Development Of Management Programs Research Articles

Managers’ perceptions of the accountability of corporate university programs, involvement in the corporate university programs and commitment to the organization

PurposeWhat remains uncertain with corporate universities is the contribution they provide to their organizations, particularly when considered from the perspective of managers. Managers are important stakeholders, as they may participate in carrying out the mission and policies that govern the corporate university and participate in the programs offered. Organizations would benefit from knowing more about the perceptions of managers. The purpose of this paper is to study managers’ perceptions of the accountability of two corporate university programs in China and its relationship with the managers’ overall involvement in corporate university programs and their commitment to the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted in two state-owned organizations in China, a country in which many organizations have adopted corporate universities. A mixed-method approach was used to carry out the study.FindingsThe results showed that there was a moderate relationship between the managers’ perceptions of the accountability of corporate university programs, based on two management development programs and managers’ involvement in corporate university programs and their commitment to the organization. The results also showed a low relationship between managers’ involvement in their corporate university programs and commitment to the organization.Originality/valueThe findings provide implications for managing corporate universities in China and enhancing the accountability of these initiatives. The study serves as a basis for future studies involving corporate universities and on the accountability of and involvement in training.

39 Bakers: dilemma in expansion (part A)

Subject area Retail marketing: it can be discussed in a retail marketing course to explain the growth and expansion of the retail chain and illustrate the features of a retail model that can consider franchise as a method to expand or distribute its branded merchandise in other retail outlets. The case will also help assess the financially viable growth. Marketing Management: It can be useful for a comprehensive yet straightforward explanation of marketing mix price, promotion, place, and product, also at the same time it serves to explain the importance of customer service in terms of retailing. Strategic Marketing: The case provides varied growth options that are being considered by retail organizations, which gives the student real-time opportunity to arrive at strategic decisions by considering financial viability, internal strengths (SWOT analysis), franchising as a growth option. Study level/applicability This case can be used in foundation course on retail marketing or even in strategic marketing in postgraduate management program, or the dilemma can be explained as a part of a marketing course for postgraduate, executive programs, management development programs. Case overview Kanwar, the owner of 39 Bakers, was one of the fastest-growing retail outlets in Jammu, India. He had been successful in carving his pie for himself with its unique bakery products of more than 1000 variety of, break-even point price, everyday surprise product (EDSP), reasonable price, open kitchen concept, hygiene, excellent customer service. Within three years, 39 Bakers had grown from one to eight outlets, and revenue had increased to US$68,621, and vision was to achieve US$2m within the next three years. To achieve his vision, he made two business expansion plans either to start product distribution to other retailers like an FMCG company or to go ahead with the business format franchising model. The investors needed a detailed planned within three days. But Kanwar had to decide should he expand geographically and start with franchise model or shall he establish his brand with product distribution, and then go for the franchise model, which plan would make him reach his vision by 2023? Which strategy would be efficient? He indeed wanted to go for the franchise model, but the question is when? Expected learning outcomes This case will help entrepreneurs to decide on services and retail industries to expand their business and explore available growth options. It offers a platform to talk about how often franchising used to fuel growth. Either you select to be a franchisee or independent business owner or provide franchising opportunities or start your distribution network, a detailed business plan is one of the most critical decision-making activities. Without adequate details, it can make your life's most expensive option. After students have worked on the case and the task questions, the students can analyze whether a company should grow through product distribution, franchise or both; appreciate the significance of a business plan and to recognize all aspects of a retail operation, including the marketing mix; carry out strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats analysis and can develop Internal and External Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE AND EFE); and examine various franchise options available for business expansion in a developing econ. Complexity academic level Position in course – This case can be used in foundation course on retail marketing or even in strategic marketing in postgraduate management program, or the dilemma can be explained as a part of a marketing course for postgraduate, executive programs and management development programs. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS: 8 Marketing.

