AAU Institutional Repository (AAU-ETD)
Addis Ababa University Institutional repository is an open access repository that collects,preserves, and disseminates scholarly outputs of the university. AAU-ETD archives' collection of master's theses, doctoral dissertations and preprints showcase the wide range of academic research undertaken by AAU students over the course of the University's long history.
How to Submit Your Work
The repository contains scholarly work, both unpublished and published, by current or former AAU faculty, staff, and students, including Works by AAU students as part of their masters, doctoral, or post-doctoral research
- All AAU faculty, staff, and students are invited to submit their work to the repository. Please contact the library at your college.
You may contact digirep@aau.edu.et.with any questions about the repository
Colleges,Institutes in AAU-ETD
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Recent Submissions
Determinants of Domestic Private investment in the Manufacturing Sector in West Arsi Zone, Ethiopia
(Addis Ababa University, 2026-06-02) Genamo Irensa; Yohannes Workeferehu
Background: Domestic private investment in the manufacturing sector plays a vital role in
promoti economic growth, employment creation, industrialization, and poverty reduction. Despitegovernment efforts to encourage manufacturing investment in Ethiopia, domestic private investmentin the manufacturing sector remains low, particularly in the West Arsi Zone due to financial,infrastructural, institutional, and market-related challengesObjective: This study aimed to assess the determinants of domestic private investment in themanufacturing sector in West Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study design was employed among domesticprivate manufacturing investors in West Arsi Zone. A stratified random sampling technique withproportional allocation was used to select 211 participants from a total of 382 registered investors.Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires and interviews, while descriptivestatistics and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted using SPSS to identify determinantsof domestic private investment. Key Findings: The study found that domestic private investment in the manufacturing sector waspositively associated with bank loan access (β=0.165, p=0.010), political instability-related factors(β=0.118, p=0.009), administrative factors (β=0.221, p=0.006), domestic market factors (β=0.757,p<0.001), infrastructural factors (β=1.222, p<0.001), and foreign market challenges (β=0.344,p=0.030). Conversely, financial constraints (β=−0.257, p<0.001), technological challenges(β=−0.155, p=0.017), and locational challenges (β=−0.655, p<0.001) negatively affected domesticprivate investment. Land access (p=0.313) and investment incentives (p=0.698) were not statisticallysignificant determinantsConclusion: Domestic private investment in the manufacturing sector of West Arsi Zone isinfluenced by multiple financial, institutional, infrastructural, technological, and market-relatedfactors. Improved infrastructure, access to finance, efficient administration, and stronger marketopportunities are essential to enhance investment performance, while financial and technologicalcoRecommendations: The government and relevant stakeholders should improve access to affordablefinance, simplify loan procedures, strengthen infrastructure services, improve political stability andadministrative efficiency, and promote technology adoption and innovation. In addition, effortsshould focus on improving market access and creating an enabling investment environment fordomestic private investorsnstraints remain major barriers.
The Role of Succession Planning Practices in Ensuring Business Continuity in Ethiopian Family-Owned Businesses: in the case of Bole Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia”
(Addis Ababa Uinversity, 2026-06-02) Yordanos Solomon; Tewodros Wuhib
Given the fact that more than 7Given the fact that more than 70% of privately held family businesses in Ethiopia fail within one year after the founding member dies, this research seeks to investigate the role of succession planning practices in ensuring business continuity in Bole Sub-City, Addis Ababa. An explanatory mixed-method approach was used in the study, whereby the data collected from 86 family businesses (91.5% response rate) was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results point out a looming succession crisis since 71% of the enterprises are in their first generations, 24% in the second generation, and 5% in the third generation. The results from the measurement model show great reliability in which the loading factors are above 0.80 while the Cronbach’s alpha values range between 0.902 and 0.981. The structural model showed great explanatory power for Leadership Continuity (R² = 0.824), Operational Continuity (R² = 0.657), and Organizational Sustainability (R² = 0.809). From hypothesis testing, it was found that Formal Succession Planning, Successor Development, and Stakeholder Communication significantly contribute to business continuity while Family Governance Structures were negatively related to Organizational Sustainability. In summary, this study reveals that there is an urgent need for action regarding the succession gap. The authors suggest that family business owners formulate plans with defined time frames, develop their successors, and involve successors in stakeholder relations. At the same time, governments must organize nation-wide campaigns and offer tax advantages for succession planning, and chambers of commerce need to provide mentorship and training services. Future research on the topic needs to consider wider geographical coverage of the country and use longitudinal methodology. 0% of privately held family businesses in Ethiop
The Effect of Knowledge on Organizational Performance: The Mediation Role of Inventory Management in International NGOs in Ethiopia
(Addis Ababa university, 2026-06-02) Tewodros Bogale; Yared Asrat
Based on the resource-based view (RBV) and control theory, this applied research investigates the structural relationship through which intangible asset of an organization which is knowledge translates into operational efficiency, specifically inventory management and consequently leading to institutional success which is organizational performance within international non- governmental organizations (INGOs) operating in Ethiopia. This research addresses a literature gap, as an empirical structural study has not previously been conducted within humanitarian sectors in Ethiopia. Utilizing a cross-sectional standardized survey design, empirical data was gathered from the randomly selected pool of 159 top and mid-level managers at various INGOs managing large-scale inventory. The structural framework was evaluated using variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) featuring a reflective-reflective second-order construct configuration. The empirical results revealed a clear hierarchy of structural relevance, proving that knowledge acts as the dominant engine within the model by exerting a highly