Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms that link transformational leadership to employee job satisfaction by examining the moderating effect of contingent reward on the relationships. Design/methodology/approach The study employed explanatory and cross-sectional survey design. Data were obtained from 315 bank employees and analyzed using correlational and multiple regression techniques. Findings The results revealed that there are positive relationships between the dimensions of transformational leadership and job satisfaction which are augmented by contingent reward. However, the relationships of idealized influence and intellectual simulation to job satisfaction are moderated by contingent reward, implying that, in the banking sector, the positive influence of these transformational leadership traits on employee job satisfaction can be enhanced by contingent reward. Originality/value The paper makes an important contribution to the existing organizational literature by establishing the utility of contingent reward as a moderator on the relationship between transformational leadership and employee job satisfaction in a banking sector.

Purpose – This paper has three main objectives. The first objective examines the degree of interrelationship between the level of brand equity and the performance of SMEs, while the second objective examines the extent of the antecedents of brand equity (brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality and brand loyalty) in predicting SME performance. The last objective examines the effect of brand equity on the performance of SMEs when the level of brand loyalty is high. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaires were used in collecting data from managers and customers of SMEs. The sample comprises 98 managers and 311 customers of SMEs. In order to ensure that various sectors of SMEs were covered, stratified random sampling was used; thus, 40 per cent of the SMEs were from the trade sector, 30 per cent from the agriculture sector, and 30 per cent from the small manufacturing sector. However, a simple random sampling method was used in the selection of customers. Findings – It was found that there is a positive relationship between the various dimensions of brand equity and SME performance. Results from the regression analysis indicate a strong predictive power of SME performance by brand association and brand loyalty compared to brand awareness and perceived quality. The study concludes that the performance of SMEs and brand equity is high when there is high brand loyalty among customers. Research limitations/implications – This study did not examine the level of control and the major decision-making factors when deciding on the focus of brand building in both small and large enterprises. Studies could be conducted to compare the predictive power of the antecedents of brand equity in different industries (services, manufacturing and trade) for both SMEs and large enterprises. Practical implications – Managers of SMEs must devote their attention to the building of brand loyalty among customers irrespective of the industry in which they operate. Strategies must also be developed for brand associations as it is a prerequisite for the growth and continuous survival of businesses in a highly competitive market. Originality/value – The originality and value of this paper lies in the cross-sectional survey method (different industries) that was used as well as the use of the CBBE model in examining the competitiveness and performance of SMEs.

The economy of Ghana has attained a middle-income status and is seeking to advance; hence, an analysis of the economy based on the supply chain management of energy is significant to provide the quantitative results and comprehensive information about how and where the energy use affects economic growth and development. This information is necessary to enable the government to respond promptly with measures that will improve the supply of energy to ensure the profitability and competitiveness of firms. The objective of this paper is to analyse the effect of electric power fluctuations on the profitability and competitiveness of SMEs, using SMEs operating within the Accra business district of Ghana as a case study. This research is a crosssectional survey and it adopted a mixed method approach. A sample of 70 Ghanaian SMEs was selected using a systematic sampling approach. Inclusion criterion for the selection of the SMEs was their location within the business district of Accra as well as their use of electricity in their main business operation. Data was collected with an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire which focused on the effect of power fluctuation on the operations of SMEs, especially on the profitability and its resulting effect on the firms' competitiveness. The SPSS statistical package was used to group and analyse the data. The study is a single-factor analysis of the exogenous problems facing the Small and Medium Enterprise sector. The study found that without reliable energy supply, SMEs are unable to produce in increased quantities and quality leading to poor sales hence low levels of profitability. It is established that low profitability negatively affects Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Investment (ROI) of SMEs. Consequently, if the level of profitability is high, it is expected that ROA and ROI will be high and vice versa. With high profits, SMEs are able to increase their competitiveness.

