Single Organization Research Articles

Establishment of Multi-Institutional Model for the Delivery of Livestock Technology Needs in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas of Kenya

This study was carried out in Isiolo and Kajiado counties. Livestock production and marketing have been hampered by the unavailability and accessibility to livestock technologies, and information sharing. The overall objective of this study was to assess a multi-institutional model for enhancing the uptake of livestock technologies in Isiolo and Kajiado counties. The key parameters assessed were priority livestock constraints; technology needs; stakeholder partnerships; and technology delivery platform. The data were collected from 451 households belonging to Kenya Climate Smart Agricultural Production KCSAP groups red meat value chain of pastoralists, Common Interest Groups and Most Vulnerable Groups (CIGs and VMGs) using semi-structured questionnaires, Focus group discussions with groups, key informant interviews with public and private sector actors.
 The results showed that in both Kajiado and Isiolo Counties, priority livestock production constraints in Kajiado County in Dalalekutuk ward were diseases, lack of feeds, limited access to water and inadequate veterinary services, and in Isiolo County were lack of feeds, limited access to water and diseases. Priority livestock diseases in Kajiado, County, Dalalekutuk ward were, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), anthrax; contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) and cerebral coenurosis and enterotoxemia and cerebral coenurosis for the sheep. In Isiolo County, priority cattle diseases were FMD and trypanosomiasis,’ in the goats CCPP and cerebral coenurosis while in the sheep enterotoxemia and cerebral coenurosis. The reasons for persistent livestock production constraints were ranked and ranked as single organization interventions not sufficient to solve problems and lack of prioritization by stakeholders (water, pasture, diseases). The major livestock technology needs were: pasture, water, access to veterinary vaccines, capacity building of groups; training of para vets to support in the delivery of veterinary services; information sharing platform and market infrastructure. The multi-institutional technology exhibitions consisting of public and private sector actors were held in Kajiado and Isiolo Counties linking KCSAP pastoralist groups to technology and service providers. To enhance sharing of information, a mobile application(MITDP) was established linking CIGs and VMGs leaders with KALRO, KEVEVAPI, County Governments of Kajiado and Isiolo departments of livestock production and veterinary services; suppliers of drugs, vaccines and equipment; water technology suppliers; Agro-vets and Non-governmental organizations along the red meat value chain.

Emotional connection and customer orientation as moderators in improving the customer satisfaction–behavioral intention link: A moderated moderation service model

Customer engagement is one of the significant operational and quality practices service providers use to build service experiential relationships with customers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role emotional connection and customer orientation play in customer relationship building. A quantitative survey method is carried out among 515 self-reported active members at a single fast-growing non-denominational faith-based organization in Southwestern United States. Using a hierarchical multiple regression to evaluate our research model, we find relationship satisfaction is positively associated with customers’ behavioral intention in doing business with a service firm, while emotional connection shows no moderating effect on such a relationship. However, we found a significant three-way interaction effect of relationship satisfaction, emotional connection, and customer orientation on behavioral intentions. Customer orientation strengthens and fortifies the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intentions for customers with high emotional connection than for customers with low emotional connection. The focus on customer orientation and emotional connection provides a framework that can assist service firms develop quality operational strategies that target the emotions and feelings of customers to value the relationship while supporting service employees with quality operational practices and customer orientated activities to better manage customers.

SDGs in the EU Steel Sector: A Critical Review of Sustainability Initiatives and Approaches

SDGs are playing an increasing role in defining sustainability paths for energy-intensive sectors. In particular, the steel sector is promoting several parallel initiatives as a key player sector in the European process industry. This work describes the major focal trends related to the sustainability of steel and presents the principal EU approaches and initiatives linked with the ESTEP action area. The core sustainability issues related to SDGs in the EU steel sector are presented with a particular focus on the quantification approaches. Then, the paper presents different areas for SDG implementation by single organizations in the EU context. Such areas provide an operational path for managing and implementing SDGs. In particular, the key areas include: (1) roadmapping initiatives with a focus on specific sustainability targets; (2) eco-labelling trends with reference to usage per label typology; (3) reporting initiatives by single organizations with a focus on specific SDGs; and (4) representative EU steel R&D projects related to selected sustainability targets. The discussion part focuses on a critical review of all presented areas to summarise the main paths in adopting SDGs targeted at the EU steel sector level. As the final outcome, prime emerging barriers are suggested as well as critical issues in implementing SDG-based sustainability targets.

