Abstract: Feedback is a vital element for improving student
learning in a simulation-based training as it guides and refines
learning through scaffolding. A number of studies in literature have
shown that students’ learning is enhanced when feedback is provided
with personalized tutoring that offers specific guidance and adapts
feedback to the learner in a one-to-one environment. Thus, emulating
these adaptive aspects of human tutoring in simulation provides an
effective methodology to train individuals. This paper presents the results of a study that investigated the
effectiveness of automating different types of feedback techniques
such as Knowledge-of-Correct-Response (KCR) and Answer-Until-
Correct (AUC) in software simulation for learning basic information
technology concepts. For the purpose of comparison, techniques like
simulation with zero or no-feedback (NFB) and traditional hands-on
(HON) learning environments are also examined. The paper presents the summary of findings based on quantitative
analyses which reveal that the simulation based instructional
strategies are at least as effective as hands-on teaching methodologies
for the purpose of learning of IT concepts. The paper also compares
the results of the study with the earlier studies and recommends
strategies for using feedback mechanism to improve students’
learning in designing and simulation-based IT training.
Abstract: The aim of this article is to identify the measures
companies undertake in order to adapt to the environment as well as
discussing their diversity and effectiveness. The research methods
used in the study include an in-depth analysis of the literature and a
case study, which helps to illustrate the issue in question. Referring to
the concept of agility, which is firmly embedded in the theory of
strategic management and has been developed with the aim of
adapting to the environment and its changes, the paper first examines
different types of adaptation measures for companies. Then the issue
under discussion is illustrated with the example of the company
Hortimex. This company is an eminent representative of the world’s
leading manufacturers of food additives and ingredients. The
company was established in 1988 and is a family business, which in
practice means that it conducts business in a responsible manner,
observing the law and respecting the interests of society and the
environment. The company’s mission is to develop a market in
Poland for the products and solutions offered by their partners and to
share their knowledge of additives in food production and
consumption.
Abstract: Community living adjacent to forests and Protected
Areas, especially in South Asian countries, have a common practice
in extracting resources for their living and livelihoods. This
extraction of resources, because the way it is done, destroys the biophysical
features of the area. Deforestation, wildlife poaching, illegal
logging, unauthorized hill cutting etc. are some of the serious issues
of concern for the sustainability of the natural resources that has a
direct impact on environment and climate as a whole. To ensure
community involvement in conservation initiatives of the state,
community based forest management, commonly known as Comanagement,
has been in practice in 6 South Asian countries. These
are -India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
Involving community in forestry management was initiated first in
Bangladesh in 1979 and reached as an effective co-management
approach through a several paradigm shifts. This idea of Comanagement
has been institutionalized through a Government Order
(GO) by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
Bangladesh on November 23, 2009. This GO clearly defines the
structure and functions of Co-management and its different bodies.
Bangladesh Forest Department has been working in association with
community to conserve and manage the Forests and Protected areas
of Bangladesh following this legal document. Demographically
young people constitute the largest segment of population in
Bangladesh. This group, if properly sensitized, can produce valuable
impacts on the conservation initiatives, both by community and
government. This study traced the major factors that motivate
community youths to work effectively with different tiers of comanagement
organizations in conservation of forests and Protected
Areas of Bangladesh. For the purpose of this study, 3 FGDs were
conducted with 30 youths from the community living around the
Protected Areas of Cox’s bazar, South East corner of Bangladesh,
who are actively involved in Co-management organizations. KII were
conducted with 5 key officials of Forest Department stationed at
Cox’s Bazar. 2 FGDs were conducted with the representatives of 7
Co-management organizations working in Cox’s Bazar region and
approaches of different community outreach activities conducted for
forest conservation by 3 private organizations and Projects have been
reviewed. Also secondary literatures were reviewed for the history
and evolution of Co-management in Bangladesh and six South Asian
countries. This study found that innovative community outreach
activities that are financed by public and private sectors involving
youths and community as a whole have played a pivotal role in
conservation of forests and Protected Areas of the region. This
approach can be replicated in other regions of Bangladesh as well as
other countries of South Asia where Co-Management exists in
practice.
