Extending coverage to informal sector populations in Kenya: design preferences and implications for financing policy.

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Okungu, Vincent; Chuma, Jane; Mulupi, Stephen; McIntyre, Diane

2018-01-09

Universal health coverage (UHC) is important in terms of improving access to quality health care while protecting households from the risk of catastrophic health spending and impoverishment. However, progress to UHC has been hampered by the measures to increase mandatory prepaid funds especially in low- and middle-income countries where there are large populations in the informal sector. Important considerations in expanding coverage to the informal sector should include an exploration of the type of prepayment system that is acceptable to the informal sector and the features of such a design that would encourage prepayment for health care among this population group. The objective of the study was to document the views of informal sector workers regarding different prepayment mechanisms, and critically analyze key design features of a future health system and the policy implications of financing UHC in Kenya. This was part of larger study which involved a mixed-methods approach. The following tools were used to collect data from informal sector workers: focus group discussions [N = 16 (rural = 7; urban = 9)], individual in-depth interviews [N = 26 (rural = 14; urban = 12)] and a questionnaire survey [N = 455(rural = 129; urban = 326)]. Thematic approach was used to analyze qualitative data while Stata v.11 involving mainly descriptive analysis was used in quantitative data. The tools mentioned were used to collect data to meet various objectives of a larger study and what is presented here constitutes a small section of the data generated by these tools. The findings show that informal sector workers in rural and urban areas prefer different prepayment systems for financing UHC. Preference for a non-contributory system of financing UHC was particularly strong in the urban study site (58%). Over 70% in the rural area preferred a contributory mechanism in financing UHC. The main concern for informal sector workers regardless of

Women's experiences seeking informal sector abortion services in Cape Town, South Africa: a descriptive study.

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Gerdts, Caitlin; Raifman, Sarah; Daskilewicz, Kristen; Momberg, Mariette; Roberts, Sarah; Harries, Jane

2017-10-02

In settings where abortion is legally restricted, or permitted but not widely accessible, women face significant barriers to abortion access, sometimes leading them to seek services outside legal facilities. The advent of medication abortion has further increased the prevalence of informal sector abortion. This study investigates the reasons for attempting self-induction, methods used, complications, and sources of information about informal sector abortion, and tests a specific recruitment method which could lead to improved estimates of informal sector abortion prevalence among an at-risk population. We recruited women who have sought informal sector abortion services in Cape Town, South Africa using respondent driven sampling (RDS). An initial seed recruiter was responsible for initiating recruitment using a structured coupon system. Participants completed face-to-face questionnaires, which included information about demographics, informal sector abortion seeking, and safe abortion access needs. We enrolled 42 women, nearly one-third of whom reported they were sex workers. Thirty-four women (81%) reported having had one informal sector abortion within the past 5 years, 14% reported having had two, and 5% reported having had three. These women consumed home remedies, herbal mixtures from traditional healers, or tablets from an unregistered provider. Twelve sought additional care for potential warning signs of complications. Privacy and fear of mistreatment at public sector facilities were among the main reported reasons for attempting informal sector abortion. Most women (67%) cited other community members as their source of information about informal sector abortion; posted signs and fliers in public spaces also served as an important source of information. Women are attempting informal sector abortion because they seek privacy and fear mistreatment and stigma in health facilities. Some were unaware how or where to seek formal sector services, or believed the

Framework for integration of informal waste management sector with the formal sector in Pakistan.

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Masood, Maryam; Barlow, Claire Y

2013-10-01

Historically, waste pickers around the globe have utilised urban solid waste as a principal source of livelihood. Formal waste management sectors usually perceive the informal waste collection/recycling networks as backward, unhygienic and generally incompatible with modern waste management systems. It is proposed here that through careful planning and administration, these seemingly troublesome informal networks can be integrated into formal waste management systems in developing countries, providing mutual benefits. A theoretical framework for integration based on a case study in Lahore, Pakistan, is presented. The proposed solution suggests that the municipal authority should draw up and agree on a formal work contract with the group of waste pickers already operating in the area. The proposed system is assessed using the integration radar framework to classify and analyse possible intervention points between the sectors. The integration of the informal waste workers with the formal waste management sector is not a one dimensional or single step process. An ideal solution might aim for a balanced focus on all four categories of intervention, although this may be influenced by local conditions. Not all the positive benefits will be immediately apparent, but it is expected that as the acceptance of such projects increases over time, the informal recycling economy will financially supplement the formal system in many ways.

Job satisfaction and motivation of health workers in public and private sectors: cross-sectional analysis from two Indian states.

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Peters, David H; Chakraborty, Subrata; Mahapatra, Prasanta; Steinhardt, Laura

2010-11-25

Ensuring health worker job satisfaction and motivation are important if health workers are to be retained and effectively deliver health services in many developing countries, whether they work in the public or private sector. The objectives of the paper are to identify important aspects of health worker satisfaction and motivation in two Indian states working in public and private sectors. Cross-sectional surveys of 1916 public and private sector health workers in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, India, were conducted using a standardized instrument to identify health workers' satisfaction with key work factors related to motivation. Ratings were compared with how important health workers consider these factors. There was high variability in the ratings for areas of satisfaction and motivation across the different practice settings, but there were also commonalities. Four groups of factors were identified, with those relating to job content and work environment viewed as the most important characteristics of the ideal job, and rated higher than a good income. In both states, public sector health workers rated "good employment benefits" as significantly more important than private sector workers, as well as a "superior who recognizes work". There were large differences in whether these factors were considered present on the job, particularly between public and private sector health workers in Uttar Pradesh, where the public sector fared consistently lower (P public sector, where all 17 items had greater discordance for public sector workers than for workers in the private sector (P < 0.001). There are common areas of health worker motivation that should be considered by managers and policy makers, particularly the importance of non-financial motivators such as working environment and skill development opportunities. But managers also need to focus on the importance of locally assessing conditions and managing incentives to ensure health workers are motivated in

Work Environment Factors and Their Influence on Urinary Chromium Levels in Informal Electroplating Workers

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Setyaningsih, Yuliani; Husodo, Adi Heru; Astuti, Indwiani

2018-02-01

One of the informal sector which absorbs labor was electroplating business. This sector uses chromium as coating material because it was strong, corrosion resistant and strong. Nonetheless hexavalent chromium is highly toxic if inhaled, swallowed and contact with skin. Poor hygiene, the lack of work environment factors and sanitation conditions can increase the levels of chromium in the body. This aimed of this study was to analyze the association between work environment factors and levels of urinary chromium in informal electroplating worker. A Purposive study was conducted in Tegal Central Java. The research subjects were 66 male workers. Chi Square analysis was used to establish an association between work environment factors and level of urinary chromium. There is a relationship between heat stress and wind direction to the chromium levels in urine (p 0.05). This explains that work environment factors can increase chromium levels in the urine of informal electroplating workers.

Work Environment Factors and Their Influence on Urinary Chromium Levels in Informal Electroplating Workers

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Setyaningsih Yuliani

2018-01-01

Full Text Available One of the informal sector which absorbs labor was electroplating business. This sector uses chromium as coating material because it was strong, corrosion resistant and strong. Nonetheless hexavalent chromium is highly toxic if inhaled, swallowed and contact with skin. Poor hygiene, the lack of work environment factors and sanitation conditions can increase the levels of chromium in the body. This aimed of this study was to analyze the association between work environment factors and levels of urinary chromium in informal electroplating worker. A Purposive study was conducted in Tegal Central Java. The research subjects were 66 male workers. Chi Square analysis was used to establish an association between work environment factors and level of urinary chromium. There is a relationship between heat stress and wind direction to the chromium levels in urine (p 0.05. This explains that work environment factors can increase chromium levels in the urine of informal electroplating workers.

Community-based health insurance knowledge, concern, preferences, and financial planning for health care among informal sector workers in a health district of Douala, Cameroon.

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Noubiap, Jean Jacques N; Joko, Walburga Yvonne A; Obama, Joel Marie N; Bigna, Jean Joel R

2013-01-01

For the last two decades, promoted by many governments and international number in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2005 in Cameroon, there were only 60 Community-based health insurance (CBHI) schemes nationwide, covering less than 1% of the population. In 2006, the Cameroon government adopted a national strategy aimed at creating at least one CBHI scheme in each health district and covering at least 40% of the population with CBHI schemes by 2015. Unfortunately, there is almost no published data on the awareness and the implementation of CBHI schemes in Cameroon. Structured interviews were conducted in January 2010 with 160 informal sectors workers in the Bonassama health district (BHD) of Douala, aiming at evaluating their knowledge, concern and preferences on CBHI schemes and their financial plan to cover health costs. The awareness on the existence of CHBI schemes was poor awareness schemes among these informal workers. Awareness of CBHI schemes was significantly associated with a high level of education (p = 0.0001). Only 4.4% of respondents had health insurance, and specifically 1.2% were involved in a CBHI scheme. However, 128 (86.2%) respondents thought that belonging to a CBHI scheme could facilitate their access to adequate health care, and were thus willing to be involved in CBHI schemes. Our respondents would have preferred CBHI schemes run by missionaries to CBHI schemes run by the government or people of the same ethnic group (p). There is a very low participation in CBHI schemes among the informal sector workers of the BHD. This is mainly due to the lack of awareness and limited knowledge on the basic concepts of a CBHI by this target population. Solidarity based community associations to which the vast majority of this target population belong are prime areas for sensitization on CBHI schemes. Hence these associations could possibly federalize to create CBHI schemes.

"They See Us As Machines:" The Experience of Recent Immigrant Women in the Low Wage Informal Labor Sector.

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Panikkar, Bindu; Brugge, Doug; Gute, David M; Hyatt, Raymond R

2015-01-01

This study explores the organization of work and occupational health risk as elicited from recently immigrated women (n = 8) who have been in the US for less than three years and employed in informal work sectors such as cleaning and factory work in the greater Boston area in Massachusetts. Additional interviews (n = 8) with Community Key Informants with knowledge of this sector and representatives of temporary employment agencies in the area provides further context to the interviews conducted with recent immigrant women. These results were also compared with our immigrant occupational health survey, a large project that spawned this study. Responses from the study participants suggest health outcomes consistent with being a day-laborer scholarship, new immigrant women are especially at higher risk within these low wage informal work sectors. A difference in health experiences based on ethnicity and occupation was also observed. Low skilled temporary jobs are fashioned around meeting the job performance expectations of the employer; the worker's needs are hardly addressed, resulting in low work standards, little worker protection and poor health outcomes. The rising prevalence of non-standard employment or informal labor sector requires that policies or labor market legislation be revised to meet the needs presented by these marginalized workers.

Developing a community-based psycho-social intervention with older people and third sector workers for anxiety and depression: a qualitative study.

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Kingstone, Tom; Burroughs, Heather; Bartlam, Bernadette; Ray, Mo; Proctor, Janine; Shepherd, Thomas; Bullock, Peter; Chew-Graham, Carolyn Anne

2017-07-12

One-in-five people in the UK experience anxiety and/or depression in later life. However, anxiety and depression remain poorly detected in older people, particularly in those with chronic physical ill health. In the UK, a stepped care approach, to manage common mental health problems, is advocated which includes service provision from non-statutory organisations (including third/voluntary sector). However, evidence to support such provision, including the most effective interventions, is limited. The qualitative study reported here constitutes the first phase of a feasibility study which aims to assess whether third sector workers can deliver a psychosocial intervention to older people with anxiety and/or depression. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore the views of older people and third sector workers about anxiety and depression among older people in order to refine an intervention to be delivered by third sector workers. Semi-structured interviews with participants recruited through purposive sampling from third sector groups in North Staffordshire. Interviews were digitally recorded with consent, transcribed and analysed using principles of constant comparison. Nineteen older people and 9 third sector workers were interviewed. Key themes included: multiple forms of loss, mental health as a personal burden to bear, having courage and providing/receiving encouragement, self-worth and the value of group activities, and tensions in existing service provision, including barriers and gaps. The experience of loss was seen as central to feelings of anxiety and depression among community-dwelling older people. This study contributes to the evidence pointing to the scale and severity of mental health needs for some older people which can arise from multiple forms of loss, and which present a significant challenge to health, social care and third sector services. The findings informed development of a psychosocial intervention and training for third sector

Health Status of the Female Workers in the Garment Sector of Bangladesh

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Shaheen AHMED

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Readymade Garment (RMG Sector in Bangladesh has been playing a vital role in creating employment opportunity for the rural marginal people for the last two decades. At present 5,100 garment factories are operating in this country and 3.6 million workers are working there in which more than 80 percent of them are female. From the beginning it is largely apparent that the health status of the female garment workers is not well enough to do their work properly. Keeping this in mind, the study was conducted to find out the health status of the female workers. In this study, 200 female workers of Bangladesh were interviewed to identify the major diseases they experienced. The study reveals that the majority of the female workers in the garment sector suffer from the diseases like problems in bones, abortion complexity, dermatitis, back pain, eye stain, pruritus, malnutrition, respiratory problems, hepatitis (Jandice, gastric pain, fatigue, fever, abdomen pain, common cold, and helminthiasis. The policy makers and other concern bodies should take necessary measures to ensure good health of the garment workers. It will help female workers to be more productive and their contribution to the country will be enhanced.

Estimating number of workers potentially at risk of exposure to hardwood dust in certain industrial sectors in Italy using a national register.

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Scarselli, Alberto; Di Marzio, Davide

2014-11-24

Hardwood dust is a well-known human carcinogen and its use is common in several economic activities. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of occupational exposure to hardwood dust in certain sectors of Italian industry. Information on occupational exposures was collected from enterprise exposure registers that must by law be reported to the National Workers' Compensation Authority, as at 31 December 2011. Data stored in the database included economic activity sector, work force size and exposed workers. The number of workers potentially exposed was estimated for some of the industrial sectors from national occupational statistics in Italy. The economic sector with the highest number of potentially exposed workers to hardwood dust was that classified as the manufacture of other wooden furniture with 15,760 men and 2,771 women, while the highest percentage of enterprises that had sent data (according to the ISTAT 2001 census) was in building and repair of non-metallic ships (21%). The systematic recording of occupational exposures is a source of data that permits recognition of high risk situations and aids exposure assessment for epidemiological studies.

Job satisfaction and motivation of health workers in public and private sectors: cross-sectional analysis from two Indian states

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Mahapatra Prasanta

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Ensuring health worker job satisfaction and motivation are important if health workers are to be retained and effectively deliver health services in many developing countries, whether they work in the public or private sector. The objectives of the paper are to identify important aspects of health worker satisfaction and motivation in two Indian states working in public and private sectors. Methods Cross-sectional surveys of 1916 public and private sector health workers in Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, India, were conducted using a standardized instrument to identify health workers' satisfaction with key work factors related to motivation. Ratings were compared with how important health workers consider these factors. Results There was high variability in the ratings for areas of satisfaction and motivation across the different practice settings, but there were also commonalities. Four groups of factors were identified, with those relating to job content and work environment viewed as the most important characteristics of the ideal job, and rated higher than a good income. In both states, public sector health workers rated "good employment benefits" as significantly more important than private sector workers, as well as a "superior who recognizes work". There were large differences in whether these factors were considered present on the job, particularly between public and private sector health workers in Uttar Pradesh, where the public sector fared consistently lower (P P Conclusion There are common areas of health worker motivation that should be considered by managers and policy makers, particularly the importance of non-financial motivators such as working environment and skill development opportunities. But managers also need to focus on the importance of locally assessing conditions and managing incentives to ensure health workers are motivated in their work.

Health Risks Awareness of Electronic Waste Workers in the Informal Sector in Nigeria.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ohajinwa, Chimere M; Van Bodegom, Peter M; Vijver, Martina G; Peijnenburg, Willie J G M

2017-01-01

Insight into the health risk awareness levels of e-waste workers is important as it may offer opportunities for better e-waste recycling management strategies to reduce the health effects of informal e-waste recycling. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practices associated

Working conditions and job quality: comparing sectors in Europe: overview report

OpenAIRE

van Houten, Gijs; Cabrita, Jorge; Vargas, Oscar

2014-01-01

This report and the accompanying 33 sectoral information sheets aim to capture the diversity prevalent across sectors in Europe in terms of working conditions and job quality. The information sheets indicate how workers in each sector compare to the European average for all workers, as well as highlighting differences and similarities among different groups of workers. The report pinpoints trends across sectors in areas such as working time and work–life balance, work organisation, skills and...

Work disability benefits due to musculoskeletal disorders among Brazilian private sector workers.

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Vieira, E R; Albuquerque-Oliveira, P R; Barbosa-Branco, A

2011-05-14

To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of disability benefits due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) granted to Brazilian private sector workers. This was a population-based epidemiological study of MSD-related benefits among registered private sector workers (n=32 959 329). The prevalence (benefits/10 000 workers/year) of work disability benefits was calculated by gender, age, state, Human Development Index (HDI), economic activity, MSD type and work-relatedness. The prevalence of MSD-related benefits in Brazil among registered private sector workers in 2008 was 93.6/10 000 workers. The prevalence increased with age, and was higher for women (112.2) than for men (88.1), although the former had shorter benefit duration. The gender-adjusted prevalence by state varied from 16.6 to 90.3 for non-work-related, and from 7.8 to 59.6 for work-related benefits. The Brazilian states with a high-very high HDI had the highest prevalence. The top four most common types of MSD-related benefits were due to back pain, intervertebral disc disorders, sinovitis/tenosynovitis and shoulder disorders. MSD is a frequent cause of work disability in Brazil. There were differences in prevalence among economic activities and between states grouped by HDI. This study demonstrates that further evaluation of the contributing factors associated with MSD-related disability benefits is required. Factors that should be considered include production processes, political organisation, socioeconomic and educational characteristics, the compensation and recording systems, and employee-employer power relationships. These factors may play an important role in the prevalence of MSD-related disability benefits, especially in countries with large socioeconomic iniquities such as Brazil.

Bureaucratic reform, informal sector and welfare

OpenAIRE

Chaudhuri, Sarbajit; Mandal, Biswajit

2012-01-01

In this paper we formulate a three-sector general equilibrium model where one sector produces a service or good used as an intermediate input in two other sectors. Intermediate input here resembles bureaucratic (in)efficiency/control, red-tapism etc. in light of these concerns we introduce informal sector where wage is determined through competitive mechanism. We show that informal wage must go up if bureaucratic efficiency increases in general or if informal sector becomes less prone to bure...

Occupational health profile of workers employed in the manufacturing sector of India.

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Suri, Shivali; Das, Ranjan

2016-01-01

The occupational health scenario of workers engaged in the manufacturing sector in India deserves attention for their safety and increasing productivity. We reviewed the status of the manufacturing sector, identified hazards faced by workers, and assessed the existing legislations and healthcare delivery mechanisms. From October 2014 to March 2015, we did a literature review by manual search of pre-identified journals, general electronic search, electronic search of dedicated websites/databases and personal communication with experts of occupational health. An estimated 115 million workers are engaged in the manufacturing sector, though the Labour Bureau takes into account only one-tenth of them who work in factories registered with the government. Most reports do not mention the human capital employed neither their quality of life, nor occupational health services available. The incidence of accidents were documented till 2011, and industry-wise break up of data is not available. Occupational hazards reported include hypertension, stress, liver disease, diabetes, tuberculosis, eye/ hearing problems, cancers, etc. We found no studies for manufacturing industries in glass, tobacco, computer and allied products, etc. The incidence of accidents is decreasing but the proportion of fatalities is increasing. Multiple legislations exist which cover occupational health, but most of these are old and have not been amended adequately to reflect the present situation. There is a shortage of manpower and occupational health statistics for dealing with surveillance, prevention and regulation in this sector. There is an urgent need of a modern occupational health legislation and an effective machinery to enforce it, preferably through intersectoral coordination between the Employees' State Insurance Corporation, factories and state governments. Occupational health should be integrated with the general health services.

The Information Sector: Definition and Measurement.

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Porat, Marc U.

In the last 20 years the U.S. economy had changed as a result of the increase in production, processing, and distribution of information goods and services. Three information sectors--the primary sector producing information goods and services, the private bureaucracy, and the public bureaucracy--are part of a six-sector economy. Today,…

Extending health insurance coverage to the informal sector: Lessons from a private micro health insurance scheme in Lagos, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Lauren; Comfort, Alison; Hatt, Laurel; van Bastelaer, Thierry

2018-04-15

As a growing number of low- and middle-income countries commit to achieving universal health coverage, one key challenge is how to extend coverage to informal sector workers. Micro health insurance (MHI) provides a potential model to finance health services for this population. This study presents lessons from a pilot study of a mandatory MHI plan offered by a private insurance company and distributed through a microfinance bank to urban, informal sector workers in Lagos, Nigeria. Study methods included a survey of microfinance clients, key informant interviews, and a review of administrative records. Demographic, health care seeking, and willingness-to-pay data suggested that microfinance clients, particularly women, could benefit from a comprehensive MHI plan that improved access to health care and reduced out-of-pocket spending on health services. However, administrative data revealed declining enrollment, and key informant interviews further suggested low use of the health insurance plan. Key implementation challenges, including changes to mandatory enrollment requirements, insufficient client education and marketing, misaligned incentives, and weak back-office systems, undermined enrollment and use of the plan. Mandatory MHI plans, intended to mitigate adverse selection and facilitate private insurers' entry into new markets, present challenges for covering informal sector workers, including when distributed through agents such as a microfinance bank. Properly aligning the incentives of the insurer and the agent are critical to effectively distribute and service insurance. Further, an urban environment presents unique challenges for distributing MHI, addressing client perceptions of health insurance, and meeting their health care needs. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Information Needs and Source Information of Agricultural Extension Workers in DIY

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Retno Wulandari

2016-02-01

Full Text Available One of the important factors that contribute to agricultural development is information. As such agricultural extension workers that link agricultural agencies to the farmers must have adequate and up-to-date information about agricultural practices before they could inform, educate and train the farmers in method and techniques of farming. This study aims to determine the types of information needed by agricultural extension workers; to determine the sources of information used by the agricultural extension workers; and to determine the comparison between types of information with information sources used by agricultural extension workers. The present study was a descriptive study using a survey design and conducted at Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY Province. The populations of the study consists 181 agricultural extension workers divisible in the district level, namely Sleman, Kulon Progo, Gunung Kidul dan Bantul. Sampling procedure in this study used cluster sampling. The method for gathering data from the respondents is based on a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was to describe the characteristics of the respondents and the dependent variables of the study. As a result, most of agricultural extension workers strongly needed the innovation information in seeking information followed by extension service information and extension role information. The result of information sources used by agricultural extension worker for extension service information, innovation information and extension role information indicates that agricultural extension workers used interpersonal source. Most of them never sought information use Internet, they use radio more frequently than television and video, agricultural extension worker also used mass media as information source.

General Satisfaction Among Healthcare Workers: Differences Between Employees in Medical and Mental Health Sector

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Papathanasiou, Ioanna V.; Kleisiaris, Christos F.; Tsaras, Konstantinos; Fradelos, Evangelos C.; Kourkouta, Lambrini

2015-01-01

Background: General satisfaction is a personal experience and sources of satisfaction or dissatisfaction vary between professional groups. General satisfaction is usually related with work settings, work performance and mental health status. Aim: The purpose of this research study was to investigate the level of general satisfaction of health care workers and to examine whether there were any differences among employees of medical and mental health sector. Methods: The sample consisted of employees from the medical and mental health sector, who were all randomly selected. A two-part questionnaire was used to collect data. The first section involved demographic information and the second part was a General Satisfaction Questionnaire (GSQ). The statistical analysis of data was performed using the software package 19.0 for Windows. Descriptive statistics were initially generated for sample characteristics. All data exhibited normal distributions and thus the parametric t-test was used to compare mean scores between the two health sectors. P values satisfaction for the employees in medical sector was 4.5 (5=very satisfied) and for the employees in mental health sector is 4.8. T-test showed that these results are statistical different (t=4.55, psatisfaction. Conclusions: Mental health employees appear to experience higher levels of general satisfaction and mainly they experience higher satisfaction from family roles, life and sexual life, emotional state and relations with patients. PMID:26543410

General Satisfaction Among Healthcare Workers: Differences Between Employees in Medical and Mental Health Sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Papathanasiou, Ioanna V; Kleisiaris, Christos F; Tsaras, Konstantinos; Fradelos, Evangelos C; Kourkouta, Lambrini

2015-08-01

General satisfaction is a personal experience and sources of satisfaction or dissatisfaction vary between professional groups. General satisfaction is usually related with work settings, work performance and mental health status. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the level of general satisfaction of health care workers and to examine whether there were any differences among employees of medical and mental health sector. The sample consisted of employees from the medical and mental health sector, who were all randomly selected. A two-part questionnaire was used to collect data. The first section involved demographic information and the second part was a General Satisfaction Questionnaire (GSQ). The statistical analysis of data was performed using the software package 19.0 for Windows. Descriptive statistics were initially generated for sample characteristics. All data exhibited normal distributions and thus the parametric t-test was used to compare mean scores between the two health sectors. P values satisfaction for the employees in medical sector was 4.5 (5=very satisfied) and for the employees in mental health sector is 4.8. T-test showed that these results are statistical different (t=4.55, psatisfaction. Mental health employees appear to experience higher levels of general satisfaction and mainly they experience higher satisfaction from family roles, life and sexual life, emotional state and relations with patients.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STUDY OF SUPLIT STONE BREAKER WOMEN IN SUPPORTING FAMILY LIFE: A CASE STUDY OF INFORMAL SECTOR STONE BREAKER WORKER IN THE NORTH MORAMO, INDONESIA

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Kambolong M.

2017-10-01

Full Text Available A socio-economic study of Suplit Stone breaker women In Supporting Family life is a study of the Informal Sector Workers carried out in the form of a survey. This study aims to assess the socio-economic level of the workers, educational level, results achieved, income levels, health effects, and household's social condition. This research will specifically study and analyze income received, identify and examine the issues that arise in performing stone breaker as an occupation: deficiencies, expectations, and negative impacts. Ten urban villages/villages in Moramo North District was taken as research population. Area samples taken were five (5 urban/rural where workers are concentrated in Lalowaru Village, Puasana Village, Mata Mawatu Village, Sanggula Village, and Lamokula Village. Samples community were 5 percent of all household. Therefore total samples taken were 93 people scattered in villages. Research informants are Head of North Morano district, Stone Processing owner, and stone carrier driver. Data collection was conducted by observation, interview using a list of questions, as well as documentation of objective conditions. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis techniques, which describe the objective conditions of the field in accordance with the purpose of research. Research result shows workers are housewives who help their husbands and families to supplement the household income to support family life. In general, socio-economic conditions of women suplit stone breaker is relatively low, their education level is generally elementary or none. The results achieved are still limited by an average of IDR 30,000, per day/worker is calculated based on the total stone yield. These women perform their work using simple tools such as hammer and gloves. The negative impact on eye health and breathing difficulty caused by inhaling stone dust every day. The problems faced by the workers is the lack of working capital to be trying to own

Prevalence of Hearing Loss Among Noise-Exposed Workers Within the Health Care and Social Assistance Sector, 2003 to 2012.

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Masterson, Elizabeth A; Themann, Christa L; Calvert, Geoffrey M

2018-04-01

The purpose was to estimate the prevalence of hearing loss for noise-exposed U.S. workers within the Health Care and Social Assistance (HSA) sector. Audiograms for 1.4 million workers (8702 within HSA) from 2003 to 2012 were examined. Prevalences and adjusted risks for hearing loss as compared with a reference industry were estimated for the HSA sector and all industries combined. While the overall HSA sector prevalence for hearing loss was 19%, the prevalences in the Medical Laboratories subsector and the Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners subsector were 31% and 24%, respectively. The Child Day Care Services subsector had a 52% higher risk than the reference industry. High-risk industries for hearing loss exist within the HSA sector. Further work is needed to identify the sources of noise exposure and protect worker hearing.

What do They Know? Guidelines and Knowledge Translation for Foreign Health Sector Workers Following Natural Disasters.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunin-Bell, Ola

2018-04-01

Introduction The incidence of natural disasters is increasing worldwide, with countries the least well-equipped to mitigate or manage them suffering the greatest losses. Following natural disasters, ill-prepared foreign responders may become a burden to the affected population, or cause harm to those needing help. Problem The study was performed to determine if international guidelines for foreign workers in the health sector exist, and evidence of their implementation. A structured literature search was used to identify guidelines for foreign health workers (FHWs) responding to natural disasters. Analysis of semi-structured interviews of health sector responders to the 2015 Nepal earthquake was then performed, looking at preparation and field activities. No guidelines were identified to address the appropriate qualifications of, and preparations for, international individuals participating in disaster response in the health sector. Interviews indicated individuals choosing to work with experienced organizations received training prior to disaster deployment and described activities in the field consistent with general humanitarian principles. Participants in an ad hoc team (AHT) did not. In spite of need, there is a lack of published guidelines for potential international health sector responders to natural disasters. Learning about disaster response may occur only after joining a team. Dunin-Bell O . What do they know? Guidelines and knowledge translation for foreign health sector workers following natural disasters. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):139-146.

The Informal Sector

OpenAIRE

Áureo de Paula; José A. Scheinkman

2007-01-01

This paper investigates the determinants of informal economic activity. We present two equilibrium models of informality and test their implications using a survey of 48,000+ small firms in Brazil. We define informality as tax avoidance; firms in the informal sector avoid tax payments but suffer other limitations. In the first model there is a single industry and informal firms face a higher cost of capital and a limitation on size. As a result informal firms are smaller and have a lower capi...

Workers' strategies to cope with increasing deterioration of working conditions in the cleaning sector.

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Krzeslo, Estelle; Lebeer, Guy; De Troyer, Marianne

2014-01-01

Employees working for office-cleaning companies are directly affected by the growing competition in this sector. They face a heavier workload and heightened psychological pressure. A majority of these workers are less qualified women working part-time, with flexible and inconvenient schedules. The objective of the study is to highlight the workers' strategies to deal with fast work, schedule requirements and the consequent difficulties to reconcile their professional and private life commitments. This study is based on in-depth interviews. One hundred and twenty-five male and female workers responsible for cleaning offices. The themes generated from the results highlight a continued deterioration in working conditions in this sector. They also show that even approximate respect of the theoretical workload as calculated by the sub-contractor and the client company mainly depends on the workers' subjective strategies to accommodate increasingly fragmented work hours with their private lives. In conclusion, since these individual strategies are not enough to make up for the deterioration in work conditions, improving them requires sub-contractors and client companies to agree on organisational arrangements that take into account the reality of the employees' lives.

Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and socioeconomic level among public-sector workers in Angola.

Science.gov (United States)

Capingana, Daniel P; Magalhães, Pedro; Silva, Amílcar B T; Gonçalves, Mauer A A; Baldo, Marcelo P; Rodrigues, Sérgio L; Simões, Cristóvão C F; Ferreira, Albano V L; Mill, José G

2013-08-07

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the majority of developed and developing countries. African countries are currently facing an increase in both cardiovascular and transmitted diseases. In addition, cardiovascular risk varies among different socioeconomic groups. Thus, we determined the prevalence of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in apparently healthy public-sector workers and investigated possible relationships with socioeconomic status. We employed a cross-sectional study comprising 42.2% (n = 615) of the public-sector workers at Agostinho Neto University, 48% (n = 294) male and 52% (n= 321) female, with ages between 20 and 72 years and from various socioeconomic groups. The study was conducted from February 2009 to December 2010. Personal, anthropometric, biochemical, hemodynamic, socioeconomic, and physical activity data were collected. The prevalence rates of cardiovascular risk factors were as follows: hypertension, 45.2% (men 46.3%, women 44.2%, P > 0.05); hypercholesterolemia, 11.1% (men 10.5%, women 11.5%, P > 0.05); low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, 50.1% (men 36.9%, women 62.3%; P 0.05); smoking, 7.2% (men 10.2%, women 4.4%; P 0.05); overweight, 29.3% (men 27.3%, women 31.2%, P > 0.05); obesity, 19.6% (men 9.2%, women 29.0%; P socioeconomic status, 41.0% had three or more risk factors. The results of this study suggest the existence of a high prevalence of multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease in apparently healthy public-sector workers in Angola. The workers in lower socioeconomic groups had higher incidences of hypertension, smoking, and left ventricular hypertrophy.

Informal unemployment and education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ann-Sofie Kolm

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper develops a four-sector equilibrium search and matching model with informal sector employment opportunities and educational choice. We show that underground activities reduce educational attainments if informal employment opportunities mainly are available for low-educated workers. A more zealous enforcement policy will in this case improve educational incentives as it reduces the attractiveness of remaining a low-educated worker. However, unemployment also increases. Characterizing the optimal enforcement policies, we find that relatively more audits should be targeted towards the sector employing low-educated workers; elsewise, a too low stock of educated workers is materialized.

Vertical funding, non-governmental organizations, and health system strengthening: perspectives of public sector health workers in Mozambique.

Science.gov (United States)

Mussa, Abdul H; Pfeiffer, James; Gloyd, Stephen S; Sherr, Kenneth

2013-06-14

In the rapid scale-up of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) treatment, many donors have chosen to channel their funds to non-governmental organizations and other private partners rather than public sector systems. This approach has reinforced a private sector, vertical approach to addressing the HIV epidemic. As progress on stemming the epidemic has stalled in some areas, there is a growing recognition that overall health system strengthening, including health workforce development, will be essential to meet AIDS treatment goals. Mozambique has experienced an especially dramatic increase in disease-specific support over the last eight years. We explored the perspectives and experiences of key Mozambican public sector health managers who coordinate, implement, and manage the myriad donor-driven projects and agencies. Over a four-month period, we conducted 41 individual qualitative interviews with key Ministry workers at three levels in the Mozambique national health system, using open-ended semi-structured interview guides. We also reviewed planning documents. All respondents emphasized the value and importance of international aid and vertical funding to the health sector and each highlighted program successes that were made possible by recent increased aid flows. However, three serious concerns emerged: 1) difficulties coordinating external resources and challenges to local control over the use of resources channeled to international private organizations; 2) inequalities created within the health system produced by vertical funds channeled to specific services while other sectors remain under-resourced; and 3) the exodus of health workers from the public sector health system provoked by large disparities in salaries and work. The Ministry of Health attempted to coordinate aid by implementing a "sector-wide approach" to bring the partners together in setting priorities, harmonizing planning, and coordinating

Prevention and rehabilitation in Swedish public sector workplaces: Effects on co-workers' and leaders' health and psychosocial working conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinberg, Stig; Romild, Ulla; Landstad, Bodil J

2015-01-01

Leaders and co-workers in Swedish public sector organizations are exposed to demanding psychosocial working conditions; more knowledge about workplace-based interventions in this sector of working life is needed. To compare co-workers' and leaders' self-ratings of health and psychosocial working conditions, and investigate how prevention and rehabilitation in Swedish public sector workplaces affects these ratings. The longitudinal panel data consisted of 311 individuals (20 leaders, 291 co-workers) at 19 workplaces. Based on questionnaire data, statistical analyses were performed using Mann-Whitney U-Test, pair-wise Spearman correlations, a mixed between-within subjects ANOVA and Friedman's test. Results indicate differences in how the leaders and the co-workers judge their health and psychosocial working conditions. Leaders report work content that is more varied and interesting as well as more possibilities for personal development through work, yet they also report more tiredness, concern over managing their work situation and time pressure at work. Comparisons of mean values for used indicators show some improvements after one year, but also several non-significant or negative time trends two years after the interventions were initiated. The study provides some support for experienced differences between co-workers' and leaders' health and psychosocial working conditions in public sector workplaces, indicating the importance of different workplace-oriented prevention and rehabilitation interventions for these two categories of employees.

Occupational Health and Role of Gender: A Study in Informal Sector Fisheries of Udupi, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripathi, Pooja; Kamath, Ramachandra; Tiwari, Rajnarayan

2017-01-01

Fisherwomen are informal sector workers involved in post-harvest operations and are mostly engaged in peeling, trading, and processing of fish. High degree of wage disparity and gender inequalities results in different socioeconomic status of fisherwomen and fishermen. This study aimed to identify gender issues and their effect on the health status of fisherwomen. The present cross-sectional included 171 fishermen and fisherwomen. Interview technique was used to collect information using a predesigned proforma. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 15.0. Fifty-five percent of the participants complained of work-related health problems. A total of 63.9% of women had occupational health problems compared to 48.5% of the men ( P workplace. A total of 53.8% were paid on piece-rate basis. This study identified many occupational and gender issues in the informal sector.

An Urban-Spatial Analysis of the Women in the Informal Sectors of Greater Guwahati City of Assam, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zona Bhuyan

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This article reflects the use of urban space by women in urban informal sectors in the city of Guwahati located in North East India. The population influx from across the borders in the aftermath of the partition has huge implications both on polity and on economy of the northeastern states in general and Assam in particular.  Importantly, the urban informal sectors have a sizeable share in terms of its significant contributions towards Gross Domestic Product (GDP as well as generation of employment opportunities largely. Using a feminist perspective, the research is an attempt to investigate the engagement of women in the informal sector in greater Guwahati. Research findings reveal that the occupations of the women workers are location-specific, that is, the manufacturing sectors (textiles, food preparation, printing and skilled service are mainly home/shop based production (fixed locations whereas the service sectors (leisure, caring, elementary construction, elementary sales and cleaning occupation operate at variable locations (construction sites, street pavements, marketplaces and other various locations. Further analysis shows that the informal sector is highly demand dependent and such demands are in the central business areas of the city, therefore informal sector services (skilled services and elementary services are found to be located in and around the central areas of Guwahati city. Women operators in the informal sector are attracted to the central business district because of the many advantages that it enjoys relative to other parts of a city. The paper concludes by calling on policy makers and physical planning agencies to evolve more pragmatic strategies for urban development matters in order that urban informal sector activities can be integrated into urban development plans. Finally, further research is called for on how urban planners could redesign the urban space with appropriate consideration of the informal sector

Willingness-to-Pay for Community-Based Health Insurance among Informal Workers in Urban Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Sayem; Hoque, Mohammad Enamul; Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Islam, Ziaul; Gazi, Rukhsana; Khan, Jahangir A M

2016-01-01

Reliance on out-of-pocket payment for healthcare may lead poor households to undertake catastrophic health expenditure, and risk-pooling mechanisms have been recommended to mitigate such burdens for households in Bangladesh. About 88% of the population of Bangladesh depends on work in the informal sector. We aimed to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) for CBHI and identify its determinants among three categories of urban informal workers rickshaw-pullers, shopkeepers and restaurant workers. The bidding game version of contingent valuation method was used to estimate weekly WTP. In three urban locations 557 workers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire during 2010 and 2011. Multiple-regression analysis was used to predict WTP by demographic and household characteristics, occupation, education level and past illness. WTP for a CBHI scheme was expressed by 86.7% of informal workers. Weekly average WTP was 22.8 BDT [Bangladeshi Taka; 95% confidence interval (CI) 20.9-24.8] or 0.32 USD and varied significantly across occupational groups (p = 0.000) and locations (p = 0.003). WTP was highest among rickshaw-pullers (28.2 BDT or 0.40 USD; 95% CI: 24.7-31.7), followed by restaurant workers (20.4 BDT 0.29 USD; 95% CI: 17.0-23.8) and shopkeepers (19.2 BDT or 0.27 USD; 95% CI: 16.1-22.4). Multiple regression analysis identified monthly income, occupation, geographical location and educational level as the key determinants of WTP. WTP increased 0.196% with each 1% increase in monthly income, and was 26.9% lower among workers with up to a primary level of education versus those with higher than primary, but less than one year of education. Informal workers in urban areas thus are willing to pay for CBHI and socioeconomic differences explain the magnitude of WTP. The policy maker might think introducing community-based model including public-community partnership model for healthcare financing of informal workers. Decision making regarding the implementation of such

Willingness-to-Pay for Community-Based Health Insurance among Informal Workers in Urban Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Sayem; Hoque, Mohammad Enamul; Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Islam, Ziaul; Gazi, Rukhsana; Khan, Jahangir A. M.

2016-01-01

Introduction Reliance on out-of-pocket payment for healthcare may lead poor households to undertake catastrophic health expenditure, and risk-pooling mechanisms have been recommended to mitigate such burdens for households in Bangladesh. About 88% of the population of Bangladesh depends on work in the informal sector. We aimed to estimate willingness-to-pay (WTP) for CBHI and identify its determinants among three categories of urban informal workers rickshaw-pullers, shopkeepers and restaurant workers. Methods The bidding game version of contingent valuation method was used to estimate weekly WTP. In three urban locations 557 workers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire during 2010 and 2011. Multiple-regression analysis was used to predict WTP by demographic and household characteristics, occupation, education level and past illness. Results WTP for a CBHI scheme was expressed by 86.7% of informal workers. Weekly average WTP was 22.8 BDT [Bangladeshi Taka; 95% confidence interval (CI) 20.9–24.8] or 0.32 USD and varied significantly across occupational groups (p = 0.000) and locations (p = 0.003). WTP was highest among rickshaw-pullers (28.2 BDT or 0.40 USD; 95% CI: 24.7–31.7), followed by restaurant workers (20.4 BDT 0.29 USD; 95% CI: 17.0–23.8) and shopkeepers (19.2 BDT or 0.27 USD; 95% CI: 16.1–22.4). Multiple regression analysis identified monthly income, occupation, geographical location and educational level as the key determinants of WTP. WTP increased 0.196% with each 1% increase in monthly income, and was 26.9% lower among workers with up to a primary level of education versus those with higher than primary, but less than one year of education. Conclusion Informal workers in urban areas thus are willing to pay for CBHI and socioeconomic differences explain the magnitude of WTP. The policy maker might think introducing community-based model including public-community partnership model for healthcare financing of informal workers

Prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed workers within the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector, 2003-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Masterson, Elizabeth A; Themann, Christa L; Calvert, Geoffrey M

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hearing loss among noise-exposed US workers within the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting (AFFH) sector. Audiograms for 1.4 million workers (17 299 within AFFH) from 2003 to 2012 were examined. Prevalence, and the adjusted risk for hearing loss as compared with the reference industry (Couriers and Messengers), were estimated. The overall AFFH sector prevalence was 15% compared to 19% for all industries combined, but many of the AFFH sub-sectors exceeded the overall prevalence. Forestry sub-sector prevalences were highest with Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products at 36% and Timber Tract Operations at 22%. The Aquaculture sub-sector had the highest adjusted risk of all AFFH sub-sectors (PR = 1.70; CI = 1.42-2.04). High risk industries within the AFFH sector need continued hearing conservation efforts. Barriers to hearing loss prevention and early detection of hearing loss need to be recognized and addressed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Information, Technology, and Information Worker Productivity

OpenAIRE

Aral, Sinan; Brynjolfsson, Erik; Van Alstyne, Marshall

2009-01-01

We econometrically evaluate information worker productivity at a midsize executive recruiting firm and assess whether the knowledge that workers accessed through their electronic communication networks enabled them to multitask more productively. We estimate dynamic panel data models of multitasking, knowledge networks, and productivity using several types of micro-level data: (a) direct observation of more than 125,000 email messages over a period of 10 months; (b) detailed accounting data o...

Does the Sector Experience Affect the Pay Gap for Temporary Agency Workers?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jahn, Elke; Pozzoli, Dario

estimate the effects of the intensity of agency employment on the temp wage gap and post-temp earnings in Germany. Using a two-stage selection-corrected method in a panel data framework, we show that the wage gap for temps with low treatment intensity is high but decreases with exposure to the sector....... It seems that temps are able to accumulate human capital while being employed in this sector. Temps who move to permanent jobs have to accept a sizeable wage disadvantage at first, indicating that temporary agency employment might stigmatise workers. However, agency employment does not seem to leave a long...

