Determinant of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Low Participation in Public Procurement in Lagos, Nigeria

It is an established fact that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are crucial to economic development of any nation. SMEs participation in every sphere of economic activities including public procurement is one of the ways the sector can promote economic development of the country. However, SMEs sometimes are usually reluctant to sell to government. This study identified and classified into eight themes factors responsible for the low participation of SMEs in public procurement in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data were collected with questionnaires from 193 SMEs Chief executives. Data generated were analyzed using ranking method. The study revealed that perceived lack of transparency in public procurement proceedings, disproportionate eligibility criteria and burdensome nature of public procurement are the major reasons SMEs are reluctant to participate in public procurement in Lagos, Nigeria. It was concluded that transparency is vital in public procurement for SMEs to adequately participate in the process. The study recommended that in order to boost SMEs participation in public procurement transparent procurement management must be guaranteed. Keywords: Determinant; SMEs; Public procurement; Contract; Eligibility criteria.

Bank Service Delivery in Nigeria

Nigeria as a country has recorded significant efficiency in bank service delivery considering her history of banking services. This assertion reflects in the views of banking sector stakeholders in the country and foreign assessors. One milestone was the introduction and effective use of electronic banking system in the last two decades which eliminated hurdles overt with the conventional banking era. Today, banking activities in Nigeria are possible at any time of the day and anywhere without any stress. This is not to say that it has fully complied with global best practices as there are still pockets of complaints from stakeholders especially customers which have expressed dissatisfaction in the quality of banking services rendered to them. In spite of the level of customers’ dissatisfaction, bank service delivery is better than what it was, and the Nigerian banking sector is presently at the front burner in terms of banking service delivery in Africa. Although challenges of employees’ knowledge gaps, technology, inadequate legal framework, incompetent manpower and staff improper attitude remain contentious in the Nigerian banking system, efforts from stakeholders especially the regulator to eliminate these challenges would bring about improved banking service delivery in Nigeria and make it close to global best practices, if not achieve it

Induction and Staff Attitude towards Retention and Organizational Effectiveness

Abstract: Organizations continuously find themselves assessing what resources or tools that can be used to educate their employees. This may be due to the fact that organizations do not have clear ethics which can be communicated to employees. Therefore, this study examined how knowledgeable staffs are about the meaning and benefits of induction. It examined the main attitudes of workers towards induction/orientation to work and how induction programmes motivate staff to be committed to the organizational effectiveness. Descriptive research method was adopted for this study using two hundred and seventy one (271) valid questionnaires which were completed by academic and non-academic staff of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State Nigeria. The data collected were carefully analyzed using descriptive statistics to represent the raw data in a meaningful manner. The findings revealed that induction significantly influences staff attitude and behaviour towards organizational effectiveness. This means that well packaged induction programme will positively influence staff attitude. It was recommended that induction programmes should be reviewed and improved upon from time to time to earn employees loyalty and positive attitudes towards work Keywords: Induction, Orientation, Effectiveness, Attitude, Values, Performance, Commitmen

AN ASSESSMENT OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES CONTRIBUTION TO EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Micro, small and medium enterprises has occupied the most critical aspect of any economy around the world today. This paper assessed the contribution of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on employment generation in Kwara State, Nigeria. To gather information, survey research design method was used in this study. The population includes owners, managers and person in charge human resource/administration in the selected MSMEs which were deliberately chosen. A Total of 76 Questionnaires was distributed and 72 responses of them were usable for data analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive form of tables while hypotheses were tested for with a parametric t-test with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study found that the MSMEs in Kwara State are not well positioned to generate the required level of employment for the people due to poor level of MSMEs growth and inconsistent government policies. It was therefore recommended that there is the need for all the stakeholders (government, business owners/managers, individuals, etc.) in Kwara State to be committed to the need to reposition the MSMEs sector

Optimization of Deep-Fat Frying of Plantain Chips (Ipekere) using Response Surface Methodology

Deep-fat frying of plantain chips (ipekere) was investigated with the aim of predicting optimum operating conditions for plantain chips to minimize oil content in order to produce healthy products. The effect of frying temperature and time on moisture content, oil content, breaking force and colour difference of plantain chips was evaluated. Response surface methodology was used to analyze the results of the central composite design of the frying processes for the responses as a result of variation in the levels of frying temperature (150 – 190oC) and frying time (2 – 4 min). Response surface regression analysis shows that responses were significantly (p<0.05) correlated with frying temperature and time. Regression model was developed for the investigation of the effect of frying temperature and time on the responses. The polynomial regression models were validated with statistical tool whose values of coefficients of determination (R2) were 0.995, 0.982, 0.971 and 0.996 for moisture content, oil content, breaking force and colour difference, respectively. The optimum values of moisture content, oil content, breaking force and colour difference were 3.73%, 1.18%, 17.66 N and 65.53, respectively, at frying temperature of 183oC and frying time of 3 min. Therefore, frying conditions had a significant effect on the quality attributes of chips produced from plantain. Keywords: plantain chips, deep-fat frying, regression models, texture and colou

