Resource Agencies Research Articles

Incremental Pathways of Post-Disaster Housing Self-Recovery in Villa Verde, Chile

Housing reconstruction is considered the backbone of disaster recovery. The increasing losses in housing due to disasters challenge conventional top-down schemes and call for people-centred approaches to acknowledge their agency and self-recovery resources. This paper examines the pathways for housing self-recovery through resident-controlled incremental housing development. This paper focuses on the Villa Verde settlement built in the Chilean city of Constitución, which was severely impacted by the 2010 Chile Earthquake. Villa Verde, designed by the Chilean architecture studio Elemental, is one of the most notable incremental housing projects worldwide that encourage residents to extend their houses within a provided structural framework. This research aims to provide clarity in the much-needed understanding of disaster-affected people’s agency to self-recover, noted by researchers as one of the crucial elements for improving the humanitarian response in the aftermath of disasters. Through capturing the evolution of incremental housing construction, this paper presents multiple complexities resulting from the variety of households’ characteristics and needs in their process of post-disaster housing self-recovery. The resident-controlled process studied evidence that the people’s capacities and dedication to self-recover challenged the established housing framework with extensions beyond the designers’ parameters requiring further evaluation of the long-term implications of self-help constructions.

Does board capital enhance corporate social responsibility disclosure quality? The role of CEO power

AbstractThis paper examines the relationship between board capital attributes and corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) quality and how CEO power moderates the association between board capital attributes and CSRD quality. Using a cross‐sectional sample of 114 firms, we find that directors' experience and directors' interlocking have positive impacts on CSRD quality while directors' political ties have a significant negative impact on CSRD quality in Saudi firms. Contrary to our hypotheses, we find no support for the impacts of directors' education, directors' expertise, and board nationality on CSRD quality. Moreover, we find partial support for the moderation effects of CEO power. Overall, we theoretically highlight the roles of resource dependence theory and agency theory in enhancing CSRD quality.

The Effect of the Physical Work Environment on the Quality of Work in Civil Servants of the Sintang Regency Human Resources and Personnel Development Agency

This study aims to examine the effect of the physical work environment on the quality of work of Civil Servants at the Sintang Regency Personnel and Human Resources Development Agency. The sampling technique used in this study is the Saturated Sample method. The population in this study were all employees at the Agency for Personnel and Human Resources Development of Sintang Regency, with a sample of 47 employees. The results of a simple linear regression show the equation Y = 7.539 + 0.664 X. The correlation coefficient results show an R value of 0.789, this value indicates that the relationship between the physical work environment variable and the quality of work at the Agency for Personnel and Human Resources Development in Sintang Regency can be said to show a strong relationship strong. The results of the coefficient of determination obtained an R2 value of 0.623 which means that the influence of the physical work environment on the quality of work at the Agency for Personnel and Human Resources Development in Sintang Regency is 62.30% and the remaining 37.70% is influenced by other variables outside of this study. And the results of the feasibility test of the model obtained the value of F arithmetic > F table, namely 74,318 > 4,07 while the significance level with a value of 0,00 < 0,05. The results of the research on the model feasibility test (F test) stated that Ho was accepted and Ha was rejected, meaning that the linear regression model can be used to predict the value of work quality which is influenced by the physical work environment at the Sintang District Personnel and Human Resources Development Agency.