Determining leaf nutrient concentrations in citrus trees using UAV imagery and machine learning

Nutrient assessment of plants, a key aspect of agricultural crop management and varietal development programs, traditionally is time demanding and labor-intensive. This study proposes a novel methodology to determine leaf nutrient concentrations of citrus trees by using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) multispectral imagery and artificial intelligence (AI). The study was conducted in four different citrus field trials, located in Highlands County and in Polk County, Florida, USA. In each location, trials contained either ‘Hamlin’ or ‘Valencia’ sweet orange scion grafted on more than 30 different rootstocks. Leaves were collected and analyzed in the laboratory to determine macro- and micronutrient concentration using traditional chemical methods. Spectral data from tree canopies were obtained in five different bands (red, green, blue, red edge and near-infrared wavelengths) using a UAV equipped with a multispectral camera. The estimation model was developed using a gradient boosting regression tree and evaluated using several metrics including mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), root mean square error, MAPE-coefficient of variance (CV) ratio and difference plot. This novel model determined macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium and sulfur) with high precision (less than 9% and 17% average error for the ‘Hamlin’ and ‘Valencia’ trials, respectively) and micro-nutrients with moderate precision (less than 16% and 30% average error for ‘Hamlin’ and ‘Valencia’ trials, respectively). Overall, this UAV- and AI-based methodology was efficient to determine nutrient concentrations and generate nutrient maps in commercial citrus orchards and could be applied to other crop species.

The Integrative Framework for Professional Learning: Leadership and Management Development Programs in Workplace

The method of experiential learning for leadership development has become more and more popular, but empirical research to support the design, implementation and continuous evaluation of these programs has not followed the demand for these programs. This paper attempts to provide managers with a framework for planning, developing, implementing and evaluating professional learning programs in relation to the three elements of human resource development; training and development, career development and organisational development. The purpose of this interpretive research was to explore, describe and evaluate the relationship, if any, between adult learners' professional development and organisations' change agenda. A cross case analysis revealed common and unique findings from across the three cases. The authors postulate that the newly developed integrative model represents a contingency approach suitable for use in dynamic environments to accommodate diversity and promote professional learning in the workplace.

Human Capital Management Strategies in the Post COVID Era

COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected both developed and developing countries and all industrial sectors across the globe. As a result of some cost cutting measures adopted by firms employees found regression in their career. This led to demotivation and dissatisfaction among employees. This calls for reengineering of human resource practices and managing human capital more effectively and intelligently. Human capital management (HCM) refers to the set of human resource management practices that enhance the value of employees to the organization. The important elements of Human Capital management include Organizational vision and values, Strategic Goals and objectives and HCM leadership team. Success of HCM depends on effective management of human capital data, human capital initiatives and human capital development. Changing business environment conditions demand HR professionals to go in for intensive re-skilling. Most of the organizations are using data analytics to integrate employee data from various divisions of the organization across the world to improve performance management, employee engagement and leadership development programs. In all modern organizations, HR teams are going through different phases of HR transformation. The HR practices that perfectly optimize the workforce competencies of one organization may not be best fit for another organization. Each organization has to find the right competencies to focus on with regard to talent acquisition, talent management and talent optimization. HR professionals need to enhance their skills to make best use of the predictive analytics to make intelligent employee decisions.

Impact of Training and Goal Setting on Employee Engagement and Commitment in Banking Sector of Pakistan

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effect of training and goal setting on employee engagement and commitment in the banking sectors of Hyderabad, Pakistan. Approach/Methodology/Design: The collection of information was acquired using a closed-ended questionnaire with a Likert scale. The convenience sampling method was used, and 270 respondents participated in the survey. The data was analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings: The findings revealed that training and goal setting can boost employees’ engagement and commitment in the banking sectors of Hyderabad, Pakistan. Practical Implications: The suggested model in the study can be executed in almost any organization to increase the overall engagement and commitment of employees. For the model to be implemented effectively, a decent time has to be devoted to the goal settings, as it is the most integral and critical phase towards this whole organizational system. Each factor in this theoretical framework must also give as much information as needed to collaborate on it to achieve the goal of organization. This model can be used, in specific, in the services industry, to achieve their ultimate strategic goals. Originality/value: This research provides empirical support for developing management programs that promote employee training and goal setting, leading to employee engagement and commitment. This study is important for academia, professionals, and scholars alike.

