Motivation and Changing Fortunes in Teachers’ Output: Empirical Evidence from Selected Secondary Schools in North West Region of Cameroon

Workers’ feelings, behaviour, attached value (worth) and the environment determines the amount of effort put in for the attainment of organizational objectives. Satisfied teachers are generally productive and can influence students’ achievement. This study aimed at identifying and examining the effects of motivation on teacher output in Government Secondary and High Schools in the North West Region of Cameroon. The purposive sampling technique was employed to select 75 principals to whom a 20-item self-constructed questionnaire was administered.  Descriptive statistics (percentages and frequencies) wereemployed to answer the four research questions while inferential statistic (one sample t-test, 2-tailed) was used to test the four hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that boasting teachers’ morale, promotion of teachers, good work environment and cordial interpersonal relationships positively influenced teachers’ output. It was therefore recommended that principals should strengthened in-service training facilities for teachers; appointment into posts of responsibilities should consider qualification, experience and personal skills of the teacher concerned; and that trust, confidence, delegation of power and shared decision making should be encouraged amongst principals. Key words: Motivation,Changing Fortunes,Teachers’ Output, secondary Schools and Cameroo

Job Satisfaction as a Determinant of Work Performance: An Empirical Survey of the Academic Staff of Thehigher Teachers’ Training College Bambili-Cameroon

The commonly held opinion is that “A satisfied worker is a productiveworker”.The purpose of the survey study was to examine the effects of job satisfaction on the work performanceof lecturers in the Higher Teachers’ Training College, Bambili-Cameroon. Four research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. A 32- item questionnaire was administered to 45 lecturers who were systematically selected with the use of simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Descriptive (percentages and frequencies) and inferential (one sample t-test, 2-tailed) analysis of data with the aid of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 20-32bit revealed that all the indicators of job satisfaction (remunerations, staff welfare  and the work itself) significantly affect the work performance of lecturers. With regards to these findings,some existential recommendations were made to the government, University authorities and lecturers which will go a long way to improve their performance, towards attaining Vision 2035 of Cameroon being an emergent economy. Key words: Job satisfaction, Work Performance, Academic Staff, Higher Institutions, Cameroo

THE IMPACT OF BUSINESS CLIMATE ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZE ENTERPRISES IN CAMEROON

This article had as objective to assess the impacts of business climate on the financial performance of small and medium size enterprises in Cameroon. Specifically, it had to assess the impacts of general infrastructure, access to financial credit as well as the modes of financial regulation on the financial performance of small and medium size enterprises in Cameroon. To attain this objective, we used of primary data collected directly from the field thanks to open questionnaires that were administered to both top and middle class managers of the small and medium size enterprises. A simple model developed by Gikonya (2011) was employed in the analysis of the collected information. In this model elements of business climate make up the independent variable and financial performance as the dependent variable. The Ordinary Least Square method (OLS) was used to test the relationship between the variables. The result obtain showed that there exist a positive relationship between business climate and the financial performance of small and medium size enterprises in Cameroon. This result suggest that small and medium size enterprises should constantly monitor the business climate and its constantly evolving components especially the development of general infrastructures and accessibility to credit facilities but should also consider other important factors such as modes of financial regulation, asset utilization, market part as well as life cycle of the enterprise as important determinants of the level of financial performance.Key words: Business climate, financial performance, small and medium size enterprises, financial profitability, turnove

Retirement perception and workers’ behavior: a comparative study between workers of the public and private sectors of some selected enterprises in the Bamenda Municipality

Many employees often approach retirement with mixed feelings as they exit service. To many, it represents a transition from the known to the unknown. After retirement, income becomes irregular and financial expectations become less visible. This is because policies are not well implemented to the letter, leaving retirees’ lives hanging in the balance in their old age. Management of life after retirement entails planning for the unpredictable and unavoidable new lifestyle when one is still in active service. This study was aimed at assessing the retirement perception of workers of the public and private sector in Bamenda Municipality and their consequent economic and social behavior towards the concept of retirement.The study employed an Ex post facto research design with a sample of 400 working individuals ranging from the ages of 30 to 60 years that were randomly selected. A questionnaire and interview guide were the instruments used to collect data for the study. Responses revealed that retirement age perception (F =32.56, df=398, P<0.01), pre- counselling (F =46.64, df=398, P<0.01) and post counseling services (F =36.13, df=398, P<0.01) significantly predicted workers’ behavior. The findings revealed an important level of misunderstanding of what retirement is all about.  Potential conflict in retirement, knowledge, planning, attitude toward retirement and retirement goal clarity are the significant predictors of retirement social and economic behavior. Key words: Retirement, pre-retirement, post-retirement, perception, workers’ behavior, enterprises, post counselling services. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-27-16 Publication date:September 30th 202

