Faculty Of Management Sciences Research Articles

Online education and learning management system usage in a South African Economic and management faculty during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the rapid move of Higher Education from face-to-face to online formats worldwide; initially referred to as emergency remote teaching. As Higher Education transitions into a “new normal” of online and blended education, how educators had transitioned to online spaces at an historically Black and disadvantaged university in South Africa was explored; more specifically, how educators were using the Sakai learning management system (LMS)/virtual learning environment (VLE). This study investigated the instructional design and educational-soundness of online pedagogical practices. To this end, forty-eight (48) online undergraduate course sites from an Ecnomic and Management Sciences faculty were reviewed from nine departments and programmes, according to socio-constructivist and Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles. It was found that Sakai LMS/VLE tool usage was skewed towards administrative, evaluative and management functions over pedagogical functions: communication (83%), evaluation (83%), content (71%), monitoring (67%), and collaboration (52%). While most courses included varied types of learning activities, they were dominated by traditional and passive approaches, and less inter/active approaches: acquisition (89%), practice (71%), production (64%), discussion (35%), collaboration (31%), and investigation (8%). The results from this study will guide future staff development initiatives to improve LMS/VLE instructional design and online educational practice. Future research includes qualitative exploration of both staff and student experiences. Implications for equity, social justice and transformation in South African Higher Education, and related contexts, are emphasised.

Universities as Thinking Spaces for Society: Moving from Welfare to Development

South Africa's developmental challenges offer a fertile ground for collaborative efforts among various stakeholders, including higher education institutions, government bodies, industries, and civil society organizations. Such collaboration fosters channels for knowledge generation, opportunities for resource sharing, and strategies for policy enhancement, all aimed at driving South Africa's progressive transformation through its development agenda. This special issue is the result of a partnership between the Faculty of Management Sciences at Durban University of Technology, South Africa, and the Population Promotion Directorate of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Social Development in South Africa. This special issue serves as a concerted effort to cultivate interdisciplinary collaboration between government institutions and universities, aiming to generate knowledge for the betterment of citizens' lives. As such, the papers within cover a range of themes addressing significant issues within South African society. Their findings are intended to serve as credible inputs for the development and implementation of policies in relevant domains. Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data, these papers offer deeper insights into their respective subject matters, contributing to evidence-based policymaking and decision-making processes across various levels of government in South Africa.

Nexus between Family Environment and Entrepreneurial Intentions of Students in the Faculty of Management Sciences, Veritas University, Abuja

There is a general apathy towards entrepreneurial activities among students in the Faculty of Management Sciences, Veritas University, Abuja. Unarguably, this lack of enthusiasm is traceable to the general moral decadence among youths in both the family environments and university environments. This is occasioned by the increasing failure of parents to properly bring up their children/wards particularly with the intent of making them self-reliant. Consequently, with a special focus on the family, it is important to understand the role of the family environment in triggering the dimensions of entrepreneurial intentions (i.e., personal attitude towards a behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control) in students. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design, and employed a combination of census method, a criterion sampling technique and questionnaire to collect data from 100 to 400 level students in the six departments in the faculty. A criterion sampling technique was employed to select the sample size of 115 students from the population of 279 students. The criteria for selection are that: (i) the parents work in or own a family business; (ii) that the student was partly or wholly involved in a family business; and (iii) the student actively participated in the previous entrepreneurship courses he/she had taken. The generated data were subjected to Pearson product moment correlation. The relationships between family environment, and personal attitude towards a behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behaviour control were found to be positive and significant. The study recommends empowerment of families to create new or expand existing family businesses. Again, family members, including students, should be involved in the running, management and control of such businesses from an early age.

The Impact of Website Services’ Quality on Users Satisfaction in Higher Education Institutions:

This study sought to determine how consumers' satisfaction is affected by the websites of higher education institutions' service quality. The study sample involved 211 users of the website of economics, commercial and management sciences faculty of Ferhat Abbas University in Setif. Primary data were gathered via a questionnaire, and they were analyzed using SPSS.26 software.
 The study came to the conclusion that consumers' satisfaction is positively impacted by all aspects of the website service quality. Based on these results, we provided a series of recommendations, with a focus on strengthening the safety and privacy of the faculty website, designating specific staff members to respond to users, boosting the website's functionality, and implementing ongoing changes in line with users needs.

