Since the late eighties, BPR has established itself as one of the attractive radical change management option for coping and adapting to the new competitive market environment and become popular both in the public and private organisations throughout the world . Cognizant of this fact, all Ethiopian public (government owned) institutions including the public financial institutions have embarked on large-scale change projects since 2004 in which Business process re-engineering(BPR) is a central element . This research examined whether implementation of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) projects have improved operational performance of the selected case public commercial banks in Ethiopia by collecting and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative comprehensive data set, using mixed research approach through questionnaires, interviews, observations and review of secondary sources of information. The operational performance measures utilized in this study are cost reduction, speed of service delivery, service quality, customer satisfaction as well as innovation. A total of 837 (84% response rate) questionnaires were returned from respondents of the selected branches and head offices. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight senior managers of the respective banks, who were also members of their respective banks reform team and were involved in the design and implementation of BPR. The third method that was used to collect qualitative data was personal observation of the selected bank branches in order to measure the speed of service delivery and convenience of the waiting places. The researcher measured the service delivery time of selected busy bank branches for five consecutive days, for half an hour spent in each branch. This study found that the introduction of BPR in the case banks was met with mixed reactions from employees and some managers. The main achievements of BPR were: service delivery time reduced dramatically as a result of the new process redesign and introduction of information and communication technology services(introduction of e-banking); introducing a single customer contact point through employee empowerment to make all the necessary decisions at that point of contact which resulted in improving the satisfaction of employees and customers. The challenge was that resistance from employees and some managers (labelled the initiative as “Blood pressure raiser” due to their assumptions it will result in employee lay off or the change brings increased workloads for some remaining employees without compatible rewards following the new process redesign. The study also revealed that telecom infrastructure and power interruption considered as main problem areas in providing banking services efficiently and effectively through branch net workings. The researcher recommends that for a better BPR design and implementation as well as sustainability of improvement gains in the banking sector, a forum should be established to discuss and share good practices and technology in the banking sector ; establish strong change management offices to continuously assist and monitor results; and continuously involve and communicate key stakeholders in the design and implementation of change initiatives. / Business Management / D.B.L.

The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of the school community with regard to the outcomes of a school improvement program (SIP) on the effectiveness of Sidama Zone schools. It was primarily a qualitative study, which explored the experiences of the school community with regard to the outcomes of the SIP. Four schools were purposefully selected. The data were collected by means of interviews, focus-group discussions, observations and relevant documents, and analyzed focusing on thematic categories. The findings indicated that in schools where there existed a strong collaboration of the school community in the planning, decision-making, monitoring and evaluation processes, the improvement initiatives were owned by all in the school and the performance of the schools was enhanced. On the other hand, the lack of collaboration in the school community negatively affected the performance of those schools. Besides, in all the schools the CPD was challenged by the resistance of the teachers, the lack of resources and poor implementation strategies. It also became apparent that the teachers' commitment to support each other and their students, to implement active learning methods and continuous assessment contributed to the effectiveness of the better-performing schools. Findings further revealed that to the contrary, these actions were loosely implemented in the poorly-performing schools. Though the peer learning approach was implemented, it became evident that there were mixed views regarding its benefits. The availability of the necessary facilities created an environment conducive to learning in schools one and three. Although there were attempts to implement extra-curricular activities for the social and emotional development of the students, its implementation was negatively affected by a lack of coordination and resources in the schools. In the poorly-performing schools, the school environment was found not to be conducive to teaching and learning. In the better-performing schools, the feedback from the school community was used as an input to make adjustments to the improvement process, and this created a feeling of ownership that led to the effectiveness of the schools. The outcomes of the study indicated that the promotion-rate of the students to the following grade was considered as a measure of the effectiveness of the schools. Conversely, the lack of proper participation of the school community in the school’s affairs, the lack of proper leadership support, the teachers’ resistance to participate in CPD, the non-existence of training opportunities and workshops for the teachers, and the shortage of resources were reported as challenges. From the findings it has been concluded that the SIP has contributed to school effectiveness in the schools that have properly managed the change process as opposed to those schools which remained poorly performing due to low level of SIP implementation. Finally, monitoring the SIP cycles, building trust between the principals and the teachers, creating a link between the schools and other institutions, introducing recognition mechanisms, and providing support to the poorly-performing schools were indicated as strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the school. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The study evaluated the effects of genotype and grainless diets under stall-fed (n=72) conditions on the following parameters using the Afar, Central Highland goats, (CHG) and Long-eared Somali, (LES) goats. The diets varied in concentrate: roughage ratios. Diet 1 was a 50: 50 ratio (8.5 MJ ME/kg DM), Diet 2, 65:35 (9.2 MJ ME/kg DM) and Diet 3 an 80:20 ratio (10 MJ ME/kg DM), respectively. The same genotypes reared under the extensive grazing systems were also evaluated. Intake, feed efficiency (FE) and rumen parameters Total DMI ranged between 2.6 and 3.0 % on a body weight basis and between 53.5 and 62.3 g per kg metabolic body weight. The LES had a higher (P<0.001) DM roughage intake, total DMI (P<0.01) and FE (P<0.05). Goats on Diet 3 had higher (P<0.001) total DMI (g/d). Diet 1 however, displayed higher (P>0.05) FE. The mean concentration of NH3-N (39.4-53.7 mg/100ml rumen fluid) was above the N requirements for optimal microbial activity. The mean pH was similar between diets and ranged from 6.43 to 6.63. Total VFA was depressed (P<0.01) with increased grainless concentrate in the diet. Diet 1 recorded a higher (P<0.01) total VFA and lower (P<0.01) NH3-N concentration, indicating that feed nitrogen was more efficiently utilized in Diet 1. The molar proportions of acetate, propionate and butyrate varied (P>0.05) from 64.5 to 65.7, 17.7 to 18.8 and 10.7 to 12.8%, respectively. The ratio of acetic: propionic was not affected by diet (P>0.05) and ranged from 3.5 to 3.81. The values for degradation constants were similar (P>0.05) between the diets. However, the hay DM and neutral detergent fibre were more degradable (P<0.05) in goats fed Diet 1. Differences in DMI and FE between the genotypes were recorded with the LES breed being superior. Among the grainless diets, the 50:50 ratio created a favorable rumen environment and resulted in a better FE under a feedlot system. Carcass characteristics and meat quality of extensively managed goats Genotypes were similar (P>0.05) for most of carcass traits, at an average slaughter weight of 13.8 kg. The genotypes had a mean hot carcass weight of 5.9 kg and a dressing percentage (DP) on a slaughter body weight basis of 42.8%. The CHG had a 52% higher (P<0.01) chilling loss than the other genotypes. The rib physical composition was similar between genotypes, except for fat proportion. The CHG had the lowest (P<0.05) fat proportion. The chemical composition was similar between the genotypes, with the CHG having the lowest (P>0.05) chemical fat percentage. The composition of most muscle fatty acids was affected by genotype. The LES breed presented a beneficial ratio of n-6: n-3 PUFA favorable to consumers’ health. The goats under the extensive system in general, were characterized by a lower carcass weight and poor carcass fat cover. Hence, to improve the carcass characteristics it is essential that grazing goats should be supplemented or stall-fed with locally available concentrates depending on the grazing resources of the agro-ecologies and the objectives of the goat farmers. Growth and carcass characteristics of stall-fed goats The LES breed had significantly higher growth rates (ADG), heavier pre-slaughter, slaughter, empty body weight (EBW) and carcass weights than the Afar and CHG goats. Effect of diet was also significant on ADG, but similar for carcass traits, except for DP on EBW basis and some non-carcass components. The DP on an EBW basis, was the highest (P<0.01) for Diet 1. Stall-feeding of the goats improved the mean carcass weight by 38% over the initial slaughtered groups. Genotype affected the DP and it ranged from 42.5 to 44.6% and 54.3 to 55.8% on a slaughter weight and on EBW basis, respectively. The ultimate carcass pH was between 5.61 and 5.67 and chilling losses ranged from 2.5 to 3.1 %. The rib physical composition (fat and bone) differed between genotype and ranged from 72-73 %, 6.9-10.9% and 17.1-20.2% for muscle, fat and bone respectively. The findings indicate that breed differences were reflected in carcass characteristics. Meat quality of stall-fed goats Genotype significantly influenced the carcass fat and crude protein (CP) concentration, with the values ranging from 10.3 to 14.0% and 19.3 to 21.1%, respectively. The Afar and LES goats had higher fat concentration (P<0.001) compared to the CHG while the CP was higher (P<0.01; P<0.05) for the CHG. The effect of diet was significant on CP%, but was similar for fat concentration although Diet 3 tended to have a higher value. Cooking and drip loss differed (P<0.01, P<0.05) between genotypes and both traits increased with increased fatness. The effect of diet however, was similar for cooking and drip loss. Genotype and diet significantly influenced the composition of most muscle fatty acids. An interaction between genotype and diet was also exhibited on certain fatty acids. Compared to CHG, Afar and LES breeds had a higher PUFA, MUFA and UFA: SFA ratio, which are considered healthier for human consumption due to their lowering effect of cholesterol content. The relatively higher carcass fat, which is useful in reducing chilling loss and improves eating quality, the absence of C12:0 and lower concentration of C14:0, hypercholesterolemic, and higher C18:1, hypocholesterolemic fatty acids, are some of the important traits observed in Ethiopian goats. These findings suggest that a potential exists in the use of Ethiopian goat breeds fed a grainless diet, for the production of meat with specific quality characteristics. / Thesis (PhD (Animal Science))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Animal and Wildlife Sciences / unrestricted

