The Effects of Advertising Spending and Event Sponsorship on Brand Equity in the Ethiopian Brewery Industry

The field of branding and brand equity is new area of research in Ethiopia. The study adapts an exploratory approach to measure the effects of advertising spending and event sponsorship effect on consumer-based brand equity because there is no study conducted in the Ethiopia beer market. Accordingly, the study assumes advertising spending and event sponsorships affecting brand equity dimensions positively. Hence, a conceptual model has been built and structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to verify the model. A quantitative research was undertaken and a cross-sectional descriptive survey research design in nature was applied in the study. The study confirmed that from advertising spending intensity: television advertising spending has a positive effect on brand awareness; and outdoor advertising has a positive effect on brand awareness, brand association, and perceived quality. On the contrary radio advertising has a negative effect on perceived quality, and print advertising has a negative effect on brand awareness. Furthermore, event sponsorship has a positive effect on brand awareness and brand associations. Keywords: Advertising Spending Frequency, Event Sponsorship, Brand equity Dimensions, Ethiopi

The Impact of Financial and Trade Openness on Economic Growth and Stock Returns: The Case of Africa

The debate on whether financial development and stock market help growth is ongoing. In the context of Africa where there exists a strong need and potential for growth, it is important to revisit the topic in order to address the problem of economic underdevelopment. In this dissertation, we focus on seventeen African countries with two main objectives: First, to investigate the relationship between financial and trade openness, and economic growth. Second, we investigate the association of African real stock index returns with financial and trade openness. For all analysis, we use Fixed Effect Models (FEM) and System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM). The fixed effect model results indicate a significant positive relationship between economic growth and stock market capitalization. We also find a significant relationship between economic growth and financial and trade openness, though weak. On the other hand, system GMM results indicate the financial openness measure GEQY is consistently positive and significantly associated with economic growth. The stock returns and financial and trade openness analysis fixed effect model results indicate there is a significant positive relationship between stock market returns and real GDP growth. System GMM results are different from the fixed effect model. Importantly, in the system GMM model there is some evidence, although not strong, that real stock returns is negatively related to trade and financial openness. Trade openness measure (XM Open) and financial openness measure (GEQY) are negatively and significantly related to stock returns. Similar to the fixed effect models, real GDP growth is largely positively related with stock market returns, supporting the direct relation between stock return and economic growth. In almost all specifications, the financial openness measure GEQY is positively associated with economic growth and negatively related with stock returns, indicating the importance of the financial openness measure GEQY (Portfolio of stocks and FDI) for African economic growth. An important implication of this dissertation is that policy makers of these African countries could stimulate economic growth and decrease cost of capital by opening their equity markets to international investors and encouraging Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Biophysical and socioeconomic geodatabase for land productivity dynamic assessment in Ethiopia

The purpose of this work is to collect, organize and develop geodatabase of spatial and non spatial data which are relevant to monitor land degradation and assess the major drivers to land degradation in Ethiopia. Accordingly, important time series biophysical (climate, vegetation, hydrology, soil...etc) and socioeconomic data (human population/demography, livestock population, major crops production and productivity....etc) are collected. Geodatabase is developed to facilitate integration and standardization of the collected data and making it suitable to use for further study. The next phase of this work is to find out the cause of land degradation in Ethiopia as human induced or (e.g. poor land management), climate driven (e.g. El Niño induced drought), or a combination of both factors at different spatial and temporal scales. Thus it is possible to devise suitable solutions to sites specific and time dependent problem

