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1 – 10 of 156Rahabhi Mashapure, Brighton Nyagadza, Lovemore Chikazhe, Gideon Mazuruse and Precious Hove
The main purpose of this research is to investigate factors influencing rural women entrepreneurship development and sustainable rural livelihoods in Manicaland province of…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this research is to investigate factors influencing rural women entrepreneurship development and sustainable rural livelihoods in Manicaland province of Zimbabwe.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research was conducted in Manicaland province in Zimbabwe. Data were collected through structured questionnaires from 400 women entrepreneurs in various sectors. The participants were in vegetable vending, operating clothing flea markets and cross border trading. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents. Structural equation modeling in SmartPLS version 3 was used to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The study established that women entrepreneurship is driven by financial factors, positive environmental factors, positive psychological factors as well as positive sociological factors for a sustainable rural livelihood.
Research limitations/implications
It is clear that if the discovered challenges are not addressed, sustainability of women entrepreneurship will remain a dream.
Practical implications
The study came up with strategies for improving women entrepreneurship activities. Future research can be done in other areas of provinces to avoid generalization challenges.
Social implications
Many challenges hinder the sustainability of women entrepreneurship. Major impediments to women entrepreneurship comprises inadequate support from government schemes, patriarchal societal structure of the community, lack of relevant entrepreneurial knowledge to manage businesses, lack of collateral security to access funding, time limitation or role conflict to balance family pressures and business.
Originality/value
The study recommends proper entrepreneurship education and training, supportive government schemes and access to network affiliation/connection to sustain women entrepreneurship.
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Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri, Brighton Nyagadza, Tinashe Chuchu and Gideon Mazuruse
This study aims to determine the antecedents that influence attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products and consumers' green purchase…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine the antecedents that influence attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products and consumers' green purchase intention among consumers in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 329 consumers in Harare, Zimbabwe's commercial capital who were served from five using a structured questionnaire via an online web-based cross-sectional survey. Hypothesised relationships were tested through structural equation modelling with the aid of Smart PLS software.
Findings
Green product awareness, social influence, perceived benefit and attitude towards green appliances were found to have a significant positive effect on green purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
The study's findings may not be generalised to other contexts as sample data was only collected in Zimbabwe. Complementary cross-sectional research studies can be done in other parts of the world to enable cross-cultural comparisons and methodological validations.
Practical implications
The green appliance and energy saving practices are vastly growing, with many multinational appliance companies introducing green products within their product lines and adopting the concept of sustainability through modifications in production, design and consumption of household appliance products that encompass fewer harmful consequences on the environment in response to their concerns about the scarcity of natural resources, environmental well-being and the potential detriment of future generations.
Originality/value
Notwithstanding the limitations of the current study, the results have the potential to contribute to an improved understanding of influence attitudes towards the use of environmentally friendly household appliance products.
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Elisa Monteiro and Chris Forlin
Validation of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) for use with teachers in Macao (SAR) was undertaken to determine its usefulness as a measure of teacher self-efficacy…
Abstract
Validation of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) for use with teachers in Macao (SAR) was undertaken to determine its usefulness as a measure of teacher self-efficacy for inclusive education. This paper discusses the results found by analyzing various versions of the TSES and TSES-C in a Chinese format with 200 pre-service teachers in Macao (SAR). Psychometric analyses were undertaken to investigate the validity of the existing scales and the three and two factor solutions. The results indicated a preferred 9-item version that produced improved factor loadings and reliabilities. The use of a relatively quick and short scale to measure such a complex phenomenon as teacher self-efficacy is discussed. Issues are raised regarding generalizability of scales and the impact of culture, demographics, and edifying issues that may impact on the usefulness of such scales.
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Ita Nuryana, Bambang Sugeng, Etty Soesilowati and Endang Sri Andayani
Critical thinking (CT) in higher education institutions (HEIs) is rarely examined using bibliometric methods to provide a better reference path for future research. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
Critical thinking (CT) in higher education institutions (HEIs) is rarely examined using bibliometric methods to provide a better reference path for future research. This study aims to provide a broad survey of the bibliometric literature on CT in HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach
Compiled from the Scopus database, there were 670 articles published from 2018 to 2022 analyzed in the study. VOSviewer software was also used to analyze co-authorship, co-occurrence and citation.
Findings
The results showed that the CT research literature was mainly published in the US However, the highest number of citations was from Australian authors. The most frequent keywords were CT, skills and higher education.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the high variability of assessment strategies for each study, the current study suggests that further research focuses on the global assessment model of CT in HEIs.
Originality/value
To the best of the research’s knowledge, the study on CT in higher education with bibliometric analysis is rarely explored.
