Search results for: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Authors: Ömer Faruk Ada, Türker Baş, M. Yaman Öztek

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In this study, we aim to investigate the skills to be owned by procurement professionals in order to fulfill their developing and changing role completely. Market conditions, competitive pressure, and high financial costs make it more important than ever for organizations to be able to use resources more efficiently. Research shows that procurement expenses consist more than 50 % of the operating expenses. With increasing profit impact of procurement, reviewing the position of the procurement function within the organization has become inevitable. This study is significant as it indicates the necessary skills that procurement professionals must have to keep in step with the transformation of procurement units from transaction oriented to value chain oriented. In this study, the transformation of procurement is investigated from the perspective of procurement professionals and we aim to answer following research questions: • How do procurement professionals perceive their role within the organization? • How has their role changed and what challenges have they had to face? • What portfolio of skills do they believe will enable them to fulfill their role effectively? Literature review consists of the first part of the study by investigating the changing role of procurement from different perspectives. In the second part, we present the results of the in-depth interviews with 15 procurement professionals and we used descriptive analysis as a methodology. In the light of these results, we classified procurement skills under operational, tactical and strategic levels and Procurement Skills Framework has been developed. This study shows the differences in the perception of purchasing by professionals and the organizations. The differences in the perception are considered as an important barrier beyond the procurement transformation. Although having the necessary skills has a significant effect for procurement professionals to fulfill their role completely and keep in step with the transformation of the procurement function, It is not the only factor and the degree of high-level management and organizational support has also a direct impact during this transformation.

Keywords: procuement skills, procurement transformation, strategic procurement, value chain

Procedia PDF Downloads 411

Authors: Merkouche Wassila, Marchand Alain, Renaud Stéphane

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Organizations are facing competitive pressures constraining them to modify their practices and change initial work conditions of employees, however, these modifications have to sustain initial quality of work and engagements toward the workforce. We focus on the importance of promises in the perspective of psychological contract. According to this perspective, employees perceiving a breach of the expected obligations from the employer may become unsatisfied at work and develop organizational withdrawal behaviors. These are negative counterproductive behaviours aiming to damage the organisation according to the principle of reciprocity and social exchange. We present an integrative model of the determinants and manifestations of organizational withdrawal (OW), a set of behaviors allowing the employee to leave his job or avoid his assigned work. OW contains two main components often studied in silos: work withdrawal (delays, absenteeism and other adverse behaviors) and job withdrawal (turnover). We use the systemic micro, meso and macro sociological approach designing the individual at the heart of a system containing individual, organizational, and environmental determinants. Under the influence of these different factors, the individual assesses the type of behavior to adopt. We provide better lighting for understanding OW using both psychological contract approach through the perception of its respect by the organization and job embeddedness approach which explains why the employee does not leave the organization and then remains in his post while practicing negative and counterproductive behaviors such as OW. We study specifically cynicism as a type of OW as it is a dimension of burnout. We focus on the antecedents of cynicism to try to prevent it in the workplace.

Keywords: burnout, cynicism, job embeddedness, organizational withdrawal, psychological contract

Procedia PDF Downloads 243

Authors: Carly Nesvat, Dominic Jarrett, Colin Thomson, Wilma Coltart, Thelma Bowers, Jan Thomson

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Introduction: Within Scotland, the Same As You strategy committed to moving people with learning disabilities out of long-stay hospital accommodation into homes in the community. Much of the focus of this movement was on the placement of people within individual homes. In order to achieve this, potentially excessive supports were put in place which created dependence, and carried significant ongoing cost primarily for local authorities. The greater focus on empowerment and community participation which has been evident in more recent learning disability strategy, along with the financial pressures being experienced across the public sector, created an imperative to re-examine that provision, particularly in relation to the use of expensive sleepover supports to individuals, and the potential for this to be appropriately scaled back through the use of telecare. Method: As part of a broader programme of redesigning overnight supports within North Ayrshire, a cluster of individuals living in close proximity were identified, who were in receipt of overnight supports, but who were identified as having the capacity to potentially benefit from their removal. In their place, a responder service was established (an individual staying overnight in a nearby service user’s home), and a variety of telecare solutions were placed within individual’s homes. Active and passive technology was connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre, which would alert the local responder service when necessary. Individuals and their families were prepared for the change, and continued to be informed about progress with the pilot. Results: 4 individuals, 2 of whom shared a tenancy, had their sleepover supports removed as part of the pilot. Extensive data collection in relation to alarm activation was combined with feedback from the 4 individuals, their families, and staff involved in their support. Varying perspectives emerged within the feedback. 3 of the individuals were clearly described as benefitting from the change, and the greater sense of independence it brought, while more concerns were evident in relation to the fourth. Some family members expressed a need for greater preparation in relation to the change and ongoing information provision. Some support staff also expressed a need for more information, to help them understand the new support arrangements for an individual, as well as noting concerns in relation to the outcomes for one participant. Conclusion: Developing a telecare response in relation to a cluster of individuals was facilitated by them all being supported by the same care provider. The number of similar clusters of individuals being identified within North Ayrshire is limited. Developing other solutions such as a response service for redesign will potentially require greater collaboration between different providers of home support, as well as continuing to explore the full range of telecare, including digital options. The pilot has highlighted the need for effective preparatory and ongoing engagement with staff and families, as well as the challenges which can accompany making changes to long-standing packages of support.

