Private Management Research Articles

Private management costs of Popillia japonica: a study of viticulture in Italy.

The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is classified as a high-priority pest in the European Union and is reported to have caused extensive damage to grapevine leaves in Italy. As there are few studies, which measure the beetle's socio-economic impact, we conduct a first descriptive assessment of grapevine farmers' perception of the beetle's impact and assess the pest's effect on private management costs using a partial budgeting approach. Our sample includes data from 65 producers and 118 vineyard plots. In terms of farmers' perception, we find that farmers anticipate increased management costs and believe a further spread of the beetle will lead to at least moderate yield and quality damages for the majority of plots (58-91%). While farmers do not expect to stop grapevine cultivation for the majority of vineyard plots, affected farmers they believe it is likely to very likely for 29% of plots. We also find that affected farmers rate their vines' resilience higher than unaffected farmers do. Using a partial budgeting approach, we find that a Japanese beetle infestation leads on average to a net income decrease of around €2727 per hectare. This decrease is due to an average increase in labor costs of around €1715. Additionally, an average yield reduction that results in a revenue loss of around €966 and additional control costs of around €47 per infested hectare, further contribute to the net income decrease. Even though the small number of observations does not allow us to make conclusions about the beetle's impact on the Italian viticulture sector as a whole, our findings provide first insights and demonstrate the need for environmentally friendly and effective control products that can replace labor-intensive manual control measures, which are currently applied in Japanese beetle infested vineyards.

Management Models and the Sustainability of Rural Water Supply Systems: An Analytical Investigation in Ha Nam Province, Vietnam

Clean water and sanitation is a global issue that has recently received special attention from governments and international organizations, as they essential to enhance people’s health and foster socio-economic development in different countries. Therefore, one of the United Nations’ Millennium Goals is to ensure access to safe drinking water for all as its target by 2030. However, ensuring water supply in rural regions, especially in developing countries, is a challenge. To meet the target, investing in infrastructure and maintaining the sustainability of water systems is crucial. This study takes into account the role of the management model of rural water supply systems and its relationship with the sustainability of the water systems. A weighing procedure for a sustainability assessment of rural water systems for the current study was proposed, then an ordered logit regression model was applied to examine the relationship between types of water system management models and the sustainability of the water systems in the context of Vietnam. The results from this study showed that type of management model had an influence on the sustainability of rural water supply systems, and the private management model was considered the one that significantly contributed to the sustainability of the rural water systems in the study area. The study provides some lessons learned for researchers in the field of rural water supply to select appropriate approaches to assess the sustainability of water systems and for policymakers to modify current policies toward more sustainable development of water infrastructure in the future, especially in developing countries.

Evaluation of clinical ethics in Iranian hospitals: Employing a 360° approach-A cross-sectional study.

Clinical ethics is defined as recognizing and resolving value conflicts that arise from providing care in medical centers. This study aimed to evaluate the practice of clinical ethics in Iranian hospitals with a 360° approach. The study was conducted by employing a descriptive-analytical method in 2019. The statistical population included staff, patients, and managers of public, private, and insurance hospitals in Mazandaran province. The sample size for each group was 317, 729, and 36, respectively. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The appearance and content validity of the questionnaire were confirmed by expert opinion and construct validity was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's post-hoc test. We used SPSS software version 21 to analyse the data. The obtained mean score of clinical ethics from the perspective of service providers (0.56 ± 4.45) was higher than the perspective of service presenters (4.35 ± 0.65) and service recipients (0.79 ± 4.22), which was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Among the eight dimensions of clinical ethics, respect for the patient's right (0.68 ± 4.09) illustrated the highest score and medical error management (0.63 ± 4.33) presented the lowest score. Based on the findings of the study, the level of clinical ethics in the hospitals of Mazandaran province is favorable, and among the dimensions of clinical ethics, respect for patient rights gained the lowest score and communication with other colleagues gained the highest score. Therefore, informing and teaching medical professionals in the field of clinical ethics, formulating binding laws, and paying serious attention to this issue in ranking and accrediting hospitals are recommended.

