Stratford Peer Reviewed Journals and Books
Not a member yet
2323 research outputs found
Sort by
Internet Usage and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Indonesia
No full textLearners and teachers around the world extensively use the internet. Internet usage makes learners more motivated to look for information more frequently. Hence, the study sought to examine the impact of internet usage on the academic performance of secondary school students in Indonesia. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population included principals, teachers and learners in secondary schools in Jakarta, Indonesia. The target population was 500 participants. The study used a stratified sampling technique to get the sample size. The study used questionnaires to collect the data. The analysis of the data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found that internet usage explains 26.1% of the variations in academic performance. The study findings showed that internet usage is positively and significantly related to academic performance (B=.2857, p=0.014). The study concluded that internet usage positively impacts learners' academic performance. The use of the internet opens doorways to a wealth of information, knowledge, and educational resources, increasing opportunities for learning in and beyond the classroom. The internet provides different content that students can use to learn or enhance their understanding. The study recommended that earning organizations make sure that appropriate internet services are provided in their respective libraries to make it possible for learners to fulfill their information needs. The schools need to help learners utilize the internet for positive academic achievement. Government should make sure that each learning institution has a cost-free ICT center so that children can learn and have earlier knowledge to understand the favorable and unfavorable elements of the internet.
Keywords: Internet Usage, Academic Performance, Secondary School Students, Indonesi
Employability of the Refugees/IDP and their Resettlement among Local Communities in East Africa
No full textThere are currently 70 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, with 41 million being internally displaced, 25 million being refugees and 3 million seeking asylum and their numbers are growing, with the majority of these people living in Africa and Asia. The Nairobi Declaration on Long-Term Solutions for Somali Refugees and Reintegration of Returnees in Somalia was adopted by East African communities on issues pertaining to refugees/IDPs. These enabled countries dealing with similar issues to collaborate in order to protect and find employability solutions for refugees/IDPs among the local community. This study thus investigated the job placement experiences of displaced people in their new communities. Triangulated reviews of qualitative results from countries across East Africa, including high-income countries peer-reviewed research on the employability rate of refugees/IDPs among local communities in East Africa were summarized. The findings revealed both commonalities in the employability experiences of refugees/IDPs within the local communities across East Africa. There are limited job opportunities for the refugees/IDPs. As occurred in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania, deliberate intervention is required to increase the employability and resettlement of refugees/IDPs among members of the local community for menial and limited available jobs. Governments should capitalize on the people's shared identity and develop employable programs to help the region's economy recover. Local institutions should also develop intervention programs and strategies for dealing with refugees/IDPs' employability issues, as evidenced by the education collaboration (Ashesi university) initiative in Ghana, which has collaborated with more African universities to focus on the employability pillar, among others.
Keywords: Refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), Forced displacement, Employability, Resettlement, local communities, East Afric
Impact of Strategic Alliance Management on Competitive Advantage among Financial Institutions in India
No full textBusinesses have become very competitive in an emerging market when they give importance to strategic alliances that build their reputation in the market environment. Essentially, the key reason for strategic alliance management is the desire of firms to obtain increased business productivity and increased competitive edge and the ultimate goal of strategic alliance is to improve business productivity. Strategic alliance management is critical for firms that are in pursuit of improved productivity and their reward is often an increase in their profits and their market share. Process of strategic alliance management is strongly associated with organizational learning and refers to ability of organization to generate, accept and implement new ideas, processes, products or services. The primary goal of process strategic alliance is to generate a notable increase in productivity or to drive down costs significantly. This approach can help organizations achieve major reductions in process cost, improvements in quality, service levels and other business objectives. Strategic alliance management is contributor to creation of new markets and products for the market, however even after the benefits of strategic alliance management has been established the impact of strategic alliance management on productivity of Businesses has remained misunderstood. The study used a desk study review methodology where relevant empirical literature was reviewed to identify main themes. Result findings from literature-based review indicated that strategic alliance management had positive and significant influence on competitive advantage among financial firms in India. The study established that financial institutions in India have employed strategic alliance management practices to effectively manage costs, overcome resource and technology constraints, and enhance competitive position. Strategic alliances was found to have led to productive institutional collaborations in rural financial markets, thereby expanding the array of financial products, and scaling up access of rural households and micro-businesses to financial services. Strategic alliances comprise a new theme in rural finance. It was recommended that strategic alliance information should be available particularly to regulatory and advisory bodies in India for guidance to the businesses on the need to craft and employ sound strategies geared towards continuously embracing innovativeness since strategic alliance leads to improved financial productivity and competitive advantage.
Keywords: Strategic Alliance Management, Marketing Alliance Management, Venture Alliance Management, Competitive advantage, Financial Institution
The Role of Political and Cultural Aspects, in Shaping the Course of Conflict & Negotiation in Africa
No full textThe Bible says that, a man’s wisdom gives him patience, it’s to his glory to overlook an offence (Proverbs: 19:11). Conflicts are a common phenomenon in every society and knowing the best negotiation skills to employ is an advantage to everyone. The African continent has not been spared on issues of conflicts especially those that are politically instigated. Poor levels of education and issues of greed could be some of the contributions to the politically originated conflict issues. This paper seeks to critically analyze the role of cultural aspects in shaping the course of conflict & Negotiation in Africa. This paper has also looked at various approaches to conflict resolution through mediation and negotiation. The issues affecting effective conflict resolution have also been addressed. The conclusion brings about various ways to manage conflicts and to handle negotiations.
