School of Commerce & Management

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Browsing School of Commerce & Management by Author "Nagarajan, Sankara Nayagam"

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    Analyzing the Impact of Performance Appraisal Systems on Employee Productivity and Organisational Effectiveness in a Business and Management Consulting Firm, Lilongwe, Malawi
    (International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 2025) Nagarajan, Sankara Nayagam
    In contemporary organizational settings, the performance appraisal system is widely recognized as a critical tool for managing human resources. It involves evaluating employees' job performance, providing feedback, and identifying areas for improvement. Performance appraisals are often seen as essential in shaping employee development and ensuring organizational growth. However, the effectiveness of performance appraisal systems in enhancing employee productivity and organizational effectiveness remains a topic of significant interest and debate. This research aims to explore the relationship between performance appraisal systems and two key organizational outcomes: employee productivity and organizational effectiveness. Understanding this relationship is important because organizations are increasingly relying on performance appraisals to make key decisions regarding promotions, compensations, and training programs. However, the effectiveness of these systems in achieving the desired outcomes—such as higher employee productivity and improved organizational performance—may vary significantly based on how these appraisals are designed and implemented. This research will investigate whether performance appraisal systems directly influence employee productivity and organizational effectiveness or whether other factors mediate this relationship.
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    Assessing the Impact of Performance Management Systems on Organizational Efficiency A Case Study of Eastern Water and Sanitation Company Limited
    (International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 2025) Nagarajan, Sankara Nayagam
    This study examines the effectiveness of the Performance Management System (PMS) at Eastern Water and Sanitation Company Limited (EWSC) in enhancing organizational efficiency and employee performance. Despite its adoption, anticipated productivity gains remain unrealized, prompting an evaluation of its impact, challenges, and areas for improvement. Grounded in Goal-Setting and Expectancy Theories, the research employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with employees and supervisors. Findings indicate that while PMS promotes accountability and performance tracking, inconsistencies in implementation, limited supervisor training, and infrequent feedback hinder its effectiveness. Employees highlight concerns over subjective evaluations, lack of standardization, and resistance to structured appraisals. Additionally, the manual nature of PMS exacerbates inefficiencies, delaying performance reviews and tracking. The study recommends enhanced supervisor training, real-time feedback mechanisms, and a standardized evaluation framework to strengthen PMS effectiveness. Integrating PMS with HR systems, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and leveraging semi-digital solutions can streamline performance tracking while ensuring fairness and transparency. These interventions will help EWSC optimize employee satisfaction, align performance evaluations with corporate goals, and enhance service delivery efficiency. This research contributes to the understanding of PMS in public utilities, providing practical insights for organizational leaders, HR policymakers, and performance management scholars.
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    Customer Perception and Challenges Towards Yango Taxi Services in Zambia
    (International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research (IJFMR), 2024) Nagarajan, Sankara Nayagam
    This research study examined Customer Perception and Challenges Towards Yango Taxi services in Zambia City. Customer Perception, are not just two words simply to be used in any business context. Actually, these are the words that encapsulate the theme of what sort of business practices are being done by the companies in terms of making their customers satisfied or delight. A pivotal role is played by customer satisfaction in today’s business scenario and there are some basic factors which may impact on customer satisfaction either positively or negatively.
