Sumitro Sarkum

The aim of this study is to determine the marketing channels for Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) of palm oil plantations of farmers in Labuhanbatu Regency, which are carried out by traders, causing price fluctuations. The research method was based on library research, field research and qualitative analysis of primary data collected through interviews with a number of farmers, collector traders, and palm oil mills in Labuhanbatu and surrounding areas. The results of this study showed the real price fluctuations in the FFB trade in Labuhanbatu Regency, while the marketing function of farmers and the supply chain showed the same thing, even though they had different expenses for that function. Whereas the share margin found in the findings of this study was 62% with a marketing efficiency level of 30%. The study also found that FFB marketing channels in Labuhanbatu District had eight channel levels, but this research only confirmed one level, namely the third marketing channel. Thus, this study suggests that follow-up research will explore the remaining seven channels with similar and different topics and issues.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Commercial banking employees are increasingly expected to exceed formal role requirements, yet how proactive work behavior relates to sustained extra-role performance remains poorly understood. This study tested whether job crafting is associated with contextual performance through a sequential chain in which work engagement and thriving at work were positioned as a proximal and a more distal correlate, respectively. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of 245 full-time employees across ten commercial banks in Medan, Indonesia, and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with second-order reflective constructs. All three hypothesized structural paths were statistically significant: job crafting was positively associated with work engagement (β = 0.540), engagement with thriving (β = 0.530), and thriving with contextual performance (β = 0.520), all large effects (f2 = 0.368-0.414), together explaining 27.4%–30.0% of the variance in the endogenous constructs. The corresponding sequential indirect effects were also significant (job crafting-thriving: 0.286; engagement-performance: 0.275; job crafting-performance via both intervening variables: 0.149; all 95% CIs excluding zero). Because the model did not simultaneously estimate the corresponding direct paths, these indirect effects are reported as sequential associations rather than as evidence of a verified mediating mechanism, and, given the cross-sectional design, the ordering of engagement and thriving reflects a theoretical assumption rather than a demonstrated temporal sequence. With this caveat, the findings suggest that HR practitioners in banking and similar service contexts should pair structural support for job crafting with explicit developmental follow-through.