An image-based convolutional neural network system for road defects detection

An application of convolutional neural network (CNN) technique for road surface defects detection is presented in this paper. You only look ones (YOLO) algorithm showed its capabilities as an effective object detection technique in many previous works for different problems. Road damages detection and classification is one of the most challenging problems faced by public and private road management agencies. We present here results for a first attempt on applying YOLO to detect cracks and potholes, the most common defects encountered in surface roadways. Image database of the Brazilian highways were used to prepare input data, train the model and test it. Despite considering different types of cracks in one class and a less amount of potholes images, results show that the YOLO algorithm performs well with a global rate of 91% of defect detection. Output results analysis induce us to work on providing a local database for Algerian roadways with a large number of defect images/videos, as well as producing an automatic road-dedicated defects detector device.

Designing a Private and Secure Personal Health Records Access Management System: A Solution Based on IOTA Distributed Ledger Technology.

The privacy and security of patients' health records have been an ongoing issue, and researchers are in a race against technology to design a system that can help stop the compromising of patient data. Many researchers have proposed solutions; however, most solutions have not incorporated potential parameters that can ensure private and secure personal health records management, which is the focus of this study. To design and develop a solution, this research thoroughly investigated existing solutions and identified potential key contexts. These include IOTA Tangle, Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), IPFS protocols, Application Programming Interface (API), Proxy Re-encryption (PRE), and access control, which are analysed and integrated to secure patient medical records, and Internet of Things (IoT) medical devices, to develop a patient-based access management system that gives patients full control of their health records. This research developed four prototype applications to demonstrate the proposed solution: the web appointment application, the patient application, the doctor application, and the remote medical IoT device application. The results indicate that the proposed framework can improve healthcare services by providing immutable, secure, scalable, trusted, self-managed, and traceable patient health records while giving patients full control of their own medical records.

The Collaborative Governance Elements Contributing to Implementing Public-Private Partnerships: A Systematic Literature Review

A public-private partnerships (PPPs) are a collaborative project integrating the resources and expertise of the public and private sectors to fund public infrastructure. Third parties are key to PPPs because they enable the collaborative process. This study aimed to examine relevant collaborative governance elements contributing to implementing PPPs in boosting infrastructure development. It contributes to the body of knowledge by addressing these questions through a structured literature review. The results indicated that collaborative governance constitutes elements that existed before the PPP. The convergence of shared principles, a governance structure, and a collaborative process create a conducive environment for cooperation. This study emphasized the significance of combining contractual, procedural, and relational components. This would reduce the uncertainties resulting from the coexistence of multiple players from different contexts. Also, the combination would ensure the flexibility necessary to foster a collaborative atmosphere. New coordination mechanisms have emerged with the influence of contemporary technology and the creation of complicated forms of labor. These mechanisms include informal groups, electronic communication, teams, and the integration of managerial positions in PPPs units. Additionally, this study could assist the public and private sector managers who want to learn more about the topic, specifically regarding their business operations.

Private Pensions (The Only Way to Increase Pensions System in Albania)

The private pensions market, even though it is known as a relatively new market in Albania, its study and analysis takes on a very special importance as this market is directly related to the growth of pensions as a whole. In the doctrine of financial law, three main pillars are recognized for the way the pension scheme works today. The first pillar is a state insurance system of the pay-as-you-go principle. This system is based on the principle of solidarity and continuity of generations. The second pillar is a combination of the state system and the private one, where every insured person in the compulsory state insurance scheme (the first pillar) is legally obliged to pay a part of the individual contributions to a private pension fund. In our opinion, this way remains one of the best ways for the development and growth of this market in Albania, solving at the same time a very big social problem related to the third age in our country. The third pillar is a completely voluntary system with private management, where every person who wants to have higher sources of income for the retirement period enters into an insurance relationship with these private institutions, which, through efficient management, ensure higher income large and additional benefits against the payment of contributions. This paper is a study of the private pension market in Albania and the analysis of some of its constituent elements, in an attempt to answer some important issues related to the development of this market as a whole.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 05 May 2022 / Accepted: 16 May 2023 / Published: 20 May 2023

Private Investment, Ownership and Management of Health and LTSS: Making Medicare and Medicaid Great Again

Journal Article Private Investment, Ownership and Management of Health and LTSS: Making Medicare and Medicaid Great Again Get access Public Policy & Aging Report, Volume 33, Issue 2, 2023, Pages 1–40, https://doi.org/10.1093/ppar/prad010 Published: 17 May 2023

