The Impact of Social Responsibility on the Market Value for Services Corporations, Service Type as a Marketing Variable

The study aims to know the impact of social responsibility as a cost and also to show the market value of the Jordanian services corporations listed on the Amman Stock Exchange. “Services type” was used as a variable for the relationship rate in this study. The descriptive approach was used and applied to the data of 37 companies during the period from 2012-2019. The researcher also used statistical methods such as the arithmetic mean and standard deviation to describe the study data, and the test of linear regression and correlation analysis, in order to test the study hypotheses. Among the most important results that have been reached, there is an impact of social responsibility as costs and the disclosure of the market value of services companies. The study also showed a modified effect of services type on the relationship between social responsibility disclosure and market value.Based on the preceding, the study recommended expanding the social responsibility disclosure, which helps the company build a strong name as a desirable institution, which enhances the image of the company and the name of the product in the services market and among customers.

Assesment of Stakeholder Participation as Criterion for Sustainability of Community Based Public Health Projects in Western Kenya

Community based projects are the basis for sustainable socio-economic development of most nations in the developing world. Consequently, such projects should be planned and designed to benefit communities over a long period. In Kenya, existing literature indicates that most of these projects don’t stand the test of time. Incidences of projects stalling soon after commissioning have been reported in many parts of the country. It is in this vain that as events unfold, organizations and institutions are integrating the principles of sustainability in project management in order to ensure projects serve the communities for a long time as envisioned. This study was carried out in Western Kenya. It assessed the role of stakeholder participation in the sustainability of community based public health projects. Funding was considered as a moderating variable. The study adopted descriptive survey design. A sample of 360 respondents was purposely sampled from of a population of 5570 committee members of various public health facilities. Data was sourced through questionnaires, interview schedules, and document analysis and observation checklists. Data was analyzed both descriptively and inferentially. The computations for correlation on the influence of stakeholder participation on sustainability was at value r = 0.713, with a coefficient of determination at 0.508. This translates to 50.8%, of change in project sustainability is attributable of stakeholder participation. ANOVA was at R value of o.901, implies 81.2 % of change in sustainability could be explained by stakeholder participation. Further, the rate of change, computed at Y= 0.945X+5.648, implied positive change, at rate of 0.945 between the two variables. Consequently, the study recommended, that for public health projects to sustainably serve communities, players must adopt stakeholder participation, amongst others parameters in project design, planning and sustainability.

ICT Proficiency Levels of Canadian University-Level Business School Graduates: Representations of Graduates and Employers

This study examines the perceptions of Canadian business school graduates’ and employers with respect to business graduates’ ICT proficiency levels. Twelve (12) business graduates from a Canadian university and six (6) local employers were interviewed on a range of topics relating to the acquisition of information and communications technology (ICT) skills and graduate competency levels. Graduates were positive in their self-appraisal of computing proficiency and expressed high levels of confidence in their ICT capabilities, while the acquisition of these skills was found to be primarily learned informally, self-taught, or learned during work terms. Generally, employers felt that the ICT competencies of business graduates the skills they need for the workplace are appropriate, but indicate that some specialized ICT skills are acquired through workplace orientation and ongoing professional learning. Graduate skill deficits were found to be more prevalent in the areas of writing and communication – including spelling, grammar, and business writing. Research findings suggest some misalignment between employer expectations and program objectives and raise questions about a potential gap in the readiness of graduates for the workplace. Although there is wide recognition that the primary aim of university business degree programs falls outside of ICT skill development, this research suggests a need for better coordination to align the needs and expectations of employers with the goals and objectives of business programs. Strategies for greater collaboration between business faculties and employers, with regard to business graduates’ ICT and other key competencies are suggested.

Challenges Experienced by Public Higher Education Institutions of Learning in the Implementation of Training and Development: A Case Study of Saudi Arabian Higher Education

The present case study aimed to investigate challenges in learning in Saudi Arabia’s higher education institutions in the context of the implementation of training and development. A qualitative study design was used, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 75 faculty members and human resource managers working in four public universities in Saudi Arabia. The interviews were recorded, and thematic analysis was applied to the collected data. On-campus and off-campus methods are used to implement training programmes in all four universities, regardless of the flaws of both types of training. Due to a lack of time, the majority of respondents indicated that their heavy teaching workload prevented them from engaging in university training and development. Multifactorial challenges are involved in the higher education institutions of learning with regards to the application of training and development in Saudi Arabia. One of the most significant obstacles that Saudi Arabian institution administrators face in their attempts to innovate and strengthen learning and teaching methods and methodologies is a shortage of qualified and domestic trained faculty. Because of contact breakdowns, hiring highly skilled and technically trained international teachers, for example, introduces language gaps and reduces the efficacy of teaching and learning processes. The key consideration is the execution of preparation and growth; universities have a smaller chance of achieving the goal value. With too much money being spent on training and growth, the question is not what organizations should prepare, but, rather, whether training is worthwhile and efficient.