A Peer-To-Peer based System with Blockchain for Secured Voting Scheme (E-Voting)

In today’s world, when information safety is essential, blockchain is supreme for distributing that information because it gives instantly, provides, and completely unambiguous information stored on an immutable (unchangeable) ledger that can be accessed only by authorized network members. Blockchain increases trust, safety, clarity (Transparency), and the traceability of information transferred across a network. Today voting systems tolerate different safety threats and similarly distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS). Polling booth capturing, vote modification, and unfairly, gaining unlawful(unofficial) access to a computer system. The main objective of a similar fashion would be to deliver a decentralized(single organization cannot handle it) design to run and boost a voting system that is openly and separately(Independently) confirmable. The benefit that we get using of E-voting scheme would be to lessen election expenditures involving material, employee salary, and logistics records. If a voter is not physically present(out of the station) then he can vote remotely. That is it enhances a great degree of attendance. E-voting can be beneficial because anybody can effortlessly access the election. The security of E-voting in terms of verification(Authentication), clone(duplicate) votes, and non-repudiation of votes, is very less. E-voting is being studied hugely, and most of the execution is verified and even used for a while. That’s why very few executions (Implementation) are reliable sufficiently and are still in use

Financial Transaction Management for NGO using Block Chain

Non-governmental organizations or NGOs, are primarily nonprofit groups, and a large portion of them are supported by members of NGO and public donations. The credibility of an NGO is substantially enhanced and donor confidence is greatly increased by maintaining transparency regarding how donations are used. Donor organizations provide funding to non-governmental organizations(NGOs) in developing various initiatives such as economic development, women’s empowerment, promoting education, responding to calamities and natural disasters. Due to some NGOs’ involvement in the misuse of funds, some donor agencies cease to have faith in NGOs method of operation. This system is decentralized, not owned or operated by a single person or organization but rather shared among users. We have developed a blockchain-based Donation System capable of decentralizing the resources used by a given organization. The user may create any new organization and others will be allowed to donate money in the organization. As a result, the public become the true owners of the resources, and the charity fund system as a whole becomes more transparent. Blockchain technology and distributed ledgers can reduce operational costs and bring us closer to real-time transactions between financial institutions. System uses cross chain protocol for reliably exchanging information without third party in a multiple Blockchain system

Empowering middle managers to free their strategic capabilities

PurposeThis article aims to better understand how empowered middle manager engage in change translation? Relying on the notions of building and dwelling strategizing, the authors analyze the micro-practices of middle managers during organizational change, when middle managers are freed from time-consuming administrative activities.Design/methodology/approachThis empirical study relies on a qualitative embedded case study approach that involves comparing two banking units belonging to a large French bank. The qualitative data were collected from three different sources: exploratory and semi-structured interviews, observations and secondary data. The coding analysis enables to distinguish middle managers' dwelling and building strategizing during organizational change.FindingsThe study’s findings show how managers translate organizational change relying on both building and dwelling strategizing. By doing so, managers enable to adapt the prescribed strategy to local circumstances and foster front-line empowerment.Research limitations/implicationsEven though the findings are based on the analysis of a single organization, the authors provide several theoretical insights. First, the authors contribute to the recent academic debate in strategy-as-practice literature by showing the recursive relation between building and dwelling strategizing. The authors also shed a new light on middle managers' strategizing by emphasizing the idea that middle managers are not only passive change “translators” but that middle managers enact a real agency in the organizational change process.Practical implicationsFrom a managerial perspective, the study’s findings enable to enlight what empowering middle managers means in practice. Indeed, the authors show clear empirical illustrations of how middle managers can be empowered by both organizational structure and top-management support. The results also reveal how empowering middle managers enable to empower their team by three different activities: (1) federate the team spirit to facilitate collaboration; (2) develop employees' capabilities and (3) adjust managers' activity according to employees' needs.Originality/valueWhile multiple current new ways of organizing encourage to transform organizations from inefficient bureaucracies into flatter and more dynamic project-based teams, calling into question the importance of middle managers' strategic role, this study provides an original case study of an organization that chose to run against the tide and created an additional middle management level.

