The literature has presented opposing findings on the impact of remittances on economic growth thereby creating a research gap to be filled. In this study, the impact of remittances on economic growth of Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya for the period 1990 to 2020 has been explored. The methodology of the research follows the panel autoregressive distributed lag model and the causality test. Findings of the study revealed that there is a long-run relationship between remittances and economic growth in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. Meanwhile, the result indicated that remittance has a negative but insignificant effect on economic growth both in the short-run and in the long-run; while the Pairwise (Stacked) Granger Causality Tests and Pairwise Dumitrescu-Hurlin Panel Causality Tests results indicated that there is no causality between remittances and economic growth. The policy implications for Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya might be that it is critical not just to attract more remittances, but also to give additional incentives for these inflows to be spent on productive investments that contribute to economic growth. Key Words: Remittances; Foreign Direct Investment; Economic Growth; Consumption; Investment. JEL Classification: E21; E22; F22; F24; F43; O47 DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-3-04 Publication date: February 28 th 2024
This paper investigated the effect of investment and exports on economic growth in Zanzibar. The study used secondary data obtained Zanzibar statistical abstracts downloaded from website of the Office of Chief Government Statistician and other resources from different websites, the data covered the period from 2006 to 2020.The data was tested for unit root, cointegration and causality and was found to stationary at the first deference, variables have long run relationship and no bidirectional granger causality running from investment and export to economic. The regression revealed that investment and export have positive and significant effect on economic growth, hence investments and exports have a strong positive relationship with economic growth, the study suggested that the increase in both investments and exports would lead to an increase in economic growth, the regression was also tested for diagnostic and stability tests the results revealed that the there is no serial correlation and the data was normally distributed. Keywords: investment, exports, economic growth, regression, Zanzibar DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-3-01 Publication date: February 28 th 2024
Economic growth has become the main thrust of developing countries across the globe for the simple fact that it is not just the precursor to development, but also in the enhancement of the welfare of the citizenry, and the role of savings and investment are of pivotal importance in this regard. This study explored the complementarity of the savings, investment and economic growth nexus with the use of the simultaneous equation technique. Three endogenous equations were estimated viz; savings, investment and output, using the explanatory variables of current GDP (GDP t ), interest rates (INTR t ) and investment (INV t ) for the first model, ditto for the other two models, save for the addition of the current exchange rate (EXR t ) variable in the second model, as well as the addition of the current inflation rate (INF t ) variable in the third model. Unit test was conducted on the variables to determine their times series characteristics using ADF statistics, and the cointegration test was also carried with the help of Johansen technique. The identification condition of the model was also determined before its estimation. The results in our estimated model indicates that most of the explanatory variables met our a priori expectation, and were significant determinants of the endogenous variables, with the exception of the inflation variables in models two and three respectively. Based on these results, the study recommended that government should implement policies that improves national income through various ways like wage indexation, legislation and the likes. It was also suggested that government should create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive, and thus advance the citizens' welfare, by improving the infrastructures, reducing red tapes and all such impediments that stand in the way of optimal government and business performances in Nigeria, among others. Keywords: Savings, Investment, Economic Growth, Simultaneous Equation Model JEL Classification: E2, E21, 047, C3 DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-5-04 Publication date: April 30 th 2024