Keywords: challenges, change, engagement, telecare

Procedia PDF Downloads 164

Authors: Zeplin Jiwa Husada Tarigan, Sautma Ronni Basana, Widjojo Suprapto

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The ERP is integrating all data from various departments within the company into one data base. One department inputs the data and many other departments can access and use the data through the connected information system. As many manufacturing companies in Indonesia implement the ERP technology, many adjustments are to be made to align with the business process in the companies, especially the management policy and the competitive advantages. For companies that are successful in the initial implementation, they still have to maintain the process so that the initial success can develop along with the changing of business processes of the company. For companies which have already implemented the ERP successfully, they are still in need to maintain the system so that it can match up with the business development and changes. The continued success of the extended ERP implementation aims to achieve efficient and effective performance for the company. This research is distributing 100 questionnaires to manufacturing companies in East Java, Indonesia, which have implemented and have going live ERP for over five years. There are 90 returned questionnaires with ten disqualified questionnaires because they are from companies that implement ERP less than five years. There are only 80 questionnaires used as the data, with the response rate of 80%. Based on the data results and analysis with PLS (Partial Least Square), it is obtained that the organization commitment brings impacts to the user’s effectiveness and provides the adequate IT infrastructure. The user’s effectiveness brings impacts to the adequate IT infrastructure. The information quality of the company increases the implementation of the extended ERP in manufacturing companies in East Java, Indonesia.

Keywords: organization commitment, adequate IT infrastructure, information quality, extended ERP implementation

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: Nadama Kumar, P. Parthiban, T. Niranjan

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In the present paper, we propose an incorporated approach for 3PL supplier choice that suits the distinctive strategic needs of the outsourcing organization in southern part of India. Four fundamental criteria have been used in particular Performance, IT, Service and Intangible. These are additionally subdivided into fifteen sub-criteria. The proposed strategy coordinates Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Non-additive Fuzzy Integral strategies. The presentation of fluffiness manages the unclearness of human judgments. The SEM approach has been used to approve the determination criteria for the proposed show though the Non-additive Fuzzy Integral approach uses the SEM display contribution to assess a supplier choice score. The case organization has a exclusive vertically integrated assembly that comprises of several companies focusing on a slight array of the value chain. To confirm manufacturing and logistics proficiency, it significantly relies on 3PL suppliers to attain supply chain superiority. However, 3PL supplier selection is an intricate decision-making procedure relating multiple selection criteria. The goal of this work is to recognize the crucial 3PL selection criteria by using the non-additive fuzzy integral approach. Unlike the outmoded multi criterion decision-making (MCDM) methods which frequently undertake independence among criteria and additive importance weights, the nonadditive fuzzy integral is an effective method to resolve the dependency among criteria, vague information, and vital fuzziness of human judgment. In this work, we validate an empirical case that engages the nonadditive fuzzy integral to assess the importance weight of selection criteria and indicate the most suitable 3PL supplier.

Keywords: 3PL, non-additive fuzzy integral approach, SEM, fuzzy

Procedia PDF Downloads 273

Authors: Suchitra Chnadrashekhar

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Earlier looked as a support function in an organization information technology has now become a critical utility to manage their daily operations. Organizations are processing huge amount of data which was unimaginable few decades before. This has opened the opportunity for IT sector to help industries across domains to handle the data in the most intelligent manner. Presence of IT has been a leverage for the Oil & Gas industry to store, manage and process the data in most efficient way possible thus deriving the economic value in their day-to-day operations. Proper synchronization between Operational data system and Information Technology system is the need of the hour. Predictive analytics supports oil and gas companies by addressing the challenge of critical equipment performance, life cycle, integrity, security, and increase their utilization. Predictive analytics go beyond early warning by providing insights into the roots of problems. To reach their full potential, oil and gas companies need to take a holistic or systems approach towards asset optimization and thus have the functional information at all levels of the organization in order to make the right decisions. This paper discusses how the use of predictive analysis in oil and gas industry is redefining the dynamics of this sector. Also, the paper will be supported by real time data and evaluation of the data for a given oil production asset on an application tool, SAS. The reason for using SAS as an application for our analysis is that SAS provides an analytics-based framework to improve uptimes, performance and availability of crucial assets while reducing the amount of unscheduled maintenance, thus minimizing maintenance-related costs and operation disruptions. With state-of-the-art analytics and reporting, we can predict maintenance problems before they happen and determine root causes in order to update processes for future prevention.

Keywords: hydrocarbon, information technology, SAS, predictive analytics

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Authors: Abiola Olukemi Ogunyemi

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Many organizations would like to gain customer loyalty, and to achieve this they invest in customer management systems which help them to learn and anticipate the customers’ needs, get feedback from them and serve them. One of the most elementary ways to achieve customer loyalty is for employees to be able to empathize with their customers, and to be able to feel what they feel when the company betrays their trust, which usually otherwise shown in patronage and loyalty. Unfortunately, the staff and management of organizations do not always realize the negative impact of treating customers badly, because they do not stop to think how these customers feel. If they did, they would be more careful and more respectful of these people who are human beings just like they are. They would be wiser, since this would ultimately make them more profitable businesses. This paper looks at thirteen descriptions of situations in which customers felt treated badly by organizations they trusted, and focuses on the feelings of these customers. If the organization (made of people) could empathize with the customer, then customer service would be surely enhanced. It is expected that these stories, real experiences narrated by young professionals working in Nigeria, can awaken greater empathy for consumers within organizations. Thus, they may help the organization to learn empathy and to incorporate it into their foundational principles for ethical behavior. The paper’s contents contribute to a heightened appreciation of empathy as an organizing mechanism by showing how putting one in the consumer’s shoes can help managers to understand how he or she feels. This will lead organizations to be even more innovative in finding ways to meet their customers’ needs and to deserve and win their loyalty. It addresses an issue that cuts across cultures, and therefore can be quite thought-provoking for every business owner or for team leads within organizations. By trying to stimulate empathy across the seller-buyer divide, it necessarily contributes to a deeper understanding of empathy as a building block for a sustainable society.

