scholarly journals Identification of the population source of free-ranging cats threatening endemic species on Tokunoshima Island, Japan

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 719-727
Author(s):  
Kazuaki Kazato ◽  
Yuya Watari ◽  
Tadashi Miyashita
Keyword(s):  
Endemic Species ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Interview Survey ◽  
Landscape Factors ◽  
Population Source ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Free-ranging cats Felis silvestris catus are harmful to endemic species, especially on islands. Effective management practices require an understanding of their habitat use and population source at the landscape level. We aimed to identify the source of the free-ranging cat population on Tokunoshima Island, Japan, which harbors a variety of endemic organisms as well as human settlements. Trapping data for the whole island were provided by local governments, and landscape factors (residential, agricultural, and woodlot areas and cattle barn density) affecting cat density were explored. An analysis of live-capture data indicated that the density (per 1 km2) of free-ranging cats was positively correlated with the densities of cattle barns and woodlot areas and negatively correlated with residential areas. An interview survey revealed that nearly half of the cattle barns feed free-ranging cats. The source habitat of free-ranging cats appears to be areas with a high density of cattle barns and a high percentage of woodlots in human-dominated landscapes. Feeding cats in cattle barns may strengthen the bottom-up process of population growth on the island. To reduce the impact of cats on endemic species on Tokunoshima Island, efforts to stop feeding cats in cattle barns are important. Reaching a consensus with stakeholders will require further studies of the ecological risks posed by free-ranging cats.

Understanding the impact of mandatory accrual accounting on management practices: interpretation of Japanese local governments’ behavior

2021 ◽  
pp. 002085232198895
Author(s):  
Makoto Kuroki ◽  
Keiko Ishikawa ◽  
Kiyoshi Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Public Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Accrual Accounting ◽  
Logistic Analysis ◽  
The Impact

Accompanying the spread of “new public management” since the 1980s, accrual accounting and results-based management has become a global standard. However, whether accrual accounting results in successful outcomes and which drivers lead to the intended impacts of the reform have been contested. Given the mixed arguments in the literature, we set out two research questions: (1) “Have public sector organizations realized any positive impacts on management practices by adopting mandatory accrual accounting?”; and (2) “What are the primary drivers of such impacts?” To answer these questions, we examine the impact on management practices by analyzing a survey to ascertain how financial department officers in Japanese local governments perceive the benefits of adopting mandatory accrual accounting on management practices. The results indicate that they have so far not recognized the intended benefits, though they had expected higher benefits in internal control. Then, we use technical-rational, socio-political, and institutional isomorphic perspectives in a comprehensive approach to understand the impacts on management practices. The logistic analysis shows that financial managers in local governments that do not have a majority party in the assembly, but consist of several parties in power, as well as in those with greater financial dependence on the central government, perceive higher benefits. Further, we find that financial managers that imitate other local governments as a form of mimetic pressure perceive fewer benefits. The results show that some technical-rational tools, socio-political conditions, and institutional pressures change the perceived benefits for public managers of adopting mandatory accrual accounting. Points for practitioners We find that some technical-rational, socio-political, and institutional factors explain the intended internal benefits of the mandatory adoption of accrual accounting. In practice, financial managers in local government feel the merits of accrual accounting in less autonomy in not only politics, but also finance, and few mimetic conditions. It might be understood that difficult situations would drive practitioners to use mandatory information.

Covid-19 Crisis Management Responses of Small Tourism Firms in South Africa

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irma Booyens ◽  
Christian M. Rogerson ◽  
Jayne M. Rogerson ◽  
Tom Baum
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Crisis Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Interview Survey ◽  
Tourism Enterprises ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact

Although the literature on COVID-19 is expanding, particularly in relation to crisis management responses pursued by large tourism enterprises, currently few studies exist on the responses of small tourism firms and more specifically of the crisis management practices of small and microaccom modation establishments. The aim in this study is to investigate the business management responses of small tourism firms to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and restrictions in South Africa. Themes of concern are whether enterprises have been able to sustain operations and adopt certain coping mechanisms or management strategies to mitigate the pandemic’s impact. The article reports on an interview survey of small and microenterprises engaged in accommodation services (N = 75) in South Africa under lockdown restrictions as a means of assessing the responses and coping strategies during an unprecedented crisis of this core component of the country’s tourism industry. Among key findings are that small and microlodging firms that have suffered severe financial losses because of the COVID-19 shock have few viable mechanisms to cope with the impact of the crisis and that government support to aid recovery has been insufficient in South Africa. This research contributes to the limited body of international scholarship that examines how small and microaccommodation firms, a major group and contributor of many economies, are navigating the unprecedented COVID-19 environment.

