Pan-African Journal of Education and Social Sciences

Perceived Spiritual Leadership Behavior, Leadership Skills, and Spiritual Well-being in Seventh-day Adventist Congregational Settings in Rwanda: A Quantitative Study

Obed Byiringiro, Josephine Ganu — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This quantitative study investigated the relationship between perceived spiritual leadership behavior, leadership skills, and spiritual well-being in Seventh-day Adventist congregations in Rwanda. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among 312 congregants. Significant correlations were found between spiritual leadership (r = .69; p <.01), leadership skills (r = .31; p <.01), age (r = .13; p <.05), and spiritual well-being. Spiritual leadership behaviors, such as leading by example (β = .14, p < .01), integrity (β = .13, p < .01), spiritual caregiving (β = .21, p< .05), and counseling (β = .16, p < .05), significantly influenced congregational spiritual well-being. However, age, educational level, and gender did not significantly impact spiritual well-being. Overall, spiritual leadership significantly predicted congregational spiritual well-being (adj. r²= 0.47; β = 0.69, p < 0.001) when all variables were considered. These results underscore the importance of spiritual leadership behaviors in enhancing congregational spiritual well-being and underscore the necessity for spiritual leaders to exhibit authentic leadership qualities to positively influence and nurture the spiritual well-being of their congregations.

The Nine ‘S’ Model for Strategy Implementation: A Review

Faustina Oduro Twum, Yaw Agyeman Badu, Peter Agyekum Boateng — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This review analyzes the progression of strategic planning and implementation models from McKinsey 7’s’ to Higgins 8’s’ and then to the 9’s. It examines how these frameworks improve strategy plan execution, leading to better organizational performance and competitive advantage. Integrating empirical and theoretical findings, the analysis compares these models, emphasizing leadership roles, the nexus between internal and external factors, and the critical integration of supply chains, goal-setting, and synergy. The study reveals that although McKinsey and Higgins’ models offer initial insights into implementing strategies, they do not address the complexities between the organization’s components. On the other hand, 9 ‘S,’ which encompasses supply chain, objective focus, and synergy, offers an integrative approach to refining strategic execution and operational efficiency. The recommendation for organizations is a shift towards the 9’S’ model, surpassing previous frameworks by focusing on supply chain management, precise goal articulation, and fostering collaborative synergy. This approach will help businesses develop integrated implementation processes concerning changing business climates, enhancing management capabilities, and maintaining competitive strength.

Experiences of Teachers Implementing the Standards-Based Curriculum in La-Nkwantanang, Ghana: Should the Experiences be Overlooked?

Ebenezer Danquah, Emmanuella D. Poku — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Pre-tertiary teachers in La-Nkwantanang, Ghana, have raised concerns about how the lack of training, consensus, and resources affect the implementation of a standards-based curriculum. This study employed Knoster’s (1991) change management theory to evaluate teachers’ concerns about the implementation of the Ghanaian curriculum. Few studies have examined teachers’ concerns in Ghana (Apau 2021). This qualitative study used a descriptive phenomenological design. La-Nkwantanang is a municipality in Accra, Ghana. The participants included a circuit supervisor, a head teacher, and seven teachers. Interviews, document analysis, and observations were used to collect data. The findings affirmed that when there is a lack of consultation, training, and resources, teachers have challenging experiences that can affect curriculum implementation. Teachers recommended for curriculum evaluation, retraining, narrowing the curriculum, parental involvement, and provision of resources. The results revealed that the Knoster (1991) model is effective for evaluating teachers’ concerns, and such concerns should not be overlooked.

Science Curriculum Quality, Instructional Resources Adequacy and Employability Skills Acquisition Level of Potential Science Graduates in Nigerian Universities

Olukemi Ogunniran, Olayinka Babayemi Makinde , Segun O. Adedeji — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The study’s primary purpose was to expose science curriculum quality and instructional resource adequacy as variables affecting the employability skills acquisition level of potential science graduates. With the adoption of the survey research design, the study employed three different questionnaires to collect data from three groups comprising potential science graduates, lecturers of various colleges/faculties of science of universities, as well as employers of labor in South-West Nigeria. The collected data were analyzed using various statistical methods such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple linear regression analysis. The results indicated that an increase in the science curriculum quality and the availability of instructional resources corresponded to an increase in employability skills acquisition level, and these relationships were found to be statistically significant. The study concludes by recommending the need for collaboration among stakeholders to develop and implement innovative and high-quality science curricula and instructional resources to foster relevant and modern employability skills in science graduates.

