Waswa Balunywa

Robustness of personal initiative in moderating entrepreneurial intentions and actions of disabled students

Abstract Entrepreneurship is vital in the areas of innovation, job creation, nations’ economic and societal advancement. In view of that, personal initiative is seen to be important in moderating the relationship between intention and entrepreneurial action. This study focuses on investigating the moderating role of personal initiative on intention and entrepreneurial action relationship of disabled students. The study followed a descriptive survey where quantitative approach was employed. A total number of 250 questionnaires were administered to disabled students across the tertiary institutions (Universities, Polytechnics and colleges) in Plateau State and Abuja-Nigeria. Analysis of data involved the use of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 22.0). Hypotheses were tested using structural equation model. Results revealed that pedagogy significantly and positively influences entrepreneurial actions. Also, personal initiative (proactiveness, resilience and innovation) moderates the relationship between intention and entrepreneurial actions of disabled students.

Financial service outreach correlates

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between managerial competence, managerial risk-taking behaviour and financial service outreach of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Design/methodology/approach - – In this cross-sectional and correlational study, the authors surveyed 52 branches of MFIs from a population of 60 branches of 20 MFIs in eastern Uganda. Two respondents, a branch manager and a senior loan officer, were the units of enquiry for each branch. The authors put forward and tested four hypotheses relating to the significance of the relationship between perceived managerial competence, risk-taking behaviour and financial service outreach using SPSS version 20. The authors established the hypothesized relationships using Pearson correlation coefficients and obtain a mediating effect of risk-taking behaviour using partial corrections and regression analysis. Findings - – The results suggest positive and significant relationships between perceived managerial competence, risk-taking behaviour and financial service outreach. However, while the direct relationship between managerial competence and financial service outreach without the mediation effect of risk-taking behaviour of managers was found to be significant, its magnitude reduces when mediation of risk-taking behaviour is allowed. Thus the entire effect does not only go through managerial competence but majorly also, through risk-taking behaviour of managers. Research limitations/implications - – This study did not control for environmental factors such as laws and regulations. As such the model may have been under fitted. Nevertheless, the study has introduced a clearer understanding that outreach performance in MFIs rests with competent managers in strategic positions operating in synergy with their risk-taking behaviour. The study informs policy makers that outreach performance of the MFIs depends on the quality of the competence managers have in addition to their risk-taking propensities. Practical implications - – Efforts by the stakeholders to improve financial service outreach must be matched with appropriate competences and risk-taking behaviour of managers. Originality/value - – The results contribute to extant literature by investigating two explanatory variables for financial service outreach and provide initial evidence of the mediating effect of intrinsic high risk-taking behaviour of managers. Results add to the conceptual improvement in risk-taking behaviour and lend considerable support for the behavioural perspective in the study of financial service outreach of MFIs.

The association between accounting standards, legal framework and the quality of financial reporting by a government ministry in Uganda

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the association between accounting standards, legal framework and the quality of financial reporting by the Ministry of Water and Environment in Uganda.Design/methodology/approach – The study used a self‐administered questionnaire to survey 120 staff and stakeholders of the Ministry of the Water and Environment. Correlation analysis was employed to determine the association between accounting standards, legal framework and the quality of financial reporting.Findings – Results indicate that accounting standards and legal framework are all positively and significantly associated with the quality of financial reporting, providing evidence of the effect of accounting standards and legal framework on the quality of financial reporting in UgandaResearch limitations/implications – Scarce literature using African data means that it is not possible to compare the findings to previous research.Practical implications – The finding of an association between accounting...

Mediation effect of novelty ecosystems on intrapreneurial behaviour process within an organisational dynamic environment among Kenyan universities: A complexity approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine, explain, predict and guide the processes, mechanisms and outcomes of intrapreneurial behaviour to provide evidence that novelty ecosystems mediate the relationships between generative influence, positive deviance and intrapreneurial behaviour. It also enlightens the capacity of replicating the intrapreneurial best practices. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an integrated approach of entrepreneurship and complexity theories. Its subjects were full-time designated university employees in the Republic of Kenya. A total number of 244 employees were selected using snowball sampling technique from ten public and private universities in the Kenya. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Findings The structural equation modelling path analysis and the bootstrapping results confirmed full mediation of novelty ecosystems in the relationship between generative influence and intrapreneurial behaviour. The findings, further, verified that novelty ecosystems partially mediate the relationship between positive deviance and intrapreneurial behaviour. Research limitations/implications Subjective appraisals were used, despite the fact that studied variables are ultimately based on what employees perceive. Future research should generate and include more objective measures. Practical implications Intrapreneurial behaviour can only be explained and predicted through novelty ecosystems. University leaders need to fully understand and facilitate novelty ecosystems. Social implications A deeper understanding of the power of generative influence, positive deviance and novelty ecosystems will not be fully realized until researchers devote as much energy and attention to facilitation as has been devoted to conflict. Originality/value This study extends existing intrapreneurial research into complexity approach.

Disabled students’ entrepreneurial action: The role of religious beliefs

Abstract People world over are engaged in entrepreneurship activities to promote societal and economic advancement. Along with the growing importance of entrepreneurial activity in economic growth comes concern over the religious dimension, especially as it relates to the Christian and Muslim world views. Religious beliefs are seen to be important in triggering entrepreneurial action. This study focuses on investigating the predicting role of religious beliefs on entrepreneurial action of disabled students. The study followed a descriptive survey where quantitative approach was employed. A total number of 262 questionnaires was administered to disabled students across the tertiary institutions (Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges) in Plateau State and Abuja-Nigeria. Analysis of data involved the use of descriptive statistics, correlation and Structural Equation Model. All the formulated hypotheses were also tested and the results revealed that vocation, social service and social networks significantly and positively influence entrepreneurial action. Like any other research, this study is limited in the following ways. Since only a single research methodological approach was employed, future research could undertake a mixed approach and triangulate to validate the current findings. Further, a longitudinal approach should be employed to study entrepreneurial action trends among disabled students over years. Finally, religious beliefs was studied and based on the results, there are other factors that may contribute in explaining entrepreneurial action of disabled students that were not part of this study.

Board role performance in service organisations: the importance of human capital in the context of a developing country

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to draw from multiple theories of upper echelons, stakeholder, agency, resource-based view and stewardship to establish the extent to which human capital (other than that of the board itself) in service organisations affect board role performance in those service sector firms. Design/methodology/approach - – This study is cross-sectional and correlational. Analyses are conducted using SPSS and Analysis of Moment Structures software on a sample of 128 service firms in Uganda. Findings - – Findings reveal that dimensions of employee safety, entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial development, employee welfare and employee relations fit the model of human capital and predict up to 69.1 per cent of the variance in board role performance. The results of this study reveal that board role performance is affected by prior decisions, for example, to invest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, targeting employees that augment firm characteristics like existence of appropriate human capital. Essentially, an improvement in the quality of human capital explains positive variances in board role performance. Research limitations/implications - – Cross-sectional data do not allow for testing of the process aspect of the models; however, they provide evidence that the models can stand empirical tests. Additional research should examine the process aspects of human capital and board role performance. Practical implications - – Most companies in developing nations have relied on normative guidelines in prescribing what boards need to enhance performance, probably explaining why some boards have not been successful in their role performance. This research confirms that appropriate human capital, which can be leveraged through CSR ideals of employee safety, recognition, welfare and training in entrepreneurship, consistent with the stakeholder theory, can facilitate the board in the performance of its roles. In the developing country context, organisations’ boards could use these findings as a guideline, that is, what to focus on in the context of human capital development in organisations because doing so improves their own role performance. Originality/value - – This study is one of the few that partly account for endogeneity in the study of boards, a methodological concern previously cited in literature (Bascle, 2008; Hamilton and Nickerson, 2003). Empirical associations between board role performance and organisational performance would not be useful unless we are able to grasp the causal mechanisms that lie behind those empirical associations (Hambrick, 2007). Thus, this study contributes to literature that tries to account for variances in board role performance and supports a multi-theoretical approach as a relevant framework in the study of human capital and board role performance.

