Servant leadership practice and its relation with employee job satisfaction: the case of compassion international in Ethiopia

Though the modern study of servant leadership may be traced to the revolutionary work of Greenleaf in late 20th, the concept of servant leadership can be traced back to the 4th century. The servant leadership model as proposed by Robert Greenleaf is suitable to providing employees with the empowerment and participatory job features that are related to both employee and customer satisfaction. This study assessed the level of practice of servant leadership and its relation with employee job satisfaction. The study involved all professional employees of Compassion International in Ethiopia including senior and middle level leadership of the organization. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were employed to analyze the quantitative data collected. The findings from both quantitative and qualitative data analysis indicated that servant leadership style is practiced well at the organization and the organization is categorized as servant-oriented organization based on the Organizational Leadership Assessment tool. Moreover, it was noted that the level of employee job satisfaction of the organization is very high (94%) and it is exemplary for other likeminded organizations. A positive relationship of job satisfaction with the overall practice of servant leadership style and that of the five dimensions of servant leadership was observed. In addition, respondents’ organizational position, department, sex, service of year and age had significant associations with employee job satisfaction and the level of practice of servant leadership dimensions. Finally, it was concluded that the leadership of this organization has proven and set the example of practice of servant leadership in Ethiopia.Keywords: Job satisfaction, servant leadership, Compassion International,Ethiopi

Seroprevalence and risk factors of bovine brucellosis in Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

A total of 756 cattle sera from 74 herds of intensive (dairy) and extensive (mixed crop-livestock) production systems were collected and serially tested by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBT) and by Complement Fixation Test (CFT) between November 2009 and March 2010 in Arsi Zone of Ethiopia with objective of determining seroprevalence and risk factors. The overall herd and animal level seroprevalences were 9.5% and 2.6%, respectively. Herd level seroprevalences were 40% (n=5) in intensive system and 7.3% (n=69) in extensive system. Animal level and within-herd range of brucellosis seroprevalence in cattle under intensive system were 4.4% (n=274) and 0.0 - 7.5%, while for those in extensive system were 1.7% (n=482) and 0.0 - 30%, respectively. Binary logistic regression showed both herd and animal level seroprevalence to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in intensive than in extensive system. The statistical significant difference observed between production systems in this study implied different control strategies need to be addressed in Arsi zone. Thus, implementing a culling practice in the extensive system to eliminate the existing low risk of brucellosis and targeting calves in the intensive system for vaccination in addition to culling reactors could minimize the economic loss and reduce the potential occupational exposures in particular

Clinical features and hormonal profiles of cloprostenol-induced early abortions in heifers monitored by ultrasonography

BACKGROUND: The present study describes the clinical features and plasma profiles of bovine pregnancy-associated glycoprotein 1 (bPAG1), the main metabolite of prostaglandin F(2α )(PG metabolite) and progesterone (P4) in heifers in which early abortions were induced. METHODS: Early abortions were induced in four heifers with cloprostenol and monitored by ultrasonography. Blood samples were collected and the plasma were analyzed for bPAG 1, P4 and PG metabolite. RESULTS: The foetal heartbeat rates varied from 170–186 beats per minute for all foetuses up to the date of cloprostenol treatment. Foetal death was confirmed within two days after cloprostenol treatment. Prior to cloprostenol injection, blood plasma concentrations of bPAG1, PG metabolite and P4 varied from 8.4 – 40.0 ng/mL, 158 – 275 pmol/L and 20.7 – 46.9 nmol/L, respectively. After the foetus expelled, the plasma level of bPAG1 began to decrease but the decrease was small and gradual. The estimated half-life of bPAG1 was 1.8 – 6.6 days. The plasma level of the PG metabolite started to have short lasting peaks (above 300 pmol/L) within three hours after cloprostenol treatment. The plasma concentrations of P4 dropped sharply to less than 4 nmol/L after 24 hours of cloprostenol injection. CONCLUSION: The current findings indicated that after early closprostenol-induced foetal death, the plasma concentration of bPAG1 decreased gradually and showed a tendency of variation with the stages of pregnancy

Dairy intensification in developing countries:effects of market quality on farm-level feeding and breeding practices

Smallholder dairy production represents a promising income generating activity for poor farmers in the developing world. Because of the perishable nature of milk, marketing arrangements for collection, distribution and sale are important for enhanced livelihoods in the smallholder dairy sector. In this study we examined the relationship between market quality and basic feeding and breeding practices at farm level. We define market quality as the attractiveness and reliability of procurement channels and associated input supply arrangements. We took as our study countries, India with its well-developed smallholder dairy sector, and Ethiopia where the smallholder dairy industry has remained relatively undeveloped despite decades of development effort. We conducted village surveys among producer groups in 90 villages across three States in India and two Regions in Ethiopia. Producer groups were stratified according to three levels of market quality – high, medium and low. Data showed that diet composition was relatively similar in India and Ethiopia with crop residues forming the major share of the diet. Concentrate feeding tended to be more prominent in high market quality sites. Herd composition changed with market quality with more dairy (exotic) cross-bred animals in high market quality sites in both India and Ethiopia. Cross-bred animals were generally more prominent in India than Ethiopia. Herd performance within breed did not change a great deal along the market quality gradient. Parameters such as calving interval and milk yield were relatively insensitive to market quality. Insemination of cross-bred cows was predominantly by artificial insemination (AI) in India and accounted for around half of cross-bred cow inseminations in Ethiopia. Data on perceptions o