Exploring How Small Business Grow to Levels of Competitiveness and Sustainability: The Case of Liberia

Faith Oseremen Sivili — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Small businesses are regarded as the backbone of economies worldwide. Despite the government’s numerous sustainability efforts in the public sector, small businesses are acknowledged to contribute significantly to the expansion and prosperity of any economy. This is also true across Africa. Many Liberians rely on the viability and success of small businesses as their primary source of survival. Unfortunately, the results and trends for economic growth are not meeting expectations. This study explores how small businesses can achieve competitiveness and sustainability. A qualitative phenomenological method was used following a descriptive research approach. Five business owners representing two counties in Liberia were selected using purposive sampling. An in-depth individual interview was conducted and discussed. Data were analyzed and coded using thematic descriptive analysis with four identified themes. The findings reveal that small business owners have similar lived experiences with positive and negative aspects. It highlights the need for effective strategies to compete and maintain small businesses, including driving success, market research, and customer relationships. However, it emphasizes that knowledge and skills are essential.

Correlation Between Social Support and Entrepreneurial Intentions: Evidence from Private and Public Universities in Ghana

Stephen Arthur, Williams K. Peprah — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Based on the assertion that not all social ties promote entrepreneurship, this study investigated the correlation between social support and entrepreneurial intentions among 352 2019/2020 graduating university students sampled from private and public universities in Ghana. This study adopted a quantitative approach using questionnaires and a correlational analysis. The finding was that social support and entrepreneurial intentions have a moderate, significant positive effect on entrepreneurial intention among Ghanaian tertiary students; there was no statistically significant difference between students’ sex (male or female), birth order, and exposure to entrepreneurship on entrepreneurial intention. This study’s conclusions suggest that families and friends/peers are capable or willing to provide support to become entrepreneurs or are willing to use social support for venture creation. The findings have implications for practicing entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship educators, and policymakers.

Will the US Dollar Hegemony as the World Reserve Currency Be Replaced? An Exploratory Study

Eric J. Nasution, Parhimpunan Simatupang — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The understanding of the behavioral economics of how the US$ has been performing as an international reserve currency since 1945 seems to face a serious threat posed by the BRICS coalition nowadays. The study aimed to assess the long-term stability of the US dollar as an international reserve currency in light of the emerging challenge from the BRICS coalition. The research used ARDL and ECM analysis to address two main questions. First, the study confirmed that the US dollar’s long-term equilibrium as a reserve currency is stable. Second, it found that the US economic and monetary infrastructure appeared more resilient than that of the BRICS countries. This suggests that a shift away from the US dollar as a world reserve currency is not likely in the near future. The study also raised the need to consider designing a better monetary system for the modern world.

Exploring Interactive Learning Approaches and Technology Integration in the Kenyan Education System

Roseline Nyamwamu Wangui, Richard Ronoh, Yonah Etene — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines the dynamic intersection of interactive learning approaches and technology integration within contemporary education. As technology rapidly evolves, it fundamentally reshapes pedagogical practices by introducing innovative tools and strategies that redefine the teaching and learning landscape. We investigated the pivotal roles of Extended Reality (XR) technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), in crafting immersive educational experiences. Additionally, interactive learning methodologies, such as game-based learning and the Learning by Asking (LBA) system, are scrutinized for their potential to engage learners and foster their skill acquisition. Furthermore, the emergence of competency-based education (CBE) models is analyzed in response to evolving educational objectives, emphasizing the cultivation of practical skills, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to lifelong learning. Nevertheless, the successful integration of these advancements encounters formidable challenges, including institutional barriers and the imperative need for comprehensive teacher training. This review illuminates the transformative potential of technology in education and underscores educators’ pivotal role in equipping learners for an increasingly dynamic and uncertain future.

