scholarly journals How does COVID-19 Impact Oil Palm Management Practices in Indonesia?

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-67
Author(s):  
Ratnawati Nurkhoiry ◽  
Sachnaz Desta Oktarina

Disrupted economy due to COVID-19 pandemic has been spilled to multifaceted sectors. Agriculture, more specifically oil palm sector was also hit by the impact of the catastrophe. This study is aimed to decipher the effect of COVID-19 pandemic to the management of oil palm plantation. The pandemic has caused the mobility and morbidity of people in such a way that exacerbated distribution of input factor, harvesting process, and transporting activities. Through online survey to 59 farmers consist of smallholder, government, and private estates, the study indicated that there was salient change of limiting activities particularly during immature and mature stages. Hence, the production of fresh fruit bunch (FFB) also decreased by 15% compared to business as usual as measured on monthly bases. Although the magnitude of production change was not statistically significance, planters still suffered from declining FFB farm gate price. On average, they received 5% lower selling price of FFB as a consequence of contracted CPO demand from prominent importing countries such as China, India, and Italy. The lower selling farm gate price has caused the income shocks to the farmers. Thus, quite large number of them experienced either turn-over or cost efficiency at the expense of fertilizer input. It is perpetuating the vicious cycle of lower smallholder attainable FFB yield. For a group that is at the high risk of infections as well, this circumstances has bring about concerns to Indonesian palm oil development, especially in terms of replanting realization and biodiesel blending progress in the long run

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
NOUMAN SAEED ◽  
DR. NAIMAT ULLAH KHAN

This study is a contribution towards marketing literature by analyzing the impact of Relationship Marketing (RM) on Customer Loyalty. Every business organization tries to attract and retain customers for a longer period of time. In recent years an intense competition in banking sector of Pakistan is witnessed as the industry has stretched and become very competitive, where retaining customers in long run become important for every bank. Relationship marketing emphasizes on the continuity of long term relationship with the patrons. Numerous marketing strategies have been employed by banking sector to increase customer base, reduce turn over and to spread positive word of mouth of product and services. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of relationship marketing practices such as (Trust, Commitment, Communication, Competence and Customer Satisfaction) on customer loyalty in Banking Sector of Pakistan. For this purpose, data is collected with the help of 150questionnaires across Pakistan. Statistical analysis is performed on the data using multiple regression analysis and reliability test. The results of the study show that all the five constructs of relationship marketing (mentioned above) have significant and positive relationship with customer loyalty. The factors are proved to be significant drivers of customer loyalty in banking sector of Pakistan. The study recommends that for retaining long-run customer loyalty, banks should consider relationship marketing as a core strategy. Hence, relationship marketing is important for banks to survive and excel in current intense competition.


SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402094953
Author(s):  
Mengyun Wu ◽  
Martha Coleman ◽  
Jonas Bawuah

This study investigates the long-run effect of corporate governance mechanisms on earnings management of listed companies in Nigeria and Ghana. The study uses Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) in establishing a long-run effect of good corporate mechanisms in reducing earnings management practice by corporate managers. ACO selected four major corporate governance mechanisms: Board Procedure Index, Board Disclosure Index, Ownership Structure Index, and Shareholders’ Rights Index; these were the key corporate governance mechanisms that influence the reduction in earnings management activities. KNN produced a strong significant longitudinal effect of implementing good corporate governance mechanisms in decreasing the manipulating behavior of managers. Quality corporate governance mechanisms’ implementation reduces the opportunistic behavior of corporate managers in manipulating earnings. Therefore, the study alert policymakers the urgency in setting up appropriate policies to enhance the reduction in earnings management practices to provide accurate financial information for stakeholders’ financial decision-making. The use of ACO and KNN in the study is a great novelty, which presents a calibration and prediction of the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on earnings management showing the rate of reduction.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Eve Dufour ◽  
Tania Saba ◽  
Felix Ballesteros Leiva

PurposeIn the context of population aging, retirement has become a central issue in academic, professional and government discourse. A consensus can be seen to be emerging around the idea of postponing retirement in favor of promoting active aging. From this perspective, the purpose of this study, using work-role attachment theory and met expectations theory, is to focus on the pre-retirement period and aims to better understand how certain individual factors and expectations explain the planned age of retirement.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was administered in 2015 to employees aged 45 and over working at a Canadian firm in the high-technology sector.FindingsThe results show that career commitment, attachment to work and expectations relating to workplace adjustments prior to retirement were positively associated with planned retirement age, whereas expectations relating to professional development showed a negative association with this variable.Practical implicationsThis study fits into a line of research focusing on the end-of-career period and sheds light on the decision to retire by looking closely at the impact of employment conditions and human resource management practices on this decision. In a labor market context marked by high numbers of workers aged 55 and older, combined with the increasingly critical need for skilled labor and considering the expectations of workers leading up to their retirement could help to better plan these workers' end-of-career period.Originality/valueMany studies have examined the characteristics of retirees after retirement. The authors’ study is one of the few that examines the aspirations of workers between the ages of 45 and 55 who are still employed but are beginning to consider their retirement plans, including the decision to continue working longer. Its originality also lies in combining work-role attachment theory and met expectations theory.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
C.L. Challinor ◽  
H. Randle ◽  
J.M. Williams

