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Human Capital, Fixed Capital Formation and Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis of Endogenous Growth Drivers in Uganda
Get PDFThis research aimed to look at the effect of key endogenous variables such as GNI, Human Capital, FDI, Inflation, and GCF, which have impacted the economic growth in Uganda. This study adopted a time-series research design. Data from the study were obtained through secondary sources, including government publications, international financial databases, and reports obtained from UBOS. The econometric methods the study adopted included the ADF test for stationarity, the VIF test for multicollinearity, and the ARDL model in testing both the short-run and long-run relationships. The study found that in the long run, human capital, GCF, and inflation significantly contributed to economic growth at favorable rates, while FDI negatively influenced economic growth. In the short run, GNI, Human Capital, FDI, and Capital are significant determinants of economic growth, with an adverse short-run effect for GNI and FDI. The results emphasize that capital formation and human capital development are important for sustainable economic growth in Uganda. The study concludes that different aspects of fashion affect Uganda's economic performance, indicating the need to stabilize major macroeconomic indicators to achieve long-term growth, focusing on human capital, capital formation, and managing inflation
Monetary Policy and Uganda’s Private Investment
Get PDFMonetary policy determines the overall performance of an economy, particularly in developing countries where private investment is among the determinants of growth. Money supply, inflation, and changes in lending rates always influenced how the private sector invested in Uganda. This study aimed to examine how monetary policy influences private investment in Uganda focusing on money supply, interest rates, and inflation as the key determinants. Data for the period 1990 to 2020 were used for the study, which were secondary time series data provided by the Bank of Uganda and World Development Indicators publications. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was used to apply its application to both the short-run and long-run effects of monetary policy on private investment. The results showed that in the short run, private investment responded positively to increased money supply and inflation and negatively to higher lending rates. Although monetary policy can stimulate private investment in the short run, its effectiveness wanes in the long run unless carefully managed. This means that expansive policies can stimulate investment in the short run, but such heavy reliance could undermine the sustainability of investment. The study identifies that if Uganda could maintain an effective monetary policy, it is vital to balance encouraging private investment and maintaining macroeconomic stability. Such findings can assist in designing policies fostering sustainable private sector-driven growth
Intention of Using Self-Service Kiosk in Fast Food Restaurants amongst Malaysian University Youth: Evaluating the Role of Perceived Usefulness, Ease of Use, Enjoyment and Safety Risk
Get PDFSelf-service kiosks (SSKs) are common self-service technology, consisting of a large screen mounted on a pillar from which customers place their food orders. It is a contactless service that was rapidly adopted in fast food operation during Covid 19 pandemic as an effort of minimizing risk of transmission and generally well received by the younger tech savvy population. This study aims to explore fast food SSK usage intention amongst university student population using the Technology Accepted Model with the injection of Perceived Safety Risk as a moderating variable. A total of 400 responses were collected using online questionnaires. Data were analyze using the SEM-PLS method. Perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived enjoyment (PE) did effect intention to use self-service kiosk. However, Perceived Safety Risk did not have a significant moderating effect towards intention to use. While perceived safety risk may not deter university youths from using self service kiosk, continuous practice of cleaning and sanitizing touchscreen by the fast-food management should be practice even in the post pandemic stage of Covid 19. Periodic software and hardware upgrades will make self service kiosk more user friendly and improve the streamline services at fastfood outlets.
