Purpose: The study conceptualizes service quality as a second-order factor and analyzes its influence on customer satisfaction, perceived value, image, consumption emotions and customer loyalty by testing a structural equation model. Design/methodology/approach: The model is tested using data collected from 672 guests staying in accommodation establishments located in South Africa. The study follows a hierarchical approach using confirmatory factor analysis to test the second-order factor model and structural equation modeling to test the overall model. Findings: The results indicate that the second-order factor model is acceptable both empirically as well as conceptually and performs better than other competing models of service quality. The findings provide support for all hypotheses and evidence of a structural model with a high explanatory power. Research limitations/implications: The second-order factor model is less useful when fine-grained analyses are needed, such as when a detailed assessment of the level of quality of service offered by a hospitality organization is required. Practical implications: The second-order factor model allows for an analysis of service quality at different levels of abstraction. Accommodation managers interested in customers’ evaluation of service on a cumulative basis can make use of the global measure to determine service quality evaluations. Practitioners can also use the findings to manage the different dimensions of service quality. Originality/value: The study demonstrates that service quality is best represented as a second-order factor, and in doing so, it provides an improved measurement of the construct. More so, by integrating the variable in a nomological network, the research develops a more parsimonious model than the existing ones.

Towards a Collective-Values Framework of Ubuntu: Implications for Workplace Commitment

As a new phenomenon, geotourism research is on the rise. Although South Africa has some interesting geoheritage sites, not much has been done to investigate the potential contribution of geotourism to the tourism sector, the protection of natural resources and employment generation, let alone the challenges that may be experienced in promoting geotourism. Therefore, this paper aims to describe the concept of geotourism and to identify the challenges of geotourism. It achieves this by looking at the case of the Kruger National Park, one of the largest game reserves in Africa, containing an abundance of geotourism sites. This research adopted a qualitative approach, with data collection involving semi-structured interviews with sixteen key informants to understand the challenges of geotourism. Manual content analysis was employed for analysing the data. A significant finding was that there were seven potential challenges in promoting and developing geotourism in the Kruger National Park: (1) a lack of packaging and marketing; (2) a lack of infrastructure; (3) security and access to geoheritage sites by tourists; (4) access to finance and markets; (5) destruction of geoheritage sites; (6) social challenges and (7) regulatory challenges. The results indicated that these challenges of geotourism can lead to negative perceptions about geotourism and can negatively impact the potential for geotourism development towards effective local social sustainability, especially for communities abutting the KNP. The major contribution of this study is its expansion of the geotourism academic literature through newly generated data on the challenges of geotourism in South Africa. Furthermore, this study theoretically contributes to the body of knowledge on geotourism and its challenges in Africa, particularly regarding the Kruger National Park.

Background: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in driving economic growth and development, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance their sustainability and resilience in an ever-evolving business landscape. The evolving business landscape requires innovative strategies for SMEs’ sustainability and resilience. Recognising this imperative, the strategic incorporation of Tshivenda Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) within SMEs emerges as a compelling avenue for exploration. Aim: This study aims to provide insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by SMEs concerning the adoption of Tshivenda IKS to foster business sustainability. Setting: The study focused on Tshivenda IKS as practised by SME owners who are Tshivenda speakers, located in Musina, Limpopo, South Africa, and in Beitbridge, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. Methods: The study used qualitative research with a grounded theory design, interviewing 12 participants selected through theoretical sampling. Thematic coding was applied for data analysis. Results: The study identifies greater collaboration, access to markets, brand differentiation and competitive advantage as opportunities, whereas cultural differences, a lack of strategic planning, and shortages in sustainable supply chains were identified as key challenges to SMEs incorporating Tshivenda IKS in their business operations. Conclusion: The study sheds light on the challenges, opportunities and managerial implications associated with integrating Tshivenda IKS into SMEs for sustainability purposes. Leveraging Tshivenda IKS offers substantial opportunities for sustainable business practices and economic development in SMEs, despite the limitations. Contribution: The study enriches understanding of the opportunities and challenges experienced by SMEs when using Tshivenda IKS in fostering business sustainability.

Orientation: This article provides a theoretical consolidation of Ubuntu antecedents to encourage understanding of the relationship between Ubuntu and organisational management. Research purpose: The Ubuntu conceptual elements – compassion, survival, group solidarity and respect and dignity – are appraised in the context of South African hospitality management. Motivation for the study: Ubuntu elements were identified as a regional sub-cultural influence in South Africa in Hofstede’s 1983 research on the influence of culture in managing organisations. Understanding the role of Ubuntu in management is argued as being important to effectively manage culturally diverse work teams in South Africa. Research design, approach and method: Qualitative data were collected from judgementally selected hospitality industry participants (stage 1) as to their perceptions of antecedents of Ubuntu applicable to hotel frontline employee management. Consequently, a Delphi method (stage 2) was applied asking eight purposefully selected participants to review the proposed sub-variables of the four Ubuntu elements derived from stage 1 to establish a theoretical Ubuntu measurement scale. Main findings: The research proposes a theoretical measurement scale for the four broad concepts of Ubuntu. Practical/managerial implications: Theoretically, this article contributes to management research for managing service orientated businesses. Practically, this research stresses the importance of Ubuntu motivational forces as mechanisms that service managers can implement in stimulating group collective achievement of organisational goals. Contribution/value-add: Ubuntu research has predominantly been conceptual related only to four elements (compassion, survival, group solidarity and respect and dignity) and no previous research has delineated antecedents for these elements to propose a multidimensional quantitative measurement scale for Ubuntu.

There has been limited study from a southern-African perspective investigating factors that affect the adoption of e-banking specific to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing African economies. To date, little is known about SME uptake of e-banking in the southern African common monetary area (CMA), comprising South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, and Eswatini. This knowledge gap is problematic for banks in providing SME support for the transition to e-banking, given the current move by banks toward embracing digital strategies. This study focused on a single bank with a large footprint in the CMA, intending to add to the body of academic knowledge regarding the adoption of e-banking services by SMEs. It employed a qualitative methodology involving one-on-one, semi-structured, open-ended interviews with purposefully selected Bank X staff in each country of the CMA, using the literature reviewed to identify themes relevant to the proposed conceptual model. The conclusions of this research have led to a framework for e-banking adoption. A framework such as this may positively impact the profitability and sustainability of an SME by ensuring the adoption of e-banking services and utilization of available financial products to improve business opportunities via the e-banking channels of Bank X.