Organizational Characteristics Research Articles

The Moderating Effect of Stakeholders Management on the Relationship Between Organizational Characteristics and Performance of African Ports

The main objective of this study was to determine the moderating effect of stakeholders’ management on the relationship between organizational characteristics and the performance of seaports in Anglophone Africa. This study adopted a positivist research philosophy with a descriptive cross-sectional census survey design. Structured questionnaires were employed to collect primary data targeting executive managers of container-handling seaport terminals in Africa who are knowledgeable in port operations and management. Additional published data was also obtained from the websites of some of the ports. The response rate was 83.6%. The reliability and validity of the indicator items were ascertained through diagnostic tests. The use of SRMR and NFI confirmed model fitness. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling using Smartpls 4.0 software was used for data analysis and measurement model estimation to test the null hypothesis that there is no significant moderating effect of stakeholders’ management on the relationship between organizational characteristics and the performance of seaports in Africa. The finding established a positive and significant moderating effect of stakeholders’ management on the relationship. The study concluded that sound and competent stakeholders’ management enhances port container terminal performance thereby creating a competitive advantage for ports in Anglophone Africa. The study adds to new knowledge, theory, policy, and practice by recommending that seaports in Africa should mitigate possible conflicts from stakeholders while developing new ports or expanding existing ports by embracing stakeholder theory.

Implementing Organizational Change Strategies in US City Governments: Comparing Change Strategies and Influential Factors

ABSTRACT This study examines the implementation of organizational change strategies in city governments across the United States. Organizational change strategies include involving employees, merging units, and introducing bottom-up changes. Based on the analysis of data from a national survey, the study compares the implementation scores of the change strategies and tests the influence of financial conditions managerial factors, and organizational characteristics to the implementation. The findings reveal that merging agency units is the top change strategy and managerial attitudes affect the strategy of involving employees and merging units. The findings contribute to the research of public organizational change and government reforms.

Characteristics of Organizational Culture on the Quality of Health Services in Meepago Region (Nabire Regency) Study in the Field of Public Administration

This study aims to emphasizes the characteristics of organizational culture and its impact on the quality of health services in public administration in Nabire Regency. The main argument in this research places Robbins' idea of ​​organizational culture into the characteristics of primary organizational culture. Method used in this research is descriptive qualitative, with the data source from observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The findings in this research showed that secondary organizational cultural characteristics also had a dominant influence in shaping organizational culture at the research location. The findings in this research show that primary cultural characteristics alone are not enough to achieve optimal quality of health services, especially in conditions in countries or regions that have not yet been settled and established, but on this occasion I dared to add new organizational cultural characteristics which I call cultural characteristics. Further research can develop the results of this research to investigate health services with a wider scope or in different cases in other places.

Board gender diversity and donations in the microfinance industry: evidence from emerging economies

ABSTRACT The study examines the under-researched topic of the impact of board gender diversity on donation receipts in the microfinance sector. A global dataset of 1,177 unique MFIs from 83 countries between 2010 and 2018 was collected from the World Bank data catalog. Data were then analyzed using the Probit regressions alongside several robustness tests, including those correcting for endogeneity. Overall, the findings revealed that the presence of female directors increases the probability of MFIs receiving donations. The outcome highlights the significance of board gender diversity in fostering donor-valued organizational characteristics, such as transparency, accountability and trust. Moreover, we assessed the ‘critical mass theory’ and found that the probability of receiving donations is more pronounced among MFIs with a minimum of three female board directors. Furthermore, incorporating several financial performance indicators in the analysis exhibited that donors prioritize social objectives over the financial performance of MFIs.

