The External Factors that Affect the Performance of Humanitarian Logistics in Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

The overriding aim of this study was to examine external predictive factors that affect the performance of humanitarian logistics in Amhara National Regional State humanitarian aid organizations and compare humanitarian aid organizations’ performance of humanitarian logistics. To this study purpose, mixed methods design (both quantitative and qualitative) particularly embedded design was employed. Three humanitarian aid organizations working in Amhara National Regional State were target population of the study. Sample participants were selected through census sampling method. To collect data from participants, a questionnaire comprised 39 Likert scale items and semi-structured interview questions were developed and used. The reliability coefficients of questionnaire item scales were greater than Cronbach's Alpha (α) of .75. To analyze quantitative data frequency, stepwise multiple regression and one-way ANOVA were computed via SPSS version 20. This study found government situational factors and donor funding as external factors that significantly predict the performance of humanitarian logistics. It is concluded that some determinant factors have had much more effect on performance of humanitarian logistics than other variables. To this end, the need to identify the external or situational success factors of humanitarian logistics performance is recommended.

Keywords: External factors; Logistics performance; Humanitarian aids; Relief response