Search results for: practice performance

Authors: Flavio Cordeiro Fontanella, Asla Medeiros e Sá, Moacyr Alvim Horta Barbosa da Silva

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In the present work, we analyse the performance of football results forecasting models. In order to do so, we have performed the data collection from eight different forecasting models during the 2021 Brazilian football season. First, we guide the analysis through visual representations of the data, designed to highlight the most prominent features and enhance the interpretation of differences and similarities between the models. We propose using a 2-simplex triangle to investigate visual patterns from the results forecasting models. Next, we compute the expected points for every team playing in the championship and compare them to the final league standings, revealing interesting contrasts between actual to expected performances. Then, we evaluate forecasts’ accuracy using the Ranked Probability Score (RPS); models comparison accounts for tiny scale differences that may become consistent in time. Finally, we observe that the Wisdom of Crowds principle can be appropriately applied in the context, driving into a discussion of results forecasts usage in practice. This paper’s primary goal is to encourage football forecasts’ performance discussion. We hope to accomplish it by presenting appropriate criteria and easy-to-understand visual representations that can point out the relevant factors of the subject.

Keywords: accuracy evaluation, Brazilian championship, football results forecasts, forecasting models, visual analysis

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Authors: Nebiyou Masebo

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The severities of land degradation in southern Ethiopia has been increasing due to high population density, replacement of an age-old agroforestry (AF) based agricultural system with monocropping. The consequences of these activities combined with climate change have been impaired soil biota, soil organic carbon (SOC), soil glomalin, soil aggregation and aggregate stability. The AF systems could curb these problems due it is an ecologically and economically sustainable. This study was aimed to determine the effect of agroforestry practices (AFPs) on soil glomalin, soil aggregate stability (SAS), and aggregate association with SOC. Soil samples (from two depth level: 0-30 & 30-60 cm) and woody species were collected from homegarden based agroforestry practice (HAFP), cropland based agroforestry practice (ClAFP), woodlot based agroforestry practice (WlAFP) and trees on soil and water conservation based agroforestry practice (TSWAFP) using systematic sampling. In this study, both easily extractable glomalin related soil protein (EEGRSP) and total glomalin related soil protein (TGRSP) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in HAFP compared to others, with decreasing order HAFP>WlAFP>TSWAFP>ClAFP at upper surface but in subsurface in decreasing order: WlAFP>HAFP>TSWAFP>ClAFP. On the other hand, the macroaggregate fraction of AFPs ranged from 22.64-36.51% where the lowest was in ClAFP, while the highest was in HAFP, moreover, the order for subsurface was also the same but SAS decreased with the increasing of soil depths. The micro-aggregate fraction ranged from 15.9–24.56%, where the lowest was in HAFP, but the highest was in ClAFP. Besides, the association of OC with both macro-and micro-aggregates was greatest in HAFP and followed by WlAFP. The findings also showed that both glomalin and SAS were significantly high with woody species diversity and richness. Thus, AFP with good management practice can play role on maintenance of biodiversity, glomalin content and other soil quality parameters with future implications for a stable ecosystem.

Keywords: agroforestry, soil aggregate stability, glomalin, aggregate-associated carbon, HAFP, ClAFP, WlAFP, TSWAFP.

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Authors: Digby Warren, Jiri Kropac

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While aspirations of social justice are often articulated by universities as a “feel good” mantra, what is meant by education for social justice deserves deeper consideration. Based on in-depth interviews with academics (voluntary participants in this research) in different disciplines and institutions in the UK, Czech Republic, and other EU countries, this comparative study presents thematic findings regarding lecturers’ conceptions of education for social justice -what it is, why it is important, why they are personally committed to it, how it connects with their own values- and their practice of it- how it is implemented through curriculum content, teaching and learning activities, and assessment tasks. It concludes by presenting an analysis of the challenges, constraints, and enabling factors in practising social justice education in different subject, institutional and national contexts.