Reproductive and lactation performnace of daíry cattle in the Oromia Central Highlands of Ethiopia

This thesis presents studies of the reproductive and lactation performance of dairy cattle in the Oromia Central Highlands of Ethiopia, with particular emphasis on diagnosing and monitoring pregnancy. In an introductory study, early abortions were induced in four heifers with cloprostenol and monitored using ultrasonography. Prior to cloprostenol injection, plasma concentrations of bovine pregnancy-associated glycoprotein 1 (bPAG1), prostaglandin F2α (PG metabolite), and progesterone (P4) varied from 8.4–40 ng/mL, 158–275 pmol/L, and 20.7–46.9 nmol/L, respectively. After foetal death and subsequent expulsion, the bPAG1 level began to decrease, though the decrease was small and gradual. The PG metabolite level started to display short lasting peaks within three hours, while the P4 level dropped sharply. A cross-sectional study was followed by two years of longitudinal observation to examine the reproductive and lactation performance of smallholder dairy cows in Selalle, central Ethiopia: these studies involved 300 and 24 randomly selected smallholder dairy farms, respectively. The geometric means of the calving-to-conception interval (CCI) and duration after last calving as determined in the cross-sectional study were 187 and 201 days in pregnant and non-pregnant cows, respectively. While, the means of calving interval (CI), CCI and first observed oestrus after calving as determined by the longitudinal observations were 516, 253, and 141 days, respectively. Production system, district (location), and suckling status influenced these intervals considerably. Based on milk P4 profiles, the mean first onset of luteal activity (OLA) after calving was 52 days and was significantly influenced by suckling and parity number. The prevalence of pre-weaning calf mortality was quite high, up to 17.4%. The mean lactation length was 54.4 weeks, while the mean milk yield for the first 43 weeks of lactation was 11.7 L/day for crossbred cows. Suckling status, season of calving, and parity number significantly influenced the daily milk yield. A further follow-up study described the serum profiles of pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG), oestrone sulphate (E1-S), and P4 during gestation in both Borana and crossbred cattle. Accordingly, the PAG concentrations at the 4th week post conception were 1.5–5.5 ng/mL and 2.1–4.7 ng/mL in Borana and crossbred cattle, respectively, and increased progressively, peaking approximately at the time of calving. The serum E1-S concentrations at the 17th week of pregnancy were 0.3–2.6 and 0.9–5.7 ng/mL in Borana and crossbred cattle, respectively, and increased progressively until calving. Breed, parity status, dam body weight, foetal sex, and foetal birth weight (only for PAG) significantly influenced PAG and E1-S concentrations. The P4 concentrations at the 4th week of pregnancy were 3.2–5.1 and 1.7–8.9 ng/mL in Borana and crossbred cattle, respectively, and remained elevated throughout gestation. In conclusion, the smallholder dairy cows in the study area experienced prolonged CCI and CI, and thus, their reproductive performance was unsatisfactory. Moreover, the observed pre-weaning calf mortality rate is quite high. The serum PAG and P4 levels at the 4th and the E1-S levels at approximately the 17th week of pregnancy were well above the required levels for pregnancy testing in both Borana and crossbred cattle. Moreover, the observed serum profiles of PAG, E1-S, and P4 throughout gestation (and 10 weeks postpartum for PAG) were comparable to those reported for other breeds of cattle

Serum Profiles of Pregnancy-Associated Glycoprotein, Oestrone Sulphate and Progesterone During Gestation and Some Factors Influencing the Profiles in Ethiopian Borana and Crossbred Cattle

This study presents serum concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG), oestrone sulphate (E1-S) and progesterone (P4), and the effects of some dam and foetus-related factors on these profiles during gestation in Borana and crossbred cattle. The PAG concentrations at 4th week post-conception ranged from 1.5-5.5 and 2.1-4.7 ng/ml in Borana (n = 6) and crossbred (n = 8) cattle, respectively. The mean PAG concentrations increased progressively from 4th to 33rd week of gestation (from 3.3-173 ng/ml for Borana and 4.2-240 ng/ml for crossbred cattle) and reached peak around calving. Breed, parity status, dam body weight, foetal sex and foetal birth weight significantly influenced the PAG concentrations. After delivery, the PAG concentrations declined steadily to 5.7 ng/ml in Borana (n = 7) and 3.9 ng/ml in crossbred (n = 6) cattle 10 weeks post-partum. The serum E1-S concentrations at 17th week of pregnancy ranged from 0.3-2.6 and 0.9-5.7 ng/ml in Borana (n = 8) and crossbred (n = 9) cattle, respectively. The mean E1-S concentrations increased progressively from 17th to 33rd week of gestation (from 1.1-4.6 ng/ml for Borana and 2.7-10.8 ng/ml for crossbred). Breed, parity status, dam body weight and foetal sex significantly influenced E1-S concentrations. The P4 concentrations at 4th week of pregnancy ranged from 3.2-5.1 and 1.7-8.9 ng/ml in Borana (n = 6) and crossbred (n = 8) cattle, respectively. The P4 level remained elevated throughout pregnancy. This study indicated that the serum PAG and P4 concentrations at 4th and E1-S approximately 17th week of pregnancy were above the cut-off value for pregnancy test and the hormonal profiles observed were comparable to the previous reports. Furthermore, the PAG and E1-S profiles were considerably influenced by factors such as breed, weight and parity status of the dam, and foetal sex and foetal birth weight (only PAG)