Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Does foreign aid contribute to economic growth? Is the impact of foreign aid conditional on the presence of quality institutions? This issue has attracted much attention over the years from both the donor community and recipient countries given that despite several years of foreign aid flows the increasing high poverty levels raise questions about the effectiveness of foreign aid. Despite several years of study on the relationship between foreign aid and economic growth results have remained inconclusive. Conclusions from various studies on this issue are varied. The conclusions thus far can be summarised as follows: there is a positive relationship between aid and economic growth; there is no relationship between aid and growth; the presence of good governance and institutions is a precondition for aid to have a positive influence on economic growth; and the presence of good governance and institutions is not a precondition for aid to have positive influence on economic growth. The research assignment sought to determine if there is any relationship between foreign aid, economic growth and institutional quality in Zimbabwe for the period 1980 to 2010 using the autoregressive distributed lag approach. In order to determine this relationship, the assignment also examined economic growth theories that have evolved over the years and reviewed existing empirical literature on the subject. An analysis of the economic growth theory revealed a shift from foreign aid being merely assumed to supplement savings to a new approach looking at conditions necessary for it to be effective, with a special focus on institutional quality. To date there has not been any agreement on the definition and institutional characteristics that create an environment conducive for foreign aid. Studies still use indicators that group together a wide range of social structures affecting economic outcomes such as political system, property rights, contract enforcement, and investor protection as measures of institutional quality The research assignment used quality of governance, polity iv and economic freedom of the world index as measures of institutional quality. The empirical results revealed there that there was a positive relationship between foreign aid and economic growth and that all the measures of institutional quality perform best when all are included in the model. This suggests that the effectiveness of aid in Zimbabwe was strongly influenced by the quality of institutions. It is therefore important for the government of Zimbabwe to maintain the rule of law, political stability and economic freedom. This is likely to attract economic agents who can make meaningful investment and resuscitate the Zimbabwean economy.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of internal controls on sustainability of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Harare’s Central Business District (CBD), Zimbabwe. The question at the core of this research is: to what extent do internal controls influence the sustainability of SMEs in Harare’s Central Business District, Zimbabwe. SMEs are perceived to be of paramount importance for the economic affluence of countries the world over, mainly because of their pronounced benefaction and contribution to livelihoods of the dwellers of a country and the gross domestic product (GDP). SMEs have been credited for playing a leading role when it comes to innovation, significant export revenue, custom-suited goods, services provision to society, employment opportunities, and social contribution. This can also be attributed to SMEs operating in Zimbabwe despite the volatility of the Zimbabwean economy. The Zimbabwean business environment, in general, is constantly changing. The changes can be attributed to an eruptive economic environment and unstable political atmosphere. The resultant effect is the departure of larger businesses and investors from the country. Generally, this leaves a great opportunity for SMEs not to be subjected to stiff competition from larger businesses. SMEs are indeed enjoying this space, braving the conditions to start up; however, their operations are short-lived. For SMEs to brave the fortuity of such an unpredictable environment, a system of internal controls must be in place. Research has placed emphasis on internal controls and sustainability of large organisations, while little to no attention has been given to SMEs. The little research on internal controls and sustainability in the context of SMEs has mostly been done in developed countries. Despite this, internal controls and sustainability have not been extensively implemented in the context of developing countries. The need to determine the influence of internal controls on sustainability of SMEs underlines this research. This report adopted a positivist philosophy that entailed utilizing a survey questionnaire to collect data from 150 SMEs operating in Harare’s CBD, Zimbabwe. The sample was further split into Active SMEs and Dormant SMEs (the control group). Data were analysed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 25 to spawn statistical and descriptive results. To determine reliability of data, Cronbach’s alpha value was employed. The results indicate SMEs are not implementing controls as they ought to and those SMEs that have controls in place do not ensure that they are adhered to effectively and efficiently in order for them to achieve their desired objectives.