Participation In Decision Research Articles

Investigating the effect of participatory management with a macro-ergonomics approach on organizational productivity through the mediating variable employee empowerment and participation )case study: General Directorate of Technical and Vocational Trainin

Introduction: By directly affecting the environment and creating employee satisfaction, ergonomics creates quality products or services, organizational productivity, and customer satisfaction. Participation is a kind of participation and involvement in decision-making, planning, and implementation. The present research was conducted to evaluate and measure the impact of collaborative management with macro ergonomics on organizational productivity through the mediating variable of employee empowerment and participation in the General Directorate of Technical and Vocational Training of Fars province. Materials and Methods: This research is a descriptive survey type. To carry out this research, 208 employees of the General Directorate of Technical and Vocational Training of Fars province were selected in 1402 by a simple sampling method based on the Karjesi and Morgan formula. Four standard questionnaires of participatory management, employee empowerment, organizational productivity, and employee participation were used to collect data. The reliability of the questionnaires was investigated using Cronbach's alpha, and the content validity ratio (CVR) was used for the validity of the questionnaires. The effect of participatory management with macro ergonomics on organizational productivity was evaluated using the paired t-test. Also, SPSS and AMOS statistical software were used for data analysis. Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the standard questionnaire of participatory management, employee empowerment, organizational productivity, and employee participation was 0.803, 0.755, 0.790, and 0.946, respectively, and the CVR value of the questionnaires was calculated 1, 0.99, 1 and 1 respectively. And therefore the validity and reliability of the questionnaires were confirmed. This research showed that participatory management has a positive and significant effect on the empowerment of employees from the perspective of macro ergonomics and productivity (p=0.034). The positive impact of empowering employees on the organization's productivity was confirmed with the perspective of macro ergonomics and employee participation (p=0.041) Finally, the mediating role of employee empowerment and employee participation on organizational productivity was confirmed (p=0.031). Conclusion: According to the obtained results, the application of macro ergonomics leads to an increase in the acceptance power of employees and commitment to changes, and provides the most suitable help to improve their safety, satisfaction, and productivity.

Women's Empowerment and Associated Factors in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: A Secondary Data Analysis of the Performance Monitoring Assessment Survey.

Empowering women and promoting gender equality is crucial for accelerating sustainable development in fragile countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, there is scarce existing knowledge or understanding of the factors determining women's empowerment in these contexts. We aimed to assess women's empowerment and determine its associated factors in Kinshasa, DRC. We analyzed data from the 2021 Performance Monitoring Assessment (PMA) survey. A sample of 1365 women of childbearing age was retained for this study. Twenty empowerment items related to household decision-making, contraception use, and husband/partner influence were considered. We calculated the average women's empowerment index (aWEI), identified the women's empowerment variables using principal component analysis (PCA), and determined the associated factors for the first three principal components through the performance of multivariate binary logistic regression. In Kinshasa, the overall aWEI was estimated at 0.65. It was low for household decision-making (0.34) and high for husband/partner influence domains (0.93). Three principal components were identified and named, including the absence of threats, control of sexuality, and participation in decision-making. The factors associated with these components were having internet access, being in free union with a partner, being aged 40-49 years, and residing in a non-slum area. Increasing access to information would enable women in Kinshasa to make strategic decisions about their lives, benefiting themselves and others.

Effective nursing leadership as a catalyst for person-centered care and positive nursing-patient interactions: evidence from a public Ghanaian hospital

