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Employment and labour productivity in agriculture : evidence from Poland
No full textPURPOSE: The objective of this article is to estimate potential surpluses of 'unproductive'
employment in Polish agriculture and its potential 'optimum', assuming that optimal
employment occurs when GVA per employee in this sector is equal to GVA per employee
outside agriculture.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The article considers employment in Polish agriculture as a
whole and in voivodeships in the context of labour productivity. The aim is to find the level of
employment in agriculture at which GVA per employee in agriculture will be equal to GVA
per employee outside agriculture. In the article, this is conventionally referred to as "optimal"
employment. Surplus employment above this level is referred to as "unproductive"
employment. The calculated level of employment has an economic dimension and does not take
into account the actual demand for labour. It is therefore a reference point for formulating
policies for the evolution of the sectoral structure of employment and not its goal in the strict
sense.FINDINGS: The unproductive employment rate (UER) in agriculture estimated in the article
averaged 63.5% in Poland, which means "unproductive" employment of 810,100 people and
optimal employment of 466,300 people. Overemployment is higher in voivodeships where the
average farm size is small and decreases as the average farm size increases. The process of
increasing productivity in agriculture is therefore linked to a further reduction in employment
and labour input and to the concentration of agricultural land use, which allows economies of
scale to be exploited.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The process of land use concentration should be supported by
promoting forms such as leasing, the creation of cooperatives and producer groups, and the
use of agricultural services provided by specialised entities or technically better equipped
farms. Such solutions enable economies of scale to be achieved, similar to those of larger
farms, and reduce the technologically determined demand for labour. The freed-up labour can
be used outside agriculture on a full-time or part-time basis, without necessarily giving up
agriculture altogether. This is an opportunity to optimise labour input: during busy periods, it
will help to reduce labour shortages, and during seasonal downtime, it will avoid labour
wastage and generate income from outside agriculture.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The contribution of the article stems from the definition of a reference point
for agricultural, social and macroeconomic policies in terms of striving for cross-sectoral
labour productivity balance, which helps to reduce income disparities between the agricultural
and non-agricultural populations and facilitates the achievement of sustainable development
goals. The article also shows the differences in this respect between the voivodeships studied and points to the practical implications of this phenomenon.The publication was financed by the Polish Minister of Science and Higher
Education as part of the Strategy of the Poznan University of Life Sciences for 2024-2026 in
the field of improving scientific research and development work in priority research areas.peer-reviewe
Il-funzjonijiet u l-motivazzjonijiet tal-ironija fil-versi popolari Maltin
No full textDan l-artiklu nbena fuq ir-riċerka li saret għat-teżi tal-Masters fl-Arti fil-Malti dwar l-ironija fil-versi popolari Maltin, b’mod speċjali l-analiżi tad-diskrepanzi ironiċi, anke jekk imsaħħa minn mekkaniżmi letterarji oħra, l-aktar f’kompożizzjonijiet b’interess soċjali. L-ironija fit-tradizzjoni orali Maltija qajla ġiet irriċerkata, u din hija ħasra meta wieħed iqis kif il-wirt orali ta’ missirijietna huwa miżgħud b’kuntrasti kontinwi bejn dak li qed jingħad u dak li qed jinftiehem, bejn espressjoni u qawwa insinwattiva. L-inkongruwenzi maħdumin bil-mekkaniżmu tal-ironija qdew lill-popolin għal diversi skopijiet, kuntesti, temi u avvenimenti meħudin mill-ħajja ta’ kuljum tiegħu. Id-diversità ta’ applikazzjonijiet u effetti ironiċi timmanifesta l-implikazzjonijiet varji li sikwit jitnisslu mill-mekkaniżmi ambivalenti tagħha, speċjalment fil-kuntest ta’ taqbiliet popolari dwar il-pika, il-ġibdiet sesswali u l-apparenzi foloz, fost motifi oħra. Il-kunfidenza miżjuda tal-versifikatur ironiku ġejja mill-fatt li permezz ta’ gradazzjoni umoristika jkun qiegħed jesponi l-għerf komuni ta’ poplu sħiħ maħżun f’għadd ta’ botti u risposti dwar id-difetti, l-istramberiji, il-makakkerija u l-kwalitajiet l-oħra ddisprezzati jew irridikulati tal-komunità u l-mentalità tipika tagħha. Il-versi mogħtijin bħala eżempji u l-kuntest tagħhom mhumiex biss minn kompilazzjonijiet analitiċi tat-tradizzjoni orali, imma wkoll direttament minn fomm il-poplu. Dan għandu l-vantaġġ aktar bażiku ta’ wirt tradizzjonali li ma jintilifx fid-diversi forom ta’ reġistrazzjoni oriġinali tiegħu permezz ta’ intervisti li daqqiet kienu awdjoviżivi u oħrajn tal-ħoss biss, kwestjonarji bil-miktub li ngħataw lill-parteċipanti li ma xtaqux jiġu rrekordjati, u l-Formola Google bħala mezz alternattiv biex inġabret firxa ġmielha ta’ eżempji f’rabta ma’ sitwazzjonijiet uniċi bħall-buscades.This article is based on the research done for the