Effect of Hands-On Instructional Approach on Pupils’ Achievement and Retention in Cultural and Creative Arts

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a hands-on educational approach on pupils' achievement and retention in the Cultural and Creative Arts.   Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework for this study is based on cognitive learning and experiential learning.   Methodology: Study participants were primary five pupils in Oshimili South Local Government Area, Delta State. As part of this study, ten hands-on activities were used to engage primary five pupils in the learning process. Hands-on activities included magazine family puppets, musical glasses, painting to music, PVC sculptures, roll an activity, sound boxes, sound cans, sun shadow pictures, and swinging to music. Using a quasi-experimental design, two research questions and two hypotheses were developed and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study involved 100 primary five pupils from ten primary schools. Participants were divided into experimental and control groups (n=50). Culture and creative arts were taught through hands-on activities in the experimental group, but not to their counterparts in the control group. Despite this, after four weeks of experimentation, pretest and posttest data were collected from both groups. Data were collected using the Cultural and Creative Arts Achievement Test (CCAT) and the Cultural and Creative Arts Retention Test (CCRT). Participants were given the instruments directly by their respective group leaders. Based on the mean and standard deviation of the test scores, ANOVA was used to test the hypotheses.   Findings: A significant effect of hands-on instruction on pupils' achievement and retention in cultural and creative arts was found. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended that pupils should be exposed to sophisticated hands-on materials to improve their achievement and retention in cultural and creative arts, and that teachers also be trained on how to use hands-on instructions in the classroom.   Research, Practical & Social Implications: The study promotes active engagement and participation, which allows pupils to actively participate in the learning process. They gain a better understanding of the subject matter and retain more information. The hands-on approach promotes creativity and problem-solving skills. Pupils are encouraged to think critically, solve problems, and come up with innovative solutions through hands-on activities. As a result, their creative thinking skills are enhanced, and they are prepared for future challenges in the creative arts industry.   Originality/Value: In the cultural and creative arts domain, hands-on instructional methods offer originality and uniqueness. Pupils gain a deeper understanding of subjects through interactive and hands-on classroom experiences. Hands-on activities can assist teachers in creating a more engaging and effective learning environment, resulting in improved pupil performance and retention

Social Capital and Corporate Social Responsibility: Pathways to the Sustainability of Community Enterprises in Chumphon Province

Purpose: In this research, the objective is to study the impact of social responsibility and social capital on the sustainability of community enterprises.   Theoretical Framework: Community enterprises play a crucial role in promoting sustainable growth at the community level by creating economic opportunities, fostering social equality, and ensuring environmental sustainability. In the context of community enterprises, social capital and corporate social responsibility can lead to the enhancement of community problem-solving capabilities, the achievement of community objectives, and the sustainability of both the community enterprise and the community as a whole.   Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative approach was employed. The sample group used for the study consists of 200 members of community enterprises in Chumphon province. The instrument used for the study is a questionnaire, adapted from previous academic research, which has undergone content validity and reliability tests with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.85. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling statistics.   Findings: Studies have found that social costs are positively correlated with both corporate social responsibility activities and balanced operational outcomes, while no relationship was found between social responsibility and balanced performance outcomes.   Research Practical and Social Implication: The study clearly demonstrates that social capital is a crucial factor for the sustainable operation of community enterprises.   Originality/Value: Social responsibility and social capital have great impact on the sustainability of community enterprises, therefore, potential and successful community enterprises must equip with social capital and responsibility

Measurement the Producting Efficiency and Marketing Efficiency of Okra Crop (Covered) in Baghdad Governorate for the Season 2022

Purpose: The aim of the research is to estimate the production and marketing efficiency of okra under the protected agriculture system and to identify the most important production and marketing problems.   Theoretical Framework: The least squares method OLS was used to estimate the parameters of the short-term cost function using the statistical program SSPS, and the short-term cubic cost function was adopted.   Design/Methodology: Data were collected through a questionnaire form for a random sample of 62 farmers of the covered okra crop in Baghdad Governorate (Mahmoudiya District) for the season 2022-2023, to measure the production and marketing efficiency of okra under the protected agriculture system.   Findings: There is economic efficiency in the production of okra, the ratio of return to costs is greater than one, while the production costs function indicated that the crop does not achieve the required level of efficiency, as the optimal volume of production was about 12.22 tons. the average production volume of the selected sample was about 4.3 tons, and the estimated results also indicated that the total cost about 23350570 ID, and the marketing efficiency of the crop about 85%.   Practical and Social Effects: The study benefits okra farmers through knowledge of the optimal use of available resources, i.e. the production of the largest amount of goods and services using the elements of production available, exploiting the resources available to it to produce goods and services that specialize in its production, farmers achieve marketing efficiency through maximizing the ratio between outputs and inputs.   Value or Origin: The agricultural sector in Iraq is of great importance among other economic sectors. Meanwhile, it faces many challenges, including population increase, limited land and water resources, inefficient use of available resources, and lack of the seasonality of agricultural production coincides with the periods required for consumption, which makes the transition to protected agriculture necessary to increase agricultural production as one of the means of agricultural intensification to increase agricultural production to meet the increased demand for crops. Therefore., studying marketing efficiency is one of the important studies, as it is the main factor for continuing to deal in the production and of any crop or not

