Use and abuse of reliability in research: An analysis of postgraduate theses at Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya

Reliability is a classical quality measurement criterion that checks stability, equivalence, internal consistency and absence of errors in the measurement instruments. Due to the need for accurate and reliable results for decision making, a lot of emphasis has been put on proper use of evaluative measurement criteria. Reliability as a criterion of evaluating measurement tools is the focus of this paper. The study aims at 1) finding out the extent to which reliability has been wrongly used; and 2) establishing how Likert type scale has been abused among postgraduates? Classical test theory guided the study to answer the research questions. Descriptive research design was adopted to direct in collection and analysis of data. The study population is theses authored by postgraduate candidates for the years 2018, 2017 and 2016 in Catholic university of Eastern Africa, Gaba Campus. Out of 126 theses filed at the university library, 40 were sampled for the study using the 30% rule. The researchers reviewed literature on research from Loreto library and e-libraries using search engines. Data was collected using review of the sampled theses guided by structured tools developed from the research questions. Collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Study findings revealed that most of the theses (45%) adopted Test-retest, followed by Cronbach (42.4%) as reliability test tests. Test-retest users confused right techniques and coefficients to determine and interpret as stability of measurement instrument. Cronbach was largely pinned at 0.7 alpha without proper interpretation of levels of internal consistency. The third most favored techniques was Split half (10%)

The impact of the electronic market on the development of businesses in Kosovo

This paper will chronologically link the start of doing business in the Republic of Kosovo and not only, with the current developments in this important sector of society and business barriers, as well as the various challenges presented to the market, how much is replacing the application of doing business through the use of information technology. The question is whether Kosovo has human, infrastructural capacities for the development of the electronic market, as a modern form of doing business, and how much serious effort and at the same time important contributions it makes to public and private engagement, to create an incentive environment and incentives for sustainable and competitive business in the Republic of Kosovo, always alluding to the electronic market as an opportunity for the future of doing business.The main purpose of this paper is to identify the opportunities that businesses have to influence economic development in the Republic of Kosovo, through their ability to generate new jobs, increase exports, and contribute to improving the living standards of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, using the electronic market as a contemporary and competitive form in business development. In order to realize such an environment, of course, we must consider two main issues, one to recognize and identify the problems that business has and another issue, how much human and material capacity Kosovo has, to provide a favorable environment of doing business through the electronic marketplace

Muddles in Pentatonic Likert-type scale: Accuracy Cost in Psychometric Measurements for Small Enterprise Development

Likert-type scale is ordinal, hence not compatible with parametric techniques. Disregard of this fact causes flawed research outputs. Enterprises get themselves in precarious situations as ultimate consumers flawed outputs. This paper is motivated by the dearth desire by entrepreneurs to make accurate and valid decisions harvested from a dependable measurement scale. Identifying the pitfalls of Likert-type scale and remedies to address the weaknesses, form the objectives of the study. The study is anchored on the Classical Test and Generation theories. Reviewing literature and from own personal experiences in assessing students’ thesis at university level in Kenya found traditional pentatonic Likert-type scale highly favored by most young researchers in enterprise development. The researchers treated the Likert scale outputs as interval data. Consequently most of them got wrong inferential techniques and findings. This study suggests transformation of ordinal data into binary data, interval or ratio before going into parametric analysis. Secondly, increase the number of points on the Likert scale, preferably to seven (7) to enhance reliability, validity, discriminating power and respondent preferences. Thirdly, adopt newest models of Likert type scale, that is; novel fuzzy Likert scale, phrase completion scale and two-stages Likert scale for measuring direction and intensity dimensions seperately. Finally, Likert type scale could be improved by Rasch analysis, too. The findings and suggestions of the study are relevant for researchers in both academic, clinical and enterprise development for attainment of the Kenya Vision 2030

An Overview of Doing Business in Western Balkan: The Analysis of Advantages of Doing Business in Kosovo and North Macedonia

Achieving sustainable market economies in the Western Balkan countries will depend on a number of barriers being overcome. For this reason, these countries lack competitiveness in the business environment. Many problems in the business environment are persistent but common problems across of the countries of this region are getting electricity and construction permits. These problems or barriers are set out in Doing Business Reports of World Bank. The paper reviews doing business in Western Balkan countries especially in Kosovo and North Macedonia. The main goal of this paper is to analyze of the advantages of doing business in Kosovo and North Macedonia, where does Kosovo stand in terms of doing business in relation to North Macedonia and what Kosovo needs to learn from North Macedonia in order to improve the business environment. To achieve the set goal, we have used the integrative review method. The results show that North Macedonia is a leader in the Western Balkans in doing business because the great campaign done by the Macedonian institutions for attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). So, Kosovo should be based on North Macedonian practices. A new investment campaign in Kosovo would certainly have a positive impact on business environment

The Albanian Prizren League factor and beyond: distinct developments exposed by the Western sources

For many countries in Europe, both in the West and in the East, the nineteenth century was critical in their respective paths towards the attainment of national independence goals. Each nation had its own unique struggles in that political course. Albania, and the Albanian nation was no exception. The seizure of the Albanian territory by the Montenegro, Serbia and Greece during the last two centuries severely affected the Albanian nation. The aim of this research, however, is not to focus exclusively on the ways and means related to Albanian territory division, but to delve into foundations of the selected events, with great impact to the Albanian nation. The current developments and challenges in the Albanian territories in the Balkans cannot be productively analyzed without examining the historical context, within which, the Prizren League played a critical part. Indeed, even though the League, at the time, was largely overlooked by the Western powers, still played, an important role in the ensuing Albanian historical developments. The League, initially an Ottoman supporting mechanism, of mutual (Albanian-Ottoman) interest, developed into an autonomous organization revolting to the perceived enemies of the Albanian cause, later, even against the Ottomans.This study aims to highlight the causes of the formation of the Prizren League, its activities, Albanian revolts against the perceived enemies and other related topics that painted their ordinary life, in the stipulated period. The objective of the research is to focus exclusively on the Western sources visa-a-vis the examined topics in an endeavor, to present, as much as possible, an unbiased picture of events and developments. Numerous themes have been explored in light of many old and authentic sources, in an attempt to enrich the quantity of the examined themes with qualitative inputs..

