Background: The increasing complexity and levels of competition facing firms have reiterated the need to integrate the flow of goods and information within and between firms. Limited research has, however, been done regarding this integration in terms of reverse logistics.Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of retailers regarding supply chain integration in the context of product returns for consumer electronics.Method: A generic qualitative research strategy was used for this purpose. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with managerial staff involved with the product returns process at large retailers.Findings: The main findings indicate that the retailers made efforts to increase internal integration relating to improving information availability, aligning cross functional processes and improving inter-firm relationships. External integration efforts attempted to improve the intra-firm flow of information, reduce the number products returned to suppliers, expedite the returns process in specific instances and align processes. A narrow supplier-orientated span of integration was identified in this context, with integration efforts mainly targeting the start of the returns process to reduce return volumes. The study identified benefits attributed to both internal and external integration and barriers to internal and external integration relating to transactional relationships and suppliers who are incapable of integration.Contribution: Academically, this study expands the literature on supply chain integration in an unexplored context. For managers, this study identifies various reverse logistics integration barriers and details what practices and strategies improve the probability of successful integration efforts.

Orientation: Embracement of triple bottom line reporting as a driver of a firm’s sustainability is a paradox puzzling most contemporary business executives.Research purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine how effective alignment of the triple bottom line business model with building and construction operational activities leverages effective market performance of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the building and construction industry, so as to identify major paradoxes and the remedial business model that can be suggested.Research design, approach and method: The study uses interpretivist research paradigm and exploratory qualitative research method to explore the opinions and perceptions of 30 judgementally drawn participants comprising managers and supervisors from 30 building and construction SMEs in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Thematic analysis was used in the evaluation and interpretation of the interview data collected using a semi-structured interview guide.Main findings: A seemingly greater preponderance to pursue profitability at the expense of people and planet bottom lines was found to be common among most of the SMEs during the initial stages of their establishments and growth because of the need to attain the usually essential initial financial sustainability. Even though on attaining financial sustainability, some of the SMEs strive to achieve all the three bottom lines, most of the undertaken initiatives are often only aimed at improving compliance with relevant building and construction legislations.Managerial implications: The study suggests a modified triple bottom line business model that the SMEs in the building and construction industry can replicate to effectively apply triple bottom line reporting as an edifier for effective market performance.Contributions: The study offers a new theory for measuring the leveraging effects of the triple bottom line business model on the building and construction SMEs’ effective market performance.

Purpose: This report is on a team effort to advise the Department of Trade and Industry on the development of a regulatory framework for the auditing of Financial, Management. Performance and Social Reporting Systems for co-operatives. Orientation: There was no framework in place prescribing requirements for reporting on financial, management and social performance of co-operatives. As a result, the team assisted the Department of Trade and Industry with the development of a proposed reporting framework with reference to international best practices and existing financial reporting frameworks. Findings: The research performed showed that existing reporting frameworks and practices do not meet the reporting requirements of co-operatives in all aspects because of the different nature of co-operatives as opposed to shareholder-owned entities.

Orientation: To gain an understanding of the relational conditions required for effective mentoring of black-owned small businesses.Research purpose: To identify relational-based conditions for effective mentoring, which can be used to enhance business management skills of owner-managers of black-owned small businesses and eventually improve the survival of these businesses in South Africa.Motivation for the study: By identifying relational-based conditions needed for effective mentoring of black-owned small businesses, recommendations can be put forward that could help achieve harmonious mentoring relationships and ultimately ensure effective mentoring of these businesses.Research design, approach and method: An interpretivism paradigm was adopted and aqualitative research methodology was selected. Semistructured interviews were used to gauge the perceptions of participants about relational issues necessary for effective mentoring. Content and constant comparative analyses were used to analyse data.Main findings: The findings revealed that conditions surrounding the knowledge and expertise of the mentor, experience and age of the mentor, approachability of the mentor, mutual respect, open communication, mutual trust and honesty, passion and patience of the mentor, mentee’s willingness to learn, alignment of expectations, as well as culture sensitivity of the mentor are to be considered for effective mentor–mentee relationship.Practical/managerial implications: Although mentoring is important to develop management skills of owner–managers, it is equally important that the mentor–mentee relationship is nurtured to achieve the desired outcomes of the relationship.Contribution/value-add: The alarming failure rates of small businesses in general and blackowned small businesses in particular could be improved by providing effective mentoring programmes to owner–managers by ensuring harmonious mentor–mentee relationships.