 
Designing Bamboo-Based Products for Elderly Care: A Cross-Cultural Study Between Japan and Malaysia
Get PDFBamboo, a renewable and culturally significant material in both countries, Japan and Malaysia, presents vast potential for sustainable product design. As both Japan and Malaysia face the challenges of growing elderly populations, there is a need for products that promote independence, mobility, and a high quality of life for older adults. The study focuses on merging traditional bamboo craftsmanship with modern ergonomic needs, targeting key areas such as comfort, safety, and usability for aging populations. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the development of innovative bamboo-based products designed to enhance the well-being of the elderly, drawing on cultural and material synergies between Japan and Malaysia. The study has emphasized cross-cultural review on the bamboo-based industry in both countries, as well as presenting innovative bamboo-based products for the elderly. This research will provide practical solutions that address the global aging challenge and serve as a model for how traditional materials can be reimagined to meet contemporary societal needs, contributing to both the academic discourse on sustainable design and real-world applications for elderly care products. This study is significant to be aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 9 (promotes inclusive and sustainable industrialization, fostering innovation, and building resilient infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). By utilizing bamboo-based products, the research not only supports environmental sustainability but also fosters cultural exchange and innovation
Generational Differences in Shaping Employees’ Ethical Behavior for Sustainable Organization: A Meta-Analysis
Get PDFThe ethical behavior of employees is critical to organizational success, yet fostering such behavior presents persistent challenges in today's dynamic workplace. Predictable factors such as cultural diversity, technological advancements, and evolving societal expectations highlight the pressing need for robust strategies to promote ethical conduct. Due to that, this paper investigates generational differences in shaping employees’ ethical behavior for sustainable organizations through a comprehensive meta-analysis. Using university electronic databases (Scopus) as a search lens to locate related articles, a meta-analytical technique is employed to analyze and synthesize available literature. The following themes of ethical behavior and generational differences were used to assess selected studies. Inclusion criteria focused on studies published within the past 10 years, ensuring relevance to recent organizational contexts. By systematically analyzing and synthesizing the literature, this paper provides actionable insights for researchers and practitioners aiming to address challenges of generational differences in shaping employees’ ethical behavior. The findings highlight the distinct ethical values held by each generation and underscore the importance of fostering a cohesive ethical principle within organizations. A significant gap in the findings is the limited exploration of how generational ethical perspectives evolve, particularly in remote work settings, digital workplaces, and gig economies. Additionally, the practical effectiveness of ethical leadership and CSR initiatives in bridging generational ethical gaps remains underexplored. Future research should examine ethical behavior practices of non-traditional workspaces, assess effective leadership strategies and policy interventions, and adopt international approaches to enhance generalizability and inform culturally inclusive ethical policies
HR Practices and Employee Retention: A Study on Automotive Manufacturing Organizations in Malaysia
Get PDFEmployee retention remains a critical challenge within the automotive manufacturing sector, where the loss of skilled talent can significantly disrupt operations and competitiveness. This study investigates the impact of four key human resource (HR) practices - rewards and benefits, career development, performance management, and leadership behavior - on employee retention within a major automotive manufacturing organization in Peninsular Malaysia. Grounded in Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, a quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected via a survey questionnaire from 650 executive-level employees across the Selangor and Melaka branches, achieving a 95 percent response rate. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26, incorporating descriptive, reliability, and multiple regression analyses to examine the relationship between HR practices and employee retention outcomes. The findings indicate that all four HR practices significantly influence employee retention, with career development showing the strongest relationship. The findings emphasize the need for strategic alignment between HR policies and employee expectations to reduce turnover and foster long-term organizational commitment. This study offers both theoretical and practical implications by reinforcing the role of comprehensive HR practices in shaping employee behavior and organizational stability. It provides actionable insights for HR professionals and decision-makers within Malaysia’s manufacturing sector to enhance workforce retention and maintain competitiveness in a dynamic labor market
Trends in Artificial Intelligence and Educational Technology: A Systematic Analysis
