Interdisciplinary Journal of Management Sciences

Challenges of 4IR implementation in post offices in developing countries: A case study of South Africa

2025-02-16T16:41:38+02:00

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) presents an unprecedented opportunity for post offices in developing countries to modernise and enhance their services, addressing the evolving demands of a digital economy. However, implementing 4IR technologies in this sector is fraught with challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, corruption, inclusion bias, disparities in employee skillsets, and financial constraints. This study investigates these challenges, focusing on the South African context, to provide actionable insights and recommendations for effective 4IR adoption. The research adopts a qualitative design, utilising semi-structured interviews with 25 purposively selected participants across five socioeconomic classes in South Africa. This approach ensured the inclusion of diverse perspectives on the risks and barriers associated with 4IR implementation. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify key challenges and potential strategies to address them. The findings reveal significant hurdles, including corruption in financial management, insufficient infrastructure to support digital technologies, exclusion of underserved populations, skillset gaps among employees, and limited financial resources. These challenges highlight systemic and structural barriers that hinder the post office's ability to transition into a fully digitalised environment. To address these issues, the study recommends measures such as establishing stringent financial oversight mechanisms, investing in infrastructure upgrades, bridging skillset gaps through training and mentorship programmes, adopting inclusive service models, and fostering equity through community engagement. A strategic and collaborative approach to 4IR implementation can help post offices in developing countries overcome challenges, modernise operations, enhance service delivery, and drive digital transformation and national development.

Tourism collaborative governance: The views of tourism small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas

2025-02-20T10:22:26+02:00

It is recognised that collaborative governance offers better solutions to problems than those fashioned exclusively by government agencies. Collaborative governance involves several relevant parties, particularly in the travel and tourism sector. The integrative processes of collaborative governance in the tourism industry provide a direct face-to-face alternative, leading to thorough and comprehensive strategic planning. Recent tourism governance research has explored the role of multiple actors in governing destinations but has not comprehensively investigated the role that tourism small and medium-sized enterprises play as important stakeholders at rural tourism destinations. Since tourism small and medium-sized enterprises are critical players in tourism collaborative governance, there is a need for an evaluation of the role they play in this context. This study explores the opinions of tourism small and medium-sized enterprises regarding collaborative governance at rural tourism destinations. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and employed a purposive sampling method, a non-probability sampling technique to select participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The results of the investigation indicate that tourism small and medium-sized enterprises recognise the need for their participation in tourism collaborative governance, the necessity of knowledgeable conveners, the importance of equal voices during stakeholder meetings, and mutual trust among stakeholders as essential components of effective collaborative governance. The study recommends active and equitable community participation, building mutual trust among stakeholders, and promoting effective collaboration between all parties involved in tourism collaborative governance.

Through the eyes of students and staff: The psychosocial drivers of violence in selected South African universities

2025-02-16T14:59:38+02:00

Globally, universities have traditionally been viewed as sanctuaries of peace, devoid of violence. However, the increase in campus-related violence in South Africa has dispelled this assumption. Recently, there has been a rise in the incidence of murders, violent protests, and self-directed violence at several universities in South Africa, raising alarm among stakeholders in university education. Against this background and underpinned by Sameroff’s Transactional Model of Development, this study set out to explore the psychosocial drivers of violence at three South African universities from the perspectives of students and staff. To achieve this, the study employed a qualitative approach and a multiple case-study design, selecting participants through convenience sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured online interviews with students and lecturers at the three universities. The findings revealed a range of factors, including substance abuse, mental health issues, upbringing and background, and peer influences, as the principal psychosocial factors driving violence at the universities. The study, therefore, concluded that although violence is a complexly interwoven phenomenon, if universities are to reclaim their reputations as peaceful societies, there is an urgent need for all stakeholders in higher education to collaborate and address violence from diverse perspectives.