Current Aspects in Business, Economics and Finance Vol. 1

This study sought to determine the true beneficiaries of research output. The study was motivated by the fact that research studies had been conducted, but the purported beneficiaries did not receive feedback. A case survey approach involving 80 lecturers from the Faculty of Commerce of one public university in Zimbabwe was utilised. Responses from academic researchers were elicited using semi-structured questionnaires. Frequencies, percentages, cross tabulations, and Pearson chi-square tests were used to analyze quantitative data. Thematic analysis was done on qualitative data. Only 36.92 percent of respondents had undertaken studies on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), while the remaining 63.08 percent had conducted other studies unrelated to SMEs, according to the data. Of the 36.92 percent of respondents who had done SMEs studies, 41.67 percent had not shared their findings with the intended recipients. According to the findings, some academic researchers do not seem to prioritize distribution of research output for practical use. Academics' failure to distribute results revealed fundamental issues. Researchers should be reminded of the necessity of communicating their findings for practical application, according to the study, and relevant authorities should stimulate the dissemination of research output by providing incentives and support systems. The study discovered a lack of research on who gains when research studies on SMEs are undertaken but the results are not disseminated to them, and it aimed to fill that gap.

The study's goal was to determine the impact of organizational strategy on the performance of Kenyan companies listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The study's theoretical foundation encompasses chaos and complexity theory as well as industrial organizational economic theory. The study used a cross sectional survey design on 64 companies listed in the NSE in Kenya with a sample of 38 companies covering five years (2013-2017) as at 30th June, 2017. Purposive sampling was used on four senior managers from listed businesses in the NSE, including Chief Executive Officers, heads of divisions in Human Resource, Finance, and Marketing, for a total sample size of 152 managers. Pre-testing was done on 15 people, and the reliability coefficient(r) was higher than the recommended 0.7. To assess organizational culture and performance, the researchers employed a five-point Likert scale. Primary data came from the semi-structured questionnaire and secondary data came from published sources. According to the research, organizational strategy has a considerable positive impact on the performance of companies listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The study stated that organizations should adopt organizational strategy because it aids in the development of strategic plans, both short and long term, that propel the company to higher performance in a changing business environment. According to the findings, management should design a competitive market strategy that includes long-term objectives and yearly corporate goals that specify important performance metrics for companies listed on the NSE.

As the Malaysian currency is depreciating, economic factors' influence on the volatility of the Malaysian exchange rate must be explored. The World Development Indicators (WDI) compiled annual time series data on currency exchange rates, GDP, and unemployment rates. The Ministry of Statistics of Malaysia provided the data for inflation rates. From 1989 to 2018, 120 observations were tested with the Eviews software. In the first place, descriptive statistics determine the data's mean, minimum, maximum kurtosis, skewness, and standard deviation. Data stationarity is tested using the Phillips-Perron (P.P.) and Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) techniques. Using a correlation test, you may find out if there's a link between the two variables. Finally, the impact and significance of the association between the variables are examined by multiple regression analysis. The data shows a substantial correlation between GDP and the exchange rate. There is a strong correlation between GDP, inflation, and the exchange rate. When unemployment is high, the exchange rate falls. However, according to this study, unemployment and inflation do not affect the volatility of the currency rate. Malaysia must reassess its monetary policy to keep the Ringgit steady.

It's worthwhile to have a more in-depth debate regarding the term's growing importance: thought leadership. It is advantageous to have a thought leadership culture. Thought leaders are trustworthy authorities who help individuals realize creative ideas by encouraging them. As time passes, thought leaders have a transformative impact on the industry, a certain specialty, or perhaps the entire world. Thought leadership is now not just possessed by individuals, but also by organizations. Some firms have been identified as thought leadership companies because they have adopted thought leadership qualities. Thought leadership differs from traditional leadership in several ways, including authority level, leadership style, information sharing, and problem-solving methods. When it comes to the Malaysian economy's major contributor, the services industry, there is a dearth of revolutionary and imaginative thought leaders. This emphasizes the importance of taking immediate action to cultivate thought leadership in the service business. There have also been suggestions for establishing thought leadership, such as distinguishing out among talent pools and catching the attention of industry experts. Hence, this study intends to identify the differences between thought leadership and traditional leadership and explore the ways how thought leadership can contribute towards the development of the Malaysian service industry. Several common mistakes that companies should prevent were also highlighted in this study such as copying others, lack of strategy, delivering low-quality content, misleading self-perception, and emphasis on self-promotion.

This research study analysis the diffusion of bilateral tendencies in the European Union's Common Trade Policy. Important tendencies in the trade regime are realistic points. Various lobbies, such as food producers' organizations and unions, or other non-governmental organizations, including trade unions, have a substantial influence on the decisions made by representatives of nations participating in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The biggest conflicts between the United States and the European Union within WTO were caused by agricultural problems also during the Doha Round.  The main objective of the research task is to give a comprehensive analysis of the diffusion of bilateral tendencies in the Common Trade Policy of the European Union. The analyzed problems were solved with the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. It is critical to emphasize that, on a theoretical level, knowing the trade policy options of liberalization versus protectionism is important. Despite the clear benefits of the multilateral WTO forum for trade liberalization, the rapid growth of bilateral and multilateral North-South Free Trade Areas (FTAs) begs a systematic explanation for why some forums are preferred over others.  

