ZOU Open Access E-Journals Portal (Zimbabwe Open University)
Not a member yet
111 research outputs found
Sort by
Factors Influencing University Students’ Saving Behaviour in Zimbabwe- A Case Study of Bindura University of Science Education Faculty of Commerce Students
Full text linkPrior research has been conducted on the saving behaviour of college students, but several researchers have examined the factors that influence personal saving dwelling much on financial literacy. There are many other factors that may be considered to affect the saving behaviour of students. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the factors which affect students’ saving behaviours at Bindura University of Science Education, Faculty of Commerce, focusing on the effects of peer groups, family dynamics and financial literacy. A questionnaire that was self-administered was used to gather primary data from 344 students from the Faculty. Multiple regression analysis and Pearson correlations were used to determine whether there is a relationship between the three factors and university students\u27 saving habits. The results demonstrated that financial literacy was positively correlated with saving behaviour, while peer groups and family dynamics had weak positive correlation with saving behaviour. Financial literacy was the largest effect on saving behaviour between the two independent variables than peer groups and family dynamics. The study recommended that universities and families should introduce financial literacy awareness programmes and campaigns in order to inculcate a spirit of saving within the students.
Green Branding Influence on Consumer Purchase Intentions on Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) in Zimbabwe
No full textThe increasing information exposure to consumers on products they consume has of late created mixed purchasing decisions and they are continuously advocating for healthier diets and sustainable business practices to the environment. On the other hand, the quest by organisations to satisfy consumer green product needs has unavoidably led to the development of the green branding concept. The main thrust of the study was to determine green branding’s influence on consumer buying intentions of green consumer Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) in Zimbabwe. This is based on the rising influx of green brands on store shelves creating a research gap to validate the authenticity of greenness of these brands using customer purchase intentions. The study was informed by Aaker’s brand equity model. A Descriptive research design was used to test whether green branding has an influence on consumer purchase intentions. Questionnaires were used for data collection. A 5-point Likert-scale with structured questions was used and the instrument reliability scale was 0.788. A sample size of 200 respondents were selected from the entire population and analysis was done using SPSS statistical software. Findings from the study showed that green branding has an influence on consumer purchase intentions of FMCGs in Zimbabwe. This was concluded by various t-tests calculations that were above 2 at 5% level of significance. The highest Alpha value was 0.882 with t-value of 4.289 that was significant at 5%. The study recommended that the major tool for firms to sustainable generate revenue is continuous investment on green brands, delivering their green promises and avoiding green washing
Grief across cultures: An analysis of paralinguistic features in two selected songs from Mozambique and Zimbabwe
Full text linkLanguage is central in defining individuals across nationalities and cultures. However, due to the global nature of today’s world, where language contact and acculturation have diluted numerous languages and cultures, one is left to wonder if at all there are any facets of language that have stood the test of time. One area that has received limited attention is analysis of paralanguage in song as one of the ways cultures can be interpreted. Singers and song writers have traditionally drawn their material from everyday communication. However, studies have largely dwelt on the lyrics or verbal aspects of songs or the music accompanying them but not paralanguage. Yet paralanguage is part and parcel of the oral traditions of any given culture that requires interpretation. This paper seeks to examine this dearth and particularly zeroes in on songs of grief. It was prompted by one such dirge whose non-lyrical nature has made it fit into a number of African cultures. The song, “Tormented soul” by Xavier Matias from Mozambique was composed and sung in mourning the former president of Mozambique, Samora Machel in 1986. It was later recorded and released in 1988. The other selected song is Thomas Mapfumo’s “Zimbabwe Mozambique” which was also released in 1988; a song dedicated to the sons and daughters of Zimbabwe who died in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle. This paper thus does a content analysis of these songs through the paralinguistic features in the respective songs. The questions that we attempt to answer in this paper are the following: Does expression of grief in paralanguage mutate over time? Can paralinguistic features of grief be considered as markers of any given culture? If so, can they be part of our linguistic heritage? This analysis is also informed by Ubuntu philosophy as well as Afrocentricity
Can the Nambya speak? Media inclusion, identity and the politics of belonging among ethnic minorities in Zimbabwe: A case study of the Nambya ethnic group