Master of Arts thesis in Maltese regarding irony in popular Maltese verses, especially the analysis of ironic discrepancies, even if reinforced by other literary devices mostly in compositions with a social interest. Irony in the Maltese oral tradition has hardly been researched, and this is unfortunate considering how our oral heritage is full of contrasts between what is being said and what is being understood, between expression and insinuating power. The incongruities achieved through the mechanism of irony served the common people for various ends, contexts, themes and events taken from their daily life. The diversity of ironic applications and effects manifests the various implications that are often derived from its ambivalent mechanisms, especially in the context of popular verses about motifs like rivalry, sexual attraction and false appearances. The increased confidence of the ironic versifier comes from the fact that through a humorous gradation he would be exposing the common wisdom of an entire people’s repartees about the defects, the oddities, the shrewdness and the other despised or ridiculed qualities of the community and its typical mentality. The exemplifying verses and their context are not only from analytical compilations of oral tradition, but also directly from the people’s mouths. This has the more basic advantage of a traditional heritage not being lost in its various forms of original recording through interviews that were sometimes audio-visual and at other times aural only, written questionnaires given to unwilling participants be recorded, and the Google Form as an alternative means to collect a wide range of examples in relation to unique situations such as buscades.peer-reviewe
How do executives define corporate entrepreneurship? : a longitudinal analysis of large enterprises in Poland
No full textPURPOSE: This study explores how corporate entrepreneurship is perceived in large
enterprises and how it contributes to their strategic development and competitive
positioning. The research responds to the identified gap in both domestic and international
literature regarding comprehensive insights into the dimensions and perception of corporate
entrepreneurship.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study was conducted in two waves, in 2019 and 2022,
using a structured questionnaire administered via CATI and CAWI methods. The sample
consisted of 100 large enterprises operating in Poland, across various sectors. Respondents
were asked to select one of five definitions of corporate entrepreneurship that best reflected
their organizational practice, enabling a comparative analysis across time.FINDINGS: The findings show a notable shift in the perception of corporate entrepreneurship
between 2019 and 2022. While the importance of innovation (Definition A) remained
relatively stable, there was a significant decline in support for continuous employee
engagement in internal innovation processes (Definition B). Conversely, Definitions D and E,
emphasizing risk-taking and the social impact of entrepreneurship respectively, gained in
popularity. The results indicate an evolving orientation toward more dynamic, externally
focused, and socially aware forms of entrepreneurship, reflecting changes in the
macroeconomic environment and post-pandemic business priorities.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The research highlights the growing strategic role of innovation, risktaking, and social responsibility in large enterprises. Understanding how corporate
entrepreneurship is interpreted can guide decision-makers in aligning entrepreneurial
initiatives with organizational development goals, especially in times of uncertainty.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study offers a longitudinal perspective on corporate
entrepreneurship in large enterprises and introduces a novel methodological approach by
comparing executive preferences across predefined definitions. It enriches the understanding
of how corporate entrepreneurship evolves in practice and offers insight into the strategic
mindset of business leaders in large organizations.peer-reviewe
Book review : Development and stabilization in small open economies : theories and evidence from Caribbean experience
No full textMany books cover the structural features of open economies and the resulting policy dilemmas that these countries face. These provide analytical frameworks for understanding macroeconomic processes and outcomes in areas such as fiscal and monetary policy, exchange rate dynamics, international competitiveness, economic growth, and labour market outcomes for economies which are highly integrated into the global economy. While these books offer insights that can be helpful to small open economies (SOEs), they are usually aimed at larger open economies and therefore not a good fit for some of the SOEs, such as the majority of countries covered in Development and stabilization in small open economies. [excerpt]peer-reviewe
This is the fifth year of the Institute for the Public Services publication. [IPS foreword]
No full textAs we launch the 2025 edition of our journal, the Institute for the Public Services (IPS) proudly reaffirms its role as a dynamic platform for exchanging ideas between academics and public officers.peer-reviewe
Ir-rwol tar-reliġjonijiet għall-paċi : xkiel jew opportunità?
