Baynoon Centre for Studies and Development (BCSD): OJS
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The Impact of COVID-19 on the Congolese Financial System : An empirical Investigation
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pass-through on the financial system moves at supersonic speed, undermining financial stability with a contraction of claims on the private sector, withdrawing deposits, and tightening the fiscal circumstances . The primary goal of this research is to investigate the unprecedented influenceof COVID-19 on the Congolese financial system. An autoregressive Vector Bayesian model is used to test the connection . The data utilized is a monthly series from December 2013 to October 2020. The results reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has varying degrees of negative impact on the Congolese financial system. The Congolese government should immediately ado pt macroeconomic and financial policies by boosting and injecting liquidity into the banking sector to mitigate the negative consequences. At the same time, the expansion of Fintechs on the one hand and the expansion of cyberattacks on the other would enhance the financial system landscape . To maximize the digitization of the financial systems and enhance the effectiveness of cybersecurity, financial institutions should implement intelligent policies and invest in research. This study is the first to be done in Congo to the authors' best knowledge and serves as a battery for further research in Africa and the world
Mothers' Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Children with Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency
Get PDFPurpose: The study aimed to determine mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward children with G6PD and to find out the relationship between mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward G6PD and their demographic variables.
Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study, a non-probability (purposive) sample was conducted in the period from April to October 2022 at Al-Najaf City. The participants in this study were the following mothers, who were admitted for the care and treatment of their children in the three main hospitals: The division of the sample was as follows: Al-Zahra Hospital 50 sick children; Al-Furat Al-Awsat 32 children; and finally, Al-Najaf Hospital 18 sick children.
Results: It demonstrates that most mothers lack enough understanding about glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, as well as have positive attitudes and inappropriate practices.
Conclusions: Based on the results, it is concluded that there must be emphasis on early newborn screening for G6PD deficiency. Developing and implementing awareness programs for mothers with children suffering from this disease
Relationship among Store Atmosphere, Products, Prices and Repurchase Intentions: the intervening role of Customer Satisfaction
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to determine the influence of store atmosphere, products, and prices on repurchase intentions at Sahaya Coffeeshop in Pontianak City with customer satisfaction as an intervening variable. This research was associative research. The population in this research were all Sahaya Coffeeshop customers. The total sample was 100 respondents determined using a purposive sampling technique. The data analysis technique used was structural equation modelling (SEM) with the WarpPLS approach. The results of the fit and quality indices model show a good, ideal, acceptable and large model. The results of hypothesis testing for direct effect show that Store Atmosphere and Products have a positive and significant effect on Satisfaction, but Prices have a negative effect on Satisfaction; Store Atmosphere, Products and Prices have a positive and significant effect on Repurchase Intentions; Satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on Repurchase Intentions. The results of hypothesis testing for indirect effects show that Store Atmosphere and Products have a positive and significant effect on Repurchase Intentions through Satisfaction, but Prices have a negative effect on Repurchase Intentions through Satisfaction
The Anti-Candida and the Cytotoxic Activity of Aloe Vera Gel Extracts
Get PDFPurpose: The research paper studies the in vitro anti-candida activity and cytotoxic effects of Aloe vera (Linn) leaves extract against melanoma and normal cell lines.
Subjects and Methods: The traditional Soxhlet apparatus was used to prepare the crude plant extract using organic solvents. The agar well diffusion method was used to explore the in vitro anti-candida, and the MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxic activity.
Results: With IC50 values of 250 g/ml and more than 1000 g/ml, respectively, crude extract demonstrated anti-Candida activity against Candida ((kefyr, glabrata, and albicans) in varying potencies and cytotoxic effect in B16 cell line and vero cell line.
Conclusions: This study unequivocally establishes that the crude extract of Aloe vera leaves with bioactive metabolites is capable of supplying high-quality biological material for anti-Candida and anti-cancer therapeutic programs
The role of strategic information systems in the quality of banking services: An applied study on some Iraqi banks
Get PDFThe study aims at measuring the role of strategic information systems (SISs) in the quality of banking services (QBSs) on some Iraqi banks. The researchers adopted the description and analytical approach in defining and treating its variables, which are represented by strategic information systems (SISs) as independent variable with its dimensions (technical innovation, technical requirement, strategic information resources), and the quality of banking (QBSs). The study was applied on 132 Employees of a group of private Iraqi commercial banks. Data were collected among participants via questionnaires. Results showed the presence of a significant, statistically influence relationship for strategic information systems on the quality of banking service in commercial banks in Iraq. The study recommends using technologies such as the internet and extranet in banking systems to enhance the speed and effectiveness of communication between bank departments.  
The Effect of an Instructional Program Based on YouTube on Jordanian EFL Students' Listening
Get PDFPurpose: The study aimed to investigate the effect of using a YouTube-based instructional program on university students’ listening comprehension in Jordan.
Approach/Methodology/Design: The researchers followed a quasi-experimental design which consisted of one independent variable and one dependent variable. The sample included students majoring in English Language and Linguistics at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), Juniors and Seniors who were distributed into two groups, a control group consisting of (46) students and an experimental group of (51) students.
Findings: The results showed that there are statistically significant differences at (= 0.05) in the post-listening test scores due to the teaching method (namely, YouTube) in favor of the experimental group.
Practical Implications: The results of this study might have practical implications for the Ministry of Education, teachers, and students. The recommendations should be applied to enhance students’ performance. Technology is incorporated into the teaching/learning process, and the results of this study might give insights into the students’ responses and adjustments.
