Management Style And Demographic Factors As Predictors Of Managerial Efficiency In Work Organizations In Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of management style and demographic characteristics (gender, educational achievement and work experience) on managerial efficiency in work organizations in Nigeria. The adopted research design is the descriptive survey method. A set of questionnaire titled “Management Style and Managerial Effectiveness Scale (MSMES)” which was developed by Jordan (1997) was utilized for data collection. The questionnaire was modified by the researcher for the purpose of the study. The author reported reliability coefficient of 0.87. But for the present study, Cronbach’s alpha of 0.88 was obtained. Out of 260 copies of the questionnaires that were administered, 243 were duly completed and utilized for analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The findings reveal that management style was found to have significantly influenced managerial efficiency, F (1,136) =22.61; P<0.05). Besides, the finding shows that there was no significant relationship between gender and perceived managerial efficiency, F (1,136) =3.11; P>0.05). Also, there was a significant relationship between educational achievement and perceived managerial efficiency of the respondents, F (1,136) =28.81; P<0.05). It was also found that work experience has been found to have significantly influenced managerial efficiency of the respondents, F (1,136) =30.26; P<.05). Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that participatory management style should be adopted with appropriate communication structure in order to enhance workers participation in decision making process vis-à-vis managerial efficiency. Also, promotion of workers, both male and female, to managerial positions should be based on number of years of experience and educational qualification. Finally, since knowledge and skills are strong determinants of managerial competence and efficiency, workers at all levels of management (lower, middle and top management cadres) should be motivated by the employers to participate in continuing education and training programmes in order to afford them to acquire necessary knowledge and skill required for effective and efficient management of organizational resources

Managerial Capacity And Perceived Workers` Productivity In Industrial Organizations In Nigeria

This study investigated the influence of managerial capacity on perceived workers` productivity in industrial organizations in Nigeria. This study adopted the descriptive survey research design. A total of 325 respondents were selected for the study using stratified sampling technique. Two sets of questionnaires were used for data collection. Regression Analysis, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t test statistics were used to test the hypothesized research questions generated for the study. Findings of the study revealed that managerial capacity predicts workers` productivity in industrial organizations in Nigeria. Besides, there is a significant relationship between managerial capacity and perceived workers` productivity. Also, there is a significant difference between workers` productivity in public and private organizations on the basis of managerial capacity. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that the managers and workers should be exposed to capacity building programmes on a continuous basis in order to update their skills and knowledge for improved job performance and productivity. More so, the monitoring unit of the organizations should be empowered toward adequate utilization of the scarce resources through effective supervision of workers for efficiency and effectiveness on their jobs

Influence Of Host Community On Industrial Relations Practices And Policies: A Survey Of Agbara Community And Power Holding Company Of Nigeria (PHCN)

This study investigated the influence of host community on industrial relations practices and policies using Agbara community and Power Holding Company of Nigeria PLC as a case. The study adopted both the qualitative and quantitative methods. A total of 120 samples were drawn from the population using the simple random sampling technique in which case every member of the population was given an equal and independent chance of being chosen. However, 75 questionnaires were returned upon which the data analysis was based. This was supplemented with the interwiew method. The response rate is 62.5%. With respect to the reliability of the instrument, the coefficient alpha or Cronbachs alpha is 0.73, which implies that the instrument is 73% reliable. The data analysis was carried out with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The Chi-square statistical technique was used to test the hypotheses at 5% level of significance. In testing the first hypothesis that PHCN industrial relations policies and practices are independent of its host community, the following variables were subjected to Chi-square test: 1) PHCN industrial relations policies are influenced by public opinion through the use of suggestion schemes (?2= 33.07 with 4 df; p < .05) and 2) customs/traditions of host community influence PHCN industrial relations policies (?2 = 60.93 with 4 df; p < .05). In testing the second hypothesis, the result of the chi-square test shows that an inclusive stakeholders approach is often used in resolving matters of mutual interest involving host community and PHCN (?2 = 54.23 with 3 df; p < .05). These results are statistically significant. Therefore, there is evidence to reject the null hypotheses and to conclude that PHCN industrial relations policies and practices are dependent or contingent on its host community. PHCN industrial relations policies and practices are influenced by its host community. The authors therefore recommend the inclusion of the host community as one of the actors in industrial relations. This was relegated to the background by Dunlop (1958) in his categorization of actors in industrial relations

Managing Human Capital Development In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises For Sustainable National Development In Nigeria

