E-learning continues to gain popularity as a way of delivering instruction in the workplace. However, adoption of e-learning is often considered without determining organizational readiness for e-learning. Comacchio and Scapolan (2004) found that bandwagon pressures such as fear of losing competitive advantage often drive e-learning adoption decisions. Many organizations use various types of analysis to determine instructional need but often at a course level. An e-learning readiness analysis tool will add to existing tools but focus on the workplace organization as the unit of study. The purpose of this design and development study is to create an analysis tool for determining e-learning readiness in organizations. Four existing e-learning readiness models, Aydin and Tasci (2005); Chapnick (2005); Borotis and Poulymenakou (2005) and Psycharis (2005), were used as a basis for identifying factors affecting e-learning readiness which informed the tool design. Using developmental research-based practices the tool was developed for use by practitioners. This study describes the design and development of the tool and the expert review used in the validation of the tool. / Ph. D.

Feminist scholars have theorized that the workplace is gendered and heteronormative1, but little research quantifies the economic consequences of those organizations. This study investigates income discrepancies between gay men and straight men and between lesbians and straight women, to quantify these consequences. Using the National Survey of Family Growth 2006-2010, and controlling for several correlates of income, I use ordinary least squares regression to test the hypothesis that lesbians have higher incomes on the average than straight women do, and that straight men earn more than gay men. I also use hierarchical regression to test the relative strengths of the associations between income and possible causes of variation in it. The study found that gay men earn more than straight men because of higher educational attainment, and that lesbians earn more than straight women, though this finding is not statistically significant. / Master of Science

Yes / Practice placements are a fundamental aspect of preparing students for working in the NHS and will influence where, and in what specialities, students work. Additionally, NHS leaders now consider the issues of recruitment and retention of NHS staff to be as serious as concerns over funding. NHS Providers have outlined the issues although there appears to be little, or no, consideration in terms of plans required for the most immediate future workforce. It is hypothesised that there is link between student healthcare placement capacity and workforce gaps. The policy of increasing training places and of funding practice placements may have a positive effect on practice placement provision and if so contribute to increasing the NHS workforce, but without further detail this impact remains unknown. Along with most aspects of service delivery, planning practice placements using the best available evidence will ensure that the impact on service delivery is minimised while maximising the experience for the next generation of NHS employees.

No

No

Despite the rapid growth in nanotechnology, very little is known about the unintended health or environmental effects of manufactured nanomaterials. The development of nanotechnology risk assessments and regulations requires quantitative information on the potential for exposure to nanomaterials. In addition, to facilitate life-cycle assessments and inhalation toxicology studies, robust methods are needed to generate aerosolized engineered nanoparticles. We conducted a set of field studies to measure the fine particle mass concentrations (PM2.5) as well as nanoparticle number concentrations and size distributions in two nanomaterial manufacturing facilities. Measurements were performed near the reactor, in the breathing zone, and at a background site. Increases in PM2.5 and particle number concentrations were associated with physical handling of nanomaterials. The highest PM2.5 concentration observed was 2700 ug m-3 during sweeping of the reactor in the commercial plant. In most cases, an increase in the number of sub-100 nm particles accounted for the increase in total number concentrations. The results of this research can be used to develop guidelines for workplace regulations to minimize workers' exposure to nanoparticles. Furthermore, we used an atomizer to aerosolize C60 aggregates from a fullerene-water suspension. Measurement of particle size distributions and number concentrations showed that increasing the initial fullerene concentration resulted in increased number of aerosolized particles, while the average size of particles remained relatively constant. To return the aerosolized fullerenes into water, we passed the aerosol sample through an impinger. Reducing the flow rate through the impinger resulted in an increase in the collection efficiency of airborne nanoparticles. / Master of Science