Keywords: higher education, social justice, inclusivity, diversity

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Authors: Joan Casas-Roma

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Technology has become one of the main channels through which people engage in most of their everyday activities; from working to learning, or even when socializing, technology often acts as both an enabler and a mediator of such activities. Moreover, the affordances and interactions created by those technological tools determine the way in which the users interact with one another, as well as how they relate to the relevant environment, thus favoring certain kinds of actions and behaviors while discouraging others. In this regard, virtue ethics theories place a strong focus on a person's daily practice (understood as their decisions, actions, and behaviors) as the means to develop and enhance their habits and ethical competences --such as their awareness and sensitivity towards certain ethically-desirable principles. Under this understanding of ethics, this set of technologically-enabled affordances and interactions can be seen as the possibility space where the daily practice of their users takes place in a wide plethora of contexts and situations. At this point, the following question pops into mind: could these affordances and interactions be shaped in a way that would promote behaviors and habits basedonethically-desirable principles into their users? In the field of game design, the MDA framework (which stands for Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics) explores how the interactions enabled within the possibility space of a game can lead to creating certain experiences and provoking specific reactions to the players. In this sense, these interactions can be shaped in ways thatcreate experiences to raise the players' awareness and sensitivity towards certain topics or principles. This research brings together the notions of technological affordances, the notions of practice and practical wisdom from virtue ethics, and the MDA framework from game design in order to explore how the possibility space created by technological interactions can be shaped in ways that enable and promote actions and behaviors supporting certain ethically-desirable principles. When shaped accordingly, interactions supporting certain ethically-desirable principlescould allow their users to carry out the kind of practice that, according to virtue ethics theories, provides the grounds to develop and enhance their awareness, sensitivity, and ethical reasoning capabilities. Moreover, and because ethical practice can happen collaterally in almost every context, decision, and action, this additional layer could potentially be applied in a wide variety of technological tools, contexts, and functionalities. This work explores the theoretical background, as well as the initial considerations and steps that would be needed in order to harness the potential ethically-desirable benefits that technology can bring, once it is understood as the space where most of their users' daily practice takes place.

Keywords: ethics, design methodology, human-computer interaction, philosophy of technology

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Authors: Edward Fosu

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Green innovation has emerged as a significant environmental concern across the world. Green innovation refers to the utilization of technological developments that facilitate energy savings and waste material recycling. The stakeholder theory and resourced-based theory were used to examine how stakeholders' expectations affect corporate green innovation activities and how corporate innovation initiatives affect the corporate image and social performance. This study used structural equation modelling (SEM) and hierarchical regression to test the effects of environmental corporate social responsibility on social performance through mediators: green innovation and corporate image. A quantitative design was employed using data from Chinese companies in Ghana for this study. The study assessed. The results revealed that environmental practices promote corporate social performance (β = 0.070, t = 1.974, p = 0.049), positively affect green product innovation (β = 0.251, t = 7.478, p < 0.001), and has direct effect on green process innovation (β = 0.174, t = 6.192, p < 0.001). Green product innovation and green process innovation significantly promote corporate image respectively (β = 0.089, t = 2.581, p = 0.010), (β = 0.089, t = 2.367, p = 0.018). Corporate image has significant direct effects on corporate social performance (β = 0.146, t = 4.256, p < 0.001). Corporate environmental practices have an impact on the development of green products and processes which promote companies’ social performance. Additionally, evidence supports that corporate image influences companies’ social performance.

Keywords: environmental CSR, corporate image, green innovation, coprorate social performance

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Authors: Shahram Jamali, Samira Hamed

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One of the open issues in Random Early Detection (RED) algorithm is how to set its parameters to reach high performance for the dynamic conditions of the network. Although original RED uses fixed values for its parameters, this paper follows a model-based approach to upgrade performance of the RED algorithm. It models the routers queue behavior by using the Markov model and uses this model to predict future conditions of the queue. This prediction helps the proposed algorithm to make some tunings over RED's parameters and provide efficiency and better performance. Widespread packet level simulations confirm that the proposed algorithm, called Markov-RED, outperforms RED and FARED in terms of queue stability, bottleneck utilization and dropped packets count.

Keywords: active queue management, RED, Markov model, random early detection algorithm

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Authors: Rehan Mohammad

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Background: Improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices in schools ensure children’s health, well-being and cognitive performance. In India under various WASH interventions in schools, teachers, and other staff make every possible effort to educate children about personal hygiene, sanitation practices and harms of open defecation. However, once children get back to their families, they see other practicing inappropriate WASH behaviors, and they consequently start following them. This show disconnect between school behavior and family behavior, which needs to be bridged to achieve desired WASH outcomes. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the factors causing disconnect of WASH-related behaviors between school and the family of children. It also suggests behavior change interventions to bridge the gap. Methodology: The present study has chosen a mixed- method approach. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection have been used in the present study. The purposive sampling for data collection has been chosen. The data have been collected from 20% children in each age group of 04-08 years and 09-12 years spread over three primary schools and 20% of households to which they belong to which is spread over three slum communities in south district of Delhi. Results: The present study shows that despite of several behavior change interventions at school level, children still practice inappropriate WASH behaviors due to disconnect between school and family behaviors. These behaviors show variation from one age group to another. The inappropriate WASH behaviors being practiced by children include open defecation, wrong disposal of garbage, not keeping personal hygiene, not practicing hand washing practices during critical junctures and not washing fruits and vegetables before eating. The present study has highlighted that 80% of children in the age group of 04-08 years still practice inappropriate WASH behaviors when they go back to their families after school whereas, this percentage has reduced to 40% in case of children in the age group 09-12 years. Present study uncovers association between school and family teaching which creates a huge gap between WASH-related behavioral practices. The study has established that children learn and de-learn the WASH behaviors due to the evident disconnect between behavior change interventions at schools and household level. The study has also made it clear that children understand the significance of appropriate WASH practices but owing to the disconnect the behaviors remain unsettled. The study proposes several behavior change interventions to sync the behaviors of children at school and family level to ensure children’s health, well-being and cognitive performance.

