Farm machinery management data were collected in Burkina Faso, for the prediction of repair and maintenance costs. Equations were developed to predict repair and maintenance costs of tractors, cane loaders, generators and motorpumps. The analysis of data revealed that tractor repair and maintenance appears a greater burden than predicted by the American and Australian data. Tractor trade-in was not prescribed by the rule of minimum total cost per unit tractor use. Farm machinery and power units were operated more than twice as long as in the United States. New machine purchase was discouraged by the current sugar prices on the local market.

<p>Managers play a major role in ensuring the practice of ethical behavior in organizations. The problem addressed in this study was that bank failures in Nigeria have been associated with fraud, unethical behavior, and malpractices. The purpose of this descriptive multiple qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of managers regarding the role of spirituality of managers in banks in the Nigerian financial sector and its perceived influence on ethical behavior. The sample study consisted of managers in three Banks in Nigeria, subordinates working under these managers, and executives supervising the managers. A total of 39 participants were interviewed comprising of 18 managers, 18 subordinates, and three executive directors. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of participants in each organization. The findings from the study indicated that workplace spirituality is essential to preventing organizational malpractice, unethical behavior and fraud in banks, in Nigeria. Managers, subordinates, and executives indicated that integrity, honesty, fairness, and professionalism were necessary for ethical practices in the banking sector. The findings were consistent with claims of other researchers, and also achieved the study purpose, which was to highlight the role of workplace spirituality in preventing fraud, unethical behavior and malpractice in banks. The implications are that bank managers in Nigeria should practice the aforementioned spiritual values, and encourage their subordinates to do likewise. This is considered possible through training or inclusion of ethics curricula in professional development programs for managers. The recruitment of bank managers with a strong propensity towards spirituality and ethical values is also recommended to enhance workplace spirituality. Building organizational culture on principles of ethics so that newly hired managers are put in the ethical environment is also recommended. Future similar studies on the role of employee spirituality in preventing fraud, unethical behavior and malpractice in settings other than banks, other African countries, as well as non-African countries is recommended. Quantitative studies such as the need to assess the existence, strength, and direction of potential relationship between the level of spirituality of managers in banks and the level of fraud, unethical behavior, and malpractice is also recommended. </p>

<p> By the year 2020, Generation Ys (Gen Ys), born 1981&ndash;1999, will far outnumber any other generation in the workplace, making it imperative for employers to understand their needs. Thus, an organization's future vitality is dependent on its ability to work effectively with Gen Ys. Although Gen Y characteristics and needs are documented in existing literature, leadership styles and approaches that best support such needs are not clear. Therefore, this study sought to answer two questions: What are Gen Y's needs in the workplace? What type of leadership best supports these needs? Data were collected from 135 Gen Y employees working in the United States across a variety of industries, from technology to nonprofit sectors. One hundred twenty-five online surveys were completed, and 10 face-to-face interviews were conducted. Flexibility and challenging work were found to be the highest priority needs of Gen Y employees, followed by a second tier of needs: access to up-to-date technology, open communication, collaboration and teamwork, an adequate compensation package, growth and development, and a hospitable culture. It was found that Gen Ys prefer to work for someone who incorporates a participative leadership style. It was concluded that Gen Y employees have high expectations for their employers, posing a challenge for organizations to accommodate all needs. They insist on a workplace that allows for their participation. Retention will be increased by ensuring growth and development opportunities.</p>