No full textIr-reliġjon – jew ir-reliġjonijiet – huma ta’ spiss akkużati li huma
kawża ta’ diviżjoni u xkiel għall-paċi. Storikament, issir referenza għall-Kruċjati tal-Medju Evu u l-Gwerer tar-Reliġjonijiet ġewwa Franza.
Fi żmien eqreb lejn tagħna, isiru wkoll referenzi għall-kunflitti bejn
gruppi differenti, fosthom il-Kattoliċi u l-Protestanti fl-Irlanda ta’ Fuq
u l-estremiżmu f’isem ir-reliġjon f’bosta pajjiżi tal-Lvant Nofsani iżda
wkoll f’pajjiżi oħra bħall-India, Sri Lanka u Burma.
Ir-realtà hija iktar kumplessa minn hekk. Apparti dan, hemm bosta
paradossi. Fosthom, hemm il-fatt li kull reliġjon titkellem dwar il-paċi;
imma jekk dan hu minnu, għax hemm tant kunflitti li jsiru taħt il-kappa
tar-reliġjon, tant li din taf tidher bħala ostaklu għall-paċi?peer-reviewe
Development of a clinical pharmaceutical service promoting active ageing
Get PDFIntroduction: As life expectancy is increasing worldwide, physical and psychological optimisation of care for older persons is receiving greater attention. Quality of life considerations take particular significance in ageing healthcare best practices. The older population is susceptible to a multitude of co-morbidities due to polypharmacy. Clinical pharmacists' cont ribut ion include detection and mitigation of drug-related problems (DRPs) which are more likely to happen in patients with co-morbidities especially due to polypharmacy. The aim of the study was to develop and implement a clinical pharmacy service within a long-term care facility for the elderly supporting active ageing. Method: Phase I involved identifying standards of practice for geriatric clinical pharmacist service to meet needs of longterm care wards. Two weeks of observation (Phase I) in the long-term care wards were dedicated to identify the gaps by completing a Gap-Finding Tool for Active Ageing by the pharmacist-researcher. Phase II consisted of the development and validation of Patient Medication History on Admission and the Pharmacist Patient Profile tools, to be used in the clinical pharmacy service. Phase Ill consisted of attending four wards, chosen by convenience sampling, in the long-term care facility over 8 weeks and documenting pharmacist interventions. Patients included in the study were over 65 years of age and without cognitive impairment. Treatment for each patient was reviewed and problems in drugs prescribed were noted. Interventions carried out by the cl inical pharmacist and communicated to prescribers and to patients were classified according to the PCNE Classification for Drug-Related Problems V9.1. Phase IV analysed the impact of the geriatric clinical pharmaceutical service among prescribers and nurses by the administration of a post-clinical service questionnaire. Phase V analysed recommendations for improving the service based on the findings from the study. Results: Twenty-one practice guidelines, out of seventy-eight, were not being carried out at the long-term care wards. The rest of the practice guidelines were being fulfilled by other healthcare staff in the absence of a pharmacist. The Patient Medication History on Admission tool was used twice and the Pharmacist Patient Profile tool was used 40 times over the Pharmacy Education 25(4) 1 - 121 Hospital pharmacy course of 8 weeks. The study population consisted of 40 patients, with a mean age of 83 years. The mean number of medications per patient was 13, the total number of DRPs identified was 126, with 240 interventions suggested by the pharmacist of which 74% were accepted and fully implemented. Drug selection was the most common cause of DRPs (n=48). Seven out of eight healthcare professionals were very satisfied with the service, while one was satisfied. Frequent medication reconciliation and reviews are recommended to prevent DRPs. Conclusion: A clinical pharmacist engaged in geriatric longterm care setting can regularly check for interacting drugs and contraindications, assess appropriateness of drugs prescribed and optimise and personalise pharmaceutical care plans. DRPs and adverse reactions are reduced with the participation of a clinical pharmacist. Additional research could include assessing severity of DRPs identified.peer-reviewe
Trends in spirituality and spiritual care in nursing — A discursive paper
Get PDFAim - This paper outlines key developments, innovations, and milestones in the field of spirituality and spiritual care in nursing. Design A discursive paper. Results - Nursing scholars have significantly influenced the profession and contributed to the development of nursing knowledge, particularly in the field of spirituality and spiritual care. Key research has focused on nurses' perceptions and attitudes toward spirituality, clarifying foundational spiritual concepts, and establishing a framework of core spiritual care competencies for the profession. Conclusion - Despite these advancements, significant gaps remain in nurses' knowledge, understanding, and experience in providing spiritual care. The development of agreed-upon spiritual care competencies at the European level offers important guidance for the profession, and educational initiatives are underway to support their integration. However, the field remains in an early stage of development, and further research is needed to embed spiritual care competencies into national and international nursing policy and practice. Moreover, continued research is also essential to inform and evaluate current educational programmes and nursing interventions, and to support the translation of evidence-based knowledge into effective spiritual care delivery. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care Spiritual support is proven to be an important consideration for many patients and families globally. Imbedding spiritual care education into both undergraduate and postgraduate nursing curricula is essential to prepare nurses to address the spiritual needs of patients in healthcare settings. Structured curricula that provide clear instructions on how to recognise, assess, and respond to spiritual concerns in clinical practice can enhance nurses' competence and confidence. Embedding spiritual care into education and training helps normalise spiritual care as a component of holistic nursing, supporting its inclusion in everyday care rather than treating it as an optional or marginal practice. Such educational integration has the potential to improve the consistency and quality of spiritual care across healthcare settings. Impact - Internationally there are evident gaps in the consistent provision of spiritual care to patients and their families. These are being addressed through conceptual clarity, the agreed-upon competencies, and enhanced educational initiatives. It is essential to continue to increase awareness among the nursing profession on the necessity of addressing spiritual care needs, within the context of cultural perspectives to ensure that value is placed on the significance of these issues on a global scale. Patient or Public Contribution - There was no patient or publication contribution in this specific commentary.peer-reviewe
Active travel street intervention ideas in Malta : evaluating citizen feedback using sentiment analysis
Get PDFWithin the sphere of co-creation and experimentation and the promotion of sustainable urban mobility, urban
living labs (ULLs) and digital engagement platforms have emerged as key methodological approaches and tools.
This paper focuses on the context of a car-dependent island in the Mediterranean – Malta, where the introduction
of active travel interventions is an essential but persistently difficult undertaking. The study aims to test a fully
virtual method to better understand the perceptions of the islands’ population of such interventions. The study
deploys a Virtual Urban Living Lab (VULL), a purposely designed online participatory platform with interactive
activities in which participants can give feedback on proposed intervention ideas and propose their own. The
feedback was collected from 113 users over the span of a week in December 2023. Using sentiment analysis
conducted through a large language model (ChatGPT 4), the findings from the VULL shed light on how the
Maltese population perceives stakeholder-proposed ideas to re-design urban streets. A discussion on the main
challenges and points of contention, and the positive features of the proposed intervention follows. The paper
concludes with an overview of the policy-relevant feedback and the potential for urban planners and policy-makers to use VULL and language models as tools for understanding public sentiment.peer-reviewe
Comparative life cycle assessment of concrete elements : cast in situ, semi-precast and precast
Get PDFThe construction industry is moving forward with the aim to maintain process sustainability. In this aspect, the role of life cycle assessment is essential in determining the appropriate material or method. Hence, this study aims to compare the environmental impacts of a concrete frame office structure, built with different construction techniques, including cast in situ, precast, and semi-precast methods of construction. The analysis adopts the CML 2001 characterisation method to present and compare the environmental impacts from cradle to gate and, therefore, the extraction and production of raw materials, manufacturing, and construction phases of these technologies. Results show that the total energy consumption for the three methods of construction is similar, with a variation of less than 5%. The highest energy consumption phase is associated with the extraction and production of cement. In fact, the precast and semi-precast methods were found to have almost 30% higher global warming potential (CO2 equation) than the cast in situ method per functional unit due to the utilisation of higher cement content in the mix. Hence, the environmental impacts associated with each phase will help the concrete construction industry to develop and improve its efficiency while adopting more sustainable measures.peer-reviewe