Search

Pursuant to Law no. 65/2016 “On social enterprises in the Republic of Albania”, the Albanian lawmakers have aimed to regulate the exercise of the profitable activities of non-profit organizations by providing a legal solution and improving the regulatory framework of the so-called, in some countries, the third sector (which is not included neither in state-owned nor in private commercial entities). The law hereof aims to regulate the exercise of non-profit commercial activities, by limiting the types of entities allowed to be non-profit organizations, and therefore leaving the trading companies out of scope. Regarding the object of the law, in order to protect and socially include the vulnerable groups, its scope is limited to employment, provision of employment opportunities, provision of goods and services and economic and social integration for the ulnerable groups, therefore it has set some restrictions on the legal notion of social enterprise. Despite the great legislative work and the good will to finally regulate and stimulate an innovative sector such as the social enterprise, in the de iure condito debate it was mentioned that there is still room for improvement in this part of the legislation, which has not given any or has given only a few effects in practice. Therefore, by analyzing the Albanian legislation in the sector, we aim to provide an explanatory description of Law no. 65/2016 but at the same time, de iure condendo, to ask for a better addressing of the problems that have arisen in practice, in the light of the European and foreign legislation, jurisprudence and doctrine in this field.

Non profitable organizations have been contributing in the development of state and society for a long time. These are generally praised for their progressive agendas. However, occasionally these have also been blamed for having some hidden agenda. This requires strict monitoring and evaluation of this sector. Different policies have been introduced in the past for this purpose. However, some of them have been found to be working for foreign agendas. Therefore, it is extremely important to comprehend the effectiveness of the monitoring and evaluation policies in Pakistan. This paper is focused on different monitoring and evaluation policies and compared it with the policy of PML (N) government (2013-18) to bring to limelight the strengths and weakness of such policies. The research paper is primarily designed to find out comprehensive study that how the government presently monitored the working of NGOs. The analysis will help the policy makers to evaluate the working of NGOs in an effective way. Received: 28 October 2020 / Accepted: 5 December 2020 / Published: 17 January 2021

The multi religions Albania passed last century from a country where atheism was the constitutional principle in a country where the basic card guarantees not only the freedom of religion but also the freedom from religion. Today, in order of guaranteeing the freedom of belief, the Constitution of Republic of Albania expresses principles which protect the religious freedom, starting from its preamble. Indeed, the preamble has no legal force but stated goals and assists in the interpretation of provisions. The spirit, with which the preamble stated, is that of tolerance and religious coexistence, in a vision where the people are responsible for the future with faith in God or other universal values. This statement reinforces the principle of secularism of the state where the latter appears as the guarantor of religious freedom by knowing in this perspective the beliefs that "sovereign" could have and can develop. In this context, the real guarantee is given to us by Article 24 of the Constitution which expressly guarantees the freedom of conscience and religion, in a perspective where any person has the right to choose if changing or not his religion or belief, so that this article appears not only as a guarantor of freedom of religion but also as a guarantor of freedom from religion. In a context like that of Albania, where for 40 years the religious freedom has been denied, and because of religious beliefs was conducted genocide, cannot be missing in its Constitution this freedom. Today it appears more consolidated than ever, from a vision that guarantees such as the freedom to choose and change religion by manifesting them freely in public or in private life, into a vision that guarantees also negative freedom or atheism. The purpose of this paper is to point out that otherwise than the socialist Constitution of 1976- which provided anti-religious atheism forms in a context where the faith was determined by the state, based in a "monotheistic" ideology and realized through policy, which denied any type of faith beyond what the material world of communist ideology had in foundation- the current one appears, secular and neutral in matters of religious faith by guaranteeing a as consequence the atheist beliefs as well. Received: 21 November 2020 / Accepted: 11 January 2021 / Published: 17 January 2021

The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of Company Risk, Liquidity, Leverage and Capital Adequacy Ratio on Earning Management and whether Capital Adequacy Ratio moderates the relation between Company Risk, Liquidity and Leverage and Earning Management of Banking Companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2014-2018. Sampling techniques uses purposive sampling based on determined criteria and data analysis is performed by multiple regression analysis using E-Views 11.0 version. The result shows that in partial, Company Risk positively, Liquidity and Capital Adequacy negatively affects significantly on Earning Management, while Leverage does not and in the other side Capital Adequacy Ratio only moderates the relation between Liquidity and Earning Management. All variables simultaneously affect weakly on Earning Management. This research implies that due to weakly impact result, banking management must reobserve the role of Company Risk, Liquidity, Leverage and Capital Adequacy Ratio in executing Earning Management. Received: 7 October 2020 / Accepted: 10 November 2020/ Published: 17 January 2021

The Protocol on Trade Liberalization is one of the first five protocols that were originally annexed to the Treaty of ECOWAS. It was signed at Lome, Togo on November 5th 1976. To give further impetus to the Protocol, the Authority of Heads of States and Government at a summit held in Dakar, Senegal from July 25-27, 1992 adopted some modifications of the Trade Liberalization Scheme. With the sweeping torrent of Globalization, ECOWAS member-states have found themselves in a dilemma. The dilemma arises from the fact that pursuing the goals of integration and at the same time embracing the gains of globalization creates a paradox. The study investigates whether ECOWAS Protocol on Trade Liberalization enhanced intra-African trade more than trade with third countries with the emergence of globalization. It is anchored on the neo-functionalist theory and made use of documentary method of data collection. The study contends that intra-African trade within ECOWAS has declined with globalization while trade with third countries has increased. The implication is that the stimulation and synergy of economies of member-states which Trade Liberalization is supposed to engender has been weakened. The study recommends a further revision of the provisions of the Trade Liberalization scheme by ECOWAS member states to align with the emerging realities of globalization. It further recommends the improvement of transportation infrastructure in the sub-region and mustering of political will by the leaders to implement their resolutions, among others.

