HRM practices, leadership styles and customer satisfaction: mediating role of employee performance

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of human resource management practices and leadership styles on customer satisfaction in the Palestinian insurance sector through the mediating role of employee performance. Empirical evidence to support the importance of customer satisfaction and what constitutes high levels of customer satisfaction is still lacking in the Palestinian context. This research framework, based on the resource-based view theory of the firm, aimed at finding out whether factors such as human resource management (HRM) practices, leadership styles, and employee performance have significant influences on customer satisfaction. Nine hypotheses, based on past research and underlying theory, were developed to test the relationships. The study sample was taken from employees of the insurance sector in Palestine, who have direct dealing with customers. The sample consisted of 358 participants selected through a systematic random process. Of the questionnaires posted, 269 were returned of which 258 were found usable, constituting a 72% response rate. The data was analyzed using the Partial Least Square (PLS). The findings indicated that HRM practices had an indirect relationship with customer satisfaction. Similarly, transactional leadership style and transformational leadership style showed indirect relationships with customer satisfaction. The findings also revealed that HRM practices and transactional leadership style and transformational leadership style had significant and positive relationships with employee performance. Finally, the results indicated that employee performance had a significant and positive relationship with customer satisfaction while also mediating the relationship between HRM practices and leadership styles respectively and customer satisfaction. The study concludes with discussions on theoretical and practical contributions, the study limitations, and suggestions for future researc

A multi-scale "soil water structure" model based on the pedostructure concept

International audienceCurrent soil water models do not take into account the internal organization of the soil medium and, consequently, ignore the physical interaction between the water film at the surface of solids making the soil structure, and this structure. In that sense they empirically deal with the physical soil properties that are all generated from this soil water – structure interaction. As a result, the thermodynamic state of the soil water medium, which constitutes the local physical conditions, namely the pedo-climate, for biological and geo-chemical processes in soil, is not defined in these models. The omission of soil structure from soil characterization and modeling does not allow for coupling disciplinary models for these processes with soil water models. The objective of the article is to present a soil water structure model, Kamel®, which should be liable to open the deadlocks above-mentioned. This computer model was developed based on a new paradigm in soil physics where the hierarchical soil structure is taken into account allowing for defining its thermodynamic properties. After a review of soil physics principles which forms the basis of the paradigm, we describe the basic relationships and functionality of the model. Kamel® runs with a set of 15 soil input parameters, the pedohydral parameters, which are parameters of the physically-based equations of four soil characteristic curves that can be measured in the laboratory. For cases where some of these parameters are not available, we show how to estimate these parameters from commonly available soil information using published pedotransfer functions. A published field experimental study on the dynamics of the soil moisture profile following a pounding infiltration rainfall event was used as an example to demonstrate soil characterization and Kamel® simulations. The simulated soil moisture profile for a period of 60 days showed very good agreement with experimental field data. Simulations using input data calculated from soil texture and pedotransfer functions were also generated and compared to simulations of the more ideal characterization. The later comparison illustrates how Kamel® can be used and adapt to any case of soil data availability. As physically based model on soil structure, it may be used as a standard reference to evaluate other soil-water models and also pedotransfer functions at a given location or agronomical situation

Wpływ zmian klimatu na zasoby wodne – społeczne możliwości przystosowania na przykładzie Jordanii

A strategic vision to ensure an adequate, safe and secure drinking water supply presents a challenge, particularly for such a small country as Jordan, faced with a critical supply-demand imbalance and a high risk of water quality deterioration. In order to provide sustainable and equitable long-term water management plans for the future, current and future demands, along with available adaptation options should be assessed through community engagement. An analysis of available water resources, existing demands and use per sector served to assess the nation’s historic water status. Taking into account the effect of both population growth and rainfall reduction, future per sector demands were predicted by linear temporal trend analysis. Water sector vulnerability and adaptation options were assessed by engaging thirty five stakeholders. A set of weighed-criterions were selected, adopted, modified, and then framed into comprehensive guidelines. A quantitative ratio-level approach was used to quantify the magnitude and likelihood of risks and opportunities associated with each proposed adaptation measure using the level of effectiveness and severity status. Prioritization indicated that public awareness and training programs were the most feasible and effective adaptation measures, while building new infrastructure was of low priority. Associated barriers were related to a lack of financial resources, institutional arrangements, and data collection, sharing, availability, consistency and transparency, as well as willingness to adapt. Independent community-based watershed-vulnerability analyses to address water integrity at watershed scale are recommended.Zapewnienie zasobów wody pitnej dobrej jakości i odpowiedniej ilości stanowi wyzwanie, szczególnie dla państw rozwijających się, np. Jordanii, które doświadczają skrajnie niezrównoważonego popytu i podaży oraz narażone są na ryzyko pogorszenia jakości wody. Obecny i przyszły popyt oraz możliwości adaptacyjne gospodarki wodnej powinno się oceniać na podstawie planów uwzgledniających sprawiedliwy rozrząd wody i analizę istniejących zasobów. Znajomość dostępnych zasobów wodnych, istniejącego zapotrzebowania i zużycia wody w poszczególnych sektorach posłużyły do oceny stanu gospodarki wodnej w Jordanii. Uwzględniając wpływ zarówno wzrostu populacji, jak i zmniejszenia wielkości opadów, przewidziano przyszłe zapotrzebowanie poszczególnych sektorów na wodę, stosując analizę liniowych trendów czasowych. Wrażliwość sektora wodnego i opcje adaptacyjne oceniono, biorąc pod uwagę 35 użytkowników wody. Wybrano, przyjęto i zmodyfikowano zestaw kryteriów ważonych i następnie ujęto je w formę całościowych wytycznych. Do oceny wielkości i prawdopodobieństwa ryzyka oraz korzyści związanych z każdym z proponowanych środków adaptacyjnych zastosowano proporcjonalne podejście ilościowe uwzględniając poziom wydajności i wagę danej sytuacji. Na podstawie rankingu priorytetów stwierdzono, że kształtowanie świadomości społecznej i programy szkoleniowe były środkami najbardziej skutecznymi i najłatwiejszymi do zastosowania. Budowa nowej infrastruktury miała niski priorytet. Brak środków finansowych, założenia instytucjonalne, zbieranie, wymiana, dostępność, zwartość i przejrzystość informacji oraz skłonność do adaptacji stanowiły barierę w tych działaniach. Zaleca się niezależne społecznościowe analizy wrażliwości zlewni, by zwrócić uwagę na znaczenie wody dla wszystkich działów gospodarki w skali całej zlewni