Abstract: The rapid growth of the human population and the
environmental degradation associated with increased consumption of
resources raises concerns on sustainability. Social sustainability
constitutes one of the three dimensions of sustainability together with
environmental and economic dimensions. Even though there is not an
agreement on what social sustainability consists of, it is a well known
fact that it necessitates user participation. The fore, this study aims to
observe and analyze the role of user participation on social
sustainability. In this paper, the links between user participation and indicators of
social sustainability have been searched. In order to achieve this, first
of all a literature review on social sustainability has been done;
accordingly, the information obtained from researches has been used
in the evaluation of the projects conducted in the developing
countries considering user participation. These examples are taken as
role models with pros and cons for the development of the checklist
for the evaluation of the case studies. Furthermore, a case study over
the post earthquake residential settlements in Turkey have been
conducted. The case study projects are selected considering different building
scales (differing number of residential units), scale of the problem
(post-earthquake settlements, rehabilitation of shanty dwellings) and
the variety of users (differing socio-economic dimensions). Decisionmaking,
design, building and usage processes of the selected projects
and actors of these processes have been investigated in the context of
social sustainability. The cases include: New Gourna Village by
Hassan Fathy, Quinta Monroy dwelling units conducted in Chile by
Alejandro Aravena and Beyköy and Beriköy projects in Turkey
aiming to solve the problem of housing which have appeared after the
earthquake happened in 1999 have been investigated. Results of the
study possible links between social sustainability indicators and user
participation and links between user participation and the
peculiarities of place. Results are compared and discussed in order to find possible
solutions to form social sustainability through user participation.
Results show that social sustainability issues depend on communities'
characteristics, socio-economic conditions and user profile but user
participation has positive effects on some social sustainability
indicators like user satisfaction, a sense of belonging and social
stability.
Abstract: The very well-known stacked sets of numbers referred
to as Pascal’s triangle present the coefficients of the binomial
expansion of the form (x+y)n. This paper presents an approach (the
Staircase Horizontal Vertical, SHV-method) to the generalization of
planar Pascal’s triangle for polynomial expansion of the form
(x+y+z+w+r+⋯)n. The presented generalization of Pascal’s triangle
is different from other generalizations of Pascal’s triangles given in
the literature. The coefficients of the generalized Pascal’s triangles,
presented in this work, are generated by inspection, using embedded
Pascal’s triangles. The coefficients of I-variables expansion are
generated by horizontally laying out the Pascal’s elements of (I-1)
variables expansion, in a staircase manner, and multiplying them with
the relevant columns of vertically laid out classical Pascal’s elements,
hence avoiding factorial calculations for generating the coefficients
of the polynomial expansion. Furthermore, the classical Pascal’s
triangle has some pattern built into it regarding its odd and even
numbers. Such pattern is known as the Sierpinski’s triangle. In this
study, a presentation of Sierpinski-like patterns of the generalized
Pascal’s triangles is given. Applications related to those coefficients
of the binomial expansion (Pascal’s triangle), or polynomial
expansion (generalized Pascal’s triangles) can be in areas of
combinatorics, and probabilities.
Abstract: A university-wide survey to obtain baseline data
regarding the perceptions of key terms related to e-learning and
distance learning among students, faculty and staff was conducted to
help achieve the goals of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman
University’s and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s National Center for
e-learning and Distance Learning. This paper comprises a relevant
literature review, the survey methodology, preliminary data analysis,
discussion, and recommendations for further research. The major
findings indicate a deep and wide differentiation of understanding
among users of critical key terms.
Abstract: Pain management is a question of quality of life and
an indicator for nursing quality. Chronic pain which is predominant
in oncology and palliative nursing situations is perceived today as a
multifactorial, individual emotional experience with specific
characteristics including the sociocultural dimension when dealing
with migrant patients. This dimension of chronic pain is of major
importance in professional nursing of migrant patients in hospices or
palliative care units. Objectives of the study are: 1. To find out more
about the sociocultural views on pain and nursing care, on customs
and nursing practices connected with pain of both Turkish Muslim
and German Christian women, 2. To improve individual and family
oriented nursing practice with view to sociocultural needs of patients
in severe pain in palliative care. In a qualitative-explorative comparative study 4 groups of women,
Turkish Muslims immigrants (4 from the first generation, 5 from the
second generation) and German Christian women of two generations
(5 of each age group) of the same age groups as the Turkish women
and with similar educational backgrounds were interviewed (semistructured
ethnographic interviews using Spradley, 1979) on their
perceptions and experiences of pain and nursing care within their
families. For both target groups the presentation will demonstrate the
following results in detail: Utterance of pain as well as “private” and
“public” pain vary within different societies and cultures. Permitted
forms of pain utterance are learned in childhood and determine
attitudes and expectations in adulthood. Language, especially when
metaphors and symbols are used, plays a major role for
misunderstandings. The sociocultural context of illness may include
specific beliefs that are important to the patients and yet seem more
than far-fetched from a biomedical perspective. Pain can be an
influential factor in family relationships where respect or hierarchies
do not allow the direct utterance of individual needs. Specific
resources are often, although not exclusively, linked to religious
convictions and are significantly helpful in reducing pain. The discussion will evaluate the results of the study with view to
the relevant literature and present nursing interventions and
instruments beyond medication that are helpful when dealing with
patients from various socio-cultural backgrounds in painful end-oflife
situations.
