Streamlining is an attempt to make an organizational process increase its efficiency. The 1992 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 defined changes within the service delivery system of the Public State/Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (PS/FVR) Program, that appeared to suggest that streamlining was a new requirement from Congress. However, Congress, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and/or Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) did not mandate streamlining for the Public State/Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (PS/FVR) Program. Training on streamlining was designated to the Regional Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs (RRCEP). The RRCEP programs exist in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to provide continuing education to employees of the PS/FVR Program, This studies literature review revealed Streamlining has resulted in inconsistent implementation approaches across state agencies and/or federal regions. Currently there is no data and/or consistent approaches to streamlining in the PS/FVR Program. Because of inconsistency in implementing streamlining, the RRCEP's ability to develop appropriate in-service training curriculum that is sensitive to the new needs and issues is jeopardized. The lack of a consistent methodology for streamlining implementation creates problems in planning pre-service academic rehabilitation counseling programs. The study utilized a Chi-Square analysis design due to the small sample size. However, while the sample size was small, the data were global in nature because each number analyzed represents thousands of individual Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) cases. Streamlining was developed to impact the success markers in a positive direction, i.e, clients with severe disabilities would obtain successful employment with higher wages after their employment, an increased number of individuals with severe disabilities would be served, and the VR counselor would spend less money to accomplish the employment goals. Each of the results examining these variables in this study was statistically significant in the states that had implemented streamlining. The study gave support to the premise that streamlining has a positive impact on the vocational rehabilitation process in increased wages for PS/FVR clients, reduced time in service, and decreased case service dollars spent.

Arbetsmiljölagen ger anställda och deras representanter, skyddsombuden, rätt att delta i det systematiska arbetsmiljöarbete som arbetsgivaren har skyldighet att arrangera. Forskning om deltagande har i stor utsträckning varit fokuserad påstrukturella och organisatoriska förutsättningar för anställdas deltagande. Mycket tyder dock på att anställda inte utnyttjar sina starka rättigheter. Avhandlingens analyserar arbetsmiljödeltagandet genom en fallstudie på ett pappersbruk med väl etablerade organisatoriska strukturer för deltagande i syfte att förklara deltagandets grunder bortom de strukturella villkoren. Syfte är att förstå varför anställda inte i avsedd omfattning utnyttjar de möjligheter till arbetsmiljöinflytande som lagstiftning och goda strukturella villkor ger. Avhandlingen visar hur anställda i stor utsträckning handskas med arbetets risker och belastningar genom sin kollektivt utvecklade kompetens, förståelse och ansvar för varandra och i mindre utsträckning genom att interagera med arbetsgivaren genom arbetsmiljödeltagande. Etienne Wengers begrepp ”praktikgemenskaper” används i avhandlingen tillsammans med Paavo Bergmans analys av lagarbete och betydelsen av processpecifik kompetens för att klarlägga de sociala processer för meningsskapande som betingar anställdas deltagande i arbetsmiljöarbetet. Med Lysgaards begrepp ”arbetarkollektivet” visar också avhandlingen på betydelsen av maktrelationerna mellan operatörer och arbetsgivare för möjligheterna att etablera en gemensam kunskapsprocess kring arbetsmiljö genom de former för arbetsmiljödeltagande som var etablerade på pappersbruket. / Swedish law gives employees, and their representatives, rights to participate in the employer’s systematic occupational health and safety management. Research  on worker participation in OHSM has mainly focused on structural conditions for participation such as organisational arrangements, industrial relations, or union support. There are however indications that employees do not use their strong legal rights. The aim of the present thesis is to understand the prerequisites and conditions for worker OHSM participation, seen here as a joint knowledge process for work environment issues. More precisely, the thesis aims to analyse the significance of workers’ local and situated knowledge, the construction of participative practices, and the problems and advantages of representative participation. The thesis also aims to explain the paradox that favourable structural conditions for participation are only partly used by the workers, despite evident risks at work. The empirical basis is a case study at a paper mill. The mill was chosen as its OHSM to a large extent fulfils what research claims are necessary structural conditions for effective participation. To understand the possibilities and problems of such participation, the analysis uses a combination of three theoretical perspectives on work and (situated) knowledge: Etienne Wenger’s (1998) approach to communities of practice; Paavo Bergman’s (1995) analysis of teamwork in the process industry; and Sverre Lysgaard’s (1961) theory of the workers’ collective.

