South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics

The Empirical Investigation of the Relationship between Banks’ Lending Rate and Coffee Export Growth in Tanzania

Raphael Mbunduki — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the relationship between banks’ lending rate and coffee export growth in Tanzania by the help of Johansen Co-integration test and vector error correction (VECM) model. The research results suggested that there is a negative relationship between banks' lending rates and coffee export growth both in the short run and long run. In the long run, the study found that, a unit change in BLR results in a 0.1936 percentage point decrease in the coffee export growth; while, in the short run, the study suggests that, a unit change in banks’ lending rate results in a 0.0303 percentage decrease of the coffee export growth, ceteris paribus.

This result supports the argument that, as the cost of loans became cheaper (the low-interest rate charged on loans by commercial banks) will attract farmers to borrow for purchasing farm inputs and expanding agricultural production and hence this will intern enhance export growth, and the high-interest rate correlated with inhibited growth in the coffee exports growth.

Based on the results obtained, this study recommends that, the monetary policy of the country periodically has to influences outcomes in the agriculture sector especially exportable crops such as coffee through easier monetary conditions. This will promise the availability of agricultural financing through borrowing from lending institutions at an affordable borrowing rate. Along with this, the availability of farm inputs especially fertilizers, mode seedlings, and pesticides has to be assured to farmers; which will undoubtedly produce the desired impact and lead to optimum productivity and crop quality to enhance exports.

Fostering a Culture of Voluntary Tax Compliance among the Construction Contractors; Drivers and Barriers at Firm and Policy Level

Chandana Jayalath , Pawani Wijebandara — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Effective tax money collection is crucial for any modern sphere of economic development. This research explores the unique challenges faced by construction contractors in meeting tax obligations and the factors that drive their compliance behavior. The study investigates the reasons behind noncompliance, including factors such as complex tax codes, financial constraints, inadequate knowledge and understanding of tax requirements, and perceived unfairness in the tax system. Additionally, the research explores factors that can encourage contractors to voluntarily comply with tax obligations, such as the benefits of maintaining a good reputation, avoiding penalties, and accessing government incentives. A literature survey was undertaken to identify drivers and barriers behind voluntary tax compliance. A questionnaire was piloted on five (5) senior construction practitioners those who have more than 25 years working experience to establish the appropriateness of the questions and alleviate the inconsistencies, if any. A structured questionnaire survey was subsequently carried out to test the reality on the ground. Based on the findings, the study suggests 13 key determinants inspiring voluntary tax compliance, 8 drivers that effectively encourage voluntary tax compliance and 19 reasons behind tax evasion in the construction industry. By addressing these drivers and barriers, this research aims to foster a tax system that enhances voluntary compliance at two tiers namely, firm and policy.

Usage of Life-saving Equipment by Commercial Boat Users and Operators in Southern Nigeria

Wokoma, N. O., Akpoghomeh, O. S. — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Non-usage of life-saving equipment while on water may increase disaster risk such as boat capsizing, injury, and drowning; studies find generally low levels of lifejacket wear among drowning victims and among some cultural groups. Considering this, the study examined the usage of life- saving equipment by commercial boat users and operators in southern Nigeria. The finding revealed that among the boat operators, 41.9% uses of life-saving equipment is always and 63.4% for the boat users. The determinant factor for the use of life- saving equipment among boat operators were compliance (38.7%) and compulsory for boat entry (27.4%) while for boat users it was prevention from drowning (44.4%) and safety (30.1%). Considering the usage of life-saving equipment along Nigerian waterways, it was concluded that commercial boat operators and users use life-saving equipment always and regularly.

Determinants of Participation in MGNREGA: A Case Study of Kathua District, J&K, India

Shamim Ahemad, Priya Sharma — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

MGNREGA is a footstep by the Government of India which has changed the status of the rural households and their employment pattern by securing livelihood through guaranteed wage employment. This scheme was implemented in Kathua District in 2008-09 in its final phase when the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir was covered. The present paper tries to estimate econometrically the impact of various determinants of MGNREGA beneficiaries by using the Logit model in the Kathua district and has also examined the socio-demographic determinants of participation in MGNREGA. The estimated result of Logit model illustrate that wages influence the status of MGNREGA beneficiaries as people who earned wages from unorganized sector are more probable to engage under MGNREGA.

