The paper discussed Issues, Challenges and Prospects of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Port-HarcourtCity, Nigeria. This was informed by the high rate of unemployment in the society and the poor performance of SMEs in employment generation. While the research questions addressed the extent to which poor financing, inadequate social infrastructures, lack of managerial skills and multiple taxation constitute major challenges in the performance of SMEs between October 2012 and November 2013, it assumes that government intervention through the provision of financial assistance, social infrastructures and favorable taxation policies will reverse the trend. The paper adopted a descriptive research design using 120 randomly selected registered operators of SMEs in Port-Harcourt City. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics while formulated hypotheses were tested using z-test. Results from the data analysis indicated that poor financing, inadequate social infrastructures, lack of managerial skills and multiple taxation were major challenges confronting SMEs in Port-Harcourt City, thus recommended:provision of soft loans to SMEs operators, government guaranteeing of long-term loans to SMEs operators, establishment of SMEs funding agency, public/private sector partnership in infrastructural provision, capacity building for SMEs operators and provision of tax incentives for SMEs operators.

The paper is a perception survey of skill-based pay system and employees' performance in Dorman long engineering company limited Port-Harcourt. The research question addressed the extent at which improved employees organizational commitment and broader role orientation is dependent on the implementation of skill-based pay system in Dorman long engineering company limited Port-Harcourt. It assumes that introduction of skill-based pay system affects the psychological contract of employees and their attitude towards the organization and their workroles. The core aspect of the study is the use of cross-sectional survey research design in generating the required primary data. The place of study is Dorman long engineering company limited Port-Harcourt while the duration of study is between May, 2012 and April, 2013. An exploratory cross-sectional survey research design was used in conducting the study using questionnaire administered on 348 randomly selected respondents from three categories of workers (50 supervisors, 150 foremen and 2,500workmen). The sample size of 348 was determined from a population of 2,700 employees using Yamane 1964 sample size determination formula at 5% level of significance for sampling error. The questionnaire responses were presented using tables, analyzed and interpreted using simple percentages while formulated hypotheses were tested using chi-square (χ 2 ). The results indicated that improved employees commitment and broader role orientation are to a large extent dependent on the implementation of skill-based pay system. It therefore recommends among others: employees participation in the design and administration of SBP system, inculcation of group identification and cohesiveness in the skill-based work environment.

The paper examined participatory hazard management system and accident prevention in the bonny NLNG construction project. The research question addressed the extent at which reduced accident/incident rate and increased organizational productivity is dependent on the implementation of participatory hazard management system in the bonny NLNG construction project. It is based on the fundamental behavioural cybernetic principle that those directly affected by workplace hazards, should be primarily responsible for managing and controlling them. The core aspect of the study is the use of cross-sectional survey research design in generating the required primary data. The place of study is the bonny NLNG construction project while the duration of study is between March, 2012 and February, 2013. A sample of 396 (35 supervisors, 98 foremen and 263 workmen) respondents determined at 5% level of significance for sample error, using Yamane's formula, was selected from a population of 40,568 employees using stratified random sampling method for the purpose of questionnaire administration. The results indicated that reduced accident/incident rate and increased organizational productivity is to a large extent dependent on the implementation of participatory hazard management system in the Bonny NLNG construction project as buttressed by the 82% and 81% large extent response rate respectively. It therefore recommends among others: regular site safety audits to identify/eliminate sub-causes of accident, regular staff training to improve their hazard identification skills, formation of health and safety committee to identify/eliminate potential hazards at the task level and making hazard identification/reporting everyone's responsibility.