Fall of a Titan: understanding the Jet Airways crisis

Theoretical basis The competitive environment of the Indian aviation industry is studied using Porter's five forces model. The SWOT analysis is used to examine the competitive position of Jet Airways. The role of Merger & Acquisition in the current Jet Airways crisis is also examined. Relevant texts studied are as follows: Kazmi, A. and Kazmi A. (1992). Strategic Management. McGraw-Hill Education; and Porter, M. (2008). The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Harvard business review. 86. 78–93, 137. Research methodology This data for this case was extracted from secondary sources. These sources comprise newspaper articles, reports from the industry, reports of the company and the company's website. For gaining clarity over concepts, strategic management book by Azhar Kazmi and Adela Kazmi was referred. This case also uses websites such as moneycontrol.com to analyze financial health of the company. In the end, this case also uses some existing reports from the sources like World Bank and plane spotters to analyze the status of Jet Airways and also Indian aviation industry. This case has been tested in the classroom with MBA students in a class of Business Policy and Strategic management. Case overview/synopsis The Jet Airways, which once had the largest market share in the Indian aviation industry, has reached bankruptcy. Mr. Naresh Goyal, known for his aggressive expansion strategies, has already filed for bankruptcy. This case presents how buying aircrafts' obsession with poor choices on Mergers/Acquisitions could result in bankruptcy. The same could be substantiated from the fact that Goyal had many (197) of his fleet's latest aircraft. Goyal was also criticized for buying Sahara Airlines, which was performing poorly in the market. Spending a large portion of the budget in capital expenditure in an industry where operational cost is very high, only the cost of turbine fuel amounts to 50% of total operational expense. The high expenditure on capital budget and increasing operational cost weaken the financial position of Jet Airways. Despite earning decent revenue and having the highest market share in 2010, Jet Airways made losses in three consecutive years, i.e. from 2009 to 2011. After 2011, when the Indian aviation industry witnessed a high level of competition and growth in low-cost carriers (LCC), Jet Airways' survival was up for a toss. Despite the desperate measures of cost-cutting and attracting potential investors, Jet Airways reached the verge of bankruptcy. The current case emphasized the need to balance safe and riskier options, even for the market leaders like Jet Airways could fail due to poor strategic choices. This case presents some harsh realities on funds allocation. In 2010, where Jet Airways secure the highest market share and decent total revenue, it realized net losses. The case study also explains the need to adapt to the dynamics of the industry. After 2011, when LCC started dominating the Indian aviation industry, Jet Airways did not change its operation strategy and facing severe consequences. The case was about the poor strategic decisions taken by the founder of Jet Airways, Mr. Naresh Goyal, which adversely affected the health of the airline. The case also explores the possible strategic choices that Goyal could have taken to ensure Jet Airways' survival. Through this case, an attempt had been made to highlight the importance of various concepts that we need to understand while making a strategic decision for any organization. In the end, this case emphasized the role of strategy in managing an organization successfully. Complexity academic level The case study's target group should be Undergraduate and Postgraduate students of the Management discipline who study Strategic Management as a specialization or as the subject. This case can also be used in the Management Development Program for senior executives taking any vocational course or workshop on Business Strategy. The case focuses on one of the fastest emerging markets, i.e. India, and could be proven valuable for many multinationals companies. The case presents the changing competitive dynamics of the Indian aviation industry. The central theme on which the case revolves is the importance of sound strategic choices in a dynamic market or industry. After analyzing the case, the students would understand the complex nature of strategic decision-making and any poor strategic decisions ripple effect. This case could teach essential strategic management concepts like "SWOT analysis" and "PESTEL analysis." This case should be used to teach strategic management concepts only and not act as a judgment tool for any organization.

Deducing an emergent South Korean behavioural taxonomy of perceived managerial and leadership effectiveness

PurposeThis study aims to identify people’s perceptions of what behaviourally differentiates effective managers from ineffective managers within a South Korean (SK) public sector organization, and the extent to which the findings are similar or different to those of an equivalent previous study in the SK private sector.Design/methodology/approachAdopting the “pragmatic approach” and assuming a post-positivist ontology and constructivist–interpretivist epistemology, examples of “effective” and “ineffective” managerial behaviour were collected from managers and non-managerial employees in an SK central government Ministry using the critical incident technique. The collected critical incidents were coded, classified and reduced to a smaller number of behavioural categories. These were then compared against equivalent findings from a previous SK private sector replication study using open, axial and selective coding to identify generic behavioural criteria (GBCs)FindingsHigh degrees of convergence point towards the emergence of a “two-factor” SK behavioural taxonomy of perceived managerial and leadership effectiveness comprised of positive (n = 11) and negative (n = 4) GBCs of effective and ineffective managerial behaviour.Practical implicationsThe GBCs constituting the deduced SK behavioural taxonomy could be used by HRD practitioners to critically evaluate the efficacy of extant management and leadership development (MLD) programmes, or to inform/shape the creation of new MLD programmes. Additionally, they could be used by other HR professionals to critically evaluate the relevance and efficacy of the assessment criteria used for existing management selection, 360-degree feedback and formal performance appraisal systems.Originality/valueThe emergence of an SK behavioural taxonomy through Type 3 (emic-as-emic) and Type 4 (emic-and-etic) indigenous research is a rare example of Eastern mid-range theory development.