Financial literacy and business risk-taking among business start-up students in Nigeria

Low business outlook due to poor financial decisions among students has continued to attract interest of financial educators and professionals. Previous studies have interrogated financial literacy with sparse attention given to business risk-taking among students’ start-ups in Nigeria. This research gap forms the basis of this study. The aim of this paper is the interrogation of financial knowledge and financial behavior as a lever for business risk-taking among start-up students of the University of Lagos, Nigeria. The philosophical perspective drew insight from the positivist approach with a random sampling of 145 final-year students selected from the departments of Business Administration, Accounting and Employment, and Labour Relations of the Faculty of Management Sciences. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test and Bartlett’s test were conducted to determine sample adequacy. Regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The results show that financial knowledge and behavior of start-ups revealed a high propensity to be engaged in business risk-taking (β = .407, t (511) = 7.556, p < 0.05; β = .412, t (1.511) = 7.525, p < 0.05) with males showing more financial literacy understanding for business risk than females (β = .591, t (2;510) = 4.381, p < 0.05; β = .280, t (2;510) = 2.217, p = 0.262) respectively. The findings show the need for the continuous development of students’ start-up behavioral and attitudinal disposition, especially females in becoming more financial literate for appropriate financial decision-making in business risk-taking and venture creation. Acknowledgments The author acknowledges and appreciates all students who participated in this study.

Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intention of University Undergraduate Students in Benue State Nigeria

This study examined the effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial intention of university undergraduate students in Benue State, Nigeria. The study specifically examined the effect of entrepreneurship education on start-up intention and innovation intention among university undergraduate students in Benue State, Nigeria. The adopted the cross-sectional survey design involving university undergraduates in three universities in Benue State. The population of the study comprised of 957 final year students from Faculty of Management Sciences from JS Tarka University Makurdi (224), Benue State University Makurdi (631) and University of Mkar, Mkar (102). Applying Taro Yamene’s formula, a sample size of 282 was realized. The study employed questionnaire as the major instrument for data collection. The items on the questionnaire were all measured on a 5-point scale ranging from 1=strongly disagree to 5=strongly agree. Result of pilot study showed that the reliability for each of the constructs was above 0.70. Simple linear regression analysis was used in testing the data gathered from the survey. Analysis was done with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 23). Findings revealed that entrepreneurship education has significant positive effect on start-up intention and innovation intention of university undergraduate students in Benue State, Nigeria. The study concludes that university undergraduate students’ intentions toward entrepreneurship can be enhanced using entrepreneurship education. This study is an initial call to elaborate an appropriate model of entrepreneurship education in universities in Benue State that will present a more practical and effective entrepreneurship education

Exploring the alignment of first-year summative assessments with Bloom’s Taxonomy: A longitudinal study

The correlation between the level of difficulty of assessments, Bloom’s Taxonomy as well as pass rates of courses has been a seriously under-researched area in South Africa. In this study, we proposed the revised Bloom’s taxonomy level of difficulty index, before we examined 112 first-year 2017‒2019 final and supplementary assessment papers from the Economic and Management Sciences Faculty of a university in Western Cape. The descriptive statistics showed that these assessment papers are different in terms of duration, total marks, type of questions asked as well as pass rates. It was also found that these first-year summative assessments asked questions mainly at levels two (understand) and three (apply) of the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. In addition, the correlation and econometric analysis did not find a strong correlation between the level of difficulty index and pass rates. Nonetheless, the above-mentioned results need to be interpreted with great caution, because strictly speaking, one should also control for differences in other characteristics (e.g., students’ personal characteristics, school characteristics and lecture attendance). To conclude, there is no explicit national policy that guides higher education institutions (HEIs) on how to use Bloom’s or any other taxonomy to assess students at the appropriate National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level. Hence, our findings suggest that there is a need for a national assessment policy framework to guide HEIs on how to assess undergraduate students at different cognitive levels as required by the NQF. Keywords: Revised Bloom's Taxonomy, assessment, undergraduate first-year studies

Generation Y students' purchase behaviour towards organic foods in South Africa

Objective - The primary objective of this study is to identify and explain the antecedents of organic food purchase behaviour of Generation Y students in the South African context. This study aimed to shed some light on Generation Ystudents' health consciousness, perceived behaviour control, convenience, attitudes, purchase intentions, and actual buying behaviourtoward organic food products. The study also attempted to determine the underlying strengths and relationships between the constructs used in the measurement scale. Lastly, gender relationships were investigated to determine if any differences existed between males and females in terms of their organic food product purchases. Methodology/Technique - This research study employed a descriptive, non-probability, convenience sampling design. The intended target population was full-time registered undergraduate Generation Y students aged between 18 and 24 years. The sample size was 200 students based across the four faculties within the chosen higher education institution, namely the Faculty of Management Sciences, the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Human Sciences. The 200 self-administered questionnaires were distributed during recess times as to not to disrupt any learning time. The questionnaire contained a cover letter explaining the purpose of the study and that participation in the study was completely voluntary. Findings - The measurement scale displayed adequate reliability and validity for all constructs. Furthermore, all constructs had statistically significant positive means, indicating that Generation Y students are health-conscious, care for the opinions of friends and family, display pro-organic attitudes, intentions, and behaviour. Results from this study indicate that there is a need for food organizations to consider implementing organic-based products in their product offerings within the South African market. Novelty - Investigation oforganic food product purchase behaviouramong South African Generation Y students (Consumer behaviour). Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Organic Foods; Purchase Behaviour; Generation Y, South Africa. JEL Classification: M31, M39.

COVID-19 AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT VICKISPAN: CHALLENGES AND RESPONSES TO THE LOCKDOWN

This article is centred on an entrepreneurial small farm-based enterprise in rural Riebeecksrivier in the Western Cape. It focuses on the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the business, its employees and the community that is affected by the enterprise. The data was obtained from a webinar series on lockdown stories hosted by the Economics and Management Sciences Faculty of the University of the Western Cape. The article describes the challenges presented by lockdown and how the pandemic has changed the way they think about the business strategy and context. It also delineates the kind of support measures required for this business to survive and achieve its potential to grow and effect greater positive impact in future. The data which this article is based upon, is from the generous contribution of the Managing Director of Vickispan (Pty) Ltd, who participated in the online webinar series.

VOICES OF ENTREPRENEURS: A REVIEW OF ENTREPRENEURS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SME COVID-19 SUPPORT MEASURES IN SOUTH AFRICA

This article sheds the spotlight on support mechanisms for small businesses that are struggling as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The data was collated during a two-part webinar series on lockdown stories of small businesses in the Western Cape, the effects thereof, support mechanisms and possible solutions to the challenges faced. The webinars, run in August 2020, were hosted by the Economics and Management Sciences Faculty of the University of the Western Cape. The article compiles the contributions of panel members from a cross-section of stakeholders from business, government and academia. Potential solutions and support mechanisms available from various spheres of society – government, business and academia – are discussed as part of the arsenal available to small businesses in the face of the negative impact of Covid-19 on their businesses.

Students’ Attitude to Social Media in Distance Education: Implications for Quality Instructional Delivery in Physics

This study examined students’ attitudes to social media (SM) at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and its implications for quality instructional delivery in physics. The stratified random sampling technique selects the sample size of 640 students that form the representatives from each faculty viz; Arts, Education, Management Sciences, and Science Technology. The number of social media used for the study is twenty-nine in number. The eclectic integration of instruments developed by researchers made the instruments whose reliability and validity were determined. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Research questions were analysed using descriptive statistics, while ANOVA and t-test analysis was for the hypotheses. Results showed that the attitude of students towards SM was above average (71.66 %). The mean attitudes of female students (67.81) towards SM were higher than their male (62.31) counterparts. The most known social media is Facebook (90%). Findings on DL students’ attitudes in different fields of the study showed no significant difference (p0.05). Students from the faculties of Education and Science Technology scored the highest mean value in attitude to SM. However, the faculty of Management Sciences recorded the lowest attitude to SM. The recommendation was that e-learning oriented programmes that promote attitudes to social media should be in the curriculum. It concluded that positive attitudes recorded by students to social media in Education and Science could leverage transformation in the instructional delivery of physics. Also, a higher mean value for the female students portends better performance for female students in physics. It recommends social medial driven activities to the school curriculum for enhancing instructional physics delivery in distance education.

