Abstract:

This study investigates the impact of venture capital (VC) financing on the growth of innovative start-up companies in Nigeria. The number of people that are extremely poor has fallen in all regions of the world except Sub-Saharan Africa. This has triggered a reinvigorated discourse, internationally, on the strategy to reduce poverty rate in the continent. Many African countries including Nigeria have taken bold steps towards crafting strategies to promote inclusive growth that incorporates private sector development. Supporting entrepreneurship by providing appropriate funding is one of the strategies. In developed countries, venture capital has significant impact on the performance of start-ups. In contrast, the performance of venture capital in developing countries especially Nigeria has been unsatisfactory. Venture capital industry in Nigeria is relatively nascent.

Exploratory research design was employed in this study due to the fact that venture capital is relatively an unknown area in Nigeria. This study adopted an inductive research approach. In addition, qualitative research method was employed. In-depth interviews were carried out to collect qualitative data and the data was subsequently analysed using content analysis method. A sample of 30 start-ups from a total population of 120 start-ups in Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi and Abuja was randomly drawn using systematic sampling technique. Qualitative data analysis was performed using NVivo which is a comprehensive qualitative data analysis software package. NVivo software was used to organize and analyse in-depth interviews, field notes and textual sources.

It was found that venture capital financing has an impact on the growth of innovative start-ups. The use of VC financing increased profitability, spurs employment growth, boosted asset base, and improved the quality of management for VC-backed start-ups. Taking into account this positive trend in enterprise sustainability, it was concluded from the study that Venture capital-backed start-ups will make more meaningful contributions to the society. These contributions could be in form of improvement in productivity, reduction in poverty rate, paying taxes to government and overall growth of the economy. The recommendation from the study was that there should be an enabling environment for VC investments to blossom.

Keywords: Venture capital finance, start-up companies, entrepreneurship, innovation.

References:

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Abstract:

“What helps people helps business.” Leo Burnett.

This paper investigates the implementation of the marketing concept thereby allowing entrenchment of marketing orientation in the service industry in Malawi. Of the service industry, banking was the focus in this study to see how marketing orientation and technology have enabled the implementation of the marketing concept. If businesses including banks are to be marketing oriented, they must implement fully the marketing concept. In doing so, they must have the marketers at the top table. This article aims to review the use and embracement of technology in banks to enhance its marketing orientation. The investigation was done through qualitative methodology where top-marketing executives in the banks participated in the study in depth interviews. Top marketing executives were interviewed using a discussion questionnaire to understand the organizations structure, technology in use and the level of involvement in decision-making. Data analysis made use of thematic grouping to gain the direction, behavior and practice in the banking industry to determine the level of marketing professionals’ engagement in decision-making and technological use in the same efforts that relate to marketing orientation and implementation of the marketing concept.

Generally, the banking industry does not have a fully-fledged and well-resourced marketing department that would effectively implement the marketing concept thereby being fully marketing oriented. Lack of resources both financial and human capital for marketing department is apparent in the banking sector.

Keywords: marketing orientation, marketing concept, banking technology, banking services.

References:

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Abstract:

The growth, profit and survival of any firm irrespective of its policies relies positively on how well the consumers wants and needs are satisfied by the firm’s products or services and this can inversely be improved by global education, research and technology for sustainable development. It is through marketing that a firm can identify and offer products that will satisfy the wants and needs of customers or consumers and also cause sustainable growth and development.

By tailoring marketing programs to individual marketing segments, management can do a better marketing job and make more efficient use of marketing resources. This study then seeks to look at the application of market segmentation and its significance to strategic marketing in Nigeria and how it can improve global education, research and technology for sustainable development by using a case study of Kaduna Flour Mill. Detailed and current background information about Kaduna Flour Mill and their products was obtained while personal interviews were conducted at different locations in the metropolis to ascertain the extent to which the company applies market segmentation in marketing their numerous products. However, the findings of this research study are analyzed and discussed in chapter four while conclusion and recommendation were drawn and made in chapter five.

The micro environment includes, naturally, actors like customers, suppliers and intermediaries, competitors, as well as investors and financial institutions, and in addition also the media, communities, the government, different interest groups and the public. Customers, regardless whether they are individual consumers, other businesses, retailers or public service providers, can probably be regarded as the most important factor when considering the strategic approach to sustainable development.

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Abstract:

This paper assesses the impact of Venture Capital financing on growth of SMEs. Government all of the world are seeking to improve unemployment situation in their respective countries. One of the numerous ways governments can use to reduce unemployment is to ensure there is more SMEs and also accelerating it growth. This study therefore examining the impact of venture capital financing on growth of SMEs. Data for this study was collected from 40 SMEs who are being financing from the venture capital funds. The instrument used was mainly questionnaire. Descriptive statistics like frequency, mean score and percentages were the statistical tools used. ANOVA and regression were the inferential statistical tools used to ascertain the impact of venture capital financing on growth of SMEs. The main aim of this paper was to examine the impact of Venture Capital financing on the growth of SMEs. The study found that businesses have expanded, improved in the profitability, number of employees have gone up due to VCF financing. The study also found that VCF has significant influence on the performance of SMEs. The study found that most of the businesses have turnovers low the threshold of World Bank. It is therefore recommended that fund managers will intensify their advisory role to ensure that businesses increase their turnovers.

Keywords: Venture Capital, Financing, and growth of SMEs.

References:

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[8].     Kayanula, D. & Quartey P. (2000), The Policy Environment For Promoting Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises in Ghana and Malawi, Finance and Development Research Programme, Working Paper Series Paper No. 15, IDPM, University of Manchester. Mambula, C. (2002), “Perceptions of SME Growth Constraints in Nigeria”, Journal of Small Business Management, 40(1), pp. 58-65.

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[10].  Michaelas, N., Chittenden, F., & Poutziouris, P. (1999). Financial Policy and Capital Structure Choice in U.K. SMEs: Empirical Evidence from Company Panel Data. Small Business Economics, 12(2), 113-130.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1008010724051

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[13].  TYKVOVA, T. (2007). ‘What do economists tell us about venture capital contracts? Journal of Economic Surveys, 21(1), 65 – 89.

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Abstract:

The article underlines the threats to sustainable development because of the politicization of the educational system of Ghana. This paper also highlights the point that there is a correlation between national development and a nation’s achievement in education. This is actually one of the explanations why most advanced nations put in so much resource in the education of its citizenry. Definitely with a high probable expectation of developing its infrastructural and human capital for national growth. This is so because of the fact that the education of the people in a nation is a sure bet of the rate of that nation’s growth in both economically and sustainable development and the catalyst that brings about the needed revitalization of the people that makes up the nation. It also the force that forms a wall for a nation’s defense. This therefore supports the perception that a nation’s growth is always equal to the level of its intellects. In light of the above, there is the need for successive governments to always accord education the necessary support in terms of policy formulation and implementation, continuity of policy and proper management of government allocated fund to make the educational sector not only vibrant but also beneficial. Politicization of the Ghanaian educational system has been and continues to be a bane to education in Ghana as well as a threat to the sustainable development of the country and there is the urgent need to combat this menace before it gets out of hand. To avert this, useful recommendations are made.

Keywords: Politicization of Education, Sustainable Development, Ghana.

References:

[1]. Adesina, S. (2005). Growth without development: Nigeria's educational experience between 1914 - 2004. Ibara, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria: Educational Industries Nigeria.

[2]. Afolabi, F.O and Loto, A.B (2012) Socio-political vicissitudes and bureaucratic constrains on educational policy formulation and implementation in Nigeria.

[3]. E. Orji Kingdom, Job Maekae. The role of education in national development: nigerian experience, European Scientific Journal, 2013 edition vol.9, No.28 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e -ISSN 1857- 7431

[4]. ESID Working Paper (2016, forthcoming). ‘Decentralization and teacher accountability in Ghana: How the political settlement shapes the education sector at the district and school levels’, by Edward Ampratwum, Mohammed Awal and Franklin Oduro.

[5]. John Kwaku Opoku, Eric Manu and Frimpong Wiafe. RELIGION, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE___Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) , Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Vol.3, No.12, pp.6-18, December 2015.

[6]. Ministry of Education (May 2014), report of the technical committee on conversion of the polytechnics in Ghana to technical universities.

[7]. Politicizing Education, Greater Kashmir Srinagar News, Retrieved from http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2012/Oct/12/politicizing-education-18.asp.

[8]. Rudolph, S. H. & Rudolph, L. I. (1972) Education and politics in India: Studies in Organization, Society and Policy, Harvard University Press, New Delhi.

[9]. The National Centre for Curriculum Development and Educational Research, n.d., Elements of Basic Education Curriculum, Khartoum: Federal Ministry of Education.

[10].  UNESCO, 2010. Protecting Education from Attack. A State of the Art Review. Printed by UNESCO, France.

[11].  UNICEF. (2000). Defining Quality in Education, a publication of UNICEF, N.Y. Zargar, Abdul Majid. (2012, Oct. 12).

[12].  World Bank. 2000. Higher Education in Developing Countries: Peril and Promise, Washington DC: World Bank.

[13].  Y.K. Singh (2008). Philosophical Foundation of Education, ABH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi.

[14].  http://www.effectivestates.org/wpcontent/uploads/briefing_papers/finalpdfs/esid_bp_17_Ghana_education.pdf (Accessed on 16/04/2017)

[15].  http://www.academia.edu/6171940/Politicization_of_Education-Nepal (Accessed on 16/04/2017)

[16].  http://www.ghana-news.adomonline.com/news/2016/february-24th/authorities-at-k-poly-warn-of-politicization-of-technical-universities.php (Accessed on 16/04/2017)

Abstract:

This study had the aim of examining the influence that national cultures have on the formulated business ethics and codes of conduct being implemented in multinational corporations. It is an undeniable fact that individual employees who make up the workforce come from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. In the light of this, it became more interesting to find out if their cultural backgrounds affect their ability to adhere to the ethics of the organizations they work for. The focus was on the national culture of Ghana and the imported business ethics by the management of multinational organizations operating in the country. Hofstede’s groundbreaking work and the GLOBE expanded scope study remains the largest study to examine national culture with selected countries specifically for the purpose of providing valuable guidance to individuals seeking to work effectively across such differences.The result as put forward by the various research data on this subject especially from Hofstede and the GLOBE shows that the national culture of Ghana does not necessarily affect the implementation and enforcement of the corporate ethics in multinational firms operating in Ghana. On the contrary, most of the multinational organizations come from a very strong and regulated corporate ethics environment established by legal regimes in their home country. It is also worth noting that most of the multinational firms conduct orientation for new employees and occasionally for old staff as well.

Keywords: Corporate Business Ethics, National Culture, Ghana, Employee orientation, organizational culture, Multinational corporations.

