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Influence of Brand Awareness, Attitude and Reputation on Performance of Telecommunication Companies in Tanzania: The Moderating Role of Customer Satisfaction
Full text linkBrand performance is vital in competitive, dynamic, developing markets, yet many companies, especially in the telecommunications sector, struggle to convert brand investments into measurable results due to a limited understanding of how brand assets and customer satisfaction interact. This study therefore examines the direct effects of brand awareness, brand attitude, and brand reputation on brand performance, and the moderating role of customer satisfaction. Using stratified and systematic random sampling, data were collected from 314 respondents across Tanzanian telecommunications companies. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse the data. The results show that both brand awareness, attitude, and reputation have a positive and significant influence on brand performance. Furthermore, customer satisfaction positively moderates the relationship between brand awareness and performance, while no significant moderating effects are found for brand attitude or reputation. These findings highlight the strategic value of brand-specific resources and the conditional role of customer satisfaction in driving brand performance. Theoretical and managerial implications underscore the importance of aligning branding strategies with customer experience initiatives in dynamic, emerging-market environments
The Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Higher Learning Institutions: To What Extent Are They Socially Included?
Full text linkGender Differences in Environmental Sustainability Attitudes among Pre-Service Science Teachers in Selected Teacher Training Colleges in Tanzania
Full text linkThis study aimed to assess gender differences in sustainability attitudes among pre-service teachers in Tanzania. A total of 926 pre-service science teachers (486 males and 440 females) from five teacher training colleges participated in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire which essentially measured the participants’ sustainability attitudes. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and an independent sample t-test were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that pre-service teachers generally exhibited positive sustainability attitudes, with an average mean score of 3.96. However, no significant gender differences between male and female pre-service teachers were found in sustainability attitudes (t(924) = 1.455, p = 0.146). The study recommends educational institutions prioritize on innovative pedagogical approaches that instill environmental responsibility to all students. Future research should explore other factors beyond gender that may affect sustainability attitudes
Application of Mann Kendal Sen's Slope Estimator in Trend Analysis of Historical And Future Precipitation and Temperature in the Kilombero River Basin
Full text linkThis study examines historical (1981-2020) and future (2020-2070) trends in rainfall and temperature in the Kilombero Basin using the Mann-Kendall method with Sen's slope estimator. Data were obtained from the Tanzania Meteorological Agency and from simulated historical and future climate data sourced from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6). The CMIP6 datasets were downscaled and bias-corrected using the CMhyd tool. The basin exhibited a bimodal rainfall pattern with an average of 1400 mm, peaking around April. The CMIP6 models successfully simulated monthly rainfall, Tmax, and Tmin at most stations. No definitive trends in rainfall were observed, but Tmax and Tmin showed significant increases under both SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios. More warming is predicted under SSP5-8.5 by the mid-21st century, raising Tmax and Tmin at all stations. This rise in temperature could potentially increase evapotranspiration demand, negatively impacting freshwater availability. The average annual rainfall showed a slightly increasing trend post-2000, from 1403.96mm/year (1981-1999) to 1433.38mm/year (2000-2020), an increase of 2.05%. Sen's slope analysis, however, revealed varying trends across stations, with most showing a decreasing trend. Notably, only Ulanga Met Station showed a significant increasing trend with a slope value of 14.70 and a p-value below 0.05. The study concluded that both temperature and precipitation in the Kilombero Basin are on the rise
Accessibility Analysis of e-Government Websites in Tanzania using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2
Full text linkDigital accessibility is a critical component of inclusive e-governance, ensuring equitable access to information and services for all citizens, including individuals with disabilities. This study evaluates the accessibility of 42 Tanzanian e-government websites using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 as a benchmark. Employing the SortSite tool to assess the first ten pages of each website, findings reveal an average of 3.64 pages per site contain accessibility errors, a standard deviation of 2.28 and an Interquartile Range of 1.25–5.0. The most common violations occurred at Level A, indicating fundamental accessibility issues such as missing link contexts and inadequate support for assistive technologies. Notably, some sites, like the National Identification Authority portal, achieved full compliance, while others, such as the NHIF service portal, exhibited widespread non-conformance. The study emphasizes that while Tanzania has made significant strides in e-government, including deploying over 500 websites and national digital services, accessibility remains a neglected dimension. Strengthening accessibility is not only a legal and ethical imperative but a strategic necessity for fostering digital inclusion. This paper contributes to the growing discourse on e-government usability in developing countries and provides practical recommendations for policymakers and developers to enhance accessibility standards
The Influence of Ethical Practices on the Organizational Performance: A Special Reference to Ruaha Catholic University