Keywords: behavioral interventions, child health, family behavior, school behavior, WASH

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Authors: Sabina Ampon-Wireko

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Purpose: The study explores the influence of the organizational climate of silence on job performance through the mediating effects of work engagement (WE). Further, the degree to which supervisor support (SS) and work engagement moderate job performance are examined. Method: Using a questionnaire, the study collected 565 valid responses from frontline nurses in Ghana. The hierarchical regression technique was employed in estimating the relationship between the variables. Findings: The results showed a significant negative influence of top managers' and supervisors' attitudes to silence on both contextual and task performance. Communication opportunities, however, revealed positive and significant effects on contextual and task performance. Work engagement had no role in mediating top managers' and supervisors’ attitudes toward silence, communication opportunities, and task performance. Supervisor support acted as a moderating factor in the relationship between job engagement and task performance. In contrast, despite the direct positive relationship between supervisor support and contextual performance, it failed to moderate the relationship between work engagement and contextual performance. Practical implications: The study's findings demonstrate the need for health managers and supervisors to become more conscious of silence. The findings offer diverse recommendations for encouraging the sharing of relevant ideas, facts, and opinions within the health sector.

Keywords: organizational climate of silence, job performance, work engagement, supervisor support, frontline nurses

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Authors: Jaroslav Masek, Juraj Camaj, Eva Nedeliakova

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The paper is focused on the operational model for transport the single wagon consignments on railway network by using two different models of train formation. The paper gives an overview of possibilities of improving the quality of transport services. Paper deals with two models used in problematic of train formatting - time continuously and time discrete. By applying these models in practice, the transport company can guarantee a higher quality of service and expect increasing of transport performance. The models are also applicable into others transport networks. The models supplement a theoretical problem of train formation by new ways of looking to affecting the organization of wagon flows.

Keywords: train formation, wagon flows, marshalling yard, railway technology

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Authors: Elham Azimzadeh, Hamidollah Hassanlouei, Hadi Nobari, Georgian Badicu, Jorge Pérez-Gómez, Luca Paolo Ardigò

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Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have weak physical abilities and their limitations may have an effect on performing everyday motor activities. One of the most important and common debilitating factors in CP is the malfunction in the upper extremities to perform motor skills and there is strong evidence that task-specific training may lead to improve general upper limb function among this population. However, augmented feedback enhances the acquisition and learning of a motor task. Practice conditions may alter the difficulty, e.g., the reduced frequency of PG could be more challenging for this population to learn a motor task. So, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of physical guidance (PG) on learning a tracking task in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Twenty-five independently ambulant children with spastic hemiplegic CP aged 7-15 years were assigned randomly to five groups. After the pre-test, experimental groups participated in an intervention for eight sessions, 12 trials during each session. The 0% PG group received no PG; the 25% PG group received PG for three trials; the 50% PG group received PG for six trials; the 75% PG group received PG for nine trials; and the 100% PG group, received PG for all 12 trials. PG consisted of placing the experimenter's hand around the children's hand, guiding them to stay on track and complete the task. Learning was inferred by acquisition and delayed retention tests. The tests involved two blocks of 12 trials of the tracking task without any PG being performed by all participants. They were asked to make the movement as accurate as possible (i.e., fewer errors) and the number of total touches (errors) in 24 trials was calculated as the scores of the tests. The results showed that the higher frequency of PG led to more accurate performance during the practice phase. However, the group that received 75% PG had significantly better performance compared to the other groups in the retention phase. It is concluded that the optimal frequency of PG played a critical role in learning a tracking task in children with CP and likely this population may benefit from an optimal level of PG to get the appropriate amount of information confirming the challenge point framework (CPF), which state that too much or too little information will retard learning a motor skill. Therefore, an optimum level of PG may help these children to identify appropriate patterns of motor skill using extrinsic information they receive through PG and improve learning by activating the intrinsic feedback mechanisms.

Keywords: cerebral palsy, challenge point framework, motor learning, physical guidance, tracking task

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Authors: Mingbao Chen

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After Rio+20, the blue economy rises all over the world, and it has become the focus field of national development. At present, the blue economy has become a new growth point in the field of global economy and the direction of the development of ‘green’ in the ocean. However, in fact, the key factors affecting the development of the blue economy have not been explored in depth, and the development policies and performance of the blue economy have not been scientifically evaluated. This cannot provide useful guidance for the development of the blue economy. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a quantitative evaluation framework to measure the performance of the blue economic development. Based on the full understanding of the connotation and elements of the blue economy, and studying the literature, this article has built an universality and operability evaluation index system, including ecological environment, social justice, sustainable growth, policy measures, and so on. And this article also established a sound evaluation framework of blue economic development performance. At the same time, this article takes China as a sample to test the framework of the adaptability, and to assess the performance of China's blue economic.