References:

[1].     Akatey N. (2014) “The relevance of cultural diversity and national development”

[2].     Alireza Nazarian, Zahir Irani, & Maged Ali “The Relationship between National Culture and Organizational Culture: The Case of Iranian Private Sector Organizations” Journal of Economics, Business and Management, Vol. 1, No. 1, February 2013

[3].     Enginoglu, D & Arikan, C. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences March. 2016. Vol. 6, No.5 www.ijsk.org/ijrss

[4].     Ferrell, O. C., & Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases. Nelson Education.

[5].     Furber, A; Smith, S.D & Crapper, M (2012) A case study of the impact of cultural Differences during a construction project in Ghana In: Smith, S.D (Ed) Procs 28^th Annual ARCOM Conference, 3-5 September 2012, Edinburgh, UK, Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 553-562.

[6].     Gary R. Weaver, G., TreviÑo, L., & Cochran, P. “Integrated and Decoupled Corporate Social Performance: Management Commitments, External Pressures, and Corporate Ethics Practices” sourced from http://amj.aom.org/content/42/5/539.full

[7].     Gjura, Edlira (Tukaj), “The importance of national culture studies in the organizational context” European Scientific Journal April 2013 edition vol.9, No.11 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431

[8].     Godwilla, Y. & Damanpour, F. “The MNCS Global Ethics and Social Responsibility: A Strategic Diversity Management Imperative” Journal of Diversity Management – 2006 Volume 1, Number 2

[9].     Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences. Comparing values, behaviors, institutions and Organizations across nations, Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.

[10].  https://www.cleverism.com/understanding-cultures-people-hofstede-dimensions/

[11].  http://www.trade.gov/goodgovernance/adobe/bem_section_2/chapter_4.pdf Date sourced: 1/5/2017

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[15].  Kadian-Baumeyer, K. (2017) “New Employee Orientation: Function & Characteristics”

[16].  Martin, Gillian. (2014), Journal of Diversity Management – December 2014 Volume 9, Number 2

[17].  Mooij M., & Hofstede G. (2010). The Hofstede model Applications to global branding and advertising strategy and research. International Journal of Advertising, 29, 85-110.

[18].  Rufei He & Jianchao Liu (2010) “Barriers of Cross Cultural Communication in Multinational Firms”

[19].  The GoG-UNFPA 5^th Country Programme, 2 006-2010

[20].  Thorne LeClair, D. & Ferrell, L. Journal of Business Ethics (2000) 23: 313. doi:10.1023/A:1006266526120

[21].  Weaver, G. & TrevinAo, L “The role of human resources in ethics/compliance management a fairness perspective” Human Resource Management Review 11 (2001) www.HRmanagementreview.com Quinn Mill, D. (1993) Rebirth of Corporation, New York, Wiley.

Abstract:

In recent times, the significance of Accrual-based Public Sector Accounting Standards (AIPSAS) in financial reporting is gaining momentum and current debates are moving in the trend of full AIPSAS reporting. The move to new reporting standards results in numerous challenges. The main objective of this study was to ascertain the factors affecting the implementation of Accrual-Based International Public Sector Accounting Standards (AIPSAS) in the Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. A questionnaire which was quantitative in nature was used to collect the data from the respondents. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 480 accounting practitioners. Pearson regression analysis was used to analyse the results. The study showed that there is a significant positive relationship between level of accounting education and training and the implementation of AIPSAS with a regression coefficient of 0.295, and P-value of 0.000. There is also a significant positive relationship between different levels of costs and implementation of AIPSAS with a regression coefficient of 0.627, and P-value of 0.000.It could be concluded that the level of accounting education and training and the different level of costs affect the implementation of AIPSAS in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Therefore, the study recommends improving capacity building through training and education and establishment of strong financial reporting standards’ enforcement body. The study again recommends inclusion of IPSAS in the academic curricula, inclusion of IPSAS implementation fund in the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF).

Keywords: Accrual-Based International Public Sector Accounting Standards, Implementation, Challenges, Accounting Education and Training, Costs.

References:

[1]. Alp, A and Ustuntag, S. (2009). Financial reporting transformation the expedience of Turkey. Critical perspective on Accounting, 20,680-699. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2007.12.005.

[2]. Christiaens, J., Reyniers, B. Rollé, C. (2010). Impact of IPSAS on Reforming Governmental Financial Information Systems: A Comparative Study. International Review of Administrative Sciences 76(3): 537- 554. 8.

[3]. Edogbanya, A., & Kamardin, H. (2014). Adoption of international financial reporting standards in Nigeria: Concepts and issues. Journal of Advanced Management Science, 2(1), 72-75. doi:10.12720/joams.2.1.72-75.

[4]. Field, A. (2012). Discovering Statistics Using SPSS, (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, California, CA: SAGE publications Ltd.

[5]. Gujarati, D 2003, Basic econometrics, McGraw Hill, New York, NY.

[6]. Hepworth, N. (2003), Preconditions for Successful Implementation of Accrual Accounting in Central Government, Public Money & Management, Vol. 23, no. 1, 37-44.

[7]. Herbert, W. E. & Tsegba, I. N. (2013). Economic consequences of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) adoption: Evidence from a developing country. European Journal of Business and Management, 5(28), 80-99. Retrieved from http://www.iiste.org.

[8]. Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) (2010). Exposure draft on International Financial Reporting Standards for Small and Medium Sized-entities.

[9]. IPSASB, (2006), Handbook of International Public Sector Accounting Pronouncements (New York: IFAC, 2006).

[10].  Irvine, H. J, and Lucas, N. (2006). The rationale and impact of the adoption of international financial reporting standards on developing nations: the case of the United Arab Emirates. In proceedings 18th Asian Pacific Conference on international Accounting Issues, pages pp.1-22Maui, Hawaii. [Online] Available http://eprints.qut.edu.au/13041.

[11].  Iyoha, F. O. & Jimoh, J. (2011). Institutional infrastructure and the adoption of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) in Nigeria. School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal, 3, 17-23. Retrieved from http://www.iiedu.eu/press/journals/sds/SDS_2011/BME_Article2.pdf

[12].  Jaarat, K. J., & Tabari, M. (2013). The appropriateness of applying international financial reporting standards (IFRS) in Jordan’s economic environment-Empirical study. Journal of Advanced Social Research, 3(11), 311-349. Retrieved from http://www.iaplus.com/standard/ifrsforsmes.html.

[13].  James M. L. (2011). Integrating International Financial Reporting Standards into the accounting curriculum: strategies, beneficiaries and challenges, California state University, Los Angeles, p127.

[14].  Kennedy, P. (1992). A guide to econometrics, 3th edn, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

[15].  Martins, V. W. (2011). Practical challenges in IFRS implementation. What bank regulators need to know. IFRS International conference-Nigeria KPMG.

[16].  Mohammed, H. and Allawi, A. (2014). Government Accounting System Reform and the Adoption of IPSAS in Iraq, Research Journal of Finance and Accounting

[17].  Okafor, C. & Ogeidu, K.O. (2011). Potential effects of the adoption and implementation of international financial accounting standards (IFRS) in Nigeria. Journal of Research in National Development, 9(2), 345-358. Retrieved from www.ajol.info/journals/jorind.

[18].  Okwoli, A. A. (2012). Benefits and challenges of IPSAS’s adoption in the public sector. A paper presentation at the IFRS/IPSAS Training for Accountants and Auditors of the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Jos, Nigeria.

[19].  Ogunyemi, F. O. (2012). The aftermath of international financial reporting standards systems implementation in Nigeria. A case study of a financial organization. Asian Journal of Business and Management Sciences, 3(2), 29-43. Retrieved from http://www.ajbms.org.

[20].  Omane-Antwi, K. B. (2016). Ghana Adopts International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS); stakeholder’s forum and launch of IPSAS in Accra on 11 February 2016 Retrieved from http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/media-center/news/1114-ghana-adopts-international-public-sector-accounting-standards-ipsass-for-the-public-sector

[21].  Prewitt, D. L. (2013). Training and education and the United States convergence of international financial reporting standards (IFRS). Proceedings Kuala Lumpur International Business, Economics, and Law Conference (Vol. 1) December 2-3, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Retrieved from http://klibel.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/12/KLB3126-DPRWITT.

[22].  PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) (2013). Towards a new era in government accounting and reporting, global survey on accounting and reporting by central governments, April. www.pwc.com.

[23].  Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2007). Research methods for business students (4^th ed.). England: FT Prentice Hall.

[24].  Shan, YG & McIver, RP 2011, ‘Corporate governance mechanisms and financial performance in China: panel data evidence on listed non-financial companies’, Asia Pacific Business Review, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 301–324.

[25].  Street, D. L. (2004).’Convergence with IFRS in an expanding Europe: Progress and Obstacles identified by large Accounting Firms’ Survey’, Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation Vol 13, pp 89-119.

[26].  Tokar, M. (2005). 'Convergence and the Implementation of a Single Set of Global Standards: The Real-life Challenge', Accounting in Europe, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 47-68.

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Abstract:

Botswana is a landlocked, politically stable, democratic and growing steady economically. It gained its independence from the British in September 1966 and in the subsequent years gained a distinction for the fastest growth in per capita income in the world. This led to the country being upgraded to an Upper Middle Income Country (UMIC) in 2007. Together with the support of aid from the British government and aid from other countries after independence, the discovery of diamonds in 1967 also contributed significantly to the country’s economic growth rate. The country’s performance has consistently reflected good governance, political stability and leadership committed to strong institutions and development over the years. This study is to determine if there has been a change between the government of Botswana and its development partners since its upgrading. The results of the study indicated that the relationship between Botswana and the United Nations (UN) as one of the development partners has not changed significantly since Botswana’s upgrading to an Upper Middle-Income Country. It however emerged that the level of financial and human resource assistance has tapered down significantly. The study revealed that there is significant confidence in Botswana’s ability to attain its National Development Agenda despite the inability to clearly articulate its new priorities as an Upper Middle Income Country. It was recommended that Botswana align its development priorities to its new status as a UMIC status and initiate platforms and forums to clearly communicate these priorities. This will assist in the transformation of the relationship to a more mature collaborative relationship.

Keywords: United Nations, Upper-Middle-Income-Country, National Development Agenda, good governance, economic growth, diamonds revenue, Development Partners, National Development Plans, Sustainable Development Goals, Implementing Partners.

References:

[1]. African Development Bank 2009. Botswana 2009-2013 Country Strategy Paper. [Online] Available at: www.afdb.org[Accessed 30 March 2017].

[2]. Briceno-Garmendia, C. and Pushak, N (2011).Botswana's Infrastructure: A Continental Perspective. [Online] Available at: http://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/abs/10.1596/1813-9450-5887 [Accessed 02 April 2017]

[3]. Creswell, W. (2013) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method, 4th edition, Thousand Oaks: Sage Publication Inc.

