Factors Influencing the Adoption of Internet Banking by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nyamagana District, Mwanza-Tanzania

Information technology is very essential in changing the banking industry worldwide. Introduction of internet banking offers banking firms a new leading edge of opportunities and challenges. Extensive application and adoption of this knowledge and skills allows banks to create solutions and plans to attract consumers to their internet banking services, thus enabling these institutions in gaining a greater share in the business industry. In Tanzania, we are still behind on the long run track of internet banking. We are far off mainly because internet banking is a new industry hence the acceptance and the use of internet banking is limited. To date very little research has been conducted on factors which influence consumer adoption of internet banking therefore, there is a need for this study. This study investigates attitudes of Tanzanians banking customers towards the adoption of internet banking. This research is specifically targeted to people in Nyamagana District in Mwanza region . The research framework   based on the diffusion of innovation theory was used to identify factors that would influence the adoption of internet banking. This report has reviewed current literature and opinions about this innovative banking technology. It has also focused factors like: consumer demographic characteristics, consumer perceptions toward internet banking characteristics and social influences that affect consumer adoption on this mode of banking. It has also looked at how the extensive of internet banking can be measured. Explanations of the methodology used in conducting 425 interviews to obtain primary information for this study is given. Results of the 425 interviews and the analysis of these results; with graphs and figures to determine the extent that the factors studied influence customer adoption of internet banking, is also analyzed. The research objectives were tested by using descriptive statistics tools such as bar graphs and statistical tables so as to measure the relationship between consumers’ demographic characteristics and the adoption of internet banking. Bar graphs and statistical tables were used to describe differences between users and non-users in terms of their perceptions of internet banking. The key findings reveal that demographic factors including age, income, education level and occupation have a relationship with the adoption of internet banking. Psychological factors including perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, perceived complexity, perceived risk, and perceived cost were found to influence the adoption of internet banking. Social influences including opinions of friends, parents and colleagues were not found to be significant factors to influence the adoption of internet banking in the Tanzanian context. The theoretical contributions and the practical implications of the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are presented. Keywords: Internet Banking; Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs);Retail Banking

Interpreting the Culture of Ubuntu: The Contribution of a Representative Indigenous African Ethics to Global Bioethics

Ubuntu is a worldview and a way of life shared by most Africans south of Sahara. Basically Ubuntu underlines the often unrecognized role of relatedness and dependence of human individuality to other humans and the cosmos. The importance of relatedness to humanity is summarized by the two maxims of Ubuntu. The first is: a human being is human because of other human beings. The second maxim is an elaboration of the first. It goes; a human being is human because of the otherness of other human beings. John Mbiti combines those two maxims into, I am because we are, and we are because I am. Ubuntu worldview can provide insights about relationships with communities and the world that contribute to the meaning of Global Bioethics. Ubuntu can be described as involving several distinct yet related components that can be explored in relation to major strands of discourse in contemporary Bioethics. The first component of Ubuntu deals with the tension between individual and universal rights. The second component of Ubuntu deals with concerns about the cosmic and global context of life. The third component of Ubuntu deals with the role of solidarity that unites individuals and communities. Ubuntu has a lot in common with current discourse in bioethics. It can facilitate global bioethics. It can inspire the on-going dialogue about human dignity, human rights and the ethics that surround it. It can inspire and be inspired by global environmental concerns that threaten the biosphere and human life. Ubuntu can critique the formal bioethical principles of autonomy, justice, beneficence and non-maleficence. Above all, Ubuntu can create a basis for dialogue and mutually enlightening discourse between global bioethics and indigenous cultures. Such a dialogue helps make advancements in bioethics relevant to local indigenous cultures, thereby facilitating the acceptability and praxis of global bioethical principles

Problems in Swahili Lexicography!

