Tea Factory Research Articles

PENERAPAN ACTIVITY BASED MANAGEMENT UNTUK MENINGKATKAN EFISIENSI BIAYA PRODUKSI PADA PT. PERKEBUNAN NUSANTARA IV PABRIK TEH SIDAMANIK UNIT TOBASARI

This research aims to determine the application of Activity Based Management in increasing production cost efficiency at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV Sidamanik Tea Factory. The population in this research is Production Costs, Non-Production Costs, and production activity data starting from the founding of the company from 1979 until now. The samples used in this research are Production Costs, Non-Production Costs, and production activity data for 2022. The data analysis technique used is qualitative descriptive analysis. Based on the results of the analysis and eval_uation, it can be concluded that the realization of production costs for each element of production costs using the Traditional method costs realization of IDR 175.276.450.452. Meanwhile the realization of production costs using the Activity Based Management method costs realization of IDR 169.616.770.368. Based on a comparison of the two methods, it can be seen that the cost difference is IDR 5.659.680.084. It can be seen that by implementing Activity Based Management you can identify value-added activities and non-value-added activities. So the level of production cost efficiency using the Company's Activity Based Management method can save costs of up to 3.22%. Therefore, companies need to apply the Activity Based Management method to eliminate non-value-added activities so that production cost efficiency can be achieved.

Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in selected tea factories in Kenya

Tea sector is a major contributor to Kenya’s economy through foreign exchange via export. However, extensive amount of energy is required to produce one kilogram of tea, making tea processing energy-intensive. Comparing greenhouse gas emissions from different types of energy consumed in tea factories is imperative to enable policymakers make informed intervention in emission reduction. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in tea factories is one of the pathways to meeting Kenya’s nationally determined 32% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030 and commitment to the Paris Agreement. This paper assesses greenhouse gas emissions from different sources of energy used in four tea factories in Kenya. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emission factor is used to calculate the total emissions of each type of energy used for 5 years. Life cycle assessment using SimaPro 8 software, Eco-indicator 99 method and Eco invent database was used to assess the specific compound causing the emission. The findings reveal that the 5-year greenhouse gas emissions by biogas, solar, wood, briquettes, and electricity are 336.111, 7.108, 3057.729, and 1,338.28 kg CO2/MWh, respectively. Firewood has the highest concentration of carbon dioxide, while solar energy has the least. Analysis of variance confirms significant difference (0.05>p = 0.0272) in greenhouse gas emissions from the different energy sources. Post-hoc analyses shows a significant difference in emissions between solar and firewood (p<0.0125) and no significant difference between other sources of energy. The key environmental hotspot is the energy intensive processes such as drying involved in tea production and processing, which leads to consumption of fossil fuel in the factories. To reduce such key hotspot, switching to renewable energy sources is key. Sustainability in the tea sector can therefore be achieved through switching to macadamia briquettes as a source of thermal energy and a combination of electricity and solar for electrical energy.

Experimental Assessment of Energy Potentials from Tea Wastes as a Source of Energy: A Case of Itona Tea Factory in Tanzania

