Research Articles (Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS))

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/51279

The University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) is a leading business school in the heart of Illovo, Johannesburg, close to the Sandton business hub. Academic programmes as well as a wide range of executive courses are availble and can be custom-designed to suit specific company needs.

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Fostering government-backed Fintech adoption : empirical insights for policymakers
Kwarteng, Michael Adu; Osakwe, Christian Nedu; Ntsiful, Alex; Palka, Premysl; Kim, Anh Dao (Tomas Bata University in Zlín, 2026-03)
Central bank digital currency (CBDC) proponents argue that it holds significant potential to enhance financial inclusion in historically underserved regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and to facilitate international remittance flows across national borders. Beyond these benefits, CBDCs are increasingly recognized as strategic tools for enhancing national competitiveness by improving payment efficiency, strengthening digital financial systems, and fostering innovation within financial ecosystems. Consequently, interest in CBDC has surged in the post-pandemic era. However, empirical understanding of the key factors influencing CBDC adoption remains limited, particularly in emerging African economies. Drawing on Resource Matching Theory, this study investigates the determinants of CBDC acceptability using data from 464 potential adopters in Ghana, where successful CBDC pilot projects have been completed. The study employs partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the influence of CBDC awareness, subjective norms, and subjective well-being on CBDC acceptability, as well as the moderating role of risk aversion. The results indicate that all three factors significantly and positively influence CBDC acceptability, with awareness emerging as the strongest predictor. Furthermore, risk aversion weakens the positive relationship between subjective well-being and CBDC acceptability. These findings contribute to the literature by extending CBDC adoption research to the African context and by highlighting the importance of behavioural and psychological factors. From a policy perspective, the results provide actionable insights for promoting CBDC adoption and enhancing digital and financial competitiveness in emerging economies.
Local economic development in South Africa : a critical review
Makombe, Godswill (Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University , Ukraine, 2026-05)
Local economic development (LED) has been applied as a development strategy in many countries, including the United States of America (USA), Germany, and Italy in the global North, and Brazil and South Africa (SA) in the global South. This approach is viewed as a grassroots strategy where local resources and ideas are mobilized to achieve local development with the government providing an enabling environment. It is associated with devolution of authority and the mobilization of local resources to implement local interventions that address the needs of localities. In South Africa, local economic development planning is state-led, and it is mandatory for local municipalities to become developmental local governments with the responsibility of implementing economic development at the local level. This state-led brand of LED, hereafter referred to as “LED in SA”, does not conform entirely to the international prescripts for local economic development. A systematic review process was used to identify constraints faced by this strategy in SA. Systematic searches of major electronic databases were used to identify the academic literature used in this review. Grey literature on government and organizations' websites was also reviewed. ResearchGate, from which full-text requests can be made directly to authors, was utilized, especially in search of the most recent articles. The inclusion/exclusion criteria were based on whether the abstracts of the identified articles contained the concept 'local economic development' or 'LED'. The identified challenges include those presented by the top-down state-led planning, lack of collaborative partnerships, lack of capacity, lack of funding, and lack of understanding of what the strategy entails. It is possible for LED in SA to be successful if the necessary and sufficient conditions are met. After the state-led planning is implemented, a mechanism should be developed for managing the initiative at grassroots level, building partnerships, improving its funding and capacity, and commissioning studies that can be used to critically evaluate its performance, thus increasing its chances of success. The studies should evaluate the impact of local development interventions and assess how much of the strategy plans within municipalities have been implemented. The understanding of local economic development among all LED in SA practitioners should also be evaluated.
