Factors Influencing the Intention to Choose a Physical or an Applied Science Track in College: A Ghanaian District-Level Study.

The purpose of the study was to identify the determinants of Ghanaian senior secondary school students\u27 intentions to choose their college majors from the physical and applied sciences. The specific objectives were, first, to find out if males and females are equally likely to major in the physical and applied sciences, and second, to find out if the sex composition of the school a student attends can have an influence on his or her inclination toward the subjects in question. Through paper-and-pencil questionnaires, data for the study were collected in summer 1994, from a sample of 624 12th graders drawn from single-sex and mixed-sex senior secondary schools in a Ghanaian education district. Consistent with previous research, the results of this study show that males are more likely than females to choose their college majors from the physical and applied sciences. A more important finding is that though males are more likely than females to choose physical and applied science majors, being a male in an all-male school tends to increase this likelihood. Contrary to previous research, however, the results of this study show that females in single-sex schools are less likely than females in mixed-sex schools to choose physical and applied science majors. The results show further that the effect of the sex composition of the school the student attends, on his or her intention to choose a physical or an applied science major, is mediated through the effect of self-concept of ability in the physical sciences. One important finding also is that previous grades in mathematics and the physical sciences are strongly predictive of the intention to choose a physical or an applied science major. Mother\u27s education, parents\u27, teachers\u27, and peers\u27 support for the student\u27s subject choice are also predictive of the intention. Finally, the student\u27s appraisal of actual job opportunities available, and how this influences his or her decision to choose a physical or an applied science major, a factor which has not been included in previous studies, did emerge in this study as a predictor of the intention

The Impact Of Organisational Culture On Innovation And Knowledge Sharing At The Great Zimbabwe University

DissertationBecause of globalisation, a highly complex and unpredictable world of work has emerged, characterised by accelerated digitalisation and intense competition. Organisations cannot afford to operate according to old paradigms; instead, flexibility and organisational change have to take centre stage. The critical ingredients of organisational change are continuous innovation and knowledge sharing. These two variables are enhanced by a conducive organisational culture. Continuous innovation and knowledge sharing have become the linchpin of contemporary organisations, especially universities. Universities are considered to be reservoirs of knowledge where new and existing knowledge should be shared, bringing about continuous innovation for the benefit of society. Universities thus need to create a conducive environment to enable innovation and knowledge sharing. Although numerous studies have focused on the relationship between organisational culture and variables such as innovation and knowledge sharing, universities have largely been excluded from such research. For this reason, the current study investigated the impact of organisational culture on innovation and knowledge sharing at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU). In the Zimbabwean context, policymakers now expect universities to lead the industrialisation and modernisation agenda. A structured questionnaire was administered via the SurveyMonkey platform to a sample of 277 GZU staff members. A total of 195 questionnaires were collected for data analysis, yielding a response rate of 70.39%. The survey included a biographical section followed by sections on organisational culture (based on the Competing Values Framework), innovation (based on Dobni, 2008) and knowledge sharing (based on Jolaee, Md Nor, Khani, & Md Yusoff, 2014). Data were interpreted using descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse the relationships between the variables. The results indicated that the university under investigation had a dominant rational/clan cultural orientation. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between organisational culture and innovation and organisational culture and knowledge sharing. No significant relationship was found between innovation and knowledge sharing. The findings confirmed that the culture profile of the university is imperative for innovation and knowledge sharing to be facilitated. The study proposes that innovation and knowledge sharing can best be realised through the prevalence of the adhocracy culture type. A strategic framework is proposed to the management of GZU to enhance the pervasiveness of these variables. Areas of further research and the limitations of the study are also set out

Innovation Indicators For Less Developed Countries

Reliable indicators of innovation and innovative agents are even more necessary in developing countries, where scarce resource require even greater productivity in public investments, than in developed countries. A number of Latin American authors, and analysts at UNCTAD have proposed indicators, including impact indicators, that should assist developing nations to monitor their investments in S&T knowledge. This system needs to be codified and developed into a usable standard for these economies.63187192Avalos, I., Viana, H., (1985) Bases para la Elaboration de Indicadores de Medicion de la Capacidad Tecnologica, , UNICAMP, mimeoCallon, M., Lareto, P., Rabeharisoa, V., (1990) The Management and Evaluation of Technological Programs and the Dynamics of Techno-Economic Networks: The Case of the Agence Française de la Maitrise de l'Energie (AFME), , Centre de Sociologie de l'Innovation. Ecole des Mines de ParisCoutinho, L., Ferraz, J.C., (1994) Estudo da Competitividade da Industria Brasileira, , Editora da UNICAMP, Papirus Editora & Ministerio da Ciencia e da TecnologiaDavyt, A., (1996) Cuantificando la Ciencia: Una Revision Critica Sobre Indicadores Bibliometricos (1960-1995), , mimeoFajnzylber, F., (1983) La Industrializacion Trunca de America Latina, , Editorial Nueva Imagen, México, Caracas, Buenos AiresKonrad, N., Wahl, D., Science, technology and development indicators for third world countries - Possibilities for analysis and grouping (1990) Scientometrics, 19 (3-4), pp. 245-270Marcuse, H., Some social implications of modern technology (1941) Studies in Philosophy and Social Science, 9Morita-Lou, H., (1985) Science and Technology Indicators for Development, , Westview Press, Boulder, ColoradoNoble, D.F., (1982) America by Design - Science, Technology and the Rise of Corporate Capitalism, , Alfred A Knopf, New York, 1982, chapter 1(1991) Los Indicadores Tecnologicos y los Paises en Desarrollo, , UNCTAD/ITP/TEC/19, United Nations Conference on Trade and Developmen