Person-centered care (PCC) is crucial to patient engagement in healthcare enhancing patients’ participation in critical care decision-making, increasing care disclosure, reducing medication errors, and promoting satisfaction with care outcomes. Healthcare management and leadership practices contribute to effective communication and interactions between healthcare providers and patients, which is vital for quality PCC outcomes and patient perceptions of care providers. However, little is known about how nursing leadership influences PCC and clinical interactions in the Ghanaian setting, which this study saw as a gap and aims to fill. This paper reports data from interdisciplinary exploratory qualitative research to examine the impacts of nursing leadership practices on nurse-patient relationships and care outcomes. Nurses (11), patients (22), and caregivers (11) participated in the study. Data were gathered in Ghana through interviews, focus groups, and participant observations and analyzed thematically. The three themes which emerged were: hospital leadership and the nursing staff, healthcare management practices, and communication barriers regarding how nursing leadership impacts PCC. Poor relationships between nurses and hospital leaders affected nurses’ caring practices. Management practices, including an annual rotation of nurses across different patient wards and exigent patient record management routines, negatively impacted care delivery and patient-provider interactions. These leadership practices and the strained relationships between nurses and hospital leaders potentially derail effective PCC. Nursing and hospital managers must embrace transformational leadership and healthcare management practices, especially in resource-scare settings, that foster a trusting care culture and/or environment for therapeutic nurse-patient relationships to thrive and for PCC to be actualized.

Impact of cluster farming on wheat productivity and net benefit among smallholder farmers in Lemu-Bilbilo and Hetosa districts of Arsi Zone, Ethiopia

This study focuses on identifying the determinants of cluster farming participation decisions and the impact of cluster farming on smallholder wheat farmer’s productivity in the two districts of Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. The study utilized cross-sectional data and a multistage sampling procedure to select a total of 381 respondents from the two districts of Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. The endogenous switching regression model was employed to achieve the research objectives. The study result indicates that sex of the household head, education level, size of cultivated land, access to training, membership in a farmer's cooperative, access to information and social responsibility of the household head influenced cluster farming participation positively and significantly, while distance from the nearest market had a negative and significant effect on cluster farming participation. Furthermore, the study shows that, if participants had decided not to practice cluster farming, their wheat yield and net benefit would have decreased by 33.57 and 40.08%, respectively. Similarly, had non-participants decided to participate, their wheat yield and net benefit would have increased by 46.79 and 102.49%, respectively. The study recommends that policymakers and development organizations should consider cluster farming as a main strategy to increase smallholder farmer’s productivity. Moreover, the study calls for government and institutional assistance in the areas of education services, training, extension services, infrastructure (particularly access to markets), and cooperative development. Moreover, policy and development measures should address the issue of gender disparities in cluster farming participation.

Child citizenship and participation: Bottom-up level change from professional conversations with children

Hart's (1992) 'Innocenti Essay on Child Participation' advocated for increased involvement of young people as active participants in societal decision-making. This paper provides a historical overview of active child citizenship initiatives, using applied research insights from 'bottom-up' approaches and conversations with children and professionals. It explores how current practices exemplified through three case studies can enhance genuine child participation and citizenship. The case study analysis examines the conversational processes involving children in problem-solving and decision-making within their communities. Through these examples, the paper highlights practical strategies for meaningfully engaging children as stakeholders and empowering them as active citizens whose voices substantially influence matters impacting their lives.

Hoping for community in a technologically decelerated world - A critical utopian approach

Against the backdrop of technological acceleration during the Covid-19 pandemic, this paper addresses how educational practitioners’ hopes articulate a critique of the present and simultaneously give voice to (im)possible futures. Drawing on Bloch's "principle of hope" (1995), Appadurai's "traces of future" (2021) and Levitas’ "utopia as method" (2013), we utilize a critical utopian approach inspired by Muñoz (2009). We interviewed educational practitioners who worked with young people during the pandemic, and identify three themes articulating our interviewees’ hopes for technologically decelerated futures: 1) young people’s participation in decision-making, which is linked to the wish for more visibility for young people in the future; 2) mutual care, which is interwoven with the wish for support in young people’s lives to be more reliable; 3) appreciation for other groups, opinions and ways of life, which is linked to the wish for more future interpersonal understanding. These three themes point to an overarching desire for solidarity in community which needs time, occasions, role models and spaces of encounter. We discuss the priority of technologically decelerated hopes and conclude with implications for future research that brings together imaginations of futures, observations of practical action and designs for future artefacts.