Abstract: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agents
(MRI-CM) are significant in the clinical and biological imaging as
they have the ability to alter the normal tissue contrast, thereby
affecting the signal intensity to enhance the visibility and detectability
of images. Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles,
coated with dextran or carboxydextran are currently available for
clinical MR imaging of the liver. Most SPIO contrast agents are
T2 shortening agents and Resovist (Ferucarbotran) is one of a
clinically tested, organ-specific, SPIO agent which has a low
molecular carboxydextran coating. The enhancement effect of
Resovist depends on its relaxivity which in turn depends on factors
like magnetic field strength, concentrations, nanoparticle properties,
pH and temperature. Therefore, this study was conducted to
investigate the impact of field strength and different contrast
concentrations on enhancement effects of Resovist. The study
explored the MRI signal intensity of Resovist in the physiological
range of plasma from T2-weighted spin echo sequence at three
magnetic field strengths: 0.47 T (r1=15, r2=101), 1.5 T (r1=7.4,
r2=95), and 3 T (r1=3.3, r2=160) and the range of contrast
concentrations by a mathematical simulation. Relaxivities of r1 and r2
(L mmol-1 Sec-1) were obtained from a previous study and the selected
concentrations were 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5,
0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 mmol/L. T2-weighted images were
simulated using TR/TE ratio as 2000 ms /100 ms. According to the
reference literature, with increasing magnetic field strengths, the
r1 relaxivity tends to decrease while the r2 did not show any
systematic relationship with the selected field strengths. In parallel,
this study results revealed that the signal intensity of Resovist at lower
concentrations tends to increase than the higher concentrations. The
highest reported signal intensity was observed in the low field strength
of 0.47 T. The maximum signal intensities for 0.47 T, 1.5 T and 3 T
were found at the concentration levels of 0.05, 0.06 and 0.05 mmol/L,
respectively. Furthermore, it was revealed that, the concentrations
higher than the above, the signal intensity was decreased
exponentially. An inverse relationship can be found between the field
strength and T2 relaxation time, whereas, the field strength was
increased, T2 relaxation time was decreased accordingly. However,
resulted T2 relaxation time was not significantly different between
0.47 T and 1.5 T in this study. Moreover, a linear correlation of
transverse relaxation rates (1/T2, s–1) with the concentrations of
Resovist can be observed. According to these results, it can conclude
that the concentration of SPIO nanoparticle contrast agents and the
field strengths of MRI are two important parameters which can affect the signal intensity of T2-weighted SE sequence. Therefore, when MR
imaging those two parameters should be considered prudently.
Abstract: Ant algorithms are well-known metaheuristics which
have been widely used since two decades. In most of the literature,
an ant is a constructive heuristic able to build a solution from scratch.
However, other types of ant algorithms have recently emerged: the
discussion is thus not limited by the common framework of the
constructive ant algorithms. Generally, at each generation of an ant
algorithm, each ant builds a solution step by step by adding an
element to it. Each choice is based on the greedy force (also called the
visibility, the short term profit or the heuristic information) and the
trail system (central memory which collects historical information of
the search process). Usually, all the ants of the population have the
same characteristics and behaviors. In contrast in this paper, a new
type of ant metaheuristic is proposed, namely SMART (for Solution
Methods with Ants Running by Types). It relies on the use of different
population of ants, where each population has its own personality.
