Christian Nedu Osakwe

Can micro-enterprises leverage on the adoption of corporate websites to bolster their brand visibility? Examining salient adoption issues in Nigeria

The present study seeks to bring to the fore contextual factors that are influencing the decision-making process of corporate website adoption among micro-enterprises in the context of the developing world. We argue that the adoption of corporate websites by the decision-makers of micro-enterprises could be a strategic lever for micro-enterprises’ brands to gain visibility in the marketplace. We further opine that for micro-enterprises to gain a foothold in doing business in the present information age, it is imperative for such businesses to take advantages of the opportunities inherent on the World Wide Web. Based on our findings, there is evidence to show that aside from the applicability of the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) contexts as significant contributing factors in the adoption of corporate websites by micro enterprises, the decision-makers’ demographics equally play a significant role. The findings of the study may assist policy makers and stakeholders within the Nigerian Internet ecosystem to focus their attention on specific key areas that are aimed at supporting the diffusion and adoption of corporate websites among micro-enterprises.

A comparative study of consumers’ readiness for internet shopping in two African emerging economies: Some preliminary findings

This research seeks to empirically investigate factors that could either inhibit or facilitate consumers’ readiness for Internet shopping in two highly influential countries in the African continent. In this study, a structured questionnaire-based cross-sectional convenience sampling was used to elicit information from respondents in Ghana and Nigeria respectively. We have identified six cogent factors that are significantly influencing consumers’ readiness for Internet shopping in both countries, these six influential factors were all subjected to hypotheses testing using non-parametric statistical methods. Based on some of our findings, we found out that demographic variables, perceived level of distrust, Internet access availability, the proliferation of social media site usage amongst the younger population all have an important role to play in the uptake of Internet shopping in both countries. We also found out that the female gender compared to the male gender in Ghana would most likely have a higher perception level of distrust in Internet shopping. It is also interesting to note that perceived level of distrust is positively correlated with the demand for the promulgation (and implementation) of Internet transactions’ laws in Nigeria. By and large, we have equally pointed out some limitations of the present study and also provided some relevant future research directions given that this study is, arguably, the first of its kind in Africa to compare consumers’ readiness for Internet shopping in any two African emerging economies. We are optimistic that Internet shopping offers an emerging business opportunity for retail businesses to fully take advantage of the rising digitally literate African youth populace, who constantly crave for speed of service delivery, convenience and a mutually beneficial trust based relationship. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1882

Complementary impact of capabilities and brand orientation on SMBs performance

The purpose of this study is to analyse the interrelationships among capabilities and brand orientation and their effect on performance of the small and medium-sized businesses. A data set of 181 effective responses is collected and Partial Least Squares was used. The main drivers of customer performance are brand orientation and adaptive and brand promotional capabilities, while financial performance is determined by brand promotional and e-marketing capabilities and by customer performance. Brand orientation directly influences adaptive and brand promotional capabilities, while e-marketing capability is positively influenced by brand promotional capability. SMBs operating in the developing economy context need to combine multiple capabilities and brand orientation with focus on building e-marketing capability to improve financial performance. This research study is one of the first in the South-eastern European context to offer evidence-based insights on the structural relations among multiple capabilities, brand orientation and the performance of SMBs.

A Time Series Analysis of Macroeconomic Determinants of Household Spending in the Era of Cross-cultural Dynamics: Czech Republic as a Case Study

Abstract The paper investigates selected macroeconomic variables where are seemingly influencing household spending in the Czech Republic in the present era of evolving cross-cultural interactions from 1993–2012. Based on the estimated regression model, it is plausible to state that net disposable income, cross-cultural dynamics, inflation rate, and saving rate as a proportion of disposable household income impact significantly on household spending. Moreover, the Granger causality analysis provides evidence of a feedback relationship between household spending and social globalization index. The results equally indicate bidirectional causality between saving rate and household spending as well as between the inflation rate and household spending.

Exploring Roles of Females in Contemporary Socio-Politico-Economic Governance: An Association Rule Approach

Undeniably, the engagement of females in socio-politico-economic activities of most countries in the world, especially in developing economies, is far less than males. Although females form the majority in most developing countries, they are rarely engaged in the discourse of cogent developmental issues. The rising interest of females in political and socio-economic discourse, especially in the western world, has sparked female interest in the governance structure of developing countries. Subsequently, with an increased penetration of the Internet and social media, the contribution of females to governance has even assumed a new level. Using primary data collected from six Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, the paper identifies relationships of females’ interest in socio-politico-economic governance on the countries surveyed. This paper equally digested a repertoire of data from relevant secondary sources on female involvement in the political landscape of SSA countries. To unravel some key relationships amongst the variables of interest in the study, we have used association rules (data mining technique). One of our key findings appears to indicate that the interest of females in political discourse is highly associated with the level of trust respondents have in the governance and leadership of the countries. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p2178

Investigating Web Based Marketing in the Context of Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises (MSEs): A Decision Tree Classification Technique

This paper presents the findings of an exploratory study of web based marketing (WBM) usage predictor variables in the context of micro and small-scale enterprises (MSEs). By means of a cross-sectional field study, a structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses from 267 enterprises situated in the South East Region of Nigeria. The main rationale for this study is to provide a vivid description of pertinent variables that are most likely to influence an enterprise’s consideration of the relevance and/or implementation of WBM. Against this backdrop, the authors used the decision tree classification technique of data mining to build a predictive model. One of the interesting findings in this study seems to show that service-oriented enterprises that have a social media presence and are equally headed by highly educated women have a higher proclivity of engaging in WBM. By and large, our findings provide an understanding of idiosyncratic factors that impact on WBM non (usage) by enterprises. Lastly, our findings have implications for practitioners and policy makers in developing countries, particularly that of Nigeria.