Browsing by Author "Ishengoma, Esther K."

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Business Constraints and Growth Potential of Micro and Small Manufacturing Enterprises in Uganda
    (2008) Ishengoma, Esther K.; Kappel, Robert
    Ugandan micro- and small enterprises (MSEs) still perform poorly. The paper utilizes data collected in Uganda in March and April 2003 to analyze the business constraints faced by these MSEs. Using a stratified random sampling, a sample of 265 MSEs were interviewed. The study focuses on the 105 manufacturing firms that responded to all questions. It examines the extent to which the growth of MSEs is associated with business constraints, while also controlling for owners’ attributes and firms’ characteristics. The results reveal that MSEs’ growth potential is negatively affected by limited access to productive resources (finance and business services), by high taxes, and by lack of market access.
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    Business Environment and Growth Potential of Micro and Small Manufacturing Enterprises in Uganda
    (2011) Ishengoma, Esther K.; Kappel, R.
    Since the 1990s, studies utilizing descriptive statistics have documented factors in the business environment, which hinder the performance of Ugandan micro and small enterprises (MSEs). Based on secondary data, this paper assesses the trend of critical factors since 1994 to 2010. The paper also utilizes the primary data from MSEs to examine the effects of these factors on the growth potential of MSEs, while controlling for the owner’s and the firm’s attributes. Results from the trend analysis reveal that the business environment has been deteriorating over time. Results from the regression analyses reveal that MSEs’ growth potential is negatively associated with limited access to productive resources, high taxes and lack of market access
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    Economic Growth and Poverty: Does Formalisation of Informal Enterprises Matter?
    (2006) Ishengoma, Esther K.; Kappel, Robert
    The informal sector (IS) plays a significant role in developing countries viz. the provision of employment, income and supplying ignored markets. However, working and employment conditions within the sector are still poor. Its expansion and changing structures have thus drawn the attention of scholars and international policy makers to the factors hindering its formalisation. Among the factors addressed are the high costs of formalisation and the lack of incentives for operating in the formal sector. A variety of approaches have been adopted by different stakeholders to overcome these factors. This paper assesses these approaches along with the factors related to informality-formality trade-off and the issue of formalisation as a solution for firms’ growth. By focussing on the problems faced by informal enterprises and the literature which addresses the options for accelerating the formalisation of informal enterprises, the paper will briefly summarise the weaknesses of these approaches.
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    Financial Linkages, Institutional Factors and Loan Repayment Performance: The Case of Microfinance Cooperatives in Tanzania
    (2012-01) Ishengoma, Esther K.
    Loan repayment performance (LRP) in microfinance institutions (MFIs) has been associated with borrowers’ and institutions’ factors. Since microfinance cooperatives (MCs) are owned by borrowers, their institutional factors might affect LRP differently. Based on linkages literature, transaction cost and principal agency theories, financial linkages (FLs) between MCs and formal financial institutions (FFIs) seem to shape institutional factors, and therefore, LRP. However, empirical studies on these relationships are missing. Based on t-test analysis utilising three-year unbalanced data of 148 to 273 MCs’ observations, this paper shows that FLs have strong relationship with institutional factors affecting LRP. Controlling for these factors, results on the linear regression analysis reveal that FLs do not affect LRP.
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    Linking Competitiveness to Investment Decisions: The Case of Manufacturing in Tanzania
    (2004) Ishengoma, Esther K.
    One of the factors associated with poor performance of the manufacturing sector in Tanzania is limited financial sources. This suggests that manufacturers need to make proper investment decisions. Several studies have associated the performance of manufacturing firms with investment without considering the structure of investment and controllling for the effects of other firm resources. Thus, this paper examines the relationship between competitiveness and investment decisions while controlling for other firm resources. The results reveal that competitiveness is significantly and positively associated with investment decisions. Investment in production equipment raises competitiveness while investment in land and building decreases it. The strength and direction of the relationship are sector specific.