The need to stimulate entrepreneurial skills in graduates as a strategy for tackling graduate unemployment has spurred the introduction of entrepreneurship education programs. The effectiveness of such entrepreneurship education programs from an African context is the focus of this paper. A modified model for evaluating the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education was derived from Fayolle, Gaily, and Lassa-Clerc; and was tested via structural equation modeling. Data were collected from randomly selected 750 participants who had undergone at least one compulsory entrepreneurship module at the university level. It was found that entrepreneurship education which is not well aligned with contextual peculiarities may not optimally yield the desired outcome. This paper, therefore, underscores the need for a thoroughly contextualized curriculum that encapsulates national, local, and very importantly, institutional factors. RÉSUMÉ La nécessité de stimuler les compétences entrepreneuriales parmi les diplômés, en tant que stratégie pour aborder le chômage des diplômés, a stimulé l’introduction de programmes de formation à l’entrepreneuriat. Cet article se concentre sur l’efficacité de tels programmes dans un contexte africain. Un modèle modifié d’évaluation de l’efficacité de l’éducation à l’entrepreneuriat a été dérivé des travaux de Fayolle, Gaily et Lassa-Clerc; et a été testé par modélisation d’équation structurelle. Les données ont été collectées auprès de 750 participants sélectionnés au hasard qui avaient suivi au moins un module obligatoire sur l’entrepreneuriat au niveau universitaire. L’étude montre que la formation à l’entrepreneuriat qui n’est pas bien adaptée aux particularités contextuelles peut ne pas complètement donner le résultat escompté. Par conséquent, cet article souligne la nécessité d’un programme d’études contextualisé qui englobe les facteurs nationaux, locaux et, non moins importants, institutionnels.

Malnutrition is a global concern and it impacts negatively on mortality, morbidity, educability and productivity. Millions of children in South Africa are affected. This study examines the key factors associated with malnutrition among children aged six months to five years in a semi-rural area of the Western Cape, South Africa. A quantitative research approach was employed by using a descriptive and exploratory design. All parents and caregivers who accompanied the children (under the age of five years old), visiting the clinic, were given an opportunity to participate in the study on a voluntary basis. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to parents and caregivers (n=100) for data collection. SPSS statistical software (V24) was used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the factors were grouped and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was determined as greater than 0.7. The results revealed that these factors included obesity (26%), underweight (51%), stunting (14%), severe acute (4%) and moderate acute (5%) malnutrition. The results also revealed that the majority of households were single mothers with low income (51% have a monthly income of between R2 000 and R5 000, and 30% of families who earn a monthly salary of less than R2 000) and a poor educational background. This study concluded that more male children were diagnosed with malnutrition than females. The employment status of the mothers also affects the nutritional status of the child. More children from unemployed mothers and a few children from self-employed mothers had moderate acute malnutrition compared to employed mothers who had no children suffering from malnutrition.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test and explain the context where motivation to learn (MTL) reduces innovative behavior in the organizational context.Design/methodology/approach: The authors used questionnaire survey to collect data in a field study. In order to test the moderating effect of transfer climate, MTL on the relationship between MTL and innovative behavior, a sample of 606 employees was analyzed to examine the theoretical expectation by using multiple regression and bootstrapping.Findings: The authors found employees motivated to learn showed less innovative behavior when perceived transfer climate is less favorable. The authors further revealed that motivation to transfer mediates the moderating effect of transfer climate for the relationship between MTL and innovative behavior.Research limitations/implications: One suggestion for further research is to investigate the relationship among the four constructs by using multi-source, multi-wave and multi-level method.Practical implications: This study provides several useful guidance of how organization and manager avoid the negative effects of MTL through encouraging employees to learn new knowledge and skills, and providing employee opportunities to use their acquired knowledge and skills.Originality/value: The authors contribute to the motivational literature by taking a step further to understand the effect of MTL. The authors propose and confirm that employee MTL can lead to negative outcomes when individuals perceived transfer climate is low. The results offer new insight beyond previous findings on positive or non-significant relationship between MTL and innovative behavior. The results further show that this interactive effect is induced by motivation to transfer. Particularly, low transfer climate reduces individuals’ motivation to transfer, and individuals with high MTL have low innovative behavior when they are less motivated to transfer.

