This article examines the relationship between structural racialisation, discrimination, social inequality, and epigenetic processes, with particular attention to the concept of biological embedding. Rather than conceptualising race as a biological characteristic, the analysis treats racialisation as a socially constructed process through which historical, institutional, economic, and environmental conditions can generate unequal exposures across populations. Social epigenetics provides a potential framework for understanding how socioeconomic disadvantage, neighbourhood conditions, environmental hazards, unequal healthcare access, racialised discrimination, and chronic psychosocial stress may influence physiological regulation, including DNA methylation and measures of epigenetic ageing. The available evidence suggests associations between adverse social conditions and epigenetic measures of biological ageing, although findings vary across populations, exposures, methodologies, and epigenetic clocks. Consequently, epigenetic differences observed between racialised populations should not be interpreted as evidence of inherent biological differences; rather, they may reflect differential exposure to socially structured environments. This perspective shifts the analytical focus from presumed biological differences between populations towards the processes through which racialised social environments create unequal biological exposures and potentially divergent health trajectories. Particular caution is required regarding intergenerational and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Although historical racialisation, enslavement, colonialism, socioeconomic inequality, and other forms of adversity can produce consequences extending across generations, current human evidence does not justify assuming that such effects are routinely transmitted through inherited epigenetic modifications. Intergenerational persistence can instead occur through family relationships, socioeconomic resources, neighbourhood environments, cultural memory, institutional arrangements, continuing discrimination, and renewed exposure to adversity in each generation. Epigenetic processes may contribute to these pathways but should not be presumed to constitute their principal mechanism. This article therefore advances a non-deterministic interpretation of social epigenetics: social inequality can become biologically embedded without becoming biologically predetermined. This framework has important implications for research and policy because it locates potential biological inequalities not in racialised populations themselves, but in the unequal social, economic, institutional, and environmental conditions to which populations are differentially exposed.
Farm record keeping is essential for agricultural business success, yet adoption remains low in many developing countries. This study investigates the determinants of farm record keeping among rice farmers in Northern Ghana, a region that contributes significantly to national rice production. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 245 rice farmers across three districts (Tolon, Kumbungu, and Savelugu) through questionnaires and focus group discussions. The study employed a binary probit model to identify factors influencing farmers’ decisions to keep records. Results revealed that only 11% of respondents maintained farm records. Educational level, household size, and knowledge of farm accounting records significantly influenced record keeping decisions. Farmers cited lack of knowledge on how to keep records and uncertainty about their usefulness as major barriers. Most records maintained by farmers were rudimentary and insufficient for generating meaningful financial statements. The study recommends targeted educational interventions and simplified record-keeping systems tailored to farmers’ literacy levels. Government agencies and agricultural extension services should incorporate basic farm accounting training in their support programmes to enhance record-keeping practices among rice farmers, thereby improving farm management and profitability.
This article interrogates the potential of the circular economy as a structuring paradigm for ecological transition and sustainable development in Tunisia, with particular emphasis on the management of construction and demolition waste (CDW). Situating the analysis within critiques of the dominant linear economic model, it elucidates how the circular reconfiguration of material flows may contribute to reducing environmental externalities, preserving natural capital, and stimulating territorially embedded forms of green employment. The study adopts a multidimensional and interdisciplinary methodological framework, combining a critical review of academic literature, the analysis of institutional and policy reports, qualitative interviews with key public and private stakeholders, and an in- depth case study of the RE-MED project, implemented notably in the Greater Tunis region. The study's results demonstrate the development of novel socio-technical configurations for reclaiming and recycling construction and demolition waste (CDW). Concurrently, they underscore how deeply entrenched institutional inertia, regulatory deficiencies, economic hurdles, and socio-cultural pushback continue to obstruct the widespread systemic adoption of circular economy models. The article concludes by advancing a set of policy-relevant recommendations aimed at reinforcing governancearchitectures, consolidating recycling value chains, and fostering the societal embedding of circular economy principles within the Tunisian context.