Full text linkZimbabwe is a multicultural nation, with diverse ethno linguistic groups. The country’s minority language groups, however, are under threat of significant decline or even disappearance. This alarming situation can, to some extent, be attributed to the extent to which they are used in the media. Like in most African countries, the Zimbabwean media ecology is characterised by either total media exclusion or underrepresentation of minority linguistic groups in terms of, both presence and content. The Nambya people, an ethnic group of about 100 000 people, based in Hwange (north-west of Zimbabwe), are one of the country’s minority ethnic groups, that has lamented persistent media exclusion. This study focuses on the extent to which the Nambya are included in the mainstream Zimbabwean media. It also focuses on the implications of the media inclusion matrix, on their identity and sense of belonging. The study was conducted in Hwange and gathered data using questionnaires and qualitative interviews. Drawing on the subaltern theory, the findings of this study revealed that the Nambya largely suffer from media exclusion. The findings were used to categorise Zimbabwean minority language speakers as subordinated and voiceless “subaltern” groups, who have the potential to lose both their language and culture, if the current media exclusion persists. This study established that the media exclusion of the Nambya, has triggered the erosion of their cultural identity. This loss of identity and the exclusionary construction of the concept of belonging has forced them to assimilate into dominant ethnic groups. The paper proposes the establishment of community radio stations for minority ethnic groups, so that they find alternative spaces of self- expression
Caught In-between Two Worlds : Ubuntu Identity and the African Diaspora
Full text linkUbuntu is an African ethic which emphasises the goodness and value of humanity. Its philosophy is based on African cultures, and it stresses that one’s destiny is twined both as a collective as well as an individual. In this case, individual actions must be taken cognisant of their implications for the collective. It is anchored on the belief that ‘one is’ because ‘we are’. It has been expected that the ethic would have a universal appeal beyond Africa and African communities. However, outside of Africa and African communities, the utility of Ubuntu remains questionable. This paper, therefore, seeks to find out the challenges that Africans in the diaspora face as they try to maintain this collective identity in communities that are largely individualistic. Questions that arise are: How do Africans in the diaspora maintain their Ubuntu identity in alien contexts? To what extent are non-African communities in the diaspora ready to tolerate the ethics of Ubuntu that are exhibited by Africans in the diaspora? How do Africans in the diaspora navigate the need to remain African while at the same time being accommodative of those cultures that are largely foreign to them? Does the question of a crisis of identity arise in such situations? Theoretically, the paper is informed by the theory of Ubuntu. Narratives from Africans in the Diaspora through informal interviews and discussions provided data for the paper. Secondary sources were utilised to support primary data
Electronic Public Procurement Implementation in Zimbabwe
No full textGlobally, electronic procurement has become topical as a mechanism to build and sustain healthy public procurement systems. In this light, e-procurement reforms have the potential to modernise Zimbabwe’s public procurement which is dented by centralisation, inefficiency, and corruption. The study employed a qualitative documentary review on the feasibility of modernising Zimbabwe’s public procurement system through digital solutions. The study sought to analyse the benefits and opportunities of the e-procurement system, assess the challenges that hinder the implementation of the e-procurement system, and recommend critical success factors for implementing the e-procurement system in Zimbabwe. The findings of the study revealed that e-procurement is a viable procurement reform initiative that can foster public sector efficiency, effective communication, transparency, and disclosure of purchasing behaviours; prevent and control corruption and increase competition in the Zimbabwean public procurement system. Be that as it may, debacles, in the form of funding gaps, limited political will, poor Information Communication, and Technology infrastructure, and lack of system maintenance and upgrade may hamper the noble reform initiative in the country. Limited collaboration and engagement of stakeholders also present huge challenges to the effectiveness of the e-procurement system in Zimbabwe. For effective adoption of e-procurement, the study recommends mobilisation of adequate funds, commitment, and willingness of the political leadership, strategic collaborations, and regular maintenance, and upgrade of the system to ensure functionality and sustainability
Funding the Financing of Local Authorities with Public-Private Partnership Projects in Zimbabwe: A case study of Parking Management in the City of Bulawayo
No full textThis paper highlights the City of Bulawayo’s engagement in a private partnership to raise funds through providing effective parking services in the city. City councils need to have sufficient funds to provide adequate community services. The bulk of the finances needed by city councils are raised through charges for the services the cities offer to their stakeholders. Parking management services are among the key available services for residents. Citizens pay for parking in one way or the other. It is never free. When it is free, traffic congestion, pollution and crime abound; when it is paid for, the city coffers grow, and city services improve. However, stakeholders need to be involved in the implementation of all projects including those with private partners. This develops and maintains good relationships. Communication with stakeholders allays suspicions. At times, cities may not have adequate financial resources to develop infrastructure for service delivery, hence they tend to engage public-private partnerships to undertake such developments. There is need, however, for organisations to always exhaust the usefulness of their available resources before they engage Public-Private Partners. For this study, various stakeholders were surveyed through a semi-structured interview on the efficacy of the system of partnering with the private partner, Tendy Three Investments (TTI) Parking Solutions by the City Council of Bulawayo. This followed recommendations that could help in the raising of funds for the provision of effective service delivery were made. These recommendations could be replicated in other cities nationally and elsewhere in other countries that have socio-economic statuses similar to that of the host country for the study. 
