This study evaluated the efficiency and productivity of the manufacturing industries of Singapore. Singapore is one of the world’s most competitive countries and manufacturing giants. All 21 manufacturing industries as classified by Singapore’s Department of Statistics were included in the study as decision-making units (DMUs). Using the Malmquist DEA on data spanning 2015–2021, we found that excerpt for the Paper and Paper product industry, all industries recorded positive total factor productivity (TFP). TFP ranged from 0.977 to 1.481. In terms of technical efficiency, 14 out of 21 industries showed positive efficiency change. The highest TFP was recorded in 2020 and the lowest in 2016. By measuring and improving efficiency, industries in Singapore can achieve cost savings, increase output, and enhance their competitiveness in the global marketplace. In addition, efficiency measurement can help policymakers identify potential areas for improvement and develop targeted policies to promote sustainable economic growth. Given these benefits, performance measurement is inevitable for industries and policymakers in Singapore to achieve economic objectives. Manufacturing industries need to find ways to manage the size and scale of operations as we flag this as an area for improvement.

Through a comparative investigation of the function of socialist realism in the drama and law of Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, this research investigates the decolonization of neo-colonial hegemonies in Africa. Using the drama and legal systems of Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa as comparative case studies, the research explores how African societies can challenge and demolish oppressive systems of domination sustained by colonial legacies and contemporary neo-colonial forces. Relying on the Socialist Realism and Critical Postcolonial theoretical frameworks which both support literary and artistic genre that encourages social and political transformation, the research deploys the case study analysis, comparative literature analysis and focused group discussion methods. Data obtained are subjected to content and thematic analysis. The study emphasizes how important the relationship between the legal and artistic worlds is to the fight against neo-colonialism. It further reveals the transformational potential of socialist realism as a catalyst for social change by looking at themes of resistance, social justice, and the amplifying of disadvantaged voices in drama and legal discourse. The research contributes to ongoing discussions about de-neo-colonization through this comparative case study, and emphasizes the role socialist realism plays in overthrowing neo-colonial hegemonies. The study sheds light on the distinct difficulties and opportunities these nations—and indeed, all of Africa—face in their pursuit of decolonial justice by examining the experiences of Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

The global shortage of nurses has resulted in the demand for their services across different jurisdictions causing migration from developing to developed regions. This study aimed to review the literature on drivers of nurses’ migration intentions from source countries and offer future research directions. A search strategy was applied to ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus academic databases to find literature. The search was limited to peer-reviewed, empirical studies published in English from 2013–2023 resulting in 841 papers. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to conduct a systematic review of 35 studies after thorough inclusion and exclusion criteria. In addition, the VOSviewer software was utilized to map network visualization of keywords, geographic and author cooperation for bibliometric understanding. The findings revealed various socio-economic, organizational, and national factors driving nurses’ migration intentions. However, limited studies have been conducted on family income, organizational culture, leadership style, infrastructure development, social benefits, emergency service delivery, specialized training, and bilateral agreements as potential drivers for informing nurses’ migration intentions. Moreover, a few studies were examined from a theoretical perspective, mainly the push and pull theory of migration. This paper contributes to the health human resources literature and shows the need for future studies to consider the gaps identified in the management and policy direction of nurse labor migration.

Total factor productivity (TFP) is essential for disentangling the determinants of economic growth, productivity, and the standard of living. Understanding the variations in TFP, however, is greatly challenging because of the many assumptions that comprise the theoretical growth framework. In this paper, we aim to explore the determinants of TFP growth for countries at different stages of information and communication technology (ICT) development. To address the endogenous nature of the associated growth variables, we implement a three-stage-least (3SLS) square panel regression to improve the efficiency and asymptomatic accuracy of the estimators. We find that transmission channels, such as financial openness and trade globalization, have contributed substantially to growth in both advanced and developing countries. However, we also discover that greater financial openness can undermine a country’s TFP growth if the financial system is not sufficiently developed. When time horizons are decomposed into pre-ICT development and post-ICT development periods, a significant crowding-out effect is observed between ICT investment and financial openness in the pre-period, implying that the allocation of resources is critical for countries in the developing stage. Trade and finance policies that are adopted by advanced and developed countries might not be ideal for underdeveloped countries. Discretion in choosing adequate policies regarding financial integration and trade liberalization is advised for these emerging countries.