Do outgrower schemes enhance technology adoption and productivity? Evidence from maize farmers in Northern Ghana

AbstractNucleus outgrower schemes are contractual arrangements where well‐resourced large‐scale farmers (nucleus farmers) are empowered by development support agencies to take charge of smallholder farmers, by providing them with market access and the necessary training on agronomic practices and farm inputs for production. In this study, we examine the impact of participation in outgrower scheme on technology adoption and farm productivity, using data from 634 smallholder maize farmers in Northern Ghana. We use the linear regression with endogenous treatment effects model to account for both observable and unobservable selection bias. The results reveal positive and significant marginal effects of outgrower scheme participation on technology adoption and maize yields. Outgrower scheme participants applied 6% and 82% more inorganic fertilizer and weedicides, respectively, than nonparticipants. Maize yield increased by about 3% for the participants more than nonparticipants. The findings also show that factors such as distance to market, distance to nucleus farmers' satellite office, nucleus outgrower scheme awareness, input price, and farmer‐based organization significantly influence outgrower scheme participation decisions, as well as technology adoption and maize yields.

Access to colorectal cancer screening for Pakistani immigrants in Norway – a qualitative study

BackgroundThe Norwegian colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program started in May 2022. Inequalities in CRC screening participation are a challenge, and we expect that certain groups, such as immigrants, are at risk of non-participation. Prior to the start of the national screening program, a pilot study showed lower participation rates in CRC screening among immigrants from Pakistan. These immigrants are a populous group with a long history in Norway and yet have a relatively low participation rate also in other cancer screening programs. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore perspectives and factors influencing CRC screening participation among immigrants from Pakistan in Norway.Materials and methodsIn this study we used a qualitative study design and conducted 12 individual interviews with Pakistani immigrants aged between 50 and 65 years. The participants varied in terms of gender, age, education, work, residence time in Norway and familiarity with the Norwegian language and culture. We performed thematic analysis with health literacy as a theoretical framework to understand Pakistani immigrants’ perspectives on CRC screening.ResultsWe identified four main themes: Health-related knowledge, the health care system, screening, and social factors. Within these themes we identified several factors that affect Pakistani immigrants’ accessibility to CRC screening. These factors included knowledge of the causes and development of cancer, sources of health-related information, the general practitioner’s role, understanding of screening and the intention behind it, language skills and religious beliefs.ConclusionThere are many factors influencing Pakistani immigrants’ decision of participation in CRC screening. The roles of the general practitioner and adult children are particularly important. Key elements to improve accessibility to CRC screening and enable informed participation for Pakistani immigrants are measures that improve personal and organizational health literacy.

Citizens' cultural values and urban green spaces in Colombia: An experimental analysis

Urban green spaces (UGS), such as urban forests, green corridors, and parks, are vital for societal well-being and environmental health. Despite extensive research on the economic value of parks, our understanding of how cultural values affect the appreciation of urban green spaces within parks remains limited. To address this, we conducted a Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) focusing on revitalizing a key urban park in Colombia and developed four cultural indexes. Our investigation revealed that the majority of these indexes had a significant impact on households' preferences for increased access to such areas. Specifically, households' utility increases significantly when they have more urban green spaces available, and when their indexes for environmental collectivity, long-term orientation, and femininity increase simultaneously. However, the uncertainty index showed no significant effect on household utility. Based on these findings, we recommend specific policy actions. Supporting environmental collectivity through volunteer programs and community projects aimed at conserving urban green spaces is crucial. It is essential to promote environmental education and raise awareness of pro-environmental measures for future generations. Additionally, it is important to promote gender equality through awareness-raising, education, and policies that ensure equitable participation in decision-making.

An investigation into the influence of context effects on crowd exit selection under gender difference in indoor evacuation.

