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The main aim of the study is to explore aspects of entrepreneurs' motivation and perceptions with reference to prevailing values in a given context in Africa. In the initial sections of the paper, we draw on concepts of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurship ecosystem when discussing push and pull factors, access to resources, and Ubuntu. This discussion leads to the formulation of a set of research questions and the presentation of a case study analysis. The case study reveals the extent to which globalization and global events can present as palpable phenomena for small businesses opened by entrepreneurs in Africa. Further, in highlighting altruistically oriented entrepreneurial motivations and actions, the case study raises questions about notions of "necessity" entrepreneurs, given that entrepreneurship in Africa has traditionally been linked to finance and employment as opposed to altruistic and dispositional motivations. In drawing attention to the policy implications of the findings, we highlight that entrepreneurs driven by Ubuntu values are likely to be motivated to address issues of poverty, unemployment and community harmony as compared to those who are primarily motivated by rational-economic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to examine the effect of spending one extra year in high school on early marriage and childbirth. Design/methodology/approach: The study takes advantage of the education reform in 2007 that extended the years of high school education by one to conduct a quasi experiment. The marriage and fertility outcomes of women who completed a four-year senior high school education are compared to those who completed a three-year senior high school education. Findings: The findings from the study indicate that the one-year extension in high school education led to a 4.75 percentage point reduction in the probability of ever marrying by age 27 and a 6.7 percentage point reduction in the probability of ever given birth. The authors demonstrate that the extension of the duration of high school education by one year has a heterogeneous effect, as it reduced the fertility and marriage outcomes of rural girls more than urban girls. The study reveals opportunity costs and confinement effects as possible mechanisms through which the policy affected early marriage and birth. Originality/value: This study is one of the few studies that examine the impact of the duration of secondary school education on fertility and marriage. For Africa in particular, there is no such study. Thus, this study provides a unique contribution to the literature since available studies on this subject matter can only be found in advanced economies. Unlike other studies in Africa that use a design that provides the combined effect of duration of schooling and school enrolment on fertility and marriage, this design enables the authors to only look at the effect of duration of schooling on fertility and marriage. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-04-2023-0323 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• The changing structure of households in Africa is challenging the design of micro-level pro-poor policies. • Divorce/separation and widowhood have increased compared to data from 1987/88. • Lower incomes in female-headed households do not lower children's educational investment. • The gender mix of children plays a key role in aggregate household investments for male-headed households, with the financial inclusion of female household heads under 40 years being important for investments in children's education. • Structural changes in female leadership in communities interact with structural changes at the household level. Female headship of households has increased significantly around the world. This paper establishes a link between gender, income, and children's educational investments in an imperfect credit market. We show using a representative household survey from Ghana that, even though there is a positive correlation between income and educational investments, there are expected and unexpected heterogeneities in income and children's educational investments. We find that, whereas income levels for male-headed households with children 6 to 18 years are over 20% higher, female-headed households tend to invest 31% to 38% more on children's education than male-headed households. In imperfect credit markets, higher educational investments could be taking place at the expense of other household outcomes such as food/leisure. Our empirical results show the need for different interventions for different households. We also show how institutional changes that recognize affirmative action can interact with household-level structural changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected disease prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world, especially in Africa. Detecting the presence of the disease is based on the detection of the parasites in the stool or urine of children and adults. In such studies, typically, data collected on schistosomiasis infection includes information on many negative individuals leading to a high zero inflation. Thus, in practice, counts data with excessive zeros are common. However, the purpose of this analysis is to apply statistical models to the count data and evaluate their performance and results. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of previously collected data. As part of a modelling process, a comparison of the Poisson regression, negative binomial regression and their associated zero inflated and hurdle models were used to determine which offered the best fit to the count data. Results: Overall, 94.1% of the study participants did not have any schistosomiasis eggs out of 1345 people tested, resulting in a high zero inflation. The performance of the negative binomial regression models (hurdle negative binomial (HNB), zero inflated negative binomial (ZINB) and the standard negative binomial) were better than the Poisson-based regression models (Poisson, zero inflated Poisson, hurdle Poisson). The best models were the ZINB and HNB and their performances were indistinguishable according to information-based criteria test values. Conclusion: The zero-inflated negative binomial and hurdle negative binomial models were found to be the most satisfactory fit for modelling the over-dispersed zero inflated count data and are recommended for use in future statistical modelling analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to fill the gap on proenvironmental behavior studies among consumers in bottom of the pyramid (BOP) market by examining the relationship between values, beliefs and norms among Ghanaian consumers. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 324 Ghanaian consumers (responses rate of 64%) was used to estimate the model. The data was analyzed using maximum likelihood robust approach of Lavaan package for structural equation modeling in R. Findings: The findings show that there is no significant relationship between values and the new ecological worldview, which also does not affect awareness of environmental consequences. However, awareness of consequences, likely based on personal experiences, significantly impacts perceived ability to reduce threats to the environment. Ghanaian consumers are mainly influenced by personal experiences with local environmental consequences that affect their perceived ability to reduce threats to their environment and their willingness to engage in proenvironmental behavior. The study supports the argument that proenvironmental behavior is the result of complex decision-making that might be influenced by a country's economic situation, infrastructure, culture and institutions. Research limitations/implications: This study focuses on a single country in Africa. More studies are needed among other base of the pyramid countries, and in comparison to developed countries' consumers. Originality/value: The study adds to the limited knowledge regarding sustainable consumption in the neglected context of the bottom of the pyramid market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sets out to address the decontextualized discourse on African entrepreneurship and attempts to locate it within the socio-cultural context using the philosophy and principles of Ubuntu. It investigates and traces how Ubuntu informs the motive, decisions and actions of the African entrepreneur. The study contrasts the Ubuntu-based decisions of the entrepreneur with the individualistic economic rationalism expected of an entrepreneur in a typical market economy. It presents a peculiar case of a young entrepreneur who started a business in 2013 which has gone through lots of experiences and trajectories that are relevant to Ubuntu philosophy. The study is underpinned by grounded theory research design which enabled us to analyze Ubuntu values and motivation through the entrepreneur's actions and stories. The research provides insights into the "contours" of the business journey and how social capital helps to sustain the firm. The nuances of economic rationality and humanity feature in this study as the business reached critical moments where the owner was torn between folding up and thinking about the potential impact of this decision on the employees. The research draws policy implications for entrepreneurs in Africa and encourages scholars to interrogate Westernized approaches to the concept of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This phenomenological study focused on understanding Unreached People Groups (UPGs) lived experiences to model a Pentecostal mission strategy. The global discussion and attention on the UPGs ignited at the 1974 Lausanne Congress and it has altered the global understanding of mission. In recent times, people's group thinking represents a predominant pattern in global missions. Nonetheless, few scholarly works have been conducted to carefully examine UPG's questionable theological and socio-cultural underlying assumptions and consequently, Christian institutions and missionaries are less prepared to reach out. This study directed by the Pentecost Centre for the Study of Unreached People Groups (PCUPGs) at the Pentecost University, Ghana critically re-evaluated the concept using biblical and sociocultural analysis to assess the Biblical and Conceptual basis of UPGs. The study from theological and socio-cultural perspectives developed missional strategies towards reaching the unreached people groups in Africa in fulfillment of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, to disciple all Ethnic Groups and consequently, redefine the term "UPGs" which is a seminal contribution to scholarship. The study contributes to academia by assessing the theological and conceptual basis of the UPGs towards developing pragmatic missional strategies to overcome the contemporary mission challenges, as well as initiate a Pentecostal approach to missions amongst the UPGs in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Reports and