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Conflicts and Conflict Management Styles in Secondary Schools in Tanzania: Perceptions of Employees
Get PDFThis study investigated conflict management styles in Tanzanian secondary schools. Three issues are addressed by this study. These are the types of conflicts that exist in secondary schools; the conflict management styles adopted, as well as the relationship between conflict management styles and secondary schools’ performance.The study involved 161 respondents (36 heads of schools and 125 Teachers). The study adopted a mixed-methods research approach with a cross-sectional design. The data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The quantitative data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software whereas qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The research findings revealed that the schools face two types of conflicts which are process and task conflicts. Of the two, task conflicts are dominant as compared to process conflicts. The research findings show that conflicts in schools arise due to failure to fulfil one’s responsibility, favouritism and professional inadequacy of personnel. Also, school authorities use the disciplinary committee as well as guidance and counselling as preliminary actions toward conflict management. When things get tough, professional conflict management styles are applied. The most applied styles are compromising, collaboration, and sometimes accommodating. These provide reasonable positive effects on performance. Finally, the study findings show that management styles used have impacts on the performance of secondary schools. Poorly managed conflicts negatively affect performance, but effective management of conflicts enhances performance.It is recommended, therefore, that schools should view conflicts as necessary to their operational life. However, they need to be aware oftheir origins(causes and types) so that a relevant management style is adopted for the best results. Also, the study recommends training forheads of schools and teachers so that their ability to deal with conflicts is optimize
The Effect of Parent-Teacher Associations Reviewed Policy Guidelines on the Status of Infrastructure in Ghana’s Rural basic Schools
Get PDFThis study looks at the adequacy of basic school infrastructure in the milieu of reviewed parent-teacher association policy guidelines in managing and administrating basic schools in Ghana. The study focused on nine deprived community basic schools in the Upper West region of Ghana. A purposive sampling technique was adopted to select the schools. The study adopted a qualitative approach, which encompassed the implementation of interviews, focus group discussions and observation. Findings from the study revealed that the review of the Parents-Teacher Association policy has decreased the rate at which parents assisted in the provision of infrastructure in many rural schools; pupils and teachers adopted their own ways of coping with the available limited infrastructure and most parents were no more willingly determined to support the schools with infrastructure. These were caused mainly by the following four components of the reviewed policy guidelines. Firstly, no student should be sent home, given any punishment or prevented from school activity for non-payment of PA levies or dues. Again, the school system should not be used for the purpose of collecting PA levies or dues. More so, PAs should liaise with Boards of Governors and Heads of Schools to determine projects to be undertaken in the schools based on the priority needs of the schools. Lastly, heads/teachers of schools are not required to be signatories and front liners to PA activities and accounts unless so decided by PAs themselves. The study suggests that PTA members should be given much education on educational policies. They should be consulted in the formulation of educational policies. Finally, there should be existence of clear public regulations and measures that will motivate and explicitly indicate the roles of PA’s in the provision of basic school infrastructure. These will further prompt their willingness to assist basic schools with infrastructure
Influence of Horizontal Coopetition in Outbound Logistics on the Profitability of Micro and Small Enterprises: A Case of Arusha Handicraft Industry
Get PDFThis study assessed the influence of horizontal coopetition in outbound logistics on the profitability of micro and small enterprises in the handicraft industry using the Theory of Coopetition and Resource Dependence Theory as theoretical frameworks. The horizontal coopetition in outbound logistics is hypothesized to influence profitability, and the resource interdependence between the MSEs was thought to moderate the influence. A sample of 159 MSEs from a population of 297 MSEs in Arusha, Tanzania took part in the study, using a stratified random sampling method. A survey approach was used to collect the data, which were quantitatively analysed using the moderated multiple linear regression (MLR) model to test the hypotheses. The results before and after moderation revealed that horizontal coopetition in outbound logistics had a positive and significant influence on the profitability of the MSE. After the introduction of the moderator, the resource interdependence had no statistically significant moderation influence in the way horizontal coopetition in outbound logistics influenced the MSE profitability. The study had contextual limitations of generalization even in MSEs engaged in the handicraft industry. More research needs to be done in a rural setting, involving more variables of horizontal coopetition in outbound logistics, and factoring in the MSE attributes as moderators. It is recommended that similar studies be conducted in more tourist areas. More empirical data on horizontal coopetition from industry-specific MSEs are recommended to vindicate what was generated in this study since it would add more understanding and knowledge to the theory of coopetition