Exit selection is crucial in indoor emergency evacuation. Domestic and foreign scholars have found that exit choice behavior is influenced by three factors: environmental factors, social interactions, and individual internal factors. Previous studies have shown that in addition to a single environmental factor affecting exit decisions, the influence of other available exit options in the context can ultimately lead to a reversal of exit decisions -The context effect. However, the impact of context effects on exit decisions in emergency situations has not been thoroughly explored. Therefore, this article identifies three basic independent variables: context effects, crowd flows, and gender differences, to study the exit decisions of different gender groups facing different crowd flows, as well as how context effects affect existing exit decisions. In this paper, we used virtual reality technology to construct an indoor fire scene and designed a total of 15 virtual experiments with different crowd distribution or context effects. 131 participants were divided into two groups, male and female, and their exit decisions were observed under different crowd flows and contextual effects. The research results show that: 1) Both men and women have an innate preference to avoid crowded exits, and the proportion of following crowd evacuation significantly decreases when there are crowded crowds in the scene; 2) The exit decisions of female participants are more influenced by the crowd, while men tend to be more influenced by context effects when evacuating independently; 3) The context effects on exit decisions in emergency situations is statistically significant, and this performance is more significant in the male population. Further analysis reveals that similarity effects have a more significant impact on exit decisions than attraction effects. These findings provide deeper insights into the exit choice behavior of the population and may contribute to the design of safe exits in indoor buildings. In addition, this article emphasizes the importance of context effects and provides a foundation for future research.

From alert to action: earthquake early warning and deaf communities

AbstractEarthquake early warning (EEW) alerts may give people valuable seconds to take protective action, such as drop, cover and hold on, before earthquake shaking starts. In order for individuals to take protective action, they need to receive the alert, understand the alert message, and have enough contextual knowledge to take appropriate protective action. Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH+) persons do not have equitable access to earthquake information, warning systems, training, and participation in disaster decision-making at all levels. Despite international policies for emergency alerts to be accessible to people with disabilities, there are no research publications that specifically address the effectiveness of EEW alerts for DHH+ communities. Missed notifications and misunderstandings about elements of the EEW alert message can delay the response time of DHH+ persons. Furthermore, unequal access to earthquake drills and preparedness information can leave DHH+ persons with insufficient context to take protective action when receiving alerts. The existing gaps in effectiveness of the EEW alerts stem from language inequities for DHH+ persons in our schools, workplaces and families, which we analyze by applying linguistic anthropological and sociolinguistic frameworks to examine the nexus of DHH+ communities’ languages and EEW messaging. To advance language equity in EEW alerting, inclusion of DHH+ communities can improve messaging and reduce misunderstandings so that DHH+ persons can quickly take protective action when they receive an alert.

¿La Recomendación General N.º 24 de la Convención sobre la Eliminación de todas las Formas de Discriminación contra la Mujer amplía o construye una interpretación para los Estados Partes?

Objectives: This study examines whether General Recommendation (GR) No. 24, on women's health, broadens or constructs interpretations for the State parties of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Methodology: A documentary and bibliographical research was conducted to collect data and critically review international documents and specialized literature. The results were analyzed through critical-narrative review. Results: The Convention covers women's rights, including health, and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issues general recommendations to guide its implementation by State parties. GR No. 24 expands the original recommendations, addressing issues such as sexual health, gender-based violence, and participation in decision-making. Conclusions: The political interpretation of the Convention, as advocated by Kelsen, enables the observation of the needs and political context of the State parties. GR No. 24 expands the recommendations, reflecting the need to adapt public policies to global changes and women's needs. Submission: 03/18/24| Review: 06/02/24| Approval: 06/03/24

The impact of digital finance on young People's health insurance participation decisions in China.

The digital finance era has reshaped young people's lifestyles, risk perceptions and insurance participation decisions. Modern youth have to constantly seek for rational social security support and construct individual protection barriers to adapt to new lifestyles and social structures. China's multi-tiered, universal health insurance system is urgently needed to satisfy young people's flexible needs and rational decision-making. Based on the micro data from 2011 ~ 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), this paper uses macro data from Digital Inclusive Finance Index (DIFI) matching to construct probit and m-logit model to assess the impact of the development of digital finance on Chinese youth whether or not to participate in health insurance, and how they choose the concrete type of health insurance. (1) Baseline regression results shows that digital finance has a significant positive effect on Chinese youth's health insurance participation decisions, and has different effects on choices within health insurance types. Strong support for the conclusions is provided by endogeneity and robustness tests. (2) The results of the heterogeneity analysis reveal that the marginal effect of digital finance on young people's health insurance decisions shows urban-rural differences, divergence in levels of self-rated health. (3) The mechanism analysis results suggest that there are two mechanism paths of digital finance on youth health insurance decisions: the household income effect and the subjective well-being effect, and two moderating effects: employment type and family structure. Highlighting the positive value that digital finance brings to the perception of youth insurance participation and the construction of social security systems, it needs to pay close attention to the dynamic changes in employment security and family structure through data, and explore the socio-psychological fluctuation and demand for social security among modern youth. To provide a way forward to achieve the integration of the health insurance system in China and solve the current problem of health insurance equity.

