Dissertation Examination of Ratna Suminar S

On Thursday, 28 January 2026, the Dissertation Defense for the Doctor of Research in Management (DRM) program of Ratna Suminar S [2340004236], entitled “Stakeholders Collaboration Mediates the Influence of Resources Factors on Sustainable Smallholder Palm Plantation” was conducted at BINUS Alam Sutera Campus.

The Dissertation Defense was chaired by Prof. Idris Gautama So, SE., S.Kom., MM., Ph.D supervised and examined by Prof. Nugroho J. Setiadi, SE., MM., Ph.D (Promotor I), Prof. Dr. Ir. Mohammad Hamsal, MSE., MQM., M.B.A., CISCP (Co-Promoter II). The Board of Examiners also included Prof. Dr. Lim Sanny, S.T., M.M. (Examiner I), and Dr. Viany Utami Tjhin, S.Kom., M.M., CDMS (Examiner II) and Prof. Dr. Ir. Y. Bayu Krisnamurthi, M.S (Examiner III).

Dissertation Summary

One of Indonesia’s most important commodities is palm oil, which is processed to meet global demand. This commodity presents both advantages and challenges in managing a sustainable palm oil industry. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential factors influencing Sustainable Smallholder Palm Plantations (SSPP). These factors include Stakeholder Collaboration (SC), sustainable leadership, tacit knowledge, diversity of land resources, and the benefits of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification.

Smallholder palm oil plantations constitute one of the largest contributors to land ownership in the palm oil sector; therefore, smallholder plantations are selected as the unit of analysis in this study. This research employs a quantitative research design with a cross-sectional approach. The unit of observation consists of team leaders (middle managers) from smallholder plantations, totaling 257 respondents distributed across nine regencies. The study is conducted in Riau Province, Indonesia, the largest palm oil–producing region in the country.

Data were measured using a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4. The data analysis method applied was Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicate that the research model demonstrates a good fit, as reflected by the values of Chi-square/df, RMSEA, NFI, NNFI, CFI, IFI, and ECVI.

The results show that Composite Reliability (CR) values exceed 0.70 and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values are ≥ 0.50. Data processing was conducted using LISREL 8.70. The findings reveal that 9 out of the 11 hypothesized relationships have a significant effect on Sustainable Smallholder Palm Plantations. Sustainable leadership does not exhibit a direct relationship with stakeholder collaboration, nor an indirect relationship with SSPP through stakeholder collaboration. Stakeholder collaboration emerges as the primary factor influencing the success of SSPP. Furthermore, the benefits of RSPO certification, when interacting with sustainable leadership, demonstrate a significant but inverse relationship with Sustainable Smallholder Palm Plantations.

Author Biography

Ratna Suminar S. is a permanent faculty member in the Industrial Engineering Study Program at Universitas Bhayangkara Jakarta Raya, with academic expertise in Industrial Management and Sustainability. Since 2018, she has actively fulfilled the Tri Dharma of Higher Education through teaching, research, community service, and scholarly publications in various academic forums.

She currently serves as Head of the Industrial Engineering Study Program at Universitas Bhayangkara Jakarta Raya, where her primary responsibilities include the planning, implementation, and evaluation of academic programs, the management of faculty and student activities, and the strengthening of internal and external collaborative networks. Previously, she held several strategic leadership positions within the university, including Head of International Relations (2023–2024), Head of the Academic Administration Bureau (2015–2021), and Head of the Graduate Program Administration Division (2012–2015). These roles have further enhanced her expertise in academic governance, partnership management, and institutional development in higher education.

Beyond academia, Ratna possesses professional experience in the industrial sector as a Research and Development Specialist and Merchandiser at PT Sky Camping Indonesia (1999–2004). In this role, she was involved in product design, production monitoring, and process control to ensure the achievement of quality standards and delivery targets. This industrial background has provided a strong foundation for her commitment to developing industry-based learning and practice-oriented academic research.

In terms of formal education, Ratna has completed:

• Doctoral Program, Universitas Bina Nusantara (2025)
• Master of Management, Institut Pertanian Bogor (2004)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture, Universitas Trisakti (1999)

She also holds several professional certifications, including:

• Quality Assurance Auditor, Professional Certification Institute (LSP) – National Professional Certification Board (BNSP), Indonesia (2019)
• Professional Teaching Certification, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia

With a comprehensive combination of academic leadership and industry experience, her doctoral dissertation reflects a strong commitment to advancing knowledge in the fields of industrial engineering, sustainable management, and organizational governance in higher education.