HUMAN BEHAVIOR, DEVELOPMENT and SOCIETY

Human Behavior, Development and Society - December 2024

Chomphunut Phutikettrkit — 2024-12-11

Chance vs. Chants: Not Every Final /s/ Is Created Equal

Clifton Armstrong — 2024-11-10

This study was designed to determine if there is a difference between English Language Learner (ELL) production of /s/ in words such as prince and prints, as it appeared that ELLs were pronouncing “prince” for the former, but “print” for the latter. Study subjects completed a dictation task using a paragraph with many words ending in /s/. The results were that final /s/ in words such as prince was produced in 94.1% of the required contexts, while /s/ in words like prints was produced in 64.9% of the required contexts. The structural difference between pairs such as prince and prints is that prince has no internal morphological structure, while prints consists of print + s. The different production rates for final /s/ suggest that ELLs are processing the words differently, and are apparently unconsciously aware of the morphological difference between pairs such prince and prints. Contrary to expectations, this morphological awareness leads to incorrect responses. The discussion shows that issues such as salience, sonority, and L1 transfer cannot account for the data obtained in the study. In the paper suggestions are presented for raising morphological awareness to a more conscious level, thereby potentially aiding acquisition.

A Study of Employers’ Satisfaction With Generation Z in Thai Workplaces

Rachaniphorn Ngotngamwong — 2024-11-10

The newest generation of workers, Generation Z, differs in many ways from previous cohorts, and so its entry into job markets poses increasing management challenges for organizations. The objective of this qualitative phenomenology research study was to explore employers’ challenges and satisfaction levels with Gen Z in the workplace. Conducted in Thailand, a total of 13 participants participated in in-depth structured interviews. The results showed that while there were challenges working with Gen Z, the majority of employers were satisfied with their performance in the workplace. Gen Z workers were described as being creative, fast, problem-solvers, self-learners, tech savvy, highly confident, flexible, adaptable to change, and bringing new and great ideas. Their challenges included low organizational commitment, reluctance to stay beyond normal working hours, impatience, lack of attention to detail, and lack of some social and basic office skills. This study provides a better understanding of Gen Z’s mindset, and the input gained may help employers to respond more appropriately to changes in their current workforces. It may also be valuable in helping universities to better prepare students for the workplace.

Livelihood Resiliency of Selected Informal Sectors in Cebu City, the Philippines

James G. Esguerra — 2024-11-10

This study focused on the livelihood resiliency of selected informal sectors in Cebu City, the Philippines. It employed a mixed-method approach to describe how informal sectors responded to external shocks. A quantitative approach was used to measure three resilience capacities: absorptive, adaptive, and transformative resilience. The results revealed that both street and platform vendors showed high resilience capacities. When relationships between gender and resilience capacity levels were tested for street and platform vendors, only gender and adaptive capacities showed significant relationships at the .02 and .04 levels, respectively. By contrast, their absorptive and transformative resilience capacities showed no significant differences. Qualitative findings revealed that informal sector street and platform vendors were vulnerable in times of economic shock due to their irregular incomes, poor working conditions, and struggles to sell their products. Despite external shocks, they attempted to cope by looking for alternative sources of income, utilizing their savings, and receiving assistance from the government, along with support from their families.

The Influence of Social Media Marketing and Customer Experience on Consumer Purchase Intentions: A Case Study of Mixue Ice Cream & Tea Company

Huajia Zhang — 2024-11-10

In this study the impact of social media marketing and customer experience was investigated on consumer purchase intentions, using Mixue Ice Cream & Tea as a case study. Data were collected through an online survey of 501 Nanjing, China respondents who had purchased products from Mixue Ice Cream & Tea. Structural equation modeling was used for hypothesis testing. The findings revealed that social media marketing and customer experience significantly and positively influenced purchase intentions, with trust and brand awareness as key mediators. The results underscore the importance of innovative social media strategies and high-quality customer experiences in fostering trust and enhancing brand awareness. Practical implications include recommendations for enhancing social media engagement, customer service, and transparent business practices. Future research should expand geographically, incorporate additional variables, and explore emerging technologies. This study contributes to the literature by offering a comprehensive model of consumer behavior and actionable insights for the ready-to-drink tea industry.

