African Journal of Management Research

Assessing Hydropower Leadership Functions and Performance in Rwanda: Case of Selected Hydropower Plants

Patrick Uwase — 2025-07-18

Hydropower is crucial to Rwanda’s renewable energy sector, contributing significantly to electricity generation. However, leadership effectiveness influences operational efficiency and sustainability. This study examines the impact of leadership functions such as planning, coordination, and monitoring on the performance of selected hydropower plants. Rwanda’s 37 hydropower plants have an installed capacity of 109.7 MW, but only 58.0 MW is available, highlighting operational inefficiencies linked to ineffective leadership. This study aims specifically to analyze the planning of hydropower leadership, assess the coordination of hydropower leadership, and then examine the monitoring of hydropower leadership and its performance in Rwanda using a mixed-methods approach. data was collected from 135 respondents, including plant managers, engineers, and operational staff, through structured questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including correlation and regression analysis, were used to assess the relationships between leadership functions and performance indicators such as plant availability, operational efficiency, and maintenance costs. Findings indicate that structured planning optimizes resources, strategic coordination enhances teamwork, and continuous monitoring improves maintenance and reliability. A significant positive correlation was found between leadership effectiveness and key performance indicators. However, gaps remain in workforce training, monitoring tool utilization, and stakeholder engagement. The study highlights the need to strengthen leadership competencies in Rwanda’s hydropower sector. Capacity-building programs and advanced monitoring technologies are recommended to enhance leadership effectiveness and maximize renewable energy potential.

Reskilling the workforce: Preparing manufacturing employees for a green future

Joseph Nwabueze Amaefule — 2025-07-18

This study investigated the process of reskilling the manufacturing workforce in preparation for a sustainable future using a descriptive survey research design incorporating quantitative data analysis. The sample consisted of 360 employees from manufacturing firms in Lagos, Nigeria, selected through purposive sampling. Data collection was done with the Demographic Data Inventory (DDI) and the Reskilling the Workforce for Green Future Questionnaire (RWGFQ). Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using simple linear regression analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated that reskilling initiatives within the manufacturing workforce has a significant impact on the improvements in green future sustainability, enhance competency in green technologies among employees, and increase productivity. Hence it was concluded that the manufacturing firms within Lagos state, Nigeria, have initiatives in place for employee reskilling, green future sustainability, and competency in green technologies. However, there are areas for improvement, which include, increased effectiveness of reskilling programmes, improved communication regarding the importance of reskilling for a sustainable future, and enhanced training and resource allocation for developing employee competency in green technologies. This will enhance the sustainable future green manufacturing sector productivity.

Determinants of sickness presenteeism: Empirical evidence from Ghana

Justice Mensah — 2025-07-18

The study explored the impact of demographic factors (gender, age, educational qualification, income, employment type, and position) on sickness presenteeism in Ghana. Using a one-way independent sample analysis of variance (ANOVA), the study found that the gender, age, and educational qualification of Ghanaian workers did not have a significant effect on sickness presenteeism. However, the study found that the income of employees in Ghana had a significant impact on sickness presenteeism. Furthermore, the study revealed that the employment type of employees had a significant impact on presenteeism among Ghanaian workers. Lastly, the findings revealed that the level of management employees operate in has a significant impact on sickness presenteeism. Further analysis revealed that the self-employed and employees at the executive level recorded higher sickness presenteeism. The study concludes by admonishing employers to create a culture that prioritises employee health, as it will consequently enable them to achieve their business goals.