Incorporating competition and comparisons into crisis communication: How competing organizations respond to industry crises

Crisis communication research typically focuses on how a single organization strategically responds to crises based on its own set of situational factors. However, it is common for multiple competing organizations to be involved in responding to the same crisis. By analyzing two industry crisis cases in China, this study provides insights into what we termed competitive crisis communication, which involves not only crisis response timing and strategies but also competition and comparisons among the different organizations involved in the same crisis. The analysis of organizational statements on social media reveals the extent of differences in crisis response strategies adopted by competing organizations. Findings from an analysis of online media coverage and public posts on social media further suggest that stakeholders’ comparisons of different organizations’ crisis responses can influence stakeholders’ emotions and reputational perceptions of the organizations. Finally, the competitive advantages for an organization to respond as the first mover or late mover in industry crisis communication are discussed.

Hidden Pitches in Major League Baseball: What Are the Injury Implications of These Often Overlooked Pitches?

Pitch counts are tightly monitored in Major League Baseball (MLB). Hidden pitches-including warm-up pitches before and between innings and pitches before the starting/relieving pitcher's appearance in a game-are not as closely monitored. To report the number of hidden pitches thrown per game and over the course of a season for a single organization. We hypothesized that players who threw more hidden pitches would be at an increased risk of injury compared with those who threw fewer hidden pitches. Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. All pitchers who played for a single MLB organization in the 2021 season were included. Hidden pitches, in-game pitches, and total pitches thrown during all games in the season were recorded. Injuries to these pitchers were also recorded. Players were defined as having an injury if they spent any time on the injured list. Overall, 137 pitchers were included, 66 (48%) of whom sustained an injury and were placed on the IL during the 2021 season (mean time on IL, 53.6 ± 45.6 days). Of the 66 players who sustained an injury, 18 (27.3%) sustained an elbow injury, while 12 (18.2%) sustained a shoulder injury. Only 1 player sustained an ulnar collateral ligament tear. When comparing hidden pitches, in-game pitches, and total pitches between pitchers who sustained an injury and those who did not, there were no significant differences between groups (P = .150; P = .830; and P = .377, respectively). On average, hidden pitches made up 45.4% of the total number of pitches thrown during the course of the season. When evaluating the number of hidden pitches as a percentage of the total number of pitches thrown in a season, there was no significant difference between pitchers who sustained an injury and those who did not (P = .654). MLB pitchers who sustained an injury did not throw more hidden pitches than those who did not sustain an injury. Larger scale studies are needed to confirm the results of this single-team study.

World Federation for Interventional Stroke Treatment (WIST) Multispecialty Training Guidelines for Endovascular Stroke Intervention

IntroductionToday, endovascular treatment (EVT) is the therapy of choice for strokes due to acute large vessel occlusion, irrespective of prior thrombolysis. This necessitates fast, coordinated multi-specialty collaboration. Currently, in most countries, the number of physicians and centres with expertise in EVT is limited. Thus, only a small proportion of eligible patients receive this potentially life-saving therapy, often after significant delays. Hence, there is an unmet need to train a sufficient number of physicians and centres in acute stroke intervention in order to allow widespread and timely access to EVT. AimTo provide multi-specialty training guidelines for competency, accreditation and certification of centres and physicians in EVT for acute large vessel occlusion strokes. Material and methodsThe World Federation for Interventional Stroke Treatment (WIST) consists of experts in the field of endovascular stroke treatment. This interdisciplinary working group developed competency – rather than time-based – guidelines for operator training, taking into consideration trainees' previous skillsets and experience. Existing training concepts from mostly single specialty organizations were analysed and incorporated. ResultsThe WIST establishes an individualized approach to acquiring clinical knowledge and procedural skills to meet the competency requirements for certification of interventionalists of various disciplines and stroke centres in EVT. WIST guidelines encourage acquisition of skills using innovative training methods such as structured supervised high-fidelity simulation and procedural performance on human perfused cadaveric models. ConclusionsWIST multispecialty guidelines outline competency and quality standards for physicians and centres to perform safe and effective EVT. The role of quality control and quality assurance is highlighted. SummaryThe World Federation for Interventional Stroke Treatment (WIST) establishes an individualized approach to acquiring clinical knowledge and procedural skills to meet the competency requirements for certification of interventionalists of various disciplines and stroke centres in endovascular treatment (EVT). WIST guidelines encourage acquisition of skills using innovative training methods such as structured supervised high-fidelity simulation and procedural performance on human perfused cadaveric models. WIST multispecialty guidelines outline competency and quality standards for physicians and centers to perform safe and effective EVT. The role of quality control and quality assurance is highlighted. Simultaneous publicationThe WIST 2023 Guidelines are published simultaneously in Europe (Adv Interv Cardiol 2023).