[4]. Miller, J., Wroblewski, M. and Villafuerte, J. (2013) Creating a Kaizen Culture: Align the Organization, Achieve Breakthrough Results, and Sustain the gains, United States: McGraw-Hill Education Europe.

[5]. United Nations 2015.Botswana: Millennium Development Goals Status Report 2015: Sustaining progress to 2015 and beyond. Botswana.

[6]. United Nations Development Programme, 2012. A United Nations Organization. [Online] Available at: www.undp.org [Accessed 25 April 2017].

[7]. United Nations Organization, 2016. A United Nations Organization. [Online] Available at: www.un.org[Accessed 14 March 2017].

[8]. University of Botswana Organization, 2008. A University of Botswana Organization. [Online] Available at: www.ub.bw.

Abstract:

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make up the majority of business entities in the region and contribute significantly to revenue generation and employment. For SMEs to be profitable and to grow into larger corporate entities, a significant amount of management capacity is required.

As a SME owner, private sector leader and management student, the author has recognised a significant gap which exists between SMEs and the knowledge required by owners to deploy an effective company strategy to maximise potential of a business. The purpose of this research study is to examine the need for this gap to be addressed, the level of strategic thinking among owners which exists –if any; and the barriers to its inclusion by SMEs in Guyana.

By investigating and studying twenty three (23) organisations in a rural community, reference was made to both quantitative and qualitative data from respondents in the context of management knowledge literature of SMEs. Host country and knowledge provider perspectives were also considered.

The results of the research confirmed the limited to average level of strategic thinking which currently exists in the majority of SMEs. By addressing the identified knowledge gap all the parties involved including the SMEs, the host country and the knowledge providers are likely to benefit significantly in terms of increased revenues, profits and employment.

References:

[1].     Belch, GE, & Belch, MA 2009, Advertising and Promotion, An integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, 8th edition, McGraw-Hill, Boston, USA.

[2].     Caricom Development Fund, 2011, Maintaining agile businesses; Identifying and Using Opportunities for Success, A Manual for CARICOM Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Pear Tree Press, Jamaica.

[3].     Computer World 2012, Internationally Recognized Diploma in Microcomputer Studies, Kaieteur News, 30 September 2012 edition, National Media & Publishing Company Ltd, Georgetown, Guyana.

[4].     Goltz, J 2011, Top 10 reasons small businesses fail, The New York Times, viewed 9 July 2012, http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/top-10-reasons-small-businesses-fail/

[5].     Goltz, J 2012, Why small businesses fail to grow, The New York Times, viewed 9 July 2012,

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[7].     IPED 2012, Financial Management for MSME’s, Guyana Chronicle, 30 September 2012 edition, Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Georgetown, Guyana.

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[9].     Nag, R, Hambrick, DC, Chen, MJ, 2007, What is strategic management, really? Inductive derivation of a consensus definition of the field, Strategic Management Journal. Volume 28, Issue 9, pages 935–955, September 2007.

[10].  National Competitiveness Strategy Unit 2011, National Competitiveness Summit 2011 Report, Government of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana, April 2012.

[11].  Nations University 2012, Earn an MBA in 12 Months, received from Brian O’Toole via email on 8 October 2012.

[12].  Payne, PA 1994, A study of small and medium enterprises in Guyana, Program on innovations systems management, Latin America & the Caribbean regional office, Uruguay.

[13].  Saunders, M, Lewis, P & Thornhill, A 2009, Research Methods for Business Students, 4th Edition, FT Prentice Hall, Harlow, England.

[14].  Thompson, AA, Strickland, AJ, and Gamble, JE 2010, Crafting and Executing Strategy,17th Edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York.

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Abstract:

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to investigate how data from customer feedback is utilized by the Telco and translated into strategies and competency based actions to address customer needs and service concerns.

Problem statement: Whereas customers are displeased with cost of services, limited network service coverage, long queues and poor connectivity, this Telco have focused on basic elements of service including greeting, smiling, making the customer feel comfortable at their service centres and enticing them with discounts and promotions.

Methodology: A mixed method of qualitative and quantitative research was used. Using purposive sampling, two homogeneous groups were selected; the first was semi-structured interviews with five managers. Secondly, closed ended questionnaires were dispensed to a quota sample of 20 affluent customers.

Findings: This Telco giant mainly collects customer feedback through call centres, social media, direct customer engagement, close-loop feedback system. However the feedback is not adequately utilized because it does not favour the Telco relatively to profit optimization and in some cases involve new system infrastructure.

Research limitations: The study focused on one giant Telco within the industry in Ghana believed to have best practices that can be generalised to other Telcos in market. Selection of only affluent customers represents a deeper understanding of customer satisfaction issues.

Practical implications: whereas this Telco believes that it is delivering the best of service to its customers by smiling at them, greeting, making them feel welcome and rewarding them with promotional gifts and discounts, the customers on the other hand, believes that the service the Telcos are offering are “must be” and that, these are basics of service, hence what they expect including improved network coverage, decrease in high cost of voice calls, seamless connectivity and zero interruptions in service transactions are not what they are actually experiencing to enable their satisfaction.

Originality: While this paper is the first to consider customer feedback utilization of a conglomerate Telco in Ghana, it also measured the service competency based actions that is implemented to provide superior service experiences to its customers.

Keywords: customer service experience, service value, service management, customer expectations, customer desires, customer delight.

References:

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[9].     Fitzsimmons, J.A., and Fitzsimmons, M.J., (2001) “Service Management: Operations, Strategy, and Information Technology”, McGraw Hill, New York, NY

[10].  Fitzsimmons, J.A., and Fitzsimmons, M.J., “New Service Development: Creating Memorable Experiences”, Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 1999

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[12].  Hallowell, R. (2006) “The Relationships of Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty and Profitability: An Empirical Study”, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 7, Issue 4, pp. 27 -42

[13].  Jaakkola, E. (2009) “Service Experience Co-Creation”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 26, Issue 2, Emerald Group Publishing.

[14].  Junnonen, Ju.a and Karna Sami (2004). “Developing Customer Feedback Process in the Construction Supply Chain”, Nordic Journal of Surveying and Real Estate, pp. 476 -488.

[15].  Joshi, A. W. and Sharma S. (2004), “Customer Knowledge Development, Antecedents and Impact on New Product Performance”, Journal of Marketing 68, (October), 47 – 59.

[16].  Kotler, P. (2003) Marketing Management, Eleventh Edition, Prentice Hall, pp. 125 – 140

[17].  LaMalfa, Kyle (2010) “9 Ways to Successfully Manage Customer Feedback”, May 11, 2010 (www.destinationcrm.com)

[18].  Lucas, Robert, W. (1996) “Customer Service: Skills and Concepts for Business”, Times Mirror Higher Education Group, Von Hoffmann Press, Inc., USA, Pg. 138 – 188.

[19].  Markey, Rob, Reichheld Fred and Dullweber, Audrey (2009) “Closing the Customer Feedback Loop”, Harvard Business Review, December 2009.

[20].  Reichland, Frederick (2001) “The Loyalty Effect: The Hidden Force behind Growth, Profits and Lasting Value”, September 15, 2001, Harvard Business Review Press.

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Abstract:

The study was conducted to investigate how the implementation of the Malawi senior secondary school revised curriculum was managed by exploring the underlying factors behind the students’ poor academic performance in Social and Development Studies (SDS) national examinations. To accomplish this purpose, the study examined the challenges faced by teachers in their teaching of SDS and assessed the effectiveness of the supervisory and advisory support provided to teaches by heads of department and head teachers. The study further explored the policy implications of the experienced challenges for curriculum implementation. The study took a qualitative approach and used face-to-face interviews to collect data from teachers, Heads of Department and Head teachers in eight secondary schools in South Eastern Education Division. The findings revealed that the implementation of SDS faced a number of challenges such as lack of teaching and learning materials including textbooks, lack of trained teachers, and lack of in-service training for the practising teachers who were assigned to teach the subject. In addition, teachers were not given adequate supervisory and advisory support by heads of departments, head teachers and school inspectors. The study concluded that the introduction of the revised senior secondary school curriculum was poorly managed such that the schools did not have adequate capacity to successfully implement the teaching of newly introduced subjects like SDS. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should ensure that, in future, implementation of a new curriculum is adequately planned for in terms of availability of instructional materials, specialised teachers and in-service training for teachers as well as provision of adequate teacher supervisory and advisory support by heads of department, head teachers and school inspectors.

References:

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[2].     Bekoe, S.O. & Eshun, I. (2013). Curriculum Feuding and Implementation Challenges: The Case of Senior High School (SHS) Social Studies in Ghana. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(5), 39 - 45.

[3].     Benavot, A. & Resh, N. (2003). Educational Governance, School Autonomy, and Curriculum Implementation: A Comparative Study of Arab and Jewish Schools in Israel. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 35(2), 171 – 196.

[4].     Bennett, S.N., Wragg, E.C., Carre, C.G & Carter, D.S.G (1992). A Longitudinal Study of Primary Teachers’ Perceived Competence, and Concerns about, National Curriculum Implementation. Research Papers in education Policy and Practice, 7 (1), 53 – 78.

[5].     Bennie, K. & Newstead, K. (1999). Obstacles to Implementing a New Curriculum. In M.J. Smith &A.S. Jordaan (Eds.), Proceedings of the National Subject Didactics Symposium (pp 150 - 157). Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch. Retrieved on July 25, 2005 from http://academic.sum.ac.za/mathed/MALATI/Files/Statistics99.pdf.

[6].              Chakwera, E.W.J. (2005). Improving Examination Performance through Teacher Capacity Building in Assessment. A Paper presented at the 3rd Sub-Regional Conference on Assessment at Sun ‘n’ Sand Hotel, Mangochi, Malawi from 30th May to 3rd June 2005.

[7].     Dzimiri, W. & Marimo, S.T. (2015Challenges faced in the implementation of the Zimbabwe Localised Advanced Level Geography Syllabus: A Case of Gweru District High Schools. Global Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 4(2), 52-56

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[9].     Fullan, M. (2001). The New Meaning of Educational Change (3rd Ed). New York: Teachers College Press.

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[11].      Glickman, C.D. (1990). Supervision of Instruction: A Developmental Approach (2^nd Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

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[33].      Ogar, O.E. & Aniefiok, E.A. (2012). The Challenges of Curriculum Implementation in Nigeria Teacher Education. Journal of Education and Practice, 3(15), 127-131.

[34].      Okoth, T.A. (2016). Challenges of Implementing a Top-down Curriculum Innovation in English Language Teaching: Perspectives of Form III English Language Teachers in Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(3), 169-177.

