PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between perceived supervisor support (PSS) and learner career curiosity and tests the mediating role of sense of belonging, engagement and learning self-efficacy.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a three-wave repeated cross-sectional data collected from 509 final-year undergraduate students of 11 Nigerian public universities, who had completed the compulsory work placement to analyze the influence of PSS on learner’s career curiosity via a parallel mediation involving sense of belonging, engagement (behavioural, emotional and cognitive) and self-efficacy.FindingsThe results show that engagement mediates the path through which PSS influences career curiosity. However, the authors found no evidence that sense of belonging and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between PSS and learner’s career curiosity in this population.Originality/valueThe findings of this study highlight the importance of PSS as a resource that influences learner’s career curiosity, particularly during a work placement.

PurposeDuring the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns, stay at home or work from home, many have argued that the westernised non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) do not provide remedial in low-income countries like Nigeria, where informal job seekers, street traders, informal labourers and artisans depend mainly on the informal economy. By applying social solidarity (SS) and community-based approach (CBA), the authors evaluate individual acts (trust, altruism and reciprocity) during the lockdown and how these practices evolve from individual approaches to collective actions.Design/methodology/approachThis study reflects on pragmatism research paradigm that enables researchers to maintain both subjectivity in their reflections and objectivity in data collection and analysis. The authors adopt a qualitative method through purposeful and convenience sampling procedure. Data were analysed thematically to identify elements of SS, individual acts, collective or community actions and perceptions.FindingsThe findings reveal that COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact (lack of food and a fall in daily income) on workers, informal job seekers, informal businesses operators and the poor households. As such, the study developed a reflective model of solidarity exhibited by individual acts and collective acts (practices of resource pooling, information sharing, women empowerment, distribution of palliatives and donations) within trusted circles that helped people cope with the lockdown experiences.Practical implicationsSolidarity represents beliefs, practices of values and norms. The SS exhibited by people through NPI would have implications on planning and monitoring the effectiveness of public health programmes during a pandemic in the future.Social implicationsThe findings of citizens and community actions have implications related to the process of building communities – coming together – and solidarity that enhances social development with implications on community health policy agenda during disasters, emergencies and health pandemic.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies to analyse the relationship between trust, altruism, reciprocity, SS and CBA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it seems reasonable to clarify the concept of SS given the lack of clarity about the definitions from previous studies.

This article explores innovations in and pedagogical approaches to Responsible Entrepreneurship Education (REE), with a specific focus on how to advance responsible entrepreneurial competencies (“know-how”) and entrepreneurial practices (“know-that”). Consequently, this article proposes the “4Rs” framework (re-imagining, reconfiguring, reshaping, and reforming) to guide entrepreneurship educators’ actions. Firstly, it is necessary to “re-imagine” the intended and enacted curriculum to develop a contemporary awareness and knowledge of social and environmental enterprises. Secondly, it is essential to “reconfigure” teaching pedagogies to problematize the entrepreneurship environment and outer world. Thirdly, it is required for educators to “reshape” the attained curriculum with the stakeholders to offer learners co-curricular and extracurricular experiences. Finally, pedagogical “reforms” provide an opportunity to incorporate innovations into the discovery of new knowledge and paths of responsibilities. These pedagogical approaches support entrepreneurial learning as “processes” and entrepreneurship as a “process” aligned to the achievement of responsible entrepreneurial behavior.

This article critically examines some of the financing sources available to small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and factors that influence investor's decisions. Based on a qualitative approach, this study draws on evidence from Nigerian digital firms, public, and private financers to explore suitable entrepreneurial financing model for SMEs. Thus, it extends the understanding of combinations of entrepreneurial finance and funding in the African context. The study offers fresh and rare illustrative insights on how public–private entrepreneurial finance partnership will provide affordable and adequate access to entrepreneurial finance. It further highlights the impact and relevance of different entrepreneurial financiers on SMEs development and growth. It recommends a collaborative partnership initiative that involves public and private financial consultants and business incubators working together to ensure that SMEs have access to appropriate finance for growth, development, and business sustainability.

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