Search results

Public procurement presents substantial market opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which can contribute to their economic growth. However, limited dynamic capabilities often pose challenges for SMEs to participate effectively in public procurement markets. Drawing on dynamic capability (DC) theory, this study explores whether financial capability (FNCP) influences SMEs’ ability to leverage their technological capability (TECC) and marketing sensing capability (MKSC) and actively engage in public procurement.

Data for this study were collected from 248 SME managers in the Ilala District, Tanzania, using a cross-sectional questionnaire survey and stratified random sampling technique. The proposed hypotheses were tested empirically through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the Hayes PROCESS macro.

TECC and MKSC demonstrated significant positive associations with SME participation in public procurement (SMPP). Moreover, the interaction between TECC and FNCP as well as the interaction between MKSC and FNCP demonstrate a significant positive effect, suggesting that FNCP strengthens the impact of TECC and MKSC on SMPP.

The scope of this study was limited to SMEs in the Ilala District of Tanzania, hence affecting the generalizability of the findings to other contexts. More importantly, the study findings enrich the understanding of DC theory, signifying that the integration and reconfiguration of MKSC, TECC and FNCP add significant value to SMPP.

The findings suggest that policymakers, support institutions and SME managers should focus on enhancing SMEs' MKSC and TECC to improve their participation in public procurement. In addition, improving SMEs' access to financial resources can further strengthen these effects, enabling more inclusive participation in public procurement.

The study contributes to the literature on SMPP by highlighting the critical roles of MKSC and TECC. It also underscores the importance of FNCP as a moderator in these relationships, which has not been addressed in the existing literature. By integrating these factors, the study offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the dynamics that influence SMPP from financial, technological and marketing perspectives, particularly in developing economies like Tanzania.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) aims to transform the lives of people with disabilities around the globe. Many challenges to achieving that goal still remain. The area of disability research ethics is one of those challenges and is the subject of this chapter. Systemic reform of disability research ethics is needed in order to ensure that the work of the UNCRPD rests on a bedrock of quality research and data collection. In that way, progress can be supported and any regression of disabled people’s human rights and equality can be recognised and reversed (Good, 2020). While much work has already been done, inconsistencies remain with regard to the fundamental challenge of removing all ableism from the UNCRPD knowledge base. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2023 starkly revealed the level of remaining ableism across the world, and how this ableism meant that Covid negatively impacted the lives of disabled people more extremely than others. This was revealed, for example, in a recent study of Covid era policies in 14 countries (Shikako et al., 2023) and also in a study of disabled people’s experiences of the Covid pandemic in South Africa (Wickenden et al., 2023). Reformed ethics in research and data collection are needed to expose and understand the problems in policy and practice, during the pandemic, which in some cases reverted to eugenics, and to investigate how to address these. This chapter maps out some possible ways forward in the work to improve human rights and equality-based research as an ethical issue.

This study aims to assess the effects of natural disasters on food security in a sample of 40 sub-Saharan African countries. First, the authors assess the effects of natural disasters on the four dimensions of food security and second, the authors disaggregate natural disaster using the two dimensions that are most representative, namely, hydrological and biological disasters.

The regressions are based on the generalised method of moments on a data set covering the period 2005–2020. Natural disasters are measured by the total number of people affected and food security by its characteristics: access, availability, use and sustainability.

The results show that natural disasters increase the prevalence of undernourishment but reduce dependence on cereal imports. An increase in natural disasters by 1% increases the prevalence of undernourishment by the same proportion. As for import dependency, a 1% increase in natural disasters reduces dependency by 2.2%. The disaggregated effects show that hydrological disasters are more significant than biological disasters in impacting food security. Floods reduce the average energy supply adequacy but also dependence on cereal imports. Policy implications are discussed.

The study complements the extant literature by assessing the effects of natural disasters on food security in a region where food insecurity is one of the worst in the world.

Previous studies have postulated that an advance payment system (APS) positively impacts the contractor's working capital and is paramount to ensuring an efficient and effective project cash flow process. However, scant research has been undertaken to empirically establish the cash flow performance and domino effect of APS on project and organisational performance.

The epistemological design adopted a positivist philosophical stance augmented by deductive reasoning to explore the phenomena under investigation. Primary quantitative data were collected from 504 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) registered contractors (within the grade bandings 1–9) in South Africa. A five-point Likert scale was utilised, and subsequent data accrued were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM).

Emergent findings reveal that the mandatory use of an APS does not guarantee a positive project cash flow, an improvement in organisational performance or an improvement in project performance.

The ensuing discussion reveals the contributory influence of APS on positive cash flow and organisational performance, although APS implementation alone will not achieve these objectives. Practically, the research accentuates the need for various measures to be concurrently adopted (including APS) towards ensuring a positive project cash flow and improved organisational and project performance.

There is limited empirical research on cash flow performance and the domino effect of APS on project and organisational performance in South Africa, nor indeed, the wider geographical location of Africa as a continent. This study addresses this gap in the prevailing body of knowledge.

This study proposes a theoretical model to explain user intention to continue engaging with Social Commerce (SC) from a habit perspective. The research uses social impact theory, user personal traits, and SC quality to explain how user habits are formed in SC, leading to continued usage.

The study collected data from 868 Indonesian respondents using a cross-sectional field design. SEM analysis confirmed the proposed theoretical model, calculating direct, indirect, and moderating effects.

The results showed that the social aspect is the dominant construct influencing users’ habit of using SC. Further, the outcome indicates that habit significantly predicts Continuity usage. Profoundly, subjective norms are the most significant predictors of habit, followed by self-efficacy, content quality, and herd behavior. Meanwhile, Trust and Social Support only indirectly affect Habit through self-efficacy and content quality, respectively, as mediators. Additionally, the moderating effect analysis revealed that age and gender play a role in habit formation.

This study specifically explores the factors affecting the development of habits in SC usage, leading to repeated behaviors. This area has not been thoroughly examined in previous research. Therefore, this study seeks to address this gap by investigating how habits are formed through social interactions on SC platforms. Understanding habit formation provides an alternative way of comprehending the continued use of SC, as it is considered a significant factor that leads to continued intention.

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of Project Management Office (PMO) functions on project performance in businesses in Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) using Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modelling (PLS–SEM).

Utilizing close-ended questionnaires in a cross-sectional survey, 256 project professionals from 10 business sectors in Ghana views were elicited. The questions were developed through a comprehensive literature review and involved 27 PMO functional measures grouped into 6 and 19 project performance measures grouped into 6. Data collected was then analysed using the PLS–SEM to validate the hypothetical relationship.

The PLS–SEM model supported 13 (t > 1.65) out of 36 hypotheses investigating the relationship between PMO functions and project performance. Variations in the PMO functions moderately (R2 = 0.34) explained the performance of projects. The aggregate activities of the PMO had the highest significant influence on environmental performance (R2 = 0.467). The topmost PMO function was identified as monitoring and controlling project performance, and it was significantly associated with cost (ß = 0.265, p < 0.05), quality (ß = 0.291, p < 0.05) and project scope (ß = 0.265 p < 0.05) performance.

This research has brought more illumination to the functions of PMOs and its influence on project performance. The results suggest that PMO activities, when tailored to the business context, can significantly change project performance variables.

Most research on PMO and project performance has been limited to developed countries or a single sector. This study uniquely expands the business sectors and focuses on LMICs.

Project information is widely and thoroughly exchanged within construction projects. However, the risk management process exhibits deficiencies in coordination and visibility, particularly in developing countries. Practitioners in developing countries often engage in Project Risk Management (PRiM) using practices that inadvertently hinder project success, frequently resulting in suboptimal outcomes. Therefore, this research explores practices within Project Integration Management (PIM) and Project Communication Management (PCmM) that could enhance PRiM and improve managerial proficiency to achieve project success in developing countries.

