An investigation into factors influencing the adoption and implementation of enterprise risk management by banks in Zimbabwe.

This research focuses on the factors that influence the adoption and implementation of enterprise risk management practices by banks in Zimbabwe. In the recent years a lot of bank failures have been recorded and this is as a result of failure to monitor or acknowledge the risks that an institution is exposed to in the dynamic environment. Therefore the research intends to identify the internal and external factors that are making banks consider the adoption of a holistic approach to risk management. It has been noted from the literature that surrounds the area of the study that there are a lot of factors that influence the adoption and implementation of ERM amongst which are firm size, complexity, asset opacity, leverage, regulation, independence of board and culture. Different authors also highlight that there are challenges that are faced in the process and these are the inventory of risks, inappropriate system and challenges related to the process. It is also said that if adopted and implemented ERM had a positive relationship with firm performance which is realized in the long run. The research adopted both the explanatory and descriptive research designs in a quest to understand the relationship between the various factors and ERM adoption and to have a clear understanding of the challenges faced and the significance of ERM on banks respectively. The research made use of questionnaires directed to branch managers and secondary data obtained from annual reports of the banking institutions and the monetary policy statements. Factor analysis and logistic regression were used to obtain the results for the research. It was observed that some of the banking institutions in Zimbabwe have adopted ERM and the main factors influencing adoption were size, complexity and leverage and opacity. It was also noted that banks are faced with challenges in ascertaining the aggregate risk that they are exposed to and also they highlighted that ERM requires a lot of resources and commitment. The researcher recommend banks to consider the use of simple frameworks that are less complex and try and minimize the resources needed for the adoption and implementation process. It is also important to realize that ERM is a continuous movement that has to be taken seriously with each stage as the organization grows

Synthesis, characterization and reactivity of soluble oxo-chalcogenoniobates.

