Ecocide Activities and Oil Firms’ Ecological Marketing Practice: A Focus on Agricultural-Economic Sustainability in Niger Delta

This study was carried out to examine the extent to which the ecocide activities in Niger Delta have affected the ecological marketing practices of the oil firms: Shell BP, Agip Oil Company, and Elf Oil Company in the improvement of the agricultural economic wellbeing of the oil-bearing communities in Niger Delta. A descriptive survey research design was employed in this study. The population of the study was 37,965,391 drawn from Niger Delta States based on which a sample size of 400 respondents was determined using Taro Yamane’s sample size determination techniques at 0.5 percent level of significance. The purposive sampling procedure was employed to enable the researcher to select the representative sample elements of the population interest from the right respondents who have adequate knowledge of the study under investigation from the different strata that makes up the population of the study. A structured instrument for data collection containing twenty (20) item questions was used for the study. The face and content validation of the instrument was obtained through the judgment of experts. A test-retest method was used to determine the reliability of the instrument and the reliability index of .83 was obtained. The data collected for the study were analyzed using the mean score test and the percentage test method to answered the research questions; while the inferential statistics of the Z-score test was used to test the null hypothesis at .05 level of significance. Results obtained revealed that “Ecological marketing practice of the oil firms does not significantly improved agricultural economic poverty, agricultural market failure, agricultural economic frustration, and agricultural land limitation in the oil-bearing communities in Niger Delta”. The implication of this finding is that the oil firms’ ecological sustainability marketing activities was considered to lack the needed proactive improvement values which, if ethical based ecological effort is not adopted to create sustainable improvement; oil firms might experience unpredicted operational interruption by the oil-bearing communities. It was therefore, recommended that oil firms should consider employing proactive ecological marketing efforts in a more ethical and responsible manner to sustain the agricultural economic wellbeing of the oil-bearing communities.

Is Meaningful Work a Stronger Predictor of Innovation Than Transformational Leadership?

Purpose: Innovation is recognised as a key driver of business and economic growth. However, many organisations struggle to implement or encourage innovation successfully. A number of factors, including the demonstration of transformational leadership, have been examined in encouraging innovation behaviour among employees. ‘Meaningful work’ is seen as an additional factor influencing innovation but has received little attention in this field. Design: Drawing on both an emerging body of research on meaningful work and a leading model of creativity and innovation in organisations, this exploratory study of 100 Australian adult employees investigated the additional predictive value of both meaningful work and transformational leadership on innovation behavior.Findings: Results showed that meaningful work was positively correlated with, and predicted, innovation, while transformational leadership did not contribute to innovative behaviour. Implications:This finding has implications for organisations fostering innovation by helping them better understand the impact meaningful work could have on their innovation objectives.Originality:This is one of the first studies examining the relationship between innovation, meaningful work, and transformational leadership in a population of employed adults.

China Belt and Road Initiative: Give-and-Take of Infrastructure Development in the North Africa Subregion

It is not a secret that Africa is richly endowed with raw materials, which has raised the stakes for foreign interests. The amplification of these riches has created a sense of urgency in developed nations to enter partnerships to have access to the resources. North Africa, though more advance than its sub-Saharan neighbors falls in the essential corridor of the Belt and Roads Initiative (BRI); and thus, requires infrastructure improvement to meet the overall BRI agenda. This yearning for infrastructure development in Africa has generally been met by China’s search for natural resources. The BRI is that infrastructure investment platform that allows for connectivity between member nations. This semi-systematic literature review identifies and appraises relevant research and collects and analyzes data about the impact of BRI on development in this subregion. Even though the BRI has shown some evidence of constructive growth in infrastructure connectivity, the opaque nature of the engagements has been the subject of harsh criticism; with some critics describing China’s motive as an attempt to recolonize Africa. Chinese partnerships in Africa have resulted in major investments and credit flows providing the much-needed resources to the BRI member countries to implement the very much needed development schemes, despite the main challenge that remains—sustenance of these extensive projects. The most significant implication of the BRI has been the concern about a possible conflict between China and the US. A key to averting open conflict between China and the US is through an alliance and coordinated response by Europe and the US.