Mapping of stones and their deterioration forms: the Clock Tower, Venice (Italy)

The HYPERION EU project aims to develop a Decision Support System to improve resilience and sustainable reconstruction of historic areas faced with climate change and extreme events. In this context, Venice presents an outstanding example of urban and architectural complexity and richness. The mapping of the ornamental stones of the façade of the Venice Clock Tower (Torre dell’Orologio) and their deterioration patterns acts as a milestone on which to build the knowledge-acquisition process of the system as regards stone artefacts and their decay products. The Clock Tower is an early Renaissance building (1499) in Lombardesque style and stands over the entrance to the Mercerie on the northern side of St. Mark’s Square. Detailed surveys and mapping of both building materials (mainly stones) and deterioration patterns were carried out, the latter following the glossary of weathering forms, coupled with an easy-to-use scale of evaluation of their intensity. The data output consists of several monothematic maps which can be handled separately, each one focusing on precise lithological or specific deterioration aspects. This study also proposes a simple approach to summarizing the total state of deterioration of the building in the form of a Total Deterioration Rank (TDR) and its representation. The stones used in the façade are regional (Ammonitico Rosso and Scaglia Rossa) and extra-regional limestones (Istrian Stone), as well as Mediterranean white and coloured marbles and stones already used in antiquity (i.e., Fior di Pesco or marmor chalcidicum, lapis porphyrites, a volcanic rock from the Egyptian Eastern Desert, Proconnesian marble from the Island of Marmara, Pavonazzetto toscano and white Carrara marble from the Italian Apuan Alps). The most frequent forms of deterioration detected are black crusts, patinas, discoloration and patterns linked to erosion processes. The interrelation of different mappings led to a number of useful considerations concerning differences in the effectiveness of maintenance procedures between public and private management of the monument.

A Review on Challenges, Opportunities and Outlook of Water Sector Privatization for Sustainability and Water Scarcity Management

The sustainable use and management of freshwater resources is on the center of developmental debate and becoming a global challenge. The overall aim of this study is to document published literature in the field of water privatization, critically review them and to draw a conclusion about how private sector participation can contribute in the initiative of sustainability for freshwater. To accomplish the specific goal of this paper, review articles, research papers, mini-articles, book and reports of authorized organizations published from last 25 years were reviewed. Comparative advantages, problems, challenges and opportunities of private and public sector management in water resources were thoroughly analyzed. Based on those reviews, this study found that there is a mixed legacy in water privatization throughout the world which needs to be strongly regulated to fulfill the basic requirements of consumers in one side and for sustainable management of scarce freshwater resources in another side. Meanwhile, after careful analysis of various water delivery systems and case-studies managed by different agencies around the world, this paper postulates the pubic-private-partnership as an appropriate form of privatization in water which not only helps to increase the project efficiency but also improves the service delivery to end-users.

A Study on Liquidity Risk Management in Private and Public Sector Banks

A Study on Liquidity Risk Management in Private and Public Sector Banks

Conceptual Model for Assessing Logistics Maturity in Smart City Dimensions

The advancement of new technologies and the increasingly inseparable presence of logistics systems in the daily life of cities, industries, companies, and society has been modifying how logistics processes are implemented in these environments based on technological innovations, internet, virtual businesses, mobility, and the use of multi-channel distribution. Together with these changes, urban centers have been connecting to the smart city concept as the understanding of this theme advances into the debate and improvements in the agendas of either public or private management. This research proposes a conceptual model for evaluating logistics maturity in the smart city dimensions. The method has a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, supported by the Delphi method, which uses a questionnaire and interview as a data collection instrument with specialists on the subject. We identified that qualifying logistics in the urban environment is complex and requires a specialized look at identifying cities’ structural, geographic, regional, social, and environmental characteristics. As a social–technological contribution, the proposition of the logistics maturity assessment scale in smart city dimensions can serve as an evaluative model of logistics, which means helping in urban planning and strategic management of cities, offering smarter solutions to the realities of urban spaces.

