Leadership and Recruitment: What Leaders Can Learn From Coach Robert Montgomery Knight: A Conceptual View

It has always puzzled me why organizations do not seem to take the same amount of time and energy to interview and recruit prospective employees as that shown by sports teams. In this essay, I will be looking at recruitment and leadership typically found in a business environment and that found in a basketball (sports) context; specifically Division I college basketball

Applying Leadership Criterion of the European Excellence model for achieving Quality Management in Higher Education Institutions

For institutions of higher education to be successful in the future, there is the need to deliver excellence in all its operations. This means that there is a real need to develop more effective and efficient institutional management practices (Steed et al., 2005). In order to reach this goal, many institutions are turning to total quality management models such as the European Foundation for Quality management (EFQM) Excellence Model as an effective and practical tool to support improvement opportunities within higher education establishments. In an introductory text reproduced from the EFQM Excellence Model Higher Education Version (2003), the EFQM Excellence Model itself was to take account of current management thinking, practices and working environment. Here, the Model is defined as a practical tool to help organizations establish an appropriate management system by measuring where they are on the path to excellence, helping them to understand the gaps, and then stimulate solutions confronting them. It is in this way that a model is seen to ensure quality and remains dynamic (Steed et al., 2003: 307-319; EFQM Higher Education Version, 2003). According to Saraiva et al., (2003), among several approaches that can be used to guide the implementation of quality management principles in schools, one that has been followed with success involves the adoption of excellence models to support self-assessment practices and continuous improvement

Understanding the Non-adoption of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for International Sale of Goods in Nigeria

Globalisation has created new market opportunities for Nigerian traders, resulting in the growth of international trade in Nigeria. However, the opportunity of a wider market and a broader range of goods, means that Nigerian traders have to grapple with the complexities and transaction costs of foreign laws of different jurisdictions, which are a hindrance to trade. Given the above, there is a need for a uniform framework capable of regulating international trade transactions. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) is capable of resolving such conflicts and reducing transaction costs. However, the CISG has not been adopted in Nigeria. In light of this, the thesis considers the reasons for the non-adoption of the CISG in Nigeria. The thesis evaluates the Convention to determine if it is successful based on established criteria. Using the legal transplant theories, the thesis draws up a typology to determine whether the CISG can be considered a successful transplant in Germany and U.S. where it has been adopted. The thesis then examines the possibility, and effects of transplanting the Convention into Nigeria. The thesis also measures the level of awareness of the CISG in Nigeria and the disposition of the key legal actors towards the Convention, which serves as a determinant of adaptability and receptivity of the CISG in Nigeria, where it is adopted. The thesis adopts a doctrinal approach, historical, socio-legal and comparative research methodologies in undertaking the research

Corrosion Inhibition for Aluminum Alloy in HNO3 Solution using Mangiferaindica Leaf Extract

Corrosion inhibition of copper alloy in 0 3 M HNO and KOH at room temperature using Mangiferaindica leaf extract in different concentrations was studied A Gravimetric technique was employed The result obtained showed that Mangiferaindica leaf extract is a good inhibitor for 0 3 M HNO3 and KOH solution The weight loss corrosion rate and inhibition efficiency were deduced The inhibition efficiency showed a good percentage result with the optimum value of 85 60 and 90 91 in HNO3 and KOH respectively Generally it was observed that the rate of inhibition increased with the concentration of the inhibitor decreased in corrosion rat

Working class role models in academic medicine – Professor Philip Quirke

Representation of researchers from underprivileged backgrounds in unknown in academic medicine. We present the inspiring experiences of Professor Philip Quirke describing his humble beginnings in the East End of London to becoming an internationally acclaimed academic clinician. Importantly he offers his advice on what someone from a similar background should consider with similar aspirations

The effect of distance to health-care facilities on childhood mortality in rural Burkina Faso.