Keywords: customer service, empathy, ethical behavior, respectfulness

Procedia PDF Downloads 247

Authors: Xing Yan Fan, Xing Lin Xu, Man Yuan Chen, Pei Tzu Lee, Yu Ting Wang, Yi Xiao Cao, Rui Yao

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Pyramid sales have been a widespread issue in China. Victims who are defrauded not only lose money but damage interpersonal relationship. A deeper understanding of pyramid-sale models can be beneficial to prevent potential victims from fraud and improve the property security. The goals of this study were to detect psychological characteristics of pyramid-sale sellers, and analyse persuasive skills in pyramid organizations. A qualitative study was conducted in this study. Participants (n=6) recruited by 'snowball' sampling from present pyramid-sale sellers (n=3) and imprisoned pyramid-sale sellers (n=3). All participants accepted semi-structured interview for collecting data. Content analysis was adopted for data coding and analysis. The results indicate that pyramid organizations are used to utilize their appearance packaging and celebrity effect to strengthen the positions in participants’ mind. The status gap between pyramid-sale sellers in same organization, as well as rewards to increase reputation, are used to motivate participants in pyramid. The most significant common characteristics among all participants are that they tend to possess a high sense of belongingness within the firm. Moreover, the expression of pyramid-sale sellers on gambling mentality is expected to growth as constantly losing money. Findings suggest that the psychological characteristics of pyramid-sale sellers in accordance with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, persuasive skills of pyramid organization confront to 'attitude-behaviour change model'. These findings have implication on 'immune education' that providing guidance for victims out of stuck and protecting ordinary people from the jeopardizing of pyramid sales.

Keywords: pyramid sales, characteristics, persuasive skills, qualitative study

Procedia PDF Downloads 245

Authors: Maren J. Coffman, Victoria C. Scott, J. Claire Schuch, Ashley N. Kelley, Jeri L. Ryan

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Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a leading cause of postpartum morbidity. PPD affects 7.1% of postpartum women and 19.2% of postpartum women when including minor depression. Lower-income women and ethnic minorities are more at risk for developing PPD and face multiple attitudinal and institutional barriers to receiving care. This study aims to identify PPD among low-income women and connect them to appropriate services in order to reduce the illness burden and enhance access to care. Screenings were conducted in two Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, from April 2017 to April 2018. WIC is a supplemental nutrition program that provides healthcare and nutrition to low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and children under the age of 5. Additionally, a qualitative study was conducted to better understand the PPD continuum of care in order to identify opportunities for improvement. Mothers with infants were screened for depression risk using the PHQ-2. Mothers who scored ≥ 2 completed two additional standardized screening tools (PHQ-7, to complete the PHQ-9, and the Edinburgh) to assess depressive symptomatology. If indicated they may be suffering from depression, women were referred for case management services. Open-ended questions were used to understand treatment barriers. Four weeks after the initial survey, a follow-up telephone call was made to see if women had received care. Seven focus groups with WIC staff and managers, referral agency staff, local behavioral health professionals, and students examining the screenings, are being conducted March - April, 2018 to gather information related to current screening practices, referrals, follow up and treatment. Mothers (n = 231 as of February, 2018) were screened in English (65%) or Spanish (35%). According to preliminary results, 29% of mothers screened were at risk for postpartum depression (PHQ-2 ≥ 2). There were significant differences in preliminary screening results based on survey language (

Keywords: health disparities, maternal health, mental health, postpartum depression

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Authors: Natalie Rinfret, Francine Tougas, Ann Beaton

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Conventions No. 100 and 111 of the International Labor Organization, passed in 1951 and 1958 respectively, established the principles of equal pay for men and women for work of equal value and freedom from discrimination in employment. Governments of different countries followed suit. For example, in 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed in the United States and in 1972, Canada ratified Convention 100. Thus, laws were enacted and programs were implemented to combat discrimination in the workplace and, over time, more than 90% of the member countries of the International Labour Organization have ratified these conventions by implementing programs such as employment equity in Canada aimed at groups recognized as being discriminated against in the labor market, including women. Although legislation has been in place for several decades, employment discrimination has not gone away. In this study, we pay particular attention to the hidden side of the effects of employment discrimination. This is the emergence of subtle forms of discrimination that often fly under the radar but nevertheless, have adverse effects on the attitudes and behaviors of members of targeted groups. Researchers have identified two forms of racial and gender bias. On the one hand, there are traditional prejudices referring to beliefs about the inferiority and innate differences of women and racial minorities compared to White men. They have the effect of confining these two groups to job categories suited to their perceived limited abilities and can result in degrading, if not violent and hateful, language and actions. On the other hand, more subtle prejudices are more suited to current social norms. However, this subtlety harbors a conflict between values of equality and remnants of negative beliefs and feelings toward women and racial minorities. Our literature review also takes into account an overlooked part of the groups targeted by the programs in place, senior workers, and highlights the quantifiable and observable effects of prejudice and discriminatory behaviors in employment. The study proposes a hybrid model of interventions, taking into account the organizational system (employment equity practices), discriminatory attitudes and behaviors, and the type of leadership to be advocated. This hybrid model includes, in the first instance, the implementation of initiatives aimed at both promoting employment equity and combating discrimination and, in the second instance, the establishment of practices that foster inclusion, the full and complete participation of all, including seniors, in the mission of their organization.

Keywords: employment discrimination, gender bias, the hybrid model of interventions, senior workers

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Authors: Yousef Barahmeh

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This paper is a linguistic and pragmatic analysis of the use of the diminutive in Colloquial Jordanian Arabic (CJA). It demonstrates a peculiar form of the diminutive in CJA inflected by means of feminine plural ends with -aat suffix. The analysis shows that the pragmatic function(s) of the diminutive in CJA refers primarily to ‘littleness’ while the morphological inflection conveys the message of ‘the plethora’. Examples of this linguistic phenomenon are intelligible and often include a large number of words that are culture-specific to the rural dialect in the north of Jordan. In both cases, the diminutive in CJA is an adaptive strategy relative to its pragmatic and social contexts.

