ROLE OF WOMEN ENTERPRISE FUND ON IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY OF WOMEN IN KARAPUL SUB LOCATION, SIAYA SUB COUNTY, KENYA

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of WEF on food security of women in Karapul Sub-location of Siaya Sub-County. Materials and Methods: The study was guided by the Capability theory by Amartya Sen which emphasizes the importance of considering social and environmental variations in analysis of impact of programs. This study used cross sectional research design. The target population was 551 women from all women groups that received the WEF between the years 2011 to 2014.Simple random sampling was used to select 155 respondents which is 30% of the target population. The Chief Township location and the Constituency Women Enterprise Fund Officer were purposively selected as key informants. The study used triangulation of mixed methods that included questionnaires, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 was used to run descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentages so as to present the quantitative data in form of tables, pie charts and bar graphs based on the major research questions. Qualitative data was summarized, grouped and ranked accordingly noting the similarities and differences in the responses from the interviews and presented in narration. Results: Findings of this study showed that an improvement in the food security of women was determined by the social variations and environmental diversity of the individual women. Women in formal employment at 67 per cent reported that they could consume three meals in a day same to those with established businesses at 38 per cent. Delay in release of loans affected women doing farming who depend on seasons similar to those who targeted certain peak periods to sell their products. Women who did group projects at 38.1 per cent reported to have increased food access due to higher returns from their businesses. Findings also indicate a big disparity in the varieties of food eaten to constitute a nutritious diet with more consumption of cereals and food from animal sources. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study was guided by the Capability theory by Amartya Sen which emphasizes the importance of considering social and environmental variations in analysis of impact of programs. The study recommends that emphasis should be laid on group projects to maximize profits and increase incomes. The WEF secretariat should ensure timely disbursement of funds and the GOK in its Food Security and Nutrition policy should increase farm inputs of women engaged in farming to ensure WEF improves their food security.

Ethical leadership, perceived leader–member ethical communication and organizational citizenship behavior: development and validation of a multilevel model

PurposeThis study provides a systematic testing of ethical leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) by examining the underlying mechanisms of leader motivation language on ethics through which ethical leadership influences followers’ OCB at the team level.Design/methodology/approachA multilevel model was validated via with structural equation modeling (SEM) from hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) based on data collected in a Malaysian organization.FindingsThe perceived leader–member ethical communication at the team-level makes a unique contribution beyond the ethical leadership in explaining OCBs.Originality/valuePerceived leader–member ethical communication mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and OCB.

Examining antecedents of residents’ support for the European Capital of Culture project – event’s sustainability perception, emotional solidarity, community attachment and brand trust

PurposeThe primary purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects on support for the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) project development of residents’ perception of the project’s sustainability, emotional solidarity toward tourists, community attachment and brand trust.Design/methodology/approachSurvey research was conducted among 303 residents of Novi Sad, which has been selected to be the ECoC for the year 2022.FindingsThe findings confirmed the positive roles of three aspects of the event’s sustainability and three facets of emotional solidarity in shaping local people’s support for the ECoC event development. Besides, findings show the positive effect of residents’ community attachment and ECoC brand trust in predicting their supportive attitudes for the event development. Finally, results highlight which areas of the event’s sustainability are still unsatisfactory from the residents’ perspective, making it easier for event practitioners to optimally focus their attention and resources on enhancing problematic areas of the event’s sustainability.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to existing tourism literature as it is the first to explore the role local people’s perception of event sustainability, emotional solidarity toward tourists, community attachment and brand trust plays in their support for the ECoC event development. In addition, a unique contribution lies in the confirmation of brand trust as a significant antecedent of residents’ support, as this relationship remained an unexplored area in tourism literature. Practical implications, specifically derived for ECoC event practitioners, which should also find their place in securing residents’ support toward the development of any cultural event that attracts visitors, are discussed in the paper.

The influence of workplace stress and coping on depressive symptoms among registered nurses in Bangladesh

Background: Nurses report high levels of workplace stress, which has been linked to an increased risk for experiencing depressive symptoms.Nurses’ workplace stress is also linked to increased absenteeism and decreased job satisfaction. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine: (1) the incidence of depressive symptoms among hospital-based registered nurses in Bangladesh; (2) common sources of workplace stress and their relationships to individual characteristics and depressive symptom scores; and (3) the potential mediating roles of coping strategies in the relationship between workplace stress and depressive symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study design involved three hundred and fifty-two registered nurses. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and three standardized tools measuring sources of nurses’ workplace stress, coping strategies, and depressive symptoms. Results: More than half of the participants scored ≥ 16 on the CES-D, which was associated with a major depression episode. Total NSS scores had a small but significant influence on scores on the depression scale. Coping strategies had no mediated effect on the relationship between workplace stress and scores on the depression scale. Low-reliability coefficients for subscales of two of the standardized tools highlight the challenge for researchers in developing countries to address contextual differences that may influence the meanings attached to individual items. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the mental health of registered nurses in Bangladesh requires immediate attention in part by attending to workplace stressors. Further research should focus on a deeper understanding of Bangladeshi registered nurses’ work experiences and the unique contribution that workplace stressors have on their physical and mental health.