Financial Performance: Cases From Hong Kong-Listed Company

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to preliminarily explore the financial performance of Hong Kong listed companies in recent years, so that the public can have a preliminary understanding of the operating conditions of Hong Kong companies in recent years.   Theoretical Framework: Financial performance is whether a business strategy and its implementation and execution are contributing to the ultimate business performance. Financial performance can fully express the effect of cost control, the effect of asset utilization and management, the effect of capital allocation, and the composition of the return on shareholders' equity. Financial performance is mainly reflected in four aspects: profitability, operating ability, solvency and growth ability.   Design/Methodology/Approach: We randomly obtained the annual financial reports of 17 listed companies from 2016 to 2021 from the official website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. And based on the financial data disclosed in the financial reports of each company, it makes a detailed calculation, analysis and comparison of the profitability, solvency, operating capability and growth capability of each company.   Findings: In recent years, the profitability and operational capabilities of listed companies in Hong Kong have been stable without major fluctuations, but there is still a slight downward trend. The solvency performance is good, and the source of capital flow is relatively reliable. At the same time, the financial performance of listed companies in Hong Kong has also been significantly negatively affected by the spread of the covid-19 pandemic.   Research, Practical & Social Implications: We suggest that in the future, listed companies in Hong Kong should improve their business strategies in a targeted manner to resist the impact of the new crown pandemic and the outside world on business operations.   Originality/Value: The profitability and operating capacity of Hong Kong-listed companies remained stable without much fluctuation, but there was still a slight downward trend. The financial performance of Hong Kong-listed companies has also been significantly negatively affected by the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic

Perception of Sustainability and Strategies of Bulgarian Companies

Purpose: The article aims to investigate how different understanding of ESG and/or CSR influence the adoption of formal ESG/CSR policy and relevant activities, and which factors are related to it as there is a gap in research on the formation of ESG/CSR strategy.   Theoretical Framework: ESG strategies are one of the critical components for ensuring sustainable growth (Liang et al., 2022), but the understanding of the concept is not necessarily guaranteed. Moreover, despite the increasing interest in the topic, the literature concerning transition and emerging economies and ESG practices is still quite limited (Garcia et al., 2017).   Design/Methodology/Approach: We surveyed various national companies with scalability about their perception and implementation of CSR/ESG and identified three clusters of enterprises based on their understanding of responsibility and sustainability. We analyzed the likelihood of adopting a CSR/ESG strategy for each type.   Findings: The study reveals different elements which impact the process of forming a sustainability strategy in a transition economy and confirms the one of significant precondition is the company size. In addition, strong brands are seen as predictor of a strategy implementation.   Research, Practical & Social Implications: We suggest that business which tend to address the dimension of sustainability have a comprehensive attitude toward strategy adoption and for effectively practicing sustainability awareness of the concept and all its dimensions is key. Based on the classification of the different companies their CSR/ESG activities could be analyzed.   Originality/Value: The results show major factors of sustainability which are crucial to implement a formal sustainability strategy

The Impact of Retailer Brand Name Substitution on Consumer Trust

Purpose: The aim of this article is to understand the impact of retailer brand name substitution on consumer trust.   Theoretical Framework: Drawing on existing research on product brand substitution, the paper introduces variables that could influence consumer trust in situations where a brand name is substituted.   Design/Methodology/Approach:  To achieve this goal, a quantitative study was conducted among 351 Tunisian consumers to test the hypotheses and quantify the impact of each variable.   Findings: The results of this research highlight three variables that can contribute to building consumer trust during a retailer brand name substitution, namely: (1) communication about the change; (2) perceived similarity and (3) perceived benefits derived from the change. The results also indicated that consumer attachment has a moderating effect on the relationship between trust and its determinants. More precisely, the stronger the attachment to the initial retailer brand, the more the consumer's trust in the brand decreases after the brand substitution.   Research, Practical & Social implications: This paper assists practitioners in identifying the key success determinants that can facilitate the transfer of consumer trust from the old retailer brand to the new one. It provides guidance for a successful retailer brand name substitution.   Originality/Value: This research fulfils an identified need to study how consumers’ trust in a brand can be transferred successfully in the case of a retailer brand name substitution

A Critique on Theoritical Framework for Adoption of Corporate Sustainability Practices: Iintegrating Institutional Motives, Stakeholder Motives, and Managerial Motives