Ethical Relativism and Morality

As an egoistic nature, the human being finds it difficult to be relative to others and absolute to himself, while he is inclined to believe that others should be relative to him.The moment we want to make a step in our life, perhaps at an early age, we face another idea, desire or belief. It is this period which proves that our beliefs are personal creations that take life when we allow ourselves to engage in the broader social circle.The individual is unable to accomplish himself if he does not become part of the nucleus to which he belongs, where he also gets the energies needed in adapting his ego to the universal one, which is the world itself.This paper provides in-depth analysis of what moral is in the ethical relativism: different for every human being, depending on the view point of the person affected and the conditions a person is placed in. None the less, all of these are also affected by the society, a person is born and raised in, being it the ruling norm in the family, the social interactions, traditions and customs executed, which determine the concept of moral actions to everyone

The Adriatic Coast and Tourist Potentials in the Lagoon Ecosystems

The Adriatic coast is characterized by the presence of a highly diversified lagoon system. That is considered to be a high tourism potential and a basis for a more sustainable development of the economy of the area in which they are found. Changes of sea level rise on the Adriatic coast lagoon prominently displayed on the change of biodiversity. Besides the natural factors in this lagoon as well as all other lagoons of the Adriatic coast it feels a lot during the last 60 years of pressure from human society itself. In the dynamics of the waters of the Patok lagoon play a major role in hydrological processes of climate (the arrival of water through tides, increasing during heavy autumn, winter flooding, evaporation process of the wind, etc.), which raise or lower the level water in the lagoon creating this process through channels connecting the Patoku sea. The study aims to identify the values of this wetland complex located in the coastline and is identified as a region in a critical condition and vulnerable to climate change. Here, it can be successfully develop several types of tourism: the creative and ecological. The chaotic urbanization and the problems that derive from it, have arisen massive violation of environmental balance, associated with environmental, social and demographic problems. The paper, it is based on a multi-year work to show their biodiversity values, as well as the measures needed to be taken in order to build the tourism secto

Access to the Court, as a basic principle of due process

Access to the court, is one of the basic principle of due process. This principle is provided by the international acts and also by domestic laws. Constitution of Albania provides that every person has the right to address the court in order to protect their own legal rights, freedom and interests. Access to justice is an important aspect of due process, the absence of which makes in-existent the discussion for respecting the principle of due legal process. This principle is one of the European Convention of Human Rights elements of the article 6 and it is specifically interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights.Albania undertook some action to reform the justice system, and some of laws are amendmented and affected even the part of access to the court. Some changes were done to the Procedural Civil Code, with the aim that the civil procedure to be easy, the time of the proceeding to be reasonable, the access to court to be easy for every citizen, the procedures to be simplified etc.In this paper there are analyzied the rights to address to the court, as part of appropriate process, cases when this right can be restricted, which is the practice followed by the domestic courts intertwining with the attitude that keeps the European Court of Human Rights, the changes that were made to the laws by Albania during these years and affects that access to the court

The Reintegration Needs of Illegal Migrant Returnees to Omo Nada District Jimma Zone, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia

Despite the reintegration needs of the returnee there is important to design reintegration program, reintegrate and enable them to become independent and productive members of the community; the identification of these needs are often neglected in academic studies. The objective of the study was to explore the reintegration needs sought by returnees to Omo Nada district after return. To this end, I conducted a resourceful study in Omo Nada district in 2017. I collected the data by means of in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. I used thematic analysis to analyze the findings. The study identified the need for support in the form of health services, counselling, housing, employment, skills training, finances, loans and social support as the major reintegration needs sought by the study participants. Despite the many needs identified, the returnees could not get reintegration support. Due to this, they were not able to reintegrate into their communities. Returning to the pre-migration conditions which drove them to migrate ‘illegally' in the first place, with no hope of any reintegration assistance, led some returnees to intend re-migrate illegally

The Challenges of Traditional Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) Retailers of Sylhet in Emergence of Organized Retailing

Organized retailing in Bangladesh is growing rapidly. Though the researchers and academicians studied the retail industry of Bangladesh in different dimension, very few of them intended to explore the challenges of traditional retailers so far. In line with this problem, the objective of this study is to identify the challenges of the traditional FMCGs retailers in emergence of organized retailing in Sylhet city. The study is quantitative in nature, data were collected from 400 traditional retailers on the basis of convenience with a semi-structured questionnaire. In analyzing data, descriptive statistics and factor analysis were used with the SPSS software. The traditional retailing is male dominated, low capital and turnover, small sized business in Sylhet and are facing challenges like decrease in sales and revenue, maintaining more hygienic environment, ensure the availability of quality products, launching the use of technology etc. in emergence of organized retailing. To minimize the challenges, the traditional FMCGs retailers need to be educated to obtain knowledge on business, ensure quality products and services, establish joint venture or partnership with other retailers to create chain stores, design effective loyalty programs and arranging customized merchandize for the loyal customers etc. The present study will help the traditional retailers in identify the real challenges of their business and designing strategies to minimize those. The policy makers and stakeholders may also get insight from the study in formulating policies to protect the traditional retail business from the competition of organized retail