Evaluating the Impact of Behavioral Stress on Employee Productivity and Innovation in the Higher Education Sector of Pakistan

This research examines the effect of behavioral stress on employees’ performance and innovativeness in the higher education Industry of Pakistan. This involves forces put on the employees from personal or organizational factors which place psychological and emotional strains on them. In HEIs, these pressures are further compounded by workload, management pressure and expectations, role clarity and identity confusion, and fast technological changes that characterize the sector that could impact on individual and contextual productivity. The proposed research also follows a mixed-methods approach aimed at identifying the correlation between behavioral stress with productivity and innovation of the employees. Using a questionnaire, quantitative data were obtained from academic as well as administrative staff drawn from different universities in Pakistan regarding their stress level, job performance, and innovation capability. More open-ended interviews were conducted to establish which of these causes of stress impinges on the employees’ performance of their creative roles and output. These findings revealed the negative relationship between behavioral stress and averagely poor productivity of the employees since the high levels of stress affected efficiency, job interest, and performance of the employees. Another area, which promote creativity, open-mindedness and freedom, failed as stressed workers said that they had lower probability to experiment or introduce new ideas. Other organizational characteristics like lack of support from managers, role ambiguity and also scarcity of resources compounded the stress level of the employees and thereby limiting their productivity and innovation. But the employees who had positive leadership styles and good organizational climate experienced less stress and worked better in terms of performance and innovation. Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that one of the constructs; behavior stress is a key factor that degrades both, productivity and innovation in higher education sector of Pakistan. To overcome this, institutions should come up with supportive policies that will enhance work life balance, communications and counseling services. Therefore, by dealing with stress organizers and self-organizers, higher education institutions can create the best working environment that will be healthy, innovative and productive.

Professional Health Literacy of General Practitioners - Results of the HLS-PROF

To date, there are only a few studies analyzing health professionals' health literacy (HL). Mostly, the focus has been on personal rather than professional HL. To bridge this gap, a new concept and an associated survey instrument have been developed in a three-country consortium. The aim of this article was to examine the professional HL of general practitioners (GPs) in Germany. The survey instrument used consists of 34 items and assesses subjective difficulties in four dimensions to be addressed in promoting patients' HL: "information and knowledge management", "conveying information and knowledge", "patient-centred communication", "professional digital HL". A total of 297 GPs and internists working in general practice were surveyed online over the summer of 2022. The professional HL (score from 0 to 100) was analyzed descriptively and examined in relation to gender, selected job-related, and organizational characteristics, using multiple linear regression. Depending on the four areas, GPs achieved approximately half to almost three-quarters of the highest possible score. The dimension "patient-centred communication" was perceived as the easiest, followed by "information and knowledge management", and "conveying information and knowledge". The most challenging dimension was "professional digital HL". According to the multivariate analysis, professional HL shows a relation to gender, organizational framework and training conditions, job duration, and coping with the diversity of digital information. The strength of correlation varies by area and is rather weak in some instances. The results demonstrate the importance of promoting professional HL of GPs and provide numerous indications of where to start. They also indicate that the regression models should be extended by additional determinants, since the included variables can explain only a small amount of variance.

Understanding Lived Experience Organizations: A Systematic Scoping Review of Organizational Elements and Characteristics.

Mental health lived experience organizations (LEOs) and their lived experience workforce are increasingly recognized as invaluable. However, a deeper understanding of the elements that enhance or inhibit LEOs' efficacy is required to learn how to sustain LEOs and support their workforce. Rapid international expansion has resulted in significant LEO growth and change, challenging many LEOs to adapt. With this rapid expansion, the field is evolving faster than many LEOs can keep pace with. This review, codesigned and coproduced in partnership with a LEO to draw on both lived experience and academic perspectives, aims for a deeper understanding of which elements within a LEO enhance or inhibit its efficacy, growth, and support for its lived experience workforce. A systematic search of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature, following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and JBI methodology, identified 60 records published in English between 2000 and 2022. The results indicate general agreement regarding which LEO elements are important (e.g., culture, leadership, board composition, organizational structure, financial arrangements, and professionalization). However, considerable disagreements exist regarding the relative influence of several of these elements, especially funding arrangements, in which funder and LEO values often diverge; training for increased lived experience professionalization; and partnerships with medical model-focused mental health services. Organizational disagreements relate to managing future LEO growth and advancing the lived experience workforce while preserving LEOs' unique characteristics that make them valued mental health services. Further research should examine community differences among LEOs, including hybrid LEOs within services and non-LEO mental health organizations.

