This study examined the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and operational performance in the utility pole treatment industry, using Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) as the case. The utility pole treatment segment occupies a critical position within Uganda's electricity distribution value chain, since the durability of treated wooden poles directly determines network reliability, the frequency of unplanned outages, and the lifecycle cost of distribution infrastructure. Despite substantial investment in preservative treatment plants and quality inspection regimes, UEDCL has continued to record pole rejection rates, premature pole failures, and treatment cycle delays that suggest an incomplete institutionalisation of quality management. Guided by a positivist philosophy and a cross-sectional survey design, the study collected quantitative data from 132 respondents drawn from treatment plant operations, quality assurance, procurement, engineering, and supervisory cadres, selected through stratified random sampling from a target population of 198. A structured questionnaire anchored on a five- point Likert scale measured four TQM dimensions, namely top management commitment, process management, employee involvement and training, and customer focus, alongside operational performance measured through quality conformance, cost efficiency, delivery reliability, and flexibility. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression in SPSS version 26. Findings revealed that process management recorded the highest mean score while employee involvement recorded the lowest. All four TQM dimensions were significantly and positively correlated with operational performance, with process management showing the strongest association (r = 0.712, p < 0.01), followed by top management commitment (r = 0.658, p < 0.01), customer focus (r = 0.591, p < 0.01), and employee involvement (r = 0.544, p < 0.01). The regression model was significant (F = 47.83, p < 0.001) and explained 59.7 per cent of the variance in operational performance, with process management (β = 0.362, p < 0.001) and top management commitment (β = 0.284, p < 0.001) emerging as the

This study examined the relationship between training programmes and employees' productivity in local governments in Uganda, focusing on Entebbe Municipal Council. Guided by three objectives-assessing training programmes, establishing productivity levels, and determining the relationship between them-the study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional and correlational design. From a target population of 140 employees, a sample of 103 respondents was selected using Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) table and stratified random sampling. Data were collected through a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire and analysed using SPSS, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression. Results showed a high overall Training Index (M = 3.51) and a high overall Productivity Index (M = 3.61), with training weakest on pre-training needs assessment (M = 2.94). A moderately strong, positive, and statistically significant correlation was found between training and productivity (r = 0.548, p < 0.01), and regression analysis confirmed that training significantly predicts productivity (β = 0.532, p < 0.01), explaining 30.0% of the variance (R² = 0.300). The study concludes that structured, needs-based training programmes meaningfully enhance employee productivity in local government settings and recommends that Entebbe Municipal Council institutionalise systematic training needs assessment, increase training frequency, and adopt a formal training policy.

This study examined the relationship between transport accessibility and tourism turnout in rural areas in Uganda, using Mpigi District as a case study. Recognising that access is a fundamental precondition for tourism, the study investigated how road infrastructure, transport availability, transport cost, and travel time relate to tourist turnout at rural attractions. A cross-sectional survey design with a mixed-methods approach was adopted, and data were collected from 180 respondents comprising tourists, tourism operators, and local officials using questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression were used for analysis. The results revealed a strong positive and significant relationship between transport accessibility and tourism turnout (r = 0.67, p < 0.01), with transport dimensions jointly explaining 51.6% of the variance in tourism turnout (R² = 0.516). Road infrastructure and transport availability were the strongest predictors. The study concludes that transport accessibility significantly influences tourism turnout in rural areas and recommends investment in rural road infrastructure, improved transport services, and reduced travel costs.

Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations occupy a central position in Uganda's financial inclusion architecture, yet their financial performance remains constrained by persistent weaknesses in the management of short-term assets and obligations. This study examined the influence of working capital management on the financial performance of SACCOs in Ngoma Town Council, Nakaseke District. Adopting a positivist philosophy and a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 108 respondents drawn through stratified random sampling from a target population of 148 comprising SACCO managers, accounts and loans officers, credit committee members, board members, and internal auditors across registered SACCOs in the town council. A structured questionnaire measured four working capital dimensions, namely cash management, accounts receivable and loan portfolio management, accounts payable and savings liability management, and liquidity management, against financial performance assessed through profitability, operational self-sufficiency, portfolio quality, and growth in membership and savings. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression in SPSS version 26. Findings revealed that cash management recorded the highest mean while accounts receivable and loan portfolio management recorded the lowest. All four dimensions correlated significantly and positively with financial performance, with accounts receivable and loan portfolio management strongest (r = 0.718, p < 0.01), followed by liquidity management (r = 0.652, p < 0.01), cash management (r = 0.564, p < 0.01), and accounts payable and savings liability management (r = 0.521, p < 0.01). The regression model was significant, F(4, 98) = 46.27, p < 0.001, explaining 58.3 per cent of variance in financial performance, with accounts receivable and loan portfolio management (β = 0.374) and liquidity management (β = 0.281) the dominant predictors. The findings corroborate Natukunda et al. (2023), who found receivable management significant while cash management was not in Sheema Municipality, and extend Bisherurwa and Lule (2023), whose Makindye Division study attributed 40 per cent of financial performance to working capital