Service Robots Usage in Marketing Hospitality in China

Since the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) has had brought severe impact on all aspects of the world. A series of interpersonal distancing methods such as ensuring effective and safe social distancing among people, wearing masks, and traffic lockdown measures are also continuing to take effect to curb the continuing outbreak of the COVID-19 (“Advice for the public on COVID-19”, 2020). In response to the globally spread of COVID-19, many advanced technologies in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) were applied rapidly and played an essential role in the operation for several months. There are many different leading technology categories in the field of artificial intelligence and many different sub-categories within each main technology categories. Moreover, since the AGI technology does not yet reach the basic human intelligence level, this study will focus on the impact of service robots, which are already widely used in the NAI application category, on hospitality marketing in the current situation in China. In this paper the aim is to assess the effectiveness of use of service robots in Marketing Hospitality Industry during the pandemic through a quantitative study.

Family Firms Can Perform Better by Overcoming Strategic Unwillingness: Implications of “Familiness” for Coopetition Strategy

This study discusses the primary characteristics of family firms in implementing strategic decisions and the fundamental nature of coopetition. In this context, we provide a rather ironic perspective that has not been discussed in prior studies. Family firms prioritize the preservation of socioemotional wealth rather than seeking economic benefits when making strategic choices, explaining their unwillingness to engage in coopetition strategies. However, these strategic features enable family firms to implement coopetition strategies more successfully than other types of firms. This is because they demonstrate a lower risk of opportunistic behavior, driven by the pursuit of self-interest rather than collective benefits. This study provides valuable insights and implications by associating the unique characteristics of family firms in implementing strategic decisions with the likelihood and stability of coopetition.

Job Absorption Capacity of Nigeria’s Mining and Quarrying Sector

The mining and quarrying sector account for 10.6 per cent of the GDP and 0.2 per cent of employment in 2014, according to the records of the National Bureau of Statistics. Relative to the gross value added of the mining and quarrying sector, its contribution to aggregate employment is small. Meanwhile, unemployment is one of the most pressing macroeconomic problems in Nigeria today. It is against this background that the job absorption capacity of the sector was investigated to facilitate job creation policies in the sector. Time series secondary data covering 1981 to 2014 on the rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and sectoral Gross Value Added (GVA) at 2010 constant basic prices, employment, wage rate, inflation rate and interest rate were collected from the National Bureau of Statistics and the Central Bank of Nigeria. Sectoral employment elasticities of growth were measured using Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) regression at α0.05. Mining and quarrying sectoral elasticity of employment was -0.05, but was not significant. However, there were significant inter-sectoral and inter-temporal relationships on which job creation policies may be based.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 10, No. 1

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Business Administration Research, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2021.

Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture: An Agenda for Organizational Renewal

Bank of Agric (BoA) was establish as a special purpose specialized financial institution to provide agricultural loans to deserving customers as a way to promoting access to affordable credit facilities to segments of the Nigerian society that have little access to the services of conventional banks while accepting savings deposits from customers and encouraging banking habits at the grass-roots. However, the performance of the bank has been below expectation because it has not fulfilled purpose. In a country like Nigeria of N200 million population, where agriculture currently provides about 54 per cent of employment and the quest for economic resilience and sustainability is further driving diversification into agribusiness, improving access to agricultural credit, is imperative. It is against this background that the need to reposition the bank becomes necessary. It is recommended that the bank be partially privatised for access to increased / private capital, while its operations should be modernized and computerized to improve customer convenience and operational efficiency.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Implications on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Operations in Zambia

The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down the operations of enterprises of different sizes and types in different ways. The most affected are the SMEs operating in various sectors of the economy. This study sort to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations of SMEs in the food and accommodation industry and provide policy recommendations to the government on supportive measures for SMEs. We employed an exploratory methodology with a critical review of available literature, including policy documents, research papers, and relevant literature to the sector Data was collected from four provinces using a survey method, and analysis was conducted through descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that most of the SME's monthly revenues have gone down by more than 50 percent and they are facing challenges such as failing to pay workers, restricted number of customers, and high cost of inputs. Besides, 21 percent of the SMEs reported improved adherence to health guidelines as one of the mitigating factors to minimise the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, only 4 percent of the SMEs have accessed financial support from Government but their businesses have remained the same. Based on these findings, policy recommendations have been made to help SMEs survive during the crisis.