Stress Management and Employee Performance

Purpose: This study investigated the extend at which stress has affected the performance of staff in organization setting. It addressed how performance can be improved upon for effective service delivery.   Improving the performance of employees working within an organization has received attention in different contexts. This occurs because for an organization to achieve high performance, the contributions of its employees matter a lot to achieve their goals. For any organization to achieve its essence, it must have acquired the right calibre of employees and managed them properly. Is at the instance of this that this study was carried out to address how improved performance can be recorded and how stress can be properly managed for effective service delivery.   Theoretical framework:  The aim of stress management is to ensure effective performance of staff in organization and to meet the aim of the organization and deliver services effectively. Several concepts, such as: stress, stressors, signs, symptoms and sources, stress management, stress management practice and employee performance were reviewed to align with the direction of the study. The focus is to see to how personnel in organization can perform effectively, be able to manage stress. Factors causing stress were studied and addressed.   Methodology/Design/Approach: This study which is descriptively adopted the survey research method. The study was carried out at a private university in southwest Nigeria.  The population of this study comprised all the non-academic staff in the university. Two hundred and eighty (280) non-academic staff of the University participated in the survey. The questionnaire was the instrument for data collection in this research. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data that had been obtained.   Findings: The study finding revealed that stress has a significant impact on employee performance. The outcome also showed a substantial correlation between employees' performance and personal stress management strategies. This suggests that personal stress management strategies should be encouraged because they are linked to workers' productivity. The findings suggest that its contribution to employee performance is minimal perhaps because individuals do not adopt these techniques of stress management.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The study concentrate on how stress can be well managed in organization because of the ill stress has caused in the performance of organization.  It has also been established that there are two techniques namely individual and organisational approaches to stress management.   Originality/value: The study added value to body of knowledge because its outcome showed that without effective stress management strategies, organization can not meet up with its optimization level in terms service delivery and achieving the goals of the organization.  The individual techniques of stress management were found to have a significant role to play in suppressing employee poor performance while the organizational stress management techniques provide organizational support for employees to improve their performance on the job. This study established that effective stress management among non-academics of Bowen University would improve their performance on the job. The study as recommends that Management should redefine the stress management policy of the University to address gaps in it and make it more robust

Employees’ Resilience, Organizational Culture and Sustainable Performance of Tertiary Hospitals in Oyo State, Nigeria

Purpose: The study examined the role of employees’ resilience and organisational culture in the sustainable performance of tertiary hospitals in Oyo State, Nigeria, it examined the nature of relationship that exist among employees resilience level, organisational culture and sustainable performance; examined the influence of employees resilience level on sustainable performance; determined the impact of organisational culture on tertiary hospitals sustainable performance; investigated the moderating role of organisational culture in the relationship between employee resilience level and tertiary hospitals sustainable performance; and examined the impact of medical personnel resilience on patient satisfaction in tertiary hospitals. The conditions of the health workers in Nigeria necessitated this study in order to draw the attention of policy makers and tertiary hospitals Management to the need of coming to the aid of health workers in terms of improved services.   Theoretical framework:  The aim of employees’ resilience in the tertiary hospital is to ensure effective performance of the health workers and for them to be able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions in the world of works. Noting that they experience serious stress as a result of the mass relocation of health workers in Nigeria to the western world for greener pastures which therefore put pressures on the ones on ground and finding it difficult to cope with the rigor of work. The study proffers solutions to the difficulties being experience by the health workers. When compared with the developed countries, health workers welfare are well taken care of which the reverse is the case in Nigeria.   Methodology/Design/Approach: This study adopted quantitative design through a survey approach to answer the research questions raised. Questionnaire was made use of to gather data. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques of Social Package of Social Sciences, The population of the study comprises of two (2) sets of respondents which are Medical Personnel and Patients, 338 Medical Personnel and 50 patients were given questionnaire and wee returned.   Findings: The outcome of the findings indicated that employees’ resilience level has a statistically significant positive and low correlation with sustainable performance ( ). Moreover, employees resilience has a statistically significant positive correlation with organizational culture ( ). In addition, organizational culture had a positive and statistically significant relationship with sustainable performance ( ). The result revealed that organizational culture did not moderate the relationship between employees’ resilience level and tertiary hospital sustainable performance ( ). This implies that organizational culture is not a moderator between employees’ resilience level and tertiary hospital sustainable performance. The results also revealed that patients are satisfied with the communication style of the medical personnel (100%), the explanation mode of the medical personnel (85%), the ways by which the medical personnel relate with them (95%), general relationship (100%), the technical skills of the medical personnel (80%) and awareness of their health issue (100%). The medical personnel are well trained and cultured through their professional ways of discharging their duties to safe lives. It also, charged the Nigerian Government to improve in the working conditions of the health workers.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The study resolves by implication that, employees’ resilience and organizational culture have significant relationship with sustainable performance while employees’ resilience level has a statistically significant positive correlation with organizational culture. Employees’ resilience through contextual and behavioural dimensions do not significant predictors on sustainable performance while cognitive dimension significantly predicts of tertiary hospital sustainable performance. The study also clarified that organizational culture is not a moderator of the relationship between employees’ resilience and tertiary hospital sustainable performance. Patients are satisfied with the medical personnel service delivery in these tertiary hospitals. It recommends among others, that medical personnel’s behavioural and contextual dimensions of employees’ resilience should be further enhanced by hospital stakeholders, especially the management to enhance sustainable performance.   Originality/Value: The study added value to body of knowledge because its implications both practical and social affirmed that without creating enabling environment, organizational culture, the level of employees’ resilience is advanced and better and appropriate management strategies, organizational culture that will meet up with its optimization level in terms service delivery and effective welfare of health workers should be put in place from time ti time. The study as recommends that medical personnel’s behavioural and contextual dimensions of employees’ resilience level should be further enhanced by hospital stakeholders, especially the management to enhance sustainable performance

