Grounded on the Knowledge Based View (KBV), this study examines the effects of a knowledge management enabler (Emotional Intelligence) on knowledge management processes (KMPs) in research universities. It investigates the direct effect of KMPs on creative performance. This study further examines the mediating role of Self-directed Learning in a relationship between KMPs and creative performance. This study used a sample frame of 248 academic and administrative personnel from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Pakistan. The relationships were tested through a partial least squares structural equation modelling method. The results reveal that Emotional Intelligence (EI) as an enabler has a positive and significant impact on KMPs. However, a direct relation between self-directed learning and creative performance is insignificant. Also, established associations were found to be positive and significant. This study's findings validate the academic experience of EI and suggest how academics and administrators of HEIs can value KMPs and the self-directed learning that strengthens creative performance. With the increased importance of EI and KMPs in HEIs, there is a lack of studies investigating the relationship between EI, KMPs and creative performance. This study empirically examines the interface of EI, KMPs and creative performance in HEI's and enriches the existing literature by exploring the mediating role of self-directed learning.

Entrepreneurship has been pointed out as a key contributor to sustained economic growth and development as it not only creates employment, but increased spending in markets, knowledge transfers, employment and innovation. However, very few studies exist that empirically measures the relationship between the three variables; economic growth, economic development and entrepreneurship. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine and highlight the importance of entrepreneurship as a contributing factor to economic growth and development. Traditionally, economic growth is measured by the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country. As no formal measurement of economic development exists, an index was created taking into consideration the Human Development Index (HDI), percentage population above the poverty line and employment rate. The entrepreneurship development variable is measured by the Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA). The study followed a quantitative research design and made use of secondary time series data with the sample period ranging from 2005 to 2016. The study area comprised five selected member states of the European Union (EU) which included Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Belgium and Poland. Findings suggest that economic growth, development and entrepreneurship seem to be inexplicably connected. As several other factors may also contribute to the fluctuations of economic growth and development results differed from one country to another. However, the analyses from the Dutch, Hungarian and Polish economies for the period under consideration reveal correspondingly healthy economic and social environments where entrepreneurial climates are flourishing. The analysis from Germany and Belgium, however reveal subdued entrepreneurial development. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the development of SME sectors especially in transition economies be centralised as important focus areas towards improving economic and social growth outlooks. In turn, policy stakeholders should ensure the creation of enabling environments structured around responsive micro and macro decision-making.

Good urban governance is a multidimensional concept that focuses on the improvement of the quality of living conditions of local citizens, especially those of marginalised and disadvantaged communities. Cities face various adversities and challenges, such as unsustainable use of natural resources, lack of housing and infrastructure, the prevalence of poverty, rapid urbanisation, crime, disasters and effects of climate change. City resilience is an inclusive process that refers to a city’s ability to sustainably manage unexpected and expected risk-related events. In addition, it includes a city’s capacity to adapt to future challenges from a strategic and spatial perspective. This paper aims to analyze the nature of sustainable development in general. More specifically, it sets out to analyze the importance of urban governance in Africa and the interrelationship of good urban governance and city resilience. The purpose is to provide a theoretical underpinning and a practical orientation for the role that urban governance could play in sustainable development. The methodology is based on a document analysis by way of an intensive literature study. The qualitative description of the findings focused on the themes that emerged from the research and the manner in which they were conceptualised. It was established that while African countries have experienced certain successes, there have been many challenges as far as ‘good’ and ‘sustainable’ urban governance is concerned. Results indicated that the notion of ‘good urban governance’ is a prerequisite for African countries to design and execute sustainable development initiatives successfully.

The impact that COVID-19 had on individuals globally has been immense. Our study aims to determine if the various COVID-19 related beliefs (information seeking; invulnerability; disruption; health importance and response effectiveness) are predictors of perceived stress and if self-efficacy acts as a mediator in reducing perceived COVID-19 related stress. From a large sample of 23,629, data were assessed using validated multi-item measures for seven COVID-19 related beliefs, self-efficacy and perceived stress. After conducting a series of tests and checks via Confirmatory Factor Analyses, linear modelling and mediation analyses with bootstrapping were applied to test direct and mediation hypotheses. It is found that stress perception is most strongly affected by self-efficacy and perceived disruption. Except for information seeking, which positively affected perceived stress, self-efficacy partially mediates all other COVID-19 related beliefs (perceptions of disruption, health importance and response effectiveness) in conjunction with their direct effects. Only perceived invulnerability elicited opposite effects on stress, increasing stress directly but decreasing stress indirectly by increasing self-efficacy. This finding gives reason to believe that individuals may disclose that they are less vulnerable to COVID-19, fostering their self-efficacy, but still accept that stressing factors such as economic and social consequences apply. Overall, reinforcing self-efficacy was carved out as the most important resilience factor against perceiving high levels of stress. On this basis, implications for research and practice are provided.

This study examines the impact of work-life balance (WLB) practices concerning academics’ turnover intention, person-job fit (PJF), and PJF’s relationship with academics’ intention to leave their jobs. The study further investigates person-job fit as an underlying mechanism of the association between WLB practices and turnover intention. The study’s data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire garnered from 550 full-time academics working in higher educational institutions in South India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry). Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for the statistical analysis of the data, using Smart PLS 3.2.8 software. The study ascertained that WLB practices have a negative impact on academics’ turnover intention. Additionally, the study discovered that WLB practices have a positive impact on PJF. Similarly, PJF seems to have a significant negative influence on turnover intention. Moreover, PJF partially and negatively mediates the influence of WLB practices on turnover intention. Consequently, this study suggests implementing several WLB practices (e.g., telecommuting, job sharing, flexitime, paid parental leave, etc.) into higher educational institutions, since it may not only improve academics’ perception of their person-job fit but it may also reduce their turnover intention.

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