International regulations on labour health and safety applied to fishing and maritime transport sectors. Are maritime workers under-protected.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Julio Louro; Portela, Rosa Mary de la Campa; Pardo, Guadalupe Martín

2012-01-01

The work activity developed on board is of great importance in our nearby environment, and it has a series of peculiarities that determine the service rendering of sea workers. On the other hand, work at sea is developed on an international basis. Nowadays such work becomes a completely globalised industrial sector in relation to the elements that make up the ship's operation, including manpower. For that reason several relevant international organisations have paid attention to this industrial sector and have adopted a broad regulation on this matter. In the case of the European Union, the Community procedure emphasises enormous interest in providing specific and comprehensive training to seafarers, as well as in regulating working time on board with the aim of minimising the safety problems caused by fatigue. In the present article a schematic presentation of regulations on workers' health and occupational safety protection derived from the European Union, the International Maritime Organisation, and the International Labour Organisation has been done. Also it shows what parts of these regulations are not applicable to the work on board, and it reveals how the workers of fishing and maritime transport sectors are under-protected with regard to the guarantee of their health and occupational safety compared to workers in other sectors.

Employability of offshore service sector workers in the Philippines: opportunities for upward labour mobility or dead-end jobs?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beerepoot, N.; Hendriks, M.

2013-01-01

Critical concerns have been raised about the quality of employment in the offshore service sector in developing countries, suggesting that many activities have an inherent paradox of highly educated workers performing low-skilled jobs. Based on empirical data collected in the offshore service sector

Understanding malaria treatment-seeking preferences within the public sector amongst mobile/migrant workers in a malaria elimination scenario: a mixed-methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Win, Aung Ye Naung; Maung, Thae Maung; Wai, Khin Thet; Oo, Tin; Thi, Aung; Tipmontree, Rungrawee; Soonthornworasiri, Ngamphol; Kengganpanich, Mondha; Kaewkungwal, Jaranit

2017-11-13

Migration flows and the emerging resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) create programmatic challenges to meeting the AD 2030 malaria elimination target in Myanmar. The National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) targeted migrant workers based mainly on the stability of their worksites (categories 1: permanent work-setting; categories 2 and 3: less stable work-settings). This study aims to assess the migration patterns, malaria treatment-seeking preferences, and challenges encountered by mobile/migrant workers at remote sites in a malaria-elimination setting. A mixed-methods explanatory sequential study retrospectively analysed the secondary data acquired through migrant mapping surveys (2013-2015) in six endemic regions (n = 9603). A multivariate logistic regression model was used to ascertain the contributing factors. A qualitative strand (2016-2017) was added by conducting five focus-group discussions (n = 50) and five in-depth interviews with migrant workers from less stable worksites in Shwegyin Township, Bago Region. The contiguous approach was used to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings. Among others, migrant workers from Bago Region were significantly more likely to report the duration of stay ≥ 12 months (63% vs. 49%) and high seasonal mobility (40% vs. 35%). Particularly in less stable settings, a very low proportion of migrant workers (17%) preferred to seek malaria treatment from the public sector and was significantly influenced by the worksite stability (adjusted OR = 1.4 and 2.3, respectively for categories 2 and 1); longer duration of stay (adjusted OR = 3.5); and adjusted OR malaria messages, knowledge of malaria symptoms and awareness of means of malaria diagnosis. Qualitative data further elucidated their preference for the informal healthcare sector, due to convenience, trust and good relations, and put migrant workers at risk of substandard care. Moreover, the

[Evaluation of residual osteomuscular function using computerised movement analysis for building sector workers: specificity and technical problem].

Science.gov (United States)

D'Orso, M I; Centemeri, R; Latocca, R; Riva, M; Cesana, G

2012-01-01

Occupational Health Doctors active in building sector firms frequently have to evaluate residual workers' osteomuscular function in patients coming back to work after an accident happened during work time or free time. Definition of their specific individual work suitability is usually carried out utilizing semeiotic tests in which subjective evaluation of every single Medical Doctor is real important in definition of final results and this fact can cause legal controversies. In our research we describe the application of computerised movement analysis on 10 workers of building sector. In every patient examined this technical method has been able to study objectively the tridimensional ranges of motion of most important osteomuscular districts. The possibility to have an objective evaluation of residual osteomuscular function has a relevant importance both in definition of workers' work suitability at the moment in which they start again their activities and in possible future legal conflicts.

What defines 'enough' information? How policy workers make judgements and decisions during information seeking: preliminary results from an exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.M. Berryman

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Reports findings from research in progress investigating judgment and decision making during information seeking in the workplace, in particular, the assessment of enough information. Characteristics of this judgment and the role of context in shaping it are framed against theories of human judgment and decision making. Method. Thirty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with public sector policy workers in Australia. Two interviews were carried out, the first with individual participants and the second, a joint interview with two participants. Interviews were taped and transcribed and inductive data analysis carried out. Findings. Findings discussed in this paper focus on contextual factors that frame policy workers' judgment and decision making while information seeking, factors including ill-structured problems, shifting goals, time stress and action-feedback loops. Also revealed was the importance of developing a framework, against which the judgment of enough information can be made, and the fluid and iterative nature of these judgments. Conclusion. The contextual factors reported show similarities with those identified by naturalistic decision making researchers, suggesting this new field of decision theory has much to offer researchers into information seeking in context.

Psychoemotional stress of employees and workers in the public and real sectors of national economy in Bulgaria.

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Hristov, Zheliazko I

2009-01-01

Stress is a universal biologically based phenomenon that places adaptive demands on the changes in the environment. It is a set of non-specific mental, physiologic and behavioural responses of a human being to the impact of environmental stimuli. The effect of many of these environmental stimuli in Bulgaria has been intensified by the recent drastic changes (political, social, professional, and in the labour market). The severity and manifestation of stress changed as a result. To assess and measure these changes we conducted a nationwide study applying original methodological approach and using original quantitation parameters. To determine the type, duration and level (intensity) of stress; we attempted to determine the factors causing stress in seven major professions in the public and real sectors of economy. We studied stress and the factors causing it in a nationwide representative study which included 4892 employees and workers practicing seven different professions (physicians, teachers, office workers, miners, public transport drivers, metal workers, and train drivers). A battery of survey methods and original statistical and mathematical methods (including the method of weighted mean intensity of action and manifestation) were employed in the study to determine the type, manifestations, intensity and duration of stress and the stressogenic factors causing it. We found that 70.7% of the workers and employees exhibited symptoms of affective stress and 25.7%--of depressive stress. Affective stress was the most common type of stress in office workers (76.9%) and drivers (73.5%), and the least common--in physicians (65.9%) and teachers (63.3%). The level of stress was high and very high for 25.3% of the study contingent. Affective stress had the highest intensity in miners (0.5226) and drivers (0.4654), and the lowest - in physicians (0.3072). Affective stress was a permanent state in 24.12% of the people working in the public sector and 16.37% of those in the

INFORMAL SECTOR CITY TOURISM: CROSS-BORDER SHOPPERS IN JOHANNESBURG

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Christian M. ROGERSON

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Informality is a distinguishing trait of economic life across much of the global South. In terms of the tourism sector several researchers examine the informal sector of leisure tourism. In this article the aim is to focus upon business tourism and more specifically the segment of informal sector business tourism. The growth of informal sector business tourism is particularly important in sub-Saharan Africa. An analysis is undertaken of recent research on South Africa’s major city of Johanesburg where the importance of informal sector business tourism is demonstrated. The results show Johannesburg is the focus for transnational entrepreneurship in the form of the growth of cross-border shopping. The organisation of this manifestation of informal business tourism, the nature of its participants and business challenges form the focus of discussion. It is argued that despite many benefits that flow to the city of Johannesburg from informal sector of business tourism the local state has yet to fully acknowledge the multiple positive impacts of these international visitors upon the urban economy and plan to accommodate the needs of cross-border shoppers.

The Role of Trust as an Informal Institution in the Informal Sector in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-11-21

Nov 21, 2014 ... on the informal sector focused on the towns and cities of Africa. Later, the ... The methodology used for this analysis follows a small-N case study .... informal sector plays a significant role in economic development by providing .... a requirement for collaboration and networking in the sector (Pedersen 2001).

The Informal Sector, Third Version

OpenAIRE

Aureo de Paula; Jose A. Scheinkman

2007-01-01

This paper investigates the determinants of informal economic activity. We present two equilibrium models of informality and test their implications using a survey of 48,000+ small firms in Brazil. We define informality as tax avoidance; firms in the informal sector avoid tax payments but suffer other limitations. In the first model there is a single industry and informal firms face a higher cost of capital and a limitation on size. As a result informal firms are smaller and have a lower capi...

The Informal Sector, Second Version

OpenAIRE

Aureo de Paula; Jose A. Scheinkman

2007-01-01

This paper investigates the determinants of informal economic activity. We present two equilibrium models of informality and test their implications using a survey of 48,000+ small firms in Brazil. We define informality as tax avoidance; firms in the informal sector avoid tax payments but suffer other limitations. In the first model there is a single industry and informal firms face a higher cost of capital and a limitation on size. As a result informal firms are smaller and have a lower capi...

Informal Unemployment and Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolm, Anne-Sofie; Larsen, Birthe

This paper develops a four sector equilibrium search and matching model with informal sector employment opportunities and educational choice. We show that underground activities reduce educational attainments if informal employment opportunities mainly are available to low educated workers. More ...

Job functions of Swedish public and private sector vocational rehabilitation workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Millet, Patrick B; Vaittinen, Pauli

2009-01-01

This study has had two main aims, the first to investigate and gather knowledge of the major job functions of Swedish rehabilitation workers, the second to study the frequency of use of these functions in the VR process. Structured questionnaires were sent to Swedish rehabilitation workers from public and private sectors. To identify the major dimensions of Swedish rehabilitation workers' job in the vocational rehabilitation (VR) process, a principal component factor analysis was performed. Results revealed that there are four main factors (dimensions) that comprised the VR process in Sweden. The four factors (dimensions) are job development and career counselling; assessment and counselling interventions; workplace adjustment and employer consultation and client support, personnel development and public relations. The VR process in Sweden is limited in both its scope and depth. This when one compares with the results of studies carried out in the USA, who found seven and six dimensions, respectively. It is argued that it cannot be excluded that the negative trend of extensive sick leave and early pensions are attributable to the limitations in the VR process that have been found. Suggested is the urgent need to put resources in place that would support the further advancement of the knowledge and competencies of the VR services in Sweden.

Sectoral use of climate information in Europe: A synoptic overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Bruno Soares

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Society can benefit from usable climate information to better prepare and adapt to the risks and opportunities posed by climate variability and change. An adequate and effective provision of climate information – from historical observations through to seasonal forecasts, and multi-decadal climate change projections – is critical to inform planning and decision-making in climate-sensitive sectors. Central to this are the end-users of climate information and a growing emphasis on tailored climate information and services shaped by user needs. However, knowledge about the use of climate information across European economic sectors is limited. This paper identifies the spectrum of sectoral information requirements across a number of sectors including agriculture, forestry, energy, water, tourism, insurance, health, emergency services and transport sectors, drawing from an online survey (n = 462 and interviews with (potential users of climate information (n = 80. This analysis reveals shared opportunities across sectors including the potential application of decadal climate predictions. In addition, common barriers and enablers to the uptake of climate information were also noted including the format of the information provided, the need for compatibility with existing in-house systems, and the perceived credibility and trust of information providers. This analysis also points towards a perceived increasing fragmentation of available information and the desire amongst end-users for a European body able to centralise and coordinate climate data. We highlight some of the current factors that still need to be adequately addressed in order to enhance the uptake and application of climate information in decision-making across European economic sectors. Keywords: User needs, Climate information, Decision-making, Climate services, Europe

Organization of work in the agricultural, forestry, and fishing sector in the US southeast: implications for immigrant workers' occupational safety and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Grzywacz, Joseph G; Lipscomb, Hester J; Casanova, Vanessa; Neis, Barbara; Fraser, Clermont; Monaghan, Paul; Vallejos, Quirina M

2013-08-01

There is widespread agreement that work organization is an important element of occupational safety and health, but the health effects of many aspects of work organization are likely to vary considerably across different sectors of work and geographies. We examined existing employment policies and work organization-related research relevant specifically to immigrant workers in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) Sector of the US workforce focusing, when possible, on the southeastern US. A number of specific aspects of work organization within AgFF subsectors have been described, but most of this literature exists outside the purview of occupational health. There are few studies that directly examine how attributes of work organization relevant to the AgFF Sector affect workers', much less immigrant workers', occupational health exposures and outcomes. In contrast to the broader literature, research linking occupational health outcomes to work organization in the AgFF Sector is limited and weak. A systematic program of research and intervention is needed to develop strategies that eliminate or substantially mitigate the deleterious health effects of occupational exposures whose origins likely lie in the organization of AgFF work. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Structural change and inter-sectoral mobility in a two-sector economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antoci, Angelo; Galeotti, Marcello; Iannucci, Gianluca; Russu, Paolo

2015-01-01

This paper studies the dynamics of a two-sector economy (with a natural resource-dependent sector and an industrial sector) characterized by free inter-sectoral labor mobility and heterogeneity of agents (workers and entrepreneurs). In such a context, we analyze the effects of the deterioration of natural resources, caused by the production activity of both sectors, on inter-sectoral movements of the labor force (structural changes), on ecological dynamics and on the revenues of workers and entrepreneurs. As in the seminal work by Matsuyama (1992), we obtain that a low productivity of labor in the resource-dependent sector can fuel the industrialization process. However, differently from Matsuyama, in our model the industrialization process may give rise to a reduction in workers’ revenues if the contribution to environmental depletion of the industrial sector, per unit of product, is higher than that of the resource-dependent one.

A qualitative assessment of health extension workers' relationships with the community and health sector in Ethiopia : opportunities for enhancing maternal health performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kok, Maryse C; Kea, Aschenaki Z.; Datiko, Daniel G; Broerse, Jacqueline E W; Dieleman, Marjolein; Taegtmeyer, Miriam; Tulloch, Olivia

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Health extension workers (HEWs) in Ethiopia have a unique position, connecting communities to the health sector. This intermediary position requires strong interpersonal relationships with actors in both the community and health sector, in order to enhance HEW performance. This study

Extending voluntary health insurance to the informal sector: experiences and expectations of the informal sector in Kenya [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edwine W. Barasa

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Kenya has made a policy decision to use contributory health insurance as one of its key pre-payment health financing mechanisms. The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF is the main health insurer in Kenya. While the NHIF has hitherto focused its efforts on providing health insurance coverage to individuals in the formal sector, it has recently broadened its focus to include individuals in the informal sector. This paper provides an analysis of the perceptions, and experiences of informal sector individuals in Kenya with regard to enrolment with the NHIF.  Methods: We collected data through key informant interviews (39 in two purposefully selected counties. Study participants were drawn from healthcare facilities contracted by the NHIF, and current, former, and prospective informal sector members. We analyzed data using a grounded approach.  Results: Participants felt that the NHIF provided inadequate information about the registration and membership processes as well as benefit entitlements. There was variable and inconsistent communication by the NHIF. There was also variance between the official benefit package and the actual benefits received by members. The NHIF registration requirements and processes presented an administrative barrier to obtaining membership. The NHIF premium level and contribution mechanism presents a financial barrier to current and prospective members. Healthcare providers discriminated against NHIF members compared to cash-payers or private insurance holders.  Conclusions: The NHIF could improve enrolment and retention of informal sector individuals by; 1 using communication strategies that are effective at reaching the informal sector, 2 improving the affordability of the premium rates, 3 simplifying the enrolment requirements and process, and 4 strengthening accountability mechanisms between itself and healthcare facilities to ensure that enrolled members receive the benefits that they are

Labour income inequality and the informal sector in Colombian cities

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John Ariza

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Labour markets in developing countries are crucial to determine income inequality. In this paper, we use a panel data approach to study the effect of the informal sector on labour income inequality for thirteen cities in Colombia from 2002-2015. We use the rate of underemployment, the average duration of unemployment and the intensity of forced migration from armed conflicts as instruments for the urban informal sector. Results suggest that the informal sector has a positive and statistically significant effect on labour income inequality, which implies that an increase by one percentage point in the informal sector increases the Gini coefficient of labour income by about 0.07.

Informal and Formal Sector Inter-linkages and the Incidence of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Using a multiple log-linear regression analysis, this paper examines the influence of the inter-relationship between the informal sector and the formal sector of Ilorin on the incidence of poverty in Ilorin metropolis. The study, carried out using a structured questionnaire to 480 informal sector operators, reported that 200 and ...

GLOBALIZATION IN TOURISM SECTOR

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Mariana LUPAN

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The paper points to recent developments in the tourism sector and highlights the leading factors of the internationalization of tourists travel and of tourism services, including information technologies, as well as the internationalization of hotel and tourism enterprises. Without neglecting the huge subsector of small and medium-sized enterprises, it describes typical features related to the composition of the labour force and to working conditions. It raises questions concerning the difficulties faced by the sector in attracting and retaining skilled workers in enhancing the skills of newcomers to the labour market in order to stabilize the sector’s labour force, while increasing the productivity of enterprises and the quality of services. Particular emphasis is put on new forms of management entailing new skills requirements, with a general tendency towards increased worker responsibility in an environment of flat hierarchies, multiskilling and teamwork.

Radiation protection training and information for workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The meeting reported in these proceedings was organized to discuss the specific problems of providing information and training on radiation protection to workers exposed to radiation, intervention staff and workers likely to be affected by an activity involving ionizing radiation. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to harmonize basic training on radiation protection in the context of 1992. It seemed advisable for technical training on radiation protection to be introduced into secondary education. To this end, the Commission was asked to draw up a guide for apprentices and students. In view of the growing diversification of activities involving the use of radioactive substances, the Commission was called upon to intensify its efforts in order to ensure that relevant information and training was provided in all firms to workers exposed to ionizing radiation, and to produce guides for specific categories of workers, such as those responsible for the transport of radioactive materials or those likely to be involved in organizing measures in the event of a radiological emergency

[Harassment in the public sector].

Science.gov (United States)

Puech, Paloma; Pitcho, Benjamin

2013-01-01

The French Labour Code, which provides full protection against moral and sexual harassment, is not applicable to public sector workers. The public hospital is however not exempt from such behaviour, which could go unpunished. Public sector workers are therefore protected by the French General Civil Service Regulations and the penal code.

Drivers of Informal Sector Participation of Small and Medium Enterprise in Ghana

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Mintah S.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The informal sector of Ghana has been growing amidst the recent economic development in this country. The study investigated the drivers of informal sector participation by SMEs in Ghana and made use of a Chi-square statistical methodology to analyze the drivers of SME participation in the informal sector of Ghana. Analyses from the study showed that gender can be deemed as a driver for SME participation in the informal sector of Ghana. Gender was significant at 0.012 with registration of business enterprise and 0.055 with tax obligation of respondents. The educational level of SME operators had an impact on registration and tax obligation and therefore can be deemed as a driver of SME participation in the informal sector of Ghana. However, the level of education was insignificant to registration and tax obligation but had a strong correlation to these variables. The study also showed that women are more likely to participate in the informal sector of Ghana as compared to men and also that there is a high tendency of not paying tax among SME operators in the informal sector of Ghana. A very low educational level among SME participants was recorded with over 60% of the respondents not having any formal education. Based on the findings of the study, a country-wide research can be done to ascertain the socio-economic determinants of informal sector participation in Ghana. Also, the study highly recommends policies that can harness the usefulness of informal sector.

Public versus private sector: Do workers’ behave differently?

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Paulo Aguiar do Monte

2017-05-01

Full Text Available It has been widely assumed in the literature that public sector organization operates in a different way compared to private sector organization. This paper intends to contribute to develop further this issue by investigating whether the relationship between worker efforts differs significantly both in the public and in the private sector. By drawing on data from the Monthly Employment Survey (PME, Brazil 2003–2012, and proxies for worker effort (unpaid overtime work and absences, it was observed, initially, significant differences between worker’s profiles depending on the sector they are employed. In turn, the estimation results of the dynamic panel models confirm that the level of worker effort alters according to their switches from one sector to another in the labor market. Briefly, public sector workers do not tend to do unpaid overtime work comparable to those in private sector, and they are more likely to be absent at work.

Do Dutch workers seek and find information on occupational safety and health?

Science.gov (United States)

Rhebergen, Martijn D F; Lenderink, Annet F; van Dijk, Frank J H; Hulshof, Carel T J

2012-03-01

Currently, little is known about workers' occupational safety and health (OSH) information-seeking behavior. We assessed whether Dutch workers have (OSH) questions, what motivates them to seek information or advice to solve these questions, and whether workers actually find the information they are looking for. A random sample of 888 workers from a large business panel were sent an online questionnaire. In total, 535 workers, likely parallel to the Dutch working population, returned the questionnaire (response rate 60%). In the last year, 380 of the 535 respondents (71%) had at least one OSH question. In total, 159 of the 380 respondents (42%) with an OSH question actively searched for information or advice. In a logistic regression analysis, three factors were identified to influence workers' information seeking: cognitions about personal benefits or costs of solving the question (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.8-4.5), emotions that accompany the question (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-3.0), and encouragement by the social environment (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0-3.0). In total, 50% of the respondents seeking information indicated they could not find (all) the information they sought. The barrier most often mentioned (47%) was the poor applicability of the information. Although most workers have OSH questions, only 40% seek information or advice to answer their questions. Moreover, many OSH questions remain unanswered by common information facilities. This study provides input on how to develop campaigns and new facilities that may induce workers to seek information and that offer more applicable information. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A qualitative assessment of health extension workers' relationships with the community and health sector in Ethiopia: opportunities for enhancing maternal health performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kok, Maryse C; Kea, Aschenaki Z; Datiko, Daniel G; Broerse, Jacqueline E W; Dieleman, Marjolein; Taegtmeyer, Miriam; Tulloch, Olivia

2015-09-30

Health extension workers (HEWs) in Ethiopia have a unique position, connecting communities to the health sector. This intermediary position requires strong interpersonal relationships with actors in both the community and health sector, in order to enhance HEW performance. This study aimed to understand how relationships between HEWs, the community and health sector were shaped, in order to inform policy on optimizing HEW performance in providing maternal health services. We conducted a qualitative study in six districts in the Sidama zone, which included focus group discussions (FGDs) with HEWs, women and men from the community and semi-structured interviews with HEWs; key informants working in programme management, health service delivery and supervision of HEWs; mothers; and traditional birth attendants. Respondents were asked about facilitators and barriers regarding HEWs' relationships with the community and health sector. Interviews and FGDs were recorded, transcribed, translated, coded and thematically analysed. HEWs were selected by their communities, which enhanced trust and engagement between them. Relationships were facilitated by programme design elements related to support, referral, supervision, training, monitoring and accountability. Trust, communication and dialogue and expectations influenced the strength of relationships. From the community side, the health development army supported HEWs in liaising with community members. From the health sector side, top-down supervision and inadequate training possibilities hampered relationships and demotivated HEWs. Health professionals, administrators, HEWs and communities occasionally met to monitor HEW and programme performance. Expectations from the community and health sector regarding HEWs' tasks sometimes differed, negatively affecting motivation and satisfaction of HEWs. HEWs' relationships with the community and health sector can be constrained as a result of inadequate support systems, lack of

Las reformas neoliberales del sector de la salud: déficit gerencial y alienación del recurso humano en América Latina Neoliberal health sector reforms in Latin America: unprepared managers and unhappy workers

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Antonio Ugalde

2005-03-01

Full Text Available This work analyzes the neoliberal health sector reforms that have taken place in Latin America, the preparation of health care workers for the reforms, the reforms' impacts on the workers, and the consequences that the reforms have had on efficiency and quality in the health sector. The piece also looks at the process of formulating and implementing the reforms. The piece utilizes secondary sources and in-depth interviews with health sector managers in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Mexico. Neoliberal reforms have not solved the human resources problems that health sector evaluations and academic studies had identified as the leading causes of health system inefficiency and low-quality services that existed before the reforms. The reforms worsened the situation by putting new pressures on health personnel, in terms of both the lack of necessary training to face the challenges that came with the reforms and efforts to take away from workers the rights and benefits that they had gained during years of struggles by unions, and to replace them with temporary contracts, reduced job security, and lower benefits. The secrecy with which the reforms were developed and applied made workers even more unified. In response, unions opposed the reforms, and in some countries they were able to delay the reforms. The neoliberal reforms have not improved the efficiency or quality of health systems in Latin America despite the resources that have been invested. Nor have the neoliberal reforms supported specific changes that have been applied in the public sector and that have demonstrated their ability to solve important health problems. These specific changes have produced better results than the neoliberal reforms, and at a lower cost.

Information workers and their personal information management: a literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.A.J. (Jos) van Helvoort

2011-01-01

The research described in this paper provides insights into tools and methods which are used by professional information workers to keep and to manage their personal information. A literature study was carried out on 23 scholar papers and articles, retrieved from the ACM Digital Library and Library

The Managers’ Influence On The Workers’ Engagement – A Case Study Of Public Sector Workers

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Liliana Hawrysz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The workers’ engagement means that they are loyal to their employers, trust both supervisors and co-workers, are not interested in changing their job, are proud of their work for a given company and that the boundary between private and professional life is often blurred. Proponents of the concept highlight the positive influence of engagement on the success of the company measured by workers’ loyalty, productivity, profitability and customers’ satisfaction. This is why, more and more researchers are interested in this concept. Apart from the engagement concept itself and the ways of its measurement, they pay attention to the possibility of affecting the workers’ engagement. However, researchers do not totally agree to the set of factors determining the workers’ engagement. There is though some agreement in their suggestions concerning the way of perceiving managers as one of the key factors determining the workers’ engagement. The aim of this article is to state whether the attitude of managers of the public sector organisations has a positive influence on the workers’ engagement. The article also tries to show differences in the management’s attitudes in Poland and abroad. For the needs of aims verification a survey was carried out among 1716 workers employed in 220 purposefully chosen public sector organisations located mainly in Europe.

Public and private sector wages in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartog, J.; Oosterbeek, H.

1993-01-01

There is much debate in the Netherlands about underpayment of public-sector workers relative to private-sector workers. In this paper, the authors analyze the wage structures in both sectors using an endogenous switching regression model. Unlike previous Dutch studies, the authors find that the

Study of information-orientation carry-out plan in energy sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, T W [Korea Energy Economics Institute, Euiwang (Korea, Republic of)

1998-04-01

Carrying out an information-orientation plan in the energy sector is indispensable if Korea is to survive in this unlimited competition age and global management system. It is also for maximizing the management efficiency of national energy resources as well as increasing the development of related industries and national welfare. The management of the energy resources sector of Korea, which is becoming diversified escaping from the past simple quantitative management of supplier-orientation, requires versatile and ample high-class information management system and high-level decision support system. In order to satisfy these requests, this study investigated and analyzed overall policies of the energy sector for carrying out information-orientation, neighborhood environment, organizational chart, information transfer method, the current condition of information-orientation, problems and improvements, demand of information-orientation of the future, and also reviewed the information-orientation status of advanced countries. Based on these, an information-orientation carryout plan in the energy sector is broken into three stages of `establishment of information transfer system`, `development of database`, and `establishment of decision support system` and presented per detailed work. It advised manpower, equipment and budget implementation plan, and a development schedule plan required for carrying out information-orientation as well as overall environmental build-up, and policy recommendation for the successful implementation of information-orientation. 24 refs., 27 figs., 15 tabs.

Health worker experiences of and movement between public and private not-for-profit sectors-findings from post-conflict Northern Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Namakula, Justine; Witter, Sophie; Ssengooba, Freddie

2016-05-05

Northern Uganda suffered 20 years of conflict which devastated lives and the health system. Since 2006, there has been investment in reconstruction, which includes efforts to rebuild the health workforce. This article has two objectives: first, to understand health workers' experiences of working in public and private not-for-profit (PNFP) sectors during and after the conflict in Northern Uganda, and second, to understand the factors that influenced health workers' movement between public and PNFP sectors during and after the conflict. A life history approach was used with 26 health staff purposively selected from public and PNFP facilities in four districts of Northern Uganda. Staff with at least 10 years' experience were selected, which resulted in a sample which was largely female and mid-level. Two thirds were currently employed in the public sector and just over a third in the PNFP sector. A thematic data analysis was guided by the framework analysis approach, analysis framework stages and ATLAS.ti software version 7.0. Analysis reveals that most of the current staff were trained in the PNFP sector, which appears to offer higher quality training experiences. During the conflict period, the PNFP sector also functioned more effectively and was relatively better able to support its staff. However, since the end of the conflict, the public sector has been reconstructed and is now viewed as offering a better overall package for staff. Most reported movement has been in that direction, and many in the PNFP sector state intention to move to the public sector. While there is sectoral loyalty on both sides and some bonds created through training, the PNFP sector needs to become more competitive to retain staff so as to continue delivering services to deprived communities in Northern Uganda. There has been limited previous longitudinal analysis of how health staff perceive different sectors and why they move between them, particularly in conflict-affected contexts

Prediction of employer–employee relationships from sociodemographic variables and social values in Brunei public and private sector workers

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Mundia L

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Lawrence Mundia, Salwa Mahalle, Rohani Matzin, Gamal Abdul Nasir Zakaria, Nor Zaiham Midawati Abdullah, Siti Norhedayah Abdul Latif Psychological Studies and Human Development Academic Group, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Education, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam Abstract: The purpose of the study was to identify the sociodemographic variables and social value correlates and predictors of employer–employee relationship problems in a random sample of 860 Brunei public and private sector workers of both genders. A quantitative field survey design was used and data were analyzed by correlation and logistic regression. The rationale and justification for using this approach is explained. The main sociodemographic correlates and predictors of employer–employee relationship problems in this study were educational level and the district in which the employee resided and worked. Other correlates, but not necessarily predictors, of employer–employee relationship problems were seeking help from the Bomo (traditional healer; obtaining help from online social networking; and workers with children in the family. The two best and most significant social value correlates and predictors of employer–employee relationship problems included interpersonal communications; and self-regulation and self-direction. Low scorers on the following variables were also associated with high likelihood for possessing employer–employee relationship problems: satisfaction with work achievements; and peace and security, while low scorers on work stress had lower odds of having employer–employee relationship problems. Other significant social value correlates, but not predictors of employer–employee relationship problems were self-presentation; interpersonal trust; peace and security; and general anxiety. Consistent with findings of relevant previous studies conducted elsewhere, there were the variables that correlated

Health workers' use of electronic information concerning children ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Information regarding young children who experience barriers to the development of listening, language and learning is limited in the South African context. Health workers, in particular those ... These health workers also have access to and are active users of computers and the Internet. They may therefore benefit from ...

Information-Seeking Behaviour of Extension Workers and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper examined the information-seeking behaviour of extension workers and specialist in the context of their use and non-use of job-related information in Nigeria, and also in relation to their job satisfaction. The objectives of the study are to identify the types of information sources, resources and communication ...

Psychosocial Risk Factors and Musculoskeletal Symptoms among White and Blue-collar Workers at Private and Public Sectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Januario, Leticia B; Batistao, Mariana V; Coury, Helenice Jcg; Oliveira, Ana Beatriz; Sato, Tatiana O

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate musculoskeletal and psychosocial perception and compare these conditions regarding the type of job (white or blue-collar) and the type of management model (private or public). Forty-seven public white-collar (PuWC), 84 private white-collar (PrWC) and 83 blue-collar workers (PrBC) were evaluated. Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) were applied to evaluate psychosocial factors. Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) was used to assess musculoskeletal symptoms. Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) was measured to evaluate sensory responses. According to JCQ, all groups were classified as active profile. There was a significant association between work engagement and workers' categories (p workers had the highest scores for all the UWES domains, while PrBC had the lowest ones. PPT showed that PrBC workers had an increased sensitivity for left deltoid (p workers had an increased sensitivity for both epicondyles than PuWC (right p  0.05). This study showed differences in psychosocial risk factors and musculoskeletal symptoms in workers engaged in different types of jobs and work organization. Personal and work-related characteristics, psychosocial factors and PPT responses were different across workers' group. Despite all, there was no significant difference in reported symptoms across the groups, possibly indicating that the physical load is similar among the sectors.

Public sector reform and demand for human resources for health (HRH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lethbridge Jane

2004-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract This article considers some of the effects of health sector reform on human resources for health (HRH in developing countries and countries in transition by examining the effect of fiscal reform and the introduction of decentralisation and market mechanisms to the health sector. Fiscal reform results in pressure to measure the staff outputs of the health sector. Financial decentralisation often leads to hospitals becoming "corporatised" institutions, operating with business principles but remaining in the public sector. The introduction of market mechanisms often involves the formation of an internal market within the health sector and market testing of different functions with the private sector. This has immediate implications for the employment of health workers in the public sector, because the public sector may reduce its workforce if services are purchased from other sectors or may introduce more short-term and temporary employment contracts. Decentralisation of budgets and administrative functions can affect the health sector, often in negative ways, by reducing resources available and confusing lines of accountability for health workers. Governance and regulation of health care, when delivered by both public and private providers, require new systems of regulation. The increase in private sector provision has led health workers to move to the private sector. For those remaining in the public sector, there are often worsening working conditions, a lack of employment security and dismantling of collective bargaining agreements. Human resource development is gradually being recognised as crucial to future reforms and the formulation of health policy. New information systems at local and regional level will be needed to collect data on human resources. New employment arrangements, strengthening organisational culture, training and continuing education will also be needed.

Working in the UK: Polish migrant worker routes into employment in the north east and north west construction and food processing sectors

OpenAIRE

Fitzgerald, Ian

2007-01-01

This report presents the findings of a TUC-funded project that sought to identify the main routes into employment for Polish migrant workers in the North East and North West construction and food processing sectors. Its findings show that the two sectors offer real opportunities and challenges for trade unions to organise those who most need help. Indeed many unions in the sectors have already taken up the challenge and have started to see real successes in organising groups traditionally see...

Development of the Information Technology Sector in India: the Role of Government

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Inna S. Ashmyanskaya

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the article the author analyses the role of government in developing the information technology sector in India, specifically its influence on the three factors that determine the development of the information technology sector: human resources, launch capital and infrastructure. By developing these factors, the Indian government has succeeded in prompt formation and promotion of the information technology sector. The development of human capital is mainly realized by developing public education programs. The establishment of close ties with the Indian diaspora played a crucial role. The diaspora acted as a link for transmission to India of expertise, investment and knowledge. The availability of start-up capital, especially venture capital, is another essential component for the success of the national information technology sector. The conditions created by a government for the development of the institution of venture investment in the country will be of fundamental importance. Thanks to the measures taken by the government of India, venture capital investment has become the main form of financing for start-ups in the information technology sector in India. Developed infrastructure is also an important factor in the development of the information technology sector. In India, a developing country with a vast territory, there was a problem of infrastructure development, and software technology parks became a solution to this problem for companies in the information technology sector. Over the past 20 years, software technology parks in India has evolved so that industrial parks created almost 50% of the total exports of the IT sector in India. The demonstrated state policy can be characterized as the model of state technological entrepreneurship according to which the Indian government played the roles of regulator, producer and promoter in the information technology sector and continues to do so until the present day.

Public Sector/Private Sector Interaction in Providing Information Services. Report to the NCLIS from the Public Sector/Private Sector Task Force.

Science.gov (United States)

National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, Washington, DC.

The results of a 2-year study on the interactions between government and private sector information activities are presented in terms of principles and guidelines for federal policy to support the development and use of information resources, products, and services, and to implement the principles. Discussions address sources of conflict between…

Intrinsic Motivations of Public Sector Employees: Evidence for Germany

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.J. Dur (Robert); R. Zoutenbier (Robin)

2012-01-01

textabstractWe examine differences in altruism and laziness between public sector employees and private sector employees. Our theoretical model predicts that the likelihood of public sector employment increases with a worker's altruism, and increases or decreases with a worker's laziness depending

Rethinking Information Systems in the Public Sector

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Medaglia, Rony

2014-01-01

This section of Information Polity consists of papers presented during the workshop “Rethinking Information Systems in the Public Sector: Bridging Academia and Public Service”. The workshop was held on 8 June 2014 in Tel Aviv, Israel, in conjunction with the European Conference on Information...... Systems (ECIS 2014), and it is part of the activities of the Special Interest Group for eGovernment (SIGeGov) of the Association for Information Systems (AIS)....

Social influence, agent heterogeneity and the emergence of the urban informal sector

Science.gov (United States)

García-Díaz, César; Moreno-Monroy, Ana I.

2012-02-01

We develop an agent-based computational model in which the urban informal sector acts as a buffer where rural migrants can earn some income while queuing for higher paying modern-sector jobs. In the model, the informal sector emerges as a result of rural-urban migration decisions of heterogeneous agents subject to social influence in the form of neighboring effects of varying strengths. Besides using a multinomial logit choice model that allows for agent idiosyncrasy, explicit agent heterogeneity is introduced in the form of socio-demographic characteristics preferred by modern-sector employers. We find that different combinations of the strength of social influence and the socio-economic composition of the workforce lead to very different urbanization and urban informal sector shares. In particular, moderate levels of social influence and a large proportion of rural inhabitants with preferred socio-demographic characteristics are conducive to a higher urbanization rate and a larger informal sector.

Reconstructing the informal economic sector in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

African Journals Online (AJOL)

strategies and programmes that have been employed ... then shifts to a case study of Bulawayo ..... 7.4 Strategy 4: Marketing of informal sector products and services. Besides training, the Ministry also helps informal ..... Concepts and policies.

Information, Technology and Information Worker Productivity: Task Level Evidence

OpenAIRE

Sinan Aral; Erik Brynjolfsson; Marshall Van Alstyne

2007-01-01

In an effort to reveal the fine-grained relationships between IT use, patterns of information flows, and individual information-worker productivity, we study task level practices at a midsize executive recruiting firm. We analyze both project-level and individual-level performance using: (1) detailed accounting data on revenues, compensation, project completion rates, and team membership for over 1300 projects spanning 5 years, (2) direct observation of over 125,000 email messages over a peri...

Dynamics of trade between the formal sector and informal traders

OpenAIRE

Cyril Nhlanhla Ngiba; David Dickinson; Louise Whittaker; Claire Beswick

2011-01-01

The informal sector in South Africa is a significant, but not well understood phenomenon. One important question relates to the nature of the relationship between the formal and informal sector. This article uses Porter’s five forces model to interrogate the linkages between informal fruit and vegetable traders in the Natalspruit Market (Ekurhuleni) and their formal suppliers, primarily the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market. While the threat of new products is low, the street traders’ positio...

The roles of the health sector and health workers before, during and after violent conflict

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buhmann, Caecilie; Barbara, Joanna Santa; Arya, Neil

2010-01-01

Starting with a view of war as a significant population health problem, this article explores the roles of health workers in relation to violent conflict. Four different roles are identified, defined by goals and values--military, development, humanitarian and peace. In addition, four dimensions...... of health work are seen as cross-cutting factors influencing health work in violent conflict-- whether the health worker is an insider or outsider to the conflict, whether they are oriented to primary, secondary or tertiary prevention of the mortality and morbidity of war, whether they take an individual...... clinical or a population health approach, and whether they are oriented to policy and whole-sector change or not. This article explores the nature of these roles, the influence of these cross-cutting dimensions, the challenges of each role and finally commonalities and possibilities for cooperation between...

Job creation, heterogeneous workers and technical change : matched worker/plant data : evidence from Norway

OpenAIRE

Salvanes, Kjell G.; Førre, Svein Erik

2001-01-01

Abstract: Using matched worker/plant level data for Norway, theories explaining the change in skill composition are assessed using direct evidence on the job creation and destruction for high, medium and low skilled workers. Skill based job creation is analysed in detail for plants in a high-skill service sector and in low- and high-tech manufacturing sectors. Given a compressed wage structure in Norway and increased supply of high skilled workers, the supply of skills may also explain the...

Socio-economic integration of the informal recycling sector through an NGO intervention at the Andralanitra dumpsite in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrianisa, Harinaivo A; Randriatsiferana, Fanilo M; Rakotoson, Serge L; Rakotoaritera, Fanja

2018-01-01

The social status improvement and the degree of integration of the informal recycling sector, by using InteRa, made by the AKAMASOA association interventions at the Andralanitra dumpsite (Antananarivo, Madagascar) was assessed. 20% of the workers from the three activities at the site were interviewed: 325 scavengers, 12 compost producers and three soap manufacturers. It was found that the incomes of Andralanitra workers are relatively low compared to that of people working in the same field in other countries (30-60 USD/month). However, with the social support from AKAMASOA, their living conditions were greatly improved, allowing them to own their house, have access to water and sanitation facilities and send their children to school or subscribe to health insurance and bank savings. Though they do not experience the common socio-economic issues faced by informal workers at dumpsites and their works are highly appreciated by the solid waste management (SWM) stakeholders, there is no official planned intervention to formalise their situation. Thus, InteRa has shown low scores in SWM and organisational interfaces and high scores in materials/value chain and social interfaces. AKAMASOA actions are good examples of successful NGO interventions to improve the dumpsites' informal recycling social status. The findings suggest that full integration into the SWM system should be supported by municipalities through the setting of policy and regulations on the access to dumpsites and the exploitation of the wastes.

Informational institutions in the agrifood sector: meta-information and meta-governance of environmental sustainability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ge, L.; Brewster, Christopher

2016-01-01

In the agrifood sector, the explosive increase in information about environmental sustainability, often in uncoordinated information systems, has created a new form of ignorance (‘meta-ignorance’) that diminishes the effectiveness of information on decision-makers. Flows of information are governed

The decentralisation-centralisation dilemma: recruitment and distribution of health workers in remote districts of Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Munga, Michael A; Songstad, Nils Gunnar; Blystad, Astrid; Maestad, Ottar

2009-04-30

The implementation of decentralisation reforms in the health sector of Tanzania started in the 1980s. These reforms were intended to relinquish substantial powers and resources to districts to improve the development of the health sector. Little is known about the impact of decentralisation on recruitment and distribution of health workers at the district level. Reported difficulties in recruiting health workers to remote districts led the Government of Tanzania to partly re-instate central recruitment of health workers in 2006. The effects of this policy change are not yet documented. This study highlights the experiences and challenges associated with decentralisation and the partial re-centralisation in relation to the recruitment and distribution of health workers. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted among informants recruited from five underserved, remote districts of mainland Tanzania. Additional informants were recruited from the central government, the NGO sector, international organisations and academia. A comparison of decentralised and the reinstated centralised systems was carried out in order to draw lessons necessary for improving recruitment, distribution and retention of health workers. The study has shown that recruitment of health workers under a decentralised arrangement has not only been characterised by complex bureaucratic procedures, but by severe delays and sometimes failure to get the required health workers. The study also revealed that recruitment of highly skilled health workers under decentralised arrangements may be both very difficult and expensive. Decentralised recruitment was perceived to be more effective in improving retention of the lower cadre health workers within the districts. In contrast, the centralised arrangement was perceived to be more effective both in recruiting qualified staff and balancing their distribution across districts, but poor in ensuring the retention of employees. A combination of centralised

Influence of reward preferences in attracting, retaining, and motivating knowledge workers in South African information technology companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Bussin

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The world of work is evolving and the nature of relationships between knowledge workers and their employers has changed distinctly, leading to a change in the type of rewards they prefer. The nature of these preferences in the South African, industry-specific context is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to deepen understanding of the reward preferences of Information technology (IT knowledge workers in South Africa, specifically as these relate to the attraction, retention and motivation of knowledge workers. Design: The research design included a quantitative, empirical and descriptive study of reward preferences, measured with a self-administered survey and analysed using non-parametric tests for variance between dependent and independent groups and non-parametric analysis of variance. Findings: This study found that there are specific reward preferences in knowledge workers in the IT sector in South Africa and that these preferences apply differently when related to the attraction, retention and motivation of employees. It identified the most important reward components in the competition for knowledge workers and also demonstrated that demographic characteristics play a statistically significant role in determining reward preferences. Practical implications: The study’s findings show that a holistic approach to total rewards is required, failing which, companies will find themselves facing increased turnover and jobhopping. Importantly, the study also highlights that different rewards need to form part of knowledge workers’ relationship with their employer in three different scenarios: attraction, retention and motivation.