Reflections from the field (mountain, cityscape and park): walking for management development and links to being-in-the world, belonging and “Ba”

PurposeThe purpose of this paper, based on reflections from practice, is to shed light on the realities of using walking as a tool for learning and development. This is done through an initial analysis of longitudinal reflective data spanning seven years and connecting these reflections to the concepts: being-in-the-world, belonging and Ba.Design/methodology/approachThis research takes a practice based phenomenological and reflective approach. The value of this approach is to seek a new understanding, through three distinct conceptual frames, of the effective use of walking within management development.FindingsThe findings connect three conceptual approaches of being-in-the-world, belonging and “Ba” to the practicalities of delivery, thus encouraging practitioners and designers to deeply reflect on the role of walking in management development.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation is that this is largely a personal story exploring the impact of an intuitively developed set of interventions. Despite this, the paper represents a unique and deep interpretation of walking as a mechanism for management development.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes with three recommendations to practitioners wanting to use walking in management development programmes. These are: facilitators need to be familiar with their surroundings; they should look for spaces and places where participants can connect and build relationships; and organisers and sponsors need to recognise how walking not only consolidates knowledge but can help create knowledge too.Originality/valueThis is a unique, seven-year longitudinal study that broadens the theoretical focus of walking as a mechanism for management and leadership development that combines the theoretical lenses of being-in-the-world, belonging and “Ba”, the authors believe, for the first time in research on management development.

Co-Occurrence of 35 Mycotoxins: A Seven-Year Survey of Corn Grain and Corn Silage in the United States.

Mycotoxins contaminate crops worldwide and play a role in animal health and performance. Multiple mycotoxins may co-occur which may increase the impact on the animal. To assess the multiple mycotoxin profile of corn (Zea mays), we conducted a 7-year survey of new crop corn grain and silage in the United States. A total of 711 grain and 1117 silage samples were collected between 2013 and 2019 and analyzed for the simultaneous presence of 35 mycotoxins using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The measured mean number of mycotoxins per sample were 4.8 (grain) and 5.2 (silage), ranging from 0 to 13. Fusaric acid (FA) was most frequently detected in 78.1 and 93.8% of grains and silages, respectively, followed by deoxynivalenol (DON) in 75.7 and 88.2% of samples. Fumonisin B1 (FB1), fumonisin B2 and 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15ADON) followed. The greatest (p < 0.05) co-occurrence was between FA and DON in 59.1% of grains and 82.7% of silages, followed by FA with FB1, DON with 15ADON, and FA with 15ADON. Although many samples had lower mycotoxin concentrations, 1.6% (grain) and 7.9% (silage) of tested samples had DON ≥ 5000 µg/kg. Fumonisins were detected ≥ 10,000 µg/kg in 9.6 and 3.9% of grain and silage samples, respectively. Concentrations in grain varied by year for eight mycotoxin groups (p < 0.05), while all 10 groups showed yearly variations in silage. Our survey suggest that multiple mycotoxins frequently co-occur in corn grain and silage in the United States, and some of the more prevalent mycotoxins are those that may not be routinely analyzed (i.e., FA and 15ADON). Assessment of multiple mycotoxins should be considered when developing management programs.

EVALUATION OF FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AT ASIOP FOOTBALL ACADEMY IN JAKARTA

This study aims to evaluate the context component (program background, vision, and mission, objectives, strategies, organizational structure), and training development programs and management programs, evaluate the Input component (systems for recruiting and coaching trainers, facility support, student recruitment and coaching systems, training program, parental support and views, financial support, and enforcement of rules). To evaluate the components of the process implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the program. To evaluate the components of the product (individual and team results and contributions to Indonesian football). This study uses a qualitative method. The subjects in this study were the overall components of ASIOP Football Academy, namely administrators, coaches, students and parents. Data collection techniques used are observation, interviews, documents, and data triangulation. The data analysis techniques used are as follows: (1) data collection, (2) data reduction, (3) data presentation, and (4) conclusion drawing and verification. This study resulted in (1) Context evaluation of soccer coaching at ASIOP Football Academy being in a good category, (2) Evaluation of Input on soccer coaching at ASIOP Football Academy being in a good category, (3) Evaluation of soccer coaching process at ASIOP Football Academy. ASIOP Football Academy is in a good category, (4) Product evaluation of football coaching at ASIOP Football Academy is in a good category.

