The impact of institutional factors on corporate mechanism of cash adjustment – New evidence from emerging Asia

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how the business environment of a country has an impact on cash management policies of the firms and also to investigate if there is any asymmetry in cash adjustment dynamics when a firm deviates from its long-term target of cash holdings.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of seven emerging Asian countries in the period 2001–2019, the authors investigate the role of country specific variables in the corporate cash holdings and their cash adjustment mechanism. They use the panel data regression method to estimate the results.FindingsThe authors find that the overall financial development of a country has a significant impact on corporate cash holdings and cash adjustment dynamics. When a firm has excess cash, the speed of adjustment towards the target is faster as compared to when it has deficit cash holdings. Further, when a firm holds excess cash, it adjusts towards the target using cash from investments; in case of deficit cash holdings, the adjustment happens via cash from financing activities.Practical implicationsThe results of the study are helpful to corporate managers as these are important references to them to understand and design cash management policies by considering factors that are measured at the country level. It also provides them a clearer understanding about the role of corporate board and information asymmetry in cash holdings.Originality/valueThis is the first study which examines the role of country-specific variables on corporate cash holdings and their adjustment mechanism of firms in emerging Asia. Further, the study extends the literature by providing new evidence that there is asymmetry in cash adjustment dynamics of firms after controlling for the overall financial development of a country.

Mastering new technologies: does it relate to teleworkers’ (in)voluntariness and well-being?

Purpose This study aims to examine the associations among mastering new technologies, teleworkers’ voluntariness and involuntariness and employee well-being (i.e. work engagement and exhaustion). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no studies have explored the relationships among these constructs in the same conceptual model. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a sample of 451 individuals performing telework in Portugal. AMOS was used to test all hypotheses of the study. Findings The findings showed a positive relationship between mastering new technologies and teleworkers’ voluntariness and a negative relationship between mastering new technologies and teleworkers’ involuntariness. However, contrary to expectations, voluntariness in teleworking was not significantly related to either work engagement or exhaustion. However, consistent with the theoretical background of self-determination theory, involuntariness in teleworking was negatively related to work engagement and positively related to exhaustion. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by addressing the analysis of telework-related variables that may impact workers’ well-being. Implications for human resource management policies and knowledge management are discussed.

A Mini-Review of Strategies for Quantifying Anthropogenic Activities in Microplastic Studies in Aquatic Environments

Microplastic pollution is no longer neglected worldwide, as recent studies have unveiled its potential harm to ecosystems and, even worse, to human health. Numerous studies have documented the ubiquity of microplastics, reflecting the necessity of formulating corresponding policies to mitigate the accumulation of microplastics in natural environments. Although anthropogenic activities are generally acknowledged as the primary source of microplastics, a robust approach to identify sources of microplastics is needed to provide scientific suggestions for practical policymaking. This review elucidates recent microplastic studies on various approaches for quantifying or reflecting the degree to which anthropogenic activities contribute to microplastic pollution. Population density (i.e., often used to quantify anthropogenic activities) was not always significantly correlated with microplastic abundance. Furthermore, this review argues that considering potential sources near sample sites as characteristics that may serve to predict the spatial distribution of microplastics in aquatic environments is equivocal. In this vein, a watershed-scale measure that uses land-cover datasets to calculate different percentages of land use in the watershed margins delineated by using Geographic Information System (GIS) software is discussed and suggested. Progress in strategies for quantifying anthropogenic activities is important for guiding future microplastic research and developing effective management policies to prevent microplastic contamination in aquatic ecosystems.

Government Policies for the Natural Resource Management of Minerals and Coal Based on Social Welfare

<em>This research aims to describe the natural resources management policies in the mineral and coal sectors. The description is based on the social welfare value contained in Law No. 3 of 2020 concerning Amendment of Law No. 4 of 2009 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining, as well as Law No. 11 of 2020 concerning Employment and Labour Law. This research employed a normative judicial method based on law regulations that are conceptualized as principles or norms and have evolved into proper human behavior standards. Secondary data were employed by exploring literature correlated with the mineral and coal mining management law and analyzed using juridical-qualitative techniques. Subsequently, the research indicated that the Indonesian government policy in the Mineral and Coal, alongside Omnibus Laws, are unable to accommodate social welfare values and support only profit-oriented businesspersons. This research is expected to proffer suggestions for the central or regional government to make regulations prior to the social welfare principle.</em>

MRO Spare Parts Management and Inventory Optimization

In this chapter, considering the importance of spare parts inventory management in the equipment life cycle, the excellence models in spare parts supply chain management are reviewed, and MRO-MMM framework based on the MMM maintenance excellence model will be presented in eight steps. In this comprehensive framework, all necessary actions are considered in terms of maintenance excellence, improvement, and optimization spare parts management. The steps include compiling strategies, spare parts management policies, and related indicators; determining criticality, classification, and spare parts data management; data and procedure preparation for analysis of inventory management; optimization of inventory management system; supplier management; integrity of automation and information system; continuous improvement; and risk based and smarting inventory management. This framework has been used in various industries and proved that the implementation of the MRO-MMM framework will optimize and significantly improve spare parts management.

ORGANIZATIONAL VALUES: ANTECEDENTS OF WELL-BEING AT WORK FOR RURAL SUCCESSORS

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study sought to explore the relationship between well-being at work and organizational values in rural properties’ successors in a cooperative system. Originality/value: Empirically, the study presents elements for the strategic management of rural properties, especially for the challenge of preparing successors. For cooperatives, it contributes towards presenting elements for members’ management policies and practices. The study also extends the field of studies on well-being at work and the relationship between well-being and values in the organizational environment. Design/methodology/approach: The method design adopted followed a quantitative approach, with a relational scope, survey type, and cross-sectional. Successors representing 119 rural properties in western Santa Catarina participated in the study. Questionnaires assess organizational values and well-being at work as constructs. The descriptive, correlational statistics and structural equations modeling with partial least squares estimation confirm the hypothesis. Findings: The study’s main conclusion suggests that the values of environment dominance and autonomy are associated with commitment, satisfaction, and involvement with work for successors of rural properties in a cooperative system.

Implementasi Kebijakan Manajemen Pelayanan Berbasis Online: (Studi di Dinas Kependudukan dan Pencatatan Sipil (Disdukcapil) Kota Manado

The purpose of this study is to solve a number of problems in the era of the COVID pandemic related to online-based management. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to solve problems that are directly related to employee knowledge related to excellent public service, the availability of human resources (HR), infrastructure to support effective and efficient public services, standard operating procedures for online-based services. In addition, analyzing the interests of who is affected, what benefits are generated, the position of online-based management policy makers, and other matters related to online-based management policies. The research method used is qualitative research. The informants who were determined by purposive sampling were 10 people consisting of the Head of the Manado City Population and Civil Registration Service (Disdukcapil), the Disdukcapil Secretary, as well as from leadership elements and members of the Manado City DPRD, and 5 Manado City residents.

Organisational Capability for Delayed Retirement

Throughout the industrialised world, societies are ageing. These demographic changes have created a political and societal focus on an extended working life. Unfortunately, there is a lack of systematic knowledge about how such changes can be successfully implemented within organisations. In this chapter, we discuss this lacuna and specifically focus on organisational capability. We highlight workplace conditions and practices that may inhibit or promote the retention of workers beyond the previous norm for retirement.The novelty of an organisational capability approach is that it highlights workplace conditions that enable older people to use their abilities to perform acts of value and to achieve a better quality of life and greater participation in society. Workplace resources, capabilities and functions form a dynamic pattern. Factors that influence the work abilities of older workers are related in complex interactions and not merely in the format of simple cause and effect.When looking at retirement from the perspective of older workers, we have focused on aspects such as the individual’s ability to control the retirement process. Central to Sen’s idea is that individuals have different conversion factors, which means that, even though two individuals may have access to the same resources, they do not necessarily have the capability to enjoy the same functions. For example, the probability that an older person will remain employed will partially depend on his or her health, human capital and type of job. But two seemingly similar individuals can nevertheless have very different chances of remaining employed because their employer has implemented very different age management policies, or simply because they have different attitudes towards older workers. Since organisational capability makes it possible to focus on the interaction between the individual’s resources and preferences and the opportunity structure existing at the workplace (meso level) and embodied in the retirement system (macro level), much of the discussion and many of the policies and practices concerning older people can be related to the concept of capabilities.

Self-Initiated Expatriates

This chapter discusses the emergence of a new category of expatriates, namely self-initiated expatriates. In particular, the demand for self-initiated academic expatriates has increased tremendously over the years in tandem with the globalization of the higher education sector across the globe. Hence, this chapter aims to provide greater understanding about the nature and motivation for expatriation among this group of expatriates which will have significant impact on the international human resource management policies and practices. This chapter begins with explanation about the concept of expatriation and expatriate. This is followed by comparison between organizational expatriates and self-initiated expatriates. The underlying motivation behind self-initiated expatriation is discussed as well. Definitions of academic self-initiated expatriates and their motivation to expatriate were included as well in this chapter. This chapter conclude with findings of one case study conducted among 152 academic self-initiated expatriates employed in 20 public universities in Malaysia.