Synthesis, characterization and reactivity of soluble oxo-chalcogenoniobates is reported. Base-assisted C-S bond cleavage as a synthetic tool is reported in the conversion of \rm(PPh\sb4)\lbrack Nb(S)\sb2(S\sp{t}Bu)\sb2\rbrack, 1. to \rm(PPh\sb4)\sb2\lbrack Nb(S)\sb3S\sp{t}Bu\rbrack, 2. Substitution reactions of \rm\lbrack Nb(S)\sb3S\sp{t}Bu\rbrack\sp{2-} with MeOH or H\sb2O lead to the tetrahedral \rm(PPh\sb4)\sb2\lbrack Nb(S)\sb3OMe\rbrack, 3, and the linear oxo-bridged dimer, with idealized \rm D\sb{3d} symmetry, \rm(Et\sb4N)\sb4\lbrack (S)\sb3Nb-O-Nb(S)\sb3\rbrack, 4 respectively. Protonation of 2 or reaction of 3 or 4 with \rm(Me\sb3Si)\sb2S leads to an apparent thermodynamic sink, the known \rm C\sb{5v} cage cluster, \rm\lbrack Nb\sb6S\sb{17}\rbrack\sp{4-}. The pentagonal pyramidal anion, \rm\lbrack Nb(O)(S\sb2)\sb2SH\rbrack\sp{2-} isolated as a \rm(Et\sb4N)\sp+ salt, 5 or 6, a PPh\sb4\sp+ salt is reported also. The metal is displaced by 0.70 A from the pentagonal plane of the two (\eta\sp2-S\sb2) and the SH ligands towards the apical oxo ligand. Dimeric \rm(Et\sb4N)\sb3\lbrack(S\sb2)Nb(S)(\mu-SH)($\mu$-\eta\sp1,\eta\sp2-\rm S\sb2)\sb2Nb(S)(S\sb2)\rbrack, 7, is obtained by sulfidation of 5. The metal centers are bridged by a $(\mu$-SH) and two $(\mu$-\eta\sp2,\eta\sp1-S\sb2) ligands. Abstraction of oxygen and sulfur from 6 by PEt\sb3 gives the protonated tetrathioniobate derivative, \rm(PPh\sb4)\sb2\lbrack Nb(S)\sb3SH\rbrack, 8. The anion in 8, has D\sb2d symmetry with two long Nb=S bonds associated with the proton at 2.312 (1) A. Use of (Et\sb4N)CN instead, resulted in the mixed valence, \rm\lbrack(S)\sb2Nb(\mu-S, $\mu$-\rm SH)Nb(S)\sb2CN\rbrack\sp{4-} anion 9. In 9, the distorted tetrahedral anion in 8 is found chelating the proposed \rm\lbrack Nb\sp{(III)}(S)\sb2CN\rbrack\sp{2-} fragment through the longer pair of bonds associated with the proton, to give a distorted pentagonal bipyramidal geometry at the latter center. Efforts to make molecules containing the (NbOS) \sp+ chromophore from \rm\lbrack NbOCl\sb5\rbrack\sp{2-}, 10, and \rm\lbrack NbO(S\sp{t}Bu)\sb4\rbrack\sp-, 11 are also reported. The complex, 5 reacts with HCl to give 10 and the blue, \rm\lbrack(S\sb2)Nb(O)(S\sb2)\rbrack\sp- anion. \rm\lbrack(S\sb2)Nb(O)(S\sb2)\rbrack\sp- reacts with \rm(Et\sb4N)\sb2MNT and NaS(S)C-N(Et)\sb2\cdot3H\sb2O, to give respectively the dimeric, \rm(Et\sb4N)\sb4\{\lbrack(MNT)\sb2Nb\sp{(IV)}\rbrack\sb2(\mu-\rm\eta\sp2,\eta\sp2S\sb2)\sb2\}, 12 and the pentagonal bipyramidal \rm(Et\sb4N)\lbrack(dtc)\sb2Nb(O)(S\sb2)\rbrack, 13. In 13, which is obtained in better yield by the oxidation of 5 with tetraethylthiuram disulfide, one of the dtc ligands coordinates both an axial and an equatorial site. The exact selenoniobate analogs of 4, (17); 5, (14); 6, (15) and 8 are also reported. Reaction of 14 with Se in a 1:2 ratio gives the dimeric, $\{$ ((Se\sb2)\sb2Nb(O)) \sb2(\mu-Se\sb4)\} \sp{4-}, 16. In 16 the square pyramidal subunits, ((Se\sb2)\sb2Nb(O)) \sp- are bridged by a $\mu$-Se\sb4 to give a pentagonal pyramidal geometry at each center.Ph.D.Inorganic chemistryPure SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/130775/2/9811139.pd

Caminingwa

ndigenous folk song with singing and chanting, no accompaniment

Evaluating the Performance of Socially Responsible Investment Funds

The definition and scope of sustainability have evolved over the years, stimulated by debates which have won the attention of investors, thereby creating concepts such as responsible investment, socially responsible investment, responsible finance, etc. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate whether screening has an effect on the financial performance of mutual funds and whether these effects are positive or negative. The study mainly focuses on the U.S. market as it is well developed and therefore provides greater insight and value. The research method uses the Markowitz and Sharpe market models to determine the market value of SRI and non SRI mutual funds. The study also depicts the investors’ attitude towards embedding sustainability driven variables in the decision making process as well as the market response to socially responsible investments

An organotransition-metal complex with pentagonal-pyramidal structure

Star gazing: The six-coordinate organoniobium(V) compound [NBu 4] 2[NbO(C 6F 5) 5] has been found to exhibit a pentagonal-pyramidal (PPY-6) structure, which is unprecedented in organotransition-metal chemistry (see picture: complex as viewed down the O-Nb axis; C in gray, O in red, F in yellow, and Nb in blue). Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.This work was supported by the Spanish MICINN (DGPTC)/FEDER (Project CTQ2008-06669-C02-01/BQU) and the Gobierno de Aragón (Grupo Consolidado E21: Química Inorgánica y de los Compuestos Organometálicos).Peer Reviewe