Effects of Deforestation and Anthropogenic Aspects on Streamflow in the Mau Forest Catchments in Kenya: Hydrological Modelling of Surface Water Yields from Sondu River Basin

/in /by

Climatic factors determine the amount and distribution of atmospheric water received at the land surface while the land cover conditions determine the partitioning of this water into different hydrological components and ultimately the catchment surface water yields. This study assessed the effects of deforestation of a tropical catchment on surface water yields to address fluctuating flows of the rivers emanating from Mau Forest, the largest water tower in Kenya. Sondu basin traverses Southwest Mau Forest covering an area of 3500 km2. The main channel in the basin flows in a southwest direction into Lake Victoria in an altitudinal range of 2900 to 1130 m a.s.l over a length of 173 km. Different deforestation scenarios over the basin were integrated with climate data to form inputs to a hydrologic model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Using model outputs, the effects of deforestation on annual and seasonal surface water yields, represented by changes in streamflow volumes under different deforestation scenarios, were evaluated. Deforestation scenarios were derived from a supervised classification scheme of time series of LANDSAT images (1970-2020) to show deforestation trends. Effects of deforestation on the catchment water-yielding capacity were estimated as the ratio of the difference between simulated yields under different deforestation scenarios and those simulated under the pre-deforestation scenario of the 1970s decade. Results show that forest cover declined by 21% and a corresponding growth in land under agriculture by 26% in the period 1970-2020.  The decline in forest coverage resulted in an increase in the annual surface water yields of about 23% (from 152 to 187 MCM/year) throughout the period of study. This implies that there is less recharge of groundwater due to decreased infiltration and subsequent storage leading to lower flows during the dry seasons and increased flood frequencies in the basin during the wet seasons. The study has therefore, demonstrated that deforestation has reduced the stability of Mau Forest as a water tower and conservation of the forest will enhance its water-holding capacity thereby ensuring a stable water supply to rivers emanating from it as a way of combating floods and low flows in the basin. The resultant impacts on environment and society are displacements from floods and destruction of properties.

 

Dimensions of Risk in the Effect of Customers’ Awareness and Knowledge on the Readiness to adopt Neobanks

/in /by

The majority of conventional banks offer digital services during pandemics, while the government promotes cashless transactions in daily life. In India, the Neobanking industry is developing at an increasing rate. It’s a purely online bank with no physical branches; all transactions are made through mobile applications. The purpose of this study is to find out how aware consumers are about neobanks, as well as risk factors and readiness for neobank adoption. additionally, the study builds the SEM model from the survey data of 169 respondents that had access to online banking services. The findings indicates that while financial risk and security risk have no obvious association with knowledge, whereas awareness and social risk have a substantial link with knowledge that results in readiness to use neobanks. As a result, in order to boost client usage in the future, it is essential to raise knowledge about neobanks through media advertising and provide comprehensive information about the applications.

Influence of Colors to the Memorization Skill of the Senior High School Students

/in /by

This study aimed to investigate the influence of colors on the memorization skills of senior high school students at St. Paul University Surigao. This study applied the quantitative research design employing a descriptive survey technique with 272 participants. The main instrument employed in gathering necessary data was the researcher-made questionnaire. The gathered data were treated using sample percentage, mean, standard deviation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Based on the results, the influence of colors on the memorization skill of senior high school students got an average mean of 3.28, and a standard deviation of 0.71 which can be verbally interpreted as Strongly Agree and qualitatively described as Always. When participants are grouped according to their sex and strand, it was revealed that there is a significant difference in terms of influence of colors on the memorization skill of the senior high school students.

Proposed Marketing Strategy to Increase Sales of F&B Business (Case Study: Kapau Anak Sultan)

/in /by

Kapau Anak Sultan is a quick-service restaurant chain specializing in Nasi Kapau, a mixed rice dish from Nagari Kapau, West Sumatra. Established in early 2021, Kapau Anak Sultan currently has over 20 outlets all over the Jabodetabek area and other cities in Indonesia. According to the external analysis, the constant rise of GDP mostly due to F&B businesses and the increase in monthly expenditure for food and beverage has made the outlook for the F&B businesses in Indonesia promising. However, the sales of Kapau Anak Sultan are declining, and brand awareness is still considered low compared to competitors. Thus, this research was conducted to provide Kapau Anak Sultan with marketing strategies aligned with the business strategy. This research used primary and secondary data. To obtain the primary data, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this research. To determine the current customer and internal conditions, an in-depth interview with the CEO and management was carried out. Furthermore, an online survey was conducted for the customer analysis, in which 224 respondents were obtained. Meanwhile, the secondary data, for instance, textbooks and previous research journals were used to determine the external conditions. This research affords the new segmentation, targeting, and positioning for Kapau Anak Sultan and provides the new marketing mix (4Ps), such as product, price, place, and promotion. In summary, Kapau Anak Sultan needs to re-assess its resources and capabilities to deliver excellent marketing strategies and be able to survive in the strict competition in the F&B industry.

