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The role of trust in family business succession planning
(University of Pretoria, 2025-03) Mamabolo, Anastacia; ichelp@gibs.co.za; Khenisa, Boipelo
Trust plays a pivotal role in the sustainability and longevity of family businesses, particularly in succession planning. Unlike corporate enterprises governed by formal structures, family businesses rely on interpersonal relationships, making trust a crucial factor in leadership transitions. However, succession planning remains a significant challenge for many family-owned businesses, often leading to disputes, instability, and, in some cases, business failure.
This study explores the role of trust in family business succession planning by examining strategies used to appoint future leaders, the impact of trust on leadership transitions, and the factors influencing trust development. A qualitative research approach was employed, using semi-structured interviews with founders, successors, and key stakeholders from various family businesses in South Africa. Thematic analysis was conducted using Atlas.ti to identify patterns and key insights.
Findings indicate that trust facilitates business continuity, smooth transitions, and leadership development. However, trust is influenced by internal family dynamics, governance structures, and external market conditions. The study underscores the need for structured succession planning, transparent communication, and leadership mentoring to sustain trust and ensure long-term success. The findings provide valuable insights for family businesses, policymakers, and scholars in understanding the complexities of trust in succession planning.
Benford’s law and electoral integrity: A forensic analysis of African elections
(University of Pretoria, 2025-04-14) Saville, Adrian; ichelp@gibs.co.za; Vilakazi, Zwelithini Edward
This study examines the applicability of Benford’s Law (BL) as a forensic auditing tool for detecting anomalies in electoral results. BL, which predicts the expected distribution of leading digits in naturally occurring numerical datasets, has been widely employed in financial fraud detection and academic research validation. While prior studies have explored BL’s potential in election forensics, its reliability in distinguishing between genuine fraud and natural statistical deviations remains inconclusive.
Using electoral data from Zimbabwe and Kenya, contrasted with benchmark cases from more stable democracies that are South Africa and Botswana, this research applies multiple BL digit tests (first-digit, second-digit, and first-two-digit analyses) alongside complementary statistical measures (chi-square, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mean Absolute Deviation, and p-value tests). The results indicate that while BL can flag irregularities in election data, its limitations as a standalone tool necessitate caution. False positives may arise due to legitimate data quirks, and contextual factors can distort digit distribution patterns.
The study concludes that BL should serve as a preliminary screening mechanism rather than definitive proof of electoral manipulation. To enhance election integrity, future forensic audits should integrate BL with advanced statistical techniques or machine learning models. These findings contribute to methodological debates in election forensics and provide practical recommendations for strengthening post-election audit frameworks.
The paradox of flexibility: Exploring the dichotomy of employer-initiated flexible working arrangements and return-to-office directives on knowledge workers’ motivation in the contemporary workplace post-Covid-19
(University of Pretoria, 2024-11-07) Meintjes, Anel; ichelp@gibs.co.za; Mofokeng , Molotsi Ntsieng Hendrick
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a substantial transformation in business operations. With the imposition of lockdowns and social distancing measures, organisations across the globe were compelled to transition from conventional office-based work to adopt flexible working arrangements, prominently featuring working from home. This adaptive response was critical for sustaining business continuity and meeting organisational objectives within a complex and restrictive business environment.
This qualitative exploratory research aims to explore the paradox of flexible working arrangements as initiated by employers to circumvent business challenges during COVID-19 and the new emerging concept known as return-to-office directives, where employers are now mandating employees to adopt pre-COVID-19 office centric setups. Managers are confronted with the paradoxical dilemma of whether to continue with flexible working arrangements or implement return-to-office directives. Each alternative presents significant unintended repercussions. This study aims to establish the effect of these concept on employees’ motivation, specifically knowledge workers.
The primary research question sought to examine the impact of management’s decision to implement return-to-office directives, which mandate the physical presence of knowledge workers in the office, on their motivation level and attitude towards their work. To fully address the primary research question, managers were also asked to provide recounts of their perception of their staff’s motivation towards work after implementing return-to-work directives in addition to data obtained from knowledge workers.
A qualitative research approach was considered appropriate, the researcher adopted interpretivism philosophy to complement it. Given the exploratory nature of the study, the theory development was inductive. Due to time constrains the study was cross sectional and used semi-structured interviews to collect data from participants purposefully drawn from researcher’s professional network.
The findings showed that implementing return-to-office directives does not affect employees’ motivation, even thou the elements of discomfort, inconveniences were noted as well as challenges of dealing with transition was experienced, the level of motivation remained unaffected. Flexible working arrangements were found to enhance employees’ motivation. This finding corroborated the literature. Consequently, a framework was developed to elucidate the effects of flexible working arrangements and return-to-work directives on organisations to help business leaders make informed decisions about workplace policies and their repercussions on employees’ motivation, productivity and workplace effectiveness.
Gender equality in the workplace: A case for Generation z women
(University of Pretoria, 2025-03-04) Ndletyana, Dorothy; ichelp@gibs.co.za; Dodzo, Cordellia Eve
Gender bias continues to be a pervasive issue in the workplace, impacting career progression,
remuneration, and overall job satisfaction for women. It is one of the main reasons why
women’s careers stagnate. Although considerable research has examined gender bias,
gender discrimination and gender inequities, only a limited number of studies investigate how
Generation Z (Gen Z) women experience and navigate workplace gender bias, and their views
on how to address gender bias in the workplace. This study aims to analyse the experiences
of Gen Z women in the workplace, focusing on their methods for combating gender bias and
their views on eliminating systemic inequities.
An interpretivist perspective was adopted for this study. Through a qualitative narrative inquiry
approach, utilising semi-structured interviews, the lived experiences of female Gen Z
professionals were explored to gain insight into their experiences with gender bias in the
workplace. The data was analysed using thematic analysis, revealing the strategies that are
employed by Gen Z women to navigate gender bias and their views on how gender bias can
be eliminated.
This study enhances the sparse research on Gen Z's employment experiences and offers
suggestions for organisations to foster more inclusive cultures. It underscores the necessity
for focused gender-equity measures that cater to the unique expectations and advocacy
strategies of Gen Z women.
African environmental philosophy with(out) eco-phenomenology?
(Philosophy Documentation Center, 2025) Afolabi, Abiodun Paul
There has been relatively little reflection from African environmental philosophers on the specific contributions that eco-phenomenology, insofar as it constitutes a distinctive philosophical approach, might make to their field. In this article, I critically evaluate key approaches in African environmental philosophy and argue that the implicit aim of early African environmental philosophers appears limited to employing analytic and hermeneutic methods to rethink anthropocentric attitudes—those largely responsible for upsetting the balance of the natural environment—without any explicit engagement with eco-phenomenological principles or methods. I discuss possible reasons for this neglect and show how African environmental philosophy could benefit from adopting an eco-phenomenological perspective, particularly in revealing the problematic assumptions embedded in the ontological ideal of the interdependence of all things in nature. I conclude that eco-phenomenology has the potential to advance environmental thinking in Africa, provided its methodological insights are adequately taken up.