Increasing migration has transformed Western societies into culturally diverse environments in which educational institutions and family support services increasingly engage with children raised according to a wide range of childrearing traditions. This paper examines whether contemporary Western parenting practices should continue to serve as the dominant reference framework for child development or whether greater recognition should be given to non-Western and historically rooted approaches to raising children. Drawing upon research from developmental psychology, anthropology, evolutionary science, educational history, and cross-cultural parenting studies, the paper synthesises evidence from Western and non-Western societies, including Indigenous, African, East Asian, South Asian, and Middle Eastern contexts. Historical educational traditions from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, and India are reviewed alongside contemporary empirical research on extended-family caregiving, grandparent involvement, cooperative breeding, and culturally embedded parenting practices. The evidence indicates that no single childrearing model is universally superior. Rather, Western parenting generally promotes autonomy, self-expression, and individual achievement, whereas many non-Western traditions emphasise interdependence, social responsibility, community participation, multigenerational caregiving, and cultural continuity. Despite substantial cultural variation, the literature consistently identifies several universal determinants of healthy child development, including warm and responsive caregiving, emotional security, stable caregiving relationships, opportunities for learning and exploration, and strong social support networks. The paper further argues that the historical dominance of Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) populations in developmental research has limited understanding of alternative childrearing systems. As migration continues to increase cultural diversity across Europe, educational institutions, child mental health services, and family support organisations should adopt culturally inclusive frameworks that recognise multiple pathways to healthy child development. Rather than replacing Western parenting models, the evidence supports integrating insights from diverse childrearing traditions to promote educational equity, social inclusion, and children's wellbeing in multicultural societies.
Bhutan's democratic decentralization has made community participation an essential element of rural development, empowering grassroots citizens to self-manage their social, economic, and environmental well-being. Nevertheless, in practice, the level of community participation in rural development programs and citizens' perceptions of their contribution, remain unknown. Hence, this study assesses the perceived impact of community participation on rural development effectiveness. This study employed a household census survey, covering every household in Langchenphu Gewog (Block). Data were collected from 237 respondents, consisting of household heads or any eligible member of the household whose age is 18 and above. Information was gathered using a structured, closed-ended Likert-scale questionnaire. Information was gathered using structured, closed-ended Likert-scale questionnaires. The community participation levels was measured using six key indicators, and the perception of the effectiveness of rural development was assessed using three dimensions, which were quantified through nine specific indicators. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression were applied to the quantitative data. Results indicated a strong positive correlation between perceived community participation and the effectiveness of rural development (r = 0.839, p < .001; β = 0.831). In addition, multiple regression analysis revealed that participation was a strong predictor of project success outcomes, while demographic factors did not have any significant impact. These findings confirm that inclusive and wide-ranging participation is more decisive than demographically specific intervention. Therefore, the study recommends the institutionalization of participatory practices, the development of community capacity, and the strengthening of local governance bodies' accountability for effective and inclusive rural development.
The article examines the fundamental mechanisms that make communication between living beings possible, focusing primarily on human interaction through acoustic and visual channels based on physical activity. It argues that any effective communication system must rely on signals that can be generated and perceived by all members of a species, which requires that communication alphabets be defined in relative, rather than absolute, physical terms. Using speech as a central example, the article discusses how phonemes are encoded through articulatory movements and proposes that perception occurs through internal reconstruction of these movements. This view aligns with the motor theory of perception, according to which understanding speech involves activating the same motor patterns used to produce it. Extending this principle, the paper suggests that recognition in other domains—such as handwriting, visual forms, and schematic drawings—can also be understood as the reconstruction or imitation of the processes that generated the observed objects. Handwritten letters are interpreted as traces of pen movements rather than static images, and geometric forms can be recognized by modeling their generative construction. More broadly, perception in music, dance, and sports is linked to internal imitation of movements, with richer motor experience leading to deeper and more emotional understanding. Farther the article explores communication in animals, emphasizing that differences in physical organization lead to different communication languages and perceptual worlds. Mutual understanding across species is therefore limited unless signals are adapted to the motor capabilities of each species. The article concludes that imitation and the formation of connections between motor acts and sensory patterns play a central role in learning, perception, and communication across domains
This study investigates the linear effects of government size on financial development using a balanced panel of 71 countries from 1995 to 2021. Government size was measured using the commonly used general government final consumption expenditure as percentage of GDP (%), while financial development is proxied by private credit and deposit money bank assets (each as % of GDP). The estimation in this study relies on a dynamic system generalized methods of moments (GMM). The main result indicates that government size does not have a statistically significant impact on financial development at the global level. This study concludes that one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective. The results provide no conclusive support for either the political view or the development view.
