Essays on foreign direct investment institutions output efficiency and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa countries (SSA)

The main motivation of this thesis is to contribute to the literature and deepen our understanding of economic growth in a wide variety of countries. Explaining the course of economic growth and determine factors that might affect it, have been for a long time, and continue to be, one of the most important topics of economic literature. This thesis provides a survey and synthesis of econometric tools that have been employed to study economic growth. While these tools range across a variety of statistical methods, they are united in the common goals of first, contributing to our understanding of the empirical work on economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa economies. Second, the study quantifies the empirical relationship between Output FDI, institutions, efficiency and productivity and a wide array of factors using data over the last 41years. The first chapter is the introduction; the second chapter is an overview of Sub-Saharan Africa. The empirical analysis of the research can be categorized into three main chapters. In the first chapter (Chapter 3), Complementarity versus Substitutability: FDI and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa countries are investigated to examine the degree of complementarity between FDI and domestic capital and the level of absorptive capacity of the host countries. In the second chapter (Chapter 4), Output and Institutions are investigated to examine whether institutional development is a determinant of output per worker and productivity growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. The last chapter of empirical analysis (Chapter 5), The Role of Political and Economic Institutions on National efficiency: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa, examines the role political and economic institutions play in promoting national efficiency and thus economic development. And Chapter 6 concludes the study

Educational building conditions and the health of users

In order to maintain a healthy learning environment, diagnosis and management of defects in the educational facility are paramount. The preliminary results of the ongoing research reported here seek to identify defects associated with educational buildings and their effects on the health of polytechnic students and staff in Nigeria. A questionnaire survey, including 34 defects based on a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) was used to establish relationships with the health of polytechnic students and staff. Two hundred (200) respondents were randomly selected based on their schools (faculty) within Lagos State Polytechnic. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis of the collected data. The results of the study indicate that defects such as plumbing and dampness problems, cobwebs and dust, are prominent in the institution. Also the relationship between building conditions (defects) and health problems was established, with the predictors of the health problems. Based on the findings, it is important for designers and managers of facilities within tertiary institutions to develop and implement design and maintenance policies targeted at minimizing the likelihood of plumbing, dampness, electrical, cobweb and dust problems in educational buildings due to the health risks induced by the defects. It is evident that effective maintenance schedules and policies should be put in place to ensure that facilities are not left to decay before replacement

A framework on information behaviour of SME managers for decision-making on emerging ICTs

The aim of this study is to explore the perceived information needs and information behaviours of manager of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As technology advancement and innovation are changing rapidly affecting organisations in different ways, organization executives are introducing new technologies for their operations and business environment becomes more complex and dynamic, government introducing different policies to guide the use of these emerging ICTs. As a result, information becomes significant during adoption decision-making process for SME managers to make an inform decision. To achieve this aim, a framework is developed based on existing literature, using the technology organization environmental (TOE) model as the theoretical underpinning for empirical investigation on information behaviour of SME managers in this study. This study is qualitative in nature, and semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with twenty SME managers in the UK service sector. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Following Myers and Newman’s (2007) guidelines for qualitative interview and triangulation method were used to validate the conceptual framework and established the research rigour and quality. The research findings explained information behaviours of SME managers in the contexts of technology organisation environment as information behaviour triggered and perceived information needs during the adoption decision in SMEs. These findings provide further insight into ICT adoption in SMEs through information behaviours and highlighted the significant of sources of information and pre-information needed during the decision-making process. The research also contributes to theory in the information systems field by using relevant literature from information science field to explore information behaviours of SME managers. Future research can be done in other sectors of the economy to show more holistic behaviours of SME managers

Research and Publication Ethics

Research is an effort to seek the truth and communicate it. In the process, participants or subjects of research must be recognised and respected, and the principles of research ethics must protect the vulnerable from exploitation. The researcher must do the reporting of research findings with honesty and professionalism. Non-adherence to the above principles in the early research period resulted in gross abuse of personality and autonomy. Research is now subjected to rigorous scrutiny to stem the tide of abuse and ascertain and guarantee the sanctity of the research participants, process and product. These are the fundamentals of the practice of ethics in both research and publication. In effect, this paper aims to address ethics and its application to research and publications