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    Impact of Taxation Policies on the Growth of Small and Medium Businesses in Blantyre, Malawi
    (International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 2025) Nagarajan, Sankara Nayagam
    This study examines the impact of taxation policies on the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Blantyre, Malawi. The primary objectives are to assess how tax policies influence SME performance, evaluate the effects of high tax rates on profitability and sustainability, and analyze the role of tax reforms in promoting or hindering SME growth. A descriptive research design was employed, utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods. Data were collected from 100 SMEs through structured questionnaires, interviews, and observations, focusing on business registration, years in operation, number of employees, perceptions of tax policies, VAT compliance, and tax filing processes. Grounded in the ability-to-pay theory and optimal taxation theory, the data were analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel through correlation and regression techniques to examine the relationships between taxation and SME growth. The findings indicate that while taxation is essential for government revenue, high tax rates, complex filing procedures, and limited awareness of tax policies create significant challenges for SMEs. Many SMEs struggle with compliance due to financial and technical limitations, resulting in reduced profitability and hindered expansion. Furthermore, VAT policies are often perceived as unfavorable, adding to their financial burdens. The study concludes that tailored tax reforms—such as simplified tax regimes, lower tax rates, and improved taxpayer education—can enhance SME growth and sustainability. It recommends that policymakers balance revenue collection with SME development by introducing tax incentives and reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
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    Study on the Analysis of Procurement Risk Management in the Malawi Police Service Challenges and Strategic Solutions
    (International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 2025) Nagarajan, Sankara Nayagam
    Procurement is critical for the Malawi Police Service, and the research, this dissertation, An Analysis of Procurement Risk Management in the Malawi Police Service: Challenges and Strategic Solutions, explores procurement risks and identifies strategic solutions to mitigate them, thereby improving operational efficiency. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research collected data from 100 officers through structured questionnaires and detailed interviews. They are illustrated with significant dangers, such as tardiness of suppliers, corruption, insufficient budget allocations, and inefficiencies of procurement processes. This complicates procurement operations and puts at risk service provisioning availability. The paper argues that the study identifies a few measures to combat these challenges, including improvement of existing transparency mechanisms, establishment of e-procurement systems, ensuring compliance with procurement laws and strengthening capacity-building initiatives. The study further emphasizes the need for policy changes that bear specific relevance to the context of law enforcement agencies in the Malawian setting. Thus, it advances understanding of the procurement risk management concept as applied to work within law enforcement agencies and presents a potential evidence base for those seeking to inform procurement behavior of relevant stakeholders in similar situations.
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    The Role of Trade Openness in Shaping Economic Growth: A Case Study of Malawi's Development Trajectory
    (International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 2025) Nagarajan, Sankara Nayagam
    It analyzed this study and articulated the effect trade openness had on the economy of Malawi with the aid of annual time series data from 1975 to 2024. Such period contained an instance of history in that independent Malawi would shift into democratic form of governance, which would be characterized by different regimes. One of the objectives of the study was to enlighten how trade openness would affect the economic trajectory of the country within this particular time frame. The study used Error Correction ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lags) method for examining the long-term relationship between trade openness and economic growth. The model was best-suited for mixed and integrated dataset, that is, combining the variables that were stationary and no stationary. This analysis result indicated short and long-run effect of trade on economic growth in Malawi. The impact that trade openness brought about in the course of economic growth resembled the kind of recent topic under debates that had many mixed and opposed views, and sometimes described them as contradictory. Part of the reason might have been the exclusion of other significant variables like labor and capital, which were viewed play a very important role in the nexus of trade and growth. Other elements such as innovation, competition, technology, grants, and equal opportunity were also highlighted, all of which empirically validated themselves to serve as catalysts for a successful economy. Imports had negative impacts while exports had a boom with positive impacts, especially in terms of Africa. The study was, therefore, in conclusion with that of the Malawi government should have focused on developing and internalizing new structural economic policies purposed for boosting exports to trigger additional economic growth. Investment was also proven to be having a positive and statistically significant effect on output growth in both the short and long run, which further emphasizes the importance of a favorable investment climate. The study found a significant linkage between the economy, trade openness, capital formation, and development, suggesting that trade openness provided a vast opportunity for the economy in the light of increased capital accumulation. The study further recommended that Malawi should intensify efforts towards product diversification and processing as the negative impacts of volatile terms-of-trade would be tackled with lesser dependency on just several primary products for export earnings. The study called for policies that would encourage an increase in domestic investment because this would have an important contribution towards economic growth in both the short and long term. This research envisaged introducing sound policies that would effectively attract FDI into Malawi, as this would promote growth over time through technology transfer, innovation, and increased productivity.