The Impact of HRM Practices on the Performance of Public Institutions (In Focus: Albanian Customs Administration)

The field of human resource management (HRM) has attracted great attention among different disciplines because of the contribution and its impact on issues within organizations. The concept of human resources and their management has evolved in recent years. A particular area, which has received considerable attention through theoretical debate, is the relationship between HRM practices in the organizational performance (OP). Researchers are constantly trying to analyze and explain the impact of HRM practices in OP, often taking into account one of two perspectives: systemic perspective or strategic perspective. However, recently the debate has shifted towards a more integrated approach to management on how a universal set of HRM practices can contribute to the OP. After an expose of achievements to date on theoretical approaches and achievements empirical concept of HRM and performance, the impact and nature of the link between the two, through this study will argue theoretical and practical existence of ways and mechanisms to explained the impact of  HRM on organizational performance.Thus, connection and influence between HRM and performance in this study includes multiple levels of analysis and is associated with a mechanism called practices of human resource management, such as training, recruitment, career opportunities, remuneration, job security, performance evaluation and job description, who individually or together is expected to have a greater impact, expressing so the synergy effect. Because generally the mechanisms that link organizational performance are mainly financial incentives, the difficulty is when operated largely in their absence such as public administration. Therefore, the primary focus of this study is to select a set of practices of HR that are supposed to have a big impact on the performance of public administration and in particular is taken to study Albanian Customs Administration (ACA) given its importance in maintaining and improving financial and economic indicators for the country. Because of the direct impact that the customs administration has in the performance of the Albanian economy and as well as the performance of this administration often is paralleled with the functioning of the state, explains the reason for its selection in this study. In this study we present an explanatory link of human resource practices against the performance of the customs administration and to broaden the debate about the theoretical and methodological issues and the impact of connectivity between HRM and organizational performance. Our goal is to build an agenda for further research in this field. Keywords: practices of human resource management, customs administration, organizational performanc

The suggestion of a decision making model

When the problems we face are complex and affect each other, then the decision making process is more difficult. In most cases we apply established policies or choices without knowing which the best choice is. To make appropriate decisions that can solve the problems encountered should be analyzed very well the reasons that create problems and their reciprocal influence. The mechanism that is mostly used in everyday decision making is based upon logic and experience. While in some decisions problems, instinct appears as a guide in the foreground, analytical structure of analytic hierarchy process enables feelings and instincts to organize and align with a shape that resembles human logic. Analytic structure of analytical hierarchy process enables feelings and instincts to organize and align with a shape that resembles human logic. Thus this analytical structure, gives people the opportunity to intervene in the most difficult and complex problems. This method is easily accessible and can be widely used in the banking system because of its dichotomous decisions

Factors Influencing Consumers’ Perceptions of Safety Risk of Fresh Domestic Tomato in Albania-a Multinomial Econometric Approach

This study deals with the consumers' perceived risk and its determinants for fresh tomatoes in Albania. Survey data are analyzed using ordered logistic regression.Consumers associate a high level of benefits with the consumption of fresh tomatoes but have severe doubts about food safety and rate the average level of food safety risk as high as 6.66 on a scale from 0 to 10.Consumers' knowledge of food safety, their perceptions about the reliability of food safety information, the government's ability to ensure safety, negative experiences with tomato consumption, consumer age, and family size are key determinants of perceived food risk, while gender, education, and income did not prove to be significant. The results provide the basis for appropriate actions by government and food system actors in improving food safety and consumers‘ trust in food safety assurance

To Contract or not Contract: Implications for Farmer–Buyer Trading Relation Performance

The paper analyses the value chain coordination of greenhouse vegetables in Albania, which has a strong export orientation. Based on a structured farm survey, the study constributes to the value chain literature of the vertical coordination of agricultural products by addressing the question of how chain governance modes differ in terms of exercised power and farmers’ satisfaction (an indicator of performance) with the trading relationship. The results point out that farmers operating with agreements show higher levels of satisfaction with the trading relationship than do farmers selling on the spot market. On the other hand, those operating with agreements are under higher levels of exercised power over product quality

Some alternatives of improvement the cow milk production efficiency in Albania (cash flow analysis)

Any major new capital investment, such as the purchase of land, machinery, buildings or animals, can have a large effect on cash flows, particulary if additonal capital is borrrowed to finance the purchase. Borrowed capital requires principial and interest payments. The questions to answer before making the new investment is: Will the investment generate enough additional cash income to meet its additional cash requirments? In other words, is the investment financially feasible, as oposed to economically profitable? Farms with high production efficiency are more successful due to three factors. High levels of production result: (1) low cost per unit of output, (2) with an increase in the effective size of the farm business, and (3) with an increased effectiveness of labor and machinery (Ronald D, Kay, farm management 1994). The high level of production provides a simple and effective method of increasing farm size. Farms with high agricultural productivity and high levels of productivity per head resulting in a large volume of business compared with farms with the same size but with lower production levels. This additional business volume is the result of working more effectively, without increasing the surface of the land or the size of the activities. The main methods of raising the level of productivity of livestock production are: i) selection and improvement of breed; ii) choice of a balanced food ration in relation to the level of production, iii) sheltering conditions and health care, iv) appropriate and timely nutrition and; v) a good combination between use of pasture and concentrated food

Effects of innovativeness and innovation behavior on tourism smes performance : the case of Albania