Purpose: This study seeks to understand the perceptions of mobile network operators (MNOs) regarding the cost drivers of the South African mobile phone industry from a supply chain (SC) perspective. It also seeks to explore the possible cost interrelationships in the South African mobile phone SC.Research design and methodology: A qualitative case study, involving six willing managers of MNOs, and by using semi-structured interviews, observation and documents, was conducted.Findings: This study suggests that network infrastructure and network maintenance, handsets, logistics, technology, marketing and sales, training and consulting are the cost drivers in the South African mobile phone SC. These cost drivers are interrelated; and they influence one another in the mobile phone SC.Implications: The findings of this study should assist MNOs in their monitoring of cost drivers and in the identification of cost reduction opportunities, in order to remain effective and efficient in the industry. This study’s findings should help regulating authorities (such as the Department of Communications and the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa [ICASA]) to gain insights into the cost drivers of the South African mobile phone industry from the perspective of a network operator, and thus to develop appropriate mobile phone policies.

Orientation: In 2009, Strategy-as-Practice (S-as-P) research, as a subfield of strategy research, was grouped into nine different domains, and researchers were advised to frame their research within these domains. The papers or works (herein used interchangeably) published with S-as-P as subject, were counted, categorised, and a typology matrix was constructed.Researchers use this count to indicate a need for research in a specific domain.Research purpose: The main purpose of this study is to construct a comparative S-as-P typology matrix which accurately depicts the number of papers published in each domain between 2008 and 2015.Motivation for the study: The S-as-P typology matrix was first published in 2009 (Jarzabkowski & Spee 2009), and at the present moment, six years later, researchers still use the dated number of papers counted in each of the S-as-P domains to indicate a research gap.Research design, approach and method: A content analysis of all papers, listed by researchers on the official S-as-P website, was conducted. The papers were disseminated and key variables were counted.Main findings: The comparative typology matrix shows that relative to other domains, domain D appears overly researched, whilst no research has been carried out on domains C and H from 2008 to 2015.Practical/managerial implications: The comparative S-as-P typology matrix allows researchers to accurately evaluate the need for current research within the chosen domain.Contribution/value-add: The comparative typology matrix should prevent, as is the case currently with domain D, that domains are over-researched, whilst others receive no research attention.

Orientation: Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site (MNP) is a unique national park in South Africa in that it includes a World Heritage Site of significant importance for the people of southern Africa. MNP is a relatively new national park with low visitor numbers and occupancy rates, which threaten the sustainable management of the park.Research purpose: This study aimed to develop a general visitor profile and to describe the motivational factors for visiting the park in order to support the development of tourism at MNP.Motivation of the study: A tourism management plan is required for the park; however, any planning associated planning requires an assessment of tourist behaviour and needs.Research design, approach and method: An online questionnaire was distributed to a database of visitors to MNP during March−April 2013. A total of 486 responses were received. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics through frequencies and means. Motivator constructs were analysed through a factor analysis.Main findings: The study both confirmed and contradicted previous findings from other national parks in terms of visitor profiles and motivations. Most crucially, this study identified a new motivational factor for visiting national parks, which advances the need to manage the heritage aspect of world heritage sites distinctly from national parks.Managerial implications: The results indicated that visitors to MNP were older and better educated compared to visitors at other national parks. These visitors included predominantly first-time visitors. In addition these visitors are mainly motivated by the need for a nature experience, although the park is not a Big 5 reserve, findings also identified heritage and education as a unique motivational factor for this park.Contribution added: The study promotes the requirement of a unique park-specific tourism management strategy for MNP as the market base of this park is demographically distinct. In addition, the park should improve the promotion of its status as a World Heritage asset in relation to its natural attributes in order to attract greater numbers of heritage tourists. Although the park features exceptional natural features, the reserve is not a Big 5 reserve and this may result in dissatisfaction with the major group of visitors seeking a nature experience.