Water Resources in Lake Tana Basin: Analysis of hydrological time series data and impact of climate change with emphasis on groundwater, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a source region of the Nile River and famous for its water resources potential. The available annual average water per person per year is estimated to be 1575 m3. The Lake Tana accounts for 50% of the national fresh water. It has a total catchment area of about 15,321 km2 and hosts more than three million people. The climate is characterized by a high seasonality of rainfall with a rainy season between June and September. However, the scientific understanding of the hydrologic response to intensive agriculture, the interconnection of groundwater and surface water, and future perspectives of the water availability under global climate change is limited. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to improve our understanding of past, present, and future hydrologic conditions in the Lake Tana basin. To this end, long-term time series analysis and hydrological modeling using SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tools) and a coupled surface water and groundwater model (SWAT-MODFLOW) were applied. Time series analysis and modelling results revealed that the hydrology of the basin was changed significantly during the last half century and is expected to change during the 21st century mainly due to land use change and climate change. Although projections of annual rainfall did not show a significant change, surface runoff increased, whereas base flow decreased during the past and for mid- and long-term periods in the 21st century. Results from the coupled model revealed a high connectivity of groundwater and surface water systems. Agricultural crops influence the hydrologic components differently. Groundwater recharge was relatively high on agricultural land covered by cereal crops, whereas surface runoff was significantly enhanced on cultivated land covered by leguminous crops like peas. Overall, the results of this dissertation reveal that hydrology of the Lake Tana Basin has changed considerably during the last half century and more changes are to be expected in the future. Consequently, the results of this dissertation can contribute to develop future water management plans in the region and beyond

Mango headspace volatiles trigger differential responses of the mango fruit fly Ceratitis cosyra and its parasitoids

Before the introduction of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) to sub-Saharan Africa, Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) was economically the most important pest in mango farming. Its native natural enemy, the solitary parasitoid Psyttalia cosyrae (Wilkinson), played a crucial role in C. cosyra bio-control, later complemented by the exotic parasitoids Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) and Fopius arisanus (Sonan) among Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems. To understand the in situ mango - C. cosyra -parasitoid tritrophic interaction, we assessed the responses of the fruit fly and the three parasitoids to headspace volatiles from various mango conditions. These conditions included non -infested mature unripe mangoes, C. cosyra -infested mangoes, 7th- and 9th -day postinfestation mangoes, non -infested ripe mangoes of three varieties (Kent, Apple, and Haden), and clean air (blank). We also compared the fruit fly ' s performance in the mango varieties and identified the chemical profiles of mango headspace volatiles. Ceratitis cosyra was attracted to both infested and non -infested mangoes (66 - 84 % of responsive C. cosyra ) and showed superior performance in Kent mango (72.1 % of the 287 puparia recovered) compared to Apple and Haden varieties. Fopius arisanus displayed a stronger attraction to the volatiles of C. cosyra -infested mangoes (68 - 70 %), while P. cosyrae and D. longicaudata were significantly attracted to the 9thday post -infestation mangoes (68 - 78 %) compared to non -infested mango volatiles. Gas chromatography -mass spectroscopy showed substantial quantitative and qualitative differences in volatile profiles among mango treatments. Esters predominated in non -infested ripe, 7th- and 9th -day post -infestation mangoes, while monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were most dominant in the other treatments. The in situ experiments underscored varying preferences of the species for mango headspace volatiles and their subsequent treatments. These results provide valuable insights for further exploration, specifically in identifying the key volatiles responsible for species responses, to facilitate the development of applicable selective semiochemicals for managing species of African fruit fly

Microscopic examination and smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis in Ethiopia

Introduction: tuberculosis causes illness among millions of people each year and ranks as the second leading cause of death from infectious disease worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the detection rate of microscopic examination and estimate risk of transmission of TB by smear negative pulmonary TB patients. Methods: a cross-sectional study and retrospective data analysis on TB were undertaken in Northwest Shewa, Ethiopia. Microscopic examination, bacterial culture and PCR were performed. The statistical analysis was made by using STATA software version 10. Results: a total of 92 suspected TB cases was included in the study. Of these, 27.17% (25/92) were positive for microscopic examination and 51% (47/92) for culture. The sensitivity and specificity of  microscopic examination with 95% CI were 48.94% (34.08% to 63.93%) and 95.56% (84.82 to  99.33%), respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 92% (73.93% to 98.78%) and 64.18% (51.53% to 75.53%), respectively. Of 8150 pulmonary TB cases in the retrospective study, 58.9% was smear negative. The proportion of TB-HIV co-infection was 28.66% (96/335).Conclusion: the sensitivity of microscopic examination was 48.94% which was very low. The poor  sensitivity of this test together with the advent of HIV/AIDS elevated the prevalence of smear negative  pulmonary TB. This in turn increased the risk of TB transmission.Key words: Microscopic examination, smear negative pulmonary TB, sensitivity, specificit

