Purpose: Generally, this paper aims to develop a model by identifying factors which will assist policy makers in implementing m-government in Tanzania. The paper identifies direct and indirect factors which may influence adoption of m-government among the rural farmers in Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach: The paper conducted a survey by using Drop Off/Pick Up method to collect data from rural farmers. Stratified and multi-stage sampling were used to collect 407 valid responses from rural farmers in Tanzania. Data collected were analyzed by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings: The results show that government support has direct influence, while awareness has indirect influence through relative advantage, ease of use, compatibility and visibility. Furthermore, relative advantage, compatibility, ease of use, visibility and results demonstrability have direct influence on rural farmers intention to adopt m-government. Originality/value: This study contributes to knowledge because no study in this area has been conducted in developing countries to examine factors that influence adoption of m-government. Furthermore, this study tests the mediating effects of perceived characteristics of innovation which have not yet been investigated to date.

The sudden switch to emergency remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges for learners, but it also provided the opportunity to research these challenges. This study empirically examines the relationships of the contextual challenges of emergency remote learning with future preference for e-learning, as well as moderating effects of learning outcomes on future preference for e-learning of undergraduates during the closure of Higher Education Institutions. Participants were drawn from two universities in Malaysia practising emergency remote learning during the survey period. Underpinned by the literature, the challenges of emergency remote learning and future preference for e-learning were operationalised into items reflective of each factor. In total, 352 valid responses were collected via a self-administered questionnaire hosted on Google Forms, and responses were analysed with Eviews statistical software. In this study, the significant challenges associated with future preference for e-learning, in descending order, were disadvantages (negative), learning outcomes, and advantages. Additionally, the interaction between learning outcomes and disadvantages has a positive relationship, reversing the original negative relationship of disadvantages with future preference for e-learning. Sustainability of higher education in times of crisis is critical. This study provides valuable insights concerning the importance of achieving learning outcomes in order to support sustainable higher education using emergency remote learning during similar future crises.

Under what circumstances can minimum wages increase without adverse effects on employment levels? In 31 Chinese provinces between 2004 and 2015, the employment effect of a minimum wage depended on the minimum wage level, foreign direct investment, per capita gross domestic product and labour productivity. A minimum wage increase reduced hiring as foreign direct investment inflow rose, regardless of the amount of investment. Any positive employment effect of a minimum wage increase was mitigated by per capita gross domestic product growth, except when per capita gross domestic product was above the average. Above-average labour productivity enhancement significantly mitigated the adverse employment effect of the minimum wage. Employers responded to a rising minimum wage by increasing hiring when the geometric growth rates of the minimum wage and foreign direct investment for a particular province within a period of time were above the overall average across provinces. However, they scrutinised both annual and overall economic growth within a time period when making hiring decisions in the face of minimum wage adjustments. An inverted U-shape relationship between minimum wages and employment suggest a maximum threshold value for the minimum wage. Thus, government policy measures should foster short-term and long-term economic growth, to facilitate employment creation when minimum wages increase. JEL Codes: J38, J21, F16, O40

Earlier studies have focused on how education investment affects economic growth in different countries, namely developed and developing countries. The conclusions have been ambiguous and one of the dominant factors leading to such variation is the omission of financial development indicators. The present paper makes use of panel date from 2005 to 2019 on 31 provinces of China to examine how financial development can influence the relationship between education investment and economic growth. The findings show that financial development does not facilitate the impact of education investment on economic growth in wealthier regions. However, for poorer provinces with GDP per capita below the average, financial development as proxied by the ratio of total loans and total deposits in the financial system to GDP, respectively, can indeed enhance the effect of education investment on economic growth. Such enhancement is valid even when the proxies for education investment and financial development respectively pose negative effect on economic growth. Credit expansion and savings increase may facilitate government expenditure in education, which in turn promotes economic growth in relatively poor provinces to a greater degree than does the relatively wealthy provinces. Financial development strategy should be targeted to poorer provinces with below-average economic growth to facilitate growth-promoting educational financing.