Dynamics of trade between the formal sector and informal traders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cyril Nhlanhla Ngiba

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The informal sector in South Africa is a significant, but not well understood phenomenon. One important question relates to the nature of the relationship between the formal and informal sector. This article uses Porter’s five forces model to interrogate the linkages between informal fruit and vegetable traders in the Natalspruit Market (Ekurhuleni and their formal suppliers, primarily the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market. While the threat of new products is low, the street traders’ position is weakened by the threat of new entrants, consumer bargaining power and lack of cooperation among street traders. In relation to supplier power, we conclude that while this varies according to a number of factors, the formal sector is dominant over informal fruit and vegetable sellers in this market. This finding rests primarily on the observation that, because of their fragmentation, the informal traders’ collective buying power is not being used in the same way as large formal retailers of fruit and vegetables to obtain better terms of trade with the formal economy supplier.

Methodologies of Designing Questionnaires Concerning the Dynamics and Structure of Specialists in an Economic Sector in an Economic Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasilica Ciuca

2009-01-01

Full Text Available On the labour demand side, in order to identify the match between skills and labour market demand, it is required a thorough analysis of structure and dynamic of specialists in an economic sector. The data necessary for this kind of analysis could not be found in the current statistical databases. Accordingly, it is necessary to carry out surveys for exploring the demand for skills. This study presents the main elements to be taken into account in designing of questionnaires necessary for analysing the demand of specialists in an economic sector, in particular for the domain of information and communication technologies (ICT. The surveys will focus on two main issues: past and future evolution of number of workers and problems in matching demand with qualifications supply. Thus, the analysis should concentrate on structure and evolution of number of workers at entreprise-level; practices and problems met in recruitment process, namely qualifications deficits and gaps any of these dimensions being a proxy of qualifications need. The survey target-group will be limited to ICT practitioner workers, both in firms with main or secondary NACE code and in firms/institutions with IT department.

20 CFR 617.4 - Benefit information to workers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... location of workers' firm. (C) Impact, certification, and expiration dates in the certification document... applications for program benefits. (c) Providing information to State vocational education agencies and others. State agencies shall inform the State Board for Vocational Education or equivalent agency and other...

Assessing the role of informal sector in WEEE management systems: A System Dynamics approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Ardi, Romadhani; Leisten, Rainer

2016-11-01

Generally being ignored by academia and regulators, the informal sector plays important roles in Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management systems, especially in developing countries. This study aims: (1) to capture and model the variety of informal operations in WEEE management systems, (2) to capture the dynamics existing within the informal sector, and (3) to assess the role of the informal sector as the key player in the WEEE management systems, influencing both its future operations and its counterpart, the formal sector. By using System Dynamics as the methodology and India as the reference system, this study is able to explain the reasons behind, on the one hand, the superiority of the informal sector in WEEE management systems and, on the other hand, the failure of the formal systems. Additionally, this study reveals the important role of the second-hand market as the determinant of the rise and fall of the informal sector in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Informal sector shops and AIDS prevention An exploratory social ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Informal sector shops and AIDS prevention An exploratory social marketing ... The existence of a variety of media and interpersonal information sources on the ... shops should be further investigated as avenues for AIDS prevention efforts.

Sticky IT Workers: Discovering Why Information Technology Professionals Retain Their Employers

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Phillip Mike

2013-01-01

In the current business climate and social technologies expansion era, Information Technology (IT) workers are important organization contributors that connect organizations into today's data-driven, highly social, and always-on global economy. Thus, organizations need IT workers. Unfortunately, as a class, IT workers have developed a reputation…

Public Sector Employment Inequality in the United States and the Great Recession.

Science.gov (United States)

Laird, Jennifer

2017-02-01

Historically in the United States, the public sector has served as an equalizing institution through the expansion of job opportunities for minority workers. This study examines whether the public sector continues to serve as an equalizing institution in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Using data from the Current Population Survey, I investigate changes in public sector employment between 2003 and 2013. My results point to a post-recession double disadvantage for black public sector workers: they are concentrated in a shrinking sector of the economy, and they are more likely than white and Hispanic public sector workers to experience job loss. These two trends are a historical break for the public sector labor market. I find that race and ethnicity gaps in public sector employment cannot be explained by differences in education, occupation, or any of the other measurable factors that are typically associated with employment. Among unemployed workers who most recently worked for the public sector, black women are the least likely to transition into private sector employment.

Women Helping Women? Evidence from Private Sector Data on Workplace Hierarchies

OpenAIRE

Kunze, Astrid; Miller, Amalia

2014-01-01

This paper studies gender spillovers in career advancement using 11 years of employer-employee matched data on the population of white-collar workers at over 4,000 private-sector establishments in Norway. Our data include unusually detailed job information for each worker, which enables us to define seven hierarchical ranks that are consistent across establishments and over time in order to measure promotions (defined as year-to-year rank increases) even for individuals who change employers. ...

Association of Parkinson's disease with industry sectors: a French nationwide incidence study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlaar, Tim; Kab, Sofiane; Schwaab, Yannick; Fréry, Nadine; Elbaz, Alexis; Moisan, Frédéric

2018-05-05

In order to identify working environments at risk for Parkinson's disease (PD), we investigated the relation between the importance of industry sectors, used as a surrogate for occupational exposures, and PD incidence in French cantons. The number of incident PD cases (2010-2014) in 3689 cantons of metropolitan France was determined using drug claims from French National Health Insurance databases. The proportions of workers in 38 industry sectors in 2006 were calculated for each canton. Associations between the proportions of workers in industry sectors and PD age/sex-standardized incidence ratios were examined using incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) estimated with multilevel negative binomial regressions with a random intercept at the canton-level and adjusted for smoking, deprivation index, and density of neurologists. We then used two-step semi-Bayes hierarchical regression (HR) to include prior information about exposure to pesticides, metals, and solvents in each industry sector. We identified 112,625 incident cases. PD incidence was higher in areas characterized by high proportions of workers in "Agriculture, forestry and fishing" (IRR HR  = 1.042; CI 95% = 1.014-1.070; p-Trend HR  = 0.004), "Manufacture of textiles, wearing apparel, leather and related products" (IRR HR  = 1.024; CI 95% = 1.005-1.044; p-Trend HR  = 0.010), and "Manufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment" (IRR HR  = 1.024; CI 95% = 1.003-1.046; p-Trend HR  = 0.071). This nationwide study, based on a comprehensive analysis of industry sectors, shows significant associations between high proportions of workers in specific industry sectors (agriculture, metallurgy, textile) and PD incidence that may be targeted in further epidemiological studies to replicate and better understand these associations.

Job Values in Today's Workforce: A Comparison of Public and Private Sector Employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Karl, Katherine A.; Sutton, Cynthia L.

1998-01-01

A comparison of 47 public- and 170 private-sector workers revealed private-sector workers value good wages most and public-sector workers value interesting work. Results suggest that employers must keep in touch with employee values to design jobs, reward systems, and human-resource policies that will result in maximum job satisfaction. (JOW)

PERFECTION OF INFORMATION SUPPORT OF BUSINESS IN THE AGRARIAN SECTOR

OpenAIRE

Tyumerova I. B.

2014-01-01

The article defines the functions and information management tools of entrepreneurship in the agrarian sphere, the impact of the algorithm information support for business development in the agrarian sector, identified ways of improving information systems

Nuclear: a world without worker?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fournier, Pierre; Maziere, M.

2014-01-01

After having recalled some characteristics of the electro-nuclear sector in terms of employment (direct and indirect jobs, average age, number of persons controlled on the radiological level, exposure with respect to work location), the author outlines that workers of this sector are seldom evoked whereas investments, incidents and accidents are generally the main evoked and commented topics. He proposes some explanations about this image of the nuclear sector. He reports an incident which occurred in Marcoule and outlines how a set of imperfectly managed events resulted in this incident. He also outlines the importance of the role of workers and the difficulty to make the right choice in such situations. As a conclusion, the author draws some lessons, and particularly outlines that the commitment of workers should be put forward

Evidence-based information needs of public health workers: a systematized review.

Science.gov (United States)

Barr-Walker, Jill

2017-01-01

This study assessed public health workers' evidence-based information needs, based on a review of the literature using a systematic search strategy. This study is based on a thesis project conducted as part of the author's master's in public health coursework and is considered a systematized review. Four databases were searched for English-language articles published between 2005 and 2015: PubMed, Web of Science, Library Literature & Information Science Index, and Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA). Studies were excluded if there was no primary data collection, the population in the study was not identified as public health workers, "information" was not defined according to specific criteria, or evidence-based information and public health workers were not the major focus. Studies included in the final analysis underwent data extraction, critical appraisal using CASP and STROBE checklists, and thematic analysis. Thirty-three research studies were identified in the search, including twenty-one using quantitative methods and twelve using qualitative methods. Critical appraisal revealed many potential biases, particularly in the validity of research. Thematic analysis revealed five common themes: (1) definition of information needs, (2) current information-seeking behavior and use, (3) definition of evidence-based information, (4) barriers to information needs, and (5) public health-specific issues. Recommendations are given for how librarians can increase the use of evidence-based information in public health research, practice, and policy making. Further research using rigorous methodologies and transparent reporting practices in a wider variety of settings is needed to further evaluate public health workers' information needs.

Information Technology Sector Baseline Risk Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

2009-08-01

alternative root be economically advantageous , an actor’s ability to exploit market forces and create an alternative root would be significantly improved...conduct their operations. Therefore, a loss or disruption to Internet services would not be advantageous for the desired outcomes of these syndicates.26... eCommerce Service loss or disruption [C] Traffic Redirection [C] = Undesired consequence Information Technology Sector Baseline Risk Assessment

The prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension among workers in West Africa: a systematic review

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William K. Bosu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Interventions in workplace settings are considered to be cost-effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases. A systematic review was conducted to assess the prevalence of hypertension and the level of awareness and control among workers in West Africa. Design: A systematic search for studies on formal and informal sector workers aged ≥15 years in West Africa published between 1980 and September 2014 was undertaken using the Ovid Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. Clinical and obstetric studies and studies that did not report prevalence were excluded. Data on study settings, characteristics of workers, blood pressure (BP levels, prevalence of hypertension, and associated demographic factors were extracted. Results: A total of 45 studies from six countries were identified involving 30,727 formal and informal sector workers. In 40 studies with a common definition of hypertension, the prevalence ranged from 12.0% among automobile garage workers to 68.9% among traditional chiefs. In 15 of these studies, the prevalence exceeded 30%. Typically sedentary workers such as traders, bank workers, civil servants, and chiefs were at high risk. Among health care workers, the prevalence ranged from 17.5 to 37.5%. The prevalence increased with age and was higher among males and workers with higher socio-economic status. Complications of hypertension, co-morbidities, and clustering of risk factors were common. The crude prevalence of hypertension increased progressively from 12.9% in studies published in the 1980s to 34.4% in those published in 2010–2014. The proportion of hypertensives who were previously aware of their diagnosis, were on treatment or had their BP controlled was 19.6–84.0%, 0–79.2%, and 0–12.7%, respectively. Hypertensive subjects, including health workers, rarely checked their BP except when they were ill. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of hypertension among West Africa's workforce, of which

The prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension among workers in West Africa: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosu, William K

2015-01-01

: Interventions in workplace settings are considered to be cost-effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases. A systematic review was conducted to assess the prevalence of hypertension and the level of awareness and control among workers in West Africa. A systematic search for studies on formal and informal sector workers aged ≥15 years in West Africa published between 1980 and September 2014 was undertaken using the Ovid Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. Clinical and obstetric studies and studies that did not report prevalence were excluded. Data on study settings, characteristics of workers, blood pressure (BP) levels, prevalence of hypertension, and associated demographic factors were extracted. A total of 45 studies from six countries were identified involving 30,727 formal and informal sector workers. In 40 studies with a common definition of hypertension, the prevalence ranged from 12.0% among automobile garage workers to 68.9% among traditional chiefs. In 15 of these studies, the prevalence exceeded 30%. Typically sedentary workers such as traders, bank workers, civil servants, and chiefs were at high risk. Among health care workers, the prevalence ranged from 17.5 to 37.5%. The prevalence increased with age and was higher among males and workers with higher socio-economic status. Complications of hypertension, co-morbidities, and clustering of risk factors were common. The crude prevalence of hypertension increased progressively from 12.9% in studies published in the 1980s to 34.4% in those published in 2010-2014. The proportion of hypertensives who were previously aware of their diagnosis, were on treatment or had their BP controlled was 19.6-84.0%, 0-79.2%, and 0-12.7%, respectively. Hypertensive subjects, including health workers, rarely checked their BP except when they were ill. There is a high prevalence of hypertension among West Africa's workforce, of which a significant proportion is undiagnosed, severe or complicated. The

The prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension among workers in West Africa: a systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

Bosu, William K.

2015-01-01

Background Interventions in workplace settings are considered to be cost-effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases. A systematic review was conducted to assess the prevalence of hypertension and the level of awareness and control among workers in West Africa. Design A systematic search for studies on formal and informal sector workers aged ≥15 years in West Africa published between 1980 and September 2014 was undertaken using the Ovid Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. Clinical and obstetric studies and studies that did not report prevalence were excluded. Data on study settings, characteristics of workers, blood pressure (BP) levels, prevalence of hypertension, and associated demographic factors were extracted. Results A total of 45 studies from six countries were identified involving 30,727 formal and informal sector workers. In 40 studies with a common definition of hypertension, the prevalence ranged from 12.0% among automobile garage workers to 68.9% among traditional chiefs. In 15 of these studies, the prevalence exceeded 30%. Typically sedentary workers such as traders, bank workers, civil servants, and chiefs were at high risk. Among health care workers, the prevalence ranged from 17.5 to 37.5%. The prevalence increased with age and was higher among males and workers with higher socio-economic status. Complications of hypertension, co-morbidities, and clustering of risk factors were common. The crude prevalence of hypertension increased progressively from 12.9% in studies published in the 1980s to 34.4% in those published in 2010–2014. The proportion of hypertensives who were previously aware of their diagnosis, were on treatment or had their BP controlled was 19.6–84.0%, 0–79.2%, and 0–12.7%, respectively. Hypertensive subjects, including health workers, rarely checked their BP except when they were ill. Conclusions There is a high prevalence of hypertension among West Africa's workforce, of which a significant

[Mechanisms of articulation between the informal and the formal urban sectors].

Science.gov (United States)

Lomnitz, L

1978-01-01

This article utilizes field data from Mexico City squatter settlements and personal interviews with employers to analyze some aspects of social relations between the informal sector and the formal urban sector, and compares the results with findings of other anthropologists in Mexico and elsewhere to derive a series of theoretical generalizations concerning mechanisms of articulation between the marginal sector and the formal economic and political institutions of the society. The formal sector is postulated to consist of the 3 subsectors of power, capital, and labor, which are in permanent conflict among themselves but all of which enjoy labor security and an assured minimal level of income. The marginal or informal sector lacks employment security, a minimal income level, and bargaining power. It is characterized by a small scale economy utilizing intensive familial labor. The informal sector is marginal to the dominant industrial system of production and the state apparatus, although it fulfills functions in terms of the national economy. 2 types of relationships may be distinguished in the social organization of the marginal sector: reciprocal relations between equals which form a network for the exchange of goods and services, or patron/client relations which are used, for example, in the case of petty entrepreneurs utilizing their relatives and acquaintances to create units of production. The functions of reciprocal relations are affected by social, physical, economic, and psychosocial distance or proximity and may result in exchanges of information, labor assistance, loans, services, or moral support. Patron/client relations may be direct, or the "patron" may be an intermediary. Some reciprocal networks display a pattern of incipient asymmetry leading to formation of true patron/client ties and some petty entrepreneurs or intermediaries manage to develop true patron/client networks; case histories are used to illustrate both phenomena. Intermediaries

Informal sector, business environment and economic growth: A ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2012-12-01

Informal sector, business environment and economic growth: A comparative analysis of West and Central Africa ... taxes, which undermines fair competition and puts formal enterprises at a disadvantage. ... Start Date. December 1, 2012 ...

Determinants of Transitions across Formal/Informal sectors in Egypt

OpenAIRE

Tansel, Aysit; Ozdemir, Zeynel / A.

2014-01-01

Informality is a salient feature of labor market in Egypt as it is the case with many developing countries. This is the first study of the determinants of worker transitions between various labor market states using panel data from Egypt. We first provide a diagnosis of dynamic worker flows across different labor market states. We develop transition probabilities by gender across different labor market states utilizing Markov transition processes. Next we identify the effects of individual, h...

Health worker (internal customer) satisfaction and motivation in the public sector in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Agyepong, Irene Akua; Anafi, Patricia; Asiamah, Ebenezer; Ansah, Evelyn K; Ashon, Daniel A; Narh-Dometey, Christiana

2004-01-01

This paper describes factors affecting health worker motivation and satisfaction in the public sector in Ghana. The data are from a survey of public sector health care providers carried out in January 2002 and repeated in August 2003 using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire. It is part of a continuous quality improvement (CQI) effort in the health sector in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Workplace obstacles identified that caused dissatisfaction and de-motivated staff in order of the most frequently mentioned were low salaries such that obtaining basic necessities of daily living becomes a problem; lack of essential equipment, tools and supplies to work with; delayed promotions; difficulties and inconveniences with transportation to work; staff shortages; housing, additional duty allowances and in-service (continuous) training. Others included children's education, vehicles to work with such as ambulances and pickups, staff transfer procedures, staff pre-service education inadequate for job requirements, and the effect of the job on family and other social factors. There were some differences in the percentages of staff selecting a given workplace obstacle between the purely rural districts, the highly urbanized Accra metropolis and the districts that were a mixture of urbanized and rural. It is unlikely that the Ghana Health Service can provide high quality of care to its end users (external customers) if workplace obstacles that de-motivate staff (internal customers) and negatively influence their performance are not properly recognized and addressed as a complex of inter-related problems producing a common result--dissatisfied poorly motivated staff and resulting poor quality services.

TRENDS OF EMPLOYMENT IN INFORMAL SECTOR IN ROMANIA DURING CRISIS;ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EFFECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pisica Silvia

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The present paper emphasizes the size and trend of employment in the informal sector as affected during the recent years by the crisis and by showing the relation with informal economy. The paper is structured on three parts. The first part focuses on the concepts and methodology popular and recommended by the international organizations together with the ones applied for the estimations presented in the paper. It brings information on the conceptual framework endorsed by International Labour Office (ILO on the 15-th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (15th ICLS - on informal sector (which was subsequently included in the revised international System of National Accounts, SNA 1993 and employment in informal sector - and on 17th ICLS, on informal employment. Methods used for obtaining the estimates for Romania figures on informal economy and employment are treated. For the informal economy the method used by National Statistical Institute of Romania (INS for estimating the underground economy and own calculations were used. For estimating the employment in informal sector a method developed by the authors was applied which consists, on short, on reconciliation between demand and supply available from statistical sources. Second part is dedicated to the analysis on the estimates produced, with observations on the trends induced by the crisis on informal economy and employment. The second also deals with several characteristics and dimensions of the employment in informal sector by gender and economic activities as well as the relation with several macroeconomic and social indicators. Finally, the third and last part proposes the direction of action and policies aimed to combat and reduce the informal sector and to transfer it into the light, visible side, i.e. the formal sector.

Differences between day and nonday workers in exposure to physical and psychosocial work factors in the Danish eldercare sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Tüchsen, Finn; Christensen, Karl Bang; Garde, Anne Helene; Diderichsen, Finn

2009-01-01

The possible interaction between individual and occupational risk factors, the need for meaningful intervention, and the demand for valid shift work research make the accumulation of adverse exposures at certain times of the day of special relevance with respect to occupational health. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine whether there was a clustering of detrimental work factors among female eldercare workers in fixed evening or fixed night shifts when they are compared with workers in fixed day shifts. This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 4590 female health care workers in the Danish eldercare sector. The participants worked in nursing homes, in home care, or in both. They answered questions on job demands, job control, and social support, together with questions on physical and psychological violence, physical workload, and passive smoking. We found that-compared with day workers-fixed nonday workers were more exposed to low job control, low support from leaders, physical and psychological violence, and high physical demands. Nonday workers were, however, less exposed to high demands. These differences remained after control for age, job title, and workplace. Exposures in the work environment of Danish eldercare workers varied between shifts. In a research perspective these findings stress the importance of adequate adjustment for work factors when the health effects of shift work are studied. Moreover, the results underscore the need for an increased awareness of work factors of special importance among nonday workers when interventions against shiftwork-related occupational disorders are designed.

Nuclear 101, a course on the nuclear sector for workers in the nuclear sector

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donev, J.M.K.C., E-mail: jason.donev@ucalgary.ca [Univ. of Calgary, Calgary, AB (Canada); Boreham, D.; Day, S., E-mail: boreham@mcmaster.ca, E-mail: dayse@mcmaster.ca [McMaster Univ., Hamilton, ON (Canada); Dranga, R.; Krasznai, J.; Matthews, R.; Whitlock, J. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Chalk River, ON (Canada)

2014-07-01

People who work in the nuclear science and technology community are often called upon in social situations to answer questions about the nuclear industry outside their area of direct expertise. In 2012 the Canadian Nuclear Society created 'Nuclear 101', a two-day general-level course to provide more information on the nuclear sector to people who are part of the nuclear science and technology community. This paper will discuss how Nuclear 101 aids public outreach discussions and the lessons learned after two years of operation, and will look at future directions for the course. (author)

Nuclear 101, a course on the nuclear sector for workers in the nuclear sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donev, J.M.K.C.; Boreham, D.; Day, S.; Dranga, R.; Krasznai, J.; Matthews, R.; Whitlock, J.

2014-01-01

People who work in the nuclear science and technology community are often called upon in social situations to answer questions about the nuclear industry outside their area of direct expertise. In 2012 the Canadian Nuclear Society created 'Nuclear 101', a two-day general-level course to provide more information on the nuclear sector to people who are part of the nuclear science and technology community. This paper will discuss how Nuclear 101 aids public outreach discussions and the lessons learned after two years of operation, and will look at future directions for the course. (author)

Sector Information Data Set

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Fishing sectors were established in the Greater Atlantic region in 2010 under catch share management initiatives. Sector data kept at GARFO is mostly a collection of...

Pengaruh Komitmen Tenaga Kerja Lepas terhadap Motivasinya dalam Perusahaan Keluarga di Sektor Informal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wahyu meutia anggrian

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract. The office of Cooperative and SME Tangerang Selatan estimated in 2012 around twelve thousands SME in the area are mostly family owned business operating in informal sector. Constrained by capital and orders, many rely on their strong organizational commitment to survive. Previous researches have also shown that the strong relationship between organizational commitment and employees’ motivation is the key to uphold the fort. Family owned company in the informal sector and non-contractual workers are the least researched in the Indonesian Managment literatures; hence, bring it up the two objects together to the surface should enlight some indicative keys to their management survivability and continuity. Respondents were non-contractual worker in the three informal sectors in Plywood, Garment and Culliner in Tangerang Selatan. The data was then processed with Structural Equation Model (SEM and run with Lisrel 8.7. The finding indicates that the affective commitment is the essential dimension for the family owned company to have survived theroughut these years. Hence, future research has an opportunity to focus on a unanimousity in behavior and culture between the family owned company and her non-contractual workers should the business evolves into existence in the formal sector. Keyword: organizational commitment, employee motivation, informal sector’ family owned company, non contractual worker, functional strategic management

Community Interagency Connections for Immigrant Worker Health Interventions, King County, Washington State, 2012-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, Jenny Hsin-Chin; Petrescu-Prahova, Miruna

2016-06-02

Cross-sector community partnerships are a potentially powerful strategy to address population health problems, including health disparities. US immigrants - commonly employed in low-wage jobs that pose high risks to their health - experience such disparities because of hazardous exposures in the workplace. Hazardous exposures contribute to chronic health problems and complicate disease management. Moreover, prevention strategies such as worksite wellness programs are not effective for low-wage immigrant groups. The purpose of this article was to describe an innovative application of social network analysis to characterize interagency connections and knowledge needed to design and deliver a comprehensive community-based chronic disease prevention program for immigrant workers. Using iterative sample expansion, we identified 42 agencies representing diverse community sectors (service agencies, faith-based organizations, unions, nonprofits, government agencies) pertinent to the health of Chinese immigrant workers. To capture data on shared information, resources, and services as well as organizational characteristics, we jointly interviewed 2 representatives from each agency. We used social network analysis to describe interagency network structure and the positions of agencies within the networks. Agency interconnections were established primarily for information sharing. In the overall interagency network, a few service-oriented agencies held central or gatekeeper positions. Strong interconnectedness occurred predominately across service, public, and nonprofit sectors. The Chinese and Pan-Asian service sectors showed the strongest interconnectedness. Network analysis yields critical understanding of community structural links and assets needed to inform decisions about actual and potential community collaborations. Alternative intervention strategies may be needed to address health disparities among immigrant workers.

Government Policy in the Formal and Informal Sectors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prado, Mauricio

2011-01-01

is used to show that firms with lower productivity endogenously choose to operate in the informal sector. I use cross-country data on taxes, measures of informality, and measures of regulation (entry and compliance costs, red tape, etc.) to back out how high the enforcement levels must be country...... (1999), I find that distortions associated with informality account for a factor of 1.5 of the output per capita difference between the richest and the poorest countries....

Can a fifty percent increase in public sector wages improve the position of public sector employees in the long run? An assessment of the public-private income gap in Hungary

OpenAIRE

Szilvia Hamori; Anna Lovasz

2011-01-01

We provide a detailed descriptive analysis of the long-term effects of the 50 percent public sector wage increase initiated by the government in 2002 in order to improve the relative situation of public sector workers. The aim of this policy was to attract high quality workers to the public sector, and to counteract the problem of "brain drain," the loss of high-skilled workers to abroad. To study the effects on the public-private income gap - and on high-skilled workers in particular - we em...

Prediction of employer-employee relationships from sociodemographic variables and social values in Brunei public and private sector workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundia, Lawrence; Mahalle, Salwa; Matzin, Rohani; Nasir Zakaria, Gamal Abdul; Abdullah, Nor Zaiham Midawati; Abdul Latif, Siti Norhedayah

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify the sociodemographic variables and social value correlates and predictors of employer-employee relationship problems in a random sample of 860 Brunei public and private sector workers of both genders. A quantitative field survey design was used and data were analyzed by correlation and logistic regression. The rationale and justification for using this approach is explained. The main sociodemographic correlates and predictors of employer-employee relationship problems in this study were educational level and the district in which the employee resided and worked. Other correlates, but not necessarily predictors, of employer-employee relationship problems were seeking help from the Bomo (traditional healer); obtaining help from online social networking; and workers with children in the family. The two best and most significant social value correlates and predictors of employer-employee relationship problems included interpersonal communications; and self-regulation and self-direction. Low scorers on the following variables were also associated with high likelihood for possessing employer-employee relationship problems: satisfaction with work achievements; and peace and security, while low scorers on work stress had lower odds of having employer-employee relationship problems. Other significant social value correlates, but not predictors of employer-employee relationship problems were self-presentation; interpersonal trust; peace and security; and general anxiety. Consistent with findings of relevant previous studies conducted elsewhere, there were the variables that correlated with and predicted employer-employee relationship problems in Brunei public and private sector workers. Having identified these, the next step, efforts and priority should be directed at addressing the presenting issues via counseling and psychotherapy with affected employees. Further research is recommended to understand better the problem and its

Beyond the Model Worker: Surveying a Creative Precariat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greig de Peuter

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The figure of the self-reliant, risk-bearing, non-unionised, self-exploiting, always-on flexibly employed worker in the creative industries has been positioned as a role model of contemporary capitalism. Although the notion of the model-worker is a compelling critical diagnostic of the self-management of precarity in post-Fordist times, I argue that it provides an insufficient perspective on labour and the so-called creative economy to the extent that it occludes the capacity to contest among the workforces it represents. Informed by a larger research project, this article thematises salient features of select collective responses to precarity that are emerging from workers in nonstandard employment in the arts, the media, and cultural industries. The discussion is structured in three main parts: the first, ag-gregation, identifies initiatives in which employment status - rather than a specific profession or sector - is the basis of assembly and advocacy; the second, compensation, highlights unpaid work as a growing point of contention across sectors; and the third, occupation, describes cases in which precarious cultural workers are voicing their grievances and engaging in direct action in the context of wider social movements. These dimensions of the contemporary response to precarisation in the creative industries are at risk of being overlooked if the research optic on workers’ strategies is focused upon a single sector or a particular profession. In conclusion, I emphasise that the organisations, campaigns, and proposals that are surveyed in this article are marked by tensions between and among accommodative adaption, incremental improvements, and radical reformism vis-à-vis precarity.

Use of Respiratory Mask and Influencing Factors among Workers Who Worked in Welding Department at Automotive Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melek Nihal Esin,A. Dilek Yilmaz

2012-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: This study was designed in a cross sectional pattern in order to determine workers’ behaviors about respiratory mask use and the factors involved. METHOD: The study was conducted with 100 workers in the welding department of a factory operating in automotive sector and employing approximately 1000 people. The data in the study was collected by means of ‘Form for the Assessment of Descriptive Features of Employees’ and ‘Respiratory Mask Use Behaviors Form”, developed by the researchers; the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, developed by Wallston and De Wellis; Self-Actualization Scale and Health Responsibility Scale, developed by Walker, Sechrist and Pender. RESULTS: It was found out that a majority of the workers are aged between 26 and 33 (32%, 76% of them are married, 37% are primary school graduates and 58% of them have been working for more than 11 years. It was also determined that 60% of the workers regularly wear respiratory mask. 14% of those using masks irregularly stated that they “used a respiratory mask for a short time” and 26% of them stated that they “never wore a respiratory mask”. The findings from the study showed that factors like the physical formation of the respiratory mask, the level of information about the mask, and the cognitive perceptual factors related to the employee’s health influenced respiratory mask use. Two variables with significant odds ratios were identified thorough logistic regression analysis. Worker who reported that they had inability to breathe when wearing a mask were over 9 times (OR= 9,48, %95 CI= 1,86- 16,52 and “the time spent putting on and removing a mask” were over 4 times (OR= 4,85, %95 CI= 0,03-8,81 more likely to have never wear a respiratory mask than those who used regularly wear mask . CONCLUSION: It is considered that the results from this study could form a set of basic data for “respiratory mask use improvement programs” to be designed by

The many shades of Public Sector Information; Organizing PSI in a European Perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koerten, H.; Veenswijk, M.B.; Poot, J.

2013-01-01

The success of Google Maps suggests that free access to public sector information (PSI) contributes to a prosperous economy. While there has been considerable attention for legal and economical considerations concerning the implications of policies on public sector information (PSI), also labeled as

Participation of workers in radiation protection training and information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zerbib, J.C.

1989-01-01

The information and training of workers in radiation protection should be given priority as a means of preventing the hazards of ionizing radiation. In view of the importance of the human factor in accident prevention, it would be inconsistent not to place more emphasis on the training of workers exposed at work. Training staff should not only have technical knowledge in the field of radiation protection, but should also be properly trained in how to teach adults. Teaching tools should be developed at Community level to make the job of trainers, occupational physicians and radiation protection experts easier. Regularly updated documents should supply the basic information for radiation protection, and not neglect areas of uncertainty, or problems which the experts are still debating. These documents must include the special information referred to in the Directive of 15 July 1980, in particular: . the reasons for limiting the dose for women of child-bearing age and the nature and level of the risks for the embryo and foetus, according to the dose received; . the potential hazards of exceptional exposure. . The information and training of workers should help to improve understanding of occupational risks and not serve as a vehicle for propaganda on the harmlessness of nuclear power. In addition, they should openly recognize the nuclear risks including the difficult problem of low doses, but should not confuse the issue with ambiguous statistics

Socio-economic status of workers of building construction industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwary, Guddi; Gangopadhyay, P K; Biswas, S; Nayak, K; Chatterjee, M K; Chakraborty, D; Mukherjee, S

2012-05-01

Informal/unorganised sector covers 92% of the total work force in India. About 50% of the construction industrial workers belonged to informal/unorganised sector. The present study was undertaken to know the socio-economic status of construction worker and availing of the social security measures by this working group. The study covered 150 subjects with an average age of 32 years and mean duration of work was nine years. They were poorly paid with an average income of Rs. 4956/-per month. Though the literacy rate was high (79%) yet most of them were addicted to different habits like drinking alcohol, smoking bidi, tobacco chewing etc., Abusing the family members were noted in (30%) of the cases. Their regular intake of food, usually inadequate in quantity and was mainly consisted of rice, pulses, vegetables. Though most of the subjects (73%) were living in kacha houses yet the latrine facilities were available to 62% of total covered houses. Majority of them were unaware of the different social security schemes/measures. The details have been discussed here.

Information transfer in the agricultural sector in Spain

OpenAIRE

Munoz-Canavate, Antonio; Hipola, Pedro

2010-01-01

This paper examines the structures of information transfer to the agricultural (production) and agro-alimentary (transformation and commercialization of the products) sector within Spain. A historical perspective is provided to better illustrate the reality and complexity of Spain with regard to the systems of agrarian extension, agricultural research, resources provided by Spain’s central administration, and the use of information by related enterprises. The Service of Agrarian Extens...

How does retiree health insurance influence public sector employee saving?

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Robert L; Mitchell, Olivia S

2014-12-01

Economic theory predicts that employer-provided retiree health insurance (RHI) benefits have a crowd-out effect on household wealth accumulation, not dissimilar to the effects reported elsewhere for employer pensions, Social Security, and Medicare. Nevertheless, we are unaware of any similar research on the impacts of retiree health insurance per se. Accordingly, the present paper utilizes a unique data file on respondents to the Health and Retirement Study, to explore how employer-provided retiree health insurance may influence net household wealth among public sector employees, where retiree healthcare benefits are still quite prevalent. Key findings include the following: Most full-time public sector employees anticipate having employer-provided health insurance coverage in retirement, unlike most private sector workers.Public sector employees covered by RHI had substantially less wealth than similar private sector employees without RHI. In our data, Federal workers had about $82,000 (18%) less net wealth than private sector employees lacking RHI; state/local workers with RHI accumulated about $69,000 (or 15%) less net wealth than their uninsured private sector counterparts.After controlling on socioeconomic status and differences in pension coverage, net household wealth for Federal employees was $116,000 less than workers without RHI and the result is statistically significant; the state/local difference was not. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Informal electronic waste recycling: A sector review with special focus on China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chi Xinwen; Streicher-Porte, Martin; Wang, Mark Y.L.; Reuter, Markus A.

2011-01-01

Informal recycling is a new and expanding low cost recycling practice in managing Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE or e-waste). It occurs in many developing countries, including China, where current gaps in environmental management, high demand for second-hand electronic appliances and the norm of selling e-waste to individual collectors encourage the growth of a strong informal recycling sector. This paper gathers information on informal e-waste management, takes a look at its particular manifestations in China and identifies some of the main difficulties of the current Chinese approach. Informal e-waste recycling is not only associated with serious environmental and health impacts, but also the supply deficiency of formal recyclers and the safety problems of remanufactured electronic products. Experiences already show that simply prohibiting or competing with the informal collectors and informal recyclers is not an effective solution. New formal e-waste recycling systems should take existing informal sectors into account, and more policies need to be made to improve recycling rates, working conditions and the efficiency of involved informal players. A key issue for China's e-waste management is how to set up incentives for informal recyclers so as to reduce improper recycling activities and to divert more e-waste flow into the formal recycling sector.

Prediction of employer–employee relationships from sociodemographic variables and social values in Brunei public and private sector workers

Science.gov (United States)

Mundia, Lawrence; Mahalle, Salwa; Matzin, Rohani; Nasir Zakaria, Gamal Abdul; Abdullah, Nor Zaiham Midawati; Abdul Latif, Siti Norhedayah

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify the sociodemographic variables and social value correlates and predictors of employer–employee relationship problems in a random sample of 860 Brunei public and private sector workers of both genders. A quantitative field survey design was used and data were analyzed by correlation and logistic regression. The rationale and justification for using this approach is explained. The main sociodemographic correlates and predictors of employer–employee relationship problems in this study were educational level and the district in which the employee resided and worked. Other correlates, but not necessarily predictors, of employer–employee relationship problems were seeking help from the Bomo (traditional healer); obtaining help from online social networking; and workers with children in the family. The two best and most significant social value correlates and predictors of employer–employee relationship problems included interpersonal communications; and self-regulation and self-direction. Low scorers on the following variables were also associated with high likelihood for possessing employer–employee relationship problems: satisfaction with work achievements; and peace and security, while low scorers on work stress had lower odds of having employer–employee relationship problems. Other significant social value correlates, but not predictors of employer–employee relationship problems were self-presentation; interpersonal trust; peace and security; and general anxiety. Consistent with findings of relevant previous studies conducted elsewhere, there were the variables that correlated with and predicted employer–employee relationship problems in Brunei public and private sector workers. Having identified these, the next step, efforts and priority should be directed at addressing the presenting issues via counseling and psychotherapy with affected employees. Further research is recommended to understand better the

Public sector pay in the UK

OpenAIRE

Cribb, Jonathan; Emmerson, Carl; Sibieta, Luke

2014-01-01

This report looks at trends in public sector pay and compares these with what has been happening in the private sector. We start by analysing the overall levels of public and private sector pay, including how they have evolved over recent years and the differences after accounting for the different composition of the public and private sector workforces. We then examine how the difference between pay in the public and private sector varies across different groups of workers and areas of the c...

Job Satisfaction and Self-Selection into the Public or Private Sector: Evidence from a Natural Experiment

OpenAIRE

Danzer, Natalia

2013-01-01

Are public sector jobs better than private sector jobs? To answer this question, this paper investigates observed differences in job satisfaction between public- and private-sector workers and disentangles the effect of worker sorting from the one caused by sector-specific job characteristics. A natural experiment – the massive privatization process in post-Soviet countries – allows correcting potential self-selection bias. Industry-specific privatization probabilities are assigned to workers...

Solid waste workers and livelihood strategies in Greater Port-au-Prince, Haiti

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noel, Claudel

2010-01-01

The solid waste management industry in Haiti is comprised of a formal and an informal sector. Many basic activities in the solid waste management sector are being carried out within the context of profound poverty, which exposes the failure of the socioeconomic and political system to provide sufficient job opportunities for the urban population. This paper examines the involvement of workers in the solid waste management industry in Greater Port-au-Prince and the implications for livelihood strategies. The findings revealed that the Greater Port-au-Prince solid waste management system is very inclusive with respect to age, while highly segregated with regard to gender. In terms of earning capacity, the results showed that workers hired by the State agencies were the most economically vulnerable group as more than 50% of them fell below the official nominal minimum wage. This paper calls for better salary scales and work compensation for the solid waste workers.

Institutionalization of Information Security: Case of the Indonesian Banking Sector

Science.gov (United States)

Nasution, Muhamad Faisal Fariduddin Attar

2012-01-01

This study focuses on the institutionalization of information security in the banking sector. This study is important to pursue since it explicates the internalization of information security governance and practices and how such internalization develops an organizational resistance towards security breach. The study argues that information…

Informal electronic waste recycling: a sector review with special focus on China.

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Xinwen; Streicher-Porte, Martin; Wang, Mark Y L; Reuter, Markus A

2011-04-01

Informal recycling is a new and expanding low cost recycling practice in managing Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE or e-waste). It occurs in many developing countries, including China, where current gaps in environmental management, high demand for second-hand electronic appliances and the norm of selling e-waste to individual collectors encourage the growth of a strong informal recycling sector. This paper gathers information on informal e-waste management, takes a look at its particular manifestations in China and identifies some of the main difficulties of the current Chinese approach. Informal e-waste recycling is not only associated with serious environmental and health impacts, but also the supply deficiency of formal recyclers and the safety problems of remanufactured electronic products. Experiences already show that simply prohibiting or competing with the informal collectors and informal recyclers is not an effective solution. New formal e-waste recycling systems should take existing informal sectors into account, and more policies need to be made to improve recycling rates, working conditions and the efficiency of involved informal players. A key issue for China's e-waste management is how to set up incentives for informal recyclers so as to reduce improper recycling activities and to divert more e-waste flow into the formal recycling sector. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The productive sector].

Science.gov (United States)

Santolaria, Encarna; Fernández, Alberto; Daponte, Antonio; Aguilera, I

2004-05-01

In the last 25 years, the production sector in Spain has undergone important changes. Among these changes, the important growth of the services sector at the expense of the primary sector, the increasing flexibility of the labour market, and the rise in the female workforce could be considered as the most relevant ones. Spanish women have higher rates of unemployment, temporary jobs and part time contracts than Spanish men. Moreover, job access and work conditions are highly related to gender and social class. Because women are forced to compensate for the scarcity of social services for caring for young children and for dependent elderly, they become informal and socially unrecognised caregivers, preventing them from getting or holding a job, and significantly limiting their opportunities for professional development. These social conditions are closely related with the fact that work conditions for women involve higher temporality rates and shorter contracts than those of men, given the sectors and jobs in which they tend to work (due to segregation). Similarly, workers of the less privileged social classes have poorer work conditions. Thus, women of the lower income class are mainly suffering the worst job contracts and the poorest work conditions. More social services are needed to make it possible to attend to family needs and still be able to access and maintain a job contract. Policies tending to conciliate labour and family life are indispensable and should incorporate measures to equally distribute the house keeping activities between women and men.