The Impact of Globalization on Leadership and Governance in Mali

Purpose: The study sought to analyze the impact of globalization on leadership and governance in Mali &#x0D; Materials and Methods: The study adopted a desktop methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.&#x0D; Findings: The results show that globalization has had a profound impact on leadership and governance in the world today. Globalization is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, and its effects can be seen in virtually every sector of society. From economic and political systems to social and cultural norms, globalization has altered the way in which we view and interact with the world.&#x0D; Unique Contribution to Theory, Practices and Policies: The functionalism theory, realism theory and constructivism theory may be used to anchor future studies in the leadership and governance sector. The study results will also benefit other stakeholders such as the policy makers as well as researchers and scholars from different parts of the world. The top management of private and public industries in the country will also use the study findings to improve leadership and governance performance in all their activities and programs. The study recommends that the adoption of effective development policies in the leadership and governance will help to improve efficiency in their major operations and activities.&#x0D;

Feasibility and acceptability of home-based neonatal hyperbilirubinemia screening by community health workers using transcutaneous bilimeters in Bangladesh

BackgroundUniversal screening for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia risk assessment is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to reduce related morbidity. In Bangladesh and in many low- and middle-income countries, there is no screening for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Furthermore, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia may not be recognized as a medically significant condition by caregivers and community members. We aimed to evaluate the acceptability and operational feasibility of community health worker (CHW)-led, home-based, non-invasive neonatal hyperbilirubinemia screening using a transcutaneous bilimeter in Shakhipur, a rural subdistrict in Bangladesh.MethodsWe employed a two-step process. In the formative phase, we conducted eight focus group discussions with parents and grandparents of infants and eight key informant interviews with public and private healthcare providers and managers to explore their current knowledge, perceptions, practices, and challenges regarding identification and management of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Next, we piloted a prenatal sensitization intervention and home-based screening by CHWs using transcutaneous bilimeters and evaluated the acceptability and operational feasibility of this approach through focus group discussions and key informant interviews with parents, grandparents and CHWs.ResultsFormative findings identified misconceptions regarding neonatal hyperbilirubinemia causes and health risks among caregivers in rural Bangladesh. CHWs were comfortable with adoption, maintenance and use of the device in routine home visits. Transcutaneous bilimeter-based screening was also widely accepted by caregivers and family members due to its noninvasive technique and immediate display of findings at home. Prenatal sensitization of caregivers and family members helped to create a supportive environment in the family and empowered mothers as primary caregivers.ConclusionAdopting household neonatal hyperbilirubinemia screening in the postnatal period by CHWs using a transcutaneous bilimeter is an acceptable approach by both CHWs and families and may increase rates of screening to prevent morbidity and mortality.

Forest Security Appraisal of Community Management Interventions Against Threats of Forest Commons at Offinso North District in Ghana

The paper examines the viability of community forestry and how community participation affects the effectivenessof forest resource security and management. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques with stakeholders’observations and perceptions of managers’ responses to major threats of forest commons were employed in thisstudy. The paper establishes forest security through comparative analysis and discourse of solely governmentmanagement intervention, solely community (private) management intervention and government-communitypartnership for forest management arrangements which are occurring in the Offinso Forest District of Ghana.The paper concludes that, community involvement in forest management interventions delivers better protectionof forest commons; and the extent and autonomy of local community to participate actively in forest resourcemanagement significantly influences resilience against threats of forest commons. Hence, stronger communityparticipation enhances the effectiveness of forest security efforts. Nevertheless, viability of communityparticipation to deliver effective forest resource security is influenced by adequacy of resources in support ofcommunity forestry, empowerment and sense of ownership of communities for forest common management.

China's State-owned Enterprises and Private Enterprises Capital Budget System Analysis

Strengthening enterprise capital operation budget is the basic requirement of China's socialist market economic system, and also the need of the development of the times. In the process of the company 's growth, budget management is an inseparable part. Doing a good job in the company 's capital budget can effectively ensure the effectiveness of its decision-making, maximize the utilization efficiency of operating costs, and then contribute to the company 's sustainable operation. With the continuous growth of China 's national economy, the budget system of China's state-owned capital and private enterprises is becoming more and more perfect. Based on the basic definition of China 's state-owned capital operation and private enterprise capital budget, this paper studies the problems faced in the capital budget system and management mechanism, and on this basis, puts forward the application of strengthening the market mechanism in the construction process of China's private enterprise capital budget system and management mechanism, emphasizing the reform of enterprise management concept and improving enterprise management ability. Finally, combined with the background of the new coronavirus epidemic, the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward for the optimization of enterprise financing channels and capital budget.

Post-closure Cost Efficiency in Public Versus Private Landfills: The Case of Emilia-Romagna (Italy)

Waste management systems have developed in recent years toward the adoption of sustainable management principles and practices, such as circular economy, zero waste, resource efficiency, waste avoidance, re-use, and recycling. Nevertheless, landfills continue to be used for waste disposal despite their risks related to contamination and effects on urban development. Most research on landfills focuses on their operational and technical aspects, while the performance and cost efficiency in managing landfills is less commonly studied, especially their post-closure management. However, improving efficiency is very relevant in the context of scarce public sector resources. This paper, therefore, analyzes the efficiency of post-closure management of landfills. Drawing on agency and stewardship theories, we focus on the difference in efficiency between public and private management of post-closure landfills. We use a linear mixed regression model to analyze data from 2015 to 2018 relating to 54 landfills (79% of which are privately managed) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The results show that public management is more efficient than private management. Results contribute to defining drivers of cost and confirming a disparity in the performance of private and public management. Our results cast doubt on the assumption, which is prevalent in new public management theory, that private operators are more efficient than public ones. We conclude by highlighting that to reach efficiency, it is better to increase the effectiveness of regulation in terms of value for money, without pre-determined preferences for the type of management.

Analysis of Promoting and Hindering Factors for Implementation of Medical Tourism Policies: Case Study in Golestan Province

Background: Medical tourism as a money-making industry in the world has led to the increasing competition of countries to attract the maximum number of tourists. Considering the growing international competition in this field, in order to properly utilize the capabilities of Golestan province, this research was conducted with the aim of analysis and explaining the dimensions and components that promote and hinder the implementation of medical tourism policies in Golestan province.&#x0D; Methods: This research was conducted using the qualitative method based on the Grounded theory in 2020. Data collection was conducted through in-depth and semi-structured interviews. The research population included experts such as managers and faculty members of the university of medical sciences and public and private hospitals, managers and officials of the General Office of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, and travel agencies, doctors and nurses with at least 5 years of relevant work experience and expertise in the field of medical tourism. Purposive sampling was done and continued until data saturation. Finally, 13 people were interviewed. Data analysis was done simultaneously with data collection through Open, Axial and Selective coding and MaxQDA 2020 software.&#x0D; Results: The findings of the present study showed that the promoting and hindering factors for the implementation of medical tourism policies in Golestan province were categorized in the form of 263 codes, 65 concepts, 9 subcategories and 5 main categories. They consisted of climatic and environmental attractions, organizational architecture, policymaking system, capacity development and service quality and strategic management.&#x0D; Conclusion: Using the results of this study, the policymakers of medical tourism in Golestan province can predict the appropriate implementation instrument regarding the policy-making process to develop medical tourism, income and business in Golestan province.

Moderating Role of Leadership in Relationships between Organizational Culture and Organizational Commitment among Employees in Mashhad Private Companies Basis for Enhancing of Policy

Despite its phenomenal success, Iran and Khorasan industries face numerous challenges, including low employee commitment and productivity, sub-par social compliance, and low worker commitment, compared to competitors such as China, India, and Turkey. The primary goal of this study was the relationship between organizational culture and organizational commitment, as well as two leadership styles (despotic and transactional) identified as moderating roles. The study was conducted using a quantitative explanatory research design. 138 samples were collected from the target population using a questionnaire survey and systematic probability sampling. The study’s findings were used to develop an organizational culture relationship model and the role of leadership. These results will aid Mashhad-based private companies, factory owners, managers, and others in developing policies and practices to increase productivity and employee commitment. Keywords: Organizational Culture, Despotic leadership, transactional leadership, organizational commitment

New public management in U.S. higher education: is privatization associated with lower costs?

ABSTRACT This study investigates the application of the three-dimensional New Public Management (NPM) framework to the public higher education setting to examine the relationship between one of the NPM dimensions, privatization, and cost management at 159 public research institutions in the United States between 2005 and 2015. We develop four statistical measures to quantify privatization and find privatization is linked to lower costs as institutions increase the share of revenue from auxiliary enterprises and tuition and fees, but higher costs when increasing out-of-state first-year enrolment. This raises management questions about public higher education cost efficiency, access and DEI for in-state students.