Knowledgebase & Articles

The ever-changing world has made it possible for different people across several cultures to work in the same organisation. This has increased the importance of being conscious of diverse cultural values when working in a team with different cultural backgrounds or leading a culturally diverse group. It is pertinent to note that people from different ethnic background hold dissimilar values which must be adjusted to realign with the goals of the team. However, this is a gradual process that is attainable through conscious efforts of the team members to respond to others taking into cognizance their differences. According to Azzopardi and McNeill (2016), conscious response in team increases performance, foster collaboration and reduces misunderstanding among team members with different beliefs and values. In this view, Curtis et al. (2020) and Kurtis and Ullah (2019), stated that the ability to be aware and conscious of different cultural background among team members is the key factor in managing business teams for more productivity and competitiveness. This suggests that both team leaders and members’ consciousness in their response to cultural issues determine the performance of the team. Enveloping conscious response to a culturally diverse team is cultural competence which is not simply learnt in the classroom. Instead, just as it is the case with most diversity issues in the workplace, cultural competence necessitates one to examine his own opinions, thoughts, ideas, and feelings, then work on developing his own cross-cultural skills necessary for excelling in the team or such culturally diverse workplace. The diversity in the-present-day’s workplace implies that a team member must be more sensitive to the cultures of others in the team, and in the same way, people from other cultures must reciprocate similar sensitivity. Some of the important skills worthy to be learnt include learning how to communicate clearly so as to avoid being misunderstood. Many conflicts arise in teams due to miscommunication and misunderstanding. Team members, who are of different cultural backgrounds, often have dissimilar styles of verbal and non-verbal communication (Shonk, 2020). For instance, in some cultures, a bow instead of a handshake is used to exchange greetings. In other cultures, to maintain direct eye contact while exchange greetings may be considered impolite, meanwhile in other cultures it signifies honesty and trust. In verbal communication, some cultures may regard a direct statement to a superior as disrespectful while other cultures may consider it a sign of efficiency and expediency. Therefore, the bottom-line remains a conscious response to issues while working in a culturally diverse team. It is recommended that team members of culturally diverse teams should spend time to do more research and findings about the cultures of those who comprise the team. This according to Anam (2020) is useful having awareness and understanding about the verbal and physical communication cues that vary from one’s own culture. One cannot effectively function in a culturally diverse team except he or she possesses a reasonable level of cultural awareness. As a result, there can be reinforcement in the strength of the team and team members are more likely to build skills that enhance their chances of becoming global professionals. References Anam, A. (2020), Culture awareness in the workplace. Small Business Chron. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/culture-awareness-workplace-737.html Azzopardi, C. & McNeill, T. (2016) From Cultural competence to cultural consciousness: Transitioning to a critical approach to working across differences in social work. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work 25(4) 282-299. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2016.1206494 Curtis, E., Jones, R., Tipene-Leach, D., Walker, C., Loring, B., Paine, S. & Reid, P. (2019) Why cultural safety rather than cultural competency is required to achieve health equity: a literature review and recommended definition. International Journal of Equity in Health 18 (1), 1-18 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-019-1082-3 Kurtisi, H. & Ullah, A. (2019). How does cultural diversity affect the management of warehouse staff? Specifically, what processes are available to balance diversity and integrate human resources. (Unpublished undergraduate dissertation). Jönköping University. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1323940/FULLTEXT01.pdf Shonk. K. (2020). How to resolve cultural conflict: Overcoming cultural barriers at the negotiation table. Harvard Programmeme on Negotiation, Daily Blog. https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-resolution/a-cross-cultural-negotiation-example-how-to-overcome-cultural-barriers/   Mr. James Terkura Ihum is working at Skyline University Nigeria as a Lecturer II in the Department of Economics You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