Innovative pathways to sustainable community development through youth entrepreneurship
Bouallegue, Sabrine; Rahali, Houda; Nefzi, Ayoub Kohli; Lichy, Jessica (Emerald, 2026)
PURPOSE : Sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) is gaining momentum as an innovative pathway for tackling global environmental challenges and fostering sustainable community development. Underpinned by the theory of planned behavior, this study aims to identify the main determinants influencing Higher Education students' intentions to undertake SE (a behavior essential for community-level transformation) while also examining the moderating role of perceived feasibility. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : Empirical data were collected from 280 university graduates in Tunisia, providing a critical “global insight” into youth engagement in sustainable practices within an emerging economy context. FINDINGS : Data analysis using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) shows that several factors significantly and positively predict sustainable entrepreneurial intention (SEI): environmental values (a psychological factor), green consumption commitment (a sustainable behavior lever), environmental citizenship (a community engagement factor) and education for sustainable entrepreneurship (an innovative educational pathway). These intentions subsequently affect sustainable entrepreneurial behavior, and the relationship is significantly moderated by perceived feasibility. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : This research provides an original contribution by developing and expanding the literature on SE by identifying specific educational and psychological antecedents that empower youth, a key demographic for community change, to pursue sustainable ventures. Furthermore, it is among the rare studies to investigate the moderating role of perceived feasibility in the transition from sustainable entrepreneurial intention to concrete sustainable entrepreneurial behavior. This approach brings a novel perspective on how youth entrepreneurship can foster sustainable community development. It offers direct, evidence-based insights for managers and practitioners to design innovative strategies and educational programs that stimulate the sustainable entrepreneurial actions and mindsets necessary for community development.
Social construction of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues and moving international business research forward
Onaji-Benson, Theresa; Hurd, Fiona; Raskovic, Matevz Matt (Emerald, 2026-05-11)
PURPOSE : This scene-setting viewpoint aims to round up a two-part special issue focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in international business (IB). If the first part of the special issue focused on DEI blind spots and the juxtaposition between the DEI business case and the DEI social justice case, the second part critically discusses the social construction of DEI issues in IB settings and the role played by context in IB-DEI research. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : The authors discuss critically five IB-DEI research areas cover by the papers in this special issue. The first three examine gender in specific national cultures (i.e. Japan) and professional settings (i.e. academia), and look at making work-integrated learning more inclusive. The latter two address two particular DEI blind spots: neurodiversity and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and other sexual orientation (LGBTQIA+) community. Underlying our critical discussion of the five IB-DEI research areas is the issue of their socially constructed nature. FINDINGS : Interrogating the social construction of DEI issues in IB settings calls for a shift from merely contextualising the local embeddedness of social identities and societal expectations/practices regarding DEI towards problematising power relations which reproduce structural barriers and social inequities that result in the exclusion (and sometimes oppression) of specific social identity groups. Such problematising, however, first requires stronger theorising of context and not merely contextualisation of existing DEI and IB theories. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : The contribution lies in linking the social construction and context of IB-DEI, underscoring the importance of both etic and emic research approaches. The authors offer a bird’s-eye view of how gender roles at work, women’s voices in patriarchal professional settings, work-integrated learning, neurodiversity and issues linked to the LGBTQIA+ community, opening new avenues for IB-DEI theorising. Following positionality statements of the guest editors in the first editorial connected to the first part of the special issue, the second viewpoint linked to part two of the special issue provides positionality statements by lead authors from each of the five papers in this special issue.
Institutional distance and the lived experience of actors in the contemporary MNC : the role of positionality
Fortwengel, Johann; Edwards, Tony; Schnyder, Gerhard; Kern, Philipp; Svystunova, Liudmyla (Wiley, 2026)
International human resource management (IHRM) and its larger sibling of international business (IB) have cross-fertilized each other for many years. In this paper, we suggest that IHRM research's nuanced appreciation for new patterns of work, such as the increase in internationally integrated work processes and the emergence of global virtual teams, can make a valuable contribution to IB research, specifically to the core idea that countries exhibit institutional distance, with important implications for a range of outcomes for multinational companies (MNCs). We contend that IHRM research has much to offer to provide a fuller account of distance and how it is viewed differently by individuals in MNCs, thereby contributing to the growing microfoundations lens in IB and beyond. In this paper, we give structure to the new patterns of work by positing that individuals differ in how they experience institutions: direct or mediated, holistic or partial, and enduring or transitory. We illustrate the relevance of these dimensions of positionality by building on prior work in IB, which has conceived of distance as a matter of similarity versus dissimilarity, equivalence versus non-equivalence, as well as a question of how encompassing and how malleable institutions in the host country are. Combined, we seek to start a fresh conversation on how changes in work realities of the 21st century make us see classic theoretical concepts in new ways, and how the core idea we develop in this paper – that the positionality of individuals shapes their perceptions of distance – raises a set of important questions for future research.
