LEADING SAFETY INDICATORS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: THE CASE OF TENNESSEE

The construction industry has historically suffered from high frequency and severity of accidents, making safety a major concern for all associated stakeholders. To improve safety performance, leading safety indicators have emerged as a more effective alternative to the traditional lagging indicators measured after the occurrence of an incident or accident. These are ex ante assessment of construction behaviors and processes to proactively predict safety breaches. Prior research has defined and assessed leading safety indicators, but has not yet sufficiently understood their actual current application either at the local and/or regional levels. To this end, this research aims to study, define, evaluate and provide guidance in relation to utilizing leading safety indicators in Tennessee. The research utilizes an interdependent research methodology. Based on a comprehensive literature review, an industry questionnaire was developed targeting construction professionals in Middle and East Tennessee. The results of the questionnaires were analyzed through different statistical analysis techniques including reliability measures, measures of central tendency and variability, correlations, normality, and comparisons of means. The results of the survey, received from professionals with collective experience of over 600 years, showed that 66.7% of the firms investigated had an instituted system of leading indicators. Firms with no use or awareness of an instituted system still applied concepts similar to leading indicators. Also, it was revealed that among the 78 indicators of the survey, only 48 were highly utilized by the responding firms. The most popular indicators - used by over 80% of respondents - were related to Housekeeping, use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), and Substance Abuse Programs. On the other hand, the least popular indicators were associated with contractual safety obligations, feedback stemming from safety meetings, and perceptions and evaluations of reporting systems. Larger companies were more likely to use passive leading indicators related to policymaking and strategic programs compared to smaller companies. Pursuant to the findings of this research, it is advisable to repeat similar studies at other local and regional areas across the nation to assess similarities and differences in implementation. This will help in developing effective and efficient proactive strategies for a zero-accident construction industry

In Vivo Effects of a RAMBA and Vitamin A Deficiency on Ovary Development

The active metabolite of vitamin A, retinoic acid, is vital to several physiological functions, and is most notably associated with vision and organ development Its role in the male reproductive system is well understood, but studies in female reproduction are lacking. Recent studies show that Cyp26b1, a retinoic acid degrading enzyme, is expressed highly in the Day1-10 mouse ovary. This time point correlates with establishment of the primordial follicle pool. In vitro studies show that both retinoic acid and R115866, an agent that blocks retinoic acid metabolism, increase cell proliferation. Because of this, we hypothesized that retinoic acid plays a critical role in the development of the mouse ovary. To test this hypothesis, we placed female mice on a vitamin A deficient diet over a time course beginning from gestation. Endogenous retinoic acid levels were also increased by injection of R115866 at either 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg during the first 7 days after birth when the levels of Cyp26b1 expression are high. At day 19, week 7, and week 15, ovaries were harvested for morphological and RT-PCR studies. Our results show that animals on a vitamin A-deficient diet or injected with R115866 developed a variety of ovarian pathologies at day 19, week 7, and week 15. Long term pathologies were also observed in mice that were placed on a vitamin A-deficient diet for 16 weeks then allowed to recover for one year Overall, our results indicate that retinoic acid plays an important role in the development ofthe mouse ovary and that balanced retinoic acid levels early in development are needed for the health of ovaries. In addition, the effect of early vitamin A deficiency has long lasting consequences that cannot be corrected by a subsequent normal die

How customer orientation enhances salespeople’s performance? A case study from an international market