Abstract: Green roof system is considered a relatively new
concept in Malaysia even though it has been implemented widely in
the developed countries. Generally, green roofs provide many
benefits such as enhancing aesthetical quality of the built
environment, reduce urban heat island effect, reduce energy
consumption, improve stormwater attenuation, and reduce noise
pollution. A better understanding on the implementation of green roof
system in Malaysia is crucial, as Malaysia’s climate is different if
compared with the climate in temperate countries where most of the
green roof studies have been conducted. This study has concentrated
on the technical aspect of green roof system which focuses on i) types
of plants and method of planting; ii) engineering design for green
roof system; iii) its hydrological performance on reducing stormwater
runoff; and iv) benefits of green roofs with respect to energy.
Literature review has been conducted to identify the development and
obstacles associated with green roofs systems in Malaysia. The study
had identified the challenges and potentials of green roofs
development in Malaysia. This study also provided the
recommendations on standard design and strategies on the
implementation of green roofs in Malaysia in the near future.
Abstract: Energy consumption data, in particular those involving
public buildings, are impacted by many factors: the building structure,
climate/environmental parameters, construction, system operating
condition, and user behavior patterns. Traditional methods for data
analysis are insufficient. This paper delves into the data mining
technology to determine its application in the analysis of building
energy consumption data including energy consumption prediction,
fault diagnosis, and optimal operation. Recent literature are reviewed
and summarized, the problems faced by data mining technology in the
area of energy consumption data analysis are enumerated, and research
points for future studies are given.
Abstract: In the present study, a numerical approach to describe the pyrolysis of a single solid particle of wood is used to study the influence of various conditions such as particle size, heat transfer coefficient, reactor temperature and heating rate. The influence of these parameters in the change of the duration of the pyrolysis cycle was studied. Mathematical modeling was employed to simulate the heat, mass transfer, and kinetic processes inside the reactor. The evolutions of the mass loss as well as the evolution of temperature inside the thick piece are investigated numerically. The elaborated model was also employed to study the effect of the reactor temperature and the rate of heating on the change of the temperature and the local loss of the mass inside the piece of wood. The obtained results are in good agreement with the experimental data available in the literature.
Abstract: The paper focuses on the distance laboratory
organisation for training the electrical engineering staff and students
in the fields of electrical drive and power electronics. To support
online knowledge acquisition and professional enhancement, new
challenges in remote education based on an active learning approach
with self-assessment have been emerged by the authors. Following
the literature review and explanation of the improved assessment
methodology, the concept and technological basis of the labs
arrangement are presented. To decrease the gap between the distance
study of the up-to-date equipment and other educational activities in
electrical engineering, the improvements in the following-up the
learners’ progress and feedback composition are introduced. An
authoring methodology that helps to personalise knowledge
acquisition and enlarge Web-based possibilities is described.
Educational management based on self-assessment is discussed.
Abstract: With the advancement of knowledge about the utility
and impact of sustainability, its feasibility has been explored into
different walks of life. Scientists, however; have established their
knowledge in four areas viz environmental, economic, social and
cultural, popularly termed as four pillars of sustainability. Aspects of
environmental and economic sustainability have been rigorously
researched and practiced and huge volume of strong evidence of
effectiveness has been founded for these two sub-areas. For the social
and cultural aspects of sustainability, dependable evidence of
effectiveness is still to be instituted as the researchers and
practitioners are developing and experimenting methods across the
globe. Therefore, the present research aimed to identify globally used
practices of social and cultural sustainability and through evidence
synthesis assess their outcomes to determine the effectiveness of
those practices. A PICO format steered the methodology which
included all populations, popular sustainability practices including
walkability/cycle tracks, social/recreational spaces, privacy, health &
human services and barrier free built environment, comparators
included ‘Before’ and ‘After’, ‘With’ and ‘Without’, ‘More’ and
‘Less’ and outcomes included Social well-being, cultural coexistence,
quality of life, ethics and morality, social capital, sense of
place, education, health, recreation and leisure, and holistic
development. Search of literature included major electronic
databases, search websites, organizational resources, directory of
open access journals and subscribed journals. Grey literature,
however, was not included. Inclusion criteria filtered studies on the
basis of research designs such as total randomization, quasirandomization,
cluster randomization, observational or single studies
and certain types of analysis. Studies with combined outcomes were
considered but studies focusing only on environmental and/or
economic outcomes were rejected. Data extraction, critical appraisal
and evidence synthesis was carried out using customized tabulation,
reference manager and CASP tool. Partial meta-analysis was carried
out and calculation of pooled effects and forest plotting were done.
