There are a number of factors recognised as significant for nursing staff retention. These include, a lack of organisational care, bullying (commonly referred to as horizontal violence), and high workload acuity. However, there does not appear to be any indication that these factors influence the retention of nurses within the speciality of acute perioperative nursing. A descriptive study using postpositivist methodology and triangulation of methods was designed to answer the question: What are the critical factors that influence staff retention in an acute perioperative environment? Forty-eight (n = 48) perioperative nurses answered a questionnaire in relation to individual needs, provision of nursing care and administration and management. Four (n = 4) nurses subsequently participated in a focus group interview that explored in more depth, the survey data related to the following characteristics: Educational opportunities; Level of workload acuity; Rostering flexibility; Management; Established policies/Quality assurance; Graduate orientation programs and Professional relationships in an acute perioperative setting. Data analysis revealed that > 90% of respondents agreed that these characteristics are important for job satisfaction and influence staff retention in an acute perioperative environment. A sense of belonging appears to be the most important theme that emerged from the qualitative data. Job satisfaction and staff retention are attained when nurses have a sense of belonging in the workplace. To achieve these, nurses need to identify barriers, develop their communication and leadership skills and determine the ideal professional practice model. The themes (Figure 5), "Finding time" and increased "sick leave", in relation to workload acuity are new findings that provide a platform for future research.

The city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia has been recognised as having high quality drinking water, but like other urban cities in the world, its growing population means increasing water demand. Melbourne is also already on its eight year of dry climatic conditions and is currently experiencing a drought that forced water authorities to impose water restrictions after 20 years of unrestricted supply. The current drought, dwindling supplies and possible impact of climate change highlight the importance of making better use of this precious resource. The Water Resources Strategy has been developed for Melbourne, which serve as the basis for the Victorian Government to set per capita consumption reduction targets of 15%, 25% and 30% by 2010, 2015 and 2020 respectively. The strategy was developed to ensure a continuation of a safe, reliable and cost effective water supply that is environmentally sustainable in the long term. This is in recognition that population growth and water consumption will eventually require additional supplies of water (Water Resources Strategy Committee for the Melbourne Area 2002). One of the key findings of the National Land and Water Resources Audit's Australian Water Resources Assessment 2000 is the lack of detailed knowledge about the end use (Australian Water Association 2001). The

空氣污染防制費自民國84年7月1日開徵，希望能藉由空污費的徵收來減少污染的排放量，同時能透過空氣污染防制費的有效運用來改善空氣品質，而本文僅針對空氣污染防制迄今，對家計部門所產生的清潔效益進行估算。 首先，利用家計部門生產函數建立理論模型，接著以錢玉蘭、蕭代基(1996)，「台灣大都會地區改善空氣品質之經濟效益評估與酸雨風險認知調查」的問卷調查資料為樣本，對超對數及近似理想需求函數的實證模型進行配適比較。結果顯示：近似理想需求函數配適之判定係數較高，符合加總性、齊次性及對稱性限制條件，而價格變數與屬性變數之估計結果亦相當合理，因此，推論近似理想需求函數為解釋台灣清潔需求型態的較適模型。 由近似理想需求函數所推估之85及86會計年度空污費執行所帶來台灣地區家戶清潔效益分別為每戶2101元及651元，加總每戶效益後，台灣地區總清潔效益分別為128億元及39億元，與空污費實際執行的歲出相較，推論空污費執行迄今之效益大於成本。並由推算之各都會地區補償變量性質，建議政府以效率的觀點使用空氣污染防制費時，應將防制資源優先使用於改善都市化程度愈高，人口數愈多，污染程度愈嚴重地區的空氣品質。 / The Environmental Protection Agency of Taiwan launched the Air Pollution Emission Fees Program to levy emission fees on petroleum products, July 1, 1995. The purpose of such a program is to provide economic incentives to change peoples' behavior towards the consumption of fuels and to collect fees to be used for the improvement of air quahty. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of the emission fees program on household cleanness. In order to achieve this objective, we first employ a household production function in accordance with the theory of consumption behavior. Two models are utilized in this study, i.e., the translog firnction model and the almost ideal demand function model. We utilize cross-section data to fit into these models and find that the almost ideal demand model has more significant explanatory power. Therefore, we infer that this model is a better functional form for expressing the cleanness behavior of Taiwan's households. The estimated results of the total benefits for household cleanness resulting from the implementation of air pollution emission fees are NT$12.8 and NT$3.9 bilhon for the accounting years of 1996 and 1997, respectively. By comparing expenditure from the air pollution fees, which were designated for the purpose of improving air quality, i.e., NT$4.2 and NTS3.3 billion for the respective years 1996 and 1997, we can see that the pollution control program is conformable with the benefit-cost principle. Finally, based on the empirical results, pohcy recommendations are presented in the conclusion.

台灣地區人口老化已是不爭的事實，而整體社會在人口結構、家庭結構、經濟結構、社會結構及價值觀念的變遷下，導致了諸多的老人問題，其中以健康醫療及經濟所得的需求最為迫切。全民健保已於今年（八十四年）三月一日開始實施，而完整的退休養老體系尚未建立，得以提供國民退休後應有的生活保障。本文以台北市18歲以上國民為研究對象，調查國人對國民年金、企業退休金、個人儲蓄及商業年金的認識和需求。 　　根據本研究調查顯示，受測者預期老年退休生活由子女奉養的比例很低，而退休後以平時儲蓄或工作所得退休金為其經濟主要來源者，具有很高的比例。若政府舉辦國民年金時，大部份受測者願意負擔部份費用，其中約五成受測者認為富者應多提撥，貧者少提撥。就國民年金累積提撥年數而言，約有三成七受測者認為當國民年金累積提撥達「二十年」，即可領取全額之國民年金，約有二成五受測者認為累積提撥年限為「五年」，約有一成受測者認為應累積「三十年」，僅有少數受測者認為應該為「四十年」。大部份受測民眾認為國民年金起領年齡訂為六十或六十五歲（二者合計約有七成），可能係受我國法定退休年齡的影響。另一方面，如果僅有政府推行國民年金制度，仍有極高比例之受測民眾（約六成）須要依賴企業年金之推行，以降低退休後生活的經濟不安全性。就公司（單位）員工退休計劃採行方式而言，軍公教人員傾向於選擇「公司退休金計劃，應由政府統籌規劃，並強制實施」，而民營企業員工則傾向於「政府毋需強制實施公司退休金制度，而經由改變稅法，以鼓勵公司主動建立退休金計劃」。另一方面，仍有三成受測者儲蓄額低於收入5%，若無安排其他退休計劃時，未來退休養老時，極可能產生經濟上不安全的問題。在保險公司推出商業年金保險時，約有六成受測者將有興趣購買商業年金保險，其主要動機為「養老退休金」。本文並根據這些研究發現，提出建議。

Creative arts can make vital contributions to both economies and communities. Moreover, these impacts can be keenly felt by smaller, regional communities, where shifts away from traditional rural industries are apparent, and in the context of the Inew economy' which emphasises the importance of knowledge industries and creative industries. This research investigates creative arts supply and demand in regional Victoria, Australia through the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data in three target communities. Fundamentally, this thesis presents a detailed analysis of the current supply and demand environment, including the impacts of regional arts festivals, and determines the conditions, events and characteristics which could strengthen regional Victorian supply and demand of creative arts. This thesis analyses focus group data to investigate current levels of supply of creative arts in regional Victoria. Qualitative analysis of the data shows that the supply of creative arts in the target areas is limited by scarce resources, isolation, negative community attitudes towards creative arts, and a small audience or sales market and an over-reliance on volunteers. Small and micro-businesses in the regional Victorian arts sector are seen as having motivations for operating beyond making money, limited business acumen, and have difficulty in marketing themselves effectively. Best-practice strategies to strengthen the operations of small and micro-businesses include adopting a more entrepreneurial attitude towards arts business, using an agent to source new audiences or sales markets and to maximise the promotion of their product, creating art which is accessible to the local community, and to engage in skills development and business training. Using attitudes towards creative arts, participation in creative arts and expenditure on creative arts as a measure of current demand levels, this thesis applies a range of statistical and econometric tests to the data collected from the three target communities. Contrary to the view emergent from the supply data, this thesis shows that regional Victorians have strong levels of demand for creative arts. Results show higher than average levels of overall monthly arts expenditure, and strong demand for cinema, craft fairs or exhibitions, books, CDs and other music formats. Low levels of demand were noted for classical music, opera or ballet. Chi-Squared analysis and ordered probit results show that gender, age, festival attendance, education, and individual levels of overall arts expenditure are all determinants of creative arts demand. Analysis regarding impacts and key aspects of two regional arts festivals found that regional festival patrons are more likely to be female, local to the host region, have a middle income, and hold a high school or equivalent qualification. An econometric model, including two versions of an Ordinary Least Squares regression in addition to Tobit and probit estimations, was used to more accurately estimate individual expenditure characteristics, notably accounting for the zero-expenditure of attendees who are local to the host region. This thesis provides valuable contributions to knowledge regarding the supply and demand of creative arts in regional areas. It also provides practical insights for policy makers, festival organisers, and the regional arts industry.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2005. / "December, 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-128). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

