Public Employees Research Articles

Trends in varenicline use for tobacco cessation, and their implications

BackgroundTobacco use remains a leading cause of death in the U.S. Varenicline is a preferred medication for tobacco cessation, and a prior report in the literature showed its use fell dramatically after the voluntary recall of Chantix (brand) varenicline (name) in July 2021. ObjectivesWorking with data on prescriptions for varenicline and nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT), we studied use from 2018 to 2023 to determine if varenicline use had recovered or if there had been a compensatory increase in NRT use. MethodsData are yearly from state employees and their dependents who were ≥18 years of age and were health-insurance beneficiaries of the Washington Public Employees Benefits Board from July 2018 through June 2023. Data include numbers of tobacco users and numbers of prescriptions filled. ResultsThe 5-year prevalence of tobacco use among 224,816 beneficiaries was 4.6%. The percentage of tobacco users who filled a prescription for varenicline fell from highs of 9.5% and 9.6% in the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 years to lows of 5.3% and 6.4% in the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 years. For nicotine replacement therapy, prescriptions rose modestly over the 5 years, from 4.5% in 2018–2019% to 6.0% in 2022–2023. DiscussionVarenicline use dropped after the voluntary recall of Chantix by Pfizer in mid-2021 and has not returned to prerecall levels. ConclusionPharmacists and other clinicians should address this drop, in addition to addressing longer-term challenges to increasing varenicline use; these include the requirement for a prescription and the black-box warning by the Food and Drug Administration, rescinded in 2016.

Engagement of stakeholders in the development of generic medical and nursing curricula in Tanzania through media outlets and social media

Background. The Catholic University of Health and Allied Health Sciences, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences teamed up to address gaps in the training curricula for medical doctors and nurses with the aim of developing harmonised curricular templates that would be comprehensive and suit national objectives. Objectives. To share experiences and lessons learned in engaging stakeholders using social media as an additional method to collect information on curricular gaps and ideas to develop harmonised medical and nursing curricula. Methods. Pictures, newsprint extracts, and videos of face-to-face events in the curriculum development process and project and a curriculum advert were posted on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and used to engage stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, health professional councils, graduates, students, practitioners, health training institutions, private and public employers, internship supervisors, faculty and the public. Reactions, comments and post insights from stakeholder postings, in both Swahili and English, were analysed manually and categorised into four types of messages: congratulatory, comments on the process and expected outcomes, curricular gaps, and faculty development needs to implement new curricula. Results. A total of 69 290 stakeholders were engaged via Facebook and 229 via Twitter. A total of 13 553 (19.6%) Facebook and 179 (78.2%) Twitter comments were directly related to gaps in current curricula and graduate competencies. Other inputs received through social media were on faculty development needs to implement harmonised curricula and the project in general. Conclusion. This was the first attempt to engage curriculum stakeholders using social media for the development of harmonised curricula in Tanzania. The impact of social media in providing relevant inputs for curriculum development was significant. Use of social media, with multiple language options, is an economical and efficient way to reach a large number of stakeholders for curriculum quality improvement.

The Impacts of the Servant Leadership on the Innovative Work Behaviors: Looking at the Role of Public Service Motivation and Employee Engagement

The Impacts of the Servant Leadership on the Innovative Work Behaviors: Looking at the Role of Public Service Motivation and Employee Engagement

Research & Development and Employees Productivity in Public Service of Nigerian Fourth Republic