Children with intellectual disabilities experience deficits in all the areas of adaptive function and some other aspects, unfortunately little is known about the independent functioning among gender and age related to these impairments in this type of neurogenetic disorders as intellectual disabilities. Adaptive behavior is essential for an optimal functioning in these categories. 53 participants aged between 5 and 11 in school years have been administered the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA) and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (IQ). Motor abilities are the area that is more affected in children with intellectual disabilities with a significant impairment appeared at an early age, which remain low even in the following years. These differences are potentially oriented by the etiologies related to the disorder. Adaptive behavior is an important area of challenge for children with intellectual disabilities throughout their development. Daily living skills and competencies are also a significant strength in relation to other areas of adaptive functioning.

A survey of psychological security among pre-service teachers is significant for policy-makers in health and education services sectors to certify skilled teachers to work with children. So, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the level of psychological security of Jordanian pre-service special education and early childhood teachers. A descriptive method design was adopted. A survey was used to collect data about the level of psychological security of Jordanian pre-service teachers. Participants of the study were 216 special education and early childhood teachers. Results showed that teachers cited average levels of PS and 10.6 % of all participants had a low level of PS. Teachers rated thinking about the future, life being interesting, love between people, and unknown things as problematic issues in PS. Results revealed no statistically significant mean differences due to gender, average achievement or religious commitment. Recommendations for field and future research are presented.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread from China to the world since December 2019. In addition to being a pandemic with mortality risk, COVID-19 affected global mental health. This study is the first to address the mental health aspects among Saudi pharmacy students during this pandemic and to explore the potential effect on their academic development. An online cross-sectional survey was distributed among 677 students from the Faculty of Pharmacy at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Participants were assessed with demographic information, the validated Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, the validated Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and multiple stress factors and motivators that might influence their academic development. Collected data were statistically analyzed. Results demonstrated that 32% of the participants were experiencing mild anxiety, 22% moderate anxiety, and 19% severe anxiety. Statistical significance in anxiety level was seen in students living alone, previously diagnosed with mental illness, and within their 4th pharmacy academic year. 49.5% of the participants were PHQ-2 positive and maybe showing symptoms of depressions. Major academic stressor for students with anxiety was their grades while major academic motivator was the coordination of each course studied. Over 70% of pharmacy students had anxiety, and half of them were PHQ-2 positive. We recommend universities to address all students’ psychological needs more often in the future, especially during a crisis like this pandemic and look into the possibility of having a Pass/Fail outcome rather than a grade-based GPA.

The research aims to explore the determinant of firm’s market-based performance in Indonesia manufacturing companies, listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2014 to 2019. The proxies used in this research are Return on Equity (ROE), Leverage, Earning per Share (EPS), Growth, Liquidity (Liquid) and Non-Debt Tax Shield (NDTS). The sampling method employs purposive sampling while the analysis is performed using E-views version 11. The result indicates that in partial, Leverage is negatively significant affect to Firm Performance while the other measured variables, namely Return on Equity, Leverage, Earning Per Share, Liquidity and Non-Debt Tax Shield, prove to be insignificant affect to firm performance. All variables simultaneously affect strongly on Firm Performance. This research implies that the management of the firm should observe Return on Equity (ROE), Leverage, Earning- per Share (EPS), Growth, Liquidity (Liquid) and Non-Debt Tax Shield (NDTS) closely in developing their strategy for better firm performance.

Drug use has not been the problem but rather its abuse and irrespective of the risk thereof, people still abuse them. That is why this study was set out to examine the perceptions of drug use and abuse among adults in Enugu-Ezike in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. The study utilized a cross-sectional survey design. The study subjects consisted of 195 respondents (107 males and 88 females) aged 18 years and above. The quantitative data gathered were analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) using percentages and frequency distribution tables. Chi-square (X2) statistics were used to test the hypotheses The findings showed that 52.3% of the respondents know the meaning of drug use while majority of the respondents were aware of drug abuse. 81.0% of the respondents have negative perception of drug abuse. Also, 54.9% stated that Marijuana is the most abused drug in the study area. Eighty percent (80%) believed that increase in drug abuse increases the rate of crime in the communities. Above thirty-one percent believe that family problems contributed in abusing drugs. The implications of the study to social work practice therefore, is to carry out the public enlightenment, community education, counselling and research on the dangers of drug abuse in Nigeria. The study recommends that the stakeholders in drug use and management should develop appropriate measures to combat the menace of drug abuse that is ravaging our society.

This study is conducted to explore the factors influencing purchase behaviour and to explain the magnitude of such factors on buying behaviour in Tanzania. Based on a systematic review of literature, a research framework was developed from Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The casual model was empirically tested by using partial least-square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The survey is comprised of 491 usable samples, collected from Generation Y consumers as the main music users in Tanzania. Result suggest that the model is significant and adequate. All antecedents of intention appears to be significant except for idolatry. Self-regulatory efficacy and subjective norm are contributing factors to intention construct. Intention, along with self-regulatory efficacy is found to have significant impact on consumer buying behaviour. Government Regulation is found to have non- significant moderating impacts on the relationship between intention and consumer buying behaviour. In addition to theoretical implication, a number of managerial implications are observed. Marketers need to enhance consumers buying behaviour in various stakeholders , reduce music piracy through motivation on self-regulatory efficacy and subjective norm to Generation Y. Overall, the study is expected to confer value to music industry through discourage music piracy by researchers and marketers.