Understanding informal payments in health care: motivation of health workers in Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Stringhini, Silvia; Thomas, Steve; Bidwell, Posy; Mtui, Tina; Mwisongo, Aziza

2009-06-30

There is growing evidence that informal payments for health care are fairly common in many low- and middle-income countries. Informal payments are reported to have a negative consequence on equity and quality of care; it has been suggested, however, that they may contribute to health worker motivation and retention. Given the significance of motivation and retention issues in human resources for health, a better understanding of the relationships between the two phenomena is needed. This study attempts to assess whether and in what ways informal payments occur in Kibaha, Tanzania. Moreover, it aims to assess how informal earnings might help boost health worker motivation and retention. Nine focus groups were conducted in three health facilities of different levels in the health system. In total, 64 health workers participated in the focus group discussions (81% female, 19% male) and where possible, focus groups were divided by cadre. All data were processed and analysed by means of the NVivo software package. The use of informal payments in the study area was confirmed by this study. Furthermore, a negative relationship between informal payments and job satisfaction and better motivation is suggested. Participants mentioned that they felt enslaved by patients as a result of being bribed and this resulted in loss of self-esteem. Furthermore, fear of detection was a main demotivating factor. These factors seem to counterbalance the positive effect of financial incentives. Moreover, informal payments were not found to be related to retention of health workers in the public health system. Other factors such as job security seemed to be more relevant for retention. This study suggests that the practice of informal payments contributes to the general demotivation of health workers and negatively affects access to health care services and quality of the health system. Policy action is needed that not only provides better financial incentives for individuals but also

Understanding informal payments in health care: motivation of health workers in Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bidwell Posy

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is growing evidence that informal payments for health care are fairly common in many low- and middle-income countries. Informal payments are reported to have a negative consequence on equity and quality of care; it has been suggested, however, that they may contribute to health worker motivation and retention. Given the significance of motivation and retention issues in human resources for health, a better understanding of the relationships between the two phenomena is needed. This study attempts to assess whether and in what ways informal payments occur in Kibaha, Tanzania. Moreover, it aims to assess how informal earnings might help boost health worker motivation and retention. Methods Nine focus groups were conducted in three health facilities of different levels in the health system. In total, 64 health workers participated in the focus group discussions (81% female, 19% male and where possible, focus groups were divided by cadre. All data were processed and analysed by means of the NVivo software package. Results The use of informal payments in the study area was confirmed by this study. Furthermore, a negative relationship between informal payments and job satisfaction and better motivation is suggested. Participants mentioned that they felt enslaved by patients as a result of being bribed and this resulted in loss of self-esteem. Furthermore, fear of detection was a main demotivating factor. These factors seem to counterbalance the positive effect of financial incentives. Moreover, informal payments were not found to be related to retention of health workers in the public health system. Other factors such as job security seemed to be more relevant for retention. Conclusion This study suggests that the practice of informal payments contributes to the general demotivation of health workers and negatively affects access to health care services and quality of the health system. Policy action is needed that not only

Powering up the future : 2008 labour market information study : full report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

As a result of an aging labour force and a diminishing supply of trained and educated young workers, Canada's electricity sector faces the prospect of a prolonged period of increasing competition for professional and skilled workers. It is crucial that industry, education and training institutions, regulatory authorities and policy makers have a complete understanding of the human resource challenges that can affect the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in order to ensure the current and future stability of the supply of electricity. This report discussed a study that was undertaken in order to develop a labour market information system and web-based application that would provide accurate information and viable projections of current and future labour supply and demand in the electricity sector. The report provided background information on the Electricity Sector Council; the purpose and objectives of the study; the research methodology; study limitations; and data and definitions. The report provided a profile of the electricity sector and the human resource implications associated with the sector and presented the demographics and characteristics of the current workforce in the electricity industry. Other data that was presented included the supply of labour for the electricity industry; projected retirement estimates associated with non-support positions within the electricity industry; future demand for skilled workers in the electricity industry; and recruitment options available to employers in the electricity industry. Last, human resource recommendations for the electricity sector arising from the report were presented. It was concluded that serious effort must be made to prepare for the future workforce within the electricity sector. 46 refs., 3 appendices

Library Informational Technology Workers: Their Sense of Belonging, Role, Job Autonomy and Job Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Sook

2007-01-01

This study examines the characteristics of library information technology (IT) workers using a mail survey. The IT workers showed a moderate level of a sense of belonging, playing the broker's role, job autonomy, and job satisfaction. There were differences between librarian IT workers and non-librarian IT workers regarding most of these…

Feeling good about the iron rice bowl: Economic sector and happiness in post-reform urban China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jia; Xie, Yu

2015-09-01

Situated in China's market transition, this study examines the relationship between economic sector and a worker's happiness in post-reform urban China. Using datasets from the Chinese General Social Surveys 2003, 2006 and 2008, we find that workers in the state sector enjoy a subjective premium in well-being - reporting significantly higher levels of happiness than their counterparts in the private sector. We also find that during a period when a large wave of workers moved from the state sector to the private sector, those remaining in the state sector reported being significantly happier than did former state sector workers who had moved, whether the move was voluntary or involuntary. We attribute the higher level of reported happiness in the state sector than in the private sector to the disparity by sector in the provision of social welfare benefits. Those who made voluntary state-to-private moves experienced a trade-off in enjoying higher payoffs while losing job security, whereas involuntary mobiles experienced downward mobility and suffered a long-term psychological penalty. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Injuries among solid waste collectors in the private versus public sectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunn, Terry L; Slavova, Svetla; Tang, Minao

2011-10-01

Solid waste collection is among the occupations with the highest risk for injuries and illnesses. Solid waste collector injuries were characterized in terms of injury risk and employment industry sector (public versus private) using Kentucky workers' compensation first reports of injury and claims data. When compared to 35-44-year-old workers, solid waste collectors who were under 35 years of age were less likely to have a workers' compensation first report of injury or claim that resulted in awarded benefits. The probability that a workers' compensation first report of injury or claim would result in an awarded benefit was higher if the worker was employed as a solid waste collector in the private sector compared to the public sector, or was injured due to a motor vehicle-related injury or a push-or-pull type of injury. A better understanding of the differences in the contributing factors for an injury that results in a first report of injury or claim with awarded benefits (e.g., job activities, new and refresher worker safety training, type of equipment used, differences in collection vehicle automation, and differential reporting of injuries on the job) between the public and private sectors is necessary to target injury prevention strategies in this high-risk occupation.

Competition, Jobs, and Information Policy: The Case for Private-Sector Information Services: U.S. Patents.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebersole, Joseph L.

1994-01-01

Discusses the argument for private-sector involvement in the distribution of government information, using U.S. patents as an example. Highlights include industry competitiveness; jobs creation; public access; identifying users; costs; user fees; existing systems of information dissemination; and implications of the Internet and NREN (National…

Generating solutions : summary of the Electricity Sector Council's review of foreign credential recognition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-03-01

The Electricity Sector Council has recognized the increasing requirement to recruit and retain internationally trained workers to offset the anticipated retirement of up to 40 per cent of skilled workers in this sector by 2014. This document provided a brief summary of the review of foreign credential recognition in Canada's Electricity Council which was prepared in February 2008. The purpose of the study was to capture a perceptive picture of Canada's electricity labour force and to assist the Electricity Sector Council in the potential development and implementation of strategies to facilitate the integration of internationally trained workers into Canada's electricity sector. This synopsis report presented the analysis of the study including a discussion of immigration trends; foreign credential recognition in Canada's electricity sector; immigration profiles by region; case study profiles; and recommendations. It was recommended that resources be researched, developed and provided in order to help stakeholders attract, recruit, retain and integrate internationally trained workers. 2 refs

European scale climate information services for water use sectors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vliet, van M.T.H.; Donnelly, Chantal; Strömbäck, Lena; Capell, René; Ludwig, Fulco

2015-01-01

This study demonstrates a climate information service for pan-European water use sectors that are vulnerable to climate change induced hydrological changes, including risk and safety (disaster preparedness), agriculture, energy (hydropower and cooling water use for thermoelectric power) and

African Women in the Entrepreneurial Landscape: reconsidering the formal and informal sectors

OpenAIRE

Spring, Anita

2006-01-01

Informal and formal can be seen as «dual economies» of African countries. Governments oTen concern themselves with the formal, while development agencies oTen support the informal. This paper discusses the full landscape of entrepreneurship, considering both sectors, and the range from small to large within each. It queries whether or not there can be movement within and between sectors, and if the «rages to riches» upward movement, as seen in developed countries, is possible i...

Alternative models for restructuring Ontario's electric sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bright, D.; Salaff, S.

1996-01-01

The future of Ontario Hydro and the provincial electrical sector was discussed. Various models proposed for restructuring Ontario's electric sector were described and views of some of the stake holders were presented, among them the views of AMPCO, MEA, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, IPPSO, Ontario Hydro Management, Energy Probe and the Power Workers' Union. In general, most stake holders were in favour of privatization to some degree except for the Power Workers' Union which was unalterably opposed to privatization, claiming that it would lead to quantum increases in electricity rates. 2 figs

Work Motivation and Incentives in the Public Sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Zoutenbier (Robin)

2015-01-01

markdownabstractThe public sector makes up for an important part of our economy. According to estimates by the OECD (2008) a large share of the labor force in OECD countries is employed by the public sector. These public sector workers provide a wide range of goods and services to the public.

Dedicated memory structure holding data for detecting available worker thread(s) and informing available worker thread(s) of task(s) to execute

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiu, George L.; Eichenberger, Alexandre E.; O' Brien, John K. P.

2016-12-13

The present disclosure relates generally to a dedicated memory structure (that is, hardware device) holding data for detecting available worker thread(s) and informing available worker thread(s) of task(s) to execute.

A fair day's wage? Perceptions of public sector pay.

Science.gov (United States)

Furnham, Adrian; Stieger, Stefan; Haubner, Tanja; Voracek, Martin; Swami, Viren

2009-12-01

There is a scarcity of evidence pertaining to the general public's perception of public sector pay. Hence, in the present study, 161 women and 149 men were asked to estimate the wages 35 public sector professions should receive annually in the fictitious nation of Maldoria, based on a comparison value of an annual income of T10,000 for general practitioners. Analysis showed that only pilots were given a higher annual income than general practitioners; miners and local government workers were also provided with relatively high annual incomes. By contrast, newscasters were provided with the lowest annual income. Participants' sex did not affect these evaluations, and other demographic variables and public sector-related information of the participants were poor predictors of their evaluations. The implications of this research on public attitudes toward wage determination are discussed, and avenues for further research highlighted.

Approaches to formalization of the informal waste sector into municipal solid waste management systems in low- and middle-income countries: Review of barriers and success factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Aparcana, Sandra

2017-03-01

The Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) sector represents a major challenge for low-and middle-income countries due to significant environmental and socioeconomic issues involving rapid urbanization, their MSWM systems, and the existence of the informal waste sector. Recognizing its role, several countries have implemented various formalization measures, aiming to address the social problems linked to this sector. However, regardless of these initiatives, not all attempts at formalization have proved successful due to the existence of barriers preventing their implementation in the long term. Along with this, there is a frequent lack of knowledge or understanding regarding these barriers and the kind of measures that may enable formalization, thereby attaining a win-win situation for all the stakeholders involved. In this context, policy- and decision-makers in the public and private sectors are frequently confronted with the dilemma of finding workable approaches to formalization, adjusted to their particular MSWM contexts. Building on the review of frequently implemented approaches to formalization, including an analysis of the barriers to and enabling measures for formalization, this paper aims to address this gap by explaining to policy- and decision-makers, and to waste managers in the private sector, certain dynamics that can be observed and that should be taken into account when designing formalization strategies that are adapted to their particular socioeconomic and political-institutional context. This includes possible links between formalization approaches and barriers, the kinds of barriers that need to be removed, and enabling measures leading to successful formalization in the long term. This paper involved a literature review of common approaches to formalization, which were classified into three categories: (1) informal waste workers organized in associations or cooperatives; (2) organized in CBOs or MSEs; and (3) contracted as individual

Analysis Income Business Food and Beverage Informal Sector in Kecamatan Tampan City Pekanbaru

OpenAIRE

Sari, Novi Ulya; Khaswarina, Shorea; Muwardi, Didi

2014-01-01

A development is an effort to gain the more and the better life. There are 4 indicators in gaining the development they are economic change, human resources, social inhibition and the high of life needed. A development in the development country likes Indonesia, generally more consider the development of economic sector in the hope of much progressed in production of job vacancy.There are two kinds of economic activities, they are from formal sector and informal one. Formal sector is a sector...

What determines whether top public sector executives actually use performance information?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G. Hammerschmid (Gerhard); S.G.J. Van de Walle (Steven); V. Štimac (Vid)

2013-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ Performance management has permeated public sector organizations worldwide over the last decades. At its core is the idea of using such information for decision making in a systematic form. Externally, performance information can be used to showcase performance, to

Incentives for retaining and motivating health workers in Pacific and Asian countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tulloch Jim

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract This paper was initiated by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID after identifying the need for an in-depth synthesis and analysis of available literature and information on incentives for retaining health workers in the Asia-Pacific region. The objectives of this paper are to: 1. Highlight the situation of health workers in Pacific and Asian countries to gain a better understanding of the contributing factors to health worker motivation, dissatisfaction and migration. 2. Examine the regional and global evidence on initiatives to retain a competent and motivated health workforce, especially in rural and remote areas. 3. Suggest ways to address the shortages of health workers in Pacific and Asian countries by using incentives. The review draws on literature and information gathered through a targeted search of websites and databases. Additional reports were gathered through AusAID country offices, UN agencies, and non-government organizations. The severe shortage of health workers in Pacific and Asian countries is a critical issue that must be addressed through policy, planning and implementation of innovative strategies – such as incentives – for retaining and motivating health workers. While economic factors play a significant role in the decisions of workers to remain in the health sector, evidence demonstrates that they are not the only factors. Research findings from the Asia-Pacific region indicate that salaries and benefits, together with working conditions, supervision and management, and education and training opportunities are important. The literature highlights the importance of packaging financial and non-financial incentives. Each country facing shortages of health workers needs to identify the underlying reasons for the shortages, determine what motivates health workers to remain in the health sector, and evaluate the incentives required for maintaining a competent and motivated health workforce

Doses to worker groups in the nuclear industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, T.; Baum, J.W.

1992-01-01

This article presents some of the results of a study carried out at the Brookhaven National Laboratory's ALARA Center on doses to various worker groups in the U.S. nuclear industry. In this study, data from workers in the industry were divided into male and female groups; the average radiation dose of these tow groups and the correlation of dose with age are presented. The male and female workers were further considered in the various sectors of the industry, and correlations of dose with age for each sector were investigated. For male workers, a downward correlation with age was observed, while for women there appeared to be a slight upward correlation. Data form 13 PWR and 9 BWR plants shows that a small, but important, group of workers would be affected by the NCRP proposed constraint of workers' lifetime dose in rem being maintained less than their ages. Various techniques proposed by the plants to reduce dose to this critical group of workers are also presented

Is presenteeism less prevalent among public sector employees than private sector employees?

OpenAIRE

Gominho, Nuno Manuel Afonso

2016-01-01

Presenteeism is a relatively new concept meaning working while sick. It is though to account for a large amount of productivity loss due to illness. Presenteeism’s body of literature is reviewed. This paper focuses on differences between public and private organizations, and between men and women. Survey data (n=235) was collected from the region of Ferrol, Spain. Evidence is found to suggest that private sector workers, but not public workers, come to work ill because they fea...

A Preliminary Study of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Pesticide Use Among Oil Palm Workers in Johor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Mior S.N.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Agricultural sector is a fundamental activity that has been practiced since the civilization of Babylonian, which also has been proven by the glory of Nile River Valley and Mekong Valley. History has shown that the migration of investors and foreign labors in Malaysia in 1960 was to be harvested fortune from the land due to its fertility and suitability. As a developing country, agriculture is one of the important sectors in Malaysia that contributes towards the national economy development. The mentioned sector has indirectly provided benefits both local and global perspectives either in terms of business opportunity as well as employment opportunity. In general, this study aims to assess the level of knowledge, practices and attitudes in the use of pesticides in oil palm plantation workers in Johor. The findings of this study will be used as reference in the farming industry, particularly for the awareness and understanding of good farm management practices and safety for agricultural workers by providing information regarding precautionary measures. This study will engage oil palm workers in Johor which are tasked to carry out pesticides handling activities. A total of 138 respondents were selected for the study. The methodology approaches that will be used in this study are questionnaire and interview. The results of this study will be used as reference in the farming industry, particularly the awareness and understanding of good farm management practices and safety for agricultural Workers By Informing Them Of A Precautionary Measure.

Anthropometric characteristics and evaluation of nutritional status amongst female brick field workers of the unorganized sectors of West Bengal, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Sett, M; Sahu, S

2016-06-01

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the body composition and hand grip strength as indirect measures of nutritional status of 162 female workers and the status of the serum oxidative stress enzymes of 35 female workers engaged in the manual brick making units of the unorganized sectors of West Bengal, India. Results show that the waist-hip ratio values (mean 0.79 vs. 0.83; p=0.0034) are significantly greater amongst the brick carriers than the moulders. The body density (mean 1067.0 vs. 1056.0kg/m(3); pright (mean 379.52 vs. 267.72N; pwomen are poorly nourished. The hand grip strength is quite high in both groups of workers but consecutively decreases with the passage of time. Reduced levels of GSH and GST indicate that there is a higher level of reactive oxygen species inducing oxidative stress in the body. The probable causes of this state might be the intake of less nutritious food, polluted environment, excess ambient temperature and improper workstation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Educación, Experiencia e Ingresos en el Sector Informal en Colombia

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Augusto Peñaranda Sanjuán

2004-06-01

Full Text Available

Introducción

La teoría del capital humano muestra los ingresos de un trabajador como un retorno a los conocimientos adquiridos a través de los años de escolaridad y de experiencia laboral. Con los primeros trabajos de Becker (1966, y Hanoch (1967 se inició la literatura al respecto y posteriormente Mincer (1974 propuso una regresión lineal como una metodología para calcular la contribución de la escolaridad y la experiencia en los ingresos de los trabajadores. La ecuación de regresión de Mincer llamada “ función de ingresos”, incluye el logaritmo del ingreso como variable explicada y la escolaridad y los años de experiencia como variables explicatorias. Muchos estudiosos que siguieron al trabajo pionero de Mincer estiman que la ecuación de regresión de Mincer en diferentes contextos resaltan la importancia adicional de características de la comunidad en general , factores institucionales y otros atributos como raza, religión y genero. Otros estudios enfatizan sobre la importancia que tiene la antigüedad en el actual empleo sobre la antigüedad total en el mercado laboral, sugiriendo que en especial la antigüedad puede ser determinante en los ingresos del individuo. (Abraham 1987. (Psacharopolous 1985.

En este trabajo queremos estimar la función de ingresos para el sector informal de los trabajadores en Colombia, durante el período comprendido entre 1988 y 1998, teniendo en cuenta las variables de escolaridad, experiencia y antigüedad laboral o permanencia en el último empleo. También queremos estimar la función de acuerdo con el género y con la variable escolaridad discriminada de acuerdo con el nivel de educación como primaria, bachillerato, universidad y * Magíster en Economía, Universidad Javeriana. Otorrinolaringólogo de la Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Trabajo de ingreso a la Academia como Miembro Correspondiente. mayores, lo cual nos permite examinar las diferencias que existan y sus

[Occupational risks of a shoe industry from the workers' perspective].

Science.gov (United States)

Luz, Fernanda Reinher da; Loro, Marli Maria; Zeitoune, Regina Célia Gollner; Kolankiewicz, Adriane Cristina Bernat; Rosanelli, Cleci Schmidt Piovesan

2013-01-01

This is a qualitative and descriptive study, which aimed to identify the occupational risks of a shoe industry, as well as the preventive measures taken against those risks, from the workers' perspective. The sample consisted of fifteen workers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed according to content analysis. The ethical aspects were respected and the research was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research of the Northwest Regional University of Rio Grande do Sul. The results showed that the workers are aware of the risks of their work process, made use of safety measures for personal protection, and the company offers safety devices, informing and performing periodical visits to the sectors, aiming to develop educational actions.

Information Technology and Value Creation in the Public Sector Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Min-Seok

2011-01-01

In this dissertation, I study the performance impact of information technology (IT) investments in the public sector. IT has been one of the key assets in public administration since the early MIS era. Even though the information systems (IS) discipline has witnessed a considerable amount of research efforts on the subject of IT business value for…

Applying the Rasch Model to Measure Mobility of Women: A Comparative Analysis of Mobility of Informal Workers in Fisheries in Kerala, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Menon, Nikhila

2016-01-01

Mobility or freedom and ability to move is gendered in many cultural contexts. In this paper I analyse mobility associated with work from the capability approach perspective of Sen. This is an empirical paper which uses the Rasch Rating Scale Model (RSM) to construct the measure of mobility of women for the first time in the development studies discourse. I construct a measure of mobility (latent trait) of women workers engaged in two types of informal work, namely, peeling work and fish vending, in fisheries in the cultural context of India. The scale measure enables first, to test the unidimensionality of my construct of mobility of women and second, to analyse the domains of mobility of women workers. The comparative analysis of the scale of permissibility of mobility constructed using the RSM for the informal women workers shows that women face constraints on mobility in social and personal spaces in the socially advanced state of Kerala in India. Work mobility does not expand the real freedoms, hence work mobility can be termed as bounded capability which is a capability limited or bounded by either the social, cultural and gender norms or a combination of all of these. Therefore at the macro level, growth in informal employment in sectors like fisheries which improve mobility of women through work mobility does not necessarily expand the capability sets by contributing to greater freedoms and transformational mobility. This paper has a significant methodological contribution in that it uses an innovative method for the measurement of mobility of women in the development studies discipline.

The informed radiation worker and fetal dose policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harshaw, F.B.

1991-01-01

The role of women in a workplace in which radioactive materials and radiation producing equipment are used has never been more controversial than it is now. So important, in fact, has this become that the Supreme Court has decided to hear a case that will have major implication not only for female radiation worker but for all employers and certainly for all health physicist involved in attempting to set a reasonable policy for the female worker and her potential for pregnancy. In this paper, a review of the recent BEIR V information and the UNSCEAR data will be made as well as a review of fetal development. Also, the ALARA requirements will be reviewed. Finally, risk perception will be discussed

Space Sharing Between Formal and Informal Sectors In Kemang Area

Science.gov (United States)

Sihombing, Antony; Dewanti, Hafizka Chandra

2018-01-01

Sharing is a form of human activity as a social being, over resources or spaces. Humans generally define their space according to their psychological and biological needs. However, what if space sharing takes place in an urban scope? The phenomenon of space sharing happens in Kemang area done by two distinct sectors, formal and informal which both are engaged in commercial activities independently. In the study of territory and the behavior settings, the quality of environment can affect the formation of human activities in a space, occurs a phenomenon of space sharing. The researcher will discuss and present a form of the space sharing by the formal and informal sectors in a commercial area through different environmental qualities. In some circumstance, a form of space sharing can increase the value of space and obtain to a shared space, where both sectors mutually take benefits. Otherwise, it leads to an adverse impact in some others. It is clear that differences in the physical environment and social environment have an impact on the formation of space sharing and the value of space in an urban region.

Brief biopsychosocially informed education can improve insurance workers? back pain beliefs: Implications for improving claims management behaviours

OpenAIRE

Beales, Darren; Mitchell, Tim; Pole, Naomi; Weir, James

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Biopsychosocially informed education is associated with improved back pain beliefs and positive changes in health care practitioners? practice behaviours. OBJECTIVE: Assess the effect of this type of education for insurance workers who are important non-clinical stakeholders in the rehabilitation of injured workers. METHODS: Insurance workers operating in the Western Australian workers? compensation system underwent two, 1.5 hour sessions of biopsychosocially informed education fo...

Short Term Gain, Long Term Pain:Informal Job Search Methods and Post-Displacement Outcomes

OpenAIRE

Green, Colin

2012-01-01

This paper examines the role of informal job search methods on the labour market outcomes of displaced workers. Informal job search methods could alleviate short-term labour market difficulties of displaced workers by providing information on job opportunities, allowing them to signal their productivity and may mitigate wage losses through better post-displacement job matching. However if displacement results from reductions in demand for specific sectors/skills, the use of informal job searc...

Does Indonesian National Health Insurance serve a potential for improving health equity in favour of workers in informal economy?

OpenAIRE

Kartika, Dwintha Maya

2015-01-01

This study examines whether Indonesian national health insurance system promotes health equity in favour of informal economy workers. It first lays out the theoretical justification on the need of social protection, particularly health protection for informal workers. The paper argues that the absence of health protection for vulnerable informal workers in Indonesia has reinforced health inequity between formal and informal workers, thus provides a justification on extending health protection...

Integration of the informal sector into municipal solid waste management in the Philippines - What does it need?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul, Johannes G., E-mail: jp.aht.p3@gmail.com [GIZ-AHT Project Office SWM4LGUs, c/o DENR, Iloilo City (Philippines); Arce-Jaque, Joan [GIZ-AHT Project Office SWM4LGUs, c/o DENR, Iloilo City (Philippines); Ravena, Neil; Villamor, Salome P. [General Service Office, City Government, Iloilo City (Philippines)

2012-11-15

The integration of the informal sector into municipal solid waste management is a challenge many developing countries face. In Iloilo City, Philippines around 220 tons of municipal solid waste are collected every day and disposed at a 10 ha large dumpsite. In order to improve the local waste management system the Local Government decided to develop a new Waste Management Center with integrated landfill. However, the proposed area is adjacent to the presently used dumpsite where more than 300 waste pickers dwell and depend on waste picking as their source of livelihood. The Local Government recognized the hidden threat imposed by the waste picker's presence for this development project and proposed various measures to integrate the informal sector into the municipal solid waste management (MSWM) program. As a key intervention a Waste Workers Association, called USWAG Calahunan Livelihood Association Inc. (UCLA) was initiated and registered as a formal business enterprise in May 2009. Up to date, UCLA counts 240 members who commit to follow certain rules and to work within a team that jointly recovers wasted materials. As a cooperative they are empowered to explore new livelihood options such as the recovery of Alternative Fuels for commercial (cement industry) and household use, production of compost and making of handicrafts out of used packages. These activities do not only provide alternative livelihood for them but also lessen the generation of leachate and Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions from waste disposal, whereby the life time of the proposed new sanitary landfill can be extended likewise.

Government Assistance for Informal Sector Enterprises in Nigeria: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study also found that the major problems militating against tire repair service are fuel scarcity, spare part problem, lack of access to credit and multiple taxes. Based on the findings above, there is the need to refocus government informal sector support instruments through improved funding. The government should also ...

Promoting Sustainable Tax Compliance in the Informal Sector in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Our findings revealed several causes of tax compliance problem in the informal sector in Nigeria. Among which are high tax, rate, inadequate provision of public goods and services, lack of transparency and accountability of public funds, poor funding of tax boards, absence of functional tax audit, lack of reciprocity and ...

Sources of Labor Growth in Malaysian Manufacturing Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poo Bee Tin

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The manufacturing sector plays an important role in Malaysianindustrial development. High growth rates and technology expan-sion in the manufacturing sector resulted in a substantial increasein demand for labor. This process of rapid growth and changes in thedemand for labor were also accompanied by changes in laborstructure and skills. At the same time, the range of activities andproducts became more diversified and, correspondingly the compo-sition of manpower sub sectors changed significantly. This studyemployed the input-output Structural Decomposition Analysis (SDA.The analysis computed the compositional manpower change as aresult of decomposition. The result of this study indicates thatsources of labor growth in the manufacturing sector were favored bychanges in the final demand structure. Within the changes in thefinal demand structure, changes in domestic demand structure werethe dominant source of employment growth between 1978 and 1991and the overall period 1978-2000. However, from 1991 to 2000,employment change was due mainly to changes in export structure.Changes in the structure of domestic demand had a relatively strongand increasing effect on service workers, production and relatedworkers, transport equipment operators, laborers, and clerical andrelated workers during the 1978-1991 period. Changes in the exportstructure were the main factor that had an increasing effect on the employment of high skill workers and sales workers. However,during the second sub period of 1991-2000, manpower growth wasexports structure driven. Keywords: input-output; labor; manufacturing; structural decomposition analysis

Precarious Working Conditions and Exploitation of Workers in the Nigerian Informal Economy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akeem Ayofe Akinwale

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Situations in the informal economy expose workers to dangers without opportunity for hazard pay, thereby reflecting exploitation. Based on the Marxist theory of conflict, this paper examines the extent of precarious working conditions and exploitation of workers in the Nigerian informal economy. A total of 500 respondents randomly selected from various informal economy organizations participated in the survey conducted in Lagos State, Nigeria. The findings revealed that most of the respondents (76.4% had worked for up to five years consecutively, followed by a few (18%, who had worked for up to ten years consecutively. Their monthly income ranged from 10,000 naira ($60 to 80,000 naira ($485. Their mean monthly income was 30,000 naira ($182. Most of them (73.5% worked for 10 to 12 hours daily, while 26.5% worked for seven to nine hours daily. The experience of low pay with relatively long daily working hours shows the extent of exploitation in the Nigerian informal economy. Several background characteristics, such as gender, age, level of education, and marital status influenced the workers’ experience of precarious working conditions and exploitation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a progressive workplace policy that can ensure decent work and adequate protection for workers in the Nigerian informal economy.

Informality wears uniform: Beauty salons’ workers in Santiago, Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosario Palacios Ruiz de Gamboa

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This article examines how flexible work economy has been affecting a group of beauty salons’ workers in Santiago, Chile. They do not have a work contract and receive their payment as if they were giving an independent service, but depend on the rules their bosses impose them. The kind of work described in the article appears to be a new arrangement within the context of urban informality, which has present and future implications regarding social security and uncertainty. Drawing on ethnographic observation in four beauty salons, I describe how the embodied belief of being an independent worker helps to enact many skills required by the flexible work economy.

ERISA failures and the erosion of workers' rights: the urgent need to protect private & public workers' pension and benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, James P; Bales, Richard A

On March 11, 2011, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin signed into law a bill that eliminated most collective bargaining rights for the state's public-sector workers. Many other cash-strapped states followed Wisconsin's lead and introduced or enacted similar restraints on the rights of their workers. Thousands of public workers, whose only means of protecting their rights rested in their ability to collectively bargain, suddenly found their retirement benefits in jeopardy. This truth highlighted the lack of protections for public worker benefits similar to those of the private sector. However, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, enacted for that purpose, has failed to secure these benefits. This article seeks to provide a broad overview of the crisis facing the pension and benefits system in the United States and offers some possible solutions. More importantly, the goal is to spur discourse on the urgent need to protect the benefits of all workers, public and private.

Benchmarking and Its Relevance to the Library and Information Sector. Interim Findings of "Best Practice Benchmarking in the Library and Information Sector," a British Library Research and Development Department Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinnell, Margaret; Garrod, Penny

This British Library Research and Development Department study assesses current activities and attitudes toward quality management in library and information services (LIS) in the academic sector as well as the commercial/industrial sector. Definitions and types of benchmarking are described, and the relevance of benchmarking to LIS is evaluated.…

Assessment of annual whole-body occupational radiation exposure in education, research and industrial sectors in Ghana (2000-09)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasford, F.; Owusu-banahene, J.; Otoo, F.; Adu, S.; Sosu, E. K.; Amoako, J. K.; Darko, E. O.; Emi-reynolds, G.; Nani, E. K.; Boadu, M.; Arwui, C. C.; Yeboah, J.

2008-01-01

Institutions in the education, research and industrial sectors in Ghana are quite few in comparison to the medical sector. Occupational exposure to radiation in the education, research and industrial sectors in Ghana have been analysed for a 10 y period between 2000 and 2009, by extracting dose data from the database of the Radiation Protection Inst. (Ghana)) Atomic Energy Commission. Thirty-four institutions belonging to the three sectors were monitored out of which ∼65 % were in the industrial sector. During the 10 y study period, monitored institutions ranged from 18 to 23 while the exposed workers ranged from 246 to 156 between 2000 and 2009. Annual collective doses received by all the exposed workers reduced by a factor of 2 between 2000 and 2009. This is seen as a reduction in annual collective doses in education/research and industrial sectors by ∼39 and ∼62 %, respectively, for the 10 y period. Highest and least annual collective doses of 182.0 man mSv and 68.5 man mSv were all recorded in the industrial sector in 2000 and 2009, respectively. Annual average values for dose per institution and dose per exposed worker decreased by 49 and 42.9 %, respectively, between 2000 and 2009. Average dose per exposed worker for the 10 y period was least in the industrial sector and highest in the education/research sector with values 0.6 and 3.7 mSv, respectively. The mean of the ratio of annual occupationally exposed worker (OEW) doses for the industrial sector to the annual OEW doses for the education/research sector was 0.67, a suggestion that radiation protection practices are better in the industrial sector than they are in the education/research sector. Range of institutional average effective doses within the education/research and industrial sectors were 0.059-6.029, and 0.110-2.945 mSv, respectively. An average dose per all three sectors of 11.87 mSv and an average dose per exposed worker of 1.12 mSv were realised for the entire study period. The entire

Purchasing power of civil servant health workers in Mozambique.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrinho, Fátima; Amaral, Marta; Russo, Giuliano; Ferrinho, Paulo

2012-01-01

Health workers' purchasing power is an important consideration in the development of strategies for health workforce development. This work explores the purchasing power variation of Mozambican public sector health workers, between 1999 and 2007. In general, the calculated purchasing power increased for most careers under study, and the highest percentage increase was observed for the lowest remuneration careers, contributing in this way for a relative reduction in the difference between the higher and the lower salaries. This was done through a simple and easy-to-apply methodology to estimate salaries' capitalization rate, by means of the accumulated inflation rate, after taking wage revisions into account. All the career categories in the Ministry of Health and affiliated public sector institutions were considered. Health workers' purchasing power is an important consideration in the development of strategies for health workforce development. This work explores the purchasing power variation of Mozambican public sector health workers, between 1999 and 2007. In general, the calculated purchasing power increased for most careers under study, and the highest percentage increase was observed for the lowest remuneration careers, contributing in this way for a relative reduction in the difference between the higher and the lower salaries. These results seem to contradict a commonly held assumption that health sector pay has deteriorated over the years, and with substantial damage for the poorest. Further studies appear to be needed to design a more accurate methodology to better understand the evolution and impact of public sector health workers' remunerations across the years.

Healthcare Workers and Workplace Violence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tevfik Pinar

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Workplace violence is a threatening worldwide public health problem. Healthcare workers have under particular risk of workplace violence, and they are being exposed to violence 4-16 times more than other service workers. The frequency of violence in the health sector in the world has indicated in different range of results since there is no consistent definition of workplace violence and differences in research methodology (any type of violence: 22,0% - 60,0%; physical violence: 2,6% - 57,0%; verbal violence: 24,3% - 82,0%; sexual harassment: %1,9 - 10,5%. All healthcare workers have right to work in a safe working place. The safety of healthcare workers should deserve the same priority as patient safety. Various risk factors including social, cultural, environmental, organizational and personal elements play a role in the formation of workplace violence that is very important for our country. Considering all those factors, the workplace violence in health sector should be seriously handled and the strategies and policies must be developed for prevention. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2013; 12(3.000: 315-326

Generating solutions : summary of the Electricity Sector Council's review of foreign credential recognition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2008-03-15

The Electricity Sector Council has recognized the increasing requirement to recruit and retain internationally trained workers to offset the anticipated retirement of up to 40 per cent of skilled workers in this sector by 2014. This document provided a brief summary of the review of foreign credential recognition in Canada's Electricity Council which was prepared in February 2008. The purpose of the study was to capture a perceptive picture of Canada's electricity labour force and to assist the Electricity Sector Council in the potential development and implementation of strategies to facilitate the integration of internationally trained workers into Canada's electricity sector. This synopsis report presented the analysis of the study including a discussion of immigration trends; foreign credential recognition in Canada's electricity sector; immigration profiles by region; case study profiles; and recommendations. It was recommended that resources be researched, developed and provided in order to help stakeholders attract, recruit, retain and integrate internationally trained workers. 2 refs.

Possible Effects of the Financial Crisis on Managers’ Attitudes to Older Workers

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Per Erik Solem

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The article explores the possible short-term effects of the financial crisis in Norway on cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of managers’ attitudes to older workers. The quick shifts in business cycles in 2008 and 2009, i.e., the financial crisis, produced some immediate reactions among managers. In particular, the protection of older workers by downsizing (the seniority principle gained less support within the first half year of the crisis; however, there was a return to the former level of support within the next half year. This pattern of change was observed in the private sector, while managers in the public sector changed attitudes on a smaller scale and in the direction of increased support for the seniority principle. The data are from the Norwegian Senior Policy Barometer where national samples of managers in private companies and in the public sector are interviewed. The study has a time series design with new samples (N=750 each year from 2003 to 2011. The cognitive component of attitudes was less affected by the financial crisis than the behavioral disposition mentioned above. The tendency was for more positive conceptions of older workers among managers in the public sector. In the private sector, the views of managers changed even less and in the opposite direction. An impact of more gradual business cycles is seen in the affective component of attitudes. Yet, older workers are among the least popular categories to recruit in both rising and falling cycles. The finding that managers in the private sector are more affected than managers in the less market-exposed public sector supports the possible effects of the financial crisis on attitudes to older workers. For senior policy, it is notable to keep track of long-term trends and not to be beset by short-term shifts in the need for older workers. Lasting effects of falling business cycles on the employment of older workers may be prevented by reinforcing a solid basis

78 FR 4858 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, Form I-140...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-23

...-0015] Agency Information Collection Activities: Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, Form I-140... Approved Collection. (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker. (3) Agency form... other for-profit. The information furnished on Form I-140 will be used by USCIS to classify aliens under...

77 FR 65706 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-30

...-0015] Agency Information Collection Activities: Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, Form I-140... Form/Collection: Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker. (3) Agency form number, if any, and the... information furnished on Form I-140 will be used by USCIS to classify aliens under sections 203(b)(1), 203(b...

Do working environment interventions reach shift workers?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Jørgensen, Marie Birk; Garde, Anne Helene

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: Shift workers are exposed to more physical and psychosocial stressors in the working environment as compared to day workers. Despite the need for targeted prevention, it is likely that workplace interventions less frequently reach shift workers. The aim was therefore to investigate whether...... the reach of workplace interventions varied between shift workers and day workers and whether such differences could be explained by the quality of leadership exhibited at different times of the day. METHODS: We used questionnaire data from 5361 female care workers in the Danish eldercare sector...

Investigating nurse practitioners in the private sector: a theoretically informed research protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Margaret; Gardner, Glenn; Yates, Patsy

2017-06-01

To report a study protocol and the theoretical framework normalisation process theory that informs this protocol for a case study investigation of private sector nurse practitioners. Most research evaluating nurse practitioner service is focused on public, mainly acute care environments where nurse practitioner service is well established with strong structures for governance and sustainability. Conversely, there is lack of clarity in governance for emerging models in the private sector. In a climate of healthcare reform, nurse practitioner service is extending beyond the familiar public health sector. Further research is required to inform knowledge of the practice, operational framework and governance of new nurse practitioner models. The proposed research will use a multiple exploratory case study design to examine private sector nurse practitioner service. Data collection includes interviews, surveys and audits. A sequential mixed method approach to analysis of each case will be conducted. Findings from within-case analysis will lead to a meta-synthesis across all four cases to gain a holistic understanding of the cases under study, private sector nurse practitioner service. Normalisation process theory will be used to guide the research process, specifically coding and analysis of data using theory constructs and the relevant components associated with those constructs. This article provides a blueprint for the research and describes a theoretical framework, normalisation process theory in terms of its flexibility as an analytical framework. Consistent with the goals of best research practice, this study protocol will inform the research community in the field of primary health care about emerging research in this field. Publishing a study protocol ensures researcher fidelity to the analysis plan and supports research collaboration across teams. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Using CSR to mitigate information asymmetry in the banking sector

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Semenescu Andreea

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the power of corporate social responsibility to reduce information asymmetry and to act as a marketing instrument in the banking sector. Trust is the most important asset of a bank. Therefore, banks are motivated to use the most effective instruments to diminish information asymmetry with their stakeholders. The fact that cash disbursements in CSR actions are not directed towards shareholders makes them more valuable signals to other stakeholders regarding the financial soundness of the bank. The empirical study conducted based on limited dependent variable models supports the effectiveness of the CSR as marketing instrument in banking. It reveals the circumstances associated to a higher probability of an active CSR policy conducted by a banking institution. The results support the hypothesis that in the banking sector CSR is perceived as an instrument which helps stakeholders reduce information asymmetry. As marketing instrument, CSR contributes to increasing the tangibility of the banking products, decreasing their perceived variability and thus making them more attractive for the clients and allowing for differentiation between competitors.

Is the societal burden of fatal occupational injury different among NORA industry sectors?

Science.gov (United States)

Biddle, Elyce Anne

2013-02-01

Since the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, safety and health in the work environment has seen marked improvement. Although these improvements are laudable, workplace hazards continue to plague the American worker. Understanding the economic burden of fatalities by industry sector is important to setting broad occupational safety and health research priorities. Cost estimates provide additional information about how fatal injuries affect society and hence can improve injury prevention program planning, policy analysis, evaluation, and advocacy. This study estimated the total, mean, and median societal costs by worker and case characteristic in 2003-2006 for the industry sectors identified in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). Analyses were conducted with restricted access to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data. These data exclude military personnel, decedents with unknown age or sex, and fatalities occurring in New York City. Societal costs were estimated using the cost-of-illness approach, which combines direct and indirect costs to yield an overall cost of an fatal occupational injury. During this period, the cost of the 22,197 fatal occupational injuries exceeded $21 billion. The mean and median costs of these fatalities were $960,000 and $944,000 respectively. Total societal costs by NORA sector ranged from a high of $5.8 billion in Services to a low of $530 million in Healthcare and Social Assistance with mean costs ranging from the nearly $800,000 in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing to almost $1.1 million in Mining. The societal costs-total, mean, and median costs-of case and worker characteristics for occupational fatal injuries varied within each NORA sector. To have the greatest societal impact, these costs can be used to target resources for public and private sector research by industry. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Is the Societal burden of fatal occupational injury different among NORA industry sectors?

Science.gov (United States)

Biddle, Elyce Anne

2015-01-01

Problem Since the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, safety and health in the work environment has seen marked improvement. Although these improvements are laudable, workplace hazards continue to plague the American worker. Understanding the economic burden of fatalities by industry sector is important to setting broad occupational safety and health research priorities. Cost estimates provide additional information about how fatal injuries affect society and hence can improve injury prevention program planning, policy analysis, evaluation, and advocacy. Method This study estimated the total, mean, and median societal costs by worker and case characteristic in 2003–2006 for the industry sectors identified in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). Analyses were conducted with restricted access to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data. These data exclude military personnel, decedents with unknown age or sex, and fatalities occurring in New York City. Societal costs were estimated using the cost-of-illness approach, which combines direct and indirect costs to yield an overall cost of an fatal occupational injury. Results During this period, the cost of the 22,197 fatal occupational injuries exceeded $21 billion. The mean and median costs of these fatalities were $960,000 and $944,000 respectively. Total societal costs by NORA sector ranged from a high of $5.8 billion in Services to a low of $530 million in Healthcare and Social Assistance with mean costs ranging from the nearly $800,000 in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing to almost $1.1 million in Mining. Discussion The societal costs—total, mean, and median costs—of case and worker characteristics for occupational fatal injuries varied within each NORA sector. Impact on Industry To have the greatest societal impact, these costs can be used to target resources for public and private sector

[Workplace safety in private companies of freights and on the road workers: comparison between small and medium enterprises].

Science.gov (United States)

Mannocci, Alice; Gabrijelcic, Simona; Di Thiene, Domitilla; Saulle, Rosella; Boccia, A; La Torre, G

2012-01-01

The road freight and passenger transport sector exposes the workers of this sector to a considerable health risk. Application of the relative legislation to safeguard worker's safety is an obligation for the employer. The aim of the study was to assess the application of current legislation in the trucking sector and ascertain whether there are differences between large and small enterprises. The study was conducted through direct interview with managers of road freight and passenger transport companies in the Lazio Region in 2009. Information was collected using a questionnaire composed of 77 items concerning risk assessment and organization aspects in the enterprises. The enterprisers were stratified by number of workers and drivers. To detect possible associations the Chi-squared and Fisher's Exact tests were used. A total of 42 enterprisers participated in the study. Significant differences were found between larger enterprisers (10 workers) and smaller enterprises (management aspects, the enterprisers with a higher number of workers were more likely to have a workers' representative for safety compared to the smaller enterprises (respectively 88.9% versus 50.0%) and a road accidents Register (77.8% versus 16.7%), with p < 0.001 significance levels. The risks most frequently assessed, in decreasing order, were: vibrations, manual handling of loads, stress, noise, awkward postures, night work, alcohol consumption, drug addiction and microclimatic conditions. Vibrations, night work and microclimatic conditions risks were assessed to a lower degree in the smaller enterprisers compared to the larger enterprises.

