Vol. 10 No. 2(J) (2018)

Due to the increase in the need for travel by international visitors, it is important that organisations consider key attributes of website quality, namely information quality and system quality to encourage and enhance consumer loyalty overtime. Drawing from Delone and McLean’s theory, this research argues that information quality and system quality are antecedents of travel website quality, of which the latter is a predictor of consumer loyalty. A quantitative research approach was adopted by way of a survey methodology and data were analysed usingSmart PLS software for structural equation modelling (SEM). Based on the theoretical review, a research framework detailing the hypotheses relationships among the research constructs was developed. Based on the research findings, the results provide support for the proposed positive relationships among the research constructs.

Culture, as it is defined and well understood, differentiates one group from the other; in more general form, one country from the other. Culture then influences the behaviour and how we think in our everyday lives but so far culture of any group can only be measured in terms of a collection of cultural dimensions. This has made it difficult to establish whether there is any relationship between culture and any other social factors. In this study we derived national culture index from the four (4) Hofstede cultural dimensions (power (equality versus inequality), collectivism (versus individualism), uncertainty avoidance (versus uncertainty tolerance), masculinity (versus femininity)) using geo-mean formula. We then investigated whether there is any relationship between national culture index and national development index. In doing this we endeavoured to answer the question “Is There Really a Relationship Between Culture and Development?” posed by Mbakogu (2004:38). The data used for our experiments for Hofstede’s dimensions of national culture values were retrieved from Hofstede website that has an open licence for academic researchers. Data for human development national index were retrieved from UNDP website (Letter of consent was obtained from UNDP officials). The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated (r=0.083, p=0.502>0.05), which indicated that there is very negligible positive relationship between cultural index values and the development index values. Since the value of p is greater than the significance level of 0.05, we concluded that there is inconclusive evidence about the significance of the association established between National Culture Index and National Development Index. Since we currently have a national culture index, researchers can now talk about culture as a homogeneous unit. Researchers may use the national culture index to investigate relationship between culture and any other social factors. In future we intend to use other cultural dimensions proposed by other researchers to present a national culture index.

This paper was written with the following in mind: (1) to determine the effect of employee wellness on public servants’ professionalism, and (2) to establish the relationship between trade union activities and employee professionalism. Within organisations, employment relations are established to facilitate an interactive working relationship between an employer and an employee as well as determine how labour and social security law provisions addressed to employees are applied. We reviewed pertinent literature that guides employment relations and adopted the mixed methods to enable a rigorous study that will offer profound insight into the employment relations climate in Nigeria and how it affects professionalism. Subjects were drawn from the database of a public funded training provider, whichcaters exclusively for senior public servants. The data are presented in a graphical and narrative form owing to our use of themes in analysing the focus group interviews. Some interesting and at the same time confusing revelations emerge from this study. The distinct difference in the responses holds implications for research and practice. A future study that can clarify this confusion may start by identifying champions (trade unionists, managers at the coalface with unions and other employers) and then engaging them through indepth interviews to understand the real conditions which public servants are exposed. On a practical side, as confusing as the responses seem, they provide a serious opportunity for enhanced studies on Nigeria’s public service constitution. We make this call against the backdrop of what some social scientists have termed intense structural decay in the Nigerian public service.

The objective of the study is to investigate dynamic capabilities, service quality and relationship longevity as determinates of supply chain performance in small to medium enterprises in Gauteng province by focusing on small and medium enterprises in the Vaal region. The study will contribute to the body of knowledge by addressing dynamic capabilities as determinates of supply chain performance in small to medium enterprises. The study employs a quantitative method of data collection. Permission was sought from SME owners. Once permission was granted, the questionnaires were sent out to SME owners. A total 425 participates were chosen to participate in this study. The researcher used the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 24.0) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS 24.0) to analyse the data. Sample data from SME owners/managersof Vaal region was collected for the final data analysis of this project. The sample data were analysed by performing a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The principal finding of this study reveals that dynamic capabilities, relationship longevity and service quality have an impact on supply chain performance. The conclusions and implications of the research findings are provided and recommendations are suggested.

Creating and sustaining competitive advantage through the adoption and implementation of innovative technologies is a strategic imperative for all learning organizations. Despite this, manufacturing companies in developing countries such as Zimbabwe are confronting challenges in implementing e-business practices. Against this background, the objective of this study was to understand organizational factors influencing e-business adoption in Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector. The study was motivated by the need to appreciate factors that facilitate or inhibit the adoption of e-business in the context of developing countries such as Zimbabwe. A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 118 companies registered by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries in 2015. Regression analysis was used to test the posited hypotheses. Results revealed that manufacturing companies in Zimbabwe differ significantly in their inclination to adopt and implement e-business strategies. Innovation orientation, financial resources, perceived usefulness and size of the firm were found to be positively associated with e-business adoption. The study also found that technological resources did not have a statistically significant relationship with e-business adoption. The study furthers current debate on e-business adoption by identifying the drivers of e-business adoption in the manufacturing sector in the context of a developing country. The importance of this study lies in its contribution to theory and practice. In terms of theory, this study contributes to the body of knowledge on organizational factors influencing e-business adoption and provides avenues for further studies. In practice, the findings of this study add to the insights of managers in the manufacturing sector in developing countries, which influence the adoption of e-business practices.