As many as 13 studies finally included for final synthesis explained
the impact of targeted practices on health, behavioural and social
dimensions. Objectivity in the measurement of health outcomes
facilitated quantitative synthesis of studies which highlighted the
impact of sustainability methods on physical activity, Body Mass
Index, perinatal outcomes and child health. Studies synthesized
qualitatively (and also quantitatively) showed outcomes such as
routines, family relations, citizenship, trust in relationships, social
inclusion, neighbourhood social capital, wellbeing, habitability and
family’s social processes. The synthesized evidence indicates slight
effectiveness and efficacy of social and cultural sustainability on the
targeted outcomes. Further synthesis revealed that such results of this
study are due weak research designs and disintegrated implementations. If architects and other practitioners deliver their
interventions in collaboration with research bodies and policy
makers, a stronger evidence-base in this area could be generated.
Abstract: The acceptance of sustainable products by the final
consumer is still one of the challenges of the industry, which
constantly seeks alternative approaches to successfully be accepted in
the global market. A large set of methods and approaches have been
discussed and analysed throughout the literature. Considering the current need for sustainable development and the
current pace of consumption, the need for a combined solution
towards the development of new products became clear, forcing
researchers in product development to propose alternatives to the
previous standard product development models. This paper presents, through a systemic analysis of the literature
on product development, eco-design and consumer involvement, a set
of alternatives regarding consumer involvement towards the
development of sustainable products and how these approaches could
help improve the sustainable industry’s establishment in the general
market. Still being developed in the course of the author’s PhD, the initial
findings of the research show that the understanding of the benefits of
sustainable behaviour lead to a more conscious acquisition and
eventually to the implementation of sustainable change in the
consumer. Thus this paper is the initial approach towards the
development of new sustainable products using the fashion industry
as an example of practical implementation and acceptance by the
consumers. By comparing the existing literature and critically analysing it, this
paper concluded that the consumer involvement is strategic to
improve the general understanding of sustainability and its features.
The use of consumers and communities has been studied since the
early 90s in order to exemplify uses and to guarantee a fast
comprehension. The analysis done also includes the importance of
this approach for the increase of innovation and ground breaking
developments, thus requiring further research and practical
implementation in order to better understand the implications and
limitations of this methodology.
Abstract: Success means different things for different people.
For us, project managers, it becomes even harder to actually find a
definition. Many factors have to be included in the evaluation.
Moreover, literature is not very helpful, lacking consensus and
neutrality. Post-implementation reviews (PIR) can be an efficient tool
in evaluating how things worked on a certain project. Despite the
visible progress, PIR is not a very detailed subject yet and there is not
common understanding in this matter. This may be the reason that
some organizations include it in the projects’ lifecycle and some do
not. Through this paper, we point out the reasons why all project
managers should pay proper attention to this important step and to the
elements which can be assessed, beside the already famous triple
constraints: cost, budget and time. It is essential to take notice that PIR is not a checklist. It brings the
edge in eliminating subjectivity and judging projects based on actual
proof. Based on our experience, our success indicator model,
presented in this paper, contributes to the success of the project! In
the same time, it increases trust among customers who will perceive
success more objectively.
Abstract: Journal bearings used in IC engines are prone to premature
failures and are likely to fail earlier than the rated life due to
highly impulsive and unstable operating conditions and frequent
starts/stops. Vibration signature extraction and wear debris analysis
techniques are prevalent in industry for condition monitoring of
rotary machinery. However, both techniques involve a great deal of
technical expertise, time, and cost. Limited literature is available on
the application of these techniques for fault detection in reciprocating
machinery, due to the complex nature of impact forces that
confounds the extraction of fault signals for vibration-based analysis
and wear prediction. In present study, a simulation model was developed to investigate
the bearing wear behaviour, resulting because of different operating
conditions, to complement the vibration analysis. In current
simulation, the dynamics of the engine was established first, based on
which the hydrodynamic journal bearing forces were evaluated by
numerical solution of the Reynold’s equation. In addition, the
essential outputs of interest in this study, critical to determine wear
rates are the tangential velocity and oil film thickness between the
journals and bearing sleeve, which if not maintained appropriately,
have a detrimental effect on the bearing performance. Archard’s wear prediction model was used in the simulation to
calculate the wear rate of bearings with specific location information
as all determinative parameters were obtained with reference to crank
rotation. Oil film thickness obtained from the model was used as a
criterion to determine if the lubrication is sufficient to prevent contact
between the journal and bearing thus causing accelerated wear. A
limiting value of 1 μm was used as the minimum oil film thickness
needed to prevent contact. The increased wear rate with growing
severity of operating conditions is analogous and comparable to the
rise in amplitude of the squared envelope of the referenced vibration
signals. Thus on one hand, the developed model demonstrated its
capability to explain wear behaviour and on the other hand it also
helps to establish a co-relation between wear based and vibration
based analysis. Therefore, the model provides a cost effective and
quick approach to predict the impending wear in IC engine bearings
under various operating conditions.