Cost of external debt and commodity price movement : a focus on African countries
Muhanji, Stella; Ojah, Kalu; Soumare, Issouf (Elsevier, 2026-07)
We question the lack of impact on borrowing costs, of Africa's resource endowment, especially during periods of higher prices for these commodity exports. Using a panel data of 19 African countries over 2000-2021, and deploying a battery of empirical techniques, we examine the effects of commodity price movement on sovereign bond spreads of African countries, and the related exorbitant cost of debt these countries bear whilst borrowing – “Africa premium.” We find that commodity price movement is an important driver of bond spread for Africa, working through two postulated channels – collateral and exchange rate channels: Commodity price movement, via the collateral channel, relates negatively to bond spread, whereas it relates positively to bond spread via the exchange rate channel. Commodity prices' influence on Africa's borrowing cost is stronger for low resource-endowed countries than it is for high resource-endowed countries. Bayesian Model Averaging results indicate that the level of financial development, external debt capacity, debt service, inflation, and the collateral and exchange rate channels are the dominant drivers of sovereign bond spreads in Africa. The “Africa premium” declines when we model commodity price movement in the bond spread of African countries. Finally, our other results have useful policy guides as well. HIGHLIGHTS • There is a lack of impact on borrowing costs, of Africa's resource endowment and their prices movement. • There is an abnormally high cost of debt these countries bear whilst borrowing – “Africa premium.” • Annual panel data of 19 African and 16 emerging market countries over 2000-2021 used. • We find that commodity price cycles are an important driver of bond spreads for Africa. • Results from Bayesian Mean Averaging identified key explanatory variables most likely to explain sovereign bond spread • The so-called Africa premium is attenuated when commodity price cycle is modelled into Africa's bond spread.
Why top management don't practice what academics teach
Lichy, Jessica (Emerald, 2026)
PURPOSE : This study examines how the decisions and traits of top managers translate into indirect, symbolic and procedural barriers to organizational learning (OL) and sustainable change within fragmented higher education institutions (HEIs) that are increasingly characterized by digitally enabled, globally disparate online workforces (faculty and students). It addresses the critical issue of whether current managerial selection and development models are sustainable, specifically investigating how non-academic leaders, often ill-equipped for complex intellectual capital management, impede the development required for a modern, global online HEI. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : A qualitative analysis was conducted on the Pedagogic Innovation Project, a strategic, digitally relevant change initiative across 10 French campuses. This context provides a rich context for observing managerial practices and outcomes associated with leading highly specialized, distributed workforces through transformation. We employ upper echelons theory (UET) to investigate how the top management team (TMT) acts as a barrier to OL in a fragmented, knowledge-intensive HEI. We move beyond general applications of UET to focus on the indirect, symbolic and procedural forms of managerial influence. By analysing these underreported mechanisms, we contribute novel insights into how the values of TMT shape learning failures and defensive routines at the organizational level. FINDINGS : The findings show that non-academic senior leaders, often recruited via informal networks and overly focused on procedural control, tend to cultivate unsustainable human resource management (HRM) practices that undermine organizational capacity. Such leaders inhibit double-loop learning (DLL) and suppress faculty expertise, which constitutes the core intellectual capital of a global HEI. Their reliance on defensive routines (rebranding top-down mandates) fosters distrust, opposing the autonomy needed for online work. By promoting commodified “plug-and-play” staffing and prioritizing superficial compliance over genuine integration, these leaders fail to implement sustainable performance management or authentic employee well-being during digital transformation, both of which are detrimental to sustainable HRM practices. Their reliance on defensive routines (rebranding top-down mandates) fosters distrust, opposing the autonomy needed for online work. By promoting commodified “plug-and-play” staffing and prioritizing superficial compliance over genuine integration, these leaders fail to implement sustainable performance management or authentic employee well-being during digital transformation, both of which are detrimental to sustainable HRM practices. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : This study offers fresh insights into top management's role in innovating the business model within a fragmented French HEI, which therefore limits the generalizability to other HE contexts or sectors beyond education. Findings may not hold in systems with stronger academic leadership or less marketized environments. The study reflects only faculty perspectives, omitting direct input from top managers, which limits visibility into executive constraints. Confidentiality also restricted analysis of TMT demographics, narrowing the use of UET. The single-case design reduces comparative scope. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : HEIs and organizations managing global, digitally enabled workforces must overhaul manager recruitment, prioritizing candidates with expertise in intellectual capital stewardship and sustainable HRM, not just procedural control. They must invest in developing existing managers to champion DLL and authentic employee well-being over superficial compliance. For HR departments, this study signals the immediate need to discontinue unsustainable practices such as “plug-and-play” staffing models that erode expertise, favouring long-term talent development and management that empowers faculty autonomy. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS : The managerial suppression of faculty expertise, coupled with the use of “plug-and-play” staffing, actively contributes to the erosion of academic identity and professional morale. This suggests a counter-productive societal trend where bureaucratic control and metric-driven compliance supersede deep intellectual capital, thereby marginalizing practitioner-led innovation. Moreover, the reliance on defensive routines breeds a culture of distrust, undermining the high autonomy necessary for effective knowledge work. Over time, public resources are invariably diverted towards symbolic governance (accreditations) instead of genuine pedagogical investment, raising concerns about the long-term quality and integrity of public service outputs. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : The originality of this study lies in its extension of established theory and its application to an understudied, non-corporate context. It provides a crucial, non-corporate extension of UET, highlighting the specific mechanisms (namely, indirect, symbolic and procedural managerial influence) by which TMT characteristics actively obstruct organizational adaptation and deep learning in fragmented public sector environments. It offers empirical evidence that top managers' decisions, particularly those rooted in non-academic managerial expertise and focused on procedural/metric compliance, can systematically undermine a university's core mission (teaching and research integration).
Understanding black women opportunity entrepreneurs' networking behavior : navigating intersectionality in South Africa's entrepreneurial ecosystem
Pettersen, Inger Beate; Scheepers, Caren Brenda; Botha, Melodi; Moos, Menisha; Moos, Menisha (Emerald, 2026)
PURPOSE : Globally, black women entrepreneurs represent the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs, driving significant economic and social impact. This research timely responds to calls aiming for varied research contexts and for investigating women entrepreneurs in non-Western contexts. This study examines networking within South Africa's entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) to contextualize theory across diverse cultural and socio-economic settings, thereby deepening understanding of the compounded barriers faced by black women entrepreneurs at the intersection of race and gender. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : A qualitative research design was adopted to explore individual experiences while identifying patterns and connections that can enhance our understanding of black women's networking behavior to navigate the EEs in South Africa. FINDINGS : The study's findings reveal three unique themes which contribute to women's proactive networking behavior, involving cross-gender and cross-race relations. Furthermore, we learn how black women entrepreneurs exploit strategic networking opportunities to grow their tech ventures and navigate intersectionality through resilience of being part of a minority group. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : EE actors should deliberately introduce allyship programs to enhance black women's position and belonging in various settings through, e.g. mentorship and training programs. Policymakers in other countries could gain key insights from the South African Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) policy, which positively influence women entrepreneurs' position in EEs. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : Our study links the Intersectionality Theory with Social Network Theory. Previous studies considered gender and networking behavior, without referring to the intersection between gender and race and how this intersection might influence networking behavior.
Affordable loss heuristic scale development and validation
Lew, Charlene; Smith, Sean Michael (Emerald, 2026-12)
PURPOSE : The study aims to develop a distinct and parsimonious scale of affordable loss. The affordable loss heuristic explains a way of reasoning in entrepreneurial investment decision-making in uncertainty. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : The scale development process spans several phases including conceptualization, qualitative interviews and expert item review in the item development phase. In the exploratory phase, two studies are used to refine the instrument. In the validation phase, the scale is validated through confirmatory factor analysis and assessment of the invariance thereof. FINDINGS : The study produces a two-dimensional reflective scale of affordable loss, including dimensions of a loss heuristic in uncertainty and experimental mindset. The scale is validated and invariant across different geographical contexts. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : The scale builds on the theory of affordable loss, presenting clearer insights into the nature and dimensions of this heuristic. It offers an empirical contribution by enabling the measurement of affordable loss as a construct in entrepreneurial decision-making. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : An understanding of affordable loss gives practitioners the means to assess and develop entrepreneurial reasoning. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : The study presents a novel measure of the affordable loss investment heuristic, paving the way for future studies into its antecedents and outcomes.
Only I can do it : CEOs' level of confidence and marketing outcomes
Gala, Prachi; Kashmiri, Saim (Emerald, 2026)
PURPOSE : This study aims to examine how chief executive officer (CEO) overconfidence shapes strategic marketing decisions, with a focus on advertising and research and development (R&D) investments under short-term performance pressure. Drawing on upper echelons theory, it tests whether overconfident CEOs engage in myopic marketing management and whether this relationship changes over time. The study also assesses the moderating role of internal organizational factors in this process. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : The study uses a longitudinal panel covering two periods, 2011–2015 and 2017–2022. The sample includes 485 firm-year observations in the first period and 741 in the second, drawn from publicly traded US firms across multiple industries based on one-digit standard industrial classification codes. Key variables include CEO overconfidence, advertising intensity and R&D intensity. Fixed effects models control for unobserved firm heterogeneity. Additional tests address endogeneity and sample selection bias. This design allows direct comparison of CEO behavior across periods. FINDINGS : CEO overconfidence significantly affects marketing investments. In 2011–2015, overconfident CEOs were associated with higher advertising intensity. In 2017–2022, the association turns negative, indicating a shift away from advertising under newer market conditions. R&D intensity shows no stable relationship with CEO overconfidence. The marketing department’s power weakens the negative advertising effect in the later period. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : The study links executive psychology to marketing resource allocation across time. It shows that the strategic impact of CEO overconfidence is context-dependent and changes with the environment. The findings inform research on executive cognition and guide boards and investors in evaluating marketing strategy risk.
