Number Of Full-time Employees Research Articles

A Post-Pandemic Analysis of the Relationship Between Firm Size and Job Embeddedness in Public Accounting Firms

This study examines the relationship between firm size and an employee’s level of job embeddedness. A quantitative survey design was used to gather evidence from full-time accounting professionals working in public accounting firms across the United States. With a sample size of 136 full-time employees, results suggest that there is a positive relationship between firm size and job embeddedness. Two different measures of firm size were analyzed in the study. First, the number of full-time employees in the office was regressed on job embeddedness. Results indicated that the relationship was positive and significant. Second, the number of offices was used to measure firm size. The mean difference was calculated for job embeddedness and each of its six dimensions for firms with only one office, and those means were compared to the means of firms with two or more offices. Results indicated a positive relationship between job embeddedness and firm size; however, only the difference of means for the community fit dimension of job embeddedness was significant.

What drives SME formalization in Tanzania?

Identifying the motives for business formalization is important for policy-making and the smooth coordination of entrepreneurs in Tanzania. This paper employs four machine learning (ML) models to investigate the effects of several contingents and institutional factors on SME formalization in Tanzania. Using an updated large dataset of the World bank enterprise survey in 2013, this research relies on 698 firms level data and 37 explanatory variables. The feature importance through SHAP values analysis proves that firm location in a business city, sales revenue, number of full-time employees, firm experience in the sector, and internal and external finance are the most significant factors that positively affect SME's formalization. This paper will be a reference for the actors and stakeholders in business and entrepreneurship to make good policies to drive business formalization in Tanzania.

Development and clinical evaluation of an online automated quality control system for improving laboratory quality management

BackgroundWe developed an efficient online automated quality control (AUTO QC) system and tested its feasibility on automatic laboratory assembly lines. MethodsAUTO QC is based on developed quality control software (Smart QC) and designed adaptable consumables before. We applied the system to two assembly lines in our laboratory. Using third-party quality control samples, we evaluated the impact of the online AUTO QC system on out-of-control rate, biosecurity risk, turnaround time (TAT) and cost. ResultsAUTO QC significantly decreased the occurrence rate of the Westgard quality control rules 13S/22S/R4s and 12S, representing out-of-control and warning, respectively. The out-of-control rates were reduced by 58%, and the potential biosecurity risk of the samples decreased by 90%. The AUTO QC implementation also reduced the median TAT (by 7 min), the number of full-time employees and the cost of the quality control samples (by 45%). ConclusionsThe total laboratory AUTO QC system can improve the quality and stability of QC testing and reduce cost.

Implementing business excellence models in Saudi nonprofit organizations and the impact of human resources availability

PurposeThis study aims to help nonprofit organizations (NPOs) implement business excellence models (BEMs). The authors identify and rank critical success factors and barriers to implementing BEMs among NPOs in Saudi Arabia and investigate the impact of human resources availability on BEM implementation in these organizations.Design/methodology/approachBased on the review of relevant literature, the authors designed a questionnaire completed by 138 NPOs. Factor analysis was used to measure and rank the criticality of success factors and barriers to BEM implementation. A Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric test was conducted to compare answers across groups classified by the number of full-time employees in the organization.FindingsThe study identifies the five most critical success factors for implementing BEMs in Saudi NPOs: data analysis and reporting capabilities, effective organizational communication, implementation strategy and approach, use of benchmarking and adoption of a clear governance framework. The five most critical barriers to implementing BEMs are the lack of a culture of continuous improvement, organizational strategy, qualified employees, customer orientation and clear organizational roles and responsibilities. The number of full-time employees in Saudi NPOs does not significantly impact the success or failure of implementing BEMs.Originality/valueThis paper is a continuation of research that aims to increase BEM adoption among NPOs, including micro-NPOs, in Saudi Arabia and, by extension, other countries.