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as a pandemic, many countries have declared a complete national lockdown after a remarkable spike in COVID 19 cases. These decisions have restricted the movement of people and resulted in a complete shutdown of many businesses across many sectors. The construction industry, as a significant growth driver of the economy with no exception, has also been completely shut down. All the developments and projects were postponed until further notice. It is, therefore, a prudent to address the impact of the pandemic at the outset and end of the crisis to prepare for any future possibility and gain lessons for plans. This study aims to investigate the effect of COVID 19 on the construction industry's survival. The impacts and fallout have been determined and evaluated through the recruitment of construction experts and practitioners. The impacts have been classified into different groups which include economic, human resources. The study implied two methods include exploratory interviews and questionnaire surveys. The study found the most prominent impacts of COVID 19 are the suspension of projects, labour impact and job loss, time overrun, cost overrun, and financial implications. The findings of this study shed light on the consequences of the sudden occurrence of pandemic and raise awareness of the most critical impacts which can’t be overlooked. The findings also help project stakeholders to realise the sequences of the sudden epidemic and prepare for the worst-case scenario during the planning stage of the construction projects.

The primary aim of this study is to analyse any changes in the role of well-being determinants which may have occurred over a period of economic growth in the European Union. To this end, this study revolves around testing the hypothesis that non-income determinants of well-being, such as attendance to religious events and involvement in sports, amass greater importance during a period of economic growth, potentially at the expense of income. This hypothesis is tested using the latest two European Quality of Life Surveys, published by Eurofound for 2011 and 2016. Using microdata only from the ten European countries whose real GDP per capita increased by at least ten per cent between the two waves of the survey, a well-being function is specified for each year, based on well-known findings from the well-being literature. Given the ordered nature of the dependent variable, an ordered logit model is employed and interpreted in terms of average marginal effects. Among other results, findings point towards a decline in the importance of income and greater roles for housing quality and frequent participation in sports and in religious activities during this period of economic growth. These findings should inform and guide policy makers in putting in place policies to facilitate well-being improvements in the European Union and beyond.

Mobile technologies have drastically changed the way people do everyday activities. Tasks previously reserved for desktop environments have moved to mobile devices, and nowadays, half of the internet traffic is stemming from mobile devices. The tourism industry is no exempt from the shift from desktop to mobile. In our research, we check to what extent natural health resorts have adapted and integrated mobile solutions to their websites. We collected data about the friendliness of selected websites using automated online tools and carried out a heuristic evaluation. The results were statistically analyzed and compared. Only roughly half of natural health resorts have optimized their websites for mobile devices. There are no statistically significant differences when comparing purely technical aspects. However, an in-depth heuristic evaluation has shown that some web sites are significantly more mobile-friendly than others and offer better technical conditions for enhanced user experience. Our study is the first technical and contentual evaluation of website mobile devices' friendliness in the natural health resort sector. It warns management, their marketing consultants, and web site developers about the opportunities they are missing by not supporting mobile users sufficiently. Further, it outlines deficiencies and provides suggestions and instructions for optimizing websites to enhance user-friendliness on mobile devices.

The aim of this study was to examine academic staff perception of the extent of politicizing administration of universities: Implications for National Development. The study adopted survey research design. The study was guided by two research questions and two research hypotheses. The population of the study was made up of all academic staff in the University of Calabar and Cross River University of Technology, all in Cross River State, Nigeria. Out of the sample size of 430 academic staff used for the study, 250 were males while 180 were females. The instrument for data collection was entitled: “Academic Staff Perception of the Extent of Politicizing Administration of Universities Questionnaire (ASPEPAUQ).” Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions. While independent t-test was used to test the two hypotheses formulated for the study. From the result of the study, academic staff members were positive in their perception of the extent of politicizing administration of universities. Male and female academic staff did not differ significantly in their rating of the extent of politicizing administration of universities. It was also found that provision of adequate funds, provision of adequate facilities, proper management of available resources, discouragement of ethnicity and improvement in staff physical/social environment were rated as the vital roles of universities administrators in the administration of universities for national development. It was concluded that due process in practice should be maintained and improved upon by the respective universities administrators to ensure equity and for national development to abound.

There are several studies suggesting that disadvantaged groups display positive attitudes towards advantaged groups. System Justification Theorists have conceptualised that attitudes as out-group favouritism, whereas Social Identity Theorists have described it as the attitude of members identifying with the advantaged group, reflecting in-group favouritism. As the level of participants’ identification with both groups is not measured in those studies, it is not clear enough which theory they support. This study, conducted with 145 people living in Turkey and define themselves as Kurdish, aims to examine the attitudes of the participants towards the disadvantaged Kurdish in-group and the advantaged Turkish out-group in terms of the participant’s level of identification with both groups and the identity management strategies (individual mobility, social competition, superordinate re-categorisation) followed by the participants. For this purpose, the participants dividing into three clusters depending on their level of identification with both groups were compared in terms of their intergroup attitudes and the strategies they followed. The results indicated that the participants who identified with the Turkish group on a higher level had favouritism towards Turks and followed the individual mobility and superordinate re-categorisation strategies. On the other hand, the participants who identified with the Kurdish group on a higher level had favouritism towards Kurds and followed the social competition strategy. These results support Social Identity Theory, suggesting that disadvantaged group members’ positive attitudes towards advantaged groups reflect in-group favouritism, not out-group favouritism. This is because they identify themselves through advantaged groups as a result of certain strategies.

The purpose of this paper was to explore the importance of family life education in South-South Nigeria as regards population growth. An initiative has delved into the philosophical conceptions of schooling and the population in family life. It also presents an overview of the positive effects of education in family life. Today, population growth in South-South Nigeria presents many problems, including; poverty and unemployment. The paper accounts for ways in which family life education will play a significant role in improving the population's management. Finally, the article suggests that Growth and Development in adolescence is an integral component of family life education. Strengthened educational efforts should be undertaken in areas such as self-understanding, guardian relationships, jobs, obligations, feelings, stress management, dating, romance, maturity development, and enhancements to sexuality.