© 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of salespeople’s customer orientation on the relationship between sales manager personal characteristics, fellow salespeople’s characteristics, job satisfaction and adaptive selling and salespeople’s performance in the insurance industry in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach: A structured and self-administered survey was employed targeting 500 insurance salespeople working at insurance companies operating in Jordan. The final sample size was 320 salespeople representing a response rate of 64 percent. A Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the research constructs dimensions, unidimensionality, validity and composite reliability. Structural path analysis was also used to test the hypothesized relationships of the research model. Findings: The empirical findings indicate that salespeople’s customer orientation fully mediates the effect of fellow salespeople’s characteristics and adaptive selling on salespeople’s performance. Sales managers’ personal characteristics have a direct effect on salespeople’s performance, contrary to job satisfaction that had no effect on salespeople’s performance. Research limitations/implications: This paper has examined only five factors that affected directly and indirectly salespeople’s performance; meanwhile other factors may affect their performance, such as salespeople experience, internal marketing and corporate image. Additionally, the fact that paper’s sample consisted only of insurance salespeople working at insurance companies limits its generalization potential to other industries. Practical implications: The findings emphasize the importance of fostering good relationships among fellow salespeople’s characteristics and adaptive selling strategies. Further, sales managers’ personal characteristics directly affecting salespeople’s performance signifies the importance to hire managers with the right personal approach. Originality/value: This paper represents one of the early attempts that investigate factors affecting salespeople’s performance through the mediating role of customer orientation. Accordingly, the findings shed more light into the strategic role of this construct in enhancing salespeople’s performance. Also, the paper is the first of its kind to build and examine an integrated model of salespeople’s performance in the insurance market of Jordan, which provides valuable empirical evidence concerning the drivers of salespeople’s performance in the insurance industry in Jordan

Leadership characteristics of youth and sport city managers and its role on quality performance, entrepreneurship and excellence from the perspective of the cities administrators

This Study aims at identifying the role that leadership characteristics play on performance quality, entrepreneurship and excellence from the perspective of the youth and sport cities administrators, and it also suggests a model of leadership characteristics that must be available in youth and sports cities managers. The researcher used descriptive approach, the sample was randomly selected, the sample was (61), (32) sub-managers and (29) managers. The questionnaire was used as a tool to collect the data, whereby especially questionnaire is built that surveys six fields: The administrative field, the leadership field, the creativity entrepreneurship and excellence field, the investment field, the relations field and the integrity and transparency field. The legalization of the questionnaire in terms of validity and reliability have been applied. Data analyzed by using SPSS software. The findings showed that the most important administrative features that must be provided is integrity and transparency characteristics and then administrative characteristics, and these findings also show a correlation between leadership characteristics and performance quality, entrepreneurship and Excellency. Furthermore, there are also characteristics that contribute to predict the quality of performance entrepreneurship and excellence. This study was also able to build a model for city managers characteristics and it recommended empowering administrative leaders and taking into account the method of selecting city managers according to the characteristics that achieve quality and excellence

An analytic study for statistics of social type in Syria

The research deals with an important and essential subject which is studying The statistics of social type in Syria from analyzing Data of the census 1994,2004  in addition to Data of Syrian family healthysurvey2009,  the research studied the general type ratio and studying population during the years 1994,2004,2009, and studied the social type ratio for population According To age categories and studied the relation between the age of males and females  at first marriage. According  Of married Through studying the tables of horizontal relative structure To age categories from 15 years until 50 years at first marriage in the censuses 1994,2004, so the research has many results such as: - The general type ratio does not change in Syrian Arab republic during the years 1994,2004,2009. - There are differences between the total ratios of  males and females between 1994 and 2004, and between 2004 and 2009. - There are differences between the average age of first marriage of males and females between the censuses 1994,2004,and the Syrian survey of healthy families 2009. دراسة تحليلية لإحصاءات النوع الاجتماعي في سورية يتناول البحث موضوعاً حيوياً وهاماً ألا وهو دراسة إحصاءات النوع الاجتماعي في سورية ، من خلال تحليل بيانات التعدادين 1994 و2004 إضافة إلى بيانات المسح الصحي الأسري 2009، حيث تمت دراسة نسبة النوع العامة للسكان خلال الاعوام 1994 - 2004 – 2009, ودراسة نسبة النوع الاجتماعي للسكان بحسب الفئات العمرية, وتمت  دراسة العلاقة بين أعمار الذكور والإناث عند الزواج الأول, وذلك من خلال دراسة جداول التركيب النسبي الأفقي للمتزوجين بحسب الفئات العمرية من 15 عاماً حتى 50 عاماً عند الزواج الأول في التعدادين السكانيين1994 و2004 وقد كان من نتائج البحث: -لم تتغير نسبة الجنس(النوع)العامة للسكان في الجمهورية العربية السورية خلال الاعوام 1994 و 2004 و 2009. - توجد فروق بين النسب الكلية للذكور والاناث بين 1994 و 2004, وبين 2004 و 2009. - يوجد فروق بين متوسطي سن الزواج الاول للذكور والإناث بين التعدادين والمسح الصحي الأسري 2009

