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This study explores how excellence models can leverage digital transformation on the path to sustainable development in organisations.

A survey was used to study the different facets of digital capabilities and their impact on sustainable development success of organisations holding an external recognition from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). Partial Least Squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) combined with Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) were used to analyse data.

Internalising excellence practices is decisive in mediating effective digital capabilities to achieve sustainable development. To achieve high levels of sustainable development success, organisations must achieve high levels of excellence practices internalisation, which are much more important than the excellence model external recognition.

This study addresses essential issues with theoretical and practical value but is limited to a sample of organisations with EFQM recognition in two countries. Future studies should address different organisations and cultural environments.

The findings are relevant for organisations facing digital transformation and sustainable development challenges. They are essential for managers leveraging digital capabilities to capitalise on practices and processes and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Organisations can benefit from a multidimensional approach to digital capabilities when struggling against external challenges.

This study closes a research gap regarding the impact of digital capabilities on sustainable development success. It is the first empirical study to combine sufficiency and necessity conditions analyses to explore the mediating role of excellence practices internalisation and one of the first to address digital capabilities from a multidimensional perspective.

Postsecondary institutions that purport to build leaders are ubiquitous. Yet, given such ubiquity, the curriculum and co-curriculum dedicated to student leadership development is diffuse as an overall field of practice and lacks firm grounding in matching consensus outcomes for leader development to specific principles of teaching and learning. We propose a conceptual model for leader development of undergraduates that describes what leadership education should strive to accomplish.

Recent scholars (Leroy et al., 2022) suggest such lack of consensus and weak structure stems from a lack of commitment to defining the ultimate goals for leader development programs, matching curriculum and pedagogy to meet these goals, and then rigorously evaluating programs. Our proposed model illustrates a structure of leadership skill mastery founded in adult constructive development theory, applies a range of adult learning principles, and includes several suggestions for specific curricular and pedagogical applications. We describe each aspect of this conceptual model and explain how it might be enacted and assessed across diverse postsecondary contexts.

We have no findings to report.

Numerous scholars have advanced models that seek to define and provide a structure for “leadership.” The novelty of our work is to combine the work of other scholars to provide an explicit framework for the work of leadership education in higher education – how to conceptualize “leader development,” how to combine such development with adult learning principles, and what specific curricular and pedagogical elements should be included to achieve intended ends.

The aim of this paper is to contribute to empirical research by identifying the key macroeconomic drivers of equity market development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and to ascertain if banking sector development complements equity market development in the SSA region.

The study employed the dynamic panel data approach using the pool mean group (PMG). The sample covered is twenty-seven (27) SSA countries between the period 2000 to 2020.

The result suggests that banking sector development, economic growth, migrant remittance and trade openness are the key drivers of equity market development in the SSA region. The study also revealed that banking sector development complements equity market development in the SSA region.

The use of robust measure in measuring equity market development (i.e. ratio of portfolio equity to gross domestic product) in ascertaining the macroeconomic drivers of equity market development. Likewise, exploring whether banking sector development complements equity market development in the SSA region makes the paper more unique, especially using the ratio of bank credit to bank deposit as a measure banking sector development.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-01-2024-0005

Re-entry refers to the process of transitioning back into society after incarceration, and it is a complex phenomenon that requires further exploration. Therefore, this study aims to identify the readiness for re-entry among pre-release prisoners in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory as the theoretical foundation, quantitative place-based research was conducted among 384 pre-release prisoners in Kuching, Sri Aman, Sibu, Miri, Bintulu and Limbang prisons.

This study’s results indicated that most respondents were Malay male offenders between the ages of 25 and 29, Malaysian citizens, single and had completed their education up to the upper secondary level. Most respondents had multiple prior convictions (52.3%), were convicted for drug-related offences (50.3%), had served sentences ranging from two to five years (56.0%) and were scheduled for release in 2023 (60.7%). The findings also demonstrated that factors such as personal development, perceived employability, social development and health development significantly predict readiness for re-entry among pre-release prisoners [F(4, 379) = 96.269, p < 0.01].

