Societies

20 pages, 1024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human Resource Practices and Job Performance: Insights from Public Administration

by Zakaria Ouabi, Khadija Douayri, Fatine Barboucha and Omar Boubker

Societies 2024, 14(12), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14120247 - 22 Nov 2024

The Moroccan government has taken several initiatives to improve HR practices in the public sector, with the aim of enhancing the performance of civil servants and thereby improving the quality of public administration services. Therefore, this study employs the PLS-SEM technique to investigate the influence of HRM practices on job satisfaction, affective commitment, and in-role job performance within public administrations. The dataset was collected online from 390 Moroccan civil servants. The results indicate that recruitment and selection (RSE), training (TRA), compensation (COM), employment security (ESE), and internal career opportunities (ICOs) had a positive impact on job satisfaction (JSA). Likewise, RSE, TRA, and ICOs improved affective commitment (ACO). In addition, JSA and ACO enhanced in-role job performance (RJP). These findings provide valuable theoretical implications and practical guidelines for policymakers on how to adapt HR practices to enhance civil servants’ job satisfaction and affective commitment, ultimately improving their in-role job performance levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interdisciplinary Social Research in Economics, Environment, Education, and Philosophy)

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20 pages, 1516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socioeconomic Status as a Predictor of the Academic Achievement of Engineering Students in Taiz State, Yemen

by Atef M. Ghaleb, Mokhtar Ali Amrani, Raad Abdo M. Al Selwi, Hanaa A. Hebah, Mogeeb A. Saeed and Sobhi Mejjaouli

Societies 2024, 14(12), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14120246 - 22 Nov 2024

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Abstract

Serious concerns have been raised over the consistent academic underperformance of Yemeni students at almost all levels of university studies. This paper investigates the impact of various socioeconomic factors on the academic performance of engineering students in Taiz State, Yemen, an impoverished and unstable society. Our quantitative methodology employed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and targeted 596 female/male students from three engineering colleges in Taiz State. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and simple and multiple regression models to examine the impact of socioeconomic variables on academic achievement while moderating financial condition and gender. This study measured academic achievement through GPAs, student attendance, and English level. Many socioeconomic influences have been examined against academic performance, such as gender, family income, family stability, family openness, marital status, co-education, part-time jobs, and stimulant use. The results accurately specified that students’ gender considerably impacts the studied variables; moreover, low-income features of families negatively affect students’ academic performance. The outcome of this study indicated that socioeconomic variables matched well with GPA, attendance rate, and English level, but with higher matching to the attendance rate. This study highlights that university students in impoverished and unstable societies, like Yemen, are significantly affected by socioeconomic factors. It recommends coordinated efforts among government authorities, educational institutions, and community leaders to mitigate the negative impact on academic achievement and implement appropriate technologies to enhance performance. Additionally, conducting similar studies in other disciplines and communities within the country is recommended for a deeper understanding of this issue. Full article

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24 pages, 361 KiB

Open AccessConcept Paper

Populism as a Conceptual Problem: Disciplinary Differentiation, Specialization, and the Complex Approach

by Ernesto Dominguez Lopez, Valerian Thielicke-Witt and Nitin Arya

Societies 2024, 14(12), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14120245 - 21 Nov 2024

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Abstract

Populism is a global phenomenon that has been widely debated in academia (particularly in political science), the media, and politics for decades. This has led to many different definitions which exclude or include different forms, and focus on different aspects. This article discusses and systematizes these different approaches and explains them based on their core logics and empirical support. Their differences are rooted in their disciplinary differentiation and specialization. This process is absolutely necessary to conduct research in modern and complex societies, but it can make grasping complex problems difficult. Especially, if the ontological and epistemological assumptions are not properly supported and classified, this will lead to a cacophony of definitions. To overcome this problem, a new epistemological approach is needed, one that is capable of integrating the different empirically supported perspectives. The paper will point out that embracing the complexity of society is fruitful and necessary as it allows for a new understanding of the phenomenon by integrating the current research into one common framework, based on the concept of cultural complexus. In this approach, populism is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon—thus, the complex approach—with multiple variants that has a set of necessary and sufficient dimensions that identify it and that can be observed empirically. Full article

18 pages, 2109 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Participatory Processes in Public Policy-Making: A Scoping Review

by Teddy Moysan and Francisco Ródenas-Rigla

Societies 2024, 14(12), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14120244 - 21 Nov 2024

Viewed by 207

Abstract

The topic of participatory processes in public policy-making is becoming increasingly common, yet their quality remains disputed. There is as yet no reproducible quantitative assessment method that can be generalized to all such processes. This article proposes a scoping review, guided by the PRISMA research protocol, to identify key concepts linked with the democratic quality of participatory processes. The key concepts which appear are accountability, comprehensiveness, influence, results, deliberation, inclusiveness, representativeness, transparency and context. We conclude that this scoping review provides a rigorous basis upon which a generalizable quantitative evaluation framework can be developed. Full article

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Societies, Volume 14, Issue 12 (December 2024) – 4 articles

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