The issues of intellectual capital (IC) and efficiency in developing countries' banking literature are contemporary. Scant empirical research is available that establishes the associations between these items. Thus, the present study explores the linkages between IC and banking efficiency in Ethiopia for the study of 2011-2022. The study applied a two-step system generalized method of moments (2SYS-GMM) to determine how IC affects the firm efficiency. To measure IC, the modified value-added intellectual coefficient (M-VAIC) and its three parts-human capital efficiency (HCE), structural capital efficiency (SCE), and relational capital efficiency (RCE)-were employed. The study used the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to evaluate banks' technical, allocative, and cost-efficiency scores from 2011 to 2022. The study's findings show that Ethiopian commercial banks' overall mean technical, allocative, and cost efficiency is 89.1%, 75.7%, and 68%, respectively. The 2SYS-GMM regression results show that the overall IC, as measured by M-VAIC, has a strong positive contribution towards technical, allocative, and cost-efficiency scores. The SCE positively affects technical and cost efficiency. Moreover, RCE significantly improves allocative efficiency and cost efficiency but doesn't substantially affect banks' technical efficiency. Surprisingly, HCE hasn't made a substantial contribution to the efficiency of banks in Ethiopia. Theoretically, the results of this study support the resource-based theory perspective of utilizing bank IC as an intangible resource to enhance efficiency. Consequently, the findings of this paper might be helpful for policymakers, investors, practitioners, and researchers in putting in place a sound investment, measurement, and management of tangible and intangible assets that enhance intellectual capabilities and banks' efficiency.
Land use and agricultural intensification are the main causes of ecological degradation and the loss of terrestrial biodiversity. Plant diversity research can be carried out in areas where different land use types coexist with fragmented habitats. This study examines how Enset-based land use systems, particularly Jefore, influence Enset and plant diversity and land use patterns in the Dudye watershed of the Gurage Zone, Central Ethiopia. The study was done through interviews with experienced ethnobotanical farmers and field observation. Purposively selected 21 Enset farms, 3 Jefore, 3 homesteads, 14 crops, 14 grasslands, and 14 woodlot areas were used in the study. Biodiversity was assessed using Biodiversity Index (BI), Frequency (F), Relative Frequency (RF), and Relative Density (RD). Results revealed that Jefore, a communal land resource equitably shared among villagers, plays a central role in sustaining ecological and social balance. Homestead areas supported 14 diverse plant species serving multiple functions such as food, medicinal and multipurpose uses while field and ethnobotanical assessments identified 29 distinct Enset (Ensete ventricosum) landraces. Among these, Anqefuye was the most dominant (BI = 0.36, F = 100
Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is a cornerstone of food security in Ethiopia; however, the integrated effects of agro-ecological gradients on its on-farm genetic diversity and disease pressure remain poorly quantified. This study provides empirical evidence by jointly analyzing landrace diversity and bacterial wilt incidence along a pronounced altitudinal gradient in the Gurage Zone. Surveys were conducted across six districts spanning 1617–2986 m a.s.l., representing lowland, mid-altitude, and highland agro-ecologies. A total of 70 locally named landraces were identified. Landrace richness exhibited a strong positive relationship with altitude (r = 0.84, P < 0.001), with highland systems maintaining the highest richness (S = 25–32), Shannon diversity (H′ = 2.88–3.16), and Simpson’s index (1–D = 0.93–0.95). In contrast, lowland areas showed reduced diversity (S = 13–16) and were dominated by stress-tolerant landraces, while mid-altitudes displayed intermediate patterns. Sørensen similarity indices (0.03–0.80) revealed clear agro-ecological structuring of landrace composition, indicating strong environmental filtering and localized farmer selection. Notably, bacterial wilt incidence, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum, also increased significantly with altitude (r = 0.73, P < 0.01), demonstrating a concurrent rise in disease pressure along the same gradient. By explicitly linking diversity patterns with disease dynamics across agro-ecological zones, this study advances current understanding of how environmental gradients simultaneously shape crop genetic resources and phytosanitary risks. These findings highlight the importance of agro-ecology-specific strategies for in situ conservation, participatory breeding, and targeted deployment of resilient, farmer-preferred landraces in enset production systems.
This work presents a theoretical and numerical investigation of the optical properties and slow-light behavior of CdS@ITO core–shell quantum dots (CSQDs) designed for operation in the 1310 nm and 1550 nm telecom bands. Using quasi-static electrodynamics, Maxwell–Garnett effective medium theory, and the Drude–Sommerfeld model, we demonstrate that the ITO shell supports low-loss infrared plasmonic resonances with extinction coefficients below κ < 0.06 . Hybrid exciton–plasmon coupling between the CdS core and ITO shell produces strong local field enhancement ( |F|^2> 1000 ) and pronounced normal dispersion, enabling slow-light behavior with group velocities as low as v_g≈ 0.05c . Geometric tuning of the core radius (3–5 nm) and shell thickness (6–8 nm) enables precise alignment of the plasmonic resonance with standard telecom wavelengths. Finite element simulations confirm intense field localization at the CdS/ITO interface and enhanced internal fields within the CdS core, supporting Kerr-type nonlinear effects relevant for optical modulation. Parametric mapping of extinction, refractive index, and group index further demonstrates robust spectral tunability and low-loss performance across the near-infrared region. These findings identify CdS@ITO CSQDs as promising, CMOS-compatible nanostructures for compact optical delay lines, all-optical modulators, and other integrated photonic components operating within the telecom band.
This study qualitatively explores the lived experiences of people with disabilities in the workplace in Wolkite Town, Ethiopia, through the lens of a sustainable livelihood approach (framework). Although there is a growing interest across existing studies on employment barriers for people with disabilities, few studies have examined how the interplay of social, human, and financial barriers shapes workplace experiences in low-resource urban settings. This phenomenological study involved key informants and in-depth interviews with 30 participants to investigate the challenges faced by people with disabilities in the workplace, the social and livelihood resources they mobilize, and the coping mechanisms they wield. Three main themes emerged from the study: difficulties in the workplace, social and livelihood resources, and coping mechanisms. The results of the study highlight widespread structural and attitudinal obstacles, such as discrimination in the workplace, lack of accessible infrastructure, social stigma, and institutional negligence, which contribute to poor access to human, social, physical, and financial capital. Regardless of these limitations, people with disabilities can be resilient, although they do not react to these challenges without adaptive coping strategies including cognitive reframing, social network dependence, and problem engagement. When the voices of people with disabilities are central, this study will provide context-specific knowledge to guide interventions that put the perspective of disabled individuals at the center of livelihood interventions and offer equitable employment opportunities in low-resource locations.
