IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i12p3257-d239341.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social Sustainability Practices on Small Businesses in Developing Economies: A Case of South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Reginald Masocha

    (School of Economics and Management, University of Limpopo, Sovenga 0727, South Africa)

Abstract

This study makes a significant contribution towards theory and knowledge of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the social sustainability discourse. The study focused on investigating if SMEs in developing economies directly benefit from practising social sustainability through examining the relationship between social sustainability and financial performance, customer satisfaction as well as employee satisfaction. A total of 238 SMEs from the Limpopo province of South Africa were surveyed through a self-administered questionnaire at the hand of convenience sampling technique. The hypotheses in the study were assessed through structural equation modelling (SEM) through AMOS software version 25. The study results revealed that all three postulated hypotheses were supported. Thus, social sustainability was found to be positively and significantly associated with financial performance, customer satisfaction performance as well as employee satisfaction performance. The findings in this study indicate that by practising social sustainability, SMEs potentially benefit on a broader performance spectrum.

Suggested Citation

  • Reginald Masocha, 2019. "Social Sustainability Practices on Small Businesses in Developing Economies: A Case of South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-13, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:12:p:3257-:d:239341
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/12/3257/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/12/3257/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paúl Sarango-Lalangui & José Álvarez-García & María De la Cruz Del Río-Rama, 2018. "Sustainable Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Sergio Pérez & Samuel Fernández-Salinero & Gabriela Topa, 2018. "Sustainability in Organizations: Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility and Spanish Employees’ Attitudes and Behaviors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-15, September.
    3. Carlos Lassala & Andreea Apetrei & Juan Sapena, 2017. "Sustainability Matter and Financial Performance of Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Wing Chow & Yang Chen, 2012. "Corporate Sustainable Development: Testing a New Scale Based on the Mainland Chinese Context," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 105(4), pages 519-533, February.
    5. Reginald Masocha & Olawale Fatoki, 2018. "The Role of Mimicry Isomorphism in Sustainable Development Operationalisation by SMEs in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tahereh Maghsoudi & Rosalía Cascón-Pereira & Ana Beatriz Hernández Lara, 2020. "The Role of Collaborative Healthcare in Improving Social Sustainability: A Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, April.
    2. Ikenna Franklin EZE & Thobekani LOSE, 2023. "Consequences Of Failure And Challenges Of Small Business In South Africa: A Theoretical Review," Business Excellence and Management, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 13(3), pages 18-32, September.
    3. Jianzhong Xu & Song Zhang, 2020. "An Evaluation Study of the Capabilities of Civilian Manufacturing Enterprises Entering the Military Products Market under the Background of China’s Civil–Military Integration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-23, March.
    4. Priyabrata Chowdhury & Rezaul Shumon, 2020. "Minimizing the Gap between Expectation and Ability: Strategies for SMEs to Implement Social Sustainability Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-15, August.
    5. Walter Chipambwa & Richie Moalosi & Yaone Rapitsenyane & Olefile Bethuel Molwane, 2023. "Sustainable Design Orientation in Furniture-Manufacturing SMEs in Zimbabwe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, May.
    6. Wunhong Su & Liuzhen Zhang & Chao Ge & Shuai Chen, 2022. "Association between Internal Control and Sustainability: A Literature Review Based on the SOX Act Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-30, August.
    7. Miguel Reyna-Castillo & Paola Selene Vera Martínez & Lisette Farah-Simón & Nadima Simón, 2023. "Social Sustainability Orientation and Supply Chain Performance in Mexico, Colombia and Chile: A Social-Resource-Based View (SRBV)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Reginald Masocha & Olawale Fatoki, 2018. "The Impact of Coercive Pressures on Sustainability Practices of Small Businesses in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-14, August.
    2. Waqas Nawaz & Muammer Koç, 2019. "Exploring Organizational Sustainability: Themes, Functional Areas, and Best Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-36, August.
    3. Iliana Loor Alcívar & Francisco González Santa Cruz & Nelly Moreira Mero & Amalia Hidalgo-Fernández, 2020. "Study of Corporate Sustainability Dimensions in the Cooperatives of Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-12, January.
    4. David Yechiam Aharon & Yossi Yagil, 2019. "The Impact of Financial Leverage on Shareholders’ Systematic Risk," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-23, November.
    5. Isabel-María García-Sánchez & Cristina Aibar-Guzmán & Carmen Serrano-Valdecillos & Beatriz Aibar-Guzmán, 2022. "Analysis of the Dialogue with Stakeholders by the IBEX 35 Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-26, February.
    6. Andrea Lučić, 2020. "Measuring Sustainable Marketing Orientation—Scale Development Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-22, February.
    7. Wunhong Su & Liuzhen Zhang & Chao Ge & Shuai Chen, 2022. "Association between Internal Control and Sustainability: A Literature Review Based on the SOX Act Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-30, August.
    8. Pascal Paillé & Yang Chen & Olivier Boiral & Jiafei Jin, 2014. "The Impact of Human Resource Management on Environmental Performance: An Employee-Level Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(3), pages 451-466, May.
    9. Edgars Sedovs & Tatjana Volkova, 2024. "Sustainability: Is It a Strategic Management Research Fashion?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-24, August.
    10. Claudia Diana Sabău-Popa & Ramona Simut & Laurențiu Droj & Corneliu Cristian Bențe, 2020. "Analyzing Financial Health of the SMES Listed in the AERO Market of Bucharest Stock Exchange Using Principal Component Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, May.
    11. Agnieszka Karman, 2022. "The Homogenization of Carbon Management Practices: How Organizations Response to Isomorphic Pressures to Reduce GHG Emissions," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 148-173.
    12. Andreas Moursellas & Debashree De & Thomas Wurzer & Antonios Skouloudis & Gerald Reiner & Atanu Chaudhuri & Theodoros Manousidis & Chrisovalantis Malesios & Konstantinos Evangelinos & Prasanta Kumar D, 2023. "Sustainability Practices and Performance in European Small-and-Medium Enterprises: Insights from Multiple Case Studies," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 835-860, June.
    13. Pouria Ataei & Hassan Sadighi & Mohammad Chizari & Enayat Abbasi, 2020. "In-depth content analysis of conservation agriculture training programs in Iran based on sustainability dimensions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(8), pages 7215-7237, December.
    14. Obey Dzomonda & Olawale Fatoki, 2020. "Environmental Sustainability Commitment and Financial Performance of Firms Listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-21, October.
    15. Mustafa Ozkan & Kemal Cek & Serife Z. Eyupoglu, 2022. "Sustainable Development and Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in North Cyprus: The Mediating Effect of Customer Identification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-13, April.
    16. Mihail Busu & Alexandra Catalina Nedelcu, 2017. "Sustainability and Economic Performance of the Companies in the Renewable Energy Sector in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-16, December.
    17. José M. Núñez-Sánchez & Jesús Molina-Gómez & Pere Mercadé-Melé & Santiago Almadana-Abón, 2024. "Boosting Competitiveness Through the Alignment of Corporate Social Responsibility, Strategic Management and Compensation Systems in Technology Companies: A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-15, October.
    18. Asier Baquero, 2022. "Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction: Relationship and Efficient Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-19, February.
    19. Alessio Gori & Eleonora Topino, 2020. "Predisposition to Change Is Linked to Job Satisfaction: Assessing the Mediation Roles of Workplace Relation Civility and Insight," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-16, March.
    20. Asier Baquero & Beatriz Delgado & Raquel Escortell & Juan Sapena, 2019. "Authentic Leadership and Job Satisfaction: A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-16, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:12:p:3257-:d:239341. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.