The sweet potato is one of the most widely consumed tubers in Burundi. There are several varieties, including the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), which contains beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of nutritional knowledge on the decision and intensity of purchase of OFSP and to analyze the psychosocial factors influencing preference for OFSP. It focused on consumer food preference, a decision affected by a range of factors, including nutritional knowledge, and was conducted in the commune of Ntahangwa. This study applied a multistage sampling method to identify survey respondents. Three markets in Ntahangwa commune, including Kamenge, Buterere and Kinama were deliberately selected based on their location in the city of Bujumbura. The difference in location allowed the survey to target consumers with different socioeconomic characteristics.Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 385 respondents. A double-barrier model was used to analyze the effect of nutritional knowledge on sweet-potato purchase preference and intensity. The results indicate that nutritional knowledge has a positive effect on preference and purchase intensity of OFSP. The main characteristics for which respondents chose to buy OFSP were good sensory attributes and the ingredients of the OFSP variety. Consequently, the objectives that motivate the preference and consumption of OFSP include the desire to stay healthy, long life, taste and price. This study recommends that efforts to promote OFSP should emphasize the nutritional benefits, particularly as a source of vitamin A. In addition, markets and sellers of OFSP need to improve product design, particularly sensory attributes to satisfy consumer preferences. Keywords : orange-fleshed sweet potato, preference, consumption DOI : 10.7176/JESD/15-5-02 Publication date : April 30th 2024
The study assessed the relationships between socioeconomic factors and reflective thinking of college students. The data were collected from a purposive sample of college students in a leadership training program and analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The results show that the proportions of strongly disagreed or disagreed responses were generally higher than the proportions of the strongly agreed or agreed responses at the low level of the Critical Thinking Development Model (CTDM). However, the proportions of strongly agreed or agreed responses were generally higher than the proportions of the strongly disagreed or disagreed responses at the middle and high levels of the CTDM. The correlations reveal that, overall, there were more positive than negative relationships between the selected socioeconomic factors and reflective thinking. The results further revealed that there were two positive and significant relationships (coefficients); specifically, the ones between "sometimes try to recognize the need to practice reflecting on issues" and the intent to hold a college leadership position, and "sometimes have good habits reflecting on issues" and gender. It may be that the intent to hold a college leadership position and gender matter in reflective thinking. Keywords: College Students, Critical Thinking Development, Leadership, Reflective Thinking, Socioeconomic Factors DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-5-03 Publication date: April 30 th 2024
The escalating ubiquity and cost-effectiveness of internet facilities have precipitated a notable surge in the adoption of e-commerce among Vietnamese inhabitants, particularly those residing in urban areas. This research endeavours to enhance comprehension of factors affecting e-commerce customer satisfaction in Hanoi, Vietnam. A quantitative survey of this research was conducted in which online questionnaires were distributed to 382 respondents through social media. The amassed data underwent meticulous analysis utilizing Microsoft Excel. The findings of this investigation underscore that information quality, system quality, service quality and price simultaneously influence e-commerce customer satisfaction. Keywords: factors, e-commerce customers, satisfaction DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-5-01 Publication date: April 30 th 2024
The paper examines the impact of monetary policy on stock returns at the Ghana Stock Exchange. Due to the fact that, central bank of Ghana is embarking on expansionary monetary policies, yet the Ghana Stock Exchange continued to record a bearish performance. We accessed data from World Bank’s World Development Indicators, the United States’ (US) International Energy Statistics, and the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) Factbooks from 1990 to 2019. An autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) structure is utilized to decide the long-and short-run effect of the chose framework stock and quality lists on Ghana's monetary development. Findings reveal a unidirectional movement between stock returns and inflation, from 1990 to 1992; stock returns were negative when inflation decreased sharply till 1993.From 2000 the pattern of stock returns and inflation was similar until there was a sharp decline in 2005. Whilst money supply tends to be steady in the long-run, stock return looks very volatile in the same period from 1990 to 2019 in a similar pattern.The study recommends that potential investors should consider the movements of these monetary policy variables when deciding on investing in the stock market. Also, when the central bank is considering its monetary policy direction, they are advised to take a critical consideration into the movement of the stock market since any decision will have a bearing on the wealth of stakeholders. Keywords: Stock market, ARDL, Macroeconomic Variable, Infrastructure Stock, Ghana. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-2-05 Publication date: January 31 st 2024
