Empirical Evidence of Executives’ Perception and Scanning of Business Environment in Nigeria

Strategic thinking about firms’ environment enables management to identify relevant environmental factors and industry drivers that weigh on the firms’ objectives, direction, strategy and business model. This study based on administered questionnaire examines executives’ perception of the characteristics of the business environment and its relationship with corporate performance. It was found that while variables in the task environment were considered most uncertain the general environment is the most scanned; and executives’ perception of the nature of the environment has a low association with the intensity of their scanning efforts. It is recommended that managerial discretion and judgement should play a significant role in determining the sections of the environment to be scanned and scanning void should not be permitted if effective and efficient organisation-environment fitment required to secure superior competitive advantage is to be attaine

Conflict Resolution in E-HRM Environments

There have been studies on conflict resolutions but many focused on regional inter-tribe and international conflicts between or among nations of the world. Only very few have written about industrial conflict recently, even these few did not touch the mechanism of resolving conflicts in the organization in depth. Therefore, this article will focus on various conflict resolution mechanisms and the three major models of conflict resolutions—namely distributive bargaining, integrated bargaining, and interactive problem solving as given by Cross, Susan, Rosenthal, and Robert (1999). To do this effectively, we will explore the available literature on the antecedents of conflicts in human resource systems. Varieties of views and notions held by individuals and groups in respect of the role and the consequences of conflicts in the functioning of humans in our modern complex organizations will be considered. The consequences of conflicts on interpersonal, inter-group, and inter-organizational processes, when conflict may empower, distress, or lubricate the wheels of human interaction in the context of human resource management will be traced. The views of experts, professionals and academicians on how and why conflicts should be handled to ensure a healthier and conducive environment to work will be traced

Measuring Retail Service Quality in Nigerian Departmental Stores

The Nigerian economy is experiencing a boom in the retail sector of Departmental Stores.The sector is becoming increasingly competitive with the entry of foreign and multinational retail stores. Extant literature indicates that loyalty of the customers can be maintained with service quality. Consequently, the current study attempts to measure service quality among Nigerian departmental stores using Dabholkar, Thorpe & Renz (1996) Retail Service Quality Scale (RSQS) instrument to gauge customers’ satisfaction with the retail service quality in the Nigerian Retail sector. Four hundred and seventy eight customers of three major departmental stores in central Lagos, Nigeria were used for the study. Data generated was analyzed using factor analysis, correlation and hierarchical regression analysis to test the relationships of the ¿YH GLPHQVLRQV RI 5646 DQG FXVWRPHU VDWLVIDFWLRQn 7KH VWXG\ IRXQG 5646 WR EH D XVHIXO WRRO for evaluating retail service quality in retail sector of departmental stores. Physical dimension, UHOLDELOLW\, SHUVRQDO LQWHUDFWLRQ DQG SUREOHP VROYLQJ ZHUH DOVR IRXQG WR VLJQL¿FDQWO\ DIIHFW customers’ satisfaction, while policy was found not to have similar effect within the Nigerian environment

Ethical Dilemmas In Management: An African Perspective

The modern workplace is composed of people with diverse backgrounds in terms of nationality, culture, religion, age, education and socioeconomic status. Each of these people enters the work with different values, goals, and perceptions of acceptable behaviours. The diverse background creates ethical challenges for individuals as well as managers. There are issues and decisions that are to be made by workers in the organization that have implications for their job security and salary, and success of the organization. Pressure may be on the workers to protect their own interests, sometimes at the risk of losing personal and corporate integrity. This paper attempts to evaluate ethical dilemmas and conflicts from an Africa perspective, bearing in mind different value systems between western and African nations

Switching Cost and Customers Loyalty in the Mobile Phone Market:the Nigerian Experience

Switching cost is one of the most discussed contemporary issues in marketing in attempt to explain consumer behaviour. The present research studied switching cost and its relationships with customer retention, loyalty and satisfaction in the Nigerian telecommunication market. Based on questionnaire administered to customers in the mobile telecommunication industry; the study finds that customer satisfaction positively affects customer retention and that switching cost affects significantly the level of customer retention. However, the effect of switching barriers on retention is only significant when customers consider to exit