This article examines the historical evolution and comparative development of the concepts of Tatbestand and corpus delicti and their significance in the formation of modern criminal law theory. Through doctrinal, historical, and comparative legal analysis, the study explores the transformation of the German concept of Tatbestand into the Soviet doctrine of Sostav Prestupleniya and its subsequent influence on the development of Mongolian criminal law. The research draws upon criminal law theories, legislative reforms, and scholarly works from Germany, Russia, the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia to identify the theoretical foundations and methodological differences between these approaches to criminal liability. The analysis demonstrates that Tatbestand developed within German criminal law as a distinct legal category forming the first stage of the three-tier structure of criminal liability, consisting of statutory elements, unlawfulness, and culpability. In contrast, Soviet criminal law transformed this concept into the four-element doctrine of the corpus delicti, which integrated the object, objective aspect, subject, and subjective aspect of a crime into a unified framework for determining criminal responsibility. The findings reveal that Mongolian criminal law doctrine was largely shaped by Soviet legal scholarship and that the four-element model became deeply embedded in legal education, academic discourse, judicial reasoning, and law-enforcement practice throughout the twentieth century. The study further finds that although the Criminal Code of Mongolia (2015) introduced important conceptual and terminological reforms, the practical methodology used to interpret and apply criminal law continues to reflect the traditional corpus delicti framework. The article concludes that a clearer understanding of the historical relationship between Tatbestand and corpus delicti is essential for the continued development of Mongolian criminal law theory. On this basis, the study proposes recommendations aimed at strengthening doctrinal coherence, improving methodological consistency, and promoting a more systematic and comparative approach to criminal legislation and legal interpretation.
Healthcare transformation under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has heightened the need for competent leadership capable of guiding complex organizational change within newly established healthcare clusters. Despite recognition of leadership’s central role in reform implementation, limited research has examined the mechanisms through which leadership competence influences change management outcomes in healthcare settings. This conceptual study develops an integrated framework linking leadership competence, employee engagement, and change management within the Madinah healthcare cluster. Grounded in transformational leadership theory and social exchange theory, the proposed model positions leadership competence as a strategic capability that directly enhances management effectiveness and indirectly influences change outcomes through employee engagement. Employee engagement is conceptualized as a mediating mechanism that translates leadership competence into employees’ psychological investment, adaptability, and change-supportive behaviors. By shifting from direct-effect assumptions toward a process-oriented explanation, the framework advances leadership and organizational change scholarship in three ways: it integrates transformational and relational theoretical perspectives; it highlights employee engagement as a central explanatory pathway; and it contextualizes leadership-driven change within Saudi healthcare reform. The study offers theoretical grounding for future empirical testing and provides practical implications for healthcare leaders and policymakers seeking sustainable transformation in high-reliability healthcare systems.
The early second century CE offers limited contemporary evidence for Christian persecution and martyrdom, centered on the Pliny–Trajan correspondence. The narratives in the Legenda Aurea (c. 1260), populated this era with vivid chronicles. This article compares two such stories set in the Trajan/Hadrian period: the legend of Emperor Trajan’s posthumous salvation through Pope Gregory the Great’s intercession, and the romance of Placidus/Eustace, his wife Theopista, and sons, who convert via a stag vision, endure trials, and suffer martyrdom in a brazen bull. While both exemplify hagiographic romance, they serve divergent functions—one enabling theological speculation on divine mercy and the salvation of virtuous pagans, the other modeling lay endurance and family fidelity. Dante Alighieri incorporates the Trajan legend prominently in Purgatorio X and Paradiso XX to dramatize God’s inscrutable justice and the providential role of empire but omits Eustace entirely. Reception history reveals a contrasting afterlife: Trajan’s story fuels high theology, while Eustace’s sustains a living cult at Rome’s Basilica di Sant’ Eustachio, where iconography, statuary, and local tradition persist despite the 1969 removal of the feast from the General Roman Calendar. Drawing on source criticism, Dante commentary, Bollandist hagiography, and unpublished contemporary visuals and material evidence, this study illuminates how medieval legends bridged historical gaps and how critical scholarship and devotional practice continue to coexist in Catholic tradition.