significant direct effect on both inventory management and overall organizational performance. Furthermore, inventory management was found statistically significant and operates as a vital complementary partial mediator between knowledge and organization performance. Collectively, the framework explains a substantial that is 76.50% of the total variance in organizational performance (R2 = 0.765) and demonstrates exceptionally high out of sample predictive power Q2 = 0.723. Ultimately, this study concludes that organizational knowledge serves as the primary strategic engine driving institutional success, exerting the dominant direct effect on organizational performance within the model. Furthermore, the framework establishes that efficient inventory management operates as a vital complementary mediator that significantly enhances this relationship, proving that while possessing knowledge is principal, its maximum value to Ethiopian INGOs is unlocked when actively mobilized to optimize physical inventory management. For humanitarian logistics leaders, these pioneering findings establish a knowledge first strategic investment rule, proving that human capital capacity development yields a far higher return on institutional performance than raw software architecture alone, while offering a foundational blueprint for minimizing logistics waste and enhance quality of service in humanitarian organization in developing world context. Keywords: Knowledge, Inventory Management, Organizational Performance, Resource-Based View (RBV) Theory, Control Theory, International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs), Humanitarian Organization, Partial Least Square- Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM
Determinants, intensity, and Effects of Postharvest Losses of Maize on Food Security in Ethiopia
(Addis Ababa University, 2026-06-01) Henok Taye; Hailu Elias
Reducing postharvest losses of maize crops is crucial for minimizing food shortages, securing food, and nutrition stability in Ethiopia. Nonetheless, little is known about the factors influencing the occurrence and extent of postharvest maize losses and their impact on food security. This research employs data from three rounds of the Resilience to Climate Change (RCC) survey in Ethiopia to examine the main factors affecting postharvest losses among smallholder maize farmers and their impact on food security. The panel double-hurdle model was used to analyze factors influencing the probability and extent of postharvest loss, and a panel probit model was employed to assess the impact of postharvest loss and other variables on food security. The findings of the double hurdle model revealed that literacy status and maize production volume are associated with a reduced likelihood of encountering postharvest losses. The volume of maize production, landholdings, livestock ownership, irrigation practices, and utilization of agrochemicals were associated with decreased post-harvest losses. The probit model estimates indicate that higher postharvest losses of maize reduce the probability that the household is secured. The findings also revealed that literacy status, maize production, land holding, livestock ownership, irrigation, and agrochemicals were the determinants that affect both postharvest losses and food security. The study findings underscore several actionable recommendations for the government to build post-harvest intervention systems employing these variables, which are key determinants of post-harvest losses and food security. Consequently, addressing the higher post-harvest losses of maize and food insecurity in the study region necessitates targeted policy interventions that enhance maize production, invest in education, improve the physical and natural capital endowments of households, and promote the adoption of agricultural technology and inputs to mitigate post-harvest losses and food insecurity among smallholder maize farmers in the country
E-Leadership and Strategic innovation in Ethiopian BPO Firms: The Mediating Roles of Dynamic Capability andinter-Team Coordination, and the Moderating Role of Knowledge integration Capability
(Addis Ababa University, 2026-06-03) Samrawit Minilik; Zelalem Gebretsadik
The rapid digitalization of business practices has fundamentally reshaped leadership and organizational innovation processesglobally,withparticularconsequences for the outsourcingsector in emerging economies. This study investigates the relationship between e-leadership andstrategic innovation in Ethiopian Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms, with dynamiccapability and inter-team coordination proposed as parallel mediators and knowledge integrationcapability proposed as a moderator. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design wasemployed. Data were collected from 248 employees across selected BPO firms in Addis Ababausing structured questionnaires adapted from validated scales, yielding a response rate of 91.8%.PLS-SEM was used to assess measurement and structural models, including mediation and
moderation effects via 5,000-resample bootstrapping. The results yield four statistically significant direct relationships. E-leadership positively andsignificantlypredictsstrategicinnovation,dynamiccapability,andinterteamcoordination.Dynamiccapabilitysignificantlypredicts strategic innovation. The direct path frominter-teamcoordination to strategic innovation was not statistically supported. Regarding the mediationhypotheses, dynamic capability significantly and partially mediates the e-leadership–strategicinnovation relationship, whereas inter-team coordination does not serve as asignificantmediator.The moderation analysis reveals that knowledge integration capability does not significantlymoderatetherelationshipbetweenleadershipandinterteamcoordination,indicatinganegligibleinteraction effect.These findings lead to two central conclusions. First, e-leadership is an empiricallysupportedpredictorofstrategicinnovationintheEthiopian BPOcontext;however,itsprimary pathway to innovation operates through dynamic capabilitspecifically the organizational capacity to senseemerging market shifts, seize new serviceopportunities,and reconfigure delivery modelsaccordingly. Second,interteamcoordination, while significantly shaped by e-leadership,functions primarily in service of operational efficiency within Ethiopian BPO firms rather than asan independent driver of strategic innovation. The nonsignificant moderating role of knowledgeintegration capability suggests that structured digital tools and boundary-spanning artifacts usedby e-leaders in this context may already perform the synthesis function that knowledgeintegration would otherwise provide.This study contributes to the dynamic capabilities and knowledgebased view literature byoffering an empirically grounded, multi-mechanism framework tested in an underrepresentedemerging economy. It provides actionable insights for BPO managers and policymakers onprioritizing digital leadership development and dynamic capability building as the central
organizational levers for sustained strategic innovation in Ethiopia's outsourcing secto