Search results for: work conditions
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 21145

Search results for: work conditions

20395 The Power of Purpose in Organizations: Its Influence on the Meaning of Work

Authors: Carlos Olave Lopez de Ayala

Abstract:

The concept of purpose has generated a remarkable interest as a subject of study by the scientific community in recent years. However, most authors have studied it from an organizational point of view. Concepts such as purpose-driven organization and purpose management have been the focal point of numerous research studies, as well as of empirical implementation in some organizations. On the other hand, theories of motivation have been traditionally focused on the purpose of an individual and have been used to refer to personal motivation. This paper aims to study the influence of organizational purpose on the dimensions of human motivations, involving the meaning that each individual gives to his/her work. The results show that the person’s alignment with the organizational purpose is connected with the meaning of work as a career, a calling, and a higher calling. This research adds to the knowledge of the impact of the organizational purpose and its influence on individuals.

Keywords: human motivations, meaningful work, organizational purpose, purpose management, purpose-driven organization

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20394 An Application-Based Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Calculator for Residential Buildings

Authors: Kwok W. Mui, Ling T. Wong, Chin T. Cheung, Ho C. Yu

Abstract:

Based on an indoor environmental quality (IEQ) index established by previous work that indicates the overall IEQ acceptance from the prospect of an occupant in residential buildings in terms of four IEQ factors - thermal comfort, indoor air quality, visual and aural comforts, this study develops a user-friendly IEQ calculator for iOS and Android users to calculate the occupant acceptance and compare the relative performance of IEQ in apartments. The calculator allows the prediction of the best IEQ scenario on a quantitative scale. Any indoor environments under the specific IEQ conditions can be benchmarked against the predicted IEQ acceptance range. This calculator can also suggest how to achieve the best IEQ acceptance among a group of residents.

Keywords: calculator, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), residential buildings, 5-star benchmarks

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20393 Road Map to Health: Palestinian Workers in Israel's Construction Sector

Authors: Maya de Vries Kedem, Abir Jubran, Diana Baron

Abstract:

Employment in Israel offers Palestinian workers an income double what they can earn in the West Bank. The need to support their families leads many educated Palestinians to forgo finding work in their profession in the Palestinian Authority and instead look for employment in those sectors open to them in Israel, particularly the construction, agriculture, and industry sectors. The International Labor Organization estimated that about 1,200 workers in Israel die every year because of occupational diseases (diseases caused by working conditions). Construction workers in Israel are constantly exposed to dust, noise, chemical materials, and work in awkward postures, which require prolonged bending, repetitive motion, and other risk factors that can lead to illnesses and death. Occupational health is vastly neglected in Israel and construction workers are particularly at risk . As of June 2022, the Israeli quota in the construction sector for Palestinian workers stood at 80,000. Kav LaOved released a new study on the state of occupational health among Palestinian workers employed in construction in Israel. The study Roadmap to Health: Palestinian Workers in Israel's Construction Sector reviews the extent to which the health of Palestinian workers is protected at work in Israel. The report includes analysis of a survey administered to 256 workers as well as interviews with 10 workers and with 5 Israeli occupational health experts. Report highlights: • Among survey respondents, 63.9% stated that safety procedures to protect their health are rarely followed in their workplace (e.g., taking breaks, using protective gear, following restrictions on lifting heavy items, and having inspectors regularly on site to monitor safety). • All 256 Palestinian workers who participated to the survey said that their health has been directly or indirectly harmed by working in Israel and reported suffering from the following problems: orthopedic problems such as joint, hand, leg or knee problems (100%); headaches (75%); back problems (36.3%); eye problems (23.8%); breathing problems (17.6%); chronic pain (14.8%); heart problems (7.8%); and skin problems (3.5%). • Workers who are injured or do not feel well often continue working for fear of losing their payment for that day. About half of the 256 survey respondents reported that they pay brokerage fees to find an employer with a work permit, often paying between 2,000 and 3,000 NIS per month. “I have an obligation—I pay about NIS 120 a day for my permit, [and] I have to pay for it whether I work or not" a worker said. • Most Palestinian construction workers suffer from stress and mental health problems. Workers pointed to several issues that greatly affect their mood and mental state: daily crossings at crowded checkpoints where workers stand for hours; lack of sleep due to leaving home daily at 3:00-3:30 am; commuting two to four hours to work in each direction; and abusive work environments. A worker told KLO that the sight of thousands of workers standing together at the checkpoint causes “high blood pressure and the feeling that you are going to be squeezed.” Another said, “I felt that my bones would break.” In the survey workers reported suffering from insomnia (70.1%), breathing difficulties (35.8%), chest pressure (27.6%), or rapid pulse rate (12.2%).

Keywords: construction sector, palestinian workers, occupational health, Israel, occupation

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20392 Designing an Effective Accountability Model for Islamic Azad University Using the Qualitative Approach of Grounded Theory

Authors: Davoud Maleki, Neda Zamani

Abstract:

The present study aims at exploring the effective accountability model of Islamic Azad University using a qualitative approach of grounded theory. The data of this study were obtained from semi-structured interviews with 25 professors and scholars in Islamic Azad University of Tehran who were selected by theoretical sampling method. In the data analysis, the stepwise method and Strauss and Corbin analytical methods (1992) were used. After identification of the main component (balanced response to stakeholders’ needs) and using it to bring the categories together, expressions and ideas representing the relationships between the main and subcomponents, and finally, the revealed components were categorized into six dimensions of the paradigm model, with the relationships among them, including causal conditions (7 components), main component (balanced response to stakeholders’ needs), strategies (5 components), environmental conditions (5 components), intervention features (4 components), and consequences (3 components). Research findings show an exploratory model for describing the relationships between causal conditions, main components, accountability strategies, environmental conditions, university environmental features, and that consequences.

