61 |
Organizational level factors and their association with smoking-related initiatives and outcomes at small and very small workplacesKava, Christine Marie 15 December 2017 (has links)
Smoking cigarettes has a negative impact on the population’s health and on the economy. To reduce the burdens associated with smoking, many workplaces have adopted anti-smoking initiatives (i.e., smoking policies and smoking cessation activities). Unfortunately, smaller workplaces are less likely to have implemented these initiatives, with the likelihood of adoption increasing as the size of the workplace increases. Two characteristics hypothesized to influence anti-smoking initiative adoption are organizational culture and workplace health climate. Culture refers to the values, assumptions, and subconscious norms that operate within an organization, while workplace health climate refers to the shared perceptions of an organization’s practices and priorities for health.
The first study of this dissertation used a qualitative approach to describe and compare the smoking policies and smoking cessation activities at small (20-99 employees) and very small (< 20 employees) workplaces (specific aim 1). Key informants coming from small and very small workplaces (N=32) completed telephone interviews, with data analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Almost all participants (97%, n=31) described a smoking policy at their workplace. A lower proportion of workplaces offered activities to help employees quit smoking (66%, n=21). Reasons for anti-smoking initiative adoption included the implementation of a statewide smoking ban, to improve employee health, and organizational benefits (e.g., reduced insurance costs). Few challenges existed adopting and implementing these activities. Facilitators to adoption and implementation included the passing of a statewide smoking ban, no issues with compliance among employees, and support from others (e.g., management). Compared to small workplaces, very small workplaces were less likely to offer cessation activities. Reasons cited for this lack of adoption included having no current smokers within the organization (i.e., activities not needed) and a lack of interest in quitting among current smokers.
The second study in this dissertation examined the association between organizational culture types and smoking policy strength and smoking cessation activities (specific aim 2), and the associations between organizational culture, workplace health climate, and employee smoking (i.e., smoking status, smoking intensity, and intention to quit smoking) (specific aim 3) at small (20-99 employees) and very small workplaces (< 20 employees). This study conceptualized organizational culture with the Competing Values Framework, which theorizes that four cultural archetypes represent two major dimensions of organizational effectiveness: clan, adhocracy, hierarchical, and market. Executives coming from small and very small workplaces first participated in a brief questionnaire related to their workplace’s anti-smoking initiatives. Executives then sent a link to a separate survey to their employees, which asked questions about organizational culture, workplace health climate, and their smoking behavior. This study used regression analysis to examine associations. The final sample size for analysis was 259 executives and 280 employees coming from 68 workplaces.
Culture was not significantly related to smoking policy strength. An increase in clan culture was associated with lower odds of offering smoking cessation activities (OR=0.09; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.65). Workplaces strong in clan culture did not have a significantly better workplace health climate. A better workplace health climate was associated with lower odds of being a current smoker (OR=0.10; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.57), but was not related to smoking intensity or quit intention.
In consideration of the findings from both studies, the following conclusions were made: 1) the smallest workplaces offer the least protection in relation to tobacco control; 2) state and federal policies are needed to advance tobacco control; 3) organizational characteristics play an important role in shaping behaviors and outcomes related to smoking; 4) integrating organizational change strategies into comprehensive tobacco control initiatives may produce the greatest changes in employee smoking. Action is needed to increase smoking policies and programs at very small workplaces, with strategies designed to change the culture and climate of the workplace implemented.