This study aimed at establishing the economic factors affecting consumer purchasing decisions in the Kenya motor industry The independent research variables were motor vehicle cost, consumer income level and consumer credit access. The dependent variable was consumer purchasing behavior. The main research question was whether economic factors affect the consumer purchasing decisions in the Kenya motor industry. Using descriptive research design, correlational analysis and primary data that was centered on a target population of 92,157 buyers of the 107,499 cars that got new registration numbers in Kenya in the year 2021, the study adopted a sample size of 398 respondents as derived from the Solvin’s formula through whom the questionnaires were distributed. The study findings reveal concluded a statistically significant strong negative relationship between motor vehicle cost on consumer purchasing decisions. The study also concludes that both consumer income and credit access has a statistically significant positive relationship on consumer purchasing decision. Keywords: economic factors, consumer purchase decisions, motor industry in Kenya DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-2-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2024
Food security is a fundamental right in pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. However, attaining household food security and sustainable livelihoods in arid and semi-arid counties, among them being Tana River in Kenya is usually hampered by extended periods of drought and shifting climatic patterns. This situation not only jeopardizes household provision of sustenance but also the establishment of sustainable livelihoods. Consequently, addressing these multifaceted issues becomes imperative through adoption of small-scale irrigation farming for food production and livelihood provision. This research aimed at providing insights into how small-scale irrigation could help mitigate food insecurity in Arid and Semi-Arid areas of Kenya. The study aimed at assessing the effects of small-scale irrigation systems on livelihoods. The research was anchored on the sustainable livelihood approach and based on pragmatic research philosophy. The study utilized the cross-sectional survey research design and targeted 2,225 Bura scheme farmers. The sample sizes of 340 were selected using multistage, stratified, simple random and purposive sampling methods. Data collection methods comprised surveys and key informant interviews. Quantitative analysis involved descriptive statistics using frequency, percentages and means, and inferential statistics using Chi-Square, Pearson correlation through the aid of SPSS version 25. While qualitative data was thematically analyzed by using NVivo 12. The findings showed the adoption significantly improved food security and livelihoods, raising average seasonal income from Kshs15,300 to Kshs45,800, enhancing purchasing power (Mean=3.93), and improving food availability, consumption, and dietary diversity (Mean=3.89). Positive transformations extended to income levels, consumption patterns, and employment stability (Mean=3.81). The study found a strong positive connection between small-scale irrigation and improved food security and livelihoods, with a Pearson correlation of r =0.736 (p=0.000). The Chi-Square tests confirmed these links, small-scale irrigation significantly impacts food security and livelihoods ( X 2 =393.238; p=0.000). Qualitative data analysis revealed positive impact of irrigation by increasing ability of farmers to afford basic needs, pay school fees, save income and also improving nutritional health among residents. The study concludes small-scale irrigation's in study area improves livelihoods and food security. The study highlights the transformative impact of small-scale irrigation in Bura, emphasizing strategies such as targeted adoption, knowledge empowerment, and community collaboration. It underscores the need for strengthening agricultural value chains, optimizing water management practices, and government support. Continuous monitoring and evaluation systems are recommended for assessing impact and guiding evidence-based interventions for sustained positive outcomes. Keywords: Small-scale irrigation, Livelihoods, Bura Scheme, Food security, Sustainable livelihood approach& Kenya DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-2-06 Publication date: January 31 st 2024
The orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties have been adopted with the aim of increasing production, farmers' welfare, and combating chronic malnutrition (ISTEEBU, 2019). This study analyzed the factors determining the adoption of orange-fleshed sweet potato and the constraints associated with adoption in the commune of Gihanga in Burundi. A survey of 385 households was conducted. The results of the logit model showed that adoption of OFSP was positively and significantly influenced by the level of education of the head of household, family labor, access to credit, access to extension services and membership of producer organizations, while the age of the head of household and household size had a negative influence on OFSP adoption. Analysis of constraints using Kendall's Concordance Coefficient revealed that unpredictable weather and climate, lack of capital, unavailability of OFSP cuttings, insufficient arable land and high labor costs were the main constraints to adoption of orange-fleshed sweet potato. The government and other players in the agricultural sector should do their part to raise awareness, mobilize and support farmers to adopt sweet potato varieties. They should also disseminate and facilitate access to cuttings in order to improve their adoption rate. Keywords: Orange-fleshed sweet potato, adoption, determinants, Gihanga. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-2-01 Publication date: January 31 st 2024