Research & Development and Employees Productivity in Public Service of Nigerian Fourth Republic 1Casey Ngozi Egbon-Charles 2 Danjuma Bwese Tanko, 3 Nasamu Gambo (PhD), 4 Judith Aimiebenomo Ehiaguina, 5 Fredrick Yakubu 1,2,3,4,5Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria doi: https://doi.org/10.37745/gjhrm.2013/vol12n4108130 Published July 14, 2024 Citation: Egbon-Charles C.N., Tanko D.B., Gambo N., Ehiaguina J.A.,and Yakubu F. (2024) Research & Development and Employees Productivity in Public Service of Nigerian Fourth Republic, Global Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol.12, No.4, pp.108-129 Abstract: This study examines the impact of research & development on employees’ productivity in public service of Nigerian fourth republic from 1999 to 2023. The annual data for the study is sourced from World Bank’s Development Indicators (WDI) and Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. The dependent variable is employee’s productivity proxied by total factor productivity while the explanatory variables are research & development expenditure as percentage of GDP, employee compensation proxied for income and institutional quality components of governance effectiveness and regulatory quality. The preliminary test of Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test reveals mixed order of integration among the series under consideration, which reinforces the choice of Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) as estimation technique. The ARDL bounds result reveal the existence of long-run among the series under consideration. On the result, the series of research & development exhibit negative and significant relationship with employee productivity in the Nigerian public service. The complementary series of employee compensation exert negative effect and significant impact on employee productivity. Also, governance effectiveness further exerts negative and insignificant nexus while regulatory quality demonstrates significant positive effect on employee productivity. This study concludes that research & development has not enhanced employee productivity in the Nigeria public service within the period considered. Therefore, the research recommends the need for government agencies and parastatals to make adequate provision for resources to fund high-quality training programs for public sector employees. This can include providing on-the-job training, skill development workshops, and opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.

Pediatric anesthesiology in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.

Latin America comprises an extensive and diverse territory composed of 33 countries in the Caribbean, Central, and South America where Romance languages-languages derived from Latin are predominantly spoken. Economic disparities exist, with inequitable access to pediatric surgical care. The Latin American Surgical Outcomes Study in Pediatrics (LASOS-Peds), a multi-national collaboration, will determine safety of pediatric anesthesia and perioperative care. Below, we provide a descriptive initiative to share how pediatric anesthesia in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico operate. Theses descriptions do not represent all of Latin America. Brazil an upper middle-income country, population 203 million, has a public system insufficiently resourced and a private system, resulting in inequitable safety and accessibility. Surgical complications constitute the third leading cause of mortality. Anesthesiology residency is 3 years, with required rotations in pediatric anesthesia; five hospitals offer pediatric anesthesia fellowships. Anesthesiology is a physician-only practice. A Pediatric Anesthesia Committee within the Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology offers education through seasonal courses and workshops including pediatric advanced life support. Chile is a high-income country, population 19.5 million, the majority cared for in the public system, the remainder in university, private, or military systems. Government efforts have gradually corrected the long-standing anesthesiology shortage: twenty 3-year residency programs prepare graduates for routine pediatric cases. The Chilean Society of Anesthesiology runs a 1-month program for general anesthesiologists to enhance pediatric anesthesia skills. Pediatric anesthesia fellowship training occurs in Europe, USA, and Australia, or in two 2-year Chilean university programs. Public health policies have increased the medical and surgical pediatric specialists and general anesthesiologists, but not pediatric anesthesiologists, which creates safety concerns for neonates, infants, and medically complex. Chile needs more pediatric anesthesia fellowship programs. Mexico, an upper middle-income country, with a population of about 126 million, has a five-sector healthcare system: public, social security for union workers, state for public employees, armed forces for the military, and a private "self-pay." There are inequities in safety and accessibility for children. Pediatric Anesthesiology fellowship is 2 years, after 3 years residency. A shortage of pediatric anesthesiologists limits accessibility and safety for surgical care, driven by added training at low salary and hospital under appreciation. The Mexican Society of Pediatric Anesthesiology conducts refresher courses, workshops, and case conferences. Insufficient resources and culture limits research.

Help or Harm? Understanding the Nuanced Influence Mechanisms Between Paradoxical Leadership Behaviors and Work–Family Conflicts in the Public Sector

Whether, how, and when paradoxical leadership behaviors are beneficial for employees in the public sector is underexplored. We propose that workplace anxiety and job crafting differentially mediate the influence of paradoxical leadership behaviors on work–family conflicts and that resilience plays a moderating role on these relationships. To test our hypotheses, we used two-wave survey data collected from 595 public employees in China. The study findings support our predictions, expanding knowledge on the paradoxes in public administration. We share implications for public leaders on how to maximize the positive effects of paradoxical leadership behaviors while considering their double-edged-sword effects.

Volunteers, Civil Servants, and Street-Level Bureaucrats: What Motivates Poll Workers to Serve on the Front-Lines of Elections?

As election officials have come under increased scrutiny in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, research considering poll workers’ motivations offers a window into the human dimension of election administration. As public employees that work infrequently, poll workers perform their roles as government agents a few times a year (at most) for long hours and very low pay. Drawing upon original survey data collected from more than 1,000 poll workers in four Arizona counties between April and May, 2019, this study utilizes public service motivation (PSM) as a theoretical framework to explore whether and to what extent election workers express PSM. Ultimately, concepts of civic duty, social engagement, compensation, and social desirability are uncovered as factors motivating front-line election workers. The findings offer actionable insight on how workers can be better recruited to implement U.S. elections.

Enhancing Productivity at Home: The Role of Smart Work and Organizational Support in the Public Sector

In recent years, Italian Public Administrations (PAs) have swiftly adapted to flexible work arrangements due to the impact of COVID-19. The flexible work has led to addressing new challenges including the need to balance work demands with family commitments, a lack of social support, struggles with inadequate technology, and managing home interruptions that negatively affect home performance. Based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the present study aims at examining the negative impact of home interruptions on smart working performance and the moderating role of two potential job resources: organizational support and perceived quality of the smart working. A convenience sample of 301 Italian public employees engaged in smart working completed an online questionnaire. Multivariate regression analysis results showed that organizational support plays a moderating role in reducing the negative effect of interruptions on home performance. However, the findings did not support a moderating role for the perceived quality of smart working. Overall, these findings highlight the critical role of social factors in buffering the negative effects of smart working, as compared to the quality of the technological arrangements. This information could be valuable for organizations looking to enhance the effectiveness of smart working by focusing on organizational support.

Human capital development programme for mid-career agricultural extension workers: The case of Sokoine University of Agriculture BSc. agricultural extension and education training programme

Of recent, there is changing work environment for agricultural extension workers as they operate under the multi-stakeholders’ phenomenon. This increasingly poses a challenge to frontline extension workers trained on linear model (extension-researcher-farmer linkage) in extension services delivery. This is because, facilitating the multi-stakeholder processes requires competent agricultural extension workers well-versed in human relations. In recognizing the importance of human capital development for agricultural extension service delivery in Tanzania, Sokoine University of Agriculture established a mid-career agricultural extension training programme in 1998. Informed by the human capital theory, this study employed an evaluative study design to assess the impact of the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) mid-career BSc. Agricultural Extension and Education training programme on human capital development. The study was conducted in five agro-ecological zones, that is, Eastern, Western, Central, Southern Highlands and Lake zones in Tanzania. The development of the sampling frame was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MLF) and President’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG). A total of 200 respondents-100 alumni and 100 farmers were sampled proportionately. A snowball sampling technique was used to replace the respondents who were selected randomly but could not be reached for interview. Data were collected from respondents through a questionnaire that covered a set of competences through analysis of the mid-career agricultural extension curriculum and consultations with public and private employers. In addition, literature review and observations were also used to supplement the collected information. The findings indicate that the agricultural training programme at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) equipped graduates with appropriate knowledge, competencies and skills that improved their job performance and productive capacities that enabled them to interact with various stakeholders and facilitate multi-stakeholders’ processes. This is in line with the purpose of establishing the programme. Hence, this points to the need for continuous human capital building and motivations of agricultural extension workers for the improvement of their performance. Key words: Mid-career, Agricultural extension workers, Curriculum, Human capital, Multi-stakeholder processes

