Outcomes of Planned Organisational Change in the Nigerian Public Sector: Insights from the Nigerian Higher Education Institutions

Conflicting and multiple theories on organisation theory make it complex and therefore present a challenge to public sector administrators and researchers in the public sector. This research shows that government reform agenda did not achieve the desired result in improving the quality and standard of education in Nigerian higher education. There are therefore still gaps in understanding the process of introducing reforms agenda. The result of the in-depth interviews conducted indicated that cultural differences account for organisational values. Thirty one respondents from the five higher institutions in Kwara State, Nigeria and senior officers from the state ministry of education, science and technology believed that a uniform reform agenda would be difficult to implement in all local governments with varying educational needs and levels of educational development. The analysis of the result suggested that culture determines and influences the values of where the institutions are situated. It was discovered that the five institutions have different needs which the society will appreciate if reform agenda focuses on such requirements of the institutions. The paper suggests that the values of the society where an institution is situated should be understood before a reform is formulated. This practice will make the reform easy to implement and reduce the incidence of resistance

Impact of leadership styles on employee engagement and conflict management practices in Nigerian universities

This study explores how leadership styles impact work engagement and conflict management practices in Nigerian universities. It utilises a qualitative research design, focusing on 40 semi-structured interviews with senior university management staff comprising Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, Bursars, Deans of Faculties and senior nonteaching staff (i.e. chief librarians) of some selected institutions. The findings reveal cultural values shaping the choice of authoritative, transactional and transformational leadership styles were commonly adopted. Results further indicate how Nigerian academic institutions and processes are considered as being overly bureaucratic and transactional. Additionally, some context-specific norms were found to influence leadership functions impacting work engagement and conflict management practices. In summary, the study suggests practice and policy implications that can enhance the direction and development of effective leadership in this context

An Exploration of the Practices of Locational Flexibility in Developing Economies: Insights from the Nigerian Higher Education Sector

Purpose – This study explores the practices of locational flexibility in the Nigerian higher education sector. It examines the realities of remotely organising and managing academics’ teaching and administrative workload, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – Relying on the interpretative paradigm, the dataset consists of semi-structured interviews with 92 professionals in the Nigerian higher educational institution (HEI) sector drawn from private and public federal government-owned and regional (otherwise known as state government) tertiary institutions. Findings – The study highlights the practices of locational flexibility across the Nigerian higher education sector. Therefore, it underscores the notions of locational flexibility from the perspective of Nigerian academics. It reveals a paucity in the range and usage of locational flexibility options across the Nigerian higher education sector, as well as the factors shaping its implementation and utilisation. Ultimately, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings reveal that locational flexibility is predominantly environmentally induced. Originality/value – This study focused on a salient topic that explores the practices of locational flexibility, particularly in an underresearched context of developing economies, specifically Nigeria. Moreover, the study contributes to the scarce literature on locational flexibility. Additionally, unlike previous studies that are mostly preoccupied with the meaning of the concept and the importance of the practice to employees’ work-life balance, organisational flexibility, and overall operational performance, this study underpins the practices, utilisation and barriers to implementing locational flexibility

Investigating the Potential Economic Impact of Brexit Decisions on Business Performance in the United Kingdom: A Case Study of the UK Construction Industry

The looming argument on the decision of the United Kingdom (UK) to leave the European Union (EU) popularly referred to as Brexit is UK's greatest concern today. While business experts and economic analysts have been trying to decipher the potential effects of this decision, many businesses are beginning to prepare themselves for the worst-case scenario. This study is primarily aimed at investigating the potential economic impact of Brexit on business performance in the United Kingdom with specific reference to the construction industry which serves as one of the UK’s major contributor to output. The methodology, therefore, is based on an epistemological assumption grounded in positivistic philosophy with the use of a deductive and applied research approach. Additionally, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed using secondary sources of data. The data was further estimated using a t-Test statistical model to test the significance level between the population means of the variables measured along a time period that covers 2014 to 2018. The variables measured include industry labour employment, interest rate, inflation and exchange rate, output, imports, and exports. The research findings suggest that there are potential adverse effects of Brexit on labour activities within the industry if a favourable deal is failed to be struck. Additionally, external economic factors were deemed to have a very high negative influence on business performance. It was also reported that trading activities which were the core performance measures in the industry were not significantly reactive to Brexit since the leave vote although there are potential threats after the implementation period

An Examination on the Effect of Regional Disintegration on Industry Performance: The Post-Brexit Decision