Perceived Impact of Health Sector Reform on Motivation of Health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Perceived Impact of Health Sector Reform on Motivation of Health Workers and Quality of Health Care in Tanzania: the Perspectives of Healthcare Workers and District Council Health Managers in Four Districts.

Examination of the Work Organization Assessment Questionnaire in public sector workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wynne-Jones, Gwenllian; Varnava, Alice; Buck, Rhiannon; Karanika-Murray, Maria; Griffiths, Amanda; Phillips, Ceri; Cox, Tom; Kahn, Sayeed; Main, Chris J

2009-05-01

To investigate the utility of the Work and Organization Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) for public sector data. A cross-sectional survey was performed in public sector organizations measuring demographics, work characteristics, work perceptions (WOAQ), sickness absence, and work performance. Confirmatory factor analysis of the WOAQ showed that factor structure derived for the manufacturing sector, for which the questionnaire was developed, could be replicated moderately well with public sector data. The study then considered whether a better more specific fit for public sector data was possible. Principal components analysis of the public sector data identified a two-factor structure linked to four of the five scales of the WOAQ assessing Management and Work Design, and Work Culture. These two factors may offer a context-sensitive scoring method for the WOAQ in public sector populations. These two factors were found to have good internal consistency, and correlated with the full WOAQ scales and the measures of performance and absence. The WOAQ is a useful and potentially transferable tool. The modified scoring may be used to assess work and organizational factors in the public sector.

Community campaigns, supply chains, and protecting the health and well-being of workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinlan, Michael; Sokas, Rosemary K

2009-11-01

The growth of contingent work (also known as precarious employment), the informal sector, and business practices that diffuse employer responsibility for worker health and safety (such as outsourcing and the development of extended national and international contracting networks [supply chains]) pose a serious threat to occupational health and safety that disproportionately affects low-wage, ethnic minority, and immigrant workers. Drawing on cases from the United States and Australia, we examine the role that community-based campaigns can play in meeting these challenges, including several successful campaigns that incorporate supply chain regulation.

The impact of the information technology on the business sector development

OpenAIRE

Davcev, Ljupco; Kulakov, Andrea

2012-01-01

With the development of information technology, the possibilities for expansion and growth of businesses are increasing. The interaction between business sector and information technology is bringing other new concepts which are affecting the future of business and information technology as two inseparable sciences. Managing business performance is a critical requirement for maximizing business profitability. In fact, in many situations, it is a critical requirement for remaining feasib...

Emerging trends in informal sector recycling in developing and transition countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ezeah, Chukwunonye; Fazakerley, Jak A.; Roberts, Clive L.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Reviewed emerging trends in Informal Sector Recycling (ISR) in developing countries. • In some countries we found that ISR is the key factor in the recycling of waste materials. • Overall impact of ISR upon the urban economy and environment is positive. • In some instances ISR subsidises large areas of the formal sector. • Ignoring the informal sector could result in unsustainable interventions. - Abstract: Optimistic estimates suggest that only 30–70% of waste generated in cities of developing countries is collected for disposal. As a result, uncollected waste is often disposed of into open dumps, along the streets or into water bodies. Quite often, this practice induces environmental degradation and public health risks. Notwithstanding, such practices also make waste materials readily available for itinerant waste pickers. These ‘scavengers’ as they are called, therefore perceive waste as a resource, for income generation. Literature suggests that Informal Sector Recycling (ISR) activity can bring other benefits such as, economic growth, litter control and resources conservation. This paper critically reviews trends in ISR activities in selected developing and transition countries. ISR often survives in very hostile social and physical environments largely because of negative Government and public attitude. Rather than being stigmatised, the sector should be recognised as an important element for achievement of sustainable waste management in developing countries. One solution to this problem could be the integration of ISR into the formal waste management system. To achieve ISR integration, this paper highlights six crucial aspects from literature: social acceptance, political will, mobilisation of cooperatives, partnerships with private enterprises, management and technical skills, as well as legal protection measures. It is important to note that not every country will have the wherewithal to achieve social inclusion and so the

Emerging trends in informal sector recycling in developing and transition countries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ezeah, Chukwunonye, E-mail: C.Ezeah2@wlv.ac.uk; Fazakerley, Jak A.; Roberts, Clive L.

2013-11-15

Highlights: • Reviewed emerging trends in Informal Sector Recycling (ISR) in developing countries. • In some countries we found that ISR is the key factor in the recycling of waste materials. • Overall impact of ISR upon the urban economy and environment is positive. • In some instances ISR subsidises large areas of the formal sector. • Ignoring the informal sector could result in unsustainable interventions. - Abstract: Optimistic estimates suggest that only 30–70% of waste generated in cities of developing countries is collected for disposal. As a result, uncollected waste is often disposed of into open dumps, along the streets or into water bodies. Quite often, this practice induces environmental degradation and public health risks. Notwithstanding, such practices also make waste materials readily available for itinerant waste pickers. These ‘scavengers’ as they are called, therefore perceive waste as a resource, for income generation. Literature suggests that Informal Sector Recycling (ISR) activity can bring other benefits such as, economic growth, litter control and resources conservation. This paper critically reviews trends in ISR activities in selected developing and transition countries. ISR often survives in very hostile social and physical environments largely because of negative Government and public attitude. Rather than being stigmatised, the sector should be recognised as an important element for achievement of sustainable waste management in developing countries. One solution to this problem could be the integration of ISR into the formal waste management system. To achieve ISR integration, this paper highlights six crucial aspects from literature: social acceptance, political will, mobilisation of cooperatives, partnerships with private enterprises, management and technical skills, as well as legal protection measures. It is important to note that not every country will have the wherewithal to achieve social inclusion and so the

LISLEX: Legal Issues of Concern to the Library and Information Sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Oppenheim, Charles

1998-01-01

Examines paparazzi and copyright law, regulation of the Internet, the European Union Database Directive and U.S. efforts to change database laws, Tasini v. The New York Times, freedom of information and access to public sector information, company law and e-mail messages, electronic commerce, cryptography export controls, domain names and trade…

SYSTEM OF INCREASE OF LIBRARY WORKERS INFORMATIVE LITERACY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svitlana M. Ivanova

2011-02-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the problems of modern information and communication technologies use in professional activity of library workers. The methods of increase of librarian informative literacy are offered. The special course aiming to prepare the skilled specialists who can decide innovative tasks on introduction, management and work with electronic resources is described. The tasks which will help listeners to enter in a theory and practice of electronic resources use in a modern library are decided in the course, such as: to form skills for working in electronic libraries; to teach the methods of modernization of informative librarian services on the base of technologies and resources of electronic libraries, freely Eprints software use.

Feeling Good About the Iron Rice Bowl: Economic Sector and Happiness in Post-Reform Urban China*

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jia; Xie, Yu

2015-01-01

Situated in China’s market transition, this study examines the relationship between economic sector and a worker’s happiness in post-reform urban China. Using datasets from the Chinese General Social Surveys 2003, 2006 and 2008, we find that workers in the state sector enjoy a subjective premium in well-being – reporting significantly higher levels of happiness than their counterparts in the private sector. We also find that during a period when a large wave of workers moved from the state sector to the private sector, those remaining in the state sector reported being significantly happier than did former state sector workers who had moved, whether the move was voluntary or involuntary. We attribute the higher level of reported happiness in the state sector than in the private sector to the disparity by sector in the provision of social welfare benefits. Those who made voluntary state-to-private moves experienced a trade-off in enjoying higher payoffs while losing job security, whereas involuntary mobiles experienced downward mobility and suffered a long-term psychological penalty. PMID:26188448

An anthropometric study of Serbian metal industry workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Omić, S; Brkić, V K Spasojevic; Golubović, T A; Brkić, A D; Klarin, M M

2017-01-01

There are recent studies using new industrial workers' anthropometric data in different countries, but for Serbia such data are not available. This study is the first anthropometric study of Serbian metal industry workers in the country, whose labor force is increasingly employed both on local and international markets. The metal industry is one of Serbia's most important economic sectors. To this end, we collected the basic static anthropometric dimensions of 122 industrial workers and used principal components analysis (PCA) to obtain multivariate anthropometric models. To confirm the results, the dimensions of an additional 50 workers were collected. The PCA methodology was also compared with the percentile method. Comparing both data samples, we found that 96% of the participants are within the tolerance ellipsoid. According to this study, multivariate modeling covers a larger extent of the intended population proportion compared to percentiles. The results of this research are useful for the designers of metal industry workstations. This information can be used in dimensioning the workplace, thus increasing job satisfaction, reducing the risk of injuries and fatalities, and consequently increasing productivity and safety.

The adoption of information and communication technologies in the desing sector and their impact on firm performance : evidence from the Dutch Design sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bashir, S.; Matzat, U.; Sadowski, B.M.

2014-01-01

This paper analyzes processes and effects of ICT enabled innovation in the Dutch design sector. Although the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is considered as vital in the design sector, little is known about whether and how ICTs affect the firm performance of small and

Importance of Ergonomics in Desk Workers

OpenAIRE

Gönültaş, Tülin; Aytaç, Necdet; Akbaba, Muhsin

2018-01-01

Therapid development of today's technology has led to an increase in office-styledesk workers, especially in the use of computers, in every sector andworkplace.At desk workers; the continuity of repetitive movements, the fixed orinappropriate position of the body, the loading of small parts of the body suchas hands and wrists, and the speed and continuity of movements threaten thehealth of workers in mid-long term. Especially problems related tomusculoskeletal diseases are seen. The prev...

The decriminalization of prostitution is associated with better coverage of health promotion programs for sex workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Harcourt, Christine; O'Connor, Jody; Egger, Sandra; Fairley, Christopher K; Wand, Handan; Chen, Marcus Y; Marshall, Lewis; Kaldor, John M; Donovan, Basil

2010-10-01

In order to assess whether the law has an impact on the delivery of health promotion services to sex workers, we compared health promotion programs in three Australian cities with different prostitution laws. The cities were Melbourne (brothels legalized if licensed, unlicensed brothels criminalized), Perth (criminalization of all forms of sex work) and Sydney (sex work largely decriminalized, without licensing). We interviewed key informants and gave questionnaires to representative samples of female sex workers in urban brothels. Despite the different laws, each city had a thriving and diverse sex industry and a government-funded sex worker health promotion program with shopfront, phone, online and outreach facilities. The Sydney program was the only one run by a community-based organisation and the only program employing multi-lingual staff with evening outreach to all brothels. The Melbourne program did not service the unlicensed sector, while the Perth program accessed the minority of brothels by invitation only. More Sydney workers reported a sexual health centre as a source of safer sex training and information (Sydney 52% v Melbourne 33% and Perth 35%; plegal context appeared to affect the conduct of health promotion programs targeting the sex industry. Brothel licensing and police-controlled illegal brothels can result in the unlicensed sector being isolated from peer-education and support. © 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation © 2010 Public Health Association of Australia.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE COMPANY PERFORMANCE IN THE SECTOR OF SERVICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BOZGA LIVIU

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Presently, the weight of services sector is increasing in all economies and represents the main element of the gross domestic product in the developed countries. Consequently, in the last decennia, this sector captured the interest of researchers, both in academic and business media. Information Technology (IT represents one of the most dynamic factors contributing to the technical progress in the design, process and supply of all categories of services. The theoretical and practical investigations already demonstrated the potential of the Information Systems adoption and implementation, to improve the organization performances (efficiency, productivity, organization competitiveness and development etc.. However, this potential is not always fully valued. The best performances could be achieved when the IT investments are aligned with internal capabilities and organizational processes within company strategy. The aim of this contribution is to review main published studies investigating the direct and indirect potential effects of IT on company performance in the service sector. There are also addressed issues regarding the measurement difficulties of the IT impacts on organization performance and the limitations generated by the service diversity and the fast dynamics of their market.

Does it pay to be a public-sector employee?

OpenAIRE

Fabien Postel-Vinay

2015-01-01

Direct wage comparisons show that public-sector 
employees earn around 15% more than private-sector employees. But should these differences be interpreted as a “public-sector premium”? Two points need to be considered. First, the public and private sectors differ in the jobs they offer and the type of workers they employ, which explains a large share of the wage gap. Second, public- and private-sector careers also differ in other important dimensions, such as job stability and income progress...

75 FR 51487 - Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation; Proposed Extension of Information Collection...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-20

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Office of Workers' Compensation Programs Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation; Proposed Extension of Information Collection; Comment Request ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a...

Health Information Management System for Elderly Health Sector: A Qualitative Study in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadoughi, Farahnaz; Shahi, Mehraban; Ahmadi, Maryam; Davaridolatabadi, Nasrin

2016-02-01

There are increasing change and development of information in healthcare systems. Given the increase in aging population, managers are in need of true and timely information when making decision. The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of the health information management system for the elderly health sector in Iran. This qualitative study was conducted in two steps. In the first step, required documents for administrative managers were collected using the data gathering form and observed and reviewed by the researcher. In the second step, using an interview guide, the required information was gathered through interviewing experts and faculty members. The convenience, purposeful and snowball sampling methods were applied to select interviewees and the sampling continued until reaching the data saturation point. Finally, notes and interviews were transcribed and content analysis was used to analyze them. The results of the study showed that there was a health information management system for the elderly health sector in Iran. However, in all primary health care centers the documentation of data was done manually; the data flow was not automated; and the analysis and reporting of data are also manually. Eventually, decision makers are provided with delayed information. It is suggested that the steward of health in Iran, the ministry of health, develops an appropriate infrastructure and finally puts a high priority on the implementation of the health information management system for elderly health sector in Iran.

The changing face of public sector employment 1999–2009

OpenAIRE

David Matthews

2010-01-01

SUMMARYThis article presents an analysis of public sector employment (PSE) and makes comparisons with the private sector, using data from the Labour Force Survey and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. It looks at the nature of employment in the public sector before discussing the characteristics that differentiate people employed in both the public and private sector, comparing proportions of public and private sector workers in different groups: by sex, age, ethnicity, disability, working ...

The work compatibility improvement framework: an assessment of the worker-work environment interaction in the manufacturing sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Genaidy, Ash M; Rinder, Magda M; A-Rehim, Amal D

2008-08-01

The manufacturing sector in the US is challenged by high health care costs and shortage of qualified workers, which are largely attributed to the degree of fit between the worker and work environment. In this regard, a healthy worker-work environment interface is a necessary and sufficient condition for the containment of health care costs and the retaining/attraction of highly qualified knowledge workers and should be based on the principles of optimum physical, cognitive and emotional health for the workers. In prior research, the Work Compatibility Improvement Framework (WCIF) was introduced as a vehicle to address these issues and was defined as the identification, improvement and maintenance of the well-being characteristics of the workforce and its interaction with the work environment through the application of engineering, medicine, management and human sciences methodologies, technologies and best practices. This paper advances WCIF by examining its applications in manufacturing with regard to the evaluation of working conditions impacting musculoskeletal/stress outcome measures. A study was conducted in a machining department of a bag packaging manufacturer in the Midwest of the United States. The work tasks were planned and executed with regard to the following aims: (1) to compute work compatibility as a function of work demands and energisers; (2) to establish whether the prevalence of musculoskeletal/stress disorders increases with a decrease in the quality of worker-work environment interface in terms of work compatibility level and other work factors such as shift and job category. A major finding is that a 'poor' work environment (a function of all work domains) results in musculoskeletal/stress disorders that are 105% and 67% higher than those for a 'good' work environment. The evening shift exhibited the poorest compatibility followed by the night shift relative to the day shift. Application of the work compatibility approach demonstrated the

Occupational health and safety issues in the informal economic segment of Pakistan: a survey of construction sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Ishfaq; Shaukat, Muhammad Zeeshan; Usman, Ahmad; Nawaz, Muhammad Musarrat; Nazir, Mian Sajid

2018-06-01

This research covers the current status of occupational health and safety (OHS)-related practices in the informal construction segment of Pakistan. Data were collected, through interviews, from 316 construction sites employing 3577 workers. The results of the study reveal that both employers and workers lack knowledge of OHS laws/standards and no practices of this nature are enacted at these construction sites. Alarmingly, work-related accidents, whenever they happen, are not given due attention and there is no formal injury-report system. The informal construction industry employs a huge portion of the informal workforce, and lack of OHS happens at tremendous human cost. These research findings may thus play their role in strengthening the case for reforms in the sector. This study, if properly utilized, may also enable employers of the sector by increasing their knowledge about OHS practices and, as a result, trying to offer safer environments for their workers.

A Community Checklist for Health Sector Resilience Informed by Hurricane Sandy.

Science.gov (United States)

Toner, Eric S; McGinty, Meghan; Schoch-Spana, Monica; Rose, Dale A; Watson, Matthew; Echols, Erin; Carbone, Eric G

This is a checklist of actions for healthcare, public health, nongovernmental organizations, and private entities to use to strengthen the resilience of their community's health sector to disasters. It is informed by the experience of Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey and analyzed in the context of findings from other recent natural disasters in the United States. The health sector is defined very broadly, including-in addition to hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS), and public health agencies-healthcare providers, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, home health providers, behavioral health providers, and correctional health services. It also includes community-based organizations that support these entities and represent patients. We define health sector resilience very broadly, including all factors that preserve public health and healthcare delivery under extreme stress and contribute to the rapid restoration of normal or improved health sector functioning after a disaster. We present the key findings organized into 8 themes. We then describe a conceptual map of health sector resilience that ties these themes together. Lastly, we provide a series of recommended actions for improving health sector resilience at the local level. The recommended actions emphasize those items that individuals who experienced Hurricane Sandy deemed to be most important. The recommendations are presented as a checklist that can be used by a variety of interested parties who have some role to play in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in their own communities. Following a general checklist are supplemental checklists that apply to specific parts of the larger health sector.

[Communicative disorder prevalence and associated risk factors regarding informal workers in Popayan, Colombia].

Science.gov (United States)

Palacios-Pérez, Aura T; Sierra-Torres, Carlos H

2014-01-01

Determining the prevalence of alterations in informal workers’ audition, respiratory and vocal functions and their association with certain risk factors in Popayan, Colombia. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 186 informal workers (i.e. people selling things in the street). After signing an informed consent form, an interview was held to obtain data regarding sociodemographic and communicative variables. The workers were then evaluated using tests for tone audiometry, respiratory function and Wilson's voice profile. SPSS (v.19.0) was used for statistical analysis. Being older than 30 years of age (OR 5.84: 2.85-12.00 95%CI), having a poor educational level (2.81: 1.22-6.44 95%CI) and low socioeconomic status (4.54:1.89-10.91 95%CI) and prolonged working hours (2.64: 1.27-5.06 95%CI) were associated with auditive function disorders. Respiratory function disorders were associated with being female (1.83; 1.00-3.34 95%CI) and having prolonged working hours (2.04: 1.11-3.74 95%CI). Regarding vocal function, being over 30 years-old (3.36: 1.33-3.51 95%CI) and having a low educational level (3.67; 1.05-12.76 95%CI) were risk factors. Communicative factors related to auditive, respiratory and voice disorder were ear pain, hypertrophic tonsils, trauma, gastro-esophageal reflux, frequent cough, strong emotions and screaming. It is evident that alterations in informal workers'’ communicative system are associated with certain sociodemographic and communicative risk factors. This information provides a baseline for improving healthcare promotion and disease prevention strategies aimed at this population.

Managing information and knowledge in the public sector

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Milner, Eileen M

2000-01-01

.... In this book Eileen Milner introduces the reader to the concepts of information and knowledge and explores a variety of tools and techniques which may be usefully adopted in actively managing and developing these resources. Wherever possible, real-life public sector cases and examples are used to illustrate good practice, as well as some of the pitfalls of poor application. Down-to-earth and taking into account the critically important characteristics unique to public services, this will be an illuminati...

Labor markets and employment insecurity: impacts of globalization on service and healthcare-sector workforces.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostry, Aleck S; Spiegel, Jerry M

2004-01-01

Global changes in the economies of most developed nations have impacted the way healthcare is organized, even within largely public systems, and the working conditions of healthcare workers. Since the acceleration of globalization in the 1970s, service-sector workers in developed nations have faced high unemployment, increased skill requirements for most jobs, and a rise in non-traditional work arrangements. These secular shifts in service-sector labor markets have occurred against the background of an erosion of the welfare state and growing income inequality. As well, many healthcare systems, including Canada's, were severely downsized and restructured in the 1990s, exacerbating the underlying negative secular trends in the service sector, and worsening the working conditions for many healthcare workers. Globalization has altered the labor market and shifted working conditions in ways that have been unfavorable to many healthcare workers.

Information and communication technologies in a multi-sector endogenous growth model

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vourvachaki, Evangelia

-, č. 386 (2009), s. 1-56 ISSN 1211-3298 Institutional research plan: CEZ:MSM0021620846 Keywords : multi-sector economy * endogenous growth * information and communication technologies Subject RIV: AH - Economics http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp386.pdf

Occupational Health and Safety for Agricultural Workers in Thailand: Gaps and Recommendations, with a Focus on Pesticide Use

OpenAIRE

Kaewboonchoo, Orawan; Kongtip, Pornpimol; Woskie, Susan

2015-01-01

Over 16.7 million workers in Thailand (42 percent of the working population) are engaged in agriculture, disproportionately from the lower socioeconomic strata of Thai society. Most agricultural workers (over 93 percent) work in the informal sector without the protections of regulations or enforcement of labor or health and safety laws or enrollment in a social security system. Although Thailand’s use of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides is growing, there is little regulation of the sa...

Evaluation of workload among industrial workers with the Need for Recovery Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Moriguchi, Cristiane S; Alem, Michele E R; Coury, Helenice J C G

2011-01-01

Work conditions can overload a worker's capabilities and result in health complaints. The early identification of hazardous work conditions allows the definition of priorities for more efficient ergonomic interventions. To assess the need for recovery among industrial workers under different work conditions using the Need for Recovery Scale (NFR), and to verify the association between the scores and personal factors, occupational factors and daily activities. 191 workers (mean age of 34.5±8.3 years) from a manufactory industry participated in this study. Workers answered both a questionnaire regarding demographic and occupational factors, and daily activities as well as the NFR. Ergonomic assessment of workplace sectors was carried out based on the Ergonomic Workplace Analysis. The Pearson chi-square test (significance level 5%) was used to verify the association between NFR scores and the variables of interest. The only association was between work sector and NFR score. According to the ergonomic assessment, the work sector with the highest need for recovery also presented the worst environmental and organizational conditions. The Need for Recovery Scale proved to be a helpful tool for differentiating work sectors presenting different workload demands and contributed to the definition of intervention priorities for preserving worker health.

Developing a long-term condition's information service in collaboration with third sector organisations.

Science.gov (United States)

McShane, Lesley; Greenwell, Kate; Corbett, Sally; Walker, Richard

2014-06-01

People with long-term conditions need to be signposted to high quality information and advice to understand and manage their condition. Information seeking tools combined with third sector information could help address their information needs. To describe the development and implementation of an information service for people living with long-term conditions at one NHS acute trust in the Northeast of England. An information service was trialled using bespoke information models for three long-term conditions in collaboration with third sector organisations. These guided people to relevant, timely and reliable information. Both clinician and service user questionnaires were used to evaluate satisfaction with the service. Appropriately designed information models can be used interchangeably across all services. Between 75% and 91% of users agreed that they were satisfied with various aspects of the service. Generally, users received relevant, understandable and high quality information at the right time. Nearly all health professionals (94-100%) felt the service was accessible, provided high quality information and did not significantly impact on their consultation time. The developed information service was well received by service users and health professionals. Specifically, the use of information prescriptions and menus facilitated access to information for people with long-term conditions. © 2014 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2014 Health Libraries Group.

The health information seeking behaviour and needs of community health workers in Chandigarh in Northern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, Sonika; Sharma, Vijay Lakshmi; Singh, Amarjeet; Goel, Sonu

2015-06-01

This article represents two-firsts for the feature--it is the first to report on a study outside the UK and the first to examine the health information needs of community health workers. Sonika Raj is pursuing PhD at the Centre for Public Health, Panjab University, Chandigarh, in India and she conducted her research in Chandigarh. The article outlines the important role that health workers at community level play in determining health outcomes in the developing world, including Chandigarh. It demonstrates that while those workers recognise their information needs, there are many issues affecting their ability to access health information effectively, not least their limited access to appropriate technology and training. AM. © 2015 Health Libraries Group.

Hearing Impairment Among Noise-Exposed Workers - United States, 2003-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Masterson, Elizabeth A; Bushnell, P Timothy; Themann, Christa L; Morata, Thais C

2016-04-22

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition in the United States, and is more prevalent than diabetes or cancer (1). Occupational hearing loss, primarily caused by high noise exposure, is the most common U.S. work-related illness (2). Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous occupational noise (3). CDC compared the prevalence of hearing impairment within nine U.S. industry sectors using 1,413,789 noise-exposed worker audiograms from CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Occupational Hearing Loss Surveillance Project (4). CDC estimated the prevalence at six hearing impairment levels, measured in the better ear, and the impact on quality of life expressed as annual disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), as defined by the 2013 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study (5). The mining sector had the highest prevalence of workers with any hearing impairment, and with moderate or worse impairment, followed by the construction and manufacturing sectors. Hearing loss prevention, and early detection and intervention to avoid additional hearing loss, are critical to preserve worker quality of life.

Risk factors for oral diseases among workers with and without dental insurance in a national social security scheme in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Abhinav; Purohit, Bharathi M; Masih, Nitin; Kahndelwal, Praveen Kumar

2014-04-01

The target population for this cross sectional study comprises subjects with and without social security in a national social security scheme. The study aimed to compare and assess the risk factors for oral diseases among insured (organised sector) and non-insured workers (unorganised sector) in New Delhi, India. The sample comprised a total of 2,752 subjects. Of these, 960 workers belonged to the formal or organised sector with a social security and dental health insurance and 1,792 had no social security or dental insurance from the informal or unorganised sector. Significant differences were noted between the two groups for literacy levels, between-meal sugar consumption, tobacco-related habits and utilisation of dental care. Bleeding/calculus and periodontal pockets were present among 25% and 65.4% of insured workers, respectively. Similarly, 13.6% and 84.5% of non-insured workers had bleeding/calculus and periodontal pockets, respectively. The mean DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth) value among the insured workers and non-insured workers was 3.27 ± 1.98 and 3.75 ± 1.80, respectively. The association between absence of health insurance and dental caries was evident with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.94. Subjects with below graduate education were more prone to dental caries (OR = 1.62). Subjects who cleaned their teeth two or more times a day were less likely to have dental caries (OR = 1.47). Utilisation of dental care was inversely related to dental caries (OR = 1.25). The major risk factors for oral diseases in both the groups with similar socio-economic status were the lack of social security and health insurance, low literacy levels, high tobacco consumption and low levels of dental care utilisation. © 2013 FDI World Dental Federation.

Quality of anti-malarials collected in the private and informal sectors in Guyana and Suriname

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Evans Lawrence

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite a significant reduction in the number of malaria cases in Guyana and Suriname, this disease remains a major problem in the interior of both countries, especially in areas with gold mining and logging operations, where malaria is endemic. National malaria control programmes in these countries provide treatment to patients with medicines that are procured and distributed through regulated processes in the public sector. However, availability to medicines in licensed facilities (private sector and unlicensed facilities (informal sector is common, posing the risk of access to and use of non-recommended treatments and/or poor quality products. Methods To assess the quality of circulating anti-malarial medicines, samples were purchased in the private and informal sectors of Guyana and Suriname in 2009. The sampling sites were selected based on epidemiological data and/or distance from health facilities. Samples were analysed for identity, content, dissolution or disintegration, impurities, and uniformity of dosage units or weight variation according to manufacturer, pharmacopeial, or other validated method. Results Quality issues were observed in 45 of 77 (58% anti-malarial medicines sampled in Guyana of which 30 failed visual & physical inspection and 18 failed quality control tests. The proportion of monotherapy and ACT medicines failing quality control tests was 43% (13/30 and 11% (5/47 respectively. A higher proportion of medicines sampled from the private sector 34% (11/32 failed quality control tests versus 16% (7/45 in the informal sector. In Suriname, 58 medicines were sampled, of which 50 (86% were Artecom®, the fixed-dose combination of piperaquine-dihydroartemisinin-trimethoprim co-blistered with a primaquine phosphate tablet. All Artecom samples were found to lack a label claim for primaquine, thus failing visual and physical inspection. Conclusions The findings of the studies in both countries point to

Quality of anti-malarials collected in the private and informal sectors in Guyana and Suriname.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Lawrence; Coignez, Veerle; Barojas, Adrian; Bempong, Daniel; Bradby, Sanford; Dijiba, Yanga; James, Makeida; Bretas, Gustavo; Adhin, Malti; Ceron, Nicolas; Hinds-Semple, Alison; Chibwe, Kennedy; Lukulay, Patrick; Pribluda, Victor

2012-06-15

Despite a significant reduction in the number of malaria cases in Guyana and Suriname, this disease remains a major problem in the interior of both countries, especially in areas with gold mining and logging operations, where malaria is endemic. National malaria control programmes in these countries provide treatment to patients with medicines that are procured and distributed through regulated processes in the public sector. However, availability to medicines in licensed facilities (private sector) and unlicensed facilities (informal sector) is common, posing the risk of access to and use of non-recommended treatments and/or poor quality products. To assess the quality of circulating anti-malarial medicines, samples were purchased in the private and informal sectors of Guyana and Suriname in 2009. The sampling sites were selected based on epidemiological data and/or distance from health facilities. Samples were analysed for identity, content, dissolution or disintegration, impurities, and uniformity of dosage units or weight variation according to manufacturer, pharmacopeial, or other validated method. Quality issues were observed in 45 of 77 (58%) anti-malarial medicines sampled in Guyana of which 30 failed visual & physical inspection and 18 failed quality control tests. The proportion of monotherapy and ACT medicines failing quality control tests was 43% (13/30) and 11% (5/47) respectively. A higher proportion of medicines sampled from the private sector 34% (11/32) failed quality control tests versus 16% (7/45) in the informal sector. In Suriname, 58 medicines were sampled, of which 50 (86%) were Artecom®, the fixed-dose combination of piperaquine-dihydroartemisinin-trimethoprim co-blistered with a primaquine phosphate tablet. All Artecom samples were found to lack a label claim for primaquine, thus failing visual and physical inspection. The findings of the studies in both countries point to significant problems with the quality of anti-malarial medicines

Listening to community health workers: how ethnographic research can inform positive relationships among community health workers, health institutions, and communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Maes, Kenneth; Closser, Svea; Kalofonos, Ippolytos

2014-05-01

Many actors in global health are concerned with improving community health worker (CHW) policy and practice to achieve universal health care. Ethnographic research can play an important role in providing information critical to the formation of effective CHW programs, by elucidating the life histories that shape CHWs' desires for alleviation of their own and others' economic and health challenges, and by addressing the working relationships that exist among CHWs, intended beneficiaries, and health officials. We briefly discuss ethnographic research with 3 groups of CHWs: volunteers involved in HIV/AIDS care and treatment support in Ethiopia and Mozambique and Lady Health Workers in Pakistan. We call for a broader application of ethnographic research to inform working relationships among CHWs, communities, and health institutions.

Incentives and Workers' Motivation in the Public Sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J. Delfgaauw (Josse); A.J. Dur (Robert)

2005-01-01

textabstractCivil servants have a bad reputation of being lazy. However, citizens' personal experiences with civil servants appear to be significantly better. We develop a model of an economy in which workers differ in laziness and in public service motivation, and characterise optimal incentive

Practice Evaluation Strategies Among Social Workers: Why an Evidence-Informed Dual-Process Theory Still Matters.

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Davis, Thomas D

2017-01-01

Practice evaluation strategies range in style from the formal-analytic tools of single-subject designs, rapid assessment instruments, algorithmic steps in evidence-informed practice, and computer software applications, to the informal-interactive tools of clinical supervision, consultation with colleagues, use of client feedback, and clinical experience. The purpose of this article is to provide practice researchers in social work with an evidence-informed theory that is capable of explaining both how and why social workers use practice evaluation strategies to self-monitor the effectiveness of their interventions in terms of client change. The author delineates the theoretical contours and consequences of what is called dual-process theory. Drawing on evidence-informed advances in the cognitive and social neurosciences, the author identifies among everyday social workers a theoretically stable, informal-interactive tool preference that is a cognitively necessary, sufficient, and stand-alone preference that requires neither the supplementation nor balance of formal-analytic tools. The author's delineation of dual-process theory represents a theoretical contribution in the century-old attempt to understand how and why social workers evaluate their practice the way they do.

Worker participation and job satisfaction amongst academic and administrative staff at a South African university

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thuli Ngonyama

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was twofold. Firstly it investigated the relationship between worker participation and job satisfaction amongst academic staff and administrative staff at a South African university. Secondly it investigated if there is a statistically significant difference between worker participation levels of academic and non-academic staff. Most empirical work on worker participation has focused on workers in the industrial and manufacturing sectors of the economy, with limited focus on worker participation in the services sector. This study aims to address this gap through this exploratory study of the impact of worker participation on job satisfaction at a South African University.

5 CFR 2641.207 - One-year restriction on any former private sector assignee under the Information Technology...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... private sector assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling... CONFLICT OF INTEREST RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions § 2641.207 One-year restriction on any former private sector... one year after the termination of his assignment from a private sector organization to an agency under...

78 FR 2447 - Proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Worker Classification Survey; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-11

... minimum wage and/or overtime, as well as programs like unemployment insurance and workers' compensation... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Wage and Hour Division Proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Worker Classification Survey; Comment Request AGENCY: Wage and Hour Division, Labor. ACTION: Notice...

INFORMAL AND FORMAL SECTORS PARTNERSHIP IN URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT (Case Study: Non-Organic Waste Management in Semarang

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Djoko Indrosaptono

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE The urban waste management is still crucial issues in most regions in Indonesia. Urban waste is considered as a cultural issue because of its impact on various life factors , especially in big cities such as Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Bandung, Palembang and Medan. Currently, the average productivity of the urban waste is 0.5 kg / capita / day. If this is multiplied by number of people in some cities in Java and Bali, the total waste will reach about 100,000 tons / day. This number will still increase by increasing population growth. Therefore, the urban waste management is very important for cities in Indonesia, alhough currently not many cities applied the urban waste management system. Urban waste management in Indonesia is not merely caused by formal sector, but it is also supported by informal sector in reducing daily production waste up to 30%. The informal sector management is mainly conducted by sorting the waste to recycleable or not. The recycleable waste is then sold back to the mills to be converted to other valuable products. This reserach was aimed to evaluate the partnership between formal and informal sector in reduction of waste production in Semarang city through urban waste management system. The research about informal sector was conducted by communal interaction and qualitative analysis focusing at Semarang City especially at Old Town area. The research has provided substantive knowledge of informal sector partnerships and formal sector in urban waste management with case inorganic waste management in the city of Semarang through 3R (recycle, reuse and reduce knwoledge management. Basic knowledge of the structure / surface is characterized by empirical knowledge which was easily caught by the direct perspective of human. Middle knowledge could be adjusted to different loci

A study on undocumented migrant workers in the Dutch household sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gheasi, M.; Nijkamp, P.; Rietveld, P.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Migration waves have a significant impact on cultural diversity. But in various sections of the economy the authors observe large numbers of unregistered workers. The purpose of this paper is to map out the socio-economic situation of unregistered migrant workers and aims to identify the

[Musculoskeletal pain in Central American workers: results of the First Survey on Working Conditions and Health in Central America].

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas, Marianela; Gimeno, David; Vargas-Prada, Sergio; Benavides, Fernando G

2015-08-01

Examine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in the six Spanish-speaking countries of Central America using a single standardized instrument, the First Survey on Working Conditions and Health in Central America in workers from all manual and non-manual labor sectors, using social security coverage as an indicator of formal versus informal employment. The workers (n = 12 024) were surveyed in their homes. The age-adjusted prevalence of MSP during the previous month was calculated for pain in the back (upper, or cervical; middle, or thoracic; and lower, or lumbar) and arm joints (shoulder, elbow, and wrist). Prevalence was estimated by sex, occupation (manual or non-manual), economic sector (agriculture, industry, or services), and social security coverage. Poisson regression models were used to calculate the prevalence rates and 95% confidence intervals, with stratification by country and anatomical site. By sites, the age-adjusted prevalence of cervical-dorsal MSP was the highest, especially in El Salvador (47.8%) and Nicaragua (45.9%), and lumbar MSP was less prevalent, especially in Panama (12.8%) and Guatemala (14.8%). After additional adjustments, the prevalence of MSP was higher in women and manual workers for all the sites and in all the countries. There were no differences in MSP in terms of social security coverage or sector of economic activity. The high prevalence of MSP in Central America, regardless of sector of activity or social security coverage, indicates that the prevention of MSP should be a priority in occupational health programs in low- and middle-income countries, especially for women and manual workers.

Asset management. Combining knowledge and information for the energy sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Wingerden, T.

1999-01-01

In recent years information flows have diversified and information management has become increasingly important because of a change in organisation structure. Nowadays, state-of-the-art technology makes it possible to combine data and knowledge. This should result in cost minimization and revenue maximization. Gastec (Dutch centre for Gas technology) and KEMA (Research and Development, Engineering and Consultant for the Electric Power Industry) carried out a definition study into the opportunities of integrated network management in the energy sector. First calculations show that such a system may lead to cost reductions of up to 25%

Purchasing power of civil servant health workers in Mozambique ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Health workers' purchasing power is an important consideration in the development of strategies for health workforce development. This work explores the purchasing power variation of Mozambican public sector health workers, between 1999 and 2007. In general, the calculated purchasing power increased ...

Estimation of Aerobic Capacity and Determination of Its Associated Factors among Male Workers of Industrial Sector of Shiraz City, 2010

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A. Rajaei Fard

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Background and aims   In order to physiologically fit the job to the worker’s capability, maximum aerobic capacity (VO2-max is used. This study was conducted to estimate VO2-max and determine its associated factors among workers of industrial sector of Shiraz city.   Methods  In this cross-sectional study, 500 healthy male workers employed in Shiraz city industries participated voluntarily. Subjects’ aerobic capacity was assessed by ergocycle test according to Astrand protocol for 6 minutes. A questionnaire consisted of two parts covering demographic, anthropometric and physiological characteristics was used as data collecting tool.   Results    Mean and standard deviation of age of workers was 32.01 and 7.66 years, respectively. Worker’s aerobic capacity was estimated to be 2.69±0.263 1.min-1 . The results showed that there was association between VO2-max and age, weight and BMI while no association was found between VO2-max and height. Also, statistical analysis revealed association between VO2-max and smoking and exercise per week (P<0.05. Nature of work , shift working, job satisfaction and fatigue had no association with aerobic capacity. Based on the results, regression equations were developed for estimation of aerobic capacity.  Conclusion  Aerobic capacity had association with age, weight, BMI, exercise and smoking.  

Environmental Kuznets Curve for the Informal Sector of Turkey (1950-2009

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Elgin Ceyhun

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this study we investigate the empirical relationship between the size of the informal sector (as percentage of official GDP, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions in Turkey by using annual data from 1950 to 2009 and conducting a time-series analysis using cointegration techniques. This analysis is crucial as pollution emissions may lead to unfavorable weather conditions and potentially cause environmental impacts that may adversely affect the global economy. The empirical analysis shows evidence towards the existence of an inverted-U relationship between relative informal sector size and environmental pollution indicators in the long-run. That is small and large sizes of the shadow economy are associated with little environmental pollution and medium levels of the size of the shadow economy are associated with higher levels of environmental pollution. Moreover, using multivariate cointegration techniques, we suggest and test an economic mechanism to account for this observation. This also helps us to prescribe various policy recommendations regarding pollution and energy use.

Work Motivation and Incentives in the Public Sector

OpenAIRE

Zoutenbier, Robin

2015-01-01

markdownabstractThe public sector makes up for an important part of our economy. According to estimates by the OECD (2008) a large share of the labor force in OECD countries is employed by the public sector. These public sector workers provide a wide range of goods and services to the public. Examples of services that are publicly provided range from education, health care, transport, garbage collection, to public safety. This large variety in public services suggests that all people, at some...

A gap analysis of the United States death care sector to determine training and education needs pertaining to highly infectious disease mitigation and management.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Aurora B; Witter, Lesley; Herstein, Jocelyn J; Jelden, Katelyn C; Beam, Elizabeth L; Gibbs, Shawn G; Lowe, John J

2017-09-01

A United States industry-specific gap analysis survey of the death care sector-which comprises organizations and businesses affiliated with the funeral industry and the handling of human remains- was developed, the results analyzed, and training and education needs in relation to highly infectious disease mitigation and management were explored in an effort to identify where occupational health and safety can be enhanced in this worker population. Collaborating national death care organizations distributed the 47-question electronic survey. N = 424 surveys were initiated and results recorded. The survey collected death care sector-specific information pertaining to the comfortability and willingness to handle highly infectious remains; perceptions of readiness, current policies and procedures in place to address highly infectious diseases; current highly infectious disease training levels, available resources, and personal protective equipment. One-third of respondents have been trained on how to manage highly infectious remains. There was a discrepancy between Supervisor/Management and Employee/Worker perceptions on employees' willingness and comfortability to manage potentially highly infectious remains. More than 40% of respondents did not know the correct routes of transmission for viral hemorrhagic fevers. Results suggest death care workers could benefit from increasing up-to-date industry-specific training and education on highly infectious disease risk mitigation and management. Professional death care sector organizations are positioned to disseminate information, training, and best practices.

Estimating Employment Dynamics across Occupations and Sectors of Industry

OpenAIRE

Cörvers, Frank; Dupuy, Arnaud

2009-01-01

In this paper, we estimate the demand for workers by sector and occupation using system dynamic OLS techniques to account for the employment dynamics dependence across occupations and sectors of industry. The short run dynamics are decomposed into intra and intersectoral dynamics. We find that employment by occupation and sector is significantly affected by the short run intersectoral dynamics, using Dutch data for the period 1988-2003. On average, these intersectoral dynamics account for 20%...

Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap in Private- and Public-Sector Employment: A Distributional Analysis

OpenAIRE

Baron, Juan; Cobb-Clark, Deborah

2008-01-01

We use HILDA data from 2001 - 2006 to analyse the source of the gender wage gap across public- and private-sector wage distributions in Australia. We are particularly interested in the role of gender segregation within sector-specific occupations in explaining relative wages. We find that, irrespective of labour market sector, the gender wage gap among low-paid, Australian workers is more than explained by differences in wage-related characteristics. The gender wage gap among high-wage worker...

The informal sector in transition: Tax evasion in an institutional vacuum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gërxhani, K.

2002-01-01

This thesis discusses the informal sector mainly focusing on the study of tax evasion. Individuals' decision whether or not to evade taxes is the core of the studies presented here. The role of institutions in this individual decision is considered to be of crucial importance. As a natural

Occupational Safety, Health, and Well-being Among Home-based Workers in the Informal Economy of Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Nankongnab, Noppanun; Silpasuwan, Pimpan; Markkanen, Pia; Kongtip, Pornpimol; Woskie, Susan

2015-08-01

The objective of this article is to provide a summary of the issues related to occupational safety and health and well-being among workers in the informal economy of Thailand, with a special emphasis on home-based workers. The reviewed literature includes documents and information sources developed by the International Labour Organization, the National Statistical Office of Thailand, peer-reviewed scientific publications, and master's theses conducted in Thailand. This work is part of a needs and opportunities analysis carried out by the Center for Work, Environment, Nutrition and Development--a partnership between Mahidol University and University of Massachusetts Lowell to identify the gaps in knowledge and research to support government policy development in the area of occupational and environmental health for workers in the informal economy. © The Author(s) 2015.

