Accessibility for persons with mobility impairments within an informal trading site: A case study on the markets of Warwick, South Africa

Background: There are a number of informal trading sites across cities in sub-Saharan Africa,of which the markets of Warwick is one example. Since the informal economy is an important contributor to a city’s economy as well as a source of employment, it is important for these sites to be accessible for all persons. Whilst the South African government has put structures in place to identify and remove environmental barriers in order to meet the individual needs of persons with mobility impairments and improve their quality of life, persons with mobility impairments still face barriers and restricting environments that prevent them from participating in society and its social and economic activities.Objectives: This case study aimed at exploring accessibility within the markets of Warwick for persons with mobility impairments by an ergonomic assessment, augmented by voices of participants within the market.Method: A qualitative, instrumental, single case study design was utilised with purposive sampling of the markets of Warwick as the study setting. Multiple sources of data were gathered, such as semi-structured interviews, direct observations of an environmental survey supported by photographs, and the authors’ review of relevant documents. Transcriptions were analysed using NVivo 10 software programme with inductive coding.Results: Whilst policies have been in place since 1996 to adjust infrastructure, the markets of Warwick still remain inaccessible to persons with mobility impairments and do not meet the standardised infrastructural design.Conclusion: The findings of this study may offer a significant understanding of the complexity of accessibility within an informal trading site and create an awareness of the limitations this has for persons with mobility impairments. Additionally, these findings may assist in effecting a positive change in terms of the infrastructure of the Markets and in continuous advocating for the rights of persons with all disabilities.

Download Full-text

Calculative measures of organising and decision-making in developing countries: the case of a quasi-formal organisation in Ghana

Accounting Auditing & Accountability Journal ◽

10.1108/aaaj-03-2019-3911 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Jacob Agyemang ◽

Kelum Jayasinghe ◽

Pawan Adhikari ◽

Abongeh Tunyi ◽

Simon Carmel

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Large Scale ◽

Social Practices ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Documentary Analysis ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Traditional Setting

PurposeThis paper examines how a “quasi-formal” organisation in a developing country engages in informal means of organising and decision-making through the use of calculative measures.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a case study of a large-scale indigenous manufacturing company in Ghana. Data for the study were collected through the use of semi-structured interviews conducted both onsite and off-site, supplemented by informal conversations and documentary analysis. Weber's notions of rationalities and traditionalism informed the analysis.FindingsThe paper advances knowledge about the practical day-to-day organisation of resources and the associated substantive rational calculative measures used for decision-making in quasi-formal organisations operating in a traditional setting. Instead of formal rational organisational mechanisms such as hierarchical organisational structures, production planning, labour controls and budgetary practices, the organisational mechanisms are found to be shaped by institutional and structural conditions which result from historical, sociocultural and traditional practices of Ghanaian society. These contextual substantive rational calculative measures consist of the native lineage system of inheritance, chieftaincy, trust and the power concealed within historically established sociocultural practices.Originality/valueThis paper is one of a few studies providing evidence of how local and traditional social practices contribute to shaping organising and decision-making activities in indigenous “quasi-formal” organisations. The paper extends our understanding of the nexus between “technical rational” calculative measures and the traditional culture and social practices prevailing in sub-Saharan Africa in general, and Ghana in particular.

Download Full-text

Promoting sustainable development implementation in higher education

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education ◽

10.1108/ijshe-09-2016-0167 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 18 (7) ◽

pp. 1176-1190 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Bankole Awuzie ◽

Fidelis Emuze

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

South Africa ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Single Case ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Single Case Study ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type

Purpose This study aims to review the zeal exhibited by universities in South Africa towards aligning institutional mandates of teaching, learning, research and community engagement to the sustainable development (SD) agenda. The implementation of the SD agenda across higher education institutions (HEIs) continues to draw attention from the wider society. This is because HEIs are increasingly being looked up to for leadership in this regard. However, although several studies are quick to identify various factors which have driven the adoption of sustainable practices in HEIs, the paucity of studies seeking to identify the drivers for SD implementation remains glaring. This is particularly so in developing countries like South Africa. Design/methodology/approach To confirm the exploratory data from desktop study on public university engagement with sustainability in South Africa, a single case study was conducted in the Central University of Technology (CUT). The single case study design adopted semi-structured interviews and document reviews as data collection techniques. Purposive snowballing sampling technique was strictly adhered to in the selection of interviewees. Interviewees were selected on the basis of their roles in the implementation of the CUT’s sustainability agenda. Findings Data emanating from these interviews were analysed thematically using qualitative content analysis. Although a plethora of drivers were identified, there appeared to be a consensus between most of the interviewees that the quest for cost reduction remained the most significant driver for the viable implementation of the sustainability agenda at CUT. Research limitations/implications It is expected that findings from this study would provide a platform for the development of effective implementation strategies in South African HEIs. Also, the findings contribute to filing the extant gap observed concerning implementation and drivers for engendering SD implementation in HEIs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. Practical implications By highlighting the drivers for SD implementation, this study contributes to the development of a more receptive social ontology among various stakeholders in an HEI towards the agenda, particularly within the SSA context where there is low level of awareness and buy-in by these stakeholders. Originality/value This study makes an original contribution to the research base of SD in HEIs and implementation.