Keywords: Blue economy, development performance, evaluation framework, assess method

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Authors: Maelle Noir

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International Human rights norms prescribe the obligation to protect refugee women against violence which requires, inter alia, state provision of justiciable, accessible, affordable and non-discriminatory access to justice. However, the interpretation and application of the law still lack gender sensitivity, intersectionality and a trauma-informed approach. Consequently, many refugee survivors face important structural obstacles preventing access to justice and often experience secondary traumatisation when navigating the legal system. This paper argues that the unique nature of the experiences of refugees with gender-based violence against women exacerbated throughout the migration journey calls for a tailored practice of the law to ensure adequate access to justice. The argument developed here is that the obligation to provide survivors with justiciable, accessible, affordable and non-discriminatory access to justice implies radically transforming the practice of the law altogether. This paper, therefore, proposes feminist lawyering as an alternative approach to the practice of the law when addressing gender-based violence against women refugees. First, this paper discusses the specific nature of gender-based violence against refugees with a particular focus on two aspects of the power-violence nexus: the analysis of the shift in gender roles and expectations following displacement as one of the causes of gender-based violence against women refugees and the argument that the asylum situation itself constitutes a form of state-sponsored and institutional violence. Second, the re-traumatising and re-victimising nature of the legal system is explored with the objective to demonstrate States’ failure to comply with their legal obligation to provide refugee women with effective access to justice. Third, this paper discusses some key practical strategies that have been proposed and implemented to transform the practice of the law when dealing with gender-based violence outside of the refugee context. Lastly, this analysis is applied to the specificities of the experiences of refugee survivors of gender-based violence.

Keywords: feminist lawyering, feminist legal theory, gender-based violence, human rights law, intersectionality, refugee protection

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Authors: Cody Kirby, Kaustav Misra, Arundhati Bagchi Misra, Sharon P. Cox

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This paper focuses on the relationship that dual-enrollment programs have on academic performance and retention. Both performance and retention are significant issues in higher education. The first, performance, is a goal of higher education, having an impact on students’ lives. The second, retention, is key to the viability of any college or university. This paper uses survey research methodology to examine factors that lead to positive student academic performance, which leads to retention, specifically in dual-enrollment programs. The data show several characteristics that lead to a positive impact on GPA. These include the following; age, Caucasian race, full-time status, students in STEM programs, and finally dual enrollment participation.

Keywords: dual enrollment, early college, retention, undergraduate education

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Authors: Matheus Borges Carneiro, Fabiane Leticia Lizarelli, José Carlos De Toledo

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The evolution of quality management by companies was strongly enabled by, among others, ISO 9001 certification, which is considered a crucial requirement for several customers. Likewise, performance measurement provides useful insights for companies to identify the reflection of their decision-making process on their improvement. One of the most used performance measurement models is the balanced scorecard (BSC), which uses four perspectives to address a firm’s performance: financial, internal process, customer satisfaction, and learning and growth. Studies related to ISO 9001 and business performance have mostly adopted a quantitative approach to identify the standard’s causal effect on a firm’s performance. However, to verify how this influence may occur, an in-depth analysis within a qualitative approach is required. Therefore, this paper aims to verify the impact of ISO 9001:2015 on Brazilian firms’ performance based on the balanced scorecard perspective. Hence, nine certified companies located in the Southeast region of Brazil were studied through a multiple case study approach. Within this study, it was possible to identify the positive impact of ISO 9001 on firms’ overall performance, and four Critical Success Factors (CSFs) were identified as relevant on the linkage among ISO 9001 and firms’ performance: employee involvement, top management, process management, and customer focus. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of interviews was limited to the quality manager specialist, and the sample was limited since several companies were closed during the period of the study. This study presents an in-depth analysis of how the relationship between ISO 9001 certification and firms’ performance in a developing country is.