Toward delineating hydro-functional soil mapping units using the pedostructure concept : a case study

Current soil maps contain qualitative attributes which are challenging to integrate into agronomic models or decision support systems. In this paper, a new approach is proposed that will enable the use of soil maps as a suitable information system of soils hydrostructural properties for agronomic and environmental models. This enhancement is possible through a new methodology for characterizing the soil units on the basis of the multi-scale soil-water functionality of the pedon which is a representative soil mapping unit delineated by pedologists according to the geomorphology. The hydro-functional mapping units should represent soil mapping units that are theoretically homogenous from the perspective of the pedostructure parameters of the pedon. For the purpose of this study, the Haggerty-Cox property, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA was selected. The soil data "soil mapping units and physical characteristics" of the study area were obtained from SSURGO. Due to time and cost constraints, the research was restricted to three SSURGO soil units (SwA, Starks-Fincastle complex with 0-2% slope: MsC2, Miami silt loam, 6-12% slopes: and HoA, Hononegah fine sandy loam with 0-2% slopes) to check their spatial homogeneity according to the pedostructure parameters (PS). The discriminant statistical analysis for the area of study shows that the PS parameters are unique for each soil mapping unit and can be effectively used to characterize these units and validate their delineation. The resulting hydro-functional soil mapping units match SSURGO units but have additional physical attributes. In general, subsurface horizons (B) are more distinguishable than surface horizons (Ap), and using pedostructure parameters from both potential and shrinkage curves gives the highest distinguishing value. Results confirm that the pedostructure parameters are discriminant characteristics of the hydrostructural functioning of soils as delineated by pedologists. Having the hydro-functional soil mapping units will assist in the decision support system data analysis, which in turn, will allow for the prediction of water and chemical transport and interactions

SARS-CoV-2-free residual proteins mediated phenotypic and metabolic changes in peripheral blood monocytic-derived macrophages in support of viral pathogenesis

The large-scale dissemination of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and its serious complications have pledged the scientific research communities to uncover the pathogenesis mechanisms of its etiologic agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods of unveiling such mechanisms are rooted in understanding the viral agent’s interactions with the immune system, including its ability to activate macrophages, due to their suggested role in prolonged inflammatory phases and adverse immune responses. The objective of this study is to test the effect of SARS-CoV-2-free proteins on the metabolic and immune responses of macrophages. We hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 proteins shed during the infection cycle may dynamically induce metabolic and immunologic alterations with an inflammatory impact on the infected host cells. It is imperative to delineate such alterations in the context of macrophages to gain insight into the pathogenesis of these highly infectious viruses and their associated complications and thus, expedite the vaccine and drug therapy advent in combat of viral infections. Human monocyte-derived macrophages were treated with SARS-CoV-2-free proteins at different concentrations. The phenotypic and metabolic alterations in macrophages were investigated and the subsequent metabolic pathways were analyzed. The obtained results indicated that SARS-CoV-2-free proteins induced concentration-dependent alterations in the metabolic and phenotypic profiles of macrophages. Several metabolic pathways were enriched following treatment, including vitamin K, propanoate, and the Warburg effect. These results indicate significant adverse effects driven by residual viral proteins that may hence be considered determinants of viral pathogenesis. These findings provide important insight as to the impact of SARS-CoV-2-free residual proteins on the host cells and suggest a potential new method of management during the infection and prior to vaccination

SARS-CoV-2-free residual proteins mediated phenotypic and metabolic changes in peripheral blood monocytic-derived macrophages in support of viral pathogenesis.

The large-scale dissemination of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and its serious complications have pledged the scientific research communities to uncover the pathogenesis mechanisms of its etiologic agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods of unveiling such mechanisms are rooted in understanding the viral agent's interactions with the immune system, including its ability to activate macrophages, due to their suggested role in prolonged inflammatory phases and adverse immune responses. The objective of this study is to test the effect of SARS-CoV-2-free proteins on the metabolic and immune responses of macrophages. We hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 proteins shed during the infection cycle may dynamically induce metabolic and immunologic alterations with an inflammatory impact on the infected host cells. It is imperative to delineate such alterations in the context of macrophages to gain insight into the pathogenesis of these highly infectious viruses and their associated complications and thus, expedite the vaccine and drug therapy advent in combat of viral infections. Human monocyte-derived macrophages were treated with SARS-CoV-2-free proteins at different concentrations. The phenotypic and metabolic alterations in macrophages were investigated and the subsequent metabolic pathways were analyzed. The obtained results indicated that SARS-CoV-2-free proteins induced concentration-dependent alterations in the metabolic and phenotypic profiles of macrophages. Several metabolic pathways were enriched following treatment, including vitamin K, propanoate, and the Warburg effect. These results indicate significant adverse effects driven by residual viral proteins that may hence be considered determinants of viral pathogenesis. These findings provide important insight as to the impact of SARS-CoV-2-free residual proteins on the host cells and suggest a potential new method of management during the infection and prior to vaccination