The study explores the relationship between authentic leadership, psychological capital, and work engagement among educators in the Makhado Municipality. The primary aim was to assess how authentic leadership influences educators’ psychological capital and examine how psychological capital impacts work engagement. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a survey-based approach to collect data from a sample of educators across 15 primary schools within the Makhado Municipality. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the data and test the relationships between authentic leadership, psychological capital, and work engagement. Results indicate that authentic leadership has a significant positive influence on the psychological capital of educators. In turn, psychological Capital was found to have a strong positive impact on work engagement, suggesting that educators who perceive their leaders as authentic are more likely to experience higher levels of psychological well-being and engagement in their work. This study contributes to the literature on leadership and educator well-being by demonstrating the value of authentic leadership in promoting a supportive work environment that enhances educators’ psychological capital and engagement. The educational management and policy implications emphasize the need for leadership development programs that foster authentic leadership behaviors to improve educator performance and overall school effectiveness.

Smallholder paprika farmers in Zimbabwe contribute to local economies and food security but face supply chain challenges like limited market access and poor infrastructure which lead to post harvest losses and unpredictable prices. To survive, these farmers must adopt sustainable value networks to reduce operational costs and improve performance. This study sought to establish the effect of sustainable value networks on the operational performance of smallholder paprika farming in Zimbabwe. This study, using a positivist research philosophy and a quantitative approach, surveyed 288 smallholder paprika farmers in Zimbabwe. Exploratory factor analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling were used to validate the constructs and test the hypothesised relationships. Results demonstrate a moderate level of implementation of value networks in smallholder paprika farming characterised by successes and challenges. The findings illustrated resource sharing among smallholder farmers, facilitated by initiatives, such as recycled seed exchanges and financial support through village savings and loan associations. However, results show that challenges persist, particularly with market access and financial support. Results indicate that there is a significant awareness and implementation of green supply chain management practices among smallholder paprika farmers even though they do not have access to resources and live in rural areas. The findings demonstrate that value networks significantly influence the adoption of green supply chain management practices, which in turn positively impact operational performance, environmental performance, and social performance. Green supply chain management practices were found to mediate the relationship between value networks and environmental performance, social performance, and operational performance, underlining the critical role of sustainable practices in enhancing performance outcomes. While environmental performance showed a positive effect on operational performance, the direct influence of social performance on operational performance was found to be statistically insignificant, suggesting the need for further exploration of the factors linking social benefits to operational efficiency. The research contributes to both theory and practice by presenting a sustainable value network model for smallholder paprika farmers, integrating value network, green supply chain management practices and environmental performance to enhance operational performance. Practical implications include policy recommendations to strengthen collaboration between smallholder farmers and other stakeholdersand address power imbalances with intermediaries. Future research should extend the study to other agricultural sectors and incorporate more diverse stakeholder perspectives to validate and generalise the proposed sustainable value network model.

In modern conditions of instability and changes in the factors of the environment of the functioning of many business structures, the construction of their management systems is becoming more complicated; the issue of the conceptual principles of enterprise management is becoming especially important. The conducted research is aimed at substantiating the conceptual principles of enterprise management, defining tasks, and developing recommendations for increasing the efficiency of business processes, strengthening economic potential, and ensuring adaptation to modern challenges. It was determined that under the enterprise management system, it is advisable to consider the methods of influence and interaction between the subject and the object of management, which is based on compliance with principles, using methods, and performing functions in order to achieve the set goals and fulfill the tasks of the enterprise’s activities. The authors proposed a structure of procedural support for building an enterprise management system, which includes. The study developed a system of principles for building organizational structures for managing the activities of enterprises. The main principles of organizing the process of managing a production enterprise include achieving economic efficiency, personal material interest, single leadership, self-management, proportionality, and systematicity. The main recommendations for improving the efficiency of business processes and ensuring adaptation to modern challenges include: the use of digital platforms for promoting the corporate mission, vision and values; the creation of interactive employee training programs; the use of analytical tools for collecting and analyzing data; forecasting market trends and modeling development scenarios; the implementation of systems for integrating key enterprise functions; the use of specialized platforms for risk assessment; building a culture of innovation; methodological support for monitoring the results of the implementation of digital tools; the integration of environmental and social initiatives into all levels of management.