. Strikers play a key role in achieving victory through their contribution to scoring, which makes their accurate valuation crucial. The study identifies and categorizes the factors of valuation into competitive, individual, and professional/commercial. Furthermore, it highlights the multi-factorial nature of value, as well as the dynamic influence of non-race factors such as popularity, commercial appeal, and social media presence. The finding that competitive performance, with an emphasis on goals, is the most important factor is supported by most research. However, there is an emerging shift towards more holistic models of valuation, where psychological, tactical, and extra-territorial dimensions are considered, demonstrating the need for multi-level approaches in modern football management.
Cryptocurrency Integration and Competitive Advantage: A Study of Contextual Factors of Payment Strategy Innovations in Nigeria’s E-Commerce Sector
This study examined how cryptocurrency integration shapes consumer trust, ease of use, and competitive advantage within Nigeria’s e-commerce sector. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Diffusion of Innovation theory, and the Resource-Based View (RBV), the research was motivated by the rising adoption of digital payments and the uncertainty surrounding whether crypto can genuinely strengthen competitiveness. A structured online questionnaire yielded 324 valid responses. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling in Amos. Findings revealed that cryptocurrency integration had a significant negative effect on consumer trust (-.148, p = .022) but a marginal positive effect on ease of use (.128, p = .070). No direct link was found between crypto integration and competitive advantage (-.015, p = .822). Importantly, consumer trust significantly mediated the link between crypto and competitive advantage (-.191, p = .012), whereas ease of use did not (.072, p = .270). These results highlight that trust, not technology alone, drives competitiveness in emerging markets. Recommendations include phased crypto rollouts, stronger security safeguards, and linking crypto use to customer rewards. The study expands knowledge by showing that perceived risks can outweigh usefulness, suggesting future research should explore cultural and regulatory factors shaping digital adoption within Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem.
Plugged into Persuasion: How Digital Marketing Drives Electric Vehicle Preferences in Chhattisgarh
The current study examines the consumer behavior of the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) in Chhattisgarh, India, which influences the digital marketing. The purpose of the research is to gain an understanding of the role of digital campaigns, including social media campaigns, online advertisements and sponsored content, in enhancing consumer awareness about the financial and environmental values of electric vehicles (EVs), how online marketing activities affect consumer behaviour. The study also considers key factors affecting consumer responses, including environmental attitudes, evaluation of long-term values, prospect outlook, as well as government incentives. A systematic survey of 385 users of electric cars was conducted in Chhattisgarh. The data obtained were analyzed using structural equation modelling of AMOS software. The findings indicate that the decision to purchase an electric car is positively determined by the increased awareness, which has a significant correlation with the exposure to digital marketing. The circumstances described by the findings show the usefulness of the digital marketer in increasing the use of EVs through the accurate articulation of their benefits and aligning them with the sustainability goals of the customers. This study provides valuable information to the marketers, the lawmakers, and the automakers, who wish to sell more electric cars in developing countries using selective digital approaches based on the requirements of the intended customer base and the environmental aspirations.
Consumer Perceptions of Stablecoins in Nigeria: What Drives Adoption, What Inhibits it?
Stablecoin use in emerging economies remains uneven, underscoring the importance of understanding the perceptions that shape adoption. This study explored how stability, security, usefulness, regulatory protection, and social acceptability influence stablecoin adoption in Nigeria. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Perceived Risk Theory (PRT), data from 403 users were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings indicate that stability, security, usefulness, and regulation significantly influence adoption, while social acceptability plays a modest role. Together, these factors explained a large share of adoption behaviour. The study contributes to existing models by combining TAM’s focus on usefulness with PRT’s risk-reduction perspective, providing a more comprehensive view of adoption decisions. Practical lessons point to the importance of clearer regulation, stronger security, and utility-focused innovations. Although limited by its cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reports, the study opens the door for future cross-country and longitudinal research.
Fundamental Solution for a Nonlocal Second Order Problem of the Hyperbolic Type
This text discusses the importance and challenges of studying nonlocal boundary value problems, which arise frequently in applied fields such as soil moisture transfer, thermophysics, and diffusion processes. The paper emphasizes the complexity of these problems due to their nonlocal nature, which differs from traditional local boundary value problems. Despite the abundance of research in this area, particularly the works of A.M. Nakhushev and others, mathematical tools to handle nonlocal problems are insufficient, especially when addressing concepts like conjugacy or duality. These issues are particularly significant when coefficients are nonsmooth or measurable. The work introduces the concept of a conjugate problem and the fundamental solution, which generalizes existing functions like Green’s and Riemann’s functions. The study of these solutions for nonlocal boundary value problems is essential for advancing both theoretical understanding and practical applications.