Purpose In spite of the observation that nurse managers’ style of authority in sub-Saharan Africa is one of antagonistic vibe and lordship, there is not much information on the kind of leadership provided in the hospitals by nurse managers. Following the notion that transformational leadership is a solution to many leadership problems and often creates valuable positive change in followers, this study aims to examine the level of transformational leadership behavior of nurse leaders; determining the effects of the sub-constructs of emotional intelligence (EI) on the transformational leadership behavior of leaders; and determining whether there is a difference in the exhibition of transformational leadership behavior due to the gender of leaders. Design/methodology/approach The study uses five of the major public hospitals in the Greater Accra Region (the capital) of Ghana. Evidence of such links would be considerable for Ghanaian healthcare providers in their quest to find potential nurse leaders to train, so as not to dwell highly on the seniority criterion in the selection of leaders. Using a quantitative approach, the Wong Law EI Scale (2002) and leadership items adapted from Rafferty and Griffin (2004) were used to collect the data. A descriptive statistics (mean) revealed that nurse leaders from the selected hospitals exhibited a high level (M= 3.90, SD = 0.14) of transformational leadership behavior. Findings A multiple regression analysis revealed that three of the sub-constructs of EI significantly affected transformational leadership with the “self-emotion appraisal” construct having the strongest effect on transformational leadership behavior (β = 0.508, p = 0.000). However, the others’ emotion appraisal sub-construct did not significantly affect transformational leadership. Furthermore, the results from the independent sample t-test revealed no significant difference in the exhibition of transformational leadership due to gender. Practical implications Based on the findings, when leaders are trained to be emotionally intelligent and their skills are fostered, they are more likely to exhibit transformational leadership behaviors, which will further result in organizational effectiveness and follower satisfaction. Hospitals must focus on the control of one’s emotions at work, and subsequently, understanding others’ emotions. In developing transformational leaders, there is the need to identify some tools that will increase EI level, more specifically, traits related to the understanding of others’ emotion. The findings from this study indicate that one of the factors to check when selecting nurse leaders should be their EI and not necessarily a matter of seniority in many cases in emerging economies. Originality/value The originality of this study is in the fact that it focuses on an emerging economy, which is under researched. In Ghana, the criteria for promotion of nurse leaders’ is based strictly on seniority and age and not on factors such as the leaders EI. The profession of nursing is such that leaders need to understand that certain soft skills such as EI are considered necessary to transform the hospitals and staff they lead. This study, therefore, sheds light on these key areas from the perspective of an emerging economy, which are usually not in the domain of literature in the area of healthcare leadership.

ASAMOAH, E. S., CHOVANCOVÁ, M.: The infl uence of price endings on consumer behaviour: an application of the psychology of perception. Acta univ. agric. et silvic. Mendel. Brun., 2011, LIX, No. 7, pp. 29-38 Price ending is an important pricing strategy that has been used by retailers over the years. The trend seems to be eff ective considering how consumers react especially to products with odd price endings. This review is aimed at providing an understanding of the psychological infl uences of price ending on buyers, using the theory of perception. It analysis theories and existing literature on the topic and brings out augmentative pricing strategies that retailers can adopt in consumer markets. Also, an exploratory study was conducted to identify the prevalence of odd prices in the Czech retail sector. The exploratory study was based on 16 diff erent home-drop advertising material, short magazines and leafl ets by retails shops in the Zlin region. These leafl ets, short magazines and home-drop advertising material were collected and analyzed over 3 month period to identify the dominance of odd and even pricing strategy (total number of advertisements = 922). Also, in order to have a comprehensive coverage of the odd-even pricing phenomenon, opinions of some buyers were sought on their perception of odd-pricing and how the odd-pricing infl uence their buying decisions. Opinions of a total of 173 shoppers were sampled. The study found clear evidence of the predominant use and preference by shoppers for odd prices compared to even prices in diff erent product categories, especially fast moving consumer goods. The paper concludes by providing the marketing implications and suggestions on when odd and even price ending strategies should be used and for what category of products this strategy can be used. Also, the implications of price endings on marketing communication are highlighted. price ending, consumer behaviour, perception, psychology, price Address Ing. Emmanuel Selase Asamoah, doc. Ing. Miloslava Chovancová, CSc., Ústav managementu a marketingu, Fakulta managementu a ekonomiky, Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně,