scholarly journals Human Factors that Derail Extension Services Delivery in Developing Countries: Implications for Policy

Author(s):  
EN Ajani ◽  
EA Onwubuya

The paper examines human factors derailing extension services delivery in developing countries. Poor management of rewards and incentives; quality of work life; poor assessment system; limited quality of human resource; inadequate extension support training materials; inconsistencies of government programmes; inadequate staff training and poor extension programme evaluation were viewed as major constraints. Considering the role of extension to agricultural development, the paper recommends that efforts should be made by the various stakeholders in agricultural extension services to improve the capability of human resources involved in extension services and highlights the need for government agricultural programmes to be consistent to enable the beneficiaries of such programmes derive the benefits that will boost productivity in agriculture. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijarit.v2i2.14015 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 2 (2): 54-57, December, 2012

Wheat is a strategic food for many developing countries. Algeria, despite its high potential, is still unable to provide food security from grains, mainly related to a lack of a culture of competent government bodies accompanying farmers to help increase grain production while focusing on agricultural sustainability. First, comparisons are made between investments that apply these techniques and extension services on farms to bridge grain production gaps, and second, the development of sustainable agricultures is investigated. The research is based on official statistical data, and a field study with a questionnaire distributed to farmers and their families regarding agricultural development.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 696-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Decha Dechawatanapaisal

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating effect of organizational embeddedness in the relationship between quality of work life (QWL) and turnover under a foundation of conservation of resources theory. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 422 healthcare professionals through a questionnaire survey, and analyzed by means of a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicate that organizational embeddedness has a negative impact on employees’ intention to leave, and on actual turnover. For QWL perception, career opportunities, work life balance, and job characteristics are positive and significant predictors of organizational embeddedness. In addition, organizational embeddedness plays an intermediary role that mediates the relationship between the three components of QWL mentioned earlier and turnover intention, and also between the factor of career opportunities and actual turnover. Research limitations/implications The current research took place within two healthcare organizations. Replicating the study in a variety of business sectors or professions with a larger sample of subjects would be useful for the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications Organizations may improve their retention of employees by offering intrinsic resources that can be obtained from the social contexts of the individual through human resource management system, e.g., growth opportunities, a healthy and caring work life quality. Such motivational resources then develop a sense of obligation toward their places of employment, which influences their intention to stay or leave. Originality/value This study examines the mediating role of organizational embeddedness between employees’ perception of their work life quality and their desire and behavior to withdraw, which is an area of inquiry that has not been fully investigated in the literature.


Agriculture plays the role of providing employment, income, food, raw materials, and foreign exchange earnings for people. The ability and the inability of agriculture in playing the provisioning roles, in varying degrees, define the poverty status of those engaged in it. It is a paradox that a majority of those who are engaged in agriculture, especially in developing countries, tend to be associated with such poverty-linked characteristics as low income, hunger, deprivation, and vulnerabilities. There is therefore the need to refocus on defining the concept of agriculture with a view to bringing out its role in the development process and how the roles can be effectively achieved by the majority of those engaged in it. The objectives of the chapter include describing the expected roles of agriculture in the development process; highlighting the performance of the agriculture sector; describing the role of agricultural credit in agricultural development; defining the concept of extreme poverty; highlighting some of the strength and weaknesses of incometrics, highlighting vulnerability views of poverty; discussing measurement of extreme poverty; and highlighting feminization of formal agricultural finance. The chapter concludes with recommendations. The methodology is based on systematic reviews of relevant literature. The findings include how agriculture can play the roles expected of it and effectively empower those who are engaged in it. The chapter shares the view that majority of those engaged in agriculture in most developing countries are women, and that poverty has a feminine face and so advances the feminization of formal agricultural finance interventions. The chapter is concluded with relevant recommendations.


Author(s):  
L. K. Mabe ◽  
O. I. Oladele

This chapter outlines the role that Information Communication Technologies (ICT) play in the global context and in Africa, agricultural extension and Agricultural development. The role of and use of ICT by extension officers, the trends of ICT in agricultural information management, how ICT bridge the digital divide as well as the types of ICT tools used by extension officers such as radio, television, computers and internet. It also gives the perspective about the factors that influences use of ICT by extension officers which are seen as playing an important role human development.


Author(s):  
Katia M. Rojas ◽  
Nasser Sharareh ◽  
Leon Cosier ◽  
Daryl L. Santos

Recognizing the role of human factors engineering (HFE) in the development of medical devices and combination products that involve devices, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires human factors (HF) validations before market approval. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring their products are safe and effective through the application of HFE. However, key stakeholders are still learning and developing capabilities to adapt to the regulatory component. Nonetheless, the lack of the corresponding HF capabilities hinders compliance with the FDA’s expectations, and though ultimate success. No known previous work has looked into FDA HF validation projects to assess the underlying factors and implications of failed submissions. Applying system dynamics (SD), a causal loop diagram (CLD) was developed. CLDs are useful for the exploration of the causal interactions among factors or variables, as well as the underlying feedback structure of a complex system. This work can serve to help manufacturers better understand the FDA’s HF requirement to enable overall product success. Further, with patient safety as a common goal, HF service providers (HFSPs) and regulators should be aware of the need to ensure the consistent quality of the HF element in premarket submissions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 515
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Ali Alrousan ◽  
Shireen Mahmoud AlAli

The study aims to identify the correlation and impact relationship between the quality of work life and the organizational commitment, and to show the strength of this relationship and its impact, and then provide a theoretical framework for the study variables. The practical aspect was distributed over a sample consisting of (77) persons working in Islamic banks. After the collection and processing of data using the statistical program (spss), the results showed a positive relationship between the variables of the study as well as the existence of a positive effect and accordingly, a number of recommendations were made.


Author(s):  
Beth Crandall ◽  
Elizabeth Lerner Papautsky ◽  
Anna Grome ◽  
Kathy Dressman ◽  
James Greenberg ◽  
...  

We report a study of monitor alarm response conducted in the newly designed Transitional Care Center (TCC) at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. A key component of the new TCC design has been the development and implementation of a Monitor Technician (MT) position. We examined the MT role from a human factors perspective, with particular focus on the MT’s coordination and communication with nurses (RNs) and respiratory therapists (RTs). We conducted observations and Cognitive Task Analysis interviews of MTs, RNs, and RTs. In this paper, we describe the value of the MT’s role and define the challenges associated with the MT’s responsibilities. MTs serve an important support function, but they face challenges in locating RNs/RTs to respond to alarms and at times, may be the only “eyes on” the patients, making training and preparation a critical aspect of the MT’s function. In response to findings, CCHMC has taken a number of steps to improve alarm and alert responses and provide further support to the MT’s role. The current study serves as a demonstration of the principles and methods that human factors can offer to healthcare organizations to support patient safety and quality of care.


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