An Examination of Washington State Workers’ Compensation Claims for Home-Based Health Care Workers, 2006 to 2016: Part 2. Injury Rates and Trends

Research of home-based health care (HBHC) has shown that care providers suffer from a high rate of injuries. Analysis of workers’ compensation records, a reliable source for injury and illness data, enables the identification of trends within a specific working population. HBHC workers’ compensation compensable claims in Washington State from 2006 to 2016 were compared to clinical health care (CHC) claims. Injury event and source attributed to HBHC claims were also analyzed, with a focus on work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Though CHC had 5 times the number of full-time employees during the study period, HBHC grew by 61.1%, compared to 28.7% in CHC. Claim rates for all compensable claims and WMSD claims consistently decreased year-over-year for both HBHC and CHC. WMSD claims experienced a year-over-year decline of 5.3%; for all compensable claims the decline was 4.5%. Analysis of HBHC claim rates by injury event found WMSD had the highest rates, followed by falls from the same level. However, the largest annual change was for the injury event overexertion (−10.1%, 95%CI: −13.4, −6.8). HBHC injuries attributable to the health care patient were the most common. Claims with this injury source declined annually by 6.0%. Claim rates for injuries to the back region, and specifically back WMSDs, were consistently higher year-over-year compared to other body regions and WMSD types. Claims for injuries to the back declined by an annual rate of 6.6% (95% CI: −7.9, −5.3), while back WMSD claims decreased by 6.4% (94% CI: −7.8, −4.9).

Виявлення соціально-економічних проблем на основі аналізу оцінок процесу децентралізації влади в Україні

Проаналізовано оцінки процесу децентралізації влади в Україні, які давалися впродовж реалізації реформ засобами масової інформації, населенням новоутворених об’єднаних територіальних громад (далі – ОТГ) та публічними службовцями. Зауважено, що оцінки змінювалися впродовж процесу децентралізації влади, проявляючи, загалом, тенденцію до покращення. Виявлено слабкі зміни в оцінках стану корупції в публічному секторі та охорони навколишнього середовища. Зазначено, що серед нових проблем є загроза появи явища вседозволеності з боку керівників ОТГ і брак кваліфікованих кадрів.

A Demand Survey on the Priority of Agricultural College Students’ Core Competencies Required by Agriculturel Companies: A case study on G University

Background and objective As the agricultural industry becomes a more convergent industry, it is believed that the demand for human resources by companies will change. Therefore, a survey was conducted to investigate the human resources required by agriculture companies. Methods In the survey on 77 agriculture companies, 98.7% of respondents answered that new employees with a college degree needed additional training to adapt to practical affairs. Results The first priority of education was “community spirit” (22.1%) and the second priority was “convergence capability” (15.6%). The most important educational goal desired by agricultural companies was “cultivating human resources with community spirit and ethical judgment”, followed by “cultivating human resources with serious communication and problem-solving skills”, and “cultivating human resources with scientific thinking and unique creative imagination.” Sub-competencies that companies want agricultural colleges to strengthen were “community spirit” 4.32(SD=0.96), “desirable values” 4.30 (SD = 1.05), “sympathy” 4.28 (SD = 0.95), “convergence capability” 4.16 (SD = 0.88), “creativity” 4.11 (SD = 0.83), “civic spirit” 4.10 (SD = 0.91), and “rational/critical thinking” 3.94 (SD = 1.04). There was a significant difference in sub-competencies that require reinforcement depending on the number of full-time employees. “Creativity” was most necessary in companies with less than 3 employees (4.39), and 4~7 employees (4.33), and “aesthetics”“ in companies with less than 3 employees (3.94), and 4–7 employees (3.61) “Civic spirit” was most necessary in companies with 31 employees or more (4.33). Conclusion The most important educational goal desired by companies was “cultivating human resources with community spirit and ethical judgment”.

Organizational-Level Moderators Impacting Tobacco-Related Knowledge Change after Tobacco Education Training in Substance Use Treatment Centers.

