Baynoon Centre for Studies and Development (BCSD): OJS
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Impact of Microfinance Advisory Services on the Performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Yemen
Get PDFPurpose: This study examined the Impact of Microfinance Advisory Services on the Performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Yemen.
Approach/Methodology/Design: The study focused on micro and small business owners in Yemen who have access to microfinance services. To accomplish this goal, descriptive and analytical research methods are adopted for this study. The number of their active clients was 90,946 active clients, and the sample size was 398. Data are examined using the SPSS to provide quantitative descriptive statistics measures. To evaluate the theoretical model of this research, PLS-SEM route modelling using Smart PLS 3.2.9 software was employed. Because it replicates the standard regression approach, PLS path modelling was judged the most acceptable technique in this study.
Findings: Microfinance institutions' (MFIs') advising services for MSEs were found to have a highly significant correlation with the performance of MSEs. This study's findings add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the importance of MFIs' advisory services to the development and success of their client businesses.
Implications: As previously stated in the present literature, further research into the significance of advisory services in the performance of Micro and Small Enterprises is required. This study aimed to determine the effect of microfinance institutions' advising services on the performance of micro and small firms in Yemen
Associates and Determinants of the MGNREGA: An Indian Case Study of Rural Transformation
Get PDFPurpose: The study sought to investigate the various types of employees who took part in the MGNREGA programme. According to the findings, the employment scenario is determined by economic status, social group, education, gender, family size, and land holdings.
Approach/Methodology/Design: A micro-level analysis was conducted along the dichotomies of various variables to consider the associates and determinates of labour participation in MGNREGA. The Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to analyze data from the survey's various indicators.
Findings: The employment scenario is determined by economic status, social group, education, gender, family size, and land holdings. MGNREGA is more appealing to households that belong to a disadvantaged community, have a low level of education, or have a large family. Increased working days with efficient work in rural areas are needed to serve all areas.
Originality/value: The traditional model of joint households in rural areas is being broken as a result of the program's implementation, as a proportion of work cards are held by smaller families. The educational level of the beneficiaries has been discovered to be lower. According to the results, the socio-economic condition of households regularly working under the MGNREGA scheme is extremely poor in rural areas
Dissemination of Values: Entrepreneurial Intention among Hadhrami Youths in Yemen: The Theory of Planned Behavior Approach
Get PDFPurpose: This study aims to investigate passing values of entrepreneurial activities among the Hadhrami community in Yemen by measuring the entrepreneurial intention among the youth in the Hadhrami community.
Approach/Methodology/Design: An empirical study method is employed in this research by relying on primary data collected from undergraduates, in order to be in position to present evidence about the entrepreneurial intention among the new generation in the region of Hadhramout in Yemen. Hierarchal multiple regression was performed to investigate the effect of the independent variables which are the attitude of individuals, subjective norms and perceived behavior control, as well as the entrepreneurial background and demographic variables on the dependent variable which is entrepreneurial intentions of the individuals surveyed in the study.
Findings: The result indicate significant impact of attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control on entrepreneurial intention among Hadhrami youth. Further, education and training is not found influential on shaping entrepreneurial intention among Hadhrami youth and similarly with entrepreneurial background of the youth except the experience of relatives has an impact on their intentions.
