Bruce Mwiya

While several studies examine the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in physical retail banking offices, there is a shortage of studies on service quality in the digital space of banking. Further, many developing country contexts such as Zambia are under-researched, limiting the generalisability of prior research conclusions. Hence, the purpose of this research is to examine electronic service quality in online retail banking and its influence on customer satisfaction during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in the under-researched context of Zambia. Based on a quantitative correlational design, primary sample data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 314 bank customers from two of Zambia’s largest cities, Lusaka and Kitwe. The data were analysed using correlation and multiple regression models. The findings indicate that the E-SERVQUAL model is applicable in the Zambian context and that security, website attribute, privacy, responsiveness, efficiency, fulfilment and reliability are indeed relevant to electronic service quality and they affect customer satisfaction; the multiple coefficients of determination (51.1%) and correlation (71.5%) indicate a large effect size. This extends the E-SERVQUAL model into the under-researched developing country context of online banking in Zambia during the COVID-19 restrictions. The implications to policy and practice are that improving security, website attributes, privacy, efficiency, responsiveness, fulfilment and reliability would result in higher customer satisfaction and usage of the online facilities. Since the study was limited to two, albeit the biggest, cities of Zambia, increasing the number of cities and countries sampled would improve generalisability

While several studies examine the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction in physical retail banking offices, there is a shortage of studies on service quality in the digital space of banking. Further, many developing country contexts such as Zambia are under-researched, limiting the generalisability of prior research conclusions. Hence, the purpose of this research is to examine electronic service quality in online retail banking and its influence on customer satisfaction during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in the under-researched context of Zambia. Based on a quantitative correlational design, primary sample data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 314 bank customers from two of Zambia’s largest cities, Lusaka and Kitwe. The data were analysed using correlation and multiple regression models. The findings indicate that the E-SERVQUAL model is applicable in the Zambian context and that security, website attribute, privacy, responsiveness, efficiency, fulfilment and reliability are indeed relevant to electronic service quality and they affect customer satisfaction; the multiple coefficients of determination (51.1%) and correlation (71.5%) indicate a large effect size. This extends the E-SERVQUAL model into the under-researched developing country context of online banking in Zambia during the COVID-19 restrictions. The implications to policy and practice are that improving security, website attributes, privacy, efficiency, responsiveness, fulfilment and reliability would result in higher customer satisfaction and usage of the online facilities. Since the study was limited to two, albeit the biggest, cities of Zambia, increasing the number of cities and countries sampled would improve generalisability

University education is no longer a passport to secure employment for graduates. In Zambia, for example, 72.3% of unemployed graduates are below the age of 35. Youth unemployment represents an enormous cost to society in terms of lost potential for economic growth, negative return on investment in education as well as a potential increase in vices such as crime. It appears the number of graduates is increasing while available job opportunities are fewer. This is compelling stakeholders to consider initiatives that promote new venture creation as an additional viable career option. Extant literature indicates that individuals with higher intention to start a business are more likely to actually engage in entrepreneurship than those with low or no intention. Understanding the determinants of entrepreneurial intention (EI), therefore, becomes important. In exploring the determinants of EI, prior studies investigate the effects of individual factors, contextual (institutional) factors a...

University education is no longer a passport to secure employment for graduates. In Zambia, for example, 72.3% of unemployed graduates are below the age of 35. Youth unemployment represents an enormous cost to society in terms of lost potential for economic growth, negative return on investment in education as well as a potential increase in vices such as crime. It appears the number of graduates is increasing while available job opportunities are fewer. This is compelling stakeholders to consider initiatives that promote new venture creation as an additional viable career option. Extant literature indicates that individuals with higher intention to start a business are more likely to actually engage in entrepreneurship than those with low or no intention. Understanding the determinants of entrepreneurial intention (EI), therefore, becomes important. In exploring the determinants of EI, prior studies investigate the effects of individual factors, contextual (institutional) factors and entrepreneurship education (EE) in isolation from each other; integrative models are lacking. Moreover, literature on the effect of EE on EI shows mixed conclusions. There is scanty research on EE and EI in developing countries such as Zambia and this limits the generalisability of research conclusions. The current study, by considering EE as the kernel, firstly examines individual and institutional determinants of EI. Secondly, it explores whether EE affects the relationships between EI and its individual and institutional determinants. To explore the interconnectedness of these issues while relying on a qualitative research strategy, the paper presents empirical results from 13 semistructured interviews; interviewees being final year undergraduate students, entrepreneurship educators and practitioners in enterprise support organisations in Zambia. The findings indicate that the effect of EE on EI should be evaluated in conjunction with factors at the individual and institutional levels. This means that relevant individual and institutional factors exert their influence on EI directly and indirectly through their impact on the effectiveness of EE. The conclusions suggest that to promote graduate entrepreneurship, multifaceted and concerted efforts (strategic alliances) will be required from policymakers (to shape institutions), educators (to design and deliver appropriate EE content and pedagogy) and practitioners (to devise and implement collaborative enterprise support strategies and mechanisms).