Using Business Models beyond Business

Business models describe the way organizations create and deliver value necessary for their existence. In the mid-1990s, they arose as a buzzword relating to the development of “dot-com” firms and their hunt for capital. The theory and application of business models have focused on business.Consequently, the definitions and archetypes of business models proposed in the extant literature have addressed profit-making organizations. This paper argues that business models are equally useful in the establishment, evolution, and analysis of non-profit organizations. Moreover, there is a real need for these models, as non-profit organizations are part of the national and international economic governance. Thus, the paper reframes business models through a non-entrepreneurial lens and proposes a new archetype with generalized applicability to all organizations, whether for-profit, non-profit, public, or private. A “hybrid” archetype is developed, synthesizing existing business model archetypes while extending their reach to better embrace the overarching core logic of organizations, reflecting the political mandate of not-for-profit entities and the business remit of firms. The validity of the proffered archetype is tested on two international not-for-profit organizations and serves well as a conceptual map of their decision-making and policy-making activity. Furthermore, the testing process demonstrates that business models, when devised externally and retrospectively, can be equally well used in hindsight as organizational analysis tools, possibly conjointly with other methods.

Relationship between Social Media Promotion and Consumer Behaviors for CASIO Wristwatches in Japan, the USA, and the UK

CASIO standard wristwatches (C-CASIOs) have been popular topics for social media, especially in Japan, the USA, and the UK. Most of the media have shown reviews, durable tests, cerebritis who wear C-CASIOs, fashions with it, and unique stories. While C-CASIOs have been popular with such enthusiasm on the media, CASIO decided not to promote it. CASIO may not see the necessity of sales promotion because CASIO has sold it very well worldwide without the promotion. However, CASIO may not need promotion if social media in the three countries have promoted C-CASIOs. Therefore, in this paper, we will find if social media have promoted C-CASIOs for such a successful sales record.

The Direct Health Facility Financing Impact on Financial Management in Kaliua District Council, Tabora Tanzania

This study assessed the implementation of Direct Health Facility Financing (DHFF) on financial management among primary health facilities of Kaliua District Council. The assessment conducted because Kaliua District is the one among 184 councils where the government introduced DHFF; the study adopted case study design whereby, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. A structured questionnaire, Interview, FDGs, Documentary review were used in obtaining data which were classified into planning process, rate of fund utilization, adherence to financial management guidelines and perceptions of employees on fund utilization which were administered to 238 respondents who sampled through simple random and purposeful sampling techniques. Data analysed using excel and SPSS for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data.Study revealed that, planning process work in excellent way (72.9%); utilization capacity of funds disbursed has been acknowledged at 70%; Fund utilization perceived positively impacting on the quality of health services delivery like availability of medicines and medical equipment in health facilities unlike the time before DHFF. Financial and procurement guidelines to some extent are adhered for about 50%. However, study observed some problems like lack of funds to facilitate HFGCs’ activities, late disbursement of funds that affected utilization. Conclusively based on findings, financial management at health facilities is effective as it attributed to significantly positive impacts on general improvement of health services delivery in public primary health facilities.

Can Parents Be Attributed to Their Subsidiary Performance? A Multi-Level Analysis for Performance Determinants of Multinational Enterprises in Pakistan

International firms are highly sensitive to the performance of their subsidiaries and want to understand the factors behind their monetary success. Thus, numerous strategies are employed by these International firms to explore subsidiaries’ performance determinants; usually, these include subsidiary level attributes, ignoring the parent’s impact along with its country. To address this gap we construct a multi-level research that focuses the subsidiary, parent attributes along with countries’ Governance Indicators while predicting the determinants of subsidiary performance in Pakistan.We use two different levels i.e. parent & subsidiary level; multi-level analysis approach with HLM (Hierarchical Linear Model) in this research paper. Governance indicators of both parents and subsidiaries were taken explanatory factors along with Market growth, size, Performance, R & D, capital structure as well as asset management policies of parent. Subsidiary level factors included parents’ ownership, size, equity, and capital investment. 26 multinational companies listed on Pakistan Stock Exchange were included. Data was taken from the year 2012 to 2018. Selected companies cover around ten sectors of Pakistan Stock Exchange.The study revealed that on both levels; parents and subsidiaries, Governance institutions are more influencing factors rather than companies’ own attributes. We recommend that before investing in a country, international businesses should take into account Governance institutions (by World Bank); more than their own attributes.Originality/value - This study contributes to the existing approaches to determining subsidiary performance through adding Governance institutions and parent level attributes. Especially it explores the determinants of subsidiary performance in a developing country; Pakistan in the Asia continent.

