Effects of Workplace Characteristics on Work-Life Balance of Women in Nigerian Public Sector

The number of women working outside home setting is on the increase in Nigeria. This is due to changes in their roles as helpers and even breadwinners in some instances. But, this has not removed their traditional roles of being the home keepers.Women are in charge of home management and they are expected to use the available resources effectively to cater for the family. However, theses are often clash with working conditions such as heavy workloads, lack of participation in decisionmaking,health and safety hazards, job insecurity, and tight deadlines. This often leads to work-life conflict. Work-life conflict occurs when the cumulative demands of work and non-work life roles are incompatible in some respect so that participation in one role is made more difficult by participation in the other role. This study, therefore, examined the impacts of workplace characteristics on work-life balance of women in the Nigerian Public Sector. A total of 886 women were randomly selected from three states in south west Nigeria-Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states. These participants were selected from three federal and state ministries- education, health and information. The finding of this study reveals that there is a significant difference in work-life balance of women with supportive and unsupportive bosses in the Nigerian public sector at t=21.56, df =884 and <0.05 significant level. A significant difference in work-life balance of women working in departments where overtime is required and those working where it does not required at t=18.24, df =884 and <0.05 significant level was equally found. It was concluded that many women are having work-life conflict which are caused by unsupportive bosses and other hostile working environments. It was recommended the on-going public service reforms in Nigeria should consider the welfare of women and make available work-life policies which include flexible work scheduling, family leave policies allowing periods away from work for employees to take care of family matters, and childcare assistance

Overcrowding, Age and Gender Differences in the Manifestation of state Anxiety among Undergraduate Students in a Nigerian Public University

Most students in tertiary institutions in Nigeria have a hard time procuring adequate accommodation. Hence, they are usually left with the option of having to share a room with many people resulting inover-crowded hostels. This study sought to examine the effect of over-crowding, age and gender on the state anxiety levels of undergraduates in a Nigerian public university. 192 participants were selected from male and female students residing in the hostels and off-campus with age range of 16 – 30 (mean age = 22.80; SD = 2.70). Average person per room was used to determine how crowded the room was and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y – 1 (STAI – Y1) was administered on the participants. A three-way ANOVA showed a non significant interaction effect between overcrowding, age and gender on the manifestation of anxiety among university undergraduates, F(2, 180) = 2.22, p = 0.11. The result also revealed a significant main effect of gender on the manifestation of state anxiety among undergraduates, F(1, 180) = 18.212, p = 0.00, where males manifested more anxiety than female undergraduates. There was also a significant interaction effect of overcrowding and gender F(1, 180) = 5.67, p = 0.02. It was concluded that university undergraduates should be provided with adequate accommodation in higher institutions they attend in order to reduce overcrowding and state anxiety among undergraduates

La langue de l'ouroboros : suivi de Extraordinaire et science-fiction

Ce court roman de science-fiction met en contexte une île isolée, au coeur d'un monde inondé où se rencontrent des personnages issus d'univers différents. Dans ses cavernes naturelles habitent des autochtones, d'anciens montagnards devenus marins. Ces derniers sont dirigés par un idéaliste exilé de l'ancien monde. Avec eux, il tente de réaliser une société utopique. L'île est séparée en deux par un lac au bout duquel se trouve une tour aux origines obscures où vivent deux reclus du village, un fou et un délinquant. L'équilibre entre ces deux mondes est rompu lorsque débarque sur l'île une alchimiste généticienne en quête du Grand Oeuvre et prête à tout pour atteindre son but. Aidée de son équipage et de technologies futuristes, elle prend d'assaut la tour et y établit son trône. Chaque partie est racontée à partir du point de vue d'un des personnages principaux. Ce roman expérimente la multiplication des voix -qui est soutenue par un jeu de caractères où les italiques jouent un rôle majeur. La réflexion qui suit se penche sur la question de l'extraordinaire (ce qui est hors de l'ordre normal des choses de notre monde) dans la science-fiction. En analysant ce qui est propre à ce genre, cet essai vise à comprendre les avenues qu'offre l'extraordinaire à l'écrivain. L'hypothèse étant que les constructions d'univers fantaisistes de la science-fiction\ud remettent en perspective des réalités sociales et en permettent une réinterprétation. Ce genre offre à l'auteur la possibilité de critiquer la société à partir des constituants de ses univers fictifs parce que l'effet de distanciation créé par l'utilisation de l'ailleurs est porteur d'une vision du monde. Ainsi derrière la trame narrative se cache une intention idéologique que le lecteur ne voit pas nécessairement, puisque l'emphase mise sur les actions des personnages la voile. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Science-fiction, Extraordinaire, Engagement, Ailleurs, Utopie, Étrangeté

Does defence expenditure crowd out human capital expenditure? An empirical investigation in South Asia

Military expenditure and human capital expenditure are important components of central government expenditure. It has been accepted that high and increasing military expenditure may crowd out resources from human development expenditure, as the sources of government revenue are limited. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between military expenditure and, education and health expenditure in conflict affected five countries in South Asia, namely, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka from the period 1980 to 2014, by applying the ARDL bounds test approach to cointegration and VECM Granger causality method. The finding of this study shows a significant negative effect of military expenditure on both health and education expenditure in several countries in South Asia. Moreover, it also provides an evidence for Granger causality in the long-run and in the short-run in most of the countries in South Asia. In addition, the findings of this study serve as a guide to the government and the policy-makers should take rigorous steps to minimize military expenditure through preventing conflict and enhancing good governance, which eventually enhance investment in human developmen