The aim of this research was to examine determinants of service learning in Ethiopian Universities with a view to suggesting remedial solutions. Qualitative case study was employed to understand management of service learning in the purposively selected three case Universities. Data were collected from interns, mentors, department heads, Academic Vice Presidents, service learning office heads and agency supervisors through semi-structured interviews. Besides, focus group discussion with interns and document review were conducted. Collected data were analysed through narration. Service learning is used for pedagogical necessities, personal and civic development, career development and social responsibility in the Ethiopian Universities. However, its application is challenged by several factors. Product curricular model, low time ration for community service, limited teachers' involvement and discipline-based curriculum framework were identified as major hindrances to service learning implementation. As a result, most students and teachers were not committed to service learning. For instance, in government Universities, service learning offices were not well-organised. Partnership agreements were either weak or not in place, as a result, the majority of interns were placed based on their preferences. Resistance not to host was also found to be a common factor. An interesting finding of this study is that privileging interns for self-identification of hosting organisations resulted in dispersed and individualised placement that caused interns to develop feeling of strangeness and insecurity. Moreover, this placement hindered collaborative learning with their peers. Assessment error, absence of service learning programme evaluation and shortage of budget were common problems. Hence, the following suggestions along with a proposed strategy are recommended. Considering these challenges, the following recommendations are made. Service learning should be applied in a wider scale from junior through senior courses in the Universities. The curriculum should be designed to include extensive context-based and interdisciplinary-learning approaches. Government Universities should strengthen service learning offices. Placement of interns should mainly be based on partnership agreement. Time ration for community services and research functions should be increased to at least 50%. And lastly, Universities should closely support agency supervisors and arrange evaluation forums and celebrity events. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The main research question was What are the relationships between parenting style, self-regulated learning (SRL) and the academic achievement of selected (upper) primary school students in Ethiopia? The following specific research questions were formulated: • What are the views of the students on the parenting styles, and on parental acceptance and control, the cognitive strategies they use, and their self-regulated learning? • What is the relationship between parenting style and SRL? • What is the relationship between parenting style and academic achievement? • What is the relationship between SRL and academic achievement? • Does SRL moderate the relationship between parenting style and academic achievement? In this study a correlational design was used, but it was also exploratory and descriptive. Data were collected by means of a self-report questionnaire, while the academic achievements of the students were derived from official records. The questionnaire was completed by 477 randomly selected students from two classes in each of five schools in Hawasa, Ethiopia. The analysis of the data was done by means of descriptive, correlation, and ANOVA tests. The major findings included the following: Most of the children experienced acceptance by their parents, in particular from their female parents/guardians. The best levels of acceptance were, for example, “When I get a poor grade at school, my parents encourage me to try harder”, or “I can count on my parents to help me if I have some kind of a problem”, and “My parents keep pushing me to do my best in whatever I do”. However, it was found that the parents seldom spent time merely talking to their children. The female parents/guardians seemed to control their children more than the male parents/guardians, and were more involved with their children. The children, though, also believed that their parents/guardians did not really know how they spent their leisure time. More often the children perceived their parents as being neglectful. Regarding their cognitive strategies, the students particularly made use of memorization. The cognitive strategies of the children whose parents were authoritative were significantly better than those of the other children. When a student’s self-regulation increased, his/her cognitive strategies also increased, and when the cognitive strategies improved, so did the average achievement. The parents’ parenting styles were also significantly related to their children’s achievement, and were moderated by cognitive strategies as co-variants. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The aim of this essay is to examine how the foreign relationships of Ethiopia has developed as a result of the construction and filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam between 2011 and 2021. This essay therefore asks: How has Ethiopia’s foreign relations with the EU, Egypt, Sudan and China changed, have those relationships become more conflictual or cooperative, and how could potential changes be explained using a constructivist perspective? Constructivism is used as a means of explaining changes in the statements, positions and policies of these countries through concepts such as “norms” and “identities”. It additionally utilizes concepts from other studies such as “Hydro-hegemony”, “Benefit Sharing” and “Ethiopian renaissance”. It uses the BAR-scale from Wolf et al. (2003) to determine the different stages of Ethiopia’s relationships. The study concludes that Ethiopia’s relationship with the EU and China have progressed positively as a result of the GERD, and they have now started considering Ethiopia a more equitable partner for further cooperation. The relationship with Egypt and Sudan initially improved, with new Ethiopian norms of cooperation and equitable utilization becoming mainstay. However, Ethiopia’s unilateral action during recent events broke these norms, and has turned the relations conflictual once again.

Le rapport indique que la capacité et la compétitivité des entrepreneurs locaux est l'un des principaux défis de l'industrie éthiopienne de la construction. Cependant, il n'existe aucune étude antérieure qui appuie ces récits et qui tente de déterminer les aspects de la compétence qui font défaut à ces entrepreneurs. Consciente de cette lacune, cette étude vise à mener une recherche sur la compréhension de la compétence et de la compétitivité des entrepreneurs et de leurs mécanismes d'amélioration. La recherche applique une méthode de recherche mixte qui implique une discussion en groupe de discussion et la méthode Fuzzy DEMATEL pour atteindre ses objectifs. La recherche a montré que sur les 52 éléments lean identifiés dans la littérature, 15 sont les plus importants pour améliorer les six mesures de compétences et sur ces six mesures, la capacité financière, les ressources humaines et la capacité organisationnelle et technique sont les pratiques les plus critiques pour améliorer la compétence et la compétitivité globales des entrepreneurs autochtones. Les résultats de cette recherche apportent des contributions pratiques, académiques et méthodologiques à l'évolution des connaissances actuelles dans le domaine de la construction lean et de la gestion organisationnelle, en particulier dans le contexte des pays en cours de développement / Report indicates that indigenous contractor’s capability and competitiveness is one of the main challenges in Ethiopian construction industry. However, there is no previous study that support these narratives and tries to investigate which aspects of capability do these contractors are lacking. Realizing this gap, the research has attempted to assesses capability of indigenous contractors with respect to six capability measures and it develop a conceptual model that integrates Lean with organizational capability as well as competitiveness. The research applies a mixed method of research which involves a focus group discussion and Fuzzy DEMATEL method to achieve its objectives. Of the 52 lean elements identified from literatures, the research identifies 15 most important lean elements to improve the six capability measures. The research further investigated that financial capability, human resources and organizational capability and technical capability as a means of improvement for overall capability & competitiveness of indigenous contractors in Ethiopia. The research outcome can be used for developing appropriate policies and regulation that helps to improve capability and competitiveness

This study's objective was to examine the affect that migration and employment have on immigrant women's negotiating position within the household. Depth interviews were conducted with nine women who migrated to Portland, Oregon from Ethiopia or Eritrea. Women were encouraged to share a narrative history of their migration and employment experience. These interviews were analyzed to answer three primary questions: Who are immigrant women supporting through their participation in the paid labor market? How do women utilize gain access to employment opportunities and what strategies do women use once employed to meet competing demands on them at work and in the household? And finally, to what extent do women maintain control over their income and influence household decisions? This study found that women, particularly women who migrate prior to marriage, support natal households more than women who migrate after marriage. Women use social networks to find information about jobs, and once employed use an array of strategies to meet domestic demands. These strategies include joining households with other women to share household labor, finding employment opportunities that allow them to care for children while working, and having their mothers come to care for small children. Women who have recently married and have lived in the United States a short amount of time are most likely to express desire to maintain control over their income, while women who have lived in the United States for a longer time are more likely to pool their income with their husbands. Many women felt that they had an equal influence in household decisions as their husbands, but little evidence was provided that this was the case. Instead this study concludes that working outside of the home increases the perceived contribution that women make to the household leads to their empowerment and improves their negotiating position.