Employee Perception on Sustainable Environmental Practices at Mining Firms in Zimbabwe
No full textThe rise in environmental degradation that is attributable to a rise in mining activities in Zimbabwe has forced many mining firms to re-craft their operational strategies or face the wrath of fines by Environmental Management Agency (EMA) on their quest to preserve the planet earth and its inhabitants. The main stakeholder affected by negative mining activities is the employee as they are at the centre of the mineral extraction process. Many employees in the mining sector have developed incurable respiratory diseases, with some losing their lives due to work related infections and unsustainable mining practices especially in the Zimbabwean economy where artisanal mining is the backbone to National Development Strategy of converting Zimbabwe to becoming a middle-income economy by 2030. The Zimbabwean economy’s main anchor is agriculture and mining with both contributing about 65% of the country’s foreign earnings. The major criticism to mining is its adverse effects to the environment and its components such as air, water and land pollution which were the major motives of the research. The research objective was to determine the perception of mine employees as part of stakeholders in the creation of green mines in Zimbabwe. The Environmental Management Act of 2012 and the stakeholder theory of corporate governance founded the research theoretical framework. A quantitative research design was used with a sample size of 100 mine employees in Zimbabwe that have been employed for at least one year, regardless of the positions they hold in the mines, 96% response rate was achieved. Questionnaires were used as data collection instrument and data analysis was done using SPSS statistical software. Research findings indicated the need for employees to change perceptions towards environmental practices to ensure sustainable mining environmental practices. The research findings will help to foster Sustainable mining practices that will alleviate environmental ills, protect employees from unsustainable mining practices, and accelerate the preservation of the environment and the conservation of the country’s minerals for the current and the future generation. 
Road and school naming: A basin of history and culture in Lupane District of Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe
Full text linkNaming in most African communities is a very crucial concept being celebrated as names are a repository of cultural and historical information. Significant events and historical figures are remembered through naming. The focus of this paper was to unfold the perception that names attached to roads and schools (primary and secondary alike) in Lupane District of Matabeleland North Province in Zimbabwe, shed light on the preservation of history of the Ndebele people. Qualitative research methodology was employed to study the place names. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with ten purposively sampled elderly informants from the community and local authority personnel who have substantive knowledge of the subject under study. Also, document analysis of Ndebele narrative texts was used for data gathering. The study developed an argument that it is the past which gives identity to an individual or ethnic group. Some of the findings of the study were that the landmark names in Lupane District extend the community’s commemoration of notable heroes and their achievements. Historical evidence has fostered the indelible mark of the names in Matabeleland, thereby serving as forms of linguistic as well as historical records for posterity. In the same vein, the study revealed that significant events and people in Lupane District have been remembered through place naming evident in the schools and roads, among other observable landmarks consciously tagged by the community and the responsible local authority. The study concluded that, signposting such as road names and schools naming, expresses the worldview of the Ndebele people in Lupane thereby asserting ownership of their space and authority to contribute to the construction of national narratives. As such, onomastic practice in Lupane District is driven and manipulated by the Ndebele people’s historical milieu. An exploration of the origin and meanings of place names in this regard enabled the study to establish their symbolic significance. 
Zimbabwean Children’s Literature and the Challenge of Bullying in Schools: Kudakwashe Muzira’s Farai and the School Gangsters
Full text linkBullying in schools is a universal phenomenon. It takes many forms, which are both physical and psychological. In many schools in different parts of the world, bullies have tormented their victims and have become a huge menace to school systems, and indeed to the health of a society, considering how the effects of bullying extend beyond the classroom. There are many factors associated with bullying, and to better appreciate some of these, this paper utilises Farai and the School Gangsters (Muzira, 2015) to examine the extent to which children’s literature provides an opportunity for opening discussions around bullying in schools, its (possible) causes, and to offer avenues for lasting and sustainable solutions. Part of the challenge lies in broaching the issue thus, the paper considers whether (and how) the issue of bullying is tabled for discussion and how different stakeholders at school (students, teachers, administrators, support staff, and parents) contribute towards resolving this major impediment to the health and well-being of victims. By engaging the theory of moral disengagement by Bandura, Barbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli (1996), the paper thus analyses how utilising children’s literature can offer a holistic, engaging and creative way of addressing bullying. Of importance, therefore, is how textual analysis affords an entry point for effective and sustainable interventions to address bullying in schools. Further, since boys tend to dominate the category of the bullies, an effort will be made to reflect on new models of masculinity that emerge from engaging with some of the creative works.