Tea processing is an energy-intensive process. However, high agricultural productivity and subsequently the growth of the green revolution have been made possible only by a large amount of energy inputs, especially those from fossil fuels, wood fuels, and electricity. With recent price rise and scarcity of these fuels there has been a trend towards use of alternative energy sources such as waste (agricultural waste) to energy that could solve both energy and environment issues. Moreover, these energy resources have not been able to provide an economically viable solution for agricultural applications so long as they seem to contain amount of energy which can be source of energy to be used in various factories in rural areas through gasification process. A gasifier is normally fuel specific system and it is tailored around a fuel rather than the other way round. Hence, this paper presents an experimental assessment of energy potentials from tea wastes available at Itonaa Tea Factory for tea drying processes as important data for agricultural wastes. The experimental measurement of energy potential from tea wastes was done using bomb calorimeter, muffle furnace and energy balances to determine calorific value moisture content and energy potentials of tea waste respectively. The findings indicate that the combined energy potential of factory and garden tea waste was found to be 2.78x10<sup>8</sup>kWh, and corresponding electrical energy was estimated to be 2.78x10<sup>7</sup>kWh which is enough for tea drying process in tea manufacturing plant. The total energy used in the production of tea was discovered to be equal 3.5 - 7.5 kWh/kg of made tea. Thus, total energy consumption (4.5 kWh/kg of made tea) for processing of 9.6 x 10<sup>6</sup> kg of tea from 4.5 x 10<sup>3</sup> hectares of tea plantation in Mufindi for the period of 2021-2022 was 4.32x10<sup>7</sup> kWh. Thus, with the proper utilization of energy conversion technology of tea waste, part of the energy requirement in processing of tea could be met reducing environmental challenges associated with both wood fuel burning and tea waste disposal.

The Effect of Inventory Management Strategies on Business Growth in Manufacturing Companies: A Case of Gisakura Tea Factory Ltd

The Effect of Inventory Management Strategies on Business Growth in Manufacturing Companies: A Case of Gisakura Tea Factory Ltd

Abundance, diversity and distribution of soil nematodes in Kangaita and Weru tea catchments of Kirinyaga and Tharaka Nithi counties, Kenya

Nematodes are the most abundant animals on earth and play essential roles in ecosystem functioning hence their abundance and diversity affect soil health. Nematodes have been reported in tea fields in some parts of Kenya and previous studies indicate that they may be a cause for the decline of tea population in some tea fields in Kenya. Nematodes of Moloidogyne spp have also been reported to be responsible for death of tea plants in nursery conditions. A survey was carried out in Weru and Kangaita tea factories catchment areas in Tharaka Nithi and Kirinyaga counties respectively. The survey aimed to determine the abundance and diversity of nematodes in small holder tea farms. Kangaita represented the high elevation site while Weru represented the low elevation site. Soil samples were collected from smallholder tea farms from which nematodes were extracted, identified based on their morphological characteristics, and classified according to their feeding habits then quantified using standard protocols. Nematodes from 23 genera were recovered in the two study sites representing all the five feeding groups: plant feeders, fungal feeders, bacterial feeders, omnivores, and predatory nematodes. Of the 23 genera, 11 were plant feeders, 6 bacterial feeders, 3 fungal feeders 2 omnivores and 1 predatory nematode. Kangaita, being a high elevation site reported higher population density in most genera reported than Weru which is a low elevation site. This is a departure from most studies that have reported higher nematode population densities in low altitudes. This can be attributed to differences in climatic and soil conditions in the two study sites in the same season. Kangaita was cooler with deep, well-ventilated, and loose soils while Weru was hotter with mostly compacted, shallow, and poorer soils in the tea farms. There is need for further research on the effect of elevation and farming practices on the distribution, abundance, and diversity of nematodes in tea fields. Key words: Nematodes, abundance, soil health, tea fields, elevation, diversity, feeding group

Suppliers Sourcing Strategy and Sustainable Procurement Performance Among Kenya Tea Development Agency Factories in Region 5, Kenya

Companies involved in a supply chain must coordinate their operations through adoption of inbound logistics strategies so as to enhance business performance. KTDA factories have adopted inbound logistics strategies with the aim of turning around their performance as well as reduce operational costs leading to sustainable procurement performance. However, despite this KTDA tea factories still experience wide variations in earnings. The drop in earnings and high variation in tea bonuses among factories has been blamed on operational cost at the factory. This points out that although inbound logistics have been adopted, they have not resulted in sustainable procurement performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between suppliers sourcing strategy and sustainable procurement performance. The study adopted correlation research design. The target population of the study was 188 staff drawn from the 16 KTDA managed Region 5 factories. A census method was used to collect data from the production managers, ICT managers, procurement Managers, leaf base managers, factory unit managers and directors using a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed that suppliers sourcing strategies had a positive significant correlation with sustainable procurement performance (r = 0.545, p < 0.05). The study recommends that KTDA sourcing strategies need to aligned to organizational sustainability goal, develop procedures and policies on material handling with sustainability goal. The results of this study may advice on policy formulation in relation to sourcing strategies and sustainable procurement performance. Other researchers may benefit from the literature on inbound logistics and sustainable procurement performance since the current study provided a basis for further studies