Tobacco use is disproportionately elevated among patients with substance use disorders relative to the general U.S. population. Tobacco interventions are lacking within substance use treatment centers (SUTCs) due to lack of knowledge and training. This study examined knowledge gain and the organizational factors that might moderate knowledge gains following tobacco education training provided to employees (N = 580) within 15 SUTCs that were participating in a tobacco-free workplace program. The number of total annual patient visits, unique annual patient visits, number of full-time employees, and organizational readiness for implementing change (ORIC) as assessed prior to implementation were examined as potential moderators. Results demonstrated significant knowledge gain (p < 0.001) after training overall; individually, 13 SUTCs had significant knowledge gain (p’s < 0.014). SUTCs with fewer total annual patient visits and fewer full-time employees showed greater knowledge gains. The ORIC total score and all but one of its subscales (Resource Availability) moderated knowledge gain. SUTCs with greater initial Change Efficacy (p = 0.029), Valence (p = 0.027), and Commitment (p < 0.001) had greater knowledge gain than SUTCs with lower scores on these constructs; SUTCs with greater Task Knowledge (p < 0.001) regarding requirements for change exhibited less knowledge gain. Understanding the organizational-level factors impacting training effectiveness can inform efforts in organizational change and tobacco control program implementation.

ОЦІНКА ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ ГАЛУЗІ ПОСТАЧАННЯ ЕЛЕКТРИЧНОЇ ТА ТЕПЛОВОЇ ЕНЕРГІЇ В УКРАЇНІ В КОНТЕКСТІ ФОРМУВАННЯ ПРІОРИТЕТІВ ЕНЕРГЕТИЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ

The article highlights the current state and main trends in the development of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning in Ukraine for 2016–2020. The provision of the industry with production resources is established. There is an increase in the capital intensity of production, an increase in the value of fixed assets, tools against the background of a decrease in the number of full-time employees in the industry. The supply of electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning in Ukraine is one of the most powerful, accounting for about 25% of industrial sales. This has a significant impact on trends in economic activity of enterprises, the cost and competitiveness of domestic products, quality of life and social protection. Over the past 5 years, the country's electricity production has been steadily declining. This was primarily due to a reduction in the production of thermal power plants. Assessment of the dynamics of electricity production in terms of the main sources of supply in Ukraine indicates a change in its structure. The dominant role in electricity production belongs to nuclear power plants, which consistently occupy about 50%. Production of electricity from alternative sources is growing in Ukraine, its share in 2020 is more than 10%. The article compares capacity and energy production on the basis of renewable sources of individual countries in Europe and Ukraine. According to the data of 2020, it has been established that Ukraine has mastered investments in the installation of solar panels, windmills, hydroelectric power plants, thermal springs, but they do not produce energy in accordance with their capabilities. Consumer price indices for the main groups of energy goods and services in Ukraine for 2016–2020 were monitored. There is a constant excess of prices for electricity and heat compared to the general consumer price index for goods and services. There is an increase in the price disparity in the main sectors of the economy, which requires state control and regulation. Prospects for further development of Ukraine's electricity and heat supply sector based on the use of alternative sources and the formation of priorities of the strategy of socio-economic development for energy security and energy saving in accordance with European priorities are proposed.

Expansion of Surgical Graduate Medical Education Training Programs: A Return on Investment Analysis

BackgroundThe productivity of surgical departments is limited by the staffing of attending surgeons as well as surgical residents. Despite ongoing surgeon shortages, many health care organizations have been reluctant to expand training programs because of concerns about cost. We sought to determine the return on investment for the expansion of surgical training programs within our health system. MethodsThis study was completed as a retrospective review comparing two independent surgical departments at separate hospitals within a single integrated health system, including complete fiscal information from 2012 to 2019. Hospital A is a 594-bed hospital with large growth in its graduate surgical training programs over the study's period, whereas Hospital B is a 320-bed hospital where there was no expansion in surgical education initiatives. Case volumes, the number of full-time employees (FTE), and revenue data were obtained from our health systems business office. The number of surgical trainees, including general surgery residents and vascular surgery fellows, was provided by our office of Graduate Medical Education. The average yearly net revenue per surgeon was calculated for each training program and hospital location. ResultsOur results indicate a positive association between the number of surgical trainees and departmental net revenue, as well as the annual revenue generated per physician FTE. Each additional ancillary provider per physician FTE resulted in a positive impact of $112,552-$264,003 (R2 of 0.69 to 0.051). ConclusionsRegardless of hospital location or surgical specialty, our results demonstrate a positive association between the average net revenue generated per surgeon and the number of surgical trainees supporting the department. These findings are novel and provide evidence of a positive return on investment when surgical training programs are expanded.

