The more the merrier? Network portfolio size and innovation performance in Nigerian firms

A positive relationship between firms' networking activities and innovativeness has been consistently established in the literature on innovation. However, studies considering different innovation types, and on developing countries are scarce. This paper addresses questions concerning the relationship between networking strategies and innovativeness of firms, using innovation survey data on Nigerian firms. Quantile regression is applied to trace the link between portfolio size and innovation at different levels of innovative success. The results show a positive relationship between a firm's innovation performance and the size of its networking portfolio. This relationship varies across different innovation types and with increasing innovation performance. The findings suggest that the widely accepted portfolio approach to external search for knowledge is not necessarily always the best—its utility depends on the firm's current level of innovative success. This poses a challenge for open innovation.     

Farmer groups and input access: When membership is not enough

This paper explores the efficiency of a targeted fertilizer subsidy program administered differently in two Nigerian states in 2009. An important dimension along which the otherwise similar programs differed was the fertilizer distribution strategy. Fertilizer distribution among program participants was done at the individual level for one set of farmers, while the fertilizer was given indirectly through a group representative for the other set. Where fertilizer was given to a group representative for further distribution to members, relatives of the farm group’s president received more bags of fertilizer than others. Where fertilizer was given directly to farmers such results did not obtain. This differential outcome suggests that while groups may facilitate the process of farmer identification and coordination, elite capture and intra group dynamics may affect their efficacy for providing equal access to inputs for members. Two-tier models enable us to model the potentially separate processes that determine participation in the voucher program and the amount of fertilizer received, upon deciding to participate. With intentions to adopt and scale up voucher programs in various food security and poverty alleviation programs across developing countries, it is important to understand when and how farmer groups can affect the successful implementation of such programs.     

The effects of education on agricultural productivity under traditional and improved technology in northern Nigeria: an endogenous switching regression analysis

This paper estimates a more efficient version of an endogenous switching regression model to examine the effects of farmer education—schooling and extension contact—on cowpea production under traditional and improved technology in northern Nigeria. The results revealed significant productivity-enhancing effects of schooling and extension contact only under improved technology. Factors that promote technology adoption will thus indirectly raise the marginal contributions of farmer education; these include schooling, participatory technology evaluation, improved seed supply, and market access. The results demonstrate that schooling not only enhances agricultural productivity following technology adoption but also promotes adoption itself.     

Deregulating the electricity industry in Nigeria: Lessons from the British reform

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has set out the modalities for launching a competition policy regime in its electricity industry in 2006. By analysing the factors that may inhibit a smooth transition to contestable regimes in generation (commodity and capacity) and in supply (metering, billing and customer services), this paper lays the foundation for the policy advisors to begin to re-think whether unbundling and deregulation is the best way for Nigeria to improve power supply. The paper concludes that, consistent with some of the other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, implementing a hastily convened competition policy will be a huge transaction cost, and one that will yield the country very little (if any) economic benefit.     

Rural-urban disparity in knowledge and compliance with traffic signs among young commercial motorcyclists in selected local government areas in Oyo State,Nigeria

This study compared knowledge and compliance with traffic signs among young commercial motorcyclists in rural and urban communities in Oyo state, Nigeria. Information on knowledge and compliance with 10 common traffic signs was obtained from 149 rural and 113 urban commercial motorcyclists aged 18–35 years. Aggregate knowledge scores were computed and categorized as good (≥5) and poor (<5) knowledge. Overall, 98.7% rural versus 61.1% urban motorcyclists had poor knowledge of traffic signs (p < 0.05). After controlling for age, level of education and years of commercial riding, motorcyclists in the rural areas were more likely to have poor knowledge of the traffic signs (OR = 58.15; 95% CI = 11.96–282.79). A higher proportion of rural than urban motorcyclists never obeyed any of the traffic signs. Young rural commercial motorcyclists' knowledge and compliance with the road signs was poorer than their urban counterparts. Interventions to improve the rural motorcyclists' knowledge and ultimately compliance with road signs are urgently required.     

Emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion among hotel employees in Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a model, which investigated emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion among employees in frontline service jobs. Data were gathered via self-administered questionnaires from a sample of frontline hotel employees in Nigeria, which is one of the neglected developing sub-Saharan countries in the African continent. The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated a number of significant direct and partial mediating effects and provided support for the majority of the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, emotional dissonance partially mediated the relationships of negative affectivity and intrinsic motivation with emotional exhaustion. The results also revealed that emotional exhaustion partially mediated the effect of emotional dissonance on turnover intentions. Unexpectedly, emotional dissonance was found to be positively related to job performance. Implications for frontline employees and their managers and directions for future research are discussed.     

An Empirical Evaluation of the Corporate Strategies of Nigerian Companies

ABSTRACT

As a result of substantial and contemporary changes in the Nigerian business environment, a study was designed to evaluate the corporate strategies used by Nigerian organizations to cope with these changes. Using the survey research methodology of questionnaire on a sample of 1280 corporate executives working in quoted companies in Lagos state of Nigeria, it was found that some aspects of operationalised grand corporate strategies were highly emphasized by Nigerian organizations, while some were not highly emphasized. For example, market penetration strategy was the most emphasized grand corporate strategy, while planned liquidation strategy was the least emphasized strategy. Also, the research revealed that local competition had the highest impact on corporate strategy, while foreign competition posed the least impact on the corporate strategies of Nigerian companies. Nigerian organizations were most effective in achieving profitability objective through their grand corporate strategies, while corporate social responsibility was the least achieved corporate objective via corporate strategies. These findings and their managerial implications were discussed along the salient issues of the research with respect to the research problem, research questions, relevant literature, managerial actions, and Other cognate issues.     

Aligning Private Business Development and Economic Growth in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines the different factors that have influenced the development of new types of entrepreneurship in Nigeria since 1986. It analyzes the problems Nigerians confront in trying to run small businesses as a result of the structural adjustment policy that was proposed by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and adopted by the military government in 1986. The major questions addressed in this study are: what are the economic and political situations in Nigeria between 1980-1997 and how have these situations forced the people of the nation to be entrepreneurs? What obstacles do entrepreneurs face in starting small businesses in Nigeria? What are the different types of entrepreneurship that have resulted in Nigeria due to the structural adjustment policies of this period?

The paper demonstrates that economic difficulties were the major reasons for those who started their business between 1986 and 1995 in Nigeria. This supports the notion that entrepreneurship should not be viewed as a function of opportunity but rather as a function of cultural perception of opportunity and the need to maintain continuous family income. Policy implication and topics for future research are discussed.     

Management problems of urban land development in Nigeria: A case of the Kano State Urban Development Board

Summary

This paper presents the major findings of an empirical investigation on the shortcomings of the Kano State Urban Development Board in managing the development and use of new urban land. From generalizations on the factors which have hamstrung the Board's effectiveness in three separate cases it appears that the major issues centre around long‐standing contradictions in legislation. These may be difficult to remove at the moment but in the interest of effective land development management something has to be done.     

Structural Equation Test of Service Quality Dimensions on the Relationship Quality Construct: Evidence from an Emerging Telecom Market

While the subjects of “relationship quality” and “service quality” are well-researched and understood, a clear explanation of the exact relationship that exists between these two important themes is lacking. In a departure from previous service quality studies, this article uses a conservative measure of SERVQUAL to explore the diagnostic structure of service quality. Next, it investigates the structural behavior of service quality dimensions on the relationship quality construct within an emerging telecom market through a dual-lens theoretical viewpoint. The findings show that, in an emerging telecom market, the dimensional structure of SERVQUAL does not completely match with the result previously generated by the originators. It also demonstrates that by improving some quality indicators, a service provider is better positioned to improve relationship quality. In addition, this article challenges the existing tenet of the S-O-R framework by demonstrating that stimulus factors can directly predict the response factor and that the response variable can play a dual role in the S-O-R arena. Finally, implications and contributions are outlined.