https://space.mu.ac.zm/xmlui/handle/123456789/64 2026-05-06T13:41:50Z 2026-05-06T13:41:50Z Yordanos, Gebremeskel https://space.mu.ac.zm/xmlui/handle/123456789/226 2021-11-23T15:15:39Z 2014-07-24T00:00:00Z

Determinants of Profit Variability among Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Zambia Yordanos, Gebremeskel Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in developing economies like Zambia are major contributors of livelihood, job creation, poverty reduction, production and distribution of goods and services, and foreign exchange earnings. All these benefits could be realized if firms are profitable. This paper tried to envisage sources of variations in profitability among micro and small enterprises. By conducting an empirical study using 187 micro and small sized firms selected from four sectors: Trading, Services, Manufacturing, and Agriculture, the paper analyzed the sources of variations in firm profit across time. The study was made with selected firm-level characteristics like sales, cost, market coverage and perception about the level of competition. The analysis is done by using both descriptive statistics and an Ordered Probit Regression Model. Although measuring profit directly is difficult, alternative variables like changes in sales, revenue, cost, competition and market coverage are used. The estimation result revealed that, among firm effects, variations in sales and market coverage over time are the significant variables that explain variations in firm’s profitability.

2014-07-24T00:00:00Z Yordanos, Gebremeskel Simuchimba, Bupe Chonzi, Mulenga https://space.mu.ac.zm/xmlui/handle/123456789/213 2021-11-15T06:50:19Z 2019-07-19T00:00:00Z

Skills Gap, Innovation, and Firms Performance in Zambia. Yordanos, Gebremeskel; Simuchimba, Bupe; Chonzi, Mulenga This study examines the interaction between employees‟ skill, innovation and firm‟s performance. A skilled labour force has a significant impact on the innovation, performance and long-term competitiveness of the firm. Due to a weak educational system coupled with limited training facilities, most Zambian firms still face challenges in acquiring the required skilled workforce. The World Bank Skills Survey Zambia 2016 is used for the empirical analysis on 350 small, medium, and large enterprises. A binomial logit model is used for the innovation model and OLS regression model for performance measurement. We employ sales growth as a measure of firm performance. The results show that the number of professional & skilled employees and trainings were important factors of innovation. Furthermore, we find that innovation and location have an impact on the firms‟ performance as measured by sales growth.

2019-07-19T00:00:00Z Yordanos, Gebremeskel https://space.mu.ac.zm/xmlui/handle/123456789/212 2021-11-15T06:49:30Z 2017-11-01T00:00:00Z

Willingness to Pay (WTP) for pipe-water connection in Makululu compound of Kabwe, Zambia. Yordanos, Gebremeskel The availability of safe drinking water is dependent on better and improved water sources for households. Access to safe drinking water especially piped water is one of the challenges faced by households in Zambia. This study aims to understand the factors that determine the willingness to pay for pipe water connection on low income peri-urban settlements in Zambia. Double bounded questions which have the advantage of including a follow up dichotomous question after the first dichotomous choice question are used. An interval regression model is used to analyze the collected data. The variables of interest are purification, family size, water quality, education and income. The results obtained show that most of these variables have the expected signs. Further, the results suggests that an increase in income will lead to an increase in the willingness to pay to have access to safe drinking water sources. The results also suggest that the distance travelled to fetch water from a community tap and level of household education play a role in the willingness to pay for access to pipe water connection. We estimated that the sample household mean WTP is K283.77 ($38.14) which is roughly 33% of the commercial connection charge.

2017-11-01T00:00:00Z Yordanos, Gebremeskel https://space.mu.ac.zm/xmlui/handle/123456789/205 2021-10-08T14:23:25Z 2015-06-15T00:00:00Z

Job Creation and Employment-Gender-Gap among Micro and Small Enterprises. Yordanos, Gebremeskel Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) sector play a key role in creating jobs in developing countries like Zambia. The sector accounts for more than eighty percent of the total employment. The main motivation behind this paper was to quantify changes in employment by size of the firm across time and to assess the gender differences in employment. For this purpose, survey data collected from two provinces of Zambia is used. Although the gender gap in the labor market is a well-established fact, the patterns of gender-employment gap is not much researched at the micro level. This paper poses two questions. To start with, is there any long haul relationship between firm age and employment. Also, to what degree micro and small scale enterprises shorten the gender employment gap across time. Persistent gender gaps in employment are not only unethical or immoral, but it is also a challenge to economic prosperity. In developing countries like Zambia, women are underrepresented in the formal sector. To answer the research questions, both descriptive statistics and Non-parametric model is used as part of the analysis. The results demonstrate that there is persistent gender-employment gap in the labor market and over the life-cycle of the micro and small enterprises. However, it is found that there is no statistically significant difference between mean employment levels and firm age.

2015-06-15T00:00:00Z