This study aims to investigate the relation between distance to health facilities, measured as continuous travel time, and mortality among infants and children younger than 5 years of age in rural Burkina Faso, an area with low health facility density. The study included 24,555 children born between 1993 and 2005 in the Nouna Health and Demographic Surveillance System. The average walking time from each village to the closest health facility was obtained for both the dry and the rainy season, and its effect on infant (<1 year), child (1-4 years), and under-5 mortality overall was analyzed by Cox regression. The authors observed 3,426 childhood deaths, corresponding to a 5-year survival of 85%. Walking distance was significantly related to both infant and child mortality, although the shape of this effect varied distinctly between the 2 age groups. Overall, under-5 mortality, adjusted for confounding, was more than 50% higher at a distance of 4 hours compared with having a health facility in the village (P < 0.0001, 2 sided). The region of residence was an additional determinant for under-5 mortality. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of geographic accessibility of health care for child survival in sub-Saharan Africa and demonstrate the need to improve health-care access to achieve the Millennium Development Goals

Discriminatory Attitudes and Practices by Health Workers toward Patients with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Nigeria has an estimated 3.6 million people with HIV/AIDS and is home to one out of every 11 people with HIV/AIDS worldwide. This study is the first population-based assessment of discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in the health sector of a country. The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature and extent of discriminatory practices and attitudes in the health sector and indicate possible contributing factors and intervention strategies. The study involved a cross-sectional survey of 1,021 Nigerian health-care professionals (including 324 physicians, 541 nurses, and 133 midwives identified by profession) in 111 health-care facilities in four Nigerian states. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Fifty-four percent of the health-care professionals (550/1,021) were sampled from public tertiary care facilities. Nine percent of professionals reported refusing to care for an HIV/AIDS patient, and 9% indicated that they had refused an HIV/AIDS patient admission to a hospital. Fifty-nine percent agreed that people with HIV/AIDS should be on a separate ward, and 40% believed a person's HIV status could be determined by his or her appearance. Ninety-one percent agreed that staff and health-care professionals should be informed when a patient is HIV-positive so they can protect themselves. Forty percent believed that health-care professionals with HIV/AIDS should not be allowed to work in any area of health-care that requires patient contact. Twenty percent agreed that many with HIV/AIDS behaved immorally and deserve the disease. Basic materials needed for treatment and prevention of HIV were not adequately available. Twelve percent agreed that treatment of opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS patients wastes resources, and 8% indicated that treating someone with HIV/AIDS is a waste of precious resources. Providers who reported working in facilities that did not always practice universal precautions were more likely to favor restrictive policies toward people with HIV/AIDS. Providers who reported less adequate training in HIV treatment and ethics were also more likely to report negative attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS. There was no consistent pattern of differences in negative attitudes and practices across the different health specialties surveyed. CONCLUSION: While most health-care professionals surveyed reported being in compliance with their ethical obligations despite the lack of resources, discriminatory behavior and attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS exist among a significant proportion of health-care professionals in the surveyed states. Inadequate education about HIV/AIDS and a lack of protective and treatment materials appear to contribute to these practices and attitudes

Leadership and Strategic Management: keys to institutional priorities and planning *

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75630/1/j.1465-3435.2008.00363.x.pd

Constraints to exclusive breastfeeding practice among breastfeeding mothers in Southwest Nigeria: implications for scaling up

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The practice of exclusive breastfeeding is still low despite the associated benefits. Improving the uptake and appropriating the benefits will require an understanding of breastfeeding as an embodied experience within a social context. This study investigates breastfeeding practices and experiences of nursing mothers and the roles of grandmothers, as well as the work-related constraints affecting nurses in providing quality support for breastfeeding mothers in Southwest Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using a concurrent mixed method approach, a structured questionnaire was administered to 200 breastfeeding mothers. In-depth interviews were also held with breastfeeding mothers (11), nurses (10) and a focus group discussion session with grandmothers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Breastfeeding was perceived as essential to baby's health. It strengthens the physical and spiritual bond between mothers and their children. Exclusive breastfeeding was considered essential but demanding. Only a small proportion (19%) of the nursing mothers practiced exclusive breastfeeding. The survey showed the major constraints to exclusive breastfeeding to be: the perception that babies continued to be hungry after breastfeeding (29%); maternal health problems (26%); fear of babies becoming addicted to breast milk (26%); pressure from mother-in-law (25%); pains in the breast (25%); and the need to return to work (24%). In addition, the qualitative findings showed that significant others played dual roles with consequences on breastfeeding practices. The desire to practice exclusive breastfeeding was often compromised shortly after child delivery. Poor feeding, inadequate support from husband and conflicting positions from the significant others were dominant constraints. The nurses decried the effects of their workload on providing quality supports for nursing mothers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Breastfeeding mothers are faced with multiple challenges as they strive to practice exclusive breastfeeding. Thus, scaling up of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers requires concerted efforts at the macro, meso and micro levels of the Nigerian society.</p