Recent Submissions

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    Green entrepreneurship research : a review of the domainand future research agenda
    Fubah, Clavis Nwehfor; Kansheba, Jonathan Mukiza; Marobhe, Mutaju Isaack; Acikdilli, Gaye (Wiley, 2026)
    This study examined the evolving landscape of green entrepreneurship (GE) research through a comprehensive analysis that combined bibliometric and systematic literature reviews. Analysis of 88 articles retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) mapped the research trajectory, identifying key authors, journals and research themes. Findings revealed a growing interest in GE re-search, with a discernible shift toward six themes. The themes were drivers and motivators, pro-environmental behaviours (PEB)and practices, business models and strategies, entrepreneurial intentions and orientation and the crucial role of innovation and technology. Thus, we identified key gaps, with suggestions for future research directions. These included exploring the interplay between technology and green entrepreneurial activity, the impact of enabling policy frameworks and the influence of consumer behaviour driving green entrepreneurial activity. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the GE field, pro-viding a strategic roadmap for future research endeavours.
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    Advancing improvements to enterprise systems with a participatory system dynamics method using figma
    Hussain, Huda; De Vries, Marne (South African Institute of Industrial Engineers, 2025-12-08)
    ENGLISH : System dynamics (SD) offers a whole-system perspective to model complex, non-linear behaviour and to assess the impact of interventions in multiple performance areas. To address the difficulties of ill-defined SD concepts, a meta model for enterprise systems dynamics (MMESD) was previously developed and refined, resulting in the e1MMESD. This study applied the e1MMESD in a participatory system dynamics method (PSDM), enabling stakeholders collaboratively to build knowledge, manage uncertainty, and identify leverage points for system improvement. The PSDM, developed as a design science research artefact, is structured in four phases, and developed using the Figma modelling tool to support online collaboration. A single application of the PSDM resulted in both causal loop diagrams (CLDs) and causal loop stock and flow diagrams (CLSFDs) as final deliverables. The diagrams were tested and refined in workshops with five projects in agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, and industrial services. The findings indicate that the proposed participatory method offers a flexible, replicable approach to improving an enterprise system, while providing valuable insights into how participatory practices could foster system understanding and the effect of suggested interventions.
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    Enhancing parental involvement in early childhood development centres
    Bipath, Keshni; Bishop-Kapp, Danielle (Stellenbosch University, 2025-11)
    The discontinuation of government subsidies led to ECD centre privatisation and the rise of community-driven ECD ones, raising concerns about teaching quality and staff qualifications. The study aimed to create a framework for enhancing parental involvement by incorporating insights from both parents and teachers. Theoretical perspectives by Goodall and Montgomery, Vincent, and Bryk highlighted parenting's significance, socio-economic influence on parental agency, and the need for trust between parents and teachers. The researchers selected two early childhood development centres and asked teachers and parents to participate. Qualitative research methods, including narrative inquiry, vignettes, participatory reflection and action research, and thematic analysis, were used to gather and analyse data from parents and teachers. The findings informed the development of the author's Framework for the Enhancement of Parental Involvement in Childhood (EPIC), incorporating the key elements identified in previous research, namely parental agency, relational trust, and parental involvement. Parental agency is a characteristic that can be strengthened when teachers provide encouragement and insight into how to engage the child in a meaningful and developmentally appropriate manner. This research led to the design of a framework for enhancing parental involvement by considering the perspectives of both parents and teachers. It is particularly applicable to the pre-primary and foundation phases of preparatory schools where parental involvement is significant. It also benefits the training of prospective teachers, especially those specialising in Early Childhood Education.
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    Technology-assisted doctoral supervision : practice and lessons from Anglo-saxon universities in Cameroon
    Etomes, Sophie E.; Aluko, Folake Ruth (Higher Education South Africa (HESA), 2025-10)
    This study investigates how technology-assisted doctoral supervision in teacher education can improve the quality of the supervision process in Cameroon. It is an exploratory sequential mixed method which involves an initial qualitative phase with PhD students followed by a quantitative phase with PhD supervisors. The study was situated in the Affordances Theory mooted by Gibson (1979) that explains how technological affordances can support the supervisory process. The snowball sampling technique was used to select n=80 PhD students using 9 focus group discussion and n=210 doctoral supervisors who responded to the questionnaire. The qualitative data was analysed using thematic-content method while the quantitative data was analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0, frequency counts and percentages and Pearson parametric test. Findings showed that there is a significant and positive relationship between the use of ICT tools on doctoral supervision and students’ output. Also, the non-use of ICT tools was found to have a slightly negative effect on doctoral supervision. While the use of ICTs by both supervisors and PhD supervisees was evident, it was mostly limited to phone calls and WhatsApp due to inadequate skills in ICT. With issues of globalization, crisis and pandemics, technology is relevant to improve on doctoral supervision. It is, therefore, recommended that the use of technology should be included in postgraduate pedagogy and teacher education to improve on the quality of doctoral supervision. A similar research work can be carried out in other universities in Cameroon and developing economies to corroborate the findings. A comparative analysis is relevant for generalization and improvement in doctoral supervision.
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    An exploratory assessment of spatial thinking among geospatial professionals in South Africa
    Carow, Sanet; Coetzee, Serena Martha; Schimitz, Peter (CONSAS Foundation, 2025-07)
    Spatial thinking is the cognitive skill of combining concepts of space, representation tools, and reasoning processes to solve complex spatial problems. Despite significant advances in geospatial technologies, individuals still lack this important skill, especially when working with maps and geospatial data. Spatial thinking abilities have been assessed for school learners and university students, but to our knowledge, not yet for those with work experience. A better understanding of the level of spatial thinking abilities in the geospatial industry can help us to understand whether experience and daily work with maps and geospatial data improve spatial thinking abilities. In this paper, we present the results of an exploratory study in which respondents from the geospatial industry of South Africa completed the spatial thinking ability test (STAT) developed by Lee and Bednarz (2012). Results indicate that gender, age, qualification level and discipline do not influence an individual’s spatial thinking ability. However, work experience and the type of work people engage with on a daily basis impact a person’s spatial thinking ability. Our results provide a baseline for further comparative studies, e.g., between the Global South and North, and also with other industries. In further research, the influence of other factors, e.g., dance, art and travel experience, on spatial thinking abilities should also be investigated. We encourage others to conduct similar studies so that the understanding of what develops spatial thinking abilities beyond a school and university education can be improved.