The findings of this study provide place-based evidence for the state government to understand the prisoner profile for further policy intervention measures and to enhance the personal development, perceived employability, social development and health development of pre-release prisoners. Given that most offenses were drug-related, it is crucial to highlight the state government’s need to invest in evidence-based drug treatment programmes. Synergy among different stakeholders is important to devise appropriate drug treatment programmes tailored to the current needs of the prison population to ensure successful reintegration into society and to actualise their potential.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research study conducted in Sarawak, Malaysia, that examined re-entry readiness among pre-release prisoners. It contributes to the knowledge pool by providing place-based evidence that takes into account readiness for re-entry among pre-release prisoners in Sarawak, Malaysia, from an Asian perspective to promote the attainment of SDG16.

This study explores the work practices of managers who increased working from home during the pandemic to determine what, if any, impact there was on the conditions for vertical leadership development.

The project utilized a survey approach. Each of the participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire using Google Forms. The questionnaire included four sections. The first section included informed consent and required participants to agree before completing the questionnaire. Participants provided general demographic information in the second section, including gender, age, race, job title, company size, average project team size and industry. The third section asked if there had been any change in their work location following the pandemic. The last section asked participants about their work practices.

This study demonstrates that managers continued to be engaged in vertical leadership development activities while working from home. It also suggests that managers faced challenges working from home following the COVID-19 pandemic, which were prime vertical leadership development opportunities.

To capitalize on these opportunities, organizations can more intentionally support the development of their remote staff.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a key role in facilitating increases in socio-economic growth and economic development. Sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4): quality education is dedicated to ensuring inclusive and equitable access to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities. This study aims to gain leadership perspectives on the extent to which South African HEIs are meeting SDG 4 and deliver insights into whether significant variances in progress exist between public and private institutions.

Integrating the sustainable development frameworks of the United Nations and times higher education impact rankings in a positivist research design, this study surveyed 16 leaders from public South African HEIs and 59 from private South African HEIs using an online survey platform.

Responses indicate underperformance across institutions concerning the following: the prioritisation of SDG 4 at the highest levels of management, the effective inculcation of this agenda across the entire institution, alignment between SDG 4 strategies and staff expectations and education for sustainable development and global citizenship. Public HEIs have progressed towards the realisation of SDG 4 in aspects such as access to scholarships, inclusion of first-generation students and contributions through research output.

This study contributes to the limited literature on leaders’ perceptions of progress towards SDG 4 among HEIs in developing economies.

Lack of access to finance is a major constraint to the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship in developing countries. The recent proliferation of mobile phone services, access to the internet and emerging technologies has led to a surge in the use of FinTech in Africa and is transforming the financial sector. This paper aims to examine whether FinTech developments heterogeneously contribute to the growth of digital finance for SMEs and entrepreneurship in 47 African countries from 2013 to 2020.

The paper uses a novel method of moments quantile regression, which deals with heterogeneity and endogeneity in diverse conditions for asymmetric and nonlinear models.

The empirical results reveal that the rise of FinTech companies offering services in Africa heterogeneously increases digital finance for SMEs and entrepreneurship in their different stages of growth. FinTech developments have a strong and positive impact in countries with higher levels of digital finance than those with lower levels. FinTech developments and digital finance positively and significantly influence entrepreneurship in Africa, particularly in the nascent and transitional development stages of entrepreneurship. Institutional quality has a considerable positive moderating effect when used as a control rather than an interaction variable.

The results suggest the need to promote FinTech developments in Africa: to provide a wide range of alternative digital finance schemes to SMEs and to promote entrepreneurship, especially in countries where entrepreneurship is in the nascent and transitional development stages. The results also underscore the need to promote FinTech development through supportive regulations and institutional quality to reduce risks related to FinTech and digital financing schemes.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first attempts to account for the often overlooked heterogeneity effects and show that the influence of FinTech developments is not homogenous across the varying development stages of digital finance and entrepreneurship.

The purpose of this study to brought new dimensions by inserting market conditions and investor sentiments as independent variable measure their impact on government policy formulation and sustainable development. This research also measures the moderating effective stakeholder engagement. Previous research has focused on demystifying the relationship between green bonds and sustainable development.