Keywords: accountability, effectiveness, Islamic Azad University, grounded theory

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20391 Effect of Synthesis Parameters on Crystal Size and Perfection of Mordenite and Analcime

Authors: Zehui Du, Chaiwat Prapainainar, Paisan Kongkachuichay, Paweena Prapainainar

Abstract:

The aim of this work was to obtain small crystalline size and high crystallinity of mordenites and analcimes, by modifying the aging time, agitation, water content, crystallization temperature and crystallization time. Two different hydrothermal methods were studied. Both methods used Na2SiO3 as the silica source, NaAlO2 as the aluminum source, and NaOH as the alkali source. The first method used HMI as the template while the second method did not use the template. Mordenite crystals with spherical shape and bimodal in size of about 1 and 5 µm were obtained from the first method using conditions of 24 hr aging time, 170°C and 24 hr crystallization. Modernites with high crystallinity were formed using agitation system in the crystallization process. It was also found that the aging time of 2 hr and 24 hr did not much affect the formation of mordenite crystals. Analcime crystals were formed in spherical shape and facet on surface with the size between 13-15 µm by the second method using the conditions of 30 minutes aging time, 170°C and 24 hr crystallization without calcination. By increasing water content, the crystallization process was slowed down and resulted in smaller analcime crystals. Larger size of analcime crystals were observed when the samples were calcined at 300°C and 580°C. Higher calcination temperature led to higher crystal growth and resulted in larger crystal size. Finally, mordenite and analcime was used as fillers in zeolite/Nafion composite membrane to solve the fuel cross over problem in direct alcohol fuel cell.

Keywords: analcime, hydrothermal synthesis, mordenite, zeolite

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20390 The Works of Ibrahim Eissa: A Controversy

Authors: Malak Khaled Hosny

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The paper inspects Ibrahim Eissa, a famous Egyptian writer and TV persona, and his literary and film works. Having faced threats of persecution and assassination, Eissa is a controversial figure in Egyptian media, and his works always pose a trigger of outrage and conversation. His book The Preacher, his movie The Guest, and his TV show Faten Amal Harby all led to some controversy unfolding in Egyptian society, and all led to conversations erupting in Egyptian households and on social media platforms. Through a close reading of his written work and an analytic watch of his work on-screen, the paper delves into the details of the intentions behind and the repercussions of Ibrahim Eissa's work.

Keywords: censorship, film, literature, religion

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20389 Attitudes of Young Adults with Physical Disabilities towards Occupational Preferences

Authors: Limor Gadot, Orly Sarid

Abstract:

Integration of young adults with disabilities (YAWD) into workplaces provides an opportunity for social and occupational mobility, enabling them to financial independence. To enhance integration, it is important to understand their occupational preferences as well as the factors that influencing it such as demographic variables, self-assessed health, beliefs about work, subjective norms, and self-efficacy. Planned behavior theory was chosen as a basis for this study. A cross-sectional study, based on preliminary sample of 37 YAWD who have been recognized by the National Insurance Institute and are engaged in a year of national service. The finding shows that most of the participants were single (97%) women (60%); average age was 22(+ 2) years, approximately half were secular. Most of the participants had disabilities resulting from CP (96%). Self-assessed health was correlated positively and significantly with behavioral intentions to work in the free market (r = .33, p = .05), and significant negative correlation with behavioral intentions to work in supported settings (r =.-40, p = .01), and sheltered settings (r =-.36, p = .03): individuals who perceived themselves as having more severe disabilities showed a greater tendency to choose a workplace with more rehabilitative inputs. Furthermore, women showed a greater tendency than men to perceive their disability as impairing their future intention to work: t (36) = 2.23, p < .05. Beliefs about work were positively associated with normative beliefs (r = .308, p = .06). The findings indicate that, especially with women, perceptions of health are related to occupational preferences. Moreover, the findings indicate that the relationship between subjective norms about work and normative beliefs about integrating in a workplace that prevail in the individual's environment affects occupational preferences. The contribution of the study lies in the development of new responses and interventions to encourage adults with disabilities to work.

Keywords: young adults, disabilities, work preferences, occupational preferences

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20388 Design Optimization of Miniature Mechanical Drive Systems Using Tolerance Analysis Approach

Authors: Eric Mxolisi Mkhondo

Abstract:

Geometrical deviations and interaction of mechanical parts influences the performance of miniature systems.These deviations tend to cause costly problems during assembly due to imperfections of components, which are invisible to a naked eye.They also tend to cause unsatisfactory performance during operation due to deformation cause by environmental conditions.One of the effective tools to manage the deviations and interaction of parts in the system is tolerance analysis.This is a quantitative tool for predicting the tolerance variations which are defined during the design process.Traditional tolerance analysis assumes that the assembly is static and the deviations come from the manufacturing discrepancies, overlooking the functionality of the whole system and deformation of parts due to effect of environmental conditions. This paper presents an integrated tolerance analysis approach for miniature system in operation.In this approach, a computer-aided design (CAD) model is developed from system’s specification.The CAD model is then used to specify the geometrical and dimensional tolerance limits (upper and lower limits) that vary component’s geometries and sizes while conforming to functional requirements.Worst-case tolerances are analyzed to determine the influenced of dimensional changes due to effects of operating temperatures.The method is used to evaluate the nominal conditions, and worse case conditions in maximum and minimum dimensions of assembled components.These three conditions will be evaluated under specific operating temperatures (-40°C,-18°C, 4°C, 26°C, 48°C, and 70°C). A case study on the mechanism of a zoom lens system is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the methodology.

