Browsing by Author "Urassa, Goodluck C."
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Item Comparing Competitiveness of Family and Non-Family SMEs in Tanzania(2015) Urassa, Goodluck C.This paper aims at examining competitiveness of family firms in comparison with non-family firms assessing the differences in the strategies applied by the two categories of firms. Using a sample of 341 SMEs, MANOVA was applied to compare competitiveness and the strategies of the firms studied. The findings show that family SMEs are generally more competitive than non-family SMEs in terms of financial indicators. However, in terms of market based-indicators, the difference in competitiveness is insignificant between the two groups of firms. The findings also show that family enterprises have a greater inclination and focus on the longer-term horizon, to implement cost-saving strategies and charging more competitive prices. This supports the view that family enterprises are unique requiring policies that encourage family entrepreneurship and provide the best possible conditions for the growth of family business activities. It shows that even though in the SME sector strategies are difficult to contextualise, the strategic behaviour and actions of the ownermanagers are often identifiable.Item The Effect of the Regulatory Framework on the Competitiveness of the Dairy Sector in Tanzania(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2014) Urassa, Goodluck C.Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of the regulatory framework on the competitiveness of the dairy sector of Tanzania. More precisely, it attempts to identify the main regulations governing the dairy industry and examines areas in which they overlap. The paper explores the effect of the regulatory framework on the business enterprises operating in the sector and highlights ongoing initiatives for harmonisation of the regulations affecting the dairy sector. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The study that culminated in the paper was qualitative in nature, being based on case studies of two enterprises operating in the dairy industry, secondary data, in-depth discussions with industry stakeholders through personal interviews and focus group discussions. The paper also draws on observations made of the advocacy project that is going on to review regulations in the dairy sector. Findings ‐ The dairy sector in Tanzania is facing significant regulatory challenges, leading to the high cost of doing business. The main regulatory burdens facing the sector are: multiple inspections of premises, multiple testing of products, multiplicity of licences for premises and products, and the use of regulations as a source of revenue. Bureaucratic roadblocks add costs to businesses and reduce the competitiveness of products and services, as well as the potential for business expansion and job creation. While the private sector appears to succeed in creating awareness of the issue, it has not yet succeeded in pressurising the government to take action to bring about policy change. Practical implications ‐ The findings of the paper will inform policy makers and the private sector on how the regulations affect the competitiveness of the dairy industry. The paper will also aid advocacy initiatives by private sector organisations by providing empirical evidence concerning the damaging effect of the regulatory framework and will contribute some ideas on how to carry forward the ongoing dialogue between the private and public sector. Originality/value ‐ The paper fills the gap resulting from the lack of empirical evidence regarding the impact of the regulatory framework on the competitiveness of the private sector in the context of a developing economy. It demonstrates how systematic research on advocacy issues raised by the private sector could be used to generate evidence that informs and motivates policy change. The paper also applies the theory of regulation to a specific industry to show how regulatory reforms could be attained.Item Effects of Collateral on Loan Repayment: Evidence from an Informal Lending Institution(Taylor & Francis, 2016-05-03) Urassa, Goodluck C.; Mori, NeemaWe examine the effect of the collateral informal lenders use to ensure loan repayment. Specifically we measure how the use of movable and immovable assets affects loan repayment and delinquency rate, and assess the extent to which guarantorship and relationship-lending act as collateral to improve loan repayment. With a dataset of 835 individual borrowers drawn from an informal Tanzanian lending institution, we run descriptive and econometric models. The results suggest that movable assets increase the likelihood that borrowers perceived to be less creditworthy will obtain loans from informal sources and repay them. We also find a small proportion of customers to have pledged immovable assets as collateral when borrowing from informal lenders. The results also show the positive effect of referral, which implies that relationship lending and social collateral is key to increasing access to finance through informal lenders. Our results contribute to the advancement of economic theory, specifically in the ex-ante and ex-post-related literature.Item Effects of Nepotism and Family Conflicts on the Performance Of(2016) Urassa, Goodluck C.Item The Effects of Organisational Capabilities on Firm Success: Evidence from Eritean Wood-and-Metal-Manufacturing Firms(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2016) Selomon, Tuccu T.; Urassa, Goodluck C.; Allan, IssackPurpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of organisational capabilities on the success of Eritrean wood and metal manufacturing firms. Specifically, the paper analyses the effects of owner-managers’ innovativeness, personal relations and employees’ technical skills on the firms’ success. Design/methodology/approach The study entailed a survey of 287 wood- and metal-manufacturing small and medium enterprises, which were selected using stratified random sampling. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data and generate the findings presented in this paper. Findings The findings indicate that owner-managers’ innovativeness and personal relations have a significant influence on the firms’ success. However, although employees’ technical skills relate positively to the firms’ success, the relationship is statistically insignificant largely because of the limited participation of workers in designing and developing the products. Practical implications The paper can enlighten owner-managers about the value of innovativeness and relational capabilities for the success of their firms. It generates insights that can guide policy makers to promote innovation and relational capabilities in the wood- and metal-manufacturing sub-sector. Originality/value The paper contributes to the debate on firms’ success by empirically testing the effect of the specific dimensions of organisational capabilities on the success of SMEs operating in a developing economy context. It widens our understanding of how organisational capabilities influence firm success.Item Entrepreneurial Curriculum; Is It Relevant to University Students’ Goal Setting and Long Term Orientation? Evidence from Uganda(ZENITH International Research & Academic Foundation (ZIRAF) India, 2013) Abaho, Ernest; Olomi, Donath R.; Urassa, Goodluck C.Business schools world over have embraced the teaching of entrepreneurship as a new mantle towards transforming the graduate society. This has caused the need to understand the entrepreneursial curriculum and its effectiveness in delivering the objectives for which it was developed. One of these objectives is to develop a future oriented society of graduates in terms of long term goals. Goal setting and long-term orientation of university graduates is part of the entrepreneurial values that are important to their comprehensive success. This study was therefore instituted to examine the role of the entrepreneurial curriculum in the development of goal setting and long-term orientedness of university students in Uganda. 