The Influence of Zimbabwe’s Export Profile on Foreign Investors Seeking FDI Opportunities in Post-crisis Zimbabwe

The Foreign Direct Investment-Exports nexus has been widely researched, however despite evidence of the bi-directional relationship, little is known about the reverse Exports-Foreign Direct Investment relationship. Thus, the study intended examine the influence of Zimbabwe’s Exports profile on the FDI decisions of foreign investors. The study set out to identify the export factors constituting Zimbabwe’s Exports profile and then test the relationship between Zimbabwe’s Exports profile and the four foreign direct investment market opportunity types. STATISTICA 2016 was utilised to apply Exploratory Factor Analysis, Principle Component Analysis and Multiple Regression to analyse the quantitative data generated from a purposive sample of n=305 foreign investors. Factors such as the existing global demand for Zimbabwe’s export products, and the export processing zone status allocation to foreign manufacturers in Zimbabwe were found to be some of the quite influential factors to foreign direct investment market entry motives. Importantly, the results indicate discernible statistically significant relationships between Zimbabwe’s Exports profile and market-, resource-, efficiency-, and strategic asset-seeking market opportunities. Thus, this study is novel, providing valuable insights into the Exports profile-Foreign Direct Investment nexus – significantly contributing to the extent of the literature within the foreign direct investment and behavioural economics discourses

Human Capital Reputation as an Antecedent of Foreign Direct Investment Market Entry in Zimbabwe

 This paper examines the influence that the reputation of Zimbabwe’s human capital has as an antecedent of FDI market entry opportunities in the country. By synthesizing nation branding, behavioural finance and foreign direct investment theory, this paper contributes to the growing body of knowledge in human capital as a determinant influencing foreign investor behaviour within an African economic context. Empirical data was generated from a self-administered online survey of a purposively sampled population of 305 foreign investors within the Zimbabwean context. Exploratory factor analysis extracted the items that constituted the Zimbabwean human capital construct, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients being utilized to measure the reliability of the measuring instrument. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment coefficients and multiple regression analysis were employed to further analyze the data. The results revealed that foreign investors considered the availability of a sustainable, highly productive, skilled, retainable and inexpensive workforce, as the influential human capital attributes they considered for FDI to Zimbabwe. The empirical evidence further affirmed that the reputation of Zimbabwe’s human capital is an antecedent for resource- and efficiency-seeking FDI typologies to Zimbabwe. As a result, practical guidelines are provided for the Government of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Investment Authority on the potential development and promotion of Zimbabwe’s human capital for the purpose of positively influencing investor behaviour, thereby attracting FDI to the country.&nbsp

The role of perceived quality of problems in the association between achievement goals and motivation in problem-based learning

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of perceived problem quality in the relationship between students’ (N = 226) achievement goals and autonomous motivation to study in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment. Specifically, the relationships between students’ achievement goals (mastery-approach, performance-approach, performance-avoidance, and mastery-avoidance goals), problem quality-related characteristics (triggering interest, familiarity, stimulating collaborative learning, resulting in intended learning objectives, and promoting critical reasoning), and autonomous motivation to study were investigated. The findings indicate that the perceived quality of problems (i.e., familiarity, resulting in intended learning objectives, promoting critical reasoning, and by that triggering interest) fosters autonomous motivation to study and that the perception of this quality is influenced by students’ achievement goals. Therefore, the quality of problems and students’ achievement goals should be taken into account in a PBL environment

Understanding the Results of Multiple Linear Regression: Beyond Standardized Regression Coefficients

Multiple linear regression (MLR) remains a mainstay analysis in organizational research, yet intercorrelations between predictors (multicollinearity) undermine the interpretation of MLR weights in terms of predictor contributions to the criterion. Alternative indices include validity coefficients, structure coefficients, product measures, relative weights, all-possible-subsets regression, dominance weights, and commonality coefficients. This article reviews these indices, and uniquely, it offers freely available software that (a) computes and compares all of these indices with one another, (b) computes associated bootstrapped confidence intervals, and (c) does so for any number of predictors so long as the correlation matrix is positive definite. Other available software is limited in all of these respects. We invite researchers to use this software to increase their insights when applying MLR to a data set. Avenues for future research and application are discussed

Resort vacation activities and recovery experiences: A case of visitors to Thailand

