Absenteeism and Overtime: Double Jeopardy

Une étude récente (Johnson et Peterson, 1975) estime le coût de l'absentéisme pour les employeurs entre $110.00 et$300.00 par employé par année. On peut regrouper les facteurs qui affectent l'absentéisme sous trois grandes rubriques: l'environnement, l'entreprise et l'individu. La valeur positive du travail décline et l'intérêt pour les loisirs s'accroît. Le succès dans les activités libres apparaît plus important que le succès au travail. Ainsi, il s'est créé une ambiance peu propice au travail. Certaines variables à l'intérieur de l'entreprise, comme ses dimensions, le contenu des tâches, les relations entre les employés et le régime de rétribution influence l'absentéisme. Il en est de même de l'âge de l'employé, de son degré d'instruction et de son conditionnement social.Se fondant sur les points précédents et les conclusions inspirées par les études sur l'absentéisme, les auteurs ont utilisé les cartes de présence des salariés pour formuler les quatre hypothèses suivantes :1° Plus la tâche exige de qualifications, moins l'absentéisme est marqué. (Ingham, 1970; Mikalachki, 1975; Herzberg, 1966; Beatty 1975; Shore, octobre 1975.)2° Plus l'employé est jeune, plus l'absentéisme est élevé. (Beatty, 1975; Yolles et autres, 1975.)3° Plus la tâche est rémunérée, plus l'absentéisme est bas (Ingham, 1970; Legge, 1974; Legge 1975.)Les données ne confirment aucune des hypothèses précédentes.Celles-ci ont été analysées de nouveau en se fondant sur la variable suivante: la possibilité pour l'employé d'exercer un contrôle sur les heures supplémentaires qu'il lui est possible d'exécuter.Lorsque les travailleurs n'ont que peu à dire en matière d'heures supplémentaires, l'hypothèse ci-dessus se vérifie. C'est quand les travailleurs peuvent influencer les heures supplémentaires que les données deviennent faussées.Le contrôle du travailleur sur les heures supplémentaires exerce un poids considérable sur l'absentéisme. Dans une société où la valeur du travail décline et où l'intérêt pour les loisirs s'accroît, les travailleurs ne veulent que passer le moins de temps possible au travail en vue d'en retirer un revenu fixe. En faisant des heures supplémentaires et en s'absentant les jours de travail régulier, le travailleur atteint le but recherché, c'est-à-dire qu'il touche un meilleur revenu pour une période de travail plus courte.Les chefs d'entreprise, qui ont à affronter le problème de l'absentéisme, reconnaissent qu'il s'agit là d'une façon d'agir qui est renforcée par l'entreprise elle-même, par l'attitude individuelle et par les circonstances ambiantes. Quelques-uns ont compris le problème et mis au point des trucs qui raffermissent l'assiduité. En voici quelques-uns:Le système loterie: Tous les employés qui ont un dossier d'assiduité et de ponctualité parfait courent la chance d'obtenir une récompense mensuelle de cent dollars. Dans cette entreprise, le taux d'absentéisme a baissé de trente pour cent en moins d'un an. (Johnson et Wallin, 1976).La partie de poker. Chaque employé d'un service choisit une carte dans un paquet chaque jour de la semaine, celui qui a la meilleure main dans chaque service gagne vingt dollars. Dans cette société, l'absentéisme a baissé de 3.01 à 2.31 pour cent en trois mois. (Pedalino et Gambro, 1974).Le truc du chapeau. On tire les noms des employés de tous les services à la fin de chaque semaine. Le tirage continue jusqu'à ce que l'on tombe sur le nom d'un employé dont le dossier est parfait. Cet employé touche cent dollars. En un certain nombre de mois, l'absentéisme est tombé de dix à cinq pour cent. (Financial Post, octobre 1975).Ces méthodes montrent que le renforcement pratique de l'assiduité bien comprise peut avoir une influence certaine sur les habitudes de présence et de ponctualité au travail.This study investigated factors leading to absenteeism in a large auto plant employing about 1,000 workers. The hypotheses examined dealt with the effect on absenteeism of: the skill required for the job, the worker's age and health, and the base pay rate. The initial analysis proved opposite of what is usually found. An additional factor was examined: the ability of the worker to control the amount of overtime he worked. The data then showed that the worker who is able to achieve a set income for the fewest days in attendance by working overtime, uses this device to spend less time on the job. Ideas were also presented to show that positive reinforcement of good attendance can result in decreased absenteeism

