Succession Management: A Proficient Resource in Organisational Sustainability?

The competitive business environment has made it imperative for organisations who desire to remain relevant put forward survival strategies. This study explores the effect of succession management on three dimensions of organizational sustainability among insurance industry employees in Nigeria. Data was collected from a sample of employees from selected companies. The study utilised structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesized model of succession management and organisational sustainability as separate but related processes. Looking at the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental integrity, economic prosperity and social sustainability) and how they impact succession management, the findings indicate that succession management has a significant relationship with organisational sustainability across all three dimensions. The study concludes that insurance companies comprehend the inherent potential of a robust and active succession management programme in the drive for organisational sustainability. The study further discusses the theoretical implications of the relationship

Modelling the Predictors of LIS Students' Response to the Pedagogy of Practical Courses on DSLMS in Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, Nigeria

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out how students respond to the pedagogy of practical courses on Delta State Learning Management System (DSLMS) as well as the predictors of students' response to practical courses on DSLMS in Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku (DSPG). Design/Methodology/Approach: A hypothesized research model was designed to help establish the predictors of students’ response to practical courses on DSLMS. Survey design was employed for this study. All the students in the department of Library and Information science, that 131 students, in DSPG were used to carry out this study. The questionnaire was the only instrument used for data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected.Findings: The study revealed that students respond positively to practical course pedagogy on DSLMS due to predictors such as instructor attitudes, quality of course content, and learners' perspectives. Originality/Value: This study is novel and has contributed new knowledge in the aspect of establishing the predictors of students’ response to pedagogical processes of practical courses on online learning system. Students' response to the pedagogy of practical courses on DSLMS is a good indication that students construct knowledge from new learning experiences as postulated by the constructivist theor

Succession Management: A Proficient Resource in Organisational Sustainability?

The competitive business environment has made it imperative for organisations who desire to remain relevant put forward survival strategies. This study explores the effect of succession management on three dimensions of organizational sustainability among insurance industry employees in Nigeria. Data was collected from a sample of employees from selected companies. The study utilised structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesized model of succession management and organisational sustainability as separate but related processes. Looking at the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental integrity, economic prosperity and social sustainability) and how they impact succession management, the findings indicate that succession management has a significant relationship with organisational sustainability across all three dimensions. The study concludes that insurance companies comprehend the inherent potential of a robust and active succession management programme in the drive for organisational sustainability. The study further discusses the theoretical implications of the relationship

KONKURENTNA PREDNOST NIGERIJSKE INDUSTRIJE OSIGURANJA: ULOGA INOVACIONE SPOSOBNOSTI

Emerging technologies have given rise to greater opportunities within the insurance sector with innovations upturning the traditional business model. This study examined competitive advantage and the relationship with innovation capability in Nigerian insurance sector. Employing a cross sectional research design, the study utilised primary data obtained from selected insurance companies through the use of a structured questionnaire. Multistage sampling technique was used and data collected was analysed using regression analysis. The findings revealed innovation capability had a significant influence on competitive advantage. The study concluded that there was a need to pay attention to this capability with a capacity to boost the activities of the industry and recommendations were made.Nove tehnologije su omogućile veće mogućnosti u okviru sektora osiguranja, gde su inovacije preokrenule tradicionalni biznis model. Ovaj rad proučava konkurentnu prednost i njen odnos sa sposobnošću za inovacije nigerijskog sektora osiguranja. Uz pomoć međusektorskog dizajna istraživanja, studija koristi primarne podatke dobijene od odabranih osiguravajućih kompanija uz pomoć strukturisanog upitnika. Korišćena je tehnika višefaznog uzrokovanja, a dobijeni podaci su analizirani uz pomoć regresivne analize. Rezultati su pokazali da je sposobnost za inovacije imala značajnog uticaja na komparativnu prednost. Studija zaključuje da postoji potreba da se obrati pažnja na ovu sposobnost sa mogućnošću da se pojačaju aktivnosti industriuje i date su preporuke

