Four alloys based on niobium and containing about 33wt.%Cr, 0.4wt.C and, in atomic content equivalent to the carbon one, Ta, Ti, Hf or Zr, were elaborated by classical foundry under inert atmosphere. Their as-cast microstructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, energy dispersion spectrometry and while their room temperature hardness was specified by Vickers indentation. The microstructures are in the four cases composed of a dendritic Nb-based solid solution and of an interdendritic NbCr₂ Laves phase. Despite the MC-former behavior of Ta, Ti, Hf and Zr usually observed in nickel or cobalt-based alloys, none of the four alloys contain MC carbides. Carbon is essentially visible as graphite flakes. These alloys are brittle at room temperature and hard to machine. Indentation shows that the Vickers hardness is very high, close to 1000HV_10kg. Indentation lead to crack propagation through the niobium phase and the Laves areas. Obviously no niobium-based alloys microstructurally similar to high performance MC-strengthened nickel-based and cobalt-based can be expected. However the high temperature mechanical and chemical properties of these alloys remain to be investigated.

The study examined the socio-demographic factors affecting access to and utilization of social welfare services in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted to select 570 respondents from the study area. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques were adopted in the selection of communities, and respondents. The quantitative data were analyzed using frequency distribution tables and percentages, while chi-square statistic was used to determine the relationship between socio-demographic variables and access to and utilization of social welfare services. The qualitative data were analyzed in themes as a complement to the quantitative data. This study reveals that although all the respondents reported knowing available social welfare services, 44.3% reported not having access to existing social services due to factors connected to serendipity variables, such as terrain condition, ethnicity and knowing someone in government. Therefore, the study recommends that the government and other stakeholders should push for the massive delivery of much-needed social welfare services to address the issue of welfare service deficit across the nation, irrespective of the ethnic group and whether the community is connected to the government of the day or not, primarily in rural areas.

Job satisfaction is a goal of every organization and human resources department. Many studies have shown the relationship between employee satisfaction as a predictive factor for a variety of key organizational indicators such as employee commitment, employee engagement, productivity, attrition, and turnover. Engaging in well-being activities is one strategy that companies can use to boost employee satisfaction. The term “well-being” activities in Hebrew is a bit different from the common use of the word in the literature. It is a combination of the concepts of Fun Activities, Employee Experience and Perks and Benefits. In High-tech companies, there are many activities aimed at creating a positive employee experience and an attractive organizational culture. These activities include a vast range of activities such as: department events, happy hours, company events, holiday gifts, enrichment activities, sports classes (for example, yoga), and more benefits. Despite the considerable investment in this budget, there are not many studies illustrating the contribution of well-being activities to employee satisfaction and their ROI. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between workplace well-being activities and job satisfaction in the Israeli high-tech market. The hypothesis of this study was that there is a positive relationship between well-being activities in the workplace and satisfaction in the workplace, but also to identify which issues within the well-being policy will predict the highest level of employee satisfaction. The study was conducted among 91 employees from a variety of high-tech companies in the Israeli market. The study’s findings supported the hypothesis. Practical suggestions for organizations for the successful implementation of well-being policies are discussed.

The article presents an analysis of the main causes and social consequences of the transformation of employment in the conditions of the transition of the world economy to post-Fordism/neoliberalism at the end of the 20th century. The author discusses the main methodological approaches to the study of this problem and also dwells in detail on the analysis of such important consequences of the transformation of the labour sphere as the increase in the vulnerability of workers’ employment, the growth of inequality, the weakening of the strength of trade unions, etc.

Employee retention is a critical concern for organizations in today’s dynamic labor market. This paper introduces a novel framework, integrating “absolute potential of the employee” and “risk associated with leaving the employee”, to address this challenge. Findings from the study suggest that this framework can effectively assist organizations in strategizing retention techniques. The research methodology employed an exploratory research design and collected data from 576 employees across various sectors. The results indicate significant implications for organizational risk assessment and employee retention strategies.

The main objective of the study was to examine factors that influence employee performance in general and, more specifically, in public enterprises. The research approach was qualitative, with an in-depth literature review and content analysis. The findings of the study reflect that some factors have a positive and some have a negative influence on employee performance. The study also shows a significant relationship between factors and employee performance, which in turn has a multiplier effect on employee development. Recommendations include the need to provide resources for employee training and development, and the strategic aims and objectives of public enterprises should be aligned with the training and development programs.