Volume 11 Issue 1

Records are a fundamental aspect of organizations and must be maintained. This study investigated the essence of record-keeping from the perspectives of small business owners on their operations. This was a cross-sectional survey which used the questionnaire to solicit information from the business owners. The data analysis was descriptive statistics with the aid of Minitab 17 software. Our findings attest to the relevance of business registration and the prominence of the family business in small businesses. It was revealed that 89% of the respondents were conscious of keeping records, 74% recording their business operations manually while retention of records for a year had 77% representation. The benefits of recordkeeping hinge on decision-making and stock-taking. The study concludes that small businesses should not look down on record-keeping as part of running their businesses and suggests education on the importance of record-keeping for small business owners for the effective running of their businesses. This is one of the few studies that studied the socio-demographic characteristics of small businesses concerning record-keeping and its benefits. The study findings offer important implications for business owners, Ghana Enterprise Agency, banks and academicians.

Personal branding is essential for athletes and in particular professional golfers. Professional golfers employ various experts such as sport psychologists, fitness trainers and specialist coaches in order to improve their performance. As a result, this has significant financial implications for players and having an established personal brand may assist them in gaining sponsorships. However, there is a lack of research in the South African context regarding the personal branding of professional golfers. To address this research gap, the present study aimed to explore the importance of personal branding for professional golfers and identify the strategies that can be implemented to enhance their personal brand. The study participants comprised of Professional Golfers of South Africa (PGA of SA) members, teaching professionals, and golf administrators, who were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. The findings of the study confirmed that personal branding is a crucial factor in the success of professional golfers. The identified strategies to enhance personal branding included improving golfer performance, enhancing physical attractiveness and differentiation, marketing everyday lifestyle, and effectively using social media as a communication medium. The study highlights the need for players, coaches, and managers to become more knowledgeable about the concept of personal branding to ensure success in their professional golf and better sponsorship deals.

The study sought to explore reasons why workers accept casual work at a transnational manufacturing firm in Zimbabwe. An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken with sixteen casual workers at a transnational manufacturing firm in Zimbabwe. Information was gathered from the research participants, using semi-structured interviews. The study found that a majority of these research participants were forced by unfavourable circumstances to settle for casual work. The stepping-stone to permanent position hypothesis and limited permanent position opportunities were involuntary motives that forced workers to accept casual work. The study also found that a few participants voluntarily accepted casual work at the case transnational manufacturing firm in Zimbabwe. Voluntary motives included: need to balance work and family responsibilities; self-development; and economic incentives. Given the rise in demand for casual employment, it is crucial to comprehend the underlying reasons why workers accept casual work to develop relevant intervention programmes that support casual workers.

Internal control systems are an essential component of every organisation, as they are known for their impact on prevention and risk mitigation. However, limited studies examine the nexus between internal control systems and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Although SMEs play a crucial role in enabling the country's financial stability, SME owners and managers in developing countries are perceived to lack knowledge of internal control systems. This conceptual paper aims to bring a broader understanding of SME leaders and managers on knowledge of implementation of quality internal controls systems towards SMEs' survival and impact on the country's economy. This paper analyses the relevant literature on internal controls' implementation, the knowledge of SME leaders and owners on quality implementation of internal control systems, SMEs' survival and impact on the economy of the country. An existing and persisting perception that internal control systems can only be implemented by large organisations is a major concern. Based on the literature, this study discovered that SMEs could also implement effective and efficient internal control systems and improve their performance. Adequate knowledge by SME leaders and management could improve SMEs' implementation of internal control systems. The literature from the study revealed that improved implementation of internal control systems would subsequently enhance the country's economy.

This paper explores the effectiveness of moonlighting to improve the experiences of casual workers at a transnational manufacturing firm in Zimbabwe. Eight individuals, who varied in terms of gender, position held, age, and educational qualifications, participated in an exploratory qualitative study. Data was gathered on the effectiveness of moonlighting to enhance the daily experiences of casual workers, using semi-structured interviews. The study found that the majority of casual employees benefit from moonlighting by learning new skills that promote occupational mobility, enhance financial stability, and lessen job insecurity. Conversely, the study also found that moonlighting has detrimental effect on casual workers' ability to balance their professional and personal lives, leads to overworking, and increases stress related to their jobs. The study recommends that to avoid any conflicts of interest between primary employment and a secondary job, organisations should govern and control moonlighting. Organisations should also increase the minimum wage so that casual workers can afford fundamental necessities, whilst lessening their desire to moonlight.

Due to the global prevalence of youth unemployment and the increased demand for enterprising graduates, university-based entrepreneurship education which began several decades ago in the United States is now widely acknowledged and popular in many nations. Accordingly, the pressure created by the pandemic era also necessitates that universities produce graduates who are well-equipped with the essential skills and competencies needed to address current and future challenges. This study employs the use of systematic analysis of literature to explore the common elements that exist in some of the world's most successful entrepreneurial training models. The authors specifically reviewed a number of successful entrepreneurial training strategies from top-tier higher education institutions from 5 countries across 3 continents. The analysed training models differ in their designs. However, despite these variances, certain commonalities such as the use of live projects and the apprenticeship system, as well as pedagogical innovation are acknowledged. The study offers compelling evidence of how South African higher education institutions could incorporate global best practices into their teaching approaches.

Despite the increasing awareness of sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by companies, the social aspects and practices thereof are often neglected. The social sustainability reporting by South African logistics companies is such an example and is largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to investigate the challenges that South African road logistics companies face when reporting their social sustainability performance and to determine measures that road logistics companies in South Africa can take to improve their social sustainability reporting. This was achieved qualitatively by means of semi-structured interviews of representatives of 18 large and medium sized road logistics companies in South Africa. The interview data was analysed using thematic analysis process. The study revealed some key findings that were not previously indicated in the literature review, particularly looking at social sustainability activities by road logistics companies and their reporting. The study determined various challenges that South African road logistics companies face when reporting their social sustainability performance and suggested measures that can be taken to mitigate these challenges. The study also suggested various legitimisation strategies that road logistics companies may implement in order to maintains correct legitimacy within the society. The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the concept of social sustainability with regard to road logistics companies in South Africa. The study uncovered themes unique to the social sustainability reporting by road logistics companies. For the implications, the study shows that social sustainability needs more attention by various stakeholders. The study also revealed that social sustainability elements are unique per industry and per country.

The purpose of the study reviewed the dynamics of new and open regionalism in Asia and the Pacific regions. It was highlighted that both in the Asia Pacific and Latin America, there is considerable confusion and ambiguity surrounding the notion of what “New Open Regionalism” is all about, which questions the relevance for practical purposes. The research approach primarily reviews various relevant literature in the field of study. Studies indicated that with few institutional or government-led initiatives, Asia's rapid economic expansion offered a strong basis for intra-regional trading and investment flows as well as inter-firm linkages. In terms of originality, No study has looked at the dynamics and the many uses and conceptions of the idea and investigated the contexts in which the concepts of "openness" and "regionalism" clash. For the implications, the article clarifies the possible relationship with both open regionalism and regional integration before asking under what circumstances regionalism might serve for the advancement of multilateralism. The study concluded that in a dynamic situation, it is difficult to determine whether regionalism and multilateralism complement each other. Much is determined by the design and content of the negotiated regional trade agreements (RTAs), as well as the characteristics of the member nations.