This study investigated the challenges confronting human capital development in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. The authors adopted the survey research design. An instrument was designed using the 5-point Likert scale ranging from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1). The instrument has two sections. Section A has nine items which sought the views and opinions of respondents on the challenges of human capital development in SMEs and Section B has eight items which elicited the demographic profiles of respondents. A total of 165 questionnaires were distributed to the target population using the purposeful (judgmental) sampling technique. Out of the 165 questionnaires administered, 140 were returned upon which the analysis was based. This represents an 85% response rate. Data analysis was carried out with the aid of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). It was found that human capital development in Nigerian SMEs leaves much to be desired. Based on the analysis of data, it was found that 79% of respondents agreed and strongly agreed that many SMEs have negative training philosophy and pay lip service to human resource development. Seventy percent of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed that many SMEs do not have laid-down policies governing training and development programmes, while 52% of the respondents agreed and strongly agreed that SMEs engage in human capital development haphazardly, without embarking on need analysis. The authors recommended the need to address the issues of human capital development in SMEs and for SMEs to embrace the investor in people criteria if the desired corporate and national goals are to be realized

Conditional cash transfers in Nigeria – an exploratory study

Citizens, in any polity, collectively function not only as political agents, but also represent a shared fountain of information and a channel for policy feedback. This research study investigated citizens’ perceptions of a specific policy programme in Nigeria (conditional cash transfer, CCTs), and the ways the politics of social protection are informed and shaped by the intersection of the realities of citizens’ lived experiences and the actions and interactions between elites, public and institutional actors. The crucial question of how the Nigerian CCTs operated and what the participants (beneficiaries) perceived as its main advantages and weaknesses, and the nuanced construction of public attitudes towards conditional cash transfer programmes (social protection) are addressed. Employing a qualitative methodology, encompassing in-depth interviews (with key informants), semi-structured interviews with respondents and focus group discussions with selected groups within certain communities, the study reflected the religious and demographic divide of Nigeria to capture the lived experiences of beneficiaries and their perspectives of the CCT programmes. The distinctive attributes of Nigeria’s informal social welfare arrangements are described, and the study affirms the salience of politics and contextual variations in the implementation of CCTs. Findings also reveal the importance of contextual dynamics, the necessity of understanding the politics, the political settlements of a country and how it is useful in explaining the national experiences of social policy development. The study is only the second of such on Nigerian social protection, thus contributing to academic discourse on social policy dynamics and redistributive programmes in development contexts by empirically connecting the nexus between political contexts, actors, institutions and the citizens to public attitudes and trust in government. The findings enrich our understanding of social protection in Nigeria and may act as a guide to future policy actions as well as future research into Nigerian social protection

DATA MINING: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Data mining may be regarded as the process of discovering insightful and predictive models from massive data. It is the art of extracting useful information from large amounts of data. It combines traditional data analysis with sophisticated algorithms for processing large amount of data. It is an interdisciplinary field merging concepts from database systems, statistics, machine learning, computing, information theory, and pattern recognition. It has the real potential of becoming part of electrical engineering education. The main objective of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to data mining

Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Diversity Management in Nigeria Breweries in Oyo State, Nigeria

Cases of ethnic bias and other forms of discrimination still take places in organizations during hiring, promotion and other employer-employee relation practices. Hence, managements are faced with the big challenge of managing its diverse workforce and emotional intelligence of their employees. This study investigated the impact of emotional intelligence on diversity management in Nigeria Breweries Oyo State. A total of 100 staff in Nigeria Breweries Oyo State in which 55 (55.0%) were male while 45 (45.0%) were female. The study was a survey which employed Descriptive research design and questionnaire was used to obtain the relevant data. The collected data were analyzed using Pearson rho Correlation and Regression Analysis with the application of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The results showed that that there is joint significant relationship between emotional intelligence on diversity management It was recommended that emotional intelligence concept would integrate the development programs and job-related training provided to employees to improve their skills, providing a foundation for practicable knowledge

DATA MINING: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Data mining may be regarded as the process of discovering insightful and predictive models from massive data. It is the art of extracting useful information from large amounts of data. It combines traditional data analysis with sophisticated algorithms for processing large amount of data. It is an interdisciplinary field merging concepts from database systems, statistics, machine learning, computing, information theory, and pattern recognition. It has the real potential of becoming part of electrical engineering education. The main objective of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to data mining

Digital Education

Digital education is the process of using digital technology in teaching and learning. Teachers are under pressure to use digital technologies in teaching students and prepare them for work in a globalized digital economy. Digital education prepares students for becoming digital citizens by making them acquire skills for navigating and existing in the digital world. This paper provides a brief introduction to digital education