African Business Management Journal

Research landscape of satisfaction in the public procurement context: a bibliometric analysis

Gift O. Mushi — 2024-10-22

This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of publications in the context of satisfaction in public procurement research, as retrieved from the Scopus database on 8th July 2024. The study includes publications that link aspects of satisfaction and public procurement. Data were analysed using VOSviewer and Harzing’s Publish or Perish software to conduct both performance analysis and science mapping. These are relevant for analysing performance metrics and visualisation of patterns from keyword co-occurrence analysis and bibliographic coupling. The findings reveal limited research publications related to satisfaction in the context of public procurement, with only 54 publications retrieved during the search. The trend shows fluctuations in the number of publications from 1997 to 2024. Key contributors include authors such as Kalinzi, C.; Muhwezi, M.; Munene, J.K.; and Warman, G., and institutions like Universitas Indonesia, alongside global participation from countries like China, Indonesia, and the United States. Keyword analysis highlights themes related to customer satisfaction, public procurement, and e-Government, emphasizing the pursuit of enhanced service quality and efficiency. Bibliographic coupling reveals interconnected research clusters focusing on impact of e-procurement system on satisfaction, influence of technology on performance, and user satisfaction with e-procurement system implementation. This structured analysis underscores diverse global contributions and identifies pathways for future research in the research domains of satisfaction in public procurement undertakings.

Firm-specific characteristics and IFRSs compliance: a study of savings and credit cooperative societies in Tanzania

David A. Mwakapala — 2024-11-06

Compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) has been a subject of scholarly interest in the literature due to its recognised role in influencing the quality of financial reports and enabling users to make informed decisions. However, evidence on the association between firm-specific characteristics and compliance with IFRSs in Tanzanian Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS) is scarce. To address this knowledge gap, this study examines how size, age, category, leverage and liquidity affect compliance with IFRSs in Tanzanian SACCOS. The study employed a quantitative methodology, using panel data regression as the analytical approach. The research utilised eight years (2013 - 2020) of secondary data from 202 SACCOS in Tanzania. The findings reveal that SACCOS size, age, and leverage are positively significantly associated with the extent to which they comply with IFRSs. At the same time, no significant association was found between category, liquidity level, and compliance with IFRSs. The study recommends that policymakers make reforms that will enable SACCOS to improve the quality of financial reports through effective internal governance mechanisms. Also, sector regulatory bodies and accounting standard regulator are recommended to intensify their supervision of SACCOS and establish robust monitoring systems to improve overall SACCOS IFRSs compliance.

Entrepreneurship education and financial performance of graduate-owned SMEs in Tanzania

Ivonne C. Ndibalema — 2024-11-08

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rely on innovation and technology driven by entrepreneurship. Being entrepreneurial enables SME owners to transform business ideas into innovative and profitable goods or services and be flexible in response to business environmental changes. Although entrepreneurship education programs at universities are intended to develop the entrepreneurial competences necessary for successful graduate entrepreneurs, many graduate-owned SMEs are failing, resulting in high exit rates. This study assesses the contribution of university entrepreneurship education programs in producing successful entrepreneurs through the performance of graduate-owned SMEs. A cross-sectional survey design was utilized to collect data from 228 graduate entrepreneurs in Tanzania using online structured questionnaires. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed to clarify the causal-effect relationships among the constructs of the study. Findings reveal that, all components of entrepreneurship education, that is, entrepreneurship content, entrepreneurship pedagogy and entrepreneurship development support positively and significantly influence financial performance of graduate-owned SMEs. Based on the results, it is suggested that universities should prioritize comprehensive entrepreneurship curricula that include theory, practical applications, and real-world experiences. Additionally, fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem with support, mentorship, and networking opportunities is crucial for empowering aspiring entrepreneurs, a critical aspect for economic advancement.

Customer delight and switching behaviour in Tanzanian online banking: the mediating role of switching intentions

Ismail Kinogo — 2024-11-19

This study aimed to investigate the contribution of customer delight to customer switching behaviour and the mediating role of switching intentions in this relationship within the context of online banking services. An explanatory research design was employed, utilising survey data from 391 qualified online banking customers in Tanzania. Self-administered questionnaires were used, with respondents selected through a convenience sampling method. Data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling in Smart-PLS version 4.0, with a 95% bias-corrected confidence interval bootstrapping estimation applied for mediation analysis. The findings reveal a significant negative influence of customer delight on switching behaviour, as well as the partial mediation of switching intentions in the relationship between customer delight and switching behaviour. This study enhances the understanding of the sequential nature of consumer switching behaviour among online banking customers. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of fostering affective delight among banking customers, which is crucial in mitigating the adverse effects of switching behaviour and promoting continued usage and future loyalty to the bank. Unlike previous studies that predominantly focus on the cognitive route to delight, this study is among the few that analyse the affective route to delight, employing a comprehensive approach to examine the switching behaviour of online banking customers, from intentions to actual behaviour.