Arts and Social Sciences Journal

Recent research indicates that destructive leadership might have a detrimental effect on a wide range of outcomes across the organization. However, few studies have focused on the military context. The present study examined the extent to which destructive leader behavior was related to individual work-related attitudes and feelings among military personnel in the Norwegian Armed forces (N=170). Dependent variables were (1) Burnout, (2) Work Engagement, and (3) Organizational Commitment. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that destructive leader behavior significantly predicted Burnout and Work Engagement. This is the first study that examines, and in parallel confirms the unique influence of destructive leadership on important work environment variables among members of the Norwegian armed forces. Despite the fact that the respondents in this sample most likely have above average psychological robustness, they still appear to be significantly influenced by destructive leader behavior. At the same time, our findings also indicate that respondents are able to maintain their organizational commitment despite destructive leader behavior. This study thus represents a unique step towards establishing knowledge about the interplay between destructive leader behavior and psychosocial related phenomena, forming a potential basis for theoretical and practical developments.

Adjustment is the individual’s meeting of his psychological demands and accepting himself. Positive self-regard is important for successful functioning in everyday life. The self-evaluation of members of minority groups such as deaf people, however, is challenged by prejudice toward them on the part of the majority society. Adjustment is the individual’s ability to fulfill his psychological needs and his self-acceptance as well as enjoying life without any types of conflicts and accepting social activities and participation in social activities.

Decision-making is complex process that involves people and information system. A Decision Support Systems (DSS) is a set of specific class of computerized information systems that support decision making activities of businesses and organizations. There are certain factors that affect the performance of DSS such as information quality and usability of these systems. This study aims to introduce the concept of usability and information quality in general and examining their effects on the DSS. The study found that both usability and information quality have strong effect on the output of any information system and in particular DSS. The study recommended that the developers of information systems must pay high attention to develop the content provided by IS before process them by DSS as well as they ensure DSS is easy to use and get required information to support decision making process, for example the developers should focus on easy navigation through the system, good interface and reaching information in proper time.

The Norwegian Armed Forces is taking part in military joint operations on an international basis. When planning and executing military joint operations, a knowledge management strategy known as center of gravity analysis is often used. Given the constant need to improve the processes involved in planning and executing military joint operations, the use of an alternative knowledge management strategy is proposed and discussed in this article. The alternative knowledge management strategy is referred to as effects-based thinking. Effects-based thinking can be said to be a more general method than the center of gravity analysis. For a professional community of practice such as the Norwegian Armed Forces, the use of effects-based thinking may simply be a more suitable knowledge management strategy.

Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda has been demographically growing and is expected to double from 1.13 million of population in 2012 to two million by 2020. Both population growth and city surface expansion have created a burden that the existing basic infrastructures can’t sustain. The question is how such a huge burden is shared between those who are better-off economically and the poorer ones. In this paper, the issue was examined in the sense to investigate whether the shortage makes water expensive to the extent that poorer families get hard to afford it? Findings have shown that the poorer families are the most affected since they have limited financial means to afford a high cost to cover such a basic daily need. Most of them live in old suburbs whereby water pipes’ network does not ease water flow-in because they are old or damaged. They are also far from putting in place support equipments such as tanks to store water when it comes in the taps. Beyond all those cases, water becomes a very expensive product which they can’t afford given the minimum wages of a Rwandan laborer in Kigali.

The present study investigated the factors affecting off-farm employment of small farmers in Peshawar Valley. A sample of 201 small farmers was selected using random sampling technique and data were collected through a pretested interview schedule. This study focuses on two selected districts i.e. Peshawar, and Charsadda. Four villages were selected two each from the sampled districts. Analysis showed that the coefficients of household size, educational level of the sampled respondent, age of the sample small farmer, were positively related to the off-farm employment, while farm area operated was negatively but significantly related to off-farm employment. Similarly the small farm households of developed villages perform more off-farm employment than the small farm households of underdeveloped villages. This could be associated to the developed means of transport and communications, better education facilities, market facilities as well as availability of off-farm jobs locally. In developed villages of two districts, average per month income of sample small farmers from farm output was higher than the undeveloped villages of these districts due to the high sale price of vegetables grown on large area and more milk production. Similarly, in developed villages income from off-farm employment was more than undeveloped villages. Because large number of family labors of sample respondents were working on high paid jobs or employed else or selfemployed and thus contributed a good amount to their family’s income. The study recommends that unemployment in the agriculture sector is likely to increase with the decrease in the size of holdings. To generate off-farm employment opportunities agro based industries seems to potential area. Simultaneously there is need for initiating skill development programs.