<p>The nonprofit sector has historically faced a multitude of challenges that threaten sustainability. Such continues even today. Nonprofit organizations struggle to respond to changes imposed by external environmental influences. These changes revolve around accountability and resources. With all of this, the sector now faces yet another challenge of a significant executive leadership deficit. During the past ten years to the present, the sector has experienced a mass retirement of baby boomer executives. The nonprofit sector has warned of the leadership deficit. However, nonprofit organizations have failed to urgently respond to the developing leadership void. Nonprofit organizations tend to not address executive leadership needs of the organization until an occurrence of vacancy. While nonprofit organizations are encouraged to utilize successor planning, under utilizing is prevalent. This qualitative research explores nonprofit executive successor planning from a phenomenological approach. The research emphasizes perspectives of twelve nonprofit executives who experienced leadership transition during the years 2008&ndash;2012. The research approach is framed by theories of organizational management and human behavior. This research informs the issue of nonprofit successor planning utilization decisions in two areas. One area is the influence of incumbent executives in facilitating successor planning. A second area is consideration of ascribing resource value to the executive position. Such can encourage strategic assessment and planning for future leadership needs. Findings of the research indicate continued under utilization of successor planning characterized by the following: a reality of nonprofit executives facing operational distractions; governing boards avoiding the issue of leadership transition; and nonprofit organizations under utilizing strategic planning. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to create additional research and outcomes on the theory of applying a whole systems approach to strategic planning through a large group intervention in a non-profit organization. This study utilized grounded theory and qualitative analysis. The research focused on the positive whole systems approach to examine the construct of strategic planning in a large group intervention utilizing the strategic planning frameworks of SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and Results; Starvos &amp; Hinrichs, 2009) and appreciative inquiry (AI; Cooperrider, Sorensen, Yaeger, &amp; Whitney, 2005) as outcomes-focused alternatives to strategic planning in organizations. This qualitative study was executed in conjunction with appreciative interviews utilizing SOAR strategic visioning process and a strategic visioning SOAR Summit.</p><p> This study provided additional insight into whole systems change approach by utilizing strategic planning methods including: AI, SOAR, large group intervention, positive organization psychology, and World Cafe since such studies were limited that analyzed this approach in the development of public sector organizations. This research study consisted of 63 interviews that were conducted with employees, administrators, trustees, and community residents of the community-funded, non-profit fire protection department. The study timeline was from September 2014 until February 2015. Findings suggested that both non-profit and private sector organizations could drive their missions forward by engaging in a whole systems approach and large group intervention, focusing on appreciative and positive organizational change methodologies.</p>

<p> Decision making is among the chief liabilities and risks recurring foremost on a daily basis for human resources professionals in today&rsquo;s workplace. Therefore, human resources professionals as decision makers are often required to be aware of, and comply with, a variety of subject matters, trends, concepts, issues, practices, and laws. For human resources professionals, decision making a core job function. The problem addressed in this study is how the absence of formal decision-making criteria specifically designed for the management of human resources can cause human resources professionals to make decisions that are above not only costly for organizations, but can increase their own personal liability and risk. The purpose of this qualitative research via multiple case study was to investigate how the absence of formal decision-making criteria specifically designed for the management of human resources can cause human resources professionals to make decisions that are often financially and perceptually costly for the organizations in which they work, and can also increase their own personal liability and risk. Additionally, the focus of this research study was to contribute new knowledge for the process of decision making as it pertained to the occupational field of human resources management. This qualitative multiple case study examined the perceptions and experiences of human resources professionals working within the public sector in state government in Georgia. The human resources professionals as participants represented varying levels of decision-making responsibility, inclusive of tax-based and revenue-generated entities from small, medium, and large organizational structures. Results from this research study provided insight for use to inform human resources professionals regarding the mostly negative impacts, effects, and outcomes as perceived and experienced by human resources professionals resulting from the absence of formal decision-making criteria specifically designed for the management of human resources. Examination of the data collected from participants regarding the actual decisions made resulting from the absence of decision-making criteria for the management of human resources highlighted evidence connecting the absence of formal decision-making criteria leading to mostly negative impacts, effects, and outcomes based upon perceptions or experiences. Such evidence via the claims by participants featured personal and organizational results that could be further studied against the backdrop of existing literature, albeit limited, to develop a formal decision-making process (i.e., model) inclusive of criteria specifically designed for the management of human resources to achieve results that lessen cost, mitigate liability, and avoid risk.</p>