Factors influencing successful hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) implementation in hypermarket stores

PurposeIn Taiwan, hypermarket stores should implement hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) according to regulations. The aim of this study was to investigate key factors influencing successful implementation of HACCP in hypermarket stores that prepare hot meals.Design/methodology/approachWe used a survey design and thus posted four questionnaires to each of the 136 hypermarket stores in Taiwan (two questionnaires for employees and two for managers). Therefore, a total of 544 questionnaires were posted, and 188 responses were received, yielding a 34.6% response rate.FindingsFood safety knowledge, teamwork, perceived cost, perceived benefit and leadership were tested. Binary logistic regression results indicated that food safety knowledge and teamwork were key factors related to successful HACCP implementation. Perceived cost, perceived benefit and leadership were not related to successful HACCP implementation. Control variables, such as number of full-time employees and number of products sold, were discovered to be related to successful HACCP implementation.Originality/valueOverall, the findings of this study can help the hypermarket industry assess its current quality management practices and focus on food safety performance improvement.

Rationales of gender diversity management policies and practices in India: an exploratory empirical study in the Indian IT/ITeS industry

PurposeThe Indian context is marked with weak anti-discrimination laws and patchy implementation of protection of civil rights of women at workplaces. The purpose of this paper is to unearth the rationales of the adoption of gender diversity management policies and practices in India, in the absence of laws and regulations.Design/methodology/approachInspiration is drawn from previous studies on diversity management in other national contexts, and a survey methodology was adopted. The lead researcher administered the questionnaires personally to all respondents to ensure that the understanding of the questions is uniform across respondents as gender diversity management is a relatively new concept in India.FindingsSize of the organisation (number of full-time employees), the influence of external organisations and perceived enhanced organisational flexibility were found to explain the adoption of gender diversity management policies and practices in the Indian IT/ITeS industry. Findings also indicate that Indian subsidiaries of foreign multinationals tend to adopt more gender diversity management policies and practices as compared to Indian-owned organisations.Research implicationsThis study provides evidence that organisations do not always enact structures or behaviours in the pursuit of normative rationality and also consider the economic value of them, establishing an organisational agency in adopting legitimated norms or practices. The study also shows that gender diversity management policies and practices are not only dependent on the enactment of laws but also are adopted because of the economic benefit perceived.Originality/valueDiversity management policies and practices have been mostly studied in national contexts with anti-discrimination laws or affirmative action programs and have been claimed to be a successor of equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies. In the absence of stringent laws to reduce or eliminate discrimination against women employees in Indian workplaces, this study contributes to the literature by determining whether the business case for gender diversity drives the adoption of gender diversity management in the Indian context.

Правове регулювання праці фахівців сфери фізичної культури та спорту в Україні

Marina SannikovaPurpose: to identify areas for improving the legal regulation of labor of specialists in the field of physical education and sports in Ukraine. Material & Methods: in this study, a methodological approach was used, according to which the legal regulation of labor of specialists in the field of physical culture and sports in Ukraine was considered from the point of view of the interaction of systems of different orders. Theoretical analysis and systematization of literary sources on the topic of the study made it possible to find out the problem field of the legal regulation of labor of specialists in the field of physical education and sports in Ukraine. The analysis of documentary materials made it possible to characterize the system of legal regulation of labor of specialists in the field of physical education and sports. The application of the system analysis method made it possible to understand the logic of the deployment of the entire system of labor relations at the national and world levels, to penetrate deeply into the content and industry specifics of labor relations, to analyze in general the general trends. Methods of mathematical statistics allowed us to determine the dynamics of indicators of staffing in the field of physical education and sports in Ukraine over the past 10 years. Results: the system of legal regulation of labor of specialists in the field of physical culture and sports is described, which includes the norms of domestic labor legislation, international legal acts on the protection of labor rights, as well as industry legislative and regulatory and program documents in the field of physical culture and sports. It was found that the number of full-time employees over the past 10 years has decreased by 8,3%, in particular, due to a decrease in the number of employees of higher educational institutions, sports facilities, sports trainers, trainers, teachers and sports teachers. Conclusion: the need for improving the legal regulation of labor of specialists in the field of physical culture and sports in Ukraine in the following areas has been clarified: the creation of a unified system of certification of fitness trainers and other fitness personnel, fixed at the state level; determination of common principles for the legal regulation of labor of professional athletes; monitoring the economic feasibility of training specialists of certain specialties in the field of physical education and sports by universities.

