The Effect Of Intrateam And Interteam Trust On Organizational Outcomes: A Multilevel Study

The main objectives of this dissertation were to examine the main and interactive effects of intrateam and interteam trust on organizational outcomes at individual, team and organizational levels. Also, this dissertation sought to examine the mechanisms (team processes: team behavioral integration, team psychological safety, team reflexivity, and team learning) through which intrateam and interteam trust elicit organizational outcomes. Moreover, this dissertation also sought to uncover if value congruence and team feedback seeking behavior in teams moderate the effect of intrateam trust on the team processes. Hypotheses were tested using data collected from a sample of 282 team members nested under 78 teams and 23 branches from a major bank in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at two different time points. The results showed that intrateam trust has a significant effect on employees’ job satisfaction and job engagement at both individual and team levels. Interteam trust was also found to have a significant effect on individual and unit level performance. In addition, this dissertation also showed that team processes were important mediators of the effect of intrateam trust on organizational outcomes. Contrary to the hypotheses, however, the results showed that intrateam trust had no significant effect on performance at individual, team, and unit levels. Neither did team reflexivity, team behavioral integration, and team learning mediate the relationship between interteam trust and outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed

A Network Congestion control Protocol (NCP)

The transmission control protocol (TCP) which is the dominant congestion control protocol at the transport layer is proved to have many performance problems with the growth of the Internet. TCP for instance results in throughput degradation for high bandwidth delay product networks and is unfair for flows with high round trip delays. There have been many patches and modifications to TCP all of which inherit the problems of TCP in spite of some performance improve- ments. On the other hand there are clean-slate design approaches of the Internet. The eXplicit Congestion control Protocol (XCP) and the Rate Control Protocol (RCP) are the prominent clean slate congestion control protocols. Nonetheless, the XCP protocol is also proved to have its own performance problems some of which are its unfairness to long flows (flows with high round trip delay), and many per-packet computations at the router. As shown in this paper RCP also makes gross approximation to its important component that it may only give the performance reports shown in the literature for specific choices of its parameter values and traffic patterns. In this paper we present a new congestion control protocol called Network congestion Control Protocol (NCP). We show that NCP can outperform both TCP, XCP and RCP in terms of among other things fairness and file download times.unpublishe

The Dynamics of Product and Process Innovation in UK Banking

Sustained competitive advantage depends heavily on the ability of organisations to internalise the benefits of innovative activities. While the vital importance of innovation in today’s competitive climate has been widely proclaimed, our understanding of innovative behaviour in service organisations is not yet fully developed. This article documents an interpretative approach (based on archival research and semi- structured interviews) of the main drivers of change in organisational function (process) and access to financial markets (service or product) in UK commercial banking. As a result, research in this article contributes the understanding of innovation in service organisations by exploring past and present perceptions of banks' senior managers and management consultants on the importance and factors stimulating and constraining the adoption of new technology in financial intermediaries.banks, innovation

Mechanisms of constitutional control: a preliminary observation of the Ethiopian system

The present mechanism of constitutional adjudication in Ethiopia demonstrates unique features. The mechanism does not belong to any of the constitutional adjudication models operating in other countries. However, a well-developed system of constitutional adjudication is lacking in actual practice. The federal and regional state organs that exercise the power of constitutional control, i.e. the Council of Constitutional Inquiry and the House of Federation at the federal level and the Constitutional Interpretation Commissions, Council of Nationalities and Councils of Constitutional Inquiry at the regional level, are not functioning fully and, moreover, are not moving at equal pace. In some regional states, the institutions competent for constitutional control, though mentioned in the regional constitutions, are not even established yet. In other regions, these institutions have been established, but are not operating in practice. Besides, a challenge of judicial overlap is likely to emerge when the regional organs start to execute their task of constitutional control. Since no mechanism is devised to delimit the respective competences of the federal and state organs, overlap between federal and state institutions is inevitable. Furthermore, there is no clear guidance with regards to the role of the judiciary on matters that involve determination of constitutionality