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Ranjan DasGupta and Rajesh Pathak
The authors examine if CEO education level and quality impacts firm's corporate social performance (CSP). Additionally, the authors investigate whether other CEO characteristics…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors examine if CEO education level and quality impacts firm's corporate social performance (CSP). Additionally, the authors investigate whether other CEO characteristics such as age, busyness, compensation and firm's governance quality moderate the relationship between CEO education and CSP.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use panel regression framework amid set of controls for their analysis. The authors additionally use two-stage least squares regression (2SLS) for robustness tests.
Findings
The authors show that CEOs with a post-graduate business degree (PGBUS) impact firm's CSP positively, whereas other educational degree directly do not influence CSP. However, CEO's age, busyness, compensation and firm's governance quality are found negatively moderating such relationship. The results survive set of robustness tests, and results are consistent the roles of upper echelons in Indian firms' strategic behaviors.
Originality/value
The results seek for an integration of more ethics and social responsibility discussions in the different education levels including undergraduate degree in India to help engender a stronger sense of moral consciousness toward firms' stakeholders as the Indian economy continues to develop.
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Elizabeth Cornelia Annan-Prah, Florence Baffoe and Raphael Papa Kweku Andoh
The purpose of this study was to examine effects of the human aspects of the learning organisation (i.e. continuous learning; inquiry and dialogue; team collaboration and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to examine effects of the human aspects of the learning organisation (i.e. continuous learning; inquiry and dialogue; team collaboration and learning; and employee empowerment) on the performance of a public university’s administrative staff. Differences in the human aspects of the learning organisation across perhaps the two most important demographic characteristics (educational attainment and years of experience) were also examined.
Design/methodology/approach
This study focused exclusively on the human aspect of the dimensions of the learning organisation questionnaire. Specifically, differences in the people aspect of learning organization (PALO) across demographic characteristics were analysed using the Kruskal–Wallis test with a Bonferroni adjustment to the alpha values in the Mann–Whitney U tests that followed. Hierarchical linear regression using the standard (enter) method was adopted in analysing the PALO and administrative staff performance while controlling for age and gender.
Findings
This study demonstrated that a difference in the PALO existed across the education level and years of experience of the administrative staff. Specifically, Diploma holders performed better than those with Postgraduate degree. Also, administrative staff with 5–10 years of experience did better than the staff who had more than 15 years of experience. In addition, continuous learning; inquiry and dialogue; and collaboration and team learning each had a significant effect on administrative staff performance.
Practical implications
Employees, especially those with higher levels of education and more work experience, should be motivated through rewards as well as challenging and thought-provoking tasks as they could serve as mechanisms that would make them contribute substantially to the sustainability of the PALO. Again, public universities should pay attention to the PALO, which is at the individual and team levels.
Originality/value
This study focuses solely on the people aspect of the dimensions of the learning organisation questionnaire and sheds light on its importance to the learning organisation culture.
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Lisiane Celia Palma, Lessandra Medeiros de Oliveira, Nilo Barcelos Alves and Paola Schmitt Figueiró
This study aims to analyze the extent to which sustainability and its related core aspects have been integrated in the curricula of Business Administration programs in Brazilian…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyze the extent to which sustainability and its related core aspects have been integrated in the curricula of Business Administration programs in Brazilian federal public universities over the past ten years.
Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal exploratory study, with a descriptive scope, was carried out to evaluate the changes that have occurred in the curricula between the years 2011 and 2021. The analysis focused on the Pedagogical Project of the Business Administration programs offered by the Brazilian federal universities identified in the e-Ministry of Education’s (MEC) database of higher educational institutions and course registration. From the total number of federal universities identified in the e-MEC, about 90% were considered for the research.
Findings
The number of courses related to sustainability in Business Administration programs increased considerably in ten years. However, these courses still represent a low percentage of hours in the overall curriculum. Moreover, almost a third of Business Administration programs may produce graduates who have never addressed sustainability during their studies.
Research limitations/implications
This research does not consider other aspects of the curriculum beyond courses, nor does it collect primary data that allows for inferences about the transversal nature of the theme.
Practical implications
This study contributes to monitoring the performance of Brazilian federal universities teaching sustainability and its related core aspects in Business Administration programs. This updated panorama may aid in the search for strategies to expand actions related to education for sustainability (EfS) in educational institutions (EIs).
Social implications
This study presents some of the impacts of implementing the national environmental education curriculum guidelines. This study encourages discussion about EfS in Business Administration programs and in public EIs, which are important actors for promoting sustainable development.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study that maps the courses related to sustainability in Business Administration programs at Brazilian federal public universities. This study offers the first responses to a broad and complex topic, of a region and disciplinary field, of which there are not many studies done, opening doors to subsequent investigations.
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Tirivavi Moyo and Benviolent Chigara
Increased construction risk due to the complexity and numerous construction performance challenges requires improved construction project managers’ competence. However, contextual…
Abstract
Purpose
Increased construction risk due to the complexity and numerous construction performance challenges requires improved construction project managers’ competence. However, contextual interrogation of these competencies is limited. This paper aims to report on a study that sought to determine the expected competencies of construction project managers and assesses the existence of statistically significant differences due to gender, designation and educational levels of respondents.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research design was instituted through the administration of a questionnaire survey on Project Managers, Architects, Engineers and Quantity surveyors working for consultants and contractors’ organizations. Descriptive and inferential statistics analysed significant differences due to demographic variables. Factor analysis was also used to reveal interrelated significant sets of competencies expected of construction project managers.
Findings
Factor analysis determined 11 significant components with the highest-ranked components comprising organizational savvy and experience in managing project constraints. The univariate analysis determining effective communication, leadership and good team-building skills as being the three most critical expected competencies. Significant differences due to educational levels were established, with shortcomings existing in those with Diplomas.
Research limitations/implications
The higher education institutions need to establish curricula designs that align with the competency expectations. Mentorship programmes within construction organizations can also be significant in bridging the existing competence gap. However, due to the exploratory nature of the study, the insights of clients were not considered.
Originality/value
The study determined competencies for construction project managers and demographic-specific interventions.
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The aim of this study is to examine the effect of technology readiness (TR), perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of technology readiness (TR), perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by accounting and auditing students. The moderating role of gender is also examined in this research.
Design/methodology/approach
The data of this study was collected through a questionnaire filled by 330 accounting and auditing students enrolled in the Lebanese private universities during the academic year 2021–2022. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the study’s hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that TR and PU affect positively the adoption of AI; however, PEOU has an insignificant impact on the students’ decision to adopt AI. The outcomes also reveal that males tend more to adopt AI than females and gender moderates the associations between TR, PU, PEOU and adoption of AI.
Practical implications
The results of this study suggest that accounting educators should adjust the curricula of the accounting programs and prepare students to be well equipped with technological skills through training them on AI software.
Originality/value
According to the researcher’s knowledge, this study is the first that examines the moderating effect of gender on the associations between TR, use perceptions and AI adoption by accounting and auditing students. Besides, this research is the first that investigates the antecedents of AI adoption by students in Lebanese private universities. Furthermore, this study contributes to the limited literature that addresses this contemporary and vital issue in the Middle East.
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Isah Umar Kibiya, Mustapha Usman, Shafi'u Abubakar Kurfi and Kabir Tahir Hamid
This study aims to analyse the level of awareness and knowledge of Islamic accounting among accounting students in the Nigerian universities. Furthermore, the study also compares…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyse the level of awareness and knowledge of Islamic accounting among accounting students in the Nigerian universities. Furthermore, the study also compares the students’ understanding of Islamic and conventional accounting.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used survey research design through the administration of questionnaire on a sample of university undergraduate and post-graduate accounting students across the north-west region in Nigeria. The data generated for the study was analysed using Cronbach’s alpha, mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics.
Findings
The study found that the accounting students have an adequate awareness and basic knowledge of Islamic accounting as they were able to contrast Islamic accounting from conventional accounting. Also, in their aspiration towards learning Islamic accounting, they agreed that Islamic accounting should be made a compulsory course in accounting curriculum.
Research limitations/implications
This study focusses on north-west region of Nigeria. Hence, data and more in-depth analysis can be further improved by considering a whole country as diverse as Nigeria. Also, only a questionnaire was used by the study. Hence, further studies can use face-to-face interviews to fully extract the awareness and knowledge of the target respondents. Lastly, majority of the respondents are Muslims given the area where the study was conducted, hence, non-Muslims are not properly represented.
Practical implications
Despite its limitations, this study is still of importance in providing insights on both undergraduate and post-graduate students’ level of awareness and knowledge of Islamic accounting. This course is unique as it is different in orientation compared with other existing courses on offer. This paper also provides an invaluable insight, therefore, National University Commission of Nigeria, Islamic institutions and professional bodies like Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and Association of National Accountants of Nigeria should make continues effort towards promoting the awareness and knowledge of Islamic accounting by properly integrating same into academic and professional curricula and other training and sensitisation programs. In doing so, Islamic accounting subjects could be introduced as independent courses for selection by the student. Courses like Islamic Accounting and Finance, Accounting for Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs), Accounting for Waqf, Accounting for Zakat, Shariah auditing, Corporate Shariah Governance, Education and Ethics could be introduced across levels to enable students learn more of Islamic accounting.
Social implications
Proper integration of Islamic accounting into academic and professional courses would greatly contribute to the production of experts most importantly ethical and God-fearing accountants for the growth and development of IFIs in Nigeria.
Originality/value
This paper examines Nigerian university undergraduate and post-graduate students’ level of awareness and knowledge of Islamic accounting in the north-west region of Nigeria.
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