This study examines Langston Hughes's gay narratives as deliberate acts of social subversion against the Harlem Renaissance's cultural politics of racial uplift and respectability in four selected poems: "Poem" (1925), "Port Town" (1926), "Desire" (1927), and "Boy" (1928). Grounded in Stephen Greenblatt's New Historicist concept of social energy circulation integrated with George Lakoff and Mark Johnson's Conceptual Metaphor Theory; this study situates Hughes' queer poetics within the institutional circuits and gatekeeping structures that shaped Harlem Renaissance cultural production. Through systematic close textual analysis and rigorous historicist contextualization, the study demonstrates how Hughes circumvents the restrictive ideological apparatus of the Harlem Renaissance by crafting representations of gayness through sophisticated metaphorical encoding that subtly critiques marginalization while preserving transgressive meanings for perceptive readers. The problems this study addresses are threefold. Scholarship on Hughes often relies on biographical speculation rather than rigorous textual analysis, which leaves the relationship between his poetic techniques and subversive intentions undertheorized. In addition, studies of queer presence in the Harlem Renaissance have not sufficiently connected textual strategies to the specific institutional conditions that shaped them, treating encoding as a general phenomenon instead of a historically situated practice. Finally, the theoretical frameworks applied to Hughes’ work remain fragmented, failing to synthesize macrolevel institutional constraints with the microlevel cognitive mechanisms through which his metaphors enact their subversive power. The study contributes to Harlem Renaissance scholarship, African American literary criticism, and Black queer studies by revealing how marginalized voices operated within and against dominant cultural formations through strategic literary practices.
The essay explores the possibility that the future economy can evolve even without money as a central element of exchange. The author starts from the observation that, historically, money has been the fulcrum of economic exchanges and the development of markets. However, he speculates that a "second market" could emerge in the future, based on mutual trust and solidarity, in which goods are exchanged without the intermediation of money, especially to support those on the margins of society. The current system, based on money, risks entering a phase of stagnation, becoming an obstacle to development. It is therefore proposed to combine the traditional market with an alternative market, without money, where values such as goodwill and social responsibility prevail. This model could help overcome the weakness of the global economy, which is also slowing down due to the rigidity of the monetary system. The author also analyzes recent U.S. political and economic decisions, such as the introduction of tariffs, which have had limited effects on inflation but have slowed global economic growth. He points to the uncertainty of economic forecasts, saying that the future is hardly predictable beyond a few months. The text goes on to analyze GDP growth data in the United States and China, highlighting how the fastest growth is occurring in countries and continents that were previously characterized by weak development, such as Africa, Arabia, Turkey and Southeast Asia. This change suggests a new distribution of development dynamics at the global level. Finally, the essay offers a historical reflection on Europe over the last two centuries, emphasizing how history can repeat itself and how the political and military dynamics of the past can influence the present and the future. The author recalls the Napoleonic era and the Congress of Vienna to highlight the complexity of international relations and the possibility that historical events will be repeated, albeit in different forms. The paper suggests that the future of the economy could be characterized by greater solidarity and social responsibility, with the possibility of combining the traditional market with an alternative market without money. It also stresses the importance of a historical vision for understanding the current and future dynamics of Europe and the world.
Against the backdrop of rapid technological advancement and accelerating knowledge iteration, scientific explanation ability, as a core component of scientific literacy, has become a fundamental competence influencing a nation’s innovation capacity. This study, grounded in conceptual change theory and the theory-ladenness of observation, adopts a design-based research approach and integrates the Predict–Observe–Explain (POE) strategy with the Claim–Evidence–Reasoning (CER) framework. Through three iterative cycles, a “POE–CER” dual-cycle instructional model was constructed, and a three-month quasi-experimental study was conducted with two fourth-grade classes in a primary school in Beijing.The results indicate that this model, through a three-level cognitive scaffold comprising concept activation (prediction stage), evidence processing (observation stage), and knowledge reconstruction (explanation stage), significantly improves students’ scientific explanation ability, particularly in the dimensions of evidence use and logical reasoning, while no statistically significant difference was observed in claim construction. The model was found to be particularly effective for boys with strong interest in scientific inquiry and high classroom participation, but showed limited effectiveness for students with weaker foundational knowledge.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remains a critical source of foreign exchange earnings and economic growth in Nigeria. Despite various policy initiatives by the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stabilize the Naira against major global currencies, as well as the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to curb corruption, FDI have remained volatile. This persistent instability has raised concerns about the potential influence of exchange rate fluctuations and weak institutional quality on FDI performance in the country. This study therefore examined the effect of exchange rate fluctuations and institutional quality on foreign direct investment in Nigeria between 1996 and 2024. This study employed ex post facto research design to examine the effect of exchange rate fluctuations and institutional quality on foreign direct investment in Nigeria. Time series secondary data were obtained from CBN statistical bulletin. Descriptive and inferential (multiple regression and granger causality) statistics at 5 per cent level of significance. Empirical findings revealed that exchange rate fluctuations and institutional quality jointly exert a significant negative effect on FDI (Adj. R² = 0.80; F(6,29) = 19.04; p < 0.05). Specifically, exchange rate fluctuations showed a negative but insignificant impact on FDI (α₁ = -0.00, t = -1.83, p > 0.05), while institutional quality exhibited a negative and significant influence (α₂ = -0.07, t = -3.01, p < 0.05). The combined exchange rate fluctuations and institutional quality also had negative and significant effect on FDI (α₃ = -0.00, t = -3.25, p < 0.05). The study concluded that both exchange rate fluctuations and weak institutional quality significantly affect the foreign direct investments in Nigeria. It recommended the implementation of credible exchange rate management strategies and institutional reforms that promote transparency, accountability, and the rule of law to foster a more stable and investment-friendly environment.