Cannabis Growing Community Enterprise Initiative in Thailand
This study examines the role of cannabis in rural development, focusing on the legalization of medical marijuana under the Narcotics Act (No. 7) B.E. 2562, which allows cannabis cultivation for medical and research purposes. The fieldwork combines varied sources, including in-depth interviews. The cannabis growing initiative aims to promote rural livelihoods through community enterprises, with a case study in Buriram province, Thailand. This study addresses the challenges faced by farmers, including regulatory difficulties and the need for government support. This initiative seeks to create sustainable development and enhance rural economies in Thailand. However, farmers continue to face challenges, with gaps persisting between government support and the needs of community enterprises.
The Mediating Role of Job Crafting in the Relationship between Employee Resilience and Work Engagement Evidence from the Egyptian Healthcare Sector
The healthcare sector in Egypt operates under intense pressure due to high patient loads, limited resources, and a growing demand for quality care. These challenges, intensified in the post-pandemic era, have raised critical concerns regarding the psychological well-being and sustained engagement of healthcare professionals. This study investigates how employee resilience, defined as the capacity to recover from adversity and adapt to workplace demands, influences work engagement—a vital psychological state characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. Specifically, the study explores the mediating role of job crafting, a proactive behavioral strategy through which employees reshape their job tasks, relationships, and perceptions to better align with their skills, values, and interests. Grounded in the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory, which posits that both personal and job resources play a central role in employee motivation and engagement, this research examines whether job crafting acts as a behavioral mechanism that transmits the positive effects of resilience on engagement. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 400 full-time healthcare professionals in both public and private hospitals across Egypt. The study employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS 4.0 to analyze the hypothesized direct and indirect relationships between the constructs. The results indicate that employee resilience has a strong and statistically significant positive effect on both job crafting and work engagement. More importantly, job crafting was found to partially mediate the relationship between resilience and engagement. These findings suggest that while resilient employees are more likely to remain engaged, the presence of proactive job crafting behaviors enhances this relationship further. In essence, resilience equips healthcare workers with the psychological strength to cope with challenges, while job crafting provides the behavioral tools to actively shape more meaningful, manageable, and motivating work environments. The study contributes to the theoretical development of the JD-R model by empirically validating a mediation model in a high-stress, under-researched context: the Egyptian healthcare system. It also supports Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, reinforcing the idea that resilient individuals not only preserve internal resources but also invest them in proactive behaviors that generate further resources and positive outcomes. From a practical perspective, the research highlights the importance of investing in both psychological and behavioral development among healthcare workers. Hospital administrators, HR practitioners, and policymakers should consider implementing resilience training programs, offering flexible job design opportunities, and fostering a supportive environment that encourages job crafting. These initiatives can enhance work engagement, reduce burnout, and ultimately improve the quality and sustainability of healthcare services in Egypt.
AI Chatbots in Clinical Settings: A Study on their Impact on Patient Engagement and Satisfaction
Workforce shortages, uneven access, and escalating demand in the U.S. healthcare system cause long wait times, fragmented communication, and low patient involvement. This study examines how AI-powered chatbots can improve patient engagement and satisfaction by improving response speed, usability, and trust. Mixed-methods design was utilized. Response times, System Usability Scale (SUS) usability, and trust ratings were examined in simulated survey data from 200 U.S. medical school–affiliated clinic patients. Thematically examined qualitative data from patient and medical student focus groups. Chatbots lowered average response times to 2.4 minutes from 12.7 minutes for human workers. Patients reported 72% more satisfaction with SUS scores of 78/100. Trust averaged 3.8/5, highest with clinician-supervised chatbots. Thematic analysis identified trust-building, convenience-accuracy balance, and educational integration. AI chatbots should complement clinicians rather than replace them. Chatbots can improve efficiency, usability, and engagement and prepare future physicians to use digital technologies, advancing patient-centered care in the U.S.