Organization Science improves management effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas

The ecological management effectiveness (EME) of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is the degree to which MPAs reach their ecological goals. The significant variability of EME among MPAs has been partly explained by MPA design, management and implementation features (e.g. surface area, enforcement, age of protection). We investigated EME variability by employing, for the first time, Organization Science. Eight Mediterranean MPAs were taken into account as case studies to explore the relationships between EME and MPA features, such as: 1) organizational size (i.e. the ratio between the number of full-time employees and the total MPA surface area), 2) management performance (i.e. the level of effort exerted to enhance and sustain the MPA management, including enforcement), 3) total surface area, and 4) MPA age. The log-response ratios of fish biomass and density in protected vs unprotected (control) areas were used as a proxy of EME. Management performance, organizational size and, to a lesser extent, MPA age were positively correlated with the log-response ratio of fish biomass, whereas total surface area did not display a significant role. None of the four features considered was significantly correlated with the log-response ratio of fish density. Based on our findings, we argue that the employment of Organization Science in the management effectiveness assessment can assist MPA managers to reach MPAs goals more effectively, with a more efficient use of available resources.

Adopting YouTube to Promote Health: Analysis of State Health Departments.

We describe videos posted to the YouTube video-sharing Web site by US state health departments (SHDs) and associated institutional factors. YouTube channels from SHDs were identified, their data retrieved, and their videos saved to a playlist on January 10, 2016. Ten randomly sampled videos from each channel were manually coded for topics. The 2012 Association of State and Territorial Health Officials profile survey was used to obtain information on staff, expenditure, and top 5 priorities for each SHD. Descriptive statistics and univariable regression were conducted. Forty-three SHDs had YouTube channels. Together, all SHDs posted 3957 videos, accumulated 12,151,720 views, and gained 6302 subscribers. In total, 415 videos were manually coded. Information about the agency (17.6%), communicable diseases (12.5%), and mother/infant health (8.9%) comprised the largest share of topics. No statistically significant association was observed between the log-transformed number of videos posted on an SHD's YouTube channel and any of the explanatory variables of SHD staffing and expenditure in 2011. The number of full-time employees (r = 0.34, p = 0.03), number of epidemiologists and biostatisticians (r = 0.41, p = 0.01), and 2011 total year expenditure (r = 0.38, p = 0.02) were positively correlated with the log-transformed number of views per YouTube video posted by SHDs. No meaningful patterns of statistical association were observed between the percentage of expenditure on a specific program area and the topics of videos. Most SHDs are using YouTube, which provides a unique opportunity for SHDs to disseminate health messages.

Small Businesses and Firm Growth

This study explores answers to the question—what are the drivers of firm growth? The authors used the World Bank’s Management, Organization and Innovation (MOI) survey data collected on a sample of 1777 firms in 12 countries, which include Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Germany. The analyses are focused on 905 small to medium sized firms that are initially fewer than 500 employees and founded after 1960. The dependent variable, firm growth was measured using the increase in the number of full time employees. The authors applied multilevel analyses using country as the grouping variable. The analyses of this article generated interesting results. First, whether the firm is/was partially owned by the state is not significantly related to firm growth, suggesting institutional effects are limited. Second, whether the managing director is also the founder of the business does not have significant effect on firm growth. Third, it can be found that firm age is a significant factor in firms’ growth such that younger firms grow faster. Fourth, in terms of organizational structure, the authors found that the changes in the number of levels between the frontline employee and the top managers in the last three years is significantly negatively related to firm growth suggesting a stable organizational structure helps firm growth. Lastly, in terms of organizational hierarchy, it can be found that the number of levels between top manager and a typical frontline employee is marginally positively related to firm growth, suggesting that a multilayered structure may assist firm growth.