Keywords: Conflict, political, culture, negotiation
Digital Entrepreneurship and Performance of the Insurance Industry Sector in Kenya
No full textThe insurance industry in Kenya has become very competitive due to the shrinking demand of noncompulsory insurance products and negative perception by the general public. To ensure improved organization performance, insurance companies have to adopt the use of technology like use of mobile technology, information communication technology platforms, information systems, online services platforms, electronic advertising and risk analysis. This study therefore sought to assess the effect digital entrepreneurship on performance of insurance companies in Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to assess the effects of Technological Evolution on performance of insurance companies in Kenya, to establish the effects of digital business processes on performance of insurance companies in Kenya, to determine the effects of marketing technology on performance of insurance companies in Kenya, and to find out the effects of e-procurement transformation on performance of insurance companies in Kenya. The study was anchored on diffusion of innovation theory, dynamic capabilities theory, evaluation theory, and value chain theory. This study used a descriptive research design. The unit of analysis was the 55 insurance companies in Kenya while the unit of observation was top management employees. The study adopted census technique. The study selected a pilot group of 10 middle level managers from the target population. Data collected was both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Data analysis was done with use of SPSS version 25 and presented using percentages, tabulations, among other techniques. The qualitative data analysis was done by use of content analysis and was presented in prose form. The study employed a multivariate regression model to study the relationship between the dependent variable and independent variable. The study concludes that technological evolution has a positive and significant influence on performance of insurance companies in Kenya and that digital business processes has a positive and significant influence on performance of insurance companies in Kenya. Further, the study concludes that marketing technology has a positive and significant influence on performance of insurance companies in Kenya and that e-procurement transformation has a positive and significant influence on performance of insurance companies in Kenya. This study therefore recommends that the management of insurance companies in Kenya should ensure the embrace the latest technology to facilitate organization performance. In addition, the management of insurance companies in Kenya should ensure adoption of digital marketing strategies to market their products hence improving their market share.
Keywords: Digital Entrepreneurship, Performance, Insuranc
Entrepreneurial Financing Practices and Growth of Youth Owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya
No full textDespite the importance of MSEs to the Kenyan economy, the rate at which new firms are formed, have stagnated and the already established MSEs younger than 5 years are collapsing a great deal. This study thus sought to establish the effect of entrepreneurial financing on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to establish the effect of digital credit on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya, to assess the effect of banks and microfinance lenders on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya, to determine the effect of equity financing on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya, and to find out the effect of investors on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya. The study was anchored on technology adoption theory, influential theory, pecking order theory, and agency theory. The researcher used descriptive research design. The target population for this study was 2672 MSEs in Kenya. Yamane formula was used to determine study sample size which was 348 owners of the MSEs. The researcher used simple random sampling to select the sample. Questionnaire was used as the research tool. The study piloted the questionnaire on 17 MSEs from Kiambu County (5% of sample size). The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis. Qualitative data analysis involved coding and systematically putting into themes the open ended questions which was analyzed through content analysis and presented in prose form. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Descriptive statistics was used to present the main characteristics of the sample and involved use of mean, measures of dispersion and percentages. Correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between study variables. The study used SPSS version 25 software to carry out regression analysis. Data was presented using tables, and figures to make them reader friendly. The study concludes that digital credit has a positive and significant effect on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya. In addition, the study concludes that banks and microfinance lenders has a positive and significant effect on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya. Further, the study concludes that equity financing has a positive and significant effect on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya. The study also concludes that investors have a positive and significant effect on growth of youth owned Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya. In addition, the youth owned SMEs should consider interest rates charged, repayment duration and collateral required before accessing the credit facility
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Financing Practices, Growth, Micro and Small Enterprise
Impact of Podcasts and Video Marketing Strategy on Growth of Businesses in the Private Sector: Perspective from the United States
No full textA growing business is one that is expanding in one or more ways, and there is no single metric used to measure growth. Instead, several data points can be highlighted to show a company is growing. These include: revenue, sales, company value, profits, number of employees, and number of customers. Over the past few years, the popularity of podcasts has grown enormously. A Podcast can be understood as a series of episodes, digitally programmed and formatted, focusing on a specific theme or topics like technology, start-ups, or anything else, it can be said that it is a radio in digital form. This study sought to understand the impact of podcasts and video marketing on growth of businesses in the private sector in the United States. This was a literature based study in which relevant literature was reviewed to derive study themes. The study found that in the US, Podcasts are going mainstream, and since the brand name goes online with the Podcasts on many platforms, it increases the brand’s visibility, and there are many tricks and hacks that businesses can use to enhance brand visibility through Podcasts. The study established that podcasts and videos offer individuals and organizations in the private sector alike the ability to effectively and affordably attract, convert, and transform consumers and grow their businesses. It has also been established that Podcast listening numbers have increased by 42 percent in the US since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, and more and more Americans are discovering content via this medium, it is thus a great place for advertisers to reach a more tech-savvy, educated consumer. The study concludes that many businesses in the United States use podcasts to attract their target customer to their business. By talking about things that their target customer is interested in, they then gain a captive audience to promote their products or services to.