THE INTERRELATIONSHIP AMONG THE COMPONENTS OF STUDENTS’ INTERNET INSIGHT AS AN ACADEMIC RESOURCE TOOL IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to determine the interrelationship among the components of students’ internet insight as an academic resource tool in universities based in Kenya. Methodology: The study was conducted in Moi University and Daystar University. The study was based on the Social learning theory by Bandura focusing on internet self-efficacy and supplemented by Technology acceptance model by Davies. Quantitative research approach was undertaken. An ex post facto research survey design was adopted. The researcher used a representative sample of 435 (Moi University) and 175 (Daystar University)adding up to 610 Third year student teachers of the academic year 2015/2016 drawn from School of Education in the two universities. Stratified sampling was used to categorize students by gender from each stratum; participants were chosen randomly. Questionnaires were used as instruments of data collection. Content validity was established by use of expert judgment in the school of education. Test re-test method was applied to check if the instruments that collected data were reliable. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyze data. In descriptive statistics data frequencies, percentages and mean was used. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi square and Post hoc tests were used to test the hypotheses. Results: The findings indicated that more participants concurred with almost all accounts on internet knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived internet usefulness and perceived internet ease of use. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The results of the paper are useful in designing educational programs in Kenyan institutions of higher learning and also, present a platform to close the gap of knowledge in digital divide field which is used later in technology acceptance studies.

STATUS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THE COLD CHAIN SYSTEM IN KENYA: THE CASE OF THE FISHERIES SECTOR IN LAMU AND MOMBASA COUNTIES

Purpose: This study examined the status, challenges and opportunities of the fishing sub-sector in Mombasa and Lamu counties in Kenya. The study examined the various opportunities cold chain have in development of the fisheries sector. The study zeroed on factors like the economic, administrative, financial, technological and cultural attributes that influence the efficiency of the cold chain. Methodology: Literature reviewed showed that shortage of reliable and adequate cold chain facilities in sub-Saharan Africa is one of the main causes of losses of perishable products however there’s little documentation of the study on the status, challenges and opportunities of cold chain technologies in the fishing sector in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study focusses on 2 counties in Coastal Kenya i.e. Mombasa and Lamu Counties. The justification for selecting the 2 sites was that Lamu fisheries industry is extensive and highly developed, Lamu receives the highest number of fish harvest. Primary data was obtained through questionnaires and personal interviews. The personal interviews took 5 days in Mombasa and 5 days in Lamu. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences; SPSS version 20. Results: The main result of the study was showed that cold chain is widely used and required in the advancement of fishing in all the study sites. The study also revealed that Lamu County is more dependent on cold chain for fishing to earn profit for the sector as it final market is Mombasa a distance of over 200km away. The needs of the type, capacity and partnership is different from one Beach Management Unit to the other. This is primarily due to factor such fish catch, governance dynamics, access and affordability of cold chain technology and distance to the market. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study indicated that there has been deliberate effort by the two tier government – National and County to invest in Cold chain however this has been faced with myriad challenges where this installed equipment are either not operating efficiently or have stalled. The study indicated and showed that there needs to be systematic approach when selecting and managing cold chain equipment in the fishing sector.

IMPLICATIONS OF YOUTH WORKFORCE ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN THE INSURANCE SECTOR

Purpose: Youth are considered as the most active age bracket in the working environment hence their impact in organizations such as the insurance sector cannot be ignored. The objective of this study is to discuss and analyze the implications of the youth workforce on employee engagement in the insurance sector. The purpose of this study is to help the readers understand the importance of youth workforce and their impact in the insurance sector once the youth are involved in favorable employee engagement practices. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library Findings: The study found out that some of the implications of youth workforce on employee engagement are; adaptability to change, improved customer experience and satisfaction, employee retention, talent management, leadership development and improving the company’s brand and image. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: It therefore recommended that the insurance sectors should come up with the best strategies for employee retention of the youth workforce since they play a vital role in influencing the consumer behaviors. The insurance sectors should embrace youth marketing since it is one of the best advertising techniques that has led to increase in productivity and profitability of companies and customer satisfaction.

Inherent characteristics of ultra-photosensitive Al/Cu–CeO2/p-Si metal oxide semiconductor diodes

An ultrahigh photosensitive diode was developed using a Cu-doped CeO2 thin film through spray pyrolysis processing, which has made a unique contribution in the field of optoelectronic device fabrication process.

Decision Framework for Engaging Cloud-Based Big Data Analytics Vendors

Organizations face both opportunities and risks with big data analytics vendors, and the risks are now profound, as data has been likened to the oil of the digital era. The growing body of research at the nexus of big data analytics and cloud computing is examined from the economic perspective, based on agency theory (AT). A conceptual framework is developed for analyzing these opportunities and challenges regarding the use of big data analytics and cloud computing in e-business environments. This framework allows organizations to engage in contracts that target competitive parity with their service-oriented decision support system (SODSS) to achieve a competitive advantage related to their core business model. A unique contribution of this paper is its perspective on how to engage a vendor contractually to achieve this competitive advantage. The framework provides insights for a manager in selecting a vendor for cloud-based big data services.

CHALLANGES FACING THE EMERGING ECONOMY DURING COVID-19 THE CASE OF JORDAN

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges of the Jordanian economy during COVID-19. The Jordanian economy may have to face different scenarios in his macro-environment. Specifically, the study focused on the impact COVID-19 on the Jordanian economy. Methodology: An exploratory research method was used to build three scenarios. The sample randomly selected from Jordanians in the capital of Jordan Amman. The study divided the sample to three groups and asking them three questions related to the expectations of the impact of COVID-19 on the Jordanian economy for the coming years. Results: The study findings revealed that the majority of respondents (55.2%) are optimistic that the COVID-19 will finish and Jordan economy will be booming. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Recommendations were provided for Jordanian policy makers to deal scenarios. For example Jordan government and policy makers has to be pragmatic, and work toward lowering level of expectations among Jordanian economy to avoid the negative impact of COVID-19 on the economy. Cooperation between the public sector and private sector in implementing the instructions of the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health to decrease the number of cases to open more sectors which will have a positive impact on the Jordanian economy.