Horse riders in the UK have a legal responsibility for the welfare of the horses in their care, outlined by the Animal Welfare Act (2006). Understanding weight management factors that influence rider: horse bodyweight (RHBW) ratio is key to safeguarding horse welfare as human obesity rates increase. Recent high-profile incidents have seen riders being asked to dismount for being too heavy, demonstrating an awareness of the possible impact of excessive rider weight, threatening the equestrian industry’s social licence to operate. This study investigated RHBW trends within the UK leisure and amateur rider population to understand rider perception of ‘ideal’ RHBW and factors influencing rider and horse weight management. An online survey (SurveyMonkey®) was distributed via UK equine-related Facebook™ groups and collected information on horse and rider demographics, rider weight management strategies and respondents’ views on the importance of rider weight on horse welfare. Kruskal-Wallis analyses with Mann Whitney U post-hoc tests identified whether differences in respondent views differed between RHBW groups. A total of 971 riders completed the survey; respondents were aged between 18-65+ years old and 88% (n=953) were experienced riders. RHBWs were calculated for 764 (79%) of respondents as 21.2% (n=206) did not know either their own and/or their horses’ weight. Weight tapes (44.5%; n=432) and weigh bridges (29.5%; n=286) were common horse weight estimation methods. RHBWs ranged from 4.9% to 21.88%, mean: 12.5%±2.7%. Riders with lower RHBW thought about their own weight less and measured their horses’ weight less often than those with higher ratios (P<0.005, P<0.0004, respectively). The majority of riders who participated were weight conscious and recognised potential detrimental impacts associated with increased rider weight. Development of RHBW guidelines supported by equestrian governing bodies would highlight the need for riders to consider the impact of weight and support them in choosing suitable horses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 489-497
Author(s):  
Martha O. Kenney, MD ◽  
Benjamin Becerra, DrPH; MBA, MPH, MS ◽  
Sean Alexander Beatty, BA ◽  
Wally R. Smith, MD

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to a rapid transition to telehealth services. It is unclear how subspecialists managing painful chronic diseases—such as sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited hemoglobinopathy with significant disparities in access and outcomes—have viewed the transition to telehealth or altered their pain management practices. This study elicits the views of sickle cell providers regarding their transition to telehealth and their opioid prescribing patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design: An anonymous online survey was sent to eligible sickle cell providers.Setting: Comprehensive sickle cell centers and/or clinics across the United States. Participants: Physicians and advanced practice providers providing care to SCD patients.Main outcome measures: Respondents answered questions regarding their (1) views of telehealth compared to in-person encounters and (2) opioid prescribing practices during the early months of the pandemic.Results: Of the 130 eligible participants, 53 respondents from 35 different sickle cell centers completed at least 90 percent of the survey. Respondents reported a significant increase in telehealth encounters for routine and acute appointments (mean difference and standard deviation: 57.6 ± 31.9 percent, p 0.001 and 24.4 ± 34.1 percent, p 0.001, respectively) since COVID-19. The overwhelming majority of respondents reported no changes in their opioid prescribing patterns since COVID-19, despite increased telehealth use. Only a minority coprescribed naloxone as a risk mitigation strategy.Conclusion: The rapid uptake of telehealth has not suppressed ambulatory providers’ prescribing of opioids for SCD. Studies assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and telehealth on opioid prescribing practices in other painful chronic diseases are needed to ensure health equity for vulnerable pain patients.


Psicologia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-66
Author(s):  
Eduardo Simões ◽  
Patrícia Duarte ◽  
Patrícia Nunes

Recent research has found that human resource (HR) practitioners judge the acceptability of ethically questionable practices based on the importance their organization attributes to ethical infrastructure (e.g., codes of conduct) and corporate social responsibility practices. This study sought to evaluate the effects of ethical leadership and the aforementioned factors on other non-HR organizational actors. More specifically, this research examined how these individuals judge the acceptability of three ethically dubious HR management practices: discrimination, disregard for the individual, and favoring those in power. Results obtained from data collected through an online survey indicate that ethical leadership is negatively associated with the acceptability of all three practices. Individuals in organizations with a stronger ethical infrastructurealso find discrimination and disregard for the individual less acceptable. The same is true of participants in organizations perceived as more socially responsible regarding employees and economic aspects.