This paper examines the experiences of intimate partner violence among African immigrant women living in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In-depth interviews were conducted and audio-recorded with 20 African immigrant women who have lived in Canada for five years. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. The study showed that IPV is common in African communities and affects the mental health and quality of life of survivors. The women noted that poor integration of African men into the mainstream society due to lack of gainful employment perpetuates IPV, which becomes a tool used by African men to express their authority, power and control over their women. The women called for culturally specific and relevant treatment and prevention services that would be more inclusive and meet the needs of all abused women.

The Syrian Hajj (Pilgrimage) Road, which links Damascus with the holy cities of Medina and Mecca in Saudi Arabia, was a historical road supplying the most basic needs of the pilgrims during this long journey. Most important are the water control and storage systems facilities which are reflected as archaeological remains. This paper discusses the water supply installations associated with the Hajj route with special reference to the Ottoman fort of Fassou’ah as one of the Hajj stations in southern Jordan.

We aimed to reveal psychological symptoms of young university students (18-25 y/o) with no secondary disease with complaints of migraine headaches. We compared the psychological symptoms with a young control group that did not present headaches and other studies examining migraines in different age groups to determine any similarities. The study consisted of 75 migraine cases; 13 with aura and 62 without aura) and 42 non-headache control subjects. The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 (ICHD-3) with criteria questions and the Psychological Symptom Research Scale were applied to all participants and SPSS Statistics Program evaluated the data. Findings: 1) In the test of Descriptive Statistics for the Sample of Students, average values of both sexes were taken and found the average values of the migraine groups were higher than control group. 2) The Anova Test found differences in the diagnostic group besides depression (Somatisation p

This study examined electricity supply prices for political socialization in education and its implications for functionality in university education in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study was a descriptive survey research. The population included 942 head of departments in the two public universities located in Cross River State, Nigeria. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 250 respondents from the universities studied. The instrument designated ‘Electricity Prices For Political Socialization Questionnaire (EPFPSQ)’ was designed to collect data for the study. The instrument was validated and had a reliability co-efficient of 0.853. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and percentage score. The study revealed that electricity supply prices, through management techniques of cost effectiveness, cost efficiency, access to and control of education moderately empowered the university system for political socialization. Electricity prices showed inadequate contributions with weak impact on benefit-related factors for political socialization. Government did not provide support in electricity price reduction though encouraged investment in electricity supply through Power Holding Company Ltd (PHCN). It was concluded that the perception of electricity supply prices could guarantee political socialization towards functionality in university education. Some of the recommendations made were: universities should give attention to electricity supply prices for political socialization. Government should see electricity supply prices and political socialization as a sine-qua-non for functionality in university education.

With the availability of the media, no one will deny both proximal and distance happenings across the globe especially when it is about suffering of others. The visibilities of these sufferings of others are much triggered with the emergence of new media. People of different socio-cultural and demographic background have adopted social media as means of letting the world know the happenings around them. In Nigeria through the medium, people have become witnesses to the suffering of victims of jungle justice as their images are constantly displayed on daily basis. Existing studies on audience reaction to suffering of others through mediated images shows that audience response to such images are dependent on their gender, socioeconomic, political and religious background, and some arguing that they have become numb and no longer care about suffering of others. Though these may be true, it cannot be generated to Nigeria audiences as a lot of factors determine how audience responded to mediated images. Little or no study of Nigeria background verified how Nigerians respond to suffering of others especially on the victims of disaster and attacks such as jungle justice. It is against these backdrops that this study through survey (focus group interview) determines Nigerian respond to images of victims of jungle justices in Nigeria. The finding reveals that Nigerians are not numbs when faced with such images and reaction is that of pity and ‘it could have been me’ with the sense of responsibility as to help avert the suffering.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between management of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and teachers’ work performance in secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of the study, two research questions and one null hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised of 5288 teachers in all the 271 public secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. A sample of 800 teachers was drawn using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Two instruments titled: Management of Information and Communications Technology Questionnaire (MICTQ) and Teachers’ Work Performance Questionnaire (TWPQ) were used to collect data from the respondents. Data was analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation at .05 level of significance and 798 degrees of freedom. The finding revealed that among the 12 principals’ ICT management practices, only cleaning/dusting, proper utilization, arrangement of facilities and ventilation centres were significant. A positive significant relationship between Information and Communication Technology and teachers’ work performance was also established (p < .05). Based on the finding, it was recommended amongst others that, there should be adequate supply of ICT facilities to secondary schools for effective utilization by teachers and students for quality teaching and learning.

This paper argued that although the second scramble for Africa could be located within the broader neo-imperialist global strategy, nevertheless, it is quite different from the classic race for Africa in the 19th century, in terms of its approach, mechanism, timing and new participants. It is also new in some ways. Firstly, it has enlisted the rampageous United States of America, Russia and the ravenous new Asian entrants such as China and India, plus the Oil-rich Sheikdoms, while retaining a number of the European imperial powers in the affray. Secondly, it has created a local bourgeoisie that sees itself as the overseer of foreign interests on the continent. Thirdly, the ideology of the new scramble is based on quick-loot-fast-plunder and is derived from modern globalization imperatives. This study which adopted as its approach, a combination of descriptive, analytical, evaluative as well as historical perspectives insists that unless the second scramble is checked, it would consolidate Africa’s relegation to marginality, cultural irrelevance, and eventual recolonization. Through the test of series of hypotheses, the work exposed the major forces at work as it answered some basic questions of the research. It concludes that Africa needs a super power to provide it with a nuclear umbrella, and draw a marshal plan – the type America did for the war devastated Europe at the end of the Second World War, to assert itself.

