Human resource management : a study of two English district health authorities

The thesis is primarily about personnel management in the National Health Service (NHS). It uses managerial strategy theory to examine the arguments about the changing style of personnel management and the emergence of human resource management (HRN). Some scholars have argued that the adoption of HRM results in an increasing role of line managers in the formulation and implementation of personnel issues. It is further argued that HIM results in increased ambiguity in personnel issues, and consequently poses a threat to personnel management. Using a case study qualitative approach involving the analysis of documents and in-depth, semi-structured interviews, the thesis examined the implications of the integration of the personnel strategy of quality circles into the organizational strategy of quality assurance in two English district health authorities in the Post-Griffiths period. The research revealed that both quality assurance and quality circles initiatives are responses to the potential deterioration in health service delivery as a result of the cuts in health care expenditure. They are, thus, opportunistic and reactive approaches for managing under financial constraints and as such cannot be considered as HRK The empirical evidence indicates that personnel managers did not play any significant role in the quality initiative programmes; as such both programmes did not pose any major threat to personnel management although they encourage line management involvement in personnel issues. This heightens the ambiguity between line and staff functions and relationships in personnel. This research is significant in showing how higher level managerial decisions, a response to environmental pressures provide a link between organizational policies and the employment practices at the lower levels within an organization. It has shed some light also on the supposed effects of employees commitment programmes on personnel management thus contributing to the debate on the supposed 'transformation' of personnel management into HRM

Skills Training in the Informal Sector: Perspectives from Ghana

Youth unemployment is a major concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Unemployment usually results from the lack of appropriate skills to enter the labour market. In Ghana, many enter the informal sector to train for a vocation, but the problem with acquiring skills in the informal sector is that the training is usually informal and unstructured. This article explores the modes of training in the informal sector to find out how the skills provided aid the employability of these workers. It provides empirical evidence to anchor policies on education and institutional policy prescriptions towards effectively equipping the youth with both employable and entrepreneurial skills that promote economic growth in the country. This research adopts a qualitative approach to explore training in the informal sector, and follows the grounded theory process to collect and analyse data. In all, 26 respondents were sampled using the purposive and convenience methods. The findings indicate that training designed for informal workers is not linked to the development agenda of the state, and the institutions are challenged in the execution of their mandates. Some beneficiaries are unable to implement their learning for lack of start-up capital, and they divert to other entrepreneurial activities as a survival strategy. The government needs to plan for the development of entrepreneurial skills in the informal sector, to extend the coverage of this development and to support the industrialisation agenda

Africa Rising in an Emerging World: An International Marketing Perspective

Purpose: The primary goal of this introductory article is to highlight important contemporary themes in international marketing strategy from the perspective of Sub-Saharan African firms. Design/methodology/approach: The approach adopted is a review and synopsis of the existing body of research on international marketing research in Sub-Saharan African, and a discussion of the manuscripts included in the special issue. Findings: International marketing in Sub-Sahara Africa is growing steadily, driven largely by rapid changes in socio-economic and demographic characteristics of consumers in this market. The growing appetite of multinational enterprises to explore new growth opportunities on this continent and the increasing intra-Africa cross-border transactions is driving unique approaches to international marketing that are predicated on using non-traditional means to produce, communicate and distribute products and services. Research limitations/implications: While the international marketing opportunities and challenges discussed in this article are not exhaustive, the paper highlights important research themes that need consideration regarding international marketing research in Sub-Saharan Africa. Originality/value: This introductory article emphasizes the unique international business landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa and discusses its international marketing strategy implications. The article further draws attention to a number of unanswered research questions that require additional research, and thus bring Sub-Saharan Africa to international marketing scholarly enquiry

Burst abdomen in pregnancy: A proposed management algorithm

Management of the burst abdomen is complex due to the co-morbidities associated with it. When coupled with intraabdominal sepsis and pregnancy, it becomes even more difficult due to the ethical issues that have to be considered when managing both mother and child. Due to the paucity of literature on this subject, a management algorithm has been proposed which aims at tackling this delicate issue. However, the major consideration in the management of these cases is that decisions are to be made based on optimization of the condition of the mother.Keywords: Burst abdomen, pregnancy, management, algorithm, intra-abdominal sepsi

