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Research Article
Build, Buy, or Borrow – Outsourcing Talent-Based Agility in Global Retail Organisations
Dora Ioana Damian*,
Catalina Radu
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 3, June 2026
Pages:
184-194
Received:
24 March 2026
Accepted:
22 April 2026
Published:
15 May 2026
Abstract: In contemporary digitally mediated and economically volatile environments, organisations face mounting pressure to reconfigure capabilities rapidly in response to technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, and persistent talent shortages. Within this context, outsourcing has evolved beyond its traditional cost-efficiency rationale to become a strategic mechanism for accessing scarce expertise, enhancing capability flexibility, and supporting organisational agility through build–buy–borrow talent configurations. This study investigates how outsourcing strategies interact with talent management systems to influence organisational agility in global organisations. Adopting a qualitative comparative case study design based on publicly available secondary data, the article examines three multinational retail firms (Carrefour, Tesco, and Walmart) through thematic analysis structured around outsourcing logic, talent orientation, agility implications, and governance mechanisms. The findings indicate that outsourcing does not, in itself, generate agility; rather, agility outcomes depend on the degree of alignment between externally sourced capabilities, retained internal talent, and governance capacity. Carrefour reflects a partnership-intensive model that facilitates rapid access to digital capabilities but also increases dependency risk where critical knowledge remains externalised. Tesco demonstrates a more hybrid and increasingly rebalanced approach, combining selective external sourcing with stronger internal integration. Walmart exhibits the most internally anchored model, in which selective outsourcing complements substantial in-house digital and supply-chain capabilities, thereby supporting stronger operational and strategic agility. Across the cases, governance quality, knowledge reintegration, and internal capability retention emerge as decisive moderators of the outsourcing–agility relationship. On this basis, the article advances an Agile Outsourcing–Talent Alignment Model, arguing that organisational agility is best understood as the outcome of alignment between sourcing strategy, talent architecture, and governance rather than outsourcing intensity alone. The study contributes to the literature by integrating outsourcing, talent management, and agility into a unified analytical framework and offers practical guidance for designing capability-based sourcing strategies.
Abstract: In contemporary digitally mediated and economically volatile environments, organisations face mounting pressure to reconfigure capabilities rapidly in response to technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, and persistent talent shortages. Within this context, outsourcing has evolved beyond its traditional cost-efficiency rationale to becom...
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Research Article
A Dynamic Panel Analysis of Unemployment Determinants in African Economies
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 3, June 2026
Pages:
195-207
Received:
2 May 2026
Accepted:
15 May 2026
Published:
26 May 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijefm.20261403.12
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: Unemployment represents one of the most pressing economic challenges confronting countries worldwide, It affects not only developing countries but also developed countries. However, the factors influencing employment outcomes vary across regions, and African countries exhibit distinctive structural characteristics that shape their labor markets. The lack of consensus in the literature regarding the key determinants of unemployment in Africa, combined with the relative scarcity of empirical studies, makes it difficult to design effective policy responses. Therefore, This study seeks to identify and quantify the main economic factors influencing unemployment in African countries over the period 2001–2023. The analysis covers 34 countries and employs several panel data techniques, including Pooled OLS, Fixed Effects (FEM), Random Effects (REM), and the Dynamic Generalized Method of Moments (difference GMM). The investigation focuses on four principal economic determinants: Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation (INF), foreign direct investment (FDI), and the share of wage and salaried workers (WAGE). The study relied on the results of estimating the generalized dynamic Moments method, and The empirical findings reveal a negative relationship between unemployment and each of these variables. Among them, GDP exerts the strongest effect in reducing unemployment, followed by the share of wage and salaried workers, FDI, and inflation.
Abstract: Unemployment represents one of the most pressing economic challenges confronting countries worldwide, It affects not only developing countries but also developed countries. However, the factors influencing employment outcomes vary across regions, and African countries exhibit distinctive structural characteristics that shape their labor markets. Th...
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Research Article
Stock Market Listing and Firm Performance in Mozambique: Exploring the Incentive Gap in a
Bank-dominated Economy
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 3, June 2026
Pages:
208-224
Received:
2 May 2026
Accepted:
13 May 2026
Published:
26 May 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijefm.20261403.13
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between stock market listing and firm performance, considering whether this association helps to explain the limited participation of firms in Mozambique’s stock exchange, the Bolsa de Valores de Moçambique (BVM). Prior studies reveal mixed outcomes. We employed the Related-Sample Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to compare the median pre-and post-listing ROA of the listed firms. Also, using panel data for Mozambican firms, we estimate hybrid random effects and two step system GMM models to address endogeneity and reverse causality. Results show a consistently statistically nonsignificant relationship between listing status and our measures of performance (ROA and ROE), both within and between firm levels. Moreover, listing does not significantly reduce agency costs, and its effect on leverage is negative at the between-firm level, suggesting listed firms carry lower debt than expected. Control variables, particularly leverage and agency costs, exhibit significant negative effects on firm performance, underscoring financial fragility and governance challenges. Overall, findings indicate that listing on the BVM does not enhance firm performance, helping explain firms’ reluctance to list. These results highlight the institutional voids in Mozambique’s capital market and suggest that without stronger infrastructure, investor protection, and governance reforms, listing will remain unattractive to most firms.
Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between stock market listing and firm performance, considering whether this association helps to explain the limited participation of firms in Mozambique’s stock exchange, the Bolsa de Valores de Moçambique (BVM). Prior studies reveal mixed outcomes. We employed the Related-Sample Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test to co...
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