The main goal of our study is to examine the impact of healthcare managers’ leadership on employee job satisfaction in Mongolia. To achieve this objective, the study adopts a quantitative research design and applies statistical methods, including regression analysis, to evaluate the relationship between key leadership dimensions and job satisfaction across different organizational levels. The research specifically focuses on leadership practices such as direction-setting, motivation, communication, and performance orientation within healthcare institutions. The findings reveal that leadership is a central and decisive factor influencing employee job satisfaction. Leadership outcomes emerge as the most consistent and influential predictor across all levels of the organization. However, the impact of leadership varies depending on hierarchical position. At senior management levels, leadership plays a strategic role in shaping organizational vision and climate. At middle management levels, its influence is more dependent on broader organizational conditions. In contrast, at operational and frontline levels, leadership has a more direct and immediate effect through daily supervision, support, and performance-related interactions. Furthermore, our study confirms that leadership operates as a multidimensional mechanism affecting job satisfaction through motivation, professional development, organizational culture, and service quality. Leadership approaches characterized by active engagement, fairness, clear expectations, and accountability significantly enhance employee satisfaction and organizational effectiveness, whereas passive leadership demonstrates little positive impact. In conclusion, our study highlights the critical importance of strengthening leadership capacity across all levels of healthcare organizations. Promoting active, outcome-oriented leadership is essential for improving employee job satisfaction, ensuring workforce stability, and enhancing the quality and sustainability of healthcare services in Mongolia. The findings contribute to both theoretical knowledge and practical improvements in healthcare leadership and management.
Increasing cultural diversity within Western societies has generated renewed interest in the role of educational systems in promoting belonging, and social mobility. In the Netherlands, immigrants, refugees, and expatriates continue to experience disproportionate barriers to educational participation and achievement, resulting in educational stagnation, exclusion, and reduced opportunities for social- and economic integration. This article explores whether insights from non-Western educational traditions can contribute to addressing these challenges and inform contemporary debates on educational decolonisation. Drawing upon literature on Indigenous, Confucian, Islamic, and Ubuntu pedagogies, the article examines the philosophical foundations, pedagogical practices, and social objectives of non-Western educational systems and compares them with dominant Western educational traditions. Particular attention is given to differences in conceptions of knowledge, citizenship, socialisation, moral development, and the relationship between the individual and the community. The analysis demonstrates that while Western education has traditionally prioritised individual autonomy, critical thinking, and preparation for democratic and economic participation, many non-Western traditions emphasise relationality, communal responsibility, moral formation, intergenerational learning, and holistic human development. The article argues that the educational difficulties experienced by immigrants, refugees, and expatriates cannot be understood solely through individual or linguistic explanations but must also be situated within broader institutional, cultural, and historical contexts. Decolonising education therefore requires more than symbolic recognition of multiculturality; it necessitates the inclusion of multiple epistemologies and educational traditions within educational policy and practice. The study concludes that educational pluralism, rather than the replacement of one dominant paradigm by another, offers the most promising pathway towards inclusive, culturally responsive, and socially just educational systems in multicultural societies such as the Netherlands.