New Normal Learning Method Satisfaction Among University Students in the Post-Pandemic Period: A Myanmar Perspective

Phyo Min Tun — 2024-11-10

E-learning has become the new normal learning method in the post-pandemic period around the globe, including Myanmar. The present study aimed to examine the satisfaction of Myanmar university students with the new normal learning method. The study utilized an inductive quantitative approach, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data. Data was collected from 262 Myanmar students who were studying locally and abroad. The results of the study indicated that e-learning trust was more critical than e-learning effectiveness (p < .001), while e-learning system quality was insignificant for e-learning satisfaction. In addition, e-learning trust and effectiveness were mediating variables between e-learning system quality and e-learning satisfaction. This study delivers valuable insights for educators and university facilitators to enhance students' satisfaction with new normal learning methods.

Framing of Flood News in The Borneo Post, a Regional Malaysian Newspaper

Ning Li — 2024-11-10

In recent years, climate change and unpredictable weather are causing more frequent severe floods in various areas, but little is understood about how regional newspapers shape public reactions to and preparations for natural disasters. This study investigated the framing of flood news by The Borneo Post, an English-language newspaper circulated in Sarawak, Malaysia. The specific aspects examined were: (a) frequency of thematic and episodic framing of flood events and (b) frame dimensions used in articles. Altogether 76 articles (25,676 words) on floods published by The Borneo Post from 1 January to 31 December 2023 were analysed. All articles were in the episodic frame. The main frame dimension was attribution of responsibility (79%), where authorities act as disseminators and narrators of disaster facts. However, the absence of thematic framing of floods lowers attribution of responsibility to authorities to plan long-term solutions to flooding. The economic consequences frame ranked second (14.5%), emphasising losses suffered. Little attention was given to human interest (3.9%) or conflict (1.3%). There was no morality frame, and 1.3% of articles were fact-filled and did not have an obvious frame dimension. The findings suggest that fact-focused flood reporting lacking the humanity element may not move readers to action.

The Learning Experiences of Filipino Students in an International Exchange Program in Thailand

Yongyut Khamkhong — 2024-11-10

Having the opportunity to participate in an international exchange program is not an easy path for every student. After spending a month in an international exchange program at Phranakhon Rajabhat University, Bangkok, seven Filipino students from Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology shared their reflections for this research study, which aimed to examine their learning experiences during the program. The research methodology included questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that their experiences in terms of academic growth, cultural understanding, and personal development were overwhelmingly positive, despite some initial adjustments. They expressed a willingness to return to the country with their loved ones, highlighting that the organizers effectively addressed their needs and met their expectations. Their detailed insights in this report may provide useful ideas for those organizing similar programs.

Enhancing Multi-Object Tracking with Compact Model Adjustment

Pimpa Cheewaprakobkit — 2024-12-11

Tracking human movement and interactions in complex environments is a key challenge in computer vision, especially for multi-object tracking. Transformer-based models have shown promise in addressing these challenges due to their capacity to recognize complex patterns across sequences. However, their high computational demands and substantial training data requirements often restrict their real-world applicability. This study aimed to enhance multi-object tracking by introducing a Compact Model Adjustment approach that integrates trainable rank-decomposition matrices within the Transformer architecture. This approach involves freezing the pre-trained model weights and adding trainable low-rank matrices to each layer, substantially reducing the number of parameters that need updating during training. This design allows the model to retain its pre-trained knowledge while efficiently adapting to new tasks, thereby reducing the overall computational load. Additionally, the proposed approach utilizes data from both the current and previous frames to refine object localization and association. Experimental results on the MOT17 benchmark demonstrated that this method achieved a Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy of 71.0, comparable to state-of-the-art techniques while enhancing computational efficiency. This work provides a practical solution for real-world applications in areas such as surveillance, autonomous driving, and sports analytics.