Attitudes of Bank Managers towards the Effect of Cultural Intelligence on Organizational Climate and the Process of Strategy Activation: With Special Reference to Commercial Banks in Erbil, Kurdistan Region

The purpose of this research is to examine the attitudes of bank managers towards the effect of cultural intelligence on organizational climate and the process of strategy activation. A survey instrument comprising six constructs (cultural intelligence capabilities: metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, behavioral capabilities, organizational climate, and strategy activation) was designed and administered to managers within 18 commercial banks in Erbil, the capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan Region. The empirical data were analyzed by using (PLS-SEM) path modeling to hypotheses testing. The research findings confirmed a positive and significant correlation between cultural intelligence key elements (metacognitive, cognitive, motivational, and behavioral capabilities), and organizational climate. The findings indicated that cultural intelligence contributes to improving the organizational climate within commercial banks. The improved organizational climate within commercial banks, contributes to improving the process of strategy activation. This research contributes to improves the literature by representing that cultural intelligence stands as the base for improving organizational climate; thus, the improved organizational climate (as a result of cultural intelligence) contributes to improving the process of strategy activation.

Talent Management Strategies and Employees’ Retention in Chi Farms Ltd (Ajanla Farm), Oyo State, Nigeria

This study examined the analysis of Talent management strategies and employees’ retention among workers of CHI Farms LTD. (Ajanla Farm), Ibadan. In carrying out the research, three hypotheses were generated and were tested using Multiple regression model, Pearson product moment correlation and T – test statistics respectively. The study adopted a descriptive survey design method. A structured questionnaire was used in obtaining data, which was classified into Employee Engagement Scale (EES), Employees’ Retention Scale (ERS), Performance Management Scale (PMS), Compensation Management Scale (CMS), and was administered on 108 respondents. Hypothesis one revealed that there was a contribution of talent management strategies (i.e performance management, compensation and engagement) to employees’ retention (F=43.68, p<.01, R2=.54). Hypothesis two findings showed a significant relationship between performance management and employees’ retention [r(.104)= .46**, p<.01]. Also, the result revealed a significant positive relationship between compensation strategies and employees retention [r(106)=.35**,p<.01]. The result also revealed that a significant positive relationship between engagement and employees’ retention {r(106)=.40**, p<.01} exist. Hypothesis three result revealed that there was a significant difference between male and female respondents on perception of employees’ retention. [t(106)=4.27, p<.01]. The study concluded that performance management, compensation strategy and employees’ engagement are of great importance to talent management and retention. The study therefore recommended that management should formulate and implement policies that promote talent management which will in turn promote employees’ retention, they should also recognize and appreciate employees for work well done and that management should have in – house career development programs to help develop their employees.

Influence of Quality of Work-Life on Organizational Citizenship Behaviour: A Case Study of Selected Ministries in State Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria

The study investigated the influence of quality of work-life on organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) among civil-servants in selected ministries in State Secretariat, Osogbo, Osun State. A total of 200 civil-servants took part in the study as respondents. Questionnaire was used for data collection in the study. Collected data were analyzed using both Descriptive and Inferential statistics. The findings revealed that quality of work-life have significant influence on organizational citizenship behavior among civil servants, Quality of work-life significantly influenced courtesy among civil servants, Quality of work-life significantly influenced civic virtue among civil servants, Quality of work life significantly influenced conscientiousness among civil servants, Quality of work life significantly influenced sportsmanship among civil servants. Gowever, Quality of work life did not significantly influence altruism among civil. It is therefore concluded that quality of work-life significantly influenced organizational citizenship behavior among civil-servants. It was recommended that ministries should give priority to quality of work-life which willenhance altruism, conscientiousness, civic virtue, sportsmanship and courtesy that will encourage the employees to perform better and show willingness to achieve the organizational goals.