How does the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam affect Ethiopia’s ontological security? This study proposes that the ontological security perspective must be comprehended within the analysis of the dam’s importance, in order to grasp certain dimensions of security which otherwise could remain unnoticed. Thus, the fact that Ethiopia has executed the dam’s building, despite the regional controversy and different forms of attacks it has implied – and was expected to imply in the initial case - suggests that the traditional security perspective is not sufficient in order to understand the dam’s causes as well as the long-term determination regarding the dam’s execution. Hence, by adopting Steele’s and Mitzen’s two conceptualizations of the biographical narrative, as well as Carol Bacchi’s conceptualisation of meaning-making within representation, the dam’s ontological significance is analysed.   I argue that the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam constitutes a meaningful symbol within the Ethiopian biographical narrative, due to the grand political and emotional significance it has been interlinked with. Further on, I argue that this is partly due to the meaning and emphasis which the Ethiopia’s State agents have expressed in conjunction with the comprehending needs which the dam is aimed to satisfy. I conclude by proposing a discussion to weather the dam could be considered to increase the ontological security of Ethiopia, or in fact weaken it.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a large hydropower project currently under construction in Ethiopia. Supposedly it will benefit the people of Ethiopia through an increased access to electricity, but it is also associated with complex political relations between Ethiopia and the neighbouring countries Egypt and Sudan. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the GERD project with regard to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their 169 related targets, and to show what actions should be taken to improve the contribution of the GERD to sustainable development. A method developed for mapping synergies and trade-offs between targets in the SDGs was used. To identify how the GERD contributes to and/or hinders the fulfillment of the goals, published evidence was systematically searched. 83 synergies, 45 trade-offs and 16 instances when cooperation in the Nile River basin is needed were identified. By radically increasing the electricity access in Ethiopia and because of the dam itself, the GERD both potentially contributes to and hinders sustainable development in relation to environment, society and economy. Identified key actions to reinforce the synergies and minimise the trade-offs are to establish a secure and including cooperation between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan; to ensure increased transparency, public access to information and participatory processes; to investigate and carry out measures that benefit the ecology in the area; and to strengthen the positive outcomes of electrification through supplementary measures. / Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) är ett stort vattenkraftprojekt som är under uppbyggnad i Etiopien. Genom att radikalt öka tillgången till elektricitet förväntas GERD bidra positivt till det etiopiska samhället, men dammen är också associerad med komplicerade politiska relationer mellan Etiopien och grannländerna Egypten och Sudan. Målet med rapporten är att analysera GERD-projektet i förhållande till FN:s 17 Globala mål och dess 169 tillhörande delmål, samt att visa vilka åtgärder som bör vidtas för att GERD i större utsträckning ska bidra till en hållbar utveckling. En metod som utvecklats för att kartlägga synergier och målkonflikter mellan olika delmål av de Globala målen användes. För att undersöka hur GERD bidrar till och/eller förhindrar uppfyllandet av delmålen gjordes en systematisk sökning av publicerad litteratur. 83 synergier, 45 målkonflikter och 16 fall där dessa hänger ihop med att samarbete krävs i regionen identifierades. Genom att öka tillgången till elektricitet, och på grund av dammen i sig, potentiellt både bidrar till och förhindrar GERD hållbar utveckling i förhållande till miljö, samhälle och ekonomi. Identifierade nyckelåtgärder för att förstärka synergierna och minimera målkonflikterna är att etablera ett bestående samarbete mellan Etiopien, Egypten och Sudan; att säkerställa ökad transparens, deltagandeprocesser och allmän tillgång till information; att utreda och utföra åtgärder som är till nytta för områdets ekologi; och att förstärka de positiva resultaten av elektrifiering genom kompletterande åtgärder.