Yes / Based on a literature review, likely, there is a relationship between job stress and safety climate, and in this way, the accident occurrence is affected. Therefore, the present study was aimed to investigate the relations of job stress dimensions to safety climate and accidents occurrence among the workers using regression models. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 1530 male employees in 2019. People were randomly selected from various departments. The participants filled out the questionnaires, including demographical information and accident history questionnaire, the NIOSH generic job stress questionnaire, and the Nordic safety climate questionnaire. In addition, information on occupational experience and accident history was obtained from the health unit of the petrochemical company. In the end, data were analyzed using statistical tests of bivariate correlation, multivariate correlation, and logistic regression. Based on the bivariate analysis, the variables of job satisfaction (0.998), problem at work (0.900), depression (-0.836), and physical environment (-0.796) among the job stress dimensions had the highest correlation coefficients with the total score of the safety climate, respectively. The results of the logistic regression analysis with the adjustment of the effect of the safety climate indicated that the relationships between the dimensions of the job satisfaction (Wald = 6.50, OR = 4.96, and p-value<0.05) and social supports (Wald = 5.88, OR = 3.20, and p-value<0.05) with the accident occurrence were significant. To increase the positive safety climate and decrease the accident occurrence, industries must try to reduce job stress in the workplaces through controlling the important factors, such as low job satisfaction and poor social supports. / This work was supported by Tehran University of Medical Sciences (97-03-61-38355).

The present study evaluates the psychometric properties of the TEAM Assessment Tool. The assessment was developed to evaluate work team effectiveness as a basis for providing developmental feedback for work teams. The proposed TEAM Assessment Tool includes 12 dimensions of work team effectiveness with 90 items total. The dimension names are (a) Communication, (b) Decision-Making, (c) Performance, (d) Customer Focus, (e) Team Meetings, (f) Continuous Improvement, (g) Handling Conflict, (h) Leadership, (i) Empowerment, (j) Trust, (k) Cohesiveness/Team Relationships, and (l) Recognition and Rewards. Data were collected from employees of a large aerospace organization headquartered in the United States who are participating in work teams (N= 554). Factor analysis guided development of six new scales of team effectiveness as follows: (1) Teamwork, (2) Decision-Making, (3) Leadership Support, (4) Trust and Respect, (5) Recognition and Rewards, and (6) Customer Focus. Reliability of scales was demonstrated using Cronbach's coefficient alpha. Construct validity was demonstrated through subject matter expert (SME) input, exploratory factor analysis, and scale reliability analysis. Criterion validity was demonstrated by significant correlations at the p<.01 level comparing two measures of team member opinion of team performance and level of performance as indicated by the six subscale scores and overall scale scores of the final TEAM Assessment Tool.

