Research
Promoting Growth and Sustainable Development: The Emerging Role of the Public Sector
The world economy entered the 21st century with the optimism of extending the frontiers of technological advancement of the past centuries to accelerate individual national growth and economic development. Disenchantment with erstwhile induced growth and emergence of rapid privatization and market economy appeared to be the only option for attaining the goals hitherto impossible under the hegemony of state-led developmental initiatives. This paper examines the plausibility of privatization argument that the desired level of growth and sustainable development can be achieved in an environment of passive government involvement in the economic processes given the structural rigidity and imbalance of the Nigerian economy.
The Relevance of Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) Network and Management by Objectives (MBO) Towards Organization Efficiency at the Export Processing Zone, Calabar Cross River State
The reality that the Nigeria Government has judiciously invested over three billion naira towards the improvement of the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Cross River State is a significant demonstration of the degree of productivity which is expected from the EPZ operations there. This is the time for all Local Government administrators in Cross River State to adopt the information management styles relevant to export products specification, assessment, and Evaluation and transportation modalities to help process goods to the required destinations of the EPZ. The Local Government officials must open EPZ offices in their areas and establish viable links between those offices and the main EPZ office at the State Capital. Management by Objectives (MBO) has been applied to indicate how the EPZ can succeed if the MBO is practiced. Also, Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) network can be used to enhance EPZ activities as specified projects can be broken down into identifiable activities, where it can be calculated mathematically to know which activities could be done within specified time frames. When, for instance, Government agents give the dates when some specific commodities are to be assembled for them at the State Capital, the Local Government administrators become mandated to work with the local producers to ensure that specific projects are commenced at appropriate times, since PERT analysis of time durations for accomplishing the activities in the plans can be measured mathematically and evaluated to know which pathway is the most appropriate to follow.
Perceptions of the Impact of Trade Union Disputes on University Management
This study investigated the major factor associated with trade union disputes and the impact of the disputes on university management. Two research questions were raised and three hypotheses tested. The sample consisted of 281 academic staff, 166 non- academic and 14 students' union Executive members. The multi-stage stratified sampling technique was utilized in selection of subjects for the study. A questionnaire titled Trade Union Disputes in Nigeria University Questionnaire" (TUDNUQ) was designed to elicit information from respondents-Data obtained were analyzed statistically using Z test and F- Radio test (ANOVA), percentages and standard deviation. From the analysis of data it was found that poor conditions of service and remuneration, under- funding of the University system, poor communication between management and unions, autocratic leadership styles of some university administrators, non-participation of union in university decision making process and government intervention in universities' internal management were the major factors associated with trade union disputes in Nigerian universities. The main impact of trade union disputes in Nigerian universities included disruption of academic calendar and programmed, low morale among staff, brain drain among professional staff and poor relationship between unions and management. Responsibility in the sampled universities differed significantly in their perceptions of the impact of trade union disputes on students' academic programmes and on government intervention in universities' internal management. As a result of the conclusions derived from the study, it was recommended that the Government should inject more funds into the university system and the Education Tax funds should be disbursed appropriately and on time, the conditions of services of university staff should be made more attractive. The Staff unions should be meaningfully involved in the university governance and decision making process. Also, a
Developing Effective Public Policy on Consumer Welfare in Nigeria
Consumers in the society, as well as the sustenance of business depends on the consumer. The quest for the formulation and enactment of public policies and laws respectively concerning consumer welfare throughout the world are necessitated by dissatisfactions of consumers in their purchase or consumption experiences which often result from the business sector who indulges in many unscrupulous acts at the expense of consumers. This paper examines the enactment of some laws and/or formulation of public policies, which are intended to protect the welfare of consumers, and attempts an evaluation of their levels of effectiveness especially in Nigeria. Data were collected from secondary sources. It was revealed that most consumer welfare laws and policies in Nigeria are relatively ineffective except those formulated sequel to militant actions of certain consumers. At the end, the paper recommends some measures government, business and individual consumers should adopt to ensure the effectiveness of laws and policies on consumer's welfare in Nigeria.
