Financial Risk Management Practices and Sustainability of Small-Scale Agricultural Value Addition Facilities in Arua City, Uganda Original Research Article Country Uganda
This study examined the relationship between financial risk management practices and the sustainability of agricultural small-scale value addition facilities in Arua City, Uganda. Small- scale agricultural value addition facilities contribute to local economic activity through the processing and transformation of agricultural products, but their operations and growth may be constrained by limited access to finance and other financial challenges affecting investment and expansion (World Bank, 2018). A descriptive-correlational design was employed, and data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS. The findings revealed a very strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between financial risk management practices and sustainability (R = .976, β = .976, p < .001). Financial risk management practices explained 95.2% of the variation in sustainability (R² = .952, Adjusted R² = .951). The findings indicate that systematic identification, assessment, control, reporting, and monitoring of financial risks are strongly associated with the sustainability of agricultural smallscale value addition facilities, including their financial viability, fulfilment of financial obligations, operational continuity, and growth. The study concludes that financial risk management practices are an important management capability associated with the sustainability of agricultural small-scale value addition facilities. The study contributes empirical evidence from the value addition context, showing that sustainability is associated not only with production and market conditions but also with the management of financial risks. The study recommends strengthening financial risk management capacity through training in financial planning, budgeting, cash-flow management, financial record keeping, and risk monitoring. Arua City authorities and relevant government agencies should strengthen business development support and financial management capacity-building initiatives. Future studies should examine other factors associated with sustainability, including access to finance, market access, availability of raw materials, technology, production capacity, and managerial capability.
The Cost of Meaning: Legal Interpretation and Unequal Access to Justice in Australia Original Research Article Country Australia
The distinction between the letter and spirit of the law raises a practical question: who can afford to contest the meaning attributed to a legal rule? This article examines that question in Australia through doctrinal analysis and sociolegal scholarship. It argues that economic inequality affects the capacity to identify relevant law, substantiate legally significant facts and challenge institutional decisions. Australian statutory interpretation integrates text, context and purpose; purposive reasoning is neither an exceptional remedy nor a judicial licence to disregard legislation. Nevertheless, its effective use, alongside factual proof and procedural safeguards, may depend on resources that litigants possess unequally. The article develops this argument through Hart, Dworkin, Kennedy and Galanter, four expressly hypothetical illustrations, and the documented Robodebt litigation. Robodebt demonstrates the consequences of unlawful administrative practices and delayed correction, rather than a lawful literal interpretation producing harsh results. The article proposes accessible legal information, earlier legal assistance, proportionate evidentiary processes, stronger public accountability and targeted costs protection. Its central claim is that equal interpretive principles require institutions that make lawful arguments and remedies practically accessible.
Accounts Receivable Management Practices and Financial Performance of Youth-Owned Micro-Enterprises in Mandera Town, Kenya Original Research Article Country Kenya
Micro-enterprises in informal, credit-constrained economies often depend on how well they manage what customers owe them. This study examined whether accounts receivable management practices are associated with the financial performance of youthowned micro-enterprises in Mandera Town, Kenya, using a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Of 245 enterprises sampled from a population of 630 at a 5% margin of error, 226 returned usable questionnaires (92% response rate). Accounts receivable management was measured through five practices; financial performance through profitability and liquidity indicators. Data were analysed in Excel Data Analysis ToolPak using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. Adoption of receivables practices was moderate (M = 3.54, SD = 0.77), as was financial performance (M = 3.49, SD = 0.77). The relationship was weak and not statistically significant, r(224) = .064, p = .337; F(1, 224) = 0.93, p = .337, R2 = .004, explaining under one percent of the variance in financial performance. Rather than indicating receivables management is unimportant, the result suggests these practices alone do not explain differences in financial performance in this sample. The paper recommends practical financial literacy and credit training support, and calls for further research into factors that may condition this relationship.