The teambuilding event refers to the structured attempt to improve or develop the effectiveness of a group of people who work together. It is a method used to improve productivity by getting subordinates to work together. It helps to generate teamwork so it enhances lateral and vertical communication where participants develop a sense of interpersonal trust and support. Group dynamics refer to the cause-and-result relationship which exists in a group and the study of its development. This research aims to interpret the group dynamics of a structured teambuilding event. A sample of 40 cabin controllers of a South African airline was used, who were divided in four separate groups. The teambuilding event was requested by the airline and participants were aged between 21-60 years old. The results of this introductory case study indicated that group dynamics can successfully be interpreted in a teambuilding event. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Disruptive behaviour among health care providers in high stress areas such as the perioperative setting has been linked to negative patient safety. Conflicts of power, role and personality lead to communication failure, which are identified as the leading root cause of medication errors and wrong site surgery. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the factors underlying registered nurse (RN) interactions in a tertiary healthcare perioperative area. A non-experimental, descriptive, exploratory study with self-administered survey using a quantitative approach was used. The total population of N=52 participants working in the perioperative area of a Middle Eastern tertiary healthcare centre were invited to participate in the study and the response rate was n=44, 85%. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Reliability and validity was assured by means of a pilot study and consultation with nursing experts and a statistician. The Health Research Ethics Committee of the University of Stellenbosch approved the study. Permission for the study to be done in the tertiary care centre was obtained from the Internal Ethical Review Board and the Nursing Executive. Informed written consent was obtained from the participants. Anonymity and confidentiality was respected. The data was analysed with the assistance of a statistician and presented in frequencies, tables and histograms. The responses were compared using Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal- Wallis ANOVA and Spearman’s Rank correlation, on a 95% confidence level. Only one factor showed a significant result, following Spearman’s Rank correlation that an association exists between work experience and lateral violence (p≤0.045239). The open-ended questions were categorized into themes and respect and communication emerged as factors necessary in teamwork and task management The level of respect and open communication between RNs were seen as important factors for interacting with colleagues in the workplace and if poor, affects team work. An area of concern was the high number of neutral responses to the statements on morale and conflict. Underpinned by the literature and the outcomes of this study, it is recommended that strong leadership is required to implement regular team building activities. Furthermore, perioperative staff should be monitored for emotional fatigue which results from conflict situations in order to avert adverse patient care events. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Steurende gedrag onder gesondheidsorgwerkers in hoë gespanne areas soos in die perioperatiewe omgewing, word gekoppel aan negatiewe pasiënt veiligheid. Konflikte van mag, rol en persoonlikheid lei tot mislukking van kommunikasie wat geïdentifiseer word as die hoofoorsaak van foute by die toediening van medikasie en verkeerde plek vir chirurgie. Die doel van die studie was om die faktore te ondersoek en te beskryf wat onderliggend is aan geregistreerde verpleeg (GV) interaksies in ’n tersiêre gesondheidsorg perioperatiewe area. ’n Nie-eksperimentele, beskrywende, ondersoekende studie met ’n self-administrerende opname deur ’n kwantitatiewe benadering, was gebruik. Die totale populasie van N=52 deelnemers wat in die perioperatiewe area van ’n Midde-Oosterse tersiêre gesondheidsorgsentrum werk, was uitgenooi om deel te neem aan hierdie studie en die responskoers was n=44, 85%. ’n Gestruktureerde self-administrerende vraelys was gebruik om die data te kollekteer. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid was verseker deur die gebruik van ’n loodsprojek en konsultasie met verpleegdeskundiges, asook ’n statistikus. Die Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch het die studie goedgekeur. Toestemming vir die uitvoer van die studie by die tersiêre gesondheidssentrum was verkry van die Interne Etiese Oorsigraad en die Uitvoerende Verplegingsbestuur. Ingeligte geskrewe toestemming was verkry van die deelnemers. Anonimiteit en vertroulikheid was gerespekteer. Die data was geanaliseer met die hulp van ’n statistikus en aangebied in frekwensies, tafels en histogramme. Die response was vergelyk deur van Mann-Whitney U-toets, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA of Spearman se Rangkorrelasie op ’n 95% vertroulikheidsvlak gebruik te maak. Slegs een faktor het ’n beduidende resultaat getoon, dat daar ’n assosiasie bestaan tussen werkservaring en laterale geweld (p≤0.045239), deur Spearman se Rangkorrelasie te volg. Die ope-vrae was gekategoriseer in temas. Respek en kommunikasie het as noodsaaklike faktore vir spanwerk en taakbestuur na vore gekom. Die vlak van respek en ope kommunikasie tussen geregistreerde verpleegsters was gesien as belangrike faktore vir interaksie met kollegas in die werkplek en indien dit swak is, affekteer dit spanwerk. ’n Area van besorgdheid was die hoë aantal neutrale response op die stellings oor moraal en konflik. Ondersteun deur die literatuur en die uitkomste van die studie, word dit aanbeveel dat sterk leierskap vereis word om gereelde spanbou aktiwiteite te implementeer. Verder behoort perioperatiewe personeel gemonitor te word vir emosionele moegheid wat spruit uit konfliksituasies, ten einde nadelige pasiëntsorg af te weer.