A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CUSTOMER ORIENTATION ATTITUDE OF SELECTED PRIVATE AND PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN GHANA

The overall objective of the study was to compare the customer orientation attitude of selected private and public Universities in Ghana. Besides, the study also examined the probability of private or public Universities being more customer oriented than the other. The study employed the use of the descriptive design. Data was collected from three private and public Universities in Ghana. The study used standardized questionnaires as the main source of data collection instrument. In terms of the analysis of data, the study employed the use of the statistical package for social sciences version 21. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The findings revealed that that there is a statistically significant difference in the customer orientation behaviour (t (420)= -1.049, p>.05) of private universities (M= 6.78, SD= 0.002) and public universities ((M= 7.02, SD= 0.82). Again, the predicted odds that a student from a public university is Exp(B) =0.303, however since the coefficient is (-1.192), that is negative, thus, a student from a public university is 30% less than likely to perceive themselves as customers compared with a student from a private university. Recommendations as well as areas for further study have been presented. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0894/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Adaptive drift and barrier-avoidance by a fly-forage migrant along a climate-driven flyway

Background Route choice and travel performance of fly-forage migrants are partly driven by large-scale habitat availability, but it remains unclear to what extent wind support through large-scale wind regimes moulds their migratory behaviour. We aimed to determine to what extent a trans-equatorial fly-forage migrant engages in adaptive drift through distinct wind regimes and biomes across Africa. The Inter-tropical Front (ITF) marks a strong and seasonally shifting climatic boundary at the thermal equator, and we assessed whether migratory detours were associated with this climatic feature. Furthermore, we sought to disentangle the influence of wind and biome on daily, regional and seasonal travel performance. Methods We GPS-tracked 19 adult Eleonora’s falcons Falco eleonorae from the westernmost population on the Canary Islands across 39 autumn and 36 spring migrations to and from Madagascar. Tracks were annotated with wind data to assess the falcons’ orientation behaviour and the wind support they achieved in each season and distinct biomes. We further tested whether falcon routes across the Sahel were correlated with the ITF position, and how realized wind support and biome affect daily travel times, distances and speeds. Results Changes in orientation behaviour across Africa’s biomes were associated with changes in prevailing wind fields. Falcons realized higher wind support along their detours than was available along the shortest possible route by drifting through adverse autumn wind fields, but compromised wind support while detouring through supportive spring wind fields. Movements across the Sahel-Sudan zone were strongly associated to the ITF position in autumn, but were more individually variable in spring. Realized wind support was an important driver of daily travel speeds and distances, in conjunction with regional wind-independent variation in daily travel time budgets. Conclusions Although daily travel time budgets of falcons vary independently from wind, their daily travel performance is strongly affected by orientation-dependent wind support. Falcons thereby tend to drift to minimize or avoid headwinds through opposing wind fields and over ecological barriers, while compensating through weak or supportive wind fields and over hospitable biomes. The ITF may offer a climatic leading line to fly-forage migrants in terms of both flight and foraging conditions.

Eyes are essential for magnetoreception in a mammal

Several groups of mammals use the Earth's magnetic field for orientation, but their magnetosensory organ remains unknown. The Ansell's mole-rat ( Fukomys anselli , Bathyergidae, Rodentia) is a microphthalmic subterranean rodent with innate magnetic orientation behaviour. Previous studies on this species proposed that its magnetoreceptors are located in the eye. To test this hypothesis, we assessed magnetic orientation in mole-rats after the surgical removal of their eyes compared to untreated controls. Initially, we demonstrate that this enucleation does not lead to changes in routine behaviours, including locomotion, feeding and socializing. We then studied magnetic compass orientation by employing a well-established nest-building assay under four magnetic field alignments. In line with previous studies, control animals exhibited a significant preference to build nests in magnetic southeast. By contrast, enucleated mole-rats built nests in random magnetic orientations, suggesting an impairment of their magnetic sense. The results provide robust support for the hypothesis that mole-rats perceive magnetic fields with their minute eyes, probably relying on magnetite-based receptors in the cornea.

Spermatogenic Efficacy of Pausinystalia yohimbe (K. Schum.) Pierre ex Beille Roots in Male Rats