Keywords: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic, diminutive, morphology, pragmatics

Procedia PDF Downloads 253

Authors: Tanira Kingi, Oscar Montes Oca, Reina Tamepo

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The introduction of the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act (2019) and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (2020) both contain underpinning statements that refer to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and cultural concepts of stewardship and environmental protection. Maori interests in New Zealand’s agricultural, forestry, fishing and horticultural sectors are significant. The organizations that manage these investments do so on behalf of extended family groups that hold inherited interests based on genealogical connections (whakapapa) to particular tribal units (iwi and hapu) and areas of land (whenua) and freshwater bodies (wai). This paper draws on the findings of current research programmes funded by the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC) and the Our Land & Water National Science Challenge (OLW NSC) to understand the impact of cultural knowledge and imperatives on agricultural GHG and freshwater mitigation and land-use change decisions. In particular, the research outlines mitigation and land-use change scenario decision support frameworks that model changes in emissions profiles (reductions in biogenic methane, nitrous oxide and nutrient emissions to freshwater) of agricultural and forestry production systems along with impacts on key economic indicators and socio-cultural factors. The paper also assesses the effectiveness of newly introduced partnership arrangements between Maori groups/organizations and key government agencies on policy co-design and implementation, and in particular, decisions to adopt mitigation practices and to diversify land use.

Keywords: co-design and implementation of environmental policy, indigenous environmental knowledge, Māori land tenure and agribusiness, mitigation and land use change decision support frameworks

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Authors: Mohamed Khiatine, Amal Medjnoun, Ramdane Bahar

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The North Algeria is a highly seismic zone, as evidenced by the historical seismicity. During the past two decades, it has experienced several moderate to strong earthquakes. Therefore, the geotechnical engineering problems that involve dynamic loading of soils and soil-structure interaction system requires, in the presence of saturated loose sand formations, liquefaction studies. Bejaia city, located in North-East of Algiers, Algeria, is a part of the alluvial plain which covers an area of approximately 750 hectares. According to the Algerian seismic code, it is classified as moderate seismicity zone. This area had not experienced in the past urban development because of the different hazards identified by hydraulic and geotechnical studies conducted in the region. The low bearing capacity of the soil, its high compressibility and the risk of liquefaction and flooding are among these risks and are a constraint on urbanization. In this area, several cases of structures founded on shallow foundations have suffered damages. Hence, the soils need treatment to reduce the risk. Many field and laboratory investigations, core drilling, pressuremeter test, standard penetration test (SPT), cone penetrometer test (CPT) and geophysical down hole test, were performed in different locations of the area. The major part of the area consists of silty fine sand , sometimes heterogeneous, has not yet reached a sufficient degree of consolidation. The ground water depth changes between 1.5 and 4 m. These investigations show that the liquefaction phenomenon is one of the critical problems for geotechnical engineers and one of the obstacles found in design phase of projects. This paper presents an analysis to evaluate the liquefaction potential, using the empirical methods based on Standard Penetration Test (SPT), Cone Penetration Test (CPT) and shear wave velocity and numerical analysis. These liquefaction assessment procedures indicate that liquefaction can occur to considerable depths in silty sand of harbor zone of Bejaia.

Keywords: earthquake, modeling, liquefaction potential, laboratory investigations

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Authors: Taha Anjamrooz, Sareh Rajabi, Salwa Bheiry

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Selection between the available projects in bidding processes for the contractor is one of the essential areas to concentrate on. It is important for the contractor to choose the right projects within its portfolio during the tendering stage based on certain criteria. It should align the bidding process with its origination strategies and goals as a screening process to have the right portfolio pool to start with. Secondly, it should set the proper framework and use a suitable technique in order to optimize its selection process for concertation purpose and higher efforts during the tender stage with goals of success and winning. In this research paper, a two steps framework proposed to increase the efficiency of the contractor’s bidding process and the winning chance of getting the new projects awarded. In this framework, initially, all the projects pass through the first stage screening process, in which the portfolio basket will be evaluated and adjusted in accordance with the organization strategies to the reduced version of the portfolio pool, which is in line with organization activities. In the second stage, the contractor uses linear programming to optimize the portfolio pool based on available resources such as manpower, light equipment, heavy equipment, financial capability, return on investment, and success rate of winning the bid. Therefore, this optimization model will assist the contractor in utilizing its internal resource to its maximum and increase its winning chance for the new project considering past experience with clients, built-relation between two parties, and complexity in the exertion of the projects. The objective of this research will be to increase the contractor's winning chance in the bidding process based on the success rate and expected return on investment.

Keywords: bidding process, internal resources, optimization, contracting portfolio management

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Authors: Alan Berman, Mark Brady

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The phenomenon of homophobia and transphobia in the United States detrimentally impacts the health, wellbeing, and dignity of school students who identify with the LGBTQ+ community. These negative impacts also compromise the participation of LGBTQ+ individuals in the wider life of educational domains and endanger the potential economic, social and cultural contribution this community can make to American society. The recent 6:3 majority decision of the US Supreme Court in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization expressly overruled the 1973 decision in Roe v Wade and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v Casey decision. This study will canvass the bases upon which the court in Dobbs overruled longstanding precedent established in Roe and Casey. It will examine the potential implications for the LGBTQ community of the result in Dobbs. The potential far-reaching consequences of this case are foreshadowed in a concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, suggesting the Court should revisit all substantive due process cases. This includes notably the Lawrence v Texas case (invalidating sodomy laws criminalizing same-sex relations) and the Obergefellcase (upholding same-sex marriage). Finally, the study will examine the likely impact of the uncertainty brought about by the decision in Doddsfor LGBTQ students in US educational institutions. The actions of several states post-Dobbs, reflects and exacerbates the problems facing LGBTQ+ students and uncovers and highlights societal homophobia and transphobia.