Leadership exists to direct people working in organizations towards achieving their goals in line with the mission and vision of the organization. COVID19 has affected the majority of employees across the globe in one way or the other and organizations have changed their HR policies to accommodate practices such as work from home and started giving more importance to the wellbeing of employees. Organizations have successfully adopted new technologies to overcome the situation and trained employees on using them. In this context, all leaders need to be aware of the latest emerging technologies and how they can be used in their respective organizations. One important challenge that all leaders face in the current situation is to decide on the emerging technologies that can be used to make the organization ready for future requirements. An ideal leader in this era of technological disruptions is one who is driven by a compelling vison and who foresees how the new emerging technologies will impact and how the organization can change and adapt to the new trends to survive.  Training employees and making them align their personal goals with organizational goals is crucial. The lower the gap between individual and organizational goals the easier it is for the organization to create a culture of belongingness and build high-performing teams. Leaders have to play the role of accelerators to motivate people to go beyond their jobs and put in their hundred percent efforts to achieve organizational goals. Leaders should not look for perfection but look for employees with a positive attitude, willingness to learn, being adaptable as per the requirements of the organization and willing to complete the tasks as per the timelines. Leaders should focus on creating a culture where employees feel a sense of ownership which will help them in not only gaining recognition and rewards but also helps in attracting the right talent as per organizational requirements. Leaders also need to be creative and innovative and ensure that organizations are ready to face the challenges of the future. Achievement of organizational goals is the key metric to evaluate the performance of a leader. A good leader will embrace change, act as a mentor to identify and develop leaders for future requirements. Leaders in the new millennium have to give time for creativity and need to be up-to-date on the latest technological advancements that are happening in their respective fields.  One more challenge for leaders is to balance the traditional style of management and a new way of handling millennials as both of them are required for achieving the goals. The traditional managers have rich experience and the millennials are good with technology and the combination of both will help the organization in planning appropriate strategies and taking the organization to the next level. Good communication among the team members, trust, human connection, and knowledge of how the latest technologies can impact work is very important in the era of technological disruption. Leaders have to be role models and lead by example.    References:  Bennis, W. G., & Thomas, R. J. (2020). Crucibles of leadership. Harvard business review, 80. Cortellazzo, L., Bruni, E., & Zampieri, R. (2019). The role of leadership in a digitalized world: A review. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1938. Mukherjee, A. S. (2020). 5 Musts for Next-Gen Leaders. MIT Sloan Management Review, 61(3), 1-4.   Professor Ajith Kumar V.V, is the sitting Vice-Chancellor of Skyline University Nigeria. He has obtained his PhD in the area of Human Resource Management from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria  

The idea of switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting in Nigeria, is becoming a reality. Broadcasting is embracing innovation in the technology of signal generation, transmission and reception. The concept of Digital Switchover (DSO) is a technological advancement in the field of broadcasting where broadcast signal generation, distribution and reception are digitalized. Contrary to the analogue mode of broadcasting, DSO facilitates generation and reception of quality image and sound clarity as well as allows numerous digital channels on single bandwidth as against the single-channel reception in analogue broadcasting. Globally, many countries have switched from analogue to digital broadcasting with an impressive consequence of high definition and qualitative signal reception and output. 2015 was set as the deadline for digital switchover globally by The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2006. Nigeria, being a member of ITU also joined the trend with experimentation of the innovation.  Although 2012 was the deadline set for the actualization of the first phase or pilot stage of the initiative in Nigeria, however, due to paucity of funds, the project actualization was shifted to 2017 by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). After a long back and forth, the initiative has materialized with the successful launching of DSO in a number of states. The National Broadcasting Commission assured that the development will aid digital television penetration and high-quality service (Adegboyega, 2021). This development means that broadcast reception now has to be digital. There will be an automatic analogue switch-off. Without the DSO approved set-up boxes, television signals cannot be received. Those residing within the digital switchover States can only receive television signal digitally. Reception on low-quality cable antenna is now of the past. The Digital Switchover is no doubt a welcome development. However, despite its enormous advantages, the Nigerian digital divide has to be considered. Digital Divide according to Fuchs and Horak (2008), means an “unequal patterns of material access to, usage capabilities of, benefits from computer-based information – and communication technologies that