Genetic diversity and performance of maize varieties from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi

Large scale and planned introduction of maize (Zea mays) in southern Africa was accomplished during the last 100 years. Since then, smallholder farmers and breeders have been selecting varieties best adapted to their specific growing conditions. Six studies were conducted to generate information on the current levels of genetic diversity and agronomic performance of both farmer-developed and commercially-bred maize varieties in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi to help in the identification of sources of new alleles for improving yield, especially under the main abiotic stresses that prevail in the region. In the first study, 267 maize landraces were collected from smallholder farmers in different agro-ecological zones of the three countries for conservation and further studies. Passport data and information on why smallholder farmers continue to grow landraces despite the advent of modern varieties were also collected along with the landraces. The second study revealed considerable variation for phenological, morphological and agronomic characters, and inter-relationships among the landraces and their commercial counterparts. A core sample representing most of the diversity in the whole collection of landraces was selected for further detailed analyses. The third study revealed high levels of molecular diversity between landraces originating from different growing environments and between landraces and commercially-bred varieties. The Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) data also showed that the genetic diversity introduced from the original gene pool from the USA about 100 years ago is still found in both the descendant landraces and commercially-bred varieties. The fourth study showed that in general, commercially-bred varieties outyielded landraces under both abiotic stress and nonstress conditions with some notable exceptions. Landraces were more stable across environments than improved varieties. The most promising landraces for pre-breeding and further investigation were also identified. The clustering patterns formed based on agronomic data were different from SSR markers, but in general the genotype groupings were consistent across the two methods of measuring diversity. In the fifth study, the more recently-bred maize varieties in Zimbabwe showed consistent improvement over older cultivars in grain yield. The apparent yearly rate of yield increase due to genetic improvement was positive under optimum growing conditions, low soil nitrogen levels and drought stress. The sixth study revealed that in general, genetic diversity in Zimbabwean maize has neither significantly decreased nor increased over time, and that the temporal changes observed in this study were more qualitative than quantitative. The results from the six studies confirm the origin of maize in southern Africa and reveals that considerable genetic variation exists in the region which could be used to broaden the sources of diversity for maize improvement under the current agro-ecological conditions in southern Africa

IDENTIFICATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RISK IN PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE: THE CASE OF SASKATCHEWAN GRAIN AND OILSEED FARMERS

Agricultural risks and uncertainty play a significant role in determining the stability of farm income. Successful farm managers are those who are able to identify and manage risks they face in the production process. Farmers have different perception of sources of risk and the risk management strategies adopted to manage risk also differ based on the perception of the importance the strategy in managing risk. Therefore, it is important to understand the risk perception of specific group of farmers to provide guidance in designing appropriate risk management strategies. This study uses survey of grain and oilseed farmers in Saskatchewan to identify their most important sources of risk, risk management strategies and model how farm and producer characteristics affect the perception and management of risks in production Best-Worst Scaling and latent Class cluster analysis were the tools employed to analyse the data. The results suggest production and marketing risks such as variation in output prices, rainfall variability, change in input prices, diseases and pests, accidents and health/disability, natural disasters, unable to meet quality requirements and risk management strategies including producing at low cost, keeping financial reserve, pests and diseases control, reducing debt level, buying crop insurance, diversification, getting market information and forward contracting as important sources of risk and risk management strategies to grain and oilseed producers in Saskatchewan. The cluster analysis also showed the existence of two unique clusters based on perception of sources of risk and three unique segments in relation to their perception of important risk management strategies. The regression analysis also suggests farmers use different risk management strategies based on a particular risk faced. Several socio-economic variables including off-farm income, sales, experience, debt to asset ratio, education household income and age were found to influence farmers’ perception of risks and risk management strategies. The study should guide policy makers and service providers for appropriate targeting in the design of risk management strategies to help producers cope with risks

Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management: Explicating the Multi-Level Nature of Dynamic Capabilities - Insights from the Information Technology Security Consulting Industry

