Browsing by Author "Suphian, Robert"

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
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    Determination of Level of Imports in the Construction Industry in Tanzania
    (University of Dar es Salaam Business School, Tanzania, 2009-12) Suphian, Robert
    The construction industry has to be competitive and be able to undertake most of the construction projects in Tanzania and export its services and product according to the Tanzania construction policy. This is contrary to the fact that the industry is dominated by Foreign Service providers to the tune of approximately 70 percent in terms of market share. This study employed an econometric model estimation to answer the question of what determined import for construction services in Tanzania for the period 1985-2008. The Ordinary Least Square technique was adopted and applied for regression analysis using Stata 10 software. The findings reveal that four out of five variables are significant in determining the imports of construction service imports to Tanzania. While the national GDP is insignificant, both FDI inflows to the industry and the cost of construction or affordability negatively determine construction service imports of Tanzania. Both productivity and total country imports are positive determinants for construction service imports. To safeguard the existence, participation and performance of local construction service providers, the Government is advised to consider the above determinants in its policy-making machinery by especially encouraging investment-based service imports which in the long run will build the capacity of the local construction service providers and ultimately reduce the dominance of foreign providers.
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    Differences between Low and High Narcissistic People in Selfie-sticks in Korea
    (Academic Star Publishing Company, USA, 2016) Suphian, Robert; Mun, Cheolju
    In South Korea, selfie sticks became so popular and heavily used everywhere that triggered debates as to why people took this selfie and how are they feeling. It is not clear as whether majority of Koreans have acts of narcissism or just representing a better side of themselves since many Koreans care too much about how they are perceived in other people’s eyes. Therefore this study aims at revealing the truth about “selfie-stick” in Korea and its connection to narcissism behaviors. This study employed two-stage methodology. The first stage of research involved using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) test to select individuals with either high or low level in narcissism. The second stage tested whether there are differences, consistent with the NPI, between narcissistic and non-narcissistic participants with respect to the views of selfie-stick obtained from a different developed questionnaire. Data were collected from 242 undergraduate students of different universities in Korea. MANOVA results shows that there is statistically significant difference between the means of self-needs and aspiration for better self representation for low and high narcissistic groups.
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    The Effect of Diaspora Remittances on Economic Growth in Malawi
    (Journal of Area Studies, 2017) Chivundu, Renata; Suphian, Robert; Sungsoo, Kim
    This paper examines the effect of Diasporas’ remittance on economic growth in Malawi by using an auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) model or Bound Testing approach. The study employed time series data for Malawi from 1985 to 2015. The outcome of the study revealed that, the impact of Diasporas’ remittances during the study period is positive and significant. Besides this, the other growth determinant factor which was found positive and has significant effect on economic growth of Malawi was official development assistance (ODA) while population growth was significant but negatively affected growth. The effect of other determinant factors on economic growth of Malawi happened to be insignificant. This study therefore recommends that the government of Malawi should work on policies which would encourage the Malawians in the Diaspora to remit more to their country. This includes easing the receiving processes of remittances, introducing dual citizenship, and engaging Diaspora in the development plan of Malawi.
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    The Impact of Service Quality Management on Hotel’s Performance in South Korea
    (Korean Management Consulting Review, South Korea, 2017) Suphian, Robert; Mtey, Florian George; Magai, Petro Sauti
    Due to the existence of inadequate service quality management and performance studies on hotels operating in Korea, this paper aims at studying the impact of service quality on organizational performance of hotels in Korea. A total of 112 hotels were visited and a total number of 448 for both customers and employees were interviewed to accomplish the objective of the study. This study employed the concept of structure equation modeling (SEM) with all necessary prerequisites and tests were taken into consideration and presented in the results. Results indicate a strong positive influence of service quality management on the general hotel performance and similarly, a positive influence of market competition on hotel performance was evident. However, the factor covariance between service quality management and market competition found to be insignificantly explaining the relationship. Finally the paper concludes that customers' perception of service quality plays a vital important role in Korea hotel performance.
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    The Impact of Trade Facilitation on Economic Development: A Case of East African Community
    (David Publishing Company, USA, 2012) Suphian, Robert
    This study examined the impact of trade facilitation on economic development, particularly the impact of customs environment on trade flows over the period from 1995 to 2010. Five countries of the East African Community (EAC), namely, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, are involved. The study employs a gravity model for estimating bilateral trade flows between the EAC partner states. The ordinary least square (OLS) technique is adopted and applied for the regression analysis by using the Stata 10.0 software. Results suggest that, the customs environment of the importer is signify cant and possesses a strongly positive impact on East African trade flows. Results also find that the customs environment of the exporter is insignificant, even though it shows a negative relationship with the East African trade flows, hence a negative determinant. East African countries have to improve their customs environment, especially when undertaking an importation, in order to boost the overall trade flow in the block. They should also improve other trade facilitate on indicators, such as port efficiency, regulatory environment, and infrastructure. The aid for trade, in terms of technical and financial assistance, should also be enhanced for the development of infrastructure, including roads, railways, ports, bridges, and border posts.
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    Influences of Country of Design and Country of Manufacture on Consumers' Decisions
    (Korea Research Association of International Commerce, South Korea, 2015-12) Suphian, Robert; Mun, Cheolju
    Developments in the global value chains have caused many hybrid products whose country of origin (COO) designations is no longer easy to identify. The main objective is to analyze the factors which are specifically affecting the consumers’ decision in favoring separately the country of design (COD) or the country of manufacture (COD) in the presence or absence of brand information which acts as a moderator. A sample of 462 respondents obtained from thirty one (31) nationals with Koreans and Chinese possess larger share. Data analysis was carried out using full factorial repeated measures ANOVA and MANOVA with mixed designs and geared by Predictive Analytics Software (PASW) v.19. Results prove that, whether country of design or country of manufacture; it depends on the presence or absence of brand identity which acts as an important determinant among the two. In the absence of brand identity, consumers tend to separately favor either country of design or country of manufacture. In the presence of brand identity, consumers shifts and favor country of manufacture instead.
