NOWADAYS one tends to associate the terra statistics entirely with numeration and mathematical analysis. It is perhaps of some interest therefore that when the term was first used…
Abstract
NOWADAYS one tends to associate the terra statistics entirely with numeration and mathematical analysis. It is perhaps of some interest therefore that when the term was first used in 1770 it was defined as ‘The science of the political arrangement of all the modern states of the known world’. Later (in 1787) it was related to the science of ‘the power of the several modern states arising from their natural advantages, industry, etc.’
THIS paper relates to activities within an aircraft project office; the extent to which similar techniques are applicable, or are being applied in the design areas of other…
Abstract
THIS paper relates to activities within an aircraft project office; the extent to which similar techniques are applicable, or are being applied in the design areas of other industries could well form a subject for discussion.
The learning effect is well established in the repetitive performance of industrial tasks and it is essential that production management be aware of the potential for improved…
Abstract
The learning effect is well established in the repetitive performance of industrial tasks and it is essential that production management be aware of the potential for improved performance (measured by dynamic gain) and the rate at which this may be achieved/measured by the time constraint. Performance and contingency logging and trend modelling should be part of the management information system so that the appropriate learning curve can be established and stored in the databank for future planning purposes. The application of the learning curve to batch production shows that performance slippage caused by elapsed time between batch completions is a significant factor in manufacturing time increase, and, hence, labour costs. This should be allowed for when optimising batch production policy, forecasting deliveries, and
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Shannon L. Wagner and Melanie O’Neill
The purpose of this paper is to add to the overall body of literature regarding mental health implications related to fire service membership; in particular, to look specifically…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to add to the overall body of literature regarding mental health implications related to fire service membership; in particular, to look specifically at the implications of volunteer membership and to compare results with previous research looking at paid‐professional members.
Design/methodology/approach
Responses to the Impact of Event Scale‐Revised (IES‐R), the Neuroticism‐Extroversion‐Openness Personality Inventory (NEO‐PI) and the Symptom checklist (SCL)‐90R were collected from a sample of volunteer firefighters (n=64), as well as from a similar comparison sample (n=103).
Findings
Volunteer fire service members reported significantly higher rates of posttraumatic stress symptomatology when compared to a similar group of comparison participants. In contrast, no differences were found in other types of mental health symptomatology between the volunteer fire fighters and comparison group. Additionally, there appeared to be few differences in the patterns regarding prediction of mental health symptomatology from individual personality characteristics for the two groups. Generally, the authors’ results suggested that, regardless of group, neuroticism was a predictor of mental health symptomatology in many domains.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the only available study to have as its primary intent to describe the mental health implications of volunteer fire service membership, as opposed to a similar comparison sample. In addition, the authors’ data provide some meaningful comparison with previously published results found in a paid‐professional sample; such comparison, to this point, has been unavailable.
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Paul E. Levy, Steven T. Tseng, Christopher C. Rosen and Sarah B. Lueke
In recent years, practitioners have identified a number of problems with traditional performance management (PM) systems, arguing that PM is broken and needs to be fixed. In this…
Abstract
In recent years, practitioners have identified a number of problems with traditional performance management (PM) systems, arguing that PM is broken and needs to be fixed. In this chapter, we review criticisms of traditional PM practices that have been mentioned by journalists and practitioners and we consider the solutions that they have presented for addressing these concerns. We then consider these problems and solutions within the context of extant scholarly research and identify (a) what organizations should do going forward to improve PM practices (i.e., focus on feedback processes, ensure accountability throughout the PM system, and align the PM system with organizational strategy) and (b) what scholars should focus research attention on (i.e., technology, strategic alignment, and peer-to-peer accountability) in order to reduce the science-practice gap in this domain.
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Keith Newton, Norman Leckie and Barrie O. Pettman
The body of literature in the field now commonly known as the “quality of working life” (QWL) has grown steadily over a period in which the industrialised nations have…
Abstract
The body of literature in the field now commonly known as the “quality of working life” (QWL) has grown steadily over a period in which the industrialised nations have increasingly come to question the role and status of human beings in the modern technological environment. In recent years concern with the nature of work, its impact upon people, and their attitudes towards it, seem to have sharpened. Investigation of, and experimentation with, the qualitative aspects of working life—its ability to confer self‐fulfilment directly, for example, as opposed to being a means of acquiring goods—has gained momentum under the influence of a unique set of economic, social, political and technological factors. The outpouring of books, reports and articles from a wide variety of sources has, not surprisingly, grown apace.
The Impact of Events Scale (IES)/Impact of Events Scale – Revised (IES‐R) is arguably one of the most well known tools used to assess post‐traumatic symptomatology. The background…
Abstract
Purpose
The Impact of Events Scale (IES)/Impact of Events Scale – Revised (IES‐R) is arguably one of the most well known tools used to assess post‐traumatic symptomatology. The background literature reveals a significant gap with respect to the structural properties of the IES/IES‐R when used with emergency service populations. In response to these identified gaps, this paper aims to provide an evaluation of the structural properties of the three‐factor IES‐R when used specifically with a firefighting sample.
Design/methodology/approach
Responses to IES‐R for a sample of paid‐professional firefighters (n=94) and a sample of similar comparison participants (n=91) were evaluated for support of the suggested IES‐R subscales – i.e. hyperarousal, avoidance and intrusions. Responses for both groups were entered into a three‐factor maximum likelihood factor analysis with direct oblimin rotation.
Findings
The results provide further support for the use of these subscales when the IES‐R is employed with a community sample. However, the factor structure for the three suggested subscales was not supported for the firefighters' responses. With the firefighting sample, some items for the intrusion subscale loaded as expected, but no discernible pattern was evident for the hyperarousal or avoidance subscales. Given the lack of support for a three‐factor structure with the firefighting sample, scree plot analysis was used to suggest that a two‐factor solution may provide the best fit solution. The two‐factor solution revealed a construct described as general “post‐traumatic symptomatology” and a potential second factor described as “sleep”.
Originality/value
The author suggests a conservative approach to using the IES‐R with first responder samples, in particular firefighters, and recommends the use of an overall score in place of subscale scores. This recommendation is suggested as a temporary approach until additional research can be completed to further evaluate the present lack of support for the three IES‐R subscales when used with a firefighting sample.