Occupational Safety, Health, and Well-being Among Home-based Workers in the Informal Economy of Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Nankongnab, Noppanun; Silpasuwan, Pimpan; Markkanen, Pia; Kongtip, Pornpimol; Woskie, Susan

2018-01-01

The objective of this article is to provide a summary of the issues related to occupational safety and health and well-being among workers in the informal economy of Thailand, with a special emphasis on home-based workers. The reviewed literature includes documents and information sources developed by the International Labour Organization, the National Statistical Office of Thailand, peer-reviewed scientific publications, and master’s theses conducted in Thailand. This work is part of a needs and opportunities analysis carried out by the Center for Work, Environment, Nutrition and Development—a partnership between Mahidol University and University of Massachusetts Lowell to identify the gaps in knowledge and research to support government policy development in the area of occupational and environmental health for workers in the informal economy. PMID:26059416

Migrant workers in Italy: an analysis of injury risk taking into account occupational characteristics and job tenure

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Massimiliano Giraudo

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Migrants resident in Italy exceeded 5 million in 2015, representing 8.2% of the resident population. The study of the mechanisms that explain the differential health of migrant workers (as a whole and for specific nationalities has been identified as a priority for research. The international literature has shown that migrant workers have a higher risk of total and fatal injury than natives, but some results are conflicting. The aim of this paper is to study the injury risk differentials between migrants, born in countries with strong migratory pressure (SMPC, and workers born in high income countries (HIC, taking into account individual and firm characteristics and job tenure. In addition to a comprehensive analysis of occupational safety among migrants, the study focuses on Moroccans, the largest community in Italy in the years of the analysis. Methods Using the Work History Italian Panel-Salute integrated database, only contracts of employment in the private sector, starting in the period between 2000 and 2005 and held by men, were selected. The analysis focused on economic sectors with an important foreign component: engineering, construction, wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage. Injury rates were calculated using a definition of serious occupational injuries based on the type of injury. Incidence rate ratios (IRR were calculated using a Poisson distribution for panel data taking into account time-dependent variables. Results Injury rates among SMPC workers were higher than for HIC workers in engineering (15.61 ‰ py vs. 8.92 ‰ py, but there were no significant differences in construction (11.21 vs. 10.09, transportation and storage (7.82 vs. 7.23 and the wholesale and retail sectors (4.06 vs. 4.67. Injury rates for Moroccans were higher than for both HIC and total migrant workers in all economic sectors considered. The multivariate analysis revealed an interaction effect of job tenure among both

Migrant workers in Italy: an analysis of injury risk taking into account occupational characteristics and job tenure.

Science.gov (United States)

Giraudo, Massimiliano; Bena, Antonella; Costa, Giuseppe

2017-04-22

Migrants resident in Italy exceeded 5 million in 2015, representing 8.2% of the resident population. The study of the mechanisms that explain the differential health of migrant workers (as a whole and for specific nationalities) has been identified as a priority for research. The international literature has shown that migrant workers have a higher risk of total and fatal injury than natives, but some results are conflicting. The aim of this paper is to study the injury risk differentials between migrants, born in countries with strong migratory pressure (SMPC), and workers born in high income countries (HIC), taking into account individual and firm characteristics and job tenure. In addition to a comprehensive analysis of occupational safety among migrants, the study focuses on Moroccans, the largest community in Italy in the years of the analysis. Using the Work History Italian Panel-Salute integrated database, only contracts of employment in the private sector, starting in the period between 2000 and 2005 and held by men, were selected. The analysis focused on economic sectors with an important foreign component: engineering, construction, wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage. Injury rates were calculated using a definition of serious occupational injuries based on the type of injury. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated using a Poisson distribution for panel data taking into account time-dependent variables. Injury rates among SMPC workers were higher than for HIC workers in engineering (15.61 ‰ py vs. 8.92 ‰ py), but there were no significant differences in construction (11.21 vs. 10.09), transportation and storage (7.82 vs. 7.23) and the wholesale and retail sectors (4.06 vs. 4.67). Injury rates for Moroccans were higher than for both HIC and total migrant workers in all economic sectors considered. The multivariate analysis revealed an interaction effect of job tenure among both SMPC and Moroccan workers in the construction

A qualitative study about immigrant workers' perceptions of their working conditions in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahonen, E Q; Porthé, V; Vázquez, M L; García, A M; López-Jacob, M J; Ruiz-Frutos, C; Ronda-Pérez, E; Benach, J; Benavides, F G

2009-11-01

Spain has recently become an inward migration country. Little is known about the occupational health of immigrant workers. This study aimed to explore the perceptions that immigrant workers in Spain had of their working conditions. Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study. Criterion sampling. Data collected between September 2006 and May 2007 through semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews, with a topic guide. One hundred and fifty-eight immigrant workers (90 men/68 women) from Colombia (n = 21), Morocco (n = 39), sub-Saharan Africa (n = 29), Romania (n = 44) and Ecuador (n = 25), who were authorised (documented) or unauthorised (undocumented) residents in five medium to large cities in Spain. Participants described poor working conditions, low pay and health hazards. Perception of hazards appeared to be related to gender and job sector. Informants were highly segregated into jobs by sex, however, so this issue will need further exploration. Undocumented workers described poorer conditions than documented workers, which they attributed to their documentation status. Documented participants also felt vulnerable because of their immigrant status. Informants believed that deficient language skills, non-transferability of their education and training and, most of all, their immigrant status and economic need left them with little choice but to work under poor conditions. The occupational health needs of immigrant workers must be addressed at the job level, while improving the enforcement of existing health and safety regulations. The roles that documentation status and economic need played in these informants' work experiences should be considered and how these may influence health outcomes.

The status and development of informal sector and ICT access in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

wakari

466200 jobs ... to offer a strategic framework for appropriate intervention in providing information and ICT ... which is not conducive to robust business decisions for proper growth. ... environment to reach international markets (Migiro 2006:40). ... sector has made it a practical option for those who have left schooling and training ...

Scaling up the health workforce in the public sector: the role of government fiscal policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Vujicic, Marko

2010-01-01

Health workers play a key role in increasing access to health care services. Global and country-level estimates show that staffing in many developing countries - particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa - is far leaner than needed to deliver essential health services to the population. One factor that can limit scaling up the health workforce in developing countries is the government's overall wage policy which sometimes creates restrictions on hiring in the health sector. But while there is considerable debate, the information base in this important area has been quite limited. This paper summarizes the process that determines the budget for health wages in the public sector, how it is linked to overall wage policies, and how this affects staffing in the health sector. The author draws mainly from a recent World Bank report.

[Indian workers in Oman].

Science.gov (United States)

Longuenesse, E

1985-01-01

Until recently Oman was a country of emigration, but by 1980 an estimated 200,000 foreign workers were in the country due to the petroleum boom. Almost 1/3 of the estimated 300,000 Indian workers in the Gulf states were in Oman, a country whose colonial heritage was closely tied to that of India and many of whose inhabitants still speak Urdu. The number of work permits granted to Indians working in the private sector in Oman increased from 47,928 in 1976 to 80,787 in 1980. An estimated 110,000 Indians were working in Oman in 1982, the great majority in the construction and public works sector. A few hundred Indian women were employed by the government of Oman, as domestics, or in other capacities. No accurate data is available on the qualifications of Indian workers in Oman, but a 1979 survey suggested a relatively low illiteracy rate among them. 60-75% of Indians in Oman are from the state of Kerala, followed by workers from the Punjab and the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and Bombay. Indian workers are recruited by specialized agencies or by friends or relatives already employed in Oman. Employers in Oman prefer to recruit through agencies because the preselection process minimizes hiring of workers unqualified for their posts. Officially, expenses of transportation, visas, and other needs are shared by the worker and the employer, but the demand for jobs is so strong that the workers are obliged to pay commissions which amount to considerable sums for stable and well paying jobs. Wages in Oman are however 2 to 5 times the level in India. Numerous abuses have been reported in recruitment practices and in failure of employers in Oman to pay the promised wages, but Indian workers have little recourse. At the same level of qualifications, Indians are paid less then non-Omani Arabs, who in turn receive less than Oman nationals. Indians who remain in Oman long enough nevertheless are able to support families at home and to accumulate considerable

Effect of informal employment on the relationship between psychosocial work risk factors and musculoskeletal pain in Central American workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gimeno Ruiz de Porras, David; Rojas Garbanzo, Marianela; Aragón, Aurora; Carmenate-Milián, Lino; Benavides, Fernando G

2017-09-01

The constant increase on the psychosocial demands experienced at work seems to contribute to the increase in health problems such as musculoskeletal pain (MSP). This association may be especially important in low-income and middle-income countries, where there is a large proportion of informal workers among whom there is little research. We analysed the association between psychosocial work risk factors and MSP among formal and informal workers using the First Central American Survey of Working Conditions and Health. This is a representative sample (n=12 024) of the economically active population of the six Spanish-speaking countries of Central America. Prevalence ratios (PR) and corresponding 95% CIs from Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between psychosocial work risk factors and the MSP. Compared with formal workers, informal workers reported higher prevalence of MPS in the body regions analysed (ie, cervicodorsal, lumbosacral, upper extremities) and higher exposure to psychosocial work risk factors. However, on the whole, the associations between the exposure to psychosocial work risk factors and the prevalence of MSP were similar for both formal and informal workers. Only the association between exposure to high demands and MSP in the upper extremities was higher (p=0.012) among formal (PR=1.69, 95% CI 1.46 to 1.96) than among informal workers (PR=1.40; 95% CI 1.30 to 1.51). Exposure to adverse levels of psychosocial work risk factors is associated with higher prevalence of MPS among both formal and informal workers. However, the role of employment informality in this association is complex and requires further examination. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Information behaviour of migrant Hispanic farm workers and their families in the Pacific Northwest Information grounds, Information behaviour, Behavior, Washington, Immigrants, Information habits

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Karen E. Fisher

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Immigrants are generally perceived to be information poor, meaning they face major challenges with finding and using greatly needed everyday information. However, little research exists from an information behaviour perspective as differences in language, culture, and other factors such as access make immigrants a difficult population to study. We explored the everyday information behaviour and information grounds of migrant Hispanic farm workers through field observation and interviews with users, non-users, and staff of community technology centres in a major agricultural area. Findings suggest that personal networks having various levels of credibility were used more readily than any other type of information source. Credibility and use of various sources seemed to relate to personal status as well as interest in information.

Cost-Effectiveness of Management Training in the Informal Sector. Discussion Paper No. 101.

Science.gov (United States)

Nubler, Irmgard

A research project in the Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Tanzania evaluated the cost effectiveness of management training seminars for women entrepreneurs in the informal sector. Women, a large and growing part of entrepreneurs, had less access to needed resources, skills, and information than men. Reasons for failure to study the cost effectiveness and…

Gendered Migration and the Urban Informal Sector: A Case Study of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined gendered migration patterns in Mwanza City, Tanzania as well as the impacts of differentials of men's and women's migration on their absorption in the urban informal sector, their access to assets, adaptation to city life and their livelihood and also their role in development of origin areas. The study ...

Brief biopsychosocially informed education can improve insurance workers' back pain beliefs: Implications for improving claims management behaviours.

Science.gov (United States)

Beales, Darren; Mitchell, Tim; Pole, Naomi; Weir, James

2016-11-22

Biopsychosocially informed education is associated with improved back pain beliefs and positive changes in health care practitioners' practice behaviours. Assess the effect of this type of education for insurance workers who are important non-clinical stakeholders in the rehabilitation of injured workers. Insurance workers operating in the Western Australian workers' compensation system underwent two, 1.5 hour sessions of biopsychosocially informed education focusing on understanding and identifying barriers to recovery of injured workers with musculoskeletal conditions. Back pain beliefs were assessed pre-education, immediately post-education and at three-month follow-up (n = 32). Self-reported and Injury Management Advisor-reported assessment of change in claims management behaviours were collected at the three-month follow-up. There were positive changes in the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (p = 0.009) and Back Beliefs Questionnaire (p = 0.049) immediately following the education that were sustained at three-month follow-up. Positive changes in claims management behaviours were supported by self-reported and Injury Management Advisor-reported data. This study provides preliminary support that a brief biopsychosocially informed education program can positively influence insurance workers' beliefs regarding back pain, with concurrent positive changes in claims management behaviours. Further research is required to ascertain if these changes result in improved claims management outcomes.

Towards a Stakeholder Model for the Co-Production of the Public-Sector Information System

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Zita P.

2005-01-01

Introduction: Proposes a systemic approach to Public Sector Information (PSI), defined as comprising entities in four categories--citizens, businesses, policymakers and administrations. This system also comprises four categories of information--on citizenship, economic and social development, policy and administration. Methods: A selective…

Needs Assessment of the Healthcare Sector in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area. Research Report. Business Needs Assessment Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Northern Virginia Community Coll., Annandale. Office of Institutional Research.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growing population of elderly citizens will result in an increased demand for healthcare services that will rise for a full 50 years. This study assesses the need for healthcare sector workers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Information on the skills, education, and experience that…

Using climate information in the health sector

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T. A. Ghebreyesus

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Many infectious and chronic diseases are either directly or indirectly sensitive to the climate. Managing this climate sensitivity more effectively requires new working relationships between the health sector and the providers of climate data and information. In Africa, where communities are particularly vulnerable, Ministries of Health and National Meteorological Services need to collaborate to reduce the burden of climate related ill health. The Ministry of Health and the National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia have made significant progress towards the development of a climate-informed early warning and response system for diseases such as malaria and other climate-sensitive diseases. An important enabling mechanism is a Climate and Health Working Group, which is a multi-sectoral partnership created to spearhead the use of climate information for health interventions. While this is a work in progress, the key ingredients necessary to sustain such a joint venture are described to encourage similar activities in other countries faced with a growing climate-sensitive disease burden, to facilitate networking and to increase the return from the investment.De nombreuses infections et maladies chroniques sont sensibles, directement ou indirectement, au climat. Une gestion plus efficace de cette sensibilité au climat passe par l’instauration d’une coopération entre le secteur de la santé et les fournisseurs de données et d’informations sur le climat. En Afrique, où les communautés sont particulièrement vulnérables, le ministère de la Santé et les Services de météorologie nationale doivent collaborer pour réduire le fardeau des maladies liées au climat.Le ministère de la Santé et l’Agence de météorologie nationale d’Ethiopie ont fait des progrès considérables dans le développement d’un système d’alerte et de réponse précoces basé sur les informations climatiques pour des maladies comme le paludisme et d�

Exploring corruption in the South African health sector.

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Rispel, Laetitia C; de Jager, Pieter; Fonn, Sharon

2016-03-01

Recent scholarly attention has focused on weak governance and the negative effects of corruption on the provision of health services. Employing agency theory, this article discusses corruption in the South African health sector. We used a combination of research methods and triangulated data from three sources: Auditor-General of South Africa reports for each province covering a 9-year period; 13 semi-structured interviews with health sector key informants and a content analysis of print media reports covering a 3-year period. Findings from the Auditor-General reports showed a worsening trend in audit outcomes with marked variation across the nine provinces. Key-informants indicated that corruption has a negative effect on patient care and the morale of healthcare workers. The majority of the print media reports on corruption concerned the public health sector (63%) and involved provincial health departments (45%). Characteristics and complexity of the public health sector may increase its vulnerability to corruption, but the private-public binary constitutes a false dichotomy as corruption often involves agents from both sectors. Notwithstanding the lack of global validated indicators to measure corruption, our findings suggest that corruption is a problem in the South African healthcare sector. Corruption is influenced by adverse agent selection, lack of mechanisms to detect corruption and a failure to sanction those involved in corrupt activities. We conclude that appropriate legislation is a necessary, but not sufficient intervention to reduce corruption. We propose that mechanisms to reduce corruption must include the political will to run corruption-free health services, effective government to enforce laws, appropriate systems, and citizen involvement and advocacy to hold public officials accountable. Importantly, the institutionalization of a functional bureaucracy and public servants with the right skills, competencies, ethics and value systems and whose

El sector productivo The productive sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Encarna Santolaria

2004-05-01

conditions are highly related to gender and social class. Because women are forced to compensate for the scarcity of social services for caring for young children and for dependent elderly, they become informal and socially unrecognised caregivers, preventing them from getting or holding a job, and significantly limiting their opportunities for professional development. These social conditions are closely related with the fact that work conditions for women involve higher temporality rates and shorter contracts than those of men, given the sectors and jobs in which they tend to work (due to segregation. Similarly, workers of the less privileged social classes have poorer work conditions. Thus, women of the lower income class are mainly suffering the worst job contracts and the poorest work conditions. More social services are needed to make it possible to attend to family needs and still be able to access and maintain a job contract. Policies tending to conciliate labour and family life are indispensable and should incorporate measures to equally distribute the house keeping activities between women and men.

Open Data Strategies and Experiences to Improve Sharing and Publication of Public Sector Information

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Laura María Gutiérrez Medina

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The Canary Islands receive 10 million tourists every year. Tourism represents a key sector for economic development in the Canaries. This work presents the benefits of open data usages in the tourism sector both in municipalities and in the island government. These public institutions have valuable information that should be shared with other institutions: 600 hotels and apartments, 10,000 bars and restaurants, and more than 15,000 retail businesses. This article describes an open data project to validate and to publish such data across multiple administrations. The main benefits for the public sector are the improvement of the data quality and the interoperability between different administrations.

Job satisfaction and quality of life among home care workers: a comparison of home care workers who are and who are not informal carers.

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Chou, Yueh-Ching; Fu, Li-Yeh; Kröger, Teppo; Ru-Yan, Chiu

2011-06-01

Job satisfaction and quality of life among home care workers who serve simultaneously as informal carers for their own family members have seldom been explored. This study examined how this dual role influences job satisfaction and quality of life by comparing these dual carers with home care workers who do not provide informal care. The study also explored whether the factors related to job satisfaction and quality of life between these two groups were different. Standardized self-administered questionnaires (Job Satisfaction Survey, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) scales and various social demographic questions) were administered to the two groups of home care workers in Taiwan from March to April 2009. A total of 1,641 home care workers working in 119 non-government organizations sponsored by 23 local authorities completed and returned the questionnaires. The two groups did not differ in individual characteristics, work characteristics or job satisfaction. Analysis results indicate that the lowest mean scores for all home care workers were the domains of promotion and pay within their job satisfaction and the domain of environment within their quality of life. Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant effect of unpaid caregiving in terms of quality of life but not in terms of job satisfaction. Moreover, job satisfaction and quality of life among home care workers were significantly determined by both their work conditions (e.g. travelling time, salary and length of work experience) and personal variables (e.g. age, family income and family support).

Appropriating social citizenship: women's labour, poverty, and entrepreneurship in the manual workers union of Botswana.

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Werbner, Pnina

2010-01-01

Interrogating critiques of the 'African labour aristocracy' thesis, the article proposes that public service industrial-class manual workers in Botswana form, if not a labour 'aristocracy' in the sense first defined by Saul and Arrighi, then a marginal worker 'elite'. They are privileged in having a regular salary above minimum pay, augmented by periodic lump-sum gratuity payments. This sets them apart from the other low-paid workers in the private sector, casual workers in the informal economy and a vast army of unemployed job seekers. In the absence of a national unemployment benefit scheme in Botswana, the article explores some of the strategies deployed by women members of the Manual Workers Union in their attempts to contend with the spectre of future unemployment and impoverishment. In gender terms, the article highlights the independence, autonomy and decision-making capacity of women trade unionist leaders, who straddle the worlds of workers' rights and citizens' rights, and manoeuvre their way through the maze of rules and regulations they encounter in both.

Telecommunication Sector of the Russian Economy: Transformation Into a Global Information and Telecommunication Infrastructure

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Fokina Elena Anatolyevna

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The author concerns the current state and possible ways of telecommunication sector of the Russian economy development in the conditions of world economy globalization and suggests that the process of globalization reflects the current stage of telecommunication companies’ capital internationalization. The analysis of telecommunication sector shows that it is not only a perspective, highmargin and dynamically developing sector but is still one of the most integrated into the system of world economic relations. The stages of Russian telecommunication companies’ capital internationalization are determined, the internal connections between internationalization process and globalization are revealed. It is revealed that the new information and communication technologies development and expansion results in substantial increase in cooperation between economical entities and provides a sustainable long-term economical growth of telecommunication enterprises. The financial and operational data determining the effectiveness of telecommunication companies’ activity are presented. The analysis of tendencies promoting the extension of the market activity of Russian telecommunication companies at global information and telecommunication infrastructure shows that the main tendencies are the following ones: foreign capital inflow increase, capital integration and expansion of new services based on technologies convergence. The author reasonably concludes in recent times, the telecommunication sector of the Russian economy formation and development is determined by the existing global trends.

Workers with Disabilities and the Challenges of Emotional Labour

Science.gov (United States)

Wilton, Robert D.

2008-01-01

This paper explores the implications of emotional labour for workers with disabilities, drawing on qualitative data from interviews with 59 respondents who had disabilities and who worked in service sector occupations. The analysis illustrates that employer demands for emotional labour may prove difficult for workers with a range of disabilities,…

Integration of informal recycling sector in Brazil and the case of Sorocaba City.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva de Souza Lima, Nathalia; Mancini, Sandro Donnini

2017-07-01

Catadores are people who collect and sell materials that can be recycled. This activity has been done informally in many countries for years. Recently, a recognition process has begun for the informal recycling sector, with public and private initiatives. In Brazil, catadores started out associating with each other in co-operatives in the 1980s. In 2010, the Solid Waste National Policy was approved, promoting the inclusion of theses co-operatives in the formal waste management system. However, only in 25 out of 5670 Brazilian municipalities have hired co-operatives as Private Service Providers. The integration of the informal sector has contributed with social, economic and environmental benefits; income generation, reduction of poverty and resource preservation are highlights. Although there was a legal progress, there are great challenges for various actors involved. This paper aims to diagnose the informal recycling sector, emphasizing the integration process that has happened in Brazil. For this, a substantial literature review and a case study were conducted, applying the tool 'InteRa' to the case of Sorocaba. The case showed that it is possible to improve the integration of catadores in the formal waste management system. The co-operatives achieve recycling rates of 2%, higher than the official national rate of 1%. However, we estimate that autonomous pickers increase total recycling in Sorocaba to 9%, still short of the 25% target via source segregation. Therefore, continuing the integration process will benefit both the pickers, and also the municipality through savings on landfill costs.

Training and the Commitment of Outsourced Information Technologies' Workers: Psychological Contract Fulfillment as a Mediator

Science.gov (United States)

Fontinha, Rita; Chambel, Maria José; De Cuyper, Nele

2014-01-01

Outsourced workers in information technologies (IT) generally have high skills and a high value on the job market. Their IT outsourcing organizations are likely to provide them with training, in the first place for skill development, but perhaps also as a way to bind the workers to them. This can be understood along the role of the psychological…

The Efficiency of Informality: Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Reductions from Informal Recycling in Bogotá, Colombia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vergara, Sintana E.; Damgaard, Anders; Gomez, Daniel

2016-01-01

The dual challenges of increasing urbanization and consumption are centered in cities in the Global South, where growing waste production threatens public and environmental health. Reuse and recycling are widely recognized to provide broad environmental benefits. Although most industrialized cities...... replaced their informal recycling sectors with municipally run recycling schemes and have had to build their recycling rates anew, most industrializing cities in the Global South remain centers of recycling and reuse through the work of informal workers. Bogotá, Colombia, is emblematic of many cities...

Compensation patterns for healthcare workers in British Columbia, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Alamgir, H; Siow, S; Yu, S; Ngan, K; Guzman, J

2009-06-01

This report examines relationships between the acceptance of compensation claims, and employee and workplace characteristics for healthcare workers in British Columbia, Canada to determine suitability of using only accepted claims for occupational epidemiology research. A retrospective cohort of full-time healthcare workers was constructed from an active incident surveillance database. Incidents filed for compensation over a 1-year period were examined for initial claim decision within a 6-month window relative to sub-sector of employment, age, sex, seniority, occupation of workers, and injury category. Compensation costs and duration of time lost for initially accepted claims were also investigated. Multiple logistic regression models with generalised estimating equations (GEEs) were used to calculate adjusted relative odds (ARO) of claims decision accounting for confounding factors and clustering effects. Employees of three health regions in British Columbia filed 2274 work-related claims in a year, of which 1863 (82%) were initially accepted for compensation. Proportion of claims accepted was lowest in community care (79%) and corporate office settings (79%) and highest in long-term care settings (86%). Overall, 46% of claims resulting from allergy/irritation were accepted, in contrast to 98% acceptance of claims from cuts and puncture wounds. Licensed practical nurses had the lowest odds of claims not accepted compared with registered nurses (ARO (95% CI) = 0.55 (0.33 to 0.91)), whereas management/administrative staff had the highest odds (ARO = 2.91 (1.25 to 6.79)) of claims not accepted. A trend was observed with higher seniority of workers associated with lower odds of non-acceptance of claims. Analysis from British Columbia's healthcare sector suggests variation in workers' compensation acceptance exists across sub-sectors, occupations, seniority of workers, and injury categories. The patterns observed, however, were independent of age and sex of workers

Characteristics of occupational musculoskeletal disorders of five sectors in service industry between 2004 and 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyun-Woo; Kim, Young-Ki; Kang, Dong-Mug; Kim, Jong-Eun; Jang, Bo-Young

2017-01-01

' Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs)' have been mostly reported in the manufacturing industry but recently the occurrence of industrial injuries has been constantly increasing in the service industry. This research is going to analyze the data about workers' compensation for WRMSDs in five different service sectors and identify characteristics of occupations with the highest approved occupations. According to the data released from the Korea Worker's Compensation & Welfare Service, the overview of 12,730 cases of workers' compensation for WRMSDs in five service sectors from 2004 to 2013 is going to be analyzed and the source data is going to be classified by the Korean Standard Classification of Occupations to select the top five occupations that have the highest number of approval. After selecting each five occupations from the service sector that have work related musculoskeletal disorders, the result showed that the occupation with the highest number of approval in the health and social care sector were the early childhood educators, cooks in the school canteens in education services sector, garbage collectors in the sanitation and similar services sector, deliverymen in wholesale and retail, consumer goods repair and building cleaners in general management businesses such as those in building maintenance. The major event observed in the top five occupations was the overexertion and reaction as a cause of WRMSDs. The day when the WRMSDs mostly occurred was on Monday and the most likely time was 10 am. The median days away from work and lost working days are 29-90 days and 0-50 days respectively. The difference in each occupation was observed in year of service, age, and gender. 83.21% of the approved cases of workers' compensation for WRMSDs occurred in the top 25 occupations in all of the five service sectors, which meant that the approval of workers' compensation is concentrated in specific occupations. This research is going to suggest

Why Do Firms Evade Taxes? The Role of Information Sharing and Financial Sector Outreach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beck, T.H.L.; Lin, C.; Ma, Y.

2010-01-01

Informality is a wide-spread phenomenon across the globe. We show that firms in countries with better information sharing systems and greater financial sector outreach evade taxes to a lesser degree, an effect that is stronger for smaller firms, firms in smaller cities and towns, and firms in

The role of retiree health insurance in the early retirement of public sector employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoven, John B; Slavov, Sita Nataraj

2014-12-01

Most government employees have access to retiree health coverage, which provides them with group health coverage even if they retire before Medicare eligibility. We study the impact of retiree health coverage on the labor supply of public sector workers between the ages of 55 and 64. We find that retiree health coverage raises the probability of stopping full time work by 4.3 percentage points (around 38 percent) over two years among public sector workers aged 55-59, and by 6.7 percentage points (around 26 percent) over two years among public sector workers aged 60-64. In the younger age group, retiree health insurance mostly seems to facilitate transitions to part-time work rather than full retirement. However, in the older age group, it increases the probability of stopping work entirely by 4.3 percentage points (around 22 percent). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Information needs of health care workers in developing countries: a literature review with a focus on Africa

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Bukachi Frederick

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Health care workers in developing countries continue to lack access to basic, practical information to enable them to deliver safe, effective care. This paper provides the first phase of a broader literature review of the information and learning needs of health care providers in developing countries. A Medline search revealed 1762 papers, of which 149 were identified as potentially relevant to the review. Thirty-five of these were found to be highly relevant. Eight of the 35 studies looked at information needs as perceived by health workers, patients and family/community members; 14 studies assessed the knowledge of health workers; and 8 looked at health care practice. The studies suggest a gross lack of knowledge about the basics on how to diagnose and manage common diseases, going right across the health workforce and often associated with suboptimal, ineffective and dangerous health care practices. If this level of knowledge and practice is representative, as it appears to be, it indicates that modern medicine, even at a basic level, has largely failed the majority of the world's population. The information and learning needs of family caregivers and primary and district health workers have been ignored for too long. Improving the availability and use of relevant, reliable health care information has enormous potential to radically improve health care worldwide.

The Humanitarian Action Qualifications Framework: a quality assurance tool for the Humanitarian Sector

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Bastiaan L. Aardema

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The article presents the European Universities on Professionalisation on Humanitarian Action (EUPRHA Project as an initiative that seeks to contribute to the professionalisation and quality assurance of the humanitarian sector. Its purpose is to explain the approach and the process leading to the development of the Humanitarian Action Qualifications Framework as an example of good practice for other sectors aiming at improving the recognition of qualifications as a precondition of academic and professional mobility. With this aim, it introduces the educational and humanitarian trends that led to this project: the move from transnational qualifications frameworks of which the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF is the best example to sectoral qualifications frameworks and the increasing demand from the sector seeking to determine the competencies and required skills of a professional humanitarian aid worker. Based on the EQF and the Tuning methodology the framework will act as a translating device to make national and sectoral qualifications more readable and promote humanitarian workers’ and learners’ mobility between countries and organisations. It will facilitate inter-system transparency and recognition of (non-formal and informal learning by linking occupations, skills, competences, and qualifications, thus benefiting the Humanitarian Sector as a whole.

SU-E-T-241: Design and Implement of An Information Management System for Radiation Workers in a Hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Q; Wu, M

2015-01-01

Purpose: To meet the special needs of Medical Administration Division, an information management system for radiation workers in a hospital(IMSRWH) has been developed. Methods: There are about 200 radiation workers in 20 departments, such as department of radiology, department of radiation oncology, department of nuclear medicine, and so on. An IMSRWH server was used to run a database and web service of Apache+PHP+MySQL. The IMSRWH web service could be accessed with Internet Explorer(IE) to input, search, count, and print the radiation workers’ data. Every worker’s data information includes the following tables: registration, personal dose monitoring records, personnel certificate, training certificate, personnel license, medical examination, etc, and each table includes more optional detail information. Results: In the past year, the IMSRWH has been successfully developed and implemented in the hospital. According to the needs, the user rights are divided into: the system administrator, office manager, department manager and radiation worker. The different users have the different interfaces, and the appropriate authority permissions mean corresponding operations. The administrator and office manager could manage all personnel information, department manager could manage the staff information of his department, and the workers could view or modify their own information. Because information updates, involving hundreds of each entry and modification are complicated, each table information of all workers can be batch import from or export to a Microsoft Excel CSV format file, to update all together. However, it has only Chinese version now. Conclusion: It was demonstrated to be user-friendly and was proven to significantly improve the efficiency of the hospital management. Since it is an in-house developed system, more functions can be added or modified to further enhance its potentials in research and clinical practice

SU-E-T-241: Design and Implement of An Information Management System for Radiation Workers in a Hospital

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Q; Wu, M [Beijing Hospital, Beijing (China)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To meet the special needs of Medical Administration Division, an information management system for radiation workers in a hospital(IMSRWH) has been developed. Methods: There are about 200 radiation workers in 20 departments, such as department of radiology, department of radiation oncology, department of nuclear medicine, and so on. An IMSRWH server was used to run a database and web service of Apache+PHP+MySQL. The IMSRWH web service could be accessed with Internet Explorer(IE) to input, search, count, and print the radiation workers’ data. Every worker’s data information includes the following tables: registration, personal dose monitoring records, personnel certificate, training certificate, personnel license, medical examination, etc, and each table includes more optional detail information. Results: In the past year, the IMSRWH has been successfully developed and implemented in the hospital. According to the needs, the user rights are divided into: the system administrator, office manager, department manager and radiation worker. The different users have the different interfaces, and the appropriate authority permissions mean corresponding operations. The administrator and office manager could manage all personnel information, department manager could manage the staff information of his department, and the workers could view or modify their own information. Because information updates, involving hundreds of each entry and modification are complicated, each table information of all workers can be batch import from or export to a Microsoft Excel CSV format file, to update all together. However, it has only Chinese version now. Conclusion: It was demonstrated to be user-friendly and was proven to significantly improve the efficiency of the hospital management. Since it is an in-house developed system, more functions can be added or modified to further enhance its potentials in research and clinical practice.

White paper on radiological monitoring of workers exposures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shettle, Jennifer

2016-01-01

This article comments the content of a white paper which aimed at proposing new regulatory bases to update the French Code of Labour and other legal texts related to the radiation protection of workers. The author briefly comments the objectives of this white paper (to put the initial regulatory basis into question again), briefly describes the adopted approach, the new definition of risk related to ionizing radiations within the frame of a global approach to the prevention of occupational risks. She notices and comments the removal of a reference to an exposure limit for the public as input criterion in the system of radiological monitoring of workers exposures. She also comments the introduction of some concepts: the concept of a worker submitted to a risk related to ionizing radiation, and the concept of exposure value entailing a strengthened preventive action. She indicates the different modalities adopted for exposure monitoring (radiological monitoring and dose follow-up), addresses the issue of communication of dosimetry data and the access to all dosimetry information for the person in charge of radiation protection, and finally briefly evokes the idea of publishing guides for each specific sectors

Optimising the benefits of community health workers' unique position between communities and the health sector: A comparative analysis of factors shaping relationships in four countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Kok, Maryse C; Ormel, Hermen; Broerse, Jacqueline E W; Kane, Sumit; Namakhoma, Ireen; Otiso, Lilian; Sidat, Moshin; Kea, Aschenaki Z; Taegtmeyer, Miriam; Theobald, Sally; Dieleman, Marjolein

2017-11-01

Community health workers (CHWs) have a unique position between communities and the health sector. The strength of CHWs' relationships with both sides influences their motivation and performance. This qualitative comparative study aimed at understanding similarities and differences in how relationships between CHWs, communities and the health sector were shaped in different Sub-Saharan African settings. The study demonstrates a complex interplay of influences on trust and CHWs' relationships with their communities and actors in the health sector. Mechanisms influencing relationships were feelings of (dis)connectedness, (un)familiarity and serving the same goals, and perceptions of received support, respect, competence, honesty, fairness and recognition. Sometimes, constrained relationships between CHWs and the health sector resulted in weaker relationships between CHWs and communities. The broader context (such as the socio-economic situation) and programme context (related to, for example, task-shifting, volunteering and supervision) in which these mechanisms took place were identified. Policy-makers and programme managers should take into account the broader context and could adjust CHW programmes so that they trigger mechanisms that generate trusting relationships between CHWs, communities and other actors in the health system. This can contribute to enabling CHWs to perform well and responding to the opportunities offered by their unique intermediary position.

Agriculture Sectors

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The Agriculture sectors comprise establishments primarily engaged in growing crops, raising animals, and harvesting fish and other animals. Find information on compliance, enforcement and guidance on EPA laws and regulations on the NAICS 111 & 112 sectors.

'Going private': a qualitative comparison of medical specialists' job satisfaction in the public and private sectors of South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashmore, John

2013-01-03

There is a highly inequitable distribution of health workers between public and private sectors in South Africa, partly due to within-country migration trends. This article elaborates what South African medical specialists find satisfying about working in the public and private sectors, at present, and how to better incentivize retention in the public sector. Seventy-four qualitative interviews were conducted - among specialists and key informants - based in one public and one private urban hospital in South Africa. Interviews were coded to determine common job satisfaction factors, both financial and non-financial in nature. This served as background to a broader study on the impacts of specialist 'dual practice', that is, moonlighting. All qualitative specialist respondents were engaged in dual practice, generally working in both public and private sectors. Respondents were thus able to compare what was satisfying about these sectors, having experience of both. Results demonstrate that although there are strong financial incentives for specialists to migrate from the public to the private sector, public work can be attractive in some ways. For example, the public hospital sector generally provides more of a team environment, more academic opportunities, and greater opportunities to feel 'needed' and 'relevant'. However, public specialists suffer under poor resource availability, lack of trust for the Department of Health, and poor perceived career opportunities. These non-financial issues of public sector dissatisfaction appeared just as important, if not more important, than wage disparities. The results are useful for understanding both what brings specialists to migrate to the private sector, and what keeps some working in the public sector. Policy recommendations center around boosting public sector resources and building trust of the public sector through including health workers more in decision-making, inter alia. These interventions may be more cost

Quality of the Accounting Information of Brazilian Third Sector Entities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Maciel Ramos

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this study, the objective was to analyze the quality of accounting information of Brazilian non-profit organizations. As for the objective the research is characterized as a descriptive one; as for the research strategy it is documental and as for the approach it is quantitative. In order to measure the quality of the accounting information of the analyzed entities, it was prepared a checklist starting from the accounting rules that guide the accounting practice of the third sector entities made up of seven sections and 59 requisites, which enabled the construction of the Quality Index for Accounting Information. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics (minimum, maximum, mean, standard deviation and the results indicated a low level of the accounting information quality reported by the analyzed entities, especially when compared to for-profit organizations. One comes to the conclusion, based on the findings, that the analyzed entities present a low level of quality as to the accounting information which may jeopardize the information usefulness reported by these entities users.

A job analysis of community health workers in the context of integrated nutrition and early child development.

Science.gov (United States)

Phuka, John; Maleta, Kenneth; Thomas, Mavuto; Gladstone, Melisa

2014-01-01

Stunting and poor child development are major public health concerns in Malawi. Integrated nutrition and early child development (ECD) interventions have shown potential to reduce stunting, but it is not known how these integrated approaches can be implemented in Malawi. In this paper, we aimed to evaluate the current jobs status of community health workers and their potential to implement integrated approaches. This was accomplished by a desk review of nutrition and ECD policy documents, as well as interviews with key informants, community health workers, and community members. We found that Malawi has comprehensive policies and well-outlined coordination structures for nutrition and ECD that advocate for integrated approaches. Strong multidisciplinary interaction exists at central levels but not at the community level. Integration of community health workers from different sectors is limited by workload, logistics, and a lack of synchronized work schedules. Favorable, sound policies and well-outlined coordination structures alone are not enough for the establishment of integrated nutrition and ECD activities. Balanced bureaucratic structures, improved task allocation, and synchronization of work schedules across all relevant sectors are needed for integrated intervention in Malawi. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Explaining the Public-Sector Pay Gap: The Role of Skill and College Major

OpenAIRE

Max Schanzenbach

2015-01-01

This paper reassesses the public-sector pay gap using AFQT score and college major as measures of skill. Among the college educated, there is strong evidence that those with lower skills enter the public sector. In contrast to the private sector, for college-educated public-sector workers, AFQT score is not correlated with pay, and college major is only weakly predictive of pay. Furthermore, simple controls for college major explain most of the public-private-sector pay gap. I conclude that t...

The rite of passage of becoming a humanitarian health worker: experiences of retention in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Albuquerque, Sara; Eriksson, Anneli; Alvesson, Helle M

2018-01-01

Low retention of humanitarian workers poses constraints on humanitarian organisations' capacity to respond effectively to disasters. Research has focused on reasons for humanitarian workers leaving the sector, but little is known about the factors that can elucidate long-term commitment. To understand what motivates and supports experienced humanitarian health workers to remain in the sector. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 experienced nurses who had been on at least three field missions with Médecins Sans Frontières Sweden. Interviews explored factors influencing the decision to go on missions, how nurses were supported and how they looked back on those experiences. Transcripts were analysed through content analysis informed by van Gennep's concept of 'Rite of Passage', combined with elements of the self-determination theory. The findings indicate that their motivations and how nurses thought of themselves, as individuals and professionals, changed over time. For initiation and continued engagement in humanitarian work, participants were motivated by several personal and professional ambitions, as well as altruistic principles of helping others. When starting their first humanitarian missions, nurses felt vulnerable and had low self-esteem. However, through experiencing feelings of autonomy, competence and relatedness during missions, they underwent a process of change and gradually adjusted to new roles as humanitarian health workers. Reintegration in their home community, while maintaining the new roles and skills from the missions, proved very challenging. They individually found their own ways of overcoming the lack of social support they experienced after missions in order to sustain their continuation in the sector. The findings highlight the importance of social environments that facilitate and support the adjustment of individuals during and after field missions. Learning from positive examples, such as nurses with several years of

[Psychotropic medication use by French active self-employed workers].

Science.gov (United States)

Ha-Vinh, Philippe; Régnard, Pierre; Sauze, Laurent

2011-04-01

INTERESTS OF THE STUDY: In the self-employed workers population (shop keepers, craft men, industrialists and liberal professions), psychotropic medications use and discrepancies between occupational situations have never been evaluated before. It is nevertheless a prerequisite in preventive actions against addictions, stress and injuries caused by disorders of attentiveness at work. The French Self Employed Workers Health Care Insurance Fund affiliate members data base was analysed for active workers from 18 to 60 years of age living in the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur Region. From this population the cases were defined as having refunded ambulatory prescription of behind the counter psychotropic treatment during the year 2009 (anxiolytic, antidepressant, hypnotic, neuroleptic, lithium, alcoholic or opioid dependance therapy) and the randomised control sample was constituted by drawing the key of the social security number. A case-control multivariate logistic regression adjusted for gender, age and place of abode was used for searching discrepancy between occupational situations. Anxiolytic, antidepressant or hypnotic consumers are the most numerous (906; 557 and 446 consumers per 10 000 persons-year respectively). Antidepressant, neuroleptic and opioid dependance therapy are the three main posts of expense for the health insurance (584 505; 169 947 and 151 201 € per year respectively). When compared to workers of the construction sector, workers of retail trade of clothes had an Odd Ratio of 2,04 [95%CI 1,46-2,85] for anxiolytics consumption and 2,29 [95%CI 1,67-3,14] for antidepressants consumption, workers in the sector of the hotel and catering had an Odd Ratio of 1,62 [95%CI 1,19-2,22] for alcoholic dependance therapy medicines consumption, workers in the accountant, legal and financial sector had an Odd Ratio of 0,05 [95%CI 0,01-0,32] for opioid dependence therapy medicines consumption. Occupations associated with increased psychotropic medicines

CRM Failure to Apply Optimal Management Information Systems: Case of Lebanese Financial Sector

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Charbel Salloum

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Financial markets in Lebanon are constrained by government influence, Islamic financial principles, and some barriers to foreign participation. Productivity in the Lebanese financial sector ranks below its occidental counterpart in spite the fact that regulatory, supervisory, and accounting standards are generally consistent with international norms. This paper aims to give the reasons and recommendations of the failure of applying the optimal management information system in the Lebanese Financial Sector. Our results show that the reasons include among others the systems by it selves, their functionalities, but also, companies’ strategy and human capital issues.

