Journal of Business, Innovation and Economic Transformation

Examining Project Management Approaches in Institutional Repository Implementation: A Literature Review

2026-05-05T15:53:01+00:00

This article reviews literature on project management approaches applied in the implementation of institutional repositories (IRs) within academic libraries, with a focus on Zambia. The review synthesizes global, regional, and local perspectives, highlighting the status of IR adoption, the application of project management principles, and the challenges encountered. Findings indicated that while institutional repositories had become central to academic communication worldwide, African institutions continued to face infrastructural, policy, and resource constraints. Reported studies emphasized that structured project management frameworks, including Waterfall, Agile, and hybrid models, had been applied to improve repository sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with institutional goals. However, empirical evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa revealed deficiencies in monitoring, evaluation, and stakeholder coordination. The review concluded that context-sensitive project management models were essential for enhancing repository uptake and sustainability in Zambia.

The Role of Innovation in Enhancing Leadership Effectiveness in a Private University in Lusaka District: A Case Study of ZCAS University

2026-06-11T08:22:33+00:00

This study examines the role of innovation in enhancing leadership effectiveness at ZCAS University, a Tier 1 private university in Lusaka District, Zambia. The objective was to assess how pedagogical and technological innovation influences leadership effectiveness. Using a qualitative research methodology, the study investigated innovation practices and leadership dynamics through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. A purposive sampling technique was employed, targeting senior leadership, school deans, heads of department, and academic staff, yielding a total of 45 participants. Data collection techniques included in-depth interviews and documentary analysis to assess innovation adoption, leadership styles, and institutional performance outcomes. Data was analyzed thematically using NVivo software to identify patterns and relationships between innovation and leadership effectiveness at ZCAS University. Findings revealed that pedagogical and technological innovation positively influences leadership effectiveness by enhancing academic quality, improving staff motivation, and strengthening institutional decision-making. The study concludes that embedding innovation within leadership structures strengthens institutional performance and strategic positioning. It is recommended that ZCAS University formalize its innovation governance framework, invest in continuous leadership development programmes, and establish structured mechanisms for embedding pedagogical and technological innovation into all levels of institutional management. Policy implications suggest that private higher education institutions should institutionalize innovation as a strategic leadership function, aligning it with long-term organisational sustainability and national development objectives.

Artificial Intelligence Adoption in HIV Public Health as a Fourth Industrial Revolution Strategy: Evidence, Economics and Governance Imperatives From Zambia

2026-06-11T13:14:31+00:00

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) offers low- and middle-income countries new ways to transform public-health systems, yet artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in African health has been marked by a disconnect between technological capability and institutional readiness. This review examines the business, economic and governance dimensions of AI adoption in HIV programmes, using Zambia’s national HIV electronic-health-record system as its anchoring case. Its objective is to synthesise the evidence on 4IR and health-system transformation in resource-constrained settings and to clarify the conditions under which AI adoption becomes trustworthy, equitable and sustainable. The literature was reviewed thematically across global, regional and Zambian perspectives, integrating peer-reviewed and institutional sources with empirical evidence from a multi-facility AI research programme covering 246,053 patients across six Lusaka public-health facilities. The review finds that the principal constraints on trustworthy AI are not algorithmic but structural: composite data-quality scores fall below the threshold required for reliable model training, key sociodemographic fields are largely absent from the record, and governance frameworks for responsible deployment remain underdeveloped. Interpretable models are generally preferable to complex architectures in fragmented-data settings, and data governance emerges as both the highest-value economic investment and an equity imperative, since models trained on incomplete data may act on administrative missingness rather than clinical need. The review concludes that AI adoption in public health is primarily an economic and governance challenge rather than a technological one, and that sustainable progress depends as much on investment in data governance, workforce development and regulation as on algorithmic development. It identifies specific knowledge gaps in costing, prospective evaluation and operational governance that define an agenda for future empirical research.

Revisiting Parastatal Railway Performance in the 4IR: A Multi-Theoretical and Empirical Assessment of Maintenance, Leadership, and Policy Constraints at Zambia Railways Limited

2026-07-08T15:09:29+00:00

This study examines the intersection of organizational theory and infrastructure reform in the context of parastatal railway performance, using Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) as a case study within the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) environment. Drawing on Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Change Management, and Contingency Management Theory, the paper synthesizes contemporary scholarship on maintenance systems, leadership adaptation, and governance alignment to critically assess institutional performance constraints in state-owned railway enterprises. A structured review of peer-reviewed literature and institutional reports from 2010 to 2024 was conducted, with databases explored that included JSTOR, Scopus-indexed journals accessed via Google Scholar, and other indexed academic databases, complemented by contextual empirical insights from a survey on ZRL stakeholders (n = 109). The analysis identifies consistent patterns of institutional inefficiency linked to legacy maintenance systems, weak adaptive leadership, competitive pressure from road transport, and regulatory misalignment. Empirical evidence indicates that leadership effectiveness exerts the strongest influence on perceived performance, while funding adequacy alone does not independently predict improvement. These findings suggest that technological modernization under 4IR conditions is fundamentally mediated by governance capacity and organizational adaptation. The study contributes to infrastructure governance scholarship by reframing railway reform as an integrated institutional alignment process. It proposes a conceptual framework for repositioning ZRL and similar public transport enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Funding, Competition, and Regulatory Reform in State-Owned Railways: Rethinking Rail Transport Performance in Developing Economies under the Fourth Industrial Revolution

2026-07-09T10:27:16+00:00

State-owned railway enterprises in developing economies face increasing pressure to modernize in response to the technological and institutional transformations associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Despite their strategic importance for freight mobility, regional trade, and sustainable transport systems, many parastatal railway organizations continue to experience declining performance due to inadequate infrastructure investment, intensified competition from road transport, and weak regulatory governance. This study examines how these structural factors collectively influence the performance of Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL), a representative state-owned railway enterprise in Sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on Institutional Economics, Infrastructure Governance theory, and Contingency Management Theory to analyze the institutional and operational dynamics shaping railway sector performance in developing economies. An integrative literature review methodology was adopted, synthesizing empirical studies, policy reports, and scholarly literature published between 2010 and 2025. Sources were obtained from academic databases and development repositories, including JSTOR, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and institutional publications. The findings indicate that funding adequacy alone is insufficient to improve railway performance without effective governance systems, institutional accountability, and strategic policy coordination. The study further reveals that rising competition from road transport, coupled with weak regulatory enforcement and limited organisational adaptability, continues to undermine the competitiveness of parastatal railway enterprises. In the context of the 4IR, digital technologies such as predictive maintenance systems, automated logistics platforms, and data-driven operational management present significant opportunities for improving railway efficiency and sustainability. However, successful technological transformation depends on a supportive institutional framework, sustainable financing mechanisms, and organizational readiness for innovation. The study concludes that revitalizing railway systems in developing economies requires integrated reform strategies that align infrastructure investment, governance structures, regulatory effectiveness, and technological modernization within in coherent institutional framework. The paper contributes to infrastructure governance and transport policy discourse by providing a multidimensional perspective on railway sector reform under the evolving conditions of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.