Board independence and firm internationalization: a meta-analysis

Purpose Despite agency theory and resource dependence theory suggesting that – albeit through different mechanisms – board independence positively influences firm internationalization, empirical evidence on this relationship has been mixed and inconclusive. Based on this, the purpose of the present study is twofold: first, to analyze and synthesize the existing empirical literature and, second, to develop new theoretical insights on the effect of board independence on firm internationalization. Design/methodology/approach The authors used advanced meta-analytic techniques that allowed them, first, to synthesize the existing empirical literature on the board independence–firm internationalization relationship and, second, to examine the effect of several contingencies on such relationship. This study relies on data from 87 primary studies (published and unpublished) carried out in multiple academic fields in the period 1998–2021 and covering 49 countries. Findings The results confirm the established agency and resource-dependence arguments, suggesting that higher board independence is associated with greater firm internationalization. Moreover, the results show that the focal relationship is moderated by home-country formal and informal institutional factors, and in particular, the legal protection of minority shareholders and family business legitimacy. The authors do not find evidence that CEO duality and board size moderate the focal relationship or that board independence has a stronger effect on breadth than on depth of internationalization. Originality/value This study lies at the intersection of the literatures on corporate governance and firm internationalization and on comparative corporate governance of the multinational firm, shedding further light on the role played by institutional environments in determining the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanisms.

Ownership, innovation, and variable institutional quality

AbstractResearch question/issueInnovation has been a constant feature of the tales of transition and transformation. State ownership as the engine of innovation and technological change may be juxtaposed with the “liability of stateness” and the notion that “privatization works.” This study seeks to investigate the relationship between legal ownership and innovation inputs and outputs, while accounting for the moderating effect of institutional quality on this relationship.Research findings/insightsWe exploit unique data from a very large‐scale panel survey of enterprises (65,750 firms between 2006 and 2014) in Vietnam, a fast‐growing but understudied transition country, and apply advanced methodologies that control for the endogeneity of institutions. Our findings point to the continued dominance of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) in innovation activities in Vietnam. However, the returns to innovation in SOEs accrue only up to a point and improving institutional quality serves to diminish their advantage over privately‐owned enterprises (POEs) and to level the playing field.Theoretical/academic implicationsWe employ an integrated framework that develops predictions from resource dependence, agency, and institutional theories to explore the direct and contingent influences of ownership and institutional quality on firm‐level innovation activities. Our study contributes to the growing literature on state ownership and innovation in transition and emerging economies and the recent calls for greater attention to local institutional context and revising the existing theories on “state underperformance.”Practitioner/policy implicationsThis study offers insights to policy makers in enhancing the quality of local institutions. Higher‐quality institutions moderate the advantages state ownership confers and ameliorate the disadvantages associated with private ownership.

The 5th Indonesian Society of Limnology (MLI) Congress and International Conference 2021

The 5th Indonesian Society of Limnology (MLI) Congress and International Conference 2021 is a biannual conference organized by the Indonesian Society of Limnology, with the theme is “Building synergies towards sustainable use of inland waters.” This year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we hold the event virtually from 2nd to 3rd December. The objectives of this event are to (1) Connect, discuss, share and create a mutual network among communities from different backgrounds who are interested in inland waters ecosystem; (2) Disseminate science & technology and lessen the gap between scientific and common communities through fruitful discussion settings; (3) Underpin sustainable use and management of inland aquatic ecosystems.There were four keynotes speakers, four invited speakers, and 66 general presenters in the conference sessions. In total, 116 participants were registered and joined the conference. The first keynote speaker was Prof. Dr. Gadis Sri Haryani from the Research Center for Limnology and Water Resources, National Research and Innovation Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BRIN), Indonesia, who presented research about Migratory freshwater fish in Indonesia: Threats and conservation efforts. The second presenter was Dr. Robert Walsh from the Australian Water Life, Australia, who presented research about Discover the world of Micro-invertebrates. The third keynote speaker was Dr. Khamla Inkhavilay from the National University of Laos, Lao PDR, who presented Persistent Organic Pollutants in Wetland of Mekong Basin. The fourth speaker was Dr. Kwanraree Joy Sirikanchana from the Chulabhorn Research Institute, Thailand, who presented Microbial Source Tracking and Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment for Sustainable Water Pollution Management.In addition, the four invited speakers and 66 general presenters split into four rooms for parallel discussions which covered the latest research on inland water ecosystems, including; (1) Biotic resources, biodiversity, and conservation; (2) System Dynamic of inland waters; (3) Applied technology for the management and pollution control; (4) Modelling, system information, decision support tool, disaster risk reduction; (5) Management, policies, regulation, education, social, economy, and culture.We highly appreciate the generous support from Research Centre for Limnology-BRIN (Indonesia), Australian Water Life (Australia), Chulabhorn Research Institute (Thailand), National University of Laos (Lao PDR), Southeast Asian Limnological Network (SEALnet), Advisory Board, Steering and Organizing committee and all presenters and participants.List of Committees, Advisory Board, Steering Committee, Scientific Committee, Organizing Committee, Documentation, all photos are available in this pdf.

