Research In Zimbabwe Research Articles

Methodological bias in social work education: the silence of quantitative approaches in students’ research in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT This study examines the factors contributing to the low utilization of quantitative research approaches among social work research students. A census sampling technique was employed to conduct a survey of 1268 students who had completed their final year research dissertations. The descriptive statistics revealed that 81% (n = 1022) of social work students employed qualitative research, 16% (n = 208) used mixed methods, and only 3% (n = 38) utilized quantitative approaches. A multiple linear regression analysis revealed factors that were statistically significant (ρ<.05) in predicting low utilization of quantitative approaches that include; the supervisor’s preference, the student’s secondary education, training in research methods, competency in statistics, methodological flexibility and suitability, resources constraints, professional assistance, and fear of failure. These findings prompt recommendations for social work training institutions to enhance their research capacity, adopt co-supervisions, advocate for quantitative research, and prioritize continuous research mentorship in statistical tools.

The impact of Business Process Outsourcing on Sustainable Competitive Advantage in the Financial Services Industry in Zimbabwe

Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a fairly new field within research in Zimbabwe. Most companies are in a bid to remain competitive within the financial services industry. The study sought to investigate the impact of BPO on sustainable competitive advantage in the financial services industry. The research adopted the positivism research philosophy which resulted in a quantitative research design. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS bivariate correlation analysis. Raosoft calculator was used to determine the sample of 148 units from the target population of 240. The findings were that business process outsourcing has a direct relationship with sustainable competitive advantage. According to the results, innovation, highly capable IT teams and cost reduction were all a result of outsourcing of IT services. Accounting outsourcing, through the study, showed that it allowed companies to have access to expertise which are not available internally. It also showed that companies can focus on their core competencies whilst they outsource processes that can be done externally. The study suggested that the factors considered for sustainable competitive advantage are directly affected or impacted by outsourcing of services and processes. The study recommended that due diligence should be taken when implementing BPO. It also recommended that cost-benefit analysis and risk assessment be carried out before deciding on whether to outsource or not.

Antenatal care coverage and early childhood mortality in Zimbabwe: new interpretations from nationally representative household surveys.

Zimbabwe has implemented universal antenatal care (ANC) policies since 1980 that have significantly contributed to improvements in ANC access and early childhood mortality rates. However, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), two of Zimbabwe's main sources of health data and evidence, often provide seemingly different estimates of ANC coverage and under-five mortality rates. This creates confusion that can result in disparate policies and practices, with potential negative impacts on mother and child health in Zimbabwe. We conducted a comparability analysis of multiple DHS and MICS datasets to enhance the understanding of point estimates, temporal changes, rural-urban differences and reliability of estimates of ANC coverage and neonatal, infant and under-five mortality rates (NMR, IMR and U5MR, separately) from 2009 to 2019 in Zimbabwe. Our two samples z-tests revealed that both DHS and MICS indicated significant increases in ANC coverage and declines in IMR and U5MR but only from 2009 to 2015. NMR neither increased nor declined from 2009 to 2019. Rural-urban differences were significant for ANC coverage (2009-15 only) but not for NMR, IMR and U5MR. We found that there is a need for more precise DHS and MICS estimates of urban ANC coverage and all estimates of NMR, IMR and U5MR, and that shorter recall periods provide more reliable estimates of ANC coverage in Zimbabwe. Our findings represent new interpretations and clearer insights into progress and gaps around ANC coverage and under-five mortality rates that can inform the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy and practice responses and further research in Zimbabwe.

