The Effect of Minimum Wage in the Fight Against Corruption Among Civil Servants in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study examined the effect of minimum wage in the fight against corruption among civil servants in Ekiti state, Nigeria. The objectives were targeted towards assessing the effect of unemployment, briberies, basic salary, annual bonus, productivity and performance pay and allowance on corruption. Primary data were sourced through the use of structured questionnaire on carefully selected sample of 378 out of the 7,062 workers drawn from thirteen (13) chosen Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Government Corporations in Public Service of Ekiti State with staff strength of two hundred (200). Multiple regression analysis were adopted to measure the effect of unemployment, briberies, basic salary, annual bonus, productivity and performance pay and allowance on corruption. The study found that effect of unemployment on corruption (β = -0.218, p= 0.033), basic salary (β = 0.209, p= 0.007), annual bonus (β = 0.040, p= 0.003), and allowance (β = 0.741, p= 0.000). The study concluded that due process in awarding government contract are not strictly adhere to, this give room for civil servant in the state to be conscious of what to be receive either in form of gift or bribe and the annual bonus has no effect on their daily living even when paid and the various work allowance (e.g. wardrobe, leave, furniture, newspaper allowance), still could not meet the works’ needs do to economy recession. Keywords: unemployment, basic salary, allowance, corruption, minimum wag

The impact of employee ambidexterity on organisational and marketing innovations: organisational context for exploiting the present and exploring for the future

Research studies on innovation tend to focus more on Process and Product Innovations (PPIs), while both Organisational and Marketing Innovations (OMIs) have been under-researched. The lack of prior research on these non-technological innovations has been attributed to poor data availability. Theoretical opinions show that OMIs could be necessary prerequisites needed to optimally utilise and deploy these PPIs. Organisational Ambidexterity (OA) has emerged to be crucial in achieving long-term organisational success. Ambidexterity in an organisational context refers to the ability to concurrently exploit current competitive advantage and explore new opportunities with equal dexterity. For firms to remain competitive and adaptive to continuous change in the business environment, OA has been noted as a necessary attribute, but research on ambidexterity at the individual level of analysis is limited. There is a lack of understanding of how individual ambidexterity at the lower-levels of the organisation affects the overall ambidexterity of the organisation. This research explores organisational context antecedents of OMIs capabilities; Organisational and Employee Ambidexterity, and identifies how individual employees in Small and Medium-sized Manufacturing and Service Organisations could contribute to the capability of their organisation to concurrently exploit present market opportunities and explore new opportunities, towards sustaining their competitive advantage. This study involves a two-phase sequential mixed methods design beginning with a qualitative exploratory research involving 15 in-depth Nigerian-based interviews. The first phase facilitated preliminary assessment of organisational context, measured by the Cameron and Quinn’s Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument. This phase also aided the understanding of factors that promote OMIs capabilities and the development of themes used to design the survey instrument for the second phase. The second phase involved a quantitative study of 398 shop-floor and 202 managerial staff from Small and Medium-sized Nigerian Manufacturing and Service Organisations. This phase was characterised by descriptive and inferential statistics through Structural Equation Modelling. This aided identifying the organisational context that promotes Employee Ambidexterity (EA) and the relationships between EA; OA; and OMIs’ capabilities. vi Drawing upon information-rich evidence, this study identified enablers that could promote EA; OA; OMIs; effective innovations; and sustainable organisational growth. Statistical evidence from the research findings shows that Organic Structure and Knowledge Sharing, plus a Flexible and Family-like Organisational Culture: 1. enhances Employee Ambidexterity and Level of Engagement; 2. improves employees’ contributions to OA, OMIs and SMEs’ growth; 3. optimises the internal capabilities of SMEs in order to promote their sustainable growth; 4. enables SMEs to search for new market opportunities and strengthen current market positions concurrently; and 5. promotes viable Manufacturing and Service SMEs that are needed to offset the prevalent public sector job losses. A framework that relates: Individual and Organisational Ambidexterity; Organisational and Marketing Innovations capabilities; and Organisational Performance, has been identified in this study. While Marketing Innovation capability and Exploitative Orientation of Ambidexterity target the short term organisational benefits, Organisational Innovation capability and Explorative Orientation of Ambidexterity address the long term competitive advantage of the organisations. Besides advancing literature on the study of Organisational Ambidexterity by combining the individual level of analysis with the organisational level of analysis, this study identifies frameworks that promote effective innovation and sustainable organisational performance through shop floor employees’ contributions to Organisational Ambidexterity and OMIs in SMEs. Outcomes of this research have been eye-openers for the case organisations on how to optimally utilise their resources (people, materials, knowledge, technology and other assets) to achieve sustainable growth and long term success

IS PRIVATIZATION AN ANTIDOTE TO CORRUPTION AND INEFFICIENCY IN NIGERIA STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES?

The idea that privatization of public enterprises can bring about efficiency has been a subject of debate over the years. While some scholars believe that privatization is necessary to guarantee efficiency and also reduce corruption, others believe that it has negative effect on wealth distribution and also engenders inequalities. Anchored on neo-liberalism theory, the study tries to answer the question whether privatization is actually a panacea to inefficiency and corruption in the management of public enterprises with reference to NlTEL. The study finds that corruption and inefficiency that dogged the path of NITEL which became obvious when some communication companies were allowed to compete with NlTEL brought to the fore the idea of privatizing it. However, the privatization exercise is also fraught with corruption. The paper recommends, among other things, the need to allow the rule of Jaw and transparency to guide subsequent privatization of any public enterprise

Determinants of food choices of adolescents in south-western Nigeria

Food choices of adolescents have become increasingly unhealthy, putting them at increased risk of malnutrition, as they grow older. The study investigated the  determinants of food choices of adolescents in order to assess their nutritional knowledge and implication. World Health Organisation (WHO) describes children aged 10-19 years as adolescents. Four hundred and one adolescents who were in secondary schools were interviewed from six of the thirty local government areas of Osun State, which is a south-western state of Nigeria. Based on the population of secondary schools in the local government areas, thirty-two schools were sampled. Pre tested structured questionnaires using a set of high quality colour photographs of foods and drinks that would typically be offered to adolescents were used. The photographs, showing one item each, included foods such as biscuits, buns, meat pie that were classified as “snacks” and those, such as rice and beans garnished  with vegetable and either fish/meat stew, stewed beans, pounded yam that formed  part of a conventional meal. In the same manner, photographs showing a bottle of  coke, milk, chocolate drink and home made non-alcoholic drinks were presented. This was used to elicit information from the respondents. Descriptive statistical  techniques such as frequency counts, percentage, mean and standard deviation,  likewise inferential tools, such as, correlation analysis and analysis of variance  (ANOVA) were used in data analysis. The study showed positive and significant correlation between the preference and nutritional contents of foods (r = 0.514,  p<0.05) and drinks (r = 0.346, p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the  preference and perceived nutritional contents of the foods (F = 3.072), while there  was a difference in the choice and perceived nutritional contents of drinks (F =  0.217) among the urban and rural adolescents. It is concluded that, the food choice of the adolescents in the study area was based more on taste preference than the nutritional contents. The nutritional knowledge of the adolescents in the study area is high but the knowledge on home made non alcoholic drinks is low. Nutrition  education should be intensified especially on traditional foods and home made non-alcoholic drinks that are nutritious.Keywords: Adolescents, Food choices, Nutritional knowledge

Analytical Modelling of Human Arm Locomotion during Dance as a Dynamical Multiple Pendulum System

During dance human arms move. The movement of the arms, to a large extent, determines how good a dance is. This paper attempts to model the locomotion of human arm, analytically, during a dance as a dynamical multiple pendulum system with three segments. The system is analyzed by considering some instances during the dance. The three angles the three segments make with the vertical are considered. The Euler-Lagrange equation is used in obtaining the equation of Motion. The resulted second order differential equation is solved analytically. Simulation results are presented. They are consistent with the ones in literature. Specifically the angular displacement values of the three segments are directly proportional to their respective angular acceleration. However, the novelty of this work is in the full analytical approach to 3-pendulum system and its application to danc

CHARACTERISATION OF PARTIALLY PURIFIED CELL WALL-DEGRADING ENZYMES: POLYGALACTURONASE AND CELLULASE FROM TOMATO FRUITS DEGRADED BY ASPERGILLUS NIGER

Aspergillus niger is a soil saprobe and produces a wide array of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes and cell wall degrading enzymes. An investigation on the various properties of partially purified polygalacturonase and cellulase enzymes extracted from tomato fruits deteriorated by Aspergillus niger was carried out in this study. The results obtained shows that temperature, pH and substrate concentration have a profound effect on enzyme activity. The molecular weights of the enzymes extracted also suggest that it may be species dependen

Dynamic Modeling and Analysis of Inverted Pendulum using Lagrangian-Differential Transform Method

There has been an increase in application of pendulum in robotics which is applicable in Medicine, Agriculture, Military, Industries Explorations and Entertainment. Many Researchers have shown interest in inverted pendulum stability and control in recent years. This study is concerned with the development of equation of motion of inverted pendulum and its analysis by adopting the Lagrangian and Differential Transform Method (DTM) respectively. The resulting equations were solved analytically. Results obtained are consistent with the ones in the literatur

Rheological characteristics of aluminium oxide (AL2O3) based nanolubricant

This paper presents the rheological measurement of aluminium oxide (Al2O3) nanolubricant. The nanolubricant was prepared using the two-step method from dry Al2O3 nanoparticles and Capella D lubricant as base fluid. The dynamic viscosity of the Al2O3 nanolubricant at constant shear rate was measured at atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 278 K to 323 K for pure based lubricant along with nanolubricant mass concentration of 1%, 2% and 4% with nanoparticle size of 10 nm, 20-30 nm and 80 nm. The measured data was analysed using the linear fit and exponential function fit. The result showed that at constant particle size and concentration, the dynamic viscosity reduces with increase in temperature while at constant temperature, the viscosity increased with nanoparticle concentration. The exponential function fit regression best describe the relationship between the viscosity and temperature when compared with the linear fit regression while the polynomial function fit best describe the relationship between the viscosity and mass concentration. Keywords: Dynamic viscosity, nanolubricant, shear rate, regression, concentration, temperatur