An Assessment of Workplace Deviant Behaviours and Its Implication on Organisational Performance in a Growing Economy

Deviant behaviours of employees in organisations have become serious concern in human resources management. The objective of this study is to examine the scope, causes, consequences and managerial strategic approach to various forms of behaviours and attitudes intentionally exhibited by the employees in workplace. The idea is to find out the reasons why employees engage such behaviours. The study extensively reviewed current literature on existing body of empirically-based studies of the construct. It was discovered that workplace deviant behaviours had adverse effects on job performance. Therefore, effort must be intensified to prevent these behaviours

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation of Mass Transfer during Deep-Fat Frying of Plantain (\u3ci\u3eMusa paradisiacal\u3c/i\u3e AAB) Chips (\u3ci\u3eipekere\u3c/i\u3e)

This study developed a mathematical model following the fundamental principles of mass transfer for the simulation of the oil and moisture content change during the Deep-Fat Frying of plantain (ipekere) chip. The explicit Finite Difference Technique (FDT) was used to conduct a numerical solution to the consequential governing equation (partial differential equation) that was used to describe the mass transfer rate during the process. Computer codes that were computed in MATLAB were used for the implementation of FDT at diverse frying conditions. Samples of the plantain were cut into portions of 2 mm thickness, and these sliced portions were fried at separate frying oil temperatures (170, 180 and 190°C) between 0.5 and 4 minutes. The experimental data and the predicted outcomes were compared for the validation of the model, and the juxtaposition revealed a plausible agreement. The predicted values and the experimental values of oil and moisture transfer models produced correlation coefficients that range from 0.96 to 0.99 and 0.94 to 0.99, respectively. The predicted outcomes could be utilized for the control and design of the DFF

Practicable Vocational and Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition for job Creation and Poverty Alleviation Among Nigerian Youths

Purpose:  This study examined the concepts of poverty, youth unemployment and vocational and entrepreneurial skills acquisition. It also identified the various factors responsible for poverty and youth unemployment in Nigeria. It highlighted the rationale for Nigerian youths to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance, income generation, wealth creation and employment generation for others.   Theoretical Framework: The aim of  vocational and entrepreneurial skills acquisition is to make it practicable in order to drive and deliver the purpose of job creation and poverty alleviation among Nigerian youths. Making it more practicable achieves the driving force to creating economic values and creative business engagements by Nigerians. The focus also provides job opportunities for the teeming Nigerian youths, channels their future to productive activities and turn to make poverty and unemployment to be things of the past if the practicability is achieved through entrepreneurial activities.   Design/Methodology/Approach:  The study adopted the mode of conducting literature review and conceptualization of the variables and x-rayed the  reasons for poverty and unemployment and deepen how the social problems can be identified and reduced to the barest minimum in Nigeria.   Findings: Our findings revealed there is serious poverty and unemployment in Nigeria. It as well suggest that it is of valuable and useful direction to promote practicable skills acquisition among Nigerian youths and that the curricula of Nigerian educational institutions should be more pragmatic and have built-in-job training programmes that would enable students to acquire relevant practicable vocational and entrepreneurial skills required for self-employment, job and wealth creation and poverty alleviation. While all stakeholders should be actively involved in the funding of vocational and entrepreneurship education.   Research, Practical & Social implications: This study in its focus contributes to a better understanding of the important role being played by entrepreneurial skills acquisition in achieving practicable vocational skills and to develop entrepreneurial attitudes of Nigerian youths  that will form the economic growth of the country through their engagements and make them employers of labour through their acquired practicable vocational skills acquisition to better the society. This study also contributes to a better understanding of the causes of the menace which therefore proffers solution to tackling the problem of poverty among Nigerian youths through the provision of a viable, robust, comprehensive and practical-oriented vocational and entrepreneurship education.  It also expressed how the collective responsibility of all prominent Nigerians could be keyed-into supporting entrepreneurship programmes in Nigeria in the area of funding of vocational and entrepreneurship education in Nigeria which both Government at Federal, State and Local Government levels and the Non-Govermental Organisations (NGOs).   Originality/value: The added value of this study provides insights on how vocational entrepreneurial skills acquisition programmes can be practicable effective in a way to structure the future of Nigerian youths and citizens for productive economic activities. It is as well sought how poverty and unemployment can be reduced and make citizens focus for economic growth and self-dependence businesses