Keywords: human rights, LGBT rights, right to personal dignity and autonomy, substantive due process rights

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Authors: Ashleigh Cicconi

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Teachers may not have access to necessary and effective strategies for managing stress, trauma, and emotional exhaustion, which can lead to burnout. This practice-based research focused on the exploration of teacher well-being through participation in a wellness program in order to mitigate high stress levels and feelings of burnout. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how a multimodal, trauma-informed yoga and arts-based mindfulness program impacted stress levels and overall well-being for teachers in a school setting. The case study approach was used to investigate participant perceptions of interactions between multimodal accessibility, a trauma-informed wellness program, and teacher well-being. A sample size of 10 teachers employed full-time at a public high school in the Mid-Atlantic region were recruited via email correspondence to participate in the eight-week wellness program. Data were triangulated across semi-structured interviews, journal entries, and focus group guided questions, and transcripts were uploaded into the NVivo software application for thematic analysis. Data showed perceptions of improvements in overall well-being from participation in the wellness program and that utilizing trauma-informed practices may be an effective coping skill for stress. The multimodal design of the program was perceived to positively impact participation and accessibility to wellness strategies. Findings from this study suggest that the inclusion of trauma-informed practices within a wellness program may be effective for managing stress and trauma experienced by teachers, thereby aiding in improvement in overall well-being. Findings also suggest that multimodality may be effective for increasing participation in and accessibility to wellness strategies.

Keywords: trauma informed practices, wellness program, teacher wellbeing, accessible program, multimodal

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Authors: Abubakar Bello Usman, Alhassan Muhammad Gani, Kolo Ibrahim

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The use of botanical raw materials to produce pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies, teas, spirits, cosmetics, sweets, dietary supplements, special industrial compounds and crude materials constitute an important global resource in terms of healthcare and economy. In Nigeria and other developing countries, the indigenous knowledge on the uses of plants lies with the older generation and the traditional healers. However, these custodians are decreasing in number due to death and other unforeseen occurrences. An Ethno-botanical survey was carried out to obtain information on the ethno medical values of wide range of plants used by the people of Gombe State, North-Eastern Nigeria, in the practice of healing and cure of typhoid (enteric) fever. Oral interviews were conducted so as to consider those with low literacy level who are involved in the practice of traditional medicine and thirty four (34) informants availed themselves for the interview and were consulted. All relevant information obtained from the respondents was recorded. A recent and valid nomenclature, along with local names, family names, part of the plant(s) used, methods of preparation and administration and fifty four (54) plant species belonging to 27 families as well as 7 unidentified species that are commonly used by the people of the state in ethnomedical treatment of the ailment were tabulated. Those interviewed included traditional practitioners, local herb sellers, traditional rulers, hunters, farmers and patients. Specific questions were asked and information supplied by informants was promptly documented. Results showed that the people of Gombe State are knowledgeable on herbal medicine in the treatment of diseases and ailments. Furthermore, the aqueous leaf extracts of Senna siamea, the plant species with the highest PPK (percentage of people who have knowledge about the use of a species for treating typhoid fever) in this ethnobotanical survey, was tested for its activity against clinical isolates of Salmonella typhi using the agar well diffusion method. The aqueous extracts showed some activity (zones of inhibition 11, 9, 7.5, 3.5, 1.3 mm) at 2000, 1800, 1600, 1400, 1200 µg/ml concentrations respectively. Preliminary phytochemical studies of the aqueous leaf extracts of the plant revealed the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids and cardiac glycosides. Though a large number of traditionally used plants for the treatment of enteric fever were identified, further scientific validation of the traditional claims of anti-typhoid properties is imperative. This would establish their candidature for any possible future research for active principles and the possible development of new cheaper and more effective anti-typhoid drugs, as well as in the conservation of this rich diversity of medicinal plants.

Keywords: antimicrobial activities, ethnobotany, gombe state, north-eastern Nigeria, phytochemical screening, senna siamea, typhoid fever

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Authors: Mahsa Kallhor Mohammadi, Hamideh Reshadatjoo

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This study verified the relationship between in-service training and employees’ feeling of psychological ownership. This research applied a descriptive survey that investigated a correlation between variables. The target population was 140 employees of a Drilling Fluid and Waste Management Service Company, and the sample was 123 employees who were selected randomly and encouraged to complete an electronic questionnaire which was designed based on standard questionnaires for research variables covering 62 questions. The face validity of the questionnaire was supported by an experimental test, and its content validity was approved by the thesis supervisor and consulting advisor. For the descriptive statistics frequency tables and diagrams, measures of central tendency such as mode, median, and mean and measures of variability such as variance, standards deviation, and quartile deviation were used. In the inferential statistics section, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to verify the relationship between the variables of the research. According to the results, all of the research hypotheses were supported. According to hypothesis 1, there was a positive and significant relationship between training policy-making and employees’ psychological ownership (r=0/408, α=0/05). According to hypothesis 2, there was a positive and significant relationship between training planning and employees’ psychological ownership (r=0/446, α=0/05). According to hypothesis 3, there was a positive and significant relationship between providing the training and employees’ psychological ownership (r=0/512, α=0/05). According to hypothesis 4, there was a positive and significant relationship between training performance management and employees’ psychological ownership (r=0/462, α=0/05). According to hypothesis 5, there was a positive and significant relationship between employees’ motivation and psychological ownership (r=0/694, α=0/05). Therefore, through systematic in-service training, which is in the same line with the strategic goals of an organization and is based on scientific needs analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation, it is possible to improve employees’ sense of psychological ownership toward an organization.