Contribution of Information Literacy in School Libraries for Competency Based Curriculum Implementation in Junior Secondary Schools in Nandi County: A Systematic Review

Hellen Jepkemoi Magut — 2025-07-18

School libraries are building blocks within every school, they are pillars through which teaching and learning thrive. With the changing nature of education in Kenya to meet the changing needs of the society, the importance of school libraries grows. School libraries are charged with the responsibility of cultivating reading culture through Information Literacy (IL) programs. IL are set of abilities that enable a learner to select, identify, evaluate and use the right information from the large pool of information available both physically and electronically. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of IL in school libraries on the implementation of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). The study intended to find out the state of school libraries in Nandi County with a view to recommending the best practices that can be adopted to improve them. The systematic review analyzed previous studies and found out that teachers who are information literate were able to integrate it into the curriculum. The data also indicated that schools with robust IL programs showed significant improvement in students’ ability to use information thus improving their problem-solving skills. The findings of this study will inform stakeholders within the education sector on the importance of school libraries and IL in a competency-based environment.

Dimensions of Knowledge Sharing Behavior, Motivational Factors and Employee Performance of Selected New Generation Banks, Lagos, Nigeria

Oluyinka Titilope Afolayan — 2025-07-18

R&D, Innovation and Competitiveness: Global Evidences on Conceptual and Practical Connectedness

Freddy Jirabi Gamba — 2025-07-18

Analyzing the role of research and development (R&D) innovation and competitiveness in economic development is important for determining country’s entrepreneurial stance, global economic and business positioning and competitiveness. The empirical synthesis of the connective relationship of R&D, innovation and competitiveness confirms their significance and indispensable role for entrepreneurial and sustainable developmental outcomes. This study isolates other development influencing factors such as good governance, effective public administration, law enforcement, protection of intellectual rights and other contextual-factors and only considers the outcomes of R&D, innovation and competitiveness in the analysis. The study aligns the outcome of investment in R&D, innovation activities and competitiveness of countries. Based on literature and examples from developed and developing economies, international benchmark statistics on GERD and GERD percentage of GDP, innovation (GII) and competitiveness (GCI) are used for comparison between countries. The findings show that countries that invest more in R&D tend to be more innovative and competitive in both regional and global phenomena. Increased investment in R&D is recommended as policy and strategic priority for enhancing innovation and subsequently competitiveness of the national economy in a global playground. The implication is that countries that invest more in R&D can develop faster, have speedier promotion of prioritized sectors, tend to attract partnerships globally, and can enable public private partnership (PPP) and improve people’s standard of living. The outcomes are enabled by the accessible to research based depository resources and references.

Understanding Stakeholders’ Perceptions and Meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study

Joy Turyahabwa — 2025-07-18

Multinational corporations (MNCs) have a role to play in an African renaissance. One of the vehicles through which this can be accomplished is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). A key feature of effective and sustainable CSR is the need to integrate stakeholders’ concerns into the thinking and activities of business operations. A good starting point is to understand the CSR perceptions and meaning of the different stakeholders in each culture. To contribute to this understanding, I undertook this study among Ugandan stakeholders of the multinational corporation, Sheraton Uganda Limited, employing Carroll’s (1991) four dimensions of CSR. The two categories of stakeholders interviewed for this study included internal stakeholders (employees of Sheraton Uganda, majority of whom were local nationals) and external stakeholders (student interns from local tertiary institutions undertaking industrial training attachment at Sheraton Uganda, and members of the public resting in the Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) gardens whose maintenance is supported by Sheraton Uganda). The overwhelming perception of CSR was in line with Carroll’s philanthropic responsibilities, followed by ethical responsibilities and then economic responsibilities, legal responsibilities were given least consideration. In this Ugandan communalistic society, socio-cultural views and beliefs remain the main drivers of CSR perceptions. The lesson from this case study is that MNCs seeking to undertake CSR initiative in cultures outside their parent culture should invest time and resources in understanding the perceptions and meanings of CSR held by the different local stakeholders who seemingly are of low power compared to internal stakeholders, hold the keys to institutional legitimacy.