An increase of work demands during workdays and sometime on the weekends can put more stress on individuals and lead to a higher need for recovery. Vacation is a prime candidate of a longer respite that can ensure a more complete recovery process because it allows individuals to temporarily take several days or weeks off without actively engaging in their job. This study thus intends to explore which activities are done upon vacation and how can they influence an individual\u27s recovery experiences. By reviewing the theories related to recovery, vacation activities, and recreation opportunities, the study\u27s conceptual model was developed to observe the association between activities and the recovery process. Resort vacation in Thailand however was chosen as a case for conducting the study because Thailand has been known as a popular tourist destination, featuring various attractive resorts located in different geographical areas and offering wide ranges of activities. Data obtained from 331 resort visitors in Thailand via offline and online platforms were analyzed using descriptive statistic, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), One-way between-groups Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), Multiple Regression Analysis (MLR), Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA), and cluster analysis. Seven activity factors (Physical & Outdoor Activities, Cultural & City Interest, Online Media & Entertainment, Social & Non-exerting, Active Nature Pursuit, Personal Care, and Time for Myself) and four dimensions of recovery experiences (Psychological Detachment, Relaxation, Control, and Mastery) were identified. The positive effects were found among the six activity factors, except Personal Care, on the particular dimensions of vacation recovery experience. Interestingly, Physical & Outdoor, Online Media & Entertainment, and Social & Non-exerting factor appeared to have negative effects on the different dimensions of vacation recovery experience as well. Personal Care activities were surprisingly found to present no significant effect on any dimension of vacation recovery experience. Such profound factors were then classified under Resource-Providing and Resource-Consuming Vacation Activities to differentiate the positive and negative effects that each activity category has on vacation recovery experience. Based on the cluster analysis, three groups of resort visitors (Activity doers, Socializers, and Relaxation seekers) were uncovered regarding to their preferred vacation activities, perceived vacation recovery experience, and demographics. Hence, the key findings bear empirical contributions to research scholars by providing a significant framework for further observation and clarification of the relationship between vacation recovery-related activities and the vacation recovery experience. This current study also offers managerial implications for practitioners in a more mindful approach when designing and developing vacation products in order to ensure an individual\u27s optimal sense of recovery

Accountants\u27 index. Sixth supplement, a bibliography of accounting literature, January, 1940-December, 1943 (Inclusive)

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_accind/1006/thumbnail.jp

The influence of non-financial nation brand image dimensions on foreign direct investment inflows in Zimbabwe

