This study compares the early employment outcomes of Malaysian graduates who are trained locally versus those who were trained abroad, specifically in universities in the United States and United Kingdom. The study examined the employment outcomes in terms of level of income and job satisfaction. A total of 408 graduates were surveyed for the study. The respondents who were selected randomly nation wide were of similar major of studies. One of the objectives of the study was to find out whether the amount of money spent to train student abroad which can cost up to four times the cost of training students locally is justified. Early research reported that in developing countries, foreign trained graduates were accorded higher income when compared to their counterparts who were trained locally. However, this study indicated that location of study was not significant in explaining the variation of income of graduates. Using regression techniques, the differences in income level was found to be significantly explained by the flowing variables; gender, job, duration, self-esteem, employers' ownership, academic majors and English proficiency. It was also reported that both cohorts of graduates were equally satisfied in their jobs. It was interesting to note that female graduates were also satisfied in theirjobs despite earning less than the males graduates. Job fit index, self-esteem, income, specific self-esteem and satisfaction with university facilities, were found to be significant in explaining the differences in job safisfaction. The study. also compared the attributes and experiences of the two cohorts interms of socio economic and high school background and university and job experiences. It was also reported that there is upward social mobility of graduates as a result of the heavy investment in higher education. The results of the study could be seen as useful, first, to the policy makers in making the right decision in some aspects of investing a large a mount of money in higher education. Secondly, to potential university students in Malaysia, the study will help them to plan their academic careers to suit their future employment opportunities.

This dissertation examines employment and unemployment in the European Union. Its aim is to survey whether the rate of unemployment is influenced by the employment policy and whether it has been declining since the turn of the millennium. Firstly, the author generally explains several important terms. Further she analyses the situation in the whole European Union and subsequently the situation in Austria and Germany, especially between 2000 and 2010. The author presents particular measures of the employment policy introduced in these countries. The results of these measures are documented by reached levels of unemployment rate.

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Background: Maternal employment has been highlighted in numerous studies as an important determinant of childhood mortality but in contexts which do not have regional significance to Swaziland. Studies such as those conducted in India (Sivakami, 1997) and China (Short et al. 2002) considered maternal employment as an important predictor of childhood mortality. Childhood mortality is still high in Swaziland and with increasing poverty and disease the under-five mortality rate continues to increase. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between maternal employment and childhood mortality in Swaziland. Methodology: the Swaziland Demographic and Household Survey (SDHS) conducted in 2006/7 interviewed 4,987 women. Due to the nature of this study, only women who had given birth to at least one child five years preceding the SDHS 2006/7 interviews were included. The sample size used for the study was of 2,136 mothers. Main conclusions of the study were drawn based on the use of a binary logistic regression model in the multivariate section. With the use of a conceptual framework adapted from the classic theoretical model developed by Mosley and Chen (1984) key variables were identified as determinants of childhood mortality. Use of the STATA 11 software was employed to obtain the results. Results: results showed 58.88 percent unemployment rate amongst mothers in Swaziland. The main results showed mother’s employment as having an adverse impact on childhood mortality. Bivariate results showed that mothers who were employed experienced higher childhood mortality and the adjusted regression model showed mothers who work have a 38 percent increased likelihood of childhood mortality compared to mothers who do not work. Maternal education also showed its importance as a predictor of childhood mortality; the higher the level of maternal education the less chances mothers have of experiencing childhood mortality. Maternal age also demonstrated significance as mothers ages increase so too do the chances of childhood deaths. Other significant factors include number of household members, the number of children born as well as breastfeeding duration. Conclusion: The results confirmed the alternative hypothesis to be true which states that mothers who work experience significantly higher childhood mortality in Swaziland. The study also highlighted that in contemporary society, child rearing and maternal employment are incompatible and need to re-evaluate policy concerning this matter is essential to better childhood survival.