Causations of Failure in Megaprojects: A Case Study of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant Project

This paper uses project organizational theories to draw lessons from a historic megaproject, the Ajaokuta Steel Plant (ASP). Archival reports on the ASP were explored to identify the unique attributes of the project; the political wrangling that underplayed its evolution, its economic significance and organizational impacts. Findings suggest the goals of the ASP project were, and still are, unambiguous. Failure occurred as socio-political forces aggravated the project’s complex milestones. Stakeholders were impatient with pre-project investigations. During planning, owners ignored opinions that were contrary to their expectations. While delays lingered, pressures from the global economy weakened the project’s motivation to succeed. These combined to turn the project’s outcomes into a chaotic situation that triggered dire implications. Despite about 1400% overrun in cost, the success achieved on the plant was 28% at commissioning. Contractors remained on site until eight years after commissioning. Six key elements of the 482 items in the ASP project contract were not delivered nearly 40 years on. A simplistic look at these suggests poor planning is the main problem. However, planning issues is not entirely strange in greenfield projects. The paper draws strength from project organization theories to explain what was poor about the planning. Socrates’ generic management theory was used to explain the role of leadership in the failure of the ASP project. McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y explain the significance of stakeholders’ integration in megaprojects. Systems and chaos theories were used to explain the sensitivity of the ASP project to uncertainties. Narratives on these combine well to inspire stakeholders of megaprojects on where and how to seek courage in making effective plans that can help achieve success in complex projects. While normative literature only recognizes project success in a definitive perspective, this study provides insights from failure as an instrument to trigger sublime reflections

Model variables of risk elements in sexual behaviour: a comparative analysis of Lagos-based traders

This paper compares sexuality risk variables and the logit models of itinerantly differentiated tradesmen groups in Lagos Nigeria. The study, using survey design, compared the groups’ biosocial characteristics and then their sexuality risk variables in two ways. First, it compared their relative vulnerabilities to sexually transmitted infections, using selected ‘life-time’ and recent sexuality parameters. Second, it examined the degree of similarity between the groups’ sexuality risk models. Findings show significant bio-social contrasts between the two groups. While circulators showed greater multi-partnership risk, the non-circulators exceeded marginally on commercial sexuality. Condom-use risk was undifferentiating. Also, the variables in their respective parsimonious risk models showed minimal contrast. The findings among others underscore the relevance of HIV/AIDS sufferers as campaign persons and canvassed for greater emphasis on family life programmes, given the riskier sexuality disposition of married tradesmen, regardless of circulation status.Résumé Cet article compare les variables de risques de la sexualité avec les modèles de la régression logistique de groupes des commerçants se distinguant par itinéraire à Lagos, Nigéria. Utilisant un plan de sondage, cette étude a comparé leurs traits biosociaux avec leurs variables de risques de la sexualité de deux façons. Premièrement, l’étude a comparé leurs vulnérabilités relatives aux infections transmises sexuellement, utilisant des paramètres de la vie et de la sexualité récemment sélectionnés. Deuxièmement, elle a examiné le degré de similarité entre les modèles des risques de la sexualité des groupes. Cette recherche démontre les contrastes biosociaux importants entre les deux groupes. Si les circulateurs ont montré un grand risque en multipartenariat, les non-circulateurs étaient marginalement excessifs en sexualité commerciale. Le risque d’usage des préservatifs était peu pertinent. Aussi, les variables retenues dans leurs respectifs modèles parsimonieux de risques de la sexualité ont démontré un contraste minimal. Cette recherche souligne la nécessité d’usage des victimes du VHI/SIDA pour la campagne contre la maladie et la pertinence des programmes à l’intention des familles, vu l’inclination des commerçants mariés au sexe risqué, malgré leurs statuts de circulation.Mots clés: Sexuelle, comportement à risque, circulateurs, noncirculateurs, modélisatio