The Chilling Effects of Surveillance and Human Rights: Insights from Qualitative Research in Uganda and Zimbabwe

Abstract States are increasingly developing and deploying large scale surveillance and AI-enabled analytical capabilities. What is uncertain, however, is the impact this surveillance will have. Will it result in a chilling effect whereby individuals modify their behaviour due to the fear of the consequences that may follow? Understanding any such effect is essential: if surveillance activities interfere with the processes by which individuals develop their identity, or undermine democratic processes, the consequences may be almost imperceptible in the short term but profound over the long term. Currently, surveillance-related chilling effects are not well understood, meaning that insufficient weight is given to their potentially society-wide impacts. This article seeks to help redress this balance. Drawing on empirical research in Zimbabwe and Uganda it highlights how State surveillance has chilled behaviour, with significant implications for rights essential to individual development and democratic functioning, specifically the rights to freedom of expression and to freedom of assembly. Importantly, this qualitative research identifies a pattern of common themes or consequences associated with surveillance in general, allowing us to move beyond hypothetical or individual experiences, and providing a greater understanding of the nuances of surveillance-related effects that can help inform decision-making surrounding large scale digital surveillance.

Forty years of climate risk research in Zimbabwe – 1980–2021

ABSTRACT Identifying sound strategies to manage climate risks requires understanding complex systems, characterised by; a large number of potential factors that interact; multiple stakeholder constituencies with diverse values, deep and dynamic uncertainties. This paper assesses the general understanding and dominant narrative regarding climate change in particular societies in order to track the trends regarding the management of climate risk. In this regard, this paper considers climate risk from a Zimbabwean perspective between 1980 and 2021. The assessment of climate risk in Zimbabwe took cognisance of the fact that climate change is a subject that has received a considerable amount of attention in Zimbabwean focused literature. As such, secondary data were used to understand the dominant narratives regarding climate risk in Zimbabwe. The climate risk discussion in Zimbabwe has significantly grown over past four decades nonetheless, it is evident that the dominant narrative is biased towards climate change adaptation particularly on aspects of agricultural and livelihoods sensitivity from a water scarcity perspective. Other adaptation components such as the exposure to hazards, indigenous knowledge systems, ecological and infrastructure vulnerability, communication and gender dimensions of climate change also form the bulk of issues that dominate the adaptation centred narrative.

A cervical cancer biorepository for pharmacogenomics research in Zimbabwe

BackgroundResearch infrastructures such as biorepositories are essential to facilitate genomics and its growing applications in health research and translational medicine in Africa. Using a cervical cancer cohort, this study describes the establishment of a biorepository consisting of biospecimens and matched phenotype data for use in genomic association analysis and pharmacogenomics research.MethodWomen aged > 18 years with a recent histologically confirmed cervical cancer diagnosis were recruited. A workflow pipeline was developed to collect, store, and analyse biospecimens comprising donor recruitment and informed consent, followed by data and biospecimen collection, nucleic acid extraction, storage of genomic DNA, genetic characterization, data integration, data analysis and data interpretation. The biospecimen and data storage infrastructure included shared -20 °C to -80 °C freezers, lockable cupboards, secured access-controlled laptop, password protected online data storage on OneDrive software. The biospecimen or data storage, transfer and sharing were compliant with the local and international biospecimen and data protection laws and policies, to ensure donor privacy, trust, and benefits for the wider community.ResultsThis initial establishment of the biorepository recruited 410 women with cervical cancer. The mean (± SD) age of the donors was 52 (± 12) years, comprising stage I (15%), stage II (44%), stage III (47%) and stage IV (6%) disease. The biorepository includes whole blood and corresponding genomic DNA from 311 (75.9%) donors, and tumour biospecimens and corresponding tumour DNA from 258 (62.9%) donors. Datasets included information on sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, family history, clinical information, and HPV genotype. Treatment response was followed up for 12 months, namely, treatment-induced toxicities, survival vs. mortality, and disease status, that is disease-free survival, progression or relapse, 12 months after therapy commencement.ConclusionThe current work highlights a framework for developing a cancer genomics cohort-based biorepository on a limited budget. Such a resource plays a central role in advancing genomics research towards the implementation of personalised management of cancer.