Keywords: Podcasts and Video, Marketing strategy, Business growth, Private Sector, United State
Public policy Factors Associated with Effectiveness of Working Environment and Quality of Life among Military Policemen in Brazil
No full textBrazil is a violent society and police officers play a fundamental role in this scenario. Police work is a stressful occupation, dealing with routine violence, police officers must have high standards of physical and mental health. The problem has a negative impact on the life quality of security officers, who play an important role in insecurity issues. Because without security, economic development is a futile dream. A cross-sectional design study investigated a random sample of 525 male military police officers, engaged in patrolling the streets of Salvador, Brazil. The accessible population was composed of all the 4700 military police officers from 32 battalions. The study included only males, engaged in visible patrolling in public spaces in the city, and excluded those who were on medical leave, engaged in administrative functions, or in specific situations not related to their core-activity. Health-related quality of life was evaluated through the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36). Preliminary data collection required self-administered questionnaires for the target population. The expert applied the test re-test technique to choose the reliability of the exam study. To establish the relationship between the variables, Pearson correlation analysis was performed on the dependent and independent variables confidence interval. The study found that the Physical Component Summary was associated with poor work ability (P < 0.001). The mean Physical Component Summary was 3.368 units lower among those with poor work.The study concludes that the military police officers investigated presented low health-related quality of life, associated with younger age, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor work ability. Therefore, improving police working environment through timely promotion will play an important role in improving the life quality of the Brazil’s military policemen.
Keywords: Promotion procedure, Duty assignment, Deployment, Life quality, working conditions
Crisis Management and Staff Work Quality in Apparel and Textile Industry: Perspective from Italy
No full textThe art of managing an emergency situation at the workplace through effective planning and quick action refers to crisis management. An unstable condition which leads to major disturbances at the workplace must be controlled immediately for effective functioning of the organization. During the past few years, the textile and apparel industry in Italy has been concentrating on developing its end-product segment, which includes apparels. Unlike earlier, when the Italian textile industry ensured that its focus on basic textile products didn't suffer following promotion of end product segment, things have changed now. One minor disadvantage that the industry has suffered following this shift in industrial approach is that the cotton yarn and fabric production has declined persistently in last few years. The sector which reported the lowest revenue in 2019 was the manufacturing of cordage, ropes and twines with a value of about 228 million euros. The fractious cultural movements that induce successive crisis are confronted by organizations that crisis their property, and therefore their on-going prospects. These have lately presented themselves in a variety of failures that range from financial failure, epidemics, and other natural calamities; violent actions among staffs and from terrorist factions as well. From the literature there is no doubt that apparel and textile industries in Italy have to cope with stress and job satisfaction of their employees with these two elements one affecting the other and if both function well could lead to positive results for employees’ work and organization. The study concludes that crises in the apparel and textile industry in Italy are often caused by the complexity of systems and organizations but also from incorrect or disputed decisions as well as from the interaction between technological systems and people who are trying to manage them, which significantly impacts on staff work quality.
Keywords: Crisis management, Staff work quality, Apparel &Textile industry, Ital
Transactional Leadership Style and Market Share of Selected SMEs in Lagos State, Nigeria
No full textSmall and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the growth of national economy, driving economic development, and are widely recognized as the primary source of employment, poverty reduction, lifestyle improvement, and empowerment of low-income groups. However, notwithstanding their seeming importance, SMEs are plagued with myriads of challenges such as inadequate, inefficient, and at times non-functional infrastructure, which has led to poor market share. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of transactional leadership on market share of selected Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study was 8,395 which is the total number of registered SMEs in Lagos State, Nigeria. A sample size of 477 supervisors and middle level managers of SMEs were enumerated using Cochran’s (1977) formula. The study adopted stratified sampling technique. A structured, adapted and validated questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the respondents. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient for all the constructs is greater than 0.7. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential tools. Linear Regression Analysis was used to determine the effect of the variables using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25. The finding revealed that transactional leadership had a significant effect on market share (B = 0.599, t = 13.456, R2 = 0.287, p<0.05). The study concludes that there was a statistically significant effect of transactional leadership on market share of selected SMEs in Lagos State, Nigeria. Transactional leadership style is considered an important factor to SMEs survival and market share sustainability. It focuses on maintaining the status quo to increase company revenue and overall market share. Thus, SMEs owner/managers are encouraged to adopt the transactional leadership style, in order to achieve greater and sustainable market share.
Keywords: Leadership style, Transactional Leadership, Market Share, Organizational performance, Small and Medium Enterprises.