Organisational Change and Human Resource Management Interventions:an Investigation of the Nigerian Banking Industry

The objective of this paper was to study the relationship between human resource management interventionist strategies and organizational change; and flexibility that can make employees more adaptive and receptive to changes. Out of one hundred and sixty copies of questionnaire administered, one hundred and twenty three (123) were collected and analyzed. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), a hypothesized relationship was tested using Amos 18 that allows test of complex relationships between variables. Our model shows that relationship exists among human resource management interventionist strategies and was consistent with organizational change in the studied industry. However, the study can be extended to other industries, for example manufacturing industry as well as industry within the merger and acquisition of companie

The abiotic ecology of breeding ground of Palaemonid prawns in the Ilaje Estuary, Ondo State, Nigeria

In situ ecological assessment of the breeding grounds of palaemonid prawns was conducted in some selected locations around Ondo state coastal area between the months of April and September. Data obtained were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistics. Three species of Palaemonid prawns were identified in four different locations within the study area with relative abundance ratio of 4:3:1. Macrobrachium macrobrachion, Nematopalaemon hastatus and Palaemon maculatus respectively. Sex ratio of 1 male to 5 females for M. macrobrachion, and 1 male to 2 females for N. hastatus and P. maculatus were observed with result showing significant relationships (P < 0.05) in distribution patterns across collection sites. Population distribution within the water column showed that palaemons are sub-lithoral prawns inhabiting maximum mean depth of 0.67m ± 0.025. Surface macro-phytes such as Eichhornia crassipies, Paspalum vaginatum, and Pistia stratiotes are common providing hiding spots for the prawn at the breeding ground. The mean soil pH across the sites stands at 6.67± 0.399 with the soil textural class that range from silty-loam to silty-clay. Also, the water quality parameters of study areas suggest that captive culture and rearing of Palaemons may be feasible outside the breeding areas

Exploring the Dynamics of Identity Based Conflict and the Possibility for its Sustainable Management: A Study of the Persistent Ethno-Religious Conflict in Wukari Area of Taraba State, Nigeria

This article explores the dynamics of identity-based conflict and the possibility for its management. The study in particular focuses on the persistent ethno-religious conflicts in the Wukari Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. The real issues precipitating the persistent ethno-religious conflicts and the costs of the conflicts were clearly brought to the fore. The study proposes a new paradigm for managing social conflicts at the community level through the \u27use of community solutions for community problems\u27 which will involve the constructive participation of all of the stakeholders in the community. This paper concludes by making a proposal for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Committee (TRC) and a power sharing arrangement as strategies that could bring about lasting peace between the Jukun Christians/ Traditionalist Jukun and the Jukun Muslims/Hausa Muslims who are the warring parties in the persistent ethno-religious conflicts ravaging Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria

Interface between Corporate Vision, Mission and Production and Operations Management

There are compelling reasons for organisation to develop strategic vision. It stimulates organisations mission and challenge employees. In addition corporate mission statements which are fundamental unique purpose that differentiates a firm, sets the organisational context for strategic decisions. The task for production and operations management is to relate the corporate mission and vision statements to the operating characteristics of the production process. This paper argues that corporate vision should inform mission statement and that a future compelling picture of production and operations activities should inform both. It is suggested that exploring and developing the company‟s operating system for ompetitive advantage is a product of vision and mission alignment and comprehension. This indicates that a faulty or poorly defined vision or mission statement could inhibit the conduct of production and operations management activities and promote enterprise failur

Determinants of Customer Loyalty and Recommendations to Others in the Nigerian Telecommunication Industry

Determinant of Customer Loyalty and Recommendations to other in the Nigerian Telecommunication Industry This study presents empirical evidence on the determinants of customers’ loyalty and recommendations to others in the mobile phone market in developing economy. Results of analyses of data obtained from 135 customers of mobile telecommunication companies in Nigeria indicate that customers’ loyalty is a significant predicator of recommendations to others. In addition, while corporate imag