Though SMEs play a crucial role in countries' economic development, some of them succeed and others fail during their life cycle. In this regard, managers/owners continually have to identify the most significant factors that influence performance management. In addition, this is crucial for developing countries such as Albania, wherein such studies are lacking, furthermore, tourism sector is experiencing very fast development. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the interplay of innovativeness, innovation behavior and SMEs' performance indicators. Exploiting face-to-face techniques, data for 211 valid cases have been gathered from Albanian tourism SMEs. By using SEM statistical methodology, the results indicate that innovativeness significantly affects innovation behavior. While innovativeness does not affect SMEs performance directly, its significant effects are indirect, through the mediation role of innovation behavior. Regarding innovation behavior, the results indicate that the more tourism's SMEs innovate in terms of ICT, cooperation (associations, networks etc.), the more their performance will positively increase. Operationalization of the vague term of innovation is a contribution to the literature. Finally, other theoretical and managerial contributions of this study are discussed

Some alternatives of improvement the cow milk production efficiency in Albania (cash flow analysis)

Any major new capital investment, such as the purchase of land, machinery, buildings or animals, can have a large effect on cash flows, particulary if additonal capital is borrrowed to finance the purchase. Borrowed capital requires principial and interest payments. The questions to answer before making the new investment is: Will the investment generate enough additional cash income to meet its additional cash requirments? In other words, is the investment financially feasible, as oposed to economically profitable? Farms with high production efficiency are more successful due to three factors. High levels of production result: (1) low cost per unit of output, (2) with an increase in the effective size of the farm business, and (3) with an increased effectiveness of labor and machinery (Ronald D, Kay, farm management 1994). The high level of production provides a simple and effective method of increasing farm size. Farms with high agricultural productivity and high levels of productivity per head resulting in a large volume of business compared with farms with the same size but with lower production levels. This additional business volume is the result of working more effectively, without increasing the surface of the land or the size of the activities. The main methods of raising the level of productivity of livestock production are: i) selection and improvement of breed; ii) choice of a balanced food ration in relation to the level of production, iii) sheltering conditions and health care, iv) appropriate and timely nutrition and; v) a good combination between use of pasture and concentrated food

Characteristics of farming systems in Albania

This report is based on information collected from a face-to-face survey of more than 1 000 farmers from three regions of Albania (namely Berat, Elbasan and Lezhë To identify a representative sample of Albanian farming systems, a three-step sample design was used. A group of 11 variables dealing with the socio-economic characteristics of farms was selected to build up the farming system typology. Two typologies are used: one for the whole sample (three regions) and a second one for each region. The differences between the two typologies are considered to be a proxy indicator of different characteristics of farming systems in each region. The farm types identified are (1) poly-culture, mainly for the market; (2) leisure farms; (3) arable crops; (4) fruit trees; (5) self-sufficient; and (6) livestock. The farm typology is slightly different for the regions of Berat and Lezhë. The farm types’ strategies are constructed according to the land, infrastructure facilities and the investment availability of farms. Non-agricultural incomes (remittances, income from the construction, trade, pensions, etc.) appear to provide an important economic support for the farm household. Farming structures in rural areas are characterised by the use of more labour and lower inputs. The farm types that tend to specialise in one activity are not always those that make the best use of labour and land. Farming does not provide enough income to repay the work put in at the official minimum wage level. Non-agricultural work is better paid. Albanian farms provide at least a minimal income that is enough to keep the household members above the threshold of extreme poverty. The farm types that base their incomes on agricultural activities are poorer than those that base their income on non-agricultural activities. Income structures and the low incomes generated by work in agriculture suggests that rural migration towards urban areas and abroad is a phenomenon that will persist into the future.JRC.J.4-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

Quality Evaluation of E-Government Services – The Case of Albania

Albania has passed a period of three decades in the shift from a centralized to a market economy. In this context, the public sector is confronted by structural changes at the institutional level and the extension and improvement of public services.Electronic services’ quality is a critical issue for the failure or success of e-government objectives. It promotes government efficiency and effectiveness, citizen engagement, and satisfaction. The trend to use electronic services in Albania is similarly driven by efforts to reduce public sector corruption, improve service performance, and reduce costs. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the citizen’s perception of the importance and the quality of e-services provision by the e-Albania gateway, as well as obstacles and challenges of the future. Based on the main types of services provided by the e-Albania platform, twelve indicators were considered. The survey took place in Albania (Tirana region), wherein 190 questionnaires are applied. The main reason for this selection is that Tirana is the largest region of the country, with about 50% of the population concentration and the highest number of users of the government electronic platform. The variables used are qualitative variables and were measured according to the Likert scale (1–5 estimation, from 1–strongly disagree to 5–strongly agree). Each of the main variables is explained and measured through the evaluation of three to five explanatory questions. Through the SPSS program, cluster analysis was used to evaluate the main variables.By analyzing the collected data, it turns out that there is an obvious increase in the number of public services offered, as well as the perception of citizens for the e-services provided by the government platform.</p

The Role of Intermediaries' Power on Contracting Decision Between Farmers and Intermediaries.

The paper investigates the determinants of farmers’ participation in contract farming (CF) in the context of a transition country, namely Albania. The focus is on intermediaries’ bargaining power effect on farmers’ engagement in CF. Exploratory factor analysis is used to develop measures for the latent variables, while a logit regression model is employed to test the hypothesized relationship. The results show that intermediaries’ bargaining power moderates negatively the relationship between farmers’ specific investments and CF participation. Farmers’ with high specific investment are reluctant to contract with buyers who have power because contracting with such a buyer implies that they can extract higher values from farmers’ specific investments. Other strong predictors of contracting decision are farmers’ trust on the intermediary, intermediary’s advice to the farmer and intermediary’s specific investment