Keywords: in-service training, motivation, organizational behavior, psychological ownership

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Authors: Abdul Basit Kiani, Maryam Kiani

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Content Management Systems (CMS) have transformed the landscape of web development by providing an accessible and efficient platform for creating and managing digital content. This abstract explores the key features and benefits of CMS in web development, highlighting its impact on website creation and maintenance. CMS offers a user-friendly interface that empowers individuals to create, edit, and publish content without requiring extensive technical knowledge. With customizable templates and themes, users can personalize the design and layout of their websites, ensuring a visually appealing online presence. Furthermore, CMS facilitates efficient content organization through categorization and tagging, enabling visitors to navigate and search for information effortlessly. It also supports version control, allowing users to track and manage revisions effectively. Scalability is a notable advantage of CMS, as it offers a wide range of plugins and extensions to integrate additional features into websites. From e-commerce functionality to social media integration, CMS adapts to evolving business needs. Additionally, CMS enhances collaborative workflows by allowing multiple user roles and permissions. This enables teams to collaborate effectively on content creation and management, streamlining processes and ensuring smooth coordination. In conclusion, CMS serves as a powerful tool in web development, simplifying content creation, customization, organization, scalability, and collaboration. With CMS, individuals and businesses can create dynamic and engaging websites, establishing a strong online presence with ease.

Keywords: web development, content management systems, information technology, programming

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Authors: Georgiana Ciobotaru

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The experience of exile is a defining one for the mittleeuropean writers, which is also the generator of an identity discourse manifested in the plan of fiction. In exile, the authors often build their marginality in opposition to that deserted mundi center. The Polish Gombrowicz carried out his existence, for more than twenty-three years, in a geographical exile, distancing himself from his country, and, from a cultural point of view, the writing meant a possibility of escape, of plunge into a literary exile that often constituted a way of conditioning the practice of writers. He opted for one of the attitudes that a writer in exile may have, namely he preferred to continue speaking Polish, although he was far from his homeland, turning to the public in his homeland, his entire literary creation in exile being promoted through Kulturia, the Paris-based immigration magazine. The problem of exile must be constantly related to three essential aspects, namely: territory, identity and language. The exile, both the writer and his characters, displays a characteristic attitude towards the abandoned land, but also towards the adoptive, towards the mother tongue, but also towards the idiom encountered, thus proving an original manner in terms of how it asserts, de-builds or re-builds its identity. In these texts written after leaving Poland, a series of open works by Trans-Atlantic, Gombrowicz assumes and internalizes the inadequacy between his self and the reality outside to make it the principle of his perception of the world. The expression of marginality that characterized the texts developed when the writer was still in Poland seems to acquire a certain coherence against the background of a logic imposed on the new experience, namely that of exile. Texts created during his exile in Argentina appear in a different context, in other words, in a situation of inadequacy towards the world: ignorance of the language, poverty, isolation that characterizes especially the first years spent there. This study aims to highlight how the Polish author de-builds and reconstructs his Mittel-European identity profile through language.

Keywords: discourse, exile, identity, immigration

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Authors: Haruo Okabayashi

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The mutual understanding in conversation is very important for human relations. This study investigates the mental function of the formation of mutual understanding between two people in conversation using the embodied approach. Forty people participated in this study. They are divided into pairs randomly. Four conversation situations between two (make/listen to fun or pleasant talk, make/listen to regrettable talk) are set for four minutes each, and the finger plethysmogram (200 Hz) of each participant is measured. As a result, the attractors of the participants who reported “I did not understand my partner” show the collapsed shape, which means the fluctuation of their rhythm is too small to match their partner’s rhythm, and their cross correlation is low. The autonomic balance of both persons tends to resonate during conversation, and both LLEs tend to resonate, too. In human history, in order for human beings as weak mammals to live, they may have been with others; that is, they have brought about resonating characteristics, which is called self-organization. However, the resonant feature sometimes collapses, depending on the lifestyle that the person was formed by himself after birth. It is difficult for people who do not have a lifestyle of mutual gaze to resonate their biological signal waves with others’. These people have features such as anxiety, fatigue, and confusion tendency. Mutual understanding is thought to be formed as a result of cooperation between the features of self-organization of the persons who are talking and the lifestyle indicated by mutual gaze. Such an entanglement phenomenon is called a nonlinear relation. By this research, it is found that the formation of mutual understanding is expressed by the rhythm of a biological signal showing a nonlinear relationship.

Keywords: embodied approach, finger plethysmogram, mutual understanding, nonlinear phenomenon

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Authors: Guoqin Ge, Minhui Huang, Yazhou Zhou

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The growth of the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration has been designated as a national strategy in China. Analyzing its spatial evolution characteristics is crucial for devising relevant development strategies. This paper enhances the gravitational model by using temporal distance as a factor. It applies this improved model to assess the economic interconnection and concentration level of each geographical unit within the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration between 2011 and 2019. On this basis, this paper examines the spatial correlation characteristics of economic agglomeration intensity and urban-rural development equalization by employing spatial autocorrelation analysis. The study findings indicate that the spatial integration in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration is currently in the "point-axis" development stage. The spatial organization structure is becoming more flattened, and there is a stronger economic connection between the core of the urban agglomeration and the peripheral areas. The integration of the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration is currently hindered by conflicting interests and institutional heterogeneity between Chengdu and Chongqing. Additionally, the connections between the relatively secondary spatial units are largely loose and weak. The strength and scale of economic ties and the level of urban-rural equilibrium among spatial units within the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration have increased, but regional imbalances have continued to widen, and such positive and negative changes have been characterized by the spatial and temporal synergistic evolution of the "core-periphery". Ultimately, this paper presents planning ideas for the future integration development of the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration, drawing from the findings.

Keywords: integration, planning strategy, space organization, space evolution, urban agglomeration

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Authors: Abiodun Oluwaseun Ibude

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Every now and then we hear of companies closing down their operations due to unethical practices like an overstatement of company’s balance sheet, concealing company’s debt, embezzlement of company’s fund, declaring false profit and so on. This has led to the liquidation of companies and the loss of investments of shareholders as well as the interest of other stakeholders. As a result of these ugly trends, there is need to put in place a formidable mechanism that will ensure that business activities are conducted in a healthy manner. It should also promote good ethics as well as ensure that the interest of stakeholders and the objectives of any organization is achieved within the confines of the law; wherein law exists to provide criminal penalties for falsification of documents and for conducting other irregularities. Based on the foregoing, it becomes imperative to ensure that steps are taken to stop this menace and face the challenges ahead. This calls for the practice of good governance. The purpose of this study is to identify various components of corporate governance and determine the impact of it on the performance of established organizations. A survey method with the use of questionnaire was applied in collecting data useful for this study which were later analyzed using correlation co-efficiency statistical tools in generating finding, making a conclusion, and necessary recommendation. From the research conducted, it was discovered that there are systems within organizations apart from regulatory agencies that ensure effective control of activities, promote accountability, and operational efficiency. However, some members of organizations fail to explore the usage of corporate governance and impact negatively of an organization’s performance. In conclusion, good corporate governance will not be achieved unless there is openness, honesty, transparency, accountability, and fairness.

Keywords: corporate governance, formidable mechanism, company’s balance sheet, stakeholders

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Authors: Mirko Klaric

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In different countries, sub-municipal units have different organizational and political positions. In some countries, the role of sub-municipal units is important; in others, it is marginal. That depends on the organization of the local government system in different countries, and the political role of local self-government units, their size, public authorities, and the possibility for managing various local public tasks. This paper attempts to analyze the sub-municipal government as an organizational form of local governance participation of citizens in the local community with a comparative perspective. Secondly, it presents elements that generally format sub-municipal government as a tool for strengthening of democratization processes in local government units. Those elements are crucial for the understanding of the dynamic in relation to local government vs. sub-municipal government. Special focus is put on the sub-municipal government in South-Eastern European countries, which have a common history and institutional framework, with this main question: how can sub-municipal government contribute to strengthening democratic processes in these countries. In centralized countries, the sub-municipal government usually has a reduced role, which relates to managing public tasks connected with local community needs. The purpose of this comparative research methodology is used for analyzing the present organization and role of sub-municipal government in local government systems in Croatia and other significant countries in Europe, with a special focus on the states in South-Eastern Europe and Croatia. Comparative analyses attempt to show that local government systems with bigger local government units have more significant sub-municipal government. On the other hand, local government systems with small local government units don’t have a strong sub-municipal government. Finally, this paper aims to present ideas on how the sub-municipal government can improve decentralization and contribute to better development of the local community and the whole of society.

Keywords: public administration, local government, sub-municipal government, decentralization

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Authors: A. Almubrad, R. Clouse, A. Aljlaoud

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Organizational culture (OC) is recognized to have an influence on the propensity of organizations to innovate. It is also presumed that it may impede the innovation process from thriving within the organization. Investigating the role organizational culture plays in enabling or inhibiting innovation merits exploration to investigate organizational cultural attributes necessary to reach innovation goals. This study aims to investigate a preliminary matching heuristic of OC attributes to the type of innovation that has the potential to thrive within those attributes. A mixed methods research approach was adopted to achieve the research aims. Accordingly, participants from a national telecom company in Saudi Arabia took the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI). A further sample selected from the respondents’ pool holding the role of managing directors was interviewed in the qualitative phase. Our study findings reveal that the market culture type has a tendency to adopt radical innovations to disrupt the market and to preserve its market position. In contrast, we find that the adhocracy culture type tends to adopt the incremental innovation type and found this tends to be more convenient for employees due to its low levels of uncertainty. Our results are an encouraging indication that matching organizational culture attributes to the type of innovation aids in innovation management. This study carries limitations while drawing its findings from a limited sample of OC attributes that identify with the adhocracy and market culture types. An extended investigation is merited to explore other types of organizational cultures and their optimal innovation types.

Keywords: incremental innovation, radical innovation, organization culture, market culture, adhocracy culture, OACI

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Authors: Siriraks Khawchaimaha, Sangwian Boonto

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Sport Authority of Thailand (SAT) is the state enterprise, promotes and supports all sports kind both professional and athletes for competitions, and administer under government policy and government officers and therefore, all financial supports whether cash inflows and cash outflows are strictly committed to government budget and limited to the planned projects at least 12 to 16 months ahead of reality, as results of ineffective in sport events, administration and competitions. In order to retain in the sports challenges around the world, SAT need to has its own sports business services model by each stadium, region and athletes’ competencies. Based on the HMK model of Khawchaimaha, S. (2007), this research study is formalized into each 10 regional stadiums to details into the characteristics root of fans, athletes, coaches, equipments and facilities, and stadiums. The research designed is firstly the evaluation of external factors: hardware whereby competition or practice of stadiums, playground, facilities, and equipments. Secondly, to understand the software of the organization structure, staffs and management, administrative model, rules and practices. In addition, budget allocation and budget administration with operating plan and expenditure plan. As results for the third step, issues and limitations which require action plan for further development and support, or to cease that unskilled sports kind. The final step, based on the HMK model and modeling canvas by Alexander O and Yves P (2010) are those of template generating Sports Business Services Model for each 10 SAT’s regional stadiums.