Keywords: geometric dimensioning, tolerance analysis, worst-case analysis, zoom lens mechanism

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20387 Work, Pension and Physical Activity: Findings from an Interview Study

Authors: Sonia Lippke, Eric Rost, Volker Cihlar

Abstract:

Objective: To examine the interrelation of physical activity with work-related variables in older individuals to determine pathways to promote the maintenance of an aging workforce’s ability and motivation to work. Design/methodology/approach: An interview-study was conducted with N=5,002 community-dwelling people aged 55 to 70 years (for T1). N=2,501 (50%) were interviewed 3 years later again (T2). Correlation-, Chi²-, MANOVA and moderated mediation analyses were performed. Findings: The less people worked, the more physically active they were. Working was only related to calendar age but not to subjective age. Men and women only differed in working hours and an interaction of gender and pension regarding working hours and subjective health revealed: Controlled for calendar age, the amount of worked hours while receiving pension was about the same in men and women, however, men worked significantly more hours if they did not receive pension. The relationship between physical activity and worked hours was mediated by life investment and subjective health in women, and by subjective health in men. Practical implications: Developing good health through performing physical activity should be done as part of work-place health promotion or by work organization and HR management to enable, and motivate older individuals to work even when receiving pension. Thus, such initiates should not only offered for younger and middle aged employees. Physical activity and company-facilitated sports activities can be an integral part in this. Originality/value: This is the first study testing these mechanisms in this age group, indicating the importance of not only understanding physical activity as a time challenge to work but also the potential to protect workability and to work aside from receiving pension.

Keywords: life investment, moderated mediation, physical activity, older workers, subjective health

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20386 Child of the Dark by Carolina Maria De Jesus in a Fundamental Rights Perspective

Authors: Eliziane Navarro, Aparecida Citta

Abstract:

Child of the dark is the work of the Brazilian author Carolina Maria de Jesus published at the first time by Ática & Francisco Alves in 1960. It is, mostly, a story of lack of rights. It lacks to men who live in the slums what is essential in order to take advantage of the privilege of rationality to develop themselves as civilized humans. It is, therefore, in the withholding of the basic rights that inequality finds space to build itself to be the main misery on Earth. Antonio Candido, a Brazilian sociologist, claims that it is the right to literature has the ability to humanize men, once the aptitude to create fiction and fable is essential to the social balance. Hence, for the forming role that literature holds, it must be thought as the number of rights that assure human dignity, such as housing, education, health, freedom, etc. When talking about her routine, Carolina puts in evidence something that has great influence over the formation of human beings, contributing to the way they live: the slum. Even though it happens in a distinct way and using her linguistics variation, Carolina writes about something that will only be discussed later on Brazil’s Cities Statute and Ermia Maricato: the right to the city, and how the slums are, although inserted in the city, an attachment, an illegal city, a dismissing room. It interests ourselves, for that matter, in this work, to analyse how the deprivation of the rights to the city and literature, detailed in Carolina’s journal, conditions human beings to a life where the instincts overcome the social values.

Keywords: Child of the dark, slum, Brazil, architecture and literature

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20385 Nonlinear Free Vibrations of Functionally Graded Cylindrical Shells

Authors: Alexandra Andrade Brandão Soares, Paulo Batista Gonçalves

Abstract:

Using a modal expansion that satisfies the boundary and continuity conditions and expresses the modal couplings characteristic of cylindrical shells in the nonlinear regime, the equations of motion are discretized using the Galerkin method. The resulting algebraic equations are solved by the Newton-Raphson method, thus obtaining the nonlinear frequency-amplitude relation. Finally, a parametric analysis is conducted to study the influence of the geometry of the shell, the gradient of the functional material and vibration modes on the degree and type of nonlinearity of the cylindrical shell, which is the main contribution of this research work.

Keywords: cylindrical shells, dynamics, functionally graded material, nonlinear vibrations

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20384 A Study on the Effect of the Work-Family Conflict on Work Engagement: A Mediated Moderation Model of Emotional Exhaustion and Positive Psychology Capital

Authors: Sungeun Hyun, Sooin Lee, Gyewan Moon

Abstract:

