COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Conflict is a situation that occurs when two people did not come to agree with each other, having varying opinion about a subject matter. Wherever human beings are congregated or made to co-exist with one another, conflict is inevitable. This is because each individual emanated from different background, family cycle, educational background, class, race etc. Therefore we are meant to think differently, observe things differently and also react to issues differently. The ability of the manager to manage this conflict well to the advantage of the organization is our area of focus.

THE IMPACT OF DEFENSIVE SILENCE ON COLLABORATION AND CREATIVITY OF WORK TEAMS

This study examined the extent to which defensive silence affects the collaboration and creativity of employees within the banking sector. For the study, self determination theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. The study focused on staff with full employment in deposit money banks in the South-South states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers. Focus would be on Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom. The choice of these three cities and states was informed by proximity to the researcher. Preliminary investigation shows that a total of one thousand, four hundred and forty-one (1441) management and subordinate staff are in the eighteen (18) selected deposit money banks. The determination of the sample size was done using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table and the result was 302. Multiple regression was used to test the null hypotheses. Our findings revealed a significant relationship between defensive silence and both collaboration and creativity. The study further recommended that organizations need to ensure that both managers and employees have the necessary support to be creative and understand how to use it in their particular job situation.

RISK-TAKING AND RESILIENCE OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

This study is an empirical work on the relationship between risk-taking and resilience of food and beverage manufacturing firms in south-south Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, while primary data was collected via the administration of a structured questionnaire. 321 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the respondents and 297 copies were retrieved showing 93% retrieval rate. Data analysis was carried out with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The result of the analysis affirmed the alternate hypotheses which stated that risk-taking positively correlates with the measures of organizational resilience. Thus, concluded that risk-taking promotes resilience of the food and beverage manufacturing firms in south-south Nigeria. The study also recommended that top executives of organizations should not be risk averse but willing and open to risk taking such that could benefit and advance their position within the organization and also contribute to an overall advantage for the organization.

OPPORTUNITY COST APPROACH EVALUATION OF URBAN TRAFFIC CONGESTION COSTS AT ORLU-ROAD BY WAREHOUSE INTERSECTION IN OWERRI METROPOLIS

This study estimated the economic cost of urban traffic congestion trip-time delay and extra vehicle operating cost at the Orlu-road by warehouse intersection in Owerri Metropolis, Imo state, Nigeria. Adopting the survey research design in which both questionnaire and observation of traffic (traffic count) were used as instruments of data collection, the study used the Willingness to Accept (WTA) method to estimate the opportunity cost of traffic congestion trip-time delay as the value which motorist attached to the extra travel time spent in congestion at the intersection. The extra vehicle operating cost was estimated using data obtained from the traffic count, the prevailing fuel cost in Nigeria and mathematical models derived from multiple literatures reviewed in the study. It was found that the aggregate economic cost of traffic congestion trip-time delay and extra fuel cost to the economy of Imo state runs into billions of naira for trip-time delays experienced

EFFECT OF LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT ON BANK FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA

This study ascertained the effect of annual inflation rate on bank financial performance in Nigeria. Ex-Post Facto research design was adopted. Data were extracted from annual reports and accounts of the selected banks in Nigeria. The population of the study comprises of all the twenty (20) deposit money banks operating in Nigeria as at the time of this research work. According to the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), twenty (20) deposit money banks operate in Nigeria as at the end of year 2019. Regression analysis was employed to test the hypothesis with SPSS 20.0. The analysis shows that the annual inflation rate does not positively influence banks’ financial performance. Based on the result, the researcher recommended that banks should be able to anticipate inflation rate periodically to adjust their interest rate in order to make profit.

ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF OIL AND GAS COMPANIES IN NIGERIA

This study ascertains the effect of environmental costs on financial performance of oil and gas companies on the Nigeria stock exchange. The specific objectives are to: Ascertain the effect of Environmental Remediation Cost on Tobin’s Q of Oil and Gas Companies listed on Nigeria Stock Exchange, and evaluate the effect of Compliance Cost on Tobin’s Q of Oil and Gas Companies on the Nigeria Stock Exchange. Ex Post Facto research design was adopted for the study. Data were gathered from the published financial statements of the eleven (11) Oil and Gas companies for eleven (12) years period. The study found that Compliance Cost and Environmental Remediation Cost have significant effect on Tobin’s Q of Oil and Gas Companies listed on Nigeria Stock Exchange. Based on this, the researchers recommended amongst others that since Environmental Remediation Cost and financial performance are positively related, then oil and gas firms should be environmentally friendly to enable them gain competitive advantage, high liquidity and reduced environmental cost in the long run.

EFFECT OF NON-AUDIT SERVICES ON AUDITOR’S INDEPENDENCE: EVIDENCE FROM ACCOUNTING PRACTITIONERS IN ABIA STATE

This study investigates the effect of the provision on non-audit services on Auditor’s independence: evidence from accounting practitioners and consequent effect on the auditor’s objectivity and professional skepticism in the financial statement audited. The study used the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) domiciled in Abia State. The data for the study were generated from primary source: questionnaires were the major instrument for data collection. The instrument was subject to both content and faces validity by experts. Three questions were structured in Likert scale form and the formulated hypotheses were tested with ordinary Logistic regression using SPSS package. The study found that non-audit services have no effect on auditor’s independence, the auditor’s objectivity and professional skepticism. The study therefore recommends that the audit committee should have full oversight of the auditor’s independence, including the nature and extent of the work they do and their fees. The audit committee should make its charter public. The charter should give investor information about how the audit committee chooses its auditors and how it decides the type of service they can provide.

INNOVATIVENESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

This study is an empirical work on the relationship between innovativeness and resilience of food and beverage manufacturing firms in south-south Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, while primary data was collected via the administration of a structured questionnaire. 321 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the respondents and 297 copies were retrieved showing 93% retrieval rate. Data analysis was carried out with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The result of the analysis affirmed the alternate hypotheses which stated that innovativeness positively correlates with the measures of organizational resilience. Thus, concluded that innovativeness promotes resilience of the food and beverage manufacturing firms in south-south Nigeria. The study also recommended that organizational work arrangements can be structured to allow for less stringency in supervision so that workers can express themselves in innovative ways; management should be more attuned towards the potentials and creative capabilities of the subordinates and organizational systems can be patterned to link actions with implications for workers in such a manner that workers are motivated to be cautious but yet willing and open to risk taking such that could benefit and advance their position within the organization and also contribute to an overall advantage for the organization.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND FIRM INNOVATIVENESS OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN THE SOUTH-SOUTH OF NIGERIA

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between knowledge management and firm innovativeness of manufacturing firms in the south-south of Nigeria. The study offers an empirical assessment of the relationship as based on its operational framework – 3bivariate null hypothetical statements are put forward. The research design adopted was the cross-sectional survey and data for this study was generated from managers and key personnel of the target organizations using structured questionnaire. The study adopted the Spearman’s rank order correlation in its assessment for bivariate correlations between knowledge management and measures of firm innovativeness (propensity to create new products, propensity to create new business system and propensity to create new processes). The findings reveal significant relationships between knowledge management and the measures of firm innovativeness. In conclusion, it was stated that knowledge management, offers the necessary support, orientation and knowledge control for enhancing firm innovativeness.

THE IMPACT OF EXPLOITATION ON RESOURCE UTILIZATION AND GOAL FOCUS IN TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY

This study examined the relationship between exploitation, resource utilization and goal focus in telecommunication industry. The sample for this study consisted of 84 management staff from the four leading Telecommunication giants (MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9 Mobile). The data for this research was collected using the questionnaire method. The Kendall Tau statistical tool was used to test the relationships between the variables under review. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between Exploitation and both Resource utilization and Goal focus. It was concluded based on our statistical analysis that organizational exploitation enhances corporate health. More specifically, it was concluded that exploitation enhances resource utilization and goal focus. In view of these results and conclusions above, this study recommends that; Managers should acknowledge the importance of exploration in fostering a better resource utilization which will bring about a healthy organization. Employee involvement, especially employees that are opened to change should be encouraged at all organization level.