[35].      Ongachi, W.M., Okello, O.M. & James, A. (2013). Challenges on Implementation of Art and Design Curriculum in Secondary Schools in Kenya. Academic Research International, 4(5), 390-397.

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[43].      Van Driel, J.H., Beijaard, D. & Verloop, N. (2001). Professional Development and Reform in Science Education: The Role of Teachers’ Practical Knowledge. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Vol. 38 (2) pp. 137 – 158.

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[45].      Zanzali, N.A.A (2003). Implementing the Intended Mathematics Curriculum: Teacher Beliefs about the Meaning and Relevance of Problem Solving. The Mathematics Education into the 21^st Century Project. Proceedings of the International Conference: The Decidable and Undecidable in Mathematics Education, Brno, Czech Republic, September 2003.

Abstract:

Value for money has increasingly become a contentious and very prominent subject in the development agenda both within developed and developing Economies. Donor groups and community consider value for money when allocating budgets and other resources to developing countries. The study examined value for money in the provision of services in the public sector of Uganda. The general objective of the study was to evaluate value for money in the provision of services. The study was guided by three specific objectives which were; to examine effectiveness in the provision of services in the public sector of Uganda; to assess efficiency in the provision of services in the public sector of Uganda and to evaluate economy in the provision of services in the public sector of Uganda. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect primary data from the respondents while secondary data were collected through literature reviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

The study findings show that economy as one of the pillars of value for money was the least consideration and therefore, not practiced in the public sector of Uganda. Meanwhile, efficiency was the most practiced element of value for money and followed very closely with effectiveness.

The conclusion is that there is no value for money from the provision of service in the public sector of Uganda. The study recommends that MDAs and Local governments should operationalize the concept of value for money and make it well understood across the three spheres of government; review alternatives including considering making inter-ministerial and departmental use of skilled resources which are in short supply to delivery on required projects; and above all, ensure that the anticipated benefits from the services outweighs the costs of acquiring the services.

Keywords: Value for Money, Economy, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Procurement of services, Public Sector, Uganda.

References:

[1].     Adjo, Amakudzi (2008) A review of VfM for comparing PPPs to traditional procurements.

[2].     African Parliamentary Index, (2012). Summary country report parliament of Uganda.

[3].     Ali Ramezani Ghotbabadi, Setareh Feiz, Dr. Rohaizat Baharun (2015). Service Quality Measurements: A Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences February 2015, Vol. 5, No. 2 ISSN: 2222-6990.

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Abstract:

The study was intended to investigate the effects of leadership styles on organizational performance in Ahantaman Rural Bank from 2013 to 2016. The study also sought to investigate any relationships between leadership styles and overall performance of the Bank. The main objective of the study was to investigate what type (s) of leadership style (s) led to improved organizational performance in the Bank. The specific objectives of the study were to investigate the relationship between leadership styles and organizational performance and the type of leadership style (s) that lead to improved organizational performance.

The study adopted a total population sampling approach to data collection. Among the leadership styles investigated, transformational leadership style obtained the highest raw score of 350 representing 22 percent of the total population investigated. Transactional, democratic, autocratic and laisez-faire leadership styles followed in that order. Thus, it was found that the most dominant and preferred leadership style in the Bank was transformational leadership style. This leadership style led to improved and consistent performance of the Bank.

The study concluded that there was a direct relationship between leadership styles and performance of the Bank. Assessment of the key performance indicators of the Bank and the consistent improvements in these indicators supported the assertion that there is a direct relationship between organizational performance and leadership styles. It is suggested that the scope of this study should be expanded by future researchers who intend to investigate the same subject. The expansion will lead to generalizability of the findings.

Keywords: Leadership style, Organizational performance, performance indicators.

References:

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[25].  Neha Gupta (2014). Effects of Leadership Style on Organizational Performance: A Study of Selected Brick Klins in Jammu Region. International Conference on Management and Information Systems.

[26].  Obiwuru, T.C, Okwu, A.T, Akpa, V.O and Nwankwere, I.A (2011). Effects of Leadership Style on Organizational Performance: A Survey of Selected Small Scale Enterprises in Ikosi-Ketu Council Development Area of Lagos State in Nigeria. Australian Journal of Business and Business and Management Research, Vol.1, No.7.

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Abstract:

The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) the national Pension Scheme managers in Ghana with significant stake in the Ghanaian banking industry, in the year 2011 made a strategic move to drive bank consolidation in Ghana through the swapping of its shares in The Trust Bank (TTB) for ETI’s shares in Ecobank Ghana Limited (EBG). This study was set examine whether synergies were derived from the merger. It also examined whether the objectives set by SSNIT were met and finally determine whether the bank has remained competitive after the merger. The approach used for the study was quantitative technique and case study which concluded that the merger of Ecobank Ghana Limited and TTB achieved the intended results for SSNIT.

References:

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[3].     Comment, R., & Jarrell, G. A. (1995). Corporate Focus and Stock Returns. Journal of Financial Economics, 37(1), pp. 67-87.

[4].     Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (4th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

[5].     Datta, S., Iskanadar-Datta, M., & Raman, K. (1992). Executive Compensation and Corporate Acquisition Decisions. The Journal of Finance, 56(6), pp. 2299-2336.

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[8].     Franks, J. R., & Harris, R. S. (1989). Shareholder Wealth Effects of Corporate Takeovers: The UK Experience 1955-1985.Journal of Financial Economics, 23(2), pp. 225-249.

[9].     Gaughan, P. A. (2002). Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Restructings. New York: John Wiley and Sons Incorporated.

[10].  Hitt, M. A., Harrisson. J. S., & Ireland, R. D. (2001). Mergers and Acquisitions: A Guide to Creating Value for Stakeholders. Oxford University Press.

[11].  Homburg, C., & Bucerius, M. (2006). Is Speed of Integration Really a Success Factor of Mergers and Acquisitions? An Analysis of the role of Internal and External Relatedness. Strategic Management Journal, 27(4), pp. 347-367.

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Abstract:

For over three decades the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) held humanity in captivity. Before 1990, HIV was a fairy tale in Nigeria. However, by 2000, HIV had become a public health concern with efforts to reduce the burden on people living with the virus. It started with a prevalent rate of 1.8% in 1991, peaked at 5.8% in 2001 before the decline. The cost of providing screening rapid test kits over four years was examined to explore the areas where enterprise resource planning (ERP) could be used to scale down the cost of HIV commodities management in Nigeria. Procurement, warehousing, distribution, and collection of logistics management information system data were examined. Management of HIV RTKs with and without ERP was compared. The result showed that without ERP, there was an increased cost of labor, recording errors, and poor data for decision-making. With ERP, it was different. Study was done for RTKs, there is room to do for other HIV commodities. Though initial cost of deploying ERP was high, on the long-run has cost benefit.

Keywords: Enterprise Resource Planning; Logistics Management Information System; HIV Commodities; HIV Rapid Test Kits Algorithm; Supply Chain Performance Measures; Impact of HIV Pandemic.

References:

[1].     ABC News. (2012, June 27). Mary Fisher, who helped change AIDS stereotype, is still fighting. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/woman-who-helped-change-aids-stereotype-is-still-fighting/

[2].     Avert. (2016). Origin of HIV & AIDS. Retrieved from http://www.avert.org/professionals/history-hiv-aids/origin

[3].     Awofala, A. A. & Ogundele, O. E (2016). HIV epidemiology in Nigeria. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319562X16300110?np=y

[4].     Azuh, D., Osabuohien, E. S., Nwaubani, O. O. & Ugwuanyi, B. E (2014). Cost implications of the prevalence of HIV/AIDS on the economic development of Nigeria. Journal of Education and Practice. 5(20), 2222-2282. Retrieved from http://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/viewFile/14249/14557

[5].     Bassey, O., Bond, K., Adedeji, A., Oke, O., Abubakar, A., Yakubu …. & Deyde, V. (2015). Evaluation of nine HIV rapid test kits to develop a national HIV testing algorithm in Nigeria. African Journal of Laboratory Medicine; 4(1), 224-241. doi:10.4102/ajlm.v4i1.224

[6].     Boler, T. & Archer, D. (2008). The politics of prevention; A global crisis in AIDS and education. London: Plato Press.

[7].     Coates, J. C., Ritcher, L. & Caceres, C. (2009). Behavioral strategies to reduce HIV transmission: How to make them work better. Lancet. 372(9639): 669-684. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60886-7

[8].     Cohen, R. A., Seider, T. R., & Navia, B. (2015). HIV effects on age-associated neurocognitive dysfunction: premature cognitive aging or neurodegenerative disease? Alzheimer's Research and Therapy, 7(1), 37.

[9].     Dunham, W. (2008, July 30). Bush signs an expansion of global AIDS programs. Retrieved from http://www.reuters.com/article/us-aids-usa-idUSN3029275220080730

[10].  Eze, J. I. (2009). Modelling HIV/AIDS epidemics in Nigeria (PhD thesis – University of Glasgow). Retrieved from http://theses.gla.ac.uk/642/1/2009EzePhD.pdf

[11].  Faria, N. R., Rambaut, A., Suchard, M. A., Baele, G., Bedford, T., Ward, M. J., ... & Posada, D. (2014). The early spread and epidemic ignition of HIV-1 in human populations. Science, 346(6205), 56-61.

[12].  Federal Ministry of Health. (2001). HIV/AIDS Emergency Action Plan. Abuja: Federal Ministry of Health.

[13].  Galiwango, R. M., Musoke, R., Lubyayi, L., Ssekubugu, R., Kalibbala, S., Ssekweyama, V., ... & Gray, R. H. (2013). Evaluation of current rapid HIV test algorithms in Rakai, Uganda. Journal of virological methods, 192(1), 25-27.

[14].  Gunasekaran, A., Patel, C., & McGaughey, R. E. (2004). “A framework for supply chain performance measurement”. Retrieved from https://www.umassd.edu/media/umassdartmouth/businessinnovationresearchcenter/publications/pm_scm

[15].Ince, H., Imamoglu, S. Z., Keskin, H., Akgun, A. & Efe, M. N. (2013). The impact of ERP systems and supply chain management practices on firm performance: Case of Turkish companies. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 99(6):1124-1133.

[16].  Jason, D. (2016). Five supply chain functionalities to look for in a new enterprise resource planning system. Retrieved from http://www.sdcexec.com/article/12185930/five-supply-chain-functionalities-to-look-for-in-a-new-enterprise-resource-planning-system

[17].  Kale, V., Beri, A., Thakar, M., Dar, V. S., Bembalkar, S., Goel, N., ... & Paranjape, R. (2017). Feasibility of using two versus three rapid tests for HIV diagnosis in India: Analysis of public health program data. World Journal of AIDS, 7(01), 16.

