10.18639/MERJ.2025.9900110
Original Research Article
Apr 17, 2025
The paper discusses how social media, including Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, play a key role in forming consumers’ attitudes towards offline shopping and their purchasing behavior in physical stores. Influencer endorsements, user-generated content, and targeted ads have become social media marketing strategies that brands have been using to raise visibility and get more foot traffic to their brick-and-mortar locations. The study explores the psychological triggers that lead consumers to engage with social media (FOMO, social proof, online reviews) to act on time-sensitive offers and visit physical stores. Social commerce and AR technologies are also highlighted as a transformative trend that improves the consumer's in-store shopping experience and facilitates virtual preview and integrated buying options. Beyond enhancing online engagement, these innovations help close the digital and offline purchase gap by leading consumers to make purchases in offline channels. The paper concludes that effective social media marketing and innovative technologies are important for offline retailers to survive in the changing retail landscape. For retailers, the integration of AR and social commerce enables future trends that create custom, interactive experiences that drive both online and offline sales.
10.18639/MERJ.2025.9900109
Conceptual Article
Apr 15, 2025
This conceptual paper analyzes the use of dynamic pricing in soccer competitions in the United States, emphasizing the role of business analytics in enabling data-driven ticket pricing methods. Based on economic, marketing, and sports management perspectives, we identify a gap in the literature about dynamic pricing in soccer events, which have traditionally depended on static pricing models. Our research examines how dynamic ticket pricing might enhance income and attendance for soccer competitions while ensuring fairness for fans. Our research reveals that dynamic pricing enables organizers to maximize revenue from high-demand matches by increasing ticket prices to align with real-time market value and to enhance attendance for low-demand matches by strategically reducing prices and providing discounts. These modifications are facilitated by business analytics, encompassing demand forecasts and price optimization algorithms, which guarantee that current data informs pricing decisions on consumer willingness to pay. Our analysis emphasizes that dynamic pricing in sports functions not merely as a mechanism for price augmentation but may also augment consumer value and accessibility, as demonstrated by its capacity to lower ticket prices when warranted. Drawing on existing literature, the paper provides a theoretical framework and practical recommendations, highlighting areas for future empirical research. We offer practical insights into the implementation of dynamic pricing in soccer, emphasizing the significance of analytical models, effective stakeholder engagement, and policy considerations to balance revenue objectives with fan experience. These findings enhance sports management literature by applying dynamic pricing theory to U.S. soccer and providing a framework for utilizing business analytics in the optimization of sports revenue.
10.18639/MERJ.2025.9900108
Original Research Article
Apr 03, 2025
This conceptual article investigates the influence of inclusive leadership on individual job performance and the mediator role of psychological safety. The focus is primarily on inclusive leadership to ensure psychological safety in the workplace, which is crucial for improving creativity, engagement, and job satisfaction. This study emphasises the gap in understanding how these variables interact in academic settings by examining the literature on inclusive leadership, psychological safety, and individual job performance. The research confirms that inclusive leadership creates a supportive work environment where employee resilience and innovation are increased through psychological safety. As the mediator, psychological safety also helps to understand how inclusive leadership can positively impact individual work performance, thus contributing to employee well-being and organisational success. The practical implications of this research are significant, as it provides insights into how leadership styles can improve employee performance in diverse and inclusive workplaces, offering valuable guidance to practitioners in organisational behaviour and leadership studies.
10.18639/MERJ.2025.9900107
Original Research Article
Mar 20, 2025
Similar to numerous other emerging economies, Brazil has experienced a significant increase in foreign investment during the past few years. In 2022, the global inflows of FDI amounted to US$ 1.29 trillion, reflecting a 12% decrease compared to the previous year. This decline can be attributed mostly to substantial divestments undertaken in Brazil. The objective of this study is to examine and assess the subsequent aspects of political stability on FDI and Brazil's broader economic growth. The present study used an ARDL technique to analyze the years 1996 to 2022, utilizing secondary data. The results suggest that the presence of political stability has a positive impact on foreign investment, commercial activities, and the overall economy of Brazil in the long term. The stability of policies is intricately linked to the political system of a nation and exhibits a positive correlation with both FDI and foreign portfolio investments. It is recommended that the administration abstain from implementing any arbitrary modifications presently in order to retain policy coherence.
10.18639/MERJ.2025.9900106
Original Research Article
Feb 25, 2025
The 4IR has brought about progress that has had a major impact on industries and educational institutions worldwide. The HE sector in SA has to deal with many challenges to adapt to 4IR and also to ensure that students master the necessary soft skills required for success in an increasingly digital and automated world. This SLR examined the impact of the 4IR on developing soft skills among students in HEIs in SA. A comprehensive search of articles and literature published between 2019 and 2024 was conducted and was conducted across multiple databases. The literature review confirmed how integrating advanced digital technologies into higher education has impacted the development of soft skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, communication, and problem-solving. The findings confirmed that despite the many benefits of 4IR, HEIs still face significant challenges, including inadequate technological infrastructure, limited digital literacy, and a lack of strategic approaches to incorporate soft skills into traditional curricula. The study concluded that successfully addressing the challenges of 4IR requires much more investment in technology and the implementation of innovative pedagogical practices and curriculum reforms that emphasize holistic skill development. Therefore, based on these insights, recommendations were made for educational leaders and industry stakeholders to develop comprehensive frameworks, including curriculum design, more collaboration between HEIs and industries, and greater emphasis on lifelong learning initiatives to impact the holistic development of students' soft skills. The gaps in existing research have been identified and focused on the challenges faced by South African HEIs. Challenges include increased investment in educational resources, curriculum development, and technology adoption to ensure the country remains competitive within the global 4IR context. These conclusions have laid a foundation for future research, particularly aimed at adapting strategies to improve soft skills development in HEIs in SA to prepare students for the future demands of the workforce.
10.18639/MERJ.2025.9900105
Review Article
Feb 24, 2025
Interprofessional collaboration in higher learning education is widely acclaimed as a critical prerequisite to achieving greater quality and coherence in the facilitation of teaching and learning. The COVID-19 pandemic not only presented higher education with challenges but also allowed all academics to rethink the assumptions about teaching and learning strategies that promote student engagement and academic success across the faculties. Interprofessional reflection is important because it provides opportunities for innovation and new teaching-learning strategies that meet the current climate of higher learning, which promotes student engagement and academic success. The aim is to explore and synthesise literature regarding effective teaching and learning strategies that encourage student engagement and academic success across faculties in higher education. Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework served as the basis for the scoping review adopted by the review. Three databases were searched for sources: CINHAL, Scopus, and Medline. Only English full-text written articles across various research designs published between 2016-2023 were part of the inclusion criteria for the review. As a result, four themes emerged: the use of technology as a teaching and learning modality, work-integrated learning for theory practice integration, university teacher-centric approach, and student-centric approach. In conclusion, across faculties, there is a focus on integrating technology in the teaching and learning process, using various pedagogies to meet the needs of different students. Moreover, there is a need to encourage educators to adopt a growth mindset, involving students actively in the learning process. This approach will encourage students to develop critical thinking, become self-directed learners, and fully engage within their academic communities.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900104
Original Research Article
Dec 20, 2024
A workplace that is harmonious and that guarantees satisfaction of workers and employers’ aspirations is essential for enhanced services provision in Kenya’s devolved public health sector. The devolved public health sector has experienced frequent and often localized health workers’ industrial actions since the devolution of health care services in 2013. These industrial actions not only affect the economic growth of the country but also have an effect on the citizens' well-being. The objective of the study was to determine the influence of continuous organizational learning on industrial harmony in Kenya’s devolved public health sector. The study was guided by Experiential Learning Theory. The study used a pragmatic research paradigm with concurrent mixed methods research methodology being the research design. The target population was 351 health workers in Level Five County Referral Hospitals selected using stratified random sampling in the CEREB. Data analysis involved both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Descriptive statistics comprised means and standard deviation, with inferential statistics comprising regression analysis. The study established that continuous organizational learning has a positive and significant influence on industrial harmony (β=1.093, p-value=.000). Continuous organizational learning was found to enhance industrial harmony in Kenya’s devolved public health sector. The study recommended that increased efforts be put in place to enable creating, retaining and transferring knowledge within the sector. In addition, the study recommended the enhancement of continuous organizational learning to enable the sector to respond quickly and adapt to the turbulent and changing business environment. The study also recommended the need for re-training of managers within the sector in strategic human resource management and employee welfare so that the employees can become psychologically attached to the sector. The sector should also focus on promoting open and transparent communication as well as training on leadership and emotional intelligence. The training should also focus on the legal framework of engagement, diversity and inclusion. This will enable the creation of an inclusive workplace where the employees feel respected and valued, thereby reducing potential causes of conflict.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900103
Original Research Article
Dec 12, 2024
Within the COVID-19 outbreak context, some industries were seriously affected, and the travel and tourism industry was undisputedly one of those industries. Mumpreneurs operating in the tourism sector are on the rise, particularly in the accommodation and hospitality sub-sector. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on mumpreneurs operating in the tourism sector as businesses were closed for some period at the beginning of the crisis, leaving them without any income. Therefore, the research paper has been undertaken to examine mumpreneurs’ business recovery plans in response to new challenges within the context of the pandemic in South Africa and likewise to explore the underlying business management practices needed by mumpreneurs to recover and continue to operate post-COVID-19. Using a phenomenological research approach, in-depth interviews were conducted to comprehend the experiences of mumpreneurs and understand their recovery plans post-COVID-19. The findings of the study indicated that the pandemic impacted the business operations of mumpreneurs, and as a result, various business recovery strategies were employed to mitigate the risk posed by the pandemic. The findings can be utilized to make viable decisions to boost mumpreneurs in South Africa since they are a valuable proportion of the economy.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900102
Original Research Article
Dec 08, 2024
This study analyses the effect of cryptocurrency on the Nigerian economy. The development of crypto-currency as a means of exchange without legal backing and invisibility of the identity of operators has posed peculiar challenges, such as illicit financial flow and terrorism, amongst others, to the country. This study, therefore, sought to examine the effect of crypto-currency on the Nigerian economy. The study hinged on social exchange theory. Secondary data were obtained from the CBN statistical bulletin and Global Financial Integrity Report for a period of six years from 2015 to 2020. The data were analyzed using a simple regression model. The result shows that R is 7.9%, which means that there is a low positive relationship between crypto-currency and the level of economic development in Nigeria. It further shows an adjusted R square of -38.4 which depicts that crypto-currency has a low inverse effect on the level of economic development in Nigeria. In conclusion, the computed p-value of 0.945, which is higher than the set p-value of 0.05, shows that crypto-currency does not have a significant effect on the level of economic development in Nigeria. Hence, it is recommended that, in order to sustain economic development from the activities of crypto-currency in Nigeria, the CBN needs to ensure that laws and mechanisms are put in place to capture the activities of crypto-currency in the country adequately.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900101
Original Research Article
Dec 05, 2024
Driven by the Green Revolution, the use of pesticides in Brazil has increased dramatically, transforming the rural complex into an agro-industrial complex, generating large-scale production of monocultures and strengthening agribusiness production chains. Despite the economic benefits, the intense use of pesticides leads to concerns, including a lack of training, technical difficulties and environmental and social vulnerabilities. The study focuses on analyzing the impact of these pesticides on production in the state of Paraná by comparing the census years between 2006 and 2017 and investigates the spatial dynamics of agricultural production using the Moran's I test. The results highlight the influence of neighboring communities on agricultural production values and highlight regional interdependence. The model underlines the importance of sustainable regional planning and highlights spatial lag as a key factor in promoting regional cooperation. Hence, expenditure was positive both in the local effect and for the effect caused in the neighborhoods. Still, the pesticide use variable itself became ambiguous for analyzing production due to its problems.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900100
Original Research Article
Nov 21, 2024
The article examines the issue of attracting Chinese FDI to Russia in the context of the Belt and Road initiative implementation. It is shown that in recent years, the influx of Chinese FDI into the Russian economy has decreased significantly. However, on the background of active trade cooperation between the two countries, the potential for Russian-Chinese investment cooperation remains extremely high, including in the transport sector, which is very important for the Belt and Road initiative.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900099
Original Research Article
Oct 10, 2024
The large increase in skilled professional migration between countries in recent years poses new challenges for policymakers. It is important to observe how this phenomenon impacts South Africa due to its unique socio-economic context. One may also reason that as much as globalization has resulted in the easy movement of labor, in the case of South Africa, most of the push factors driving brain drain are a combination of structural and socio-economic dynamics. The aim of the paper is to explore the factors that contribute to the migration of skilled professionals and, furthermore, the long-term implication of brain drain on the sustainable development of the South African economy by collecting pre-existing textual data. Evidence from reviews suggests that globalization has contributed to brain drain in emerging economies. Many emerging markets are experiencing significant human skill losses, which in turn has a negative impact on their development. Furthermore, the reviews have emphasized the contributing factors to the migration of highly skilled professionals to other countries. In addition, findings reveal that the migration of skilled professionals poses a threat to South Africa's development objectives. To overcome this challenge, it is important to deter skilled professionals from leaving and encourage them to return by addressing concerns like safety and security.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900098