The road less travelled: A Zimbabwean leadership dilemma

Subject area of the teaching case: The values-based leadership (VBL) themes lend the case to use in courses focussed on individual leadership approaches, personal-professional development, personal mastery, or individual agency in social change and social justice movements. The emerging market context adds a layer of complexity to the protagonist's journey, which may make the case especially relevant for use among students who work in this context or in courses that deal with volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA). Student level: The primary target audience for this case is postgraduate students in a management or professional development program. Brief overview of the teaching case: This case offers a leadership profile of lawyer Fadzayi Mahere as she pursues social change at the national level by running for political office in Zimbabwe in 2018. The case recounts Mahere's professional journey through human rights law and local activism, which eventually drives her to run as an independent for a position in the national election. She does this as a response to the dire state of the country: economic crisis, social instability, and political corruption that are making life increasingly untenable for most people. In spite of running a strong grassroots campaign, Mahere loses the election and is faced with the dilemma of whether or not to forego independence and join the dominant opposition party. The case therefore centres around the role of values in leadership, the role of narrative in shaping the decision to lead, and how these things impact a leader's strategy for affecting social change and achieving social justice. Expected learning outcomes: Appreciate the systemic nature of social problems in an emerging market context and how this creates different opportunities for a leader to act on a problem Understand how a leader's identity, in terms of values and experiences, shapes their motivations and informs their strategy for leading a change effort Understand the dimensions of values-based leadership (VBL) – transformational, authentic, accountability, and ethical leadership – and how the actions of a values-driven leader reflect these Identify the mechanisms that aspiring leaders practicing VBL can use to build an authentic narrative for key stakeholders to accept and embrace them Recognise the different strategies a leader can adopt to achieve values-driven outcomes, while maintaining alignment with the different dimensions of VBL

Conceptual model of content management of development programs of project-oriented organizations

Today, in the global world economic crisis and the Covid / SARS-19 pandemic, the development and functioning of business companies are more relevant than ever. In addition to the global pandemic, the Covid-19 crisis has dealt a devastating blow to the economy and business of the company, and enterprises have suffered severely financially. Development within the framework of proactive management of companies is based on following the required level of their competitiveness. This approach is adapted for business companies and connects together the dynamics of the external and internal business environment, the level of competitiveness of the organization, the level of innovative development, the system of goals of the business organization and the system of goals of business development programs.&#x0D; The conceptual model of content management of the business development program is analyzed, which establishes the compliance of the program objectives with the main factors of the competitiveness of companies and determines the value of projects as ensuring the achievement of these goals, takes into account the possibility of each project’s contribution to the achievement of several goals, as well as the influence of systemic effects in shaping the value of the program and justifying the necessary the amount of resources to provide it. Methods for assessing the values ​​of companies as the degree of compliance of their results with the set business goals. The method is based on the operations and properties of companies, allows to take into account the uncertainty of the conditions and results of the implementation of business companies, forming a two-parameter assessment of the value of the project - the business contribution to the achievement of each goal and the degree of this contribution. This approach, in contrast to the existing ones, makes it possible to take into account the achievement of goals to a greater extent in the following procedures for determining the content of the business. It has been established that synergy in business development programs is manifested in cost savings and an increase in the final value of projects by companies.&#x0D; Authors identified the main sources of the formation of the effect of business synergy associated with costs. Formalized the formation of the synergistic effect in terms of the theory of companies’ projects, arising from the joint implementation of projects within the program, allows with a greater degree of reliability to assess the achievement of the goals of business companies and the necessary resources in conditions of uncertainty.

