Incorporation of Real Estate in Corporate Strategy – The Ghanaian experience (Part 1)

Charles K. Nkansah-Asamoah
Breyer State University London Centre, UK

Geoffrey Tumwesigye
Breyer State University London Centre, UK

ABSTRACT
Any business enterprise ceteris paribus is in to make profit and minimise losses save a charity. Hence the activities and the management of the people are directed towards an end, towards certain goals (Mullin, 1999). However the organisation’s real estate decisions and would be plausible if such are geared towards supporting the overall business objectives of the organisation in question. In that regard, the objectives could be realised if conscious effort is made of how the real estate strategy support corporate strategy coupled with the sub-strategies for component elements of the organisation and then in turn how specific real estate operating decisions support the real estate strategy. Hence it is imperative that the organisations must ensure that its corporate business goals consciously align with its real state, construction and facilities programme. It is then that the above goals would be realised.

Political and Economic Integration in Africa: A Case of
Marking Time?

Batuuroh I. P. Soori
Breyer State University London Centre, UK

Alice Kisembo Masereka
Breyer State University London Centre, UK

Dina Yawa Apedoe-Dzidza
Breyer State University London Centre, UK

ABSTRACT
This paper looks at some of the reasons for the existence of the phenomena of political and economic integration in Africa. The paper addresses what the concepts of integration mean. It also examines some of the theoretical frameworks and approaches to integration. The paper further tries to answer the question, why is integration important? This is examined from the point the challenges confronting African. The article however moves on to address the reality on the ground. It looks at some of the issues causing the contingent to keep ‘marking time’. Since the days of the Organisation of African Unity; Unity has arguable eluded Africa. .These include the multiplicity of regional groups, sheer lack of Political and the division between the so-called ‘gradualists’ and ‘radicals’. For integration to flourish and help address African’s numerous problems, the ruling elites will have to recommit themselves to integration and not rely on rhetoric’s. Ordinary Africans and the African Diaspora must as a matter of necessity is at the core of integration in Africa. These are some of the recommendations outlined to help get integration off its marks.

Knowledge, Innovation and Organisational Effectiveness

Dr Benjamin Yemoh
University of Leicester, School of Management, UK

Gladys Njoh
Breyer State University London Centre, UK

ABSTRACT
This article deals with the indispensable role played by innovation and knowledge in improving the efficiency of an organisation. It discusses the methods used by an organisation to identify the wealth of knowledge deposited in its workforce and how it endeavours to hone their skills and abilities in order to create innovative products and services so that it (i.e. the organisation) steers ahead of its competitors.
The article further explains the advantages of outsourcing innovation and knowledge and goes a great length in emphasising the importance of collaborative research as a means of sharing knowledge and best practices. The relationship between knowledge, innovation and organisational effectiveness has been sufficiently encapsulated in this article, making it easy for readers to synthesize the benefits that could be derived from such a relationship in order to make viable and realistic decisions.

A Market Assessment of the Internationalisation of UK Grocery Retailers

Abisoye Oyewale Kareem
Breyer State University, London Centre, UK

ABSTRACT
The last few years have witness unprecedented boarder crossing in the retail business especially in the retail trade with particular reference to grocery business since the establishment of single European market in 1992 (SEM). The rationale behind this research is to review the strategy being used by the grocery retailers who have managed to expand the scope of their operations beyond their national territories and still maintain their stand both at home and abroad despite the local competitions and perhaps in an, unhealthy and unfamiliar environment abroad. Based on this, the researcher adopts an interview and observation method of collecting data. Fifty respondents were interviewed and quantitatively analyzed from ten notable grocers in London. The findings deduced that, it is the quest for expansion on the part of the top management levels, good knowledge of the foreign cultures, homogeneity with viable or enabling environmental factors and suitable consumer market on both home and abroad that are the key success factor in the internationalization of grocery retailing.

Social Auditing in Educational Institutions

Isaac Owusu-Dankwa
Breyer State University, London Centre, UK

ABSTRACT
This article identifies and examines the principles and role of social auditing and discusses its relevance in educational institutions. Social auditing is deemed to be of relevance in as much as it helps to derive information on perception of stakeholders about not only the institution but also the workforce. It identifies some of the ideas that could enable the institution to reach its goals and objectives. The article focused on the role of the lecturer within an educational institution. As a channel of imparting knowledge, the lecturer’s performance in any given time is examined in relation to the course outline, indicating the goals set by the lecturer for the course, and the lecturer’s evaluation forms completed by both the students and other stakeholders. The importance of a course outline and an evaluation form is seen in their ability to generate feedback to the university administration and lecturers on their performance during a specified period. Applying social auditing principles in educational institutions is therefore aimed to increasing the efficiency of information gathering about whether the institution is meetings its goals and objectives. In addition, it brings to fore the required recommendations needed in ensuring that lecturers are efficient and also to aid management in decision making.