NGO field workers in Pakistan

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Muhammad Haroon SIDDIQUE

2009-06-01

Full Text Available NGOs came into the society in their present form after World War II and more precisely in 1960s. Before that also different forms of philanthropy existed. Like elsewhere in the world, in Pakistan also state and the market were the two sectors catering for different needs of the people. When foreign funding started coming into the poor countries, the channel of NGOs was considered more appropriate including the fact they had roots in the society and the benefit could reach the far flung areas. NGO field workers are the real actors in the NGOs’ activities but sadly the NGOs those raise the slogans of working for the destitute do not bother to facilitate the NGO field workers. Eventually the NGO field workers are facing problems of job insecurity, poor salary structure, unhealthy working environment and even harassment especially in case of women NGO field workers in Pakistan

Public sector pay gap in Serbia during large-scale privatisation, by educational qualification

OpenAIRE

Laušev Jelena

2012-01-01

The paper explores the effect of large-scale privatization of public sector activities on public-private sector pay differential, for groups of workers according to educational qualification on average and across the pay distribution in Serbia, from 2004 until 2008. The paper finds that both unskilled and skilled men and women in the public sector saw significant improvements in their financial position relative to their private sector counterparts with the progress of the economic tran...

Occupational health I: The method of collective interviews applied to the study of the work-weariness process of workers of alcohol distilleries in the region of Ribeirao Preto; Saude do trabalhador I: o metodo de entrevistas coletivas aplicado ao estudo do processo trabalho-desgaste operario em destilaria de alcool na regiao de Ribeirao Preto

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azevedo Pinheiro, Sandra de; Ruffino Netto, Antonio [Sao Paulo Univ., Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Dept. de Medicina Social

1994-07-01

The author presents the method of investigation used in the study of the work-weariness process of workers of alcohol distilleries in the region of Ribeirao Preto - Sao Paulo State, Southeast Brazil. The study was based on the methodology proposed by Laurell and Noriega (1989), and on the collective interviews carried out with groups of workers from four large sectors of an alcohol distillery: the patio, the crushing sector, the boilers and the evaporation sector, and the fermentation and distillation sectors. The information obtained from the workers and collectively agreed by them, was compares to other sources of data: notification of the occupational accidents, reports of the Regional Labor Office, direct observation of the industrial environment, items of the collective agreement, and supplementary clinic-laboratory tests, among others. (author) 24 refs.

The potential for using information systems to enhance information flows and relationships in the intellectual property sector: The case of Kennedys Patent

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Barlow, A.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the potential use of information systems (IS for enhancing the supply chains of organisations positioned in the intellectual property (IP sector. Exploratory research has been conducted through the lens of a patent and trade mark agent who is involved in advising on a range of IP issues. The research highlights the opportunities offered by IS (including online technologies for generally improving the provision of business services e.g. automating supply chain processes. More specifically, though, it investigates the potential IS have for integrating information flows and providing timely, in-depth and better presented information and the options for online filing. It also explores the capabilities for improving interactions with clients and enhancing relationships with key stakeholders in the supply chain e.g. government agencies, overseas patent agents and lawyers. The paper additionally outlines key challenges that are at the forefront and need to be addressed when using IS within the IP sector such as identity management, security and authentication. The key findings of the research will be of value to researchers and practitioners in the IP field but many of the issues and challenges faced will also be applicable to other sectors.

Sector-specific human capital and the distribution of earnings

OpenAIRE

Eric Smith

2009-01-01

This paper incorporates assignment frictions and sector-specific training into the Roy model of occupational choice. Assignment frictions represent the extent of the market whereas differences in sector-specific training reflect worker specialization. This framework thus captures Adam Smith's idea that the extent of the market determines the division of labor. The paper demonstrates the way in which the relationship between assignment frictions and specialization affects the level and composi...

Does worker participation improve health and safety? Findings from the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Popma, J.R.

2009-01-01

Worker participation, both at a sectoral and organisational level, has been assigned a prominent role in Dutch occupational safety and health (OSH) policy since the 1980s. This emphasis on worker participation stems from the belief that such participation may enhance the effectiveness of OSH policy

Ergonomic evaluation of tasks performed by female workers in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Two main types of task are performed by the female workers in the brick fields in the unorganized sectors viz, brick moulding and brick carrying. Modified Nordic Questionnaire and Body Part Discomfort (BPD) scale was applied on these workers to identify the MSDs and the zones of discomfort in different body parts.

[Relationship between organisational structure and worksite health management in the information technology and communications sector].

Science.gov (United States)

Ansmann, L; Jung, J; Nitzsche, A; Pfaff, H

2012-05-01

Worksite health management (WHM) can positively influence employee health and performance. However, it has not yet been comprehensively implemented in companies. This study aims to identify the role of organisational structures in the implementation of WHM. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected on the companies' WHM and the organisational structure. Out of 522 randomly selected companies within the German information technology and communication (ITC) sector, one managing director for each company was being questioned through telephone interviews. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. The results of the study reveal that the implementation of WHM is positively correlated with a large company size (OR 2.75; 95%-CI 1.10-6.88) and with the existence of an employee representation (OR 2.48; 95%-CI 1.54-3.98). Other structural characteristics, such as the employment of a company physician, the percentage of temporary workers as well as the staff's age and sex distribution do not seem to have a significant impact on the implementation of WHM. The results indicate that the implementation of WHM can only be explained to a certain degree by organisational structures. However, the findings highlight the fact that companies with few structural resources are in particular need of tailored support when implementing WHM. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

‘Going private’: a qualitative comparison of medical specialists’ job satisfaction in the public and private sectors of South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background There is a highly inequitable distribution of health workers between public and private sectors in South Africa, partly due to within-country migration trends. This article elaborates what South African medical specialists find satisfying about working in the public and private sectors, at present, and how to better incentivize retention in the public sector. Methods Seventy-four qualitative interviews were conducted - among specialists and key informants - based in one public and one private urban hospital in South Africa. Interviews were coded to determine common job satisfaction factors, both financial and non-financial in nature. This served as background to a broader study on the impacts of specialist ‘dual practice’, that is, moonlighting. All qualitative specialist respondents were engaged in dual practice, generally working in both public and private sectors. Respondents were thus able to compare what was satisfying about these sectors, having experience of both. Results Results demonstrate that although there are strong financial incentives for specialists to migrate from the public to the private sector, public work can be attractive in some ways. For example, the public hospital sector generally provides more of a team environment, more academic opportunities, and greater opportunities to feel ‘needed’ and ‘relevant’. However, public specialists suffer under poor resource availability, lack of trust for the Department of Health, and poor perceived career opportunities. These non-financial issues of public sector dissatisfaction appeared just as important, if not more important, than wage disparities. Conclusions The results are useful for understanding both what brings specialists to migrate to the private sector, and what keeps some working in the public sector. Policy recommendations center around boosting public sector resources and building trust of the public sector through including health workers more in decision

‘Going private’: a qualitative comparison of medical specialists’ job satisfaction in the public and private sectors of South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashmore John

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a highly inequitable distribution of health workers between public and private sectors in South Africa, partly due to within-country migration trends. This article elaborates what South African medical specialists find satisfying about working in the public and private sectors, at present, and how to better incentivize retention in the public sector. Methods Seventy-four qualitative interviews were conducted - among specialists and key informants - based in one public and one private urban hospital in South Africa. Interviews were coded to determine common job satisfaction factors, both financial and non-financial in nature. This served as background to a broader study on the impacts of specialist ‘dual practice’, that is, moonlighting. All qualitative specialist respondents were engaged in dual practice, generally working in both public and private sectors. Respondents were thus able to compare what was satisfying about these sectors, having experience of both. Results Results demonstrate that although there are strong financial incentives for specialists to migrate from the public to the private sector, public work can be attractive in some ways. For example, the public hospital sector generally provides more of a team environment, more academic opportunities, and greater opportunities to feel ‘needed’ and ‘relevant’. However, public specialists suffer under poor resource availability, lack of trust for the Department of Health, and poor perceived career opportunities. These non-financial issues of public sector dissatisfaction appeared just as important, if not more important, than wage disparities. Conclusions The results are useful for understanding both what brings specialists to migrate to the private sector, and what keeps some working in the public sector. Policy recommendations center around boosting public sector resources and building trust of the public sector through including health workers

Radiological protection of workers. The IRSN proposes new functionalities to the users of the national information system for the radiological follow-up of workers exposed to ionizing radiations (SISERI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portes, Pascale

2014-01-01

After a brief definition of the SISERI (national information system for the radiological follow-up of workers exposed to ionizing radiations) and of its new arrangements introduced in 2014, this document outlines that the radiological follow-up of workers is one of the national missions of the IRSN in different ways: risk prevention (regulatory support, certification, workstation studies), individual control of workers exposed to ionizing radiations (internal and external dosimetry), follow-up of all exposed workers (SISERI, annual assessment, follow-up of incidents and events), expertise in case of anomalies or crisis, sharing of knowledge and know-how. It describes the traceability of the individual dosimetric follow-up of workers exposed to ionizing radiations in France (regulatory requirement, centralization of data). It comments the evolutions introduced in 2014 in the modalities of follow-up of worker exposure: publication of a new order, evolution of the SISERI information system with new functionalities, totally dematerialised signature of the access protocol, pages of the SISERI specifically dedicated to the CSE (SISERI correspondent of the employer), a sheet of medical follow-up, access rights for the competent radiological protection person. It gives an overview of regulation on worker control: present context with threshold exposure values, past evolution, follow-up principles. A diagram indicates these evolutions (dates of orders, concerned personnel, and dose thresholds)

Informalisation of women's work: consequence for fertility and child schooling in urban Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazi, S; Sathar, Z A

1993-01-01

The preliminary analysis of data from the 1990-91 Pakistan Household Survey (PIHS) for urban areas yields a profile of working urban women by educational level, sector of the economy, and child's educational activities. Between 1971 and 1988 labor force participation rates (LFPR) for women ranged between 3% and 5%. The hiring of women in temporary positions allows for lower costs, less benefits, and freedom from restrictive legislation. The PIHS data on 4711 households and 2513 urban, ever married women aged 15-49 years indicates a LFPR for women of 17%. Under 20% work in the formal sector. Most work in their homes as unpaid family workers or home-based income earning producers. Many official statistics exclude these women. Informal sector workers in the PIHS data, such as low status domestic workers, receive average wages of 609 rupees monthly compared to home-based workers wages of 240 rupees. Formal sector female workers have completed an average of 11.4 years of schooling, while informal workers have received only 6.5 years. 77% of informal workers have had no formal education compared to 62% of at home mothers and 28% of formal sector workers. Many employed women are single household heads or with an unemployed spouse. Formal sector working women marry 3.4 years later than informal sector women and 2.6 years later than nonworking women. Nonworking women have the lowest contraceptive use followed by informal sector women. Most women regardless of work status desire four children, but achieved fertility was lower among professional and white collar workers. Informal sector women had higher fertility than nonworking women. Preliminary multivariate analyses supported this pattern of work status related fertility. The chances of children attending school was higher among formal sector workers. Girls with nonworking mothers had better chances of gaining an education.

Hospital social workers in Saudi Arabia: characteristics and functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Albrithen, Abdulaziz; Yalli, Nadir

2015-01-01

Social work practitioners are important members of the health care team and the hospital sector has been a traditional employer of social workers. Social work practitioners have become increasingly involved in hospital work as a result of the growing recognition of the important link between the biophysical aspects of health and the surrounding psychosocial circumstances, which require multidisciplinary interventions and demand the involvement of specialized social work personnel to deal with such issues. The article has been carried out in order to contribute to the literature by exploring to see if the characteristics and functions of contemporary professional social workers (who practice in the health sector in western Saudi Arabia) are achieving best practice.

Work Sectors with High Risk for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Korean Men and Women

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Jungsun Park

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: To identify work sectors with high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs in Korean men and women. Methods: We analyzed nationwide data to identify ergonomic risk factors in Korean employees. In particular, we analyzed data on exposure to five ergonomic risk factors (painful/tiring postures, lifting/moving heavy materials, standing/walking, repetitive hand/arm movements, and hand/arm vibration according to employment sector, sex, and age, using the 2014 Fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey. We also used workers' compensation data on work-related MSDs in 2010, which is available by sex. Results: The different work sectors had different gender distributions. “Manufacturing” (27.7% and “construction” (11.3% were dominated by males, whereas “human health and social work activities” (12.4%, “hotel and restaurants” (11.7%, and “education” (10.4% were dominated by females. However, “wholesale and retail trade” and “public administration and defense” employed large numbers of males and females. Furthermore, the work sectors with a greater proportion of work-related MSDs and with multiple ergonomic risk factors were different for men and women. For men, “construction” and “manufacturing” had the highest risk for work-related MSDs; for women, “hotel and restaurants” had the highest risk for work-related MSDs. Conclusion: Ergonomic interventions for workers should consider gender and should focus on work sectors with high risk for MSDs, with multiple ergonomic risk factors, and with the largest number of workers. Keywords: ergonomic, risk factor, Korean workers, musculoskeletal disorder

Health Profile of Construction Workers in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Wen; Chan, Albert

2016-12-13

Construction is a manual, heavy, and complex sector concerning the most fatal accidents and high incidence of occupational illnesses and injuries resulting in days away from work. In Hong Kong, "Pilot Medical Examination Scheme for Construction Workers" was launched in 2014 to detect the health problems of their construction workforce. All registered workers under the Construction Workers Registration Board are eligible to join the scheme. The purpose of this paper is to assess the physical condition, physiological status, and musculoskeletal disorders of 942 construction workers in Hong Kong. This study adopted a two-phase design, which includes a basic medical examination to measure the workers' physiological parameters, such as blood pressure, resting heart rate, glucose, cholesterol, uric acid, liver function test, and renal function test; as well as a face-to-face interview following the medical examination to collect their demographic information and pain experience. Individual characteristics, including gender, age, obesity, alcohol drinking habit, and sleeping habit influenced the health condition of construction workers. Among the participants, 36.1% and 6.5% of them were overweight and obese, respectively. In addition, 43.0%, 38.4%, 16.2%, and 13.9% of the participants exceeded the thresholds of cholesterol, blood pressure, urea nitrogen, and uric urea, correspondingly. Moreover, 41.0% of the participants suffered musculoskeletal pain, where the most frequent painful parts occur in the lower back, shoulder, knees, leg, and neck. Through these findings, a series of important issues that need to be addressed is pointed out in terms of maintaining the physical well-being and reducing musculoskeletal disorders of construction workers. The finding may have implications for formulating proper intervention strategies for the sustainable development of Hong Kong's construction industry.

The Effect of the 2007 Financial Crisis on the Information Technologies Sector: Application of Malmquist Productivity Index Method

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Kenan Oğuzhan Oruç

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the 2007 financial crisis on the productivity of information technologies sector by applying Malmquist Productivity Index method. In the research, 20 enterprises operating in the information technologies sector in the list of Fortune 500 and their 6 years data are taken between the periods of 2005-2010. In the method, short and long term liabilities and shareholders’ equity are used as inputs while total income and net profit are used as outputs. As a result, it is observed that productivity of information technologies sector decreased, each year in compare to previous year, respectively in 2007, 2008 and 2009 while it increased in 2005 and 2010. It is additionally observed that in those years when the productivity decreased, component of technical change also decreased while component of efficiency change increased.

Empleo formal e informal en el sector turístico en Colombia

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Manuel Leguizamón T.

2016-06-01

En este documento se analiza cuál es la participación del denominado empleo informal en el sector turístico colombiano y cómo se está propendiendo a la formalización de las empresas que aún desarrollan su actividad basadas en la condición de informales o “alegales”.

The shaking signal of the honey bee informs workers to prepare for greater activity

OpenAIRE

Seeley, Thomas D.; Weidenmüller, Anja; Kühnholz, Susanne

2010-01-01

One of the most conspicuous activities o f worker bees inside a hive is the shaking of other wc~rliersT. his shaking has long been suspected to be a communication behavior, but its information content and function have until recently remained mysterious. Prior studies of the colony-level patterns of the production of ihc shaking signal supgest strongly that this signal semes to arouse workers to greater activity, such as at times of good foraging. Data from our obsenrauons of mdividual bees h...

Hand-arm vibration disorder among grass-cutter workers in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Azmir, Nor Azali; Ghazali, Mohd Imran; Yahya, Musli Nizam; Ali, Mohamad Hanafi

2016-09-01

Prolonged exposure to hand-transmitted vibration from grass-cutting machines has been associated with increasing occurrences of symptoms and signs of occupational diseases related to hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). A cross-sectional study was carried out using an adopted HAVS questionnaire on hand-arm vibration exposure and symptoms distributed to 168 male workers from the grass and turf maintenance industry who use hand-held grass-cutting machines as part of their work. The prevalence ratio and symptom correlation to HAVS between high and low-moderate exposure risk groups were evaluated. There were positive HAVS symptoms relationships between the low-moderate exposure group and the high exposure group among hand-held grass-cutting workers. The prevalence ratio was considered high because there were indicators that fingers turned white and felt numb, 3.63, 95% CI [1.41, 9.39] and 4.24, 95% CI [2.18, 8.27], respectively. Less than 14.3% of workers stated that they were aware of the occupational hand-arm vibration, and it seemed to be related to the finger blanching and numbness. The results suggest that HAVS is under-diagnosed in Malaysia, especially in the agricultural sectors. More information related to safety and health awareness programmes for HAVS exposure is required among hand-held grass-cutting workers.

[Peculiarities and aims of first aid training in the road haulage sector].

Science.gov (United States)

Rosso, G L; Bruno, Santina; Feola, M; Zanelli, R; Corino, P

2008-01-01

Four years after the law concerning first aid in the workplace was passed in Italy (inter-ministerial decree 388/2003), which is a useful tool in improving safety at work, it is necessary to organize first aid courses specifically for those working in the road haulage sector which would also be effective in case of traffic accidents. In view of the characteristics of the working environment in this sector (the road) and of the working conditions (generally workers are isolated and far from the company's headquarters), it would be necessary to organize ad hoc first aid courses at the workplace for the category of professional drivers. The aim of this article is to discuss some possible organizational aspects of first aid in the road haulage sector, such as: number of workers responsible for first aid, how to train workers for specific risks of traffic accidents, the requirements for teachers responsible for first aid and course targets that must be achieved. A good level of training, achieved during the first aid course at the workplace, might therefore be useful to improve road safety and increase the quality of basic and advanced first aid in road traffic injuries.

Workers radiation protection. Solutions accommodate new needs. The tool box of radiation protection expands itself. Industrial radiology: workers aware of risks. To design a shielded enclosure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rannou, Alain; Billarand, Yann; Scanff, Pascale; Etard, Cecile; Sage, Julie; Jolivet, Patrick; Israel, Sylvain; Caplin, Helene; Couasnon, Olivier; Cordelle, Anne

2017-01-01

A first article proposes an overview of developments in the field of workers radiation protection. This development is notably motivated by the future dismantling works. It can be noticed that some other issues are considered as more important than radiation protection in the medical field even though radiation protection is a matter of concern for radiology manipulators. Radiation protection is also an issue for workers performing luggage X-ray controls in airports. As revealed by some measurements, artificial radioactivity should be controlled. Radiation protection is planned in relationship with an exposure scenario. The Belgium example is evoked with the development of centralised data and statistics in order to compare workers profiles. A second article comments the evolution of the activity of radiation protection with its new documents, methodologies (notably for operating rooms), and practical studies. While indicating how much the number of specialised workers increased, and how much dose control has been developed in the medical sector, and in terms of workers wearing a ring- or wrist-dosimeter between 2006 and 2015, and also indicating the distribution of controlled workers among sectors, the article outlines that a computation tool is shared between professionals, and how sheets on radionuclides are published and shared. The third article briefly addresses industrial radiology to outlines that workers are always more aware of risks. The last article briefly describes how a shielded enclosure is designed to limit workers exposure

A importância do sector informal na economia urbana em países da África Subsariana

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Ilidio do Amaral

2005-12-01

Full Text Available THE ROLE OF THE INFORMAL SECTOR IN THE URBAN ECONOMY OF THE SUB-SAHARIAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES’. In this paper, presented as a tribute to CARLOS ALBERTO MEDEIROS, the author begins by evoking some of the most important moments in the brilliant academic career of his former student and collaborator, as well as the feelings of mutual friendship and respect that bind the two. The subject of the importance of the informal sector in the urban economy of Sub-Saharan African countries is then addressed in two parts – 1. On the informal nature and informality of the urban economy; and 2. On the multi-segmentation of the informal sector –, which are followed by a Conclusion. The result of many years of careful reflection and analysis, based on field observation, countless literature surveys and exchanges of knowledge with other specialists from the social sciences, this paper is actually an early version of part of a book currently under preparation, and is offered as such as a gift accompanying this tribute. The first part of the paper begins with a reflection on the expression ‘informal sector’ (for long in current usage and others still being used, as well on the validity of the formal/informal dicotomy as an analytical instrument, and proceeds by presenting examples of the differences between these two sectors (Table I, their inter-relationships, the existence of hybrid forms and some data on the importance and expansion of the informal sector, which is responsible for ensuring the livelihood of most city inhabitants. The second part focuses on the myriad activities and small-scale individual, family and even ‘firm-like’ businesses and trades that bring the streets and markets to life. Street hawkers and producers, among whom the women play a central role, predominate, many of whom are newcomers to the city that have just arrived from the countryside, or from abroad in the case of the immigrants (Table II. According to another author (Table

Factors Related to Job Satisfaction of Information Technology Professionals

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İbrahim Halil SEYREK

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Job satisfaction of employees in any type of organization is important both for the employee and for the organization he/she works for. There are several factors researchers studied that are related to employee satisfaction. Even though there are several common factors for the job satisfaction of employees, there can be differences based on the personal and job characteristics. Information Technology (IT workers are important for current information economy and therefore factors related to their job satisfaction is an important research topic. In this study, based on survey data collected from 455 IT workers from different industries, the factors related to IT worker job satisfaction are investigated. As a result of analyses, it was found that demographic factors like gender, sector (public vs. private, work experience, and wage are not related to the job satisfaction of the worker. On the other hand, the results show that feel of belonging, feel of acceptance, job autonomy, burnout, role clarity and fairness of rewards are factors that affect job satisfaction.

The benefits divide: health care purchasing in retail versus other sectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, James; Temin, Peter; Zaman, Saminaz

2002-01-01

This paper is the first to compare health care purchasing in the retail versus other sectors of the Fortune 500. Employing millions of low-wage workers, the retail sector is the largest employer of uninsured workers in the economy. We found that retail companies are using the same competitive bidding process that other companies use to obtain a given level of coverage for the lowest possible cost. However, they are more price oriented than other Fortune 500 companies are. The most striking disparity lies in the nearly fivefold difference in offer rates for health care coverage. This shows that the economy's bifurcation in health benefits extends even to the nation's largest companies.

[Use of data display screens and ocular hypertension in local public sector workers].

Science.gov (United States)

Abellán Torró, Rosana; Merelles Tormo, Antoni

2014-01-01

The main objective of this study is to examine the association between work with data display screens (DDS) and ocular hypertension (OHT). A cross-sectional study among local public sector workers (Diputación Provincial de Valencia). Data from 620 people were collected over 25 months, from periodic medical examinations performed at an occupational health unit. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was obtained with a portable puff tonometer validated for screening, establishing the cut-off point for OHT at 22 mmHg. Both biological characteristics and other work-related variables were taken into account as covariates. Descriptive statistics of the data were obtained, together with nonparametric tests with a level of significance of 95% and logistic regression with p 〈0.1 as the level of significance of the likelihood test. The average age of the study population is 52.8 years. The prevalence of OHT was 3.5% (5.1% among men and 1.2% among women; p=0.012). No significant associations were found between hours of DDS-related work and OHT were found (p=0.395). Logistic regression corroborated the association between gender and OHT, with women less affected (OR = 0.234; 95%CI: 0.068 - 0.799; p=0.020). In our study, no associations were found between time of exposure to data display screens and ocular hypertension. Logistic regression points to a certain association between ocular hypertension and gender, with men being more predisposed. Copyright belongs to the Societat Catalana de Salut Laboral.

Compendium of information of the Mexican power sector; 1. ed.; Compendio de Informacion del sector energetico mexicano

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mulas del Pozo, Pablo; Reinking Cejudo, Arturo [eds.] [Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, D. F. (Mexico)

1998-12-31

This first Compendium of information of the Mexican power sector was elaborated with the purpose of concentrating the most relevant information on energy in a single volume to facilitate the search and consults of people interested in this subject. In Chapter I (Reserves), the numbers of hydrocarbon of petroleum and gas reserves appear, non-conventional energies such as: coal, hydroelectricity, geothermal, uranium, at National level. All these numbers correspond to year 1997. In Chapter II (Production), the events and results of 1997 are discussed in the text and in the tables the numbers of hydrocarbon production appear, the non-conventional energies and of electricity generation, of 1996 as well as of 1997. In chapter III (Facilities), the capacity of refineries and processing plants are shown, as they can be oil, gas, petroleum-producing products of the petrochemical industry; in the same way the national electrical system is approached, which counts on with an extensive infrastructure standing out the electricity generation plants, the transmission lines and the substations, distributed all over the country. The detailed information of each type of plant is presented. The information provided in this chapter corresponds to the 31 of December of 1997, although certain details are included whose information 1996 only know. In chapter IV (Energy Consumption), appears the most relevant information on the destiny and consumption of energy. To relate this information with the data of chapter II the conventions on how the gross internal offer is conformed and the data to arrive to this last one are presented. The numbers of the National energy balance are presented for 1996, as well as the ones of self-consumption of the energy sector and the ones of transformation consumption. The numbers of foreign trade of energy to relate all these concepts to the production and offer of energy are presented. In the price and tariffs section of this chapter, the 1997 and the 1996

Prevalence of job strain among Indian foundry shop floor workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, G Madhan; Elangovan, S; Prasad, P S S; Krishna, P Rama; Mokkapati, Anil Kumar

2008-01-01

Global competition in manufacturing sector demand higher productivity levels. In this context, workers in this sector are set with high output targets, leading to job strain. In addition to the strain, hazardous conditions also prevail in some of the manufacturing processes like foundry activities. This paper attempts to appraise the prevalence of job strain among foundry shop floor workers in India with the help of Demands-Control model [8]. In this study, data was collected through a survey using 49-item Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) [9], a widely used and well-validated test for job strain. Then the data was subjected to statistical analysis after ascertaining the reliability. This survey has revealed that 25% of workers in foundry were experiencing high job strain. Hazardous working conditions, limited decision making authority, etc. appear to be the main contributing factors for the higher levels of strain.

Sectoral Economies, Economic Contexts, and Attitudes toward Immigration.

Science.gov (United States)

Dancygier, Rafaela M; Donnelly, Michael J

2013-01-01

Do economic considerations shape attitudes toward immigration? In this article, we consider the relationship between economic interests and immigration preferences by examining how developments in individuals' sectors of employment affect these views. Using survey data across European countries from 2002 to 2009 and employing new measures of industry-level exposure to immigration, we find that sectoral economies shape opinions about immigration. Individuals employed in growing sectors are more likely to support immigration than are those employed in shrinking sectors. Moreover, the economic context matters: Making use of the exogenous shock to national economies represented by the 2008 financial crisis, we show that sector-level inflows of immigrant workers have little effect on preferences when economies are expanding, but that they dampen support for immigration when economic conditions deteriorate and confidence in the economy declines. These sectoral effects remain even when controlling for natives' views about the impact of immigration on the national economy and culture. When evaluating immigration policy, individuals thus appear to take into account whether their sector of employment benefits economically from immigration.

Sectoral Economies, Economic Contexts, and Attitudes toward Immigration

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, Michael J.

2013-01-01

Do economic considerations shape attitudes toward immigration? In this article, we consider the relationship between economic interests and immigration preferences by examining how developments in individuals' sectors of employment affect these views. Using survey data across European countries from 2002 to 2009 and employing new measures of industry-level exposure to immigration, we find that sectoral economies shape opinions about immigration. Individuals employed in growing sectors are more likely to support immigration than are those employed in shrinking sectors. Moreover, the economic context matters: Making use of the exogenous shock to national economies represented by the 2008 financial crisis, we show that sector-level inflows of immigrant workers have little effect on preferences when economies are expanding, but that they dampen support for immigration when economic conditions deteriorate and confidence in the economy declines. These sectoral effects remain even when controlling for natives' views about the impact of immigration on the national economy and culture. When evaluating immigration policy, individuals thus appear to take into account whether their sector of employment benefits economically from immigration. PMID:24363457

Occupational health and safety for agricultural workers in Thailand: gaps and recommendations, with a focus on pesticide use.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaewboonchoo, Orawan; Kongtip, Pornpimol; Woskie, Susan

2015-05-01

Over 16.7 million workers in Thailand (42 percent of the working population) are engaged in agriculture, disproportionately from the lower socioeconomic strata of Thai society. Most agricultural workers (over 93 percent) work in the informal sector without the protections of regulations or enforcement of labor or health and safety laws or enrollment in a social security system. Although Thailand's use of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides is growing, there is little regulation of the sale, use, or application of these potentially toxic chemicals. This paper summarizes the research to date on occupational health and safety for Thai agricultural workers, identifies gaps in pesticide regulations and the current systems for occupational health and safety and social support for Thai agricultural workers, and makes recommendations for future policy and research initiatives to fill the identified gaps. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Does the Wage Gap between Private and Public Sectors Encourage Political Corruption?

Science.gov (United States)

Podobnik, Boris; Vukovic, Vuk; Stanley, H. Eugene

2015-01-01

We present a dynamic network model of corrupt and noncorrupt employees representing two states in the public and private sector. Corrupt employees are more connected to one another and are less willing to change their attitudes regarding corruption than noncorrupt employees. This behavior enables them to prevail and become the majority in the workforce through a first-order phase transition even though they initially represented a minority. In the model, democracy—understood as the principle of majority rule—does not create corruption, but it serves as a mechanism that preserves corruption in the long run. The motivation for our network model is a paradox that exists on the labor market. Although economic theory indicates that higher risk investments should lead to larger rewards, in many developed and developing countries workers in lower-risk public sector jobs are paid more than workers in higher-risk private sector jobs. To determine the long-run sustainability of this economic paradox, we study data from 28 EU countries and find that the public sector wage premium increases with the level of corruption. PMID:26495847

Does the Wage Gap between Private and Public Sectors Encourage Political Corruption?

Science.gov (United States)

Podobnik, Boris; Vukovic, Vuk; Stanley, H Eugene

2015-01-01

We present a dynamic network model of corrupt and noncorrupt employees representing two states in the public and private sector. Corrupt employees are more connected to one another and are less willing to change their attitudes regarding corruption than noncorrupt employees. This behavior enables them to prevail and become the majority in the workforce through a first-order phase transition even though they initially represented a minority. In the model, democracy-understood as the principle of majority rule-does not create corruption, but it serves as a mechanism that preserves corruption in the long run. The motivation for our network model is a paradox that exists on the labor market. Although economic theory indicates that higher risk investments should lead to larger rewards, in many developed and developing countries workers in lower-risk public sector jobs are paid more than workers in higher-risk private sector jobs. To determine the long-run sustainability of this economic paradox, we study data from 28 EU countries and find that the public sector wage premium increases with the level of corruption.

Does the Wage Gap between Private and Public Sectors Encourage Political Corruption?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boris Podobnik

Full Text Available We present a dynamic network model of corrupt and noncorrupt employees representing two states in the public and private sector. Corrupt employees are more connected to one another and are less willing to change their attitudes regarding corruption than noncorrupt employees. This behavior enables them to prevail and become the majority in the workforce through a first-order phase transition even though they initially represented a minority. In the model, democracy-understood as the principle of majority rule-does not create corruption, but it serves as a mechanism that preserves corruption in the long run. The motivation for our network model is a paradox that exists on the labor market. Although economic theory indicates that higher risk investments should lead to larger rewards, in many developed and developing countries workers in lower-risk public sector jobs are paid more than workers in higher-risk private sector jobs. To determine the long-run sustainability of this economic paradox, we study data from 28 EU countries and find that the public sector wage premium increases with the level of corruption.

Deaf Workers in Restaurant, Retail, and Hospitality Sector Employment: Harnessing Research to Promote Advocacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Stokar, Hayley

2017-01-01

A quarter-century after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990 ), workplace accommodation is still a struggle for deaf employees and their managers. Many challenges are the result of communication barriers that can be overcome through much needed-although often absent-advocacy and training. This article highlights the literature on the employment of deaf individuals in the United States service industries of food service, retail, and hospitality conducted from 2000 to 2016. Exploring dimensions of both hiring and active workplace accommodation, suggestions are made for how social work advocates can harness information and strengthen their approaches for educating managers and supporting workers.

Staff Indiscipline and Productivity in the Public Sector in Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Staff Indiscipline and Productivity in the Public Sector in Nigeria. ... acts of indiscipline which characterize contemporary public organizations in Nigeria. ... to regularize the payment of workers' salaries and wages to increase their productivity.

Health promoting behaviors in industrial workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gulay Yilmazel

2015-04-01

CONCLUSIONS: Health promoting behaviors were found to be in moderate level among cement factory workers. In our country, health protection and development programs at the national level would be useful to standardize for employees in the industrial sector. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2015; 14(2.000: 153-162

The role of information and communication policies in the governance of the healthcare sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barileé B. Baridam

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Information and communication technology (ICT is today an indispensable tool in the development of countries and economies, driving growth in many other sectors, including the health sector. The effective governance of the health sector demands enabling ICT policies. Healthcare is a key area in the development and growth of nations. A country that neglects this sector will definitely witness a decline in socio-economic development. Application of ICT in this sector is non-negotiable and an imperative. However, with diversities in policy ICT’s impact is not felt in many communities, and linking ICT and other business strategies is a big challenge. Availability of resources upon which ICT itself thrives is another factor limiting its impact upon the lives of the populations of most developing nations. Cultural diversity and technology problems seem to stand prominent among challenges impeding the impact of ICT on developing nations. Against this backdrop, this paper takes a critical look at the implementation and efficiency of ICT in healthcare delivery within the Nigerian context. The purpose is to assist those bodies responsible for ICT policy and implementation to enable the benefits of ICT to trickle through to the populace. We are also of the opinion that the adequate implementation of ICT policy in the health sector in the most populous black nation (Nigeria will go a long way to influence its implementation in neighbouring nations

Utilization of respondent-driven sampling among a population of child workers in the diamond-mining sector of Sierra Leone.

Science.gov (United States)

Bjørkhaug, I; Hatløy, A

2009-01-01

This article describes the implementation of respondent driven sampling (RDS) in a study conducted in Kono District, Sierra Leone. RDS was used to identify children, under the age of 18 years old, working in the diamond sector of Sierra Leone. This includes children working directly as diamond miners as well as children working in the informal sector connected to the diamond field. The article seeks to postulate that RDS is a suitable method for a rapid approach to a population that is unidentified in size and demonstrate how RDS can reach a study population within a limited period.

Psychosocial Determinants of Conflict-Handling Behaviour of Workers in Oil Sector in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Bankole, Akanji Rafiu

2011-01-01

The study examined the joint and relative influence of three psychosocial factors: Emotional intelligence, communication skill and interpersonal skill on conflict-handling behaviour of oil workers in Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted and a sample of 610 workers was randomly selected from oil companies across the country. Data were…

76 FR 32227 - DST Systems, Inc., Including On-Site Leased Workers From Comsys Information Technology Services...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-03

..., Inc., Including On-Site Leased Workers From Comsys Information Technology Services, Megaforce, and Kelly Services Kansas City, MO; DST Technologies, a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of DST Systems, Inc., Boston... Information Technology Services, Megaforce, and Kelly Services, Kansas City, Missouri (subject firm). The...

Logistics and supply chain management for the informal business and humanitarian sectors

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Viljoen, N

2012-10-01

Full Text Available centres End-users $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ Retail outlets What are we talking about? ? CSIR 2012 Slide 3 $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ Logistics What are we talking about? ? CSIR 2012 Slide 4 $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $$ Supply chain... Create a platform where consultants can donate ?services? What will it take: Time for legwork, humility, sacrificing your agenda Logistics and supply chain management for the informal business and humanitarian sectors CSIR 4th Biennial Conference...

Eliminating malaria in Malaysia: the role of partnerships between the public and commercial sectors in Sabah

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Countries in the Asia Pacific region have made great progress in the fight against malaria; several are rapidly approaching elimination. However, malaria control programmes operating in elimination settings face substantial challenges, particularly around mobile migrant populations, access to remote areas and the diversity of vectors with varying biting and breeding behaviours. These challenges can be addressed through subnational collaborations with commercial partners, such as mining or plantation companies, that can conduct or support malaria control activities to cover employees. Such partnerships can be a useful tool for accessing high-risk populations and supporting malaria elimination goals. Methods This observational qualitative case study employed semi-structured key informant interviews to describe partnerships between the Malaysian Malaria Control Programme (MCP), and private palm oil, rubber and acacia plantations in the state of Sabah. Semi-structured interview guides were used to examine resource commitments, incentives, challenges, and successes of the collaborations. Results Interviews with workers from private plantations and the state of Sabah MCP indicated that partnerships with the commercial sector had contributed to decreases in incidence at plantation sites since 1991. Several plantations contribute financial and human resources toward malaria control efforts and all plantations frequently communicate with the MCP to help monitor the malaria situation on-site. Management of partnerships between private corporations and government entities can be challenging, as prioritization of malaria control may change with annual profits or arrival of new management. Conclusions Partnering with the commercial sector has been an essential operational strategy to support malaria elimination in Sabah. The successes of these partnerships rely on a common understanding that elimination will be a mutually beneficial outcome for employers and the

Eliminating malaria in Malaysia: the role of partnerships between the public and commercial sectors in Sabah.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Kelly C; Rundi, Christina; Jelip, Jenarun; Rashman, Yusof; Smith Gueye, Cara; Gosling, Roly D

2014-01-21

Countries in the Asia Pacific region have made great progress in the fight against malaria; several are rapidly approaching elimination. However, malaria control programmes operating in elimination settings face substantial challenges, particularly around mobile migrant populations, access to remote areas and the diversity of vectors with varying biting and breeding behaviours. These challenges can be addressed through subnational collaborations with commercial partners, such as mining or plantation companies, that can conduct or support malaria control activities to cover employees. Such partnerships can be a useful tool for accessing high-risk populations and supporting malaria elimination goals. This observational qualitative case study employed semi-structured key informant interviews to describe partnerships between the Malaysian Malaria Control Programme (MCP), and private palm oil, rubber and acacia plantations in the state of Sabah. Semi-structured interview guides were used to examine resource commitments, incentives, challenges, and successes of the collaborations. Interviews with workers from private plantations and the state of Sabah MCP indicated that partnerships with the commercial sector had contributed to decreases in incidence at plantation sites since 1991. Several plantations contribute financial and human resources toward malaria control efforts and all plantations frequently communicate with the MCP to help monitor the malaria situation on-site. Management of partnerships between private corporations and government entities can be challenging, as prioritization of malaria control may change with annual profits or arrival of new management. Partnering with the commercial sector has been an essential operational strategy to support malaria elimination in Sabah. The successes of these partnerships rely on a common understanding that elimination will be a mutually beneficial outcome for employers and the general public. Best practices included

Sectoral job training as an intervention to improve health equity.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsui, Emma K

2010-04-01

A growing literature on the social determinants of health strongly suggests the value of examining social policy interventions for their potential links to health equity. I investigate how sectoral job training, an intervention favored by the Obama administration, might be conceptualized as an intervention to improve health equity. Sectoral job training programs ideally train workers, who are typically low income, for upwardly mobile job opportunities within specific industries. I first explore the relationships between resource redistribution and health equity. Next, I discuss how sectoral job training theoretically redistributes resources and the ways in which these resources might translate into improved health. Finally, I make recommendations for strengthening the link between sectoral job training and improved health equity.

Effectuality of Cleaning Workers' Training and Cleaning Enterprises' Chemical Health Hazard Risk Profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Suleiman, Abdulqadir M; Svendsen, Kristin V H

2015-12-01

Goal-oriented communication of risk of hazards is necessary in order to reduce risk of workers' exposure to chemicals. Adequate training of workers and enterprise priority setting are essential elements. Cleaning enterprises have many challenges and the existing paradigms influence the risk levels of these enterprises. Information on organization and enterprises' prioritization in training programs was gathered from cleaning enterprises. A measure of enterprises' conceptual level of importance of chemical health hazards and a model for working out the risk index (RI) indicating enterprises' conceptual risk level was established and used to categorize the enterprises. In 72.3% of cases, training takes place concurrently with task performances and in 67.4% experienced workers conduct the trainings. There is disparity between employers' opinion on competence level of the workers and reality. Lower conceptual level of importance was observed for cleaning enterprises of different sizes compared with regional safety delegates and occupational hygienists. Risk index values show no difference in risk level between small and large enterprises. Training of cleaning workers lacks the prerequisite for suitability and effectiveness to counter risks of chemical health hazards. There is dereliction of duty by management in the sector resulting in a lack of competence among the cleaning workers. Instituting acceptable easily attainable safety competence level for cleaners will conduce to risk reduction, and enforcement of attainment of the competence level would be a positive step.

Abused and Alone: Legal Redress for Migrant Domestic Workers in Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Whelan, Jennifer; Nordin, Rohaida; Ishak, Ma Khaltum; Matwi, Nursyuhada; Zahari, Siti Nurimani; Mekler, Nicole; Thiyagarajan, Amritha

2016-01-01

Since independence, Malaysia’s rapid economic development has relied on Malaysian workers moving from rural-to-rural and rural-to-urban areas as well as on migrant workers, especially from ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand and also from South Asia. The sustained high economic growth rates in Malaysia over approximately three decades caused the increase in migrant workers, who were to meet the rising demand in certain sectors of the Malaysian labour market. The o...

Rigidity of Nominal Wages of Non-Production Workers in Industrial Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bambang Sulistiyono

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Excess supply of labor leads to low the levels of nominal wages received by workers. The amount of minimum wage rate exceeds the market wage rate. The determination of minimum wage is a factor manifested in the institutional and regulatory Provincial Minimum Wage or a District Minimum Wage. Unfortunately, it has made nominal wages  difficult to drop below the minimum wage level. High or low level of nominal wages are associated with worker productivity. Further, nominal wages are rigid to go down. If they have increased, they can not be dropped in the future even though the company's performance is declined. Knowing that condition, in designing the remuneration system, an employer should pay attention to the rigidity of nominal wages, so that when  company's performance declines, the company will not be interfered because of the wages burden.  Furthermore, unions and government should consider the rigidity impact of nominal wages that go down. Thus, when macroeconomic conditions deteriorate and company's performance drops, the company will not go bankrupt due to high labor costs. If the company goes bankrupt, the workers will loose their jobs as a result of employment termination, while the government will face the unemployment problem. 

Psychological well-being as a predictor of dropout among recently qualified Danish eldercare workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Giver, Hanne; Faber, Anne; Hannerz, Harald; Strøyer, Jesper; Rugulies, Reiner

2010-05-01

The eldercare sector is characterized by a shortage of labour and a high turnover rate, which constitutes a major challenge for the ageing societies of western Europe. The aim of the present study was to investigate if a low level of psychological well-being at the time of graduation predicts dropout among eldercare workers two years later. We included 4,968 female eldercare trainees in this prospective study, recruited from 27 of the 28 Danish colleges for eldercare. Psychological well-being in 2004 was measured with the five-item Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). We linked the survey data with national register data to obtain information about labour market attachment two years after qualification. In 2006, 37% of all participants had left the eldercare sector. Compared to participants with high psychological well-being at baseline, participants with medium and low psychological well-being were more likely to dropout to sectors unrelated to health and welfare (odds ratio (OR) 1.40 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.06-1.85) and 1.66 (95% CI = 1.27-2.19), respectively). They were also more likely to drop out of the labour market (OR 1.48 (95% CI = 1.08-2.04) and 1.60 (95% CI = 1.12-2.20), respectively). Psychological well-being was not related to dropout to other health- and welfare sectors or dropout to further education. The fact that more than one third of all participants had left the eldercare sector two years after qualification demonstrates the importance of retention initiatives early in working life. In addition a focus on psychological well-being among eldercare workers should be considered.