Different manifestations of ‘context’: examples from a bibliometric study of research in Zimbabwe in Southern Africa

Different manifestations of ‘context’: examples from a bibliometric study of research in Zimbabwe in Southern Africa

“You Are Blessed to Be a Blessing”: Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches and the Politics of Redistribution in Harare

Abstract Drawing on ethnographic research in Zimbabwe, this article examines the ways through which a new Pentecostal-Charismatic Church (PCC), Good Life Church (GLC), engages in charity and redistributive activities in Harare. From the mid-2000s, there has been a remarkable Pentecostal explosion in Zimbabwe. This explosion coincided with a protracted socio-economic and political crisis. This crisis was marked by deepening poverty, skyrocketing unemployment, hyperinflation, and the withdrawal of state welfare. This was worsened by rapid emigration, which dismembered kinship-based social safety nets. In response, new PCCs emerged as new and alternative spaces of welfare provision, redistribution and social security. I argue that GLC’s engagement in acts of charity should be understood within the broader discourse of spiritual warfare against the demons of poverty. By addressing “this-worldly” concerns, GLC attempts to make a holistic contribution to sustainable development by attending to the spiritual and material needs of people. Indeed, a culture of giving is cultivated and habituated in everyday life and practices within the church. I assert that acts of individual and collective charity provision in GLC enable many people to navigate uncertainties and precarities wrought by the postcolonial economic crisis. This article draws on Bourdieu’s theory of practice, and particularly his concepts of field, habitus and forms of anticipation to unpack the acts of charity in GLC. A specific kind of Pentecostal habitus is (re)produced through teachings, rituals, socialities and convivialities forged within the church.

Mediating a regime in crisis: corruption and succession in Zimbabwe’s state media

Political scandals are rarely the focus of major academic research in Zimbabwe where tight control of the dominant state media by the ruling party ensures that scandals involving senior government officials are suppressed. Informed by Altheide and Snow’s media logic and Thompson’s concept of mediated political scandals, this article uses framing analysis to examine The Herald’s logic behind exposing the ZIMDEF scandal involving former Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Jonathan Moyo. We therefore view the scandal as a political power scandal within ZANU-PF as two main factions, the Lacoste faction led by then Vice-President and now President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the G40 faction fronted by the then Minister of Higher Education Jonathan Moyo, who fought a nail-biting contest over the succession of long-time ruler Mugabe as his reign entered the twilight. The article argues that the scandal evolved like a choreographed sting operation, in which the objective was not to expose public corruption, but to neutralise a formidable political foe as the race to succeed former president Robert Mugabe intensified.

Agricultural Research in Zimbabwe: An Author-level Bibliometric Analysis of Publication Outlets and Research Collaboration

What can be learnt from an application of author-level bibliometrics to the field of agricultural research in Zimbabwe for the period 2012–2016? The study addressed the question by integrating data from three sources: Scopus, the Web of Science and the National Research Database of Zimbabwe. A set of fifteen bibliometric indicators was constructed for 2,873 Zimbabwean authors, of which 248 (9%) were in agricultural sciences and 295 (10%) in multidisciplinary agricultural sciences. The indicators represented three dimensions: volume of article output, scholarly publication outlet and research collaboration. Results are discussed in terms of the Zimbabwean government’s policy for agriculture. Part of the lessons learnt calls for author-level bibliometric studies to connect more closely with the local, regional and global politics of knowledge production.

English

In this paper, the hypothesis that rainfall variability has an impact on wetland loss is tested. There is limited research in Zimbabwe that recognises the influence of rainfall variability on wetland loss. The purpose of this research is to determine the influence of rainfall variability on wetland size over time. Topographical maps, for the period 1972 to 2008, provided data on wetland locations and their changes in size with time. Rainfall data for Masvingo province for the 1980 to 2015 period was obtained from the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) of Zimbabwe. Statistical analysis shows that there is no relationship between rainfall variability and wetland loss. It can be concluded that there is no relationship between rainfall variability and wetland loss therefore. The research findings show that the rates of change in wetland size differ from one wetland to another. The implications on wetland management are that interventions should largely address human causal factors of wetland loss than rainfall variability. Therefore, it is vital to devise a wetland rehabilitation plan that enables management of water from the rivers and wetlands that the communities depend on. &nbsp; Key words: Climate change, rainfall variability, standard precipitation index (SPI), wetland rehabilitation, Zimbabwe.