Serving as a military officer requires among other skills strong communication skills. The Norwegian Military Academy (NMA) educates its cadets in the use of guidance as a leadership communication tool. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether participating in a 5-day guidance course would lead to an improvement of the ability to communicate better with others. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine officers from the NMA participated in the study. The participants served as supervisors in nine exercises related to practicing guidance as a communication tool. Eight of the participants filled out a questionnaire three times during the 5-day course. Results: The results showed that the supervisors felt that they became better at communicating with others and at building and maintaining relationships. Interestingly, trust was found to decline a bit between the supervisor and the person being supervised. However, they felt that they got to know the other person. In addition, the supervisors felt that they increased their awareness of which communication tools that were effective to use to give the conversation its necessary/desired content and form. They also felt that they became more aware of the kind of information they asked for in the conversation. Furthermore, they felt that they were able to communicate more effectively as leaders, and they perceived that their ability to develop others became enhanced by the use of guidance. Finally, the supervisor´s felt that their ability to influence the supervised person´s attitudes through the creation of new thinking and reflection also increased. Conclusions: The results from the present study suggest that practicing guidance as a leadership communication tool is an effective communication tool for military officers.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of interactive media on children’s cognitive, social and moral development according to their mothers’ perception regarding these influences in Pakistani society. The proposed research work examines influence on three levels, i.e. cognitive, social and moral domain. The researcher undertakes to find out how excessive usage of social media influences children’ development and what are the developmental differences between mild users and moderate to severe users of social networking media. The major hypothesis of the study is the greater the exposure to interactive social media, greater the impact on children’s cognitive, social and moral development”. The study captured mothers’ perception of the influence of interactive media on children development through survey using questionnaire as a tool of data collection. 120 respondents (mothers) (60 mothers of mild users, and 60 mothers of heavy users of social networking sites) were accessed for the current research from metropolitan cities of Pakistan. The statistical t-test was used for testing the hypothesis and differences in means were examined. The results and findings revealed that heavy users of social media tend to incorporate more developmental changes in terms of social, cognitive and moral domains in contrast to light users

This paper discusses the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) long-term infrastructural project as a major part of the One Belt One Road (OBOR) the major global initiative by the Chinese government, scheduled to complete by 2030. CPEC is a joint project that Beijing and Islamabad agreed to finance through Chinese investments utilizing investment loans largely by Chinese financial institutions; nevertheless, Pakistan will also be responsible for investing approximately 15 billion dollars on its own in the process. While the project has been welcomed by Greater Eurasia (including Russia, Iran, and Central Asia) besides the United Kingdom and Western European countries, albeit vehement opposition by India. Paper elaborates upon the positive and negative elements that will likely impact the project progress, from internal political, economic dynamics of Pakistan and consequent security challenges to the related transit tariff issues, quality labor force supplies, just as well the inter-provincial competition between Baluchistan and KPK (Khyber Pukhtoon Khwa) besides the reaction of some South Asian countries, namely, India and Bangladesh. It highlights the opportunities, challenges and the impact that this mega project will likely have to the existing socioeconomic infrastructure, job opportunities, poverty level index, and regional peace and security.

Kashmir under Dogra’s has seen exploitation and oppression of worst kind. The people particularly Muslim met worst kind of treatment from the state. The oppression had forced him into nature docile and subservient, possessed by the desire to fulfill his daily needs. The start of socio-economic organization helped to develop a collective thinking within the Kashmiri community. However, it was challenged by the fissures that developed between the Muslims and Hindus and among the Muslims. The paper tries to understand how people mobilized against the repressive Dogra regime.