Keywords: balanced scorecard, Brazilian firms’ performance, critical success factors, ISO 9001 certification, performance measurement

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Authors: Jasper C. Dioco

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The study was done to investigate the relationship of taxi company safety climate and drivers’ safety motivation and knowledge on taxi drivers’ safety performance. Data were collected from three Taxi Companies with taxi drivers as participants (N = 84). The Hiligaynon translated version of Transportation Companies’ Climate Scale (TCCS), Safety Motivation and Knowledge Scale, Occupational Safety Motivation Questionnaire and Global Safety Climate Scale were used to study the relationships among four parameters: (a) Taxi company safety climate; (b) Safety motivation; (c) Safety knowledge; and (d) Safety performance. Correlational analyses found that there is no relation between safety climate and safety performance. A Hierarchical regression demonstrated that safety motivation predicts the most variance in safety performance. The results will greatly impact how taxi company can increase safe performance through the confirmation of the proximity of variables to organizational outcome. A strong positive safety climate, in which employees perceive safety to be a priority and that managers are committed to their safety, is likely to increase motivation to be safety. Hence, to improve outcomes, providing knowledge based training and health promotion programs within the organization must be implemented. Policy change might include overtime rules and fatigue driving awareness programs.

Keywords: safety climate, safety knowledge, safety motivation, safety performance, taxi drivers

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Authors: Stella Laletas, Andrea Reupert, Melinda Goodyear, Bradley Morgan

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Background: Many people with a mental illness have young children. Research has shown that early childhood is a particularly vulnerable time for children whose parents have a mental illness. Moreover, repeated research has demonstrated the effectiveness of a multiagency approach to family focused practice for improving parental functioning and preventing adverse outcomes in children whose parents have a mental illness, particularly in the early years of a child’s life. However, there is a paucity of professional development resources for professionals who work with families where a parent has a mental illness and has young children. Significance of the study: This study will make a contribution to addressing knowledge gaps around resource development and workforce needs for early childhood and mental health professionals working with young children where a parent has a mental illness. Objective: This presentation describes a newly developed resource, 'Pathways of Care', specifically designed for early childhood educators and mental health workers, alongside pilot evaluation data regarding its effectiveness. ‘Pathways of Care’ aims to promote collaborative practice and present early identification and referral processes for workers in this sector. The resource was developed by the Children of Parents with a Mental Illness (COPMI) National Initiative which is funded by the Australian Government. Method: Using a mixed method design, the effectiveness of the training resource is also presented. Fifteen workers completed the Family Focus Mental Health Practice Questionnaire pre and post using the resource, to measure confidence and practice change; semi-structured interviews were also conducted with eight of these same workers to further explore the utility of the resource. Findings: The findings indicated the resource was effective in increasing knowledge and confidence, particularly for new and/or inexperienced staff. Examples of how the resource was used in practice by various professions emerged from the interview data. Conclusions: Collaborative practice, early identification and intervention in early childhood can potentially play a key role in altering the life trajectory of children who are at risk. This information has important implications for workforce development and staff training in both the early childhood and mental health sectors. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

Keywords: parents with mental ilnesses, early intervention, evaluation, preschool children

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Authors: Shachi Pathak

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We are living in knowledge based economy where firms can gain competitive advantage with the help of managing knowledge within the organization. The purpose the study is to develop a conceptual model to explain the relationship between factors affecting knowledge sharing, called as knowledge enablers, in an organization, knowledge sharing activities and organizational performance, using system dynamics approach. This research is important since it will provide better understandings on what are the key knowledge enablers to support knowledge sharing activities, and how knowledge sharing activities will affect the capability of an organization to enhance the performance of the organization.

Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge sharing, organizational performance, system dynamics

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Authors: Fotis Vouzas

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This paper is an attempt to investigate the Business Ethics link to Quality Management. Business Ethics as a management practice is well rooted in many organizations, but its contribution to quality management implementation programs and practices is not well documented. The ISO 9000 and the Business Excellence frameworks and Awards seem to provide a basis for the implementation of a TQM philosophy contributing to efficiency, enhanced performance and sustainability. The author examines a series of Corporate Ethics initiatives and investigates the relationship to Total Quality Management in an MNC operating in Greece. The data gathering was carried out through extensive and in-depth interviews with several multiple informants, i.e., the plant manager, the production manager, and the personnel manager, using a semi-structured questionnaire with open-ended questions.

Keywords: total quality management, business ethics, Greece, ISO 9000

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Authors: Huma Khan, Faiza Akhtar

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The present study investigates the effects of burnout toward job performance and job satisfaction with the moderating role of hope and self-efficacy. Findings from 310 frontline employees of Pakistani commercial banks (Lahore, Karachi & Islamabad) disclosed burnout has negative significant effects on job performance and job satisfaction. Simple random sampling technique was used to collect data and inferential statistics were applied to analyzed the data. However, results disclosed no moderation effect of hope on burnout, job performance or with job satisfaction. Moreover, Data significantly supported the moderation effect of self-efficacy. Study further shed light on the development of psychological capital. Importance of the implication of the current finding is discussed.