Synthesis and Characterization of Silica Nanoparticles Derived from Tea Factory Generated Wood Ash

India is the second most prolific tea producing nation in the world, which consumes 82% of its tea production, accounting for 19.5% of global tea consumption. Despite the improvement in technology, employing wood to produce heat has been a vital element of tea processing for generations. Many tea specialists experience that it adds a particular fragrant touch to the finished tea product. However, the management of wood ash generated by tea factories is a significant concern due to the large amount of wood burned during tea processing. Therefore, transportation and effective disposal of these large quantities of wood ash is a great challenge. Hence, this study aimed to effectively transform wood ash into a valuable product, nano silica particles so as to explore the scope for its better utilization in various applications. A series of experiments were carried out to optimize the parameters in the sol-gel technique for synthesizing silica nanoparticles from wood ash. Further, the synthesized nano silica particles were characterized by employing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The standard operational protocol developed through this study demonstrated that wood ash can be effectively converted to silica nanoparticles in the size range of 20-50 nm, spherical in form with crystalline properties. Overall, the results of this work highlights the possibility of utilizing tea factory generated wood ash into silica nanoparticles with an immense potential for varied applications without environmental hazards.

Mediating Effect of Operating Cash Flow on the Relationship between Working capital and Financial Performance of Tea Firms in Kenya.

Purpose: Many corporate firms incorporating those in the tea sector are normally interested in their corporate financial performance. This is particularly in regard to the manner in which their activities pertaining financing, investing and operating assignments, not only aid in generating incomes but similarly on how to maintain and manage the expenditures and costs of all these activities to their very minimal, with an objective of optimizing on firm’s profitability. Notwithstanding the agitation for corporate financial performance generally and in particular profitability, still it is unclear on how the management of operating cash flow influence the corporate financial performance of firms in the tea industry in Kenya. The divergence in the management of operating cash flow policies across the tea industry is depicted in the discrepancy in the operating cash flow fluctuating from very high of these ratios to low current asset to total asset ratios.
 Methodology: Regardless of the fluctuation in the management of operating cash flow management policies, still there is inadequacy of theoretical and empirical explicitness on the manner in which management of operating cash flow influences profitability of these corporate firms.
 Findings: Empirically, numerous research studies arrives at varied findings on how operating cash flow is correlated with to the corporate financial performance. Theoretically, whereas the Miller- Orr model (1966) and Baumol model (1956) suggest optimal structuring of operating cash flow to enhance risk minimization and thus uplift financial performance. On the other hand, the Jensen and Meckling agency theory (1976) shortfall in pointing out an explicit relationship between the operating cash flow collection period and corporate financial performance. The stewardship theory of Gitman (1974), showcased an inverse association between operating cash flow collection period and profitability. The present research study is developed as a correlational research designed study employing the 40 multinationals and KTDA managed tea companies in tea sector in Kenya over a 6 year period covering 2014 to 2019. This forms 240 firm-year observations. Random-effects model regression model was employed after conducting specification tests for the model. The hypothesis testing was analyzed by employing the t-statistic at 95% confidence interval.
 Unique contributor to theory, policy and practice: Having the foundation on the philosophy of positivist research design, the research results established that operating cash flow as measured by the ratio of cash and cash equivalent to current liabilities showed that it does not mediate the relationship between working capital management decisions and financial performance as measured by earnings before interest and taxes to total assets. This research study was confined to the tea factories under multinational and KTDA managed tea firms in Kenya and recommendation thereof is an increased sample for all tea firms in Kenya could be included in order to check out how it will influence the robustness of the findings.