Fiscal contributions of physician assistants to family medicine practices

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by Congress in 2010 as a health policy initiative to improve the effectiveness of the United States healthcare system. Policies and regulations under the ACA include provisions to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of medical services which has resulted in a transition of payment systems from fee-for-service (FFS) reimbursement models to value-based reimbursement (VBR) models. Policies under the ACA also encouraged the formation of affordable care organizations (ACOs) which endorse new models of healthcare delivery, specifically team-based care models, to increase the efficiency, quality and accessibility of medical care while at the same time controlling costs. Although physician assistants (PAs) have been a proposed method for addressing the growing demand for high quality, cost-effective healthcare, research that explores the economic value and financial impact of physician assistants is limited. Currently, productivity metrics are used to determine the economic value of physicians and PAs. Current methods of measuring productivity include volume-based metrics and claim based data. Although these methods may be sufficient for measuring physician productivity, they fail to account for PA practices. Current productivity metrics also fail to account for a vast majority of PA productivity due to current billing policies that do not capture all services provided by PAs. In this study, we will explore the financial impact associated with the addition of PAs to ten different physician-owned family medicine practices by measuring the percent increase in net annual practice revenue one year after the employment of a PA. Net practice revenue is defined as the total revenue generated per provider per year minus overhead costs associated with provider employment

A Holistic Approach to Large-Scale Housing Development in Urban Ethiopia

Due to the rapid urbanization of Ethiopian cities, the growing demand for housing in its urban areas has accelerated the development of large-scale housing projects. This has created a challenge for local authorities responsible for their development in a relatively short period of time. Therefore, current housing development follows the conventional approach where limited building types are developed and replicated with minor modifications to accommodate given site conditions. This strategy has resulted in an environment that is not suitable for the traditional lifestyle of common Ethiopian. Studies show that the lack of social and cultural considerations in the current development has hampered the quality of life of its residents. The research conducted in this paper proposes a holistic approach to large-scale housing development in order to provide optimized solutions for social mix and multi-generation family life style in Ethiopia. The holistic approach is developed within a parametric modeling environment supported by Rhinoceros 3D & Grasshopper and its plug-ins in order to enhance design feasibility studies. The approach is based upon four major components such as 1) social and cultural factors, 2) a neighborhood model of urban typology, 3) a financial model and 4) a massing study model that delineates the possible building variations. A research project location in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is selected as a test site for the proposed development strategy. The site is part of a large informal settlement that was demolished and replaced by a typical low-cost housing development composed of four and seven story towers. The goal is to generate an alternative building typology based on the new holistic approach, which meets the social, cultural and economic needs of tenants. Analysis of informal settlements in Addis Ababa has identified multigenerational living, socially and financially mixed communities as important ingredients for building a sustainable community. It was also discovered that semiprivate spaces, circulation paths and scalable housing units as key spatial variables that are necessary for the successful cultivation of these communities. Based upon the analysis of social and cultural factors of given urban district, a neighborhood model is developed from existing site context and defined as a space holder for including various architectural programs such as different unit types (studio, one-bed, two-bed), spatial definitions (private, semiprivate, public), and circulation (vertical and horizontal). The financial model is based on the optimization among the three criteria including market value, construction cost, and government incentives in order to provide tangible benefits for encouraging various income groups to participate in this social mix largescale housing community. The financial model guides the direction of generating massing model variations with the parametric application in the boundary of the neighborhood model in terms of 1) number of units, 2) arrangement of spatial definitions, and 3) configuration of circulation. The direct connection between financial model and massing model within neighborhood boundary condition allows a developer to review design alternatives with changing numbers, at the same time, an architect to understand a financial condition of each alternative with modifying designs

Evaluating the Roles of Regional Based Political Parties in Fostering Ethnic Unity in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, Ethiopia (Since 1991)

In multi-ethnic federations which were particularly established to manage the existing diversity, the political parties should promote, preserve and protect the existing diversity and simultaneously endorse the sense of unity. Under multi-ethnic states political parties as one main actor should audaciously nurture sense of unity in diversity ideally and practically. Here, fostering ethnic unity means not only sharing identical political philosophy among individuals or groups, but it also remind as that individuals or groups may have differences in opinion and leaning. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to critically examining the practical role of regional based political parties in promotion of ethnic unity under contemporary Benishangul Gumuz Regional State (hereafter used as BGRS). In this regard, the author of this paper collected various empirical data through personal interviews, focus group discussions and administering survey questionnaire. Based on the information gained through various research instruments the author concluded that despite the fact that the government has recognized the creation of ethnic political parties as a positive political measure to promote every ethnic group in the country to have a sense of belonging, but in contrast, the existence of ethnic based political parties and hasty mushrooming of narrow ethno-nationalist politics has constituted one major impediment to promote unity and peaceful coexistence among various ethnic groups in BGRS. Moreover, the writer also argued that organizing political parties only through political lens of ethnicity would gradually create elevated ethnic fundamentalism, chauvinism and parochialism among politicians and individuals. And later it also opened the door for politicians and individuals to play lopsided proxy ethnic political game within the neighbouring regional states and consequently this situation tend to ethnic conflict. Thus, this kind of political party establishment road-map in the country has paved the way to series ethnic conflicts which resulted major predicaments and disunity among various ethnic groups in the country in general and regional states in particular. Keywords: Political Party; BGRS; Ethnicity; Ethnic Unity; Ethnic Conflict; Ethnic Diversity; Politicians DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-1-0