Institutional Identification and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors of Uganda Hotel Staff : The Mediation Role of Organizational Virtuousness

Purpose: The purpose of the present paper is to demonstrate that institutional identification and organizational virtuousness are constructs of the social exchange theory and can explain the engagement in organizational citizenship behaviours by Uganda hotel staff. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: Contrary to current studies on organizational citizenship behaviours, this study adopted a mixed research design and its attendant characteristics so as to examine the extent to which institutional identification predicts organizational citizenship behaviours, taking organizational virtuousness as a mediator of the relationship. Findings: Institutional identification is a significant predictor of organizational citizenship behaviours of the hotel staff in Uganda and organizational virtuousness partially mediates the relationship between institutional identification and organizational citizenship behaviours. Research Limitations/ Implications: Admittedly, the instruments that measured the key variables of the study i.e. organization citizenship behaviour, institutional identification and organizational virtuousness, were adapted to suit the Uganda hotel environment. The study was entirely cross sectional yet behaviour unfolds gradually. Above all, we adopted a positivistic approach to research yet it is highly structured. Little attention was paid to qualitative responses because; we only needed explanations for the quantitative results. Originality/ Value: The paper proudly domesticates institutional identification and organizational virtuousness within the social exchange theoretical framework and directly tested for the predictive relationship between institutional identification and organizational citizenship behaviours.

Personal initiative: Its power in social entrepreneurial venture creation

Abstract Social entrepreneurship literature bears a positive cast on poverty reduction and social problem-solving. Studies have shown that social entrepreneurial venture activities have far-reaching socioeconomic impact, especially in solving societal challenges. We argue that given the nature of social problems, certain personality traits are valuable. Individuals with personal initiative are capable of using their prior knowledge, proactive and innovative and experience to be alert as they create social ventures that create social impact. The study examined the role of personal initiative in social entrepreneurial venture creation among Community-Based Organizations (CBO) in a developing country. Scholars have examined a number of psychological traits underlying Social Entrepreneurial Venture Creation but less emphasis has been laid on the role of personal initiative in creating social entrepreneurial ventures. We used a sample of 243 Kampala Capital City Authority CBO owners and the results indicate that personal initiative in terms of proactiveness and innovation is positively and significantly associated with social entrepreneurial venture creation.

Self-employability Initiative: Developing a Practical Model of Disabled Students' Self-employment Careers

This study investigated the self-employability initiatives of disabled university students by presenting a model that would allow the concept to be explained and used easily as a framework for working with students to develop their self-employment careers. A cross-sectional survey with a quantitative method constituted the studys research design. A sample size of 254 university students was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size selection model. Data were analyzed using demographic statistics, correlation analysis and the structural equation model (SEM). The results revealed that entrepreneurship education, action mechanisms and university role have a positive influence on the self-employability initiatives of disabled students. The results also indicated that action mechanisms mediate the relationship between entrepreneurship education and the self-employability initiatives of the disabled students in this study. Universities that provide enabling premises for disabled students, foster the development of networks and provide them access to coaches, mentors and research results will trigger the self-employability initiative of disabled students. This study indicates a number of implications for tertiary institutions and policymakers, particularly that entrepreneurship education and the role the university plays make significant contributions to the self-employability initiative of disabled students. Policymakers need to design entrepreneurship curricula that will be appreciated by students with disabilities.

Communication and quality service delivery in Uganda's local government: the mediating influence of total quality management

The study aimed at understanding the role of total quality management (TQM) as a mediator between communication and quality service delivery (QSD) in Ugandas local government (LGs). Data were collected using a cross-sectional research design from 212 LGs whose heads of department and section heads formed the unit of inquiry. The paper utilises the Med Graph program, Sobels z-test and the Kenny and Baron procedure to test the role of TQM as a mediator between communication and QSD. The findings revealed that TQM is a significant mediator between communication and QSD, and enhances the relationship by 24.3%. In addition, a partial type of mediation was established. Overall, the results show that communication predicts QSD directly and also indirectly via TQM. The study was cross-sectional with its inherent flaws. Future studies should consider mediation studies from a longitudinal perspective. In addition, the data were collected only from Ugandas LGs. Therefore, the findings may be limited to the sample studied and negate the possibility of generalisation. In terms of practical implications, LG managers should consider TQM as stimuli for communication to ensure QSD. The paper contributes to the service literature by extending the role of communication for QSD within the context of LGs whose empirical stance is still scanty. In addition, it contributes to literature on TQM by highlighting its mediatory role for QSD in LGs.