This study investigated university output soft skills and blue economy strategy as mechanisms for sustainable development in Cross River State of Nigeria. The study was a descriptive survey research design. The population included all university graduate workers in sea ports in the state. A purposive sampling techniques was used to select 250 respondents from the port locations. The instrument designated ‘Soft Skills In Blue Economy Strategy Questionnaire (SSIBESQ)’ was designed to collect data for the study. The instrument was validated and had a reliability co-efficient of 0.872. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and percentage score. The study revealed that university output soft skills were beneficiary to the graduate workers economically and encouraged multitasking in human and material resources for sustainable development of Cross River State, Nigeria. Blue economy strategy, through a dynamic environmental sustainable principles, assisted the university output at workplace. This included to boost new employment, innovation and growth in marine production and other port industries, thereby improving the state economic stand. Some of the recommendations made were: universities should give more attention to soft skills development, government should support policies on university output soft skills and blue economy strategy as sine-qua-non for utilization of business opportunities and economic development in the state.

Accountability in providing public administration to the poor people in the Social Department of Makassar. This study was qualitative case study approach, while the instruments were the researchers themselves. This study showed that the accountability in providing public administration to the poor people had not run optimally. There were various approaches and alleviation programs for poverty that had not been able to change significantly. There was no continuous program during the official turnover. If the official was changed, then the policy would be changed, thus the programs were ineffective to minimize the poverty in Makassar. The policies and the supports were necessary from all the elements of construction and the involvement of entrepreneurs like stakeholders and community leaders. The government is necessary to take a role in uniting and bridging these issues. In addition, the strategic planning was necessary to involve society, not only as objects of development but also to be involved as the subject of development to alleviate the poverty in Makassar.

In this study we examine the accuracy of stereotypical gendered attributions of Tinder users and compare them across sexual orientation lines. We randomly sampled 2,539 Tinder users from Turkey and analyzed their photos for decorative artifacts. The results indicate a significant difference between heterosexual women and lesbians, with the latter adopting less feminine decorative artifacts and displaying more masculine decorative artifacts. The differences among men are not as drastic, however, homosexuals were still slightly more likely to feature feminine and gender-neutral decorative artifacts. No systematic difference was detected in masculine decorative artifacts among men. Overall, female Tinder users featured more gender-neutral decorative artifacts than males, regardless of sexual orientation. The results are discussed in relation to culture and stereotypes.

The contemporary trend of global competitiveness has brought great concern for provision of quality education. Hence universities are called upon to respond through efforts in ensuring quality assurance in its programmes offerings. This study on the pursuit of quality assurance in Nigerian Universities: Issues and challenges was carried out to sample the perspective of 640 academic staff from four Federal Universities in South-South Nigeria. Survey research design was used for the study. Four research questions guided the study. A 40-item researchers’ developed instrument called “Quality Assurance Practices Questionnaire (QAPQ)” was used for data collection. The instrument was validated and reliability estimate established through Cronbach Alpha with an index of 0.86. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Findings indicated that various strategies exist to ensure quality assurance. Also the extent of quality assurance implementation is moderate. Findings also showed that many challenges impede the implementation of quality assurance in universities. Suggested remedies by the respondents to improve the implementation of quality assurance include; total commitment of university management to quality assurance, admission of students based on merit, adequate funding and sufficient infrastructural facilities among others.

The purpose of this research is to study the Lanna art form, design showcase in Lanna art style and evaluate the satisfaction of those interested in buying a Lanna style showcase. The Lanna art forms that we studied are Lung Piang, Fat-Short, Flora patterns, Red color, Dark brown-black and gold patterns. Also the wood that has been using is Teak wood material, which is medium softwood. When analyzed together with the conceptual framework to design a showcase of Lanna art style, with experts and professionals join the evaluation of draft design 3 sets 9 drafts and eliminate to 1 draft only in order to use it as a prototype. Use descriptive statistics to analyze and summarize data. The research found that showcase in Lanna art style, draft B which uses the design concept of Lanna art has overall result in the highest level ( = 4.62, S.D. = 0.52). Then this draft is taking to produce the prototype and evaluate the satisfaction, the research found that satisfaction level in terms of conservation, inheritance, and pride of wisdom in art and cultural is at the highest level ( = 4.41, S.D. = 0.69), followed by beauty. And characteristics has satisfaction level at high level ( = 4.25, S.D. = 0.78). Safety, functional, structural and material satisfaction is at a high level ( = 3.97, S.D. = 0.70).

The application of death penalty has been a subject of heated arguments amongst scholars, human right proponents and Christian religious leaders. Although several nations the world over have abrogated its use, Nigeria still has death penalty deeply entrenched in its statute books. In spite of this, capital offences are still on the increase thus calling to question, its relevance as a form of deterrent. The study utilised the functionalist theory.The design was exploratory and involved the use of qualitative methods of data collection. Three states: Edo, Delta and Anambra in southern Nigeria were purposively selected due to high incidence of the commission of capital offences in the locations. 1200 questionnaires were administered to respondents, 30 in-depth interviews and 15 key informant interviews were conducted. A descriptive analysis of the quantitative data collected was undertaken using frequency distribution while the manual content analysis was used for qualitative data collected from the field work. Findings from this investigation showed that death penalty does not in any way deter would-be criminals from committing crime. Based on the findings of the study, government rather than eliminating criminals should instead focus more on their rehabilitation and also use its enormous power and resources to redress some of the inequalities and injustice that characterize our society which is often the cause of crime.