Originality/value: The study concludes that entrepreneurial activities are traditionally oriented among Hadhramis; education and training are supposed to improve such entrepreneurial intention among the youth which is an earnest need for achieving inclusive and sustainable development
Contesting Imposed Existence: Re-thinking Precepts of Identity in Bengali Dalit Narratives
Get PDFThe concept of identity as a social construct is constantly in a state of flux when applied to a Dalit. In the context of post-Partition Bengal, the Namasudra community migrating from East Pakistan become slaves of constructs, such as ‘caste’, ‘refugee’, and ‘communalism’. The complexity of these imposed identities becomes their common means of visibility that deprives them of both sides of the border subjecting them to recurrent displacement. In such situations, the Dalit expressions of anguish and emotion in their narratives become a significant source and claim towards an individual and collective truth. This article presents an analysis of how Dalit writers from the very confines of caste/communal bondage and slavery reciprocate an emotional identity to produce a different worldview. This will involve interpreting the extent to which expressing emotion carries the value of liberation, harmony and become a silent rebellion breaking from the dominant history associated with refugees. The article addresses this by specifically focusing on two short stories of the Namasudra writer Jatin Bala – ‘Akaipur in Flames’ and ‘The Two Ends of a Broken Bridge’
The Role of the Empathic Function of Literature in Dismantling Stereotypes and Eliminating Discrimination in the Classroom
Get PDFThe coexistence of students in the classroom from different cultural backgrounds is a challenge. Literature as a cultural product may contribute to the cultivation of intercultural empathy and acceptance of diversity in various ways. This study examines how literature may contribute to the treatment of issues related to stereotypes, gender discrimination, and how it may eliminate prejudices in the classroom. Initially, through the bibliographic review, the effect of literature on the psycho-emotional development of the individual, the strengthening of resilience and on the development of emotional intelligence is investigated as a key element for the development of healthy interpersonal relationships. Then, this study presents the results of an action research that utilized literature to break stereotypes in a pluralistic class. The action research took place at schools in Chania (Crete, Greece), and it highlights the empathic function of literature in removing stereotypes and discrimination in the classroom through various experiential activities and cooperative role play. Literature cultivates empathy and students may get into “others' shoes’’, accepting diversity. Through structured literature-based programs, a teacher may cultivate intercultural understanding and empathy, promoting human rights and enhancing the learners as future citizens with an inclusive and humanitarian attitude.
Does Investment Structure Matters in the Nexus Between Income Diversification and Financial Performance in Comesa Region? Evidence from Commercial Banks in Kenya
Get PDFPurpose: The article examines whether investment structure moderates the relationship between income diversification and financial performance of Commercial banks in COMESA region.
Approach/Methodology/Design: The study adopted positivist research paradigm and explanatory research design. The data was collected from 31 commercials banks in Kenya from 2008 to 2019.The study considered the following variables: Income Diversification, Investment Structure and Financial Performance. Modern portfolio theory, Agency theory and resource based view theory were adopted.
Findings: The study established that income diversification have positive significant effects on the financial performance. The bank investment structure recorded a negative significant effect on financial performance of the commercial banks. Further, the interaction between investment structure and income diversification presented a negative significant effect on financial performance of the commercial banks. The study adds to debate on diversification premiums and discounts by establishing that investment structure moderates the relationship between income diversification and financial performance. COMESA banks have reasons to diversify their income but should consider the mix of the investment structure to achieve optimum results.
Practical Implications: Since the study support the benefits of diversification, COMESA as a region can accelerate on pushing for policies that encourage bank diversification to improve the profitability. Additionally, the diversifying banks should optimally adjust their investment structures to propel diversification benefits to compensate the declining interest income.
Originality/value: This study contributes to conflicting diversification premiums and discounts by introducing the moderating role of bank investment structure, this indirect effects adds to modern portfolio theory and agency theory that asserts direct relationship of both diversification premiums and discounts respectively
Transgressing Liminality: Exploring the Latin American urban Self through Resistance and Remembrance in 21st century Americas
Get PDFThe paper explores the quest for identity through reception, resistance, and remembrance, as expressed in the langscape of 21st century Latin American poets. The paper also addresses the points of contact between the Latin American Self and the cultural Other(s) within the urban space, re-visiting the changing dynamics of the Self -Other, the Global-local, centre-margin, and so on. The oeuvres of contemporary Latin American poet Monica de la Torre and Indigenous womxn poets L. M. Silko and Joy Harjo is re-visited. The interface between the newly formed Latin America and the colonial Other is examined to trace the trajectory of oppression where the economically superior ‘centre’ continues to violate the cultural Other – the ‘margin’ – a threshold marked by a “no-exit” situation of socio-economic and cultural Otherness. The question of Indigenous identity in 21st century metropolis of the Americas is studied through the reading of selected works, narrating the complexities of identity-claim within the cityscape, and exploring transgression of the liminal space of “forced forgetting” where remembrance of one’s Self (individual and/or communal) is transformed into an act of resistance
The Role of Teachers’ Digital Communication Skills in the Success of the Distance Learning Process in Private Universities in Lebanon
Get PDFPurpose: This research study aims to examine the role of effective digital communication skills in the success of the distance learning process in the private universities in Lebanon. It also addresses the role of the teacher in motivating the students and acting as a facilitator to bridge the digital divide.
