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Votescapes’: Linguistic landscape and party language policy during the 2019 South African election
(Routledge, 2025) Kretzer, Michael M
This study aims to investigate the use and visibility of languages on election posters through the concept of Linguistic Landscapes (LL). Hence, the following research question was the core of this study: What languages were used during the 2019 national election, and how linguistically inclusive are the election posters? Linguistic Landscapes is not only a purely linguistic phenomenon but rather reflects the reciprocal relationship between Linguistic Landscapes and the surrounding communities, their language usage, and society at large. Data collection took place in three provinces of South Africa: the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and North West, resulting in 218 photographs of election posters. Two provinces with a clear dominance of one African Language and one very multilingual province were chosen. Within those three provinces, a more rural and semi-urban research site in the North West and in the Eastern Cape were selected, and a few residential areas in the metropolitan area of Johannesburg. Political parties differed significantly in their ‘votescape’, their linguistic landscape and their party language policies during their 2019 national election campaigns. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), frequently used African languages and ran an inclusive campaign, considering regional language concentrations despite their vague party language policy. By contrast, another opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), used an exclusively English approach. This was quite surprising, as this party aims to portray itself as ‘grounded’ and can be seen as a nationalist party. Further, their political agenda favours African languages in their party programme. The African National Congress’ (ANC) strategy also included African Languages in their campaign, and those became visible in the ‘Votescape’ the election Linguistic Landscapes on the election posters. Linguistic and cultural hybridity did occur but only appeared on isolated election posters. Overall, most parties mainly used English, and the VF PLUS mainly used Afrikaans. The only party visibility score with a more balanced language distribution was that of the DA. African languages were under-represented, and there were significant geographical differences and between the competing parties. With North West Setswana was very visible on election posters and some isiXhosa was visible on the Votescape in Eastern Cape, but far more different African Languages were visible in the multilingual province of Gauteng.
An Integrative Propositional Analysis of Finland's Successful Homelessness Policy: A New Policy Design Insight
(Wiley, 2025) de Wee Guswin
Finland can be seen as having some of the best success in terms of dealing with the complex issue of homelessness and was confirmed in a recent case study by de la Porte et al. in 2022, ‘Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries: Cases, Lessons and Challenges’. Focusing specifically on the policy content and its potential insights, this paper utilises the systems‐based integrative propositional analysis method to analyse the policy text of the AUNE Homelessness policy of Finland, 2016–2019. Drawing on policy design‐as‐content literature, this article uses the analytical concept of ‘structural logic’ as the abstractable unit of analysis, which enables policy mapping and interaction assessment with insights for policy effectiveness. Findings suggest that the relatively higher level of structural logic of the Finnish homelessness policy correlates with the policy's effectiveness in application. Because of the granularity of the type of analysis, the IPA not only provides descriptive and diagnostic data, which is important for decision‐making, policy coordination and insights into policy evaluation. The paper also discusses important insights for policy design, policy process and implications for governance, scholars and policy practitioners.
Is trust about more than just money? insight into South African banking customers
(Emerald Publishing Limited, 2025) Roberts-Lombard Mornay; Petzer Daniel
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore how trust guides retail banking customers’ behavioural intentions considering monetary and non-monetary drivers of trust and the moderating roles of corporate image and shared values on the relationships between these drivers and trust. Design/methodology/approach – Non-probability purposive and quota sampling were used to select a sample of South African banking customers. A self-administered questionnaire was fielded and 352 respondents participated in this study. Findings – All the proposed monetary and non-monetary drivers have a positive and significant influence on trust, except for calculative commitment. Trust mediates the relationships monetary and non-monetary drivers have with behavioural intention; and corporate image and shared values moderate all but one of the relationships between trust and its monetary and non-monetary drivers. Research limitations/implications – This study enhances knowledge of the role of trust, considering monetary and non-monetary drivers as antecedents and behavioural intention as an outcome of trust. Practical implications – This study guides retail banks in emergent markets on the mediating role of trust and its influence on behavioural intention through the application of selected monetary and non-monetary drivers. Furthermore, this study emphasises the importance of corporate image and shared values on selected relationships. Originality/value – The importance of trust as a mediating variable between its monetary and non-monetary drivers and behavioural intention is confirmed in an emerging economy setting. The moderating effects of corporate image and shared values in the relationships between these drivers and trust are also highlighted.
Solidarity and advocacy at a South African institution: tracing convivial efforts for institutional equity
(Routledge, 2025) van Staden, Maria; Vilakazi, Fikile; Villamil, Astrid
This study sought to (a) delink dominant articulations of institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), often conceptualized prescriptively from North Atlantic and Eurocentric epistemologies, and (b)describe efforts to engage in solidarity and advocacy from institutional equity spaces at a South African University. To that end, we anchored our research in postcolonial African communication and conducted an ethnographic study that spanned over 12 months (virtually) and 1 month (in site) with the Equity Lab Collective (ELC), an institutional equity entity at a South African University. Our findings revealed that the ELC engaged in advocacy and solidarity in two ways. First, the Collective followed a convivial approach, fostering an environment of openness, incompleteness, and complex care for others. Second, they prioritized co-presencial commitments, building relationships sustained by ancestral knowledge, intersectional awareness, and a commitment to challenging the status quo, without being afraid of tension. We present theoretical expansions and provocations
African entrepreneurial ecosystem resource constraints: a covid-19 perspective
(Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd, 2025) Iwu, Chux Gervase; Sibanda, Lucky; Makwara, Tendai
Ordinarily, African countries suffer severe resource constraints. Resource constraints refer to insufficient means to meet sustainable economic growth demands. Regarding entrepreneurial activities, a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem is needed for the large uptake of and sustained interest in entrepreneurship. It is on record that African countries’ dilapidated infrastructure and maladministration, including weak institutions, are reasons sustainable entrepreneurial activities have been less than optimal. The recent COVID-19 pandemic no doubt extended the challenge of entrepreneurship on the continent. Using Pickering and Byrne’s (2014) systematic quantitative assessment technique, we identified, assessed and interpreted available research evidence that assisted us in exploring the impact of resource constraints on African entrepreneurial ecosystem formation, development and growth. We noted that COVID-19 added complexities to perennial questions about making African entrepreneurship ecosystems fit for supporting entrepreneurship development. Although African economies were already constrained in many ways, including their business environment, we conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges and opportunities for business management and entrepreneurship. While businesses could adapt in many cases, several aspects—such as government regulations, consumer behaviour shifts and global supply chain disruptions—were beyond their control. Navigating these uncertainties required agility, resilience and an ability to innovate, but it also highlighted the vulnerabilities and risks inherent in the modern globalised economy.