Orientation: Logo-leadership development challenges leaders to move beyond financial or individual gain to accepting leadership as a calling.Research purpose: The objective of the study was to ascertain whether an intervention embedded in the life and teachings of logo-therapist Viktor Frankl affects the way aspiring leaders construct leadership in terms of meaning (logo-leadership).Motivation for the study: A consideration of Frankl’s life gives rise to the question of whether aspiring leaders can learn from and use his life teachings as an inspiration in the discovery of meaning for themselves as leaders.Research approach, design and method: Participants comprised 20 students registered for an MCom degree at a South African metropolitan university. The research process involved three phases: (1) a pre-intervention questionnaire, (2) an appreciative inquiry intervention and (3) a post-intervention questionnaire. Framework analysis and a comparative method were used to analyse the data.Main findings: A meaning-centred leadership development intervention may impact the leadership role orientation of aspiring leaders, changing it from a predominantly career orientation to a calling. However, this effect largely occurred on an explicit (extrinsic) level.Managerial implications: Organisations that wish to develop logo-leadership may consider using the life teachings and work of Frankl as a development tool.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes theoretically to a relatively new development within the field of Frankl’s logotherapy, leadership with meaning (logo-leadership). On apractical level, this study introduced the concept of logo-leadership for leadership development and suggests that leadership may be influenced by exposure to a leadership intervention.

Orientation: Increasing competition has resulted in clothing retailers placing more emphasis on expensive relationship marketing tactics to retain customers. The retailers often use customers’ loyalty programme membership and the duration of their support to identify and target them in relationship-building efforts.Research purpose: This study determines the viability of relationship intention by measuring and categorising clothing customers according to their relationship intentions. The study also explores the duration of customer support for a clothing retailer, membership of their loyalty programme and the relationship thereof with customers’ relationship intentions towards that retailer. Motivation for the study: Relationship building efforts would be better directed at customers with relationship intentions.Research design, approach and method: Quantitative in nature, this study followed a descriptive research design and used an interviewer-administered survey to collect data from 511 clothing retail customers residing in the greater Pretoria metropolitan area.Main findings: Clothing retailers can effectively determine and categorise customers according to their relationship intentions. The duration customers have supported a clothing retailer and its loyalty programme has no relationship with their relationship intentions.Practical/Managerial implications: Clothing retailers should focus their relationship building on customers with relationship intentions, as they are more likely to respond favourably. They are more likely to be retained by the clothing retailer and provide a return on investment.Contribution/value-add: This study gives clothing retailers a reliable and valid measuring instrument that can be used to identify customers with relationship intentions, rather than relying on the duration of the customers’ support and their loyalty programme membership.

Orientation: Actionable reporting ensures that a marketing research firm communicates with clients to achieve business impact as opposed to merely communicating data to clients. Storytelling communicates with impact as it focuses on creating engagement and inspiring action.Research purpose: This article investigates the use of storytelling as a tool for actionable reporting by South African marketing research firmsMotivation for the study: Clients of marketing research firms often criticise research reports as being too technical and lacking in strategic value. Storytelling is a reporting technique that can be used to develop actionable research and provide clients with more strategic value. Research design, approach and method: A total of 26 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with client service directors and managers of marketing research firms that deliver quantitative research reports to clients.Main findings: Results indicated that all marketing research firms but one use storytelling. Barriers that impede more regular use are inexperienced research executives and the time intensity associated with creating stories.Practical/managerial implications: Storytelling should be used by marketing research firms to provide clients with more actionable research.Contribution/value-add: The study provides marketing research firms in South Africa with recommendations as to how to implement storytelling as a reporting technique, which will add value to clients and enable marketing research firms to remain competitive and develop relationships with clients.