[18].  NACA. (2015). Success stories. Retrieved from https://naca.gov.ng/article/progress-accomplished-responding-epidemic

[19].  NACA. (2015). The HIV epidemic in Nigeria. Retrieved from https://naca.gov.ng/article/hiv-epidemic-nigeria

[20].  Nasidi, A & Harry, T. O. (2006). Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Retrieved from http://www.apin.harvard.edu/Chapter2.pdf

[21].  Nasidi, A, Harry, T. O. & Ajose-Coker, O. O. (1986). Evidence of LAV/HTLV III infection and AIDS-related complex in Lagos, Nigeria. II International Conference on AIDS, Paris, France, June 23–25, 1986 (abstract FR86-3).

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[24].  Nwosu, J. C., Uwannah, N. C. & Olaore, A. (2014). Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) On workers’ job performance in organizations. Journal of Education and Practice. 5(1). 2222-288X (Online). Retrieved from www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JEP/article/viewFile/14249/14557

[25].  Olamilekan, A. A. (2015). Foreign policy and military rule in Nigeria: In retrospect of the Sani Abacha regime, lessons for the present democratic dispensation. Academia.edu. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/8037643/FOREIGN_POLICY_AND_MILITARY_RULE_IN_NIGERIA_IN_RETROSPECT_OF_THE_SANI_ABACHA_REGIME_LESSONS_FOR_THE_PRESENT_DEMOCRATIC_DISPENSATION

[26].  Shaul, L., & Tauber, D. (2013). Critical success factors in enterprise resource planning systems: Review of the last decade. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 45(4), 55.

[27].  Uçaktürk, A., & Villard, M. (2013). The effects of management information and ERP systems on strategic knowledge management and decision-making. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 99, 1035-1043.

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[30].  Worobey, M., Telfer, P., Souquière, S., Hunter, M., Coleman, C. A., Metzger, M. J. ... & Roques, P. (2010). Island biogeography reveals the deep history of SIV. Science, 329(5998), 1487-1487.

Zheng, S., Yen, D. C. & Tarn, J. M. (2000). The new spectrum of the cross-enterprise solution: The integration of supply chain management and enterprise resources planning systems. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 41(1):84-93

Abstract:

In the light of corporate financial scandals, there is an ever increasing attention on corporate governance issues. As the investors look for emerging economies to diversify their investment portfolios to maximize returns, they are equally concerned about governance factors to minimize risks in these economies. The Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders have therefore directed their effort in enhancing Corporate Governance in various organizations. This became the motivation of this study, which is focused on examining the relationship between Corporate Governance and Financial Performance of multipurpose Cooperative Societies in Lagos State Nigeria. A cross sectional research design was used for the research study, with the aid of secondary data. The purposive sampling techniques were adopted for the study. Two (2) multipurpose Cooperative Societies were selected based on the availability of their financial statements. The data obtained were analyzed using the STATA software. From the analyses, it was established that, Corporate Governance has no significant effect on the financial performance of these multipurpose Cooperative Societies. However, it impacted positively on diligence of procedures, records kept and conduct of daily business. The researcher however opined that the radical improvement noticed in the level of governance and financial ethics introduced by the various regulatory authorities should be maintained at all levels of stewardship in organizations.

References:

[1]. Adu, C. A. (2014). Cooperative societies in Nigeria: prospects and problems. International Journal of Behavioral Social and Movement Sciences, 3(3).

[2]. Aguilera, R. V., & Jackson, G. (2003). The cross-national diversity of corporate governance: Dimensions and determinants. The Academy of Management Review, 447-465.

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[4]. Boyd, B.K. (1994). Board control and CEO compensation. Strategic Management Journal 15.

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Abstract:

In an age of increasing dependence on new trends and ideas, innovation has become a critical conduit for the thrust of business growth. Also, technological advancement and its rapid accompanying challenges of similar products and services make it indispensably necessary to create new ideas to facilitate the development or augmentation of new/existing products, services, processes, and procedures to sustain business growth.

This article examines the varying views on types of business innovation; eliciting the key concepts underpinning these viewpoints, and argues that the areas for business innovation espoused by the different proponents are dispersal and lack precise focus. The article further establishes that innovative approach to promote business growth ought to be simplistic and clear in focus. It posits innovation in the construct of the core business functions – product delivery, service delivery, process delivery and people delivery for which; the author names as ‘The 4Ds of Innovation’ and stipulates that these are the fundamental elements underpinning the promotion of business growth. The author further argues that a business entity can maximize its business growth if innovative activities were specifically directed in these critical areas.

The paper provides a conceptual framework for innovative activities as well as innovation audit matrix to monitor innovative activities within the organizational setup; suggesting a more simplistic approach that ensures continuous focus on the core critical areas, and bringing in management logic interventions to stimulate innovation and promote business growth.

Keywords: core, critical areas, innovation, business growth, strategic outputs, and management implications.

References:

[1].     Agbor E. (2008). Creativity and Innovation: the leadership Dynamics. JSL – Creativity and Innovation – pages 39. Journal of Strategic Leadership, Vol. lIss. 1, 2008, Pp. 39 – 45. @ 2008 School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship, Regent University. ISSN 1941.

[2].     Amabile T. M. (1998). How to kill creativity. Harvard Business Review. Sept – Oct 1998.

[3].     Carmeli A. et al. (2006). Self – Leadership Skills and Innovation Behavior at Work. International Journal of Manpower, 27(1), 75-90. DOI 10.1108/01437720610652853.

[4].     Charlotte Ritter (2015). Maximize Innovation while Growing Your Team. Published by Innovation Excellence.

[5].     Christensen M.C. et al (1995). The Theory of Disruptive Innovation. Published by Harvard Business School. December 2015 Issue. Retrieved from: https://hbr.ot.g/2015/12/what-is-disruptive-innovation.

[6].     Dawson R. (2007). Service Delivery Innovation: Creating Client Value and Enhancement Profitability. SAPAG: The Best RVN Business Run.

[7].     De Jong, J.P.J (2016). Individual Innovation: The Connection between leadership and Employees’ Innovative work behavior. Paper provided by EIM Business and Policy Research in its series. Scales Research Reports with number R2000004. Retrieved from: http://www.entrepreneurship-sme.en/pdf-ez/R200604.pdf.

[8].     Drucker P. (1954). The Practice of Management. New York Harper & Row Publishers.

[9].     Dwyer and Mellon (1993). Product Innovation Strategies and Performance of Australian Firms. Retrieved from: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=9.+Dwyer+and+Mellon+(1993) +Product+Innovation+Strategies+and+Performance+of+Australian+Firms.

[10].  Eggert et al. (2014). Product and Service Innovation on Business Profitability.

[11].  Elmansy R. (2015). Creative Diversity: Doblin’s 10 Types of Innovation. Published by https://www.doblin.com/ten.

[12].  Garavan, T.N. et al. Human Capital accumulation: The role of Human resources development. Journal of European industrial Training. 25(213/4), PP 48 -68.

[13].  Hana. U (2013). Competitive Advantage Achievement through Innovation and Knowledge. Journal of Competitiveness, Zlin5.1 (Mar 2013) pages 82-96. Retrieved from: www.ejournal.cz/files/127.pdf.

[14].  Hartog, D.N (2007). How leaders influence employees’ Innovative behaviour. European Journal of Innovation management, 10(1) 41-64.

[15].  Hobcraft P. (2015). Recognizing Your Type of Innovative Leader. Published by /Innovation Excellence.com. Retrieved from: innovationexcellence.com/blog/2016/02/09.

[16].  LIopis G. (2014). 5 Ways leaders enable Innovation on their teams. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/glenn/loipis/2014/04//07/5-ways-leaders-enable-innovation-in-their-teams/4db48/888c4c

[17].  Moore A. G (2015). Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies innovate at every phase of their Evolution. Published December 29th 2005 by Portfolio. Hardcover, 288 Pages. ISBN: 1591841070(ISBN13:9781591841074). Retrieved from: www.goodreads.com/books/show//29516.Dealing_with_Darwin_

[18].  Mukesh Gupta (2015). Re-framing Innovation in 2015 – How Iteration Really Does Transform Fear of failure. Published by Innovation Excellence.com.

[19].  Nanda et al. (2013). Role of Service in Customer satisfaction and Customer Loyalty: a Study on Organized retail in India. International Journal of Business Insights & Transformation. Apr – Sept 2013, Vol.6 issue 2, P53-63.IIp.

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[27].  Stephan Vincent (2014). Ways to Create Culture of Innovation. Published by Innovation Excellence.

Abstract:

The purpose of this research is geared towards understanding how key factors such as global education, research and technology, can influence sustainable development – which is, according to the Brundtland Report of 1987, “the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The immense depletion of natural resources and high levels of pollution derived from human and climatic activities are a major concern in recent times. International organizations, states, nations and individuals have to put hands on deck to ensure a balanced society by seeking ways to sustain developmental efforts across the globe, through education, research and technology. The outgrowing female folk, according to world population statistics, is drawing our attention to investing in their advancement, prior to the need for massive global development. Hence, education of the woman should be focused upon as an enormous initiative towards achieving developmental sustainability. Amongst other standardized methods, a qualitative research was conducted using random sampling approach through questionnaires, to obtain data. Positive indicators of the aforementioned study carried out, demonstrates that a rapidly evolving worldwide economy can hardly disregard the concepts of global education, research and technology, when addressing issues of sustainable development. Sustainable development safeguards the immediate interests of the present, and guarantees a stable socio-cultural environment for future generations. Thus regulating and striking the balance between what is to be developed and what is to be sustained.

Keywords: Global education, Research, Technology, Sustainable development.

References:

[1]. Beder, S. 2000. “The role of technology in sustainable development, University of Wollongong Research Online

[2]. Paul, P.K. & Mehera, C. 2016, “Impact of Education on Sustainable Development”, American journal of educational research

[3]. Schavan A. 2009, Research for sustainable development. Federal ministry of education and research, Bonn, Berlin

[4]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goals#The_17_goals

[5]. https://www.fona.de/mediathek/pdf/bmbf_fona3_2016_englisch_barrierefrei.pdf

[6]. https://www.nap.edu

[7]. http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=artspapers

[8]. http://glen-europe.org/global-education/what-is-global-education/

Abstract:

This article looks at two broad-spectrum of financial management discipline; the first one examines the financial stability of commercial banks by analysing their published financial statement to test their stability in the market place before the Ebola scourge. This paper focus on the Sierra Leone Company’s Act 2009 and relevant Sections of the Banking Acts of Sierra Leone to analysis its alignment with the reporting standards of its financial statement produced by various firms in compliance with the IFRS standards. This report tests the financial stability of seven commercial banks in Sierra Leone with the major financial ratios used, especially the z-score analysis that check the financial stress of a firm.