The Cronyism Risk Leadership Appointments and Merit Based Selection in Australia Original Research Article Country Australia
Leadership appointments create governance risks when personal connections displace evidence of capability. This article distinguishes legitimate professional networking from cronyism and nepotism, and argues that the central concern is whether appointment decisions rest on transparent, job-related and independently reviewable criteria. It draws together organisational research, Australian Public Service merit principles, corporate governance guidance, prudential standards and public inquiry findings. The analysis identifies four potential mechanisms through which relationshipdominated selection can weaken organisational integrity: reduced procedural fairness and trust, inhibited employee voice, a mismatch between leadership capability and organisational responsibilities, and the reproduction of socially homogeneous decision-making networks. Public inquiries illustrate the consequences of deficient governance, but do not establish cronyism merely because institutional failure occurred. Nor do available national cost estimates measure losses attributable to cronyism. The article proposes a practical framework combining predefined capability requirements, structured assessment, conflict management, independent participation, comparative reasons and review after appointment. It concludes that the legitimacy of an appointment depends on evidence of suitability rather than the absence of any prior relationship.
Effect of Strategy Formulation on Organizational Performance of Biscuit Manufacturing Firms in Kenya Original Research Article Country Kenya
Pages 39-45
Ruth Macharia || Prof. Kennedy Kirima || Dr. Ezekiah Kimani
This study examined the effect of strategy formulation on organizational performance of biscuit manufacturing firms in Kenya. The survey used descriptive research design. The target population comprised 500 employees from selected biscuit manufacturing firms in Kenya, including Manji Industries Limited, Sunveat, Parle Products (Parle), Bakers Ltd, Golden Biscuits, and Nuvita. These firms were deliberately selected due to their significant contribution to Kenya’s biscuit industry and the diversity of their organizational structures. The instruments of data collection were questionnaires. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that strategy formulation significantly influenced organizational performance of biscuit manufacturing firms in Kenya (B = 0.105; P = 0. 096). The study concluded that Companies that make proper strategy formulation are in a better position to adapt to the changes in the market, make sound decisions and achieve their performance goals, which eventually lead to sustainable growth and enhanced market position. The study recommends that the management must engage the key shareholders in the procedure of strategy development so that it leads to buy-in and improved implementation. Through wellorganized strategic planning activities, companies would enhance the allocation of resources, competitiveness as well as overall organizational performance. Future studies should explore other organizational and environmental conditions such as innovation, organizational culture, market competition, technology adoption and financial strategies that could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing performance
A Future in Ethical AI Practice: A Framework for Adoption and Application in Australian Organisations Original Research Article Country Australia
The arrival of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a mainstream business tool presents both a profound opportunity and a significant challenge to the Australian economic and social fabric. Its promise of unprecedented innovation and productivity is shadowed by complex ethical risks from entrenched algorithmic bias and opaque decision-making to serious infringements on privacy and fractured lines of accountability. This paper contends that securing public trust and realising AI's full potential in Australia demands that organisations move beyond superficial ethical statements. Instead, they must weave ethical diligence into the fabric of strategy, product development, and daily operations. Success hinges on a proactive, multi-stakeholder model that acknowledges the distinct, yet critically interconnected, perspectives of AI practitioners, the end-users impacted by their work, and the interdisciplinary teams needed to bridge the technical-social divide. Through an analysis of Australia's current ethical AI landscape, including key government frameworks and industry findings, this paper puts forward a practical framework for ethical AI adoption. The model rests on four pillars: robust Governance and Leadership to drive accountability; practical, lifecycle-wide Implementation to embed ethics from conception to deployment; pervasive Education and a supportive Organisational Culture to foster shared responsibility; and proactive External Engagement and Transparency to earn a durable social licence to operate. Adopting such a framework offers a path for Australian organisations to mitigate emergent risks and build sustainable advantage, contributing to a future where AI genuinely serves human flourishing and equitable progress
Strategic Planning Practices and Performance of Supermarkets in Nairobi City County, Kenya Original Research Article Country Kenya
Pages 54-60
Sharon Chepkemoi Bett || Dr. Ezekiah Kimani || Dr. Maina Justus
Supermarkets in Nairobi City County have faced serious performance challenges, including the collapse of several large chains, yet the contribution of strategic planning to their performance remains under-researched. This study determined the relationship between strategic planning practices and the performance of supermarkets in Nairobi City County, Kenya. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted as a census of the 147 registered supermarkets, guided by the Resource-Based View. Data were collected from branch managers, departmental supervisors and senior operational leads using a pre-tested five-point Likert questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha above .70). In total, 118 usable questionnaires were returned, an 80.27% response rate. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 29 using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and regression analysis. Strategic planning practices were applied to a high extent (mean = 3.91, SD = 0.84); a clear vision and mission was the most established practice and staff involvement the weakest (mean = 3.24). Strategic planning practices were positively and significantly related to performance (r = .584, p < .001; β = 0.245, p = .001). The study concludes that formal, participative planning enhances supermarket performance and recommends that managers involve operational staff in planning and review plans regularly.