Informal waste collection and its co-existence with the formal waste sector: The case of Kampala, Uganda

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Katusiimeh, M.W.; Burger, C.P.J.; Mol, A.P.J.

2013-01-01

We analyze how the informal collectors and the formal sector co-exist in solid waste collection in Kampala. We rely on household surveys and a small survey among the informal collectors in Kampala. Findings suggest that informal collectors play a substantial role in the first stage – collecting

[Respiratory function evaluation in welders taking into account tecnological evolution of individual protection dispositive and risk specific information].

Science.gov (United States)

Boggia, B; Graziuso, G; Carbone, U

2011-01-01

Aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of specific information program on DPI use on the functional respiratory parameters in a group of 15 welders compared with 18 welders not included in the program and 18 workers of industrial sector. Spirometryc parameters were recorded and compared and the results pointed out a significant increase of FEV1 and FVC in the study group compared with welder out of the study while no difference were observed between study group and workers of industrial sector. Results shown that the correct use of DPI could reduce the effects of welding fumes on respiratory tract making these effects equal to the exposure to industrial dusts.

Between hype and veracity; privatization of municipal solid waste management and its impacts on the informal waste sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandhu, Kiran; Burton, Paul; Dedekorkut-Howes, Aysin

2017-01-01

The informal waste recycling sector has been an indispensable but ironically invisible part of the waste management systems in developing countries as India, often completely disregarded and overlooked by decision makers and policy frameworks. The turn towards liberalization of economy since 1991 in India opened the doors for privatization of urban services and the waste sector found favor with private companies facilitated by the local governments. In joining the privatization bandwagon, the local governments aim to create an image of a progressive city demonstrated most visibly through apt management of municipal solid waste. Resultantly, the long important stakeholder, the informal sector has been sidelined and left to face the adverse impacts of privatization. There is hardly any recognition of its contributions or any attempt to integrate it within the formal waste management systems. The study investigates the impacts of privatization on the waste pickers in waste recycling operations. Highlighting the other dimension of waste collection and management in urban India the study focuses on the waste pickers and small time informal scrap dealers and this is done by taking the case study of Amritsar city, which is an important historic centre and a metropolitan city in the state of Punjab, India. The paper develops an analytical framework, drawing from literature review to analyze the impacts. In conclusion, it supports the case for involving informal waste sector towards achieving sustainable waste management in the city. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Industry sector analysis, Mexico: Electric power production and distribution equipment. Export Trade Information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, J.S.; Miller, R.W.

1988-09-01

The Industry Sector Analyses (I.S.A.) for electric power production and distribution equipment contains statistical and narrative information on projected market demand, end-users, receptivity of Mexican consumers to U.S. products, the competitive situation - Mexican production, total import market, U.S. market position, foreign competition, and competitive factors, and market access - Mexican tariffs, non-tariff barriers, standards, taxes and distribution channels. The I.S.A. provides the United States industry with meaningful information regarding the Mexican market for electric power production and distribution equipment

Workplace mobbing and effects on workers' health.

Science.gov (United States)

Meseguer de Pedro, Mariano; Soler Sánchez, María Isabel; Sáez Navarro, María Concepción; García Izquierdo, Mariano

2008-05-01

In this work, we analyze various consequences of the phenomenon of mobbing on the health of a work sector with special characteristics: the agro fruit sector. For this purpose, we collected data from a sample of 396 workers (61 men and 331 women) belonging to this sector in the Region of Murcia (Spain). A questionnaire with the following measurement instruments was administered: a Spanish adaptation of the revised Negative Acts Questionnaire (Sáez, García, & Llor, 2003), the Psychosomatic Problems Questionnaire (Hock, 1988), and a measure of absenteeism. The results revealed a significant and positive relation between workplace mobbing and psychosomatic symptoms, but not with absenteeism. The implications of the results for future research are discussed.

Behavioral economics perspectives on public sector pension plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Beshears, John; Choi, James J; Laibson, David; Madrian, Brigitte C

2011-04-01

We describe the pension plan features of the states and the largest cities and counties in the U.S. Unlike in the private sector, defined benefit (DB) pensions are still the norm in the public sector. However, a few jurisdictions have shifted toward defined contribution (DC) plans as their primary savings plan, and fiscal pressures are likely to generate more movement in this direction. Holding fixed a public employee's work and salary history, we show that DB retirement income replacement ratios vary greatly across jurisdictions. This creates large variation in workers' need to save for retirement in other accounts. There is also substantial heterogeneity across jurisdictions in the savings generated in primary DC plans because of differences in the level of mandatory employer and employee contributions. One notable difference between public and private sector DC plans is that public sector primary DC plans are characterized by required employee or employer contributions (or both), whereas private sector plans largely feature voluntary employee contributions that are supplemented by an employer match. We conclude by applying lessons from savings behavior in private sector savings plans to the design of public sector plans.

Vulnerability of employees in businesses with fewer than five workers (micro-enterprises) to occupational safety and health problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jungsun; Park, Jong-Shik; Han, Boyoung; Kim, Yangho

2017-12-01

We assessed the characteristics of micro-enterprises (businesses with fewer than five workers) focusing on occupational safety and health (OSH) issues. We performed a secondary analysis of data from the Economically Active Population Supplementary Survey and the fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey of 2014. Relative to larger businesses, micro-enterprises employ more women, temporary workers, and older workers (>55 years). In addition, more workers in micro-enterprises held "elementary occupations" (unskilled or under-skilled) or "sales and service jobs." Key sectors of such employment included the sectors of "wholesale and retail trade" and "hotel and restaurants." Furthermore, lower skilled workers in such micro-enterprises more frequently reported exposure to ergonomic risk factors and subsequent musculoskeletal disorders, and they also experienced a much higher fatality rate due to occupational injuries. Our results indicate that Korean workers in micro-enterprises are more vulnerable to OSH problems than workers in larger businesses. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparing earnings profiles in urban areas of an LDC: rural-to-urban migrants vs. native workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijverberg, W P; Zeager, L A

1994-12-01

"We use Tanzanian data to test a recently proposed hypothesis that rural-to-urban migrants have an incentive to supply greater work effort than native urban workers, because of the migrants' positive probability of returning to the low-wage rural areas. We treat the choice between public- and private-sector employment as endogenous and, for theoretical and empirical reasons, distinguish migrants with access to rural land from those without access. Our results show that migrants in both sectors face lower initial wage offers than native urban workers. But, the wage gap is eliminated within a decade or less, and thereafter, migrants surpass the wage offers of native workers." excerpt

Labor Market Outcomes of Non-Formal Training for Male and Female Workers in Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Arriagada, Ana-Maria

1990-01-01

Measures effects of nonformal training on Peruvian workers' employment and earnings. Workers with limited educational attainment face limited training opportunities. Training significantly improves employment probabilities, but not earnings, of private-sector employed or self-employed women. Training significantly affects male private-sector…

Knowledge sharing among workers: a study on their contribution through informal communication in Cyberjaya, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norizzati Azudin

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Malaysia, being a multi-racial society, faces the challenges of creating knowledge sharing capability in organisations, as cultural values are often reflected in the workplace by individual employees. For organisations, it is not clear whether this diversity has resulted in any form of competitive advantage. Studies have shown that various communities in Malaysia do not bring their respective cultures to work, and as such the company values prevail. This research is based on the demographic study of Informal Knowledge Sharing in Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia. After twelve years, Cyberjaya is approximately 25% developed, gradually expanding with the establishment of multinational and international organizations. Several flagship applications have been developed in MSC Malaysia to accelerate its growth. However, the expertise and knowledge shared among the workers are doubtful, especially at its initial growth stage. As Knowledge Management (KM developed, Communities of Practice (Wenger, 1998 became popular, even dominant „KM‟ intervention. Soon it was supplemented with story-telling interventions encouraging knowledge workers to use stories to „sell‟ KM internally, share knowledge and facilitate collaboration. This study will focus on knowledge sharing among workers, particularly the approach used to share knowledge through informal communication outside their organizations.

Comprehension of climatic and occupational heat stress amongst agricultural advisers and workers in Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tjaša POGAČAR

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Climate changes and the associated higher frequency of heat waves in Middle-European countries will aggravate occupational heat stress experienced by Slovenian workers. Appropriate behavioral adaptations are important coping strategies and it is pertinent to establish if knowledge among advisers and workers is sufficient and identify the symptoms experienced by workers. Therefore a survey including 230 farmers and 86 agricultural advisers was completed. Thermal comfort ranged from hot to extremely hot for 85 ± 5 % of farmers working outside and heat stress had a negative impact on well-being (74 ± 6 %, productivity (68 ± 6 % and concentration (34 ± 6 %. Reported symptoms were excessive sweating (84 ± 5 %, thirst (81 ± 5 %, and tiredness (59 ± 6 %. Women had a higher prevalence of headache (64 ± 10 % compared to males (47 ± 8 %, higher frequency of fatigue (69 ± 10 vs 56 ± 8 %, and incidents with nausea or vomiting (19 ± 8 vs 9 ± 5 %. 81 ± 4 % of the responders reported that more time is required to complete tasks when the weather is hot. Nevertheless, 61 ± 6 % of farmers have never been informed of the impacts of heat stress and 29 ± 10 % of the agricultural advisers does not include this information in their guidance. This emphasizes the need for increased information and implementation of feasible solutions to mitigate the negative impact of heat stress on workers in the agricultural sector.

Public sector pay gap in Serbia during large-scale privatisation, by educational qualification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laušev Jelena

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper explores the effect of large-scale privatization of public sector activities on public-private sector pay differential, for groups of workers according to educational qualification on average and across the pay distribution in Serbia, from 2004 until 2008. The paper finds that both unskilled and skilled men and women in the public sector saw significant improvements in their financial position relative to their private sector counterparts with the progress of the economic transition. The results showed that the size of the public sector pay premium declines both with higher educational level and higher percentile of earnings distribution. This indicates, between and within groups, the inequality-reducing feature of the public sector pay determination.

The Information Age and the Civil Society: An Interview with Jeremy Rifkin.

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, Peter

1996-01-01

For over a century, American education's mission has centered on preparing future workers to enter the marketplace. Just as the Industrial Age ended slave labor, the Information Age will end mass wage labor, freeing up millions for shortened work weeks and/or work in the civil society or nonprofit sector. Service learning helps by creating social…

The impact of the public sector pay review bodies in the UK

OpenAIRE

Dolton, Peter J.; Makepeace, Gerald; Marcenaro-Gutierrez, Oscar

2008-01-01

This paper examines the impact of the Pay Review Bodies (PRBs) on the public sector pay of their remit groups. We compare the real weekly earnings of groups of workers in occupations covered by PRBs, in the remainder of the public sector and in the private sector using LFS data from 1993 to 2006 for 10 occupational sub-groups. We describe how the pattern of relative occupational pay varies over time and by gender and can be interpreted as compensating pay differentials. In several public sect...

The Impact of the Public Sector Pay Review Bodies in the UK

OpenAIRE

Dolton, Peter; Makepeace, Gerry

2008-01-01

This paper examines the impact of the Pay Review Bodies (PRBs) on the public sector pay of their remit groups. We compare the real weekly earnings of groups of workers in occupations covered by PRBs, in the remainder of the public sector and in the private sector using LFS data from 1993 to 2006 for 10 occupational sub-groups. We describe how the pattern of relative occupational pay varies over time and by gender and can be interpreted as compensating pay differentials. In several public sect...

Petroleum labour market information supply demand analysis 2009-2020

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-03-01

Since 2006, the petroleum industry has been interested in collaboration to determine labour demand and supply/demand gaps for the upstream petroleum industry. In 2006, the petroleum industry experienced strong employment growth and was having difficulty finding workers. Comprehensive, up-to-date labour market information and analysis are the key foundation for addressing labour supply/demand issues. This document presented labour market information on the petroleum industry in order to inform company retention and recruitment offices; government departments involved in development of labour market policies and programs; education and training institutions; guidance counsellors, employment centres and organizations that work with youth and labour supply pools; and job seekers. Specific topics that were discussed included two industry scenarios (growth and base case) in determining the petroleum industry's medium-and long-term employment needs; labour supply/demand considerations for the industry as a whole and an industry-wide cost management; and an analysis of exploration and production, oil sands, services, and pipeline sectors to 2020. It was concluded that while new employment is not expected to lead to labour shortages within the pipeline sector, attrition due to requirements almost certainly would. In the growth scenario, it is likely the pipeline sector will be challenged by competition from the other petroleum industry sectors. tabs., figs., appendices.

Petroleum labour market information supply demand analysis 2009-2020

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-03-15

Since 2006, the petroleum industry has been interested in collaboration to determine labour demand and supply/demand gaps for the upstream petroleum industry. In 2006, the petroleum industry experienced strong employment growth and was having difficulty finding workers. Comprehensive, up-to-date labour market information and analysis are the key foundation for addressing labour supply/demand issues. This document presented labour market information on the petroleum industry in order to inform company retention and recruitment offices; government departments involved in development of labour market policies and programs; education and training institutions; guidance counsellors, employment centres and organizations that work with youth and labour supply pools; and job seekers. Specific topics that were discussed included two industry scenarios (growth and base case) in determining the petroleum industry's medium-and long-term employment needs; labour supply/demand considerations for the industry as a whole and an industry-wide cost management; and an analysis of exploration and production, oil sands, services, and pipeline sectors to 2020. It was concluded that while new employment is not expected to lead to labour shortages within the pipeline sector, attrition due to requirements almost certainly would. In the growth scenario, it is likely the pipeline sector will be challenged by competition from the other petroleum industry sectors. tabs., figs., appendices.

Modelling information exchange in worker-queen conflict over sex allocation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pen, I.R.; Taylor, P.D.

2005-01-01

We investigate the conflict between queen and worker over sex allocation, specifically the allocation of the queen's eggs between workers and reproductives and the allocation of the reproductive eggs between male and female. In contrast to previous models, we allow workers to observe and use

SELLING CANANG SARI (As an Alternative of Effort in Informal Sector to overcome household economics problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Desak Putu Eka Nilakusmawati

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Decrease in family income represent an impact of economic pressures, as an effect of economic crisis. Other side, the existing problems that extension of the job opportunity in the urban area with existence of development in the various sector do not absorb entire labour force which is progressively growing larger its amount.Economic problem force woman of lower economic class to involved take part in earning for increase family income by working beyond domestic sectors. Involvement of woman in labor market trigered by family’s economic problems, besides existence of the job opportunity factor. Alternative effort being carried out is by selling canang.Increasing of urban community activities in Denpasar City makes them have no time to make banten or canang. To find an easier way to overcome this situation, many people tend to buy canang/banten which is ready to use, also more practical and spent less time than the time spent when they make by themselves . This phenomenon gives a chance to canang sellers to get income additional. In the difficult condition of the economics problem, many woman have to take part to overcome economic problems which they face. One of the alternative is involved into labour market, and involve in trade is one of the choice. Because of the existence of opportunity as explained above, many women overcome their economic problems and try to give contribution to their family income by selling the canang.Phenomenon more and more canang sellers which are spread alongside the road side in Denpasar City shown that the informal sector have a great role to maintaining and also improving household economics. The effort as the canang seller can represent an alternative of effort in informal sector to overcome economics problem in the household level. Roles of woman as a subject of this informal sector, have a big contribution in maintaining household economics.

Informality and employment vulnerability: application in sellers with subsistence work

Science.gov (United States)

Garzón-Duque, María Osley; Cardona-Arango, María Doris; Rodríguez-Ospina, Fabio León; Segura-Cardona, Angela María

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the origin, evolution, and application of the concept of employment vulnerability in workers who subsist on street sales. METHODS We have carried out an analysis of the literature in database in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, without restriction by country. This is a review of the gray literature of government reports, articles, and documents from Latin America and the Caribbean. We have analyzed information on the informal economy, social-employment vulnerability, and subsistence workers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The concept of informal economy is dispersed and suggested as synonymous with employment vulnerability. As a polysemic term, it generates confusion and difficulty in identifying defined profiles of employment vulnerability in informal subsistence workers, who sell their products on the streets and sidewalks of cities. The lack of a clear concept and profile of employment vulnerability for this type of workers generates a restriction on defined actions to reduce employment vulnerability. The profiles could facilitate access to the acquisition of assets that support their structure of opportunities, facilitating and mediating in the passage from vulnerability to social mobility with opportunities. We propose as a concept of employment vulnerability for subsistence workers in the informal sector, the condition of those who must work by day to eat at night, who have little or no ownership of assets, and who have a minimum structure of opportunities to prevent, face, and resist the critical situations that occur daily, putting at risk their subsistence and that of the persons who are their responsibility, thus making the connection between social and employment vulnerability. PMID:29020122

Informality and employment vulnerability: application in sellers with subsistence work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Osley Garzón-Duque

2017-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the origin, evolution, and application of the concept of employment vulnerability in workers who subsist on street sales. METHODS We have carried out an analysis of the literature in database in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, without restriction by country. This is a review of the gray literature of government reports, articles, and documents from Latin America and the Caribbean. We have analyzed information on the informal economy, social-employment vulnerability, and subsistence workers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The concept of informal economy is dispersed and suggested as synonymous with employment vulnerability. As a polysemic term, it generates confusion and difficulty in identifying defined profiles of employment vulnerability in informal subsistence workers, who sell their products on the streets and sidewalks of cities. The lack of a clear concept and profile of employment vulnerability for this type of workers generates a restriction on defined actions to reduce employment vulnerability. The profiles could facilitate access to the acquisition of assets that support their structure of opportunities, facilitating and mediating in the passage from vulnerability to social mobility with opportunities. We propose as a concept of employment vulnerability for subsistence workers in the informal sector, the condition of those who must work by day to eat at night, who have little or no ownership of assets, and who have a minimum structure of opportunities to prevent, face, and resist the critical situations that occur daily, putting at risk their subsistence and that of the persons who are their responsibility, thus making the connection between social and employment vulnerability.

Informality and employment vulnerability: application in sellers with subsistence work.

Science.gov (United States)

Garzón-Duque, María Osley; Cardona-Arango, María Doris; Rodríguez-Ospina, Fabio León; Segura-Cardona, Angela María

2017-10-05

To describe the origin, evolution, and application of the concept of employment vulnerability in workers who subsist on street sales. We have carried out an analysis of the literature in database in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, without restriction by country. This is a review of the gray literature of government reports, articles, and documents from Latin America and the Caribbean. We have analyzed information on the informal economy, social-employment vulnerability, and subsistence workers. The concept of informal economy is dispersed and suggested as synonymous with employment vulnerability. As a polysemic term, it generates confusion and difficulty in identifying defined profiles of employment vulnerability in informal subsistence workers, who sell their products on the streets and sidewalks of cities. The lack of a clear concept and profile of employment vulnerability for this type of workers generates a restriction on defined actions to reduce employment vulnerability. The profiles could facilitate access to the acquisition of assets that support their structure of opportunities, facilitating and mediating in the passage from vulnerability to social mobility with opportunities. We propose as a concept of employment vulnerability for subsistence workers in the informal sector, the condition of those who must work by day to eat at night, who have little or no ownership of assets, and who have a minimum structure of opportunities to prevent, face, and resist the critical situations that occur daily, putting at risk their subsistence and that of the persons who are their responsibility, thus making the connection between social and employment vulnerability.

The uniform application of ALARA to all radiation workers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomroy, C.

1988-05-01

New information on the dosimetry and epidemiology of atomic bomb survivors suggests that risk estimates may have to be revised upwards. This has focussed increased attention on the ALARA principle. The ICRP believes that ALARA principle is the driving force in keeping average radiation doses low. In practice, the optimization process required for ALARA varies between different sectors of the nuclear industry. For instance, the power utilities have developed procedures for comparing different dose reduction options. Similarly, uranium mine operators have applied optimization techniques to questions concerning ventilation and shielding of ore trucks. Missing from this list however, is the use of a formal optimizing technique in medical and research uses of radioactivity or radiation. Nonetheless, average annual doses to these workers are quite low. An alternative approach to optimization calculation has been suggested, entailing the identification of sub-groups of workers with substantially higher doses to discover the reasons for the higher doses, and to develop means to reduce them to the overall average. Thus maintenance mechanics in nuclear reactors, by the very nature of their jobs, have more potential for higher dose. The utilities are developing procedures to reduce the maintenance mechanics' doses. If the same analysis is applied to medical workers, it is seen that isotope technicians and therapeutic radiology technicians have average doses well above the overall average. The feasibility of some form of optimization process for these categories of workers is discussed

Worried sick? Worker Responses to a Financial Shock

OpenAIRE

Bratberg, Espen; Monstad, Karin

2013-01-01

Excessive sickness absence may hurt productivity and put a strain on public finances. One explanation put forward for increasing absence rates is that a tougher labour market represents a health hazard. A competing hypothesis is that loss of job security works as a disciplinary device. We use a financial shock that hit the public sector in Norway in 2007 in some, but not all, municipalities to identify the effect of reduced job security on sickness absence. Public sector workers i...

A qualitative study on health workers' and community members' perceived sources, role of information and communication on malaria treatment, prevention and control in southeast Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Umeano-Enemuoh, Jane C; Uzochukwu, Benjamim; Ezumah, Nkoli; Mangham-Jefferies, Lindsay; Wiseman, Virginia; Onwujekwe, Obinna

2015-10-22

It has been widely acknowledged that well-planned and executed communication programmes can contribute to achieving malaria prevention and treatment goals. This however requires a good understanding of current sources and roles of information used by both health workers and communities. The study aimed at determining health workers' and community members' sources, value and use of information on malaria prevention and treatment in Nigeria. Qualitative data was collected from six selected communities (three urban and three rural) in Enugu state, southeast Nigeria. A total of 18 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 179 community members and 26 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health workers in public and private health facilities were used to collect data on where people receive treatment for malaria and access information on malaria. The FGDS and IDIs also provided data on the values, uses and effects of information and communication on malaria treatment seeking and provision of services. The findings revealed that the major sources of information on malaria for health workers and community members were advertisements in the mass media, workshops and seminars organized by donor agencies, facility supervision, posters, other health workers, television and radio adverts. Community involvement in the design and delivery of information on malaria control was seen as a strong strategy for improving both consumer and provider knowledge. Information from the different sources catalyzed appropriate provision and consumption of malaria treatment amongst health workers and community members. Health workers and consumers receive information on malaria prevention and treatment from multiple sources of communication and information, which they find useful. Harnessing these information sources to encourage consistent and accurate messages around malaria prevention and treatment is a necessary first step in the design and implementation of malaria communication and behaviour change

Do working environment interventions reach shift workers?

Science.gov (United States)

Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten; Jørgensen, Marie Birk; Garde, Anne Helene; Clausen, Thomas

2016-01-01

Shift workers are exposed to more physical and psychosocial stressors in the working environment as compared to day workers. Despite the need for targeted prevention, it is likely that workplace interventions less frequently reach shift workers. The aim was therefore to investigate whether the reach of workplace interventions varied between shift workers and day workers and whether such differences could be explained by the quality of leadership exhibited at different times of the day. We used questionnaire data from 5361 female care workers in the Danish eldercare sector. The questions concerned usual working hours, quality of leadership, and self-reported implementation of workplace activities aimed at stress reduction, reorganization of the working hours, and participation in improvements of working procedures or qualifications. Compared with day workers, shift workers were less likely to be reached by workplace interventions. For example, night workers less frequently reported that they had got more flexibility (OR 0.5; 95 % CI 0.3-0.7) or that they had participated in improvements of the working procedures (OR 0.6; 95 % CI 0.5-0.8). Quality of leadership to some extent explained the lack of reach of interventions especially among fixed evening workers. In the light of the evidence of shift workers' stressful working conditions, we suggest that future studies focus on the generalizability of results of the present study and on how to reach this group and meet their needs when designing and implementing workplace interventions.

How to be Open about Spending : Innovating in Public Sector Reporting in the Information Age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faber, A.S.C.; Budding, G.

2017-01-01

The field of public sector reporting is moving from vertical to horizontal accountability: from hierarchical relationships that mediate between public organisations and citizens to directly disclosing available information. IT developments play an important role in innovative forms of reporting that

How to Be Open About Spending : Innovating in Public Sector Reporting in the Information Age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Faber, A.S.C.

2018-01-01

The field of public sector reporting is moving from vertical to horizontal accountability: from hierarchical relationships that mediate between public organisations and citizens to directly disclosing available information. IT developments play an important role in innovative forms of reporting that

Radiological monitoring of workers exposure - White book. A multidisciplinary collective approach for a shared vision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbey, Pierre; Gauron, Christine; LAHAYE, Thierry; Le-Sourd-Thebaud, Viviane; Godet, Jean-Luc; Bardelay, Chantal; PETIT, Sylvain; Vial, Eric; Vallet, Jeremie; Michel Dit Laboelle, Nicolas; Samain, Jean-Paul; Roy, Catherine; Gonin, Michele; Lallier, Michel

2015-06-01

Prior to regulatory changes aiming to transpose the 2013/59/EURATOM Directive, the objective of this White Paper is to rethink the bases of the radiological surveillance of workers and to redefine the organization by proposing new approaches. The Group notes heterogeneity in the implementation of prevention across sectors and companies, leading to inequality in the protection of workers against the risk of ionizing radiation (IR). This heterogeneity derives in part of the regulatory structure based on the historical specificity given to ionizing radiation following a European treaty separate from that carrying the common law relating to occupational risk prevention. Sharing guidelines brought by the recital 8 of that previous Directive, calling for a transposition in accordance with the general principles of prevention, the Group emphasizes the need for better coordination of regulations relating to radiation protection with those for other risks. This is the foundation of the Group's recommendations for a more harmonized and fair protection of workers, regardless of the risk. On the basis of a common regulatory base for the protection of workers, the Group recommends a variation by business sector to allow a gradual adjustment of the means of prevention, with the nature and scale of the risk. In this approach that puts more emphasis on the goals than on the means, the Group underlines the increasing role of social dialogue and inspection bodies to ensure the implementation of the regulations. In this context of global risk management, the Group recommends: - the evolution of the current overly restrictive concept of 'exposed' worker in favor of 'worker subject to an IR risk' in order not to exclude certain workers of the gradual radiation protection system; the introduction of exposition Values Triggering enhanced prevention Action (VTA) is a key element of this graduated approach. - The enlargement of the personal dosimetry information

Application of Building Information Modeling (3D and 4D in Construction Sector in Iraq

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kadhim Raheem Erzaij

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Building Information Modeling (BIM is becoming a great known established collaboration process in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC industry. In various cases in many countries, potential benefits and competitive advantages have been reported. However, despite the potentials and benefits of BIM technologies, it is not applied in the construction sector in Iraq just like many other countries of the world. The purpose of this research is to understand the uses and benefits of BIM for construction projects in Iraq. This purpose has been done by establishing a framework to application of BIM and identifying the benefits of this technology that would convince stakeholders for adopting BIM in the construction sector in Iraq. Through this research, the use of this technology has been clarified by using the proposed framework (application Revit software and linking it with the MS Project and Navisworks Manage software on the case study to identify the important benefits to be the beginning to apply the Building Information Modeling technology in the construction sector in Iraq. The research results indicated that such proposed framework can greatly improve the performance of the current state of project management through improving the project quality, cost saving and time-saving.

Comparing public and private sector switchers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frederiksen, Anders; Hansen, Jesper Rosenberg; Bozeman, Barry

are related to sector switching and the pattern of sector switch, public to private versus private to public. We propose a life stage model arguing that people's needs change in different life stages of their lives. We further suggest that this can help explain why they switch sector. We use unique Danish...... labor market data that include information on all employees in Denmark (both private and public sector). The data are for the period 1980 to 2006, and this longitudinal database includes abundant information about job changes, including sector switching. Our findings indicate mixed support....... Finally, we find that people with more education are likely to switch from private to public sector....

The safety of women health workers at the frontlines.

Science.gov (United States)

Dasgupta, Jashodhara; Velankar, Jayashree; Borah, Pritisha; Nath, Gangotri Hazarika

2017-01-01

This article, based on the report of the fact-finding team on the gang rape and death of an accredited social health activist (ASHA) in Muzaffarnagar in January 2016, attempts to analyse the issues of the safety and mobility of front-line women health workers. It argues that although the National Health Mission is often alluded to as a flagship programme of the government, it has failed in its basic responsibility as an ethical employer, since there is no support and back-up system that can be easily accessed by ASHAs in terms of dealing with the fallout of their social role as "change agents" in rural areas, and community reactions to their mobility and public exposure. The report stresses the need to consider the deeply patriarchal system within which ASHAs function in states such as Uttar Pradesh. It also discusses the fact that the workforce is increasingly shifting from the formal to the informal sector, which has given rise to an assumption that the employer is no longer accountable for women workers' safety at the workplace.

Public Sector Wage Growth in Alberta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ken Boessenkool

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, Alberta’s fiscal stance has shifted from large surpluses to deficits, and a large part of the blame appears to be due to rising public sector salaries. Since 2000, the province’s public sector wage bill has shot up by 119 percent — almost double the rate of growth in the rest of Canada. Wages, previously roughly at par with the rest of the country, are now higher (in many cases very substantially across all public sector categories, including health care, social services, education and government, consuming 95 percent of the increase in provincial revenues over the past decade. At the same time, the number of public sector employees has grown faster than the overall population; it is difficult to attribute this sharp uptick to a rise in productivity, or the need to compete with private industry for skilled workers. This paper breaks down the increases in every category, arguing that if the provincial government is looking to trim expenditures, public sector salaries are a good place to start. The authors make their case using detailed Statistics Canada data, throwing down the gauntlet to defenders of the status quo and challenging them to justify these disparate increases.

Routine health information system utilization and factors associated thereof among health workers at government health institutions in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiferaw, Atsede Mazengia; Zegeye, Dessalegn Tegabu; Assefa, Solomon; Yenit, Melaku Kindie

2017-08-07

Using reliable information from routine health information systems over time is an important aid to improving health outcomes, tackling disparities, enhancing efficiency, and encouraging innovation. In Ethiopia, routine health information utilization for enhancing performance is poor among health workers, especially at the peripheral levels of health facilities. Therefore, this study aimed to assess routine health information system utilization and associated factors among health workers at government health institutions in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted at government health institutions of East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia from April to May, 2013. A total of 668 health workers were selected from government health institutions, using the cluster sampling technique. Data collected using a standard structured and self-administered questionnaire and an observational checklist were cleaned, coded, and entered into Epi-info version 3.5.3, and transferred into SPSS version 20 for further statistical analysis. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 at multiple logistic regression analysis were considered statistically significant factors for the utilization of routine health information systems. The study revealed that 45.8% of the health workers had a good level of routine health information utilization. HMIS training [AOR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.60, 4.62], good data analysis skills [AOR = 6.40, 95%CI: 3.93, 10.37], supervision [AOR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.42, 4.75], regular feedback [AOR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.38, 3.51], and favorable attitude towards health information utilization [AOR = 2.85, 95% CI: 1.78, 4.54] were found significantly associated with a good level of routine health information utilization. More than half of the health workers working at government health institutions of East Gojjam were poor health information users compared with the findings of others studies. HMIS training, data

15 years of monitoring occupational exposure to respirable dust and quartz within the European industrial minerals sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Zilaout, Hicham; Vlaanderen, Jelle; Houba, Remko; Kromhout, Hans

2017-07-01

In 2000, a prospective Dust Monitoring Program (DMP) was started in which measurements of worker's exposure to respirable dust and quartz are collected in member companies from the European Industrial Minerals Association (IMA-Europe). After 15 years, the resulting IMA-DMP database allows a detailed overview of exposure levels of respirable dust and quartz over time within this industrial sector. Our aim is to describe the IMA-DMP and the current state of the corresponding database which due to continuation of the IMA-DMP is still growing. The future use of the database will also be highlighted including its utility for the industrial minerals producing sector. Exposure data are being obtained following a common protocol including a standardized sampling strategy, standardized sampling and analytical methods and a data management system. Following strict quality control procedures, exposure data are consequently added to a central database. The data comprises personal exposure measurements including auxiliary information on work and other conditions during sampling. Currently, the IMA-DMP database consists of almost 28,000 personal measurements which have been performed from 2000 until 2015 representing 29 half-yearly sampling campaigns. The exposure data have been collected from 160 different worksites owned by 35 industrial mineral companies and comes from 23 European countries and approximately 5000 workers. The IMA-DMP database provides the European minerals sector with reliable data regarding worker personal exposures to respirable dust and quartz. The database can be used as a powerful tool to address outstanding scientific issues on long-term exposure trends and exposure variability, and importantly, as a surveillance tool to evaluate exposure control measures. The database will be valuable for future epidemiological studies on respiratory health effects and will allow for estimation of quantitative exposure response relationships. Copyright © 2017 The

75 FR 51488 - Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation; Proposed Extension of Information Collection...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-20

... order to carry out its responsibility to administer the Black Lung Benefits Act. Agency: Office of...). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background: The Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation administers the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. 901 et seq.), which provides benefits to coal miners totally disabled due...

[Materials for construction sector].

Science.gov (United States)

Macchia, C

2012-01-01

The construction sector is characterized by high complexity due to several factors. There are a lot of processes within the building sites and they need the use of different materials with the help of appropriate technologies. Traditional materials have evolved and diversified, meanwhile new products and materials appeared and still appear, offering services which meet user needs, but that often involve risks to the health of workers. Research in the field of materials, promoted and carried out at various levels, has led to interesting results, encoded in the form of rules and laws.

Health and safety concerns os migrant workers: the experience of tunisian workers in modena, Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faïçal Daly

2004-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the relatively under-researched field of healthand safety of migrant workers, with special reference to Tunisian construction workers in the city of Modena in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The empirical material comes from questionnaires and interviews with Tunisian migrants, plus smaller numbers of interviews with employers and trade union representatives in Modena. The paper starts by critically reviewing the scattered literature onthe health and safety of minority workers, most of which refers to the United States and the United Kingdom. The discussion then moves to a consideration of migrant health and safety questions in the contexts of racism, discrimination, social class, working conditions, labour market segmentation and (non- regulation. Specialattention is given to the failed role of trade unions in defending the rights of minority workers, in advanced countries generally and in Italy in particular. A case study is then made of the construction sector in Italy, enriched by personal accounts of the experiences of Tunisian migrant workers in Modena. Employer and tradeunion interviews reveal a lack of concern and ability to tackle the relevant issues. Barriers to health and safety awareness training are outlined. In the conclusion, recommendations are made for policy initiatives in this area.

Private sector participation in domestic waste management in informal settlements in Lagos, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Opoko, Akunnaya P; Oluwatayo, Adedapo A

2016-12-01

Lagos is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa, which is grappling with the challenges of poorly managed urbanisation. With an estimated population of about 17.5 million, solid waste management is one of the most pressing environmental challenges currently faced in the city. It is estimated that more than 9071847.4kg of urban waste is generated every day in the city. The city lacks the capacity to deal with such magnitude of waste. Consequently, the city has involved the private sector (private sector participation) in its waste management drive. This article examines the effectiveness of this public-private sector collaboration model in waste management in informal settlements in Lagos using empirical data. Major findings of the article include the irregularity of waste collection owing to a poor road network, an inadequate transport infrastructure and the desire to maximise profit, as well as poor waste handling and disposal methods by the private sector participation operators who are not chosen based on competence and capacity to perform. Another major finding is the lack of cooperation from residents evidenced in non-payment of bills and poor packaging of wastes, resulting in wastes being littered. The article concludes on the need to restructure the scheme through proper sensitisation of residents, selection of operators with demonstrable delivery capacity and provision of a well-maintained road network to facilitate access of operators to settlements. © The Author(s) 2016.

Bridging the gaps in the Health Management Information System in the context of a changing health sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nyamtema Angelo S

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Health Management Information System (HMIS is crucial for evidence-based policy-making, informed decision-making during planning, implementation and evaluation of health programs; and for appropriate use of resources at all levels of the health system. This study explored the gaps and factors influencing HMIS in the context of a changing health sector in Tanzania. Methods A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in 11 heath facilities in Kilombero district between January and February 2008. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview 43 health workers on their knowledge, attitude, practice and factors for change on HMIS and HMIS booklets from these facilities were reviewed for completeness. Results Of all respondents, 81% had never been trained on HMIS, 65% did not properly define this system, 54% didn't know who is supposed to use the information collected and 42% did not use the collected data for planning, budgeting and evaluation of services provision. Although the attitude towards the system was positive among 91%, the reviewed HMIS booklets were never completed in 25% - 55% of the facilities. There were no significant differences in knowledge, attitude and practice on HMIS between clinicians and nurses. The most common type of HMIS booklets which were never filled were those for deliveries (55%. The gaps in the current HMIS were linked to lack of training, inactive supervision, staff workload pressure and the lengthy and laborious nature of the system. Conclusions This research has revealed a state of poor health data collection, lack of informed decision-making at the facility level and the factors for change in the country's HMIS. It suggests need for new innovations including incorporation of HMIS in the ongoing reviews of the curricula for all cadres of health care providers, development of more user-friendly system and use of evidence-based John Kotter's eight-step process for implementing

Human resource for health reform in peri-urban areas: a cross-sectional study of the impact of policy interventions on healthcare workers in Epworth, Zimbabwe.

Science.gov (United States)

Taderera, Bernard Hope; Hendricks, Stephen James Heinrich; Pillay, Yogan

2017-12-16

The need to understand how healthcare worker reform policy interventions impact health personnel in peri-urban areas is important as it also contributes towards setting of priorities in pursuing the universal health coverage goal of health sector reform. This study explored the impact of post 2008 human resource for health reform policy interventions on healthcare workers in Epworth, a peri-urban community in Harare, Zimbabwe, and the implications towards health sector reform policy in peri-urban areas. The study design was exploratory and cross-sectional and involved the use of qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection, presentation, and analysis. A qualitative study in which data were collected through a documentary search, five key informant interviews, seven in-depth interviews, and five focus group discussions was carried out first. This was followed by a quantitative study in which data were collected through a documentary search and 87 semi-structured sample interviews with healthcare workers. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically whilst descriptive statistics were used to examine quantitative data. All data were integrated during analysis to ensure comprehensive, reliable, and valid analysis of the dataset. Three main factors were identified to help interpret findings. The first main factor consisted policy result areas that impacted most successfully on healthcare workers. These included the deployment of community health workers with the highest correlation of 0.83. Policy result areas in the second main factor included financial incentives with a correlation of 0.79, training and development (0.77), deployment (0.77), and non-financial incentives (0.75). The third factor consisted policy result areas that had the lowest satisfaction amongst healthcare workers in Epworth. These included safety (0.72), equipment and tools of trade (0.72), health welfare (0.65), and salaries (0.55). The deployment of community health volunteers impacted

Mobile Applications for Knowledge Workers and Field Workers

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Stefan Stieglitz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, the diffusion of mobile applications (mobile apps has risen significantly. Nowadays, mobile business apps are strongly emerging in business, enhancing productivity and employees’ satisfaction, whilst the usage of customized individual enterprise apps is still an exception. Standardized business apps enable basic functionalities, for example, mobile data storage and exchange (e.g., Dropbox, communication (e.g., Skype, and other routine processes, which support mobile workers. In addition, mobile apps can, for example, increase the flexibility of mobile workers by easing the access to firm’s information from outside the enterprise and by enabling ubiquitous collaboration. Hence, mobile apps can generate competitive advantages and can increase work efficiency on a broad scale. But mobile workers form no coherent group. Our research reveals, based on two case studies, that they can be clustered into two groups: knowledge workers and field workers. Knowledge workers and field workers fulfill different tasks and work in different environments. Hence, they have different requirements for mobile support. In this paper we conclude that standardized mobile business apps cannot meet the different requirements of various groups of mobile workers. Task- and firm-specific (individualized requirements determine the specification, implementation, and application of mobile apps.

Non-Standard Workers: The South African Context, International Law and Regulation by The European Union

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ES Fourie

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The current labour market has many forms of employment relations that differ from full-time employment. "Atypical," "non-standard," or even "marginal" are terms used to describe these new workers and include, amongst others, part-time work, contract work, self-employment, temporary, fixed-term, seasonal, casual, piece-rate work, employees supplied by employment agencies, home workers and those employed in the informal economy. These workers are often paid for results rather than time. Their vulnerability is linked in many instances to the absence of an employment relationship or the existence of a flimsy one. Most of these workers are unskilled or work in sectors with limited trade union organisation and limited coverage by collective bargaining, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. They should, in theory, have the protection of current South African labour legislation, but in practice the unusual circumstances of their employment render the enforcement of their rights problematic. The majority of non-standard workers in South Africa are those previously disadvantaged by the apartheid regime, compromising women and unskilled black workers. The exclusion of these workers from labour legislation can be seen as discrimination, which is prohibited by almost all labour legislation in South Africa. This contribution illustrates how the concept of indirect discrimination can be an important tool used to provide labour protection to these workers. The purpose of this article is to explore the scope of the extension of labour rights to non-standard workers in the context of South African labour laws and the international framework.

Feasibility of Biomass Briquette Production from Municipal Waste Streams by Integrating the Informal Sector in the Philippines

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Aries Roda D. Romallosa

2017-02-01

Full Text Available A technical and socio-economic feasibility study of biomass briquette production was performed in Iloilo City, Philippines, by integrating a registered group of the informal sector. The study has shown that the simulated production of biomass briquettes obtained from the municipal waste stream could lead to a feasible on-site fuel production line after determining its usability, quality and applicability to the would-be users. The technology utilized for briquetting is not complicated when operated due to its simple, yet sturdy design with suggestive results in terms of production rate, bulk density and heating value of the briquettes produced. Quality briquettes were created from mixtures of waste paper, sawdust and carbonized rice husk, making these material flows a renewable source of cost-effective fuels. An informal sector that would venture into briquette production can be considered profitable for small business enterprising, as demonstrated in the study. The informal sector from other parts of the world, having similar conditionality with that of the Uswag Calajunan Livelihood Association, Inc. (UCLA, could play a significant role in the recovery of these reusable waste materials from the waste stream and can add value to them as alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR for household energy supply using appropriate technologies.

Sectoral Innovation Watch Retail and Wholesale Trade Sector. Final sector report

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaffers, H.; Rubalcaba, L.; Merino, F.; Giesecke, S.; Schaper-Rinkel, P.; Velsing, E.J.; Montalvo, C.

2011-01-01

The retail and wholesale trade sector traditionally is considered as a poor innovator. Innovation is seen as driven mostly by applications of information and communication technology (ICT). This report adopts a more comprehensive definition of innovation than the traditional one, taking into account

Legal gaps relating to labour safety and health in the maritime transport sector in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Julio Louro; Portela, Rosa Mary de la Campa; Carrera, Paula Vazquez

2011-01-01

Nowadays the labour sector is experiencing an important increase in the application of risk prevention policies. Although these policies are very significant due to their repercussions in the health of workers, we noticed important legal gaps in maritime sector regulations. Frequently sea workers are legally abandoned, by exclusion or omission, at the moment of claiming for the improvement of their working environment and the reduction of the negative consequences derived from this negligence over their safety and health. In the present paper we try to shed some light on this topic by analysing and examining minutely the Spanish applicable risk prevention legislation for this sector. Moreover, the recommendations of the International Maritime Organization are compared with the current application of the law. At the same time, we present some possible solutions to such problems from an objective point of view.

Where To Go? Workers' Reasons to Quit and Intra- versus Interindustry Job Mobility