Clean Energy Transition in USA: Big Data Analytics for Renewable Energy Forecasting and Carbon Reduction
The United States is at a critical juncture in its effort to overhaul the national energy system to meet bold climate objectives. The Biden Administration has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50–52% from 2005 levels by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Meeting these goals demands a swift rollout of renewable energy sources while keeping the electricity grid reliable, affordable, and equitable. A key driver in this transition is big data analytics, which plays a vital role in forecasting the performance of variable renewable sources and supporting carbon-conscious decision-making. This paper explores how advanced data-driven technologies—such as machine learning, IoT sensors, satellite imaging, and predictive modeling—can help accelerate the U.S. shift toward clean energy. By examining recent peer-reviewed studies (2018–2022), policy developments, and case studies, it introduces a structured big data framework for forecasting renewable energy output and modeling carbon intensity. Findings show that data analytics can increase forecasting accuracy by up to 40%, cut reserve costs by billions annually, and reduce over 100 million metric tons of CO₂ through smarter, carbon-aware decisions. Highlighted case studies—including CarbonCast, predictive wind turbine maintenance, and open-source datasets—demonstrate the real-world technical and economic value of analytics. Cost-benefit assessments reveal that improving forecast accuracy by just 1% could cut CO₂ emissions by roughly 20 million metric tons each year. However, regional readiness varies: while CAISO and PJM are well-equipped for scaling these tools, ERCOT and ISO-NE face more infrastructure-related hurdles. The paper concludes that big data analytics is a powerful and timely tool for decarbonization. When integrated into energy markets, grid operations, and policy design, analytics can fast-track emission reductions while advancing equity, as seen in programs like Justice40. Future research should prioritize probabilistic forecasting, marginal carbon modeling, and inclusive data governance.
Perceptions of Training Partners on Skill Enhancement and Training Outcomes During PMKVY Implementation: A Field Study
India’s accelerating economic growth has intensified the need for a skilled and industry-ready workforce. In response, the Government of India introduced the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), implemented through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), to equip youth with sector-specific competencies. This study investigates the perceptions of training partners regarding skill enhancement and training outcomes during PMKVY’s implementation phase. Data were collected from 120 randomly selected training partners in Tamil Nadu, representing a cross-section of the state’s 350 active partners. Using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression techniques, the study found that government support has a significant positive influence on skill development, while the role of training facilities is comparatively marginal. Furthermore, both training effectiveness and skill development were found to have a strong positive impact on overall training outcomes. The study recommends strengthening infrastructure, integrating globally relevant training content, and implementing regular trainer upskilling initiatives to enhance program sustainability and effectiveness.
Exploring the Efficiency of Corporate Governance in State-Owned Agencies and Enterprises: A Comparative Analysis of Nigeria and Ghana
In sub-Saharan Africa, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) play a crucial role in delivering public goods and promoting economic growth. However, the disparate performance track records between Nigeria and Ghana are attributed to differences in the quality of governance. This study examines three dimensions of governance—board independence, regulatory autonomy, and transparency—and evaluates their impact on three key performance indicators: revenue per employee, return on assets (ROA), and net profit margin. We draw on hypotheses informed by empirical gaps, agency, resource dependence, and stakeholder theories and use cross-sectional regression logic with interaction variables to show the effect of institutional factors on the effectiveness of governance. These findings demonstrate that transparency is consistently effective in enhancing operations. However, board independence and regulatory autonomy generate significant improvements in performance only when accompanied by the existence of robust institutional frameworks. The consequences of context-specific governance reforms are also discussed.
Leadership, Job satisfaction and Motivation to Lead in an Associative Context: A Cross-Sectional Study
As a form of collective organization of individuals who share common interests and whose actions are usually carried out in solidarity, associations have demonstrated unquestionable relevance in promoting social and economic development, especially at the local level, despite sharing in collaborative networks at the national and international levels. In the current context, non-profit organizations, such as associations and collectives, face growing challenges related to the scarcity of human resources and the internal satisfaction of their members, with a direct impact on the aging of the membership that performs leadership roles. In this context, the issue of generational leadership succession is frequent and an obstacle to the continuity of many associations. As a multifactorial phenomenon, this study aims to analyze the factors that contribute to greater motivation to lead, as well as the relationships between different leadership styles, job satisfaction, and motivation to lead within associations. To this end, a case study was conducted in the association movement of the municipality of Alcanena, Portugal, which is transversal to the association movement in general. This municipality is made up of 63 associations whose cultural themes and interests allow them to generate value-added scenarios not only within the municipality but also within the networks in which the municipality participates at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The organizations studied encompass diverse areas such as culture, sports, recreation, leisure, as well as citizenship and social responsibility. This study combined a qualitative approach, supported by semi-structured interviews, and a quantitative approach, supported by a previously validated questionnaire using the MLQ-5X, MSQ, and MTL scales for each of the dimensions under analysis. A convenience sample of 278 individuals was obtained from 63 associations, and eight semi-structured interviews were conducted. The analysis conducted in this cross-sectional study allowed us to assess the interconnection between leadership styles, motivation to lead, and job satisfaction. It is expected that the results achieved will constitute an important contribution to identifying the characteristics that lead to the recruitment of young leaders, as well as to reinforcing the importance of creating more collaborative and inclusive work environments in an associative context.
