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AbstractThis study examines how financial management practices and competitive advantage affect loan performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Ghana's Ashanti Region. The research employs a cross‐sectional design with a sample of 85 Ashanti Region MFIs, following Krejcie and Morgan's guidelines for sample selection. Employing a positivist approach with quantitative analysis, primary data comes from closed‐ended questionnaires given to Credit Directors, Credit Department, and Risk Managers, selected randomly from staff lists. Results reveal financial management practices significantly impact loan performance and competitive advantage. However, competitive advantage, under controlled conditions, does not significantly predict loan performance. This highlights financial management's crucial role in shaping loan performance and competitive advantage in MFIs. The study suggests that sustaining growth requires Ghana's Central Bank to enforce adherence to standards for liquidity management. This research adds a fresh perspective to understanding financial management practices, competitive advantage, and loan performance in Sub‐Saharan Africa's MFIs.

AbstractThis paper investigates the relationship between corporate social responsibility and the financial performance of Ghana's publicly listed financial institutions. Twelve listed financial institutions on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) provided secondary data during a 10‐year period (2010–2019). The data were examined using descriptive statistics, correlation matrix, rotated factors, factor score efficiency, and regression results. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a favourable effect on profitability and stock returns, according to the data. This demonstrate that while CSR enhances businesses' capacity for financial success, it should not be viewed as an optional activity but rather be included in long‐term business strategies. The study recommends management of financial institutions to ensure CSR activities are formally inbuilt into their policy statements and backed with an effective budget. The study further recommends more publicity be given to CSR programs undertaken by financial institutions to assist them get the needed potential benefits in enhancing their ROE and ROA. This study serves as a guide for policymakers and reference for future research on the effect of CSR on company performance in Sub‐Saharan Africa.

There is neither a universally recognized teacher licensure system, nor consensus on the criteria for assessing how teacher licensing programs affect the quality of teachers. This is the study to assess the licensing program impact on the professional qualities of UAE teachers. The perception survey was piloted with a group of teachers from random UAE schools. A survey method with valid tests and descriptive statistics were used to determine the self-evaluation of teachers in a wide range of competencies related to licensing. Teacher self-evaluate themselves during the test accentuates strong social competence, while professional qualities and professional growth received significantly lower scores. A strong direct correlation was found between test size and participants' experience. There was no correlation between the quality of the assessment and gender or age factors. The results of the study are aimed at helping government and academic policymakers to obtain feedback from teachers on educational reforms. Both the results of the study and the methods of its implementation can be expanded beyond the UAU due to the typological similarity of problems of licensing of teachers in different countries. The originality and novelty of the research is presented by the analysis of the subjective assessment of their results by teachers who passed licensing for the first time in the conditions of UAE, where the licensing system is in the process of formation. The findings of the study demonstrate the points of further development of the newly created teacher licensing system.

Migrant remittances to home countries have seen a significant increase over the years, especially in developing countries where due to a lack of jobs or unfavourable working conditions, citizens move to advanced countries to better their economic conditions and their dependents in home countries. This has been facilitated by globalisation in modern times. Whereas most previous studies have delved more into remittances and their impact on economic growth, less studies have examined the link between remittances and domestic investment. This study examined the impact of remittances on domestic investment in Africa using a system GMM econometric estimator. Our study departs from the few studies that examined this link by further investigating the moderating role of banking sector development and quality governance on the link between remittances and domestic investment. Using data from 41 African countries from 2004 to 2018, the study discovered that migrant remittances have a direct negative impact on domestic investment in home countries. The study, however, found that both banking sector development and quality governance significantly positively impact domestic investment in Africa. Thus, when we interacted banking sector development and good governance separately with remittances, each interactive term had a significant positive impact on domestic investment. This means that for remittances to influence domestic investment, banking sector and good governance will need to be improved.

This paper explores the relationship between gross fixed capital formation, financial development, and economic growth in Africa. The study used 39 African countries from 1997 to 2017. The study adopted five financial development indicators. The study employed Augmented Mean Group and Common Correlated Effects Mean Group estimation techniques for the estimations. From the study, Bank Deposit to GDP is statistically significant, it has a negative effect on economic growth, and it shows dual causality, Bank Deposit is inadequate in Africa but significant to economic growth. Broad Money to GDP, Domestic Credit to GDP, and Credit to Private Sector to GDP are all statistically insignificant to growth. They also have negative influence on economic growth. Broad Money shows dual causality with growth while both Domestic Credit, and Credit to Private Sector displays one way causality from economic growth. Gross Domestic Savings to GDP is statistically insignificant and it has a positive bearing on growth, it has one-way causality from growth. Broad Money is very limited in Africa to the extent that, the funds available for domestic transactions are barely enough to have any impact on economic growth. Domestic banks and financial institutions hardly gives credit to private sector and government institutions, due to high risk factor. Gross fixed capital formation has a positive bearing on economic growth. It displays bi-directional causality with economic growth. Financial development does not have a blanket relationship with economic growth, but rather it depends on the type of financial development indicator being used.

International practicum, or international field placements, create opportunities for social work students to address global social challenges in an international setting and prepare for social work practice. The landscape of international practica in social work has evolved and shifted over the last two decades. This article reports on the findings of a literature review that was conducted to understand how international practicum has changed over time. The study established search criteria that led to the inclusion of 70 publications, 16 in the first decade (2000 to 2010) and 54 in the second decade (2011 to 2020) utilizing the web of Science and Social Work Abstracts, as well as specific searches conducted on the University of Calgary Library Database, EBSCO host, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The results of the literature review show that there were fewer publications in the first decade and the emphasis was on understanding international practicum and field models. During the second decade, the published literature on international practicum tripled, focusing predominantly on developing new field education models, engaging in critical reflection and theory, and how to create successful field placements for students through preparation, teaching, and discussion. International practicum opportunities are critical to fostering transformative learning in social work students, and post-secondary institutions will need to re-establish international field education programs after the COVID-19 pandemic.