Effect of Seminar on Teaching on the Performance of Teachers in Higher Education

Ruth Ortega-Dela Cruz, Rowena C. Perez — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Effective teaching in higher education depends on faculty development opportunities such as teaching seminars. This paper delves into how such seminars influence the teaching performance of higher education teachers. This study used a survey research design to examine the effect of Seminar on Teaching (SOT) on the teaching performance rating of randomly selected 172 faculty members of a higher education institution in the Philippines. Results of the t-test showed significant differences in the performance of the faculty members before and after attending the SOT, with an average teaching performance score of 1.5503 (equivalent rating of 80.67) before attending the SOT and 1.4965 (equivalent rating of 83.33) after attending the SOT. Overall, the findings showed that the seminar greatly helped the higher education institutions’ faculty members improve their teaching performance and that the seminar was effective among the faculty members, especially those newly hired or inexperienced in teaching. As educational institutions continue to prioritize the professional development of their faculty, understanding the impact of seminars on teaching has become crucial for fostering a culture of continuous improvement in higher education.

A Framework of Customer Service Training Competencies for Proactive Business Recovery in a Post-COVID Era: A Case Study

Edivaldo Abel, Kepha O. Pondi — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Customer service is a core competitive edge in any service industry, including the retail banking sector. However, retail bank customers, especially in Angola, often complained of standing in long queues waiting to be served and difficulty handling technology while transitioning to online banking. This qualitative single-case study used competency-based theory to develop a framework for the customer service training competencies of a selected retail bank in Angola. Purposeful sampling was employed to select eight participants, including bank employees and customers who voluntarily participated in this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews using WhatsApp calls and audio recordings. It was thematically analyzed using the HyperResearch software. The emerging themes included change, customer service, responsiveness, human resource process improvement, managerial competency, customer relationship management, and online banking. The findings have implications for bank employees’ training and development of the identified competencies needed to redefine the future of customer relationship management and different dimensions of managing customer satisfaction for proactive business recovery.

Examining the Effect of 2023 Cash Crunch on the Poultry Egg Industry in Ogun State, Nigeria

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the effects of the 2023 cash crunch on the poultry egg industry in Ogun State, Nigeria. Data from 64 poultry egg farmers were collected and analyzed via structured e-questionnaires. Results show 83% of respondents were small-medium scale farmers and 73% used commercial feeds. Total egg production before (12,210 crates) and during the cash crunch (12,391 crates) did not significantly differ. Average feed cost per bag was ₦7,097 before and ₦7,151 during the crunch. However, average sales of 2,213,867 crates before and 199,437 crates during the cash crunch differed. A 36% cumulative decrease in egg price from ₦2,472 (December 2022) to ₦1,587 (March 2023) led to an 83% drop in daily farm revenue. The price fall did not boost egg demand. Coping strategies included increased delivery to customers (18%), gifting eggs (56%), and selling poultry birds (25%). The study recommends government grants and review of loan tenure for farmers while encouraging collaborative egg processing efforts. Additionally, it underscores the need for animal science research to explore methods for temporarily halting egg laying during economic challenges.

Relationship between Leadership, Intangible and Tangible Resources, and Sustained Competitive Advantage in selected Adventist institutions in Zimbabwe

Godfrey Musara , Marie-Anne Razafiarivony — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

We investigated the effects of leadership and tangible and intangible resources on sustainable competitive advantage. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Seventh-day Adventist Church Institutions in Zimbabwe. A questionnaire was administered to 341 respondents. The results of the correlation analysis show that leadership (r = .57; p<.01), tangible resources (r =. 53; p< .0l), and intangible resources (r =. 43; p< .05) significantly correlate with sustainable competitive advantage. Furthermore, the regression analysis showed that all three variables combined had a significant effect on sustainable competitive advantage (adjusted R-square = .359) (F (3, 327) =62.61, p<0.05). Additionally, the analysis shows that leadership (β = .370; p < 0.05) and tangible resources (β = .273; p < 0.05) contributed the most to the institutions’ sustainable competitive advantage. However intangible resources, singly, do not significantly affect the competitive advantage. The results confirm the key role of leadership in creating a competitive advantage in organizations. Thus, the study highlights that without leaders’ willingness and effective engagement, those institutions cannot effectively compete in the marketplace despite the presence of resources.