Effect of Capital Structure on Return on Assets of Kenya Tea Development Agency Tea Manufacturing Factories in Kericho and Bomet Counties, Kenya

Capital structure decision is the mix of debt and equity that a company uses to finance its business. This study aimed to investigate the effects of capital structure on KTDA tea processing factories' performance in Kericho and Bomet counties. This study was carried out because it was not clear how capital structure influences the financial performance of tea processing factories. Secondary data were used in the study where the performance measure of return on assets was used as the dependent variable and four capital structure measures (including short–term debt, long-term debt, total debt to total assets, and total debt to total equity) as an independent variable. The study sample was from all the nine tea factories in Region Five of KTDA that had been in operation for more than five years and hence the readiness of Annual Reports for the financial year 2008-2013. The study employed a panel fixed effect regression model to establish the effects of capital structure on the ROA for the tea processing factories. The results indicate that ROA is significantly and positively associated with long-term debt and total debt at 1% and 5%, respectively, while on the other hand, short-term debt shows a negative and significant relationship at 5%. The negative relation between short-term debt and the profitability of tea processing factories means that supplying finance through short-term debts does not lead to profitability. The study recommends that the tea processing factories must consider using an optimal capital structure since it will minimize the cost of capital and, hence, the cost of financing the tea processing operations.

Potential for Solar Industrial Process Heat Systems for Tea Drying Applications – A Case Study

Abstract An increase in energy consumption especially for industrial applications enhances the uptake of fossil fuels since, they are currently the major sources of industrial process heat and electricity. The need for clean energy technologies is therefore critical, in order to meet the rising energy demand using sustainable energy sources. Solar thermal energy technologies have attracted much attention in terms of research and developmental activities worldwide. The present study seeks to explore the viability of adopting solar thermal technologies at Tingamira - Tanganda Tea estate, Zimbabwe. Data on current sources of heat, daily consumption of process heat and required process temperatures was gathered. Systems advisor model (SAM, version-2021.12.2) was applied to analyse feasibility of linear Fresnel (LF) and Parabolic trough (PT) solar thermal technologies for industrial tea drying. LF system is potentially a better option for producing process heat for low temperature applications. It requires smaller aperture area (360 m2) and a lower initial capital cost of $ 112 860 which is about 8 % cheaper. Also, it yields more energy at lower levelized cost of heat as compared to PT technology when solar multiple is increased up to 2. Replacing wood fuel would reduce the factory carbon footprint by 114 tonnes CO2 annually. Also, potential for sensible rock-bed heat storage systems in the tea factory was assessed. Rock bed sensible TES using natural rocks can avail a viable option for heat storage and about 16 m3 of storage volume would be needed to meet a daily heat demand of 1 MWh.

Strategic Automation for Revenue Collection Efficiency: Insights from Global Tea Factory, Bushenyi District, Uganda

Effective revenue collection is a critical success factor in the tea manufacturing industry, where it is inextricably linked to strategic automation initiatives that drive operational efficiency and earnings optimization. The synergistic relationship between revenue collection and automation is pivotal in determining financial performance and profitability, as automated systems enhance accuracy, reduce manual errors, and facilitate real-time financial tracking. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of technology and automation on revenue collection of Global Tea Factory located in Bushenyi district in Uganda. The study was anchored on transaction theory. The study employed a quantitative research approach and was guided by a correlational research design. The target population for this study consisted of 299 staff from the production company from whom a sample size 171 was obtained using Slovin’s formula. Quantitative data was collected using self-administered questionnaires. Piloting was done to the test the questionnaires for validity and reliability. Collected data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of SPSS version 26. The findings from simple linear regression indicate that there was a significant positive relationship between Technology & Automation on Revenue Collection (t=7.800, p=.000, <0.05). The Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that there is a positive correlation between the technology and automation and revenue collection. (r = 0.515, **p = 0.000, P-value < 0.05). The null hypothesis was rejected and hence alternative hypothesis adopted. The study concluded that technology and automation significantly improve revenue collection efficiency and financial performance in tea manufacturing sector. To improve operational efficiency and financial performance, tea industries are recommended to implement automated inventory management and digital revenue collection solutions. The findings of this study will enable policy makers to develop targeted interventions and incentives to support tea industries in leveraging technology and automation, driving economic development and revenue growth.