Get PDFThe faster evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the field of education by making teaching and learning more personalized, adaptive, and data-driven. As AI gets further integrated into educational technologies (EdTech), student engagement is enhanced by chatbots, VR/AR, intelligent tutors, and ML algorithms, boosting academic achievement and the development of reasoning skills. This change was faster during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the greater emphasis on the role of technology in education, its possibilities, and shortcomings. At the same time, there is increased use of AI-powered technologies in education, and the more prominent ethical issues these technologies pose are algorithmic discrimination, data security, and the implications of systems’ autonomy in making judgments. This research examines the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Education within the years 2021 - 2025, utilizing a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis through the VOSviewer software. Results delineate dominant research clusters and depict a shift from examining general applications of technology to more nuanced, emerging advancements like contrastive learning and adversarial techniques. The research draws attention to implementing AI in education responsibly while outlining further steps in research and policymaking to ensure educational AI is used to its fullest potential while protecting academic accessibility and institutional neutrality
Supply Chain Karma Score (SCKS): A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Ethical Footprint in Global Supply Chains
Get PDFDespite the widespread use of ESG metrics, GRI guidelines, and supplier audit frameworks, current approaches to ethical performance measurement in supply chains often lack depth, consistency, and cultural relevance. These tools frequently prioritize investor transparency or compliance checklists while neglecting long-term moral accountability and relational stakeholder impacts. To address this gap, this paper introduces the Supply Chain Karma Score (SCKS)—a novel, culturally grounded conceptual framework inspired by the Eastern philosophy of karma, which emphasizes cause and effect over time. The SCKS evaluates the ethical footprint of firms through five interrelated dimensions: Labor Karma, Planet Karma, Governance Karma, Equity Karma, and Resilience Karma. Each dimension reflects a core domain of moral responsibility in global value chains, supported by indicative metrics that move beyond static compliance toward dynamic, consequence-based accountability. The framework is theoretically anchored in stakeholder theory, the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), and virtue ethics, integrating moral philosophy with systems thinking to provide a holistic and scalable ethical assessment model. This study contributes to supply chain ethics literature by proposing a comprehensive tool for diagnosing ethical risks, enhancing sustainability benchmarking, and guiding strategic procurement decisions. It also lays the groundwork for future empirical research and policy development, particularly in emerging economies where institutional voids and moral governance deficits are most pronounced. By operationalizing karma into a measurable construct, the SCKS offers both scholars and practitioners a fresh lens to reimagine responsible supply chain management in an interconnected, ethically complex world.
 
The Impact of Digital Work on Work-Life Balance Among Lecturers in Private Higher Education Institutions in the Klang Valley: A Technology Affordance Perspective
Get PDFThe digital revolution has reshaped higher education, particularly in Malaysia, where work-life balance ranks among the lowest globally. The transformation to digital work has greatly affected both the professional and personal lives of lecturers, raising questions about its broader impact. This study set out to examine how digital work influences work-life balance based on the technology affordances theory and determine whether user experience moderates this relationship. The study, which utilised IBM SPSS, analysed the relationship among five technology affordances (communication, coordination, knowledge sharing, decision-making, and access to resources) and work-life balance, with user experience tested as a potential moderating variable. The results showed that lecturers generally had positive attitudes towards technology affordances, with coordination receiving the highest ratings, followed by decision-making and access to resources. The correlation analysis revealed statistically significant and moderately positive relationships between work-life balance and all five affordances. The regression analysis identified access to resources as the strongest determinant of work-life balance, while coordination and knowledge sharing also had meaningful positive effects. However, communication and decision-making tools made only minimal or statistically insignificant contributions. User experience was not found to moderate the relationship between technology affordances and work-life balance. Overall, this study highlights which technology factors matter most for supporting work-life balance in higher education. It also provides practical recommendations for institutions seeking to improve their digital work environments. The findings emphasise the importance of resource accessibility, user-friendly tool design, and the need for continuous training and a supportive organisational culture
Determinants of University Students' Absenteeism: The Role of Financial, Parental and Institutional Factors
Get PDFFinancial issues, university environment, and parental issues have been investigated as factors influencing absenteeism among full?time undergraduate students in a local university in Selangor. An online survey was conducted among 350 students from a local university in Selangor. The survey respondents reported that most of them had absenteeism during their studies. The data collected was then analyzed and applied to a structural equation model (SEM) using Partial Least Squares, and the model consisted of a measurement and structural model. The finding revealed that parental issues do not significantly influence absenteeism among local university students. The results revealed that financial problems and elements of the university environment, like lecture quality, class participation, and support networks, significantly influenced absenteeism. In contrast, parental problems like family expectations, home conflicts, or guardians' pressure did not significantly influence students' attendance. This implies that even if students might experience pressure at home, these elements have less impact than their financial condition and the daily academic surroundings they negotiate. These findings emphasize the need to enhance financial support mechanisms and create a more interesting academic environment to lower absenteeism and support student retention