Lessons from Uganda’s Successful Combat of Ebola Scourge: The Strategic Communication Approach

This case focuses on how Ugandan health sector players (both public and private) under the leadership of the ministry of health managed to combat the Ebola scourge that hit the nation in the year 2000 in comparison to the Ebola scourge in West Africa in 2014. The case starts with a brief background of the then state of health in Uganda that comprised of a relatively weak health system with inadequate health and wellbeing promotion campaigns. This challenge has continued to the extent that up to date, 75% of the disease burden in Uganda is preventable through health awareness campaigns. The case study shows that with the weak health system in 2000, the health sector managed to use strategic communication approaches like relational cohesion, information adequacy and interaction quality to combat the Ebola scourge that had spread to nearly the whole country within only 144 days, claiming over 224 lives. The case ends with a discussion of the lessons that can be drawn from Uganda’s successful combat of Ebola basing on the understanding of social network theory and a conclusion that sets direction for future studies. Keywords: management, communication, strategy, strategic communication, Ebol

Entrepreneurial mindset: Examining the contribution of deliberative and implemental mindsets to SME internationalization

The purpose of this study was to establish the contribution of deliberative mindset and implemental mindset to SME (small and medium enterprises) internationalization. This study employed cross-sectional and correlational research designs. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of exporting SME owners and managers. Data was analyzed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and SmartPLS. Results suggest that implemental mindset significantly contributes to variances in SME internationalization unlike deliberative mindset. The findings in this study imply that increased levels of internationalization among SMEs in a developing country like Uganda can be achieved by those managers and owners who possess an implemental mindset. This study provides initial empirical evidence of the contribution of deliberative and implemental mindsets to SME internationalization using evidence from Uganda – a developing country

Knowledge management, adaptability and business process reengineering performance in microfinance institutions

The purpose of this paper is to provide theoretical explanation of business process reengineering performance using emerging themes of adaptability and knowledge management in the context of developing economies. The study used a narrative cross-sectional survey conducted using qualitative data collection technique, specifically the appreciative inquiry. The study used operations managers and senior executive managers to gather qualitative data from Uganda’s reengineered microfinance institutions to provide indepth explanation of business process reengineering performance. The authors find that adaptability, knowledge creation and knowledge sharing explain business process reengineering performance. The results suggest that business process reengineering be made mandatory to ensure sustainable competitiveness of the financial sector. The study provides novel insights of business process reengineering performance using a theory of change and a complexity theory. Methodological, theoretical, managerial and policy implications herein play pivotal role in bridging the knowledge gap that exists in Microfinance institutions of developing economies

Organizational Culture and Voluntary Disclosure Practices of Listed Firms in Nigeria

The purpose of this paper is to test the relationship between organizational culture and voluntary disclosure by listed firms in Nigeria. The research design for the study is survey design that is cross-sectional nature to examine the relationship among the study variables. Data for organizational culture were obtained from administration of questionnaire while that for voluntary disclosure were from financial reports of 92 listed companies. To test our main hypotheses, we used Structural Equation Model (SEM) especially PLS-SEM. The results indicate that both ritualism and opportunism dimensions of organizational culture are positively associated with voluntary disclosure. This implies that, firms’ emphasis on rules as well as flexibility in response to changing environmental needs promote the practice of voluntary disclosure in annual reports. This study concludes that voluntary disclosure is associated with flexibility in policies and disclosure rules as well as strict adherence to laid down guideline for the identification and measurement of disclosure items

Agency relations and managed performance in public universities in Uganda

Orientation: This article focused on the need for improved employer-employee relationships in order for public universities in Uganda to achieve their intended objectives.Research purpose: The purpose of this article was to review the need for appropriate employer-employee relationships that will ensure quality services and service delivery in public universities in Uganda.Motivation for the study: The researchers set out to examine why managers of public universities in Uganda were continuously paying less attention to the needs of the employees.Research design, approach and method: A descriptive research design was employed and 12 respondents, purposively selected from 4 public universities, were interviewed. Data were recorded, transcribed and analysed using Nvivo software. This article is based on the perspective of agency theory, and discussed the contractual relationship between management and employees. The agency theory was deemed necessary because of its contribution to organisational literature.Main findings: There is a need to create and nurture a collegial working climate that promotes quality interactions through information sharing. This results in creating and retaining motivated and committed employees, and also helps to overcome the paradox of balancing the high demand for university education whilst offering quality services.Practical/managerial implications: Managers have to continuously monitor and accommodate employee needs and demands.Contribution/value-add: The potential value of the paper is its function as a guide for public universities to have visionary managers that will introduce new approaches to managing public universities in a competitive global environment.</p

Does responsibility accounting in public universities matter?

Responsibility accounting is an administrative accounting method that measures the results of each responsibility centre. The concept of responsibility accounting is vested in costs and revenues performance. Managers are evaluated based on what is under their control. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to examine if responsibility accounting matters in Ugandan public universities. The paper adopted a cross-sectional survey that included both quantitative and qualitative approaches to find out if responsibility accounting matters. The qualitative data supplement quantitative data. The findings indicate that there is a system of responsibility accounting. Costs and revenues are managed at respective departments. Heads of department have authority to manage their budget-allocated estimates. They are responsible for their decisions against their budgets or votes. Costs and/or revenues are accumulated and reported upward from departments and faculties to university authorities. This study signifies that responsibility accounting follows hierarchical patterns in public universities