The purpose of the research is twofold: a) to determine whether the employees in Greek Institutions of Chronic Diseases show burnout and depressive symptomatology and to connect them with sociodemographic characteristics and b)to investigate the relation between these two health factors. The participants completed a Greek version of Maslach's Burnout Inventory (MBI), a Greek version of Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), and a questionnaire regarding the socio-demographic characteristics. According to the results of the research, a significant percentage of participants show burnout and depressive symptomatology. The exhaustion was found to be associated with gender, age, employment and marital status. The scientific staff has less depressive symptoms than the auxiliaries. Finally, higher levels of burnout effect on higher levels of depressive symptomatology. Based on the results, it is necessary to make interventions on a preventive level as well as to deal with burnout problems and depression of employees on time. In conclusion, there is a need to conduct further researches that, among others, check the targeting and the effectiveness of interventions.

The collateral law is a provision and rule of law governing the legal relationship between the receiver and the receivable of credit by charging a guarantee. Then in about the loading of Flats with Rescue Rights. Therefore, based on the provisions of Article 27 on mortgage law, the Flats are no longer possible guaranteed by Mortgage and Fiduciary, since the object of collateral with Mortgage and Fiduciary in flats act has become the object of collateral which is burdened with mortgage right by mortgage law. The Right to Land in the Flats can not be burdened with the mortgage right, because it is a collective land, it is only possible to be guaranteed with the Mortgage right only by the Developer at the time of building the flats, but when it was established the flats, it is no longer possible Burdened with a mortgage, which may be just the Property of the Housing Unit because it is the possession of a person who is the things that stand on the ground together.

This study focused on the impact of attitude toward tourism on pro-tourism behaviour. The social exchange theory and theory of reasoned action were used to support this model. This study constructed a model for testing the relationship among welcome tourists behaviour, perceived local economy, personal benefit, attitude toward tourism, and pro-tourism behaviour. Empirical testing was used for observing the effect of the model. The sample comprised 408 people from Hua-hin Prachubkirikhan, who were selected by convenience sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire that was divided into the following 4 parts: general data, perceived tourism impact (welcome tourists behaviour, perceived local economy, and personal benefit), attitude toward tourism, and pro-tourism behaviour. Statistical analysis methods included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and structural equation modelling. All the hypotheses were supported, indicating a significant positive effect of attitude toward tourism on pro-tourism behavior.

Radicalization into extremism and terrorism is a controversial topic amongst scholars on the approaches used to understand the phenomenon. This paper examine some theories on the subject and the debate raging amongst scholars with regard to the differing models and approaches. The key theories examined in respect to radicalization include the theological model, the psychological approach, vulnerability explanations, discrimination/alienation models and political explanations.

This research applies an extended Unified Theory of Adoption and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to consumer intentions to switch from other retail channels to mobile commerce in Thailand. Mobile commerce is a rapidly growing segment of the consumer market, but remains in an early stage of adoption in many markets. A survey of Thai consumers (n = 458) was conducted online and analyzed using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Findings showed that the extended UTAUT model, which included online social support and convenience, significantly explained the consumer decision to engage in mobile commerce. However, direct incentives (discounts and referral codes) were not significant. The implication of these findings is that mobile commerce providers need to focus on building social support for the technology itself, rather than relying on marketing tools like discounts or referral codes if they want to shift sales away from other retail channels.

Organizations and researchers in Western societies are finding employees belonging to the Millennial generation are harder to retain than were employees of previous generations. Using generation theory for the foundation, this paper first looks at the literature discussing whether generational cohorts should continue to be defined as nationally bounded entities, or whether there are now ‘global generations’ in existence. Then, factors that decrease employee turnover are explored. Using social exchange theory and the norm of reciprocity as the basis, the literature suggests affective commitment leads to reduced turnover intentions. Two major constructs found to increase affective commitment are perceived supervisor support (PSS) and perceived organizational support (POS). Finally, human resource management (HRM) antecedents of PSS and POS identified as important by Millennials in Western societies are submitted as potential solutions for retaining employees of the Millennial generation.

Solid waste management (SWM) is defined as the process of collecting, treating, storing and disposal of solid waste in a way that they are harmless to humans, animals, plants and the general environment. In Kenyan cities, solid waste is disposed in open dump system which is uncontrolled thereby posing numerous challenges to public health and environment. The purpose of this present is to identify challenges to SWM globally as reported in various literature and how value stream mapping (VSM) can be applied to mitigate the challenges. The study is based on the following challenges to SWM; composition of solid waste, physical and technical infrastructure, policy legislation and enforcement, personnel, funding and community’s attitude to SWM in relation to the following VSM components; 1. Consumer, 2. Supplier, 3. Materials flow and 4. Information flow. The cities are strategic centers of aesthetic value, peace and security which have been overtaken by messy unattended heaps of solid waste emanating from domestic sources, markets, business and shopping centers. Identification of waste management challenges in developing countries is critical to also help select the most appropriate technology for waste management to avoid blind transport of technology and machinery from developed countries which most fail.

The research focused on the contextual problem contained in children’s drawing activity. The subjects of the research are the forms (themes, objects, media, and techniques) of drawings made by elementary school-aged children spread over four regencies of Yogyakarta Special Region. In addition, the research also discussed adaptation that influenced the selection of themes, objects, media, and techniques in the work. The study on form and adaptation were subsequently formulated into concepts that can be implemented in art education in elementary schools. The research implemented naturalistic inquiry approach with consideration of the social situation of children when drawing, which is the aspect of places, actors, and activities that interact synergistically. In addition, it also used qualitative method that is an interpretive approach that aims to gain an in-depth knowledge of a phenomenon that occurs at the time the research took place from various point of view of the known subject. The research found that objects drawn by children were drawn from direct and indirect experiences of mountains, beaches, planes, homes, trees, and humans. The themes that appear in children’s drawing are themes that are sourced from their daily life (micro cultural) such as playing at a friend’s house, fighting, taking a beach vacation, wildfire, and playing at the garden. This happens because of the various backgrounds of residential areas, preferences, television influences and electronic games. Based on these findings, the micro cultural concept becomes a part that should be prioritized in art education for elementary school students to maintain the child’s individualism attitude and instill local cultural values.

