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Purpose Even though the influence of transformational leadership on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) has been extensively studied in human resource management, evidence on the mechanisms through which transformational leadership affects OCB is only beginning to emerge. In view of the ambivalence about strategies of advancing OCB, this paper aims to establish whether and the extent to which the relationship between transformational leadership and OCB was mediated by organisational justice and affective commitment. Design/methodology/approach The study was based on a random survey of 300 employees from a medium-sized public university, and 122 employees from public and private sector organisations in Lesotho. Partial least squares structural equation modelling and process macro techniques were used to analyse data. Findings The results confirmed significant paths between transformational leadership and organisational justice; organisational justice and affective commitment; and affective commitment and OCB. The results further suggested that perceived justice and affective commitment were significant serial mediators between transformational leadership and OCB. Practical implications Elucidation of the nature of mediating factors between leadership and OCB would leverage organisations’ level of understanding of why transformational leadership is critical to promoting OCB, and hence encourage them to design programmes that would equip supervisors with skills necessary to enhance it. Originality/value This is one of the few theory-driven primary studies that examine the serial mediating roles of organisational justice and affective commitment in the transformational leadership – OCB relationship.

PurposeThe pre-eminence of innovation and technological transfer in promoting agricultural productivity and competitiveness in developing countries is widely acknowledged. However, the disparate streams of literature on productivity and competitiveness have explored innovation and technology transfer as independent predictors. Consequently, the mechanisms through which innovation and technology transfers jointly affect productivity and competitiveness of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in emerging economies remain under-explored in literature. The present study sought to examine the relationships among innovation, technology transfer, productivity and competitiveness of small-scale agricultural businesses (SSABs) in selected regions in South Africa and Zimbabwe, neighbouring countries which have been plagued by food insecurity in recent years.Design/methodology/approachA total of 400 questionnaires were distributed to SSABs owners based in Free State and Mashonaland provinces of South Africa and Zimbabwe, respectively. In total, 268 usable questionnaires (67%) were returned for analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and Process macro (based on SPSS) techniques were used to analyse data.FindingsThe results supported direct significant paths between innovation and technology transfer; technology transfer and productivity; and productivity and competitiveness. Furthermore, the results suggested that technology transfer and productivity consecutively fully mediate the relationship between innovation and competitiveness.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of a survey could not provide sufficient explanations as to why the variable examined related the way they did.Practical implicationsThe study provides useful insights into the significance of considering the dimensions and methods of innovation and technology transfer in agricultural business activities and processes to improve productivity and competitiveness of SSABs.Social implicationsThe study provides some insights into how innovation and technology transfer could be employed by small scale agricultural businesses as critical mechanisms for heightening productivity and competitiveness of these firms to guarantee food security and employment creation for emerging economies.Originality/valueTo the researchers' knowledge, this is one of the pioneer studies to examine the impact of both innovation and technology transfer on productivity and competitiveness of SSABs in two countries in Southern Africa. The study also constitutes a significant contribution to examining serial mediation of technology transfer and productivity of innovation and competitiveness.

The increasing prominence of social media marketing in advancing the global reach and visibility of products and services is ideal for the South African tourism industry, which depends on local and international visitors for leveraging its business activities and competitiveness. However, what remains under-explored in tourism literature is the depth of integration of social media marketing into the competitive strategies of emerging tourism small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs). To address this grey area, this study explored the extent to which tourism SMMEs utilize social media technologies (SMTs) to extend their market share and the implications thereof for the competitiveness of their business operations. Drawing on a quantitative approach, a survey was conducted on 234 tourism SMMEs’ owner/managers in the Free State province of South Africa to establish the impact of social media marketing on the competitiveness of their businesses. Evidence suggests that tourism SMMEs employed social media marketing predominantly for online marketing of their products/services, promoting their products/services, attracting existing customers, and sometimes, for integrating it into their marketing strategies. Results of correlation analysis revealed that social media marketing is positively and significantly related to the competitiveness of tourism SMMEs. The recommendations for leveraging the integration of social media marketing into the competitive strategy of the small business are provided.