This theoretical paper was undertaken to ascertain the causes of poor service delivery and to establish if outsourcing of public service delivery could be used to improve local Authority services. It interrogated and critiqued documents on what other researchers in their different contexts had established in view of the feasibility of outsourcing as a strategy to improve service delivery. It emerged in this study that political interference, lack of citizen participation. lack of funds and corruption were the main causes of poor service delivery in local authorities. Therefore, outsourcing was seen to bring quality and affordable services for the public while costs savings and emergence of hidden costs were the financial implications unveiled for the local authorities (LAs). Social costs, accountability for public service delivery and quality shading were cited to be the outsourcing challenges. It also emerged in this study that outsourcing can increase service quality and provide affordable services for the public. Taking into account the information that was accumulated and examined, the researchers came to the conclusion that the current services being offered by local authorities are very poor and this is attributed to many causes such as political interference, lack of citizen participation, lack of funds and corruption. The study therefore, concludes that outsourcing could be a feasible option to use to improve service delivery by local authorities.

The purpose of the study was to quantify talent management predictors that adversely affect job satisfaction (JS). The literature review revealed that talent management predictors (i.e. neglecting experience during recruitment and appointment of managers, and supervisors’ lack of confidence in the achievement of goals) adversely affected JS. The research design was cross-sectional, pre-experimental, and a survey. Data were collected at a parastatal business unit with a population size of 800.Using calculating statistics, the appropriate sample size was n=204. The sample was stratified by gender and occupation. Data were collected by means of a validated questionnaire and analyzed by means of frequencies, and logit analysis. Bayesian analyses were used to test the hypotheses. The three hypotheses were supported; showing that employees are more likely to be dissatisfied if their experience was not considered during recruitment, if their experience was neglected when managers were appointed irrespective of their gender, and if supervisors lacked confidence that the organizational strategic goals would be achieved. Recommendations for future research are made. This study has implications for managers in the sense that if they do not factor in experience, i.e. during recruitment and appointment, they might have supervisors who do not have confidence in expressing the strategic goals of the parastatal. This study adds value to the existing body of knowledge by quantifying talent management factors using odds ratios to determine talent management predictors that adversely affect JS.

Economic theory emphasized the necessity of skill acquisition and conservation as a precondition for growth. This paper investigates the extent to which skilled labor can contribute to output growth in South Africa in the long run. The theoretical framework employed was based on Hicks neutral augmented CobbDouglas production function to account for the impact of technological progress on labor and capital. Skilled labor was measured with three parameters of experience (learning-by-doing), special training and educational attainments. The methodology employed the ARDL bound testing approach and found that whereas there is no short run causality running from the independent variables to the dependent variable, there was a long run causality running from the measures of skilled labor to growth. The coefficient of the ECT was both significant and negative; therefore, the system gets adjusted towards their long run equilibrium steady state at the speed of 23 percent annually. This means that the measures of skilled labor contribute to growth in the long run to the tune of 23 percent annually. The study therefore recommends investments in human capital through education and special trainings as well as to encourage knowledge transfer through globalization and from one generation to another to conserve skills.

This article concentrates on the extent to which job satisfaction predicts absenteeism and substance use levels, and also investigates the moderating effect of job satisfaction on absenteeism and substance use levels amongst employees at a power utility in Mpumalanga. This study is based on data gathered from a survey regarding job satisfaction, absenteeism and the substance consumption levels of employees, its antecedents and outcomes. A total of 239 permanent employees based at a power utility in Mpumalanga participated in the research study. These employees were employed in a permanent position at the power utility, gave consent to participate in the research study willingly and were employed for more than three months. The core findings of this study revealed that the frequency of substance consumption influences employee absenteeism and that job satisfaction indeed plays a moderating role on the relationship between substance consumption levels and employee absenteeism. The findings of this study can assist management to understand the relationship between substance consumption and absenteeism and how job satisfaction influences this relationship in order torestrict unnecessary absenteeism properly. The study added value to the field of study by providing complementary scientific research to the lacking literature. In addition, it confirms international findings and its applicability in the energy sector.

Fiscal policy ensures macroeconomic stability as a precondition for growth at the macro level. This study investigates the impact of fiscal policy on economic growth of South Africa from 1960 to 2014 through a Cointegrated Vector Autoregression approach. It seeks to contribute to the existing literature as well as in designing effective fiscal policy programmes which can propel economic performance. Theresults of the long run estimates revealed that government tax revenue has a positive and significant long run influence on economic growth, whereas the government gross fixed capital formation and budget deficit have a negative impact on real GDP. For that reason, the study recommends that some expansionary fiscal policy measures should be strengthened since they play a very important role in the economy so as to meet the government target of the National Development Plan Vision for 2030.