Home Quarantine and its Socio-economic Impact on the Jordanian Society during Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense suffering in several aspects of human life worldwide. The present study investigates the potential social and economic impacts of Covid-19 on Jordanian society during home quarantine. An online survey was distributed electronically to a sample of (1115) members of the Jordanian society. In the forty-questions, we attempted to examine the impact of the quarantine on the people on the socio-economic level using a 5- point Likert scale. The paper came out with the following findings. First, the members of the Jordanian society are affected more economically than socially; however, Jordanian women are found to be more affected on the social and economic levels. Second, people working in the private sector, daily workers, business owners, retirees and the unemployed are more adversely affected economically than those working in the governmental (public) sector. We offer a set of recommendations, foremost of which is to cease the closure of childcare centres (nurseries and kindergartens) to safeguard womens economic participation and augment its ratio and to safeguard the limited gains of women. In addition, to support the workers in the private sector and daily workers during the pandemic. It recommended conducting further similar studies related to the period of recovery from the spread of the virus to define the requirements for overcoming the repercussions of the pandemic

The Impact Of The Components Of Population Growth On The Gross Domestic Product In Syria

The aim of this study was to determine extent of the significant effect of each component of population growth(total fertility rate, crude mortality rate, migration net) on the gross domestic product in Syria. The research also aims at finding out if there is a significant mathematical model linking between all components of population growth and gross domestic product in Syria. The most important results were: - There is a statistically significant effect of the fertility rate on gross domestic product in Syria. - There is no statistically significant effect of the mortality rate on gross domestic product in Syria. - There is a statistically significant effect of migration net on gross domestic product in Syria. - There is a significant mathematical model linking between all components of population growth and gross domestic product in Syria. هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى معرفة أثر مكونات النمو السكاني المتمثلة بـ ( معدل الخصوبة الكلية، معدل الوفيات الخام، صافي الهجرة) على الناتج المحلي الإجمالي في سورية خلال الفترة 1990- 2017، كما يهدف البحث إلى معرفة فيما إذا كان هناك نموذج رياضي يربط بين جميع مكونات النمو السكاني والناتج المحلي الإجمالي في سورية. وكانت أهم النتائج: -      يوجد أثر ذو دلالة إحصائية لمعدل الخصوبة الكلية على الناتج المحلي الإجمالي في سورية. -      لا يوجد أثر ذو دلالة إحصائية لمعدل الوفيات الخام على الناتج المحلي الإجمالي في سورية. -      يوجد أثر ذو دلالة إحصائية لصافي الهجرة على الناتج المحلي الإجمالي في سورية. -      يوجد نموذج رياضي يربط بين جميع مكونات النمو السكاني والناتج المحلي الإجمالي في سورية