Work-Family Conflict has been an active research area for the past decades. Work-Family Conflict harms individuals and organizations, it is ultimately expected to bring the cost of losses to the company in the long run. WFC has mainly focused on effects of organizational effectiveness and job attitude such as Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Turnover Intention variables. This study is different from consequence variable with previous research. For this purpose, we selected the positive job attitude 'Work Engagement' as a consequence of WFC. This research has its primary research purpose in identifying the negative effects of the Work-Family Conflict, and started out from the recognition of the problem that the research on the direct relationship on the influence of the WFC on Work Engagement is lacking. Based on the COR(Conservation of resource theory) and JD-R(Job Demand- Resource model), the empirical study model to examine the negative effects of WFC with Emotional Exhaustion as the link between WFC and Work Engagement was suggested and validated. Also, it was analyzed how much Positive Psychological Capital may buffer the negative effects arising from WFC within this relationship, and the Mediated Moderation model controlling the indirect effect influencing the Work Engagement by the Positive Psychological Capital mediated by the WFC and Emotional Exhaustion was verified. Data was collected by using questionnaires distributed to 500 employees engaged manufacturing, services, finance, IT industry, education services, and other sectors, of which 389 were used in the statistical analysis. The data are analyzed by statistical package, SPSS 21.0, SPSS macro and AMOS 21.0. The hierarchical regression analysis, SPSS PROCESS macro and Bootstrapping method for hypothesis testing were conducted. Results showed that all hypotheses are supported. First, WFC showed a negative effect on Work Engagement. Specifically, WIF appeared to be on more negative effects than FIW. Second, Emotional exhaustion found to mediate the relationship between WFC and Work Engagement. Third, Positive Psychological Capital showed to moderate the relationship between WFC and Emotional Exhaustion. Fourth, the effect of mediated moderation through the integration verification, Positive Psychological Capital demonstrated to buffer the relationship among WFC, Emotional Exhastion, and Work Engagement. Also, WIF showed a more negative effects than FIW through verification of all hypotheses. Finally, we discussed the theoretical and practical implications on research and management of the WFC, and proposed limitations and future research directions of research.

Keywords: emotional exhaustion, positive psychological capital, work engagement, work-family conflict

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20383 Optimizing Microwave Assisted Extraction of Anti-Diabetic Plant Tinospora cordifolia Used in Ayush System for Estimation of Berberine Using Taguchi L-9 Orthogonal Design

Authors: Saurabh Satija, Munish Garg

Abstract:

Present work reports an efficient extraction method using microwaves based solvent–sample duo-heating mechanism, for the extraction of an important anti-diabetic plant Tinospora cordifolia from AYUSH system for estimation of berberine content. The process is based on simultaneous heating of sample matrix and extracting solvent under microwave energy. Methanol was used as the extracting solvent, which has excellent berberine solubilizing power and warms up under microwave attributable to its great dispersal factor. Extraction conditions like time of irradition, microwave power, solute-solvent ratio and temperature were optimized using Taguchi design and berberine was quantified using high performance thin layer chromatography. The ranked optimized parameters were microwave power (rank 1), irradiation time (rank 2) and temperature (rank 3). This kind of extraction mechanism under dual heating provided choice of extraction parameters for better precision and higher yield with significant reduction in extraction time under optimum extraction conditions. This developed extraction protocol will lead to extract higher amounts of berberine which is a major anti-diabetic moiety in Tinospora cordifolia which can lead to development of cheaper formulations of the plant Tinospora cordifolia and can help in rapid prevention of diabetes in the world.

Keywords: berberine, microwave, optimization, Taguchi

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20382 High Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells Fabricated under Ambient Conditions with Mesoporous TiO2/In2O3 Scaffold

Authors: A. Apostolopoulou, D. Sygkridou, A. N. Kalarakis, E. Stathatos

Abstract:

Mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (mp-PSCs) with mesoporous bilayer were fabricated under ambient conditions. The bilayer was formed by capping the mesoporous TiO2 layer with a layer of In2O3. CH3NH3I3-xClx mixed halide perovskite was prepared through the one-step method and was used as the light absorber. The mp-PSCs with the composite TiO2/In2O3 mesoporous layer exhibited optimized electrical parameters, compared with the PSCs that employed only a TiO2 mesoporous layer, with a current density of 23.86 mA/cm2, open circuit voltage of 0.863 V, fill factor of 0.6 and a power conversion efficiency of 11.2%. These results indicate that the formation of a proper semiconductor capping layer over the basic TiO2 mesoporous layer can facilitate the electron transfer, suppress the recombination and subsequently lead to higher charge collection efficiency.

Keywords: ambient conditions, high efficiency solar cells, mesoscopic perovskite solar cells, TiO₂ / In₂O₃ bilayer

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20381 Influence of Well-Being and Quality of Work-Life on Quality of Care among Health Professionals in Southwest Nigeria

Authors: Adesola C. Odole, Michael O. Ogunlana, Nse A. Odunaiya, Olufemi O. Oyewole, Chidozie E. Mbada, Ogochukwu K. Onyeso, Ayomikun F. Ayodeji, Opeyemi M. Adegoke, Iyanuoluwa Odole, Comfort T. Sanuade, Moyosooreoluwa E. Odole, Oluwagbohunmi A. Awosoga

Abstract:

Purpose: The Nigerian healthcare industry is bedeviled with infrastructural decay, inadequate funding and staffing, and a dysfunctional healthcare system. This study investigated the influence of health professionals’ well-being and quality of work-life (QoWL) on the quality of care (QoC) of patients in Nigeria. Methods: The study was a multicentre cross-sectional survey conducted at four tertiary health institutions in southwest Nigeria. Participants’ demographic information, well-being, quality of work-life, and quality of care were obtained using four standardized questionnaires. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics of frequency (percentage) and mean (standard deviation). Inferential statistics included Chi-square, Pearson’s correlation, and independent samples t-test analyses. Results: Medical practitioners (n=609) and nurses (n=570) constituted 74.6% of all the health professionals, with physiotherapists, pharmacists, and medical laboratory scientists constituting 25.4%. The mean (SD) participants’ well-being = 71.65% (14.65), quality of life = 61.8% (21.31), quality of work-life = 65.73% (10.52) and quality of care = 70.14% (12.77). Participants’ quality of life had a significant negative correlation with the quality of care, while well-being and quality of work-life had a significant positive correlation with the quality of care. Conclusion: We concluded that health professionals’ well-being and quality of work-life are important factors that influence their productivity and, ultimately, the quality of care rendered to patients. The hospital management and policymakers should ensure improved work-related factors to improve the well-being of health professionals. This will enhance the quality of care given to patients and ultimately reduce brain drain and medical tourism.