This paper analyzes the representation of the femme fatale in Emilia Pardo Bazán’s La Quimera (1905). Femme fatale is described by many critics as an expression of masculine anxieties and fears, caused by political crisis and growth of feminine independence in the nineteenth century. Male authors employed this figure to preserve patriarchal structure and the existent power balance between prescribed gender roles. I argue that Pardo Bazán, through imitation of male writers and manipulation of hidden meanings in La Quimera, employs this masculinist projection to express latent feminist ideas and a critique of the contemporary social position of women. In her novel, Pardo Bazán creates a feminist femme fatale and, through her geopolitically split formation (France/Latin America/Spain), criticizes Spanish patriarchy, domesticity and non-modernity. She achieves this without overtly violating masculine narrative structure or demeaning patriarchal order, as she appropriates the originally masculinist imagery of fatal woman. Nevertheless, the eventual fate of Pardo Bazán’s femme fatale—especially the elaboration of internal dialogs and her presentation not as antagonist and invasive Other but as protagonist and subject—demonstrates fundamental differences of a feminist perspective within her elaboration of this masculine fantasy. In this way, in a time and space where feminism as a movement did not yet exist or was in its formative years, Pardo Bazán immensely contributed to the development of European/Spanish feminist thought.

Nigeria continues to face difficult challenges as a country comprising many ethnic groups with different socio-cultural, religious and economic backgrounds. This paper critically reviewed literature and found that these challenges have shaped Nigeria’s leadership and created unhealthy rivalry including, in particular, a deep sense of exploitation, marginalisation and oppression among certain ethnic groups. Despite Nigeria’s abundant natural resources, the early politicians became self-centred and failed to make good use of these resources to improve the well-being of poor Nigerians, especially those in the rural areas. Instead, it was found that the politicians were engaged in economic vandalism and political opportunism, which precipitated a premature military takeover of government.

The study investigated the availability and utilization of ICT resources in the teaching of Computer Education among Secondary School Teachers in Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study. The population consisted of 450 computer teachers teaching computer education in the schools. From the population, 300 computer teachers were sampled and used for the study. The instrument for data collection was a self-developed 40 – item questionnaire. It was validated by experts and the reliability co-efficient stood at 0.79. The data collected were analysed using frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed that many of the ICT resources needed for the teaching of computer education are not available. It was also revealed that majority of the resources needed for the teaching of computer education are not being used by the teachers. In view of the findings, recommendations were made.

Existential crisis befalls an individual whenever he/she becomes conscious over his/her own freedom in front of an apparently absurd universe or whenever he/she begins to think about his/her position and situation as a conscious being within the society. In order not to submit to the apparent absurdity of the world and not to remain in doubt over one’s position and situation in the society, Existentialism offers humankind a set of principles to bear the universe and one’s life and to live the moments of life in the best possible way. Gabriel García Márquez’ “The Trail of Your Blood in the Snow” is a short story in which Márquez has presented us with an individual’s struggles with his existence as such, a man who is trying to make sense of his life before the existential crisis befalling him through the sudden death of his wife. The present study tries to investigate into the existential crisis that happens to Márquez’ protagonist as such and highlight Márquez’ solutions for such circumstances regarding his existential concerns.

Water scarcity in Brazil is a reality. Residences in various parts of the country have gone through water rationing through the past years. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is formed by beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control and behavioral intentions in relation to a specific behavior. This theory seeks to identify individuals′ behavioral intentions and, consequently, predict peoples′ behavior. This study aimed to identify the beliefs and attitude components, social norms and perceived control in relation to the behavior of saving water. Twenty-six interviews were supported by a questionnaire related to TPB components. The obtained results indicated the attitudes in terms of saving water are related to economic advantages, in financial terms from cheaper water bills. In addition, there is an advantage to society in the future about the water availability for human use, as well as avoiding rationing and preserving a natural resource that is becoming scarce. Regarding to saving water problems, the need to change habits and the possibility of places and belongings getting dirtier over time has been described. The social norms are current present in the family figure, friends and neighbors mainly. In the case of perceived control, changes of habits, government campaigns and even the client - among other factors - were considered as factors that help or hinder individuals trying to save water.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the emergence of civil disobedience in Malaysia specifically in the era of Abdullah Badawi, and its impact upon the democratization process. The whole analysis in this paper is qualitative and derived from two types of data which is primary and secondary data. The analysis shows that civil disobedience arose due to three factors, namely the government’s failure to fulfill its promise to reform, Mahathir’s criticism against Abdullah Badawi’s leadership, and the government failure to handle racial issues. Consequently, Barisan Nasional (The National Front) government failed to gain two-thirds majority of the parliamentary seats in the 2008 general elections and at the same time lost five states to the opposition. In 2013 general election the result remain the same which is government failed to gain two-thirds majority of the parliamentary seats. Furthermore, even though the emergence of civil disobedience failed to create a change of government, it however has been able to give birth to cyber democracy and create awareness among Malaysians to pursue the process of democratization.

While there exist studies which attempt to measure the brand equity of cities and countries from a customer perspective, there is little or no evidence regarding a thorough review of the destination branding literature from its inception to date, and more specifically about city branding. The objective of this study is thus to present a review of the literature of city branding, with the main aim of aiding tourism destination researchers who are conducting studies in this particular field. In order to conduct this review, ProQuest (ABI/INFORM) database was utilized, using the terms ‘city branding’ and ‘destination branding’ from 2005 through December 2016, as the review of the literature suggests the first traces of publications documenting 'city branding' studies appeared on 2005. This review serves as a roadmap for researchers in the field of destination branding, as it provides an overview of the concept of branding and its origins, a review of the concepts of place and destination branding who served then as an umbrella to the concept of city branding. Further, attention is devoted to summarizing the studies published on ‘city branding’, providing in this way a valuable contribution for the audience interested in the topic of destination branding, and more specifically its city-related subarea. In light of the review conducted, it is found out that the research field of city branding remains still in its infancy, suggesting that there is still room for further research in this particular area.

