ABSTRACT
Research in organizational conflict and its management has gained much currency in contemporary times. Accordingly, this study evaluates the influence of collaborating strategy in improving employees’ performance in insurances companies in Homa Bay County Kenya. The study anchored in the Group Conflict Process Theory developed by Robbins. Descriptive research design was adopted. Stratified sampling was used to classify employees then census sampling used to select 4 branch manager, 4 branch administrator, and 29 unit managers. Proportionate and simple random sampling was used to select 140 financial advisors. Reliability of the self- administered questionnaire was tested using Cronbach Alpha. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study concluded that there was a positive relationship between collaborating strategy and employee performance. The study recommends that managers should apply collaborating strategies such as integrating manager’s ideas with those of subordinates to come up with a decision jointly.

ABSTRACT
This research addresses the influence of public sector unions in the Indian Ocean and the trends that are likely to influence them in their engagement at the workplace. A few key issues have been developed to understand the influence of public trade unions in the Indian Ocean Islands. They are bargaining power, innovation, employee protection and employee engagement. Bargaining power of public trade unions in the Indian Ocean do vary. In settled economies like Mauritius and the Seychelles, public unions do fight for their employee rights but this remains stronger in Comoros and Madagascar due to their prevailing economic situation. Innovation in public union organisations remain broadly similar in all nations under the survey like the use of information technology, flexible working hours and work-life balance. Regarding employee protection, scores were moderate although all island state constitutions had legislations favouring them while their application differed. Employee engagement was considered as moderate in most island states considered from the point of employees at board level and in key decisions while public unions timidly engaged women in prominent positions in public unions.

ABSTRACT
The innovation process is a more and more approached topic in the literature. The reason for this is that innovation is a key element for the survival of an organization. The need for innovation is imperative, whether it's companies that have to fight for market share or profit, or public organizations that need to improve their services. This research presents the models of the innovation process as well as a perspective how the models of the innovation process have developed over time. In the course of industrial development, there have been a number of attempts to impose a certain conceptual order in the analysis of the innovation process in order to understand the nature and the way in which innovation activities are carried out and to provide a more secure basis for formulating innovation policies.

ABSTRACT
In common understandings, status of standard of living of a person or a family or a society is mirrored through pattern of their expenditure. More often than not, expenditure connotes spending of money on goods and services in order to fulfil personal and social needs. Expenditure of Monpa farmers of the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh, Hitherto, 76 percent household have been spending up to Rs 5,000 per month. It is revealed from the study that, on an average, a sample respondent of the Study Area spends Rs 2449.69 per month on household items. Obviously, the respondents have made highest expenditure on food items. Also, Dirang Circle is found to have spent the maximum amount with Rs 3284.8 per month on household items. Excruciatingly, expenditure on alcohol stands in the second place. The study also reveals that monthly average expenditure of male respondents is much higher than female counterparts. Further, the circle wise analysis shows that, male and female sample respondents of Dirang Circle have made highest expenditure. Very importantly, the present study unveiled that standard of living of Monpa farmers of the Study Area is quite good as they spend Rs 81.6 per day on food items. It is much higher than a benchmark daily per capita expenditure on foods stipulated by Tendulkar and Rangarajan Committee respectively.

ABSTRACT
Income pattern of people is one of the key socio-economic indicators. It unrolls the purchasing power and standard of living of people from a particular community, region and nation. Income status helps in understanding ‘Saving Behaviour’ and ‘Investment Potential’ of a particular community or area. The farmers of Monpa community from the West Kameng District have fascinating income and expenditure facts. It is reported during the present study that an average farmers of the study area earns Rs 13,850 per month and spends a total of Rs 4,793 per month. It is revealed during the study that 57 persons off 131 total samples which constitute 43.51 percent of respondents earn between Rs 5,000 to 10,000 per month. Fascinatingly, Remittances, Grants and Donation are the highest sources of income of the farmers which constitutes 29.73 percent of the total income. On circle wise analysis, Dirang Circle is on the top in terms of monthly average income. Further, Male farmers are earning more than female counterpart in the study area. In addition, 43 percent of the total sample has earned income from ‘Wage plus Farm Income’ which stands highest in terms of Combination of Sources of Income. So, the Monpa farmers from the study area earn good income. It far exceeds the expenditure. Thus, their saving is remarkable so is the socio-economic silhouette.

ABSTRACT
Socio-economic development along international boundaries has been directly contingent upon nature and magnitude of cross border trade. Literally, it construes flow of goods and services across international borders within an easy reach of up to 30 kilometers. Also, it is an active agent of social changes. Arunachal Pradesh has long international boundary with Bhutan to the West sharing 160 km, China to the North and North-East sharing 1,080 km and Myanmar to the East sharing 440 km respectively. Altogether, she has 1680 km long international boundary. Further, the strategic location of Arunachal Pradesh supports its growing economic links with neighboring countries like- Bhutan, China and Myanmar. The state may even upscale India’ trade ties with ASEAN and SAARC nations. In the present study, the result of SWOT shows that the Bleeting-Namtsering and Pangsau-Nampong cross border trade centres are unfavorable from Indian perspective as, it has negative figures. The degree of unfavourbility have been identified as (-) 02 and (-) 04 respectively. With this background, the paper makes an attempt to provide an overview of cross border trade of Arunachal Pradesh. Further, it endeavors to apply SWOT Analysis on two functional cross border trade centres of Arunachal Pradesh namely- Bleething-Namtsering and Nampong-Pangsau respectively.

ABSTRACT
Individuals, organizations and governments acknowledge the invaluable contributions of training to human capital development, which reflect in improved service delivery and turn-over. Yearly, organizations commit substantial parts of their appropriations to both training and re-training of staff. Cursory observation confirms that much of Business curriculum appears to focus on concepts, theories and procedures to the neglect of those fine-grain soft skills which help create a warm work-place atmosphere and enhance retention of quality clientele. Should soft skills not be given respectable coverage in a Business education curriculum? This paper, using the literature method, examines the nature and potential contributions of soft skills to quality service delivery. Providers, operators, financiers of Business education and employers of the products need to sit down and identify soft skills considered to be germane to the dispensing of relationship skills so that they can be fully built into Business curriculum. As much as possible, rich contents in soft skills, especially good telephone habits for help-line staff, good email-writing skills, productive use of social media, among others, need to be included because the goal is not to build expansive business empires that can meet people’s goods and services needs with admirable variety, but to inculcate ‘people’ skills that human operators of the system can apply in an atmosphere of cordiality.

ABSTRACT
Innovation management is a topic increasingly addressed in the literature. The reason for this is that innovation is a key element for the survival of an organization. The need for innovation is imperative, whether if companies have to fight for market share or profit, or public organizations need to improve their services. The body of innovation management literature grew considerably over the last 40 years. This led to an increasing amount of different models of innovation processes. This article analyzes a series of management models that lead to innovation. The analyzed models cover both the strategic and the operational level within an organization - indicating the performance of the innovation on each analyzed level.