Swahili dictionaries have been on the market since 1882. Most of these dictionaries were compiled by foreigners who were either missionaries or political administrators working in East Africa. Although the history of Swahili dictionary compilation seems to have survived a number of years, the field of lexicography is still a very new field in relation to what has been done by Tanzanians in this field. The first Swahili monolingual dictionary by a team of Tanzanian amateurs in dictionary compilation was published in 1981. Due to inexperience in the field of lexicography the compilers have been facing various kinds of problems arising either from the technical level (whereby solutions for such problems are beyond the dictionary compilers) or from the practical level (whereby solutions depend more on the working team). When the two levels intertwine it makes the work of the dictionary compilers even more difficult, thus requiring support from outside the team. The sample problems discussed in this paper, though not exhaustive, pose some difficulties to Swahili dictionary compilers. Among those problems are:1. Fiscal constraints which force compilers to embrace a big user target, making the dictionary objectives too wide to address any group satisfactorily.2 The choice of language (standard versus non-standard varieties) inhibits the expansion of existing vocabulary in Swahili dictionaries.3. The identification of lemmas and their grammatical categories still requires special attention from Swahili grammarians and structuralists

Geochemistry of Mafic-Intermediate Intrusive Rocks from the Twangiza-Namoya Gold Belt, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: Trace Element Constraints on their Origin, Petrogenesis and Tectonic Setting

Bulk geochemical data for the Twangiza-Namoya Gold Belt, Democratic Republic of Congo, are presented in order to classify the rock assemblages, elucidate their petrogenesis and tectonic settings. Nb/Yb and Zr/Ti constraints reveal two suites for the rocks: sub-alkaline to andesitic basalts (Suite-1); and alkaline basalts (Suite-2).  Ratios of Ti/Zr = 22–70; Zr/Hf = 35–42; Nb/Ta = 12–13; Nb/Th = 1–2 and La/Nb = 2.4–3.8 suggest arc-generated mantle melts with crustal inputs and arc-fluids metasomatism for Suite-1. The samples have positive LILE and negative Nb, Ta, Ti anomalies, enrichments in the LREE over middle and HREE (La/Yb)CN = 3.6–8.9 with negative Eu anomalies (0.7–0.9) in Chondrite-normalized diagrams. Yb-Th/Ta and Ta/Yb-Th/Yb ratios suggest active continental margin settings, whereas Ta/Hf-Th/Ta and Nb/Yb-Th/Yb diagrams suggest a depleted MORB source. Ti/Zr, Zr/Hf, Nb/Ta, Nb/Th and La/Nb constraints for Suite-2 suggest MORB and oceanic plateau basaltic sources. REE patterns show enrichments in the LREE with negative to positive Eu anomalies (0.7– 1.3). Yb-Th/Ta and Ta/Yb-Th/Yb ratios suggest a within plate tectonic setting. It is suggested that Suite-2 rocks were sourced from mantle-derived melts with a composition between an enriched MORB to OIB. Keywords: Twangiza-Namoya; Petrogenesis; Tectonic setting; Trace element ratio

Fetal-maternal outcomes of induction of labour among women delivered at regional referral hospitals in Dar es Salaam Tanzania

Purpose: Africa has a very low rate of induction of labour with high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. However fetal-maternal outcomes following induction of labour are not well documented in Tanzania. This study aimed to assess fetal-maternal outcomes following induction of labour among women delivered at Dar es Salaam regional referral hospitals in Tanzania.Design/methodology/Approach: A total of 301 expectant mothers were recruited in a prospective observational study conducted at all regional referral hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data on fetal-maternal outcomes were collected using a pre-designed clinical sheet. Demographic data, obstetric history, methods as well as outcomes of labour induction were recorded. The continuous variables were summarized using the median and corresponding interquartile range. Categorical variables were summarized using frequency and proportions and the significance of differences were assessed using Chi-square at P<0.05.Results: The leading methods for induction of labour were Oxytocin (48.5%) and a combination of Folley’s catheter with Oxytocin (28.4%). Induction of labour significantly improved fetal outcomes at birth P<0.05. Induction of labour associated with improved Apgar scores in newborn babies. Failure of induction of labour was the largest contributor to the increased Caesarean Section rate observed in this study.Research limitation/Implication: This study has therefore explored the fetal-maternal outcomes following induction of labour in Tanzanian regional referral hospitals.Practical implication: Induction of labour improves and minimizes neonatal complications in referral regional hospitals in Dar es Salaam.Originality/Value: These findings fill a gap of information which was missing on the fetalmaternal outcomes following induction of labour among expectant mothers in Dar es Salaam regional referral hospitals