The Impact of Sales Promotion on Brand Equity: The Case of Brewery Industry

The effects of sales promotion on the creation of brand equity; effects of brand equity dimensions on overall brand equity; and the nature of inter-relationship among brand equity dimensions is a new area of research in Ethiopia. By adapting exploratory approach, the study assumed a positive sales promotion-brand equity dimensions-overall brand equity linkage in the Ethiopian beer market. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to verify the conceptual model, that is, the hypothesized linkage. The study is purely quantitative and a cross-sectional descriptive research design was applied. The study confirmed brand equity is a multidimensional concept that consists of brand loyalty, perceived quality and brand associations. Brand loyalty exerts a great influence on the formulation of brand equity and it is a holistic concept. The nature of brand equity dimensions relationship in the Ethiopian brewery industry is a causal order.  The study also indicated that sales promotion affecting the formulation of brand equity with different level of intensity. The study further concluded that monetary promotion affecting positively the creation of brand equity by influencing brand awareness, brand associations and perceived quality; and non-monetary sales promotion affecting positively the formulation of brand equity by influencing brand awareness and negatively by affecting perceived quality. Keywords: Brand Equity, Brand Loyalty, Perceived Quality, Brand Associations, Brand Awareness, Sales Promotion, Ethiopi

Examining the Effects of Cultural Dimensions on Deviant IS Use Behaviour in a Developing Economy Context

Information System (IS) tools and applications create opportunities for a positive digital change to all individuals and organizations in the global workplace to improve competitiveness and quality of work life. Recent studies have shown that the most problematic areas in IS security incidences are people-related factors. In this regard, employees are causing IS security risks and vulnerabilities as they use those resources, especially by exercising their legitimate and lawful rights, mainly because people are the weakest link on IS security matters. On the one hand, the effects of organizational sanctions are not always effective due to socio-cultural variabilities, and so far they have not been able to fully defend employee related IS misuse or misconduct. On the other hand, the use of neutralization techniques supports individuals to justify their deviant actions, but differently to people in different socio-cultural bases. To examine such a problem, therefore, culture as a moderator, criminological constructs and level of employees’ awareness to IS security as independent variables are employed to explain IS misuse intention in unison are proposed through a comprehensive conceptual research model. A positivist research paradigm using a cross-sectional quantitative survey data collection approach will be adapted to help empirically test the model. To validate the model and its constructs, the study will apply SEM-PLS data analysis techniques using Smart-PLS and SPSS with Amos. Finally, this study in progress discusses the potential practical and theoretical contributions and plans to provide scientific evidence based on its findings

The Impact of Organizational Culture on IS Implementation Success in Ethiopia: the Case of Selected Public and Private Organizations

Organizational Culture in firms or institutions is widely believed to affect organizational performance and the success of the information system (IS) implementation. This work in progress study investigates the relationships between organizational/corporate culture and management support with IS implementation success in selected organizations. Based on the organizational culture construct by Hofstede et al (1990) and the IS implementation success framework by Sharma and Yetton (2003), a structured questionnaire is developed and will be self administered to selected participants in the selected organizations. Specifically, the objective of the study is to examine the impact of organizational or corporate culture on IS implementation success in selected public and private organizations in Ethiopia. Relationship between management support and IS implementation success in organizations, which will be moderated by task interdependence, will also be examined. Thus the work in progress and future study of this paper contributes to the existing literature by providing a framework for IS implementation success in low-income countries like Ethiopia