This paper contributes to the smallholder agriculture commercialisation literature by applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour in an under-researched developing country context. The study examines the influence of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control on the Scaling-Up intent among smallholder village chicken (free-range or indigenous) farmers in North-western Zambia. Additionally, gender differences regarding commercialisation intent are examined. Based on a quantitative correlational design utilising 556 smallholder farmers’ primary data from a structured questionnaire, statistical correlation and student’s T-test models were employed. The findings indicate that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control have unique positive significant effects on commercialisation practices intention (CPI) and CPI in turn positively influences commercialisation scaling-up intention (CSI). Additionally, the study found significant gender differences in all aspects of the model except for subjective norms. Despite the study being cross-sectional and based on one district in Zambia, the findings have important implications. For policymakers and enterprise support institutions, understanding the socio-psychological factors of smallholder farmers is important before introducing any interventions to promote the commercialisation of the village chicken. Additionally, there is a need to encourage farmers to adopt commercialisation practices in livestock management, investment and marketing. This would increase the chances of transitioning from subsistence to commercial farming. In terms of narrowing the gender gap in participation, there is a need for policymakers to tailor interventions that would help improve the attitude of women towards commercialisation and to reduce the perceived barriers. The study pioneers application of the TPB in this context.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of entrepreneurial intention (EI) in relation to the influence of the five dimensions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) on nascent behaviour. Design/methodology/approach The study relies on a quantitative approach where primary data were collected from 294 final year undergraduate students at a public university in Zambia. The data were examined by using correlation, logistic regression and mediation analyses. Findings The findings indicate that each of the five dimensions of ESE is positively and significantly related with EI. Additionally, each of the ESE dimensions, except the financial aspect, is positively correlated with nascent behaviour. Finally, the results show that the influence of ESE dimensions on nascent behaviour is significantly mediated by intention. Research limitations/implications The study took place in a public university in Zambia; more universities could be involved to improve the general...

This paper contributes to the smallholder agriculture commercialisation literature by applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour in an under-researched developing country context. The study examines the influence of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control on the Scaling-Up intent among smallholder village chicken (free-range or indigenous) farmers in North-western Zambia. Additionally, gender differences regarding commercialisation intent are examined. Based on a quantitative correlational design utilising 556 smallholder farmers’ primary data from a structured questionnaire, statistical correlation and student’s T-test models were employed. The findings indicate that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control have unique positive significant effects on commercialisation practices intention (CPI) and CPI in turn positively influences commercialisation scaling-up intention (CSI). Additionally, the study found significant gender differences in all aspects of the model except for subjective norms. Despite the study being cross-sectional and based on one district in Zambia, the findings have important implications. For policymakers and enterprise support institutions, understanding the socio-psychological factors of smallholder farmers is important before introducing any interventions to promote the commercialisation of the village chicken. Additionally, there is a need to encourage farmers to adopt commercialisation practices in livestock management, investment and marketing. This would increase the chances of transitioning from subsistence to commercial farming. In terms of narrowing the gender gap in participation, there is a need for policymakers to tailor interventions that would help improve the attitude of women towards commercialisation and to reduce the perceived barriers. The study pioneers application of the TPB in this context.