A Needs Analysis of Thai Massage Employees’ (Thai Massage Therapists, Receptionists, and Managers) English Communication Skills in the city of Pattaya, Chonburi

English communication has gained its importance for Thai massage employees who are required to interact and provide massage services to foreign customers due to the popularity of Thai massage among foreigners. This study attempts to explore and analyze the needs and problems of Thai massage employees towards English communication in their workplaces located in Pattaya City, Thailand. This is a mixedmethodology research collecting data from 132 Thai massage employees through an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with five Thai massage employees to obtain insight data and further information. The key findings show that speaking and listening skills are the most needed skills including English vocabulary knowledge. In terms of themost problematic skills, speaking, listening, and writing respectively were rated as high while reading skill reported as moderate. According to the interview, the results reveal that English competency may not greatly affect the quality of Thai massage service; however, being able to use English properly increases customers’ satisfaction and reduces time for the employees to communicate with foreign customers. The findings also indicate that the Thai massage therapists use their body languages, pictures, and memorized English patterns and sample phrases to communicate with foreign customers as their solutions for Englishcommunication problems. This research which was conducted under a fund of the Faculty of Management Sciences, Kasetsart University reports the needs and problems of these groups of people in order to design an English for Spa course based on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) principles to foster English communication skills for the Thai massage employees as well as for business students who are interested in ESP courses.

POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR IN THE FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES, BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO, NIGERIA

The study examines postgraduate student’s information seeking behavior in the faculty of management sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. Information play critical role in human daily activities such as school life, work, marital life and any other kind of scenario. The concept of information seeking behavior has attracted researchers’ attention and has been of great concern to stakeholders in the academia. Academic libraries avail information from different sources and formats. Objectively the study examines postgraduate students’ information seeking behavior in order to understand students’ information seeking behavior and provide guide to improve the quality of education and performance. Survey research design were use and the population consist of the entire postgraduate students in the faculty of management sciences at Bayero University, Kano, due to difficulty to reach all the population, purposive sampling were applied which result to the selection of (200) respondents comprising of (50) respondents from each of the four departments and questionnaire were issued to them. From the findings it is obvious that in the course of carrying out their studies postgraduate students seek information as a result of activities they engage such exam preparation, dissertation/thesis work, updating knowledge, lecture notes update, personal reading and general reading. However, the result implies that majority of the respondents use library for information concerning exam preparation while the lowest is for general reading to improve their knowledge. The study conclude that postgraduate students do engage in information seeking behaviour for various reasons even though these are hinder by some obstacles. The study recommends the need for management to improve service delivery in the aspect of electronic library, researchers should be guided easily and educated so as to facilitate easy collection of library materials, users should also be guided to enhance easy retrieval of information, continuous training of library staff should be given attention in order for them to be friendly and give quality service to information seekers and finally problem of poor electricity supply should be addressed to make the environment conducive for learning.

Ethical dilemma at work: the viewpoint of bank marketers in Nigeria

The study sought to investigate the major factors that constitute ethical dilemmas for bank marketers in the workplace. The conclusive research design was adopted, and the population of the study consisted of part-time postgraduate students in the faculty of management sciences at the University of Benin who are bank marketers. Research data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Results indicate that sales target and deceptive marketing significantly influence the ethical dilemma faced by bank marketers in Nigeria. The results also showed that respondents’ perception is related to education but not related to sex, marital status and age.