experiences suggest that several developing African economies are faced with entrepreneurial-impeding forces such as lengthy bureaucratic processes and poor regulatory space. The study examines a general trend in "doing business performance" among selected African countries and uses the case of Ghana to explore how particular indicators or forces affect the development and deployment of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) policies. Design/methodology/approach: Comparative analysis of six African economies on their ease of doing business score. This is followed by a critical review of the literature to develop a six-point explanatory framework to explore the relative position of the six countries on the ease of doing business scores. Using Ghana as a critical case study, the authors deploy an in-depth case study analysis via in-depth interviews of relevant stakeholders to validate the information from secondary sources. Findings: The study observes that the nature of leadership, socio-cultural imperatives, economic structure and policy and the role of domestic institutional players and international players have implications for the extent to which the state creates an enabling environment for SMEs and entrepreneurial activities. The role of supportive cultural software that will help drive SME and entrepreneurial growth has been established. The study contends that different aspects of national culture do have implications for the tendency for people to be business-minded or to have the ability to take risks. The demand and supply sides are crucial in promoting SME growth. Originality/value: The study develops a framework that helps explore elements to help explain ease of doing business scores and the viability of SMEs in Africa. These elements were validated through qualitative interviews as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article details how Ubuntu was incorporated into each step of the research project, shares the authors' experiences and key learnings, and provides recommendations for researchers utilizing Ubuntu as a research paradigm. Ubuntu is an ancient African philosophy emphasizing a way of life grounded in interdependence, collaboration, harmony, and community. In recent years, researchers have incorporated Ubuntu as a research paradigm to decolonize research in a sub-Saharan African context. The present article used international collaborative qualitative research conducted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic to demonstrate the application of Ubuntu as a research paradigm for conducting research in the African context. Some of the key takeaways include technological factors to consider, establishing connections during the planning stage, and ultimately nurturing productive collaboration within virtual groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the complex relationships among organizational learning capability (OLC), innovation, market dynamism, market responsiveness, and the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in African emerging economies. Our research investigates the role of innovation as a mediator in the OLC-performance relationship, the moderated mediation impact of market dynamism, and the mediated moderation effect of market responsiveness in the indirect relationship. Using data from 225 SMEs from Ghana, and Hayes's PROCESS bootstrapping procedure the findings confirm that innovation mediates the OLC-performance. Although, market dynamism does not moderate the OLC-innovation relationship, it moderates the indirect relationship between OLC and performance through innovation, with a stronger effect at high levels of market dynamism. Additionally, market responsiveness negatively moderates the innovation–performance relationship, but it amplifies the OLC-performance relationship via innovation, with a more pronounced effect at low levels of market responsiveness. The findings indicate that the OLC-performance relationship is not only complex but depend in firm-specific and external factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurship is the key to addressing employment issues among young people and maintaining the sustainable development of a local economy in Africa. As the digital wave has swept across the continent, new technologies, such as social media and e-commerce, have provided essential opportunities for young people to start a business. However, little attention has been paid to the association between social media and e-commerce adoption (SMEA) and youth entrepreneurship in Africa. This study proposes a theoretical model focusing on the effects of SMEA, as well as its antecedents, on entrepreneurship by investigating a sample of 232 graduates in Ghana. Empirical results show that SMEA has a significant association with entrepreneurial intention. In terms of SMEA antecedents, it is interesting to note that internal factors (i.e. social influence, hedonic motivations, and habit) have a more positive effect on SMEA rather than external factors (i.e. performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions). Furthermore, the results demonstrate that perceived risk is inversely related to SMEA. The mechanism analysis also reveals that SMEA can act as a bridge between worthy antecedents and entrepreneurial intention. The above findings imply that the adoption of social media and e-commerce allows young people in Ghana to take the initiative to start a business, but the perceived risk associated with entrepreneurship should be regulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the empirical evidence on the purchase behaviour of tinned tomatoes, food labelling and the safety consciousness of consumers in Ghana were examined. Design/methodology/approach: Primary data were obtained from 130 consumers. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis and multinomial probit analysis were applied. Findings: Consumers use tinned tomatoes for cooking because of its easy accessibility in nearby shops, guaranteed constant supply, attractive package, it being affordable/cheaper, its better colour, advertisement/promotion, and longer shelf life. There is a low level of food safety consciousness among consumers since only one-fifth read labels on tinned tomatoes very often, and one-fifth do not read labels at all. Consumers frequently check on tinned tomatoes' most essential information: brand/type, manufacturing and expiry dates, and weight/volume. Age, residential status, contact information, nutritional benefits and affordability influence the choice of retail brand of tinned tomatoes. The health label consumer segment and conventional label consumer segment were identified, with the majority being the former. Research limitations/implications: The sample size used for the study could be improved in terms of number and geographical coverage. This is because the study was limited to only one main urbanised area in Ghana. Therefore, it will be worthwhile for a further study to be conducted by comparing urban and rural consumers in Ghana and other countries within Africa, to either validate or reveal a different trajectory of consumer behaviour relevant to marketing, policy and practice. Originality/value: Tomato paste (tinned tomatoes) is consumed in almost all homes in Africa, but there are food scare concerns about tinned tomatoes due to reported cases of adulteration with unhealthy materials such as starch and food colour, leading to negative health implications on consumers. This makes the reading of tinned tomato labels very crucial. Thus, it is of policy relevance to investigate consumers' reading behaviour of label information on tinned tomatoes in Ghana. However, previous studies on food labelling focussed on food and nutrition labelling and implications of food labelling on consumers' purchase behaviour, with most of them outside Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Africa, the effects of informal e-waste recycling on the environment are escalating. It is regularly transported from developed to developing nations, where it is disassembled informally in search of precious metals, thus increasing human exposure to harmful compounds. Africa has a serious problem with e-waste, as there are significant facilities in Ghana and Nigeria where imported e-waste is unsafely dismantled. however, because they are in high demand and less expensive than new ones, old electronic and electrical items are imported in large quantities, just like in many developing nations. After that, these objects are frequently scavenged to recover important metals through heating, burning, incubation in acids, and other techniques. Serious health hazards are associated with these activities for workers and individuals close to recycling plants. At e-waste sites in Africa, there have been documented instances of elevated concentrations of hazardous elements, persistent organic pollutants, and heavy metals in dust, soils, and vegetation, including plants consumed as food. Individuals who handle and dispose of e-waste are exposed to highly hazardous chemical substances. This paper examines heavy metal risks around e-waste sites and comparable municipal dumpsites in major African cities. Elevated concentrations of these heavy metals metal in downstream aquatic and marine habitats have resulted in additional environmental impacts. These effects have been associated with unfavourable outcomes in marine ecosystems, such as reduced fish stocks characterized by smaller sizes, increased susceptibility to illness, and decreased population densities. The evidence from the examined studies shows how much e-waste affects human health and the environment in Africa. Sub-Saharan African nations require a regulatory framework that includes specialized laws, facilities, and procedures for the safe recycling and disposal of e-waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Africa's triple heritage (African, Western and Arabian) situates Africa and African people in a uniquely intricate position where African socio-cultural, political and economic realities constantly struggle for agency, having been undermined by false Euro-Christian and Arab-Islamic propaganda. The yearning to be and become African has accordingly been entangled in the demands of Euro-Arabian realities. The purpose of this article is to use the following rites of passage - birth, marriage and death - as a framework to explore the parameters of (not) belonging within this triple heritage in Ghana. Under the framework, the objective is to draw out the tensions, contradictions, complexities, as well as conceptions of (dis)empowerment buried in these legacies, particularly, how departing from Euro-Arabian dictates can be (dis)empowering. The essay critiques the asymmetrical power relations among these heritages, as well as the inclination of the Euro-Arabian heritage to create a (re)composition of Africans based on vulnerability and fear. Ultimately, the thesis explores the possibility of Ghanaians being and becoming African, given Africa's triple heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]