An Investigation of Bottom of Pyramid Consumers’ Motivation for Participating in Value Co-Creation

This research investigates the core drivers for bottom of pyramid (BOP) consumers’ motivation for participating in value co-creation (VCC) projects with firms evaluating the influence of each of the drivers considering the heterogeneity nature of the BOP. Ethnographic observations and interviews were used to conduct the research in Zimbabwe. A key finding is the impact of the heterogeneity of the bottom of pyramid on the eight drivers that are identified and evaluated in terms of their influence, thereby providing a more holistic understanding of BOP consumers participation in VCC. This research’s findings have shown that digital technologies can be employed as a valuable complementary tool that firms and BOP consumers could effectively use to facilitate value co-creation. A key practical finding is the emergence of the concept of a Green Kiosk. This is a one stop resource which acts as a community building center, cultural renewal center, place of education and knowledge and point of access to other services such as telecommunication services. Evolving balance of power in the relations between the BOP and firms is outlined.

A preliminary study of skin bleaching and factors associated with skin bleaching among women living in Zimbabwe.

Skin bleaching was reported to be commonly practiced among women and Africa was reported to be one of the most affected yet the subject is not given much attention in public health research in Zimbabwe despite the adverse effects of skin bleaching on health. This study was an exploratory cross-sectional survey to explore skin bleaching, skin bleaching patterns and factors associated with skin bleaching among women living in Zimbabwe. An online self-administered questionnaire was sent out to women on social network i.e. WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. A total number of 260 respondents, mean age 31.69 (SD, 8.12) years participated in the survey. The prevalence of skin bleaching among the participants was 31.15%. The major reason reported for skin bleaching was to have smooth and healthy skin alongside other factors such as beauty, gaining social favours for example getting married and good jobs. Occupation, complexion and marital status were associated with skin bleaching. The odds of skin bleaching for participants who were employed was 1.45(95% confidence interval [CI],0.32-1.91);p-value 0.02, dark skinned participants 2.56(95% CI, 0.76-2.87);p-value 0.01 and unmarried participants 2.87(95% CI,0.29-3.58);p-value 0.03. Evidence from the research suggests skin bleaching might be common among women living in Zimbabwe and possibly poses serious health threats to the women. Skin bleaching seems to be deep rooted in colourism. The colourism seems to be taken advantage of by the cosmetic industry which produce the potentially hazardous products which promise the revered light skin to women but which comes with a price. However, the study provides a base for future studies to explore more on skin bleaching practices among women living in Zimbabwe.

A Rights-Based Approach to Child Poverty Measurement and Child Rights Realisation in Zimbabwe

Abstract Against the context of limited research in Zimbabwe on rights-focused child poverty research, policy and practice, this study employs the Bristol Approach to measure the extent and relationship with gender and location, respectively, of child poverty among children aged five years and below (N = 6418). Using Zimbabwe’s 2015 Demographic and Health Survey secondary data, 14 selected measures are tested for validity, reliability and additivity. Severe deprivation estimates are developed, showing the commonest deprivation forms as early childhood development (78 per cent), water (46 per cent), healthcare (44 per cent), sanitation (40 per cent), shelter (30 per cent) and nutrition (13 per cent). While boys and girls are similarly severely deprived, children in rural areas are the most severely deprived. While all deprivations are non-significantly correlated with gender, most are significantly correlated with location. Overall, the study highlights the extreme nature of child rights violations caused by poverty in Zimbabwe, and how rights-based child poverty measurement can better inform policy and practice responses.

Beyond Utilitarian Economics: A Capability Approach to Energy Poverty and Social Suffering

ABSTRACT This article uses energy poverty and social suffering phenomena to show the inadequacy of utilitarian policy-making that puts primary focus on resource generation and availability as a means of socio-economic development. This approach fails to acknowledge that energy generation can go-hand-in-hand with energy poverty and social suffering. Drawing on empirical qualitative research in Zimbabwe, the article shows how a lack of social and political-economic capabilities contributes to energy poverty, which consequently leads to social suffering. The article draws on Amartya Sen’s capability approach, and then extends the argument through a Foucauldian analysis of power. It concludes that the local people of the region studied are more capability poor than energy poor. The article proposes a sense of capability, or the evaluation of the subjective and enduring experience of capability deprivation resulting from one’s social position, as an important consideration in energy policy. Policy makers should consider wellbeing as a basis for energy policy and the generated data could feed into a wider multidimensional measure of energy poverty that includes not only objective criteria, but associated perceptions as well.

Instituting village savings and loan associations scheme through action research in Zimbabwe

lage savings and loan associations schemes have become one of the critical survival strategies amidst poverty, inequality and financial exclusion thus helping low income communities to ride out poverty and make their savings and to eke out a living. However, the use of scientific procedures by ordinary people when establishing such initiatives in their villages is under-reported. This study, therefore, sought to test the utility of the action research (AR) methodology in establishing a low cost village savings and loan associations scheme intervention, with a view to assessing the extent to which the scheme can improve the livelihoods of members of the scheme, and draw lessons for future interventions. The process involved planning, designing, establishing and evaluating a village savings and loan association scheme initiative involving 15 individual members (inclusive of the researcher) in ward 8 of Seke district, Zimbabwe. Results showed that creating village savings and loan associations is possible using action research, as community participation in the design, implementation and day-to-day operations of such initiatives guaranteeing ownership and control of the initiative by the host group scheme are almost natural to action research. One of the comparative advantages of using action research is that it creates spaces for ordinary people to share their experiences, reflect, and come up with context-specific solutions, as they take responsibility for their financial wellbeing, thus helping to meet their socio-economic needs and aspirations. The strength of village savings and loan associations is that they can be replicated. The study recommends that in the era of COVID-19, social distancing rules and regulations introduced to contain the virus should be observed.

Qualitative Research in the Politically Hostile Environment of Zimbabwe: A Practical Guide

Globally, qualitative researchers in the academic or non-academic fields are constantly faced with the complexity of fieldwork in conducting their research in a specific environment. Despite the understanding that researchers have of the techniques to use in their research approach, a gap remains on obtaining data in different, unique contexts of society: the cultural, economic and political. The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical guide for researchers who intend to conduct qualitative research in the politically hostile environment of Zimbabwe based on the experiences of the author during the fieldwork for a PhD study. The main focus of this paper was on understanding the ethics, gatekeeping, policies and protocols to follow in conducting qualitative research among various stakeholders, namely the government, non-governmental organisations and communities. The research techniques used were both face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. The paper argues that Zimbabwe is a country where everything is politicised or rather assumed to be politically connected, but with structures in place for researchers to follow. This paper serves as a guide or road map for academic and non-academic researchers intending to do research in Zimbabwe.