The direct effects of technology transfer and innovation on the productivity and competitiveness of economies and businesses are well established. However, research is yet to establish the explanatory variables and the boundary conditions within which these relationships exist. This study examines the extent to which product quality mediates the relationship between technology transfer and competitiveness of small-scale agricultural businesses (SSABs). Moreover, the study explores the extent to which the geographical location moderates the technology transfer–business competitiveness relationship, including whether asset value moderates the product quality–competitiveness relationship. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 SSAB owners and managers in the Free State and Mashonaland Central Provinces of South Africa and Zimbabwe, respectively. Of the 400 questionnaires distributed, 268 usable questionnaires (67%) were returned for analysis. The results suggest that product quality partially mediated the relationship between technology transfer and competitiveness of SSABs. The results demonstrate further that the relationship between product quality and competitiveness was moderated by asset value such that at low levels of product quality, SSABs with larger asset values became more competitive than those with smaller asset values. However, as product quality increased, SSABs with smaller asset values became increasingly competitive until the competitive advantage of those with larger asset values was eliminated. SSABs in South Africa reported higher product quality and competitiveness than those in Zimbabwe. The relationship between the location in which the SSAB was situated and competitiveness was direct, and location did not moderate the relationship between technology transfer and competitiveness. The study illuminates the critical importance of product quality for SSABs, especially those with small asset values. It also demonstrates that while technology transfer may influence the competitiveness of SSABs directly, the influence of quality products cannot be underestimated. The study is one-of-a-kind that simultaneously considers explanatory and moderated effects of technology transfer–competitiveness nexus in SSABs, in the context of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Orientation: Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is often hailed for leveraging students’ swift and flexible adaptation to organisational work demands and accentuating the relevance of knowledge acquired in academic environments to work contexts. However, an inclusive view of WIL’s impact on students’ academic life, especially the broadening of their academic competences, is often occluded by a selective approach to WIL, which emphasises employers’ professional expectations and ignores the nature and process of competence development of students. Research purpose: To bridge the research gap created by employer-centred approaches, this study explores particular South African University of Technology (UoT) ‘students’ perceptions’ on the influence of WIL programmes on the broadening of Office Management and Technology (OMT) competencies (i.e. knowledge, skills and abilities). Motivation for the study: To promote an alternative approach to unravelling OMT competencies, which takes cognisance of the perceptions of students, who are the actual participants in WIL. Research design, approach and method: The study drew on a quantitative case study of 94 OMT students from the UoT’s two campuses who had been successfully placed at 20 organisations in South Africa. Main findings: The findings demonstrated that students’ participation in WIL enhanced their practical knowledge of space management, encouraged swift learning of work-based skills and abilities as well as facilitated the transfer of these competencies across a wide range of contexts, activities and tasks. Practical and managerial implications: The strong correlation between course organisation and WIL’s enhancement of space management knowledge, skills and abilities implies that educators and employers need to place more emphasis not just on their delivery methods but also on the selection and organisation of content, which is critical to such delivery. Recommendations: The study recommended the strengthening of the entire WIL conceptualisation and implementation process (i.e. content selection, content organisation, teaching modalities and computer-assisted delivery) and its delivery regime to ensure sustained improvement of student competencies.

Orientation: The tweak speed of technological changes, volatility of domestic markets, shifts in consumer behaviour and homogeneity of Internet-based services are pressurising entrepreneurs operating small technology-oriented businesses such as public access venues (PAVs) (e.g. Internet cafés) to develop a compendium of managerial competencies to deal with these challenges effectively and expeditiously. Yet rigorous research on managerial competencies of Internet café business owners or managers in emerging economies such as South Africa is conspicuously missing, raising critical questions about the perceived significance of such competencies in management and entrepreneurship literature. Research purpose: This research, therefore, examined the managerial competencies discernible among PAV or Internet café owner or managers and their implications for the profitability of their businesses. Motivation for the study: To establish the managerial competencies of PAV or Internet café business owners or managers and their effect on the profitability of their businesses. Research approach/design and method: Drawing on a quantitative approach and a survey design, a structured questionnaire was administered to 152 Internet café owners or managers to establish the influence of their managerial competencies on the profitability of their businesses. Main findings: Three assortments of managerial competencies were evident among Internet café owners or managers, namely, resource management, innovation management and market management capabilities. The results of the Pearson’s correlations revealed that managerial competencies are significantly correlated to business profitability, resource management capabilities have the highest correlation with profitability (Correlation = 0.743, p = 0.000), followed by innovation management capabilities (Correlation = 0.732, p = 0.000) and lastly marketing management capabilities (Correlation = 0.695, p = 0.000). Practical/ managerial implications: Because many businesses were very small establishments, employing less than six employees and with owners or managers who had less than 6 years of experience, it would be critical to establish if the provision of management training to owners or managers from the inception of the business would increase the growth orientation of such businesses. Because resource management capabilities have the highest correlation with firm profitability, the managerial training of small business owners or managers should concentrate more on this dimension compared to other managerial capabilities to improve their competitiveness. Contribution/value-add: Strategic interventions to improve the profitability of these small technology-oriented businesses border on scrupulously addressing and aligning their resource management, innovation management and market management capabilities.