<p>This quantitative survey study explored relationships between a law enforcement supervisor's personal characteristics and the attitude a supervisor had towards the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program. The study solicited law enforcement supervisors (<i>n</i> = 6635) who were graduates of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy (FBINA). A modified survey instrument assisted in the collection of demographic data and the assessment of attitudes towards the CISM program. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics in the form of an analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical test and a multiple regression analysis that used a backwards-stepwise format assisted in the examination of the collected data. The results indicated time away from the duties of a line-level patrol officer, investigator, or detective, and time in law enforcement shared a weak relationship with a supervisor's attitude towards the CISM program. More specifically, the longer the time span for each, the more positive the supervisor's attitude should be towards the program. Unfortunately, while these variables may have been deemed significant, the results are virtually meaningless since the model resulted in only two percent of the variance in attitude. Although the study's findings only indicated a weak link between a law enforcement supervisor's characteristics and the attitude a supervisor has towards the CISM program, it also showed supervisors within the study overwhelmingly supported the program. Knowing this support exists could still provide stress management program managers with invaluable insight, as processes are developed to mitigate critical incident stress in law enforcement. </p>

Content removed due to copyright restrictions: Appendix 6: Paper presented at the 15th New Zealand Ergonomics Society Conference: Ergonomics for the Ageing Population, Martinborough. Scuffham, A., Stevenson, M., Legg, S. & Firth, E. Prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in New Zealand small animal veterinarians. In: 15th New Zealand Ergonomics Society Conference: Ergonomics for the Ageing Population. Eds R. G. Adank & L. Gardner Wood. Martinborough, New Zealand Ergonomics Society. 27-28 May, 2009, [CD-ROM]. Appendix 7: Paper presented at the Society of Diary Cattle Veterinarians of the New Zealand Veterinary Association 26th annual conference, Rotorua. Scuffham, A., Firth, E., Stevenson, M., & Legg, S. Musculoskeletal discomfort in New Zealand large animal veterinarians. In: Proceedings of the Society of Dairy Cattle Veterinarians of the New Zealand Veterinary Association 26th annual conference. Ed. T. Parkinson. VetLearn, Palmerston North. 24-27 June 2009, pg 201-204. Appendix 8: Paper presented at the New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association Annual Conference, Taupo. Scuffham, A., Firth, E., Stevenson, M. & Legg, S. Musculoskeletal discomfort in New Zealand equine veterinarians. In: Proceedings of the New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association of the NZVA Annual Conference. Ed. M Leyland. VetLearn, Palmerston North. 24-27 June 2009, pg 163. Appendix 9: Paper presented at the 17th International Ergonomics Association World Congress on Ergonomics, Beijing. Musculoskeletal discomfort in New Zealand (non-clinical) veterinarians. Scuffham, A., Legg, S., Stevenson, M. & Firth, E. (9-14 August, 2009). [CD-ROM] / This thesis comprises three chapters about musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) in veterinarians. Two of these chapters have been submitted to peer reviewed journals and one is in preparation for submission. The first chapter describes the prevalence and risk factors associated with MSD in New Zealand veterinarians. The second chapter is a paper on the tasks considered by veterinarians to cause MSD. The third chapter is a review of published literature on musculoskeletal problems (MSP) in veterinarians. The first chapter in this thesis describes a cross-sectional study of 867 New Zealand veterinarians. We used a modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire to enquire about the presence or absence of MSD, whether this affected normal activities and if MSD necessitated absenteeism from work. Additional questions enquired about work activities, psychosocial factors and workload. The overall period prevalence of MSD was 96%. Normal activities were affected in 67% and 18% of participants reported that they had been absent from work due to MSD. Factors associated with the presence of MSD requiring time off work for clinical veterinarians included 10 year increases in age (odds ratio (OR) 1.26, 95% CI 1.05 - 1.52), work involving awkward grip and hand movements 100% of time (OR 12.91, 95% CI 3.46 – 84.21) and those who were dissatisfied with the level and difficulty of their work (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.11 - 6.56). In the second chapter in this thesis, veterinarians were asked to indicate tasks that they considered ‘most likely to lead to musculoskeletal aches and pains’ and ‘why these tasks were likely to be the most risky’. They were also asked to suggest ‘any solutions that they applied or knew of’ to reduce musculoskeletal aches and pains. They identified the following tasks: lifting, surgery, rectal palpations and animal handling. Their reasons were primarily related to physical risk factors. Few identified psychosocial risk factors. The most common suggested solutions involved training and selection strategies rather than redesign of tasks, activities or facilities. These findings are consistent with a participatory ergonomics approach for reducing the risk of MSD, which aims to enhance personal well-being and improved system performance. The third chapter in this thesis - a review of the literature - focuses on the prevalence and nature (discomfort, pain, injury and disorders) of MSP amongst veterinarians. Veterinarians are exposed to a range of physical and psychosocial occupational hazards that have been well documented and associated with MSP. The range of reported prevalence estimates in this review was 50% to 96%. This range may reflect real differences among the veterinary populations studied, or more likely be due to differences in MSP definitions, study methodologies, and response rates. The magnitude of the reported prevalence justifies further research to triangulate data and determine other factors associated with MSD. Most of the studies in the review focused on physical risk factors. The lack of studies into psychosocial risk factors for MSP needs to be addressed.

No description available.

Αντικείμενο της διατριβής είναι η έρευνα των παραγόντων πρόκλησης των εργατικών ατυχημάτων με το σχεδιασμό και την ανάλυση μιας ολοκληρωμένης μεθόδου διερεύνησης, περιορίζοντας τους παράγοντες σε συγκεκριμένες κατηγορίες με τις αλληλεπιδράσεις τους και την ποσοτικοποίηση των σχέσεών τους. Από την ανάλυση των μοντέλων πρόκλησης, προσδιορίζονται τρεις ομάδες μοντέλων (διαδοχικά, επεξεργασίας της ανθρώπινης πληροφορίας και συστημικά), αναδεικνύεται η αντιστοιχία τους με τις μεθόδους διερεύνησης και προτείνεται ολοκληρωμένο πλαίσιο αξιολόγησης των μεθόδων διερεύνησης με συγκεκριμένα κριτήρια. Παράλληλα, οι έρευνες πεδίου σε διαφορετικά δείγματα εργατικών ατυχημάτων ταυτοποιούν παράγοντες πρόκλησης επιβεβαιώνοντας τη σημερινή έρευνα για άμεσους και έμμεσους παράγοντες χωρίς να λαμβάνεται υπόψη το συνολικό πλαίσιο πρόκλησής τους. Η αξιολόγηση των μεθόδων διερεύνησης και τα αποτελέσματα των ερευνών πεδίου, οδήγησαν στο σχεδιασμό μιας νέας μεθόδου διερεύνησης, η οποία στηρίζεται σε συνδυαστικό μοντέλο πρόκλησης εμπλουτίζοντάς το με τη νομική διάσταση. Η μέθοδος λαμβάνει υπόψη τέσσερις ομάδες παραγόντων: εργασιακούς, ανθρώπινους, οργανωτικούς και νομικούς, οι οποίες διακρίνονται σε υποομάδες με τη βοήθεια σχεδίων ταξινόμησης στοχεύοντας σε μια ολοκληρωμένη διερεύνηση του ατυχήματος. Τα πρώτα αποτελέσματα από την επικύρωση της προτεινόμενης μεθόδου, όσον αφορά στην αξιοπιστία της και την εγκυρότητά της, είναι ενθαρρυντικά για την εφαρμογή της μεθόδου. Ο έλεγχος των υποθέσεων για τη διασφάλιση της εγκυρότητας της μεθόδου, με την ποσοτικοποίηση των σχέσεων των παραγόντων πρόκλησης, όπως ο σχεδιασμός της εργασίας με την κατάρτιση καθώς και η παροχή ανασφαλούς εξοπλισμού με την έλλειψη συμμετοχής των εργαζομένων σε θέματα σχετικά με την εργασία και τα καθήκοντά τους οδηγεί στην πληρέστερη απεικόνιση της πρόκλησης. / This thesis concerns the identification of accident causation factors and their interrelationships with the design and analysis of a structured accident investigation method. The main contribution of the research reported is the development of an evaluation framework of accident investigation methods in terms of their alignment with accident causation models, the design of an investigation method based on the evaluation results and covering the descriptive, revealing, qualitative, quantitative and legal requirements of the investigation and the quantification of the relation between accident causation factors aiming at a more precise structural equation model explaining the occupational accident causation phenomenon. Preliminary research on various samples of accidents identified accident causation factors confirming the current research on immediate and underlying factors without taking into account the whole context of accident causation. The proposed method takes into account four areas: workplace, human, management and legal factors. The method process breaks down the four areas into simpler components with the aid of classification schemes aimed at an integrated accident reconstruction. Results from the application of the proposed method can reveal patterns of associations between factors such as work design and training as well as between provision of unsafe equipment and employee involvement which form the basis to understand complex accident causation mechanisms.

In recent times, the sports sector across the globe has attracted economic interests both from the public and the private sector. For example, the cost of hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was estimated at over $14.5 billion, with huge investments made intorenovating old stadia and building new ones in preparation for the games. Similarly, the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow generated over 5,000 jobs and apprenticeships for the locals, £200m worth of contracts to local firms, £198m investments in sporting facilities, and £700m worth of transport-related infrastructural development. It is thus clear that sport hasassumed more relevance in society than merely serving the purpose of recreation and leisure such that stakeholders now commit resources into sport performance improvement. Consequently, countries (particularly, those in Europe, Australia and North America) consider the sports sector among the key factors of social and economic development. Given the considerably large youthful population of Nigeria, it is possible to take advantage of sports to advance social and economic wellbeing of the people. It is however regrettable that the Nigerian government does not appear to have realised the potentialopportunities a robust sports economy could provide for a nation in the quest for social, political and economic development. The opportunities provided by sports for social and economic growth will not be fully grasped unless efforts are made to create effective talent development frameworks; unfortunately, anecdotally at least, the reality on the ground suggests that the contrary is the case in Nigeria. Previous research investigating the process of talent identification and development has highlighted a number of features of effective talent development environments. Research informing these guidelines and principles comes from a variety of research activity including understanding the nature of the talent development pathway, the characteristics of successful and developing athletes, the features of effective coaching and support environments, factorsof effective talent transfer, and effective talent development policies. However, it is important to note, that the current TID literature is based predominantly on European, Australian and North American studies. This is particularly important given that there is strong evidence to suggest that TID is culturally and context specific. Certainly the specific context must be taken into consideration when transferring and/or using recommendations (either research orapplied) from one context to another. Since there has been very little work carried out within a Nigerian context, this thesis aims to take a broad examination of the nature of talent identification and development processes within a Nigerian context. This is with the aim of understanding potential barriers to TID and facilitating effective practice to aid successful talent development within Nigeria To address these objectives, three studies were carried out. First, a literature review examined the relevant TID literature in relation to the specific context of TID in Nigeria, taking into account the role(s) of important stakeholders (i.e. coach, parents, teacher, siblings,and peers). Based on the lack of evidence from the Nigerian environment and the exploratory nature of this thesis, three qualitative studies were designed and implemented to examine a broad, in-depth perspective of the nature of athlete and sports development in Nigeria. These three studies included the elite athletes' perspectives of the nature of talent identification and development, the elite coaches' perspectives and finally the community stakeholders' perspectives. A total of 21 participants (i.e. 8 elite athletes, 7 coaches and 6 community stakeholders) were purposefully sampled and interviewed to provide triangulated, and informed perspectives on the specific nature of TID in Nigeria. The data revealed a number of challenges to effective TID in Nigeria including, lack of policy implementation, corruption, poverty, and family resistance, as well as poor infrastructure for sports development. Furthermore, luck played a large role in successfuldevelopment, especially due to the ad hoc nature of access to coaching and supportive people in the community (e.g. head teachers). Interestingly, in case successful development, theextremely challenging circumstances faced by athletes attempting to develop their sporting potentials acted as a mechanism to develop their mental resilience and independence, which facilitated success. Furthermore, findings suggest that widespread cultural practice through early years (e.g. festivals, physical labour) developed a general physicality among Nigerian children, which could serve as bedrock of TID, if the other talent development environmentswere put right.

Aim: The aim of this thesis was to investigate the psychophysiological response to the dynamic working environment within a cohort of higher education employees via ambulatory assessment of psychosocial and physiological measures. Methods: Data was collected from two observational studies. Study one employed a cross-sectional design to investigate relationships between work-related psychosocial hazard, work-time heart rate variability, blood pressure, and the cortisol awakening response. Consideration was given to occupation type and acute work-related demand. Study two, a single-subject case study, employed an experience sampling methodology to peform a 24 hour assessment over 21 days. Workload, affect and demand were sampled during working hours, while heart rate variability and physical activity were continually sampled (24 hours), with salivary cortisol, being sampled at 3 time points during the awakening period. This study also investigated some of the methodological issues associated with ambulatory assessment of both heart rate variability and the cortisol awakening response. Findings: Chronic work-related demand was found to be positively associated with sympathetic dominance of the autonomic nervous system. Acute work-related demand was associated with ambulatory heart rate variability during work time and evening time whilst the rise in salivary free cortisol over the immediate post awakening period varies according to acute anticipatory demand and prior day's workload. Substantial intra--individual variation in both the cortisol awakening response and ambulatory heart variability was found to occur across work-days. Work time activity levels accounted for little of the variation in ambulatory heart rate variability and blood pressure. The cortisol awakening response was associated with both heart rate variability and nocturnal movement in the latter stage of sleep. Conclusion: Attending to the psychophysiological response to work at the individual level by means of ambulatory assessment appears to provide a useful means of assessing the balance between employee and environment. This could have significant implications for work design, employee selection and targeting of workplace interventions.

Ce travail doctoral se propose d’étudier les dispositifs de prévention de la santé et de la sécurité au travail, mis en place au sein d’une grande entreprise française, au prisme de l’affectivité. Il est question d'appréhender comme communication affective lesdits dispositifs de prévention, mis en œuvre au titre de l’obligation générale de prévention des risques professionnels à laquelle l’employeur est tenu (article L. 4121-1 du Code du travail), étendue depuis 2008 à la prévention des risques psychosociaux. La communication dite affective s'apparente à un double mouvement de mobilisation et de codification des affects, qui tend à se retrouver au sein des dynamiques info-communicationnelles modernes médiées et médiatisées (Martin-Juchat, 2006). C'est à ce titre que nous envisageons la communication affective au cœur de la communication organisationnelle, se faisant media de sa culture affective. Dans le prolongement de travaux de recherche menés en sciences sociales, qui ont permis de dépasser une approche dualiste de l'affectivité (émotion versus cognition) et de ne plus penser les émotions hors du social et de ses cadres culturels (Halbwachs, 1947 ; Laflamme, 1995 ; Illouz, 2006 ; Fleury, 2007 ; Fernandez, Lézé et Marche, 2008), il s'agit ici d’axer notre regard sur le rôle normatif des dispositifs de communication dans la compréhension de la fonction sociale des émotions, au sein des organisations. Nous questionnons, dans notre thèse, les dynamiques de normalisation de la sémiotisation des émotions à l'œuvre au sein des dispositifs de prévention, afin de voir dans quelle mesure ils s’inscrivent dans des logiques de régulation des affects au travail. Pour ce faire, nous développons une approche communicationnelle des dispositifs de prévention de la santé et de la sécurité au travail, qui se fonde sur les apports conceptuels des SIC, alliant les travaux menés en ACO (approches communicationnelles des organisations, Bouillon, Bourdin et Loneux, 2007 ; Bouillon, 2013) à ceux touchant à la question de l'affectivité, conçue dans des dimensions communicationnelles (Martin-Juchat, 2008, 2014 ; Martin-Juchat et Staii, 2016). Nous nous appuyons ici sur les résultats d'une recherche-action menée sur plus d'une année au sein d'une grande entreprise française, nous permettant de mettre au jour la manière dont les stratégies et logiques communicationnelles des différents acteurs de la prévention participent de la construction des signes de l'émotion au sein des dispositifs de prévention. / This doctoral research will study the devices of health and safety prevention at work, within a french large company, in the prism of affectivity. We think the devices of health and safety prevention at work as an affective communication. These devices respond to the general obligation of professional risks prevention, in which the employer is kept (article L. 4121-1 of the Labor code), spread since 2008 to the prevention of psychosocial risks. The affective communication is a double movement of emotional solicitation and codification, in modern informational and communicational dynamics, via some techniques of mediation and mediatization (Martin-Juchat, 2006). We considered the affective communication within organizational communication, as media of its affective culture. In the same field of the researches lead in social sciences (Halbwachs, 1947 ; Laflamme, 1995 ; Illouz, 2006 ; Fleury, 2007 ; Fernandez, Lézé et Marche, 2008), which overcome a dualist approach of affectivity (emotion versus cognition) and are opposed to think of the emotions out of the social and the cultural frameworks, we focused here our work on the normative role of communicational devices in the understanding of social function of emotion, in the organizations. We questioned, in our thesis, the dynamics of normalisation in the "semiotisation" within the devices of prevention, in order to study how they operate through logics of emotional regulation at work. So, we develop a communicational approach about the devices of health and safety prevention at work, based on conceptual contributions in the field of communication studies, especially the researches on the ACO (Communicational Approaches of Organizations, Bouillon, Bourdin et Loneux, 2007 ; Bouillon, 2013) and the researches on the affectivity, based on communicational dimensions (Martin-Juchat, 2008, 2014 ; Martin-Juchat et Staii, 2016). We based our work on the results of an action-research conducted during more than a year within a french large company, which has permitted us to discover that communicational strategies and logics of the different actors of prevention are linked to the elaboration of signs of emotion in the devices of prevention.

This thesis deals with analysis of the crisis management in company and it is focused on occupational health and safety.