are caused by certain stratification processes that produce classes of winners and losers of the information society, and participation in institutions governing ICTs and society”. The gap between digitally inclined and non-digitally inclined citizens in Nigeria is still very wide. Also, the level of internet penetration in Nigeria in comparison with its population is relatively low. The 2021 statistics show that there are 104.4 million internet users in Nigeria that is 50% internet penetration rate (Kemp, 2021). Going by these statistics, a large proportion of the population will ultimately be cut out of this benefit if a concerted effort is not made to ensure that the DTT signal covers at least 70% of the population while the remaining 30% is covered by Direct –to –Home (DTH) satellite signal. In conclusion, as the nation migrates gradually to digital broadcasting, the digital divide in the nation must be addressed by tackling poverty, illiteracy, extreme hunger, infrastructural deficit, among other indicators of the digital divide for the DSO to make a meaningful impact.    References Kemp, S. (2021). Digital 2021: Nigeria. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-nigeria Fuchs, C. & Horak, E. (2008). Africa and the digital divide. Telematics and Informatics 25:99–116. Adegboyega, A. (2021, March 11). FG begins second phase of digital TV switch-over in Lagos, Kano, others. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/business/business-news/448264-fg-begins-second-phase-of-digital-tv-switch-over-in-lagos-kano-others.html    Mr. Abdulhameed Olaitan Ridwanullah is a Lecturer II at the Department of Mass Communication, School of Art, Management and Social Science, Skyline University Nigeria. He has a Masters degrees from the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria  

As one of the greatest challenges in life is discovering oneself, the labour market has passed the era of paper qualifications to the era of critical thinkers who can use logical reasoning and critical thinking skills to contribute to the growth and development of their organizations. Critical thinking refers to an ability to analyze information, determine the relevance of information gathered and interpret the information in solving problems (Gagné, 1988). It requires high-level thinking, analysis, evaluation, reasonableness and reflection (Jeevanantham, 2005). As future intellectual capital, university students must develop strategic thought and problem-solving skills, as this is what companies look for when recruiting new employees. Unfortunately, previous surveys and news reports have shown that the majority of university graduates are still deficient in this skill. According to a study by Manpower Group (2012) employers are dissatisfied with graduates’ problem-solving skills and willingness to cope with uncertainty or confusion.  If this dilemma is not resolved, the number of unemployed graduates will rise to an alarming rate in the nearest future and this can be reduced to the barest minimum through the teaching of logical critical thinking. For example, in the classroom, teaching and learning processes that prioritize rote learning and are too dependent on content allow students to memorize rather than interpret and analyze the actual interpretation of the information. Since they lack a thorough comprehension of the material covered, they are unable to think objectively and solve complex problems (Shakir, 2009). However, they claimed that when assigned a challenging mission with little time and with unknown people, their emotions clouded their judgment. In other words, they are uncomfortable discussing with new people and work excellently under time constraints, their capacity to make effective judgment can suffer, leading to tension at work. Students must be well educated to interact with a variety of individuals and cope with unpredictability (such as time constraints) in the real world. These skills are important for future career. In view of the above issues, Skyline University Nigeria mandates critical logical thinking as a core course for all its students to churn out skilled and value-based graduates. It also encourages all its lecturers to provide clear instruction and conduct interesting activities in the class to influence students’ logical thinking processes. Instead of concentrating on rote learning, the university’s lecturers prioritized offering students practical challenging task and assignments that enable them to think critically. Finally, students must concentrate in class by comprehending the subject matter so that they can do well in tests, exams, and deliver high-quality assignments. Other activities such as co-curriculum, training and camp, related to critical logical thinking and problem-solving skill should be promoted. This will aid students in solving social, political and entrepreneurship problems and enable them to work in a competitive environment where the application of critical thinking is of great importance. As one of the greatest challenges in life is discovering oneself. References  Gagné, R. (1988). Some reflections on thinking skills. Instructional Science, 17(4), 387-390. Jeevanantham, L. S. (2005). Why teach critical thinking? Africa education review, 2(1), 118-129. (2012). 2012 Talent shortage survey.  http://www.manpowergroup.us/campaigns/talentshortage2012/pdf/2012_Talent_Shortage_Survey_Results_US_FINALFINAL.pydf  Shakir, R. (2009). Soft skills at the Malaysian institutes of higher learning. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev., 10, 309-315.   Mr. Saheed Tunde Zubair is a Lecturer II at the Department of Computer Science, School of Sciences and Information Technology in Skyline University Nigeria. He had obtained his B.Eng. in Computer Engineering and M.Engr. in Communication Engineering both from Bayero University Kano. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

Introduction Globalization in the healthcare industry originated from an ancient idea. The first documented global initiative in the history of healthcare happened at the begging of the 7th century in Asia when King Songtsen Gampo, who is the founder of the Tibetan Empire, organized the first recorded international medical conference which was recommended by his Nepalese and Chinese wives (Mittelman 2012). He invited physicians from India, China, Persia, Nepal and Kashmir to travel down to Tibetan and to come along with medical scripts from their diverse traditions to translate them into Tibetan for study. The first multinational healthcare conference was successful, and a second conference was held again in the 8th century. Physicians from the previous countries including new ones like Afghanistan attended with the oblige to provide at least a medical script for discussion and translation. The reports were combined into a single book called the Gyu-zhi (The four Medical Trantras) which turn out to be the foundation of all consequent Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and still being studied to date. In 2009 and 2011, the medical astrological association of Tibetan, whose job is to promote and preserve Tibetan medicine, published the 1st English translation of the first three tantras of the Gyu-zhi. The Tibetan Remedy has become globalized and has resulted in the local practices of healing, being transformed in both the west and Tibet. Western medical science developed from universal traditional healthcare (Mittelman 2012). The revolution accorded during the religious wars of reformation and Counter-Reformation, in the 17th and 18th century. The dangers and risks encouraged scientists to become specialized, concentrating on a single subject and excluding others. These strategies indeed accelerated the growth of western science and technology. The healthcare industry is considered as one of the biggest industries in the world which has a direct effect on the quality of life of individuals in every country. Healthcare is the act of taking the necessary and preventive medical procedure to treat, diagnose and prevent illness, diseases and other physical and mental damages in humans. Healthcare is delivered by doctors and specialists in pharmacy, nursing, medicine allied health, dentistry and other healthcare providers. The healthcare industry is a sector that offers services to treat patients with rehabilitative, curative and preventive care. This paper therefore access the globalization of the modern healthcare industry – an appraisal   Globalization of the Modern Healthcare Industry Technology has greatly eliminated many of the barriers to communication including cost time and distance. The world is currently a cyberspace, only a click away. The rebellion in information technology-global, wireless, prompt communication from machine to machine, human to machine and human to human has fastened development not only in healthcare and medicine but in all convergence. The Globalization of modern health care industries can best be explained with activities like innovation in medical technology, circulation of patients, and circulation of health professionals, health regulatory bodies, medical transportation and medical travel as well as the factors and forces that makes the health care industry globalized. Circulation of patients The circulation or movement of patients is referred to as medical tourism which is travelling to another country for medical care at a lower price or to gain medical treatment that might not be available in their home country. It has been estimated that millions of people travel to other countries of the world for numerous types of surgeries, fertility treatments, dental procedures and ophthalmic procedures each year. Oxford economics and VISA reported that the medical tourism industry was valued at 100 billion dollars with an estimated growth rate of up to 25% every year for the next 10 years. It has also been projected that 3 to 4 percent population of the world will travel abroad for healthcare and health-related treatments. In its 2016 report, the industry-leading report listed 41 top destinations for patients seeking a high quality of health care or value-added services across the globe. In it, the United States is said to lead in terms of market share of healthcare travel spending, but other countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Asia and South Korea are thriving. China is expected to exceed US in the next 10 years due to high demand for advanced quality of care. The findings didn’t only span the global range but also did that of the age range. VISA expects 14 percent of all travellers to be older by 2025. Meanwhile, a current survey found out that 88% of some travel abroad 2 to 3 times a year and that number continues to grow. VISA believes that medical tourism is primed to increase growth as more and more travellers pursue new treatments as well as lesser price or high-quality medical treatment not available in their home country. Innovation in medical technology Technology innovations are currently changing the healthcare industry. Out of the many industries that technology plays vital role in, healthcare is certainly one of the most significant. This union is responsible for saving and improving many lives around the world. Areas like pharmaceuticals, the development of medical equipment and devices, Biotechnology and more are contributing significantly to improving the health of people around the world (Singhal et al 2018). From larger technologies like robotic prosthetic limb and MRI machines to smaller innovations like ankle braces have made an incredible impact on medicine. With more hospitals around the world using medical technology like mobile devices, physicians now have more access to any type of information they need- from patient records to drug information within seconds. These innovative technology devices are used globally to improve the health of patients. When a new medical technology is invented, it is been used in many hospitals globally to treat patients with various diseases. Innovation of technology in the healthcare industry remains to provide doctors with new ways to enhance the quality of care delivered to patients and to improve the state of global medical care (Reddy 2018 et al.). Through technology integration with areas like surgical procedures, medical telecommunication and better access to information, patients globally

Certain tough questions bother computer science students. Questions like, How to make a successful career in computer Science/software engineering? Is there some route map that, I should follow? Which are the essential technical knowledge and skill required? How to learn online amid class and social activities? What are the knowledge needed other than technical skills? The below steps will answer your questions. It will also guide you to make a career choice in computer science/software engineering. Step 1 – Choose your specialized area Once you get into the computer science stream, selecting specialization will not be enough. You should select a relevant language or tool related to it, that is also based on your knowledge and skills in your computer stream. You may have different areas of interest like web design, data science or any other field. If you pick web design as your area of specialization then choose relevant technical language related to it. You can select any one or more among the web design-related technical languages which include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, ASP.Net etc.   Step 2 – Start learning A to Z Once you choose your specialization. It’s time to start the complete learning of that language or tool. If you have selected Java script as your specialized language, you have to learn javascript from an authenticated source. You can learn languages on both online/offline platform. When you select the online mode of learning make sure that the source is an authenticated source. Some students may not be comfortable with the online mode of learning. In this case, finding a mentor or teacher to clarify your technical queries is recommended. Step 3– Practical Workshops Practical knowledge is very vital in the real world. Experience towards the work domain is the important part. Practical knowledge will improve skills and give confidence in developing source code, Programmeming, etc. You can work with a group or with someone who has a similar interest. You can improve practical skills when you work in teams. It will help you to improve yourself and check where you are lacking. Step 4 – Develop Projects Taking small projects will initially help you a lot in making your career strong. There are competitions and challenges in that which appeal to all computer technologists /software engineers enthusiasts of all levels. As you work your way up through various competitions, you are earning a reputation for yourself in your field. Furthermore, you are adding projects to your computer science/software engineering portfolio. Also, working on independent projects is another way of getting experience in the field of Computer Science/Software Engineering. Using your creativity, you can craft your projects and outputs that will meet your application need. Step 5 – Make a strong online presence  Make yourself visible online and show how effective and dedicated you are to the work. Make your work history and experience. If you have impressive knowledge and specialization align it with a job that you desire. For example, you can make your Linkedin profile very compelling. Or you can have your blog at Word press and write about your ideas or core technologies that you master. To shine well it is important to have statistical knowledge and Programmeming skills. Engagement and contribution to the Computer science/Software Engineering fields are necessary. This will help you to build a strong presence online. Furthermore, engaging in answering queries and reading solutions to queries will provide you with the training and knowledge to answer questions of varying degrees. References: https://data-flair.training/blogs/ https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/career-english/get-dream-job/ https://www.robertwalters.co.uk/empowering-women/career-advice/tips-for-securing-your-dream-career.html   Dr. Vijay Arputharaj is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, Skyline University Nigeria. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria