Training and Performance of Public Procurement Professionals in Tanzania: The Mediating Role of Career Development

Training and career development have been considered to improve employee performance because better-quality human capital is vital in enhancing employee performance. This study analysed the influence of training on the performance of public procurement professionals when mediated by career development in Tanzania. The study used a cross-sectional research design involving 204 public procurement professionals from Dodoma city in Tanzania. The study applied Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) as a part of Covariance Based-Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) and Hayes' PROCESS macro to analyse the data and determine the relationship between the training and performance of public procurement professionals when mediated by career development in Tanzania. The results show that training and career development determine the performance of public procurement professionals. Training facilitates the career development of public procurement professionals, whereas career development mediates the relationship between training and the performance of public procurement professionals. This study only considers training and career development, among other aspects of human resource development practices. This excludes the other human resource development practices in public organisations. This study brings together human resource development concepts (training and career development) and the performance of public procurement professionals. Thus, it adds value to the literature on human resource management concerning the performance of public procurement professionals

A Mixed Methods Exploration of Measurement, Impact and Strategy for Affirmative Action and Socio-economic Justice in the South African Financial Sector

Socioeconomic transformation in post-apartheid South Africa is regulated by affirmative action (AA) and employment equity legislation. This paper aims to empirically explore the measurement, impact, and strategy for affirmative action and workforce transformation in the South African financial sector. A mixed methods research design underpinned by the pragmatism paradigm and transformational leadership theory was employed. Purposive sampling was used to collect qualitative interview data (n = 20), then thematically analysed. Quantitative survey data using random sampling selection (n = 100) was factor analysed. These constructs were measured: AA measurement; AA perception; AA transformation; AA business impact; and AA strategic framework. Qualitative findings indicate that AA targets are being measured as per legislation, yet transformation is slow and hindered by barriers. According to quantitative results, the AA strategy is essential. Management commitment is needed to represent all population groups in all jobs, frequently communicate about AA, transform previously disadvantaged women and young people, and create a diverse workforce that offers socioeconomic justice. The study adds to the body of knowledge on affirmative action, workforce transformation, and socioeconomic justice. The 10-step AA strategic management framework emerged as a practical contribution of the study

Effectiveness of the Force Account Approach in Tanzanian Local Government Authorities: Do Management Support and Staff Competence Matter?

In Tanzania, the force account approach has been used for years to procure construction projects. In this regard, it is necessary to investigate the effectiveness of the force account approach in construction projects. This research examines the influence of management support and staff competence on the effectiveness of the force account approach in Tanzanian local government construction projects. Using structured questionnaires, cross-sectional data were collected from procurement practitioners involved in force account construction projects at Kongwa District Council. The findings revealed that management support and staff competence are essential determinants of the effectiveness of the force account approach in Tanzanian local government authorities' construction projects. The results also revealed that staff competence is the most critical factor influencing the effectiveness of force account in local government authorities, with β = 0.558 and p < 0.001. Furthermore, the effectiveness of management support and the force account approach are positively and significantly related (β = 0.233 and p = 0.006). As a result, procurement practitioners in respective local government authorities should ensure they can implement the force account approach. The study also suggests future research on other factors that may explain the variation in the effectiveness of implementing the force account approach. Furthermore, because the study focused on local government authorities, future studies can be conducted by soliciting input from central governments and other public procuring entities

Africa's Continental Free Trade and Sustainable Development: An Economic Assessment

The quest for Africa's development breakthrough appears to be closely related to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The Economic Commission of Africa believes the move could solve chronic poverty and joblessness prevailing on the continent. However, the benefit of hindsight reveals limits set by the laws of thermodynamics on the extent to which economic activities can be most beneficial to humanity. The motivation to expand trade thrives on energy for extraction, production, and consumption, yielding undesirable waste products. The need for sustainable development has responded to the limits imposed by excessive waste, stretching environmental carrying capacity to the breaking point. Thus, to avoid repeating past development errors, Africa's Continental Free Trade Area needs to ascertain the extent and cost of resultant environmental damage. Clearly, AfCFTA is yet to consider such effects. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, should be a reminder of how devastating a collision between economic activity and the natural environment can be. So far, studies on AfCFTA have been restricted to quantifying the effects of tariff reductions, non-tariff barriers, and trade facilitation. This study, however, assesses the outcomes of the efforts being made to achieve the goals of AfCFTA, from an environmental economics analytical framework, in line with tenets of sustainable development. It employs data from the World Bank and AfCFTA Secretariat to analyze the welfare effects of AfCFTA through resultant deforestation, solid waste management, and climate change adaptation. The study found the resulting environmental damage to be US$744.71 billion, far exceeding the projected AfCFTA benefits of US$450 billion to be realized by 2035. Thus, in its current form, AfCFTA will reduce the economic welfare of Africa by at least US$294.71 billion by 2035. While in the formative stages, AfCFTA will be better served if stakeholders can pay attention to the call for a fully operational plan to offset the impending environmental damage, which cannot be taken for granted if Africa wants sustainable development.&nbsp

Professional Certification and Career Development: A Comparative Analysis between Local and Foreign Certifications

Professional certification, a proficiency to validate employees' competency and readiness for career development, has recently become a subject of inquiry among researchers. There are concerns about employers' demand for foreign in place of local professional certifications in employment decisions, especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study examines the impact of indigenous and foreign professional certifications on employee career development in developing countries like Nigeria. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect data from certified and non-certified human resource professionals in Nigeria. A structural equation modelling analysis was carried out to explore the relationship between the exogenous and homogenous constructs. Findings revealed that local and foreign certifications influence the career development of the sampled employees. However, the model's explanatory power shows that foreign certification has a greater influence on career development than local certification. The study report suggests that both certifications benefit career development, thus, are relevant in career development and employment decisions