Background: The roots of Pausinystalia yohimbe have been traditionally acclaimed as aphrodisiac. In the present study, methanol extract of the root was evaluated for its effect on sexual orientation behaviour and spermatogenesis in albino Wistar rats. Methods: Forty five (45) male albino rats were randomly divided into five groups of nine rats each. Rats in group I (control) were administered 1 mL/kg body weight distilled water (vehicle), group II received 5 mg/kg body weight sildenafil citrate (Viagra), while those in groups III, IV, and V were given 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg body weight, respectively, of methanol extract of Pausinystalia yohimbe root in the same volume. Female albino rats were made receptive by hormonal treatment. Sexual orientation behaviour parameters were monitored on days 1, 7 and 14 by pairing with receptive females. A change in sexual orientation behaviuor was assessed by orientation towards female, towards environment and towards self, while spermatogenic activity was evaluated on day 14. Results: Administration of the extract had pronounced effect on sexual orientation behaviour of male towards the female rats on days 7 and 14. Males treated with the extract displayed more frequent and vigorous anogenital sniffing and mounting as compared to untreated animals. Libido was also at increase in extract treated male rats. The extract had stimulated the spermatogenetic activity and accessory reproductive organs performance in albino rats. The increased spermatogenesis in extract treated groups was confirmed by change in histoarchitecture as evidenced by increase in number of spermatogenic elements and parameters. Conclusion: P. yohimbe exhibited remarkable increase in sexual orientation, libido and spermatogenic activity which are some of the indices that determine the ability of a male to produce viable spermatozoa. These findings support the folk use of this plant as an aphrodisiac.

Knowledge Management Orientation Behaviour and Innovation

This study aims to investigate the effect of knowledge management orientation (KMO) behaviour on innovation of SMEs in Indonesia. One hundred and fifty-six SMEs in the creative economy sector participated in this study. Multiple regression was used to analyse the data. The statistical results indicated that knowledge absorption and knowledge receptivity are the KMO's dimensions and have a significant effect on the increase of innovation. This finding contributes to both a theoretical and a practical perspective. For the theoretical perspective, this study showed that knowledge receptivity and knowledge absorption plays an important role in affecting innovation. From a practical standpoint, this study provides insight of SME practitioners in enhancing the innovation through the improvement of KMO behaviour.

Role of Emotional Intelligence in Managing Interpersonal Relations at Workplace in the IT Sector

The purpose of the present article is to investigate the role of emotional intelligence in managing interpersonal relations at workplace in the IT sector of India. Based on the facts obtained from the literature review, the article aims to establish a relationship between the variables of emotional intelligence and their corresponding effect on interpersonal relations which consists of parameters namely the need for inclusion, control and affection. The article initially explores emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations and thereafter specifically finds out the relationship between the variables involved. Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behaviour (FIRO-B) instrument and Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test have been used to explore the relationship. The article uses the sample of 81 employees that covered most of the major IT companies with the same size, structure, practises and environment in order to get a uniform respondent set. The age of the respondents varied from 21 to 29 years of age and the work experience varied from 6 months to as high as 5 years. From the analysis done in the study it can be suggested that emotional intelligence plays a significant role in managing and maintaining the healthy relations at workplace in the IT sector.

Orienting to Polarized Light at Night—Matching Lunar Skylight to Performance in a Nocturnal Beetle

For polarized light to inform behaviour, the typical range of degrees of polarization observable in the animal’s natural environment must be above the threshold for detection and interpretation. Here we present the first investigation of the degree of linear polarization threshold for orientation behaviour in a nocturnal species, with specific reference to the range of degrees of polarization measured in the night sky. An effect of lunar phase on the degree of polarization of skylight was found, with smaller illuminated fractions of the moon’s surface corresponding to lower degrees of polarization in the night sky. We found that South African dung beetleEscarabaeus satyrus(Boheman, 1860) can orient to polarized light for a range of degrees of polarization similar to that observed in diurnal insects, reaching a lower threshold between 0.04 and 0.32, possibly as low as 0.11. For degrees of polarization lower than 0.23, as measured on a crescent moon night, orientation performance was considerably weaker than that observed for completely linearly-polarized stimuli, but was nonetheless stronger than in the absence of polarized light.Summary StatementA degree-of-polarization threshold for orientation behaviour is reported for nocturnal dung beetleEscarabaeus satyrusin the context of measurements showing changes in the degree of polarization of skylight with lunar phase.

Near absence of differential gene expression in the retina of rainbow trout after exposure to a magnetic pulse: implications for magnetoreception

The ability to perceive the Earth's magnetic field, or magnetoreception, exists in numerous animals. Although the mechanism underlying magnetoreception has not been clearly established in any species, in salmonid fish, it is hypothesized to occur by means of crystals of magnetite associated with nervous tissue such as the brain, olfactory organ or retina. In this study, rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) were exposed to a brief magnetic pulse known to disrupt magnetic orientation behaviour in several animals. Changes in gene expression induced by the pulse were then examined in the retina. Analyses indicated that the pulse elicited differential expression of only a single gene, gamma-crystallin M3-like ( crygm3 ). The near absence of an effect of the magnetic pulse on gene expression in the retina stands in sharp contrast to a recent study in which 181 genes were differentially expressed in brain tissue of O. mykiss after exposure to the same pulse. Overall, our results suggest either that magnetite-based magnetoreceptors in trout are not located in the retina, or else that they are unaffected by magnetic pulses that can disrupt magnetic orientation behaviour in animals.