Keywords: Profitability, Liquidity, Stress test, Financial Performance, Return on Capital Employed, Z-Scores, and financial statement analysis.

References:

[1]. Anjum, S., (2012), ‘Business bankruptcy prediction models: A significant study of the Altman's Z-score model', Asian Journal of Management Research, ISSN 2229-3795, http://www.ipublishing.co.in/ajmrvol1no1/volthree/EIJMRS3018.pdf.

[2]. Banerjee, R., N., and Mio, H. (2014), ‘BIS Working Papers No 470: The Impact of Liquidity Regulation on Banks', Monetary and Economic Department, JEL Classification: E32, E51, F30, G21, G28 http://www.bis.org/publ/work470.pdf.

[3]. Diakomihalis, M., (2012), ‘ The accuracy of Altman's models in predicting hotel bankruptcy', International of Accounting and Financial Reporting, ISSN 2162-3082 2012, Vol. 2, No. 2.

[4]. International Financial Reporting Standards: http://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/list-of-standards/

[5]. Jan, A., & Marimuthu, M., (2015),' Altman Model and Bankruptcy Profile of Islamic Banking Industry: Comparative Analysis on Financial Performance', International Journal of Business and Management; Vol. 10, No. 7, 2015, ISSN 1833-3850 E-1833-8119.

[6]. Khan and Singhal, 2015, ‘Growth and Profitability Analysis of Selected IT Company', IRACT-International Journal of Commerce, Business and Management (IJCBM), ISSN: 2319-2828, Vol. 4, No3, June 2015.

[7]. Sierra Leone Companies Act 2009, http://www.sierra-leone.org/Laws/2009-05.pdf.

[8]. Sthapit, A., & Maharjan, G. (2012). ‘Impact of Liquidity management on profitability: A comparative study of foreign joint-venture banks in Nepal. Lumbini Journal of Business and Economics (ISSN: 2091-1467), 2(2), 59-72.

[9]. Tulsian, (2014), ‘Profitability Analysis (A Comparative study of SAIL & TATA Steel)', Journal of Economics and Finance (IOSR-JEF). e-ISSN: 2321-5933, p-ISSN:2321-5925, volume3, Issue 2, Ver. 1 (Mar-Apr 2014), PP 19-22 www.iosrjournals.org.

[10].  Venkatesan, T., and Nagarajan, S., K., (2012), ‘An Empirical Study of Profitability Analysis of Selected Steel Companies in India', International Journal of Marketing, Financial Services & Management Research, Vol. 1 Issue 10, October 2012, ISSN 2277 3622.

[11].  Vintila, G., and Nenu, E., A., (2016), ‘Liquidity and Profitability Analysis on the Romanian Listed Company', Journal of Eastern Europe Research in Business and Economics, Vol. 2016(2016) Article ID 161707, 8 pages, DOI: 10.5171/2016.161707.

Abstract:

Background: Despite increases in reproductive health interventions that target male involvement in maternal health, there are still evidences to show that male spouses for some reasons do not support their spouses during antenatal care sessions. This would otherwise serve as an avenue for health education and ensure males can support their spouses through the antennal period and in child birth. The Objective: The purpose of the study was to ascertain levels of participation of male spouses in antenatal clinics and the effect of reducing cost of delivery to improving male antenatal attendance. Materials and Methods:  This descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken in Port Harcourt and Obio-akpor Local Government Areas in Rivers State, Nigeria. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect information from pregnant women, male spouses, healthcare workers and Medical directors. Results: Notably following interviews was that both male and pregnant women alike were aligned to the thinking that women were generally more likely to be concerned about antenatal care than men. Secondly reducing the amount for delivery during child birth by health care providers drastically increased the number of men attending antenatal clinics with their spouses. Conclusion: The study has shown that incentives for men during antenatal care can serve as a strategy for improving maternal outcomes during child birth. Notably is that there is need for continued strategies to ensure male involvement in antenatal care to improve health education especially in low resource settings.

Keywords: Improving male attendance in antenatal clinics

References:

[1]. Carter M. Husbands and maternal health matters in rural Guatemala: wives' reports on their spouses' involvement in pregnancy and birth. Soc Sci Med. 2002; 55(3):437–50. PMID: 12144151

[2]. Dudgeon MR, Inhorn MC. Men's influences on women's reproductive health: medical anthropological perspectives. Soc Sci Med. 2004; 59(7):1379–95. PMID 51246168

[3]. JHPIEGO. Maternal and Neonatal health (MNH) program, birth preparedness and complication readiness: A matrix of shared responsibilities. Maternal and Neonatal Health. 2001. pp. 23–31.

[4]. McPherson RA, Khadka N, Moore JM, Sharma M. Are birth-preparedness programmes effective? Results from a field trial in Siraha district, Nepal. Journal of Health Population and Nutrition. 2006; 24(4):479–88. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

[5]. WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2013. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2014.

[6]. World Health Organization. Maternal death surveillance and response: Technical guidance information for action to prevent maternal death. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2013.

[7]. World Health Organization. Women and Health: Today's Evidence, Tomorrow's Agenda. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2009.

Abstract:

Sustainable development has been the key word used by many development partners, NGOs and even candidates contesting for governmental positions in my country-Liberia. As a post war and post Ebola country, this word has been used to gain donor funding by NGOs and as a means of convincing electorate to vote for a particular candidate in elections. This paper endeavors to evaluate and ascertain methods that are used to achieve actual sustainable development in underdeveloped country with case of Liberia and causes of failures if any. The Wikipedia defines sustainable development as the organizing principle for meeting human development goals while at the same time sustaining the ability of naturals systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services upon which the economy and the society depend. The desirable end result is a state of society where living conditions and resource use continue to meet human needs without undermining the integrity and stability of the natural systems. While the modern concept of sustainable development is derived mostly from the 1987 Brundtland Report, it is also rooted in earlier ideas about sustainable forest management and twentieth century environmental concerns. As the concept developed, it has shifted to focus more on economic development, social development and environmental protection for future generations. It has been suggested that "the term 'sustainability' should be viewed as humanity's target goal of human-ecosystem equilibrium (homeostasis), while 'sustainable development' refers to the holistic approach and temporal processes that lead us to the end point of sustainability. https://en.wikipedia.org.

Keyword: Sustainable Development, Global Education, Research Technology.

References:

[1].   http://blog.movingworlds.org.

[2].   http://citiscope.org.

[3].   https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/about.

[4].   Shaker, R.R. (2015). The spatial distribution of development in Europe and its underlying sustainability correlations. Applied Geography, 63, 304-314.  https://en.wikipedia.org.

[5].   UNDP 2017 http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/.

Abstract:

The objective of this paper is to explore the impact of corporate governance on continuous business operations and Bank performance indices in the Nigerian Banking Industry. To explore the relationship between Corporate Governance and Bank performance, a Pooled Least Squares Regression analysis was run on Eview Statistical Package based on the (2005 – 2009) financial data/report obtained from BGL 2010 Banking Report and the financial reports and accounts of Nigerian Banks. The results of the analysis showed a negative interrelationship between corporate governance and bank performance.

This study finds that there exist a negative interrelationship between corporate governance and bank performance. Hence this portends that the adoption and entrenchment of sound corporate governance and frameworks has significant effect on bank performance.

This paper will increase understanding of the relationship of corporate governance and bank performance.

Keywords: Corporate Governance, Bank Performance, Type of ownership.

References:

[1].   Available at: http://www.crrconference.org/downloads/2006rogers.pdf [Accessed 17 June 2010].

[2].   Available at: http://www.cenbank.org/OUT/PUBLICATIONS/BSD/2006/CORPGOV-POSTCONSO.PDF [Accessed 18 June 2010].

[3].   Adams, R. B. & Mehran, H., 2008. Corporate Performance, Board Structure, and Their Detinants in the Banking Industry. Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports, pp. 10-24.

[4].   Blaauw, A., 2009. From to Governance Risk and Compliance. Vanguard Newspaper, 8 November 2009.

[5].   Buehler, K., Freeman, A. & Hulme, R., 2008. The New Arsenal of Risk Management. Harvard Business Review, 1 September 2008.

[6].   Berger, A. N. et al., June 2005. Corporate Governance and Bank Performance: A Joint Analysis of the Static, Selection, and Dynamic Effects Domestic, Foreign, and State Ownership. pp. 9-26.

[7].   Biswas, P. K. & Bhuiyan, H. U., 2008. Corporate Governance and Firm Performance: Theory and Evidence from Literature. University of Western Australia. [Online] Available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1257617[Accessed 18 June 2010].

[8].   Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), 2006. Code of Corporate Governance for Banks in Nigerian Post Consolidation. [Online] Baber, W. R. & Liang, L., 2008. Associations between Internal and External Corporate Governance Characteristics and the Consequences of Regulating Governance Practices. [Online] Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1146922[Accessed 18 June 2010].

[9].   Hampton, J. J., 2009. Fundamentals of: how top companies assess risk, manage exposure, and seize opportunity. 1st ed. New York: American Management Association.

[10].  Kajola, S. O., 2008. Corporate Governance and Firm Performance: The Case of Nigerian Listed Firms. European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, ISSN 1450-2887(14 (2008)), pp. 22-25.

[11].  Kirkpatrick, G., 2010. Corporate Governance in the Wake of the Financial Crisis, New York and Geneva: United Nations.

[12].  KPMG Australia, 2003. : An Emerging Model for Building Shareholder Value. [Online] Available at: http://www.kpmg.com.au/aci/docs/ent-risk-mgt.pdf[Accessed 10 June 2010].

[13].  Rogers, M., 2008. Corporate Governance and Financial Performance of Selected Commercial Banks in Uganda. [Online]

[14].  "Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)." April 1999

[15].  The Institute of Directors in Southern Africa, 2009. King Code of Governance for South Africa. [Online] Available at: http://www.ecgi.org/codes/documents/king3.pdf[Accessed 17 June 2010].

[16].  Thomson, D. & Jain, A., First Quarter 2006. Corporate Governance Failure And Its Impact On National Australia Bank’s Performance. Journal of Business Case Studies – First Quarter 2006, 2(1), pp. 41-52.

[17].  The Institute of Directors in Southern Africa. "King Code of Governance for South Africa." 2009. http://www.ecgi.org/codes/documents/king3.pdf (accessed June 17, 2010).

[18].  Thomson, Dianne, and Ameeta Jain. "Corporate Governance Failure And Its Impact On National Australia Bank’s Performance." Journal of Business Case Studies – First Quarter 2006 (Deakin University, Australia) 2, no. 1 (2006): 41-52.

