PurposeIn the world's quest to eradicate poverty, the means to get there are not fully understood, nor are they universally agreed upon. However, most would accept that the link between trade and development in general and exports and poverty reduction in particular needs to be strengthened and effects better understood. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that a management framework exists by which the linkage between exports and poverty reduction can be better understood and as a consequence strengthened.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the International Trade Centre's Priority Setting Framework to Export Development, a hypothetical strategy has been prepared for the Rwandan coffee sector, which reinforces the export development and poverty reduction linkage.FindingsMany strategies stop short at providing detailed action steps that result in the project's objectives being effectively implemented and its impact being measured.Practical implicationsThe framework can be used to guide national strategy‐makers, trade support organizations, sector associations, NGOs and the donor community in formulating, and more importantly, implementing poverty reduction initiatives in the context of export development.Originality/valueThe paper draws upon a methodology applied in trade related technical assistance and attempts to demonstrate this framework, which primarily addresses competitiveness issues can be rigorously applied to the design and implementation of an export‐led poverty reduction strategy.

PurposeThis paper explores the institutional and economic drivers of employability, as existing literature focuses on the individual and skills aspects, of employability. Tertiary institutions, possessing a strong academic reputation and standing amongst potential employers, will achieve high graduate employability, however when measured, this is not the case.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study builds on Santos' career boundary theory, recognising organisational boundaries; those related to the labour market, personal-aspects and finally, cultural boundaries (Santos, 2020). 37 Universities that provided their employability rate, within 12 months of graduation for 2020, are analysed. The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Ranking, measures drivers in terms of institutional reputation through survey responses, and partnerships with employers via research and placement data.FindingsThe regression explained 19% of the variation between the number of graduates being employed and the institutional and economic drivers. Universities in the same economic context, do not have the same number of employed students. Equally, those universities with the most favourable academic reputation, do not have the most employed student rate.Research limitations/implicationsOnly 37 universities provided all their employability data, thus, research with a larger sample will have to be conducted, but equally more needs to be done to establish why the smaller universities are unable to submit all the required data.Originality/valueAn exploratory understanding of the institutional and economic drivers of employability, is provided.

Industries and institutions are under pressure to do no harm in their processes of value creation, capture and delivery whilst  actively  limiting the harm their operations cause. As a consequence, and in the quest for more accountable, sustainable and humane behaviour, industries and institutions are being increasingly called upon to report on their operations in an integrated manner. Integrated reports combine information on the financial and non-financial aspects of firm performance with the purpose of showing how an organisation creates, preserves or erodes value over time. Such a report is usually of interest to providers of financial capital wishing to understand the wider impacts of the organisation, but are now becoming a document of interest to all types of stakeholders, including community members, customers, potential funders, academic institutions, suppliers and business partners. The integrated report is an outcome of several interrelated activities in a firm, including governance, strategic management, stakeholder engagement and risk management, to name a few. A variety of studies have indicated that whilst the construction of a comprehensive integrated report is a complex undertaking, skills related to systems thinking and integrated thinking can aid in the process. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate this connection between integrated reporting and systems thinking. Through the application of systems thinking it is proposed that the ability to perceive the interconnectedness of an organisation’s activities and resources and to be able to employ higher-level reasoning with regard to them, is enhanced. This can contribute to more effective governance and management of organisations, and by extension, to more realistic, comprehensive and informed integrated reports.