Mental healthcare systems are increasingly challenged to ensure accessibility, quality, and continuity of care. In response, a Mental Healthcare Institution in the south of the Netherlands, GGz Breburg implemented a large-scale organizational transition. To meet the increasing demand for care with scarce capacity and to keep mental health care available for care recipients who need specialized treatment. During the transition, small-scale transdiagnostic mental healthcare centers (MHC) were set up, closer to care recipients. In addition to MHCs, expertise centers (ECs) of GGz Breburg, intended for more specialized, complex, and/or longer-lasting treatments, continue to exist. The work environment of the healthcare professionals was reorganized into MHCs or ECs, or a combination of both. This study examined the effects of this transformation on work engagement and work experience among these healthcare professionals. A prospective longitudinal design was applied, with measurements at three time points between 2023 and 2025. A total of 733 participants completed the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Groningen Work Experience Questionnaire. Results indicated that work engagement and most aspects of work experience remained stable over time. A small but statistically significant improvement was observed in perceived contact with supervisors. No significant changes were found in workload or absenteeism. These findings suggest that large-scale organizational change in mental healthcare does not necessarily negatively affect employee well-being. The results underline the importance of leadership, social support, and psychosocial resources in sustaining work engagement during periods of change.
The introduction of the English language in the Greek preschool education through the EAN program represents an innovative educational initiative aimed at enhancing both the methodological and thematic aspects of the Preschool Curriculum. This initiative focuses on the linguistic, cognitive, and communicative development of students of this age group, while also promoting multiculturalism, multilingualism, awareness and acceptance of diversity. Additionally, the program encourages interdisciplinary approaches and differentiated pedagogy. The current study examines English language teachers’ opinions on the implementation of the EAN program during the 2023-2024 school year, two years after its nationwide rollout in all preschools. It gathers feedback from English teachers in preschools across the B and D Primary Education Directorates of Athens, exploring their perspectives on specific methodological areas and teaching parameters of the EAN program, particularly the educational material. The research is original and highlights the strengths of the EAN program and its educational material, and areas that need improvement.
This paper advances a paleo-psychological reconstruction of the evolution of human consciousness, arguing that the Ego is a relatively recent development in Homo sapiens. For most of human history, individuals are proposed to have functioned without reflective consciousness, initially guided by instinct and later by a symbolic, non-verbal Unconscious. Around 60,000 years ago, a primitive symbolic thought emerged, marking the development of the Unconscious. The later emergence of articulated language (approximately 35,000 years ago) profoundly transformed mental structure, rendering the Unconscious increasingly verbal. This shift gave rise to the bicameral mind, characterized by internally-generated cortical voices experienced as external, authoritative commands – often attributed to leaders or deities – and not subject to critical evaluation due to the absence of a conscious Ego. The transition to Ego consciousness is situated around the second millennium BC and is linked to cultural and environmental factors, including the rise of writing and abstraction, as well as disruptive historical events. The disappearance of bicameral voices is hypothesized to have selected individuals capable of generating a meta-representational function: the Ego, a complex emerging from the Unconscious and endowed with self-awareness. Despite this transition, remnants of bicameral voices persist in modern humans as unconscious processes influencing behaviour, decision-making, and moral frameworks. These processes manifest in both pathological conditions (e.g., schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, etc.) and normal cognition (e.g., inner speech, cultural conditioning, moral principles, and preconscious neural activity preceding decisions). Consequently, conscious will is interpreted as illusory, grounded in underlying unconscious mechanisms shaped by evolutionary history.
This study examines how strategic planning practices affect organisational performance at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana. Drawing on existing debates that question the impact of formal planning in public higher education, this study investigates four strategic planning dimensions: environmental scanning, management participation, planning formality, and strategic techniques, and their relationship with financial and non-financial performance. Quantitative data were collected from the academic and administrative staff at UDS (n = 250) using a structured questionnaire. Reliability and validity were confirmed (Cronbach’s alpha > .70), and the data were analysed using Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression. The results indicate that strategic planning has a statistically significant positive effect on financial performance (R² = 0.49, p < 0.001), with strategic techniques exerting the strongest influence (β = 0.60, p < 0.001). The effect on non-financial performance is also significant, albeit weaker (R² = 0.23, p < 0.01), primarily driven by environmental scanning (β = 0.46, p < 0.001). These findings highlight the importance of formal strategic planning in improving university outcomes. The implications include a recommendation for policy frameworks to strengthen strategic planning processes in Ghanaian higher education. Limitations are related to the cross-sectional design, suggesting that longitudinal studies are needed to capture causality over time.
