Gender stereotypes and career choices: A cross-sectional study on a group of South African students in construction programmes

Gendered perceptions may determine the aspirations and expectations, as well as the academic and career choice of young people. This article examines the role of gender stereotypes as a predictor of career choices of students in construction. A survey of 229 conveniently sampled students, enrolled in construction-related programmes was conducted. The objectives of the study are to measure the relationship between gender stereotypes and career choice behaviour, and to measure the effect of gender and socio-economic status on how gender stereotypes influence student’s career choices. The Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to test for significant differences between gender and socio-economic status (SES) groups. Results show that, as opposed to men, women seem to perceive gender stereotypes as having more influence on their career choices than men. The study finds statistically significant differences in gender stereotypes among the low and medium socio-economic groups

Scope and relevance of customary arbitration as mechanism for settlement of dispute in the 21st century

This paper examines the scope and relevance of customary arbitration proceedings in Nigeria prior to the advent of modern arbitration practice. The paper argues for the relevance of customary arbitration in this 21st century. It discusses the basic characteristics and requirements of a valid customary arbitration. The paper submits that the validity of customary arbitral award is determined by voluntary submission of dispute by parties to traditional arbitrator(s) recognised under native law and custom and that in the absence of any vitiating elements that may affect the voluntariness or otherwise of such an arbitral process, the arbitration is binding on the parties and would operate as estoppel to bar subsequent proceedings between the parties. The paper advocates for the adoption of customary arbitration as dispute settlement mechanism in Nigeria along-side the statutory arbitration to give parties the option of choosing either of the two mechanisms for resolution of their disputes.Keywords: Relevance, Customary Arbitration, Mechanism, Settlement and Dispute

Expanded Criteria Donors: Process and Outcomes

Expanded criteria donor (ECD) kidneys are transplantable deceased donor (DD) kidneys for which the average patient, graft survival, and renal function are inferior when compared to standard criteria DD kidneys. Although the term ECD kidneys has been used since the early 1990s to describe kidneys with various characteristics associated with poorer outcomes, the concept has been formally implemented in U.S. organ allocation. A DD kidney is considered to be an ECD organ if the estimated adjusted risk of graft failure is ≥ 70% (RR ≥ 1.70) compared to DD kidneys with standard characteristics of transplant suitability. The donor characteristics that define an ECD kidney include age ≥ 60 years, or age 50–59 years plus two of the following: cerebrovascular accident as the cause of death, preexisting hypertension, or terminal serum creatinine greater than 1.5 mg/dl. In the aggregate, recipients of ECD kidneys have improved survival compared to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on the kidney transplant waiting list. Patient survival is 5% lower at 1 year and 8–12% lower at 3–5 years for ECD kidney recipients. Adjusted graft survival in ECD kidneys is 8% lower at 1 year and 15–20% lower at 3–5 years after transplantation compared to standard criteria donor kidneys. However, patients less than 40 years of age, African Americans, Asians for whom the median waiting time is less than 1350 days receive no survival benefit from ECD kidney transplantation. Informed choice by the potential recipient is a prominent feature of the allocation policy regarding ECD kidneys. Since there are recipient characteristics associated with no survival benefit following ECD transplantation, nephrologists who refer patients for kidney transplantation should be familiar with the combination of donor and recipient factors that are likely to yield detrimental results.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74587/1/j.1525-139X.2005.00090.x.pd

Some Statistical Analysis of Poultry Feeds Data

In this study we presented generalized exponential power distribution as an alternative to normal distribution commonly used in the analysis of agricultural data. The distribution which is more robust in modeling because of the present of shape parameters, which regulates it tails. Some of its mathematical and statistical properties are examined. The application of the probability density function is demonstrated in fitting poultry feeds data. The goodness-of-fit test was carried to show that it is a better substitute to normal distribution in applications

A critical anaylsis of the mechanisms for settlement of investment disputes in international arbitration