<p>The aim of this paper is to discuss the impediments to adopting sustainabletransportation in developing countries using tricycles in Nigeria as a case study.Two Executives of Chongqing Beyond Company in China, Marketing Managerof Kayemel Tricycle in India, Brand Manager of keke POeT, the chairman ofTricycle Association, Idewu Routes, the chairman of Tricycle Association,Liverpool Routes and a member of Transport Committee, Obafemi AwolowoUniversity (OAU) were interviewed. Data was also gathered throughquestionnaires for a total of fifteen drivers of different tricycle types on differentroute and a total of twenty passengers picked at random from Idewu Route,Liverpool Route and OAU campus.It was discovered under the lenses of relevant Green Marketing literature thatthe data supports some theoretical findings in their respective fields but alsocounters some other theoretic findings. It came to the conclusion that concept ofdominant demand, commercial stakeholders’ cooperation and effective qualityprogram advocated by some of the green marketing literature are very effectivemarketing tactics in the success of green tricycles adoption in Nigeria.</p>

<p>The 1^st of July 2010 is the statutory audit going to be abolished in Sweden. After the abolition 96 % of the limited companies do not have to conduct an audit.  This research will therefore study the small companies’ demand for audit and alternative services, and how the services shall be provided to best align with the clients’ demands.</p><p>This study will be conducted with a positivistic perception of knowledge, since the aim is to explain what factors that affect the companies’ demand. With starting points in previous studies a deductive approach have been chosen. The theoretical framework consists of basic theories regarding audit; agency theory is its connection to audit. Then audit demand has been discussed, internal and external aspects; demand from external owners, banks, attitudes toward audit, company size, cost of audit. Then alternatives to a statutory audit have been discussed; audit interval, alternative services, assurance services, a review, and compilation engagements (a type of services which is based of accounting data) and joint-provision of services (a package of services).</p><p> </p><p>A quantitative study has been conducted via a postal questionnaire, which was sent to 395 companies in Västerbotten County that have:</p><ul><li>10-50 employees</li><li>3-41.5 MSEK turnover </li><li>83 MSEK balance sheet total</li></ul><p>The results from the analysis show inconsistent results with previous studies, a few factors show significant evidence of affecting the demand for audit in the full model tests, attitude towards audit and the prize. A few more factors show evidence in the individual tests; external owners and company size. The lack of impact of the demand from banks is remarkable findings.</p><p>As there is a demand for audit, 80 % of the companies, and alternative service, (about 50 %), conclusions have been drawn that audit firms should consider providing these alternative services. Since the choice of conducting an audit will be voluntary the audit interval might differ from today. The alternative services could be used the years that an audit is not conducted. As 60 % of the companies uses more services besides audit, and 40 % have a demand for a package of services the audit firms should consider providing the services in this way. This would create a win-win situation for all parties, since the clients will get the services to a lower price and the audit firms could probably retain more of their clients.</p>

<p><strong>Aim:</strong> The aim of this study was to investigate if there are associations between job stress in terms of demand, control, and support and physical inactivity.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> A cross-sectional design was used in this study which is based on the “Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health” (SLOSH) from 2006. SLOSH includes men and women, between 19-68 years old and from all labor markets sectors. A total of 5 141 participants sent in their survey. Indices of the components in the demand-control-support model were created and multiple regression analyses with physical inactivity as the dependent variable were performed. Adjustment for possible confounders (age, sex, marital status, children, education, physical work, computer work, working hours, shift work, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep quality and BMI) were made.</p><p><strong>Result:</strong> The main result showed an association between passive work (low demands and low control) in combination with poor support and physical inactivity. This result was statistically significant both unadjusted (OR: 1.38, CI: 1.12-1.71) and adjusted (OR: 1.28, CI: 1.03-1.59) for several covariates.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study suggests that especially passive work (low demands and low control) in combination with poor support from supervisors and colleagues are associated to physical inactivity. Further research needs to establish causality.</p>

For most Smaller Manufacturing Enterprises (SMEs), how to manage customer enquiries at the customer enquiry stage is of great importance to maintain the competitive advantage and secure future customer orders. A lack of co-ordination between marketing/sales and production at this stage often leads to confirmed orders being delivered later than promised and/or being produced at a loss. In the paper, the problems and the solutions for managing customer enquiries faced by many SMEs are addressed. A general process for dealing with customer enquiries at the customer enquiry stage and a corresponding DSS approach are presented in detailed. The SMEs would benefit from the proposed DSS in which the considerations of current material and production capacity are given to the customer enquiry management process. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)