George Nana Agyekum Donkor, John Kwaku Darko Okrah, Dimy Doresca
This chapter discusses the overview of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) development, conventional approaches to financing SMEs, challenges of SME financing, and the changing landscape of SME financing in Africa. SMEs generate about 90 per cent of economic activity in Africa, but their structure and informality exclude them from formal value chains, markets, and access to bank credit. They benefit from conventional finance like government credit programmes and factoring that complement formal finance like commercial bank credit, microfinance, venture capital (VC), and specialised stock markets. However, persistent challenges limit funding for small businesses because of structural and institutional barriers, information asymmetry and transparency gaps, low managerial capacity, high transaction and screening costs, and the government crowding-out effect. Innovative models like digital finance, impact investing, fintech, crowdfunding, cryptocurrency, blended finance, supply-chain finance (SCF), and development finance institutions (DFIs) are also helping SMEs bypass credit market shortfalls to access capital. This chapter provides relevant recommendations for governments, policymakers, and key stakeholders.
Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, amid structural reforms and the constitutional review process, the Government of Mozambique has recognized decentralization as a central strategy to promote grassroots development. This research aims to analyze the impact of decentralization on improving the quality of life of residents in Mozambique. To achieve this objective, a mixed case study approach was used. Data were collected through bibliographic and documentary research, supported by interviews and questionnaire surveys. The results indicate that the poverty alleviation strategies adopted by the Municipality of Chimoio to improve the quality of life include promoting youth entrepreneurship and financing income-generating projects. The municipal administration has encouraged resident participation in local management. The fiscal decentralization process has shown satisfactory results. During the 4 years and 5 months of governance, the municipality's performance was positive, with 96.5% of targets being met, with 417 of the 435 planned activities having been carried out. It is concluded that decentralization has a significant impact on improving the quality of life of residents. It is recommended that the functional competences derived from fiscal decentralization be maximized, with a focus on improving the collection and management of municipal revenues, to face the challenges that this process imposes.
This paper examines human resource management (HRM) practices in Ghana's local government and advances a twofold argument. First, it shows that decentralization reforms introduced in the 1980s and 1990s locked the system into a path-dependent governance trajectory. This has narrowed the scope for alternative approaches to achieving an effective HRM system. Second, despite formal provisions establishing local governments as autonomous and non-partisan, the findings reveal that informal norms, political patronage, and asymmetric power relations remain central in shaping HRM decisions. These realities affect staff motivation, retention, and organizational performance, often impairing formal HR procedures and meritocratic intent. The paper challenges taken-for-granted assumptions that implementing cookbook governance and/or new public management prescriptions can automatically improve institutional effectiveness and service delivery in developing countries. Instead, it argues for greater attention to historical legacies and political contexts. The paper contributes to scholarly debates on public sector management and state capacity by highlighting the limits of technocratic and one-size-fits-all approaches to strengthening subnational governance
Purpose Effective crisis management is essential for all organizations, and both traditional and self-managed organizational structures have their advantages and challenges when dealing with a crisis. Decision-making in self-managed organizations (SMO) can be faster, however, the lack of clear chains of command can hinder strategic direction and coordination of resources. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential for a hybrid model of the self-managed organization, considering the opportunities and drawbacks of both traditional and self-managed organizational structures in terms of crisis. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews the literature on crisis in traditional and SMO and considers the potential for a hybrid model of the self-managed organization. Findings SMO offers speed and flexibility through decentralized decision-making, however, they can struggle with coordination during large-scale crises, whereas traditional hierarchical structures provide clear command chains and centralized control but may be slower due to bottlenecks. To address this, the authors propose a hybrid model that combines the strengths of both systems, enabling organizations to operate with the agility of SMO during normal conditions and seamlessly shift to a traditional command structure during crises. Such an approach seeks to optimize responsiveness and coordination based on situational demands, although further research is needed to develop and test such a model. Originality/value This work proposed a hybrid self-managed organizational model that can dynamically switch between decentralized and centralized structures based on the demands of a situation, something existing models such as Holacracy or Teal do not accommodate. Unlike prior approaches that advocate either fully autonomous or hierarchical systems, this paper introduces a flexible operational framework that integrates the strengths of both, aiming to optimize decision-making speed and coordination during crises. This concept challenges the rigidity of current models and opens new avenues for adaptive organizational design.