Effects of Board Processes on Board Roles Performance among Selected Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies in Tanzania
Get PDFThis paper examines the effect of board processes on efforts norms, cognitive conflict, and use of skills and knowledge on the board’s performance in monitoring, resource provision and strategic roles in SACCOS in Tanzania. The social exchange theory provided theoretical guidance. A cross-sectional design with a mixed-methods approach was used. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered to 198 board chairpersons and an interview with nine key informants from SACCOS managers and cooperative officers. Data were analysed through multiple linear regression and thematic analysis. The results revealed a strong and significant relationship between effort norms and board roles' performance in monitoring, resource provision, and strategic roles. The results further indicated a positive and significant relationship between the application of skills and the knowledge of board members, coupled with their ability to monitor and provide the board with essential resources. The results further revealed that cognitive conflict negatively influenced board members' ability to play strategic roles. Moreover, no significant relationship was found out between cognitive conflict and board roles in monitoring or resource provision. Effort norms and the Use of board members' skills and knowledge significantly predicted board role performance. Therefore, the study recommends that the board chairperson encourage a participatory culture to ensure that board members exert enough effort into and apply their skills and knowledge in fulfilling their roles. Furthermore[1], SACCOS members should elect board members based on their skills, knowledge, and ability to work and collaborate constructively and respectfully with other member
Influence of Duration of Coopetition on the Profitability of Micro and Small Enterprises: A Case of Tanzania Handicraft Industry
Get PDFThe objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the duration of coopetition on the profitability of MSEs in the handicraft industry operating in Arusha, Tanzania. It employed the theories of coopetition and resource dependence as theoretical frameworks. Data collected by survey approach were quantitatively analysed using the moderated Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model to test the hypotheses. The results demonstrated that the duration of coopetition positively and significantly influenced the MSE’s profitability before and after moderation. The resource interdependence showed a statistically significant moderating influence on strength of the relationship between the duration of coopetition and MSEs’ profitability. The results mean that more profitability is assured if the firms coopete for an extended period and that resource interdependence increases the coopetition propensity of the firms. It is recommended that longitudinal studies be done on the handicraft industry in both urban and rural setting to see if similar results would be obtained with those of cross-sectional studies. In addition, more empirical data from industry-specific MSEs other than handicrafts would substantiate the findings and would add to the coopetition theory's knowledge and understanding
Relationship between Cost Leadership Strategy and Organizational Performance of Kilimanjaro International Leather Industries Company Limited, Tanzania
Get PDFDue to increased competition which is brought about by liberalization and deregulation, organizations are faced with greater demands to be flexible, responsive and efficient in order to be more competitive. As a result of this, organizations are faced with a lot of challenges in their effort to remain competitive in the market. This study intended to probe the relationship between cost leadership strategy and organizational performance at Kilimanjaro International Leather Industries Company Limited in Moshi Municipal, Tanzania as the case study. In doing this, the study adopted quantitative research design. The sample size for this study was 353 out of 3000 total employees, managers and corporate clients at Kilimanjaro International Leather Industries Company Limited. Simple random sampling technique was custom made within the choice of key informants. The coded data was examined by using descriptive statistics and regression analysis where an alternative hypothesis was accepted. This was completed with the aid of statistical package for social sciences version 20. Therefore, findings vindicated that cost leadership strategy plays significant role in deciding organizational performance. The study concludes that cost leadership strategy has direct relationship to organizational performances. Based on the findings, the study recommended that the manufacturing firms adopt cost leadership strategy as it had been found to have a positive significant effect on performance
Differences in The Intention of Customers to Switch Commercial Banks in Dar Es Salaam: A Case of Tanzania Postal Bank and National Bank of Commerce
