207 research outputs found
Financial literacy: a peep into the literature and note for policy/ Alhassan Musah, Ibrahim Nandom Yakubu and Matthew Amalitinga Abagna
Full text linkThis paper provides a review of the financial literacy literature mostly on definitional issues and some determinants. The paper also explores an emerging genre of research into financial literacy that emphasizes interconnectedness with society and financial systems, in general. The authors employ a literature review to examine the extant literature on the conceptual framework of financial literacy as well as empirical evidence on the causal relationship between financial literacy and efficient financial decision making. We argue that whilst the literature on financial literacy is growing it is far from being exhaustive, with substantial research outputs in other climes other than Africa. There is almost a tidy conclusion from the literature that young people and women are less likely to grasp basic financial concepts. The paper concludes by calling for a reconfiguration of research efforts in financial literacy to reflect context, and for policymakers to properly align the design of financial literacy programmes to meet the needs of key demographic segments in the short term, and to contribute to financial stability in the medium to long term
The role of institutional efficiency in achieving the SDGs: evidence from Africa
Full text linkPurpose – The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of institutional quality on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using a data set comprising 45 African nations during the timeframe 2000 to 2020. Design/methodology/approach – The data are divided into two periods, with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) data covering the years 2000–2015 and the SDGs data spanning from 2015 to 2020. Controlling for other factors, the researcher employs an index of institutional quality and applies the generalized method of moments (GMM) method to analyze the data. Findings – The findings demonstrate a noteworthy inverse relationship between institutional quality and the achievement of both the MDGs and SDGs. The findings reveal a significant and positive link between economic growth and the achievement of the MDGs, while the impact on the SDGs is shown to be insignificant. Population growth significantly drives the SDGs. The results further reveal that trade openness and industrialization contribute positively to the achievement of both the MDGs and SDGs. Practical implications – The findings emphasize the importance of improving institutional quality, promoting economic growth and supporting trade openness and industrialization for sustainable development in African countries. Originality/value – The contribution of the study is twofold. Firstly and to the best of the author’s understanding, this research marks an initial endeavor to empirically investigate the nexus between institutional quality and the SDGs in the context of Africa. Secondly, it adds novelty to the literature by examining how institutional quality influences both the SDGs and their precursor the MDGs, providing insights into the actual contribution of institutions to development within the framework of these two major global compacts
Corporate social responsibility spending of commercial banks: determinants and consequence
Full text linkThe contribution of firms towards society in the form of corporate social responsibility has attracted significant concern for many stakeholders, especially among banks in Ghana. It is perceived that; banks especially do Corporate Social Responsibility just because they are the most profitable sector in Ghana. The study sort to examine the kind of relationship that exists between bank performance and CSR in Ghana. Also, to determine how bank size and profitability and it's listing status and foreign ownership influence CSR spending in Ghana. The study sampled 24 commercial banks over seven years from 2010 to 2016. The study analyzed data using statistical tools such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and panel regression analysis. The study found out that engaging in CSR activities increases banks' profitability in Ghana, especially for ROE. Â Besides, the study concluded that bigger and larger banks are more profitable than small companies, so they are more involved in CSR activities. The study also investigated whether foreign ownership and the listing status of banks influence CSR spending. On this aspect, the study found out that banks' listing status influences CSR spending, but foreign ownership does not. The result implies that listed banks are more public and faces more social pressure hence they spend more on CSR to legitimize their operations
Masked cognate translation priming with Arabic-English bilinguals: Further support for the morphological account
Full text linkThe aim of this study is to test the two accounts that have been posited as how cognates are represented in the bilingual mind: the mophological account and the phonological account. More specifically, this study exploits the uique feature of pluralization in Arabic (i.e., concatenative vs. non-concatenative process of pluralization) to invetigate how cognates are represented in the bilingual mind of different-script bilinguals (Arabic-English bilinguals) using the masked priming technique. Two types of cognates were used: cognates that are pluralized concatenatively and cognates that pluralized non-concatenatively in Arabic. In concatenative pluralization, the phonology of the singualr form is intact such as هرمون /hormōn/ (hormone in English), which is pluralized as هرمونات/hormōnat/ (hormones in English). On the other hand, in non-concatenative pluralization, the phonology of the singular form is broken when a word is plualized non-concatenatively as in ترم /tirm/ (term in English) and أترام atrām/ (terms in English). The results show a comparable priming effect for both types of pluralizations indicating that cognates in Arabic-English bilinguals may have a shared morphological representation since the magnitude of priming was not affected by the type of pluralization. This similar priming effect for concatenative and non-concatenative pluralization indicates that cognates may share a special kind of morphological representation as suggested by the morphological account.
