Research Article
Strategic Equilibrium in Civil-Military Relations: Insights from Malawi’s Democratic Transition
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 2, December 2025
Pages:
52-58
Received:
3 November 2025
Accepted:
12 November 2025
Published:
9 December 2025
Abstract: This article examines the strategic equilibrium of civil-military relations in democratic Malawi, focusing on the effectiveness of institutional actors in striking a balance between military professionalism and democratic accountability. Drawing on qualitative data from 65 informants across the judiciary, legislature, civil society, and the Malawi Defence Force (MDF), the study conceptualizes effectiveness as a dynamic interplay of constitutional fidelity, participatory engagement, and operational legitimacy. It integrates four theoretical traditions: Huntington’s Institutional Theory, Schiff’s Concordance Theory, Feaver’s Agency Theory, and Janowitz’s sociological perspective, providing a multidimensional lens for evaluating actor performance in transitional democracies. The Rhombus Diamond Framework is introduced as a diagnostic tool that positions the military as a fulcrum balancing four civilian nodes: elected authorities, civil authorities, civil society/media, and the judiciary. Effectiveness is assessed using five indicators: deliberative participation, monitoring mechanisms, judicial responsiveness, operational satisfaction, and peace/security outcomes. Findings reveal that while the MDF enjoys high public trust and operational competence, civilian actors face persistent challenges, including technical capacity gaps, politicization, and institutional inertia. Comparative insights from Ghana, Zambia, and Argentina underscore the importance of meritocracy, civic education, and institutional integrity in fostering effective civil-military relations. The study highlights the need for recalibrated actor roles, joint training programs, and decentralized security structures to bridge the familiarity gap and enhance participatory governance. By integrating indigenous epistemology with comparative analysis, the article presents a context-sensitive model for assessing institutional performance and informing policy reform. Ultimately, this study contributes to academic and policy debates by offering a grounded, actor-specific framework for strengthening democratic oversight and sustaining strategic equilibrium in civil-military relations. It advocates for embedding the Rhombus Diamond Framework into national security policy to promote balanced governance, safeguard constitutionalism, and ensure resilient civil-military synergy in transitional democratic contexts.
Abstract: This article examines the strategic equilibrium of civil-military relations in democratic Malawi, focusing on the effectiveness of institutional actors in striking a balance between military professionalism and democratic accountability. Drawing on qualitative data from 65 informants across the judiciary, legislature, civil society, and the Malawi ...
Show More
Review Article
Consumer Behavior in the Digital Era: A Systematic Literature Review of Internal and External Influences, Learning and Decision-making Dynamics
Elias Susi Degefa*
,
Shimels Zewdie Werke
Issue:
Volume 9, Issue 2, December 2025
Pages:
59-70
Received:
7 November 2025
Accepted:
18 November 2025
Published:
11 December 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ipa.20250902.12
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: Purpose: This study investigates the key determinants of digital consumer habits during the swift expansion of AI-driven platforms and social commerce between 2020 and 2025. It examines how internal psychological factors, external socio-technological influences, learning processes and innovation adoption jointly shapes online purchase decisions. As digital ecosystems increasingly integrate artificial intelligence, personalization and algorithmic recommendations, understanding these multidimensional drivers become essential for explaining how consumers form. Maintain and modify habitual online behaviors Methods: A Systematic Literature Review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. A total of 31 peer reviewed articles published between 2020 to 2025 were identified through ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and ResearchGate. Descriptive analysis mapped publication trends, geographical distribution, methodological preferences and underlying theoretical Models. Thematic synthesis was applied to extract and integrate the main determination of digital consumer habits across technological, psychological and social domain. Findings: The shows a steady global rise in research on digital consumer habits with Asian studies focusing largely on personalization, livestream commerce and AI -mediated engagement, while western studies emphasize privacy concerns, data ethics and trust. Across contexts, trust, perceived usefulness, social influence and platform usability emerged as the most consistent predictors of behavioral intention. In addition, repeated interaction, positive reinforcement, familiarity with platform features and social learning processes significantly increased consumer confidence, technology adoption likelihood and long-term loyalty. Contributions: The study offers an integrated framework that connects internal cognition, external digital ecosystems and consumer learning processes to explain the formation of digital consumption habits. It advances theoretical understanding by linking and extending TAM, TPB, DOI and S-O-R models to better capture user behavior within AI-enhanced digital environments.
Abstract: Purpose: This study investigates the key determinants of digital consumer habits during the swift expansion of AI-driven platforms and social commerce between 2020 and 2025. It examines how internal psychological factors, external socio-technological influences, learning processes and innovation adoption jointly shapes online purchase decisions. As...
Show More
