International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147- 4478)
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Factors affecting succession planning in family-owned fish trading SMEs in Mwanza City, Tanzania
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to assess factors affecting succession planning in family-owned fish trading SMEs businesses in Mwanza city. The research utilized quantitative methodologies to evaluate the effect of individual, familial, and organizational factors on succession planning within family-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mwanza city. Chi-square analyses revealed that leadership, delegation, the ability to disassociate from the business, and successor preferences significantly influence succession planning. Moreover, the interest and abilities of the successor plays a crucial role in the planning process. The study further found that family-level factors, including traditions, compensating family members, formal communication forums, and the desire to maintain family control, also significantly affect succession planning. Regression analyses indicated that individual factors such as leadership, delegation, and the abilities of potential successors positively influenced succession planning. At the family level, practices like compensating family members and establishing formal communication channels significantly contributed to succession planning, while traditional practices like favouring the eldest son as a successor did not have a substantial impact. Additionally, the study identified that the readiness of the successor, the presence of a clear and documented succession plan, effective board governance, a well-defined organizational structure, and the existence of a written strategic plan were key predictors of successful succession planning. The findings suggest that businesses with well-defined and specific succession plans, identified successors, and active development plans for the next generation are more likely to achieve success in shaping succession planning within family-owned fish trading SMEs, providing a solid foundation for successful ownership transitions. This research offers valuable insights for future research and policy development concerning SME succession planning and business sustainability
E-learner’s continuance usage behavior of online learning: integration of ECM and TAM
Get PDFThe novelty and advancement of technology have explored new avenues in the education sectors. Now e-learning has blended with face-to-face learning to increase its effectiveness. An integrated model is being proposed in this study to measure the continuance usage intention of students adopting e-learning services. With the constructs of ECM (confirmation, perceived usefulness), perceived ease of use and perceived self-efficacy proposed to measure their effect on satisfaction. Besides, to explore the impact of quality features on satisfaction and continuance intention, three major determinants of D&M’s ISS model such as system quality, service quality and information quality included in this study. 410 responses collected to do quantitative analysis. The PLS-SEM analysis showed that perceived ease of use has the strongest effect on perceived usefulness, followed by perceived self-efficacy on perceived ease of use and satisfaction with continuance intention.The study reveals that challenges in developing countries are unique and drives the learners differently than developed countries. The growing e-learning industry requires widespread research from national and institutional perspectives for holistic development in the Bangladesh education market
Assessing the factors that influence consumer’s purchase behaviour towards functional foods
Get PDFFunctional foods are foods that improve mental and physical well-being. Consumption of functional food has attracted much interest globally based on its benefit in the prevention of life-threatening diseases such as obesity, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, and cancer. Notwithstanding the health importance of functional food consumption, research on the marketing of functional foods is sparse in the literature. The research seeks to evaluate consumers purchase behaviour toward functional foods. The research employed a quantitative method. A consumer survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire on a sample of 384 consumers at several grocery stores in the uMhlathuze region, South Africa. The findings demonstrate the significance of understanding consumer motivations and attitudes in enabling food producers to implement the best marketing strategy to increase sales as well as enabling dietitians and medical professionals to share information and create more awareness regarding the health benefits of consuming functional foods. Likewise, the findings showed a significant positive correlation between social factors and age. This indicated that as people increase in age, social factors have more impact on their purchase decisions toward functional foods
Survival strategies of undocumented migrants Post-COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa has negatively affected the lives of many individuals and families. Undocumented migrants were not an exception to this challenge. Despite encountering a number of challenges such as unemployment and being excluded from the welfare services of the country, undocumented migrants also battled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which forced them to develop survival strategies. It is from this background that this, study sought to explore the survival strategies of undocumented migrants post-COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. The study used a qualitative approach wherein Musina was used as a case study. Ten migrant youth were purposively and conveniently selected to participate in this study. Data was collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically through Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). Resilience theory was used to guide this study. Findings, conclusions and recommendations are provided in this paper
An analysis of the outcomes of the audit of predetermined objectives in the North-West local government
Get PDFThis study performed an analysis of the outcomes of the audit of predetermined objectives for municipalities in the North-West province of South Africa. A qualitative research approach with an inductive approach was used. Data collected from twenty-two municipalities in the North-West province over a period of five years was thematically analysed. Three themes were identified for this study, and the results revealed that, at an overall level, the performance information reported by the municipalities was neither useful nor reliable and, at times, had material instances of non-compliance. Some findings were prevalent for all three themes identified, which were raised by over half of the municipalities, which is concerning, and all pointed to not having a fully functioning performance management system as the main root cause. The results also revealed common repeat findings in each of the three themes, which indicate that there were insufficient action plans implemented to address the findings raised in the prior year(s). The study recommended that management and those charged with governance should put appropriate measures in place and strengthen their internal control environment to ensure that election promises are appropriately accounted for and repeat findings such as those indicated above do not reoccur in the future. Furthermore, management should work closely with the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA), internal audit, and other relevant stakeholders, such as the South African Local Government Association, to ensure that repeat findings do not reoccur in the future by developing appropriate audit action plans that will be continuously monitored and reviewed
