Assessment of Agriculture to Business and Economic Growth in Ecowas Countries. (Published)
This study x-rayed agricultural sector as the engine of economic growth in Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS); more so as the agricultural sector employs over 70% of the labour force and provides the means of livelihood for the greater population in the region. Furthermore, it is the believe that improvement in the agricultural sector productivity will likely enhance the per capita GDP growth of the ECOWAS. Data was collected using documentary evidence (secondary data). Time series methods of analysis such as panel unit root tests, panel co-integration test, panel co-integration regression method using fully modified ordinary last squares (FMOLS) model were employed for the analysis. The variables analysed include the GDP per capita (the dependent variable) and agricultural sector output per capita, capita stock per capita, industrial sector output per capita, services sector output per capita and government expenditure per capita (independent variables). The results established that agricultural sector output per capita, capita stock per capita and economic institutions exert no significant impact on per capita GDP of ECOWAS. However, government expenditure, industrial sector output and service sector output, all measured on per capita basis, significantly impacted on ECOWAS countries per capita GDP growth. The study concluded that only Government provision of services per capita, and industry sector output per capita significant stimulated growth in ECOWAS countries. Capital stock per capita and economic institutions did not. The study recommended efficient resources investment and functional institutions to further promote growth in the ECOWAS countries.
Keywords: Agriculture, Business, Per Capita GDP, economic growth
Business Continuity Management: Definitions, Drivers, Practices, Key processes and Effectiveness (Published)
This paper sheds light on the concept for business continuity management, its definitions, key processes and effectiveness. The paper gives also a clear understanding of the BCM drivers, practices
Keywords: Business, Continuity, Drivers, Effectiveness, Management
Use of Business Continuity Management to Mitigate Operational Risk: The Case of the Al-Thuwairat Construction Company, Saudi Arabia (Published)
Construction companies face a number of operational risks in their projects, ranging from the risks of changing weather conditions, to the problem of insufficiently skilled staff (Cohen & Palmer, 2004). It is essential to ensure that all of these risks are effectively identified and controlled by the risk management division. This dissertation conducts a case study of a construction company in Saudi Arabia, the Al Thuwairat Construction Company, which aims to evaluate the extent to which the company’s model of business continuity management is effective at managing operational risk. The research has been carried out based on a mixture of secondary research, a survey conducted with the company’s employees, and semi structured interviewees with people working in the company’s risk management division, in order to explore this research issue. The findings of the research suggest that, although the company’s operational risk management is effective given that it controls many of the risks with the use of legal contracts, it engages in the systematic identification of risks at the beginning of projects, and it also uses the expertise of a range of personnel who are skilled in risk identification and measurement, there are also many weaknesses. These include the fact that there is no systematic methodology for assessing the effectiveness of risk management, and that there is a lack of communication between the risk management division and the rest of the organization. A series of practical recommendations are made in the dissertation to increase the effectiveness of risk management within this company and in companies in the construction industry in general.
Keywords: Al-Thuwairat, Business, Continuity .Management, Risk
FACTORS DETERMINING FIRMS’ STRATEGY OF INTERNATIONALIZATION: A CASE STUDY ON POLAND (Published)
The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of an internationalization strategy and its impact on success and business performance. To achieve this objective, data were collected through surveys using a structured questionnaire administered to 385 Polish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are involved in launching and developing their products in international markets. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine the reliability and validity of the measurement model, and the structural equation modeling technique was used to test the research model. The results of the study confirm that internationalization strategies of Polish SMEs are influenced by six factors that are: managerial expertise, dynamic capabilities, risk aversion, alliance capabilities, foreign market orientation and markets knowledge
Keywords: Alliance, Business, Internationalization, Management, Performance, Risk, Strategy, Success