Effects of Teachers’ Participation in Decision-Making on Organisational Commitment in Ghanaian Basic Schools

This study investigated the effects of teachers’ participation in decision-making in Ghanaian basic schools on their organisational commitment. The study utilised a descriptive survey design to randomly select 285 teachers from the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality of the Greater Accra region of Ghana to participate in the research. The generated data were analysed using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations), confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling. The results showed that teachers moderately participated in school decision-making. Similarly, their level of organisational commitment to the teaching profession was moderate. Finally, the effect of teacher participation in decision-making on organisational commitment was positive and statistically significant. The study’s findings suggest that implementing shared leadership models, where teachers are consistently involved in discussions about school policies, curriculum development, and other critical areas, can enhance their commitment and performance. Consequently, the study recommends that school leaders initiate pragmatic policies to promote teachers’ participation in decision-making, thereby increasing their organisational commitment.

Participation of Gapoktan Sidomakmur Members in Purworation Village, Purwosari Subdistrict

Community or member participation is one of the important aspects in the running of an institution or organisation. This research was conducted to analyse the participation of Gapoktan Sido Makmur members. It is a research that uses qualitative approach. Determination of informants was done by purposive sampling with key informants and snowball sampling techniques, a total of 12 informants. Data validity used triangulation as a method to validate the data. The discussion was conducted with reference to the theory of Totok Mardikanto and Subianto. The results show that the participation of Gapoktan Sidomakmur members is divided into four types, namely decision-making, implementation of activities, monitoring and evaluation of activities, and utilisation of development results. Participation in decision-making is still low due to lack of understanding, ineffective communication, and lack of awareness among members. In contrast, participation in the implementation of development activities is high due to members' commitment and awareness of the benefits. However, participation in monitoring and evaluation is still low due to a lack of understanding of the importance of these activities. On the other hand, participation in utilisation of development outcomes is high, indicating members' awareness and commitment to engage in economic and social activities resulting from development.

"Fertility-friendly hospitals": A key measure to promote long-term and balanced population development in China.

In response to the twin challenges of an aging population and declining birth rates, Zhejiang, China pioneered the concept of "fertility-friendly hospitals" in 2022 to support families and individuals in navigating the complexities of childbirth. Although fertility-friendly hospitals have not yet scaled up in number, their potential benefits and the challenges they face are evident. These facilities aim to provide comprehensive services from preconception to postnatal care, necessitating a high level of specialization and resource allocation, with an emphasis on patient education and participatory decision-making. Currently, there is an uneven distribution of resources across regions in China, with the density of maternal and child health care facilities in developed areas exceeding that of less developed regions by more than tenfold. The establishment of fertility-friendly hospitals will help to slow the pace of population aging and mitigate further declines in birth rates, thereby balancing the population composition and promoting long-term equitable social development. However, they also face challenges in balancing resources, improving the quality of services, and improving accessibility across different regions. As the concept is promoted and practiced, fertility-friendly hospitals are expected to become a significant force supporting Chinas population policy.