Keywords: health professionals, quality of care, quality of life, quality of work-life, well-being

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20380 Teachers Handbook: A Key to Imparting Teaching in Multilingual Classrooms at Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS)

Authors: Sushree Sangita Mohanty

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The pedagogic system, which is used to work with indigenous groups, who have equally different socio-economic, socio-cultural & multi-lingual conditions with differing cognitive capabilities, makes the education situation complex. As a result, educating the indigenous people became just the dissemination of facts and information, but advancement in knowledge and possibilities somewhere hides. This gap arises complexities due to the language barrier and the teachers from a conventional background of teaching practices are unable to understand or connect with the students in the schools. This paper presents the research work of the Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) project that has developed a creative pedagogic endeavor for the students of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) for facilitating Multilingual Education (MLE) teaching. KISS is a home for 25,000 indigenous children. The students enrolled here are from 62 different indigenous communities who speak around 24 different languages with geographical articulation. The book contents include concept, understanding languages, similitudes among languages, the need of mother tongue in teaching and learning, skill development (Listening-Speaking-Reading-Writing), teachers activities for teaching in multilingual schools, the process of teaching, training format of multilingual teaching and procedures for basic data collection regarding multilingual schools and classroom handle.

Keywords: indigenous, multi-lingual, pedagogic, teachers, teaching practices

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20379 Statistical Optimization of Adsorption of a Harmful Dye from Aqueous Solution

Authors: M. Arun, A. Kannan

Abstract:

Textile industries cater to varied customer preferences and contribute substantially to the economy. However, these textile industries also produce a considerable amount of effluents. Prominent among these are the azo dyes which impart considerable color and toxicity even at low concentrations. Azo dyes are also used as coloring agents in food and pharmaceutical industry. Despite their applications, azo dyes are also notorious pollutants and carcinogens. Popular techniques like photo-degradation, biodegradation and the use of oxidizing agents are not applicable for all kinds of dyes, as most of them are stable to these techniques. Chemical coagulation produces a large amount of toxic sludge which is undesirable and is also ineffective towards a number of dyes. Most of the azo dyes are stable to UV-visible light irradiation and may even resist aerobic degradation. Adsorption has been the most preferred technique owing to its less cost, high capacity and process efficiency and the possibility of regenerating and recycling the adsorbent. Adsorption is also most preferred because it may produce high quality of the treated effluent and it is able to remove different kinds of dyes. However, the adsorption process is influenced by many variables whose inter-dependence makes it difficult to identify optimum conditions. The variables include stirring speed, temperature, initial concentration and adsorbent dosage. Further, the internal diffusional resistance inside the adsorbent particle leads to slow uptake of the solute within the adsorbent. Hence, it is necessary to identify optimum conditions that lead to high capacity and uptake rate of these pollutants. In this work, commercially available activated carbon was chosen as the adsorbent owing to its high surface area. A typical azo dye found in textile effluent waters, viz. the monoazo Acid Orange 10 dye (CAS: 1936-15-8) has been chosen as the representative pollutant. Adsorption studies were mainly focused at obtaining equilibrium and kinetic data for the batch adsorption process at different process conditions. Studies were conducted at different stirring speed, temperature, adsorbent dosage and initial dye concentration settings. The Full Factorial Design was the chosen statistical design framework for carrying out the experiments and identifying the important factors and their interactions. The optimum conditions identified from the experimental model were validated with actual experiments at the recommended settings. The equilibrium and kinetic data obtained were fitted to different models and the model parameters were estimated. This gives more details about the nature of adsorption taking place. Critical data required to design batch adsorption systems for removal of Acid Orange 10 dye and identification of factors that critically influence the separation efficiency are the key outcomes from this research.

Keywords: acid orange 10, activated carbon, optimum adsorption conditions, statistical design

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20378 The Work System Method for Designing Knowledge Mobilization Projects

Authors: Chihab Benmoussa

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Could the Work System Approach (WSA) function as a framework for designing high-impact knowledge mobilization systems? This paper put forward arguments in favor of the applicability of WSA for knowledge mobilization design based on evidences from a practical research. Normative approaches for practitioners are highly needed especially in the field of knowledge management (KM), given the abysmal rate of disappointment and failure of KM projects. The paper contrasts knowledge management and knowledge mobilization, presents the WSA and showed how the WSA’s concepts and ideas fit with the approach adopted by a multinational company in designing a successful knowledge mobilization initiative.

Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge mobilizations, work system method

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20377 The Algorithmic Dilemma: Virtue Development in the Midst of Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity in Platform Work

Authors: Thumesha Jayatilake

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As platform work continues to proliferate, algorithmic management, which takes care of its operational role, poses complex challenges, including job satisfaction, worker involvement, ethical decision-making, and worker well-being. This conceptual paper scrutinizes how algorithmic management influences virtue development among platform workers, with an emphasis on the effects of role conflict and role ambiguity. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the research elucidates the complex relationship between algorithmic management systems and the ethical dimensions of work. The study also incorporates the interplay of human interaction and short-term task orientation, thus broadening the understanding of the impacts of algorithmic management on virtue development. The findings have significant implications for policymakers, academics, and industry practitioners, illuminating the ethical complexities presented by the use of algorithms in modern employment settings.

Keywords: algorithmic management, ethics, platform work, virtue

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20376 Effects of Work Stress and Chinese Indigenous Ren-Qing Shi-Ku Social Wisdom on Emotional Exhaustion, Work Satisfaction and Well-Being of Insurance Workers

Authors: Wang Chung-Kwei, Lo Kuo Ying

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This study is aimed to examine main and moderation effect of Chinese traditional social wisdom ‘Ren-qing Shi-kuo’ on the adjustment of insurance workers. Rationale: Ren-qing Shi-ku as a social wisdom has been emphasized and practiced by collective-oriented Chinese for thousand years. The concept of‘Ren-qing Shi-ku’includes values, beliefs and behavior rituals, which helps Chinese to cope with interpersonal conflicts in a sophisticated and closely tied collective society. Based on interview and literature review, we found out Chinese still emphasized the importance of ‘Ren-qing Shi-ku’. The concepts contains five factors, including ‘proper emotion display’, ‘social ritual abiding’, ‘ make empathetic concession’, ‘harmonious and proper behavior’ and ‘tolerance for the interest of the whole’. We developed an indigenous ‘Ren-qing Shi-ku’scale based on interview data and a survey on social worker students. Research methods: We conduct a dyad survey between 294 insurance worker and their supervisors. Insurance workers’ response on ‘Ren-qing Shi-ku,emotion labor, emotional exhaustion, work stress and load, work satisfaction and well-being were collected. We also ask their supervisors to rate these workers ‘empathy, social rule abiding, work performance, and Ren-qing Shi-ku performance. Results: Students’self-ratings on Ren-qing Shi-ku scale are positively correlated with rating from their supervisors on all above indexes. Workers who have higher Ren-qing Shi-ku score also have lower work stress and emotion exhaustion, higher work satisfaction and well-being, more emotion deep acting. They also have higher work performance, social rule abiding, and Ren-qing Shi-ku performance rating from their supervisor. The finding of this study suggested Ren-qing Shi-ku is an effective indicator on insurance workers ‘adjustment. Since Ren-qing Shi-ku is trainable, we suggested that Ren-qing Shi-ku training might be beneficial to service industry in a collective-oriented culture.

Keywords: work stress, Ren-qing Shi-ku, emotional exhaustion, work satisfaction, well-being

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20375 A Study on Social and Economic Conditions of Street Vendors Using Field Survey Data

Authors: Ruchika Yadav

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Street vendors are the integral component of urban economies of the world. They are the distributors of affordable goods and services and provide convenient and accessible retail options to the customers and form a vital part of the social and economic life of a city. A street vendor as an occupation existed for hundreds of years and considered to be as a cornerstone of many cities. In this paper, our objective is to analyze the socio-economic profile of street vendors, identification of their problems and to suggest remedial measures for the betterment based on the observation and suggestions of the street vendors. To conduct this study, primary data has been collected with the help of field survey and direct questionnaire to the respondents in Aligarh City which contains all the information relevant to social and economic conditions. The overall analysis of this study reveals street vendors are the backward sections of the society possess medium to the low-level standard of living due to illiteracy; their working environment and social security issues are not addressed properly. They are unaware of many of the governmental schemes launched for poverty alleviation and their poor accessibility in basic amenities leads to the backward socio-economic status in the society. The results found in this study can be very useful and helping tool for the policymakers to know the socio-economic conditions of the street vendors in detail.

Keywords: abject poverty, socio-economic conditions, street vendors, vulnerability

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20374 Mediation Role of Teachers’ Surface Acting and Deep Acting on the Relationship between Calling Orientation and Work Engagement

Authors: Yohannes Bisa Biramo

Abstract:

This study examined the meditational role of surface acting and deep acting on the relationship between calling orientation and work engagement of teachers in secondary schools of Wolaita Zone, Wolaita, Ethiopia. A predictive non-experimental correlational design was performed among 300 secondary school teachers. Stratified random sampling followed by a systematic random sampling technique was used as the basis for selecting samples from the target population. To analyze the data, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the association between the independent variables and the dependent variables. Furthermore, the goodness of fit of the study variables was tested using SEM to see and explain the path influence of the independent variable on the dependent variable. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test the validity of the scales in the study and to assess the measurement model fit indices. The analysis result revealed that calling was significantly and positively correlated with surface acting, deep acting and work engagement. Similarly, surface acting was significantly and positively correlated with deep acting and work engagement. And also, deep acting was significantly and positively correlated with work engagement. With respect to mediation analysis, the result revealed that surface acting mediated the relationship between calling and work engagement and also deep acting mediated the relationship between calling and work engagement. Besides, by using the model of the present study, the school leaders and practitioners can identify a core area to be considered in recruiting and letting teachers teach, in giving induction training for newly employed teachers and in performance appraisal.