Author: Alhassan Alzahrani
0000-0003-4547-6582 [email protected]
It is not all about Reproductive Labour: Excluded Traditional Ventures and Rural Livelihoods among Women in Northern Ghana
Full text linkIn the era of rapid corporatisation and obsession with market-led growth, not much attention has been paid to people who have not been able to fully tap into the new paradigm. Rural women face additional difficulties owing to societal constructs that further limit their participation in the mainstream economy. They also face real dangers that the traditional economic ventures, they have historically relied on, are on the verge of extinction. Rural women in Dagbon[i] are now caught in a web: on the one hand, they have not migrated fully into the mainstream capitalist or what is often termed the “modern” economy; and, on the other hand, they are also losing a grip on their traditional economic strategies, which have historically formed the bedrock of community welfare. In this paper, I explore some selected traditional economic ventures undertaken by women in rural Dagbon. I examine the appropriateness of these local economic ventures in enhancing welfare among rural households in Dagbon, and the relevance of these activities in responding to a variety of community needs, including cultural and religious purposes. It concludes with a call to pay more attention to understanding the deeper and underlying socio-cultural contexts in which women pursue livelihood activities in rural and traditional communities. Key words: Rural women; Dagbon, Traditional Economics, Livelihoods [i] Dagbon refers to the area inhabited by the Dagomba ethnic group of Northern Ghan
Cover Crops Integration with Nitrogen Management for Dryland Cotton in Sandy Ultisols
No full textOne of the many benefits of cover crops (CCs) is nutrient provision, which can be optimized by synchronizing the nutrient release from residue decomposition with the demand for subsequent cash crops. This study is part of a multistate research (13 states) to measure cotton lint yield in response to cover cropping as a nutrient management strategy. This research-based information will help farmers optimize nitrogen (N) fertilization when integrating CCs into their production systems. A two-year field trial was conducted in 2021 and 2022 with four cover crop treatments (cereal rye, crimson clover, mixtures of cereal rye and crimson clover, and control) and five N rates (0, 45, 90, 135, and 180 kg N ha-1) in a cotton production system. Nutrient release patterns were determined with litter bag methods. Soil samples were collected and analyzed for physio-biogeochemical properties underlying soil functions. Cotton lint yield and nutrient use efficiency (NUE) were measured. Integrating cover crops did not change lint yield, while applying N rates at 90 and 45 kg N ha-1 increased the yield in 2021 and 2022, respectively, beyond which the yields did not change. However, the NUE decreased with increasing N rates. Planting crimson clover decreased the NUE in 2022, which was improved by incorporating cereal rye. These results indicate that maximum lint yield and NUE of dryland cotton could be achieved with a moderate N rate (45 kg N ha-1) under cover crop mixtures
EFFECTS OF CULTURAL VALUES, COMMUNICATION SATISFACTION AND TEMPERAMENT ON CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES IN TURNAROUND MAINTENANCE
No full textCausality and Cointegration Analysis: Evidence from the Brazilian Stock Market
Full text linkMany studies have focused on examining the cointegration and causality between or among stock markets of different countries. This paper departs from these traditional inter-relationship studies through its investigation on the causality and cointegration between the Brazilian Stock Market (Bovespa) and a listed company (Petrobras) by employing the Granger causality test and error correction technique based on autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) modelling approach to cointegration. We find empirical evidence of cointegration and that deviation from long-run equilibrium is corrected according to the speed of adjustment. In particular, a disequilibrium resulting from a shock to the stock market is corrected by 3.8% per week. Our findings also show a unidirectional causality running from Bovespa index to share price of Petrobras thus revealing the predictive power of the former. While our Granger causality finding is inconsistent with the preaching of efficient market hypothesis (EMH), it nonetheless fortifies the need for investors and financial analysts to closely monitor the movements of the Brazilian stock market index when investing (or analyzing changes) in Petrobras. Keywords: Bovespa, Petrobras, Cointegration, Causality, Equilibrium, Short-run, Long-ru
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