Approach/Methodology/Design: To achieve the goal of this research, a descriptive approach was adopted. Six private universities were selected as a sample for the study and they were selected randomly. A questionnaire was developed as a tool for data collection. To verify the validity and reliability of the questionnaire, we used the Cronbach coefficient test (Cronbach’s alpha). The researchers distributed 300 questionnaires to respondents from the selected private universities. Only 137 teachers responded, or (45.6%) of the total questionnaires distributed. For statistical analysis, the researchers used SPSS version 20.0.
Findings: The results of the study revealed that private universities in Lebanon were ready to handle online teaching during the CoViD-19 pandemic. The respondents indicated their ability to handle the newly- emerging digital technologies to tackle crisis. It is found out that the arithmetic average rate related to the extent of the role that the teacher plays in the success of the distance learning process is (3.80)with a “strong” degree. The arithmetic average rate of the teacher's possession of the skill of effective communication was (3.69), with a “strong” degree. As for the teacher’s role in the process of motivation, the average of the arithmetic mean was 3.59 with a “strong” degree, but it is closer to an “average” than to a “strong” degree.
Practical Implications: The study presents various implications for different stakeholders; it principally addresses a crucial recent issue, and thus serves as a source for teachers and administrators. The results of the study open new venues for further research on online learning.
Originality/value: The success of online learning is dependent on digital literacy. The familiarity with the new technological means that emerged during 2020 contributes to the success
Diversity of Angiosperm Taxa in Chaar Khidirpur Area of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Get PDFPurpose: The aims to investigate the angiosperm taxa in the study area. The present research also documented the species diversity and important medicinal plants.
Subjects and Methods: Angiosperm flora in the Chaar Khidirpur area of Rajshahi, Bangladesh was carried out from November 2018 to October 2019 to cover the seasonal variations. Plant parts with either flower or fruits collected using traditional herbarium techniques to make voucher specimens for documentation.
Results: The result focused that a total of 210 species belonging to177 genera under 71 families were recorded. Forty-five (45) medicinal plants were used for the treatment of more than 61 diseases.
Conclusion: The present study was the first time to report angiosperm diversity and medicinal plants in the study area. In this research, the status of occurrence has been recorded for proper conservation management and sustainable utilization of the taxa resulting in 81.33% being common, 16.74% as rare and 1.91% are found as threatened in the study area
Effects of Vitamin D and Simvastatin on Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Markers of High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats
Get PDFPurpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of vitamin D and Simvastatin (SIM) on a high-fat diet (HFD) induced-obese rats.
Methods: 40 adult male rats were divided into four groups: control group, HFD, HFD + vitamin D, and HFD + SIM for 14 weeks. Vitamin D or SIM supplementation was done for the last 6 weeks. Vitamin D dosage was 500 IU/kg, while SIM dosage was 10 mg/kg. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration and markers of oxidative stress including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and reduced glutathione(GSH) concentrations in serum were determined using ELISA kits and spectrophotometry methods, respectively.
Results: Treatment with vitamin D or SIM could significantly reduce IL-6 and MDA and increases SOD, GPx activities, and GSH levels. Oxidative stress can result not only from increased ROS production but also from dysfunctional antioxidant defenses.
Conclusion: From the experimental results, it was observed that SIM and vitamin D could attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation markers associated with obesity