Ethiopian Journal of Business and Social Science

Institutional Barriers to Formalization of the Informal Economy of Addis Ababa

2026-01-02T09:51:05+03:00

The informal economy remains a cornerstone of urban livelihoods in Addis Ababa, being a source of the 40% of the employment opportunities, yet formalization efforts have yielded minimal success despite policy initiatives such as Regulation No. 88/2017. This mixed-methods study investigates the institutional barriers shaping informal traders’ decisions to formalize, drawing on survey data from 384 traders, 18 key informant interviews, three focus group discussions, and document analysis. Findings reveal that while 96.9% of respondents recognize potential benefits, including access to finance (65%) and business opportunities (60.6%), only 8.6% intend to formalize, due to pervasive institutional distrust, complex bureaucratic procedures, high compliance costs, and inconsistent enforcement. Gender disparities are pronounced, with women facing lower awareness and heightened exposure to arbitrary evictions. The study demonstrates that formalization is mediated by regulative, normative, and cognitive dimensions, where parallel informal institutions often function more reliably than formal ones. Institutional failure is not merely administrative but deeply normative: state actions are perceived as predatory rather than protective, eroding legitimacy and fostering reliance on informal networks for survival. The study concluded that sustainable formalization requires a paradigm shift, from top-down regulation to co-governance that centers trust, equity, and participatory design.

Keywords: informal economy, formalization, institutional barriers, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, gender, governance

Determinants of Academic Performance among Public and Private Middle-Level School Students in Yabelo Town, Ethiopia: Examining the Influence of School, Teacher, and Leadership Factors

2026-01-26T10:54:30+03:00

The main purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of students' academic performance in public and private middle-level schools in Yabelo Town. This research adopted a cross-sectional quantitative research design to address the research questions. The study's target population consisted of a total of 2,661 individuals, comprising students, teachers, and principals. From this total population, 437 sample participants were selected using stratified sampling. Various survey instruments, including the School Facility Inventory (SFI), Approaches to Teaching Inventory (ATI), Teaching Practices Inventory (TPI), and Instructional Leadership Inventory (ILI), were utilized, and students' semester average scores, encompassing all 12 subjects, were used to assess academic performance. The results from descriptive (Mean and Standard Deviation) and inferential(Multiple Regerssion and Independent t-test) statistical analyses indicated that in public schools, the availability of learning resources and facilities was the most crucial factor affecting academic performance, followed by teachers' professional practices, instructional methods, and leadership styles. While similar factors were observed in private institutions, they generally showed more favorable conditions. The t-test results revealed significant differences between the two types of schools regarding the factors influencing students' academic performance and variations in students' academic outcomes. Multiple regression analysis illustrated that the identified factors strongly influenced students' academic performance. These results emphasize the need to enhance learning resources, instructional methods, teachers' professional practices, and school leadership to improve academic performance and educational standards.

Keywords: academic performance, public and private schools, school factors, teacher factors, leadership factors

Strategic Management Approaches for Improving Educational Quality and Accountability in Public Universities

2026-01-23T18:37:58+03:00

This study examined how strategic management practices (SMPs) influence educational quality and accountability in Ethiopian public universities. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, data were collected from six universities representing research, applied, and comprehensive types. Quantitative data from 436 respondents and qualitative insights from 26 institutional leaders were integrated to capture both breadth and depth. Findings revealed that well-structured SMPs-particularly strategic planning, resource alignment, performance monitoring, and data-driven decision-making-strongly predict perceived quality and accountability. However, their effectiveness is moderated by contextual enablers such as leadership style, data capacity, and organizational structure. Research universities demonstrated more systematic implementation than applied or comprehensive institutions. Qualitative evidence underscored the importance of participatory leadership, transparent communication, and feedback systems in translating strategy into results. The study concludes that institutionalizing evidence-based strategic management can significantly enhance higher education quality and accountability across diverse university contexts. The findings offer practical insights for policymakers and university leaders aiming to strengthen accountability systems through strategic management.

Keywords: Strategic management, higher education, organizational structure, public universities

Wobollo: Indigenous Technology that Magnify the Glory of Lake Abaya

2026-02-05T14:53:59+03:00

Wobollo as a conduit of transport across Lake Abaya adds its indispensable and evident role to the natural beauty and scenery view of Lake Abaya and its environs. It actually symbolizes the wisdom and invincibility of its builders and operators on Lake Abaya. The construction, operation and its indispensable role evidently signaled deep rooted experience of our forefathers in probing solutions to problems that encountered them in their everyday life. Its production sensibly needs indigenous knowledge and strong and positive mental setup. With a strong believe in themselves, the inhabitants of both the shore and islands of the lake had developed a good experience of building this particular technology after inquisitively observing their environment. After thoroughly observing the manmade and natural processes taking place around them, they were attempted to construct knowledge that would enable them to solve problems, to challenge challenges, and to upgrade their life in different forms. They had attempted to integrate different forms of indigenous knowledges to make life comparatively easy. Among others, the construction of wobollo and its astounding operation to float it on Lake Abaya is the living still indigenous knowledge and technology. Therefore, this manuscript intends to give some important insights with regard to the emergence and eventual development of this technology. In addition, the manuscript also attempted to portray the efforts and skills exerted to operate wobollo. It also unveils acknowledgements and appreciations forwarded to the wobollo technology, its builders and operation systems. To evidently and objectively reconstruct the emergence and development of wobollo transport technology, researchers collected written materials, oral histories and travel accounts. Data gathered from different contexts are cross-checked among each other to write an objective history of the subject. The researchers also personally observed both the construction process and the operation of wobollo technology during successive fieldworks.

Keywords: Glory, Indigenous knowledge, Lake Abaya, Magnify, Wollabo

Unemployment, Migration and Food Insecurity in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

2026-02-02T17:41:49+03:00

This article review paper is based on theoretical and empirical studies on unemployment, migration, and food security in developing countries. The empirical literature focuses on systemic review of studies based on recently published studies and attempts to draw comparison between unemployment, migration, and food insecurity. It finds that food insecurity positively impacts migration, leading to rural outmigration due to lack of infrastructure and low connectivity. Unemployment becomes severe, causing food insecurity, forcing young people to migrate for livelihood options. Migration reduces unemployment and food insecurity by sending remittances back to families. However, young children are vulnerable to deception and misinformation about migration benefits. Moreover, the finding underlines that the relationship between these variables is not one dimensional rather more factors are linked to each other though mainly affected by one factor. The paper suggests international policy investment in sustainable rural development, climate adaptation, and resilient livelihoods since these factors are linked to food insecurity and migration. It also suggests the government and the nongovernmental organization to make interventions to tackle problems related to unemployment, migration, and food insecurity

Keywords: Unemployment, Migration, Food Inecurity, Developing Countries

Structural Features and Implications of Ethiopia–China Trade and Foreign Direct Investment Relations (2000–2024)

2026-02-05T10:00:24+03:00

Ethiopia–China relations constitute one of the strongest China–Africa ties and is an example of emerging South–South cooperation in the contemporary global context. This study examines the structural features and implications of Ethiopia–China trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) relations since 2000. It used a convergent-parallel mixed research approach and case study design. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. Data were analyzed through a combination of descriptive statistics (percentages), thematic analysis, document analysis, and discourse analysis. The study indicated that Ethiopia’s foreign trade and FDI climate are highly dominated by China. Bilateral trade is marked by an asymmetrical structure: Ethiopia exports primarily agricultural and mineral products, while imports are largely manufactured goods. Chinese firms in Ethiopia are predominantly concentrated in the manufacturing sector and prefer wholly owned investments over joint ventures. Ethiopia–China economic relations benefit Ethiopia through market access, infrastructure development, establishing industrial parks (IPs), and employment opportunities. The partnership also facilitates investments at a competitive rate, access to affordable goods, and diplomatic support in the regional and international affairs. On the other hand, Ethiopia’s high dependence on China in trade and FDI, wide and sustained trade deficit in favor of China, and risk of debt sustainability remain concerns, highlighting the significance of policy measures to improve the export base, diversify trade partners, and assess the effectiveness of foreign projects in line with the country’s development goals.

Keywords: Ethiopia, China, Trade, FDI, Structural Features, Implications

Revitalizing Indigenous Knowledge Practices through Education: Implementation of Wolayta Indigenous Knowledge in Grade Seven

2026-02-03T22:04:08+03:00

Indigenous Knowledge, rooted in generations of experience and cultural heritage, holds immense potential to enrich teaching methodologies by emphasizing community-centered, ecological, and experiential learning. The purpose of the article is to examine the process of classroom implementation of Wolayta indigenous knowledge practices in grade seven. The data were collected from 6 schools, viz., Aratu Sake, Tora-offore, Dimtu, Shinka, Wamura, and Kindo-Gocho, located in three districts, namely, Damot Woyde, Diguna Fango and Kindo Didaye. Data were collected in 2021 and 2022 from the above-mentioned districts and schools. Classroom observation checklist was developed and classroom observations were conducted in each of the selected schools twice. The main purpose of the interview was to find out what kinds of efforts were being made to revitalize the indigenous knowledge in grade 7. The findings show that both teachers and students are not that aware of the importance of the indigenous knowledge of the Wolayta language classroom because of poor self-esteem and lack of teachers’ background knowledge. The findings further underscore the need for Wolayta language teachers to master knowledge and pedagogical tools that help raise the relevance of the indigenous knowledge systems to students and community, and the need for policy reform and institutional support to ensure and foster culturally responsive pedagogy and sustainable learning practices into modern pedagogy.

Keywords:- Wolayta, indigenous knowledge, revitalization, classroom, grade seven