Work-life Balance and Organisational Commitment among Married Female Nurses

This study aims to measure the work-life balance (WLB) and the performance of married female nurses and examine the mediating role of organisational commitment. The current research considers a cross-sectional survey among married female nurses in Iraqi public hospitals. The questionnaires collected the data, and the valid questionnaires were 219 and analysed by Smart-PLS after ensuring the validity and reliability of the model. The results indicated that the WLB of married female nurses significantly impacts their performance and commitment. Furthermore, the commitment of married female nurses significantly impacts their performance and simultaneously partially mediates the relation between the WLB and the performance of married female nurses. Regulating workloads and fostering a pleasant work environment are crucial to lowering job-related stress from excessive workloads. Creating a timetable for married female nurses is crucial to improving their work and personal performance

Managerial Competency of Primary Healthcare Facility Managers in the Selected District Councils in Tanzania

Understanding the managerial competency of healthcare managers is very important. However, more evidence is needed on the managerial competency of primary healthcare facility managers in low- and middle-income countries. This research examined the managerial competency of primary healthcare facility managers in the selected District Councils in Tanzania. This research is grounded on positivism philosophy, a cross-sectional survey descriptive research design, a complete enumeration sampling strategy, and a survey used to collect primary data from 102 public primary healthcare facility managers located in Kondoa, Iramba, and Sumbawanga District Councils in Tanzania. The study used version 25 of SPSS to analyze the data and adopted the MCAP framework to examine the managerial competency of primary healthcare facility managers. For the communication and relationship management domain, 74.5% were competent, while 25.5% were less than fully competent. Likewise, 65.68% of them were competent, while 34.32% needed to be more competent in the knowledge of the healthcare environment domain. 62.74% and 37.26% of the primary healthcare facility managers were competent and less than competent in operations, administration, and resources management. Correspondingly, 67.65% and 32.35% of primary healthcare facility managers needed to be more competent in evidence-informed decision-making. Similarly, 74.55% and 25.45% were competent and less competent in enabling and managing change. The study used primary data and contributed recently well-worth and highly demanded knowledge on the managerial competency of healthcare managers in the LMICs

The Contextual Dimensions of Informal Economy and Entrepreneurship

This study investigates the global dynamics of the informal economy and the need for coexistence between it and the formal economy. Developing and developed countries are beset with various social and economic problems, such as unemployment, poverty levels, informal jobs, and global issues. Informal Entrepreneurship remains a focal means to reduce unemployment and create jobs in many economies. The informal economy and entrepreneurship dynamics were investigated using institutional theory and by drawing on a qualitative approach and secondary data from the International Labour Organization and Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing datasets. The findings depict the need to ensure that the informal and formal economies coexist well rather than merge due to their interwoven nature. This calls for adopting a system and holistic perspective for studying facets of informal-formal entrepreneurship in different contexts. Informal economy and informal entrepreneurship are essential for reducing global unemployment and developing innovation in the value chain in their contexts. Globally, the informal economy and informal entrepreneurship provide safety nets, a source of livelihood, and pay informal levies that contribute to economic growth and development. The study shows how informal entrepreneurship contributes to the business environment. The contextual evidence from the literature justifies the necessity for informal entrepreneurship and the economy due to the interplay of poor market conditions, institutional voids, entrepreneurial behavior, and local business dynamics

Crafting Innovativeness for Graduate Entrepreneurship Development in East Africa: Are Graduates Innovators or Imitators?

Innovation is a central determinant that contributes to entrepreneurs' pursuits of opportunities. The vehicle carries the means to concur the market and successfully establish an enterprise. This study used a cross-sectional research design to assess graduates' innovativeness for entrepreneurship development. The study involved 124 respondents selected from a population of Master's students specialising in science subjects originating from East African countries. Objectives one and two were analysed descriptively via per cent and frequencies. In contrast, objective three was analysed through inferential statistics where one sample T-test was employed for assessing the difference between innovation developed and innovation advanced to markets. The findings indicate that the level of innovation is relatively low for all forms of innovation since all the ratings were below 40 per cent. Similarly, the innovation advanced to the markets was respectively low compared to the innovation developed. It is concluded that the level of innovation is limited among first-degree graduates specialising in science subjects in East African countries, and the number of innovations advanced to the market for entrepreneurship development is relatively low compared to innovation developed. This calls for a review of the innovation process development in the higher learning education system. In addition, the recasting of enabling environment for innovation development is needed

Determinants of Susceptibility to Sunk-Cost Fallacy: A Nigerian Case Study

A general economic principle is that when evaluating the costs of a decision, sunk costs should not be considered, and the decision-maker should consider only those costs incurred as a result of making that decision. However, anecdotal and empirical evidence has shown that people are influenced by sunk costs when making decisions, thereby committing the sunk-cost fallacy. A corpus of research has established that this fallacy occurs among nations and cultures to differing extents or degrees. None of the earlier studies, however, focused on Nigerians. This study, therefore, investigates whether Nigerians, too, commit this fallacy and then identifies factors that affect Nigerians' susceptibility to the fallacy. Employing a binary logit model showed that about 49 per cent of the respondents to questions based on a decision-making vignette committed the sunk-cost fallacy. The results also showed that locus of cost responsibility (whether the decision maker or another person bore the cost on behalf of the decision maker) and ethnicity (whether the decision maker is Yoruba or not) were significant determinants of susceptibility to sunk-cost fallacy. This suggests that in Nigeria, the sunk-cost fallacy is intrapersonal and more prevalent among Yorubas than among Hausas or Igbos. Therefore, the sunk-cost fallacy is ubiquitous and more likely in personal decisions than decisions made on behalf of others