DIRECT INSITU MEASUREMENTS OF ABSOLUTE CARRIER ENVELOPE PHASE OF ULTRASHORT PULSES

Many interesting and important physical processes such as high-harmonic generation and coherent control are highly sensitive to the absolute Carrier Envelope Phase (CEP) of ultrashort laser pulses. Thus, the control and measurement of the CEP is of immense importance in strong field physics and chemistry. Even though the relative CEP can be measured with few existing technologies, a simple direct insitu technique has not been developed previously. Here we demonstrate a new technique based on angular streaking that can achieve such a goal. The results have been compared directly with well-known f-2f interferometer measurements. This new technique will assist the research on light-matter interactions involving ultrashort pulses and improve attosecond metrology

An Assessment of the Potential for Mapping Fishing Zones off the Coast of Ghana using Ocean Forecast Data and Vessel Movement

This research assessed the feasibility of mapping potential fishing grounds off the coast of Ghana using vessel trajectories and speeds as proxies for identifying migration patterns and fishing behaviour of inshore trawling vessels. The methods involved the extraction of data from Satellite Automatic Identification System comprising position and speed of the vessel from exactEarth Shipview. Daily oceanographic parameters i.e. sea surface temperature, sea surface height, sea surface salinity, and the current velocity between August 2015- January2016 were obtained from Copernicus (www.marine.copernius.eu). Speed ranges and trajectories indicate that, the vessels steamed between 6.9 to 7.5 knots and fish aggregation mostly occurred closer to the shore predicated on favourable environmental ocean conditions. It was observed that the vessel depicted steaming behaviour in this study, characteristic of a recreational vessel with high speed, moving in straight paths rather than a trawling vessel whose movement occurs in slower and erratic trajectory patterns. The findings strongly suggest that the fishermen operating this trawl vessel have good knowledge of productive fishing grounds. The months with highest probability of catch aggregation were from October 2015 to December 2015, within the geographical locations oflongitude -4o 2 ʹ E and latitude 3.5o 6 ʹ N. The highest probability of catch aggregation was observed in October 2015, probably due to upwelling that occurred during that month. It is concluded that, fishing efficiency of inshore trawling vessels in Ghana could be enhanced with maps indicative of probability of fish aggregation in the ocean

Perception of risk for hypertension and overweight/obesity in Cape Coast, Ghana

Background: This study examined the association between perception of risk for hypertension and overweight/obesity.Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based surveySetting: Out-patient department of the Central Regional Hospital in Cape Coast, Ghana Participants: Adult men and women at least 18 years oldInterventions: NoneMain outcome measures: Perception of risk for hypertension, overweight/obesityResults: About 39% of the participants (N=400) were found to be overweight/obese, with disproportionally higher rates among women (50%) than men (28%). Results of the binary logistic regression models revealed a strong positive association (OR = 2.21, 95% CI =1.23, 3.96) between perception of risk for hypertension and overweight/obesity. Increasing age, high television exposure, female gender and being in a relationship were also noted to be associated with overweight/obesity. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for the design of programmes to help individuals appreciate the reality of weight-related health risks, as well as the need to embrace lifestyles that promote healthy weight outcomes. Funding: Harvard Medical School Travelling Fellowship, Scholars in Medicine Office, Harvard Medical SchoolKeywords: overweight, obesity, risk, perception, hypertension, Cape Coast, Ghan

Toward a construct of liability of origin

In this paper, we advance a novel concept of liability of origin to explicate the mechanisms through which location can be become either a liability or an advantage. Our analysis sheds light on how firms’ ability to compete and gain legitimacy can be derailed or enhanced by their geographical location. We illustrate our theoretical analysis using multiple cases in the airline industry in Africa. Four distinct phases that explicate how liability of origin manifests in firms’ legitimacy quest are indicated. Our work highlights how actions and inactions of rival firms can make the geographical origin of a firm “geographicalness” to shift from being a strategic asset to become a liability. We outline a number of implications for practice and fruitful avenues for future research