Purpose: China’s rural elderly care system faces significant challenges in addressing the needs of an ageing population, particularly in resource-limited areas. This study aims to critically examine the rural mutual aid elderly care model in China through the lens of active ageing principles. It explores how this model tackles elder care challenges in rural areas by emphasising health, participation and security, aiming to assess its effectiveness in reducing care costs while fostering self-reliance and mutual assistance. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research methodology was used, focusing on document analysis to explore the rural mutual aid elderly care model within an active ageing framework. The study reviewed policy documents, academic literature and organisational records, using thematic analysis to understand the historical context, policy evolution and institutional support for this model. Findings: The research identifies a significant shift from traditional passive care models to those grounded in active ageing principles. The rural mutual aid model, centring on health, participation and security, enables elderly individuals to engage in self-help and mutual assistance, thereby enhancing autonomy and reducing dependency. Key success factors include strong community networks and culturally resonant support systems. However, challenges such as resource limitations and regional disparities suggest areas for further improvement. Research limitations/implications: The reliance on document analysis may not fully capture the experiences of elderly participants or account for regional variations in the model’s implementation. Future research could incorporate mixed methods, including interviews or case studies, for a more nuanced understanding of elderly care in rural China. The findings emphasise the need for scalable and adaptable policies to enhance the model’s effectiveness and support culturally appropriate care strategies. Practical implications: The research presents significant implications for policymakers and practitioners regarding the rural mutual aid elderly care model. It emphasises the need for scalable policies that address resource limitations and enhance community engagement to improve care effectiveness. Key implications include promoting financial and social sustainability by fostering self-reliance among older adults, prioritising active ageing initiatives to enhance quality of life and community cohesion and adopting localised strategies that consider regional disparities. Moreover, these findings offer a blueprint for other countries facing similar ageing challenges, advocating for a culturally sensitive and community-driven approach to elderly care across East Asia. Social implications: The study’s findings significantly impact how ageing is perceived and managed in rural Chinese communities. The shift from traditional, passive elderly care models to those grounded in active ageing principles reflects a societal transformation in valuing and supporting older adults. By promoting health, participation and security, the rural mutual aid elderly care model creates inclusive environments where the elderly actively contribute to their well-being and that of others. This approach challenges perceptions of ageing as a decline, fostering autonomy and meaningful engagement, ultimately reducing social isolation and enhancing cohesion through strengthened intergenerational relationships and shared responsibilities. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by focusing on the rural mutual aid elderly care model in China through active ageing principles, addressing a notable gap in the non-Western application of these concepts. The findings offer valuable recommendations for policymakers and practitioners, emphasising community-driven approaches to ageing challenges in rural areas.

Background: For more than two decades, many municipalities have failed to render services effectively because of lack of competency and budget management skills to manage budgets. This has resulted in either over or under expenditure, which ultimately leads to poor service delivery.Aim: This study aimed to develop a budget management model to improve public service in South African municipalities.Setting: Three municipalities in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State are the areas where data were collected by researchers.Methods: A quantitative research approach was employed and an online questionnaire was used for data collection from 261 participants in three municipalities. A structural equation modelling approach was used to develop the budget management model.Results: The results revealed that risk management (RM), cash flow management (CFM) from employee perceptions have a positive impact on budget management; whereas CFM from general compliance with legislative consideration (LC) have a negative impact, budget planning (BP) and revenue and expenditure management (REM) have low impact on budget management for public service.Conclusion: The study highlights the key factors (i.e. RM, BP, CFM, LC and REM) as a result of which managers at various levels fail to manage budgets effectively. The proposed model adds new insights to respond to budget management challenges. It is recommended that municipalities must improve their budget management skills for an effective public service. Findings from this study contribute to the existing body of knowledge by proposing a budget management model for public service in South Africa.

This paper reports on a measurement of the service quality within a dealership in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. A case study was conducted at the unit using five dimensions of SERVQUAL to calculate the gap differences between customers' expectation and perception of staff from the dealership. Various interviews and a semi structured questionnaire were utilised to collect the data from the dealer and its customers. The study analysed the service expectations of the customers. A number of customers' expectations for service quality were applied. Finally, the dimensions of service quality were analysed through exploratory factor analysis. The results of the study showed that service quality at the dealer does not meet the expected standard and that relationship between customer expectation and staff perception requires attention. Basically, there are also a number of considerable issues which would form the basis for useful further research.