<p> Too many outsourcing models fail to deliver expected results in Integrated Facility Management (IFM) models. IFM is a type of outsourcing model that transfers in-house work to an outside company that performs it onsite as if it were part of the client&rsquo;s organization. This process requires collaboration, coordination, and communication, merging 2 corporate cultures into 1 cohesive business model. Managing the change process related to an IFM outsourcing arrangement is crucial because changing an organizational culture can heighten risk and potentially produce unsatisfactory results. Creating, changing, and managing an IFM outsourcing model require acceptance, coordination, and a clear understanding of expectations from both the client and the service provider. People in general are apprehensive about change, especially when they don&rsquo;t understand it. IFM, being a complex process, requires the proper training and education in order to avoid resistance that creates leadership challenges. According to the literature, effective leadership was the solution to mitigate the resistance to change associated with outsourcing but little research exists to explain the phenomenon experienced by leaders during the initial transition (first-generation) to an IFM model. This descriptive, qualitative study was conducted in order to determine what strategies and practices leaders employ during a first-generation IFM outsourcing initiative. Additionally, challenges associated with implementation, measurement of success, and recommendations from leaders of IFM outsourcing was explored. Fourteen IFM leaders were interviewed and asked 10 questions. These interview questions yielded results such as leadership, communication, and clarity in scope of work as some of the dominant themes. These themes were then used to develop recommendations for further research and recommendations for future leaders of change.</p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative survey research study was to test the ability of the Full Range Leadership Theory to explain a relationship between Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles (independent variables) and Organizational Performance (dependent variable), when Transformational and Transactional Leadership Styles were moderated by Employee Job Satisfaction (moderating variable) for 119 full-time employees in government agencies within the United States (U.S.). Leadership styles have been positively linked to employee job satisfaction and various organizational outcomes; however, most studies on leadership styles, employee job satisfaction, and organizational performance had been focused on the private sector, with little focus on the public sector. The present study focused on public sector (government) agencies. The sample was made up of full-time, non-supervisory U.S. government employees who worked in agencies within the U.S. Qualtrics, Inc. was hired to draw the sample and three survey questionnaire instruments were used to collect the data. A linear multiple regression model was applied to the study and the data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple linear regression. Results of the study were statistically significant (<i>p</i> &lt; .05). Overall, the results lent support to theories that posit leadership styles and employee job satisfaction play a role in determining organizational performance. The results support arguments for adopting the transformational leadership style, and each of its dimensions, to reverse the decline of job satisfaction and enhance levels of organizational performance for U.S. government employees. Limitations of the study were discussed, as well as implications of the findings. Finally, recommendations for future research were offered.</p>

<p>In 2014, Lazard levelized cost of energy analysis model priced diesel powered systems at $0.225 ? $0.404/KWh and a range of $0.165 ? $0.242/KWh for gas-powered systems. The model gave a range of $0.28 ? $0.33/kWh for diesel and a range of $0.14/kWh ? $0.16/kW for gas fired. Nigeria has an abundance of gas reserves, but heavy gas flaring by oil companies perpetuates power failure across Nigeria. What has resulted is an unreliable electricity infrastructure and a high cost of alternative energy. The Electricity Power Sector Reform Act of 2005 started the reform process. Guided by decision theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to understand the perceptions of business leaders at the steel manufacturing businesses on how the use of multiple supply sources of electricity might lead to survival, growth, and profitability. The study?s population consisted of 10 steel manufacturing companies in the Southwest region of Nigeria. The data were collected via semistructured interviews with the leaders who source energy, a review of archival records, and observations of company officials placing orders from multiple sources. The van Kaam method of data analysis generated 5 themes: cost of generating electricity and the investment in alternative sources of energy, erratic power supply and its impact on the steel production industry, quality of power supply relative to the capacity and its impact on profits, electricity factor in the steel production process, and use of multiple sources. These findings may contribute to social change by increasing employment opportunities for members of the local community, who will have an enhanced understanding about steel and seize entrepreneurial opportunities.

<p> Understanding the attitudes and attributes of innovators is crucial given the gatekeeper roles these individuals or organizations play in enabling innovation diffusion to occur. But what do innovators look like, and are their characteristics the same regardless of the type of innovation being adopted?</p><p> This case study of sought to understand the experience of the Pulaski Academy football program during the 2003 season as it acted as an innovator in adopting several radical innovations. The study provides a detailed case narrative that relies upon 25 existing text, audio, and video artifacts as well as 12 semi-structured interviews with program participants that included coaches, players and administrators, which were part of the 2003 Pulaski Academy football program.</p><p> The findings of this study suggest that the innovations Pulaski adopted were radical in nature as defined by Henderson &amp; Clark (1990) and did have an impact on the attributes required to be an innovator. Further, these attributes differed in several instances from what Rogers&rsquo; (2003) diffusion of innovations theory posits. The study showed that team&rsquo;s improved performance was the result of the adoption of a single radiation innovation, the no punting philosophy, but rather a combination of the adoption of several of the innovations and the leadership style of the head coach. The results of the case study confirmed Rogers&rsquo; (2003) and Goss&rsquo; (1979) assertion that unintended consequences occur with adoption. This particular case demonstrated that one of the unintended consequences of becoming an innovator is that the innovator status opens up additional and early access to other innovations. </p><p> These findings point to several recommendations for researchers, including: seeking to understand what innovator characteristics are unique for other innovation types noted in Henderson and Clark&rsquo;s typology, testing the findings of this case in other social contexts, and evaluating the role the other unintended consequences noted in the study had in contributing to the Pulaski&rsquo;s success. For practitioners, the findings suggest possible leadership core competencies needed to facilitate innovation adoption and a caution to avoid the temptation to look for a silver bullet when attempting to help an organization be more innovative.</p>