BUSE Institutional Repository
This repository serves as a digital archive for preserving and providing access to the scholalry and creative works produced by the BUSE community. It includes:
- Journal articles, conference papers and other publications by the BUSE faculty, researchers and students
- Thesis' and Dissertations completed by BUSE graduate students
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Recent Submissions
The contribution of Mopane Worms (Gonimbrasia belina) as NTFP to rural communities in the wake of El Nino induced droughts as case of Ward 12 Beitbridge District Zimbabwe
(BUSE, 2024-10-10) Mafuratidze, Regis I
The research sought to assess the contribution of Mopane worms Imbresia belina to rural communities during times of El Nino drought with emphasis on Ward 12 Beitbridge district. An inventory into the Mopane tree’s distribution as a resource base for the mopane worms was carried out alongside the various processes, quantities and uses of the mopane worms in ward 12. The research sites were picked based on areas were the Mopane worms usually occur in the Ward. The sampling method of an Adaptive cluster was then used to sample the Mopane trees to support the NDVI desktop study which had been carried out to determine the distribution of the trees. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents in the ward and a questionnaire was administered using the Kobo toolbox which had questions that related to the processes, quantities and the various benefits/uses of the Mopane worm in ward 12. The respondents in Ward 12 pointed out that they mainly used the plucking and picking method in their harvesting of the worms an on average in a good season they would harvest up to 220kg and in a bad season it would then go down to about 40kg. The main uses of the of the mopane worms that came from the respondents were consumption and trade though some of the respondents acknowledged that the mopane worms were also used as stock feed though they had not practiced it in their ward. Climate changed emerged as the leading risk to the existence of Mopane worms in the ward as longer dry spells like the recent one being caused by the El nino induced drought are destroying the resource base as well as destroying the eggs of the Mopane worms before they pupate. The various Stakeholders in Ward 12 were encouraged to plant more trees to cater for the lack of trees in the areas around the homesteads as it would go a long way in mitigating the devastating effects of climate change that they were presently facing. Value addition and beneficiation was also encouraged so that the community would realize more profits from the sales of the Mopane and they can store them for later use in times of drought.
An Assessment of the impact of working capital management on firm performance: a case study of Chemplex Corporation
(BUSE, 2023) Mandaza, Rambisai
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of working capital management on firm performance, specifically Chemplex Corporation. The guiding objectives of the study were as follows, to assess the effects of the accounts payable period on firm performance, to ascertain the effect of the accounts receivable period on firm performance, to determine the impact of the cash conversion cycle and inventory turnover on firm performance, and to evaluate the impact various working capital management approaches on the firm performance. Literature review shows that working capital is required for the day-to-day running of a business and all businesses need working capital to survive. Firms should strategies to maintain optimal working capital. Empirical studies conducted on Vietnam-listed firms have shown that managers can create positive shareholder value by managing the right cash conversion cycle and keeping all other components at optimal levels. The researcher used explanatory research, to explain the relationship between working capital management on firm performance. Chemplex Corporation's 2019-2022 financial statements were used in the analysis and a sample of 94 employees was used, nevertheless, a total of 28 responded. The average receivable collection period, cash conversion cycle, average payment period, and inventory turnover, were used as proxies for working capital management, and business performance was measured using the Operating profit margin. Correlation and Regression correlation analyses were applied to the data to determine the relationships between working capital management and its components and the operating profit ratio of the firm. The findings constitute the following; accounts receivable days and accounts payables exhibited a negative association with profitability meaning that slower collections are associated with high profitability, hence firms can improve profitability by extending the collection period and reducing accounts payables days, and the profitability increases. The inventory conversion period and cash conversion period showed a positive association with profitability, meaning that longer inventory turns and shorter cash conversion cycle creates good value for money. In relation to working capital management practices; It was found that the days for accounts receivable were longer than the days for accounts payable of the company. The study found that the company had a moderate inventory conversion period. In addition, the study recommends that managers focus on shortening the cash conversion cycle, inventory conversion period, and accounts payables period to create positive value for the company's shareholders
Antiviral effects of Euphobia turicalli, Syzygium aromaticum andPunica granatum extracts on Newcastle disease in vovo
(BUSE, 2024-06-14) Manjova,Tafadzwa