Investing in the long-term: an empirical approach
Get PDFThere has been a proliferation of numerous investment strategies over the years, but one strategy is perceived to have stood the test of time. Investing in the foreseeable future is favored by many successful long-term investors which focus on maintaining a long-term investment horizon. Investing in the long term involves purchasing assets and holding onto them for an extended period, regardless of short-term market fluctuations. Exploring the benefits of this method can help investors make informed selections and build a disciplined investment mindset to achieve their financial goals. The goal of this study was to empirically evaluate the merits of a purchase and hold strategy in financial markets because of its perceived considerable influence on active market players. A Sharpe ratio was utilized for six financial markets from June 13, 2018, to June 13, 2023. The findings revealed that market participants can achieve a sustainable return by simply maintaining a long-term view of their portfolios. This was evident in the Nasdaq, CAC 40 and Nikkei 225. Upon selecting a particular risk tolerance and investment horizon, market participants may earn significant returns on their portfolios
Effect of loan-loss provisioning on financial performance of deposit taking SACCOs in Kirinyaga County, Kenya
Get PDFSavings and Credit Co-operatives in Kenya are required to adhere to regulations set by the SACCOs Regulation Authority. Among the regulations is the requirement that the management has to present a myriad of reports including; the Capital Adequacy Return report, Liquidity Statement report, Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Deposit Return. The Return on Investments report compares land, building, and financial assets to SACCO\u27s total assets and its core capital. Despite the existence of prudential guidelines, their influence on the financial performance of deposit-taking SACCOs in Kenya remains contentious with some claiming regulatory compliance in the form of SASRA prudential guidelines has a positive influence while others argue that SASRA regulation has insignificant influence on the financial performance of deposit taking SACCOs. This study seeks to determine the effect of loan-loss provisioning on the financial performance of Deposit-taking SACCOs in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The study adopted a cross-section descriptive research design. The study population was 10 deposit-taking SACCOs in Kirinyaga County over the period 2017-2022 relying on secondary data. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics. From the inferential results, the study concluded that loan-loss provisioning positively and significantly affected the financial performance of the deposit-taking SACCOs in Kirinyaga County. The study recommended that the deposit-taking SACCOs in Kirinyaga County ought to strive to be capital-adequate as well as manage their loans efficiently. Being capital-adequate ensures that the SACCOs can expand their operations and hence be sustainable, competitive, and finally profitable. Managing its loans through periodic classification of the loans and having room for loan loss provision ensures the sustainability of the SACCOs
Online shopping behaviour on social media platforms from the perspective of trust and flow experience: a SEM-Neural Network Modeling
Get PDFThis study aims to examine online shopping behaviour on social media platforms. This study formulates a research model integrating trust with the flow theory and some basic constructs of the UTAUT. To analyze the data from an online survey involving 305 participants actively making online purchases through social media platforms. This study applied the Structural Equation Modeling-Artificial Neural Networks (SEM-ANN) technique. Incorporating statistically significant SEM findings, the ANN model was used to analyze linear and nonlinear interactions among proposed variables. The research findings demonstrate that flow emerges as the most significant determinant, succeeded by effort expectancy, social influence, and performance expectancy, in defining the concept of trust. However, the sensitivity analysis using ANN indicates that effort expectancy is the most important factor in establishing trust, followed by flow, social influence, and performance expectancy. The predictive power of intention to use is noteworthy in determining actual use behaviour, with trust and flow emerging as influential factors favourably impacting this intention
The influence of financial literacy and the use of financial technology on business performance through financial inclusion
Get PDFThat are many factors that can influence country\u27s economic growth. Given its important contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and job creation, it is necessary to further study what factors can affect the existence and the performance of SMEs. This study aims to analyze the effect of financial literacy and the use of financial technology on the performance of SMEs mediated by financial inclusion. The data was collected using purposive sampling technique by distributing questionnaire. The sample of this study consists of 150 culinary SME actors in Malang City that have used QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesia Standards) application as one of the payment methods. Collected data was analyzed using PLS software. The results showed that there is a significant influence between financial literacy and the use of financial technology on business performance. Financial inclusion can significantly mediate the effect of financial literacy and the use of financial technology on business performance
Assessing the impact of corporate governance principles on the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)’ financial success in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN): Application of Stewardship theory
Get PDFThis study investigates how corporate governance (CG) principles affect the financial performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), South Africa, using stewardship theory. Corporate governance (CG) encompasses the regulations, procedures, and mechanisms Overseeing the administration and implementation of a business. Efficient corporate governance (CG) is crucial for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to function with maximum effectiveness and optimise entrepreneurial value. The study seeks to fill this vacuum in information by investigating the impact of using stewardship theory, which prioritises the long-term interests of stakeholders, on the financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in KZN.A quantitative approach was employed and a cross-sectional design was employed to survey 217 SMEs in the Durban South area. Descriptive statistics reveal a diversified KZN SME environment, with a predominance of medium-sized businesses, balanced gender representation, and a variety of business ages and educational backgrounds among owners and managers. Inferential statistics show significant correlations between CG principles and financial success metrics of SMEs, particularly affecting returns on invested capital and assets, net profit, asset value, and sales turnover. The results are consistent with earlier studies on the beneficial effects of CG on SME performance. The study is limited to SMEs in the Durban South area and may not be generalizable to other regions. Future research might compare studies across different areas and examine the long-term effects of CG on SMEs to identify optimum practices. The study recommends prioritizing efficient CG procedures tailored to SME needs. It suggests developing business management competencies and advocating for supporting legislation to enhance SME performance