Digital Literacy and Taxpayer Compliance in Coretax Implementation: The Role of Ease of Use and Trust Original Research Article Country Indonesia
Pages 61-68
Nyoman Sentosa Hardika || I Made Ariana || Ni Ketut Sukasih || Nyoman Aryaningsih
This study examines the direct effect of digital literacy on taxpayer compliance while evaluating its indirect effects through parallel and serial mediation pathways involving ease of use and trust. This study adopted an explanatory quantitative research design to analyze the causal relationships among digital literacy, perceived ease of use, trust, and taxpayer compliance under Indonesia’s Coretax implementation. Empirical data were collected from 105 active individual taxpayers in Badung Regency, Bali, selected through purposive sampling and measured using structured 5-point Likert-scale questionnaires. We analyzed the data using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in WarpPLS 8.0, evaluating both the measurement model (validity and reliability) and the structural model. The results reveal that digital literacy impacts taxpayer compliance strictly through a sequential serial mediation mechanism (Digital Literacy → Ease of Use → Trust → Taxpayer Compliance), rather than via a direct positive path. While digital literacy is a vital prerequisite for perceived ease of use, technical proficiency alone does not ensure compliance— highlighting a "digital literacy paradox" when not supported by system simplicity and institutional trust. Ultimately, the integrated TAM-SSF framework demonstrates solid empirical robustness, accounting for 29% of the variance in taxpayer compliance (𝑅 2 = 0.29) and achieving high predictive relevance (𝑄 2 = 0.404) within Indonesia’s Coretax implementation framework.
Development and Evaluation of an Integrated Spreadsheet-Based Working Paper for Advanced Financial Accounting Practice Original Research Article Country Indonesia
Pages 69-75
I Made Ariana || I Wayan Karman || Ni Ketut Masih || Made Sura Ambara Jaya
This study aims to develop and evaluate an integrated spreadsheet-based working paper for advanced financial accounting practice. This research uses a Research and Development (R&D) approach and adopts the PPE (Planning, Production, Evaluation) model. The research procedure begins with the planning phase, which focuses on analyzing user needs. The subsequent phase is production, which involves building a prototype of the integrated spreadsheet-based working paper application. The process then proceeds to the evaluation phase through direct testing with students, utilizing user response questionnaires as the data collection instrument. Data analysis used a descriptive quantitative approach by comparing actual scores with ideal scores. Based on the analysis, the integrated spreadsheet-based working paper product for advanced financial accounting practice effectively meets practical learning needs. It is deemed feasible from technical, operational, and economic perspectives. This study contributes to developing an integrated spreadsheet-based accounting practice working paper application that meets technical, operational, and economic feasibility criteria, making it suitable for implementation in actual instructional settings.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Customer Orientation in a Bertrand Duopoly with Differentiated Products Original Research Article Country Japan
This paper investigates the strategic effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and customer orientation (CO) in a Bertrand duopoly with differentiated products. Extending prior research on quantity competition, the study develops a threestage game in which two firms first choose between CSR and CO cultures, then set their respective levels, and finally compete in prices. The result shows that, unlike under Cournot competition, neither CSR nor CO increases firm profits under price competition. The incentive for firms to care for all consumers or only their own customers disappears when competition is based on prices rather than quantities.
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