Marketing Strategy And Marketing Performance: Does Strategy Affect Performance?

This article surveys marketing management literature to find out the positive impact that a good market and marketing can have on marketing performance at the marketplace. The marketplace in this contest can be either a country or even a continent since the companies are multinational and also have diversified holdings which help them to spread their tentacles to every nook and cranny of the globe. Locally based companies are not left out since they all use marketing strategies to do their marketing. Companies or multinationals of U.S. and U.K. parentage will be used a lot. Does the literature attest to the positive impact of very good marketing strategies on a company's marketing performance? This is going to be investigated to come out with the justify opinion. Coming out with a very good marketing strategy to pilot or direct a company's marketing assault is not very easy. It is plainly herculean. Implementation, monitoring, controlling and evaluating marketing strategies are equally herculean. Top marketing management do not have it easy with formulating, managing, and evaluating marketing strategies. Marketing performance measurement is tackled in this piece. It is essential to point out that marketing is not the pressure of only those in marketing (pan–marketing). It is very general managerial with all corporate functional players all actively involved

Optimisation of Plate Thickness Using Finite Difference Method

A finite difference numerical method of solving biharmonic equation is presented. The biharmonic equation and plate theory are used to solve a classical engineering problem involving the optimisation of plate thickness to minimise deformations and stresses in the plate. Matlab routines were developed to solve the resulting finite difference equations. The results from the finite difference method were compared with results obtained using ANSYS finite element formulation. Using the finite difference method, a plate thickness of 277 mm was obtained with a mesh size of 3 m and a plate thickness of 271 mm was obtained with a mesh size of 1 m., whiles using ANSYS finite element formulation, a plate thickness of 270 mm was obtained. The significance of these results is that, by using off-the-shelf general application tool and without resorting to expensive dedicated application tool, simple engineering problems could be solved. Keywords: Finite Difference (FD), Biharmonic Equation, Finite Element (FE), Plate Theory Journal of Science & Technology (Ghana) Vol. 28 (3) 2008: pp. 135-15

Quantifying the spatio-temporal patterns of settlement growth in a metropolitan region of Ghana

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10708-016-9719-xRetrospective understanding of the magnitude and pace of urban expansion is necessary for effective growth management in metropolitan regions. The objective of this paper is to quantify the spatial– temporal patterns of urban expansion in the Greater Kumasi Sub-Region (GKSR)—a functional region comprising eight administrative districts in Ghana, West Africa. The analysis is based on Landsat remote sensing images from 1986, 2001 and 2014 which were classified using supervised maximum likelihood algorithm in ERDAS IMAGINE. We computed three complementary growth indexes namely; Average Annual Urban Expansion Rate, Urban Expansion Intensity Index (UEII) and Urban Expansion Differentiation Index to estimate the amount and intensity of expansion over the 28-year period. Overall, urban expansion in the GKSR has been occurring at an average annual rate of 5.6 %. Consequently, the sub-region’s built-up land increased by 313 km^2 from 88 km^2 in 1986 to 400 km^2 in 2014. The analysis further show that about 72 % of the total built-up land increase occurred in the last 13 years alone, with UEII value of 0.605 indicating a moderate intensity of urban expansion. Moreover, the metropolitan-core of the sub-region, being the focal point of urban development and the historical origins of expansion, accounted for more than half of the total built-up land increase over the 28-year period. Over the last decade and half however, urban expansion has spilled into the neighbouring peripheral districts, with the highest intensity and fastest rate of expansion occurring in districts located north and north east of the sub-regional core. We recommend a comprehensive regional growth management strategy grounded in effective strategic partnerships among the respective administrative districts to curb unsustainable urban expansion

Law, mobile money drivers and mobile money innovations in developing countries

This study investigates how the rule of law (i.e. law) modulates demand- and supply-side drivers of mobile money to influence mobile money innovations (i.e. mobile money accounts, the mobile phone used to send money and the mobile phone used to receive money) in developing countries. The following findings from Tobit regressions are established. First, from the demand-side linkages, law modulates: (i) bank accounts and automated teller machine (ATM) penetration for negative interactive relationships with mobile money innovations and (ii) bank sector concentration for a positive interactive relationship with mobile money accounts. Second, from supply-side linkages, law interacts with: (i) mobile subscriptions for a negative relationship with the mobile phone used to send money; (ii) mobile connectivity coverage for a negative nexus on the mobile phone used to receive money and (iii) mobile connectivity performance for a negative influence on the mobile phone used to send/receive money. Policy implications are discussed in the light of enhancing the rule of law as well as improving mobile phone subscription, connectivity and performance dynamics