How a country is perceived by foreign investors is becoming increasingly significant to the ability of individual countries to attract foreign direct investment into their economies. In Africa, existing negative perceptions of the continent as an investment destination have been considered as an obstacle for foreign direct investment inflows to the continent in general. Although Zimbabwe offers foreign investors multiple lucrative investment opportunities, attracting foreign direct investment to the country presents a unique challenge due to the image of the country post the 1998-2008 economic crisis. Despite the vast research on the determinants of foreign direct inflows to particular countries, little is known about whether non-financial image-related factors influence the inflow of foreign direct investment to a particular country, especially a country with a unfavourable global image like Zimbabwe. The primary objective of this study was therefore to determine the perceived non-financial nation brand image factors considered to be influential for attracting specific foreign direct investment inflow opportunities in Zimbabwe. A comprehensive literature review resulted in the identification of nine independent variables (tourism, governance, people, culture and heritage, exports, investment and immigration, factor endowments, infrastructure, and legal and regulation frameworks), as well as four dependent variables (market-, resource-, efficiency- and strategic asset-seeking foreign direct investment inflow opportunities in Zimbabwe). A hypothesised model was developed in order to examine whether the independent variables have an influence on the dependent variables, and as a result nine hypotheses were formulated to test the relationships between the nine independent variables and each of the four dependent variables. A cross-sectional, quantitative deductive approach to research was employed in order to generate the data required for hypothesis testing. Purposive sampling techniques were employed to draw the sample frame for the study. A self-administered online survey was conducted, and generated empirical data from a final sample comprised of 305 investors who had applied to invest in Zimbabwe through the Zimbabwe Investment Authority between January 2009 and April 2015. Data was analysed using STATISTICA 12 software. Exploratory factor analysis was utilised to extract the constructs and validate the measuring instrument. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated in order to test the reliability and internal consistency of the measuring instrument. As a result, a total of six valid and reliable independent variables, and four dependent variables were retained for further analysis. The results of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients revealed mostly moderate correlations. The Multi-Collinearity diagnostics test confirmed the absence of collinearity between the independent variables and dependent variables respectively. Subsequently, the results of the four sets of multiple regression analyses, disclosed thirteen statistically significant relationships between the six independent variables and the four categorical dependent variables. Tourism had significant relationships with market-, efficiency- and strategic asset-seeking FDI inflow opportunities. Government actions had significant relationships with resource- and strategic asset-seeking FDI inflow opportunities. People had significant relationships with resource- and efficiency- seeking FDI inflow opportunities. Export had significant relationships with market-, resource-, efficiency- and strategic asset-seeking FDI inflow opportunities. Regulatory framework had significant relationships with market- and resource-seeking FDI inflow opportunities. The results of the Analysis of Variance revealed that investor status can be used to predict which non-financial nation brand image determinants played a role in the ultimate decision for taking up foreign direct investment opportunities in Zimbabwe. Further analysis of the role that the demographic profiles of the investors played in predicting which non-financial nation brand image determinants are considered influential in taking up foreign direct investment opportunities in Zimbabwe was confirmed in the Multivariate Analysis of Variance with thirty-four statically significant relationships identified. Further analysis by means of post-hoc Scheffé testing and Cohen’s d-values calculations confirm that thirty-nine practically significant mean differences were evident. This study makes a novel contribution to the empirical body of nation branding, foreign direct investment and investment promotion research by developing and testing a hypothetical model that synthesises facets of the three fields of study. This study represents a new discourse in the identification of the determinants of FDI (that being non-financial determinants) and provides an explanatory framework for the non-financial nation brand image determinants influencing each type of FDI inflow opportunity sought in Zimbabwe. It is within this framework that recommendations, based on empirical evidence, are made for the Government of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Investment Authority. Some of these recommendations could be implemented within the short-term, while others may be more strategic in the long term. Recommendations made include that the Government of Zimbabwe undertakes significant policy reviews, continues its engagement with key external stakeholders such as other governments, supra-national financial institutions, and foreign investors, as well as adhering to existing favourable FDI policies. It is also recommended that the Zimbabwe Investment Authority adopt an intermediary role, by linking the Government of Zimbabwe with potential foreign investors through investor targeting, as well as promoting Zimbabwe as an investment destination by engaging in image-building activities such as public diplomacy, investor relations, specialised advertising and hosting investor forums with multiple, distinct investor segments. These image-building activities should be centered on the non-financial nation brand image determinants that foreign investors consider to be influential to foreign direct investment in Zimbabwe, and should be geared towards improving and managing the perceived image of Zimbabwe as an investment destination

Predictive Relationships among Learner Characteristics, Academic Involvement, and Doctoral Education Outcomes

The literature identifies multiple factors pertinent to learner characteristics and learning experiences that may promote doctoral education outcomes, and yet little quantitative research has examined relationships between those factors deemed important in the effectiveness of doctoral education. This study sought to examine predictive relationships among doctoral students’ learner characteristics, their involvement in mentorship and intellectual community, and doctoral education outcomes. Using Astin’s theory of involvement and the literature on signature pedagogies in doctoral education as conceptual guides, a survey instrument was constructed for the purpose of measuring variables identified as relevant to the effective formation of scholars. Central to the conceptualization of this study was academic involvement as represented by mentorship and intellectual community. The instrument was validated in a two-stage pilot testing process and administered to doctoral candidates at three public Texas higher education institutions. Of the 217 participants, the majority were female, White (Non-Hispanic), US citizens, and were pursuing education doctorates. Data were analyzed using multivariate statistical analyses. Reliability and validity estimates indicated psychometric integrity of the 20 observed variables measured to represent the constructs of mentorship and intellectual community. Results indicated that doctoral students’ learner characteristics were not notably predictive of doctoral students’ degree of involvement in mentorship and intellectual community (p < .05, R2 = .23). Doctoral students’ degree of academic involvement was strongly predictive of outcomes (p < .001, R2 = .58), particularly student satisfaction with the doctoral education experience and self-efficacy in conducting various forms of scholarly work. Of this effect, more tangible outcomes such as scholarly productivity and degree progress were not meaningfully related to academic involvement. Regardless of the frequency of academic involvement, students perceived faculty mentorship and intellectual community as very important. The predictive value and perceived importance of faculty mentorship and intellectual community highlight the critical role faculty and peer support plays in the doctoral learning experience, and imply that such teaching and learning practices should be promoted in doctoral education. Considering that satisfaction and self-efficacy tend to be related to other educational outcomes, those concerned with the overall quality of doctoral education should focus increased attention on building collegial, effective, productive relationships among and within program communities