Visualising urban gentrification and displacement in Greater London

Gentrification has long been a contentious issue which has prompted debate among scholars due to variations in its location, timing, context and types of measurements used. Therefore, it is worth seeking a simple and effective approach to measure the processes of gentrification, which enables comparative studies to be conducted across different cities around the world. Using six sets of thematic data from 2001 and 2011 at the neighbourhood level, this study proposes five types of gentrification and displacement by using Chapple and Zuk’s theoretical framework. London was selected as a case study. The results show that gentrification was sweeping in many ways during the 2000s in London, particularly in Inner East London. Some areas in North West London are identified as vulnerable neighbourhoods at risk of displacement and gentrification. Furthermore, it was found that most of the neighbourhoods experiencing ongoing displacement are concentrated in Outer London and Inner South London. The typology provides a useful starting point for planners and policymakers to gain deeper insights into the progress of gentrification in London. Additionally, this work can serve as an example to illustrate the potential for using similar types of open source code and census data to estimate the degree of gentrification in other cities

Nutrition support practices in critically ill head-injured patients: a global perspective

Background: Critical illness following head injury is associated with a hypermetabolic state but there are insufficient epidemiological data describing acute nutrition delivery to this group of patients. Furthermore, there is little information describing relationships between nutrition and clinical outcomes in this population. Methods: We undertook an analysis of observational data, collected prospectively as part of International Nutrition Surveys 2007-2013, and extracted data obtained from critically ill patients with head trauma. Our objective was to describe global nutrition support practices in the first 12 days of hospital admission after head trauma, and to explore relationships between energy and protein intake and clinical outcomes. Data are presented as mean (SD), median (IQR), or percentages. Results: Data for 1045 patients from 341 ICUs were analyzed. The age of patients was 44.5 (19.7) years, 78 % were male, and median ICU length of stay was 13.1 (IQR 7.9-21.6) days. Most patients (94 %) were enterally fed but received only 58 % of estimated energy and 53 % of estimated protein requirements. Patients from an ICU with a feeding protocol had greater energy and protein intakes (p <0.001, 0.002 respectively) and were more likely to survive (OR 0.65; 95 % CI 0.42-0.99; p = 0.043) than those without. Energy or protein intakes were not associated with mortality. However, a greater energy and protein deficit was associated with longer times until discharge alive from both ICU and hospital (all p <0.001). Conclusion: Nutritional deficits are commonplace in critically ill head-injured patients and these deficits are associated with a delay to discharge alive.Lee-anne S. Chapple, Marianne J. Chapman, Kylie Lange, Adam M. Deane and Daren K. Heylan

Alternative job search strategies in remote rural and peri-urban labour markets: the role of social networks

This paper examines the importance of informal methods (especially social networking) to the job search strategies used by unemployed people. It compares three areas: a small rural town; a larger, more sparsely populated, remote rural area; and a centrally-located, peri-urban labour market. The analysis is based first on survey research undertaken with 490 job seekers across the study areas. Emerging issues were then followed up during a series of twelve focus groups. The survey research showed that job seekers in the rural study areas were significantly more likely to use social networks to look for work. However, those who had experienced repeated or long-term periods out of work, the unskilled and young people were significantly less likely to use such networks. Focus groups confirmed the perceived importance of social networking to the job search process in rural areas, in contrast to the more marginal role such methods appear to play in peri-urban settings. For many rural job seekers, formal job search activities conducted through Jobcentres were seen as largely symbolic, lacking the practical value of social networking. These results suggest that service providers seeking to assist unemployed people in rural areas need to address the problems faced by many disadvantaged job seekers who are currently caught between their lack of social network relations and the absence of local public employment service facilities in more remote communities

Perioperative supplementation with a fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate and postsurgical morbidity: a double-blind, randomised, placebo controlled clinical trial