The Influence of a Normative Framework on Corporate Governance Decision-Making in Ghana's Public Sector: The Role of Integrity and Financial Transparency of Public Officials
Corruption, insufficient transparency, and ethical flaws plague Ghana's public sector, eroding faith in institutions and impeding sound decision-making. Financial inconsistencies, such as Covid-19, weaken confidence and contradict moral values, necessitating integrity and corporate governance decision-making to support ethical leadership and institutional reform. This study examines the influence of ethical principles, legal frameworks, and moral values on corporate governance decision-making in Ghana’s public sector, emphasising the mediating role of integrity and financial transparency. Utilising Treviño’s Interactionist Model, the research employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating survey responses (n=259) and interviews with key public officials. An XSTAT was utilised to perform Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling. The results revealed that ethical standards, legal values, and moral values significantly impact corporate governance decisions. The effect of a robust normative framework on corporate governance decisions is strengthened when public officials exhibit high integrity and financial transparency. The research further establishes that individuals demonstrating high integrity and financial transparency are more inclined to make decisions that align with corporate goals rather than personal financial gain. The study recommends that public institutions bolster their ethical, legal, and moral guidelines to foster a governance culture characterised by integrity, accountability, and transparency. To promote sound corporate governance decisions in public institutions, organisational and personal factors must be integrated into decision-making frameworks.
Fiscal Policy Uncertainty and its Impact on Business Stability in Emerging Market Economies
This study critically examines the impact of fiscal policies uncertainty on businesses in emerging market economies, with Nigeria as a focal point. Given the volatile nature of fiscal policies in such economies, this research aims to provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence on how policy inconsistency affects key economic variables, including exchange and interest rates, trade and investment, imports and exports, and taxation. These disruptions, in turn, shape the operational landscape for businesses across diverse sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, services, oil and gas, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Utilising a mixed- methods approach, this study integrates empirical data analysis with insights from policy reviews to establish a nuanced understanding of the relationship between fiscal instability and business performance. Findings reveal that inconsistent fiscal policies create an unpredictable business climate, deterring investment, stiffening growth, and undermining job creation, ultimately weakening economic resilience. These results align with existing scholarly perspectives and World Bank reports that emphasise the critical role of stable and business-friendly policies in fostering economic expansion, job creation, and wealth distribution. The practical implications underscore the urgent need for policy coherence to enhance business confidence, drive sustainable economic growth, and improve government revenue through stable taxation frameworks. By offering a comprehensive analysis of fiscal policy volatility, this study contributes original insights into how emerging economies can navigate policy instability to create a more conducive environment for businesses, thereby reinforcing economic development strategies.
The Impact of Gamification on Brand Advocacy through the Mediating Role of Continuance Intention an Empirical Study in Egypt’s Online Retail Sector
This study investigates the influence of gamification on continuance intention and brand advocacy within digital service platforms, particularly in the context of higher education and e-commerce. Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, the research explores how gamified elements—such as points, challenges, rewards, and progress tracking—act as stimuli that shape users’ psychological engagement and behavioral outcomes. Specifically, the study examines continuance intention as a mediating mechanism that links gamification to users' willingness to advocate for a brand or platform. A quantitative research design was employed using a structured questionnaire administered to 400 participants across Egyptian digital platforms. Measurement constructs were validated through established scales, and data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that gamification has a significant and positive effect on both continuance intention and brand advocacy. Furthermore, continuance intention partially mediates the relationship between gamification and brand advocacy, indicating that users are more likely to promote a platform when they are continuously engaged through meaningful and enjoyable gamified experiences. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on gamified digital engagement by offering empirical support for the mediating role of continuance intention. It also provides practical insights for platform designers, marketers, and digital strategists seeking to foster user loyalty and advocacy through interactive and motivational design elements. Future research directions are proposed, including the need for longitudinal studies and cross-cultural validation to deepen the understanding of gamification's long-term behavioral impacts.