Newcastle disease (ND) has been identified as one of the major constraints to rural poultry production in Zimbabwe. It is a highly contagious viral disease that affect many species of birds both domestic and wild. The disease is of great importance due to its mortality rates nearing almost hundred percent therefore leading to severe losses for the farmer. Apart from the high mortality rate, there is loss of quality in the poultry products in the form of weight loss in chickens, production of less numbers of eggs and in some cases production of deformed eggs. Antibiotics and vaccines have been implemented to manage the disease; however, these may be costly for small and rural farmers. Another setback with the use of antibiotics is the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in livestock and in the humans that consume the poultry produce. Traditional medicines have been used as remedies for various ailments in livestock and have proven to be a great alternative to vaccines and antibiotics as there are limited side effects. This study tested the antiviral efficacy of medicinal plant extracts of Euphobia turicalli, Punica granatum and Syzygium aromaticum against ND in chicken embryos. The herbal extracts were tested to find out the the phytochemical composition of each of the plants using water, ethanol and methanol as the solvents of choice. The methanol extracts of Euphobia turicalli, Punica granatum and Syzygium aromaticum were then tested for their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus using the Kirby-Bauer assay. Aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of the plants where then tested to observe their antiviral activity against ND in chicken embryos, the hemagglution inhibition assay was used to observe the antibody titre in the allantoic fluid of the eggs. Extracts of all three plants were found to have both antibacterial and antiviral properties; ethanol extracts exhibited the most antiviral activity against S. aureus and ND, respectively.Euphorbia tirucalli tested positive for all the phytochemical investigated, i.e., phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, steroids and glycosidesandP. granatum and S. aromaticum did not have any steroids. E. tirucalli exhibited X stronger antibacterial and antiviral activity against
S. aureus (Fig 4.2) and ND (Fig 4.3) than the other two herbal extracts. The ethanolic extracts were more potent with an antibody titre on 2048 in comparison to the aqueous and methanolic extracts that had antibody titres of 1024 and 128 respectively. These findings are of indicate that ethnoveterinary medicines may be a viable alternative to the use of antibiotics and vaccines as a method of treatment for Newcastle disease and suitable candidates for drug development
An assessment of strategic innovation on organisational growth: a case study of Siyanda Union Mine Ivan concentrator
(BUSE, 2023-11-27) Masasire, Admire
The key objective of the research was to assess the impact of strategic innovation on organizational growth using the case of Siyanda Union Mine, a platinum mine in Limpopo province, South Africa. The study focused on the following objectives: to assess the impact of strategic innovation on the growth of an organization, to analyze the impact of strategic innovation on product quality, to investigate the impact of strategic innovation on organizational productivity, to design a strategic innovation model that enhances productivity and growth. Literature review showed that strategic innovation is about creating new value to satisfy the customer needs and also brings sustainability and growth to the organization. The proper implementation of strategic innovation variables of strategy, strategic management, innovation and innovation capability leads to organizational growth. Empirical studies in Europe, USA, Nigeria and locally shows that organizations should implement strategic innovation as means of gaining sustainable performance and growth. The study adopted interpretivism a qualitative approach research philosophy which enabled use of qualitative method. A case study design was adopted for this research. A sample of size of 20 managers was drawn from a population of 36 using purposive sampling. The study made use of both primary and secondary data. The secondary data was obtained using an interview guide. The thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences software was also used to measure regression and correlation of variables. The study revealed that the economic challenges of low production, poor product quality and high operating costs faced by the organization can be mitigated through companywide implementation of strategic innovation. The study recommends the training and development of Siyanda Union Mine employees on areas of strategic innovation which are strategy development, innovation, strategic management and innovation capability. The study also further recommends the supporting of managers of the organization to develop and implement developed strategic innovation model.
The Increasing importance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing in combating climate change
(IntechOpen, 2021) Jinga, Percy
The current climate change is significantly caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gases, particularly CO2 released by burning of fossil fuels. Climate change is predicted to disrupt production systems and supply chains of businesses, potentially affecting their financial performance. ESG investing, the consideration of environmental, social and governance factors by asset managers will likely play a crucial role in combating climate change. To attract ESG funds, companies will have to reduce their carbon footprint, among other actions. When companies reduce scope emissions, they help achieve a goal of the Paris Agreement of limiting average global temperature increase to below 2°C above pre-industrial level. The aim is to identify factors that are likely to increase uptake of ESG investing. The increase in number of ESG investors and their assets, higher financial performance of ESG-linked investments, and increasing regulatory and investor initiatives are likely to increase the impact of ESG investing in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, investors are becoming more environmentally conscious when making investment decisions. Although some challenges persist, including inconsistency in terminology, huge amount of data to analyze and heterogenous rating standards, ESG investing is likely to play an important role in influencing entities to reduce their carbon footprint.