HIV status disclosure to male partners among rural Nigerian women along the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV cascade: a mixed methods study

Abstract Background HIV status disclosure to male partners is important for optimal outcomes in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). Depending on timing of HIV diagnosis or pregnancy status, readiness to disclose and disclosure rates may differ among HIV-positive women. We sought to determine rates, patterns, and experiences of disclosure among Nigerian women along the PMTCT cascade. Methods HIV-positive women in rural North-Central Nigeria were purposively recruited according to their PMTCT cascade status: pregnant-newly HIV-diagnosed, pregnant-in care, postpartum, and lost-to-follow-up (LTFU). Participants were surveyed to determine rates of disclosure to male partners and others; in-depth interviews evaluated disclosure patterns and experiences. Tests of association were applied to quantitative data. Qualitative data were manually analysed by theme and content using the constant comparative method in a Grounded Theory approach. Results We interviewed 100 women; 69% were 21–30 years old, and 86% were married. There were 25, 26, 28 and 21 women in the newly-diagnosed, in-care, postpartum, and LTFU groups, respectively. Approximately 81% of all participants reported disclosing to anyone; however, family members were typically disclosed to first. Ultimately, more women had disclosed to male partners (85%) than to family members (55%). Rates of disclosure to anyone varied between groups: newly-diagnosed and LTFU women had the lowest (56%) and highest (100%) rates, respectively (p = 0.001). However, family (p = 0.402) and male partner (p = 0.218) disclosure rates were similar between cascade groups. Across all cascade groups, fear of divorce and intimate partner violence deterred women from disclosing to male partners. However, participants reported that with assistance from healthcare workers, disclosure and post-disclosure experiences were mostly positive. Conclusion In our study cohort, although disclosure to male partners was overall higher, family members appeared more approachable for initial disclosure. Across cascade groups, male partners were ultimately disclosed to at rates > 75%, with no significant inter-group differences. Fear appears to be a major reason for non-disclosure or delayed disclosure by women to male partners. Augmentation of healthcare workers’ skills and involvement can mediate gender power differentials, minimize fear and shorten time to male partner disclosure among women living with HIV, regardless of their PMTCT cascade status. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov registration number NCT 01936753, September 3, 2013 (retrospectively registered)

“They do not see us as one of them”: a qualitative exploration of mentor mothers’ working relationships with healthcare workers in rural North-Central Nigeria

Abstract Background In HIV programs, mentor mothers (MMs) are women living with HIV who provide peer support for other women to navigate HIV care, especially in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT). Nigeria has significant PMTCT program gaps, and in this resource-constrained setting, lay health workers such as MMs serve as task shifting resources for formal healthcare workers and facility-community liaisons for their clients. However, challenging work conditions including tenuous working relationships with healthcare workers can reduce MMs’ impact on PMTCT outcomes. This study explores the experiences and opinions of MMs with respect to their work conditions and relationships with healthcare workers. Methods This study was nested in the prospective two-arm Mother Mentor (MoMent) study, which evaluated structured peer support in PMTCT. Thirty-six out of the 38 MMs who were ever engaged in the MoMent study were interviewed in seven focus group discussions, which focused on MM workload and stipends, scope of work, and relationships with healthcare workers. English and English-translated Hausa-language transcripts were manually analyzed by theme and content in a grounded theory approach. Results Both intervention and control-arm MMs reported positive and negative relationships with healthcare workers, modulated by individual healthcare worker and structural factors. Issues with facility-level scope of work, workplace hierarchy, exclusivism and stigma/discrimination from healthcare workers were discussed. MMs identified clarification, formalization, and health system integration of their roles and services as potential mitigations to tenuous relationships with healthcare workers and challenging working conditions. Conclusions MMs function in multiple roles, as task shifting resources, lay community health workers, and peer counselors. MMs need a more formalized, well-defined niche that is fully integrated into the health system and is responsive to their needs. Additionally, the definition and formalization of MM roles have to take healthcare worker orientation, sensitization, and acceptability into consideration. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov number NCT01936753, registered September 3, 2013