The PIM, PCmM and PRiM processes were explored from the literature; the data was gathered initially by close-ended interviews conducted with a panel of twelve experts followed by a well-structured questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed via AMOS to analyze the data and construct a model representing the intricate relationships between the processes. Additionally, the validity and reliability of the method were inspected.

The data analysis confirmed that PIM and PCmM were correlated according to contractors and consultants in the Jordanian construction industry. Furthermore, both have a positive influence on the PRiM. In addition, a 13-step process was developed to apply extra processes and practices to ensure better implementation of the PRiM in developing countries.

The literature highlights that integration and communication management influence project performance. However, there is a lack of research utilizing practices from these knowledge areas to achieve better project risk management implementation. This research highlights two of the most underrated knowledge areas in project management. Therefore, a framework was devised, comprising processes that practitioners should take into account during the planning phase leading to efficient PRiM to enhance their managerial proficiency.

China’s education has rapidly developed since 1949. Although much has been written about reforms in China’s preschool and primary education policies, less attention has been given to the transition-to-primary school policies.

This study examines the evolution of these policies from 1949 onward, analysing 61 policy documents from the PKULaw.

Four phases are identified: minimal political attention (1949–1982), steady policy releases (1983–2004), stagnation (2005–2010) and frequent updates (since 2011). Policy changes align with educational development, reflecting a shift from academic readiness to overall development. Increased government involvement has led to more diverse themes and more cooperation among stakeholders. The role of the preschool class has evolved from basic support for children without kindergarten access to an institution for early academic learning, prompting policies to restrict it.

These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing China’s educational policies and offer lessons for other nations facing similar challenges in transitioning children from preschool to primary school.

This study, anchored in Self-Determination Theory, explores the paradoxical effects of gamification on digital health promotion, focusing on user engagement, physical activity adherence, stress levels and social dynamics.

In a preregistered experimental design, participants interacted with one of three fitness apps: a non-gamified control app, a competition-based gamified app (GameFit) or a self-exploration-based gamified app (ExploreFit). Quantitative data were collected through scales measuring key variables, and qualitative insights were gathered from structured diaries.

Gamification significantly enhanced user engagement and physical activity adherence. However, competition-based gamification also increased stress and negative social dynamics, with gender-specific effects: females experienced higher stress and males encountered more negative social dynamics. These adverse effects were mitigated in the ExploreFit group, suggesting that self-exploration elements in gamification can reduce negative outcomes.

This research offers a comprehensive analysis of the complex interplay between gamification, competition, self-exploration and health outcomes. It provides valuable insights for the design of persuasive technologies, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to gamification that considers both its benefits and potential pitfalls.

E-commerce expands product and service reach, emphasizing the need for strategic market approaches to enhance e-service quality and drive sales growth. This paper aims to assess the relationship between the perceived quality of e-commerce platforms (characterized by measures of order and return convenience), customer satisfaction with online shopping and repurchase intention from online stores as well as examine whether demographic variables such as age, gender and area of residency (urban/rural) influence the ratings of each of these variables.

An online, self-administered survey gathered 108 valid responses from e-commerce customers. Data were analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) through principal component analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) as well as correlation, descriptive statistics, difference of means tests and nonlinear regression.

Online shopping on e-commerce platforms is seen as convenient for both placing orders and managing returns. Additionally, consumers express satisfaction with their online shopping experiences and exhibit a strong intention to repurchase. The analysis revealed linear relationships between order convenience and customer satisfaction, between order convenience and repurchase intention and nonlinear relationships between return convenience, customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. No significant difference was found between the way the demographic variables rated the convenience, satisfaction and repurchase intention constructs.

This study contributes to the empirical literature on service quality in e-commerce by providing a streamlined model of the interactions among the factors as well as by isolating the nonlinear relationships and comparing results across three demographic variables. From a managerial standpoint, the findings suggest that strategies aimed at providing complete qualitative information and enhancing order and return convenience improve customer satisfaction and foster repurchase intention.