Keywords: HMK model, not for profit organization, sport business model, sport services model

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Authors: Nadia Nisar

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Background: In the temperate regions Influenza activities occur sporadically all year round with peaks coinciding during cold months. Meteorological and environmental conditions play significant role in the transmission of influenza globally. In this study, we assessed the relationship between meteorological parameters and influenza activity in two geographical areas of Pakistan. Methods: Influenza data were collected from Islamabad (north) and Multan (south) regions of national influenza surveillance system during 2010-2015. Meteorological database was obtained from National Climatic Data Center (Pakistan). Logistic regression model with a stepwise approach was used to explore the relationship between meteorological parameters with influenza peaks. In statistical model, we used the weekly proportion of laboratory-confirmed influenza positive samples to represent Influenza activity with metrological parameters as the covariates (temperature, humidity and precipitation). We also evaluate the link between environmental conditions associated with seasonal influenza epidemics: 'cold-dry' and 'humid-rainy'. Results: We found that temperature and humidity was positively associated with influenza in north and south both locations (OR = 0.927 (0.88-0.97)) & (OR = 0.1.078 (1.027-1.132)) and (OR = 1.023 (1.008-1.037)) & (OR = 0.978 (0.964-0.992)) respectively, whilst precipitation was negatively associated with influenza (OR = 1.054 (1.039-1.070)) & (OR = 0.949 (0.935-0.963)). In both regions, temperature and humidity had the highest contribution to the model as compared to the precipitation. We revealed that the p-value for all of climate parameters is <0.05 by Independent-sample t-test. These results demonstrate that there were significant relationships between climate factors and influenza infection with correlation coefficients: 0.52-0.90. The total contribution of these three climatic variables accounted for 89.04%. The reported number of influenza cases increased sharply during the cold-dry season (i.e., winter) when humidity and temperature are at minimal levels. Conclusion: Our findings showed that measures of temperature, humidity and cold-dry season (winter) can be used as indicators to forecast influenza infections. Therefore integrating meteorological parameters for influenza forecasting in the surveillance system may benefit the public health efforts in reducing the burden of seasonal influenza. More studies are necessary to understand the role of these parameters in the viral transmission and host susceptibility process.

Keywords: influenza, climate, metrological, environmental

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Authors: Shazali Abdulahi

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Project planning is the first phase in project life cycle which relates to the use of schedules such as Gantt charts to plan and subsequently report the project progress within the project environment. Likewise, project execution is the third phase in project lifecycle, is the phase where the work of the project must get done correctly and it’s the longest phase in the project lifecycle therefore, they must be effectively communicated, now today Communication has become the crucial element of every organization. During construction project delivery, information needs to be accurately and timely communicating among project stakeholders in order to realize the project objective. Effective communication among stakeholders during construction project delivery is one of the major factors that impact construction project delivery. Therefore, the aim of the research work is to examine the critical factors influencing effective communication among stakeholders on construction project delivery from the perspective of construction professionals (Architects, Builders, Quantity surveyors, and Civil engineers). A quantitative approach was adopted. This entailed the used of structured questionnaire to one (108) construction professionals in public and private organization within dutse metropolis. Frequency, mean, ranking and multiple linear regression using SPSS vision 25 software were used to analyses the data. The results show that Leadership, Trust, Communication tools, Communication skills, Stakeholders involvement, Cultural differences, and Communication technology were the most critical factors influencing effective communication among stakeholders on construction project delivery. The hypothesis revealed that, effective communication among stakeholders has significant effects on construction project delivery. This research work will profit the construction stakeholders in construction industry, by providing adequate knowledge regarding the factors influencing effective communication among stakeholders, so that necessary steps to be taken to improve project performance. Also, it will provide knowledge about the appropriate strategies to employ in order to improve communication among stakeholders.

Keywords: effetive communication, ineffective communication, stakeholders, project delivery

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Authors: Neliswa Dyosi

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Purpose - Using an integrated Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and the model of technology appropriation (MTA) as a theoretical lens, this interpretive qualitative study seeks to understand and explain the factors that influence the appropriation, non-appropriation, and disappropriation of bitcoin as a payment method by South African retailers. Design/methodology/approach –The study adopts the interpretivist philosophical paradigm. Multiple case studies will be adopted as a research strategy. For data collection, the study follows a qualitative approach. Qualitative data will be collected from the six retailers in various industries. Semi-structured interviews and documents will be used as the data collection techniques. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques will be used to identify participants within the organizations. Data will be analyzed using thematic analysis. Originality/value - Using the deduction approach, the study seeks to provide a descriptive and explanatory contribution to theory. The study contributes to theory development by integrating the MTA and TOE frameworks as a means to understand technology adoption behaviors of organizations, in this case, retailers. This is also the first study that looks at an integrated approach of the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and the MTA framework to understand the adoption and use of a payment method. South Africa is ranked amongst the top ten countries in the world on cryptocurrency adoption. There is, however, still a dearth of literature on the current state of adoption and usage of bitcoin as a payment method in South Africa. The study will contribute to the existing literature as bitcoin cryptocurrency is gaining popularity as an alternative payment method across the globe.

Keywords: cryptocurrency, bitcoin, payment methods, blockchain, appropriation, online retailers, TOE framework, disappropriation, non-appropriation

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Authors: Selim M. Khan

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Indoor air quality is strongly influenced by the presence of radioactive radon (222Rn) gas. Indeed, exposure to high 222Rn concentrations is unequivocally linked to DNA damage and lung cancer and is a worsening issue in North American and European built environments, having increased over time within newer housing stocks as a function of as yet unclear variables. Indoor air radon concentration can be influenced by a wide range of environmental, structural, and behavioral factors. As some of these factors are quantitative while others are qualitative, no single statistical model can determine indoor radon level precisely while simultaneously considering all these variables across a complex and highly diverse dataset. The ability of AI- machine (deep) learning to simultaneously analyze multiple quantitative and qualitative features makes it suitable to predict radon with a high degree of precision. Using Canadian and Swedish long-term indoor air radon exposure data, we are using artificial deep neural network models with random weights and polynomial statistical models in MATLAB to assess and predict radon health risk to human as a function of geospatial, human behavioral, and built environmental metrics. Our initial artificial neural network with random weights model run by sigmoid activation tested different combinations of variables and showed the highest prediction accuracy (>96%) within the reasonable iterations. Here, we present details of these emerging methods and discuss strengths and weaknesses compared to the traditional artificial neural network and statistical methods commonly used to predict indoor air quality in different countries. We propose an artificial deep neural network with random weights as a highly effective method for assessing and predicting indoor radon.

Keywords: radon, radiation protection, lung cancer, aI-machine deep learnng, risk assessment, risk prediction, Europe, North America

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