This chapter assesses the potential of satisfied parents in boosting sales and profits in tutoring business by using case studies of two families who had their children tutored for five months, in Milton Keynes, in the United Kingdom, England. At the end of tutorials, these families were sent specific feedback questions to answer via emails and text messages. They both responded via emails. The data was analyzed with Microsoft Excel to construct tables for comparing the responses of these parents. The results showed that both parents were satisfied with the tutorial services that their children received. They both reported that their children had developed confidence and ability to believe in themselves in answering examination questions. As a result, parents were satisfied and were willing to act as the tutor’s referee; to recommend the tutor’s services to other parents; to share their children’s examination results; and to purchase tutorial services again in the future from the same tutor.

It can be concluded from these findings that satisfied parents have potential to boost sales and profits in tutoring business.  Therefore, it is recommended that tutors should actively seek parents’ feedback on their tutorial delivery.

In both theoretical and empirical literature, it has long been recognized that funding fiscal deficits generates inflation. Ghana's fiscal deficit financing policy has contributed to price instability in the country over the years. In Ghana, studies on the deficit finance-inflation nexus focused solely on linear and symmetric relationships, ignoring the impact of the fiscal deficit financing system on inflation. This study investigated the regime of fiscal deficit financing and its impact on inflation dynamics in Ghana over the 1980-2018 period. The Theory of Fiscal Price Level (TFPL) was adopted as the theoretical framework for the study. The study employed Markov-Switching Regime Dynamic Model (MSRDM) to examine the regime effects of fiscal deficit financing on inflation. The study discovered that Ghana has two fiscal regimes, with the fiscal deficit financing regime being constant throughout the study period. The report also discovered that fiscal deficit financing had a bigger impact on inflation dynamics in Ghana in the higher regime, whereas its impact on inflation in the lower regime was rather subdued. The paper suggests that Ghana's government take fiscal policy initiatives that will allow it to achieve and maintain budgetary sustainability and consolidation in the future while maintaining a low inflation rate.

The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant social and economic impact on many countries. Malaysia had the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia before the epidemic, and it had been doing well for the last few years. Based on a forecast from the World Economic Outlook released in April 2021, real GDP growth is expected to fall. Therefore, COVID-19's impact on Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) becomes the focus of this study. The information was gathered using a questionnaire survey and interviews conducted in July and early August 2020. The SMEs were the focus of this study, which looked at their history, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on SMEs, particularly their reliance on internet distribution channels to keep their businesses afloat, and the government's economic stimulus plan for small businesses. The findings of this study show that COVID-19 has a significant influence on small and medium-sized businesses in various ways. They have shown that small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are affected by their type and size. This study found that the disruption of corporate operations, decreased product supply and demand, low production, financial instability, and a change to the digital distribution channel were among the effects. The study also showed the relevance of government help for the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in times of crisis. Governments have significant ramifications in adopting policies that provide additional stimulus packages for small and medium-sized businesses, such as financing, advisory services, and training. On top of all that, governments should encourage non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide financial and non-financial help to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to help them deal with the difficulties brought on by COVID-19 through advice, training, counselling, and psychological support. According to the findings of this study, small and medium-sized businesses should take lessons from the crisis and come up with new plans and strategies to ensure their long-term viability.

Integrity is a topic that is getting more attention in Malaysia right now. The Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International ranked Malaysia as the sixty-second least corrupt country in the world in 2021. Therefore, the public and private sectors in Malaysia are responsible for changing the negative perception of the public toward the integrity system in Malaysia. Since the leader is the most important individual in the organisation, this study determines how effectively leaders in government-related firms implement the integrity system. The aim of this study is to analyse corporate integrity practices in Malaysia. It focuses on how integrity in leaders affects the company’s level of integrity. We collected data through surveys of executives and managers of GRCs in Malaysia and using a five-point Likert scale. The data gathered was based on respondents’ perceptions of the leadership elements of integrity. The GRCs had adopted an effective corporate integrity policy, according to our findings. Finally, it was established that ethical leadership is critical in preserving the company's integrity system. Ultimately, the study is expected to provide evidence to policymakers to help them implement their strategic strategy to restore Malaysia's positive image in the international society.

The paper investigated theoretically and empirically the feasibility of the alleged potential monetary union among the six Gulf Cooperation Council members—the United Arab Emirates, the State of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, and the State of Kuwait—before 2010. According to the theoretical model, the optimal foreign regime should maximize oil revenues while maintaining internal and external balances. This was shown to happen at the highest possible predicted foreign-exchange rate or the lowest possible level of uncertainty and volatility in foreign-exchange rate markets. Calculations employing a calibrated model revealed that if the GCC countries had chosen a foreign policy pegged to the SDR, the planned monetary union would likely result in economic advantages.