The Usefulness of Enterprise Support Services to Kenyan Manufacturing Micro-Enterprises

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (02) ◽  
pp. 233-249
Author(s):  
Milcah Mulu-Mutuku ◽  
Gregory Simiyu Namusonge ◽  
Margaret Adhiambo Odhuno
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Marketing Social ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
Micro Enterprises ◽  
Chi Square Tests

This paper examines the usefulness of support services to manufacturing microenterprises as perceived by the microenterprise owners. In Kenya, there is an emphasis on financial support services at the expense of other services but evidence of their usefulness to the survival and maintenance of manufacturing microenterprises is scarce. Convenience sampling was used to select 172 manufacturing microenterprises that had received any kind of support. Data was collected through researcher-administered questionnaires and analysed using frequencies, percentages and chi-square tests. Results revealed that though financial support was utilised by almost two thirds of the enterprises, over three quarters of the owners did not perceive it as useful, mainly due to the little amount of money given as credit. Training was considered useful to microenterprises, especially in the areas of record keeping and marketing. Social networks, in terms of ROSCAs, friends and relatives, were the major sources of support for manufacturing microenterprises.

scholarly journals Multi-national perceptions on challenges, opportunities, and support structures for Dual Career migrations in European student-athletes

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253333
Author(s):  
Philip X. Fuchs ◽  
Mojca Doupona ◽  
Kinga Varga ◽  
Marta Bon ◽  
Cristina Cortis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Support Services ◽  
Financial Support ◽  
Student Athletes ◽  
High Ratio ◽  
Dual Career ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Academic Field ◽  
European Student ◽  
Dual Careers

Despite Dual Careers (sports and education) and mobility of students being priorities in the funding policies of the European Commission, migrating student-athletes report severe challenges and decreased performance or dropouts at sport and academic levels. The objective of this study was to depict and assess the perceptions on challenges, support services, and their effectiveness in consideration of specific characteristics of participants and migrations. Based on a meta-synthesis and previous findings, a 50-items questionnaire was developed and completed by 245 student-athletes in 5 European countries. Participants with Dual Careers migration experience (n = 140) were considered for analyses of qualitative and quantitative (ordinal 5pt-Likert-scaled and metric) data on the Dual Career status, migration characteristics, received services, and outcomes. Chi-square-tests were conducted for differences between countries and genders at a significance level of p < .05. Country-related differences were found for experiences and intentions to migrate (X2(12) = 50.52, p<0.001), duration of the migration (X2(16) = 38.20, p = 0.001), financial support (X2(8) = 29.87, p<0.001), and decreased performances in academics (X2(16) = 56.12, p<0.001) and sports (X2(16) = 31.79, p = 0.01). Gender-related difference emerged in financial support (X2(4) = 10.68, p = 0.03), duration of the migration (X2(4) = 14.56, p = 0.01), and decreased academic performance (X2(4) = 10.57, p = 0.03). Tutoring and counselling support was ranked as the most effective support, especially when received from the academic field (4.0±1.0 pt) and others (4.1±0.8 pt), followed by online services from sport and academic sectors (both: 3.9±0.9 pt). Considering the pervasive globalization of sport and education, Dual Career migration can contribute to the development of a European sport culture. The high ratio of migrating student-athletes underlines the relevance of migrations in the field of Dual Careers. This study contributes to the literature by adding insights on practices, challenges, supports, and outcomes perceived by student-athletes migrating in Europe. Moreover, country- and gender-related differences support the consideration of specific characteristics and reveal critical factors in specific target groups. The findings contribute to identifying requirements and effective support measures in Dual Career migrations and can be used to improve support services.

scholarly journals A Corpus-Based Study of Reformulation Markers: The Case of Native versus Non-Native Research Articles

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-148
Author(s):  
Mohammad Alipour
Keyword(s):  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Academic Journals ◽  
Mathematical Operation ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Quantitative Analyses ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
Conceptual Meaning ◽  
Chi Square Tests

This study presents a corpus-based study of reformulation markers as a common metadiscourse device in research articles of applied linguistics by native and Iranian non-native writers. Toward this end, qualitative and quantitative analyses of reformulation devices were conducted. The corpora were compiled by downloading articles from academic journals which were selected via convenience sampling. Each corpus included approximately one million words. All the analyses were conducted through employing Murillo’s (2004, 2007) classification which consists of three broad categories: explicit meaning functions (identification, specification, and explanation), conceptual meaning functions (definition and denomination), and implicit meaning functions (conclusion and mathematical operation). After analyzing the data, Chi-square tests were performed to determine whether the results found in the analysis were statistically significant. The results revealed that there were differences between the functions of reformulation markers (RMs) across research articles written by native and non-native writers. In particular, they differ in terms of their types and functions, where non-native writers of applied linguistics research articles (RAs) use RMs much more frequently than native writers of applied linguistics. In light of the findings, recommendations are made for EAP classes as well.

scholarly journals What are the Most Widely Used and Effective Attack Coverage Systems in Men’s Volleyball?