Background While the Internet of things (IoT) has been praised for its potential to improve food security and combat climate change, it is unclear how agricultural entrepreneurs (especially farmers) in emerging contexts are harnessing this technology to leverage agricultural productivity. Objectives Given the lack of documentation of novel-technology-supported farming approaches in relevant extant literature in emerging economies, this study sought to explore how South African farmers are harnessing the strength of IoT to leverage productivity in crop farming. Method To address this research gap, a systematic literature review was conducted to establish how IoT was implemented in crop farming in resource-constrained contexts of South Africa. These databases, namely Google Scholar, Scopus, MDPI, IEEE Xplore, and Science Direct, were utilised to gather the relevant information. Results The findings highlighted that IoT technology presented multiple opportunities for improving operational efficiency and connectivity and facilitating remote management of agricultural activities. Conversely, the findings suggested that the utilisation of IoT in crop farming poses serious challenges arising from software complexity, data security, lack of supporting infrastructure and technical skills. Conclusion This article demonstrates how institutional voids, human capital and technological gaps in the South African farming industry undermine crop farming, food security in the communities and government efforts at promoting the latest technologies for leveraging agricultural productivity and the farming industry in general. Contribution The study has contributed to filling the gap in the IoT literature in South Africa and worldwide. This study also contributed by aligning the theory to the study.

BackgroundThere is a growing body of literature on the contribution of hard skills to the enhancement of entrepreneurial behaviour. However, the role of acquiring soft skills in shaping entrepreneurial readiness is yet to be sufficiently comprehended.AimThis research sought to examine the significance of soft skills in shaping the entrepreneurial readiness behaviour of students at higher education institutions in South Africa. Specifically, the study investigated the effects of soft skills on the selected dimensions of entrepreneurial readiness behaviour namely venture creation, innovative financing and venture growth.SettingStudents from the Central University of Technology (CUT) and the University of the Free State (UFS) participated in this study.MethodsA descriptive, explorative cross-sectional design involving 300 students enrolled for entrepreneurship courses, was adopted. Cluster sampling was employed as the main sampling technique. The average variance extracted (AVE), linear regression and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were used as indicators of reliability and validity in the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) and Smart PLS software.ResultsThe results suggest that soft skills exert a positive, and significant, effect on the entrepreneurial readiness behaviour of students.ConclusionThis study provides critical insights into how entrepreneurial readiness behaviour can be explained through fostering soft skills, honing venture creation, innovative financing, venture growth and entrepreneurial activities of students.ContributionThe study contributes to the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) by demonstrating how soft skills create a germane context for the stimulating, exhibiting and actioning specific entrepreneurial behaviours among nascent entrepreneurs in South Africa.

Background: Existing research recognises that entrepreneurship orientation (EO) is essential for success. However, the mediating role of EO in driving entrepreneurial intention (EI) amongst young adults, especially in the context of the digital revolution, remains largely underexplored. Aim: Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the mediated effect of risk taking, innovativeness, and proactiveness on EI in an emerging economy. Setting: The sample for this study was drawn from the young adult population in South Africa who understands the concept of entrepreneurship. Method: In the study, a quantitative method to collect the data is used, while structural equation modelling is used to test the extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Results: Findings indicate that risk taking mediates the effects of attitude, entrepreneurial capability, and the perceived benefits of digital technology on EI. The results did not support the mediating function of proactiveness and innovativeness. In fact, this result challenges the TPB’s simplistic structure and reveals the prominent role of risk taking in determining TPB predictors. Conclusion: Given the significance of risk taking, governments and entrepreneurship centres are urged to promote risk taking in all their entrepreneurship development programmes. Contribution: Considering the significance of the global digital transformation, this study extends the TPB by incorporating the perceived benefits of digital technology among the predictors of entrepreneurial intent. It also emphasises the role of risk taking in mediating the effects of these predictors on the entrepreneurial intention of young adults in South Africa.