DEFINITION OF NEW ASPECTS OF CHANGING THE ECOLOGICAL STATE OF A SURFACE WATER OBJECT

The article analyzes the qualitative composition of the surface water body, namely the Seym River in Chernihiv and Sumy regions, to determine changes in its ecological status. Possible causes of its pollution have been identified. Statistical and systematic analysis of environmental change was conducted on the basis of the interactive map «Monitoring and Environmental Assessment of Water Resources of Ukraine» of the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine in the period from January 2012 to December 2020 based on data from four observation posts of the Seym. The purpose of the study is to identify new temporal and spatial trends in the concentration of major pollutants along the Seym River within Sumy and Chernihiv regions to ensure the possibility of using the results as baseline data in subsequent stages of the study to apply the basin principle of water management. The content of the main indicators was analyzed: polyphosphates, ammonium, nitrates and nitrites, phosphates and sulfates. Data on water intake control from four posts within the Seym River were studied. The increase in the content of ammonium ions every year indicates a deterioration in the sanitary condition of the water in the Seym River. According to the data on biological oxygen consumption in the Seym River, there is a constant deterioration of the oxygen regime at four posts. The increase in nitrate content is associated with an increase in the area of nitrate washout. The decrease in the content of phosphates and sulphates in the Seym River at the observation posts may be due to the fact that the population in the settlements is decreasing every year. From the point of view of basin management, it is expedient to establish an additional point of quality control of water discharges. In the future, the results of the study can be used in the development and implementation of a reliable and effective model for forecasting the ecological status of the Seym River. The results obtained during the study make it possible to state that the ecological condition of the Seyjm River, one of the important tributaries of the Dnieper River, is deteriorating today due to man-made impact. This leads to a deterioration of water quality and the regime of its river runoff.

Asking nicely: Best practices for requesting data

Compiling disparate datasets into publicly available composite databases helps natural resource communities explore ecological trends and effectively manage across spatiotemporal scales. Though some studies have reported on the database construction phase, fewer have evaluated the data acquisition and distribution process. To facilitate future data sharing collaborations, Louisiana State University surveyed data providers and requestors to understand the characteristics of effective data requests and sharing. Data providers were largely U.S. natural resource agency personnel, and they reported that unclear data requests, privacy issues, and rigid timelines and formats were the greatest barriers toward providing data, but that they were motivated by improving science and collaboration. Data requestors identified challenges such as evolving needs, standardization issues, and insufficient resources (time and funding) as barriers to compiling data for these types of efforts. In a time of big data, open access, and collaboration, significant scientific advances can be made with effective requests and inclusion of data sets into larger and more powerful databases.

A comparison of mixed‐mode survey designs for collecting deer and fall turkey harvest data in North Dakota