The dynamic capabilities perspective has become one of the most vibrant approaches to strategic management. Despite its growing popularity, it has faced criticism because of ambiguity and contradictions in dynamic capabilities literature. There has been increasing calls to address the fragmentation in the literature and provide empirically collaborated insights if it is to fulfil its potential as a distinct approach to strategic management. The microfoundations research agenda remains an emerging theme in the dynamic capabilities literature and since the overarching emphasis of a microfoundational approach is in the explanatory primacy of the micro-level especially in its relation to macro-level entities, it covers a wide array of subjects at several levels. One of the main criticisms of the microfoundations approach is a lack of multi-level analysis and there has been calls for multi-level theory development to connect levels within particular contexts since dynamic capabilities are path dependent and context-specific. This thesis explores the multi-level nature of dynamic capabilities in the Information Technology Security context and empirically investigates the impact of microfoundations of dynamic capabilities on firm capability renewal and reconfiguration. It overcomes the challenge associated with fragmentation in dynamic capabilities by presenting a conceptual model for the multi-level nature of dynamic capabilities. By explicating where dynamic capabilities reside, we can more purposely impact on them to advance our scholarly understanding and proffer practical managerial interventions to directly enhance specific abilities of sensing, seizing and reconfiguring to achieve superior outcomes. The research employed the Gioia qualitative case study research methodology and research methods used were 35 semi-structured interviews and observations. The research findings suggest that firms renew and reconfigure their capabilities to align with the changing industry and industry standards, and client needs. Firms also renew and reconfigure capabilities and capability framework due to internal strategic organisational learning and to align with firm’s specific business strategies. Capability renewal and reconfiguration is vital to achieve technical and evolutionary fitness. In addition, findings inform that dynamic capabilities in the form of ability to sense, seize and reconfigure exhibit at macro, meso and micro levels. Actor’s external engagement with significant institutions enables superior sensing ability. Accumulated experience is exploited to gain credibility with clients to win business, and demystifying firm processes and clarity of language in firm artefacts achieve superior knowledge articulation and codification processes by actors. Structuring of simple routines and capabilities enable ease of internal knowledge transfer but susceptibility to intellectual property theft by outsiders whereas complex routines and capabilities create challenges for knowledge transfer but are harder for competitors to discern and copy. Drawing on the research findings, the thesis presents a conceptual model for the multi-level microfoundations of dynamic capabilities in knowledge-intensive domains with relevance for theory and practice

Enhancing Legal Aid through University law student engagement: a case study of the EBSU Law Clinic model

The provision of legal aid to underprivileged and vulnerable citizens who could not have ordinarily been able to provide for self legal representation and access to the court system is infrequent in many societies today, especially in most developing countries. There is also an observed non-inclusiveness in the delivery of legal aid. These have starkly resulted to a gap that impacts administration of justice negatively. However, the emergence of clinical legal education (CLE) at different law schools and universities around the world becomes a remedial approach both to increasing the consistency and breadth of legal aid activities, including promoting inclusiveness. CLE is gradually assuming a great height of unprecedented importance and progress in academic curriculum globally. Many universities and law schools have begun to incorporate law clinics into their educational curriculum not just as an essentially approved aspect of their legal education or a novel course of study that involves different pragmatic approaches of engaging law students on learning, but also as a practical mechanism for providing unmatched pedagogy that focuses on diverse lawyering skills successively maximized in providing free legal services to those citizens whose survival depends on the public mercy. This paper discusses how the engagement of university law students from CLE perspective helps to enhance the provision of legal aid to underprivileged and defenseless citizens. Consequently, Ebonyi State University (EBSU) Law Clinic model is used for a methodological case study analysis to that effect. EBSU is a State University in Nigeria and has effectively run its Law Clinic since inception till date, combining both empirical and theoretical approaches in providing pro bono oriented legal services to unprotected Nigerians. The paper further examines the modus operandi of the EBSU Law Clinic and highlights significant reasons why the Clinic stands to be a reference practice model

The Rise of Force Majeure amid Coronavirus Pandemic: Legitimacy and Implications for Energy Laws and Contracts