Zambia has been a destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) for many decades now. The country has had the longest experience with traditional FDI spanning for about 70 years, (Lissie Elorza and Ashni Verma, 2019). Going by available international business literature which portray traditional FDI as an almost sacrosanct vehicle of development, a logical prognosis is that Zambia, for example, should hold a high income status in tandem with the Asian Tigers with whom it had similar GDP about 60 years ago. However, whilst the Asian Tigers are now highly industrialised, Zambia has dwindled back to low income status. Some studies (David Dollar and Aart Kraay, 2001; Easterly and Levine, 1997) have attributed this disparity to a number of factors including volume and type of FDI, investment and trade policies among others. This study focuses on the potency of traditional and non-traditional FDI within the Zambian context in relation to four variables: manufacturing, infrastructure, tax compliance and corporate social responsibility. This study employed ethnographic approach focusing on perceptions and experiences from local people (2000-2023) which was triangulated with desktop review (1930-1968). Findings reveal notable variations between the two sources of FDI, primarily informed by motivation of FDI and area of investment which have had subsequent influence on Zambia’s development prospects. Keywords: Traditional and Non-traditional FDI, Corporate Social Responsibility, Manufacturing, Construction and tax evasion, economic development; Zambia. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-2-02 Publication date: January 31 st 2024
The nutrient content of ruminant feeds, especially crude protein, in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) is insufficient to support maintenance and influence production. Therefore, ruminant supplementation with protein rich leguminous feeds that are cost-effective and easily accessible is strongly recommended for optimum ruminants' production. In a completely randomized experimental design, a group of 24 mass selected dorper sheep, with an average age of 10-13 months and average body weight of 22.6±2.4Kgs were assigned into the 6 diet experimental treatments of 4 animals each. The animals were dewormed prior to the start of the experiment. The study was carried on-farm and a control set up on-station. The results of a two-way analysis of variance on comparison of the sample means showed an on-farm average net weight gains (NWG) of African fox tail+Cow pea (4.5±1.2Kg) and African fox tail+Dolichos lab lab (3.2±0.4Kg) as the leading. The economic analyses showed that the diets composed of African fox tail+Cow pea and African fox tail+Dolichos lab lab had the best profitable returns of Ksh 106,267.0 and Ksh 55,026 respectively for 100 units' sheep establishment at the market live body weight price of Ksh 400/Kg. The on station performance was significantly higher, indicating a more promising returns under improved management. Keywords: Profitability, grass, legume, daily weight gain, ASALs DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-3-03 Publication date: February 28 th 2024
The unprecedented growth of mobile phones to make transactions has become a dependable form of payment for low-income earners living in rural and urban Kenya, increasing demand for goods and services and stimulating demand for money. However, its effect on money demand and subsequent effect on monetary policy is inconclusive as observed from past empirical studies. Furthermore, the rapid adoption of mobile money has generated new data needs and growing interest in understanding its contribution to the money demand function. It is against this background that time series data and ordinary least squares technique are applied to review the effect of mobile money on the demand for money in Kenya for the period from 2007 to 2020. The results of the regression model indicate that an increase in mobile money leads to an increase in demand for money in the economy. The study has established that mobile money has a substantial influence on money demand growth in Kenya attributed to the low transaction cost and payment habits of Kenyans, they are more convenient than carrying cash and business people feel safe managing cash flow. The empirical estimates of this study imply that the central bank and the financial stakeholders need to put in place policies such as providing affordable smartphones, cheap mobile internet services, licensing new mobile operators and reducing tax on transaction costs to increase money transfer through money mobile systems. Keywords: mobile money, money demand, digital financial services, time series DOI: 10.7176/JESD/15-3-02 Publication date: February 28 th 2024
Impulsive purchasing behavior has been observed as one of the important studies conducted by marketers and researchers, as impulse buying has become a prevalent phenomenon in every retail format. The study was conducted to assess factors affecting consumers’ impulsive purchasing behavior in Circle K convenience stores in Hanoi, Vietnam. After reviewing a group of previous studies, the authors indicated 05 factors that affected consumers' impulsive purchasing behavior including impulsiveness, instant gratification, visual appeal, promotions and money availability. The study had selected 05 experts in the field of economics to conduct the expert interview. Moreover, the research team had also handed out the questionnaire and received 310 observations. Specifically, Impulsiveness had the strongest influence on the impulsive purchasing behavior of Circle K’s consumers in Hanoi. Keywords: factors, Impulsive purchasing behavior, Circle K convenience stores DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-8-03 Publication date: April 30 th 2023
The growing level of social unrests in Nigeria has compelled the Nigerian government to increase its military spending in recent decades. This has several implications for macroeconomic stability in Nigeria. However, the effect of this expansionary fiscal policy on domestic investment in Nigeria has not been established empirically. Thus, this study answers the question of whether or not military spending crowd-out domestic investment in Nigeria. Annual time series data spanning 1981-2021 and the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) estimator were used to provide answer to this research question. The results of the short-run and long-run analysis answers the question in the affirmative as military expenditure was found to negatively impact domestic investment in Nigeria. Therefore, the Nigerian government and policymakers are urged to devise pragmatic and cost-effective ways to tackle social unrests and reduce military spending, which have been a clog in the wheel of investment expenditure in the country. Keywords : Military Spending, Investment, Crowding-out effect, ARDL, Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-17-07 Publication date: December 30 th 2023
Empirical studies indicate that in Kenya, the adoption rates of inorganic fertilizers, irrigation systems, hybrid seeds, and agricultural extension services remain limited. This shortfall results in lower maize yields, decreased agricultural earnings, and ongoing food insecurity within the nation. This study aimed to assess the technical efficiency of chemical fertilizer usage and determine the scale elasticity and cost flexibility in maize production within Kenya. Technical efficiency scores were computed using stochastic frontier analysis. The analysis employed output-oriented technical efficiency with a truncated normal distribution. The results showed low output elasticities, indicating that maize producers experience diminishing returns to scale and diseconomies of scale. The results suggest that current maize production is characterized by escalating costs of chemical fertilizer use, potentially leading to reduced usage, improper application, or being adversely affected by abiotic factors like climate change, including flooding and prolonged droughts. The study revealed a mere 11 percent technical efficiency in Kenya's agricultural sector, underscoring the urgent need to re-emphasize the implementation of the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy 2019 to improve technical progress, with literature also advocating for commodity-free trade of enhancing producer and consumer welfare in a Pareto optimal fashion. Key words: stochastic frontier analysis, technology adoption, maize productivity, fertilizer use in Kenya and technical efficiency. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-17-08 Publication date: December 30 th 2023
The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating impact of monetary policy and financial development on manufacturing sector performance in Nigeria from 1981 to 2021. The study employed annual time series data collected from the World Bank’s Development Indicators. The data was analysed using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag estimator. The study found that monetary policy and financial development have significantly impacted manufacturing sector performance positively. Also, the interaction between monetary policy and financial development drives the performance of the manufacturing sector by lubricating access to investible funds in the sector through expansive monetary policy, stable inflation, and moderate interest rates. The practical implications of the study are that manufacturing sector performance is enhanced by expansive monetary policy and financial sector development. Moreover, monetary policy and financial development are complementary in their impact on the manufacturing sector. The main conclusion and its contribution are that financial development effectively moderates the impact of monetary policy on manufacturing in Nigeria. Thus, an expansive monetary policy and financial development strategies through efficient credit creation to the private sector would be the panacea for the dwindling performance of manufacturing in Nigeria. Keywords: Monetary Policy; Financial Development; Manufacturing Sector Output; Autoregressive Distributed Lag; Moderating Effect DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-16-04 Publication date : October 2023
