Boko Haram Resurgence and Its Impact on the Survival and Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES) in Northern Senatorial Zone of Adamawa State, Nigeria (Published)
The resurgence of Boko Haram insurgency in the Northern Senatorial Zone of Adamawa State has profoundly disrupted economic activities, with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) bearing the brunt of the impact. These businesses, which form the backbone of local economies, have faced serious setbacks in their operations and long-term sustainability due to renewed insurgent violence. This study investigates the extent to which the insurgency has affected the survival and growth of SMEs in the LGAs. Employing a mixed-method research design, the study combines quantitative data from 150 SMEs through structured questionnaires with qualitative insights from interviews and field observations. The findings reveal that insecurity has negatively influenced critical areas such as investment decisions, daily business operations, customer accessibility, infrastructure reliability, and general business confidence. Specifically, the research identifies a strong link between the insurgency and declines in productivity, restricted access to capital, unstable workforce conditions due to displacement and fear, and limited market reach resulting from movement restrictions. These challenges have not only reduced the competitiveness of SMEs but have also led to the closure of several businesses, thereby exacerbating unemployment and poverty in the region. Based on the findings, the study recommends comprehensive and sustained security interventions to restore peace and confidence among business operators. Furthermore, it advocates for targeted financial support, trauma counseling, and business development services to help SME owners recover and rebuild. Establishing a robust economic recovery framework is also vital to reinvigorate enterprise development and ensure the long-term viability of SMEs in conflict-affected LGAs in Adamawa state.
Keywords: Boko, Growth, Haram, Resurgence, SMEs, survival
Internal – External Factors Affecting the Human Resource Management of Small and Medium Enterprises in Dong Nai Province (Published)
In Vietnam, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) now are accounting for about 98% of the total number of businesses operating in the country in which the medium-sized enterprises account for only 2.2%, small business strategy and remaining 29.6% and 68.2 % is super small. But in fact, SMEs play a very important role in the national economy. SMEs are the main source of employment and income generation for laborers, helping to mobilize social resources for development investment, poverty reduction… Every year, SMEs create over one million new employees. Employing up to 51% of social workers and contributing more than 40% of GDP to the country. In addition, the research results showed that there were 250 SMEs managers who interviewed and answered about 23 questions. The Data collected from 12/06/2016 to 15/05/2017 in Dong Nai province. The researcher had analyzed Cronbach’s alpha, KMO test, the result of KMO analysis used for multiple regression analysis. The research results were processed from SPSS 20.0 software. The parameters of the model estimated by Least – Squares Method tested for the model assumption with 5% significance level. Finally, the researchers have recommendations improving the human resource management at small and medium enterprises in Dong Nai province.
Keywords: DNU and LHU., Human resource, Management, SMEs
Challenges Faced by Small and Medium Sized Enterprises during Recruitment and Selection of Employees within the Madina Metropolis in the La Nkwantan/Madina Municipality of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana (Published)
Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) contribute a greater percentage to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in ensuring economic growth, employment, income stability and poverty reduction in most developing countries like Ghana. Inspite of the critical role played by SMEs in the development of this country, most of these enterprises face challenges in the recruitment and selection practices in their bid to engage competent staff. The study examines employee recruitment and selection practices of SMEs into details with the aim of identifying their challenges and establishing best practices in recruitment and selection systems applicable and convenient for such enterprises considering their important role to the country. In order to investigate the challenges, a conceptual and theoretical framework of the study was designed. These guided the design of data collection instrument to suit the research. The study combined the use of questionnaires and semi structured interviews as methods of data collection and analysis as well as the use of secondary data through accessing publications and reports and studies made by other researchers in the study area. Simple random sampling was used in selecting the respondent for the survey. The study found out among other things that poor planning, lack of employee competencies, lack of recruitment skills, ineffective job analysis, ineffective selection methods, poor leadership, lack of good conditions of service are some of the challenges faced by the SMEs in recruitment and selection of employees.In the view of the researcher recommendations such as enhancing the recruitment and selection skills of entrepreneurs, developing good job analysis, extensive advertising and promotion, improving conditions of service and collaborating with reputable recruitment agencies to support SMEs among others would lead to cost effective recruitment and selection processes, retention of staff and the strategic engagement and management of staff to attain maximum benefit and improve profit of the SMEs.
Keywords: Human Resource Management, Recruitment and Selection practices, SMEs