The dark side of customer interactions : exploring the predictive power of Dark Triad traits on Jay Customer behavior in service industries
Widmier, Scott; Gala, Prachi; Koufodontis, Nikolaos Iason; Serkedakis, Michael (Emerald, 2025-10)
PURPOSE : This study aims to introduce a predictive, trait-based framework to understand Jay Customer behavior in service industries. Building on Social Exchange Theory (SET), it explores how antisocial personality traits – collectively known as the Dark Triad (Machiavellianism, Narcissism and Psychopathy) – predict deviant customer behavior and how contextual moderators shape this relationship. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : A large-scale survey (n = 830) was conducted using validated scales to measure Dark Triad traits, Jay Customer behavior and situational moderators, including boredom, sensation seeking, stress and service context (business vs leisure). Hypotheses were tested using regression analysis. FINDINGS : Dark Triad traits strongly predict Jay Customer behavior across verbal, physical and financial misconduct. This relationship is significantly moderated by boredom, sensation seeking and leisure service contexts. Contrary to expectations, stress has a direct effect on misbehavior but does not moderate the trait-behavior relationship. The model explains over 63% of the variance in Jay Customer behavior. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : This study advances SET by introducing the concept of conditional SET compliance, demonstrating that individuals with antisocial traits strategically violate reciprocity norms, especially under low-cost, high-stimulation conditions. It contributes a novel integration of personality psychology into the service marketing domain. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS : Findings offer actionable strategies for frontline service management, including personality-informed customer profiling, context-specific service design and early behavioral flagging. Recommendations are offered for employee training and policy customization in leisure versus business environments. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS : Proactively managing disruptive behavior can reduce psychological strain on service employees and enhance service environments for all customers, contributing to improved well-being and operational sustainability. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to apply the Dark Triad framework to predict Jay Customer behavior, shifting the focus from descriptive typologies to a proactive, trait-based model. It extends SET through the concept of conditional compliance and offers practical strategies for managing customer deviance – particularly relevant in the post-pandemic service landscape.
The regulatory, normative and cultural-cognitive dimensions of the returnee opportunity and returnee liability : how institutional migration creates the two sides of the same coin
Mreji, Pamela Adhiambo; Chrysostome, Elie Virgile; Barnard, Helena (Elsevier, 2026-08)
Why do some scholars emphasize the benefits realized by returnee entrepreneurs, whereas others highlight the returnee liability? By analyzing interviews with twenty Kenyan returnee entrepreneurs, we make three contributions to scholarship on returnee entrepreneurship. First, we reconcile two well-developed but separate and almost-contradictory bodies of the extant literature by showing that the returnee opportunity / returnee liability is a duality that all returnee entrepreneurs can expect and must manage, even if their ventures are successful. Returnees might see opportunities in the institutional differences between their home and host countries, but to realize those opportunities as entrepreneurial ventures, they must navigate their homeland’s de-familiarized regulatory, normative and cultural-cognitive macro-level institutional pillars. We show how returnee entrepreneurs navigate these macro-institutions as individuals, leading to our second contribution: Where people are mobile across borders, macro-institutions affect not only organizational processes, but also individuals directly. The theory of individual institutional migration suggests institutional migrants seek to regain personal control vis-à-vis a new institutional domain either by transposing knowledge from the previous institutional environment, or by internalizing the new institutional rules. Our third contribution is to advance that theory by suggesting that returnee entrepreneurs strategically seek to do both: Where they recognize opportunities in the new institutional environment (i.e. returnee opportunity), they transpose knowledge by starting innovative new ventures, but at the same time, the different macro-institutional environment imposes a burden (i.e. returnee liability) that they need to manage to gain acceptance of their ventures. HIGHLIGHTS • Returnee entrepreneurs are institutional migrants. • They carry the rules from one institutional environment to another. • They navigate macro institutions as individuals. • This results in a duality – both returnee opportunities and a returnee liability. • The duality functions across regulatory, normative and cultural-cognitive pillars.