|
62 |
How might higher education assist police in their work of helping to create civil communities?Wall, Mark Weston January 2007 (has links)
University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education. / Policing is, everywhere, a precondition of a civil life. Food security and then human security mark the emergence of society from the chaos, or at least the uncertainty, of what went before. Since the late Industrial Revolution, policing has increasingly become specialized, bureaucratized, and public, and the trend, despite the rhetoric, has been towards technical rather than service or community policing. Service policing, the ultimate in bespoke, individually tailored policing, has been and is being used but it presents great difficulties for police in a pluralist society. Technical policing on the other hand has captured the imagination of police, and Hollywood. In its knowledge base and in its practice, it is marked by a crime fighting, law enforcement mentality and a fascination with tactics, technique, and technology itself. Technical policing has invariably led police into scandal and corruption as the great excuse, indeed the ideology, of the war against crime sweeps aside all other considerations and serves to increasingly isolate police from the public at the individual, community, and eventually societal level. Technical police managers, more akin to engineers than social workers, become fixated on process and input issues and on using the most efficient means. They lose sight of questions relating to ends and legitimacy, as they manipulate structures and shed, gain, invent, or discover functions. The tendency, aided by politicians doing popularist law and order politics, is for more coercive forms of policing to emerge to fight what is less and less fundamentally and unconditionally beyond the pale. While the public police are the coercive arm of the state, policing itself is a matter of consensus, and even consent, if it is not to be oppressive, cripplingly expensive and eventually inflammatory. Using the logic of representative democracy, consent is best or at least first established at the community level – civil society being an association of civil communities – utilizing a civics of voice (Hirshman 1970). Since the early 1900s, police and higher education have had an on again off again relationship, characterized more by active indifference than critical engagement. Yet higher education can significantly assist police in their great social work. In this research, which is normative and mostly conceptual in orientation and method, I use a heuristic principle of John Stuart Mill’s (1925 [1843]), in an analytic framework of educational philosophy developed by William K. Frankena (1970), to propose, explore and test a scheme for systematically analysing and methodically building a full-fledged philosophy of police management education. With normative, conceptual and experiential premises made out, the scheme proposed is open to being falsified, verified and/or modified at any stage or step. It therefore allows police management education to be better ‘joined up’ with police management practice and professional policing. The result of all this is above all a method of doing philosophy of police management education that allows for the articulation of related ends, means, methods and dispositions relevant to the enterprises of education and policing. As such it may be of some use to other police management educators and to police management practitioners. The proposal, developed as a result of my use of the method, may similarly be useful as it stands and even more useful on elaboration and customisation.
|
63 |
A study of factors affecting residents' attachment to their housing community suggestion on establishment of community quotient in Hong Kong /Lee, Ming-wai. January 2006 (has links)
Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-112)
|
64 |
A study of professional education competencies and community college administrators /Martin, Dariel Dee, January 1972 (has links)
Thesis (Ed. D.)--Oregon State University, 1972. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the World Wide Web.
|
65 |
Comparison and evaluation of mass video notification methods used to assist Deaf peopleHoorn, Ryno January 2012 (has links)
<p>In South Africa, Deaf people communicate with one another and the broader community by means of South African Sign Language. The majority of Deaf people who have access to a mobile  / phone (cell phone) use Short Message Service (SMS) to communicate and share information with hearing people, but seldom use it among themselves. It is assumed that video messaging  / will be more accessible to Deaf people, since their  / level of literacy may prevent them from making effective use of information that is disseminated via texting/SMS. The principal objective of the  / esearch was to explore a cost-effective and efficient mass multimedia messaging system. The intention was to adapt a successful text-based mass notification system, developed by a  / local nongovernmental organization (NGO), to accommodate efficient and affordable video mass messaging for Deaf people. The questions that underpin this research are: How should video- streaming mass-messaging methods be compared and evaluated to find the most suitable method to deliver an affordable and acceptable service to Deaf people? What transport vehicles  /   /   / should be considered: Multimedia Message Service (MMS), the web, electronic mail, or a cell phone resident push/pullapplication? Which is the most cost effective? And, finally: How does the video quality of the various transport vehicles differ in terms of the clarity of the sign language as perceived by the Deaf? The soft-systems methodology and a mixed-methods methodology  / were used to address the research questions. The soft-systems methodology was followed to manage the research process and the mixed-methods research methodology was followed to  / collect data. Data was collected by means of experiments and semi-structured interviews. A prototype for mobile phone usage was developed and evaluated with Deaf members the NGO Deaf  / Community of Cape Town. The technology and internet  / usage of the Deaf participants provided background information. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to analyse  / the quantitative data, and content analysis was used to analyse the documents and interviews. All of the Deaf participants used their mobile phones for SMS and the majority (81.25%) used  / English to type messages / however, all indicated that they would have preferred to use South Africa sign language on their mobile phones if it were available. And they were quite willing to pay between 75c and 80c per message for using such a video-messaging  / service.Of the transport vehicles demonstrated, most Deaf people indic indicated that they preferred to use the SMS  / prototype (with a web link to the video) rather than the MMS prototype with the video attached. They were, however, very concerned about the cost of using the system, as well as the quality of the sign language videos.</p>
|
66 |
An assessment of the attitudes and opinions of administrators, content faculty, developmental faculty, and students concerning the developmental education needs of community college studentsStetson, Leo Dean 24 April 1979 (has links)
The purpose of the study, which was conducted at Chemeketa Community
College in Salem, Oregon, was threefold:
1. to assess the attitudes and opinions of administrators, content
faculty, developmental faculty, and students concerning developmental
education needs of community college students.
2. to develop a questionnaire which could serve as a model to be
utilized by other community colleges to assess attitudes and
opinions concerning developmental education needs of students.