Keywords: burnout, hope, job performance, job satisfaction, psychological capital, self-efficacy

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Authors: Morteza Hamidpour, Kambeez Shahroudi

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The aim of this research was to identify the factors affecting the measurement and management of marketing performance in Iran's airports and air navigation companies (Economics in Air and Airport Transport). This study was exploratory and used a qualitative content analysis technique. The study population consisted of university professors in the field of air transportation and senior airport managers, with 15 individuals selected as samples using snowball technique. Based on the results, 15 main indicators were identified for measuring the marketing performance of Iran's airports and air navigation companies. These indicators include airport staff, general and operational expenses, annual passenger reception capacity, number of counter receptions and passenger dispatches, airport runway length, airline companies' loyalty to using airport space and facilities, regional market share of transit and departure flights, claims and net profit (aviation and non-aviation). By keeping the input indicators constant, the output indicators can be improved, enhancing performance efficiency and consequently increasing the economic situation in air transportation.

Keywords: air transport economics, marketing performance management, marketing performance input factors, marketing performance intermediary factors, marketing performance output factors, content analysis

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Authors: Lucas Aerre, Wallesson Faria, Roberto Pimentel, Juliana Santos

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An extremely disturbing and irritating element in the lives of people and organizations is the noise, the consequences that can bring us has a lot of connection with human health as well as financial and economic aspects. In order to improve the efficiency of buildings in Brazil in general, a performance standard was created, NBR 15.575 in which all buildings are seen in a more systemic and peculiar way, while following the requirements of the standard. The acoustic performance present in these buildings is one such requirement. Based on this, the present work was elaborated with the objective of evaluating through acoustic measurements the acoustic performance of vertical internal fences that are under the incidence of aerial noise of a building in the city of Brasilia-DF. A short theoretical basis is made and soon after the procedures of measurement are described through the control method established by the standard, and its results are evaluated according to the parameters of the same. The measurement performed between rooms of the same unit, presented a standardized sound pressure level difference (D nT, w) equal to 40 dB, thus being classified within the minimum performance required by the standard in question.

Keywords: airborne noise, performance standard, soundproofing, vertical seal

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Authors: K. Parthiban, P. Pradeep, I. Pon Surya Prakash, S. Vinoth, A. Murugan

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The main aim of this project is to analyze the performance of vapor compression refrigeration system with alternate refrigerants. Currently we are using R134a as refrigerant. It is used in both household and industrial appliances as refrigerant. It has an advantage that the ozone depletion potential is zero i.e. R134a does not affects ozone layer. But its Global warming potential is considerably high. Also the compressor failure occurs frequently. Hence this project deals with how the performance of R134a varies with blended refrigerants such as R416a and R407c. This analysis is based on how much the Co-efficient of Performance (COP) varies with different refrigerants.

Keywords: compressor, condenser, expansion valve, evaporator

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Authors: Suwaree Yordchim

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The objective is to study the satisfaction on English with an online learning. Online learning system mainly consists of English lessons, exercises, tests, web boards, and supplementary lessons for language practice. The sample groups are 80 Thai students studying English for Business Communication, majoring in Hotel and Lodging Management. The data are analyzed by mean, standard deviation (S.D.) value from the questionnaires. The results were found that the most average of satisfaction on academic aspects are technological searching tool through E-learning system that support the students’ learning (4.51), knowledge evaluation on prepost learning and teaching (4.45), and change for project selections according to their interest, subject contents including practice in the real situations (4.45), respectively.

Keywords: English language learning, online system, online learning, supplementary lessons

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Authors: Riyadh Jamegh, AllaEldin Kassam, Sawsan Sabih

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In modern trends of market, organizations face high-pressure environment which is characterized by globalization, high competition, and customer orientation, so it is very crucial to control and know the weak and strong points of the supply chain in order to improve their performance. So the performance measurements presented as an important tool of supply chain management because it's enabled the organizations to control, understand, and improve their efficiency. This paper aims to identify supply chain performance measurement (SCPM) by using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process (FAHP). In our real application, the performance of organizations estimated based on four parameters these are cost parameter indicator of cost (CPI), inventory turnover parameter indicator of (INPI), raw material parameter (RMPI), and safety stock level parameter indicator (SSPI), these indicators vary in impact on performance depending upon policies and strategies of organization. In this research (FAHP) technique has been used to identify the importance of such parameters, and then first fuzzy inference (FIR1) is applied to identify performance indicator of each factor depending on the importance of the factor and its value. Then, the second fuzzy inference (FIR2) also applied to integrate the effect of these indicators and identify (SCPM) which represent the required output. The developed approach provides an effective tool for evaluation of supply chain performance measurement.

