Predictors of Organizational Resilience: A Path Analysis (Published)
This study examines the relationship between organizational resilience and the following predictors: openness, trust, authenticity, and proaction. The predictors were derived from Flach’s (1988), Weick’s (1993), and Malak’s (1998) sources of organizational resilience. The rationale for this study is based on the overwhelming support from the literature that organizations must become resilient if they hope to survive environmental turbulence (see Doe, 1994; Horne, 1997; Lengnick-Hall & Beck, 2009; Kerr, 2016; Livingstone, 2016). To achieve the objectives of the study, data was collected from employees of higher education institutions in the Philippines. Of the 779 instruments distributed, only 267 instruments were used due to incomplete instruments, outliers, normality, and other considerations. A path analysis was used to deduce whether the hypothetical model developed from the literature represents the reality. The results suggest that openness, trust, authenticity, and proaction explain 47% of the variation in organizational resilience. Further, evidence also suggest that proaction has the highest effect on organizational resilience although it was highly influenced by trust. Finally, a predictive model (structural equation model) which was different from the hypothesized model was achieved in terms of model fit and significant relationships. A major contribution of this study is the pinpointing of the substance of organizational resilience—that reservoir of vulnerability that is grown by an organization through trust—rather than defining it by what organizations are able to do because it has resilience—bouncing back from or absorbing adverse consequences. This paper discusses the results of the study, the implications for managers, and the recommendations for further research
Keywords: Authenticity, Organizational Resilience, Path Analysis, Proaction, Trust, openness
ROLE OF MENTORING IN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA (Published)
Recently, the death of business organisations in Nigeria is on the increase as business operates in an environment that is embedded with change, risk, high uncertainty, stiff competition, unethical business practices, unfavourable government policies and ignorance of the role of mentors in business development. Mentoring is rapidly becoming recognised worldwide as a highly effective human resource development process. Many organisations have gone through or are currently going through increasing significant change. Generally, people in any organisation react positively to change when they take responsibility for their own development. Mentoring is one way in which organisations can provide this assistance as there is a high degree of trust and mutual regard which will enable the person to become what he aspires to be by realising his or her potential. Mentoring has being identified as an important influence in business development. The major function of mentoring is to promote the mentee’s development in specific areas and to facilitate success in business activities. Mentoring relationship can produce positive development and organisational outcomes and it can sometimes fail due to a variety of causes and problems viz-a-viz lack of participation, absence of leadership involvement, poor planning, setting unrealistic expectation and fuzzy goals. The paper examines the roles of mentoring in business development. It focuses on the stages, forms, reasons, types, roles and characteristics of mentors, fundamental objectives, benefits and keys to mentoring success with a view to accelerate business development through investment in human capital development particularly through mentoring. The paper opines that mentorship and business development offers a wide range of benefits such as welfare, satisfaction, development, progress, feeling rejuvenated in career development, learning how to use new technologies, becoming aware of business issues, methods, strategies or perspectives that are vital to business. Content analysis was used in the writing of this paper. Evidence from the paper on the policies that need to be adopted to improve Nigeria’s business environment includes, the need to address those issues constraining business development. The paper also recommends that mentoring should be based upon encouragement, frank advise, readiness to assist the mentee to acquire needed knowledge, skills and competencies so as to operate functionally in our ever changing business environment, constructive comments, openness, mutual trust, respect, willingness to learn and share ideas and experiences, improve self confidence, job competitiveness and enhanced diversity of the workforce. Moreover, there is need to eliminate negative factors that militate against business growth and development with a view to increase business efficiency. There is the need, therefore for a re-orientation of our businesses because mentoring relationships depends on the people and the character of the organisation concerned. The paper concludes that successful mentoring programs as aid to business development requires proper understanding, planning, implementation and evaluation.
Keywords: Business Development, Career Development, Human Capital Development, Mentoring, Re-orientation, openness