Keywords: calling, surface acting, deep acting, work engagement, mediation, teachers

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20373 Modeling and Performance Evaluation of Three Power Generation and Refrigeration Energy Recovery Systems from Thermal Loss of a Diesel Engine in Different Driving Conditions

Authors: H. Golchoobian, M. H. Taheri, S. Saedodin, A. Sarafraz

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This paper investigates the possibility of using three systems of organic Rankine auxiliary power generation, ejector refrigeration and absorption to recover energy from a diesel car. The analysis is done for both urban and suburban driving modes that vary from 60 to 120 km/h. Various refrigerants have also been used for organic Rankine and Ejector refrigeration cycles. The capacity was evaluated by Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system in both urban and suburban conditions for cyclopentane and ammonia as refrigerants. Also, for these two driving plans, produced cooling by absorption refrigeration system under variable ambient temperature conditions and in ejector refrigeration system for R123, R134a and R141b refrigerants were investigated.

Keywords: absorption system, diesel engine, ejector refrigeration, energy recovery, organic Rankine cycle

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20372 The Effect of Family Support on Employee Satisfaction and Perception of Work-Family Conflict: The Case of Oil Sector Employees in Kuwait

Authors: Ali H. Muhammad

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This paper investigates both instrumental and emotional family support on employee job satisfaction and perception of work-family conflict. Instrumental family support is manifested in family behavior that contributes to the reduction of employee’s family responsibilities and keeping the physical home environment in a proper shape. Emotional family support includes the encouragement and praise that the employee receives from his family and families for the employee’s work problem and their role in assisting the employees in dealing with these problems. The paper suggests that instrumental and emotional family support increases employee’s job satisfaction. Furthermore, the study proposes that family support decreases employee’s perception of work-family conflict. In addition, this study examines the reliability and validity of the family support index developed by Lynda King and her colleagues in 1995. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to test the validity of the instrument in an Arab business setting. A paper-pencil questionnaire was used to collect data from a random sample of 70 Kuwaiti employees working in the oil sector. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, reliability tests, and regression analysis. Results confirmed the research hypothesis. Family support had a positive effect on job satisfaction. Furthermore, family support significantly contributed to the reduction of employee perception of work-family conflict.

Keywords: family support, job satisfaction, work-family conflict, Kuwait oil sector

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20371 Representation of Self and the Client in Social Work Students’ Report

Authors: Unity Nkateng

Abstract:

New forms of academic writing such as apprenticeship genres are developing in the field of applied linguistics. However, these perspectives have not adequately addressed the issue of social work students in Botswana. The paper addresses the issue of academic writing with special attention to the types of documents written by University of Botswana (UB) social work students on their fieldwork placement. The research method for this study combines two major research tools in the qualitative inquiry which are text analysis and interviews in order to investigate the context in which the texts are produced. 12 students were consulted and gave their consent for the study. 26 case reports were collected from the Department of Social work at the University of Botswana. The findings show that the case reports students write during their fieldwork placements have 6 moves, which focus on the clients’ story and describe what the students have done and achieved. The significance is that the discrepancy between professional writing and students writing raise questions about the extent to which students are being prepared for professional writing. Students have indicated that their academic writing varies according to the preferences of individual lecturers rather than the requirement of the work situation.

Keywords: apprenticeship genres, client's voice, material processes, relational possesive processes

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20370 Optimization of Process Parameters and Modeling of Mass Transport during Hybrid Solar Drying of Paddy

Authors: Aprajeeta Jha, Punyadarshini P. Tripathy

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Drying is one of the most critical unit operations for prolonging the shelf-life of food grains in order to ensure global food security. Photovoltaic integrated solar dryers can be a sustainable solution for replacing energy intensive thermal dryers as it is capable of drying in off-sunshine hours and provide better control over drying conditions. But, performance and reliability of PV based solar dryers depend hugely on climatic conditions thereby, drastically affecting process parameters. Therefore, to ensure quality and prolonged shelf-life of paddy, optimization of process parameters for solar dryers is critical. Proper moisture distribution within the grains is most detrimental factor to enhance the shelf-life of paddy therefore; modeling of mass transport can help in providing a better insight of moisture migration. Hence, present work aims at optimizing the process parameters and to develop a 3D finite element model (FEM) for predicting moisture profile in paddy during solar drying. Optimization of process parameters (power level, air velocity and moisture content) was done using box Behnken model in Design expert software. Furthermore, COMSOL Multiphysics was employed to develop a 3D finite element model for predicting moisture profile. Optimized model for drying paddy was found to be 700W, 2.75 m/s and 13% wb with optimum temperature, milling yield and drying time of 42˚C, 62%, 86 min respectively, having desirability of 0.905. Furthermore, 3D finite element model (FEM) for predicting moisture migration in single kernel for every time step has been developed. The mean absolute error (MAE), mean relative error (MRE) and standard error (SE) were found to be 0.003, 0.0531 and 0.0007, respectively, indicating close agreement of model with experimental results. Above optimized conditions can be successfully used to dry paddy in PV integrated solar dryer in order to attain maximum uniformity, quality and yield of product to achieve global food and energy security

Keywords: finite element modeling, hybrid solar drying, mass transport, paddy, process optimization

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20369 Occupational Health: The Impact of Employee Work Schedules and Employee Morale

