Innovative work behaviour in the public sector: The roles of task characteristics,social support,and proactivity

This study examines the roles of task characteristics, organisational social support, and individual proactivity on innovative work behaviour (IWB) in the public sector. Analysing empirical data from 154 employees from a government agency in Australia, we found that task characteristics, organisational social support, and proactive personality have a positive impact on IWB. Proactive personality is also found to be a moderator in the relationship between task characteristics and IWB. The findings suggest the need to design human resource practices that better identify proactive and innovative job applicants in the recruitment and selection process. Further, we highlight the requirement to organise and design work that recognises the need to develop social support to improve IWB. The implications of the study for further research on IWB are discussed.     

Socio-political tensions in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) development in low-income Asian cities

International development agencies, with the help of the central government, support building state of art Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in low-income Asian cities. However, BRT investment over indigenous modes of mobility is creating socio-political tensions at the local level. This article uses multi-level governance as a theoretical lens to examine the relationships among actors in BRT investment decisions in Bandung and Surabaya, Indonesia. The research finds that local stakeholders can distort national and supranational policy initiatives totally or in a way that while projects are delivered, they are of limited use to the local communities they intended to help.     

Does fertiliser use improve household welfare? Evidence from Ghana’s cocoa industry

This article analyses welfare impacts of fertiliser adoption using data collected from 838 cocoa farm households in the four key cocoa-producing regions in Ghana. Using propensity score matching (PSM), the study indicates that application of fertiliser leads to significant gains in farm yields, farm income, consumption expenditure, consumption expenditure per capita, and value of productive farm assets. The article concludes that cocoa-specific programmes such as Cocoa High Technology (Cocoa Hi-tech), initiated to intensify the application of improved farm technologies such as fertiliser, should be strengthened through effective and efficient management systems.     

Modelling trust and contractual arrangements in a local economy

This article investigates trust among dairy value-chain actors to understand the innovative process in a local productive sector in Tunisia. It uses a sample of 45 smallholder farmers chosen randomly nearby existing collection centres in the region. A trust variable is constructed employing 11 ordinal variables based on principal component analysis, and institutional arrangements then modelled to examine the effect of trust on contracting decisions and cooperative membership. The results show that trust is defined by values such as “integrity”, “competence”, and “existence of credible information”, which are preconditions to sustainable contracts. The article contributes to the growing literature which considers social capital, networking and trust as determinants of farmer’s behaviour, as opposed to the classical model of rationality.     

Facilitating industrial symbiosis programmes in developing countries: reflections from Gauteng,South Africa

This viewpoint reflects on how to improve the process of introducing facilitated industrial symbiosis programmes (FISPs) to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. Although FISPs are a long-established industrial practice, their formal introduction to SMEs in developing countries has only recently begun, mostly through support from international development agencies. Based partly on anecdotal evidence from Gauteng, South Africa, we identify six key questions which need to be addressed to improve the process of facilitating FISPs.     

天然药物化学课程教学方法的探讨

随着当前对天然药物开发研究的不断深入,天然药物化学课程的重要性也越来越受到重视。而传统的天然药物化学教学方式多为教师讲授,学生被动地听、甚至靠死记硬背,学生的学习兴趣没有得到激发,效率不高,普遍反映枯燥难学。因而全面提高天然药物化学的学习水平和教学质量具有重要意义。为此,作者结合自己的教学经验谈一些感受。     

对党校期刊办刊特色的几点思考

如何把党校期刊做大做强、办出自身的特色,是党校期刊目前面临的最重要的问题之一.党校期刊的特色是由其自身的性质、地位和作用决定的,它突出表现在鲜明的党性、理论联系实际以及较强的应用性这三个方面.党校期刊的特色化建设,必须凸显党校特点,创办特色栏目,突出地域特色,充分发挥党校的资源优势;同时还必须强化编辑主体的特色意识,提高编辑主体的学术水平和学术创新能力.     

新时代中国特色社会主义语境中的服务型政府建设

党的十九大报告中已经明确提出了要大力加强“建设人民满意的服务型政府”,为此,新时代中国特色社会主义对服务型政府建设提出了新的建设要求与总体目标。从新时代的语境中加以分析,发现如今服务型政府建设还有许多不满足新要求的问题,主要体现在政府的服务范围、服务理念、服务主体和服务供给机制等方面。针对上述几方面存在的问题,可以从明确服务边界、牢固树立服务行政理念、加强服务队伍建设、形成以人民需求为导向的公共服务供给机制等方面来加以探讨。     

中国少数民族特色村寨的空间分布格局研究

中国少数民族村寨具有独特的文化、美学、经济和社会价值。自2013年国家民委公布了首批少数民族特色村寨名单以后,2017年又评选出第二批少数民族特色村寨。通过空间分析法对两批少数民族特色村寨进行省际、区际及族际的定量与定性考察,认为当前特色民族村寨主要集中在西南、华中、华南三大区域,基本呈西南多、东北少的不均衡分布格局。     

全面建成小康社会之特质问题析论

中华人民共和国即将向世人宣布,在中国共产党集中统一领导下,通过精准扶贫,中国已经基本实现了脱贫目标,全面建成小康社会。自改革开放以后提出建设小康及小康社会以来,人们比较关注小康及小康社会的生活发展程度及其发展阶段,而对小康及小康社会的特殊性质的认识方面则存有一定的偏颇或忽略。在时间与空间的政治层面上,中国特色社会主义问题直面的是国际平台,社会主义初级阶段问题直面的是国内平台,小康社会问题直面的则是可望又可及的近期平台。如果不能正确解读小康及小康社会的特殊性质,人们对社会主义初级阶段的社会主义性质及中国特色社会主义的社会主义性质就会有某种存疑。那么,小康及小康社会的特殊性质究竟是什么呢?文章试图从比较分析小康与大同社会原本意义上的异同,小康社会与后新民主主义社会,以及社会主义初级阶段与马克思主义科学社会主义的底线入手,阐释小康及小康社会客观上所具有某种私及天下为家与中国特色社会主义所具有的公及作为未来情景的天下为共两者之间不可或缺的相互依存性特质,拟提出社会主义小康社会,以利于我们不忘初心,牢记使命。