Business and Economics Journal

This paper seeks to investigate the impact of trade as well as non-trade policy on child labour supply in a 2-sector general equilibrium framework. The paper explores, though trade policy is ineffective in eradicating child labour incidence but non-trade policy functions effectively in this aspect.

Tax evasion is the basic characteristic of many developing countries. De facto tax collections are consequently far below revenue implied by published or de jure tax rates. This paper empirically examines tax rates (tariff plus VAT rates) as the determinants of customs revenue evasion across products, based on a systematic analysis of discrepancies in trade declarations for trading partners, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of South Africa and China. The results indicate that trade gap is highly correlated with tax rates, that is, much more value is lost for products with higher tax rates. The results also show that the trade gap is correlated with tax rates on closely rated products from Republic of South Africa, implying that evasion takes place through misclassification of imports from higher-taxed categories to lower-taxed ones. However, there is no evidence of misclassification of imports from China. The wide divergences between the effective and statutory tax rates in Tanzanian tax system indicate that there is a scope for raising tax revenue without increasing tax rates by reinforcing tax and customs administrations and reducing tax evasion.

The purpose of this study is to determine the management attributes that contribute to the success of women in management positions in Northern Kwazulu Natal. This investigation stems from the fact that women are still under represented in managerial positions within South Africa, both in the public and private sector. In order to gain insight into what differentiate successful female managers from the rest of the female workforce, a closer look will be taken at the female managers within Northern KwaZulu Natal and how they have managed to achieve success. The aim of this study is to identify a preferred managerial style used by females, and the traits they exhibit to enhance their careers. The research had been done as a qualitative study using inductive Thematic Analysis. The findings of the study were that the female managers of Northern KwaZulu Natal showed attributes that lead contributed to their success. The attributes identified was their managerial style which is transformational in nature leaning on traits such as being caring, motherly, empathetic, collaborative, motivated, driven, empowering, acknowledging, recognizing, being an example and a good listener.

This paper investigates a comparison between public, private and foreign banks efficiencies in the banks of Persian Gulf region. In Persian Gulf Countries (PGC), financial sector had grown over the past years. Banking sector particularly grew very rapidly and investor enjoyed high return. This study finds that whether banking sectors in PGC are efficient or not. For this purpose, a sample of 103 commercial banks of Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Saudi, Kuwait, Iran and Bahrain is taken from the period of 1996-2010. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) is applied to compute the efficiencies of the respective banks. The result shows that the efficiency decreased in PGC’s banks after increasing the assets in banking system from year 2003. Therefore, although foreign banks don’t have any sensible change in efficiency but public and private banks decline. It cans show ownership of banking has important role in banking industries in PGC, therefore this study investigate that government ownership is less efficient than the other types. In PGC, the governments didn’t work efficient in toward private sectors as owner of banking system.

Asymmetries in the Singaporean consumer loans lending-interbank overnight rate spread were documented. Empirical results revealed that the spread adjusts to the threshold more slowly when the interbank overnight rates decrease relative to the consumer loans rates than when the interbank overnight rates move in the opposite direction. Additionally, the empirical findings indicate that Singaporean commercial banks exhibit predatory rate setting behaviour in consumer loans market. The results also show bidirectional Granger causality between the Singaporean consumer loans rate and the interbank overnight rate, indicating that the consumer loans rate and the interbank overnight rate affect each other’s movements. These results suggest that monetary authority can use its countercyclical monetary policy instruments to achieve its macroeconomics objectives. However, the estimation results of the GARCH (3, 3)-in-Mean model suggest that they should intervene more frequently and by small policy measures to minimize the conditional variance of the spread to minimize the magnitude of the cycle of the consumer loans rate.

The aim of this study was to assess the economic impact on Niger of the trade component of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between ECOWAS and the European Union. The study used a partial equilibrium WITS/SMART model. Several scenarios of trade liberalization were simulated, but the interpretation of the results focused on the most realistic scenario; that is the one concerned with trade liberalization of Group A, B and C products. In this scenario, imports from the EU would increase by US$ 22 million. For the whole of the EU, this represents a gain in its exports to Niger of about 16.58%. Conversely, the producers from the rest of the world will see their exports to Niger reduce by about US$ 2 million. Such a reduction would result from increased competition from EU products. Niger would also suffer a loss in customs revenues of close to US$ 24 million. Therefore, while liberalization of Group A, B and C products would record a slight increase in receipts, the same liberalization would lead to a relatively bigger loss in revenues.

The study examines the relationship between occupational stress and intentions to quit among employees at Nkonkobe Municipality in South Afrca. The independent variable for the study is the occupational stress, while an intention to quit is the dependent variable. The measuring instruments for the study were a self-designed questionnaire to measure the demographic variables, a questionnaire developed by Halpem to measure stress at workplace (Chrnbach’s Alpha = 0.80). A questionnaire developed by Roodt to measure intentions to quit (Chronbach’s Alpha = 0.80) was used. A sample of 100 workers is used from Nkonkobe Municipality. A significant negative relationship between job satisfaction and intentions to quit was found (r=0.89; p ≤ 0.0001).

Employees are the major source of the organizations to generate revenues. Human resource practices affect all the employees working in the organization. All employees need special attention including female employees. Female workers are not encouraged to work equally in the developing countries like Pakistan. This research paper is an effort to study the impact of human resource practices on female employees in the biggest city of Pakistan Karachi. HR policies, practices are very important for all the employees working in the organization. Female workers should be encouraged because they are participating equally. Culture of developing countries like Pakistan discourages female workers to work and contribute in the economic progress of the country. Questionnaire was developed to gather the data from different female employees working in different companies.

Numerous factors have always been adduced for students’ poor performance in the sciences at all levels of education in Nigeria. Frequently mentioned among these factors are those like lack of qualified teachers, non-availability of ecologically valid textbooks, lack of laboratory equipment, linguistic problems, etc. Though the linguistic factor, of recent, has been given some attention, terminology, which is a major feature of the language of science, has hardly been given the deserved attention The main thrust of this study is that terminology has a great deal of influence on the way students understand and perform in the various science subjects. This, study was carried out to validate this claim. To do this, some explanatory/introductory Biology lessons in a Secondary School in Keffi, Nasarawa State in North Central Nigeria were observed. It was found that, among other linguistic challenges, a good number of students were at a loss when they came in contact with some terms: they were not able to engage with the abstract nature of these terms, neither did they possess the formal reasoning required to support understanding. Findings of this research can be replicated within the teaching context in order to support students in developing better ways of understanding specialized fields.

The Study was an Examination of the impact of Petroleum on Nigerian Economy. The sector has been the main source of foreign reserve and development capital for the country. Yet little or nothing is been done to support the sector. The study was based on secondary data. Data was sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin and National Bureau of Statistics. The data used was a ten years record of GDP and Oil Revenue i.e., 2000-2009. Findings show that petroleum has significant and positive impact on Nigeria economy. The researchers therefore recommend that the sector should be supported so that the country can derive the full benefits of the sector.

Tourism demand during the off-peak season and related unemployment rates and number of workers employed are examined for Sevier County, Tennessee where a majority of tourism demand occurs between May and October. Before 1990, the months of November, December, and January were considered the off-peak season when unemployment rates increased and the number of jobs generated decreased. In 1990 the three tourism related cities in Sevier County – Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, cooperatively began the creation of a new seasonal tourism product called Winterfest. Coupled with the extension of the usual off-peak season of keeping the Dollywood theme park open for November and December, Winterfest was designed to attract tourists to Sevier Co. during the off-peak season. Examination of monthly unemployment rates and jobs generated trends during the 24 year period when the Winterfest tourism development plan begun in 1990 to 2014, reveals increasing tourist demand, resulting in sustained lower unemployment rates and sustained higher levels of employment in Sevier County. Implications for off-peak tourism development indicate a tourism development product that increases tourism demand that extends the off-peak season can also generate sustainable lower unemployment rates and higher employment levels. Also, unemployment rates decreased fastest over time for November and December than January unemployment rates.