Fintechs and the financial inclusion gender gap in Sub-Saharan African countries

This study addresses the issue of financial innovation in developing countries, focusing specifically on the role fintechs have in closing the gender gap of financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the period 2011–2017. The empirical evidence is based on the multilevel tobit regression model fitted to panel data. The results of this study show that fintechs reduce the financial inclusion gender gap by mitigating the gender gap in access to and use of financial services. Furthermore, the results cast doubt on the ability of fintechs development to bridge this gap on its own, and hint on the joint importance of targeted policy initiatives aimed at directly closing the gender gap to this end. These findings have important economic policy implications and provide evidence of improved economic conditions for women in terms of financial inclusion or narrowing of the gender gap

Blood pressure and body mass index in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents in Paramaribo, Suriname

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High blood pressure (BP) is now an important public health problem in non-industrialised countries. The limited evidence suggests ethnic inequalities in BP in adults in some non-industrialised countries. However, it is unclear whether these ethnic inequalities in BP patterns in adults reflect on adolescents. Hence, we assessed ethnic differences in BP, and the association of BP with body mass index (BMI) among adolescents aged 12–17 years in Paramaribo, Suriname.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cross-sectional study with anthropometric and blood pressure measurements. A random sample of 855 adolescents (167 Hindustanis, 169 Creoles, 128 Javanese, 91 Maroons and 300 mixed-ethnicities) were studied. Ethnicity was based on self-reported ethnic origin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among boys, Maroons had a lower age- and height-adjusted systolic BP than Creoles, and a lower diastolic BP than other ethnic groups. However, after further adjustment for BMI, only diastolic BP in Maroons was significantly lower than in Javanese (67.1 versus 70.9 mmHg). Creole boys had a lower diastolic BP than Hindustani (67.3 versus 70.2 mmHg) and Javanese boys after adjustment for age, height and BMI. Among girls, there were no significant differences in systolic BP between the ethnic groups. Maroon girls, however, had a lower diastolic BP (65.6 mmHg) than Hindustani (69.1 mmHg), Javanese (71.2 mmHg) and Mixed-ethnic (68.3 mmHg) girls, but only after differences in BMI had been adjusted for. Javanese had a higher diastolic BP than Creoles (71.2 versus 66.8 mmHg) and Mixed-ethnicity girls. BMI was positively associated with BP in all the ethnic groups, except for diastolic BP in Maroon girls.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The study findings indicate higher mean BP levels among Javanese and Hindustani adolescents compared with their African descent peers. These findings contrast the relatively low BP reported in Javanese and Hindustani adult populations in Suriname and underscore the need for public health measures early in life to prevent high BP and its sequelae in later life.</p

Mobile money innovations, income inequality and gender inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa

This study assesses the role of mobile money innovations on income inequality and gender inclusion in 42 sub-Saharan African countries from 1980 to 2019 using interactive quantile regressions. It finds that, first, income inequality unconditionally reduces the involvement of women in business and politics. Second, mobile money innovations interact with income inequality to have a positive impact on women in business and politics. Third, the net effects of mobile money innovations on gender inclusion through income inequality are consistently negative. Fourth, as the positive conditional or interactive effects and negative net effects are consistent across the conditional distribution of gender inclusion, thresholds at which mobile money innovations can completely dampen the negative effect of income inequality on gender inclusion are provided. Therefore, policymakers should work toward improving conditions for mobile money innovations. They should also be aware that reducing both income inequality and enhancing mobile money innovations simultaneously leads to more inclusive outcomes in terms of gender inclusion

Assessment of Emotional Distress in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Case Study at the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Korle-Bu

Emotional distress is a common symptom experienced by most cancer patients which is difficult to detect and if detected, only a small percentage receives treatment. It becomes worse over the course of treatment and after the end of therapy which negatively impact on the quality of life of the patients. This study looked at the prevalence of emotional distress of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and the factors that affects emotional distress. A cross-sectional study was done with 150 participants receiving chemotherapy at the National Centre for Radiotherapy, Korle-Bu. Data were collected using structured self-rated questionnaires. Emotional distress was assessed using the Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and linked with their clinical characteristics from their medical records. Chi-square was used to examine the factors that affect emotional distress. Out of 150 participants, 89(59.3%) were distressed. More females were more distressed than men. Analysis indicated that the younger the age, low income level,   being employed and low educational status affects distress level. Common side effects of chemotherapy experienced by the patients were also related to high levels of distress. Emotional distress is relatively high in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and it is affected by younger age, low income level, being employed and low educational status. Early detection and intervention of distress during chemotherapy will be easier if health professionals especially the oncology nurse screen patients before and during chemotherapy so as to know those who are vulnerable and need psychological care. Keywords: cancer, emotional distress, chemotherapy, hospital anxiety and depression scale, tumour