JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS

S/No

Author/Year

Title

Description/Summary

1.

Wegwu, M. E. (2016)

Foreign

Distinctive entrepreneurial competencies for competitive advantage for entrepreneurs in rivers state. International Organisation of Scientific Research, Vol. 18, Issue 8, pp. 1-9 (India)

Entrepreneurs believe that they operate in a highly competitive environment. Identifying  and focusing  on  the  distinctive competencies  of  an  entrepreneur  becomes  imperative  to  achieve  dramatic  marked advantage  over competitors.  The  purpose  of  this  paper  therefore  is  to  x-ray  factors  most  inherent  in  an individual commitment to becoming an entrepreneur, the choice of goods and services to offer (industry choice and  market), entrepreneurial competencies   (skills)   which involves   ability   to   identify a suitable   virgin operational position  in  existing  markets,  the  mental  skill  to  fashion out  new  markets,  and  the  talent  to quickly exploit the new opportunities. These competencies have become indispensable by dint of stiff competition among firms in industries and the ultimate desire for goods and services from outside national boundaries than home made. The sample size of the study consisted of 80 entrepreneurs drawn from 5 subjectively selected small and medium  scale  enterprises  in  Rivers  State,  namely,  servicing,  retailing,  transportation,  manufacturing,  and insurance. Data for the study were obtained through the administration of questionnaire and the use of personal interview method. Findings  from  the  study  revealed  fear  of  entrepreneurial  failures  as  a  result  of  polarized entrepreneurial educational training on  the  basic  entrepreneurial concepts  and  their  effects on  building entrepreneurial confidence. It also revealed the effects of lack of priority attention on adequate infrastructural development  as  major  factors  influencing attitudes  of  individuals  to  engage  in  entrepreneurial  venture.  It  was therefore  concluded  that  entrepreneurs  should  take  initiative  whenever  circumstances  demand  it  to  take advantage of external trends that have the potentials of affecting market demands in order to gain competitive advantage over rivalries.

2

Wegwu, M. E. (2017)

Foreign

Indispensable strategic moves for corporate growth among oil and gas servicing companies in rivers state during economic down-turn. International Journal of Business and Management Invention. Vol. 6. Issue 3, March 2017. (India)

The  purpose  of  this  paper  is  to  establish  the  fact  that  most organizations  are  vehemently  preoccupied with pursuing strategies geared at achieving sales growth, possession of valuable property (assets),market  share. The sales  growth, assets,  market  share,  profit  can  only  be  achieved  through  regular  strategic  moves involving scanning of the environment to take advantage of the opportunities and threats in the external environment  and  organizational  strengths  and  weaknesses  inherent  in  the  internal.  How an organization achieves  its  success  is  obviously  not  by following  the  traditional  ways  of  doing  things. Organizations  that started  earlier  have  not  continued by  dint  of  their  inability  to  take  cognizance  of  the  impact  of  changes  in  the environment. These  are  great  threats  to  strategic  managers  to  establishing future  workable  plans  which  could be  accommodated  by  the  external  environmental  trends.

A  sample  size  of  355  employees  was  drawn  out  of  a population size of 3290 employees. Data for analysis were derived by administrating 187 questionnaires, out of which 148 were returned. Personal interview method was also used for data generation to complement those of the questionnaire.  Research  findings revealed  a  positive  correlation  existing  between  the  predictive  and  the criterion  variables. It  was  then  concluded  that  corporations  must  not  be  confident  in their old  ways  of  doing things because of the changes that occur in an environment in order to achieve growth.

Journals accepted for publication but not yet published

3.

Wegwu, M. E. (2017)

Foreign

An Evaluation of Corporate Social Responsibility Programs of Oil Firms in Bayelsa, Edo, Delta and Rivers State in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. International Journal of Innovative Research & Development March Issue, 2017 (India)

This paper grapples with Corporate Social Responsibility concept, and an evaluation of the Corporate Social Responsibility Programs of Oil Firms in Niger Delta area of Nigeria with emphasis on SPDC, Chevron, Mobil Exxon and Agip as representatives of the entire population. Niger Delta region has abundant natural resources, most importantly, crude oil which has necessitated the emergence of oil exploration as the main economic activity in the region. This exploration activity has resulted to waste products and pollution, more unpleasant environment through oil spillage and gas flaring which has impacted negatively and manifested in painful outcry of host communities against these oil firms for not being responsive to their aspirations and needs with respect to the financial wealth derived from oil discovered and explored out of their lands. The focus of this paper therefore is to explore the concept of corporate social responsibility, the extent to which these oil firms have executed their corporate social responsibility programs satisfactorily, and to make comparison with the expectations of the host communities. As a consequence, the study made a comprehensive evaluation of implementation of corporate social responsibility programs by oil firms outline above in six communities in Rivers State, two communities in Bayelsa State and two communities in Edo State chosen as representatives of oil firms in Niger Delta. Primary data generated through questionnaire, personal interview and secondary data generated through companies published accounts, documents, reports for the study were used to either support or reject the assertions of corporations and those of the communities in respect to satisfying corporate social responsibility programs by oil firms in Niger Delta. Findings revealed that there is a perplexed missing link on agreement between oil firms operating in Niger Delta area and the host communities on satisfactorily meeting with the corporate social responsibility programs and host communities’ expectation, more especially in this period of economic meltdown. It was therefore concluded that oil firms in Niger Delta should not only embark on minor programs such as renovation, donations, but engage also on capital projects such as road construction, building bridges, as basis for satisfying corporate social responsibility programs in order to gain colossal recognition by the host communities.

4.

Wegwu, M. E. & Ozuru, H. N., (2017)

Local

Monetization and fringe benefits of GDF consulting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Hezekiah University Journal of Management and Social Sciences. Vol. 6 No.1 (Nigeria)

This study is monetization and fringe benefits of GDF consulting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Theories of Social Exchange and Rational Choice were adopted to provide a basis for the explanation of commitment. Different categories of staffs/respondents were systematically selected from departments and other administrative sections of the firm. Content analysis was used for qualitative data, while descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency distribution, chi-square and logistic regression were used to analyse quantitative data. Quantitative results revealed that sex and education were significantly related with commitment (x² = 39.632,  p < 0.05). However, marital status and income had no significant relationship with commitment (x² = 39.632, p < 0.05). Though workers income was affected, but the monetization of fringe benefits did not improve their welfare because of the rate at which market prices of goods and services were shooting up , and this affected their loyalty and productivity towards the firm. Therefore, it was recommended that rewards should be properly planned towards commitment, participation of workers should be allowed in decisions that affect them at the policy level, and inflation should be controlled for, to enhance workers purchasing power for productivity to be achieved.