Validation of a quantitative instrument measuring critical success factors and acceptance of Casemix system implementation in the total hospital information system in Malaysia

ObjectivesThis study aims to address the significant knowledge gap in the literature on the implementation of Casemix system in total hospital information systems (THIS). The research focuses on validating a...

Organizational Mediators of Sustainability in a Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT Background Prior systematic reviews and research have suggested that certain organizational characteristics and training methods may support the sustainability of new practices, yet these factors have not been adequately studied in behavioral health. Objective The objective of this study was to test the indirect effects of training design (e.g. training condition and consultation call attendance) on clinician-reported sustainability through post-training organizational resources, training exposure and utilization, and organizational climate. Method Fifty licensed outpatient clinics, including 100 clinicians, 50 supervisors, and 50 administrators were randomized to one of three training conditions: 1) Learning Collaborative (LC), 2) Cascading Model (CM), or 3) Distance Education (DE). All were trained to provide Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Data to assess training and implementation outcomes were collected at 4 time points coinciding with the training period: baseline, 6- (mid), 12- (post), and 24-months (1-year follow-up). Multi-level path analysis was utilized to examine the role of organizational barriers and training approaches on the sustainability of PCIT (caseload, protocol use, number of families seen). Results Clinician-reported resources, training exposure and utilization, and organizational climate varied among study conditions, with the most favorable conditions reported in the CM condition and the least favorable conditions reported in the LC condition. The CM condition was associated with greater PCIT caseload, more families served by the PCIT program, and less use of the full PCIT protocol as compared to the DE condition, while the LC condition was associated with fewer families served and more use of the full PCIT protocol. Conclusions Organizational factors such as available resources, organizational climate, and training exposure and utilization indirectly influence the effect of training approach and consultation on PCIT sustainability two years after baseline and vary based on condition. A possible mechanism of the cascading training model on sustainability, through increased organizational resources, was also identified.

The role of intellectual capital on zakat performance: insight from Indonesia

PurposeThis research aims to examine the impact of intellectual capital on zakat performance in Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachThe sample examined in this study consists of 39 zakat management organizations, encompassing 241 observations from 2010 to 2022. Zakat performance is measured using zakat excess efficiency score to align with the characteristics of zakat management organizations. The independent variables in this study are proxied by the components of intellectual capital. Data is analyzed using a panel data estimation technique.FindingsThe empirical findings indicate that human capital efficiency and capital employed efficiency positively and significantly impact zakat performance. In contrast, structural capital efficiency does not impact zakat performance. Meanwhile, value added intellectual coefficient positively and significantly impacts zakat performance.Practical implicationsThe findings in this study highlight the significance of managing intellectual capital in zakat management organizations. Furthermore, this research provides input to mandate the amil to undergo certification, develop information technology in zakat management, and enhance synergy among zakat management organizations in zakat distribution. Additionally, zakat regulators must oversee and standardize zakat management according to what is stipulated in the zakat core principles.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies using secondary data to examine intellectual capital and zakat performance in Indonesia.

Organizational characteristics of highly specialized units for people with dementia and severe challenging behavior

BackgroundPeople with dementia and severe challenging behavior in the Netherlands can be temporarily admitted to highly specialized units when their behavior is not manageable in regular dementia special care units (DSCUs). With scarce evidence available for the treatment of these patients, treatment in these units is in a pioneering phase. To gain more insight into these units, this study investigated organizational characteristics, i.e. admission and discharge characteristics, staffing, the physical environment, and the management of severe challenging behavior.MethodsThree data collection methods were used: 1) a digital questionnaire to be completed by the unit manager, 2) an interview with the physician responsible for medical care and often another practitioner, and 3) an observation of the physical environment for which the OAZIS-dementia questionnaire was used. Descriptive analysis was used for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data, after which data was interpreted together. Thirteen units participated, with their sizes ranging from 10 to 28 places.ResultsPatients were mainly admitted from regular DSCUs, home or mental health care, and discharged to regular DSCUs. A multidisciplinary team comprising at least an elderly care physician or geriatrician, psychologist, and nursing staff member and other therapists as needed provided the treatment. Nursing staff hours per patient considerably differed among units. Nursing staff played a central role in the treatment. Competences such as reflectiveness on one’s own behavior, and being able to cope with stressful situations were described as relevant for nursing staff. Investing in a stable nursing staff team was described as important. The units varied in whether their work-up was more intuitive or methodological. In the diagnostic phase, observation together with an extensive analysis of the patient’s biography was essential. The units used a broad variety of interventions, and all paid attention to sensory stimuli. In the observation of the physical environment, the safety scored well and domesticity relatively low.ConclusionHighly specialized units show strong heterogeneity in organizational characteristics and management, which can be understood in the light of the pioneering phase. Despite this, similarities were found in nursing staff roles, frequent multidisciplinary evaluation, and attention to sensory stimuli.

True Grit: Exploring Nonprofit Sector Resilience Following Economic Recessions

Abstract The nonprofit sector has been portrayed as resilient, describing a sector that persists despite challenges. We investigate nonprofit resiliency by examining how organizational characteristics, strategies, and community factors equipped organizations to recover following economic recessions. Utilizing a fixed effects panel regression model, our study covers a period of 29 years (1989–2018), encompassing three economic crises in the United States. The primary focus is examining the sector’s financial health and the resilience of the constituent organizations. Our findings describe a sector buoyed by the resilience of larger and older organizations, earned revenue, and contribution revenue, as well as the role of community factors in influencing the sector’s resilience. This study examines a wider timeframe and employs a more expansive sampling approach compared to previous studies on nonprofit resilience. In doing so, it contributes valuable insights to our understanding of the resilient sector.

Measuring psychotherapist functioning with the Therapist Work Involvement Scales (TWIS): reliability, factor structure, and measurement invariance

Objectives The Therapist Work Involvement Scales (TWIS) is a self-report research instrument that enables a multilayered description of psychotherapists’ experiences when treating clients. The TWIS was created in a comprehensive study of close to 5,000 psychotherapists, and has been used in multiple studies. The aim of the current paper is to clarify the organization and statistical characteristics of the TWIS, and to present an updated version for longitudinal and cross-sectional research. Methods Collection of a large sample of psychotherapy trainees made possible the use of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the dimensions and structure of therapists’ process experiences, assessing reliabilities, measurement invariance over gender, item statistics, and correlations with other measures to show concurrent and predictive validity. Results The CFAs largely confirmed the factor structure of four of the five facets, and of the global super-factors. The global factors of Healing Involvement and Stressful Involvement each showed substantial correlations with therapists’ attachment style and professional growth, and were used to describe four practice patterns that typify the experiences of therapists. Conclusion The results have shown the TWIS to be a statistically sound, multidimensional research instrument enabling therapists to describe their experience in current therapeutic work.

Las organizaciones sociales agrarias en el Uruguay contemporáneo: un abordaje desde la territorialidad asociativa

The current configuration of Latin American agrarian capitalism is expressed in the growth of the control of land and the commercialization of agricultural commodities, sustained by an increase in the degradation of basic natural resources and a decrease in the rural population and the number of workers. In this context, it is necessary to understand the political practice actions by social agricultural organizations concerning their material base, since changes in the existing territories have reshaped the associative relationships of these organizations. In this sense, this paper aims to present the main characteristics of social agricultural organizations in recent Uruguay under the conceptual perspective of associative territoriality. For this purpose, descriptive and interpretive research was used with a qualitative methodological design. Among the main results, the following stand out: i) the agrarian associative territoriality in predominant contemporary Uruguay refers to rural development societies and farming cooperatives, ii) such territoriality is concentrated in the central-southern region of the country, and iii) the predominance of associative territoriality refers to low intensity.

Development of a high-speed imaging system for real time evaluation and monitoring of cardiac engineered tissues.

Stem cell derived cardiac monolayers have high potential for tissue regeneration, in vitro drug testing and disease modeling. However, current differentiation protocols are still sub-optimal, resulting in cultures with variable yields and properties. We propose a high-speed lenseless imaging system, integrated with an electrical stimulation unit, to optimize the generation of these cultures. This tool relies on the variations of cellular patterns, during contraction, measured by digital imaging. The imaging system can monitor cardiac cell sheet function and structure, providing the necessary tools to quickly evaluate engineered monolayer. It can record high speed videos and capture high resolution images, from which tissue spatial organization and contractile characteristics can be obtained. Validation of the system was performed using cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cell and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. The imaging system allows the observation, acquisition and analysis of important data relating to contractile activity development of cardiac cells, making it a promising tool for optimization in cardiac tissue engineering.