Thesis advisor: John B. Williamson / Today, against the backdrop of the demographic pressures to delay the retirement of older workers, sociologists of aging have begun exploring the impact of national labor market institutions on individual workers’ experiences of aging. Using semi-structured, life story interview data drawn from a sample of 52 male workers in the Tokyo area (born between 1940 and 1953), this dissertation research has contributed to uncovering the ways in which the institution of lifetime employment – the most foundational labor market institution of contemporary Japan – uses age to control individuals’ perceptions and behaviors over the course of their working lives. This dissertation research includes data from pre-mandatory retirement older workers (n=29, aged 55-59) and post-mandatory retirement older workers (n=23, aged 60-68). Based on a social constructionist perspective, this dissertation research has explored three areas of these workers’ experiences of aging over the course of their working lives: (1) perceived instances of being subjected to age discrimination; (2) changes to their attitudes toward these age discrimination experiences; and (3) changes to their self-concepts as workers. A series of thematic data analyses of the interview data, drawn with a life course approach and a grounded theory method, has generated two sets of findings. First, the pre-mandatory retirement experiences of aging of the interview participants (n=52) have contributed to uncovering and describing a social process through which ‘older workers’ are socially constructed within the institutional framework of lifetime employment. Second, the research has found that after mandatory retirement, the post-mandatory retirement workers (n=23) rejected the label of ‘older workers’ and critically viewed lifetime employment as a 'total institution' (Goffman 1961), essentially an institution of social control, harmful to workers in their later working lives. This dissertation research has contributed to the literature by demonstrating that the lifetime employment institution in Japan serves as an intensive age-based social control mechanism that has constructed and reproduced ‘older workers’ in the country’s labor force. Based on the findings of post-mandatory retirement experience of aging, this dissertation research also suggests that the Japanese government should find ways to mitigate the social exclusion, marginalization, and stigmatization that workers experience in their post-mandatory retirement working lives. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology.

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Firefighting is a strenuous occupation requiring high levels of physical fitness. Inadequate levels of fitness can put firefighters and risk of overexertion and injury. Therefore ensuring that firefighters maintain role specific fitness levels throughout their career is critical to both firefighter and public safety. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the minimum cardiorespiratory, strength and muscular endurance demands UK firefighting and to recommend minimum physical employment standards to ensure the operational effectiveness and safety of firefighting personnel working in the UK fire & rescue service. The first study developed a task analysis protocol to identify the minimum acceptable performance requirements of the critical and most physically demanding tasks in UK firefighting, identifying 2 distinct roles (firefighter and incident commander) with 8 critical tasks identified for firefighter and 2 for the incident commander role. The second study investigated the physical demands of performing these critical tasks to the minimum acceptable performance requirement. Cardiorespiratory fitness standards were derived for those undertaking both firefighting and incident command roles. Following this, the validity and reliability of a firefighter simulation test was assessed to determine its appropriateness as a criterion test of operational fitness. Whilst there was a strong inverse correlation between the test completion time and cardiorespiratory fitness and the simulation was highly reliable, the error associated with the simulation suggests that it may not be suitable to use as a standalone fitness test and should be used in conjunction with gym-based cardiorespiratory fitness assessments. The final study assessed the sensitivity and specificity of common and replicable gymbased physical ability tests to predict firefighting performance in order to recommend strength and muscular endurance standards. Each of the gym-based physical ability tests and associated standards were effective at predicting effective firefighting performance.

The effects of maternal employment, as contrasted with maternal nonemployment, on the scholastic performance of children we re studied using a sample of 80 Mount Ogden Junior High seventh grade students and their mothers. The 80 mot hers concerned met the criterion for emp loyment by having worked a forty-hour week outside the home the firs t six years their child at t ended school or the criteria of nonemployment by hav ing never engaged in paid employment outside the home for the first six years of their child's schoolin g . Of nine areas tested between the two groups no s ignificant difference was found concerning grade point average , reading achi evement scores, absenteeisms, 10 Q ~ , c onduct scores , education of the mother, and the number of hours that the mother and child spent toge ther on a school day. A s i gni ficant difference at the .01 l eve l was found when comparing the numbe r of children in the family of employed mo thers (3. 3 ch ild r en) to the families of nonemployed mothers (4.5 chi l dren). A high posi tive correlation was found be tween the mother's at t itude t oward her work or nonwork status and the child' s scholastic achievement . It was noted that the study o f a tti LUd t~ , in itself, was not sufficient Attitudes must be pursued i n terms of their manifestation in the home, whether they be positively or negatively expressed , and it must be determined whether or no t a child in grades one t o s ix can perceive and interpret these manifestations realistically.

The order of interview questions during the interview may influence candidate ratings, giving an unfair advantage to some candidates. This study was done to test the effect of the interviewer's need for cogniton, the desire to use cognitive energy, on primacy and recency effects during the employment interview. A transcript of competency-based behavior description interivew questions was given to nearly 300 participants. Evidence was found for recency effects only, and no significant differences were found that could be attributed to the interviewer's need for cognition.