Risk and Profitability Synergy: Evaluating Igara Tea Factory Ltd’s Financial Performance in Uganda

Financial performance serves as a vital measure of organizational success, particularly within the agricultural sector, where various external elements can influence profitability. This research focused on risk assessment strategies at Igara Tea Factory Ltd in Uganda and examined how these strategies impact financial performance. The study was grounded in Risk Management Theory and employed a quantitative research approach, utilizing a correlational research design. The population consisted of 58 individuals, and a sample size of 50 respondents was determined using Slovin’s formula. Sampling methods included purposive, stratified, and simple random sampling to select participants. Data collection was done through structured, self-administered questionnaires, with questions framed on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. A pilot test, conducted with 5 respondents, was used to assess the validity and reliability of the questionnaire items. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied during data analysis, which involved computing simple linear regression and Pearson correlation using SPSS Version 25. Results showed an insignificant positive relationship between risk assessment and financial performance (t=1.869, p=.063, p>0.05). The findings indicated that while risk assessment is positively linked to financial performance in tea firms, the relationship is not statistically significant (t=2.091, p=0.063>0.05), implying that risk assessment alone may not strongly predict financial success. The recommendation is for tea firms to incorporate additional strategic elements such as market analysis and operational efficiency improvements alongside risk assessment to boost financial performance. The relevance of this study to policymakers is the realization that, while risk assessment contributes positively to financial outcomes, it may not be sufficient by itself to achieve substantial financial success, underscoring the need for policies that include complementary strategies.

Pengaruh Temperatur Pirolisis Terhadap Karakteristik Biochar dari Limbah Padat Agroindustri Teh

The Gambung Tea and Kina Research Center (PPTK) produces solid waste in the form of twig/branch and tea leaf waste from the pruning process of tea plants, as well as tea fluff waste from tea processing in tea factories with considerable potential. These wastes, if processed efficiently, can be a driver of circular economy activities. The high carbon content in twig, leaf, and tea fluff waste makes the waste potential to be processed into an alternative energy source in the form of fuel through a pyrolysis process. This study aims to select the most potential waste to be processed into fuel and determine the effect of pyrolysis temperature on the characteristics of the biochar produced. The results showed that tea twig and fluff waste has a higher carbon content than tea leaf waste so that it has more potential to be processed into fuel. The quality of tea twig biochar is better than tea fluff biochar because the characteristics of tea twig biochar on average meet the requirements of good biochar according to SNI 1683 2021 compared to tea fluff biochar.

The Analysis of Sustainable Business Model in Traditional Chinese Tea Industry

Since ancient times, China has been a great tea country, the worlds largest tea planting area, and the worlds top tea production. Over the entire Chinese tea industry, there are countless large and small tea factories but few famous tea brands, seriously affecting the industrys sustainable development. Thus, creating a famous tea brand is a huge challenge for Chinese tea. In addition, the world currently cultivates tea in many countries, such as Sri Lanka, India, Turkey, Kenya, etc. China is a large tea producer and is always an important economic crop. With the modern, fast-paced urban life, the new tea consumption style is more suitable for the domestic and international consumer market and meets the needs of the public. This paper explores to convert and upgrade the traditional Chinese tea industrys business model by recognizing and analyzing the globally well-known brand Lipton Tea. Firstly, it is no longer limited to the traditional tea culture, and combining the tea culture with commercial activities to create a fashionable tea culture; secondly, to apply the tea to a wider range of consumer markets rather than limiting it to the tea-drinking market only; and then through the assistance of new media such as e-commerce and We media to promote the product, this series of upgrading from the internal to the external business model can improve the popularity of Chinese tea brands, the rapid development of the tea industry will also give Chinas economic market to bring sustainable development of the new power.