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to identify whether commercial banks customers in Tanzania had the intentions of switching banks services and examine the differences in their intentions to switch banks. The study sample included; customers banking with Tanzania Postal Bank Plc and those banking with the National Bank of Commerce in Dar es Salaam Region. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. Multistage sampling was employed to generate 188 respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics and an independent t-test were used to analyze the collected information. The results demonstrated that half of all the TPB Bank customers had higher intentions of switching banks than NBC customers. Additionally, the results also found out no significant differences in the intention to switch banks among commercial bank customers. This implied that bankers need to ensure that they deliver the desired services to their customers to reduce the intentions of the switchers because this would have an impact on the actual switching behaviour
Design of Strategic Planning in Improving Public Sector Organization Performance at TANESCO Morogoro, Tanzania
Get PDFThe study was based on the design of strategic planning for improving public sector organizations. The study employed a case study as the research design to examine design of strategic planning on organizational performance in Tanzania. Strategic management theory was applicable in the study because it showed the rationale that influences the relationship between the theory and the problem under study. The collection of data was done using questionnaires and documentary reviews and based on quantitative data analysis.The inferential analysis was used as a method of data analysis to draw a conclusion. The study findings revealed that the data drawn from the case study of TANESCO Main Office indicated that the design of the strategic planning process was positive and significantly correlated with the dependent variable (performance), thus, design of strategic planning is a major part of the wider activities that influence public institutions' performance. The recommendation is that there should be greater effort on the design of strategic planning for the public sector, but there are some barriers that hinder the implementation of the design of strategic planning, like a lack of information concerning strategic planning. Also, employees must participate in the design of strategic planning and others stakeholders
Examining the Influence of Mobile Payment Customer Experiences on Attitudinal and Behavioural Loyalty: Evidence from Tanzania
Get PDFThis study examined the influence dimensions of customer experience (CX) on attitudinal customer loyalty (ACL) and behavioural customer loyalty (BCL) in mobile payment (m-payment) service in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The unit of analysis employed was mobile payment customers, the sampling techniques used was convenient sampling and purposive sampling techniques to select service providers. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Square regression with sample size of 379 respondents. The results suggested that out of four dimensions of CX, moment of truth, peace of mind and outcome of focus have a significant positive relationship with both ACL and BCL. The product experience dimension revealed that in mobile payment context customer regards PEX as less important. The study recommends to managers to work on improving PEX through improving marketing strategies. Mobile phone operators/companies advocate customer experience in enhancing customer repurchasing and recommendations. The study contributes towards understanding of the role of customer experience in customer behavioural and attitudinal loyalty in mobile m-payment context. Also, the policymakers should support the provision of m-payment services, cross-product comparison and enhance freedom of choice
Relationship Between Board Characteristics and Level of Corporate Disclosure Among Listed Companies in Tanzania
Get PDFThis paper examined the relationship between board characteristics and Level of corporate Disclosure (LCD) among Tanzanian listed companies. Relationships between board size, board independence; directors’ remuneration and LCD were examined. The 105 firm-year observations for 21 listed companies in Tanzania from 2016 to 2020 were used. The study used the agency theory. An explanatory research design was employed. Balanced panel data for analysis were gathered using a survey method. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Regression analysis was used in testing hypotheses. Findings showed that board size, board independence, directors’ remuneration were positively related to LCD. It was recommended that listed companies should appoint a higher proportion of independent directors to their boards. Independent directors can provide impartial oversight and are more likely to prioritize transparency and disclosure. Companies are adviced to optimize board size aim for a board size that is appropriate for their specific needs and industry. Moreover, listed companies should adopt transparent and fair director remuneration practices. This includes disclosing the structure of director compensation, including; salaries, bonuses, stock options, and other benefits. Policymakers and regulators should consider implementing or strengthening regulations related to board composition, independence, and disclosure practices