A RESEARCH ON BANK EMPLOYEES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REMOTE WORKING MODEL

In this study, the effect of teleworking on bank employees is examined. In the study, a questionnaire was applied to private and public bank employees in Van using the teleworking policies scale. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 26 and Lisrel 8.80 software with t-test, One-Way Analysis of Variance, and Pearson Correlation tests. In the Independent t Test (t) analysis of the participants according to gender, marital status, and bank type; while there was no significant difference between the sub-dimensions of the teleworking policies scale according to gender, bank, and marital status, a significant difference was found in the sub-dimension of the teleworking policies scale according to marital status. In the ANOVA analysis according to the participant's education level, age, working time in the organization, and the type of position worked; there was no significant difference between the sub-dimensions of the teleworking policies scale according to the education level, age, working time, and the type of position worked; according to the type of position worked; a significant difference was found in the sub-dimension of the teleworking policies scale in job performance. The Pearson Correlation method was used to find the relationship between the variables and a significant positive relationship was found.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN THE MALAYSIAN PUBLIC SECTOR: THE MODERATING EFFECT OF JOB DEMANDS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION, EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION, AND SELF-EFFICACY

The optimization of employee engagement poses significant challenges for organizations worldwide, including in Malaysian public sector. In narrowing knowledge, demographic, and empirical gaps. This study aimed to examine the moderating role of job demands (JD) on the relationship between employee participation (EP), employee motivation (EM), self-efficacy (SE), and employee engagement (EE) within the Information technology (IT) departments of the Malaysian public sector. A quantitative approach using SmartPLS software was applied to analyze the data. This study discovered that only EM and SE have a significant impact on EE. On the other hand, there was no discernible impact of JD on the link between EM and EE. However, there was a moderation effect of JD on the relationship between EP and EE. By providing theoretical and empirical evidence as well as contextual and practical implications, this study is expected to aid the Malaysian government in optimizing the engagement of public employees and thus, enhance the productivity of the public sector in both administrative and economic growth.

“Every day of your life you deal with death:” Incorporating dirty work into the MPA curriculum

ABSTRACT Aspects of public service often involve tasks sometimes considered taboo, including working with grit, grime, blood, guts, grease, and stigmatized populations. Yet scholarship in our field directly incorporating dirty work remains limited yet growing. Importantly, if MPA students are not trained in how to work with and manage public sector employees engaged in such work, there is a chance for misunderstanding and mismanagement. In this paper, we draw on the concept of dirty work and showcase several ways how it can be incorporated into the MPA curriculum through topics such as regulation and compliance, emotional labor, budgeting and procurement, and public health. We rely on stories from deathcare workers throughout the U.S. to supplement the points. A dirty work practitioner from a large Iowa medical examiner department lends expertise in each section, and we conclude with case scenarios and questions for incorporating dirty work into MPA classes.

Bordering public institutions through the routinization of borderwork and datafication: Internalized immigration regimes within UK health care and higher education

The embedding of immigration checks into public institutions constitutes an integral part of contemporary bordering regimes. In this article, we situate recent changes to the UK’s internal borderscape in two parts of the public sector: higher education and health care. We argue that, analyzed from institutional perspectives, these changes reflect not only a dispersal and deterritorialization of the UK’s border regime, but also the emergence of specific relations between the government department responsible for this regime – the Home Office – and other parts of the public sector and its institutions. We maintain that these relations have developed into two main forms: the routinization of borderwork within public sector employees’ roles, drawing workers from across public institutions into relations with the Home Office and subordinating the needs of those institutions to the demands of the UK’s internalized border regime; and the establishment of information systems for datafication, to enable reporting and sharing data between public sector institutions and the Home Office, which are exploited for surveillance purposes. Such relations not only vulnerabilize public sector institutions by draining their resources and destabilizing institutional cultures, but also drive ongoing changes in the bureaucratic field of the state.