Ongoing research on the uncertainties surrounding Brexit as a form of regional disintegration is a teeming challenge for many of the industries in the United Kingdom, and as such, various researches are being undergone by experts in different fields to analyse the potential effects both positive and negative on the various industries. This research, therefore, aimed to focus mainly on the effect of regional disintegration on industry performance with emphasis on Brexit.  The research considers the financial services and insurance industry in the United Kingdom as a case study. To consider the potential effect of regional disintegration, the research examined a 5-year quarterly data trend analysis spanning from 2014 till 2018 which represents two years before and two years after the pronouncement of the referendum in June 2016. The study further adopted a deductive approach while using both quantitative and qualitative research strategies. The data collection method involved the use of secondary data gotten from government reports and statistical bulletins. The variables were grouped into three categories including the macroeconomic factors (inflation, exchange rate and interest rate), trade performance (imports, exports and industry consumer price index), and demand and supply of labour (employment levels). The data analysis was conducted using a t-test statistic to ascertain if there is any significant difference in the population means of the variables. The findings revealed that the macroeconomic factors have more significant adverse effects on the industry's performance, while there are both positive and negative effects of regional integration on trade performance. Lastly, a no-deal outcome is likely to pose a significant threat to the industry’s demand and supply of labour.  In general, the findings of the research allude to the fact that regional disintegration has both positive and negative effects on industry performance. Some recommendations were provided based on a no-deal or deal outcome

Working with Emotions: Cultural Employee Perspectives to Call Centre Service Expectations

Purpose – Drawing on the emotional labour theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of cultural orientation on emotion regulation and display processes for service employees. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a Nigerian study where literature is scarce, data were gathered from semi-structured interviews conducted with 40 call centre service agents. Findings – The findings identified three key values around reinforcing social cohesion, anticipated self-curtailment, hierarchy and expressions of servility based on broader societal needs to promote relational harmony when managing customer relations during inbound calls into the call centre. Research limitations/implications – The extent to which the findings can be generalised is constrained by the limited and selected sample size. However, the study makes contributions to the service work theory by identifying the extent to which communication of emotions is informed in large parts by local culture and seeks to incite scholarly awareness on the differences of emotional display rules from a developing country other than western contexts. Originality/value – This paper is among the first to focus on the interface between culture and emotional labour from a Sub-Saharan African context. Keywords: Service employees, Emotion and culture, Nigeria and call centre

Exploring cultural values in conflict management: a qualitative study of university heads of departments

Purpose: In seeking to understand the impact of culture on conflict management (CM), extant organisational management research has, for the most part, confined itself to using the one-dimensional collectivism/individualism model of Hofstede’s cultural theory. The present study extends this knowledge area by adopting the more comprehensive analysis of Hofstede’s fourfold dimensional typology—power distance, individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and masculinity/femininity—as a conceptual lens to investigate how national culture impacts the interpersonal conflict management of those in leadership positions in higher education institutions. Specifically, this article explores the extent to which cultural values influence the conflict management practices of university heads of departments (HODs). Design/methodology/approach: Adopting a qualitative approach, 36 interviews were conducted with heads of different departments across a variety of disciplines in selected Nigerian universities. Findings: The study’s results conceptualise how underlying cultural norms—promoting paternalism, servility and social relations—influence the conflict-handling strategies adopted by university HODs. It consequently emerged from our thematic analysis that in Nigeria, conflict-handling decisions are shaped by status-based dictates, a normative emphasis on communality, masculine hegemony and religious motivation—as opposed to Western cultures, where these benevolent and integrative values play a far smaller role. Limitation/implications: The study focused on a small group of research subjects. Although the sample is not a sample that enables generalisation, our findings provide theoretical insights into how cultural ascendancy could frame conflict resolutions. This research is especially relevant as it runs in a culture significantly different from the ones that originally were investigated and in which managerial books and mainstream practices emerged and, thus, can contribute to challenge and enhance theory. Originality/value: The study seeks to advance knowledge of the interface between culture and conflict management in a Sub-Saharan African context where literature is scarce

In the Grip of Traditionalism? How Nigerian Middle-Class Working Mothers Navigate Normative Ideals of Femininity

Changing socio-economic conditions are enticing more and more Nigerian mothers to work and pursue careers. This article explores how middle-class professional women navigate working mother subjectivities in the context of Nigeria’s strong patriarchal culture, where traditional notions of maternal femininity prevail. We argue that the working mother subjectivity is a key site where the struggle over gendered cultural meanings takes place. Drawing on 32 qualitative interviews, we demonstrate how a small group of women refused traditional feminine subject positions; however, most either embraced or reluctantly acquiesced to them, despite having access to broader cultural repertoires and material resources. By unveiling the complexities of the cultural appeal of traditional femininity and social penalties for breaching it, the article extends our understanding of how patriarchal cultures resist gendered change and the nuances and limits of individual patterns of resistance