Small Businesses and Firm Growth

This study explores answers to the question—what are the drivers of firm growth? The authors used the World Bank’s Management, Organization and Innovation (MOI) survey data collected on a sample of 1777 firms in 12 countries, which include Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Germany. The analyses are focused on 905 small to medium sized firms that are initially fewer than 500 employees and founded after 1960. The dependent variable, firm growth was measured using the increase in the number of full time employees. The authors applied multilevel analyses using country as the grouping variable. The analyses of this article generated interesting results. First, whether the firm is/was partially owned by the state is not significantly related to firm growth, suggesting institutional effects are limited. Second, whether the managing director is also the founder of the business does not have significant effect on firm growth. Third, it can be found that firm age is a significant factor in firms’ growth such that younger firms grow faster. Fourth, in terms of organizational structure, the authors found that the changes in the number of levels between the frontline employee and the top managers in the last three years is significantly negatively related to firm growth suggesting a stable organizational structure helps firm growth. Lastly, in terms of organizational hierarchy, it can be found that the number of levels between top manager and a typical frontline employee is marginally positively related to firm growth, suggesting that a multilayered structure may assist firm growth.

Growing a Bibliography

The Chandra Data Archive (CDA) has been tracking publications based on Chandra observations in journals and on-line conference proceedings since early in the mission. Our goals are two-fold: 1) provide a means for Chandra users to search literature on Chandra-related papers to further their scientific research; and 2) provide a means for measuring the science produced from Chandra data. Over the years the database and its associated tools have expanded dramatically. In this paper I will give a history of the development of the bibliography with a focus on the human capital involved, along with the skill sets and management structures developed which allow us to maintain a very rich and extensive bibliography with a limited number of full time employees (FTEs). I will also cover how the diverse metadata collected has made the Chandra bibliography an essential resource in managing the Chandra X-ray Center. This work has been supported by NASA under contract NAS 8-03060 to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for operation of the Chandra X-ray Center. It depends critically on the services provided by the ADS.

Trends in Overseas Philanthropy by Chinese Foundations

In recent years, Chinese foundations have become increasingly involved in overseas charitable activities. This paper first describes the current status of Chinese foundations’ involvement in overseas charitable activities, including the development stage, the extent of participation, and the scale and scope of donations. Next, the paper analyzes the factors that impact Chinese foundations’ overseas donations. The study finds that fund size and the secretary general’s age and gender have no significant impact on overseas donations. However, factors such as the frequency of exchanges between foundations and foreign non-governmental organizations, the number of full-time employees in the foundations, and the number of years of education of the secretary general affect the amount of foundations’ overseas donations to various extents. Finally, policy recommendations are presented to promote Chinese foundations’ overseas charitable activities.

Improving sustainable office building operation by using historical data and linear models to predict energy usage

Offices and retail outlets represent the most intensive energy consumers in the non-residential building sector and have been estimated to account for more than 50% of a building’s energy usage. Accurate predictions of office building energy usage can provide potential energy savings and significantly enhance the efficient energy management of office buildings. This paper proposes a method that applies multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models to predict energy consumption based on weather conditions and occupancy; thus, enabling a comparison of the use of these two types of modelling methods. In this study, four models of office sites at research institutions in different New Zealand regions were developed to investigate the ability of simple models to reduce margins of error in energy auditing projects. The models were developed based on the monthly average outside temperature and the number of full-time employees (FTEs). A comparison of the actual and predicted energy usage revealed that the models can predict energy usage within an acceptable error range. The results also demonstrated that each building should be investigated as an individual unit.