Evaluation of the impact of effective management practices in mitigating the toxicity symptoms of pesticides preparation and storage in Kebbi State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 083-092
Author(s):  
Sanchi ID ◽  
Alhassan YJ ◽  
Abubakar S ◽  
Musa SY ◽  
Abubakar H
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Skin Irritation ◽  
Likert Scale ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Negative Perception ◽  
Pesticide Management ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
The Impact

The study Evaluated the Impact of Effective Management Practices in Mitigating the Toxicity Symptoms of Pesticides Preparation, Storage and Application in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Structured Questionnaires were used to obtained information from the respondents. Descriptive statistics comprising frequency distribution tables and percentages and were used for Data Analysis. Likert scale was used to determine farmer’s perception on the toxicity symptoms of pesticides of pesticides preparation, storage and application employed by farmers when handling pesticides. The result of the study showed that majority of the respondents (90%) were male while female formed the minority in pesticide usage with only (10%). The study also showed that all the respondents (100%) were married and engaged in agricultural activities. The study further revealed that all the respondents never had any formal training on the use of pesticide from either governmental or non -governmental organizations. The research study also found out that all (100%) of the respondents were not aware of the toxicity of pesticides during preparation, storage and application. Likert Scale Analysis showed a negative perception by farmers on awareness of pesticide toxicity during preparation, storage and application. On perception of the respondents on the toxicity of pesticides during preparation, storage and application, the study revealed that Nausea, Dizziness, Diarrhea, Respiratory Difficulty, Skin Irritation, Rashes, Fever, Peeling of the Skin, Vomiting, and Headache were the serious toxicity effects of pesticide. It is concluded that respondents had negative perception on pesticide management of toxicity of pesticides during preparation, storage and application. It is therefore recommended that appropriate authorities should enforce the use of protective clothing, appropriate equipment and correct handling practices when using pesticides. Existing pesticide regulations and monitoring policies should be enforced. Government should also intensify efforts at registering and controlling distribution of pesticides and banning hazardous ones. It should also enforce the making of less toxic pesticides available to farmers.

scholarly journals THE DETERMINATION OF INFLUENCE OF TOURISM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOTEL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE REGION IN THE CRISIS PERIOD

2021 ◽  
Vol I (81) ◽  
pp. 8-25
Author(s):  
Roman Hyshchuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Local Governments ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Organization Management ◽  
Crisis Period ◽  
Travel Agents ◽  
Strategic Plans ◽  
Management And Development ◽  
Development And Management ◽  
The Impact

In a general sense, the hotel infrastructure is a component of tourism, and its quality forms and affects the level of service and integrated development of tourism and its products. The material basis of hotels and their network is clearly correlated with the determinism of the impact on tourist flows, the number of visitors to the regions, which generates new volumes and financial revenues to them. On the other hand, tourism and the tourism market account for a significant share of the economy of many countries, and one of the features of this business is the direct subordination and interdependence of tourism infrastructure (including hotel), travel agents and contractors, their impact on society, political conditions, features and trends in different time slices. At the same time, tourism today with the hotel infrastructure due to its unpopularity with tourists, is experiencing a significant crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has a significant impact on the reduction of various indicators in the field of services, including tourism. This has led to job РОЗВИТОК ПРОДУКТИВНИХ СИЛ І РЕГ ІОНАЛЬНА ЕКОНОМІКА 10 Випуск І (81), 2021 closures, economic losses, downtime or the closure of a number of related companies and their counterparties, prompting urgent responses to the analysis of the travel services market and crisis management practices during and after. In the process of research used literature, analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, analogy; specific scientific: factor analysis, statistical methods. The article considers the general impact of tourism on the state of hotel infrastructure in the period before and during the pandemic of 2020-2021, forecast data for their development in the near future in global and regional dimensions as the case of Chernivtsi region, offers generalized proposals for tourism and hotel business through crisis measures, identified promising players in the market of tourist and hotel services in the post-crisis period. The results of the research can be used by local governments to develop and substantiate long-term strategic plans for the organization, management and development of tourism business and hotel infrastructure of Chernivtsi region in crisis and post-crisis periods related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Theoretical and methodological and applied developments together with the obtained results can be used in similar studies for other regions in overcoming the crisis of tourism and hotel business caused by the pandemic COVID-19.

scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of Algae Management Strategies on Anurans and Aquatic Communities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Dvorsky ◽  
Kambrie Riddle ◽  
Michelle Boone
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Copper Sulfate ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Leopard Frog ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Aquatic Communities ◽  
Pond Management ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Residential areas are increasing on the landscape but their ability to provide suitable habitat is often based on management for recreational use and aesthetics. Amphibians rely on both aquatic and terrestrial habitat making them susceptible to changes in land-cover and land-use. As anthropogenic land-use change increases, it is imperative to assess how pond management practices impact aquatic communities. We assessed the impact of Aquashade (a common non-toxic pond dye) and copper sulfate (a toxic algaecide) on American toad (Anaxyrus americanus), northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens), and Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) metamorphosis in outdoor mesocosm experiments. We also evaluated the relative impact of tadpole grazing and chemical treatment on phytoplankton and periphyton abundance. We found no significant effects of pond management treatment on anuran metamorphosis, suggesting that addition of Aquashade and copper sulfate does not significantly impact anurans under these experimental conditions. However, while we found no differences in phytoplankton and periphyton abundance due to pond management treatment, presence of tadpoles significantly decreased phytoplankton and periphyton abundance over time. This result suggests that the creation of suitable pond habitat for anuran tadpoles may be an efficient and ecologically beneficial form of pond management treatment to maintain water quality.

scholarly journals Alternative between Revitalisation of City Centres and the Rising Costs of Extensive Land Use from a Polish Perspective

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 488
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Jadach-Sepioło ◽  
Maciej Zathey
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Land Use Policy ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Policy Model ◽  
Spatial Chaos ◽  
The Impact ◽  
City Centres

The phenomenon of spatial chaos is ever-growing challenge in Poland. Its most common explanations are the weaknesses of spatial planning and the households’ economic-based decisions of building a house in the suburbs. In this context, Polish publications lack analyses of the impact of local authorities’ on shaping conditions for the development of new housing and renovation of the existing ones. The authors put forward a thesis about the persistence of an extensive land use policy model in Poland, in which local governments create conditions favouring area-consuming approach to locating buildings. At the same time, the same local governments allow de-agriculturalisation of land plots with a consequence that newly developed areas are not equipped with utilities (e.g., sewage or heating networks). Chaos in the development of residential areas is also illustrated by another phenomenon. Local authorities designate large degraded and revitalisation areas. This results in the dispersed effects. The article concentrates on these three symptoms of spatial chaos in Poland, i.e., random and dispersed expansion of new investments in sewage system, lack of integration between district heating systems and direction of residential development and dispersed effects of revitalisation, which cannot prevent flight from blight. The obtained results allowed to confirm the thesis about the extensive land use policy model in Poland.

Can Employee Training Influence Local Fiscal Outcomes?

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 401-414
Author(s):  
Thomas Luke Spreen ◽  
Whitney Afonso ◽  
Ed Gerrish
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
North Carolina ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Employee Training ◽  
Municipal Governments ◽  
Performance Benchmarking ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Fiscal Outcomes

Employee training is often viewed as essential for incorporating performance management practices into public organizations, but few studies directly link training programs to subsequent changes in organizational outcomes. Typically, evaluations of the impact of training and management innovations more broadly focuses narrowly on improvements at the mean of the distribution, ignoring isomorphic pressures that may spur divergent responses at opposite tails of the distribution. We examine these notions by testing whether training local government personnel on the use of financial performance information in decision-making influences fiscal outcomes. Specifically, we compare the outcomes of North Carolina local governments whose employees participated in training on a new fiscal benchmarking tool at the University of North Carolina School of Government to peer governments that did not participate. Municipal governments with at least one trained employee experienced modest changes, on average, across most of the financial ratios reported in the benchmarking tool. By comparison, the dispersion of the reported outcomes declined considerably among municipal governments whose employees participated in training in comparison to control governments. The strength of this response increased with the number of public officials trained. The results indicate that employee training can facilitate the use of performance benchmarking systems in public sector decision-making. They also suggest that benchmarking without explicit performance targets may encourage convergence toward the average outcome.

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