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    Korea-China-Japan: The Possible Trinity
    (Leena and Luna International, Oyama Japan, 2015) Suphian, Robert; Cho, Im Je
    This paper considers the long time desire for realization of Korea-China-Japan (KCJ) trilateral cooperation as a possible process if the respective countries opt for togetherness strategy in healing historical scars, solving territorial conflicts and maintaining peace and security. The KCJ is advised to initiate a Four Party Talks which include a separated North Korea as an important part in the region stability. South Korea is specifically advised to play a middle strategy role and stop accelerating problems by advertising sensitive issues like Dokdo but rather call for a Korea-Japan dialogue or mediator to resolve the matter.
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    Local Participation and Satisfaction with Developmental Projects: Segmentation of Saemaeul Undong Participants in Tanzania
    (UDSM, 2021-03-15) Suphian, Robert; Jani, Dev
    Local participation in developmental projects in less developing countries is questionable with empirical results being inconclusive. The purpose of the study reported in this paper was to cluster local residents basing on their perceived levels of involvement and satisfaction in Korean funded projects (Saemaeul Undong) in Tanzania. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 171 local residents in the Saemaeul Undong projects in Tanzania. A two-step cluster analysis was performed to explore the possible actionable segments of local residents. Two cluster solutions were deemed valid as they significantly differ with respect to their perceived levels of involvement in the project, satisfaction, and their perceived impacts on the project. For developmental project success, different strategies related to local involvement should be used for the different groups of local residents. The results offer insights on project management, particularly in the use of segmentation approach to the local residents from project design to evaluation
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    A Review of Product Selection Criteria for Business and Marketing Studies
    (International Knowledge Press, Asia Pacific, 2016) Suphian, Robert; Fang, Zhang; Xiao, Han; Mun, Cheolju
    The main objective of this study is to review, analyze and discuss reasons for past study product selection especially in the research designs for many marketing and business researches. The study focuses much on the reasons as to why the study or research product was selected for the methodological point of view. The methodology involved collection of 196 different products related already published research papers and articles. Findings show that products selection reasons found to rely on one of the seven (7) reasoning groups which are product origins; consumer involvement; product knowledge or familiarity; brand extension or categories; product reviews; study focus and finally ‘not applicable’ group. Of all reasoning criteria, more than one third of all studies selected products for their research because they are familiar or well known to their expected research respondents. This makes the product familiarity the highest criteria followed by study focus and then product reviews. Few studies reasoned on product origins; consumer involvement and brand extensions but some do not clearly mention reasons for their product selection.
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    Sustainability of Trade Imbalances in East African Countries
    (Africa Focus Review, Hanyang University South Korea, 2017) Suphian, Robert
    This paper aims at examining the sustainability of trade imbalances in the long run for the development of EAC countries. Because sustainability of the trade imbalances refers to the existence of cointegration relationship between exports and imports which implies that countries do not violate their international budget constraint, thus cointegration regression under Fully Modified Least Square (FMOLS) applied for full confirmation of sustainability. This paper uses quarterly data for Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya cover periods from 1981:1 to 2015:4 (140 observations) while for Tanzania and Kenya available data cover periods from 1980:1 to 2015:4 (144) observations. Based on Johansen technique this paper provides new evidence in the long-run convergence between exports and imports for Burundi and Rwanda but cointegration is not evidenced in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. These main findings indicate that macroeconomic policies of Rwanda and Burundi have been effective in the long-run and suggest that these countries are not in violation of their international budget constraints. For Burundi, long-run results further confirmed that all slope coefficients for exports and imports are positive and less than unity which confirms the necessary condition for sustainability (weak form) for the economy to satisfy its intertemporal budget constraints. Slope coefficients for exports and imports of Rwanda are positive and very close to unity which confirms the necessary condition for sustainability (strong form). Since the trade imbalances for all East African countries continue to grow regardless of the fact that Rwanda and Burundi can sustain their budgets, governments and policy makers should try their level best to minimize levels of external borrowing at least down to 25 percent of their GDP. This approach might be difficult in the short run but also gradual reduction of unnecessary government expenditure will put these countries in a position of self-sufficiency to sustain their inter-temporal budget constraints. Furthermore, East African countries still have potentials for exports given their abundance of natural resources and therefore policy makers should continue to enhance environments to attract export led foreign direct investment (FDI) especially in promising manufacturing industries.
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    Trade Balance Determinants in East African Countries
    (Business Management Review, 2017) Suphian, Robert
    East African Community (EAC) countries run huge trade imbalances and have maintained it as high as five percent for many years. Many countries including those from EAC borrow to sustain their budget deficits. This borrowing raised concerns about the sustainability of these imbalances and long-term consequences. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to examine empirically the determinants of trade balance in East African countries and propose possible trade balance deterioration remedies. The proposed trade balance model was estimated using cointegration regression under the Full Modified Least Square (FMOLS) followed by the Vector Error Correction Model (VECM). Different mixed results were obtained across countries under study. However, among all other variables, this study found Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as the main variable of interest and probable solution in improving the trade balance of EAC countries. EAC countries should, therefore, concentrate on export-oriented development policies which focus on export-oriented manufacturing industries because large amounts of FDI flow into those areas already.