AbstractAchieving state wildlife agency biological goals for deer (Odocoileus spp.) and turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) rely on high quality data collection via hunter harvest surveys. Concomitantly, better information is needed to optimize harvest survey methods. From 2017 to 2019, we surveyed North Dakota, USA, deer and fall turkey hunters using a self‐administered mail survey as a control and 3 mixed‐mode, internet/mail surveys to evaluate the efficacy of alternative survey designs for estimating harvest of game populations and informing future management. We measured response rates across segments of North Dakota deer and fall turkey hunters, and across mixed‐mode treatments that could easily be implemented with existing wildlife agency resources. We also determined whether early survey respondents were more likely to harvest deer or turkey. Finally, we estimated the effects of demographic factors that may be associated with hunters returning survey treatment modes to further North Dakota Game and Fish Department's ability to tailor surveys to certain hunter groups. We found that internet‐mail and mail‐internet treatments resulted in significantly higher response rates than a traditional mail‐only survey mode. We also found that hunters who successfully harvested an animal were more likely to return questionnaires shortly after the initial wave of surveying. Finally, we found that older, nonresident, and urban hunters were more likely to return questionnaires. Our research demonstrates potential use of tailored mixed‐mode surveys to increase response rates.

Mergers and Acquisition and Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya

Commercial banks’ managers and shareholders are always adopting mergers and acquisitions aiming to improve their financial performance, economies, efficiency as well as their liquidity position. However, this doesn’t always turn out to be so since different performances has been experienced by the firms that have undergone mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector. While some studies indicate that mergers and acquisitions have adverse effect, others indicate that it doesn’t have an effect while others have documented that it positively improves performance. In the recent years commercial banks have undergone mergers and acquisitions whereby in the last 20 years a total of 10 acquisitions and 13 mergers have taken place but the performance of these banks remains mixed. Therefore, there was a need to interrogate whether commercial banks’ financial performance is affected by mergers and acquisitions given that the effect is mixed. The study’s specific objectives included establishing the influence of organizational operating synergy, firm size and risk diversification as mergers and acquisitions effects on Kenyan commercial banks’ financial performance. The theories that provided a theoretical justification as well as interrogation of the key study variables are; the Synergistic Mergers Theory, the Agency Cost Theory (ACT) and Resource Based Theory. A causal research design was adopted where a census was conducted on the entire population of the last 20 years’ 10 acquisitions and 13 mergers. This study used both primary and secondary data, which was analyzed with SPSS to generate inferential and descriptive statistics and frequencies. The results of regression and correlation analysis were presented in tables and figures. The study found that organizational operating synergy, bank size, and risk diversification all had a positive and significant impact on the financial performance of Kenyan commercial banks. According to the study, operation synergy had a significant impact on bank financial performance due to lower operating expenses, increased market share, consolidation of operations, and synergies within the banking industry. An increase in bank size will result in effective gains that will be passed on to customers in the form of high deposit rates, lower lending rates, and lower interest rates. However, increasing the size of the bank beyond certain limits indicates a decline in the scale, leading to inefficiency. The diversification of a bank's operations varies depending on the bank. Diversification of risk is a risk-reduction technique that involves allocating investments across a variety of financial instruments. When banks diversify their risk, they reduce the amount of risk they are exposed to in order to maximize their returns. According to the study, Kenyan commercial banks should critically evaluate the merging institutions' overall business and operational compatibility and focus on capturing long-term operational synergies. There is a need for bank policies that place a higher priority on determining and monitoring their loan portfolio, customer deposits, and asset quality. The banks should invest in a broad range of assets such as bonds, stocks, real estate etc so as to reduce the volatility and risk to their portfolio by holding investments that have a low correlation to one another.

PairwiseIHA: A python toolkit to detect flow regime alterations for headwater rivers

The PairwiseIHA is an open-source toolkit written in Python that enables the user to quickly obtain the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) from inflow and outflow time series for headwater reservoirs. Specifically, the IHA metrics obtained from inflows (outflows) are considered as natural (regulated) and the differences are used to indicate how the magnitude, frequency, duration, timing and rate of change are altered by reservoir operation. It extends the functionality of the popular IHA software for analyzing concurrent inflows and outflows. The results of three case study reservoirs in California highlight that reservoir operation leads to considerable alterations in the five components of the flow regime. The findings on flow regime alteration are consistent across wet, normal and dry years. Overall, the PairwiseIHA can serve as an effective tool to investigate alterations in flow regime induced by human activities for water managers, scientists, natural resource agencies and water users.

Analisis Koordinasi Dinas Sosial dalam Pelaksanaan Program Bantuan Sosial Tunai di Kelurahan Wonokusumo Kecamatan Semampir Kota Surabaya

The Cash Social Assistance (BST) is an assistance program from the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia which is given to vulnerable and poor communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to analyze in depth the coordination of government agencies in Wonokusumo Village, Semampir District, Surabaya City. This study uses the theory of James D. Thompson 3 types of coordination (unified interdependence, sequential interdependence, reciprocal interdependence) with aspects of identification of the parties involved and participating as well as the availability of implementation instructions and technical guidelines. The study used a qualitative descriptive approach. The results of this study indicate that the coordination of the parties involved from PT. Pos Indonesia, Social Service, Subdistrict, Kelurahan, RT/RW seen from these 3 aspects the coordination of the implementation of cash social assistance programs in Wonokusumo Village, Semampir District, Surabaya City has been going well according to the specified standard procedure. as for supporting factors such as responsive agency resources as well as optimal community involvement for the inhibiting factor in this study, the quantity of village resources is proportional to the large number of local residents. The suggestion in this research is to increase the role of Wonokusumo village human resources, namely by holding training according to their fields and also increasing the level of education from D3 to Bachelor as a form of community service.

Women on Boards in Portuguese Listed Companies: Does Gender Diversity Influence Financial Performance?

Corporate sustainability integrates financial performance with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Due to their personal characteristics, women can play an important role in promoting sustainable actions and strategic decision-making, creating positive effects on a company’s financial performance. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of Board gender diversity on financial performance, in the context of Portuguese listed companies. Financial performance was measured through an accounting-based measure, the return on assets (ROA), and a market-based measure, the Tobin’s Q. Board gender diversity was proxied through several measures identified in the literature and the information needed to construct them was manually collected from the corporate governance reports. A regression analysis was conducted on panel data consisting of 29 companies from the period from 2010 to 2019. The results show that female presence is positively related with ROA when there are at least two women on the Board, or when the proportion of women is, at the least, 20%. A positive relationship was also found between the Tobin’s Q and the presence of at least 20% women on the Board. The results confirm the existence of the positive effects of Board gender diversity on financial performance, as predicted by resource dependence theory and agency theory, but only when a critical mass of women is reached. In general, we conclude that, although gender diversity promotion measures underlying Portuguese legislation are not yet fully consolidated, the imposed threshold of 20% women on Boards is a signal sent to the market and one that is valued by investors.

A Perspective: Molecular Detections of New Agents in Finfish-Interpreting Biological Significance for Fish Health Management.

The increased sensitivity of advanced molecular techniques greatly exceeds the sensitivities of traditional detection methods for infectious agents. This sensitivity causes difficulty in interpreting the biological significance of such detections in fish (and shellfish), especially when the agent(s) cannot be cultured in the laboratory. In the Pacific Northwest, including Canada and Alaska, molecular detections of "new" (unknown or known but discovered in a different geographic location or fish host) potentially infectious agents in fish have received extensive media attention and misinterpretation that call for resource agencies to change current fish health surveillance practices or policies to include these agents. Fish health specialists from several of these agencies and organizations (see Acknowledgments) advise that any policy changes should be made only after further investigations to avoid wasting resources to conduct surveillance for organisms that are not significant to fish health or for noninfectious genetic material that does not represent a viable agent. Molecular detection is not proof of agent viability within or on host tissues and requires further investigation regarding the agent's ability to replicate and evidence that the agent causes substantial risk of disease to exposed fish populations. This document provides examples of molecularly detected agents causing public concern that were accompanied by little or no data to provide context and assessment of biological significance, highlights important questions to be answered regarding these detections, and provides a suggested pathway of investigative criteria to determine viability and pathogenicity of such agents that are necessary for consideration of any changes to aquatic animal health practices and policies.

Characteristics, attitudes, and motivations of hunting mentors in Florida

AbstractAcross the United States, conservation leaders have been concerned about declines in hunting participation because hunting license sales and taxes on the sale of equipment used for hunting generate a significant portion of wildlife conservation funding. Natural resource agencies have begun focusing on recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) initiatives to reverse this decline. These initiatives, in part, seek to increase participation in hunting and shooting sports of currently nonhunting audiences. One of the primary techniques used by the R3 initiative is to develop mentoring programs that provide hunting opportunities for participants with an experienced hunter. Because of its unique and flexible tactics (e.g., calling, still hunting vs run and gun hunting), turkey hunting affords a natural opportunity for mentoring to take place. However, to make mentoring programs efficient and effective, R3 practitioners must have an understanding of the demographics of mentors and what challenges or incentives may exist to participating in a mentoring program. Therefore, we surveyed Florida turkey hunters to (1) understand the demographics of turkey hunters who mentor and (2) assess the challenges, benefits, and incentives to mentoring other turkey hunters in Florida. In 2015, we collected a random sample of 2,817 Florida hunters eligible to hunt turkeys from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hunting license registry. A total of 710 respondents actively hunted turkeys in the state of Florida. Experienced turkey hunters who mentor perceived challenges (lack of time, interferes with their own hunting opportunity, unfamiliar with mentoring opportunities) less and viewed incentives less than novice and intermediate experienced mentoring hunters. Among wild turkey hunters in Florida, the propensity to mentor was greater among men and those who hunted private land and increased with level of turkey‐hunting experience. To recruit new mentors, agencies must increase awareness of formal mentor programs that focus a connection to public land access and provide recognition to the individuals attending.

Pengaruh Pendidikan, Pelatihan terhadap Pengembangan Pegawai di Badan Pengembangan Kepegawaian & Sumber Daya Manusia Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula

This article aims to determine the effect of education and training on the career development of civil servants at the personnel agency and human resource development in the Sula archipelago district. This study focused on employees of the Personnel & Human Resources Development Agency of the Sula Islands Regency, the sample used was 107 people. Data was collected through a questionnaire, then the variables were measured using a Likert scale. Data analysis was done by using multiple regression analysis method. The software used for analysis is SPPS. 20. From the standard estimates for the variables Education (X1), Training (X2), Career Development (Y), an equation can be made, namely Y = 1.977+ 0.308 (X1) + 0.220 (X2)+e. This study concludes that the education variable has a coefficient value of 0.220 and has a significance value of 0.002 variable which is considered constant. The training variable shows a value of 0.220 and has a significance value of 0.021. simultaneously shows that the two variables of education and training have a significance probability of 0.000 which simultaneously affects the career development variable.

Massively parallelizable approach for evaluating signalized arterial performance using probe-based data

Effective performance of arterial corridors is essential to community safety and vitality. Considering the dynamic nature of traffic demand, efficient management of these corridors require frequent updating of the traffic signal timings through various strategies. Agency resources for these activities are commonly scarce and are primarily by public complaints. This study provides a workflow using probe-based data to measure and compare different segments on arterial corridors in terms of the traffic signal performance measures that can capture travel time dynamics across signalized intersections. The proposed methodology identifies a group of dynamic days followed by evaluation of travel rate based upon remaining non-dynamic days. Dynamic days represent the variability of traffic on a segment. Consequently, a corridor having high number of dynamic segments along with poor performance during normal days would be a candidate for adaptive control. Further, to handle the large-scale data source collected from city-wide or statewide traffic signals, the study adopts parallel computation-based strategy using MapReduce technique. A case study was conducted on 11 corridors within Des Moines, Iowa, to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach, which identified two arterial corridors, Merle Hay Road and University Avenue, to be suitable for adaptive traffic signal control.