The Effects of Family Culture and Marital Decisions of the Business Owners on Access to Financing of Very Small Businesses: A Study in the North West Region of Cameroon

Purpose: This study seeks to examine the effects of family culture (presence during family meetings, assistance in important family events, and strong family bonds) as well as marital decisions (mutual participation, joint savings decisions, and joint ventures) on access to financing of very small businesses in the North West Region of Cameroon. Methods: The study used a series of exogenous and control variables adapted from the model of Gikonyo, Agwata, & Anyango (2011) who proposed a strategic model for quantitative research. Primary data were collected through convenient sampling from 293 very small business owners in each divisional headquarters of the North West Region of Cameroon. We used the multiple correspondence analysis to construct indexes for family culture, marital decisions as well as access to financing of very small businesses. The hypotheses of the study were then tested using the ordinary least square estimation technique. Results: The results obtained showed in aggregate, a positive and significant effect of family culture and marital decisions on access to financing. More precisely, the coefficients of presence during family meetings, assistance in important family events as well as strong family bonds are positive. These results were statistically significant at 1% level. Implications: This study has significant practical implications on the financial health of very small businesses in the context of developing countries like Cameroon in general and the North West Region of Cameroon in particular plagued by the crisis and COVID-19. The study therefore concluded that if very small business owners can improve on the respect of family cultures and can jointly decide on their financial actions with their spouses, they will have better access to financing, especially in developing countries like Cameroon and more particularly in the North West Region of the country

Subject Allocation to Teacher Trainers in Cameroon: Conflicts and Perspectives

This study was concerned with the allocation of teacher trainers to subjects at the teacher training colleges in Cameroon. The case of some selected Government Teacher Training Colleges. This study was designed to find out the extent to which every teacher trainer can effectively teach every subject of the Grade one teacher training programme if assigned to do so. The Deans of study have to allocate subjects to teacher trainers based on needs while considering the academic backgrounds of the teachers. Most often than not, these teachers happen to have similar academic backgrounds. This results into a situation whereby, some subjects such as statistics and ICT are resisted or turned down by some teacher trainers when assigned to teach them. This situation often escalates into a teacher trainer/Dean of studies conflicts which hamper the smooth functioning of the colleges. This paper evokes the root cause of such conflicts and proposes the way forward. The following hypotheses guided the study. Ho: Subject allocation does not significantly influence work climate at the teacher training colleges. Ha: Subject allocation significantly influences work climate at the teacher training colleges. The cross-sectional survey research design that employed the descriptive approach was adopted for the study. Specifically, forty (40) participants were randomly selected from a population of about 116 teacher trainers. The Scientific Management Theory as postulated by Taylor (1909) formed the study’s theoretical framework. Data analysis was done using both descriptive statistics and inferential statistic with the help of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The findings from the analysis revealed that the teacher trainers could effectively teach 29.6% of the 27 subjects of the teacher training programme. None of them indicated that they can effectively teach all the subjects of the Grade one Teacher Training Programme. The study recommended that, in order to do away with teacher trainer/Dean of Study conflicts and boost teacher trainers’ output, the admission requirements at the Department of Sciences of Education at the HTTCs in Cameroon  need to be revised. Keywords: Subject allocation, Teacher Trainer, Conflicts, Perspectives DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-24-07 Publication date:August 31st 202

Achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality in rural Africa: an experience from Burundi.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the reduction in maternal mortality associated with the emergency obstetric care provided by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and to compare this to the fifth Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality. METHODS: The impact of MSF's intervention was approximated by estimating how many deaths were averted among women transferred to and treated at MSF's emergency obstetric care facility in Kabezi, Burundi, with a severe acute maternal morbidity. Using this estimate, the resulting theoretical maternal mortality ratio in Kabezi was calculated and compared to the Millennium Development Goal for Burundi. RESULTS: In 2011, 1385 women from Kabezi were transferred to the MSF facility, of whom 55% had a severe acute maternal morbidity. We estimated that the MSF intervention averted 74% (range 55-99%) of maternal deaths in Kabezi district, equating to a district maternal mortality rate of 208 (range 8-360) deaths/100 000 live births. This lies very near to the 2015 MDG 5 target for Burundi (285 deaths/100 000 live births). CONCLUSION: Provision of quality emergency obstetric care combined with a functional patient transfer system can be associated with a rapid and substantial reduction in maternal mortality, and may thus be a possible way to achieve Millennium Development Goal 5 in rural Africa