Migrant livelihoods and the power of social ties : evidence from Johannesburg's informal sector
Naicker, Dishan; Fourie, Alicia; Claassen, Carike (Routledge, 2026)
This study investigates the characteristics of informal immigrant entrepreneurship within the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. It pays special attention to how social capital facilitates immigrant entrepreneurship success. Given the complex operational and economic environment, the study also sought to understand how immigrant entrepreneurs handle the challenges associated with access to resources, which they face daily. Drawing on twenty qualitative interviews, the findings show that social capital offers support mechanisms that compensate for structural exclusion from formal systems. In the context of growing tensions and competition in the informal economy, the research underscores the need for more inclusive network-building between immigrant and local entrepreneurs to foster social cohesion and shared economic benefit. The findings have implications for policy interventions targeting informal trade, migrant inclusion, and local development in South African urban economies
Prospects and determinants of willingness to pay for sustainable restoration of rangelands among smallholder cattle producers in North West Province, South Africa
Mapiye, Obvious; Makombe, Godswill; Molotsi, Annelin; Dzama, Kennedy; Mapiye, Cletos (Springer, 2026-02)
The degradation and mismanagement of rangeland ecosystems continue to threaten environmental sustainability and livestock-based livelihoods in arid and semi-arid regions. Market-based environmental conservation instruments, such as payment for ecosystem services (PES) and willingness to pay (WTP), serve as effective mechanisms for promoting sustainable land management. This study investigates the WTP of smallholder cattle producers for rangeland restoration in South Africa’s North West Province, integrating socioeconomic and ecological dimensions to inform policy and practice. A double-bounded contingent valuation method was applied to data from 101 smallholder cattle producers, revealing that over 70% of them were willing to pay a higher bid of USD 11.50 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, with a mean WTP of USD 17.00 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Logistic regression analysis revealed that education level (p = 0.012), preferred cattle breed (p = 0.039), farming experience (p = 0.026), goat ownership (p = 0.022), ecoregion (p = 0.079), and cattle-derived income (p = 0.048) were significant predictors of WTP. These findings strongly support rangeland restoration and management within smallholder systems and reflect how socioeconomic and ecological factors shape land-use management choices. This study provides evidence to inform the development of participatory, equity-sensitive conservation frameworks and support the development of incentive-based PES programmes, aligning with sustainable land management policies and resilience-building in pastoral systems.
Mapping customer value propositions for retirement housing facilities in South Africa
Berndt, Adele; Tesnear, Sumari (Adonis & Abbey, 2026-03)
The South African retirement housing market is expanding to meet increasing demand from retirees. Facility managers develop customer value propositions to inform retirees of the expected value. Given the growth in this sector and the lack of academic research into customer value proposition design, this study explores the components of customer value propositions in South African retirement housing facilities using customer value proposition mapping. Using an interpretivist approach, data (118 web posts) were collected from a senior citizens’ retirement housing website and analysed through content analysis. The key findings identified gain creators (such as medical and leisure services), pain relievers (such as security services), and relevant products (such as meal offerings) included in the propositions, with a primary focus on gain creators. This study underscores the necessity of aligning facility management with the nuanced requirements of retirees, providing a strategic framework for decision-making within a traditionally under-researched sector.
Willingness to switch to cultured meat : insights from UAE Muslim consumers
Sia, Joseph Kee-Ming; Wood, Bronwyn P.; Ng, Poh Yen; Ling, Alvin Han Ming (Emerald, 2026-03)
PURPOSE : The purpose of this paper, which is focused on a Muslim consumer sample’s willingness to switch from natural to cultured meat, is threefold: (1) To investigate the internal environmental locus of control (INELOC) “types” as antecedents on perceived benefits; (2) To examine the impact of perceived benefits on Muslim consumers’ willingness to switch (MCWS) to cultured meat; and (3) To explore perceived benefits as a mediator between INELOC (green consumers, environmental activists, environmental advocates and recyclers) and MCWS to cultured meat. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH : The study collected survey responses from 241 Emirati consumers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and analysed them using the partial least squares method and structural equation modelling. FINDINGS : The authors found that three INELOC “types” – (i.e. environmental activists, environmental advocates and recyclers) – personal responsibility factors predict perceived benefits. The results also showed that perceived benefits positively influence MCWS to cultured meat. Finally, perceived benefits mediate between three INELOC “types” – (i.e. environmental activists, environmental advocates and recyclers) – and MCWS to cultured meat. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS : The study provides theoretical insights on how INELOC influences MCWS to cultured meat in the UAE. Furthermore, the study offers important implications for meat alternative companies in their marketing strategies in shaping Muslim consumers’ decision to switch and consume cultured meat, as well as for policymakers in designing parameters for importation, consumption and creation of cultured meat products in the country. Further, it has implications for exporters of halal meat and for food security in the UAE and other drylands. ORIGINALITY/VALUE : Using INELOC and Stimulus-Organism-Response theories, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to empirically investigate Muslim consumers’ willingness to transition to cultured meat in the UAE. Moreover, this study serves as an early attempt to evaluate perceived benefits as a moderator between INELOC and MCWS to cultured meat.
Gender and power : financial independence and women's relational empowerment in the Global South
Hosanoo, Zuberia Aminah; Rughoobur-seetah, Soujata; Soupramanien, Loga Devi Balla; Doargajudhur, Melina; Lichy, Jessica; Wheatley, Daniel (Wiley, 2026-07)
This study adopts a positive and contextually grounded representation of married women in Global South (GS) countries through the theory of gender and power (TGP) and Kabeer's empowerment framework, to examine factors driving financial independence (FI) and empowerment among women in Mauritius and Zimbabwe. Drawing on 55 in-depth interviews with married women (28 in Mauritius and 27 in Zimbabwe), findings indicate that gendered power relations and institutional forces are pivotal in shaping empowerment for married women. Three interconnected themes emerged: “societal and institutional factors,” “context-embedded financial independence and autonomy,” and “women's relational empowerment.” Theoretically, we intersect Kabeer's empowerment framework with the TGP to illustrate how FI operates at the nexus of resources, agency, gendered power relations, and structural constraints, both aligning with and challenging universalized assumptions in gender, development, and empowerment research. Empirically, the paper advances scholarship by providing nuanced insights into empowerment processes within under-researched GS contexts.
Entrepreneurial resilience in the digital era : the role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and passion
Tantawy, Ahmed Adel; Abdalla, Samar; Ng, Poh Yen; Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph (Taylor and Francis, 2026)
Although digitalization has garnered a growing body of research, our understanding of when and how the adoption of digital technologies leads to more resilient entrepreneurial outcomes is limited. We draw on social cognitive theory to develop a moderated mediation model in which digital technologies indirectly promote entrepreneurial resilience through self-efficacy. We further propose that entrepreneurial passion serves as a key boundary condition that influences the strength of this indirect effect. Using data obtained from 300 SME owners/managers in the UK, the results suggest that entrepreneurial self-efficacy mediates the digitalization-resilience nexus, while entrepreneurial passion moderates this mediated relationship. We contribute to the entrepreneurship literature by highlighting that digitalization alone is insufficient to help entrepreneurs sustain their ventures in challenging conditions. Our results have significant implications for both practitioners and policymakers.
A postcolonial feminist reading of entrepreneurial leadership
Scheepers, Caren Brenda (Wiley, 2026-05)
This paper applies the researcher's reflexivity and challenges researchers to acknowledge our positioning and to acknowledge that we perpetuate the gender order and Western knowledge in the ways we produce knowledge. The approach includes a literature review of postcolonial feminist epistemology, in particular, as well as citing examples of challenges and opportunities in fieldwork on women's entrepreneurial leadership in sub-Saharan Africa. It demonstrates the need for postcolonial feminist epistemological approaches in studying women's entrepreneurial leadership in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings highlight the lack of consideration of the intersection of gender with race, ethnicity, and class in Western entrepreneurial leadership studies and specifically advance postcolonial and decolonial feminist scholarship. This paper contributes to decolonizing knowledge on entrepreneurship, opening up postcolonial feminist discourse by contributing the Ubuntu-centric entrepreneurial leadership approach and surfacing tensions and possibilities for the domain.
Reflections on editorial leadership : looking back…moving forward
Den Hond, Frank; Painter, Mollie (Cambridge University Press, 2025-10)
We take the opportunity in this editorial that marks the end of our tenure, to offer some reflections on our experiences. It is an occasion for looking back, for reflection on the scholarship and practice of business ethics, and for celebrating some of the outstanding work that is being done in and for the journal.

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