Aims Surgical trauma leads to an inflammatory response that causes surgical morbidity. Reduced antioxidant micronutrient (AM)a levels and/or excessive levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)b have previously been linked to delayed wound healing and presence of chronic wounds. We aimed to evaluate the effect of pre-operative supplementation with encapsulated fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate (JuicePlus+®) on postoperative morbidity and Quality of Life (QoL)c. Methods We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled two-arm parallel clinical trial evaluating postoperative morbidity following lower third molar surgery. Patients aged between 18 and 65 years were randomised to take verum or placebo for 10 weeks prior to surgery and during the first postoperative week. The primary endpoint was the between-group difference in QoL over the first postoperative week, with secondary endpoints being related to other measures of postoperative morbidity (pain and trismus). Results One-hundred and eighty-three out of 238 randomised patients received surgery (Intention-To-Treat population). Postoperative QoL tended to be higher in the active compared to the placebo group (p=0.059). Furthermore, reduction in mouth opening 2 days after surgery was 3.1 mm smaller (p=0.042), the mean pain score over the postoperative week was 9.4 mm lower (p=0.007) and patients were less likely to experience moderate to severe pain on postoperative day 2 (RR 0.58, p=0.030), comparing verum to placebo groups. Conclusion Pre-operative supplementation with a fruit and vegetable supplement rich in AM may improve postoperative QoL and reduce surgical morbidity and post-operative complications after surgery

OnabotulinumtoxinA 100U provides significant improvements in overactive bladder symptoms in patients with urinary incontinence regardless of the number of anticholinergic therapies used or reason for inadequate management of overactive bladder

INTRODUCTION: A prespecified pooled analysis of two placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials evaluated whether the number of prior anticholinergics used or reason for their discontinuation affected the treatment response to onabotulinumtoxinA 100U in overactive bladder (OAB) patients with urinary incontinence (UI). METHODS: Patients with symptoms of OAB received intradetrusor injections of onabotulinumtoxinA 100U or placebo, sparing the trigone. Change from baseline at week 12 in UI episodes/day, proportion of patients reporting a positive response (‘greatly improved’ or ‘improved’) on the treatment benefit scale (TBS), micturition and urgency were evaluated by number of prior anticholinergics (1, 2 or ≥ 3) and reason for their discontinuation (insufficient efficacy or side effects). Adverse events (AE) were assessed. RESULTS: Patients had taken an average of 2.4 anticholinergics before study enrolment. OnabotulinumtoxinA reduced UI episodes/day from baseline vs. placebo, regardless of the number of prior anticholinergics (−2.82 vs. −1.52 for one prior anticholinergic; −2.58 vs. −0.58 for two prior anticholinergics; and −2.92 vs. −0.73 for three or more prior anticholinergics; all p < 0.001). The proportion of TBS responders was higher with onabotulinumtoxinA vs. placebo (69.0% vs. 37.2% for one prior anticholinergic; 58.8% vs. 24.8% for two prior anticholinergics and 56.4% vs. 22.5% for three or more prior anticholinergics; all p < 0.001). Similar results were observed regardless of the reason for discontinuation. OnabotulinumtoxinA reduced the episodes of urgency and frequency of micturition vs. placebo in all groups. AEs were well tolerated, with a comparable incidence in all groups. CONCLUSION: In patients with symptoms of OAB who were inadequately managed by one or more anticholinergics, onabotulinumtoxinA 100U provided significant and similar treatment benefit and safety profile regardless of the number of prior anticholinergics used or reason for inadequate management of OAB. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00910845, NCT00910520

The effect of mirabegron on patient-related outcomes in patients with overactive bladder: the results of post hoc correlation and responder analyses using pooled data from three randomized Phase III trials

Purpose To understand how improvements in the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) seen with the b3-adrenoceptor agonist mirabegron 50 mg, correlate with patient experience as measured by validated and standard patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and to identify whether there is overall directional consistency in the responsiveness of PROs to treatment effect. Methods In a post hoc analysis of pooled data from three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week Phase III trials of mirabegron 50 mg once daily, responder rates for incontinence frequency (C50 % reduction in incontinence episodes/24 h from baseline to final visit), micturition frequency (B8 micturitions/24 h at final visit), and PROs [minimally important differences in patient perception of bladder condition (PPBC) and subsets of the overactive bladder questionnaire (OAB-q) measuring total health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and symptom bother] were evaluated individually and in combination. Results Mirabegron 50 mg demonstrated greater improvement from baseline to final visit than placebo for each of the responder analyses, whether for individual objective and subjective outcomes or combinations thereof. These improvements versus placebo were statistically significant for all double and triple responder analyses and for all single responder analyses except PPBC. PRO measurements showed directional consistency and significant correlations, and there were also significant correlations between objective and subjective measures of efficacy. Conclusions The improvements in objective measures seen with mirabegron 50 mg translate into a meaningful clinical benefit as evident by the directional consistency seen in HRQoL measures of benefit

Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in China, Taiwan, and South Korea: Results from a Cross-Sectional, Population-Based Study.