Purpose: This literature review seeks to advance knowledge of the area of theories on motivation for corporate sustainability efforts as it has been researched by earlier experts. Corporate sustainability has gained more attention in academics and business since the 1990s. Still, there is a lack of literature in the area of motivational theories for corporate sustainability. This particular review paper offers an analysis of 30 articles from journals covering the area of business and management that were published between 2002 and 2022. The paper provides a summary of the growth of corporate sustainability, as well as various definitions, and theories that have been put into practice to motivate corporate sustainability efforts.   Method: The researcher employed a literature search strategy, drawing from prior review articles, to investigate corporate sustainability theories and related studies by reputable academics. The electronic search focused on business and management publications, using keywords like sustainability and motivating theories for corporate sustainable adoption. The search was limited to the most recent two decades. Each identified work underwent screening to assess its essential relevance to motivational theories of corporate sustainability.   Findings: The results show that the field of corporate sustainability is still developing and that several theories have been employed to measure the motives of corporate sustainability. We believe that despite the similarities and connections between the three theories: institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and managerial motives, they are complementary rather than competing. Most significantly, they can be combined with and connected to corporate sustainability activities to provide a multi-theoretical view of the motivations behind such practices.   Research Implication: This study provides a theoretical framework that can be applied to studies of corporate sustainability, particularly when attempting to understand why organizations motivate to adopt corporate sustainability.   Origonality/Value: This theoretical model can be used as a conceptual foundation for empirical research on the drivers of corporate sustainability initiatives in a variety of settings. To gain a deeper comprehension of corporate sustainability adoption, it makes an effort to gain valuable insights into more than one single theory

Logistic Model for Predicting Coliform Growth in Wastewater Effluent From the Chambo River (Ecuador)

Purpose: The objective of this work is to apply a predictive model of bacterial growth to determine the concentration of total coliforms, under controlled laboratory conditions, in wastewater from the city of Riobamba that flows into the Chambo River (Ecuador).   Theoretical Framework: Wastewater pollution is a global problem that affects water quality and public health. Population growth has a drastic impact on the contamination of water bodies, particularly in Ecuador, since most of the effluents are not adequately treated, which becomes a public health and environmental problem. For this reason, over the years, total and fecal coliforms have been used as indicators of water quality.   Design/Methodology/Approach: The study used a mathematical modeling approach of a logistic and deterministic type, and calculated through an executable command designed in the integrated development environment (IDE) with the Visual C# programming language (logic) and the XAML design language (interface).   Findings: The results achieved are 1) the theoretical construction of a mathematical model (logistic model) starting from a differential equation and the taking of three experimental measurements, 2) the computer construction of the bacterial growth model and 3) it has been demonstrated that there is agreement between the values obtained from the model of total coliform growth and the experimental results with a margin of error of less than 1%.   Research, Practical & Social Implications: This information can be used by stakeholders to determine actions that could improve current conditions.   Originality/Value: The result of this study emphasizes that the model proposed can reproduce the growth of coliforms up to a maximum growth point, it is necessary to continue with the development of the same in the stationary phase of bacterial growth and then in the decay phase

A Importância da Auditoria como Prevenção das Fraudes

Objetivo da Pesquisa: Evidenciar a importância da auditoria como fator para prevenção de fraudes.   Enquadramento Teórico: Construir um breve histórico acerca a auditoria contábil, bem como demonstrar sua importância e função contra as fraudes na administração pública.   Metodologia: Revisão sistemática da literatura e, para tanto, utiliza-se de consulta pelo site de periódicos da Capes e após processo de filtragem, procedeu-se à leitura integral dos artefatos encontrados.   Resultados: Após refinar 245 artigos, em dois momentos de pesquisa, resultaram em 09 artigos aderentes a pesquisa, onde concluiu-se que a auditoria é uma importante ferramenta dentro de uma empresa, tanto para fornecer dados para tomada de decisões, quanto no combate às fraudes.   Contribuições Teóricas e Práticas: Frente a relevância temática, esta pesquisa visa melhorar o debate acerca da temática

Catalyst Role of University Green Entrepreneurial Support Promoting Green Entrepreneurial Inclinations Among Youth: Empirical Evidence from Oman

Purpose: The primary purpose of this paper is to investigate the green entrepreneurial inclination of youth and sustainable development in Sultanate of Oman. It has a secondary objective of stimulating more research in areas identified as still being under‐explored.   Theoretical framework: The framework is developed covering the personality factors, support factors and inclination towards green entrepreneurship furthermore the moderating role of institutional support has been inculcated.   Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is discursive using quantitative research methodology, based on analysis and synthesis of green entrepreneurial literature the framework was developed. The data has been collected from 384 students studying in Dhofar University and University and Technology and Applied Sciences, Salalah. Structural Equation modelling has been conducted to test the model.   Findings: Despite a broad spectrum of disciplines that investigate green entrepreneurial inclination and despite this special issue in the area of entrepreneurship, there are still areas open for research into green entrepreneurial intentions. The paper develops a model to explain green entrepreneurial inclination.   Research limitations/Implications: As a conceptual paper, the study is limited to literature and prior empirical research. It offers the benefit of new research directions for researchers/ universities in understanding and promoting the culture of green entrepreneurship among university students. The paper provides researchers with a proposed and tested integrated model of green entrepreneurial inclination.   Originality/Value: The paper links a significant body of literature within a unifying theoretical framework and identifies under‐researched areas of green entrepreneurial inclination of youth in an entrepreneurship context