Factors influencing community participation in the implementation and monitoring of FLEGT-VPA in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercy Afua Adutwumwaa Derkyi ◽  
Yaw Appau ◽  
Kwadwo Boakye Boadu

PurposeVoluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) offers a framework for open and participatory forest management for forest actors, particularly communities fringing forest reserves. This paper aimed to determine the factors influencing the participation of local communities in the implementation and monitoring of Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade-Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT-VPA) activities.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted in three communities in Goaso Forest District in the Ahafo Region of Ghana. Based on a cross-sectional design, 105 (n = 105) community members were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify socio-demographic and cultural factors that influence people's participation in FLEGT-VPA activities. Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to analyse the influence of the environmental role of the forest and participation in FLEGT-VPA activities.FindingsThe study found a significant association between the leadership status of respondents' local customs/taboo days and participation in both implementation and monitoring activities. At the same time, a significant association was found between respondents' participation in previous training programs and FLEGT-VPA monitoring activities. The environmental role of the forest was also found to have a significant association with respondents' participation in FLEGT-VPA activities.Originality/valueStudies on the factors that influence the participation of forest fringe communities in Ghana in implementing and monitoring FLEGT-VPA activities are non-existent or scarce. This study identified significant socio-demographic and environmental factors contributing to participatory forest conservation modules such as FLEGT-VPA which will guide future forest conservation initiatives that are inclusive of stakeholders’ interests/concerns.

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1963-1986
Author(s):  
Tilottama G. Chowdhury ◽  
Feisal Murshed

Purpose This paper proposes that categorization flexibility, operationalized as the cognitive capacity that cross-categorizes products in multiple situational categories across multiple domains, might favorably influence a consumer’s evaluation of unconventional options. Design/methodology/approach Experimental research design is used to test the theory. An exploratory study first establishes the effect of categorization flexibility in a non-food domain. Study 1 documents the moderating role of decision domain, showing that the effect works only under low- (vs high-) consequence domain. Studies 2A and 2B further refine the notion by showing that individuals can be primed in a relatively higher categorization flexibility frame of mind. Study 3 demonstrates the interactive effect of categorization flexibility and adventure priming in a high-consequence domain. Study 4 integrates the interactive effects of decisions with low- vs high-consequence, adventure priming and categorization flexibility within a single decision domain of high consequence. Findings Consumers with higher- (vs lower-) categorization flexibility tend to opt for unconventional choices when the decision domain entails low consequences, whereas such a result does not hold under decision domain of high consequences. The categorization flexibility effects in case of low-consequence decision domain holds true even when consumers are primed to be categorization flexible. Furthermore, with additional adventure priming, consumers show an increased preference for unconventional options even under a decision domain with high consequence. Research limitations/implications This study could not examine real purchase behavior as results are based on cross-sectional, behavioral intention data. In addition, it did not examine the underlying reason for presence of cross-domain categorization flexibility index. Practical implications The results suggest that stimuli may be tailored to consumers in ways that increase the salience and the perceived attractiveness of unconventional choices. Further, data reinforce the notion of cross-categorical interrelations among different domains, which could be leveraged by marketers. Originality/value This study represents the first documentation of the potential ways by which unconventional product choice might be a function of individuals’ categorization flexibility level across different types of decision domains. The findings yield implications that are novel to both categorization and consumer decision-making literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Junça Silva ◽  
Cannanda Lopes

PurposeThis study aimed to (1) analyze whether the perceived organizational support (POS) was a significant predictor of performance and stress and (2) explore the mediating role of engagement in these relations.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypotheses, the authors collected data with 200 working adults in a mandatory quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic crisis.FindingsThe results showed that the POS contributed to increase engagement, and consequently, job performance. These relations also proved to be significant for stress, because when the POS increased, the work engagement also increased, and as a result decreased occupational stress.Research limitations/implicationsThis study relied on a cross-sectional design. Therefore, future research should consider a daily design to replicate this study and analyze daily fluctuations. Overall, the authors can conclude that work engagement is an affective process through which POS decreases stress and increases performance.Originality/valueThis study tests the mediating effect of work engagement on the link between POS, stress and performance, and its theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Ju ◽  
Jingjing Yao ◽  
Li Ma

PurposeJob involvement is an important predictor of how well employees perform and feel at work. However, despite fruitful findings, little is known about how person–job (P–J) fit affects job involvement.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a cross-sectional design and collected data from 375 employees and 50 managers. Multivariate regression was applied to test the moderated curvilinear model.FindingsThis study found an inverted U-shaped relationship between P–J fit and job involvement. For employees with a strong performance goal orientation, maximum job involvement occurred at a higher level of P–J fit, whereas for employees with a strong learning goal orientation, maximum job involvement occurred at a moderate level of P–J fit.Practical implicationsManagers should be aware that solely maximizing fit may not constantly yield positive outcomes, and that ignoring differences in employee needs and goals may be counterproductive.Originality/valueThe study challenges the conventional wisdom that a high P–J fit is always productive by showing that a high fit may sometimes jeopardize job involvement, particularly for certain employees.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Merinuk ◽  
Stephanie C. Varcoe ◽  
Peter J. Kelly ◽  
Laura D. Robinson

Purpose Substance use disorder (SUD) frequently co-occurs with other psychological conditions, such as eating disorders (EDs). Psychological factors such as emotional dysregulation, rash impulsivity (RI) and reward sensitivity (RS) play a role in the etiology of each disorder, yet little is known about the combined effects of these on comorbid SUDs and EDs or disordered eating behaviours (DEBs). This study aims to examine the role of these psychological factors in comorbid DEBs and SUDs among individuals in treatment for SUDs. The role of gender is tested as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional self-report survey was completed by 131 participants attending Australian residential substance use treatment centres. A binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of emotional dysregulation, RI and RS on comorbid DEB and SUD. Further, moderation analyses were used to examine the moderating effect for gender on the relationship between these three personality variables and comorbidity. Findings The most commonly reported primary substance of use was alcohol (43.5%), followed by amphetamines (38.6%). Findings showed that emotional dysregulation and RI were significantly related to an increase in comorbidity likelihood; however, RS was not. Gender moderated the relationship between comorbidity and RI only. Originality/value The significant positive relationship found between RI and comorbidity for females only was a novel finding for the current study. Further research is needed to develop an understanding of the etiology of comorbidity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betül Sönmez ◽  
Aytolan Yıldırım

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test the mediating role of autonomy in the effect of a pro-innovation organizational climate and supervisor supportiveness (SS) on the innovative behavior (IB) of nurses.Design/methodology/approachThe sample of this cross-sectional, correlational study consisted of 332 nurses, who were selected, on the basis of the convenience sampling method, from among the nurses working at two public university hospitals in Istanbul. The data of the study were collected between February and May of 2015. Descriptive analysis and linear regression analysis were used for data analysis, and the bootstrapping method was applied to test the significance of the mediating role.FindingsThe model used for examining the mediating role of autonomy was found to be statistically significant, as it explained 36 percent of the variance of IB. When the significance of the mediating role was tested, its effect on both innovation climate and SS was observed to be significant.Originality/valueThe obtained results indicated that a pro-innovation organizational climate and SS functioned as premises for autonomy. In turn, the rise in autonomy level that served to innovative climate and SS increased the IB of the nurses through boosting their autonomy level. From these results, it can be argued that nurses with a high level of professional autonomy can create innovative outputs and provide added value through the IB they practice in providing patient care and general health services.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samar Hayat Khan ◽  
Abdul Majid ◽  
Muhammad Yasir ◽  
Asad Javed ◽  
Hassan Ahmed Shah

PurposeThe objective of this study is to evaluate the key issues that how social capital augments the initiation of strategic renewal through the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation and the moderating role of organizational flexibility. In the context of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of developing economies, the study developed and tested the theoretical model of strategic renewal for analyzing its major outputs.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized cross-sectional design and employ quantitative approach. The data were collected from the owner, managers and executive directors of pharmaceutical SMEs of Pakistan. The study used statistical analysis of correlation and regression for the analysis of data.FindingsThe study discovered that entrepreneurial orientation mediates the positive relationship of social capital and strategic renewal. Moreover, high organizational flexibility strengthens the association between social capital and strategic renewal of SMEs.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence that how to thrive the mechanism of strategic renewal. The study further provides understanding of the effects of organizational social capital, entrepreneurial orientation and organizational flexibility on strategic renewal.


Author(s):  
Mufaro Dzingirai

Purpose Entrepreneurship has increasingly become a subject of interest for scholars and policymakers in an attempt to reduce poverty in agricultural communities across the world, especially in Africa. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of entrepreneurship in reducing poverty in agricultural communities of Lower Gweru, Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach Exploratory research design informed the data collection and analysis in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 owners of agribusinesses from various socio-economic backgrounds. The collected data from the field were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings The results revealed that entrepreneurship plays a catalytic role in poverty reduction in agricultural communities through food security, skill transfer, employment creation, income generation and a decrease in food costs. Research limitations/implications This study focused on four agricultural communities in Lower Gweru which can limit the generalizability of the results to other contexts. Furthermore, this inquiry is a cross-sectional study that did not capture the longitudinal factors that can affect entrepreneurship and poverty reduction in agricultural communities. Practical implications The research outcomes have some practical implications for the Zimbabwean government and microfinance institutions in designing policies and programs to reduce poverty in marginalized agricultural communities. The findings are also useful for non-governmental organizations in designing, monitoring and evaluating poverty reduction programs in agricultural communities. Originality/value This study advances, contextualizes and enriches the body of knowledge concerning agricultural entrepreneurship and poverty reduction in the under-researched setting of agricultural communities. Notably, this study captures the African flavor in the agricultural entrepreneurship and poverty reduction discourse by focusing on the unique Zimbabwean context.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1431-1447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalini Srivastava ◽  
Swati Agrawal

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to study the turnover intention of employees during the phenomenon of resistance to change. The paper examines the mediating role of burnout in the relationship of resistance of change to turnover intention and the moderating role of perceived organizational support in this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data of the study has been collected via cross-sectional data collection method and include responses from 410 employees. The moderation mediation analysis has been done using the SPSS macro process.FindingsThe paper finds that resistance to change is an antecedent to the turnover intention which often represents employees' voluntary turnover in the future. This relationship of resistance to change and turnover intention is explained by burnout. However, the study establishes perceived organizational support as moderator, and with high POS, strength of this relationship will be reduced.Originality/valueThis paper contributes by examining the burnout as an intervening variable in the relationship of resistance to change and turnover intention and perhaps establishes for the first time the moderating role of perceived organizational support in reducing the influence of resistance to change on turnover intention, since retaining employees is of value to the organization.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1135-1149
Author(s):  
Melinde Coetzee ◽  
Marais Salemon Bester

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the association of harmonious work passion with career satisfaction, while probing the mediating role of employees’ psychological career resources and career preoccupations as important psychosocial career mechanisms in this association. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a cross-sectional quantitative study comprising a sample of (n = 550) employees in various South African organisations. Findings The current study found that individuals’ career preferences, career drivers, career harmonisers and career adaptation preoccupations are dynamic mechanisms that regulate the link between harmonious passion and career satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The study is located in South Africa and was cross-sectional in design. Generalisation to other occupational contexts and establishing cause-effect relations were not possible. Practical implications This paper demonstrates the usefulness of harmonious work passion as an additional positive psychological construct in understanding the psychosocial motivational career mechanisms that drive employees’ career satisfaction. The mediating role of certain psychological career resources (i.e. flexible career preferences, career drivers and career harmonisers) and career adaptation preoccupations in the link between employees’ harmonious passion and career satisfaction need to be considered in career management support practices. Social implications This paper demonstrates the growing need to better understand the psychosocial mechanisms that influence employees’ career satisfaction. Originality/value The study contributed new insights that extend theory and research on the harmonious work passion phenomenon in relation to important career constructs in the work-career context by means of self-determination theory.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1051-1075
Author(s):  
Frank Einhorn ◽  
Jack Meredith ◽  
Carl Marnewick

PurposeLiterature indicates that the business case for projects is difficult to use and suggests that there are organizational factors that can facilitate effective use of the business case. This paper aims to identify such facilitators, measure their presence and importance, and relate them to the actual practice of business case processes.Design/methodology/approachA cross sectional quantitative method was used, with data on facilitators and business case process usage gathered through an online questionnaire.FindingsThe findings for the 43 organizational facilitators are that each one is considered more important than its presence in the respondents' organizations. High correlations emerge between the presence of the facilitators and the use of business case processes, indicating the pivotal role of the facilitators.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was conducted for business IT projects implemented by organizations based in South Africa. It furthers our understanding of project business cases and suggests additional research avenues in this area.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that organizations could improve key facilitators at an affordable cost. Such improvement would enable more effective use of the business case throughout the project's lifetime – from initial concept until planned benefits have been substantially realized. Better use of the business case would also support governance and increase the success rate of business IT projects.Originality/valueOrganizational facilitators of business case processes are identified and categorized for the first time, leading to measurements of their perceived importance and presence in organizations. Hence, the relationship between these facilitators and actual business case usage is determined, suggesting areas of optimum impact.


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