Perceptions of information systems structures\u27 impact on MIS success and effectiveness

This article provides results from a study on the perceptions of information systems structures\u27 impact on implementation of MIS success and effectiveness via organizational context variables. The focus is on the use of MIS effectiveness and success variables that are utilized in MIS research. Several hypotheses were tested to discern impact of information systems structures on MIS effectiveness and success. The results show that several of these organizational context variables are associated to various degrees, depending on the MIS structure, with MIS success and effectiveness

Managing the motivation of information technology staff for higher organizational productivity and employee job satisfaction

Motivating Information Technoloty (IT) employees has become more and more difficult because of the rapid technological changes and global competitiveness in the marketplace. IT managers can use a plethora of techniques to improve staff productivity and quality of output through better employee motivation techniques. This paper discusses some of those methods that can improve productivity as well as staff satisfaction with their work

Assessment Practices in the Center for Regional and Local Development Studies, College of Development Studies in Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

This research investigates instructor’s assessment practices in the center for RLDS, college of development studies in Addis Ababa University. The samples used for the study consisted of 5 teaching staff (those who thought first and the second year students in 2018/19 academic year), and 17 students from both academic years are randomly selected. In addition, the student’s evaluation results of 4 courses, 2 instructors and 6 students randomly selected for document review and interview respectively. The instrument used for this study were closed ended and open ended questionnaires, an interview and document analysis. The data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics like percentage and mode as well as the mean scores. The paper tries to give the general over view of how instructors evaluate their student’s academic performance, the criterion and guidelines they used to select a given assessment methods, the effectiveness of their assessment practices to measure the three domains of learning of their students and the assessment methods the instructors in the center used frequently as well as which of these method the students more prefer. The major findings of the study is that, in the center for RLDS, the assessment practice is of summative paper-pencil based used only for grading not for students learning, even though some instructors used course objective as their criteria, there is no general assessment guidelines and criterion used by instructors to select a given assessment method, mark and grading, and the instructors do so arbitrarily and very differently. The frequently used assessment method is assignment and final exam that given for students at the end of the courses while the students prefer assignment, mid exams and final exam that given at different times during their learning. The paper also finds out that there is significant variation among instructors depending on their service year and academic rank in using assignment and final exams. Thus, as the academic rank and service year increases the inclination of instructors to use one or two assessment at the end of the course increases. Finally the study discovered that most students distrust their instructors during evaluation due to the lack of responsibility and accountability on the parts of instructors on marking, grading and letting students to check their results. Keywords: Assessment, practice, evaluation, RLDS DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-4-0

The Effects of Intergovernmental Grants in Ethiopia: International Lessons

Intergovernmental grants are an important feature of federal systems of governments in many countries. Grants from one level of government to another have been primarily used as a way of addressing the vertical fiscal imbalance that is often created in a federation. In the presence of disparate taxing capacity of regions, designing a good intergovernmental grant system that is acceptable by all regions is usually challenging. Yet the success of fiscal federalism greatly depends on how the federal government addresses the fiscal needs of regional governments through intergovernmental transfers. What lessons can relatively young federal countries like Ethiopia draw from the experiences of other countries? We examine various kinds of grants and their potential effects on the recipient regional government spending and economic growth. We also explore how federal transfers might affect the fiscal behaviour of regional governments and the welfare of the residents of recipient regions. We look at these important issues from both theoretical and practical perspectives focusing on the applicability of the international lessons to Ethiopia. Keywords: Grant, Intergovernmental, lesson, International DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-10-03 Publication date:October 31st 202

An empirical evidence of determinant attributes on expert systems success

Expert Systems, in the last decade, have become the target of tremendous positive interest as well as consternation by the information systems professionals and end-users. This study surveyed twenty organizations to examine empirically the level of expert systems user satisfaction and success of these systems as perceived by the respondents of the survey

Comments on FAO’s achievements toward a public domain in plant genetic resources for food and agriculture

No Abstract

Linking ‘big D’ and ‘little d’ in development. The Case of ActionAid Ethiopia in West Azernet Berbere District, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State, Ethiopia.

The critics about poor performance of NGOs over the last two decades focuses on their inclination towards ‘big D’ development – project based intentional activity in health, education and water which has little intention to challenge existing power relation and social structures - and underlined the loss of transformatory edge of participation. Critics further urged NGOs to realign their orientation towards ‘little d’ development - process of enabling and empowering local people to claim, defend, influence and advocate for their own rights and interests. However, recently several African governments introduced restrictive laws and proclamations that limit the engagement of NGOs in ‘little d’ development, of which Ethiopia is one. Hence, this study examines how ActionAid Ethiopia links ‘big D’ and ‘little d’ development by using participatory development approaches in a limited legal environment. The study is based on a qualitative case study conducted in West Azernet Berbere district, SNNPR, Ethiopia by the author in March, 2013. A total of 34 semi structured and three group interviews were conducted. The findings of the study reveal that participation in service delivery projects, on the one hand, enhances cost effectiveness, sustainability and ownership of projects and on the other hand, it allows communities to come together, discuss and reflect on their own experience, develop skills and knowledge, get practical experience in management and administration and take actions to claim, defend and advocate for their own rights and interests. In this process, illiteracy, lack of experienced and motivated government staffs, frequent meetings, staff turnover and lack of proper understanding of participatory development were identified as major challenges. Likewise, tradition of working together, presence of good policy frameworks and courage and commitment of the community were identified as major opportunities. The study concludes that ensuring participation in service delivery projects and enhancing the capacity of the community for organization and collective action using the aforementioned strategies earmarked a shift away from the conventional approach of advocacy by NGOs to communities themselves

Enterprise resource planning: Solutions and practices

Enterprise-wide integration or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERF) is becoming the mantra of firms and organizations that need to integrate their business processes within the firm and in some instances with other firms such as suppliers when supply chain management is a strategic objective. Without Information Technology (IT) much needed integration of different functional areas would be very difficult, if not impossible, to mesh these seemingly disparate functional areas and processes into a tightly stitched web-like structure that shares business processes information. Integration is creating a leaner, flatter, and meaner company that is more responsive to its environment (Hammer, 1990). This new process of integration is believed to be more effective, less costly, and provides strategic competitive advantage over other competitors. Integration involves the business process structure with the use of critical mass technology for integration of iiardware, software, communication, and security characteristics to bring together projects and tasks that require shared information. Each infrastructure element is integrated within a finn, its functional areas, subsidiaries, suppliers, and customers. The purpose of this paper is to ponder on the disparate issues emerging in the solutions and practices of enterprise- wide integration or resource planning