Organisation Development (OD), Credit Administration and Recovery: A Mechanism for Business Growth
Organisation's development co-opts diverse human resources for the accomplishment of a common goal, while considering the dynamic nature of the environment through long term planning. However, this alone, without the proper mix of capital funding cannot work. Finance is the life wire of any organisation, therefore it becomes necessary for the way and manner sourced funds are being administered. This paper examines the way the human resource is utilize, the proper way credit should be given and recovered for the growth and development of any business. It went further to ascertain the impact non recoverable credit has on our economy, particularly from the distressed banks perspective. Three recommendations were proffered, one of which is proper and constant training and evaluation of credit managers.
Breaking the Bottleneck of Owning in Business
A new business, is more of a gamble. The owner has no idea how the business will perform since it has no past history or customer loyalty. The owner must provide physical facilities, inventories and organization as well as create an image for the business and assume it's risks. There are certain advantages to doing this. The new firm is designed specially by the entrepreneur. Location is selected; not merely accepted because it is already there. The fixtures, equipment, inventories, employees serve the needs of the owner. Although all customers are new and must be attracted to the business, there is no chance of inheriting a poor reputation from the owner.
Rumour Management in the Educational System Theoretical Perspective
Rumour management in the educational system among the employees can be very debilitating for the employer as employees spend work time talking and speculating about the latest rumour. Rumour is unverified information of uncertainty in which is usually by word of mouth. Gossip in our educational system cannot be overemphasized. Grievances are generated when employees in the educational sectors prematurely react to a rumour. It cannot be completely eliminated but officials of our educational system should take prompt action by supplying the employees the fact supported by empathy rather than projection on the part of the employee. Rumour are not mere chance development. They arise from distinct causes. If those causes can be controlled, rumours will much less probably develop in our educational system. Rurnour cannot be avoided among the employees as the employees are curious to know what happening in the environment they work. This paper is focused on rumour management in the educational system: theoretical perspective.
Behavioural Aspects of Managerial Potentials of Nigerian Women
Management behaviour of women managers in Nigeria is base on agenda. It is truly believed, that management behaviour is expected of all manager be they male or female. Previous seminars on women in management major factors against more woman getting into management positions plus the problems they face on the job identified and discussed. The barriers to, reaching management position are both internal and external. These include socialization process, sex stereotyping process of jobs, education, family responsibilities, societal attitudes. Also a lot of constraints on job performance, have been identified as, lack of management training, lack of the need/will to manage, lack of the need for power, lack of the relevant experience, non-membership use of informal professional networks and lack of support by husbands. To acquire the right attitude and behavior consistent with effect with management, women ought to be aware of their constraints and struggle# to overcome them before they can be accepted by men in leadership roles.
Teacheras Remuneration and Their Attitude to Work in Cross River State
This study examined the possible influence of teacher’s remuneration and their attitude to work in Cross River State. Two main hypotheses were formulated for the study and the main instrument were the "Teachers Remuneration and Attitude Questionnaire" (TRAQ). It was given both full and content validity by experts in measurement and evaluation before administration. The TRAQ were administered on ISO teachers using he random sampling technique. The responses obtained from the questionnaire were coded and the Chi-square statistical analyses were used to test the hypotheses. The significance at 0.05 level were also determined. The result showed that regularity in the payment of teachers salaries influenced their attitude to work while payment of remunerations to teachers had an insignificant influence on teachers attitude to work. Based on these findings, recommendations were made for improvement (International Journal of Social Science and Public Policy 2002:5(1) pp 108-113).
Team Building as an Organization Development Strategy
An organization as it implies is a social system deliberately established to carry out some definite purposes. It consists of a number of people in patterned relationships. There need for team training to enhance the team building experience. Team building is the process of helping a work group become more effective in accomplishing its tasks and in satisfying the need of the group members. If we look at the university as a social system} then a strategy of change must aim at changing the entire system - not merely part of it. A strategy for creating greater impact is to expose an organizational team to simultaneous training. The people and problem are still there} the same communication blockage} the same clinging to traditional values} and the same little groups here and there with one intention or the other which is to keep the system in its homeostatic steady state. This paper focuses on one of these families of organization development which is team building.