SoulBound E-Voting System

Abstract: The right to vote is a fundamental right of citizens of democratic countries around the world. This is necessary so that citizens have a say in the choice of who represents them or in matters affecting them. The aspects of security and transparency are still threats from widespread elections with traditional systems. For years, democracies around the world have moved from sticking to paper ballots to electronic voting machines. These machines are not tamper-proof despite system checks, security procedures and election protocols. However, hacking and tampering with these machines is becoming more frequent as the number and methods of attackers increase. Physical access to the EVM, even for a few minutes, is enough to crack it. To ensure a fair and reliable election process, safety and security must be ensured throughout the process. A single organization still exists to administer the centralized system used for general elections. When organizations have complete control over their databases and systems, they can disrupt the database of important opportunities, which can cause a lot of problems in traditional election systems. Because networked software devices are vulnerable, the proposed work applies security concepts based on popular blockchain technology. It is currently being implemented with the goal of securing online money transactions in the digital economy. Blockchain has paved the way for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. A blockchain is a distributed and non-translatable ledger in which data is added and updated in real time based on the consensus of nodes running software on the network. However, once data is added to the registry, you cannot delete or edit the data from the database. Therefore, counterfeit voting is impossible, increasing the reliability of the electronic voting system. As a result, governments around the world are exploring blockchain as a means to make general elections tamper-proof and transparent, with the goal of enabling a system where everyone trusts data and is tamper-proof. Using blockchain for database distribution of electronic voting systems can reduce one of the sources of fraud in database manipulation.

Relationship between Knowledge Flow of Scientific and Technological Innovation and the Collaborative Innovation Ability of Students

Scientific and technological innovation ability of students is an important part of scientific and technological innovation in higher vocational colleges. There are few scientific and technological innovation achievements and low scientific and technological content of technical application achievements in higher vocational colleges at present, which are mainly caused by the single innovation organization form and weak innovation knowledge sharing ability. It is of great significance and value to explore the knowledge flow of scientific and technological innovation in colleges and universities and the collaborative innovation of college students. There is little research on the relationship between knowledge flow of scientific and technological innovation and collaborative innovation of college students in the existing literature, so this article has carried out relevant research. This article constructs the mathematical model of knowledge flow of scientific and technological innovation in colleges and universities, analyzes the stability of the mathematical model of knowledge flow of scientific and technological innovation in colleges and universities, and gives the framework of collaborative innovation ecosystem for college students. This article accurately measures the embedding of scientific and technological innovation resources in colleges and universities, the knowledge flow of scientific and technological innovation and the collaborative innovation performance of college students, and empirically tests the direct influence effect of embedding scientific and technological innovation resource network in colleges and universities on the collaborative innovation performance of college students and the moderating effect of the knowledge flow of scientific and technological innovation in colleges and universities. Finally, the corresponding experimental analysis results are given.

Pursuing innovative solutions to sustainability problems through openness: A future research agenda

Pursuing innovative solutions to sustainability problems through openness: A future research agenda

Leveraging ERP systems for improving ERP effectiveness in emergency service organizations: an empirical study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence enterprise resource planning (ERP) effectiveness within the context of emergency service organizations. Drawing on information systems (IS) effectiveness, ERP implementation and job satisfaction literature, the authors posit that user involvement, top management involvement and training satisfaction are the antecedents to perceived job satisfaction, and perceived job satisfaction leads to ERP effectiveness in emergency service organizations.Design/methodology/approachSurvey methodology is used for collecting data for this research, and the PLS-SEM technique is used for analysis.FindingsResults indicate users will be more satisfied with their training if their inputs are taken into account during their training and the top management is actively involved during the training process. Further, if the users perceive that they are adequately trained, they will be more satisfied with their jobs in using ERP, which will also lead to more effective ERP usage in emergency service operations.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus of this study is on a single emergency service organization and thus may not be generalizable to other sectors. The authors extend ERP research to the context of emergency service organizations and thus add to the literature on ERP and emergency services. They conceptualize perceived job satisfaction to integrate roles, teamwork, supervisor and their perception regarding their potential to grow in the organization.Practical implicationsThe managerial contribution of this research is to identify the motivational aspects and provide practical insights into the effective use of ERP systems for emergency service organizations. From a managerial perspective, the study provides a framework for both IS and emergency service providers/executives to understand and evaluate the factors that help them use ERP effectively in their firms.Originality/valueThis study extends the knowledge of ERP systems. While most of the ERP research focuses on implementation, the authors’ focus is on the effective use of ERP in emergency service organizations. They focus on identifying key factors that are important to using ERP effectively, specifically in emergency service organizations.

Commentary: Blockchain technology and its current importance in toxic anterior segment syndrome outbreak in India.

Commentary: Blockchain technology and its current importance in toxic anterior segment syndrome outbreak in India.

Comparing Religious Intolerance in Indonesia by Affiliation to Muslim Organizations

Very few studies explicitly, let alone quantitatively, examine gaps in religious intolerance among individual Muslims based on a liation with major Muslim organizations in Indonesia. Most existing studies either focus on a single organization (non-comparative), are at the organizational policy level (not examining individual attitudes), or use a limited number of samples in their analysis. Against this backdrop, this study compares Indonesian Muslims' levels of religious intolerance based on their a liation with Muslim organizations or traditions: Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, and other organizations. We utilize a large-scale household survey, the 2014 Indonesia Family Life Survey-5, and run an ordinal logistic regression to identify organizations' rank on the religious intolerance scale. We find that Muslims without any a liation with a Muslim organization (some 18 percent of Indonesian Muslims) are the most tolerant. Against this reference group, we find that NU followers are generally the most tolerant, followed by those a liated with Muhammadiyah, and those a liated with other Muslim organizations. This finding adds a stock of knowledge to our understanding of religion and society, especially regarding interfaith relations in Indonesia and in the Muslim world in general. Methodologically, this study also shows the benefit and feasibility of identifying the dynamic of religious intolerance using a quantitative approach at a micro level.

Ecosystem emergence in emerging markets: Evidence from the Nigerian digital financial services ecosystem

Ecosystem emergence has gained the attention of multiple researchers, governments and development experts as a route to establishing linkages between institutions and industries aimed, ultimately, at value creation for the end customer. Ecosystems have been instrumental in the progress of various industries where it would be otherwise difficult for a single organisation to develop. Using the case of the Nigerian digital financial ecosystem, which comprises about forty-three organisations, this study traces and explores the stages of ecosystem emergence: initiation, envisioning, enacting, momentum, control/optimisation and enlivening. The results show that the Nigerian digital financial services (DFS) ecosystem emerged from the need to leverage strategic partnerships across several industries for efficient value creation and delivery. The emergence of the DFS ecosystem, though organic, evolved without any form of design intentionality by the operators and regulators, as most relationships and interactions were loosely coupled. The study highlights the need for ecosystem actors such as governments and regulators to provide more clarity on incentives and ecosystem rules in order to overcome the limitations imposed by system-level and institutional barriers that constrain its legitimacy and growth and the launch of new initiatives.

Accelerating Food Allergy Research: Need for a Data Commons

Food allergy is a significant health problem affecting approximately 8% of children and 11% of adults in the United States. It exhibits all the characteristics of a "complex" genetic trait; therefore, it is necessary to look at very large numbers of patients, far more than exist at any single organization, to eliminate gaps in the current understanding of this complex chronic disorder. Advances may be achieved by bringing together food allergy data from large numbers of patients into a Data Commons, a secure and efficient platform for researchers, comprising standardized data, available in a common interface for download and/or analysis, in accordance with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles. Prior data commons initiatives indicate that research community consensus and support, formal food allergy ontology, data standards, an accepted platform and data management tools, an agreed upon infrastructure, and trusted governance are the foundation of any successful data commons. In this article, we will present the justification for the creation of a food allergy data commons and describe the core principles that can make it successful and sustainable.

Transparansi Advokat sebagai Profesi yang Terhormat (Officium Nobile)


 
 This paper aims to provide input on the integrity of advocates, who are free and independent and cannot be separated from their responsibilities based on a code of ethics. This paper is library research, where the approach in this legal research uses statutory and conceptual approaches. The research results show that the behavior of an advocate who adheres to the code of ethics reflects an attitude of obedience to God Almighty, the Law on Advocates, and their Clients. The integrity of an advocate must be fought for, so that it is worthy of being called officium mobile. The integrity of an advocate is seen as having to be on a par with the freedom he gets, his independence, and a sense of responsibility. So that advocates should maintain their integrity as an advocate and behave according to the advocate's code of ethics. However, upholding the code of ethics has so far experienced many obstacles in its enforcement, especially in the absence of a single organization for advocates that is strictly and clearly regulated..
 Keywords: Integrity, Advocate, Honorable

Achieving partnership synergy: resource inputs, shared mission and interdependencies in Danish health promotion partnerships

Intersectoral partnerships have the potential to co-produce 'synergistic' solutions to complex public health problems, exceeding what any single organization acting alone might achieve. Synergy requires shared decision-making and equitable co-construction by partners. However, many partnerships struggle to realize such synergistic potential. Building on the Bergen Model of Collaborative Functioning, this study offers insights for optimizing partnership synergy by examining interactions between 'inputs' to the partnership-shared mission, and partner resources. Specifically, we introduce the concept of 'dependency structure' to draw attention to how these input interactions shape the balance of power and hence the potential for shared decision-making and co-construction. Findings are based on qualitative data from 10 intersectoral, health promotion partnerships in Denmark, including 27 interviews, 10 focus groups, partnership documents and meeting observations. We identified eight distinct types of 'input resources', which were important in shaping the potential balance of power between partners in more or less productive ways. However, the dependency structure that materialized-and its synergistic potential-was contingent on how these inputs interacted with the partnership mission. Our findings suggest a well-developed shared mission serves three functions-(i) foregrounding a common purpose, (ii) aligning individual partner's self-interests and (iii) enabling action. The extent to which partnerships developed a shared mission serving all three functions influenced realization of a balanced dependency structure in which collaborators recognized their interdependencies, in turn promoting shared decision-making. To ensure the greatest potential for synergy, early and ongoing discursive processes to co-develop the partnership mission were particularly important.

Process Evaluation of a Collaborative Social Media Health Campaign: An Analysis of Partner and User Engagement.

Collaborative health promotion campaigns are advantageous because they extend the resources and reach of any single organization. Yet, they can be challenging because they require partner commitment and compromise. On social media, however, these campaigns are especially beneficial due to the high demand for ongoing content that facilitates user engagement. This study is a content analysis of an annual collaborative campaign, Preteen Vaccine Week, conducted by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to promote preteen immunizations. Campaign partners are encouraged to use creative assets provided by CDPH and to follow a themed content calendar. Message characteristics and audience engagement were evaluated for 2 years of the campaign (2019-2020). Results indicate that when there was a specific health issue scheduled as the daily theme, 85% of posts reflected that health topic. However, when the theme was general awareness, only 15% of posts aligned. Furthermore, the majority of posts included supplemental audiovisual assets of which nearly half were provided by CDPH. These findings suggest partners attempted to work together. Analyses of message characteristics indicate there was little effort to encourage online user engagement; however, a majority of messages included a call-to-action. These findings indicate that health organizations continue to use social media much like they use mass media: for information dissemination and behavioral recommendations.