Download Full-text

EVALUATING THE MOTIVES OF INFORMAL ENTREPRENEURS IN KOFORIDUA, GHANA

Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1142/s1084946712500057 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 17 (01) ◽

pp. 1250005 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

KWAME ADOM ◽

COLIN C. WILLIAMS

Keyword(s):

Informal Economy ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Face To Face ◽

Formal Economy ◽

Majority World ◽

Informal Entrepreneurship ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Economic Necessity ◽

Gender Variations

In recent years, there has been growing recognition in the entrepreneurship literature that many entrepreneurs operate in the informal economy and that not all these informal entrepreneurs are doing so out of economic necessity and because of a lack of choice. Instead, it has been asserted that some of these informal entrepreneurs choose to exit the formal economy and trade on an off-the-books basis more as a matter of choice. However, until now most research displaying this has been conducted in advanced western and post-socialist economies. Little has been written on whether this is also the case in third (majority) world countries. This paper starts to fill this gap by evaluating informal entrepreneurs' motives in sub-Saharan Africa. Reporting the results of face-to-face structured interviews with 80 informal entrepreneurs in Ghana, the finding is that the majority, especially the women informal entrepreneurs, are predominantly necessity-driven while those who are principally intentional participants in informal entrepreneurship are men. However, many women who initially entered informal entrepreneurship out of necessity have over time become more opportunity-driven entrepreneurs. The outcome is a call for wider research in other global regions on informal entrepreneurs' motives and whether similar gender variations prevail.

Download Full-text

Shaping service delivery through faith-based service inclusion: the case of the Salvation Army in Zambia

Journal of Services Marketing ◽

10.1108/jsm-07-2020-0283 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Janet Davey ◽

Eldrede Kahiya ◽

Jayne Krisjanous ◽

Lucy Sulzberger

Keyword(s):

Service Delivery ◽

Service Providers ◽

Well Being ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Faith Based ◽

Managerial Implications ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

The Individual

Purpose While service inclusion principles raise the awareness of scholars to service that improves holistic well-being, little research explicitly investigates the spiritual dimensions of service inclusion. This study, therefore, aims to explore faith-based service inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study of the Salvation Army’s Chikankata Services in Zambia was undertaken. Semi-structured interviews with the organization’s leaders and professionals were analyzed thematically. Findings Service inclusion pillars evince contextualized meaning and priority. In resource-constrained, vulnerable communities, faith-based service inclusion prioritizes two additional pillars – “fostering eudaimonic well-being” and “giving hope,” where existence is precarious, fostering (hedonic) happiness is of low priority. Findings reveal that pillars and processes are mutually reinforcing, harnessed by the individual and collective agency to realize transformative outcomes from service inclusion. Research limitations/implications This paper provides unique insight into faith-based service inclusion but acknowledges limitations and areas warranting further research. Practical implications The study yields important managerial implications. Service providers can use the framework to identify the contextual priority and/or meaning of service inclusion pillars and relevant reciprocal processes. The framework emphasizes the harnessing potential of individual agency and capability development for transformative well-being. Social implications Faith-based service inclusion, predicated on inclusion, human dignity and holistic well-being, has important implications for reducing the burden on scarce resources while building resilience in communities. Originality/value By examining a faith-based service in sub-Saharan Africa, this paper provides a holistic framework conceptualizing pillars, processes, agency and outcomes to extend Fisk et al.’s (2018) service inclusion pillars and to better understand the shaping of service delivery for service inclusion.

Download Full-text

The business of saving lives in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) - a social imperative? Insights from “The Global Soap Project”

Journal of Enterprising Communities People and Places in the Global Economy ◽

10.1108/jec-11-2014-0025 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 321-342 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nnamdi O. Madichie

Keyword(s):

Social Enterprise ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Single Case ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Social Entrepreneur ◽

Personal Hygiene ◽

Single Case Study ◽

Content Type ◽

Sub Saharan

Purpose Using a single case study of The Global Soap Project, a social enterprise founded by an African Immigrant resident in the USA, this study aims to explore and posit how lives could be saved in Sub-Saharan Africa and especially so in light of the Ebola pandemic ravaging swathes of West African communities. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative study interrogates both the identity of a diasporic social entrepreneur in an attempt to develop a framework that links this concept to community entrepreneurship using a single case study. Findings With hindsight, The Global Soap Project has much to offer in terms of “saving lives” in these communities, as the battle against the Ebola virus calls for containment measures. Research limitations/implications While arguably limited in terms of being a single case, this study furthers the understanding on the role of social entrepreneurship in complementing community efforts and coping strategies for tackling pandemics such as the Ebola virus. Social implications Evidently, while vaccines are being fast-tracked, the spread of the virus can be curtailed through personal hygiene, and the project illustrates how an individual social enterprise can be leveraged at the community level. Originality/value The study provides avenues for future research enquiry into how single cases might be transformed into multiple cases, both within and across sectors, for the benefit of humanity in general and affected communities in particular.

Download Full-text

A School Library in Sub-Saharan Africa

Library and Information Research ◽

10.29173/lirg456 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 35 (110) ◽

pp. 3-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Johanna Anderson

Keyword(s):

School Library ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Local Context ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

School Teachers ◽

Study Approach ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

African Context ◽

Sub Saharan

This paper reports on the success and suitability of a Western-donated school library in furthering literacy and reader development in Malawi. A qualitative, case study approach was taken using semi-structured interviews with teachers and a library assistant at a primary school in Malawi. The research reveals positive attitudes towards reading and literacy in a predominantly oral culture. Limitations include a lack of attention to reader development and inappropriateness of materials for the local context. The study reveals that the book donation model commonly supported by international donors and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) falls short in its ability to contribute to global literacy and education targets. Recommendations to improve impact are given. This research is original in representing the voices of school teachers in the debate over the suitability of libraries and the overseas book donation model to the sub-Saharan African context.

Download Full-text