Abstract: Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)
technology is the most promising technology for the proper
utilization of huge raw bandwidth provided by an optical fiber. One
of the key problems in implementing the all-optical WDM network is
the packet contention. This problem can be solved by several
different techniques. In time domain approach the packet contention
can be reduced by incorporating Fiber Delay Lines (FDLs) as optical
buffer in the switch architecture. Different types of buffering
architectures are reported in literatures. In the present paper a
comparative performance analysis of three most popular FDL
architectures are presented in order to obtain the best contention
resolution performance. The analysis is further extended to consider
the effect of different fiber non-linearities on the network
performance.
Abstract: In this paper, a prototype PEM fuel cell vehicle
integrated with a 1 kW air-blowing proton exchange membrane fuel
cell (PEMFC) stack as a main power sources has been developed for
a lightweight cruising vehicle. The test vehicle is equipped with a
PEM fuel cell system that provides electric power to a brushed DC
motor. This vehicle was designed to compete with industrial
lightweight vehicle with the target of consuming least amount of
energy and high performance. Individual variations in driving style
have a significant impact on vehicle energy efficiency and it is well
established from the literature. The primary aim of this study was to
assesses the power and fuel consumption of a hydrogen fuel cell
vehicle operating at three difference driving technique (i.e. 25 km/h
constant speed, 22-28 km/h speed range, 20-30 km/h speed range).
The goal is to develop the best driving strategy to maximize
performance and minimize fuel consumption for the vehicle system.
The relationship between power demand and hydrogen consumption
has also been discussed. All the techniques can be evaluated and
compared on broadly similar terms. Automatic intelligent controller
for driving prototype fuel cell vehicle on different obstacle while
maintaining all systems at maximum efficiency was used. The result
showed that 25 km/h constant speed was identified for optimal
driving with less fuel consumption.
Abstract: The research investigates the causes of unemployment
in Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa and the role of Capital
Accumulation in reducing the unemployment profile of these
economies as proposed by the post-Keynesian economics. This is
conducted through extensive review of literature on the NAIRU
models and focused on the post-Keynesian view of unemployment
within the NAIRU framework. The NAIRU (non-accelerating
inflation rate of unemployment) model has become a dominant
framework used in macroeconomic analysis of unemployment. The
study views the post-Keynesian economics arguments that capital
accumulation is a major determinant of unemployment.
Unemployment remains the fundamental socio-economic challenge
facing African economies. It has been a burden to citizens of those
economies. Namibia, Nigeria, and South Africa are great African
nations battling with high unemployment rates. The high
unemployment rate in the country led the citizens to chase away
foreigners in the country claiming that they have taken away their
jobs. The study proposes there is a strong relationship between
capital accumulation and unemployment in Namibia, Nigeria, and
South Africa, and capital accumulation is responsible for high
unemployment rates in these countries. For the economies to achieve
steady state level of employment and satisfactory level of economic
growth and development, there is need for capital accumulation to
take place. The countries in the study have been selected after a
critical research and investigations. They are selected based on the
following criteria; African economies with high unemployment rates
above 15% and have about 40% of their workforce unemployed. This
level of unemployment is the critical level of unemployment in
Africa as expressed by International Labour Organization (ILO). And
finally, the African countries experience a slow growth in their Gross
fixed capital formation. Adequate statistical measures have been
employed using a time-series analysis in the study and the results
revealed that capital accumulation is the main driver of
unemployment performance in the chosen African countries. An
increase in the accumulation of capital causes unemployment to
reduce significantly. The results of the research work will be useful
and relevant to federal governments and ministries, departments and
agencies (MDAs) of Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa to resolve
the issue of high and persistent unemployment rates in their
economies which are great burden that slows growth and
development of developing economies. Also, the result can be useful
to World Bank, African Development Bank and International Labour
Organization (ILO) in their further research and studies on how to
tackle unemployment in developing and emerging economies.