Originality/value: The results of this study revealed that the YouTube-based instructional program was effective in improving the students’ listening skills as compared with the conventional methodology. In this case, implementing YouTube is highly recommended and should be widely rooted in the Jordanian EFL classes as its advantages are aplenty
Conceptual Knowledge and Its Importance in Teaching Mathematics
Get PDFPurpose: This study highlights the importance of teaching conceptual knowledge alongside procedural knowledge in mathematics. It examines the effects of a lack of conceptual knowledge on students’ responses to mathematics teaching from the perspectives of researchers and educators.
Approach/Methodology/Design: This study draws on interviews with 30 secondary school mathematics teachers from Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on conceptual knowledge in mathematics. The study focuses on three main areas: mathematics teachers’ perspectives on teaching conceptual knowledge, the conditions needed to teach conceptual knowledge, and the obstacles that they face in teaching conceptual knowledge.
Findings: A thematic analysis of the interviews revealed that mathematics teachers believed that conceptual knowledge is as important as procedural knowledge. In addition, they believed that achieving a balance between conceptual and procedural understanding and emphasizing the connections between them are necessary for understanding real mathematics.
Practical Implications: Many mathematics teachers tend to use traditional teaching methods that focus on procedure and neglect conceptual mathematics. The results of this study would offer insights into the difficulties associated with mathematics teaching. Moreover, it would have practical implications for curriculum planning, emphasizing the balance of both conceptual and procedural knowledge.
Originality/value: The study focuses on mathematics teachers’ perspectives on teaching mathematics conceptually, the conditions needed to teach conceptually, and the obstacles that they face in teaching mathematics conceptually
Human Resource Management amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: Behavioral Implications for HR Practitioners
No full textPurpose: This study aims to examine the new challenges for human resource management amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with implications for HR professionals in dealing with their employees.
Approach/Methodology: The study is a general review that attempts to explore the impact of COVID-19 on human resource management. Between December 2019 and July 2021, the researchers did a manual search for the papers that have been published in Scopus, Google Scholar, JSTOR, and Semantic Scholar databases along with many websites. The researcher included the articles based on the scope, area, and variable, where biomedical and epidemiological research has been excluded.
Findings: HR management is facing some invisible challenges that are not new, but during COVID-19, these were multiplied and reached the peaks. Employee health, safety, and mental well-being; employee maintenance, engagement, and flexibility; employee skill and talent management and motivation are the most common challenges.
Practical Implications: The importance of this study lies in its implications on organizations to develop appropriate behavioral strategies to adapt the human resources to the new reality. HR practitioners can use the findings of this study to create effective interventions for dealing with their human resources in an uncertain situation like COVID-19.
Originality/Value: The study presents multiple perspectives on the recent challenges that HR encounters. It is related to the behavioral implications of employees’ mental well-being and motivation for the HR professionals of the organizations
The Impact of Corporate Governance on Firm’s Financial Distress: A Case Study of The UK-based firms
Get PDFPurpose: The study aims to assess the potential impacts that the different attributes of corporate governance like the ownership structure and composition of the board on the probability of the listed firms in the UK falling into financial distress.
Approach/Methodology/Design: A quantitative methodology with a positivist paradigm and deductive reasoning were employed to collect data from 100 UK-based listed incorporation using FAME-A and BoardEx databases. Moreover, a longitudinal approach was used to collect data from 2014-2019 and sort it into a panel dataset, which was then analyzed using different statistical analysis approaches including pool ordinary least square regression analysis, Pearson’s correlation, and descriptive statistics by using STATA statistical analysis tool.
Findings: The findings indicate that certain components of the composition of the board have a substantial effect on a company’s probability to fall into financial distress; for instance, the board size, the board size, board independence, and the independence of the audit committee have a significant negative implication on the selected companies’ probability to fall into financial distress. Similarly, some ownership structure components like institutional ownership and shareholder’s ownership have significant negative implications on the firm’s likelihood of financial distress, while audit committee size and the extent of ownership held by the management show an insignificant implication on the selected companies’ probability to fall into financial distress.
Originality/value: The study also highlighted certain limitations and provided recommendations to future researchers to overcome these limitations in the future and reach more informed findings
Perception, Experiences and Challenges of Online and Virtual Learning during Covid-19 Pandemic among Student Midwives of the Garden City University College, Kenyase-Kumasi, Ghana
Get PDFPurpose: This study aimed to assess the perception, experiences and challenges of online and virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic among student midwives of the Garden City University College, Kumasi, Ghana.
Approach/Methodology/Design: The study adopted a descriptive quantitative design which was achieved by the administration of questionnaires through google forms to 158 respondents. A systematic sampling technique was employed to select the participants. Data were coded and entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 and MS. Excel for analysis. The technology acceptance model was used to direct the study.
Findings: The study revealed that 51.3% of respondents perceived online and virtual learning to be useful and effective, 41.8% stated they were comfortable with the use of online and virtual learning platforms and tools. 44.3% of the participants were satisfied with the virtual learning, 50.6% stated that their experience with online and virtual learning has improved their ICT skills. However, challenges faced by the participants included the high cost of data (95.6%), poor internet connectivity (91.1%) and 81% expressed distraction when having the online and virtual learning classes.
Practical Implications: The study has practical implications for the various educational institutions and concerned bodies to address the issue of high cost, among others.
Originality/value: The study concluded that students found e-learning advantageous over conventional face-to-face teaching and learning, as they could study from any location despite some challenges