Impacts of the invasive European Starling on two neotropical woodpecker species: agonistic responses and reproductive interactions

ABSTRACT The European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) – hereafter ‘starling’ – has been introduced in many countries, and its South American population recently started expanding exponentially. This invasive species has a worldwide negative impact on the breeding performance of woodpeckers, competing for cavity use. Nevertheless, information is still lacking regarding southern temperate neotropical woodpeckers nest defence strategies and starling effects on woodpeckers’ breeding performance. We monitored Campo Flicker (Colaptes campestris) and Green-barred Woodpecker (Colaptes melanochloros) nests in a native southern temperate forest of central-eastern Argentina, to detect interactions with starlings and to assess the effect of starlings presence on woodpeckers’ breeding performance. We assessed whether woodpeckers perform defensive behaviours against the starlings by exposing taxidermied starling models to woodpecker breeding pairs. We detected interactions with starlings at 11% of the nests. These nests had a significantly higher probability of being abandoned during the early stages (until the third incubation day), compared to nests without interactions. Moreover, woodpeckers attacked and made distress calls more frequently in response to the presentation of the starling, compared to predator and non-competing species models. We also documented evidence of joint nesting, as four breeding pairs of woodpeckers shared their nest chamber with starlings. Our results indicate that neotropical woodpeckers are more likely to abandon their cavity when they interact with starlings. As the starling is expanding quickly in Argentina, this information points at the need to develop management programmes to control the impacts of this invasive species on the native fauna, especially on species with conservation concerns.

Sport psychology coaching to align individual and team performance

Learning outcomes Upon completion of the case discussion, students will be able to: identify the enablers of a mental skills coaching process and the broad outcomes as a result of a coaching intervention; understand the contributing factors towards creating greater psychological safety in a team and the impact this has on team performance; and identify positive leadership strategies to create an environment in which meaningful work and goal achievement increase engagement. Case overview/synopsis Leanne Redding was the mental skills coach for Maccabi, a professional league soccer club in Johannesburg, South Africa. Redding had worked with the club’s players using mental techniques, the ultimate aim being to improve performance. Redding’s work was based on the premise of trust, lived values, self-respect and reflection. She believed that a strengths-based approach grounded in sports psychology and aligned with mental contrasting enabled resilience. Her process of holding individual and team sessions helped with sustaining motivation, overcoming limiting fears and encouraging focus on the greater good of the team. The result was Maccabi’s promotion to the professional league of soccer. However, not all of her broad stakeholder group had bought into the value of sports psychology coaching. The case explores Redding’s process and her belief of the importance and buy-in from all players of the team values which should inform behaviour. The case concludes with Redding contemplating what she should do to gain greater acceptance from the rest of the coaching staff for her work. Complexity academic level This case can be used in graduate and postgraduate level courses such as an MBA, in management development programmes or in short executive education courses focusing on organisational behaviour, leadership and human capital development and sports management. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 7: Management Science.

Climate change impacts on spatial distribution, tree-ring growth, and water use of stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) forests in the Mediterranean region and silvicultural practices to limit those impacts

Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) has been cultivated since centuries in Mediterranean areas for its products and economic benefits, including edible pine nuts, timber, mushrooms, firewood, and grazing. However, current management objectives of stone pine stands also include recreational use, biodiversity conservation, protection from soil erosion, and CO2 fixation. Stone pine stands are considered to be among the ecosystems most vulnerable to climate change, and the current increase in drought frequency in the Mediterranean Basin has been shown to negatively impact their long-term establishment. Understanding the effects of climate change on the distribution, tree-ring growth and water use of stone pine forests can help assessing the adaptive capacity of the species, and developing management programs aimed at its conservation. This paper reviews the impacts of climate change on stone pine in the Mediterranean region. The high sensitivity of stone pine to climate change has been widely demonstrated in that: (i) climatic models predict the loss of suitable habitats and the shift of its geographical distribution in the next future; (ii) tree-ring analysis showed that winter and spring rainfalls have positive effects on growth, whereas high spring temperature has a negative effect; (iii) the strategy of stone pine to cope with water deficit affects the processes regulating its growth, including wood formation, leading to peculiar tree-ring anatomical features such as intra-annual density fluctuations. The silvicultural interventions and the most effective management strategies for stone pine forests are reviewed and discussed in the context of current climate change in the Mediterranean Basin.