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-121
Author(s):  
Raúl Hileno ◽  
Antonio García-de-Alcaraz ◽  
Bernat Buscà ◽  
Cristòfol Salas ◽  
Oleguer Camerino
Keyword(s):  
Mean Difference ◽  
First Line ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Residuals Analysis ◽  
Specific Position ◽  
Pan American ◽  
Guiding Principles ◽  
High Level ◽  
Tests For Independence ◽  
Chi Square Tests

Abstract In volleyball, attack coverage is one of the play actions most neglected in coaching and research. The purpose of this study was to find out which attack coverage systems are used by high-level men’s teams in different game situations and the characteristics of the most effective systems. We analysed 15 matches from the 2010 Men’s Pan-American Volleyball Cup, with a total of 1,415 coverage actions. Chi-square tests for independence, adjusted residuals analysis and calculations of standardised mean difference were performed. The results show that high-level men’s volleyball uses many coverage systems other than the traditional 3-2-0 and 2-3-0. At this level of play, the most frequent systems were 1-3-1 and 1-2-2, which occurred significantly often at the culmination of a third-tempo attack at the wing. The most effective systems consisted of three coverage lines, with fewer than five players covering the spiker and at least one player in the first coverage line, in both the attack and counterattack phases. Given the large number of coverage systems identified in different game situations, we recommend flexible, loosely structured training in these systems, based on a set of guiding principles that all players on a team must internalise for the specific position they are playing. Regarding the systems’ efficacy, the main watchword is that on each coverage line there should always be at least one player, but the first line should not be exposed.

Generational differences in the placement of clitic se in New York City Spanish

2021 ◽  
pp. 136700692110165
Author(s):  
Kevin Martillo Viner
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Internal Variables ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
External Variables ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
Finite Verb ◽  
Chi Square Tests

Aims and objectives: This study analyzes the proclitic and enclitic positions of Spanish clitic se (e.g., ella se quería ir / ella quería irse ‘she wanted to go’) across two generations of Spanish speakers in New York City. In an effort to contribute to ongoing research aimed at better understanding Spanish in the US, the following questions are addressed. In syntactic environments that permit variation, does placement of Spanish se differ between the two generations? From the internal variables identified for this study (nonfinite verb type, finite verb, tense of finite verb, grammatical person, use of se, grammatical mood of finite verb, negation), which ones have a statistically significant effect on placement? From the external variables identified for this study (national origin, region, areal origins, sex, age, years in US, socioeconomic class, education, English skill, Spanish skill, general Spanish use), which ones have a statistically significant effect on placement? Design and data: This study is carried out within a variationist-sociolinguistic framework and the sample consists of 50 participants, 25 from the first generation (G1) and 25 from the second (G2). Analysis: Bivariate chi-square tests are performed in order to determine what internal and external variables constrain placement of the dependent variable (clitic se placement). Findings: Generation has a statistically significant effect on placement ( p = .016), wherein proclisis is more frequent amongst the G2 participants. These results corroborate previous research showing an overall preference for proclisis in both monolingual and bilingual/heritage speakers. Further, chi-square tests pinpoint five conditioning effects for G1 (nonfinite verb type, use of se, finite verb, years in US, and English skill), but only two for G2 (use of se and English skill). Originality and implications: The present study is the first to discover strong correlations between the proclitic position and the numerous internal and external variables quantitatively assessed. Future research is thus warranted.

scholarly journals Comparing Motivation-Based and Motivation-Attitude-Based Segmentation of Tourists Visiting Sensitive Destinations

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoonjeong Jeong ◽  
Seweryn Zielinski ◽  
Ji-soon Chang ◽  
Seong-il Kim
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Market Segmentation ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
The Body ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Lao People’S Democratic Republic ◽  
Lao People's Democratic Republic ◽  
Chi Square Tests

This study aims to compare motivation-based and motivation-attitude-based segmentation of tourist markets, by identifying the heterogeneity of both solutions. A k-means cluster analysis was conducted to segment markets, using the data collected from 722 respondents, via an onsite survey of visitors to the Kuang Si Waterfall and Konglor Cave in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Subsequently, socio-demographic and trip-related characteristics among the segments were compared using ANOVA and Chi-square tests. Both motivation-based and motivation-attitude-based segmentation each generated four distinctive segments. Although both solutions are viable for segmentation, the latter was found to be more useful in separating segments than the former, as its segments were significantly more distinguishable from each other in terms of socio-demographic and trip-related characteristics. This result contributes to the body of research on the comparison of market segmentation techniques, which is a rarely investigated topic.

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