3. to determine if differences existed between administrators,
content faculty, developmental faculty, and students relative
to their understandings of developmental education needs of
community college students.
The major hypothesis was that there would be differences between
the attitudes and opinions of administrators, content faculty, developmental
faculty, and students concerning the developmental education
needs of community college students.
The sample consisted of six hundred and seventy-seven respondents.
Three hundred and ninety-eight (64%) of the questionnaires were returned
for utilization in the study. The groups selected, and the percentages
of questionnaires returned were as follows: administrators (75%);
content faculty (47%); developmental faculty (81%); and students (70%).
The instrument used in the study was a thirty-two item questionnaire
which was developed by the investigator. This instrument used a
five point Likert format where "one" was the highest rating and "five"
was the lowest rating.
The analysis of the data collected was done by utilizing a fixed
model analysis of variance with unequal cell sizes. This statistical
analysis which involved four levels of one factor was computed for
each of the thirty-two items on the questionnaire. The Least Significant
Difference Test was then done as a post hoc procedure on each item that
had an F ratio which indicated a difference significant at the .05
level.
Within the limitations of the study, the following major
conclusions were drawn.
1. Sixty-nine percent of the thirty-two stated null hypotheses
were rejected which indicates considerable difference between
the attitudes and opinions of administrators, content faculty,
developmental faculty, and students concerning the developmental
education needs of community college students.
2. Administrators, content faculty, and developmental faculty
differed significantly on only one item that dealt with developmental
education skills.
3. Student responses differed significantly from those of
administrators, content faculty, and developmental faculty on
nineteen of the thirty-two items.
4. Administrators and content faculty agreed upon what skills
should be taught but were not in agreement relative to faculty
tutors, summer hours, student tutors, college credit for
developmental courses, and developmental materials relevant to
individual programs of study.
5. Administrators and developmental faculty did not differ significantly
on any of the items on the questionnaire.
6. Significant differences were found between the attitudes and
opinions of content faculty and developmental faculty on five
items. The four items concerned with drop-in tutoring,
summer hours, student tutors, and college credit for developmental
classes suggested that content faculty had more conservative
attitudes toward the operation of the developmental
program than did the developmental faculty.
7. Administrators reported a significantly greater need for
improvement in the skills of reading comprehension, vocabulary,
spelling, basic arithmetic, and use of study time than did
students. Administrators also gave significantly higher ratings
than students to being open during the summer months, student
tutors, and diagnostic testing.
8. Content faculty gave significantly higher ratings than
students to sixteen of the thirty-two items on the questionnaire.
Eleven of these items dealt with developmental skills
and the remaining five were concerned with the operation of
the developmental program.
9. Developmental faculty assigned higher ratings than students
to the eight items concerned with the developmental skills of
reading comprehension, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, basic
arithmetic, the use of study time, note-taking, and listening.
Drop-in tutoring, being open during the summer months, and
student tutors were also rated significantly higher by
developmental faculty than by students. / Graduation date: 1979
|
67 |
Factors that Motivate YMCA VolunteersLubke, Theresa 01 December 1997 (has links)
The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is a not-for-profit organization that depends heavily on volunteers. As one of many such organizations, the YMCA must continually strive to find the best methods of recruiting and retaining volunteers. Although the field of psychology has done considerable research on what motivates people to engage in helping behavior and Volunteerism, there has been little applied research in this area. There appeared to be a lack of applicable research that would assist YMCA staff in their recruitment and development of volunteers. This present research focused on helping to fill that gap. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to determine what factors initially motivate people to volunteer for a YMCA and 2) to determine what factors motivate YMCA volunteers to continue that work. With the aid of a panel of experts, a survey instrument was developed for serve as the data gathering tool. A total of 720 surveys were sent to YMCAs to distribution to volunteers over two different periods of time. The first period, November 1992, 120 surveys were sent to three YMCAs in Kentucky and Tennessee. The second period, September 1995, 600 surveys were distributed to 20 YMCAs in Ohio and Michigan. The volunteers completed a survey providing demographic data on the volunteers, the type of volunteer service they provided, and factors motivating them to volunteer. One hundred and twenty six responses were collected from volunteers representing ten of the selected YMCAs throughout the test region. The data collected from these surveys were analyzed using statistical software. The most frequent participants were males between the ages of 35 to 40 and were married with 2.3 children ranging in age from six months to 14 years. The volunteer was employed and worked 41 or more hours per week. For those respondents who had been volunteering for the YMCA for 15 or more years, the strongest motivating factor was the same as those who had volunteered for less than one year: the individual respondent liked helping people. The second most motivating factor was the same for both groups: caring and concern for others. Based on the findings of the study the researcher recommended the following: YMCA's needing volunteers should ask people to volunteer; YMCA's should emphasize that the volunteer work will help others, improve the community, and is an expression of caring and concern for others; YMCA's should design volunteer positions such that the volunteer is helping others, feels needed and is able to fulfill the position during his/her leisure time. In addition, further research needs to be conducted involving a larger volunteer sample.