Authors: Melissa C. Monney

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Employee morale is an area in which many companies invest millions of dollars, time and effort. Whether these are attributed in benefits or additional monetary compensation, each year, such companies understand that human capital is one of their greatest assets to driving production and revenue. However, with the ever-changing economy, such emphasis on work and production may be counterproductive to employee morale as employees attempt to achieve a healthy work-life balance. A flexible work schedule may be the solution to both companies’ attempt at increasing employee morale and productivity, while affording employees the opportunity to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The information presented in this review derives mostly from research articles, in which the research conducted by means of direct employee feedback through surveys, telephone or face-to-face interviews, or a collection of both, attempted to corroborate (in one way or another) previous research on the largely debated topic of schedule flexibility as the dynamics of economies and families have over the years. This review endeavors to provide a holistic view of schedule flexibility policies, implementation, and perceptions from research in various industries in different countries.

Keywords: flexible scheduling, perceived flexibility, employee morale, productivity

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20368 Pipeline Construction in Oil and Gas Fields as per Kuwait Oil Company Procedures

Authors: Jasem Al-Safran

Abstract:

Nowadays Oil and Gas industry considered as one of the biggest industries around the world although it caused a lot of pollution to the world and it caused many damages to the mankind and the other creatures around the globe it still one of the biggest industries, it create millions of careers around the globe which reduced the poorness level and make the mankind life’s much more comfortable you may compare the humans life before the exploration of the oil and after the oil industries development. Construction project’s consist of 3 major sections also we call them EPC projects the first section is the detailed engineering, the second section is the procurements section and finally is the Construction section, each section required a specialized work force with a different skills in order to handle the work load for example in the oil sector and depending on the nature of the project and the project size the Construction team required mechanical engineer, civil engineer, electrical engineer and instrumentation engineer, also a work site supervisor for each disciplines also a huge number of labors, technicians and many equipment’s.

Keywords: Construction, EPC, Project, Work force

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20367 Linking Work-Family Enrichment and Innovative Workplace Behavior: The Mediating Role of Positive Emotions

Authors: Nidhi Bansal, Upasna Agarwal

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Innovation is a key driver for economic growth and well-being of developed as well as emerging economies like India. Very few studies examined the relationship between IWB and work-family enrichment. Therefore, the present study examines the relationship between work-family enrichment (WFE) and innovative workplace behavior (IWB) and whether it is mediated by positive emotions. Social exchange theory and broaden and build theory explain the proposed relationships. Data were collected from 250 full time dual working parents in different Indian organizations through a survey questionnaire. Snowball technique was used for approaching respondents. Mediation analysis was assessed through PROCESS macro (Hayes, 2012) in SPSS. With correlational analysis, it was explored that all three variables were significantly and positively related. Analysis suggests that work-family enrichment is significantly related to innovative workplace behavior and this relationship is partially mediated by positive emotions. A cross-sectional design, use of self-reported questions and data collected only from dual working parents are few limitations of the study. This is one of the few studies to examine the innovative workplace behavior in response to work-family enrichment and first attempt to examine the mediation effect of emotions between these two variables.

Keywords: dual working parents, emotions, innovative workplace behavior, work-family enrichment

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20366 Better Together: Diverging Trajectories of Local Social Work Practice and Nationally-Regulated Social Work Education in the UK

Authors: Noel Smith

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To achieve professional registration, UK social workers need to complete a programme of education and training which meets standards set down by central government. When it comes to practice, social work in local authorities must fulfil requirements of national legislation but there is considerable local variation in the organisation and delivery of services. This presentation discusses the on-going reform of social work education by central government in the context of research of social work services in a local authority. In doing so it highlights that the ‘direction of travel’ of the national reform of social work education seems at odds with the trajectory of development of local social work services. In terms of education reform, the presentation cites key government initiatives including the knowledge and skills requirements which have been published separately for, respectively, child and family social work and adult social work. Also relevant is the Government’s new ‘teaching partnership’ pilot which focuses exclusively on social work in local government, in isolation from social work in NGOs. In terms of research, the presentation discusses two studies undertaken by Professor Smith in Suffolk County Council, a local authority in the east of England. The first is an equality impact analysis of the introduction of a new model for the delivery of adult and community services in Suffolk. This is based on qualitative research with local government representatives and NGOs involved in social work with older people and people with disabilities. The second study is an on-going, mixed method evaluation of the introduction of a new model of social care for children and young people in Suffolk. This new model is based on the international ‘Signs of Safety’ approach, which is applied in this model to a wide range of services from early intervention to child protection. While both studies are localised, the service models they examine are good illustrations of the way services are developing nationally. Analysis of these studies suggest that, if services continue to develop as they currently are, then social workers will require particular skills which are not be adequately addressed in the Government’s plans for social work education. Two issues arise. First, education reform concentrates on social work within local government while increasingly local authorities are outsourcing service provision to NGOs, expecting greater community involvement in providing care, and integrating social care with health care services. Second, education reform focuses on the different skills required for working with older and disabled adults and working with children and families, to the point where potentially the profession would be fragmented into two different classes of social worker. In contrast, the development of adult and children’s services in local authorities re-asserts the importance of common social work skills relating to personalisation, prevention and community development. The presentation highlights the importance for social work education in the UK to be forward looking, in terms of the changing design of service delivery, and outward looking, in terms of lessons to be drawn from international social work.

Keywords: adult social work, children and families social work, European social work, social work education

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