Author(s):  
G. O. Mazhiyeva

Organizations that want to improve their performance should focus on the satisfaction of their employees, because employees who are satisfied with their work are the largest asset in the organization, while unsatisfied employees are its biggest problems and obligations. Much attention should be paid to the problem of measuring employee satisfaction in an organization, since this circumstance clearly describes the current situation of the organization. Understanding how satisfied employees are with the job contains useful information to predict their future behavior and make the right managerial decisions. Human resource management can overcome many challenges by offering various methods that increase employee satisfaction. These methods will help the organization work better. It is imperative that organizations maximize the impact of supportive human resource management practices. The article presents the results of a study aimed at studying human resource management practices affecting employee satisfaction. The study was conducted by an online survey among employees of educational institutions of the city of Almaty. The results revealed practices that significantly affect employee satisfaction, in particular: training and development; awareness raising; democratic approach and fair distribution of power, the provision of authority; providing employment security; stimulation of self-realization and career advancement; initiative management. The socio-demographic factors affecting employee satisfaction were also identified. Indicators such as gender and income showed a high level of statistical significance.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Aminu Bawa ◽  
Muhamad Jantan ◽  
Juhary Ali

A substantial body of evidence in management theory and business practice has accumulated to show that Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) is associated with improved organizational performance. In spite of this evidence, empirical studies have shown that some organizations are slow in implementing those practices. One of the fundamental reasons behind this is the fact that as a body of practical knowledge, SHRM has seemingly lacked any theoretical research framework to underpin it. Thus, this paper is an attempt to address this problem by (1) contributing to theory building in strategic HRM, and (2) empirically testing the hypothesis that SHRM practices affect productivity. This study used a sample of 129 managers of oil palm estates from a national survey of estate managers reflecting the 1998 financial year Using linear regression techniques, the results suggest that (1) estates implement less strategic HI? practices than anticipated, and (2) some strategic HR practices were related to productivity. Managerial implications of the study were discussed.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 11615-11615
Author(s):  
Nandita Khera ◽  
Jessica Sugalski ◽  
Diana Krause ◽  
Richard Butterfield ◽  
Nan Zhang ◽  
...  

11615 Background: Deficiencies and barriers exist to delivering comprehensive and affordable cancer care. Understanding the variation in organizational commitment, existing programs, and expected outcomes for screening and management of financial distress is needed. Methods: Representatives from 17 of 27 NCCN Member Institutions (63%) completed an online survey in November 2018 conducted by the NCCN Best Practices Committee. Centers were classified based on number of unique patients seen per year, as large ( > 10,000) (76%), or small ( < 10,000) (34%). The survey focused on institutions’ screening and management practices for patient financial distress, perceived barriers in implementation, and leadership attitudes. Results: Routine screening for financial distress was reported by 77% of centers, and most used social worker assessments (94%). 56% screened patients throughout the cancer journey. Help with drug costs, meal or gas vouchers and payment plans were offered by 100% of centers. Formal pre-authorization programs and assistance with claims and denials was offered by 81%. Charity care for medical costs was provided by 100% of the large centers compared to only 33% of small centers (p = 0.03). Median number of social workers (24 vs. 3; p = 0.01) and pharmacy representatives (6 vs. 2; p = 0.02) was also different between large and small centers. 76% evaluated the impact of financial advocacy services through number of patients assisted (85%), bad debt and charity write-offs (85%) or patient satisfaction surveys (54%). 6% and 12% reported overall effectiveness of institutional practice for screening and management of financial distress as poor/ very poor respectively. Inadequate staffing and real time resources (69%), limited institutional budget (50%), lack of reimbursement (50%), and clinical time constraints (50%) were reported as potential barriers in provision of these services. 94% agreed about stronger integration of financial advocacy services into oncology practice and 84% felt that success of these services should be a quality metric. 31% of large centers vs. 100% of small centers plan to increase staffing in this area in the next 5 years. Conclusions: Majority of NCCN Member Institutions report screening and management programs for financial distress, though the actual practices and range of services vary widely. Information from this study can help centers benchmark their performance relative to similar cancer programs and identify best practices in this area.


2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lenka Malek ◽  
Wendy J. Umberger ◽  
John Rolfe

While public concern over the welfare of farm animals is believed to have intensified across Australia in recent years, no empirical research has sought to examine and quantify the heterogeneity in farm animal-welfare (FAW) concerns among Australian meat consumers. The present study is the first to address this knowledge gap. Data were collected in 2015 by using a comprehensive online survey instrument completed by a representative sample of 1009 Australian meat consumers. Sample quotas were set for age, gender and location. Using these data, we were able to segment meat consumers according to their attitudes towards FAW and perceptions regarding the environmental impact of meat production. Six unique segments were identified and characterised by purchase behaviour, livestock-management knowledge, farming background and experience, beliefs regarding the consumer/farmer implications of improved FAW, influential information sources, participation in FAW-related activities and socio-demographic variables. Our findings showed that the majority of Australian meat consumers (70%) hold neutral views regarding FAW. However, there are two segments, termed ‘concerned-FAW’ (10%) and ‘anti-FAW’ (20%), which expressed strong views with respect to FAW. Overall, consumer knowledge regarding livestock-management practices was low across all segments, with only 11–42% of consumers indicating that they felt sufficiently informed about FAW. This insight into perceptions of FAW by different segments and the impact of meat production on the environment can assist the industry in developing targeted information campaigns to address consumer concerns and allow better-informed meat purchase decisions.


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