The Relationship Between Cash Management and the Financial Performance of Unilever Tea Limited, Kericho County, Kenya

This paper sought to assess the relationship between cash management and the financial performance of Unilever Tea Limited. The study was anchored on the liquidity performance theory. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design with a target population of 150 employees drawn from the top, middle and lower management levels. A sample size of 109 respondents was obtained scientifically using the Yamane (1967) formula. The study adopted purposive and simple random sampling techniques to select respondents. The study used both secondary and primary data. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire, while secondary data was collected from the records at Unilever Tea Limited. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, where descriptive results were presented in the form of means and standard deviation, while inferential statistics used correlation and regression models. The findings established that cash management has a positive influence on the financial performance of the tea industry (r=0.699, P<0.05). The study concluded that cash management had a positive influence on the performance of the tea factories. Financial performance was mainly influenced by the ability to plan and manage cash efficiently. The study recommends that cash audits, cash planning, and credit management be done effectively to ensure the availability of working capital

Optimization of Black Tea Drying Temperature in an Endless Chain Pressure (ECP) Dryer

Drying is a crucial and energy-consuming process in black tea manufacturing that is aimed at reducing moisture content and terminating enzymatic reactions in tea leaves. In Sri Lanka, an endless chain pressure (ECP) dryer is commonly used for drying, but it consumes a significant amount of energy, necessitating the optimization of drying conditions. The current drying temperature at the Houpe tea factory in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka is 121 °C (250 °F), and it has not been optimized for a considerable period. As a result, energy consumption and wastage are high, leading to an inferior quality of black tea. To optimize factory conditions, tea leaves were dried under different temperatures: 115 (T1), 118 (T2), 121 (T3), 124 (T4), and 127 (T5) °C. Energy consumption, energy wastage, and specific energy consumption (SEC) for tea drying were calculated. Additionally, chemical and sensory analyses of samples of made tea were performed. SEC and energy wastage were significantly (p < 0.05) lower for treatments T1 and T2 than for other treatments. The theaflavin and thearubigin contents were significantly (p < 0.05) higher while total phenolic content was moderate for treatment T2. The sensory parameters of T2 outperformed other treatments. Based on these results, the optimum drying temperature for the ECP dryer was determined to be 118 °C and this temperature has been recommended for this factory.

Investigating knowledge, practices, perceptions, attitudes and barriers associated with implementation of Food Safety Management Systems in Zimbabwe’s tea industry

Many companies in the food supply chain are beginning to adopt Food Safety Management System (FSMS), however, the Zimbabwean tea industry has not taken a similar initiative. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, practices, attitudes, perceptions, and barriers associated with FSMS implementation in Zimbabwe’s tea industry. Questionnaires were distributed to respondents from the 8 tea factories belonging to the 3 major tea companies in Zimbabwe. A stratified sampling technique was used where respondents were categorised into managers, supervisors and general employees. Findings indicated that there is little government input into FSMS issues as evidenced by the lack of legislation and guidelines as well as inconsistent inspections. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between FSMS knowledge and years of work experience or the company worked for. Employee knowledge of FSMS was unsatisfactory, especially amongst the general workers who had about 50% knowledge. Supervisors and managers had 63% and 97% knowledge levels respectively. The tea industry FSMS average knowledge score of 64% was also not satisfactory. There was a very weak negative correlation between practices and food safety knowledge, r (155) = −.077, p = .337. There was also a negative, relationship between food safety practices and attitude towards FSMS implementation, r (155) = −0.511, p < 0.001. Lack of technical knowledge and skill of employees, employee resistance to change, insufficient knowledge of FSMS, lack of financial resources, lack of management commitment and inadequate infrastructure and facilities were among the top barriers to FSMS implementation cited by respondents. The study concluded that lack of knowledge is the main barrier to FSMS implementation in Zimbabwe’s tea industry as this has a bearing on practices and attitudes as well as being the key driver towards persuading management to act.

Influence of Collective Bargaining on Organizational Performance in the Tea Factories Managed by the Kenya Tea Development Agency

This study investigated the influence of collective bargaining on organizational performance in tea factories managed by KTDA. The Kenyan tea industry faces numerous challenges that have impacted its overall performance and one potential explanation that has gained increased attention is the role of trade unions in enhancing the industry's fortunes. The study determined the relationship between Organizational Performance and Collective Bargaining. A Descriptive Survey design was adopted to conduct the study in the sixty-six (66) tea factories managed by the KTDA, which operates in all the tea-growing regions within Kenya. The factories were categorized into seven strata based on their regional location, and a sample size of 30% was randomly drawn from each stratum. This resulted in a total of 23 factories being selected for the study. Thereafter, the Human Resource and Administration Manager and Union Official were selected using purposive sampling, whereas Union Members were chosen randomly, resulting in three (3) respondents from each of the 23 sampled factories, totaling 69 respondents. Both primary and secondary data were used in this study, with primary data being collected using structured questionnaires. The questionnaires were tested and revised, and reliability was assessed, yielding a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.786 that affirmed the reliability of the measure. The collected data underwent both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The analysis revealed that collective bargaining (Beta = 0.347, t = 3.296, p =0.002) had a significant positive effect on organizational performance. The study recommended that organizations should improve the quality of collective bargaining practices in the workplace for improved organizational performance.

Analisa Keandalan Operator Mesin Giling CTC Pada Produksi Teh Kebun Wonosari

Tea is a plantation commodity that is in great demand and needed. Day by day, there are more connoisseurs and requests regarding the types and forms of tea. In the process, tea processing requires expertise in processing each quality. The purpose of this study is to identify what factors influence human error during the milling process, find out the type of work that gets the highest HEP value, and provide suggestions for improvements to reduce human errors that occur in the processing process. This research was conducted at the Wonosari Tea Plantation Factory. From the results of observations, it was obtained that the largest human error probability was obtained at the Wonosari Garden Tea Factory in the milling process with a probability of 0.7997584. And the lowest HEP is on the task of maintaining a max temperature of 27oC with a value of 0.00000681. The thing that is proposed to the company to reduce the human error that occurs is to provide an understanding of the SOP and emphasize the SOP that applies to the processing process. Companies can also use the HEP value as a reference to reduce human error that can harm the company.

Microwave-assisted quick synthesis of microcrystalline cellulose from black tea waste (Camellia sinensis) and characterization

Tea wastes generated in the industries during tea production processes show excellent potential to be used as a renewable, abundant, and cheap source for the extraction of microcrystalline cellulose. In the current work, MCC was isolated from black tea waste through microwave heating instead of using conventional heating and avoiding the traditional acid hydrolysis method. Microwave increased the reaction speed significantly and resulted in very quick delignification and bleaching of black tea waste to isolate MCC in white powdered form. FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and TGA analysis were then carried out to investigate the chemical functionality, crystallinity, morphology, and thermal properties, respectively, of the synthesized tea waste MCC. The characterization results demonstrated that cellulose with a short rough fibrous structure having an average particle size of around 23.06 μm was extracted. The results of FTIR and XRD demonstrated unequivocally that all amorphous non-cellulosic compounds had been eliminated. The microwave-extracted black tea waste MCC showed 89.77 % crystallinity and good thermal properties, indicating that it could be a promising filler material for preparing polymer composites. Therefore, microwave-assisted delignification and bleaching can be used as a suitable, energy-efficient, time-saving and low-cost method for extracting MCC from the black tea waste produced in tea factories.