Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability

1:1 Modality for Online Students: Applications of Adult Learning Theory

Michelle Dennis, Jingyun Zhang — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Individual support for online students plays a significant role in building engagement. Further, personalized experiences, such as flexible start dates, serve to increase retention. This paper describes applications of a 1:1 modality for online instruction, delivered within an open-admissions institution that serves non-traditional students. Parameters of the instructional model are explained in the context of adult learning theory. A focus group composed of faculty serving in various programs teaching courses in the 1:1 model was conducted. Analysis of focus group data was conducted, revealing key themes. Future applications and directions are presented in the context of student engagement and retention.

Female Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Literature Review

John M. York, Christopher O. Wallace, Mariam Hanna — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This systematic literature review involving 34 articles investigates the impact of sociocultural, educational, economic, and policy-related factors on women's entrepreneurial ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa. It evaluates the effectiveness of current support mechanisms for female entrepreneurs. It highlights persistent issues, including limited access to finance, educational resources, and business networks, while noting emerging opportunities and successful initiatives. Despite progress, targeted policies and further research are necessary to address existing gaps and leverage new opportunities. This work offers multiple contributions, including an explanatory model, practical and policy recommendations, and an agenda for future research.

Innovations and Innovations of the Future in Selected Companies

Jacek Piotr Kwasniewski — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The key factor enabling the development of modern enterprises is innovation resulting mainly from new technologies. Scientific literature has distinguished various types of innovation, such as product, process, marketing and organizational, and at the same time, their sources: endogenous or exogenous, including domestic or foreign. Current innovations must be accompanied by actions aimed at defining innovations of the future, which cover a wide range of disciplines, such as information and communication technologies, renewable energy, medicine, education or transport. Own research conducted in the construction sector indicates the predominance of organizational innovations and planned innovations of the future related mainly to renewable energy, information and communication technologies and logistics. Further research on innovations of the future is necessary for a better understanding of innovation processes and their potential impact on social and economic changes. Consistent development of innovation strategies will be particularly important, including analysis of the impact of various factors on the level of innovation, which should contribute to building sustainable and more efficient economies.

Social Partnership With Multinational Enterprises (MNEs), and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Post-COVID Times in an Emerging Economy Like India – Integrating Volunteering and Social Entrepreneurship as Newer Strategic Healthcare Model t

Sampada Kumar Dash, Pinaki Das Gupta, P.V.K. Sasidhar — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical weaknesses in economic and healthcare systems, affecting India due to structural inequities and limited healthcare infrastructure. This study examines the role of Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in strengthening healthcare systems through volunteering and social entrepreneurship, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3): ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates systematic secondary analysis with primary data collection from 150 structured surveys and 25 in-depth interviews with healthcare and MSME stakeholders. Findings indicate that MSMEs played a critical role in maintaining healthcare supply chains, while volunteer-driven engagement models helped counter misinformation and enhance community resilience. This study advances the understanding of MSME-driven healthcare resilience during crises, filling a gap in research on corporate social entrepreneurship and public-private synergies in pandemic response. It underscores the need for structured public-private partnerships, institutionalized social entrepreneurship, and expanded digital health integration to strengthen pandemic resilience.

The Role of Women Empowerment on Environmental Sustainability: A Cross-Country Analysis

Ronia Hawash, Eiman Aiyash — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0500

The study aims to provide insights into the impact of women's political empowerment on environmental sustainability measured using the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. We use a panel dataset of 135 countries (30 developed and 105 developing) from 1990 to 2020. The analyses are conducted separately for developed and developing countries. We use the Women’s Political Empowerment Index (WPE) constructed by the Varieties of Development Project (V-Dem). WPE has three dimensions: women’s civil liberties, women’s participation in civil society, and women’s political participation. The dependent variable, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, along with control variables such as GDP per capita, population levels, and renewable energy consumption, are derived from the World Development Indicators (WDI) dataset. Using fixed effects (FE) panel data analysis, our findings indicate that, in most cases, higher levels of women’s political empowerment resulted in lower CO2 emissions across both developed and developing countries.