Supporting child and youth participation in service design and decision-making: The ReSPECT approach

The ReSPECT Project (Reconceptualising Services from the Perspectives of Children and Teens) was conducted in a disadvantaged urban community in Australia, with young people who experience marginalisation and who were involved with multiple service agencies across a range of service sectors. Its purpose was to work closely with young people to understand their experiences of service engagement, their perspectives on the service priorities for young people in their area, and to support them in the development, trial and implementation of a youth led service initiative. This paper describes the methodology employed with the young people, its theoretical underpinnings, and the challenges that needed to be overcome in the conduct of this research. Critical to the ReSPECT approach is relationship building and capacity development with local service providers. This aspect of our work is also briefly described in this paper. The ReSPECT approach makes a significant contribution to the participatory methodological literature. It is distinctive from existing approaches because (1) it gives equal attention to the sustained engagement and scaffolding of young people in the development of ideas, and to the capacity building of service providers addressing organisational culture and constraints; (2) it follows the process of service change from the conceptualisation of youth-led ideas, through to development, partnership, implementation and evaluation; and (3) it is designed for engagement with marginalised young people with diverse service experiences, whose voices are so often absent from participatory projects.

OLIY TA’LIMDA O‘QUV TARBIYA JARAYONI KREATIV YONDASHUV ASOSIDA BOSHQARUV JARAYONLARI

In this article, a lot of scientific information is given about the processes of management of the educational process in higher education based on a creative approach. In addition, attention is paid to the integration of creative approaches in the administrative processes of higher education institutions, their impact on improving the educational experience and institutional efficiency. This article explores a variety of strategies, including participatory decision-making, flexible policy design, and the innovative use of technology, to show how creative management can address contemporary challenges in higher education.

Examining the Relationship between Age, Cash Transfers, Loneliness, and Work Participation Decisions of Elderly People in Malaysia

Objective – The enlargement of the ageing population in Malaysia at an expeditious speed has sparked great concerns of many parties. It is anticipated that Malaysia will become an ‘aged nation’ by 2030 as predicted by many statisticians. This study attempted to provide insights into policy design to create a sustainable community for elderly people in Malaysia, which is in line with one of the 17 SDGs, i.e., SDG-11. Methodology – Productive and healthy ageing is the key to form a sustainable community for elderly people. This research offers an in-depth examination of the interconnections among loneliness, intergenerational financial support, and demographic factors as they influence the employment decision-making processes of elderly people in Malaysia. Findings – Through an analysis of the interplay between these elements, our study sheds light on the intricate factors that contribute to the labour force participation of the elderly, enhancing our comprehension of the multifaceted nature of elder employment trends within the nation. To examine and compare the relationship, univariate, bivariate and logistic regression analyses were employed. Novelty – All analyses showed all explanatory variables in this study are significantly related to the labour force participation of elderly men. In the case of elderly women, the loneliness status variable is not significant. There are some limitations acknowledged in this study that limit the study’s findings, and few suggestions for the future study were provided at the end of this study. Type of Paper: Empirical JEL Classification: 14, J18, J22 Keywords: elderly people; gender differences; intergenerational cash transfer; labour force participation; loneliness; sustainability Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Chung, C.F.; Voo, I.C.; Hamid, R.A. (2024). Examining the Relationship between Age, Cash Transfers, Loneliness, and Work Participation Decision of Elderly People in Malaysia, J. Bus. Econ. Review, 9(1), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.35609/jber.2024.9.1(2)

Coordination and Development of Public Interest Protection and Administrative Legal Construction

The purpose of this study is to deeply explore the internal relationship between the protection of public interests and the construction of administrative rule of law, and put forward some strategic suggestions to promote their coordinated development. By analyzing the relationship between public interest guarantee and administrative rule of law construction, this study reveals the mutual promotion relationship between them: public interest guarantee is an important goal of administrative rule of law construction, and administrative rule of law construction is an effective means to realize public interest guarantee. On this basis, this study puts forward a series of strategic suggestions, including improving the system of administrative laws and regulations to provide solid legal protection, strengthening administrative supervision to prevent power abuse and corruption, and promoting openness of government affairs, enhancing transparency and public participation in government decision-making, so as to promote democratic and scientific decision-making. These strategies are aimed at ensuring the maximum protection of public interests and promoting the continuous improvement and development of administrative rule of law. This study is of great theoretical and practical significance for deepening the understanding of the relationship between the protection of public interests and the construction of administrative rule of law, and guiding the policy formulation and implementation in practice.