Ethical Leadership Behaviour and Quality of Worklife among Professional Telecoms Service Providers Employees: The Mediating Impact of Sustainable Work Environment
Ethical leadership behaviour plays a cogent role in strengthening high quality worklife and sustainable workplace. This study investigates ethical leadership behaviour and employee quality worklife, a role of sustainable work environment on employees of telecoms industry in Nigeria. This research employed a longitudinal research design to explore the participants of the study, conducting over three months on three intervals. It administers the study instrument on 405 participants across four telecoms organisations in Nigeria. A simple random sampling techniquewas utilised to examine the study respondents, and adapted several existing scales as research instrument. A partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was utilised to analyse the obtained data from the study participants The findings of this study demonstrated a mixed report from the study population. It indicated that ethical leadership behaviour holds way in Nigeria’s telecoms industry. However, some elements of ethical leadership practices finds negative significant impact with quality of workife. One of the dimensions of ethical leadership behaviour observed, people-oriented behaviour has a negative significant impact on quality of worklife among the employees in Nigeria telecoms industry. While other dimensions indicate that ethical leadership is key to promoting integrity, trust, transparency and ethical practices in corporate organisations today. The outcome of the study illustrated that fairness, transparency, integrity/ethical behaviour and ethical awareness influence and impact quality of worklife of employees. The study concluded that organisations should lead with humanity, and make ethics an important aspect of performance evaluation, and reward ethical behaviour. This study has provided a natural means to acknowledge that ethical practices is germane to establish an enduring quality of worklife as well as sustainable workplace in corporate ecosystem. It has transformed the notion that unethical practices may be brandished by management of organisations which always push them into public scandals.
Investigating the Moderating Role of Team Learning Orientation in the Relationship between Servant Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior among Egyptian Public University Staff Members
While servant leadership and innovation have been examined extensively in Western contexts, there are three important gaps in this literature: firstly, boundary conditions under which servant leadership is most effective in fostering innovation have been minimally explored; secondly, team-level moderators are rarely considered in resource-constrained contexts; and thirdly, there is a paucity of empirical research in higher education settings in developing countries, where culturally and structurally contingent collective learning orientations could play out differently. This study investigates the moderating influence of team learning orientation on the link between servant leadership and innovative work behavior within the context of Egyptian public universities among academic Staff members. Data were collected using a three-wave survey design involving 412 faculty members at five public universities in Egypt. Servant leadership was assessed using the SL-7 scale, team learning orientation was measured using the 28-item Team Learning Behaviors Scale, and innovative work behavior was assessed using the Innovative Behavior Inventory. Moderation analyses were carried out using the PROCESS macro and hierarchical regression. Servant leadership is a significant positive predictor of innovative work behavior (β = 0.324, p < .001) and team learning orientation (β = 0.612, p < .001). There is a positive path to innovative work behavior from a team learning orientation (β = 0.417, p <.001). Notably, the interaction effect of team learning orientation on the relationship between servant leadership and innovative work behavior is significant (β = 0.128, p < .01), wherein the interaction is stronger at the high than low level of team learning orientation. Team learning orientation is an important boundary condition of servant leadership that facilitates innovation. The findings emphasize the necessity of integrating servant leadership programs with the promotion of a team learning climate in higher education settings.
Comparative Effectiveness of Coaching and Mentorship on Career Advancement Outcomes
This research examines the comparative effectiveness of coaching and mentorship on career advancement among employees. The research adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via AMOS, the study tested the validity of constructs and the strength of the relationships among variables. Results revealed that both coaching and mentorship significantly and positively influence career advancement, with coaching exerting a slightly stronger effect compared to mentorship. The findings suggest that while both strategies are beneficial, structured coaching programs may yield quicker, performance oriented career outcomes, whereas mentorship supports long-term professional development. The study recommends a strategic integration of both approaches to maximize employee growth and retention. The model demonstrated strong reliability and validity, with acceptable fit indices after modification. This research contributes to human resource development literature by providing empirical evidence on the relative impact of coaching and mentorship in organizational settings.