Perceptions Of Managers Research Articles

Exploring how community context informs variations in local perceptions of forest disturbance and land management in Colorado over time

Place-based socio-economic and biophysical context has been viewed as an essential driver in shaping perceptions of forest risks and land management. Growing evidence of the importance of diverse community context in forested landscapes sets the stage to further consider how people's understandings of their local environment influence natural resource management preferences. However, research to date largely lacks considerations of how community context informs social responses to long-term environmental change over time. Using the mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak in Colorado, we analyze and compare longitudinal interview and survey data collected from nine north-central Colorado communities to understand the relationships between community context and changing perceptions of forest disturbance and engagement with land management. Both qualitative and quantitative findings show that community context framed and continues to inform variations in local perceptions of the MPB outbreak and forest management. Interviews with key informants provided rich narratives on different context-based trajectories in local residents' perceptional responses, while survey data allowed for general patterns of evolving community variations (e.g., stable or clearer community clustering, reduced community differences) to be uncovered. We explore methodological implications for community indication and future directions for understanding differing community responses to slow-moving environmental change. Incorporating knowledge of changing local contexts and variations can also help practitioners advance toward more dynamic and effective management strategies.

Perception and Practices of Personal Financial Management among Generation Z in Indonesia

Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2010, is notable for its proficiency with technology, social media presence, expressiveness, tolerance, and multitasking abilities. The advancement of technology, combined with these qualities, raises the possibility that Generation Z will have consumerist tendencies. This study aims to examine Generation Z's perceptions and practices of personal financial management in Indonesia. The research employs a qualitative approach with data collection through literature review. The Significance of Personal Financial Management, Building Economic Stability Through Financial Literacy are some of the major subjects that were investigated. The results revealed that by managing their finances, Generation Z may achieve their goals, protect themselves from uncertainty, and contribute significantly to society. Personal financial management is essential for ensuring financial security and personal well-being. Developing financial literacy in Generation Z is obviously vital to ensuring economic stability. Providing people with the knowledge and abilities to handle their money wisely helps to improve both their financial security and the overall stability of the economy. One of the primary responsibilities of the Indonesia Financial Services Authority, also known as Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, or OJK, is to promote financial literacy throughout the country. Financial literacy is critical for both individual financial well-being and economic stability.

Impact of Conflict Management Practices on Employee Performance in Organizations

This study examines the relationship between conflict management and employee performance within an organization, defining organizational conflict as a dispute arising from incompatible interests, goals, or values among individuals or groups. The primary research question investigates the effect of conflict management on employee performance, with sub-questions exploring the importance of conflict management on employee productivity and its consequences on organizational dynamics. The main hypothesis posits that conflict management positively affects employee performance, supported by a sub-hypothesis suggesting similar positive impacts on organizational management. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, data were collected from secondary sources including journals, books, and websites. The findings highlight both positive and negative impacts of conflict management on organizational outcomes. The study addresses the extent of the relationship between conflict management strategies and employee performance, as well as the perceptions of employees and management regarding the effectiveness of these strategies.

Quality Management System in Social Protection Institutions in Relation to Established Goals and Processes

This paper aims to determine the relationship of social protection institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina about quality in the segment of establishing goals and processes within the institution. Quality management in social protection institutions systematically, which implies establishing a quality management system, would contribute to fulfilling their function, reflected in better satisfaction of overall user needs, increased user satisfaction, and societal satisfaction as a whole. In this study, we employed methods such as document content analysis and examination. For data collection, a specialized instrument in the form of a survey questionnaire comprising indicators of goals and processes with three new scales was devised. We applied scaling techniques in collecting data from respondents, employees of social work centers, and relevant non-governmental organizations. Hypothesis testing employed sorting techniques and statistical data processing. The research results showed that the management of social protection institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina is sufficiently oriented towards quality management in the segment of establishing goals and processes within the institution, with evident differences in the perception of quality management according to goals and processes relative to the educational status of employees.