Persistent Price Increase of Goods in Enugu State: Postgraduate Students of Business Education Perspective

Solomon, Uchenna Agbo , Nnamani, Victoria Obiageli — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The main aim of the study was to determine the persistent price increase of goods in Enugu State: postgraduate students of business education perspective. The study contains three specific purposes. Also, the study was guided by three research questions and three hypotheses. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was 68 postgraduate students of Business Education with registration number ranging from 2019-2022. The sample size for the study was 58 which were obtained using Taro Yamane. The sampling technique used was convenient sampling technique. Producer Wholesaler Retailer Responsible Factors Questionnaire (PWRRFQ) was used as the study instrument. Face validation was done by three experts in the field of business education and measurement and evaluation. The internal consistent of the instrument was determined through the use of Cronbach Alpha and the results of 0.88 which shows that the instrument was highly reliable. Mean and standard deviation were used in analyzing the research questions while t-test statistic was used in analyzing the hypotheses that guided the study. The finding of the study shows that the Producers, the Wholesaler and Retailers are all responsible factors for the persistent increase in the prices of goods in Enugu State. The study recommended that government should subsidize fuel for businesses since all the three factors that were responsible for the persistent increases in the prices of goods lay causes on transportation cost of moving the goods. Finally, conclusion was drawn.

Media Programmes on Domestic Violence against Men (DVAM) in Owerri Metropolis: A KAP Analysis

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Background: DVAM can pose a great threat to the development of the victim, society, and the nation. This necessitated the investigation of the knowledge, attitude, and practice of men in Owerri metropolis towards media programmes on DVAM. This study hinged on agenda setting and social learning theories.

Methods: The survey research design was used as the research method, and a sample size of 384 was derived using the Australian sample size online calculator from the projected population of 275,340. Multi-stage, simple random, and purposive sampling techniques were adopted to reach out to respondents. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.

Results: The paper revealed that the level of exposure of men in Owerri metropolis to media programmes on DVAM is low at 33.9%, with a high knowledge level on DVAM at an average mean of 3.3 (N=375). The study also revealed that the respondents perceive DVAM as a menace that results in a reduction of a man’s self-confidence and self-esteem and leads to disharmony, distrust, and untimely death at an average mean of 3.5 (N = 375). It was further revealed that media programmes on DVAM have induced attitudinal change in the respondents at an average mean of 2.9 (N =375).

Conclusion: The researchers concluded that domestic violence victims go through emotional and psychological traumas with little attention given to them in the media. The propagation and promotion of well-designed and content-rich media programmes on DVAM and/or gender-based violence by every media organisation as a compulsory law from the National Broadcasting Commission was recommended.

An Exploration of Students’ Current Reading Habits and Skills

Camille Nadine T. Magsalin — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study is an exploration of students' reading habits and skills. This research employed a cross-sectional survey design to assess students' reading habits and skills. In a cross-sectional study, data is gathered in general to concentrate on a populace at a single point to look at the connection between variables of interest. Some inconsistencies in data trends were found in reading frequency and duration. This may indicate that higher reading frequencies and/or longer reading durations does not necessarily translate to better reading comprehension. Frequent reading of a material that does not effectively reinforce reading comprehension skills may just be as effective as infrequent reading of a material of substance. The findings of the study will be helpful for Academic Institutions, Educators, and Students. In the first place, this review will assist Academic Institutions with working on the school in the advancement of reading programs for student improvement. This study will cultivate better approaches for improving learning, skills, and abilities, thus training universally driven students in the future.

Bibliometric Analysis of Farmers' Rural-Urban Migration Based on the Scopus Platform

Sat, 16 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Cities and metropolitan regions provide economic and social opportunities for individuals in today's globalized and rapid urbanization period. However, urbanization has led to unequal economic growth between rural and urban regions, promoting urban migration. Migration is a cross-cutting problem on the SDG 2030 agenda, presenting fresh difficulties at national and international levels. Rural-urban migration is a common phenomenon in developing countries. In many cases, rural farmers migrated and left their existing farming profession. Many people believe there are some positive effects, like improving food supply, schooling for kids, etc., and some adverse effects, like poor housing and unhygienic living environments in cities for the migrants. However, very few studies have been conducted in this aspect. Considering these, the present study showed a bibliometric study of farmers' rural-urban migration based on the Scupas platform. The study used both Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software. The bibliometric analysis of scholarly articles from 2013 to 2023 is presented in the article, including the analysis of 1,549 journals, books, and other publications, with 3,892 documents from the Scopus platform. Influential journals, such as "SUSTAINABILITY", "INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH", and "PLOS ONE". Leading research countries are China and the USA. Active institutions in rural-urban migration include the University of Amsterdam, Beijing Normal University, Peking University, etc. Future research should consider data from different sources and integrate cross-border populations, as conceptual analysis based on keywords may provide a superficial interpretation.

Unveiling the Factors Influencing Organic Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Production: An Empirical Evidence from the Mymensingh District of Bangladesh

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Tomato is one of the most popular and widely grown vegetables, and faces a demand-supply gap, prompting the need for enhanced production. As global agriculture shifts towards organic practices, this study was undertaken to explore the socioeconomic status of organic tomato producers, assess the factors impacting organic tomato production, and identify the production related constraints. Following the simple random sampling method, a total of 60 organic tomato producers were selected from two villages in Gouripur Upazila under the Mymensingh district and they were interviewed using a structured interview schedule. The research reveals that the majority of farmers were within the productive age range of 36-50 years, with male dominance in the field. Family sizes were diverse, with medium-sized families being the most prevalent. A substantial proportion of farmers possess secondary-level education. Experience in organic tomato farming ranges from 5 to over 15 years, indicating a diverse level of expertise. The Cobb-Douglas revenue type production function was used to determine the effect of selected inputs on organic tomato production. The findings of production function analysis revealed that costs related to human labor, seed, organic fertilizer, bio-pesticides, and land use positively impact organic tomato production. The study also identified major problems faced by farmers in organic tomato production in which high disease and pest attacks were the most significant problems in the study area. Therefore this study will be helpful for farmers to increase organic tomato production and relevant policymakers to support organic tomato producers and further promote sustainable agriculture in this region.

The Pluralist Economy in Africa: A Study of the Relationship between Economic Complexity and the Life Ladder

Nelson Derrick Nguepi , Nadia Demgang Nguefack , Ruth Dzokou Petnga — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study finds a significant correlation between economic complexity and the life ladder in Africa, using data from the World Development Indicators (2022), World Happiness Report (2023) and Observatory of Economic Complexity (2023) over the period 2000 to 2021. The FGLS estimation method shows that economic complexity has a positive impact on the life ladder of African populations. These findings underscore the importance of governments implementing economic policies that prioritise the strengthening of economic complexity, thereby promoting the life ladder of individuals in Africa. Key measures to achieve this goal include promoting economic diversification, investing in education and training, encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, promoting regional integration, improving infrastructure and technological accessibility, and establishing robust social protection systems. The adoption and implementation of these policies will be critical to increasing the overall life ladder of Africa's population while promoting sustainable economic development.

Empirical Analysis of the Role of Population Mutations on Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Joseph Soh Tchekounteu , Armand Gilbert Noula , Louis de Berquin Eyike Mbongo — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This paper aims to analyze the role of population growth in the explanation of agricultural productivity in the context of Sub-Saharan African countries. Based on available data, we collected data on a sample of 24 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2000-2018. The empirical method consists of estimating an agricultural production function in turn by Generalized Least Squares (GMM) estimators on panel data and Generalized Moments (GLS) estimators in system. The results suggest that pesticide use is positively and significantly correlated (at the 1% threshold) with agricultural productivity in SSA. They also show that life expectancy at birth positively and significantly explain agricultural productivity in SSA. This means that the larger the population, the more important agricultural productivity is. The rural population is negatively correlated with agricultural productivity, reducing agricultural employment as rural populations migrate in search of better living conditions. We therefore suggest that African governments step up financial support programs for young people to limit the brain drain and encourage agricultural employment.

Costs and Benefits of Regional Connectivity: An Analysis from Bangladesh Perspective

Khaleque, A., Rashid, H., Jahan, R. — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Aims: This paper aims to investigate the costs and benefits of regional connectivity in Bangladesh from the economic perspective through using the analytical tools of benefit-cost analysis.

Study design: The study is conducted based on forecasted secondary data from different related published sources. A qualitative stakeholder survey is conducted to evaluate the intended impact of regional connectivity on the economy of Bangladesh.

Methodology: The study uses qualitative research tools to assess the impact of bilateral or multilateral connectivity and uses the tools of benefits-costs analysis (NPV, BCR, and IRR) applied to evaluate the effectiveness of regional connectivity from bilateral and multilateral perspectives. Our key hypothesis is that ‘regional connectivity improves benefits’.

Results: The study shows that Bangladesh can gain from connectivity. However, gains from regional connectivity, especially, bilateral connectivity is very sensitive to the changes in the variables particularly, transshipment charge, volume of transshipment, and cost of building physical infrastructure. With modest values of the parameters, we find that connectivity generates a positive net present value, if Bangladesh can charge rationally against the cost of building infrastructure. From the stakeholders’ point, connectivity is beneficial, particularly multilateral connectivity generates more net benefit than the bilateral connectivity. Besides, the economic costs, the security concern can play a big effect on the social cost of such connectivity. Meanwhile, grave concern is aired on incurring a huge project cost, if Bangladesh implements the project with a higher interest tide loan from India. Moreover, the imposition of congestion fees, water pollution, and traffic fees derive the benefit from transit facilities.

Conclusion: The net gains from regional connectivity depend on trading patterns’ transshipment of goods, trade creation, and trade diversion among the partners through the connectivity process. Bangladesh needs to adopt gains-optimizing strategies for fixing the direct and indirect fees. Bangladesh should prioritize the silk-route connectivity more than the Asian Highway to attract FDI and sunset industry from China.

Unravelling the Multifaceted Dynamics of Healthcare Expenditure: Exploring the Interplay of Individual Health Status, Lifestyle Choices, and Socio-Economic Factors

Saleel Ahammed A. K. — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the relationships between demographic factors and health expenditure based on 387 households in Malappuram district between September 2021 and April 2022. Rigorous statistical methodologies, including ANOVA and t-tests, were applied to scrutinize and quantify these relationships. The findings indicate that health status variations across religious affiliations were present but not statistically significant. Similarly, the regression analysis showed limited predictive power of lifestyle factors (low R-squared, non-significant F-statistics) in explaining health expenditure variations. However, it did reveal a significant correlation between intoxicant use and increased healthcare costs, emphasizing the influence of specific behaviors on healthcare expenses. furthermore, the analysis emphasized the multifaceted nature of healthcare spending, influenced by socio-economic factors, healthcare accessibility, and unobservable variables, extending beyond individual lifestyle choices. With a Gini Coefficient of 0.92 indicating pronounced inequality in healthcare expenditure allocation, policymakers should prioritize equitable healthcare provision, address the complexity of healthcare spending, target interventions as necessary, reduce disparities, and continue relying on data-driven decision-making to enhance the healthcare system in the Malappuram district.

Exploring Motivation in Organizational Behavior: A Review

Most. Ayasha Siddiqua — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This review explores the multifaceted field of motivation within organizational behavior by synthesizing insights from some research. The research is founded on an extensive literature review encompassing various studies that address motivation-related issues within organizational behavior. Spanning foundational theories to contemporary paradigms, the review delves into intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors, justice perceptions, emotional influences, and the interplay of creativity. It highlights the evolution of motivational theories, ranging from Adams' equity theory to modern constructs like self-determination theory and goal-setting theory, emphasizing the dual nature of motivation. Justice perceptions emerge as crucial influencers of behavior, while transformational leadership behaviors amplify motivation, job satisfaction, and commitment. The relationship of emotions adds another layer, where positive affect enhances expectancy and motivation. The temporal dynamics of motivation and its creative potential are also explored. The review culminates in a nuanced understanding of motivation's essence, guiding organizations toward fostering engagement and productivity. It serves as a foundation for further exploration, reflecting the intricate variety of motivational factors that influence organizational behavior.