Labour market policy directed at ex-prisoners in Poland

In the article we investigate how public employment services perform with respect to ex-offenders registered therein as unemployed workers in Poland in the time span 2004-2019. Our descriptive analysis will serve in the future in policy evaluation analyses regarding efficiency of certain labour market policy programmes offered to former inmates. We base our analysis on individual administrative data from public employment offices. We present the scope and diversity of the performed actions within active and passive labour market policy programmes. We also provide a literature review on the relationship between labour force attachment after leaving the prison and the recidivism.Conducted analysis indicates that public employment offices do not focus, in particular, on ex-offenders. This partially originates in stereotypical perception of ex-offenders. Nevertheless, social services are expected to perform inclusive actions of social and economic character and preventing the recidivism. The range of active labor market policy tools applied to ex-inmates is relatively small. On the other hand, only about 10% of former prisoners received unemployment benefits.In the article, we stress the importance of labour market participation in preventing subsequent criminal behaviour and by our research we also contribute by identifying knowledge gaps in analysing efficiency of certain labour market policies with respect to ex-offenders. Particular modifications in legislation conditions (for example treating ex-offenders as unemployed in special situation in the labour market or their wage during employment while being in prison) should lead to further investigation in the future.

Technology Finance and Urban Development: A Quantitative Approach to Shaping a New Future for Shrinking Cities

Using a dataset of 30 cities of different administrative levels in Liaoning Province, China, for the period 2007-2020, this study proposes a novel quantitative methodology for assessing the impact of socio-economic factors on the attractiveness of shrinking cities. By combining a shrinkage model with principal component analysis and extreme value normalisation of key indicators such as population size, GDP, retail sales of consumer goods, public budget expenditure, and secondary and tertiary employment, we provide a detailed analysis of the phenomenon of shrinking cities and its drivers. Using an interdisciplinary approach involving economics, psychology and sociology, we redefine traditional indicators for assessing the attractiveness of cities by analogising urban population dynamics to the process of molecular transfer in physical chemistry. This approach allows us to quantify the attractiveness of cities in four ways: socio-economic attractiveness, cost of living, public services and employment opportunities. The case study of Fushun illustrates the application of our model, revealing the potential for negative attractiveness across all dimensions and highlighting the multifaceted challenges facing shrinking cities. Our findings highlight the critical role of balanced socio-economic development, well-developed public services, affordable living conditions and adequate employment opportunities in enhancing the attractiveness of cities. This comprehensive framework provides valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers aiming to mitigate urban shrinkage and promote sustainable urban development.

Prospects for Development of Forensic Methods for Investigation of Criminal Offenses Related to Raiding

Formation and development of economic security of the State requires taking effective measures to counteract and minimize negative impact of criminal offenses that encroach on economic and social relations, legal activities of economic entities, rights of public administration employees, etc. Among the latter, those that demonstrate signs of raiding deserve close attention, i.e., related to the illegal takeover and seizure of property, assets of enterprises, institutions, organizations, corporate rights to them and other resources, encroachment on the rights of owners or authorized persons of entities management of various forms of ownership, etc. In this regard, the article purpose is defined as outlining prospects for construction of forensic methods of investigation of criminal offenses in which signs of raiding can be detected. In order to achieve the specified goal, a complex of general scientific, philosophical and special research methods was applied. According to performed research results, it was determined that in modern sense, a separate forensic investigation method (in a broad sense) should be understood as an integrated product of scientific knowledge in the field of law, formed on the basis of a generalization of investigative and judicial practice, which in its essence is a set of forensic recommendations, proven tactics methods of conducting investigative (search) and covert investigative (search) actions, methods and techniques of optimal and effective use of forensic techniques during pre-trial investigation developed in accordance with procedural requirements in order to optimize the model of conducting pre-trial investigation of a separate criminal offense, their groups, etc. Based on the generalization of certain elements of the criminal law and forensic characteristics of criminal offenses related to raiding, varieties of individual forensic methods of investigation have been determined, including interspecies, special, subspecies, species, etc.

The Burden of Bad Intentions: Analyzing Politicized Administrative Burdens

Using a survey of nearly 2,000 federal government employees, we test the extent to which civil servants are willing to use their position to impose administrative burdens on political opponents. Such an act would create a burden of bad intentions. Rather than discovering that administrators are partisan actors through their use of burdens, we find that federal public employees support administrative burdens when they reduce fraud and waste. Furthermore, these civil servants are also not politically motivated. More precisely, federal government employees do not support administrative burdens that will give unequal benefits to members of their own political party or that will create uneven challenges for members of the opposition. Therefore, we theorize that administrators’ decisions relating to burden are motivated by a general concern for efficiency and ethics, even as decisions related to compliance and discretion may be divided into partisan lines.

Influence of organisational climate on public service employee physical health.

The working conditions in the South African public service, notably its challenging environment, pose significant threats to the physical health of employees. Calls exist in understanding how this can be addressed. The study investigated the predictors of physical health, accounting for the role of organisational climate and decent work. The study was conducted in Bisho in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. An instrument was administered through a survey using a sample of 289 respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to test the hypothesised relationships. No significant direct effect existed to show that the sounder an organisational climate, the better the physical health of employees will be (β = -0.014, t = -0.199, p = 0.843, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.153 to 0.125]). However, statistically significant evidence existed to show that the more focus on promoting decent work, the better the physical health of employees will be (β = 0.463, p = < 0.001, 95% CI [0.258 to 0.668]). Finally, decent work has a full mediating effect on the relationship between organisational climate and employee physical health (β = 0.105, 95% CI [0.054 to 0.167]). Public service organisations need to pay attention to the role of its climate and decent working conditions in promoting employee physical health. Interventions are needed centered on improving decent work and the organisational climate as identified predictors of employee physical health.

Building a Performance Allowance System Merit-Based Pay In The Public Sector

This paper aims to describe how to build a merit pay-based performance allowance system for public organizations using the compensation method. The research method used is qualitative research method with Literature Review. The source of research data used is journal articles from research on merit-based public organizations to measure organizational performance. Researchers focused on taking data from financial policymakers who are daily involved and have a slice of work in the implementation of performance allowance budget distribution. The results of several previous studies showed a positive and significant relationship between the performance-based benefits policy system and employee performance. This study examines conceptually based on research literature on merit pay, which shows that instruments in achievement payments for performance appraisals can motivate employees and increase job satisfaction and increase commitment in organizations. This study provides suggestions that future studies emphasize the need for effective incentive and performance appraisal systems in public administration so as to have an impact on the motivation of public employees which has been carried out.

Where Does the Black-White Life Expectancy Gap Come From? The Deadly Consequences of Residential Segregation.

The disparity in life expectancy between white and black Americans exceeds five years for men and three years for women. While prior research has investigated the roles of healthcare, health behaviors, biological risk, socioeconomic status, and life course effects on black mortality, the literature on the geographic origins of the gap is more limited. This study examines how the black-white life expectancy gap varies across counties and how much of the national gap is attributable to within-county racial inequality versus differences between counties. The estimates suggest that over 90% of the national gap can be attributed to within-county factors. Using a quasi-experimental research design, I find that black-white residential segregation increases the gap by approximately 16 years for men and five years for women. The segregation effect loads heavily on causes of death associated with access to and quality of healthcare; safety and violence; and public health measures. Residential segregation does not appear to operate through health behaviors or individual-level factors, but instead acts primarily through institutional mechanisms. Efforts to address racial disparities in mortality should focus on reducing racial residential segregation or reducing inequalities in the mechanisms through which residential segregation acts: public services, employment opportunities, and community resources.