The Effect of Green Intellectual Capital and Financial Literacy on Sustainable Financial Performance of Tofu Factory SMEs in Karawang Regency

/in /by

Sustainable financial performance is one of the main objectives of SMEs, but achieving optimal sustainable financial performance needs to be supported by the ability of resources owned by SMEs, both from the level of green intellectual capital and financial literacy. Hence, this research aims to determine the effect of green intellectual capital and financial literacy on sustainable financial performance. This research uses a quantitative descriptive method. Data is collected in the form of primary data through the distribution of questionnaires. The study population consisted of all Tofu Factory SMEs in Karawang Regency, as many as 105 SMEs, using a Purposive Sampling Strategy Criteria; thus, the final sample used was 90 respondents. Data processing techniques were carried out using PLS with SmartPLS 3.0 software through three data testing stages: the outer model, the inner model, and the hypothesis. The results found a positive and significant influence of green intellectual capital on the sustainable financial performance of Tofu Factory SMEs. Sustainable financial performance is also positively and significantly influenced by the financial literacy of Tofu Factory SMEs. Suggestions for further researchers are expected to add variables of green product innovation, creativity capital, and green financing, because those who examine these variables are still very limited; thus, they can create a more accurate model based on the actual conditions in SMEs.

The Influence of SKPD Performance Characteristics, Education Level, Human Resource Competence and Technology Ultilization on the Quality of Regional Financial Reports of the Simeulue District Government

/in /by

Budget, and can be used as a pratical guide fro every policy maker in managing the budget. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of SKPD performance, education level, human resource competence and information tecnology utilization on the quality of financial report. The population in this study were all regional devices totaling 45 (forty-five) SKPD (Reginal Work Units) in Simeulue Regency with a total of 180 (one hundred and eighty) respndents used in this study using a sample of Budget Users (PA), Commitment Making Officers (PPK), Technical Implementation Officers of Activities (PPTK), and Expenditure Treasurers as Research Smaples. Data analysis in this study used multiple linear regression which was prosessed with the SPSS program. The results showed that the influence of SKPD performance, education level, human resource competence and utilization of information technology had a positive and significant effect on the quality of regional financial reports. Human Resource Competencies Positively Affect the Quality of Regional Apparatus Financial Reports, Utilization of Information Technology Positively Affects the Quality of Regional Apparatus Financial Reports in Simeulue Regency. The implications of the results of this study are expected to be an evaluation material for policy makers in improving the Quality of Regional Financial Reports, and can be used as practical guidelines for every policy maker in financial reports.

Optimizing User Retention for a Digital Recruitment App with CLM and the Hooked Model

/in /by

As the digital recruitment market in Indonesia becomes increasingly competitive, it is crucial for Chatterhire, a job portal tech startup, to retain a strong user base for sustainability and growth. Retention is vital for demonstrating product-market fit, monetization potential, and attracting future investments. To achieve this, Chatterhire aims to shift its focus from aggressive user acquisition to retention, by optimizing its platform for regular use. This research combined quantitative data on user in-app activities with qualitative feedback from in-depth interviews. The quantitative analysis utilized Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) techniques, including cohort analysis, behavioral cohort analysis, and funnel analysis, to identify critical experiences that encourage users to return, reasons for user churn, and features that need enhancement for better retention. The study found that retaining users is challenging for an episodic-use app like a job portal, where engagement is sporadic and infrequent. Once users secure a job, their need for the app diminishes, leading to significant drops in engagement and even app uninstalls. Therefore, the company needs to expand the platform’s features to provide additional reasons for users to return. Additionally, ensuring users perceive the app’s value through repeated interactions is essential. The research revealed that users who apply for at least four jobs within the first seven days are likely to have higher retention. This research highlights the importance of integrating intrinsic value into the product to foster a sustained user journey. The Hooked Model’s core elements—Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment—can encourage habitual use and sustained engagement, crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in the digital recruitment industry.

