International Journal of Economics & Management Sciences

Commercial agriculture is driven by modern agricultural inputs use despite rate of adoption and use intensity is variable. This study investigates the major factors attributed to variation in households’ participation and intensity of formal seed use by taking 4 districts as a case in East Gojjam, Northwestern Ethiopia. A total of 250 farmers were selected using 3 stages random sampling and data were processed with Heckman Two-Stage Model using STATA. The result showed that households participation in formal seed use was significantly affected by wheat land and the number of oxen (positively, P<0.01), farming experience (positively, P<0.1) and age and off-farm income (negatively, P<0.01 and P<0.05 respectively). Similarly, intensity of formal seed utilized was significantly influenced by size of wheat land, number of oxen and frequency of extension services (positively, P<0.01) and sex and family size (positively, P<0.05). The existing seed supply chains are inefficient, seed systems are institutionalized and there are weak initiatives for community based seed systems. Strong extension services, empowering females with financial incentives and encouraging farmer based seed multiplication system can improve farmers’ tendency of improved seed use. Reduction of monopolistic distribution of seeds can lead to sufficient supply and optimum prices.

As the key source of information for pilots, the human visual system has necessarily driven much of the evolution in cockpit technology. In contrast to the complicated, gauge-based systems of the past, the electronic flight displays of today’s modern airliners are testament to advances in human factors engineering. The next step in flight instrumentation, although already used for some 50 years in the military, is just beginning to emerge in civil transport aircraft. Head-up displays (HUDs) allow pilots to see key flight instrumentation while viewing the outside world. The need to look down at the flight instruments is removed by the HUD, resulting in increased situational awareness and greater precision in aircraft control. While the head-up display is a welcome development, as with many instances of human-technology interface, the benefits provided by HUDs are not without potential drawbacks. The present report provides a thorough grounding in key areas of importance to the development and operation of HUD systems, including the human visual system, the history and development of conventional cockpit instrumentation, and a summary of the technical aspects and human factors considerations relating to HUD systems. This basis is built upon with a more practical assessment of the HUD system used in a modern airliner, the Boeing 787.

Sales people of an organization tend to exhibit different skills to complete the sales pitch, which sometimes may prove to be more effective. Their effectiveness is difficult to measure, unless a thorough primary survey is conducted on the field. The present competitive situation demands a successful effective tool in closing down a sale. In this scenario, a traditional and much debated communicative skill along with a high caliber interpersonal skill is found to be lacking among the sales persons due to the penetration of online resources. The present study had made an attempt to find out the relevance of the interpersonal skills in one industry where still the salespeople are considered as bread winners.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the Human Resources department of Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and see whether there is need to restructure the organisation’s HR practices. A review of the trust’s HR management system is carried out to determine how it has impacted on the overall performance of the organisation. Efforts shall be made to identify areas where improvement can be made so as to enable the trust to compete more effectively in the current competitive market environment.

The Ugandan government has for years depended on decentralization as a strategy for ensuring efficient delivery of services to its citizens. However, in the wake of obstacles like corruption, nepotism among others that have clouded fiscal decentralization, the need to re-examine its feasibility in explaining service delivery in Uganda’s local governments has become apparent. This study thus examines the extent to which fiscal decentralization explains improvements in service delivery in Uganda’s local government units. A quantitative survey research design was used in this study. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire and analyzed using quantitative methods. Sampling was purposively done in three districts of Uganda and the respondents included Local Council members elected by local residents and the technical staff of the participating local governments. Correlation results revealed a positive and significant relationship between fiscal decentralization and service delivery (r=.262**, p<.01) while regression results indicated that Fiscal Decentralization can predict Service delivery in local governments (Beta =.452, Sig.=.000). This study therefore recommended that despite the current inefficiencies in fiscal decentralization, it still stands out as a feasible strategy through which the quality of services provided by local governments can be enhanced. As such, the implementation of fiscal decentralization going forward, needs to be augmented with requisite policies to help in alleviating challenges like corruption, nepotism hence improving accountability and value for money on all government contracts sourced at local government levels. This will help improve on the quality of services provided by local governments.

This article deals with ability of business owners to access bank loans which is an important aspect relating to the sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises. Researches have shown that bank impose stringent conditions to give out loans particularly to start up business owners but there is a need to examine if small business owners have challenges that inhibits their ability to secure bank loans and other credit facilities. Therefore, this research article examines some factors that contribute to the inability of small and medium business owners to secure bank loans such as gender, age, education and cultural perceptions. In this present research, the author used structured questionnaire to conduct the study from the sample 150 respondents who are small and medium business owners over a period of three months using the structured survey method in four states of Nigeria namely Edo, Delta, Anambra and Abia states respectively.

This research examined the anomalous Day of The Week Effect which are found in many developed and developing capital markets around the world, occurred in Indonesian capital market. Day of The Week Effect is a phenomenon on stock returns value that are influenced by the trading day. One example of Day of The Week Effect is Monday Effect, which is the stock return value declined or low value on Monday. The data population were Equity Indices which are listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX ) during October 2012 to March 2013. The data which is primary data that obtained from the IDX, such as Jakarta Composite Index (JCI), BISNIS27, IDX30, and Srikehati. This research split the population data into two balanced data panel that are Q4 2012 (before trading hours regulation changed) and Q1 2013 (after trading hours regulation changed). The results indicate the occurrence of partially Monday Effect in Q4 2012 and partially Weekend Effect in Q1 2013 on the BEI. Test results proved that there is Day of the Week Effect and the day that influence the returns is not always the same and consistent. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday is alternately affect the return. In addition, the comparisons of return on Monday with another days are not always have large negative return differences and Monday is not always affect the return on each trading interval.