Antibiotics, rational drug use and the architecture of global health in Zimbabwe

Rising concerns around antimicrobial resistance (AMR) have led to a renewed push to rationalise antibiotic prescribing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). There is increasing unease in conceptualising antibiotic use as individuals behaving ‘(ir)rationally’ and recognition that rising use is emergent of and contributing to wider economic and political challenges. But in between these individual and societal ‘drivers’ of antibiotic use is an everyday articulation of care through these substances, written-in to the scripts, delivery chains and pedagogics of global healthcare. This article focuses on this everyday ‘architecture’ that over time and across spaces has knitted-in antibiotics and rhetorics of control that inform current responses to AMR. Based on historically informed ethnographic research in Zimbabwe, we examine points of continuity and change between 20th Century rational drug use (RDU) discourses and contemporary socio-political formations around AMR and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), paying particular attention to their co-evolution with the process of pharmaceuticalisation. We illustrate how the framework and techniques of RDU were embedded within programmes to increase access to essential medicines and as such complemented the building of one of Africa's strongest postcolonial health systems in Zimbabwe. Whilst 20th Century RDU was focused on securing the health and safety of patients and affordability for systems, AMS programmes aim to secure medicines. Continuous through both RDU and AMS programmes is the persistent rhetoric of ‘irrational use’. Health workers in Harare, attuned to the values and language of these programmes, enact in their everyday practice an architecture in which antibiotics have been designed-in. This research illustrates the struggle to optimise antibiotic use within current framings for action. We propose a reconfiguring of the architecture of global health such that frontline prescribers are able to provide ‘good’ care without necessarily turning to antibiotics. To design-out antibiotic reliance would require attention beyond '(ir)rationality', to the redrafting of blueprints that inscribe practice.

PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ PRIOR EXPECTATIONS AND THEIR ACTUAL EXPERIENCES OF TEACHING MATHEMATICS DURING PEDAGOGICAL INTERNSHIP IN ZIMBABWE

Pedagogical internship (PI) is an important component of teacher training programmes in Zimbabwe. It is envisaged to give student teachers experience in the classroom. However, the variation between the theoretical expectations of pre-service teachers (PST) and their actual experiences in the field has been a relational lacuna in academic research in Zimbabwe. This research sought to address this by presenting data on the relation between college PSTs’ expectations about teaching mathematics and their actual experiences during PI in Zimbabwe. The study shares findings from a mixed methods study that employed two questionnaires completed by 120 PST before and during PI respectively, and a third questionnaire administered to school-based mentors. The researcher also conducted in-depth interviews with a few selected PSTs and teacher educators to elicit their views about the PSTs’ practices. The results show that there is, indeed, a conflictual relationship between the PSTs’ expectations of teaching mathematics and their experiences in the classroom. PSTs showed a consistent anticipation that they would sail through PI without many difficulties, but this expectancy turned out to be idealistic and impractical. The research also established that PSTs’ expectations about teaching mathematics prior to PI can influence their field practices, hence, determining their opportunities to learn to teach the subject. It is recommended that teacher training institutions organize programmes for PSTs before PI to prepare and acquaint them fully with the skills that are needed to face challenges of teaching that may otherwise come as a shock during PI. Keywords: expectations of teaching, field experiences, mathematics knowledge, pedagogical internship (PI), pre-service teachers (PSTs)

Participation of ‘international national organisations’ in Africa’s research: a bibliometric study of agriculture and health in Zimbabwe

The study investigated the participation of so-called ‘international national organisations’ (INOs) in agricultural and health research in Zimbabwe, a country in southern Africa. An INO refers to an international organisation or an initiative of an international organisation that uses an African country address in its publications. A first objective was to develop a classification of authorship types that accommodates the phenomenon of INOs as a form of international participation next to international co-authorship. A second objective was to apply the framework to the research output of Zimbabwe in the period 1980–2016, to determine whether changes in authorship types, and also INO participation, coincide with changes in the country’s socio-economic context. The dataset was compiled by integrating relevant Zimbabwean articles from Scopus and Web of Science. It comprised 10,753 articles across all fields, of which 2091 were in agriculture and 4353 in health. The results showed that, in the period 2009–2016, 36% of articles in agriculture involved an INO. The corresponding figure for health was 15%. Participation by INOs rarely occurred without any international co-authorship also being present. A visualization of the location of INOs in author research networks revealed a small number of INO authors occupying prominent spaces in the networks for agriculture and health, with the INO authors being of different kinds (e.g. ‘INO only affiliated authors’ vs. ‘INO affiliated authors with other local and foreign affiliations’). It is concluded that relatively small tailor-made bibliometric datasets, developed for African countries with small science systems, have the potential to produce new insights and frameworks to direct future studies on research in Africa.