Evaluating the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission to bats in the context of wildlife research, rehabilitation, and control

Preventing wildlife disease outbreaks is a priority for natural resource agencies, and management decisions can be urgent, especially in epidemic circumstances. With the emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2, wildlife agencies were concerned whether the activities they authorize might increase the risk of viral transmission from humans to North American bats, but had a limited amount of time in which to make decisions. We describe how decision analysis provides a powerful framework to analyze and reanalyze complex natural resource management problems as knowledge evolves. Coupled with expert judgment and avenues for the rapid release of information, risk assessment can provide timely scientific information for evolving decisions. In April 2020, the first rapid risk assessment was conducted to evaluate the risk of transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 from humans to North American bats. Based on the best available information and relying heavily on expert judgment, the risk assessment found a small possibility of transmission during summer work activities. Following that assessment, additional knowledge and data emerged, such as bat viral challenge studies, that further elucidated the risks of human‐to‐bat transmission and culminated in a second risk assessment in the fall of 2020. We updated the first SARS‐CoV‐2 risk assessment with new management alternatives and new estimates of little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) susceptibility, using findings from the fall 2020 assessment and other empirical studies. We found that new knowledge led to an 88% decrease in the median number of bats estimated to be infected per 1,000 encountered when compared to earlier results. The use of facemasks during, or a negative COVID‐19 test or vaccination prior to, bat encounters further reduced those risks. Using a combination of decision analysis, expert judgment, rapid risk assessment, and efficient modes of information distribution, we provided timely science‐based support to decision makers for summer bat work in North America.

Southern Africa and Cultural Heritage: An Assessment of Online Promotion Strategies

In terms of cultural heritage, Southern Africa is arguably one of the richest regions. This region has potential for a vibrant cultural heritage tourism sector. Against the background that cultural heritage tourism is a major source of revenue to this region and the need to educate the public on the importance of cultural heritage, we assess the region’s online promotion strategies to the public. We employed qualitative and quantitative analysis of data obtained from cultural heritage organizations of six countries, namely Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. We assessed the websites of these organizations on the premise of the Information, Communication, Transaction, Relationship and Technical model (ICTRT); social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram were also analysed. Our results show that except for South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), South Africa, and National Heritage Council of Namibia, most Southern African cultural heritage institutions are struggling to promote cultural heritage online. Given the increased online activities as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, we also show that for most Southern African cultural heritage bodies, this has not yet positively affected their online marketing activities. Based on these results, we recommend that concerned organizations should increase online visibility geared towards aggressive marketing approaches.

Sustainable development through the effect of board diversity and CEO duality on corporate risk: Does the state‐owned enterprises matter?

AbstractTo date, not much research has been devoted to analyzing the impact of some corporate governance mechanisms (board diversity and CEO duality) on corporate risk. Consequently, we believe that it is necessary to study such topic in greater depth. The aim of this research is to provide further evidence of the impact that board diversity, specifically board specific skills, board tenure and board cultural diversity, as well as CEO duality, have on corporate risk. Additionally, our study also examines the moderating role of the state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) on the association between the three characteristics of board diversity and corporate risk, and between CEO duality and corporate risk. The theoretical framework used in this research is based on agency theory and resource dependence theory. The findings show that board specific skills and board cultural diversity have a negative effect on corporate risk, while board tenure does not affect it. On the other hand, CEO duality has a negative effect, which is against the prediction of our hypothesis. Our evidence also reveals a negative moderating effect of SOEs on the impact of board specific skills, board tenure and board cultural diversity on corporate risk. Additionally, SOEs do not moderate the negative impact of CEO duality on corporate risk. Our research contributes to past literature on corporate risk by concluding that some corporate governance mechanisms like board specific skills, board cultural diversity and CEO duality lessen it. The moderating role performed by SOEs with the relationship between board specific skills, board culture diversity, board tenure and corporate risk is also a relevant contribution.