Potato bacterial wilt management in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearumis the major threat to potato production. Farmers are not aware of the causes of potato diseases and they believe that all types of diseases are caused by rain and mist. Research has been carried out in four districts namely Shashemene, Tulubolo, Welmera and Welisso f rom 2011 to 2012 main crop seasons however; the research was extended to 2014 in Shashemene district. The purposes of the research was to change the perception of farmers and address the causes, sources and management options of the disease and assist farmers to develop healthy potato farms; Farmers field school(FFS) extension approach supported by sessions harmonized with crop henology was used to assess the effect of one season rotation (Potato - Beans - Potato; Potato - Cabbage - Potato; Potato - Carrot - Potato and Potato - Potato - Potato)and two seasons rotations (Potato - Beans - Carrot - Potato; Potato - Beans - Cabbage -Potato; Potato - Beans - Beans - potato; Potato - Carrot - Carrot - Potato; Potato - Cabbage - Carrot -Potato; Potato - Cabbage - Cabbage - Potato and Potato - potato - potato - potato) with none host crop species on the development of the disease. At the inception of the project, all members of the group were introduced to potato diseases and their causal agents through farmers field school extension approach. After subsequent sessions, experimentation, and demonstration at field level, more than 65 % of the farmers in the group were able to identify symptoms, causative agents and means of dissemination and possible management measures of potato wilt, late blight and viruses. The result showed that, the extension approach was found to be effective in stimulating farmer’s perception by considering their goals in the targeting and design of innovations. One season rotation of potato with beans cabbage and carrot significantly (

Analysis of Sheep Value Chain in Kaffa Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The objective of the study was to identify major marketing routes, value chain actors and distribution of costs and margin of sheep value chain in Kafa zone southern Ethiopia. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), key informant interviews and visual observations were used to collect primary data. A total of 120 farmers were interviewed. Bonga sheep one of indigenous breed that found in Southern Ethiopia of Kafa, Bench Majji, Sheka, Dawuro, Konta and South west part of  Oromia region. It is one of the most prolific fat-long-tailed and fast growing breed in the country. Introduction of value adding management practices and market linkage is the most important aspect of enhancing the livelihood and source of income for smallholder farmers in the zone. The core functions in the sheep value chain of the zone are input supply, production. Smallholder farmers are the main suppliers of the animal and sale at any time when immediate income is required. The sale fast growing young animals, mainly males, are sold or slaughtered for home consumption at as early as five to eight months of age. The major sources of sheep that where sheep are channeled to four different directions: Boka to Sherada, Gojeb,Shebe ;Gojjeb to Jimma town through Sherada and Shebe; to Amaya, Dawuro and Woliyita through Tello and to Bonga through Merra and finally from Gojjeb to Addis Abeba, Kombolicha and Mekele during New year, Easter and Christmas. The analysis of costs and margins along the different sheep market channels also shows that  the proportion of final sheep price that reaches producers from traders of Boka/Adiyo, Bonga, Gojeb,Tepi, Shebe and Jimma markets were 91.42%, 74.8% ,79.3%,87.4%,77.21%and 74.85%, respectively. Keywords: - Fattened sheep, market routes, producers, rams and value chai

Unemployment in Urban Ethiopia: Determinants and Impact on Household Welfare

Data from the 2004 wave of the Ethiopian Urban Socio Economic Survey on four major cities of Ethiopia is used to investigate the determinants of unemployment in urban Ethiopia and its impact on household welfare. Regression results from a binary probit model estimation show that urban unemployment in Ethiopia in 2004 is determined by age, marital status, education beyond primary school and living in the capital Addis Ababa. Moreover, the results from OLS regression of consumption indicate that unemployment adversely affects household consumption expenditure and hence household welfare. One more unemployed household member  results in a 4.6 percent decline in per capita real consumption expenditure available to the household. Since unemployment negatively affects household welfare, efforts aiming at reducing unemployment will most likely improve welfare. Mechanisms to reduce household size such as family planning are recommended for better household welfare via their effect on household consumption.Keywords: urban, unemployment, consumption, welfare, probit, OL