Water Supply, Waste Management, Waste and Recycling Sector in Indonesia: A Study of Location Quetion, Classic and Spatial Shift Share and Export-Import

/in /by

The Water Supply, Waste Management, Waste and Recycling sector is one of the constituent sectors of the Indonesian economy. Water is an important component of human life, especially clean water. The provision of clean water is an activity that should be prioritized, in line with the 6th SDGs goal of clean water and proper sanitation. Waste and waste as by-products of economic activities, then management into useful goods is very important in supporting sustainable development, in accordance with what was launched by the United Nations through the concept of SDGs in goals 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The data used is sourced from BPS from 2017-2022. Data analysis using LQ, ΔLQ, Classic and Spatial Shift Share and Export-Import. The results showed that (1) The PAPASLIDU sector in West Java is a superior sector in the present and future. (2) Sector growth in DKI is best compared to West Java, Central Java and East Java. The competitiveness of Central Java and East Java is still low (3) DKI and Central Java still remain importers, West Java changed from importers to exporters and East Java remained as an exporter. Suggestions (1) Policies in West Java in the PAPASLIDU sector need to be maintained, and the DKI, Central Java and East Java regions need improvement, (2) Improvements to reduce imports and increase competitiveness by striving to increase the provision of clean water for the community. Reducing waste generation and waste by managing it into useful and economically valuable goods, namely expanding activities that have been carried out and adding new activities for areas that do not yet exist.

The Development of PJBL-STEAM Learning Design to Improve the Student Creativity in Handling Waste: Utilizing Used Cardboard in Making Simple Miniature ATMs

/in /by

Students’ creativity in handling waste is important to help them solve mathematical and SBdP concepts, especially operational problems such as building simple miniature ATMs and reusing waste. Therefore, this research is motivated to develop a learning design that increases students’ creativity in handling waste, using the PJBL-STEAM approach as an effective method. The aim of this research is to increase students’ creativity in handling waste. Phase portraits are given using PJBL-STEAM learning. This research uses a sequential exploratory mixed method design, which is characterized by qualitative data collection and data analysis first, and the next stage is quantitative data collection and second data analysis. The research subjects were 28 experimental elementary school students and 26 control students. According to research by Smith and Jones (2018), the project-based learning approach is effective in increasing student engagement and problem-solving skills. They emphasized the importance of combining this approach with aspects of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) to increase students’ creativity in solving environmental problems, including waste management. The research method used in the research is the research and development method. This method will be used to develop and test the effectiveness of PJBL-STEAM learning designs that encourage student creativity in handling waste. The evaluation was carried out by observing student performance, evaluating simple miniature ATM products in the form of coins and paper made from used cardboard, and surveying student reactions to learning. The evaluation results will be used to measure the effectiveness of this learning design in increasing student creativity in waste management and recycling used cardboard. It is hoped that the development of the PJBL-STEAM learning design can help students improve their creative abilities in waste disposal and recycling used cardboard. It is hoped that the results of this research can become a reference for educators in the field of innovative learning which aims to develop 21st century skills.

Application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for Innovative Technological Projects Evaluation and Prioritization in an FMCG Company

/in /by

The FMCG industry is known for its dynamic and competitive nature. To thrive in this business sector, companies must possess the ability to swiftly adapt to the market demand changes, continuously enhance operational efficiency and drive innovation. Those abilities are crucial for maintaining competitiveness and ensuring long term viability of the company. Over the past few decades, technology along with its advancement has emerged as a factor that disrupts the ecosystem of various industries by reshaping the way businesses operate and interact with the customers. In Indonesia, many organizations including FMCG companies have continuously embraced and adopted emerging and innovative technologies within their business operations. Although it offers various benefits for the companies, the execution process has usually encountered various challenges which causing the implementation projects to experiencing delays, especially during the decision-making process. This was also the case in one of the largest FMCG companies in Indonesia due to varying interpretations of project importance, as well as the absence of clear prioritization criteria and an unorganized decision-making process. In order to address the issues, the organization plans to develop a decision-making framework that harmonizes diverse stakeholder perspectives related to project importance based on a number of key criteria while also analyze the benefit and impact provided by the implemented technologies through the application of the Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) framework. There are three technology innovation projects to be analyzed and assessed in this research: AGV Implementation, and Digital Warehouse Management System, and Universal QR for Traceability. In order to evaluate the projects, eighteen criterion which are divided into eighteen sub criteria that has been established through Secondary Data Collection and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) process. The data were processed by leveraging the systematic decision-making structure provided by the AHP framework. The research yields two primary outcomes: a structured decision-making framework and a project prioritization scheme intended for application at the organization. The findings of the research highlight the critical role of structured decision-making in navigating the complexities of evaluating and prioritizing innovative technological projects, while also proposing a scalable model that can be repeatedly utilized by the company in the project evaluation and prioritization contexts.