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Higher education institutions discretionally participate in THE training of citizens for a sustainable world. Empirical evidence argues the synergetic effect of high-performance human resource practices (H-PHRPs) on its outcomes. Scholars have, however, questioned the appropriateness and applicability of H-PHRPs in developing economies, one of the eye-catching debates being the implicit universality of H-PHRPs. Literature has also banded the H-PHRPS and established the antecedent role of H-PHRPS on its outcomes. This study aims to examine the relative importance of H-PHRPs on discretionary work behavior (DWB) using a sample from public university employees to confirm the external validity of H-PHRPS constructs by replicating the findings in an Eastern setting and, more so, a developing nation like Uganda.

In the study, the authors used relative analysis to determine the role of H-PHRPs in enhancing DWB. The authors examined performance-based compensation, employee training and development, employee empowerment, competence-based performance appraisal and merit-based promotion as the H-PHRPs. The authors selected a sample of employees from Ugandan Universities used an explanatory study design to test the antecedent role of H-PHRPs on DWB.

The research results show that individual H-PHRPs significantly affect DWB. As regards the relative importance of H-PHRPs on DWB, the findings further reveal that H-PHRPs predicts DWB over and above its individual components.

The authors gathered the data from public universities; therefore, when applied to a scenario of private universities, the conclusions might not hold up. Therefore, to confirm the results of the current study, future research can take private universities into account. Although, the study was cross-sectional, high performance human resource strategies in an organization may evolve over time. This work paves the way for future longitudinal studies in the same field of study.

This research presents an understanding justification for human resources management strategies. Organizations’ managers should improve the morale of their employees through various management practices by strategically devising human resource practices geared toward enhancing employee DWB. Organizational managers ought to prioritize the high-performance practices in order of relative importance in enhancing employee DWB. By prioritizing human resource practices, like training and pay for performance, universities are able to proportionately direct distinctive focus on human resource practices that enhance employee behaviors.

The findings of the research have both empirical and theoretical significance. This is an innovative study that aims to determine the relative relevance of H-PHRPs on DWB by using a sample taken from Ugandan public universities which is a developing nation. From a theoretical standpoint, the study enhances the practicability of the social exchange theory by establishing that employees exhibit DWB to reciprocate the organization for the H-PHRPs provided by the organization.

Scientific knowledge is rich with literature on the antecedent role of social capital on resilience. However, empirical evidence has overlooked the role of the individual dimensions of bonding and bridging social capital on its outcomes. This study aims to extend empirical research on the influence of social capital facets of bonding social capital and bridging social capital on financial resilience and more specifically in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic where women SMEs mostly need bonding.

The study uses an explanatory research design to determine the hypothesized effect of social capital on financial resilience. The authors used regression to test the hypothesized relationship using a sample of three hundred and eight four women-owned SMEs in Kampala registered with Kampala City Traders Association.

According to the findings, the social bonding provides female entrepreneurs with emotive encouragement and inspiration through personal connections and responsibility sharing. Furthermore, women entrepreneurs bridging, which consisted of business networks, made it easier for them to identify new financial opportunities, which ultimately led to an increase in their financial resilience. The findings placed an emphasis on the significance of fellow business owners as sources of knowledge and assets that are crucial to maintaining one's financial resilience.

Data were collected from women owned SMEs, and the application of the findings may be limited to women SMEs in Kampala District. Therefore, future research should replicate the current study findings using a sample drawn from other SMEs owned by both male and female from outside Kampala because of changes in operating environment. The study was cross-sectional, and financial resilience of a firm changes was periodical. This study paves the way for future longitudinal research in the same topic area, which will allow for a more complete comprehension of the financial resiliency of SMEs throughout a range of different time periods.

Research findings shape trajectory for current practitioners of SMEs to establish relevant social bonding and bridging as social capital in preparation for financial resilience in case of any pandemic.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to establish the antecedent role of social capital on financial resilience during an economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, using a sample of women-owned medium- and small-sized businesses in Kampala.