Farmers’ Perception and Practice of Soil Fertility Management and Conservation in the Era of Digital Soil Information Systems in Southwest Nigeria

This study assessed the perception and use of digital applications for soil fertility management and conservation strategies among small-scale crop farmers in southwest Nigeria. A total of 376 farmers were randomly selected across the six southwest states. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The majority of the farmers relied on perception and other non-scientific approaches such as the appearance of weeds and performance of crops in the previous season to assess soil fertility. Only 1.1% and 0.3% of the farmers assessed soil fertility through soil tests and digital applications, respectively. Most farmers adopted bush fallowing and the use of inorganic fertilizers to improve soil fertility. Although 4.8% of the farmers indicated that they had digital applications on their mobile phones, only 2.9% claimed to have used these. More than half (56.4%) of the farmers stated that a lack of awareness of the existence of digital applications and internet-enabled telephones were the reasons they have not been able to use digital applications. The majority of the farmers (97.3%) indicated their willingness to embrace the use of new farm decision digital applications which could provide more information, especially on soil fertility, if introduced. More extensive services focusing on older, less literate farmers and farmers who hitherto did not belong to any farmers’ association are advocated for in order to encourage the use of digital applications and soil fertility management and conservation practices.

Croakers in three coastal areas of Lagos state, Nigeria: Sustainability levels and stakeholders’ perceptions on the use of ecosystem-based fisheries management

Croakers are an economically important fish species in Nigeria. Croakers are harvested by artisanal and industrial fisheries, providing a significant source of income and livelihood for coastal communities. Yet, human activities pose a significant threat to the survival of croakers in Nigeria. This study aims to evaluate the sustainability of croakers in the coastal waters of Lagos, Nigeria. The study also examines stakeholders' perceptions of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) as a tool for sustainable fisheries management in Nigeria. Questionnaires are used to collect data, and the Multidimensional Scaling Tool “Rapfish” is used to assess the sustainability level of croakers in three study areas. The results indicate that stakeholders have a positive attitude toward implementing EBFM. The sustainability analysis indicates degrees of sustainability of croakers at the boundary of being “less sustainable”. Specifically, the sustainability scores along the five dimensions analyzed are Ecological sustainability (55.69 %), economic (56.35 %), ethical (54.02 %), social (42.31 %), and technological sustainability (57.51 %). Based on these findings, the study derives several policy recommendations to improve the sustainability of croakers in Nigeria.

A Study on Causes of Gender Gap in Construction Management: High School Students’ Knowledge and Perceptions across Genders

This paper addresses three research questions: (1) According to the pertinent literature, what are the main causes of the current gender gap in the construction industry, particularly for management and leadership roles? (2) Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students regarding their level of knowledge of the construction industry? (3) Is there a significant difference between male and female high-school-age students in their perception of the construction industry and factors impacting their career choice? These research questions are addressed by a review of the literature followed by a discussion of precamp survey results from two consecutive years of a two-week high school summer camp, which is focused on construction science and management. The literature review reveals that the issues are deep-routed and complex but can in general be categorized into two groups: the recruitment and retention of women in construction management and related careers. While the literature review summary in this paper addresses both categories, the focus of the paper remains recruitment, particularly through a study of high school students’ level of knowledge and perceptions of construction management. The pre-camp surveys assessed the participants’ baseline knowledge and perceptions of construction management as a career. The results showed that the knowledge of construction management as a career is very low, with no statistically significant difference between genders. It must be noted here that the participants are biased positively toward the construction management and related careers, as they chose to attend the camp for a variety of reasons, from wanting an experience on the campus of this university to parents’ encouragement. Despite this baseline interest, however, the data show that the participants lacked clarity on what this career really entails. It is suggested, therefore that the general knowledge of this career path across larger and more randomized samples across U.S. will be even lower. The perceptions of the construction industry differed slightly between genders, with females perceiving it as more physically challenging and prioritizing family friendliness when considering career options. In conclusion, both the literature review and the survey data analysis show that the lack of knowledge of this career path, exacerbated by the negative perceptions of the construction industry, contribute to the problem of women not choosing to study construction management. The construction industry continues to make significant improvements in their diversity and inclusion efforts, and there are a variety of paths within the industry for graduates of construction science and management degrees. As such, significant work remains for both the industry and academia to overcome the lack of knowledge and negative perceptions of the industry through increased outreach to better inform high school students, parents, and counselors.