Management and environmental sustainability – guidelines for architectural and engineering design firms

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to draw up management guidelines on environmental sustainability for architectural and engineering design firms.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is derived from a research experience between 2010 and 2018. That experience comes from three source sets: Management Development Program for Design Firms from the Research Line of Management Design, Department of Civil Construction Engineering, University of São Paulo in Brazil; papers including a doctoral thesis; and literature review. Revisiting and investigating processes were conducted by research questions, resulting in lessons learned, management difficulties and guidelines.FindingsThe guidelines were drawn up from a strategic sphere, understanding internal and external factors to the firm, diagnosis of the firm's management and sustainability, a building sustainability plan, implications of the plan for management processes, plan monitoring and control and plan evaluation.Research limitations/implicationsThe studies were mostly conducted in Brazil, and one of them in the USA. Other studies could be carried out in other countries comparing findings or implementing the guidelines.Practical implicationsThe findings will provide feedback to Management Development Program for Design Firms (PDGEP) in the action research method. Moreover, the knowledge about firm's capabilities can advance understanding of architectural and engineering (AE) design firm management as support for sustainability, performance and building information modeling (BIM).Originality/valueArchitectural and engineering design firms are hardly discussed; design is treated in the building project context, giving prominence to technical solutions, not to management ones.

The deep organisation: The organisational view in a public management and leadership development programme

This article studies the organisational view inherent in a public management and leadership development programme. Organisational views are important to study as they guide and frame the actions of the members of the organisation. In the management and leadership development programme under investigation the organisational view was a linguistic-discursive representation that was empirically inept, but which nevertheless was offered as a guide to the managers. Inspired by Clifford Geertz’s notion of religion we suggest conceptualising the presented organisational view as the deep organisation. The analysis contributes to the literature on public management and leadership development programmes by calling attention to the implicit concepts of organisation that on the one hand provide managers with the motivation and authority to carry out their daily ordering of the constantly fluctuating empirical organisation, while to some extent making managers immune to experience-based learning on the other. The notion of the deep organisation expands our understanding of the layered nature of assumptions about organisations, through which seeming contradictions can be handled. In the discussion we outline three important implications of the analysed organisational view.

Determinants of Leadership in Improving Sound Governance in South Regional State Education Sector, Ethiopia

This study aimed to identify the determinants of leadership in improve sound governance in education sector institutions of the South Nation Nationalities People Region (SNNPR). The study was used a quantitative method (QUAN). It used inferential approach for their appropriateness for defining the research problem. The survey questionnaire collected from 660 participants purposefully and randomly selected from the nine zones, nine Woredas, and nine town administrations sampled education institutions of the SNNPR. Multistage sampling techniques (purposive, random sampling techniques) were instrumental. The logit model and multicollinearity effect were employed were instrumental. It has been found that sampled education sector institutions were experiencing various leadership determinants that hindered the promotion of sound governance, on the logit model. It can be concluded that, despite some policy initiatives and directives introduced by the regional government, the study identifies various determinants of leadership that effecting the promotion of sound governance. The researcher, thus, specified some significant policy implications to promote sound governance in SNNPR education sector institutions: establish strong accountability mechanism, granting autonomy, strengthening anti-corruption agencies and law, promoting management development program, promoting equity and fairness institutionalizing transparency system, trans, revisit policy directives and initiatives, promoting integrity, the merit-based nomination of education officials and adopt empowerment and management programs are some of the policy implications

Detection and application of novel SSR markers from transcriptome data for Astronium fraxinifolium Schott, a threatened Brazilian tree species.

Astronium fraxinifolium is an endangered tree species from Brazil. Due to its significance in environmental reforestation, as well as the continued exploitation of its wood, it is necessary to develop management programs that support the conservation of the species. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) or microsatellite markers are widely used in population genetic studies across a range of diverse organisms. In this study, we present the first SSR markers developed for A. fraxinifolium as well as their frequency and distribution based on transcriptome data. From transcriptome data, we identified more than 100 thousand sequences presenting microsatellites, with a predominant distribution of trinucleotide repeats. From the initial screening, we selected 20 microsatellite loci which were validated and evaluated for genetic indices in two natural populations. All loci were polymorphic, ranging from four to 11 alleles per locus. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0 to 1.0 and from 0.533 to 1.0, respectively, while the genetic differentiation (GST = 0.363) was greater within than between populations. The developed SSR loci from RNA-Seq data provides a foundation for future studies on genetic diversity and population structure, mating system, and gene flow for A. fraxinifolium populations and related species, aiming at conservation and management.