This paper analyses the mechanism for settlement of investment dispute in International Arbitration. The paper adopts doctrinal and analytical approach to legal research. The study examines the provisions of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSID) being the most recognised platform for settlement of investment dispute. However, references were made to similar institutions for comparison. The study reveals that Investment Treaties - either multi or bilateral treaty (BITs) are entered into to provide avenue for settlement of investment dispute that may arise between states or their nationals to the treaty. The paper argues that certain provisions of ICSID and other institutional mechanisms for settlement of investment dispute contain compulsory arbitration thereby negating the concepts of consent and party autonomy which are salient elements of international arbitration. The paper concludes with recommendations that the offending provisions of ICSID should be reformed in tandem with jurisprudence of arbitration proceedings.Keywords: Mechanisms, Settlement, Investment, ICSID, Disputes and International Arbitratio

Parental involvement, interest in schooling and school environment as predictors of academic self-efficacy among fresh secondary school students in Oyo State, Nigeria,

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of parental involvement, interest in schooling and school environment on academic self-efficacy of fresh secondary school students. Two hundred and fifty students constituted the study's sample. Both the independent and the dependent variables were measured with relevant standardized instruments. Two research questions were answered in the study. The results showed that the independent variables both jointly and relatively contributed significantly to the prediction of academic self-efficacy of fresh secondary school students. On the strength of these findings, the need to foster home-school partnership, enhance student interest and make the school environment child friendly was stressed and advocated

Effectiveness of contractor development programme in KwaZulu-Natal

The article investigates the level of satisfaction with the South African Department of Public Work’s Contractor Development Programme (CDP) in terms of its effectiveness. A mixed method research approach (combination of quantitative and qualitative approach) is employed for the collection of both statistical and in-depth information on the perceptions of participants on the CDP. Survey data collected from 364 participants and interview data from six focus-group participants in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province of South Africa forms the data sets for the article. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Descriptive statistics is used to report the reliability of the various constructs, mean scores, standard deviations, and correlations. The findings show that participants not only deemed the programme unsatisfactory, but also reported an overall negative experience with the programme. Specific findings show that the CDP offers no training opportunities to registered members, lacks effective communication mediums, and benefited only those with political connections. The correlation results show that there is a strong relation between population and registering on the CDP, thus confirming that the open and easy access when registering on the CDP allows any interested person to automatically become a contractor creating the possibility of abuse of the programme. The study was limited to KZN contractors only and may, therefore, not be generalised to the entire national population of contractors. This article is relevant, as it gives insight into how satisfied contractors are with the CDP. It may help potential contractors to consider whether the CDP will be beneficial to them, before they decide to join the programme

Analysis of Factors Influencing the Selection of Incentive Schemes in Selected Construction Firms in Lagos State, Nigeria

The management of construction firms use incentive schemes to motivate workers to be more productive. In doing this, different incentive schemes motivate workers differently, and their selection process also impacts the schemes. Their selection process has been rarely studied. Therefore, this study investigated the methods employed by firms to select incentive schemes and the factors influencing the methods. One hundred and four project managers of randomly selected construction firms were asked to indicate the methods they employed in selecting incentive schemes and the factors that influenced their choice. Findings revealed that incentive schemes were majorly selected by construction firms through discretion, tradition, study-based selection and selection based on performance measurement. Furthermore, construction firms’ selection of incentive schemes by tradition was influenced by capacity of company to pay, culture and nature of task; selection by discretion was influenced by fluctuation in production, timing, and system of governance; selection based on performance measurement was influenced by availability of standardized work measurement technique, adequacy of work and cost benefit analysis; and the study-based selection was influenced by system of governance and strategy, cost and benefit analysis and adequacy of work. The study therefore emphasized the need for construction firms to understand and critically examine the factors that influence the selection of incentive schemes in order to achieve optimum effectiveness in their use. Key words: Incentive Schemes, Incentive Schemes Selection Methods, Factors influencing incentive Selection Methods