Keywords: fuzzy performance measurements, supply chain, fuzzy logic, key performance indicator

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Authors: Manita Ale, Ganesh P. Shivakoti, Ram C. Bastakoti

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Irrigation system, a system for enhancing agricultural productivity, requires regular maintenance in order to avoid irregular allocation of water. For maintenance of the system in long run, farmers’ participation plays a key role increasing the performance of system. The performance of any irrigation system mainly relies on various factors which affect collective action plus decision making, as well as their shared impacts. The paper consists of system level information that were collected from 12 Irrigation Systems (IS) from three-sampled districts of Nepal and the household information that were collected from 160 irrigation water users. The results reveal that, out of 12 sampled irrigation systems, only 4 systems shows high performance levels. The high performance level of those systems was characterized on the basis of adequate availability of water, good maintenance of system infrastructure, and conformance to existing rules followed. In addition, the paper compares different irrigation systems based on trust, reciprocity, cropping intensity, command area and yield as tools to indicate the importance of collective action in performance of irrigation system.

Keywords: collective action, decision-making, farmers’ participation, performance

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Authors: Georgia Mills, Rachel Parsonage

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Thrombocytosis is a platelet count above the upper limit of the normal range. An urgent referral is advised for counts over 1000 x109 and if the count is between 600-1000 x109 with certain conditions/age. A non-urgent referral is warranted when the level is above 450 × 109/L (for more than 3 months) or over 600 × 109/L on at least two occasions (4–6 weeks apart) or within the range 450–600 × 109/L with other haematological abnormalities. The aim of this audit is the assess how well Roseneath's general practice has adhered to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for investigations and management of high platelet counts. Through the filtering tool on Vision, all blood results in the surgery were filtered to only show those with a platelet count above 450 x 109 /L. These patients were then analyzed individually to see where they fall on the current NICE guidance pathway for management. The investigations and management of thrombocytosis were generally poor. 60% of those who needed an urgent referral did not have it done. 30% of those who needed a follow-up blood test did not have it done. 60% of those needing a routine referral from complete investigations did not have it done. To improve the knowledge of NICE guidelines within the practice, a teaching session was delivered. Percentages then reached 100% in the 2nd audit. There is a lack of awareness of guidelines and education on thrombocytosis in primary care. Teaching sessions will benefit outcomes greatly

Keywords: platelets, thrombocytosis, management, referral

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Authors: Ting-YuLiu, Yi-Feng Lin

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Porous Prussian Blue (PB) nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into chitosan (CS) membranes to form PB/CS mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) and the as-prepared PB/CS MMMs were used to dehydration of ethanol at 25 oC in the pervaporation process. The effect of PB loading in CS matrix on pervaporation performance was investigated. The FESEM, EDS, FTIR and XRD measurements were also used for the characterization of the PB/CS MMMs. The PB/CS membranes with 30 wt% PB loading show the best performance with the permeate flux of 614 g/m2h and the separation factor of 1472. The pervaporation using the PB/CS membranes exhibits outstanding performance as compared with the previously reported CS based membranes and MMMs. The present work demonstrates good pervaporation performance of the PB/CS MMMs for the separation of 90wt% ethanol aqueous solution, moreover, it has an opportunity for dehydration of bioethanol in this system of pervaporation.

Keywords: pervaporation, chitosan, Prussian blue, mixed-matrix membrane

Procedia PDF Downloads 406

Authors: Marie Bountrogianni, Leonora Zefi, Krystle Phirangee, Naza Djafarova

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Faculty development is critical for any institution as it impacts students’ learning experiences and faculty performance with regards to course delivery. With that in mind, The Chang School at Ryerson University embarked on an initiative to develop a comprehensive, relevant faculty development program for online faculty and instructors. Teaching Adult Learners Online (TALO) is a professional development program designed to build capacity among online teaching faculty to enhance communication/facilitation skills for online instruction and establish a Community of Practice to allow for opportunities for online faculty to network and exchange ideas and experiences. TALO is comprised of four online modules and each module provides three hours of learning materials. The topics focus on online teaching and learning experience, principles and practices, opportunities and challenges in online assessments as well as course design and development. TALO offers a unique experience for online instructors who are placed in the role of a student and an instructor through interactivities involving discussions, hands-on assignments, peer mentoring while experimenting with technological tools available for their online teaching. Through exchanges and informal peer mentoring, a small interdisciplinary community of practice has started to take shape. Successful participants have to meet four requirements for completion: i) participate actively in online discussions and activities, ii) develop a communication plan for the course they are teaching, iii) design one learning activity/or media component, iv) design one online learning module. This study adopted a mixed methods exploratory sequential design. For the qualitative phase of this study, a thorough literature review was conducted on what constitutes effective faculty development programs. Based on that review, the design team identified desired competencies for online teaching/facilitation and course design. Once the competencies were identified, a focus group interview with The Chang School teaching community was conducted as a needs assessment and to validate the competencies. In the quantitative phase, questionnaires were distributed to instructors and faculty after the program was launched to continue ongoing evaluation and revisions, in hopes of further improving the program to meet the teaching community’s needs. Four faculty members participated in a one-hour focus group interview. Major findings from the focus group interview revealed that for the training program, faculty wanted i) to better engage students online, ii) to enhance their online teaching with specific strategies, iii) to explore different ways to assess students online. 91 faculty members completed the questionnaire in which findings indicated that: i) the majority of faculty stated that they gained the necessary skills to demonstrate instructor presence through communication and use of technological tools provided, ii) increased faculty confidence with course management strategies, iii) learning from peers is most effective – the Community of Practice is strengthened and valued even more as program alumni become facilitators. Although this professional development program is not mandatory for online instructors, since its launch in Fall 2014, over 152 online instructors have successfully completed the program. A Community of Practice emerged as a result of the program and participants continue to exchange thoughts and ideas about online teaching and learning.