Individual Interpretation and Usefulness of Agility in Work and Everyday Life

The global and local changes of the 21st century have brought new types of organisational characteristics to the fore. More and more businesses are looking at how to build more resilient, crisis-resilient organisations and what the real key is. There is a growing consensus that only flexible organisations that are open to change can be truly successful today (and in the future). Flexible organisations, agile companies, promise the greatest growth potential, and there is only one real explanation for this. These companies have the ability to change quickly and flexibly, whereas the vast majority of their competitors have not (or will not) be able to do the same. An organisation that can claim to have the hallmarks of a flexible, business agile organisational culture will have a significant competitive advantage. Agility goes beyond mere flexibility and encompasses a mindset and framework that enables a business to change quickly, make informed decisions and maintain a competitive advantage in a dynamic environment. Agility is also characterised by innovation and the ability to embrace change. We can imagine these at an organisational level, but how well do they translate at an individual level? This research, the results of which this paper seeks to present in more detail, has sought to identify and locate this. In addition to presenting the results, it also takes care to review the literature, which will enable us to draw conclusions about the real meaning and importance of agility, both at the individual and entrepreneurial level.

Comparison of Use Rates of Telehealth Services for Substance Use Disorder During and Following COVID-19 Safety Distancing Recommendations: Two Cross-Sectional Surveys.

The COVID-19 social distancing guidelines resulted in a dramatic transition to telephone and video technologies to deliver substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Before COVID-19, the question was "Will telehealth ever take hold for SUD services?" Now that social distancing guidelines have been lifted, the question is "Will telehealth remain a commonly used care modality?" The principal purpose of this investigation was to examine the extent to which telehealth use in SUD service settings persisted following the lifting of COVID-19 safety distancing recommendations. Additionally, the study aimed to explore practitioners' perceptions of telehealth convenience and value after its regular implementation during the pandemic. Specifically, the goal of this study was to compare telehealth activity between time intervals: May-August 2020 (during peak COVID-19 safety distancing recommendations) and October-December 2022 (following discontinuation of distancing recommendations). Specifically, we compared (1) telehealth technologies and services, (2) perceived usefulness of telehealth, (3) ease of use of telephone- and video-based telehealth services, and (4) organizational readiness to use telehealth. An online cross-sectional survey consisting of 108 items was conducted to measure the use of telehealth technologies for delivering a specific set of SUD services in the United States and to explore the perceived readiness for use and satisfaction with telephonic and video services. The survey took approximately 25-35 minutes to complete and used the same 3 sets of questions and 2 theory-driven scales as in a previous cross-sectional survey conducted in 2020. Six of 10 Regional Addiction Technology Transfer Centers funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration distributed the survey in their respective regions, collectively spanning 37 states. Responses of administrators and clinicians (hereafter referred to as staff) from this 2022 survey were compared to those obtained in the 2020 survey. Responses in 2020 and 2022 were anonymous and comprised two separate samples; therefore, an accurate longitudinal model could not be analyzed. A total of 375 staff responded to the 2022 survey (vs 457 in 2020). Baseline organizational characteristics of the 2022 sample were similar to those of the 2020 sample. Phone and video telehealth utilization rates remained greater than 50% in 2022 for screening and assessment, case management, peer recovery support services, and regular outpatient services. The perceived usefulness of phone-based telehealth was higher in 2022 than in 2020 (mean difference [MD] -0.23; P=.002), but not for video-based telehealth (MD -0.12; P=.13). Ease of use of video-based telehealth was perceived as higher in 2022 than in 2020 (MD-0.35; P<.001), but no difference was found for phone-based telehealth (MD -0.12; P=.11). From the staff's perspective, patients had greater readiness for using telehealth via phone than video, but the staff perceived their personal and organizational readiness for using telehealth as greater for video-based than for phone-based telehealth. Despite lower telephone and video use in 2022 for telehealth services than in 2020, both modalities continue to be perceived positively. Future research may further determine the relative cost and clinical effectiveness of video-based services and thereby help to address some sources of the noted challenges to implementation by SUD organizations.

Simultaneous Mapping of the Nanoscale Organization and Redox State of Extracellular Space in Living Brain Tissue.

The spatial organization characteristics and redox status of the extracellular space (ECS) are crucial in the development of brain diseases. However, it remains a challenge to simultaneously capture dynamic changes in microstructural features and redox states at the submicron level within the ECS. Here, we developed a reversible glutathione (GSH)-responsive nanoprobe (RGN) for mapping the spatial organization features and redox status of the ECS in brain tissues with nanoscale resolution. The RGN is composed of polymer nanoparticles modified with GSH-responsive molecules and amino-functionalized methoxypoly(ethylene glycol), which exhibit exceptional single-particle brightness and excellent free diffusion capability in the ECS of brain tissues. Tracking single RGNs in acute brain slices allowed us to dynamically map spatial organizational features and redox levels within the ECS of brain tissues in disease models. This provides a powerful super-resolution imaging method that offers a potential opportunity to study the dynamic changes in the ECS microenvironment and to understand the physiological and pathological roles of the ECS in vivo.

Organizational and patient factors associated with positive primary care experiences for veterans with current or recent homelessness.

To identify organizational service features associated with positive patient ratings of primary care within primary care clinics tailored to accommodate persons with ongoing and recent experiences of homelessness (PEH). PEH receiving primary care in 29 United States Veterans Health Administration homeless-tailored clinics were surveyed about their primary care experience using the validated Primary Care Quality-Homeless (PCQ-H) survey. Characteristics of the clinics were assessed through surveys of clinic staff using a new organizational survey developed through literature review, site visits, statistical analysis, and consensus deliberation. Cross-sectional examination of patients' ratings of care based on surveys of patients, and of clinic characteristics, analyzed with Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis, a form of machine learning. Patient surveys (n = 3394) were obtained from a random sample of enrolled patients by both mail and telephone by an external survey contractor. Staff (n = 52 from 29 clinics) were interviewed by telephone. This analysis identified service features that impact patient experience favorably, including aspects of patient-centeredness, team identity, strong external leadership support, and service that reach beyond traditional primary care clinic confines. Results varied according to the patient experience scale analyzed. Individual characteristics of PEH, such as degree of social support, general health, and unsheltered status, were also correlated with how they rate care. Organizational characteristics correlate with ratings of primary care from patients with recent and ongoing homelessness. Primary care programs serving homeless individuals can assure better care based on who they hire, how they foster team identity, what services they provide, and the strength of leadership support to protect a homeless-focused mission.

Competing in the "war for talent" in nursing homes: A quantitative investigation.

This study explores the characteristics of primary care organizations that are likely to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, meeting their expectations and increasing Person-Organization fit. Both "hard" dimensions (ownership) and organizational/managerial traits under the span of control of management are investigated. The objective is to raise awareness on how to mitigate unpopular features of primary healthcare organizations so to effectively compete in the war for talent. This study has been carried out based on data extrapolated from a broader study conducted by the Italian National Agency for Regional Health Services and commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Health. Data deriving from Italian nursing homes was extrapolated from the broader public dataset and multiple regressions were carried out to detect associations between managerial variables and staff seniority. Several significant associations were detected, suggesting that both physicians and nurses are affected by some investigated variables when deciding where to work and for how long. While some of these are common to the two categories of professionals (e.g., the presence of a nursing director), others are not (e.g., the presence of internal training programs). The implications of this study are related to the need of increasing awareness of managers of nursing homes on those features that are likely to increase their attractiveness and long-lasting appeal to professionals. This is a paramount topic in times in which the war for talent is strong. A lack of attention on this field may lead to the inability to attract and retain staff in primary care settings and, in turn, to implement strategic trends of change healthcare systems are facing in Italy and worldwide.