Delay is a common issue faced in the construction industry all over the world especially in developing countries. The aim of this study is to evaluate factors causing delays and their effects on construction projects in Lagos Mega City, Nigeria from the contractors’ perspective. It is predicated on the incessant delay experienced by contractors on construction projects. Purposive sampling method was adopted for the study;. Quantitative data was obtained by administration of One hundred (100) structured questionnaires distributed to contractors of construction project sites in Lagos State and Qualitative data was obtained from interview of key management personnel of the companies and journals. Ranking analysis of the 33 major causes of delays identified through literature review using Relative Importance Index (RII) showed that cash flow problems during construction (RII=4.81), clients’ financial difficulties (RII=4.47) and poor procurement (RII=4.40) were the most importantt causes of delays in construction project sites in Lagos State, Cost overrun (RII=4.92), late payment (RII=4.59) and project extension (RII=4.45) were predominant effects of delay in construction project. Hypotheses testing on relationship between shortage of skilled labour, improper equipment during construction and delay in construction project using One-Way ANOVA showed positive correlation. For improved efficiency and effective project delivery in the industry, proper payment from client (RII=4.78), competent project managers (RII=4.64), the use of experienced subcontractors and suppliers (RII=4.48) should be encouraged to mitigate against delay in construction projects.

This study investigated the influence of social capital on members′ consumption per capita income and poverty alleviation in Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society of Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger state- Nigeria. Low income level and poverty influence the employees of the polytechnic to partake in cooperative society through the contribution of money/credit referred to as social capital. Data were collected using field research survey approach involving hand delivery of questionnaire. Simple random technique of probability sampling method was used to draw a sample size of 255 members from the population of 702 academic and non- academic members of the cooperative society. The regression results indicated that social capital dimension such as educational qualification and membership duration has significant influence on consumption while social capital indicator such as income and educational qualification has significant influence on poverty alleviation. Other variables such as gender, marital status, work status and savings were insignificant. The study therefore recommends that regulators and policy makers should encourage savings mobilization from members′ income or salary in order to boost consumption and alleviate poverty. This is because income has insignificant influence on consumption and significant influence on poverty alleviation in Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society of Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger state. The results of this study are unique and worth in solving problems that are facing cooperative associations in Nigeria.

The aim of this study is to analyze the importance of effects and impact of seasonal fluctuations on income of farmers, workoccupation in farm and sales on apples activity for areas of Korça and Prizren , and in tomatos activities for areas Lushnja and Prizren. Lushnja area is one of the most popular areas of Albania on the quality of vegetable production. Seasonal effects that influence on the apples production in areas of Korça and Prizren and tomatos in areas of Lushnja and Prizren. Some seasonal effects comes as a result of weather conditions, pests and diseases, and are more expressed in those economic phenomenon such us: the volatility of price over year, to farmers income and to farmers work-occupation over a year. We also can say that the production of apples and tomatos in our country includes more intensive activities of production that require large investments. Their production cost turns out to be higher for manufacturers, but, while also enabling high levels of profit. Our estimates are based on data obtained from surveys, for 300 farmers, to make our evaluations we build some econometric models. In this paper we have used the model of seasonal indexes, where seasonal variation can be measured in terms of an index called the seasonal index. We have used these methods: seasonal indexes standard deviations, and econometric modeling. Also we have defined indicators and values of the variations coefficient. The variations coefficient is a relative indicator which expresses the ratio between to standard deviation size and arithmetic average of mass phenomenon.

The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which background characteristics, students’ attitudes to learning, and students’ use of social media influence academic performance among undergraduates in Ghana. It was hypothesized that previous performance, hours of study, family income, having a personal study schedule, attending lectures regularly, participating in class discussions, taking notes during lectures, use of alcohol, and use of social media, among other factors will influence a student’s grade point average (GPA). Questionnaires were distributed to 1,500 students across four universities, of which 626 completed questionnaires were returned (N = 626). Correlation analysis showed that only hours of study was strongly related to GPA (r = .1, p = .05). Independent-samples t tests showed that students who had personal study schedules, attended lectures regularly, participated in class, took notes, chatted on Facebook, did not use alcohol, regarded a higher GPA as important, and who lived Off-campus, respectively, had a higher mean GPA. The study has contributed to the literature on factors that affect undergraduate academic performance in Ghana by investigating the effect of several demographic and attitudinal factors on student GPA. The findings indicate that to enhance academic performance it is important to influence students’ attitudes and dispositions toward learning, including lecture attendance, participation in class, self-initiated or independent learning, use of social media, and abstinence from alcohol.

The performance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) is rated as an important component of the economic development in Indonesia. Indonesian government has set strategic steps to fix the financial value of the SOEs. Knowledge management is one of strategic implementation of SOEs. The result of the researcher’s analysis reveals that the implementation of the knowledge management does not always give a positive contribution to the performance of the SOEs. Accordingly, it is important to conduct a research related to the efforts taken in implementing knowledge management and its impacts on organizational performance of the SOEs. The main objective of this study is to figure out the relationship between knowledge management and organizational performance by involving organizational learning as the intervening variable. This study involves six state-owned enterprises in Indonesia. The total number of respondents successfully examined were 189 employees of the six state-owned enterprises. The data was processed by SEM technique using AMOS 22 Software and the result shows that knowledge management has a significant impact by 45% toward organizational performance, and organizational learning influences significantly by 44% on organizational performance.