[19].  Tandelilin, E., Kaaro, H., Mahadwartha, P. K. & Supriyatna, 2007. Corporate Governance, Risk Management, and Bank Performance: Does Type of Ownership Matter? [Online] Available at: http://www.eadn.org/eduardus.pdf [Accessed 17 June 2010].

[20].  The Financial Reporting Council, 2010. The UK Corporate Governance Code. UK. [Online] Available at: http://www.frc.org.uk/documents/pagemanager/corporate_governance/uk%20corp%20gov%20code%20june%202010.pdf [Accessed 17 July 2010].

[21].  Uchendu, O.A. "Banking Sector Reforms and Bank Consolidation: The Malaysian Experience. Bullion, 29 (2.)." (2005).

[22].  Viverita, 2008. The Effect of Mergers on Bank Performance: Evidence from Bank Consolidation Policy in Indonesia. International Review of Business Research Papers, 2 July 2008, 4(4), pp. 372-377.

[23].  Vishny, Shleifer and. The Journal of Finance, 1997: 737.

[24].  Viverita. "The Effect of Mergers on Bank Performance: Evidence from Bank Consolidation Policy in Indonesia." International Review of Business Research Papers 4, no. 4 (July 2008 2008): 372-377.

[25].  Wentzel, Webber. "King III Report on Governance launched." September 2, 2009.

Abstract:

The general objective of this work was to contribute to the general body of knowledge and research work in the area of managing IT projects successfully. The office of Government commerce of the UK Government in conjunction with the National Audit came out with a guideline in 2007 which list out eight causes of project failures. Six out of the eight causes were attributed to governance issues (Aon, 2011). This shows clearly that governance activities in project management are really important, and failure to place premium on them can result in failure of projects. The research work was therefore intended to come out with IT governance frameworks that can help resolve the problem of failure of IT projects resulting from governance issues. Four IT program managers and eight IT project managers were talked to on a variety of IT project governance issues. The frameworks were developed based on a combination of literature, experts (IT project and program managers of the telecom industry in Ghana) input, observation, and so on. The governance frameworks depicts project management processes, project activities, project governance activities, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, key milestones, approval bodies, signatures, and so on, to ensure successful delivery of IT projects.

Keywords: Governance, Project, Information, Technology, Framework, Process.

References:

[1].     Abednego, M.P., & Ogunlana, S.O. (2006). Good project governance for proper risk allocation in public– private partnerships in Indonesia. International Journal of Project Management, 24, 622-634.

[2].     Aon Risk Solutions. (2011). Governance of project risk- A guide to NGOs

[3].     Australian Institute of Company Directors. (2010). Company Directors Corporate Governance Framework. Australian Institute of Company Directors, Sydney.

[4].     Department of Treasury and Finance. (2012). Project Governance- Investment Lifecycle and High value/high risk guidelines. Melbourne Victoria.

[5].     Du, Y., & Yin, Y. (2010). Governance-Management-Performance (GMP) framework: A fundamental thinking for improving the management performance of public projects. iBusiness, 2, 282-294.

[6].     Eric, G. T., & Weaver, P. (2014). The management of project management: A conceptual framework for project governance. International journal of project management. Volume 32, Issue 8, November 2014, Pages 1382–1394.

[7].     Ghosh, S., Amaya, L., & Skibniewski, M.J. (2012). Identifying areas of knowledge governance for successful projects. Journal of Civil Engineering & Management, 18, 495-504.

[8].     HM TREASURY. (2007). Project Governance-A guidance note for public sector projects. Also found at (hm-treasury.gov.uk)

[9].     Institute of Directors Southern Africa. (2009). King Code of Governance for South Africa 2009, Johannesburg.

[10].  Klakegg, O.J., Williams, T., Magnussen, O.M., & Glasspool, H. (2008). Governance frameworks for public project development and estimation. Project Management Journal, 39, S27-S42.

[11].  Klijn, E.-H. (2008). Governance and governance networks in Europe. Public Management Review, 10, 505-525.

[12].  Marnewick, C., & Labuschagne, L. (2011). An investigation into the governance of information technology projects in South Africa. International Journal of Project Management, 29, 661-670.

[13].  Martin, N., & Gregor, S. (2006). ICT governance. Journal of E-Government, 2, 19-49.

[14].  Miller, R., & Hobbs, B. (2005). Governance regimes for large complex projects. Project Management Journal, 36, 42-50.

[15].  Muller, R. (2009). Project governance. Gower, London.

[16].  OECD. (2004). OECD principles of corporate governance 2004. OECD Publication Services, Paris.

[17].  Pemsel, S., & Müller, R. (2012). The governance of knowledge in project-based organizations. International Journal of Project Management, 30, 865-876.

[18].  Sharma, D., Stone, M., & Ekinci, Y. (2009). IT governance and project management: A qualitative study. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 16, 29-50.

[19].  Sørensen, E. (2002). Democratic Theory and Network Governance. Administrative Theory and Praxis, 24, 693-720.

[20].  Williams, T., Klakegg, O.J., Magnussen, O.M., & Glasspool, H. (2010). An investigation of governance frameworks for public projects in Norway and the UK. International Journal of Project Management, 28, 40-50.

[21].  Wilson, D., & Connel D. (n.d). Project Governance. Master RESEARCH Australasia Pty Ltd.

[22].  Willson, P., & Pollard, C. (2012). Exploring IT governance in theory and practice in a large multi-national organization in Australia. Information Systems Management, 26, 98-109.

[23].  Winch, G.M. (2001). Governing the project process: a conceptual framework. Construction Management and Economics, 19, 799-808.

Abstract:

Response, coordination and collaboration of among humanitarian organisations became more challenging in the use of local logistics and human resources in humanitarian relief operations. This proposal provides a plan for examining humanitarian logistics with specific emphasis on the challenges to rapid response in disaster relief operations in Ghana. The proposal identified the research problem and out of the research problem, it developed research objectives and research questions. The research framework is also outlined to provide a structural outlook of the thesis. The framework for the literature review was presented and this dwelt on four main parts namely theoretical review, empirical review, conceptual review and deduction from the literature. The method to be employed and the procedure and tools for data collection were also provided and this also include the method of data analysis. The time frame, resources required and budget for the conduct of the research were presented in this proposal. The expected output of the thesis was stated and the societal and scientific relevance of the study were also given. The ethical issues associated with the conduct of this study were stated and the procedure for observing and addressing the ethical considerations were also presented.

References:

[1]. Aboagye, D., Dari, T. and Koomson, J. (2013) Risk Perception and Disaster Management in the Savannah Region of Ghana, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Vol. 3 No. 3; pg. 1.

[2]. Allotey, N. K., Arku, G. and Amponsah, P. E. (2010) Earthquake-disaster preparedness: The Case of Accra, International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2010, pp. 140-156. Accessed on 1^st April, 2016, available at: www.emeraldinsight.com/1759-5908.html

[3]. Amponsah, P.K. (2004). Seismic activity in Ghana: Past, present and future. Annals of Geophysics, 47(2/3), 539-543.

[4]. Buatsi, S.N. (2007), “Humanitarian logistics: context and challenges in Ghana and Africa”, International Conference on humanitarian logistics in Ghana.

[5]. Norman, I.D., Awiah, B.M., Aikins, M. K. and Binka, F. N. (2015). Review of Catastrophic Fires and Risk Communication, Ghana, Advances in Applied Sociology, 2015, 5, 167-177. Accessed online on 2^nd April, 2016 at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/aasoci, http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2015.55016

[6]. Osei, F. B. (2010), Spatial Statistics of Epidemic Data: The Case of Cholera Epidemiology in Ghana, PhD Thesis, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands.

[7]. UNDP (2012), Community Resilience through Early Warning (CREW) to Disasters Project: Local Project Appraisal Report on Ghana, UNDP Ghana Office, Accra.

[8]. Van Wassenhove, L.N. (2006), “Humanitarian aid logistics: supply chain management in high gear”, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Vol. 57 No. 5, pp. 475-89.

[9]. WHO (2015) Situation Report on Cholera Outbreak in Ghana as of 24 May 2015 (Week 21), Country Office Accra, Ghana.

Abstract:

The entrepreneurial capacity of the education system in South Africa needs development in three main areas. The first area is in the volume and process used to educate entrepreneurs, the second area is in the commercialisation of existing research and the third is in the entrepreneurial approach of the university system itself. The article explores these aspects

Keywords: South Africa, Education System, Entrepreneurship, Technology Commercialisation, University revenues.

References:

[1]. Adams, K. (2005). The Sources of Innovation and Creativity. National Center on Education and the Economy (NJ1). Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED522111.

[2]. Adams, M., Makramalla, M., & Miron, W. (2014). Down the Rabbit Hole: How Structural Holes in Entrepreneurs’ Social Networks Impact Early Venture Growth. Technology Innovation Management Review, 4(9), 19.

[3]. Baker, W. E., Grinstein, A., & Harmancioglu, N. (2016). Whose Innovation Performance Benefits More from External Networks: Entrepreneurial or Conservative Firms?: External Networks, EO, and Innovation. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 33(1), 104–120. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12263.

[4]. Bjorklund, T., Bhatli, D., & Laakso, M. (2013). Understanding idea advancement efforts in innovation through proactive behavior. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 15(2), 124–142. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRME-01-2013-0001.

[5]. Bock, A. J., Opsahl, T., George, G., & Gann, D. M. (2012). The Effects of Culture and Structure on Strategic Flexibility during Business Model Innovation: Flexibility During Business Model Innovation. Journal of Management Studies, 49(2), 279–305. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2011.01030.x.

[6]. Boyle, M. (2006). Culture in the rise of tiger economies: Scottish expatriates in Dublin and the ‘creative class’ thesis. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 30(2), 403–426.

[7]. Byers, T. (2010). Top 10 Elements of Technology Entrepreneurship for High-Growth Innovation. Stanford University, available at:

www.stanford.edu/class/e140/e140a/handouts/TopTenEshipLessons_Byers_2010_5322.pdf (accessed 22 September 2011). Retrieved from http://web.stanford.edu/class/archive/engr/engr140a/engr140a/cgi-bin/MFP/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Session-1-Top-10-Enduring-Elements-of-Entrepreneurship.pdf.

[8]. Carleton, T., Cockayne, W., & Tahvanainen, A. (2013). Playbook for Strategic Foresight and Innovation. A hand-on guide for modeling, designing, and leading your company’s new radical innovation. Retrieved June 15, 2014.

[9]. Černe, M. (2013). A multilevel approach in examining non-technological innovation.

[10].  Clapp, B., & Swenson, J. (2015). Entrepreneurs, Innovation and the Hidden Cost of Optimism. Business Journal for Entrepreneurs, 2015(3). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=15481859&AN=110010914&h=zngt8E0aln%2Bn9WYayuK11FhB5Tp7Ksyg%2B0DtGNLdmhJtmWqu4Y2RTlFJPd9fwGLilxRpRGYW1LdDlCuJzhtZYw%3D%3D&crl=c.