INTRODUCTION: Few population-based data are available evaluating the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in Asia. The objective of our study was to determine LUTS prevalence in China, Taiwan, and South Korea using International Continence Society (ICS) 2002 criteria. METHODS: An Internet-based self-administered survey among individuals aged at least 40 years with the ability to use a computer and to read the local language. Survey questions included ICS symptom definitions and the international prostate symptom score (IPSS). Data analysis was based on descriptive statistics and post hoc significance testing. RESULTS: There were 8284 participants, of whom 51% were women and 34% were aged at least 60 years. LUTS prevalence was slightly higher in men than women (62.8% vs. 59.6%; p = 0.004), increasing significantly with age (p = 0.001). All three ICS symptom groups (voiding, storage, and post-micturition) were present in 35% of individuals with LUTS. Symptoms with the highest overall prevalence were nocturia, frequency, incomplete emptying, and terminal dribble. The most bothersome symptoms were terminal dribble, nocturia, and urgency. According to IPSS scores, 87% of participants had at least mild symptoms; 43% of those aged over 60 years had moderate/severe symptoms. The percentage of participants with any LUTS who had visited healthcare professionals because of urinary symptoms was 26%, rising to 45% amongst individuals with all three symptom groups (p = 0.001 vs. other ICS symptom groups). CONCLUSIONS: LUTS are highly prevalent in men and women aged at least 40 years who participated in this study in China, Taiwan, and South Korea and increases with increasing age. A minority of individuals with LUTS seek healthcare and our results suggest an increased patient awareness of LUTS is required. FUNDING: Astellas Pharma Singapore Pte. Ltd. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02618421

Seeking legitimacy through CSR: Institutional Pressures and Corporate Responses of Multinationals in Sri Lanka

Arguably, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of multinational enterprises (MNEs) are influenced by a wide range of both internal and external factors. Perhaps most critical among the exogenous forces operating on MNEs are those exerted by state and other key institutional actors in host countries. Crucially, academic research conducted to date offers little data about how MNEs use their CSR activities to strategically manage their relationship with those actors in order to gain legitimisation advantages in host countries. This paper addresses that gap by exploring interactions between external institutional pressures and firm-level CSR activities, which take the form of community initiatives, to examine how MNEs develop their legitimacy-seeking policies and practices. In focusing on a developing country, Sri Lanka, this paper provides valuable insights into how MNEs instrumentally utilise community initiatives in a country where relationship-building with governmental and other powerful non-governmental actors can be vitally important for the long-term viability of the business. Drawing on neo-institutional theory and CSR literature, this paper examines and contributes to the embryonic but emerging debate about the instrumental and political implications of CSR. The evidence presented and discussed here reveals the extent to which, and the reasons why, MNEs engage in complex legitimacy-seeking relationships with Sri Lankan institutions

Wind-tunnel tests on the effect of body freedoms on the flutter of a model wing carrying a localised mass

Wind-tunnel test results for the flutter of a swept-back wing carrying a localised mass, and having symmetric or antisymmetric freedoms of the root, are given. The tests were made on a model wing of 23 deg sweepback, the chordwise and spanwise positions of a localised mass being varied for two localised mass values. In most of the symmetric flutter tests the inertia conditions of the fuselage were constant, and representative of full scale. For the antisymmetric tests, the fuselage rolling moment of inertia was varied. The test results indicate that, in general, the symmetric flutter case is more critical than the antisymmetric for masses at outboard positions on the wing, but for heavy inboard masses the antisymmetric case may be the more critical. The results are too complex for any detailed use in predicting the effects of mass loading on the flutter of particular aircraft