An integrated approach to marketing strategy formulation and implementation

The overall aim of the thesis was to address the issues involved in marketing strategy formulation, implementation and company performance by developing a framework for the marketing of insurance services in Jordan. In order to achieve this aim the research developed a comprehensive framework involving three parts; marketing strategy formulation components, marketing strategy implementation, and company performance. The research population included all the insurance companies that were operating in the Jordanian market. The research design was mainly quantitative with some qualitative data included to support and expand upon the research findings. The research methodology included designing a comprehensive self-completion questionnaire, as well as, conducting a number of in-depth interviews with managers in the insurance companies in Jordan. The most important finding to come out of the research was that marketing strategy formulation and implementation are not separate parts, but rather they should be incorporated in one process for a company to achieve success in the marketplace. The classic framework of marketing strategy, which is concerned with the traditional elements of the marketing mix framework, is inadequate for the marketing of insurance services. The marketing strategy components for the marketing of insurance services were eight, these are the seven Ps of the services marketing mix framework, and service quality. These elements were found to have a positive and significant effect on the insurance companies' performance measured by financial and non-financial (marketplace and customer) criteria. The effect of the marketing strategy components was found to have varied according to the insurance companies' performance criteria measured by financial and, non-financial (marketplace and customer based) criteria. The marketing strategy implementation variables were found to have affected the relationships between the marketing strategy components and the insurance companies' performance measured by financial and non-financial (marketplace and customer based) criteria. Generally speaking, the effect of marketing strategy implementation variables on the relationships between the marketing strategy components and the insurance companies performance measured by customer based measures was found to be greater than their effect on the relationships between the marketing strategy components and the insurance companies performance measured by financial and marketplace performance criteria. Company marketing assets and capabilities, and company marketing experience were found to be the master variables of marketing strategy implementation that moderated the relationships between the marketing strategy components and the insurance companies performance, measured by financial and non-financial (marketplace and customer based) criteria. This is evidenced when these two variables have systematically changed all the relationships between the marketing strategy components and the insurance companies' performance. Marketing strategy consensus, marketing strategy resource commitment, marketing strategy cross-functional integration, marketing strategy communication activities quality were found to have a higher effect on the relationships between the marketing strategy components and the insurance companies performance measured by customer based criteria, rather than the relationships between the marketing strategy components and the insurance companies performance measured by financial and marketplace performance criteria. The research found that the marketing strategy implementation variables hold strategic implications for the insurance companies' performance because they affect their performance especially those criteria that deal with the customers e. g., customer satisfaction. The rationale is that the marketing strategy implementation variables are concerned with activities that are dealing with the customer on a daily basis.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Difficulties Facing The Educational Supervision Processes In The Public Schools Of The Governorate Of Jarash Directorate Of Education

This study attempts to identify the difficulties facingthe educational supervision processes in the public schools of the Directorateof Education at Jarash Governorate, Jordan, by surveying the principals ofthese schools.  The sample size consistedof (143) male and female principals in the Governorate of Jarash Directorate ofEducation.  In order to achieve theobjectives of this study, a questionnaire was constructed to identify thedifficulties facing the educational supervision processes and consisted of (41)items that were distributed over three difficulty domains: administrative,technical and financial.  The validityand reliability of the questionnaire was verified.  The results reveal a medium degree ofdifficulty facing the educational supervision processes.  Financial difficulties domain ranked firstwith a high degree, technical difficulties came in second with a medium degree,and finally administrative difficulties domain came in last with a mediumdegree. The results indicated no statistically significant differencesattributed to the gender variable on the instrument performance as a whole.  There is a statistically significantdifferences attributed to the years of experience, in favor of the experiencedprincipals (10 years more).  In the lightof these results, the researchers recommend (1) initiation of financial andoccupational incentives for distinguished educational supervisors, (2) initiatecourses and workshops on the contemporary supervision trends; and (3) vitalizeelectronic communication among the educational supervisors and male and femaleprincipals of the schools, through exchanging the experience and information asa feedback, in order to overcome the difficulties facing the educationalsupervision in the schools

التنبؤ بصادرات وواردات القمح في سورية باستخدام السلاسل الزمنية

هدفت الدراسة إلى التنبؤ بصادرات وواردات القمح في سورية للأعوام من 2019 إلى 2025 وذلك باستخدام نماذج ARIMA   للسلاسل الزمنية الممتدة من 2000 إلى 2018. وكانت أهم النتائج: - السلسلة الزمنية لصادرات القمح في سورية  للفترة من 2000- 2018 هي غير مستقرة, ثم استقرت بعد إجراء الفرق الأول عليها.  - النموذج ARIMA(1,1,2)  هو النموذج المناسب للتنبؤ بصادرات القمح, ومن المتوقع أن تصل الصادرات في عام 2025 لقيمة  211.89 ألف طن. - السلسلة الزمنية لواردات القمح في سورية  للفترة من 2000- 2018 هي غير مستقرة, ثم استقرت بعد إجراء الفرق الأول عليها.  - النموذج ARIMA(0,1,2)  هو النموذج المناسب للتنبؤ بواردات القمح, ومن المتوقع أن تصل الواردات في عام 2025 لقيمة  462.45 ألف طن.