Retention of Civil Organizations Members and Political Participation: Possible Relationships

Dias Rafael Magul — 2024-09-09

Objective: to explore the influence of retention of civil society organizations (CSOs) members on political participation. Theoretical framework: members of CSOs are likely to engage in various political activities. The propensity of members to participate in political practices may be influenced by their retention, which enables the development of democratic competencies and values, civic skills and virtues, and other political resources that foster political engagement. Methods: an explanatory quantitative research was carried out, using data from 234 members of CSOs in Mozambique, collected through a questionnaire consisting of validated scales of members’ retention and political participation. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the five research hypotheses, using weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted (WLSMV) as the estimation method, considering member retention practices as a second-order construct to explain each of the dimensions of political participation. Results: The hypothesis testing pointed to the non-rejection of two hypotheses, demonstrating that: member retention practices significantly explain political contact; and member retention practices significantly explain civic engagement. Conclusion: the study demonstrates that the propensity of CSOs members to participate in various political practices can be explained by member retention, which adds value to the literature. The findings contribute to human resource management in CSOs seeking to foster individual capacity to participate in democratic political processes, as well as those aiming to promote the expansion of democracy in society.

The Impact of IT-Business Strategic Alignment on The Transformation and Operations of Pre-Digital Businesses

Francisco Massaro Mendes-da-Silva — 2024-09-09

Objective: this study aims to answer the following research question: How does IT-business strategic alignment (ITBSA) influence the sustaining or transformation of a pre-digital business? This objective was defined due to the critical importance of this topic for executives responsible for keeping such businesses adaptive and competitive in the face of the digital era’s opportunities and threats. Theoretical approach: the theoretical background of this article is formed by pre-digital and digital business models, IT-business strategic alignment, focusing on IT-enabled business support, IT-enabled business transformation, digital optimization, and digital transformation. Method: following the development of a research model and propositions,
a case study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with executives from a multinational industrial company. These interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a deductive data collection and analysis protocol, supported by NVivo software. Results: the presence of organizational silos and the absence of a digital strategy were identified as key issues that have impacted the transformation of the pre-digital business studied. These challenges were mapped not only through case study analysis but also by triangulating these findings with the existing literature. Conclusion: despite the integration of an emerging digital strategy into ITBSA, traditional practices can still be helpful to mitigate the identified issues of strategic misalignment and organizational silos. For instance, executives need to maintain a balanced focus on both intellectual and social alignments to ensure that IT, business, and digital strategies collectively enable the business operations and transformation.

Journal of Contemporary Administration

Retention of Civil Organizations Members and Political Participation: Possible Relationships

The Impact of IT-Business Strategic Alignment on The Transformation and Operations of Pre-Digital Businesses