Optimizing Governance in Sub- Saharan Africa: Decoupling Board Chair and AGM Leadership Roles

Justice Ray Achoanya Ayam — 2025-07-18

This study critically examines the implications of separating the roles of Board Chair and Annual General Meeting (AGM) Chair in listed firms across Sub-Saharan Africa, addressing governance challenges rooted in role duality and embedded bias. Employing a qualitative design, the study integrates thematic analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews with a document review of statutory, institutional, and corporate governance (GC) sources. The research adopts an interpretivist lens to explore how role segregation enhances governance outcomes. Findings reveal that separating the Board Chair from AGM leadership significantly strengthens governance integrity, fosters impartial decision-making, and enhances transparency and accountability. Role segregation also mitigates internal conflicts and aligns governance practices with global benchmarks such as King IV and OECD standards. Respondents advocate for regulatory embedding, shareholder participation in AGM Chair selection, and context-sensitive implementation. The study offers actionable recommendations, including the institutionalisation of role segregation, development of accredited AGM Chair registries, and reform of listing rules to ensure sustained accountability and ethical board conduct. This study advances governance scholarship by positioning role segregation as a transformative mechanism for ethical leadership in African GC, contributing to an emerging body of contextually grounded governance reform literature.

Environmental Factors and Sustainability of Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State, Nigeria

Williams Oseghai Egboh — 2025-07-18

The main objective of the study is to investigate the effect of environmental factors on the sustainability of micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, Lagos State, Nigeria. Survey research design was used for the study. Data was collected through the use of questionnaire. Convenience sampling technique was used to survey 780 MSMEs in Lagos Mainland Local Government. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the respondents’ biodata while multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses formulated. The study found that environmental factors (government policies, infrastructural facilities, and global pandemic outbreak) have no combined significant effect on each of the dependent variables (employment creation, revenue generation, and workers’ loyalty) in MSMEs in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area. The study concluded that policies initiated and implemented by the Nigerian government to ensure that businesses operate smoothly, efforts made by the government to provide infrastructural facilities needed for businesses to carry out their activities effectively, and global pandemic outbreak that take place in countries across the world may or may not lead to creation of employment, assist MSMEs in generating revenue, and influence workers to remain loyal in their workplace. The study recommended that owners/managers of micro, small, and medium scale enterprises in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area should initiate and implement other actions that will boost employment creation, assist them in generating sufficient sales needed to run their business very well, and influence the loyalty of their workers since government policies, infrastructural facilities, and global pandemic outbreak have no combined significant effect on each of the dependent variables (employment creation, revenue generation, and workers’ loyalty).

Does Pre-Retirement Financial Literacy Matter to Age 60’s? Evidence from Ghana

Benjamin Amoah — 2025-07-18

It is essential for everyone to engage in effective retirement planning. Unfortunately, many people face financial difficulties after retirement due to inadequatefinancial literacy before, during, and after reaching the age of 60. This study empirically investigates the association between financial literacy and retirement planning and public pension management. Using a multivariate regression model on sample data collected from respondents in Ghana, this study shows that financial literacy matters in retirement planning and is positively associated with public pension management. In a developing country like Ghana, with high levels of financial illiteracy among older adults, we find evidence to show that most respondents have prepared for “basic” retirement. Evidence also shows that financial literacy is important for understanding governance, accountability, and transparency in public pension management. For policy purposes, we outline a host of policy recommendations that can enhance retirement planning and financial literacy and cure retirement financial distress.

A Historical Review of the Nature, Relevance, and Challenges of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa

George Acheampong — 2025-07-18

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are essential to Africa's economic development, accounting for 34% to 70% of GDP and up to 86% of employment. This research analyzes small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Kenya, with an emphasis on financial inclusion, digital transformation, regulatory challenges, and adaptations following the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing thematic analysis and adhering to PRISMA guidelines, the findings indicate FinTech's contribution to the expansion of SME financing, ongoing bureaucratic obstacles, and cybersecurity threats associated with digital adoption. The study advocates for the alignment of SME policies, investment in AI-driven solutions, and the promotion of sustainability strategies to improve SME growth and resilience within Africa's changing business environment.

libraries and IL in a competency-based environment.