The analysis part of the research is initiated by factor analysis on the sample size of 100. After the construction of appropriate statements matching the research objective, it was circulated to the respondents of northern region of India. The sampling technique was random in nature through which data analysis on 700 respondents was done. For meeting research objectives present research applies PLS algorithm on the conceptual model framed through review of literature.

Out of all independent variables green bond issuance is having statistically significant impact on government policy formulation and investors’ sentiment is having statistically significant impact on sustainable development. Rest all other pairs are statistically insignificant. For an investor, it is necessary to understand that how its sentiments impacts government policy formulation and the health of ecology.

The research produced results with management implications for practitioners and policy makers that are very significant to the fields of sustainability, green finance and environmental policy. Green bonds also influence government policy, illustrating how green financing may revolutionize environmental laws and regulations.

The social implications of this revelation are considerable. The research enhances knowledge about sustainable development by emphasizing the importance of green bonds in supporting environmentally friendly activities. It allows for transparent reporting, increasing social accountability and reputation while attracting environmentally conscious consumers and fostering community trust. According to the survey, investor sentiment and their enthusiasm for eco-friendly investments may push more money to efforts that are good for society and the environment. This study enhances consciousness about sustainable finance, which has the potential to inspire beneficial social shifts towards a more environmentally and socially equitable future.

These social ramifications manifest themselves in various socioeconomic and environmental issues of the society in addition to credit and public policy. Second, it is evident that green bond emissions are influencing government policy, demonstrating the power of financial instruments to encourage environmentally beneficial social outcomes by providing officials with an incentive to modify environmental regulations.

A learning-focused culture promotes creativity, innovativeness and the acquisition of novel insights and competencies. The study aims to explore the relationship between human resource development (HRD) practice and employee competencies using organizational learning culture as a mediating variable.

Data were collected from 828 employees of 37 health care institutions comprising 24 (internationally-owned) and 13 (indigenously-owned). Construct reliability and validity was established through a confirmatory factor analysis. The proposed model and hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modeling.

Data supported the hypothesized relationships. The results show that training and development and employee competencies were significantly related. Career development and employee competencies were significantly related. Organizational learning culture mediates the relationship between training and development and employee competencies. However, organizational learning culture did not mediate the relationship between career development and employee competencies.

The generalizability of the findings will be constrained due to the research’s health care focus and cross-sectional data.

The study’s findings will serve as valuable pointers to policy makers and stakeholders of health care institutions in developing system-level capacities that promote continuous learning and adaptive learning cultures to ensure sustainability and competitive advantage.

By evidencing empirically that organizational learning culture mediates the relationship between HRD practices and employee competencies the study extends the literature.

This study aims to find how trade development and digitalization affect smart-green production. Four factors are investigated in these effects (certification, technology innovation, natural resource management, low pesticides).

The mix-method approach was employed from validating the measurement scale to test the proposed hypotheses. At first, the grounded theory is the most authoritative and standard research method in qualitative research. Secondly, quantitative analysis was employed to draw conclusions about the impact of digitalization and trade development on smart-green agricultural production.

The results found that digitalization and trade development impact the development of smart-green agricultural production through certification employment, technology innovation, and a decrease in pesticide usage. Moreover, digitalization and trade development also indirectly affect the development of intelligent green agricultural production. Meanwhile, digitalization has a higher impact than trade development.

This research is based on the premise that digitalization and trade development can drive smart green agricultural production. Still, some studies have found a deviation between trade development and environmental protection. Hence, future research can explore the incentive effect of trade development and digitalization on other industries. Second, the measurement of the dependent variables in this study is based on the premise that smart-green agricultural production has not been widely promoted, so the changes in production before and after the whole public participation in smart-green output have yet to be reflected.

Smart green production in agriculture is essential for a transition economy and the world to meet food security and protect the environment. However, the effects of certification, technology innovation, natural resource management, and low pesticides on smart-green agriculture production have yet to be identified. Insights from this study can help governments, policy-makers, and farmers in emerging economies by adapting their strategies within their local contexts.