Critical Factors in Indonesia’s E-Commerce Collaboration

Indonesia’s e-commerce development, with growth forecast of up to USD 300 billion by 2020, encourages many e-commerce companies to create new value in their products/services. Opportunities for e-commerce start-up collaboration programs increase the opportunities for e-commerce to grow. In e-commerce, decision-making for collaborations tends to be intuitive, centralized, and does not use strategic management tools. This study aims to identify critical factors as the main consideration in collaborative decision-making between e-commerce companies and partners. The study was conducted by developing a questionnaire for decision-makers in e-commerce collaborations. The study used the TOE framework, AHP, and TOPSIS methods. As part of the research’s object, the payment method was chosen for an e-commerce company collaborative program. Based on the criteria identified against the existing framework, there are 11 critical factors. The top three criteria are (1) networks and cooperation, (2) management commitment, and (3) knowledge and expertise in digital business. Based on the TOE framework, the main priority is the provision of e-wallet payment methods, which can be done by adding service providers. While research is limited as to the factors’ priority, future studies are suggested to select other collaborative programs or develop a collaborative strategy framework.

Carbon storage in cocoa growing systems across different agroecological zones in Ghana

Shade grown cocoa systems have been credited with stocking high quantities of carbon and therefore possess the potential to mitigate climate change and help achieve targets of the United Nations Collaborative Program on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). This study quantifies and compares carbon stored as well as estimated cocoa yields in two shade management types (i.e., shaded and full sun) across three agroecological zones: Dry Semi-Deciduous Fire Zone (DSFZ), Moist Evergreen Zone (MEZ) and Upland Evergreen Moist Zone (UEMZ) in Ghana. Results show that Soil organic carbon (SOC) stored decreased with increasing soil depth across all agroecological zones. Cocoa farms with shade trees stored 6 times more soil carbon (35.90±1.56 Mg C ha-1) compared to the full sun systems (5.98±1.56 Mg C ha-1). Carbon stocks in the DSFZ and the MEZ were 61.73±1.02 Mg C/ha and 67.46±1.02 Mg C ha-1 respectively whiles the UEMZ recorded 85.10 Mg C ha-1. Across agroecological zones, pod count in the UEMZ and the MEZ were similar but varied from that of the DSFZ, which recorded the least. Wilting of pods and cherrelles, was minimal and similar in the UMEZ and the MEZ but was significantly higher in the DSFZ. It is recommended that farmers should be encouraged through strong policies to adopt the integration of shade trees in the production of cocoa in Ghana to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Development of a Collaborative Program for Information Skills Teaching at Liceo "Conaro" in Padua

The “Alvise Cornaro” High School in Padua has been implementing for the last ten years a method for teaching information skills, that has been developed to enhance students’ long life learning strategies as a research process. The method follows a student-centered model, and is focused on the information searching process and the active use of school library, in order to develop key competencies for active citizenship within compulsory education. The activity is included in the normal school curriculum and aims to provide every student with information skills strategies, including identifying, accessing, selecting, and evaluating relevant information in different sources and media.

The feasibility of a public-private mix program on pulmonary tuberculosis screening in Penang:A pilot study

Background: The low detection rate of tuberculosis (TB) cases in Malaysia remains a challenge in the effort to end TB by 2030. The collaboration between private and public health care facilities is essential in addressing this issue. As of now, no private-public health care collaborative program in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) screening exists in Malaysia. Aim: To determine the feasibility of a collaborative program between private general practitioners (GPs) and the public primary health clinics in PTB screening and to assess the yield of smearpositive PTB from this program. Methods: A prospective cohort study using convenient sampling was conducted involving GPs and public health clinics in the North-East District, Penang, from March 2018 to May 2019. In this study, GPs could direct all suspected PTB patients to perform a sputum acid fast bacilli (AFB) direct smear in any of the dedicated public primary health clinics. The satisfaction level of both the GPs and their patients were assessed using a self-administered client satisfaction questionnaire. IBM SPSS Statistical Software was used to analyze the data. Results: Out of a total of 31 patients who underwent the sputum investigation for PTB, one (3.2%) was diagnosed to have smear-positive PTB. Most of the patients (>90%) and GPs (66.7%) agreed to continue with this program in the future. Furthermore, most of the patients (>90%) were satisfied with the program structure. Conclusion: It is potentially feasible to involve GPs in combating TB. However, a more structured program addressing the identified issues is needed to make the collaborative program a success.

Resource Center as Support System on Inclusive Education in Malang

National Special Supervisory School is a special school which is designed as a resource center by the government. Technically, Inclusive education needs supporting system that works as an institution that provides technical assistance to schools with special needs children. This study aims to discover, describe, in-depth analyze and also to find whether this study can be used as an input, consideration, direction and expansion of knowledge for related parties, especially with regard to (1) How is the resource center collaborative program with teachers on supporting inclusive education implementation in Malang. (2) What kind of assistances that resource center provided to teachers on supporting child-friendly inclusive education implementation in Malang (3) what kind of obstacles that the resource center had to face while supporting the inclusive education implementation in Malang. The result of this study shows resource center collaborative program in supporting Inclusive education implementation in Malang has been running and implemented well. Some assistances given by resource center in supporting inclusive education implementation in Malang include the main assistances in providing information/ guidance to schools with inclusive education, assessment assistances, educational guidance for special needs children, consulting assistances, training assistances for inclusive education teachers, providing ( producing) learning resources in the form learning books which later be printed out in Braille. On the human resource perspective, the supports from special teachers are still limited. Some obstacles that resource center had to face in order to support inclusive education implementation in Malang are limited in term of human resources and other limitations on media development assistances. This study concludes that the role of the Resource Center in supporting Inclusive Education implementation in Malang has been running and implemented well.