Keywords: community of practice, customized, faculty development, inclusive design

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Authors: Ayan Handulle, Memory J. Tembo-Pankuku

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The social work profession utilizes Western and Eurocentric perspectives on social structures, culture, history, belief systems, and education. This affects social work practice with indigenous groups as well as other minorities who have different perspectives. Some of the challenges that characterize social work with families, especially immigrants in western countries, are a result of different world views on child-rearing practices in the global north and the global south. A shift towards cultural sensitivity and the promotion of cultural competence has been a move towards addressing some of the challenges in child welfare practice with immigrants. However, emphasis on cultural differences presents other challenges of stereotyping and discrimination, which call for the examination of current practices to fit other groups of people. In this paper, we introduce the need for emancipatory social work in child welfare practice with immigrant parents. Emancipatory social work is directed at heightening awareness of external sources of oppression and/or privilege that hold the possibility of increasing self-esteem and courage to confront structural sources of marginalization, oppression, and exclusion. This paper draws on two research projects, respectively, “Immigrant parents’ perceptions and experiences of the welfare system” and “Norwegian- Somali parents’ fears of the Norwegian Child welfare service. The first data set comprises 15 in-depth interviews with 18 nonWestern immigrant parents, representing 10 families. The second data set consists of nine months of ethnography, seven months in Oslo, and two months in Somalia among returnees from Norway. Based on these data sets, we explore how immigrant parents’ child-rearing practices might be perceived through a racialized lens.

Keywords: child welfare, immigrants, racialization, social work

Procedia PDF Downloads 63

Authors: Mariana L. de Araújo, Pedro P. M. Menezes

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Research on strategic human resource management (SHRM) has made progress in the last few decades, showing a relationship between policies and practices of human resource management (HRM) and improving organizational results. That's because demonstrating the effectiveness of any HRM or other organizational practice, which means the extent that this can operate as a tool to achieve organizational performance, is a complex and arduous task to execute. Even today, there isn't consensus about "effectiveness," and the tools to measure the effectiveness are disconnected and not convincing. It is not different from the performance management system (PMS) effectiveness. A disproportionate focus on specific criteria adopted and an accumulation of studies that don't relate to the others, which damages the development of the field. Therefore, it aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the PMS through models, dimensions, criteria, and measures. The objective of this study is to propose a theoretical-integrative model for evaluating PMS based on the literature in the PMS field. So, the PRISMA protocol was applied to carry out a systematic review, resulting in 57 studies. After performing the content analysis, we identified six dimensions: learning, societal impact, reaction, financial results, operational results and transfer, and 22 categories. In this way, a theoretical-integrative model for assessing the effectiveness of PMS was proposed based on the findings of this study, in which it was possible to confirm that the effectiveness construct is somewhat complex when viewing that most of the reviewed studies considered multiple dimensions in their assessment. In addition, we identified that the most immediate and proximal results of PMS are the most adopted by the studies; conversely, the studies adopted less distal outcomes to assess the effectiveness of PMS. Another finding of this research is that the reviewed studies predominantly analyze from the individual or psychological perspective, even when it comes to criteria whose phenomena are at an organizational level. Therefore, this study converges with a trend recently identified when referring to a process of "psychologization" in which GP studies, in general, have demonstrated macro results of the GP system from an individual perspective. Therefore, given the identification of a methodological pattern, the predominant influence of individual and psychological aspects in studies on HRM in administration is highlighted, demonstrated by the reflection on the practically absolute way of measuring the effectiveness of PMS from perceptual and subjective measures. Therefore, based on the recognition of the patterns identified, the model proposed to promote studies on the subject more broadly and profoundly to broaden and deepen the perspective of the field of management's interests so that the evaluation of the effectiveness of PMS can promote inputs on the impact of the PMS system in organizational performance. Finally, the findings encourage reflections on assessing the effectiveness of PMS through the theoretical-integrative model developed so that the field can promote new theoretical and practical perspectives.

Keywords: performance management, strategic human resource management, effectiveness, organizational performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 106