|
68 |
Information Documentation -- 2002 v.59Congregation of the Holy Spirit January 1900 (has links)
I/D 59 -- General Council, December 2002 -- INTERNATIONAL AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNITY LIFE -- 1. A new look for our family -- (pg. 1) -- 2.1 Benefits and advantages for mission and life together -- (pg. 2) -- 2.2 Benefits for the individual -- (pg. 4) -- 3. Challenges in international and intercultural communities -- (pg. 4) -- 4. Clarification of certain points -- (pg. 6) -- 5. Looking to the future -- (pg. 7) -- Conclusion -- (pg. 8) -- A LOVE THAT IS GENUINE – A Call to Integrity in our Relationships -- (pg. 1) -- Introduction -- (pg. 1) -- Consecrated Life: A Challenge to the Contemporary World -- (pg. 1) -- Formation -- (pg. 3) -- Role and Responsibility of Confreres in Leadership -- (pg. 5) -- Conclusion -- (pg. 8)
|
69 |
Spiritans Today - Number 05The Congregation of the Holy Spirit January 1987 (has links)
1987 -- No. 5 -- Spiritans Today -- Spiritan Community -- CONTENTS -- Foreword: An Issue on our Spiritan Community — Spiritan Research and Animation Center -- (pg 7) -- Preface : Rev. Fr Pierre Haas, Superior General -- (pg 9) -- A SURVEY OF COMMUNITY LIFE IN THE CONGREGATION -- I - The nature of the survey -- (pg 11) -- II - Some comments on the survey -- (pg 11) -- III - Variety of Community Life-Styles: some examples -- (pg 14) -- COMMUNITY IN THE SPIRITAN TRADITION -- I - Claude Francois Poullart des Places -- (pg 21) -- II - Francis Libermann -- (pg 21) -- III - Chapter Documents and New Rule of Life -- (pg 30) -- COMMUNITY IN THE HUMAN SCIENCES -- I - Community and Anthropology -- (pg 37) -- II - Community and Psychology -- (pg 39) -- III - Community and Sociology -- (pg 42) -- COMMUNITY IN THE THEOLOGY OF VATICAN II -- I - Church — Communion -- (pg 45) -- II - Religious life and Religious Community -- (pg 48) -- III - Community and Mission -- (pg 50) -- GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNITY RENEWAL -- Maxims and Questions -- (pg 55) -- INSTRUMENTS FOR COMMUNITY RENEWAL -- I. In View of the Apostolate -- (pg 61) -- 1. " Planning the Apostolate " community Retreat -- (pg 61) -- 2. Reading "the Signs of the Times" -- (pg 63) -- 3. A Method of Planning and Programming -- (pg 66) -- II. Instruments for Communication -- (pg 69) -- 4. The Means of Information -- (pg 69) -- 5. The Networks of Communication -- (pg 71) -- III. Assessment of Participation, Listening and Re-acting in Community -- (pg 73) -- 6. The responsibility of Members in the life of their Community -- (pg 74) -- 7. Learning to listen -- (pg 75) -- 8. Assessment of the attitudes of the Members of the Community -- (pg 77) -- IV. Discernment -- (pg 78) -- 9. Community Discernment -- (pg 78) -- 10. A review of Community life -- (pg 81) -- 11. The morale of a Community -- (pg 84) -- 12. The Health and Sickness of a Community -- (pg 86) -- V. The Religious Dimension -- (pg 87) -- 13. Sharing the Word of God -- (pg 87) -- 14. Sharing lived experience -- (pg 90) -- 15. "Dialogue, the way to communion" — A community retreat -- (pg 92) -- 16. A community celebration of Reconciliation -- (pg 94) -- VI. The Regional Community -- (pg 95) -- 17. Concrete conditions for the Existence and Life of a Regional Community -- (pg 95) -- VII. The Community Project -- (pg 97) -- 18. A Community Project Grid -- (pg 97) -- Conclusion. — Our Spiritan Apostolic Community -- (pg 101)
|
70 |
noneWu, Hsiu-Li 06 February 2002 (has links)
none
|
Page generated in 0.0446 seconds