Organisational culture and turnover intentions among academics: a case of a rural-based university

ABSTRACT The study investigated the existing organisational culture and how it affects staff turnover at a selected rural-based university. A quantitative method, using cross-sectional and survey design, was employed. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire from 60 respondents in the two selected faculties (Faculty of Education and Faculty of Management Sciences). Data were analysed descriptively using mean scores and Pearson’s correlation analysis. The findings revealed that support culture was the most dominant and power culture, the least dominant. The study further revealed that there was a direct and positive relationship between power culture and turnover intention. Thus, the results indicated that if superiors exercise or use more power over employees, they are likely to leave the organisation. It is, therefore, recommended that those management in rural-based universities should maintain support culture and refrain from power culture to maintain a preferred or normal level of staff turnover.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, RISK-TAKING PROPENSITY AND STUDENTS’ SELF- EMPLOYMENT INTENTION

This study investigated the influence of entrepreneurship skills development, risk taking propensity on students’ self-employment intentions. Using the descriptive survey research design, study population includes all 400 level students of Faculty of Management Sciences, Lagos State University, Ojo Campus. 254 students were selected using the purposive sampling technique. The formulated hypotheses were tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation and simple linear regression. The results showed that there was a positive relationship between entrepreneurship skills development and risk taking propensity (r=.19, p<.05).Also, there is a strong, positive and statistically significant influence of entrepreneurship skills development, risk taking propensity on 400 level students’ self-employment intentions. A significant regression coefficient was found F(2, 22)=17.21, p<.05), with R2 of .13. This presupposes that 13.0% of the variance in self-employment intentions is as a result of entrepreneurial skills development and risk taking propensity. The study therefore recommended amongst others that, programmes should be put in place to identify individuals with the necessary entrepreneurial characteristics at an early stage to provide the necessary support to develop them into successful entrepreneurs.

The Impact of Communication Between Teachers and Students: A Case Study of the Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Karachi, Pakistan

Student’s relationship with teachers is important because students spend about 7 to 9 hours a day and almost 11 months with the teacher. This paper focuses on ascertaining the impact of communication between teachers and students. Communication is a motivational tool for students to accomplish their studies. In this era, education is spreading very quickly all around the world. Universities are trying to improve their standard by increasing the quality of education as well as the quality of their students. This study examines the challenges which create barriers and huddles due to communication between the teachers and students to ensure that the students succeed. For this purpose, the faculty of management science, University of Karachi, Pakistan, was used as a case study. Its impact on students through the teacher’s communication was examined. Three (3) departments are working under the faculty of management science. The random sampling method was used to gather the data from the departments. Descriptive analysis of mean and percentage were applied to find the impact of teacher’s communication on the student’s education and their success. The results show a positive relation between them. It is very difficult to create a positive relation between teachers and students when they get to a certain stage. This is because they are both mature, although it is necessary for both students and teachers. The qualities for a positive relationship can vary to make learning experience approachable and inviting for the students. If the teacher and the students have good communication skills and understand the importance of the impact of their communication, establishing a good relationship will be much easier. This research paper, however, shows that there is a positive relation between teachers and students which creates goodwill for the teachers and makes the students to be result-oriented.

Competitive Intelligence and Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra Statea Performance in Selected Deposit Money Banks in South-East, Nigeria

Competitive Intelligence and Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra Statea Performance in Selected Deposit Money Banks in South-East, Nigeria

The Effect of Selection Processes on Employee Turnover in Small and Medium Enterprises in Sunnyside, South Africa

M. Tech. (Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences): Vaal University of Technology

Validating an Employer Graduate-Employability Skills Questionnaire in the Faculty of Management Sciences

The purpose of this paper was to identify the psychometric properties of a graduate employability skills questionnaire that was developed as part of a PhD study by De Jager (2004:157) for the Faculty of Management Sciences. The aforementioned was investigated using the following hypothesis: There is a set of graduate employability skills that are perceived statistically significant by employers in the Free State with specific reference to Management Sciences. The sample consisted out of 503 (n = 503) employers from diverse sectors within the Mangaung area. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to analyse the data. Exploratory analysis identified a 7-factor solution, however parallel analysis yielded a 4-factor solution. The four factors responsible for the majority of the variance were interpersonal skills, Critical Cross Field Outcomes, job-related activities and academic skills. It is recommended that the results be used to stimulate research on the employability of Management Sciences graduates. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n2s1p230