522 final year students were interviewed. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between entrepreneurial lectuers, interaction with succesful entrepreneurs with goal setting and long-term orientation. However, despite the positive relationship, experiential learning did not have a significant influence on goal setting and long-term orientation. Using Structural Equasion Modelling, measurement models of entrepreneurial curriculum and that of goal setting and long-term orientation are proposed. Areas for further research and managerial recommendations are suggested.Item Firm-level Perspectives on State-Business Relations in Africa: The Food-processing Sector in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia(2016) Urassa, Goodluck C.; Jeppesen, Søren; Kamau, Paul; Kragelund, PeterExperiences from now developed and emerging economies inform us that close state-business relations are crucial for economic development and structural transformation to take place. Based on the positive experiences from other parts of the world, most African governments have set processes in motion establishing collaborative SBRs. These processes include amongst others amendments to existing laws to facilitate public-private interaction, direct support to existing business associations, and support to and establishment of public-private dialogue fora. Drawing on an analysis of survey data from 179 local firms, complemented with qualitative data from interviews with 41 firms and a number of key informants and a range of secondary sources on the food processing sectors of Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, this paper shows that businesses in the countries have limited policy influence, find policies and programs to be insufficiently targeting the needs and requirements of local businesses and that business associations in the countries are poorly organised. In spite of initiatives taken from the states and other actors, including an increase in the number of formal relations between state and businesses, it is difficult to conclude whether SBRs are collaborative or collusive. The paper contributes to the existing SBR literature by adding a firm-level perspective and by enhancing our knowledge on the usefulness of key theoretical approaches to these issues in an African contextItem Owner Managers’perception of the Impact of Regulations on the Competitiveness of Food Processors in Tanzania(2015) Urassa, Goodluck C.; Rweikiza, DavidThis paper assesses the owner managers’ perception of the impact of regulations on competitiveness of food processors in Tanzania. Specifically, the paper examines the perceived relevance of existing regulations in the food processing sector, the level of enterprises’ satisfaction with the regulatory authorities in the sector and the extent to which competitiveness of food processors is affected by regulations. Based on review of the legislations directed to the food processing sector and the results of a survey of 115 firms, the findings reveal that even though most enterprises appreciate the value of regulating the food sector, they are relatively dissatisfied with the level of services offered by regulatory authorities. The study also shows that due to over-regulation, enterprises operating in the food processing sector incur significant compliance costs, and this cost is detrimental to their competitiveness. In view of the theory of regulation, the paper recommends the review of regulatory framework by ensuring that regulations in the food sector are implemented based on the principles of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). Further research is also recommended to advance the theory of regulation in a context of the developing economy, and to inform policy makers on how best to harmonise regulations in highly regulated sectors.Item Regulations and Competitiveness of the Food-Processing Sector in Selected African Countries(Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014) Urassa, Goodluck C.; Rweikiza, DavidItem Role of Family Resources in Firm Performance: Evidence from Tanzania(Taylor & Francis, 2014-05-04) Urassa, Goodluck C.The main purpose of this article is to examine the role of intangible family resources in the performance of family enterprises in Tanzania. In particular, the article examines the role of information sharing, family patient capital and family labor in firm performance. Using a sample of 163 family firms and the structural equation model of analysis, the findings indicate that family patient capital and information sharing contribute significantly to the performance of firms. With regard to the cost of labor, the study does not show any evidence that lower labor costs improve family firms' performance, most probably because these businesses incur additional labor costs which are not directly linked to the business. Based on the results, it is concluded that the family has an influence on the strategic level of family businesses, thereby contributing to their success.Item Students’ Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy: Does the Teaching Method Matter?(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2015) Abaho, Ernest; Olomi, Donath R.; Urassa, Goodluck C.Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the various entrepreneurship teaching methods in Uganda and how these methods relate to entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE). Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 522 final year students from selected universities and study programs was surveyed using self-reported questionnaires. Findings – There was a statistically significant positive relationship between ESE and lecturers’ business experience. Interacting with successful people, personal reading and handout notes, class presentations and imaginary case studies had a statistically significant positive relationship with ESE. There was no statistical significance in the relationship between ESE and some teaching methods. A positively significant correlation was also observed between lectures’ business experience and the choice of teaching method(s). Research limitations/implications – Further research should explore how various methods are used to teach different aspects of entrepreneurship as well as the attitudes and perceptions of entrepreneurship educators about entrepreneurial experience and its relevancy in entrepreneurship education. Practical implications – Lecturers should seek opportunities for attaining business experience through practice and business networks. Institutions should orient lecturers through different teaching styles and train them on how to relate learning outcomes to learning environments as well as investing in learning aids. Originality/value – The study provides insights about the most feasible methods of activating ESE in the most practical and efficient ways. It also informs readers about the state of learning technologies from a developing country’s perspective.