Dar es Salaam Regional and District Projections.

This report presents population projections for the period 2003 to 2025 for Dar es Salaam Region. The projections were made using a Cohort Component Method (Spectrum System), whereby three components responsible for population change, namely: mortality, fertility and migration were projected separately as well as HIV/AIDS prevalence. The projected components were then applied to 2002 midyear base population in order to come up with the desired projections from 2003 to 2025. The report gives mortality, fertility, migration and HIV/AIDS assumptions, and shows Dar es Salaam’s demographic and socio-economic future trends. The results include estimated population by sex in single years and five-year age groups as well as some demographic indicators. Population growth for the period 2003 to 2025 shows a decrease in growth rates. The projections show that population growth rate will decrease from 1.99 percent in 2003 (with a population of 2,535,594) to 0.27 percent in 2025 (with a population of 3,055,456). Sex Ratio at birth is projected to increase slightly from 102 male per 100 females in 2003 to 103 male per 100 females in 2025. Mortality estimates show that Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is expected to decline for both sexes from 80 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2003 to 49 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025. Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) for both sexes will also decline from 122 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2003 to 71 deaths per 1,000 live births in the year 2025. As expected, the mortality projected estimates further show that the life expectancy at birth for females is higher compared to that of males. Life expectancy at birth for Dar es Salaam will decline from 55 years in 2003 to 52 years in 2025 for both sexes. For male population, life expectancy at birth will almost remain at 53 years for the whole period. For female population, the life expectancy at birth will decline from 57 years in 2003 to 52 years in 2025. On fertility, TFR will decline from 2.7 children per woman in 2003 to about 2 children per woman in 2025.\u

Manyara Regional and District Projections

This report presents population projections for the period 2003 to 2025 for the Manyara Region and its districts. The projections were made using the Cohort Component Method (Spectrum System), whereby three components responsible for population change, namely: mortality, fertility and migration are projected separately as well as HIV/AIDS prevalence. The projected components are then applied to 2002 midyear base population in order to come up with the desired projections from 2003 to 2025. The report gives mortality, fertility, migration and HIV/AIDS assumptions, which depicts Manyara’s demographic and socio-economic future trends. The results include estimated population by sex in single years and five-year age groups as well as some demographic indicators. Population growth for the period 2003 to 2025 shows an increase in growth rates. The projections show that population growth rate will increase from 3.9 percent in 2003 (with a population of 1,075,022) to 4.2 percent in 2025 (with a population of 2,483,873). Sex Ratio at birth is projected to decrease from 105 male births per 100 females in 2003 to 103 male births per 100 females in 2025. Mortality estimates show that Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is expected to decline for both sexes from 62 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2003 to 31 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025. Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) for both sexes will also decline from 96 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2003 to 42 deaths per 1,000 live births in the year 2025. The mortality projected estimates further show that the life expectancy at birth for females is higher compared to that of males, which is expected. Life expectancy at birth for Manyara will increase from 61 years in 2003 to 68 years in 2025 for both sexes. For male population, life expectancy at birth will increase from 60 years in year 2003 to 66 years in 2025, while for female population the life expectancy at birth will increase from 62 years in 2003 to 69 years in 2025. On fertility, TFR will increase from 6.4 children per woman in 2003 to 6.8 children per woman in 2025