This paper explores and compares two participatory management approachesâthe Company Democracy Model and Holacracyâfor their application within the Indian Ministry of Education. It emphasizes the need for innovative organizational techniques in the management of the public sector, particularly in light of the dynamic demands posed by the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The study evaluates how these approaches enhance employee engagement and improve the quality of deliverables. Lewinâs Field Force Analysis is utilized to examine the organizationâs strategy. The study employs Kotterâs Change Model to assess the applicability of Holacracyâa decentralized, project-oriented system, characterized by its dynamic and self-organizing structures. This model is analyzed for its potential to meet the Ministryâs shifting priorities and to foster adaptability through autonomous teams. Conversely, the Company Democracy Model, which emphasizes employee-centric growth and decision-making within a tiered, spiral framework, is evaluated using the ADKAR Change Model. This modelâs compatibility with the Ministryâs hierarchical structure and its potential to enhance participatory governance are key areas of focus. The study contributes novel insights by integrating change management theories with a refined presentation of the CDM pyramid and by introducing specific performance metrics for both models. By combining theoretical frameworks with practical applications, this paper offers a sustainable governance model suited to dynamic organizational environments.
This article examines the interaction between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and territorial development in Akbou, Algeria, within the context of economic decentralization. Through a mixed-method approach, combining questionnaires, interviews, document analysis, and field observations, the study explores the role of SMEs in the local economy, as well as the challenges they face, such as access to financing and administrative complexity. Although rooted in local dynamics, Akbou's SMEs actively contribute to job creation, innovation, and strengthening social bonds. Cooperation between SMEs, local authorities, and support institutions is essential for overcoming obstacles and improving competitiveness. Recommendations include facilitating access to financing, promoting training, and modernizing infrastructure. These strategies could optimize the contribution of SMEs to territorial development, creating a resilient and inclusive economic ecosystem for the region.
This chapter examines various âtypes of organizationsâ (and subtypes within each) as an important issue for scholars because of the evolving and expanding nature of organizational types. It begins with a review of major existing types of organizations - including for-profits, nonprofits, benefit corporations, government/ public, etc. Two other broad approaches to understanding types of organizations are then presented. First, hidden/clandestine organizations represent a less visible type of collective found in various parts of society that may differ in key ways from more visible forms. Second, a range of other alternative organizational types that depart in significant ways from traditional forms are discussed (e.g., cooperatives, decentralized autonomous organizations, temporary organizations, etc.). The chapter concludes with a brief discussion about future work in our field around the topic of organizational types.
Edwine Barasa, Anthony Muchai Manyara, Sassy Molyneux, Benjamin Tsofa
BACKGROUND: In 2013, Kenya transitioned into a devolved system of government with a central government and 47 semi-autonomous county governments. In this paper, we report early experiences of devolution in the Kenyan health sector, with a focus on public county hospitals. Specifically, we examine changes in hospital autonomy as a result of devolution, and how these have affected hospital functioning. METHODS: We used a qualitative case study approach to examine the level of autonomy that hospitals had over key management functions and how this had affected hospital functioning in three county hospitals in coastal Kenya. We collected data by in-depth interviews of county health managers and hospital managers in the case study hospitals (n = 21). We adopted the framework proposed by Chawla et al (1995) to examine the autonomy that hospitals had over five management domains (strategic management, finance, procurement, human resource, and administration), and how these influenced hospital functioning. FINDINGS: Devolution had resulted in a substantial reduction in the autonomy of county hospitals over the five key functions examined. This resulted in weakened hospital management and leadership, reduced community participation in hospital affairs, compromised quality of services, reduced motivation among hospital staff, non-alignment of county and hospital priorities, staff insubordination, and compromised quality of care. CONCLUSION: Increasing the autonomy of county hospitals in Kenya will improve their functioning. County governments should develop legislation that give hospitals greater control over resources and key management functions.
The Internet and other telecommunications systems have reshaped the means by which markets are accessed, generated, and transformed. Recent innovations in computer science have led to the development of a virtually bound, decentralized, encrypted currency system known as bitcoin. Unlike conventional currency systems, the Bitcoin protocol is cryptologically defined with a virtual structure that allows it to simultaneously operate as currency, commodity, and market shaping socio-political force. Its decentralized design permits it to function as a free-market response to fiat currencies vulnerable to inflation, regulation, and manipulation. Given the cultural significance anthropologists and other social scientists have assigned to various modes and mediums of exchange over the years, the socio-economic impact of this novel currency system warrants particular consideration. This research describes the Bitcoin community that has emerged alongside the currency, including the entrepreneurs, developers, and consumers who are dedicated to bitcoinâs perpetuation and acceptance as an internationally recognized medium of exchange. Ethnographic interviews and participant observation were utilized to collect information from users in the Central Florida area, detailing their experiences and interactions with the Bitcoin protocol and its associated community. This research provides new levels of anthropological insight into currency development, market interaction, and economically embodied social commentary. Moreover, its exploratory nature helps create a viable framework around which qualitative inquiry of virtual crypto-currencies may be designed in future studies.