The difficulties of conducting maternal death reviews in Malawi

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Maternal death reviews is a tool widely recommended to improve the quality of obstetric care and reduce maternal mortality. Our aim was to explore the challenges encountered in the process of facility-based maternal death review in Malawi, and to suggest sustainable and logically sound solutions to these challenges.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the process of maternal death review during a workshop in Malawi.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>Strengths</it>: Availability of data from case notes, support from hospital management, and having maternal death review forms. <it>Weaknesses</it>: fear of blame, lack of knowledge and skills to properly conduct death reviews, inadequate resources and missing documentation. <it>Opportunities</it>: technical assistance from expatriates, support from the Ministry of Health, national protocols and high maternal mortality which serves as motivation factor. <it>Threats</it>: Cultural practices, potential lawsuit, demotivation due to the high maternal mortality and poor planning at the district level. <it>Solutions</it>: proper documentation, conducting maternal death review in a blame-free manner, good leadership, motivation of staff, using guidelines, proper stock inventory and community involvement.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Challenges encountered during facility-based maternal death review are provider-related, administrative, client related and community related. Countries with similar socioeconomic profiles to Malawi will have similar 'pull-and-push' factors on the process of facility-based maternal death reviews, and therefore we will expect these countries to have similar potential solutions.</p

Vaginal microbicides for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection - no evidence of an effect or evidence of no effect?

Background. Vaginal disinfection is a simple, potentially effective strategy for reducing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV that can be implemented in combination with antiretroviraltherapy or even in the absence of prenatal HfV testing. We systematically reviewed currently available randomised controlled trials to estimate the benefits and risks of this intervention.Methods. We conducted an exhaustive search for published and. unpublished trials assessing the effect of vaginal microbicides on MTCT of HIV, extracted data in triplicate, assesed statistical heterogeneity between trial results, and conducted meta-analysis using Mantel-Haenszel's method.Findings. Five potentially eligible studies were iclentified, two of which met eligibility criteria. Pooling the data shows that the effect of vaginal disinfection on the risk of MTCT of HIV relative risk (RR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71 1.25) and neonatal death (RR 1.36, 95% CI 0.32- 5.79) is uncertain. The combined data (two trials with 708 participants) had less than 80% power to detect a 30% reduction in the risk of MTCT of HIV from a baseline risk of 30%, and are compatible with a widerange of effects; from a 29% reduction to a 25% increase in risk. One trial with 108 participants, showed no evidence that adverse effects increased inmothers (RR L02, 95% CI 0.87- 1.20) and found that adverse effects decreased in neonates (RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.32 - 0.64).Interpretation. At present there is insufficient and inconclusive evidence on the effect of vaginal microbicides on the risk of MTCT of HIV. This review identifies the need and provides the impetus for an adequately powered randomised controlled trial to assess the effect(s) of this inexpensive intervention

Beyond counting intended pregnancies among young women to understanding their associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa

Background: In this article we report the prevalence and determinants of intended or wanted pregnancies among young women 15–24 y of age in selected sub-Saharan African countries. Methods: This cross-sectional study used pooled data from current Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019 in 29 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The sample size comprised 14 257 young women (15–24 y of age). Multivariable binary logistic regression models were used to present the results as adjusted odds ratios. Results: The prevalence of intended pregnancies was 67.7%, with the highest and lowest prevalence in Gambia (89.9%) and Namibia (37.7%), respectively. Intended pregnancy was lower among young women who had knowledge of modern contraceptives, those with a secondary/higher education and those with four or more births. Lower odds of intended pregnancy were observed among young women in the richer wealth quintile and those who lived in southern Africa. Conclusions: To reduce intended pregnancies in sub-Saharan African countries such as Gambia, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, there is a need for government and non-governmental organisations to recalibrate current and past interventions such as investment in increasing formal education for women and poverty alleviation programmes, as well as augmenting job creation, including skill-building. These interventions have to be sensitive to the cultural realities of each setting, especially with regards to early marriages and womanhood