Anand Chand

A comparative study of the financial problems faced by micro, small and medium enterprises in the manufacturing sector of Fiji and Tonga

Purpose – Globally, there is an increased recognition of the important role played by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the economic development of a country. Similarly, in the South Pacific region, MSMEs is the main engine behind the economic growth. In particular, MSMEs is one of the biggest contributors to GDP, employment and plays a core role in the supply chain of large businesses. One of the major problems faced by MSMEs in South Pacific Island countries is a lack of finance to advance business growth. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this paper will be to examine the financial obstacles faced by MSMEs.Design/methodology/approach – The main objective of this study is to explore the financial obstacles faced by MSMEs in the manufacturing sector of Fiji and Tonga. In particular, this research tries to evaluate the severity of the impact of each of the financial obstacles on the growth and survival of MSMEs in Fiji and Tonga.Findings – The research involved conducting a survey of 200 ...

Human resource strategies in small states: the case of garment factories in the Fiji Islands

Abstract This article examines the role of four key education and training institutions—the University of the South Pacific (USP), the Fiji Institute of Technology (FIT), the Fiji National Training Council (FNTC), and the Fiji Garment Training Centre (FGTC)—in enhancing human resource development for the garment industry in Fiji. The central argument of this paper is that these four key institutions will have to play a pivotal role in developing and enhancing human resource skills so that Fiji can meet the challenges of restructuring its garment industry to maintain international competitiveness. It is argued that these institutions need further capacity building and development to help achieve this goal.

Financial problems faced by micro, small and medium enterprises in the small island states: a case study of the manufacturing sector of the Fiji Islands

Under the current paradigm in small business finance research, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a pivotal role in generating employment, contributing to GDP, earning foreign exchange and contributing to revenues and taxes for the government. The aftermath of the global financial crisis has been very adverse for the Pacific Island economies. The Pacific Island economies do not have the resources to cushion the impact of the financial crisis. Hence, the government of many of the Pacific Island countries are looking at the MSMEs to provide sustainable development for the growth of the Pacific Island economies. The financial problems faced by the MSMEs are universal and the Fiji Islands are not an exception to this. In this light, this paper will investigate the financial problems faced by the MSMEs in the manufacturing sector of the Fiji Islands. This research will further demonstrate the severity of the impact of the financial obstacles on the growth and survival of the MSMEs. The paper will also provide policy directions for the government policy makers.

At the Bottom of a Global Commodity Chain - How Different Really are Hourly Wage Rates and Piece Rates?

Employers have a number of different ways in which they can pay their employees. Discussions of the forms of wage payment were once very fashionable and they still remain important in terms of practice, but in theoretical terms, they have disappeared from the radar and been less central to recent analysis of work. On the surface, without any theoretical analysis and primarily empirical evidence, it appears that there is a major difference between ‘time wage’ rate and ‘piece wage’ rate. This article via Marxist theoretical analysis and primarily empirical evidence from Australian, New Zealand, Chinese and Fiji garment firms argued that there is a high level of similarity between time rate and piece rate. The empirical research findings of the Fiji garment industry shows that a time rate is not really much different from a piece rate, and in fact, a time rate is a disguised form of piece rate because workers are required to meet their targets per hour via very close monitoring of output and performance. The article further argued that there exist greater work intensification and exploitation via strict management control systems such as close supervision and punitive factory rules. The article also highlighted some of the limitations of existing social science theories because they can not account for what is going on garment firms in Fiji (especially Chinese firms). The article argues that we must either expand the earlier social science theories or move beyond and developed new theories to fully capture the new emerging trends of contemporary capitalist global production system.

Does central government health expenditure and medical technology advancement determine economic growth rates in the Pacific island countries

Purpose – The main aim of this paper is to empirically test a model that has central government health expenditure and advancement in medical technology as two separate determinants of economic growth rates in the Pacific island countries (PICs). Design/methodology/approach – The data used in this research have been collected from WHO and ADB database for the periods between 2000 and 2012. The model used to test the main research question is based on the variant Cobb-Douglas production function with constant returns to scale. Findings – This research found that health expenditure has a significant impact on the economic growth rate of the PICs. This study also found that the contemporary level of usage of advanced medical technology in the PICs is relatively low as compared to the total population of the country. If the PICs need to achieve high levels of economic growth rates, governments of the PICs need to improve its expenditure in the health sector. Good and qualified doctors need to be hired and the...

Determinants of innovation in the handicraft industry of Fiji and Tonga: an empirical analysis from a tourism perspective

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of innovation in handicraft industry of Fiji and Tonga. Design/methodology/approach - – Data for this study was collected via face-to-face interviews with handicraft sellers in Fiji and Tonga. In total, 368 interviews were conducted in Fiji and Tonga out of which, 48 was from Tonga and 320 was from Fiji. Findings - – The results of this study show that eight factors; namely, value adding, design uniqueness, new product development, cultural uniqueness, advanced technology, experience of owner, ability of owner to adapt to trends in market and quality of raw materials have significant impact on level of innovation in handicraft industry of Fiji and Tonga. Originality/value - – To date, none of the existing studies have examined determinants of innovation in handicraft industry of the Pacific Island countries. This is a pioneering study that examines determinants of innovation in handicraft industry of Fiji and Tonga.

A comparative analysis of best human resource management practices in the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to comparatively analyse the best human resource management (HRM) practices in the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga. Design/methodology/approach – This study examined best HRM practices used by the hotel sector of Samoa and Tonga by using self-administered questionnaires. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 73 hotels in Samoa and 66 hotels in Tonga. Out of the 73 self-administered questionnaires that were distributed in Samoa, 58 usable questionnaires were returned resulting in a response rate of 79 per cent. In the case of Tonga, out of the 66 self-administered questionnaires were distributed, 51 usable questionnaires were returned resulting in a response rate of 77 per cent. Findings – The findings of this study show that there are 28 best HRM practices in Samoa and 15 best HRM practices in Tonga. This study also found that best HRM practices differ based on differences in internal and external environmental factors present in different geographical...

Contribution of Yazaki (Samoa) Ltd. to Samoan economy

Over the last 30 years, there has been extensive debate on whether Transnational Corporation (TNC) can bring about economic development in third world countries and in particular in small island states. There are two schools of thought: first, on one hand, there is a pessimistic position that argues that TNCs do not contribute to economic development of small island countries. Second, on one hand, there is the optimistic position that argues that TNCs do contribute to economic development of small island countries. Within this context, this paper examines the economic contribution made by a Japanese TNC Yazaki (Samoa) Ltd. in Samoan economy. This paper highlights that Yazaki (Samoa) Ltd. has made a number of economic contributions to Samoa such as boosting the GDP, in-directly assisting other industries, easing unemployment and providing income to poor families.

An empirical study of e-government diffusion in Fiji: a holistic and integrative approach

ABSTRACT Pacific Island countries (PICs) are facing certain unique challenges in e-government diffusion due to their geographic, cultural, social, and economic environments. However, very few rigorous empirical studies have been published about e-government diffusion issues in the region. To address the knowledge gap, we conducted a case study of Fiji. Drawing on Fountain’s technology enactment framework as a theoretical lens, we identified and investigated in a holistic and integrative way the major issues and challenges which influenced e-government diffusion and outcomes in Fiji. The study has significant implications both for research and practices not only in Fiji but also in the PICs.

Using community theater to improve diabetes education in Fiji

Diabetes afflicts upwards of 425 million people globally with 80% of that number living in the developing world. The World Health Organization has declared diabetes a global health threat. Here, we describe a Community Theater (CT) project implemented in Fiji, a nation where 30% of the adult population is diabetic. Current diabetes education methods used by the Ministry of Health in Fiji have proven to be ineffective in stemming the growing incidence of the disease. Our research hypothesis was that significant improvements would occur from baseline in the physical and psychosocial markers among a group of outpatients being treated at a diabetic clinic who were exposed to CT interventions over a 23-month period. Significant improvement in HbA1c levels occurred in the intervention group compared to a control group that was not exposed to CT. We conclude that novel educational approaches are needed, including CT, to combat the growing epidemic of diabetes that threatens Fiji and all other Pacific Island nations.