The 21st century has been characterised by the knowledge economy in which contemporary wealth creation emanates from information, knowledge and intangible assets (intellectual property (IP)). This article undertakes comparative analyses of trends in innovation activity in five newly industrialising countries (NICs) in Asia (China, India, Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia) and 32 member countries of the Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI). The article also explores relationships amongst patenting, investments in research and development (R&D), foreign direct investments (FDI) and other economic activities in the two regions. Such exploration is necessary to help policy makers, practitioners and scholars consider the relative levels of local innovation and the contribution of IP to economic activity in the two regions. The article uses patent and utility model applications for both residents and non-resi...

The current paper contributes to the entrepreneurial intention (EI) literature by applying the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in a developing African country with unique socioeconomic and cultural context. Thus it examines the influence of social norms, personal attitudes and perceived behavioural control on business start-up intentions. Based on a quantitative approach, primary survey data were collected from 306 final year undergraduate students at a public university. The data were analyzed using correlation and hierarchical regression techniques. Controlling for age, gender and field of study, the findings indicate that each of the attitudinal antecedents is significantly positively related to EI, with an overall R 2 = 0.543. For scholars, enterprise support practitioners and policy makers, the study shows that the TPB can be used to understand how to promote business start-up in developing countries with socioeconomic and cultural contexts which are mostly different from developed countries where the subject is heavily researched. Specifically , mechanisms to develop entrepreneurial capabilities among citizens, improve societal norms and individual attitudes toward entrepreneurship would significantly promote entrepreneurship. The study also makes a valuable contribution to the under-researched context of Zambia and African entrepre-neurship.

University education is no longer a passport to secure employment for graduates. This requires young graduates to consider entrepreneurship and self-employment as a viable career option. Understanding the determinants of entrepreneurial intention (EI), therefore, becomes important. In exploring the determinants of EI, prior studies investigate the effects of individual factors, contextual factors and entrepreneurship education (EE) in isolation from each other. Moreover, literature on the effect of EE on EI shows mixed conclusions. The current study, by considering EE as the kernel, firstly examines individual and institutional determinants of EI. Secondly, it explores whether EE affects the relationships between EI and its individual and institutional determinants. To avoid bias from utilising one particular methodology, this study purposely employed a concurrent triangulation strategy. This was intended for model testing and in-depth understanding of the research issues in the Zambian context. Primary data were collected from Zambia via qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey. For the qualitative study, 13 interviews were conducted and interviewees included final year undergraduate students, educators and practitioners in enterprise support organisations. For the quantitative study, 452 useful responses were received from final year undergraduate students. Research results suggest that, firstly, EI is primarily a function of perceived feasibility and desirability of entrepreneurship. Secondly, individual and institutional factors directly influence perceived feasibility and desirability of entrepreneurship. Thirdly, and more importantly, individual and institutional factors indirectly exert their impact on perceived feasibility and desirability via EE.
The study contributes to knowledge in four major areas. Firstly, against the backdrop of mixed conclusions in prior research about the effect of EE on EI, this study finds that the effect of EE should be examined in conjunction with factors at individual and institutional levels. Specifically, it establishes that effectiveness of EE mediates the effects of individual and institutional factors on perceived feasibility and desirability of entrepreneurship i.e. the attitudinal antecedents of EI. This helps clarify the role of EE. Secondly, unlike prior studies and models that examine the influence of EE, individual factors and contextual factors in isolation from each other, this study develops and validates a multi-level integrated model to explore how these factors jointly shape EI. Specifically, the model shows that factors at individual and institutional levels influence EI not only through their effects on perceived feasibility and desirability but also through their impact on the effectiveness of EE. Thirdly, the study provides evidence from Zambia, an under-researched developing country, that EI is primarily a function of perceived feasibility and desirability of entrepreneurship. This supports prior research conclusions from developed countries. Lastly, the study further develops and validates constructs for EE, providing a basis for evaluating EE. In particular, it demonstrates that effectiveness of EE in relation to EI can be evaluated from three angles: perceived learning from the module/programme, experiential learning and access to resources. On the whole, the findings derived suggest that, in order to promote graduate entrepreneurship, multifaceted and concerted efforts will be required from policy makers (to help shape institutions), practitioners (to devise and implement collaborative support mechanisms), educators (to design and deliver appropriate EE content and pedagogy) and scholars (to evaluate and develop knowledge).