Persepsi dan Partisipasi Masyarakat Terhadap Pengelolaan Sampah Rumah Tangga melalui TPS 3R Sulur Berkah dan Makmur Jaya di Kota Jambi

One of the waste reduction efforts carried out by the Jambi City Government is the provision of 3R TPS. The reduction target set by the government until 2030 is 30%. Community participation is really needed to reduce and/or handle waste in an environmentally sound manner, including efforts to sort waste from the source. Waste sorting that is not carried out at the source can result in mixed waste and reduce the economic value of recycled waste. Apart from that, sufficient human resources and a long time are needed to sort the waste at TPS 3R, while the residue must be immediately transported to the TPA so as not to cause a bad smell and discomfort for local residents. Internal conflicts at TPS 3R regarding financial management and several other things resulted in TPS 3R not functioning according to its function. The aim of this research is to examine community perceptions and participation in household waste management through TPS 3R Sulur Berkah and Makmur Jaya in Jambi City. The research method used is descriptive analysis and the main data collection tool is a questionnaire. The research instrument uses a Likert scale with 4 (four) response options. The research results show that 100% of respondents have a positive perception of household waste management through TPS 3R. However, only 62% have high participation in household waste management, the remaining 38% of respondents have low participation.

Sport sales managers’ perceptions of learning through experiential sales projects

PurposeWhile there has been a considerable amount of research conducted on experiential learning and sport sales, the purpose of this study is to shift the focus from students to current sport sales professionals and examine how experientially learning sales assisted in the sales professionals’ growth, competency, and skill development in the current sales roles they occupy. DesignEmploying a stratified purposeful sampling technique, sport sales-related professionals (from a diverse group of sports organizations, including, but not limited to, organizations within the MLB, NBA, XFL, and NASCAR; n = 7) who completed an experiential sales learning project between 2015 and 2022 were invited to give their perceptions of experientially learning sport sales in the form of a focus group. Post-interview inductive thematic analysis was conducted using Braun and Clarke's (2006) six-phase framework to extract themes. FindingsResults highlight three main themes extracted from the participants who engaged in sports sales experiential learning: 1) Initial Perceptions; 2) Project Resultants; and 3) Improvements for Experiential Sales Project, which are further expounded upon and contextualized within the literature. OriginalityThis is the first study to examine sport sales professionals’ perceptions of sport sales experiential learning in sport sales education. By shifting the focus from students to sales managers, the researchers highlight the unique differences that exists when comparing student perceptions in, or shortly after the completion of, an experiential sales project, versus the perceptions of the current sales managers in sport industry. For sport management faculty, important findings such experiential sales project improvements are discussed. For students, practical insight is given to help students overcome the negative feelings associated with sport sales experiential learning, in addition to the benefits of learning sales experientially and the impact it has on professional development, job opportunity, and personal marketability.

Considerations on implementing an energy efficiency program as a management tool in a public institution

A well-implemented energy efficiency program has the great ability to optimize the use of financial resources employed in institutions, being essential for efficient and sustainable governance. In this work, the perception of IFRN managers about the intention to implement an energy efficiency program on their campus, in addition to better understanding how managers see this possibility and implementation. A questionnaire was sent to all IFRN servers in management positions, resulting in 19 responses, which were analyzed with the appropriate statistical tools. The results of this analysis are presented below.

From Control to Co-creation: An Exploratory Study on Challenges Faced by Brand Managers in the Food Industry in the Era of the Connected Consumer

The present work aims to understand the perceptions of managers regarding the presented changes, focusing on the possibility of control in brand management and openness to the co-creation process. To this end, applied, exploratory and qualitative research was carried out, through eight semi-structured interviews with professionals with managerial experience in brand/product management in fast-moving consumer goods companies and professionals with experience in the food industry. The results revealed that managers recognize the power of co-creation but demonstrate difficulties in putting into practice new organic brand management thinking. It was also noticed that the more openness given to co-creation, the less control the organization will have, but the greater the relevance for those involved, and the more interactions that occur, the greater the alignment with contemporary concepts of generating value for everyone, but the protection for organizations will be lower.

Analisis Kualitas Pelayanan Kesehatan di Puskesmas Porong Kabupaten Sidoarjo

Public service is crucial for fulfilling community basic needs, particularly in healthcare. Puskesmas Porong, a healthcare institution in Sidoarjo District, serves as the primary focus of this study. With a vision to provide quality and professional healthcare services to the community, Puskesmas Porong plays a pivotal role as the primary healthcare center in Porong Subdistrict. Despite adequate facilities including 46 inpatient beds and coverage of 10 surrounding villages, challenges persist. High patient influx poses significant issues such as long waiting times for services, attributed to insufficient staff and resources. Moreover, limited community participation in providing feedback is a concern, hindering the identification of issues and optimal solutions for healthcare service improvement.This qualitative research aims to analyze healthcare service quality at Puskesmas Porong, employing interviews with key stakeholders including the head of the health center, medical staff, administrative personnel, and patients. Additionally, observation and documentation methods were utilized to gather comprehensive data on service provision, patient satisfaction, and facility conditions. Results reveal that while operational procedures are generally adhered to, discrepancies exist between management perceptions and patient experiences. Patients highlight shortcomings in BPJS utilization, medical equipment adequacy, and diagnostic accuracy, underscoring the need for targeted improvements to enhance service quality and community trust.

Integrating virtual patients into undergraduate health professions curricula: a framework synthesis of stakeholders’ opinions based on a systematic literature review

BackgroundVirtual patients (VPs) are widely used in health professions education. When they are well integrated into curricula, they are considered to be more effective than loosely coupled add-ons. However, it is unclear what constitutes their successful integration. The aim of this study was to identify and synthesise the themes found in the literature that stakeholders perceive as important for successful implementation of VPs in curricula.MethodsWe searched five databases from 2000 to September 25, 2023. We included qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods and descriptive case studies that defined, identified, explored, or evaluated a set of factors that, in the perception of students, teachers, course directors and researchers, were crucial for VP implementation. We excluded effectiveness studies that did not consider implementation characteristics, and studies that focused on VP design factors. We included English-language full-text reports and excluded conference abstracts, short opinion papers and editorials. Synthesis of results was performed using the framework synthesis method with Kern’s six-step model as the initial framework. We appraised the quality of the studies using the QuADS tool.ResultsOur search yielded a total of 4808 items, from which 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. We identified 14 themes that formed an integration framework. The themes were: goal in the curriculum; phase of the curriculum when to implement VPs; effective use of resources; VP alignment with curricular learning objectives; prioritisation of use; relation to other learning modalities; learning activities around VPs; time allocation; group setting; presence mode; VPs orientation for students and faculty; technical infrastructure; quality assurance, maintenance, and sustainability; assessment of VP learning outcomes and learning analytics. We investigated the occurrence of themes across studies to demonstrate the relevance of the framework. The quality of the studies did not influence the coverage of the themes.ConclusionsThe resulting framework can be used to structure plans and discussions around implementation of VPs in curricula. It has already been used to organise the curriculum implementation guidelines of a European project. We expect it will direct further research to deepen our knowledge on individual integration themes.

Local Perception and Behavior in Domestic Waste Management and Water Quality of The Brantas River, Dinoyo Ward

Local Perception and Behavior in Domestic Waste Management and Water Quality of The Brantas River, Dinoyo Ward

Gender Differences in Perceptions of Psoriatic Arthritis Disease Impact, Management, and Physician Interactions: Results from a Global Patient Survey.

We evaluated the impact of gender on disease severity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), treatment management, and patient-healthcare professional (HCP) interactions from the perspectives of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Data were collected from a global online patient survey conducted by The Harris Poll (November 2, 2017 to March 12, 2018). Eligible patients were aged ≥ 18years, with a self-reported diagnosis of PsA for > 1year, had visited a rheumatologist/dermatologist in the past 12months, and had reported previously using ≥ 1 conventional synthetic or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. Data were stratified by gender and analyzed descriptively, inferentially by binomial (chi-square) tests, and by multivariate logistic regression models. Data from 1286 patients who participated were included: 52% were female, 48% were male. Varying perceptions of disease severity between males and females were indicated by differences in symptoms leading to a diagnosis of PsA, and in symptoms reported despite treatment; more females than males reported joint tenderness, skin patches/plaques, and enthesitis. More females than males reported a major/moderate impact of PsA on their physical activity and emotional/mental well-being. Reasons for switching medication differed between genders, with more females switching because they perceived their medication to not be effective enough related to their joint symptoms. More females than males were very satisfied with their communication with their rheumatologist and were more likely to discuss the impact of PsA on their daily lives, their treatment satisfaction, and treatment goals with their rheumatologist. Patients' perceptions of the impact of PsA on HRQoL, treatment management, and interactions with HCPs varied between males and females. More females than males reported major/moderate physical and emotional impacts of PsA. When treating patients, it is important for HCPs to consider the potential impact of gender on patients' experience of PsA and its symptoms. Graphical plain language summary available for this article.

Who do you ask? predicting injury rates from survey responses.

Few studies have addressed whether using manager or worker perceptions of safety policies and practices alone predict reported injury rates less accurately than using both. This study provides an example and describes a method that can be used to address this issue with survey instruments designed to measure safety climate, policies, or practices. Using multilevel logistic regression, we estimated the relationship between worker and manager perceptions of a given exposure and the odds of worker injury during the post-survey year for three safety scales. We tested whether surveying both workers and managers provides additional predictive value compared with surveying just one group. Injury in the year following the survey was significantly associated with worker scores on two of the three scales. Manager responses were not significantly associated with injury and did not significantly improve injury rate prediction when added to a model with only worker survey responses. The capacity of manager-only or worker-only perceptions of safety policies and practices to predict worker injuries should be established before choosing to survey just one or the other. The approach and findings in this paper can be applied to other survey instruments and in other settings to help make this choice.

“Just got diagnosed; what worked for you?”: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Treatment Experiences in the Prolactinoma Subreddit

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION With improvement in complication and remission rates, recent studies have suggested the viability of transsphenoidal surgery as first-line management for prolactinomas. Reddit, an online forum, allows posters to interact with one another, discuss symptoms, treatments, and disease courses through specialized forums known as “subreddits”. Given the lack of research comparing patient experience on pharmacotherapy versus surgery, we sought to assess the sentiment of treatment within the “r/Prolactinoma subreddit” community. METHODS A search was done by filtering the r/Prolactinoma subreddit. Posts were sorted by “top” of “all time,” meaning entries with the most engagement throughout the site's history. Welch’s t-test was used to analyze treatment type, while sentiment regarding treatment was analyzed using grounded theory qualitative methods. RESULTS From 189 total entries, 82 were included; 33% (n=27/82) were posts. Of posters disclosing their treatment, 11% underwent surgery (n=9/79), while 76% received medication (n=60/79). The proportion of positive: negative sentiment and level of engagement on posts regarding pharmacotherapy vs surgical treatments were not significantly different (p>0.05). Qualitative analysis showed themes of changes after medical treatment, immediate changes post-surgery, and online community. CONCLUSION Our mixed-methods study found statistically non-significant differences in sentiment when comparing Reddit posts from patients who underwent medical and surgical management. Qualitative analysis revealed several themes regarding patients’ perceptions of medical and surgical management and the benefits of an online community. The qualitative themes brought to light by this study may serve to inform future studies examining the patient experience with prolactinoma care.

Farmers’ knowledge and perceptions of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) diseases and management

This study aimed to examine farmers’ understanding and views on Cassava diseases and control methods. To achieve the former, k-means clustering and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to identify and visualize response patterns for each group of variables relating to farmers’ understanding of Cassava diseases and control methods, and heatmaps were used to detail the characteristics of each pattern. To achieve the latter, bar plots were used to visualize variables related to farmers’ views. Out of 22 response patterns relating to causes of Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD), 11 didn’t link a virus to CMD symptoms, while only one pattern associated CMD symptoms with a virus, the whitefly, and infected cuttings, indicating a lack of farmers’ knowledge on cassava viral diseases. Also, only 18.88% of farmers know about Cassava diseases and management technologies. This study highlights the urgent need for education and resources for farmers to safeguard their crops and livelihoods.

Perceptions of Risk Management and Bank Fraud Prevention in Ethiopian Banks: Employees' Perspective

Perceptions of Risk Management and Bank Fraud Prevention in Ethiopian Banks: Employees' Perspective

PRINCIPALS' AND DIRECTORS' PERCEPTIONS OF FACULTY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS

Effective leadership and management are vital for educational institutions to create high-quality environments for faculty members and to facilitate efficient teaching and learning. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to investigate the perception of university directors and principals regarding provision of professional development opportunities for faculty members and the effectiveness of these opportunities. A total of seven directors and principals from different divisions & campuses of University of Education, Lahore were selected as a sample for the study using a purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain in-depth information from the directors and principals. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data after transcription. Researchers explored consensus among directors and principals regarding professional development opportunities offered by University of Education & their perceived effectiveness. Based on the findings, induction training and adequate funding from the higher education regulatory bodies such as the Government of Pakistan, HEC, and PHEC are required for the improvement in offering and tailoring these PD opportunities, which could eventually aid in faculty members' professional advancement.