Health Literacy and Antibiotic Use Behavior Among Working Age People in Muak Lek District, Saraburi Province

Supatcharee Makornkan — 2024-12-11

This cross-sectional study investigated the levels of health literacy, antibiotic use behavior, and their relationships among working age people in Muak Lek Sub-district, Muak Lek District, Saraburi Province. The research instrument was a self-administered health literacy and antibiotic use behavior questionnaire that was completed by 352 respondents. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient test produced reliability scores for these two question groups of .98 and .92 respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation coefficient. The study’s results revealed widespread usage of antibiotics by working age people, most of whom had moderate levels of health literacy. Health literacy was positively, but weakly, related to proper antibiotic use behavior at the .001 level of statistical significance (r = .268, p < .001). Working age people with low levels of health literacy were found to misuse antibiotics; however, rational use of such medications is important since incorrect use of drugs may have negative effects on health. This study provides data about antibiotic usage patterns to support public health professionals and relevant agencies in developing future preventive strategies.

The Influence of Perceived Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy on Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Case Study of College Students in Guangxi, China

Fuguo Huang — 2024-12-11

In Guangxi, China, the proportion of college students who start their own businesses is very low, so this study investigated the relationships between their perceived entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions. Four dimensions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy were examined, namely, opportunity identification, innovation and change, risk tolerance, and relationship coordination. A survey was distributed to students at 15 universities in Guangxi from the sophomore year to the graduate level, and 2,131 valid responses were received. The results showed positive and significant (p < .01) relationships involving students’ entrepreneurial intentions linked to self-efficacy, namely, opportunity identification efficacy, risk tolerance efficacy, and relationship coordination efficacy, with adjusted R² of .299, .404, and .318 respectively. Studying the factors that influence students’ entrepreneurial intentions may provide theoretical support for optimizing entrepreneurial policies, creating entrepreneurial environments, and reforming entrepreneurial education.

Perceptions of Change Management Among Filipino Leaders in Multinational Educational Institutions: A Multiple Case Study

Henry II Lemana — 2024-12-11

Perceptions of change management strategies were explored among Filipino educational leaders working in multinational institutions in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The views of three leaders were examined through a multiple case study approach. A participant from Thailand emphasized resilience and strict adherence to policy within a challenging cultural context. Contrastingly, another Thailand participant spoke of the need for empathetic leadership and proactive acceptance of change, while the participant from the UAE viewed change management as a comprehensive framework necessitating leadership as its driving force. The findings revealed that while a leader may focus on maintaining consistency amid policy changes, leaders may also advocate for an adaptive and supportive environment. This research indicated the critical need for culturally sensitive leadership and adaptive strategies in managing change, offering new insights into the interplay between leadership styles and change management in diverse educational settings. Furthermore, the findings challenge existing theories by highlighting the success of varied approaches to change management in different cultural contexts. The importance of empathy and flexibility in effective leadership was also accentuated.

Editorial Note

Chomphunut Phutikettrkit — 2024-12-11

Strategic Positioning Behavior and the Inter-Granger-Causality of Alternative Securities Investments in Thailand: A Study

Eric J. de Sera Nasution — 2024-12-11

In this study the strategic positioning behavior of Thai investors from 1997 to 2022 was evaluated in order to explore the deterministic variables of why they might prefer to invest in either money markets or mutual funds/bonds, relative to equity market investments. Using factor analysis and publicly available financial data to answer these questions, it was discovered that attractive yields and the tradeoff of risk-return were essential factors that led to such investment behavior. Using a cointegration Autoregressive Distributed Lag method, an Error Correction Model, and Granger causality to verify these findings, dividend yield and risk-return tradeoff were the only predicted causes. The multiplier effects of marginal propensity to invest and equity market investment turnover in Thailand are catching up in terms of economic development in other Association of Southeast Asian Nations. These findings point to a need for further innovative development of Thai equity and alternative investment markets.