The global outbreak of coronavirus disease has become one of humanity’s current greatest challenges and may arguably surpass climate change in the short-term. The virus’s rapid dispersion through the transportation sector, its disruption to human health and global economies, has been remarkable. The energy sector has also been impacted, as it has seen episodic low prices of oil, particularly in April 2020. This scenario is due to less demand for oil amid various containment measures and related health policies of governments worldwide. The performance of existing oil and gas contracts, especially time-bound supply contracts, has been rendered impracticable in some parts of the world. This has resulted in parties invoking force majeure clauses as an excuse. However, the legitimacy of coronavirus as an acceptable force majeure has emerged topically controversial. This article, adopting an analytical approach, makes a case for coronavirus as a typical instance of force majeure for energy contracts or sales and purchase agreements (“SPAs”), such as liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) contracts and energy purchase agreements (“EPAs”), and which can only avail defense depending on parties’ contractual force majeure provision. This article offers an understanding of force majeure alongside required fundamentals. Likewise, it highlights current debates about force majeure and likely impacts on future energy law contracts

Assessing the Effectiveness of the Inventory Management System in a Service Organization: A Case Study of Toyota Ghana Company Limited Central Parts Depot at Tema (in Ghana)

This paper examine the effectiveness of inventory management system of the subsidiary Toyota Motor Corporation distribution organization hitherto referred in this paper as Toyota Ghana Company Limited (TGCL). The TGCL was incorporated in Ghana in January 1998 by the investment of Marubeni Corporation, Japan and Marubeni Auto Europe S.A., Belgium and started operations in April 1998. However, this research is limited to inventory managements and control practices in the TGCL Central Part Depot (CPD) at Tema. Growth and survival of any distribution company depends on microscopic analysis of operational processes and marketing effectiveness. To achieve this objective, inventory analysis has therefore attained limelight considering the investments involved in maintaining and managing inventories. The researchers used both quantitative and qualitative data from 40 customers and 50 staffs incorporating top managers of inventory management in TGCL. The study identified that cycle counting supported by the use of Automatic Data Processing (ADP) technology are used to ensure and maintain effective inventory records. The study further identified that the management of TGCL uses perpetual inventory control system which incorporates automatic order processing to control inventory in the company. There is a proper layout plan for inventory storage facility in maximizing the effectiveness of production process and meeting customers’ needs or desires. Key words: inventory, inventory management, marketing effectiveness, automobile industr

Double moral hazard and relational contract : evidence from Ghana and experimental economics

Ph. D. Thesis.In developing countries, one of the main constraints for the development of value supply chains is side-selling and payment default by buyers. There is burgeoning literature examining financial and labour contracts in Sub-Saharan Africa, but less is known about informal contractual relations between buyers and sellers in agri-food markets. Yet, agribusiness development in Africa will depend on more stable contractual arrangements in food value chains. This study has two main aims: the first is to examine attributes of Ghanaian fresh vegetables supply chain contracts and second, to experimentally investigate the mitigation of double moral hazard in buyer-seller contracts. The first part of the study uses a survey method aiming to describe the nature of contracting and the factors determining contractual breaches by sellers. A logit regression results show that being an older farmer, distance to alternative market, monitoring and production management contract significantly increased side-selling while the time of contract price setting, time of payment, shorter contract relationship, and a farmer being a male positively influenced side-selling. The second study examines how an institution where buyers commit to a deposit of the value of payment agreed with the seller may resolve the contract breaches. This study aligns with the literature on informal and relational contracts, but rather than relying on repeated interactions and reputation it examines double moral hazard in a single shot game involving 294 participants. A buyer player proposes a contract price to a seller for the purchase of a commodity but can reduce the price ex-post. Similarly, the seller can side-sell the contracted commodity for a spot market price. The results show that fewer buyers voluntarily committed to a deposit of the payment but doing so resulted in a significantly less side-selling suggesting reciprocity in the seller’s behaviour. Moreover, anticipating that buyers may not voluntarily commit to a deposit, an institution that enforces a commitment to the deposit was examined and shown to further decrease side-selling.Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund