European Academic Journal - I

A Pilot Survey Linking Antecedents of LMX Relationships and PWDs Institutions Performance:

Scholastica Ratanya — 2024-04-12

ABSTRACT

The modern working world has made strides in building a stronger equitable society. There has been great resilience in including policies that ensure persons living with disability play their economic role. The current study was guided by two objectives: effect of transformational leader-characteristics as antecedents of LMX on organization performance in PWDs in Mombasa and Kilifi Counties and moderating effect of organization culture on LMX and organization performance in PWDs institution in Mombasa and Kilifi Counties; Leader-Member exchange theory and social exchange theory formed the theoretical foundation of this study. A conceptual framework showing the correlation of the study’s variables is also given. The study applied descriptive research design and the target population of the study was managers and subordinates at all levels within the organizations. Stratified sampling, convenience sampling and random sampling techniques were used to generate the sample size. A sample size of twenty-five (25) respondents two (2) to three (3) employees from every department. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for the study. The study conducted and applied Cronbach alpha reliability estimate. The study used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze data. The study results provided a good governance framework of engaging their business networks within their localities. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for windows version 21 was used. One of the significant findings was the realization that there was an increment in leader-characteristics of leaders in organizations. One of the conclusions of the study was that when leaders believe in their own abilities this often enhanced LMX relationships hence improved organizational performance. A key recommendation of this study was the need for the Government ministries concerned with PWDs mainstreaming in the organizations have specific leadership practices that help build effective LMX relationships in organizations.

LEADERSHIP STYLES IN MULTILINGUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAMS

Viktoryia Melnikava — 2024-04-12

Diverse leadership styles in multilingual customer service teams are often presumed to have consistent effects on team performance, employee engagement, and customer service quality, there is a need for a further examination given the potential for empirical evidence. In this study, we aim to conduct a comparative analysis of leadership styles and communication practices within an international multilingual customer service teams across various regions. Our objectives are: (1) explore the impact of different leadership styles on team execution, (2) analyze is there is a link between used language and leadership style, (3) propose new theoretical frame for conception of multi-language leadership, (4) propose a comprehensive suggestions for future investigations.

Drawing inspiration from a systematic literature review approach, we anticipate uncovering insights that reveal the dynamic relationship between leadership styles and the mentioned outcomes. Moreover, the aim of this study is to investigate the nature of leadership, and reveal how the effectiveness of leadership styles may vary depends in practice of multilingual teams and leaders.

Our investigation may reveal the importance of adopting a more flexible and approach to leadership in international multilingual customer service teams. By acknowledging the potential existence of hybrid leadership styles and their varying impacts on performance, we hope to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of leadership dynamics in this unique organizational context.

In conclusion, our study seeks to address the limitations of existing literature, provide valuable insights for organizational leaders, and contribute to the ongoing scholarly discourse on leadership in multilingual environments. We anticipate that our findings will not only add depth to the understanding of leadership in this specific context but also offer practical implications for enhancing team performance.

TEACHERS ATTITUDES ON THE USE OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING READING SKILLS IN LIMURU-ZONE, KIAMBU COUNTY KENYA

VERONICAH WANJIRU KARANJA — 2023-02-20

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is a vital component of improving educational quality. Despite the numerous advantages of ICT in everyday life, both in and out of school, studies have revealed that integration is slow, especially at the ECDE level. Technology is advantageous when is used to improve reading skills. However, it is unclear to what extent this has been achieved in Limuru Zone in terms of reading skills. The study's objective was to determine teachers' attitudes toward the use of ICT in teaching English reading skills. The study targeted 15 head teachers, 28 teachers, and 1233 grade three pupils in Limuru zone public primary schools. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 5 schools, 5 head teachers, and 10 grade three teachers. A sample of 250 grade three pupils were also chosen from table of random numbers. Questionnaire was used for data collection for the selected teachers. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data collected. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. The data was presented using tables and graphs. The study revealed that majority of teachers have a positive attitude toward ICT use in teaching. Further, recommended that Kenya Institute for Curriculum Development (KICD) should develop a capacity-building program to improve teacher ICT training, with a focus on integrating ICT into teaching and learning.

HDPE Beverage Closures

Vladislav Gaskarov — 2023-08-13

As of today, caps are not recycled in a closed loop, because the European authority for food contact approvals (EFSA) did not give any positive opinion to any technology with the reasoning that not enough scientific data are available. With the most recent legal changes introducing the status of “novel technologies”, allowing recyclers to go for commercial production under specific conditions if proof of concept is given. However, the complexity is high starting with the large variation of colours that has been personally mapped within this study in supermarkets in different EU countries. Moreover, the challenge on chemical level in terms of decontamination and material properties is representing a crucial one. HDPE has a structure and physical properties, like the low melting point, that do not allow an efficient decontamination as it would be the case for PET, which is vastly recycled within the EU today. Nevertheless, the strong believe with a quite clean input material coming from a deposit return system can allow fulfilling food contact compliance and the beauty is that this input material is today already available after the sink-float separation of PET and HDPE in existing recycling installations. A big question mark we have still for the safety and performance of a cap that will be produced with a possible rHDPE grade. Based on assumptions how the material properties could change and how these would affect the cap performance, a matrix has been established expressing the complexity for this challenging application, proving that a case by case validation would be required to identify suitability of a rHDPE grade with a specific cap design. Economically, HDPE cap2cap recycling looks very promising even though the initial capex is high it pays off quite fast. We would assume that vertical integration in existing recycling facilities would be favoured due to lower investment and availability of existing input material, which is key in recycling. Considering the energy consumption for HDPE recycling a saving of around 86% savings CO2 was calculated. Based on the total volume going through today’s installed DRS would save emissions of 12.680 cars per year. In a utopian case, that DRS would be installed in all EU countries, a saving of emissions equivalent to 49.950 cars can be achieved. This would clearly contribute to a CO2 neutrality in future and making our planet greener.

A Research paper ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF SANITATION MARKETING USING AS AN APPROACH TO PROMOTE IMPROVED SANITATION IN MALAWI.

Sekani Sidira — 2024-04-12

Social marketing has been used for centuries to drive behavior change, initially in politics and later in various aspects of human life. One field where social marketing principles are applied is sanitation marketing, which aims to promote improved sanitation practices. This study assesses the effectiveness of Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in promoting behavior change in Malawi, a country facing significant public health challenges due to poor sanitation. Since its introduction in 2015, CLTS has been implemented by various organizations, including Water for People, Water Aid, and World Vision International, in collaboration with local and international NGOs and the government. This study uses qualitative research methods and data collected from various organizations like Our World in Data to evaluate the success and challenges of CLTS in Malawi. The findings suggest that the success of CLTS programs depends on various factors, including the approach taken by implementing organizations. The study concludes that a multi-faceted approach is needed for CLTS to effectively promote behavior change in sanitation marketing especially in countries like Malawi.

Blockchain for the supply chain

Manuella Godeau — 2023-02-20

The aim of this paper is to go further into ways as to how blockchain maximise and transform the way the current textile supply chain is operated. This paper chose to focus on the textile industry and fashion brands as it is one of the biggest economic contributor to economical and societal negative externalities. By implementing blockchain, transparency, costs and wages for workers at the start of the supply chain can be improved. It can not only bring awareness to companies as to how their way of sourcing raw material is unsustaible but also enable workers to speak out on the way that they are being treated along the supply chain.

FACTORS AFFECTING MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENT DECISIONS MAKING IN KENYA. A CASE STUDY OF CBA CAPITAL IN KENYA

Okoth Wesley — 2023-02-20

The study investigated the factors affecting individual investment decisions in Mutual funds in Kenya. Four factors i.e. Affordability, Information, Prospects, and Herding were used as independent variables while Investment decision was the dependent variable. The study aimed in determining the effect of affordability on investment decisions, assess the effect of information on investment decisions in mutual funds, and evaluate the effect of herding on investment decisions in mutual funds. The study was significant in helping fund managers to observe general views of factors affecting mutual funds and also benefit economic policymakers who seek to boost investment in different sectors. The research design that was used is a descriptive research and the target population was the customers and employees of CBA of mutual funds who are approximately 1000. The sample size was 100 respondents. Data were collected by the use of a questionnaire. Data were analyzed descriptively using SPSS version 23.0. The findings of the study revealed that affordability, information, prospects, and herding behavior influences mutual fund investment decision. The findings of the study also revealed that there was a positive significant relationship between the factors under study (affordability, information, prospects, and herding) and the level of mutual fund investment decision. The study suggests recommendations that prices of cross-listed stocks need to be affordable so as to allow investors to trade on them. Information on the industrial performance of mutual funds as well as information on dividends per share needs to be clear and available so that investors can make an informed decision while doing their investments.

ASSESSING THE ADAPTATION OF BATSWANA ENTREPRENEURS TO CLIMATE CHANGE: STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION.

Same Onneile Oitsile — 2024-04-12

Climate change poses a global challenge, demanding comprehensive responses to safeguard environmental sustainability, economic stability, and societal well-being. In the context of emerging economies like Botswana, where the impacts of climate change are pronounced, understanding how entrepreneurs navigate and adapt to this challenge becomes paramount. This study aims to address the existing knowledge gap by assessing the adaptation strategies of Batswana entrepreneurs, focusing on their innovative and sustainable approaches. Drawing insights from diverse sources such as the IPCC, UNDP, Shane, Zahra, EAC, GIZ, Wang & Bansal, UNEP, and WEF, the research outlines the specific geographical and economic context of Botswana.

This research transcends academic realms, holding practical implications for policymakers, development agencies, and stakeholders. While global insights inform the study, its primary focus is on Botswana, contributing to the understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities faced by Batswana entrepreneurs in the context of climate change. Through a quantitative approach, data were collected using a structured questionnaire from a diverse sample of 114 entrepreneurs in Botswana. A descriptive and correlational research design was adopted, utilizing inferential statistics for data analysis. The Data from the findings was supposed to be analysed using IBM SPSS version 20. However, due to the use of Google Forms, the data were automatically analysed within the platform, providing efficient processing and analysis of the respondents' data.

The research objectives were to analyse awareness levels, evaluate adaptation strategies, and identify barriers to effective adaptation. By addressing these objectives, the research not only contributes to the academic discourse on climate change adaptation and entrepreneurship but also offers practical implications for policymakers, development agencies, and entrepreneurs in Botswana. Findings reveal a high level of awareness among entrepreneurs, yet significant challenges in translating awareness into action. Financial constraints, unclear government policies, and limited access to information were identified as primary barriers. Despite challenges, entrepreneurs express willingness to adopt innovative and sustainable practices. Government policies and support structures are perceived as needing improvement to promote climate change resilience. The study concludes with recommendations for collaborative efforts to address barriers and support entrepreneurship in effectively adapting to climate change in Botswana. Overall, the study highlights the urgent need for collaborative efforts to address barriers and support entrepreneurship in effectively adapting to climate change in Botswana.

Keywords: Adaptation, Botswana Entrepreneurs, Climate Change, Sustainable Resilience, Innovation, Strategies

Women and retirement planning in Botswana. A framework for the future.

Maemo Monare-Muchazviona — 2024-04-12

Gone are the days when one starts planning for retirement when they only have 5 to 10 years left until they reach normal retirement age. It is therefore becoming increasingly important for one to start planning for retirement once they become gainfully employed. In as such as the concept of planning early for retirement normally works, it is unfortunate that, some factors end up leading to women, in comparison to men, not being able to save enough for their retirement life. A sample of 80% women and 20% men was used in the study with semi structured questionnaires used as the main data collection instrument. The study findings show that, women lack financial knowledge on investment. Illustrating comprehension of the distinctive obstacles faced by women is critical not only for facilitating improved results for female personnel but also for enhancing the recruitment and retention of women within a given institution. With professional financial assistance, the potential surprises that women’s encounter can be mitigated. This may be in a form of optimizing the benefits of retirement plan for female employees, and contributing significantly to the enhancement of women's financial well-being as a whole as well as changes which will be tailor made to women. The first step can be with regards to financial wellness tools which have capacity to enhance female involvement, engagement, and retention through the provision of valuable insights regarding their distinct needs, demonstration of their financial capabilities, tracking of their advancements, and assistance in formulating a financial plan. By utilizing these comprehensive and digital tools, women can gain a better understanding of their retirement investments and gain a broader perspective on their future finances.

THE EFFECTS OF INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEMS ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF THIRD TIER LICENCED COMMERCIAL BANKS IN KENYA

Okoth Wesley — 2023-02-20

The review concerned with the internal control system of third-tier banks has responsibility for all the employees who use the internal control system to search for mistakes so as to protect the asset and detect errors and fraud. The overall economic profile of the internal audit function is highly significant, especially in recent years, and some of these factors are involved, what is professional and some are academic. With the growing use of information technology, Third tier banks have worked to take advantage of data processing electrically, so that information technology has become part of the bank’s environment and if any information technology continues to affect the operations of different banks and process their data, internal control systems must keep pace with these developments. Third Tier banks contain a set of policies and procedures that are designed to provide management with adequate assurance of the goals to envisage essentials for the bank system. The internal control is carried out by management to determine the efficiency of the internal control, and to determine the possibility of modifying it. The results of the regression model show that there is a positive relationship between internal controls and the financial performance of tier three commercial banks. Holding other factors constant, financial performance is measured by the efficiency and effective implementation of internal controls. The study recommended that: Control environment has a positive significant relationship with financial performance and the tier three commercial banks should therefore ensure a suitable environment to secure their operational activities.

Addressing Critical Funding Needs of Private Tertiary Education Institutions and Students in Kenya

Maria Cristina Torrado — 2023-08-13

This thesis contributes to the research in innovative finance in the education sector by assessing the critical funding needs of private tertiary education institutions and students in Kenya and proposing potential investment structures to address these challenges. The study utilizes a qualitative research approach, including structured interviews, document analysis, and thematic analysis to gain insights into the challenges faced by private tertiary institutions, students, and financial institutions.

The proposed innovative financing facility leverages blended finance and a collective investment vehicle to mitigate risks, increase capital and support critical infrastructure. The findings provide valuable insights into the potential of innovative finance to unlock the potential of the education sector in Kenya and beyond. The main limitation of the research is its qualitative nature, which limits the generalizability of the findings and introduces subjectivity in the analysis. Nonetheless, the thesis creates opportunities for additional research in the field and showcases the need for empirical case studies to identify best practices and share successes and challenges across different stakeholders.

Thesis on communication strategies for creating awareness about mental health and youth empowerment programs

Dennis Kinyanjui — 2024-03-22

This thesis contributes to the research in: -

Understanding Mental Health:

An analysis of the level of mental health awareness and understanding among Kokoro Group employees, while also exploring the role of organizational culture in fostering mental health awareness. Additionally, the evaluation of the effectiveness of existing programs or initiatives aimed at promoting mental health awareness within communities served by the Kokoro.

Kokoro Group’s Strategic Position in the Global Market:

An investigation of the critical elements shaping Kokoro Group's strategic position on a global scale and analyzing market trends, competitive forces, and internal capabilities to provide insights into the company's current standing and potential areas for improvement, with a focus on global market dynamics.

Evaluation of Communication Strategy:

Evaluation of the effectiveness of Kokoro Group's communication strategy in conveying its corporate identity and values. Examine how the strategy aligns with the company's objectives and assess its impact internally on employees and externally on stakeholders, proposing adjustments for optimization.

Impact of Mental Health on the Community and introducing initiatives:

Investigate the broader impact of Kokoro Group's approach to mental health on the community. Assess how the company's youth empowerment programs and initiatives influence the mental health landscape beyond its workforce, including customers, suppliers, and the general community, offering insights into the societal implications.

Conclusion

This thesis explores four vital dimensions of Kokoro Group's operations and impact. It delves into the level of mental health awareness within communities, evaluates the company's strategic global positioning, assesses the effectiveness of its communication strategy in line with corporate objectives, and investigates the broader societal implications of its mental health initiatives beyond the workforce.

The Ugly Face of International Law in Practice

Allan Mukuki — 2023-02-21

A purely theoretical understanding of International Law may preclude one from seeing the manner in which its practice is being abused. This paper examines the dark side of international legal practice, viz, when the practitioners have attempted to present the probative value of their claims by relying on false witness testimonies and documents. Further, it argues that the absence of a prescribed code of conduct complete with sanctions on counsels who do not honour it, have a negative impact on the procedural integrity and legitimacy of international courts. It examines the cases in which this has occurred and the consequences arising therefrom. Finally, this paper assesses the various approaches taken by the International Courts in relation to the presentation of fraudulent evidence by practitioners and offers suggestions on how better this could be handled.

Engagement proposal for Youth for Europe initiative

Anna Smoljaninov — 2023-08-13

The topics related to youth development have a significant impact on the direction of the European policy-making, given the importance of youth interaction with society and active citizenship in shaping a sustainable future on the national and international scales. While majority of the studies, current initiatives and policies in the field of youth development and communication are focused on expanding the number of opportunities for youth to engage in various activities, this thesis takes a different approach by examining and proposing targeted communication tools to ensure sufficient awareness of youth of such opportunities. This research helps to design an effective communication framework for the European Commission’s Youth for Europe project to target youth on a per-country basis, as opposed to the generalised approach. The scope of this thesis includes six selected countries – Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Spain – and focuses on increasing the engagement of young women, as the target group, in the areas of youth education, volunteering, exchange or employment. The purpose of this research is to define the priority focus area out of the four selected areas and develop a recommendation on the national communication channels, leveraging cultural and gender-specific factors. Consequently, three research questions were stated for this thesis, with the first one aiming to identify a priority engagement area for each country, the second one centring on the choice of important cultural and communication factors, and the third one focusing on the actual recommendations of communication channels for the six selected countries.

The research is divided into three key steps in accordance with the research questions. The first step involves the analysis of the quantitative data for participation of young women in education, volunteering, exchange and employment, and the qualitative data on youth policies implemented in the relevant areas in each selected country. The second step evaluates important cultural factors using the Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory (1980) and the cultural framework of Edward Hall (1976) (CFI, 2022) (Würtz, 2005). Furthermore, it examines the quantitative data for female youth engagement on social media, their digital skills and preferences for alternative communication channels. The third steps provides the final output of the research in a form of the recommended communication channels for each country, supported by qualitative data on the benefits and shortcomings of each channel.

This thesis contains several key findings, as per the three research questions. Upon completing the first step, youth volunteering was identified as a priority focus area for Finland and Luxembourg; youth employment was defined as a priority focus area for France, Italy and Spain, and youth education was selected as a priority focus area for Slovakia. In terms of the cultural factors, Finland, France and Luxembourg were determined to exhibit low-context and information-oriented cultures with preferences for efficient communication, while Italy, Slovakia and Spain were determined to exhibit high-context and relationship-oriented cultures with a high importance of personalisation and human interaction. As for the communication modes, young women in all countries actively use social media and prefer mobile-friendly interaction. Whereas young females in Finland, France and Spain have a relatively high level of digital skills, Italy, Luxembourg and Slovakia appear to have more young women with lower levels of digital skills, indicating the need for non-digital communication tools.

In accordance with the third research question, this thesis concludes with a recommended combination of digital and non-digital communication channels for Youth for Europe that is specific to each selected country, given the identified cultural factors and preferred ways of communication. In terms of the digital communication channels, the use of Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, emails and newsletters, blog, Youth for Europe website, a mobile application and promotion via government websites is recommended for all six countries, but varies in terms of the implementation timeline. In contrast, the use of Snapchat is recommended only for Finland, France, Luxembourg and Slovakia; the use of TikTok is recommended only for Finland, Italy and Spain and the use of Twitter is recommended only for France, Italy and Spain. In addition, implementing digital newspapers is recommended for Slovakia and Spain; using a podcast is recommended for Italy, Luxembourg and Slovakia, and 19

promoting through influencers is recommended for Italy and Spain. In terms of the non-digital communication channels, the use of partner networks, including partners within the relevant focus area, universities and other educational institutions and events and fairs is recommended for all six countries, but varies in terms of the implementation timeline. Furthermore, the use of leaflets is recommended for France, Italy and Spain; the use of radio is recommended for Luxembourg, and the use of television is recommended for Finland, France, Italy and Spain. Promotion through the representative office is only recommended for Italy, given its location, and the use of youth ambassadors is only recommended for Slovakia.

The findings of this research represent an important step towards the recognition of the importance of cultural factors and different communication styles of young women, as well as other target groups within youth. This thesis contributes to the existing studies in the field, addressing the current research gap, and encourages policy-makers to design targeted communication frameworks to ensure that young people have equal awareness of new opportunities developed for them. In terms of the future research in the field, it is recommended to evaluate content considerations, in addition to communication channels per se, the significance of promotion in native languages, preferences of youth based on qualitative surveys and the impact of factors other than gender, such as socioeconomic background and ethnicity.

ADDRESSING LIMITATIONS OF THE DIGITALIZATION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN BOTSWANA

Nnyaladzi Monyamane — 2024-04-12

The thesis took a deep dive into the tourism sector to identify challenges that are faced by entrepreneurs in digitizing their products and services for the entrepreneurs. The study utilized both qualitative and quantitative research approaches, with the use of a structured online questionnaire for the target group. About forty (40) companies were invited to participate in the study online, whereas twenty-one (21) managed to participate.

The study determined the level of uptake for e-Governance service in Botswana by the participating tourism companies. It showed that tourism visa, e-tax and company registration are the most used e-Government services. The majority of the participants lamented poor internet connectivity as a bottleneck to the digitalization process. Participants believe that digitalization is part of transforming a business. In order to mitigate the biggest challenge of internet connectivity, companies proposed an improvement in the connectivity by connection of high-speed internet. They also added that the Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) has to engage private companies and assist them with high quality internet.

The tourism sector would like digitalization of value chain activities from reservations, bookings, checking in and out, procurement and selling of products and services. Additionally, participants noted that the digitalization of regulatory services such as land application and its conversion, culture and lifestyle as well as criminal matters in tourism areas need to be considered as part of the digital transformation.

The Effects of Climate Change on the Tourism Industry in Botswana:A case in Chobe District

Julia Tsile — 2024-04-26

Climate change and environmental degradation pose existential threats to Botswana's tourism and its competitiveness. The acceleration of desertification caused by climate change is putting pressure on key wildlife habitats, particularly through water scarcity. Despite adaptation efforts,water scarcity is high and climate risks remain pronounced. Tourism in the Chobe district is also overwhelmingly dependent on nature-based and biodiversity-driven activities, making it particularly vulnerable to climatic impacts.This study follows a mixed approach which entails both qualitative and quantitative methods.Using both facts and figures as well as feelings and observations to produce the most impactful result. This is based upon the assumption that if diverse types of data are collected, then they will provide an understanding of the research problem as a whole. The researcher distributed surveys and interviews both internally to key employees and externally to clients of The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, and internally to the Botswana Tourism Organization. To the targeted internal population of 4 respondents, the sample procedure that was used was of judgment or purposive sampling. Researchers may implicitly thus choose a"representative" sample to suit their needs, or specifically approach individuals with certain characteristics. Whereas the targeted external population of 20 people was chosen through Stratified Random Sampling.Stratified random sampling is performed by dividing a population into groups with similar attributes. A quantitative and qualitative analysis were used in analyzing the data collected, as this is a mixed methods research paper. The findings confirm that internal employees are affected by the shortcomings of administration and government, the information systems mused within the organisations are inadequate and the clients are greatly affected by slow allocation and poor customer service.

Digital Currency Beyond the Hype: CBDC

Langqi Jin — 2023-02-20

This article is a general introduction to Digital Currencies with the focus on CBDCs. It will expore questions such as how digital currencies are generating vast amounts of social engagement and its potential impact on the traditional financial system. The article also include quantifed predictions made by the author.

THE EFFECTS OF INTERNAL CONTROLS ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN KENYA CASE STUDY: EQUITY BANK BOMET BRANCH

Okoth Wesley — 2023-02-20

In the recent past, a number of commercial banks in Kenya have stopped operating and others put into receivership. The main reason for this failure has been cited as poor financial performance and major frauds committed within the banks. Weakness in the internal control paves way for committing these frauds and thus negatively affects the financial performance of these commercial banks. This research was done to seek to identify the roles played by the internal controls in preventing these frauds and hence positively impacting the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya and in this case Equity bank was the case study. The internal controls focused on the control environment, risk assessment, and monitoring activities. Secondary and primary data were both collected for the purpose of this research. A research questionnaire was issued to the respondents to collect their views and the information they know concerning the internal controls system. A descriptive research design will be used for the same process. A total of 48 respondents were targeted who were both employees of Equity bank Bomet branch. A sample of 30 individuals was taken as a sample across all levels of management. The study found that Equity Bank reviewed its internal controls on a need basis and the research found out that the staff of Equity bank is trained to implement accounting and financial management systems and safeguard the organizational assets. The study recommended that: the control environment has a positive relationship with the financial performance of the commercial bank

The Blockchain Technology: A new development paradigm? Implications for finance, corruption and voter fraud.

James Mulli — 2020-02-11

Blockchain technology is not an easy concept to grasp. Essentially, Blockchain technology is difficult due to the “simple” fact that its complexity is what makes it unique. It is essentially the largest consensus algorithm on the planet and it is at work right now. However, this complexity does not understate the urgency of being able to understand how Blockchain can fundamentally alter the political, social and economic landscape. This paper surveyed the social and economic implications of Blockchain technology on finance, fraud and social corruption, while providing proof of concept real use cases being enforced today.

Technology poses problems since not all users are familiar or comfortable with its application. However, the blockchain technology can be implemented on the back-end for security and transparency purposes while maintaining simplicity and ease of use on the front-end for users. The cost-benefit analysis is made clear that Nations must seek a first mover advantage.