The Effect of Privatization on Employees’ Welfare: A case of Newly Privatized Companies in Ghana

Prof. P.R. Banerjee
London College of Management Studies, UK

Frank Bamfo
Breyer State University London Centre

ABSTRACT
The primary aim of our research was to establish the effect of privatization on employees’ welfare. And to do that, questionnaires which sought to compare elements of employees’ welfare (before and after privatization) were administered to current employees who were in the company before the privatization. Interviews were also conducted with the management of our case study; Ghana Agro – Food Company (GAFCO), on various post-privatization organizational changes. Conclusions drawn from the analysis of the data collected indicated that privatization has had a mixed effect on employees’ welfare. We hope our findings shall help employees of privatized companies reappraise their apprehensions towards privatization while governments and managers of privatized companies devise means to minimise the seemingly negative impact of privatization on employees’ welfare.

Emergence of Organized Pharmacy Retail in India: Challenges and Opportunity

Dr Mrinalini Shah
Associate Professor, IMT, Ghaziabad, India

Dr Sumi Jha
Assistant Professor, NMIMS University, Mumbai, India

ABSTRACT
There are over 8 lakh chemists in India. A number of studies on medical stores and community pharmacists reveal that drug retailers do nothing but sell drugs. Organized retail is facilitator for wellness of the customer. Organized chain of pharmacy retailing is planning massive expansion in the next few years and proposes to penetrate Indian market. The study examines, the international and domestic scenario of Pharmacy Retailing, the challenges the sector is likely to face and the strategies it can consider adopting to meet these challenges. The study is based on the report published, latest changes in the government rulings and industry specific research.

Motivational Strategies and Job Satisfaction among Lecturers in Ghanaian Universities:- A Comparative Analysis between Public and Private Universities

JProfessor P R Banerjee
London College of Management Studies, UK

Bernard Lawer Tetteh-Dumanya
Breyer State University London Centre-UK

Irene Ohenewah Apea
Breyer State University London Centre-UK

ABSTRACT
The average age of a Ghanaian lecturer is over 50 years and the number of lecturers has declined over the years. What is undermining young and energetic qualified graduates from lecturing still remain unsolved. This paper therefore, intends to identify the motivational strategies and working conditions that existed in Ghanaian universities from 2000-2006 in order to make practical recommendations on how to improve staff motivation to help solve the issue of declining lecturers. For the purposes of in-depth analysis, one public and one private university were selected as case study. The work revealed that, factors that may motivate a public university lecturer may differ from one in the private university and the need for managers of universities to refrain from making wholesale assumption in their managerial style is imperative in order to prevent unwarranted policies that may put off young graduates from lecturing as a profession.

Stress Distribution and Possible Stress Induced Failure Around Roadway Tunnel inside Madhyapara Hardrock Mine, Bangladesh

Islam, M.S1, Chowdhury, Q2, Saumitra Narayan Deb3, Mashkovtsev I.L.4

ABSTRACT
In the present research the detail stress analysis has been carried out using Kirsch’s equation inscribing circular roof of the tunnel. A computer program using FORTRAN has been developed in order to calculate the stresses in and around the tunnel opening. It is observed from the analyses that the maximum principal stresses are found at the corner of the arc of the opening. At the corner compressive stress is active whereas tensile stress is prevails on the top of the roof. We compared the different stresses whose are active surrounding the Roadway tunnel with strength of the rock and try to predict the possible failure. Strength of rock of different categories is determined from laboratory tests and found that the rock strength are 105 Mpa, 70 Mpa and 40 Mpa of rock categories I, II & III respectively. It is mentioned that rock are categorized on the basis of joint spacing. According to the stress distribution, the stress-induced failure could be occurred around the corner of the arc at initial period of tunnel construction. The line of failure was determined using uniaxial compressive strength of rock and the maximum and minimum principal stresses. It is found that notches and failed region are larger in rock category-III.