This research aims to examine the influence of commitment, compensation, employee performance and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) at the Tirta Kanjuruhan Regional Public Company. This type of research is quantitative research with multiple linear regression techniques and path analysis. The total population of this study was 484 people, with the method used being non-probability sampling. The number of respondents to this research was 219 people consisting of section heads, section heads and staff at the Tirta Kanjuruhan Regional Public Company. The research results show that commitment and compensation have a significant effect on OCB and employee performance. This research also shows that OCB is able to mediate commitment and compensation on employee performance. The implications are important for companies to: (1) increase employee understanding of the company's targets through direct involvement in the annual Company Budget Work Plan planning process, or indirectly through socialization of the Company's Budget Work Plan, (2) evaluate and re-establish the Directors' Regulations governing regarding providing rewards and sanctions for employee violations, (3) increasing employee motivation to be willing to work beyond working hours or outside company working hours by providing financial compensation in the form of overtime pay by utilizing information system technology that is integrated with the employee attendance system and evaluating and, ( 4) setting workload standards and targets linked to the required completion time, as a measure to determine whether an employee has worked according to the set time standards or faster than the set time standards. Keywords: Commitment, Compensation, Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), Employee Performance DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-16-02 Publication date : October 2023
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of effect of commercial waste management practices. Specifically, the study sought to: explore commercial solid waste management practices in Lira City, assess the level of environmental sustainability of Lira City and to examine the effect of commercial solid waste management practices on environmental sustainability of Lira City. The study employed cross sectional research design; employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches from sample size of 103 respondents that was drawn using Krejcie & Morgan (1970). The study used questionnaires and interview guide as research techniques to collect quantitative and qualitative data from primary and secondary sources. Quantitative data analysis was done using SPSS package version 23 while thematic and content analysis was employed to analyse qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that waste compositing was the main way of managing solid waste by hotels and restaurants in Lira City. The study revealed that the level of environmental sustainability in Lira City was still below average as indicated by a Likert scale of 1-5 used by the researcher. Finally, the study indicated that the use of waste compositing and waste recycling to manage waste had a significant effect in Lira City. Based on the above findings, the study concluded that commercial solid waste in Lira City was being best managed by the use of compositing. The study therefore recommended that commercial waste management in Lira City should be managed at the local government, company, and community levels so that everybody can be in position to manage. Keywords: Commercial waste management, Environmental sustainability, Lira City, Waste composting DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-16-06 Publication date : October 2023
Several households in Ruai use or have ever used the treated wastewater from the Ruai Wastewater Treatment Plant either directly or indirectly for various livelihoods’ activities. This study investigated how their various livelihoods assets influenced the adoption of the treated wastewater (TWW) in Ruai, between October, 2018 and April 2019. The study employed a cross-sectional design. A sample size of 360 households was selected using both stratified and systematic random sampling methods. Raw data were collected through surveys and observations, then subjected to both descriptive and correlational analyses using both the Ms Excel and the SPSS software Version 20.0. Pearson's Chi-square test of independence and Cramer’s V coefficient were used to estimate any association and its interpretation & strength respectively between households’ adoption of (using) the treated wastewater and their identified livelihood assets. Results showed that the availability of wastewater, peoples’ past experience and skills of its use, availability of reserve lands, their social/groups networks among friends, relatives and other co-users of the wastewater have moderate to high positive associations with their adoption of TWW use in Ruai. The study findings provide crucial information hitherto unavailable that could be used to inform the formulation of a policy on appropriate management and utilization of the treated waste water in Ruai ecosystem that integrate possible re-use scheme where the community members would leverage these assets inter alia, for enhancing their livelihoods. The findings can also be used as a reference in the creation of awareness to the community members among other audience on the possibility of adoption of treated wastewater by exploiting their potential livelihood assets for enhanced livelihood outcomes. Keywords: Adoption, Treated Wastewater (TWW), Livelihood, Livelihood assets, Association. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-14-03 Publication date: August 31 st 2023
