Effects of Downsizing Strategies on Survivors’ Organizational Commitment: The Case of Ethio Telecom

The study sought to analyze the effects of downsizing strategies on survivors’ organizational commitment (affective, continuous, and  normative) at Ethio Telecom. This study used descriptive and causal effect type of study. It focused on both qualitative and quantitative approaches for collection and analysis of data. This research made use of both primary and secondary sources of data. The researcher employed simple random sampling technique to select 362respondents from each zone and headquarter offices. In this study, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed. As the findings depict that positive and significant effect of exogenous variables (organizational justice: procedural and distributive justice) with the standardized estimate for procedural justice on affective, continuous, and normative commitment effects were all significant but they are not that much strong (ß =0.22, 0.18, 0.17) while distributive justice had high effect on affective, continuous, and normative commitment0.97, 0.99, 0.98 and respectively. Based on the above findings the researcher inferred that there was organizational procedural injustice in the time of downsizing at Ethio Telecom. Consequently, these perceptions affected adversely survivors’ organizational commitment. As a result, survivors are neither emotionally attached nor have feeling of continuous commitment to the company. Hence, the researcher recommends that the strategists should do the following in order to make it effective: plan the process properly, study the overall scenario prior to the attempt, do human resource planning industriously, set clear selection criteria, make the process transparent, communicate timely, conduct behavioral trainings, align each unit activity with company’s strategic objectives, and prepare victims for other jobs

An Assessment of Industrial Customers’ Satisfaction at Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation: A Case of South Addis Ababa Region

The survival of any organization in a highly competitive environment depends on its ability to provide the best service quality to its existing customers as the quality of service is a key factor in the success of any organization. Though a stable supply of enough energy is a must for industrialization, Ethiopia’s growing industrial sector has come with an unprecedented rise in power demand. Despite the introduction of quality improvement programs and several customer care packages in the past, service quality gaps are still enduring in EEPCo.The study has the objective of assessing industrial customers’ satisfaction on service quality using SERVQUAL model. It also addresses the problems of quality gaps through the survey done at EEPCo, South Addis Ababa Region Industrial customers. The study was conducted using a descriptive survey method where the respondents were industrial customers and frontline managers. The sample size was 333 industrial customers and these were selected using simple random sampling technique. Front line managers were selected through purposive sampling. Moreover, structured questionnaires and interviews are tools used to gather relevant information and statistical tools like percentage, tables and charts are used to analyze the data. The study shows performance of EEPCo in providing quality service to its industrial customers is not in a situation to meet their expectations. In all dimensions of the SERVQUAL; tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, and assurance, it’s found that there is a negative gap between service expectations and service perceptions.Therefore, the Corporation should come up with an appropriate service delivery standards, proper complaint handling mechanisms, relevant training for its employees, and strengthening decision making power of employees. Decision makers also have to exert maximum effort in quality improvement programs so that the corporation ensures industrial customers satisfaction

Environmental and Social Sustainability of Urban And Periurban Agriculture (UPA) In Selected Towns Of Ethiopia

Today nearly a billion of world population makes their daily bread from UPA, the sector that has received only little attention. This paper tries to assess the sustainability of urban agriculture from social and environmental point of view. The paper used a combination of primary and secondary data.  The primary data is collected through questionnaires and structured interview specially designed for this study. About 280 households are selected using proportionate-stratified sampling techniques, the stratification being the size of urban farmers in each of the town. The study shows that the environmental and health aspect of sustainability is closer to the yellow line mainly due to extensive use of chemical inputs. From social and political point of view, UPA is inclined to be unsustainable. Thus, city municipalities and national policy makers have provide the necessary support and grant legal recognition that matches the contribution of UPA to the national economic development. Key words: sustainability, urban and peri-urban, agriculture, Ethiopi

High energy-efficiency buildings

In cold, central European climates, hyper-insulated, heat-conserving buildings have proven a very effective way to reduce current energy consumption to 1/10 th of a traditional house. Using dry, stratified building techniques (Str/En) allows to obtain quite easily the required thermal and acoustical performances, also enhancing the construction process and allowing for the final recycling of the components. In a warmer climate – such as the Italian one – a heat-conserving strategy has to be balanced against the potential overheating problems. Among the possible solutions, the use of building-integrated Phase Change Materials, which could create a " light thermal inertia " (that is, without heavy mass), was also investigated