Original Research Article
Oct 08, 2024
This study investigates the poor financial performance of South African municipalities, which is often reflected in widespread disclaimer audit outcomes. The primary aim is to identify strategic financial management practices that can enhance the financial performance of municipalities within the NMMD Council. The Auditor General has pinpointed key vulnerabilities, namely procurement and irregular expenses, revenue management issues, and weaknesses in investment and asset management, all contributing to financial inefficiencies. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews with senior officers in selected NMMD municipalities using an exploratory case study design. The data was analyzed using NVivo 12 Pro. Key findings highlight the need for effective leadership and governance, emphasizing the importance of distributing power among financial officers to prevent fraud and corruption. Functional financial management systems, internal audit units, and effective audit committees are essential for sound financial management and governance. Addressing shortcomings in procurement processes and investing in human resource training is necessary to minimize non-compliance and enhance financial management. The study underscores the importance of continuous monitoring, risk management, and a zero-tolerance approach to corruption to ensure sustainable financial performance. Legal proceedings should address financial misconduct, with disciplinary actions taken against those found guilty. Municipalities will continue to fail unless consequence management is implemented and enforced.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900097
Original Research Article
Oct 04, 2024
This article aims to examine the policies guiding reading instruction and investigate how these policies are implemented in the FP to gain a deeper understanding of teachers’ experiences in this area. Implementing reading policies effectively in the FP is crucial for fostering early literacy skills, which form the foundation for lifelong learning. However, teachers often encounter various challenges that impact the successful application of these policies. This article explores the complexities associated with implementing reading policies within the FP, specifically focusing on the Lichtenburg Circuit in the North West Province. The Lichtenburg Circuit, a unique educational setting within the North West Province, provides a valuable multiple case study for examining these challenges and identifying effective solutions. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach, the research focused on the perspectives of Subject Advisors, Principals, HoDs, and FP teachers in three primary schools within the Lichtenburg circuit. Thirteen participants were purposively selected, and data were collected through document analysis, observations, and interviews. Thematic analysis revealed that the CAPS is the primary policy used for reading instruction, yet it lacks explicit directives on teaching reading, leading to challenges in implementation and application by teachers. By investigating the experiences of English Home Language this article aims to uncover the specific difficulties teachers face and assess the support mechanisms available. The findings will offer insights into improving policy implementation and enhancing literacy outcomes for young learners. The objective of this article is to identify and analyze the key factors that influence teachers’ implementation of reading policies in the FP. This article aims to understand how various contextual, professional, and institutional elements shape teachers’ approach to applying reading policies in their classrooms. By examining these factors, the article seeks to provide insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by teachers in translating policy into effective practice, ultimately contributing to the development of more supportive and practical strategies for improving reading outcomes in the FP. The purpose of this article is to investigate and evaluate the challenges and solutions in implementing reading policies, using the Lichtenburg Circuit in the North West Province as a multiple case study. The article also seeks to uncover the specific challenges that teachers encounter in implementing these policies and to analyze how these obstacles impact the effectiveness of reading instruction. The article aims to provide insights and recommendations for improving the implementation of reading policies to better support FP teachers.
10.18639/MERJ.2024.9900096
Original Research Article
Oct 03, 2024
Entrepreneurship among the youth can be linked to the pursuit of eradicating poverty by creating employment opportunities to reduce youth unemployment and advocate for social change through entrepreneurship. This study investigates the perceptions of the youth regarding entrepreneurship in South Africa. In an area with distinct socio-economic dynamics and obstacles, it is critical to comprehend how the youth see entrepreneurship and its potential as a career route. This study aimed to determine the elements that influence young people's views on entrepreneurship, as well as the obstacles they face and the potential role that they can play in effecting social change through entrepreneurship. A purposive sampling technique was applied for the selection of a maximum of twenty young adults from a township to participate in focus group interviews to ascertain the perceptions of entrepreneurship among the youth. The transcriptions of the data recordings were verbatim, and thematic data analysis was performed following the coding of the data. Findings indicated that there are barriers to entry perceived as obstacles to pursuing entrepreneurship, which include the lack of mentorship, financial resources, and educational opportunities focused on entrepreneurship. Notwithstanding, the findings also reveal that the youth have a positive perception of entrepreneurship and show a strong willingness to pursue it as a career path.