[11].  Darnihamedani, P., & Hessels, J. (2016). Human Capital as a Driver of Innovation among Necessity-Based Entrepreneurs. International Review of Entrepreneurship, 14(1). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=20092822&AN=114838412&h=uYpR6AV1utRPgU%2BeTZNj%2BFZFshtRSuWiHNmjDKdlrPZIutc7J9gB1osaenuPqoUyCw2GgnUx%2FFSkp5t6DpKD8Q%3D%3D&crl=c.

[12].  Davis, J. C., & Gonzalez, J. G. (2003). Scholarly journal articles about the Asian Tiger Economies: Authors, journals and research fields, 1986–2001. Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, 17(2), 51–61.

[13].  Engle, D. E., Mah, J. J., & Sadri, G. (1997). An Empirical Comparison of Entrepreneurs and Employees: Implications for Innovation. Creativity Research Journal, 10(1), 45–49. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326934crj1001_5.

[14].  Kane, T. J. (2010). The importance of startups in job creation and job destruction. Available at SSRN 1646934. Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1646934.

[15].  Li, Z., & Liu, Y. (2011). Entrepreneurship education and employment performance: An empirical study in Chinese university. Journal of Chinese Entrepreneurship, 3(3), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1108/17561391111166975.

[16].  Malebana, M. J. (2014). Entrepreneurial Intentions and Entrepreneurial Motivation of South African Rural University Students. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 6(9), 709.

[17].  Mwiya, B. M. K. (2014). The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on the Relationships between Institutional and Individual Factors and Entrepreneurial Intention of University Graduates: Evidence from Zambia. Retrieved from https://wlv.openrepository.com/wlv/handle/2436/550224.

[18].  Pruett, M., Shinnar, R., Toney, B., Llopis, F., & Fox, J. (2009). Explaining entrepreneurial intentions of university students: a cross‐cultural study. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 15(6), 571–594. https://doi.org/10.1108/13552550910995443.

[19].  Rideout, E. C., & Gray, D. O. (2013). Does Entrepreneurship Education Really Work? A Review and Methodological Critique of the Empirical Literature on the Effects of University-Based Entrepreneurship Education. Journal of Small Business Management, 51(3), 329–351. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12021.

[20].  Sánchez, J. C. (2011). University training for entrepreneurial competencies: Its impact on intention of venture creation. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 7(2), 239–254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-010-0156-x.

[21].  Saxenian, A. (1991). The origins and dynamics of production networks in Silicon Valley. Research Policy, 20(5), 423–437.

[22].  Saxenian, A., & Hsu, J.-Y. (2001). The Silicon Valley–Hsinchu connection: technical communities and industrial upgrading. Industrial and Corporate Change, 10(4), 893–920.

[23].  Schneider, S., & Spieth, P. (2013). BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION: TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA. International Journal of Innovation Management, 17(1), 1340001. https://doi.org/10.1142/S136391961340001X.

[24].  Senor, D., & Singer, S. (2009). Startup nation: The story of Israel’s economic miracle. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group. ISBN 978-0-446-54146-6.

[25].  Turker, D., & Sonmez Selcuk, S. (2009). Which factors affect entrepreneurial intention of university students? Journal of European Industrial Training, 33(2), 142–159. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090590910939049.

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Abstract:

From the global point of view, sustainable development based research and education is the back bone of any nation. In addition, sustainable development policies following millennium development goal highlights the role of education and technology which has become the need of the day to create the awareness among the citizen, researchers and policy makers as well as in local communities for environment protection concept. The present paper gives an overview regarding the contribution, research and technology in the development of an Institute in sustainable manner. Sustainable Development is an idea of education which aims to empower the individuals to assume liability to build a sustainable future.

From the micro point of view, this zeros down to the impact of implementing a diversification strategy at the infectious diseases institute to ensure sustainability and this is guided by three research questions. To establish the strategies implemented by IDI, to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies implemented by IDI & to establish the Link between the strategies implemented & competitive advantage. The researcher adopted a descriptive & exploratory research designs. The respondents were selected using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. Data gathered through Questionnaires and interview guides administered to respondents. The SPSS technique was used to establish the link between strategies implemented & competitive advantage.

In conclusion, this research found out that the strategy is initiated by identifying existing resources and expertise in the organization followed by the assessment of sustainability of competitive advantage that they can provide. Other researchers have suggested that firms may improve efficiency of their operations through various related diversification approaches because of growing economies of scope that allow for the joint development and utilization of firm-specific skills.

References:

[1].     Aksel I, Baran M (2006). “Organizational Problems of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOS),” the 3rd International NGO's Congress, December 9-10, Canakkale, Carneiro, J.M.T, Cavalcanti, M.A.F.D; SILVA, J.F. Porter Revisitado: A critical Analysis of the strategic Typology of the Master. Journey of Contemporary Management

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[10].  Montgomery, C.A. (1985). Product-market diversification and market power, Academy of Management Journal, 28

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[12].  Rumelt, R.P. (1974). Strategy, Structure, and Economic Performance.

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Abstract:

The productivity and profitability paradox in IT investments literature have made the work of IT managers very difficult in justifying for IT investments. Another difficult issue to grapple with by IT managers is how to measure or evaluate intangible benefits. These problems have led to the proposition of many IT evaluation frameworks/models and methods by researchers. This works aims to review a number of these frameworks/models and methods to see the way forward in this business of IT investments justification. About 40 categories/sets of research outputs or articles out of more than 50 articles reviewed were used for this work. The results showed that tangible benefits are not enough to justify for IT investments as they mostly point to corporate benefits which are short term, and that the justification of intangible benefits which are more strategic, must be included to make the justification process complete no matter how difficult it is. Again, no evaluation framework/model with its associated methods of evaluation is a panacea to the evaluation problem; evaluation depends on so many factors, and so is contextual. Also, the firm must factor into the evaluation process its corporate and strategic objectives. Lastly, in most cases, IT evaluation is seen as a must do, and therefore does not require that justification is done.

Keywords: Justify, Evaluate, Tangible, Intangible, Information Technology, Framework.

References:

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Abstract:

The general objective of this work was to contribute to the general body of knowledge and research work in the area of managing IT projects successfully. To achieve the general objective, the research was aimed at exploring the reasons why most IT projects fail from past literature, and come out with the most prevalent causes of failure, and then develop a framework to help manage IT projects successfully. The assumption this work was dependent on was that once the prevalent causes of failure are known, then conversely, we can propose what should be done to deliver IT projects successfully. This work only deals with secondary data, primarily from journal articles and newsletters of IT based institutions. About 32 categories/sets of research outputs were used as literature base for the analysis. No primary data was employed for this work. It was found out that for an IT project to be delivered successfully, there are four areas that are so critical: Skills of project manager/team members, Top Management Involvement, Proper Methodology/Processes, and Good Communication. This represents the success factors dimension. It was discovered that the success of IT projects depends so much primarily on the activities of the initiating stage followed by the planning stage, and then the executing, monitoring and controlling stage, and finally, closing stage. This represents the process dimension. A framework depicting all these was developed.

Keywords: Successful, Project, Information, Technology, Framework, Failure

References:

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Abstract:

Human resource has its challenges and sometimes those challenges are unique for each sector, however, the challenge of the local worker in an international company is unique, irrespective of the sector in which they fine themselves.

The challenge of any local worker in an international organization is struggling with some sort of dissatisfaction, after the knowledge that two persons doing the same job, with the same level of qualification can be earning different salaries. The difference is, in most cases, so wide to impose a morale issue; simply because of where you were employed.

This article sorts to bring to the lamplight the various areas of dissatisfaction, for the local worker; be they multicultural realities, benefit package or the social factor. I have also reviewed the motivational factors behind the staff management systems; be they in relations to work life balance, willingness to make personal sacrifice at work, desire promotion to senior levels of management, agree more with the statement “work life is more fulfilling than my personal life”, do not feel they have a lot on their plate.

Recommendations have been made, that the cynical local worker who feels they are victims should be identified and asked to leave, communicate more the vision of management for the local staff and avoid gaps, branding the local worker the patriot of the nation and permit, promote and publicize example of local workforce where the other motivational needs have been met.

This article is a must read for all companies with a multinational and international nature. It is also important for anyone hoping to get an international job and it can assist the local staff representatives to find a common ground, in settling staff related issues in an international setting.

References:

[1].     Staff Representative Letter, 2016.

[2].     The Essential Guide to Employee Engagement. Better business performance through staff satisfaction. By Sarah Cook, 2008, Kogan Page Limited in the UK and the US.

Abstract:

The study examined how effective leadership style assisted in motivation employees of Ecobank Ghana towards the successful implementation of its merger and acquisition growth strategy. In conducting the study, purposive sampling technique was adopted to select key officials of the bank, key managers and supervisors of the bank whose leadership styles influenced employees to work hard towards turning the new consolidated bank around. Out of 120 questionnaires distributed, 104 returned safely which enabled the relevant to be collated and analyzed for strategizing the direction of the study. The study noted transactional, laissez-faire and transformational leadership styles were all brought on board to assist employees of the bank work hard towards achieving set targets thereby improving upon their financial performance. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that with the new minimum capital adequacy level increased by the central bank of Ghana from US$20 million as at December 2012 to US$100 million by December 2017, a lot more banks in the country have been slated for integration and will therefore need strong leadership styles to enable them to successfully undertake their mergers and acquisitions exercise.

Keywords: Leadership styles, organizational performance, mergers and acquisition, staff motivation.

References:

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Abstract:

The study attempted to investigate how leadership can be used to combat corruption in decentralized governance structures of Ghana. In conducting the study, purposive sampling technique was employed to select key officials of GA south municipal assembly whose duties often promote corrupt practices. The questionnaire technique was the research instrument while a statistical package for social science was used to facilitate the analysis of data captured from the field. Findings of the study noted that under invoicing, over invoicing, payment for works not done among others are serious corrupt practices prevailing within the decentralized grassroots governance structures. It also came to light that political interference, appointing political operatives to key positions in governance units all promotes corrupt practices. The study noted that if political interference can be removed in the administration of these decentralized structures, effective leaders who are mainly technocrats can offer sound management framework for carrying out the developmental agenda of these decentralized structures. The study called on government of African countries to endeavour to finance the activities of political parties so as to remove the need for amassing wealth through fair or foul means for strengthen political structures to win elections. Strong leaders are requires towards combating corruptions, however there is the need to ameliorate completely the effect of political interference in the administration of decentralized governance structures.

Keywords: Leadership, Corruption, Value-for Money, Decentralization, Governance, Political Authority.

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