Full text linkCurrent unethical practices have heightened the scrutiny on researchers, organizations, governments and business practitioners. This study examined the influence of ethical practices on organizational performance, paying particular attention to the preconventional and post conventional stages of moral development stages of the Kohlberg’s theory. 145 workers were polled using a quantitative method in a cross-sectional design based on positivism. Participants were chosen using simple random selection and stratified random sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data, which were acquired via standardized, closed ended questionnaires. Results indicated that ethical practices based on integrity and accountability positively correlated with performance, while discipline and fear-based compliance showed a weak negative association. The study stressed the significance of developing a culture of ethical decisions-making, ethical training, ethical leadership, transparent communication, and orientation for new hires. The single-institutional sample and some other unidentified performance affecting factors were among the limitations. Future studies should look into employee motivation, communication dynamics, and the long-term effects on interventions promoting ethical behaviours on performance
The Feasibility of Flipped Classroom Approaches: Insights from Teachers and Students in the Selected Public Secondary Schools in Tanzania
Full text linkThis study explores the feasibility of implementing flipped classroom approaches in Tanzanian public secondary schools, focusing on teacher and student perceptions, existing practices, resource availability, and strategies for adoption. Guided by Rogers’s Diffusion of Innovations theory (2003), a qualitative multiple-case design was employed across secondary schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanga, and Mbeya. Purposeful sampling guided the selection of schools and participants. Data were gathered through focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and non-participant observations to capture participants’ experiences and views. Thematic analysis was used to identify key patterns across the data. Findings indicate a limited understanding of flipped learning, with many participants equating it with traditional homework. Despite resource challenges, such as insufficient textbooks and limited ICT infrastructure, teachers and students expressed openness to the approach, mainly when supported by printed materials, collaborative learning, and parental involvement. Concerns emerged about its suitability for mathematics, where students preferred more direct instruction. The study highlights the importance of teacher training, infrastructure support, and context-sensitive strategies in facilitating flipped learning in low-resource environments. The findings provide actionable insights for enhancing engagement and learning through innovative pedagogical practices
Instructional Modes and Manipulative Skills of Pre-Primary School Children in Ibadan, Nigeria
Full text linkResearch Productivity and Conceptual Structure of Market Orientation and Competitive Advantage: A Bibliometric Analysis
Full text linkThis study examines market orientation (MO) and competitive advantage (CA) publication patterns, most active authors, influential papers, and emerging research concerns. Bibliometric analysis of 420 Scopus publications from 1998 to 2024 revealed research output, key contributors, highly cited works, and conceptual structures. Both Harzing's Publish or Perish and VOSviewer were used for performance and keyword co-occurrence analysis. Overall research output increased in 2013, 2020, and 2024, demonstrating MO's expanding role in CA. Citation analysis identifies notable works, whereas performance analysis highlights prominent authors, institutions, and journals The keyword co-occurrence analysis identified seven thematic clusters: firm performance and innovation capabilities, strategic and entrepreneurial orientations, MO and CA linkages, innovation and market expansion, knowledge and sustainability strategies, organizational culture and SME marketing, and strategic marketing for competitive advantage These clusters demonstrate the field's intellectual structure and how MO, dynamic capabilities, innovation, and strategic alignment maintain competitiveness. Report: MO and CA help firms adapt to difficult environments, innovate, and perform successfully. To compete in dynamic markets, policymakers must combine capability development, information transfer, and sustainability-driven policies
The Fate of Selected Heavy Metals in River Water, Fruits and Vegetables to Potential Human Health Risks: The Case of Rau River in Moshi District, Tanzania
Full text linkThe presence of heavy metals in our environment significantly contributes to pollution in our food supply, particularly in fruits and vegetables. To analyze the levels of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn in green leafy vegetable (Amaranthus sp), fruit Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) and the Rau river water, an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) was used. Three sampling sites were selected, including one site with the least impact, Mawela and two highly impacted sites, Majengo and Msaranga. The order of heavy metal concentrations in the river water was found to be Fe > Cu > Zn > Pb > Cd, with the majority of the levels exceeding the acceptable standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). There was significant variation in the concentrations of heavy metals in fruit. For example, the range of concentrations (mean ± standard deviation) observed were as follows: Fe (70.700 ± 1.532 to 221.010 ± 0.661 mg/kg), Cu (1.372 ± 0.047 to 2.540 ± 0.195 mg/kg), Zn (41.072 ± 0.519 to 45.718 ± 0.651 mg/kg), Pb (below detection limit to 0.398 ± 0.012 mg/kg), and Cd (0.031 ± 0.013 to 0.243 ± 0.112 mg/kg). The heavy metal concentration in Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) did not correlate with the levels found in the water samples. This disparity could be attributed to the watermelon's tendency to hyper-accumulate Cd from the river water. The hazard index, which assesses the potential health risks, indicates that the ingestion of vegetables exceeds a value of 1, while that of fruits remains below 1. Despite the heavy metal contamination levels in the tested vegetables and fruits being below the safe limit, there is a significant health concern regarding long-term exposure to even low doses of toxic elements. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct regular monitoring of heavy metals in all types of food items to accurately assess the health risks associated with heavy metal exposure in the human food chain