37 research outputs found
Teacherās turnover intentions
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the path of motivation leading to organizational commitment resulting in reduced turnover intentions (TIs). It examine the relationship between dimensions of motivation (amotivation, introjected regulations (IRs) and intrinsic motivation (IM)) with dimensions of commitment (affective, normative and continuance). Furthermore, it test the effect of these three dimensions of commitment on TIs. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 467 teachers working in public schools in Dhofar Governate in Sultanate of Oman was selected for the study. A path analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized model. Findings The analysis unveils that teacherās TIs can be reduced with a right mix of motivation and commitment. Furthermore, amotivation is only linked to affective commitment and this linkage is positive; IRs positively affect continuance and normative commitment (NC); and IM positively affects affective commitment and NC. Moreover, a significant negative effect of affective, normative and continuance commitment is found on TIs. Originality/value This research sheds light on how motivation can indirectly affect TI through commitment. This study is of immense importance as it focuses on the education sector in Oman especially in Dhofar Governate. </jats:sec
When empathy hurts: Modelling university studentsā word of mouth behaviour in public vs. private universities in Syria
Relationship Between Organisational Trust and Decision - Making Participation
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the degree of trust among the Amman Education Directorates and how much educational supervisors participated in decision-making. The study sample is made up of 240 academic supervisors. The studyās findings showed that the Education Directorate appeared to have a moderate level of faith in organizational elements such management style, administrative policies, creative possibilities, and organizational values. Furthermore, the study revealed a significant relationship between organizational trust and the level of involvement in decision-making processes, with a significance level of (aā¤0.5). However, no statistically significant variations in the sample membersā replies according to their gender, education, or experience were found. Based on these findings, the research recommends that educational directors give priority to strengthening supervisorsā organizational commitment to support educational policies that promote trust and provide them chances to apply their creative thinking to administrative tasks
Knowledge Management in the Public Sector: The Spilling Effects on Employee Performance Using the SECI Model
This research aims to explore the impact of knowledge management on performance, essentially through employee engagement, succession planning and leadership development, using the SECI model developed by Nonaka and Takeuchi, 1996 (Forst, 2012). The research uses a case study approach by examining the Public Sector of the Virgin Islands. We draw upon two survey instruments to analyse the variables in our model: Knowledge Management Assessment Instrument (KMAI) and Gallup Workplace Audit (GWA). Our results revealed that knowledge sharing enhances employee engagement, leadership development and succession planning. These findings could assist the public sector to understand the dynamics of knowledge management which can help increase employee engagement and the development of leadership
Loneliness, Friendship, and Facebook Intrusion. A Study in Poland, Slovakia, Syria, Malaysia, and Ecuador
With the increasing popularity of Facebook, a new social phenomenon connected with its extensive use has appeared: namely, Facebook intrusion. The main aim of the study was to examine the mediating role of loneliness in the relation between friendships and Facebook intrusion. We analyzed data from five countries: Poland (N = 399), Slovakia (N = 266), Syria (N = 475), Ecuador (N = 327), and Malaysia (N = 241). The total sample consisted of 1731 participants who had Facebook accounts; 61% of the participants were women. We administered the Facebook Intrusion Scale, the Loneliness Scale, and the Friendship Scale. The results indicated differences in the role of loneliness and friendship in Facebook intrusion, depending on the country. Among young Polish people, friendship decreases loneliness and loneliness decreases Facebook intrusion. Whereas among Ecuadorians friendship decreases loneliness, while loneliness increases Facebook intrusion
Influence of blended powders on properties of ultra-high strength fibre reinforced self compacting concrete subjected to elevated temperatures
Ultra-High Strength Fibre Reinforced Self Compacting Concrete (UHSFRSCC) is in great demand for use in construction projects around the globe. Unless fillers are utilized in this concrete, its production will come at an excessive environmental cost due to the high Carbon footprint of Portland cement. A gap in the published literature was identified, where quaternary mixes, containing Portland cement with three fillers, incorporating fibres, and achieving ultra high strength, were not cited. In this study ternary and quaternary mixes were designed and produced, satisfying the European Guidelines for SCC, with compressive strengths exceeding 115 MPa. Some mixes had compressive strengths between 125 ā 150 MPa, which were not previously reported in the literature. The mixes contained Silica Fume (SF), Metakaolin (MK), Limestone powder (LS) as partial Portland cement replacement and quartz powder (QP) as partial sand replacement. Basalt Fibres were added to reinforce the matrix. Compressive & tensile strength of the mixes along with UPV, sorptivity, absorption and SEM Micro-structure features were studied at ambient temperature and after the samples were exposed to either 200 or 300 oC; since the behavior of HSC at elevated temperature is always a cause for concern. The active and inert fillers exhibited a synergic behavior at all temperature conditions. The mix containing: 15% SF, 5% MK, 20% LS and 34% QP achieved the best performance. Compressive and splitting tensile strength improve by 10% and 17% while sorptivity and absorption decline by 40% and 29% respectively at ambient temperature. Residual compressive strength improved by 10% and 19% while, residual splitting tensile strength significantly increases by 21% and 28% after exposure to elevated temperatures 200Ā°C and 300Ā°C respectively. Meanwhile, residual sorptivity decreases by 39% and 38% after exposure to these elevated temperatures. Microstructure properties supported and agreed with the mechanical and permeation characteristics results. The results will contribute to the development of UHSFRSCC in hot weather countries
Hepatobiliary manifestations following two-stages elective laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy for patients with ulcerative colitis: A prospective observational study
BACKGROUNDHepatobiliary manifestations occur in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. The effect of laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy (LRP) with ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) on hepatobiliary manifestations is debated.AIMTo evaluate hepatobiliary changes after two-stages elective laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy for patients with UC.METHODSBetween June 2013 and June 2018, 167 patients with hepatobiliary symptoms underwent two-stage elective LRP for UC in a prospective observational study. Patients with UC and having at least one hepatobiliary manifestation who underwent LRP with IPAA were included in the study. The patients were followed up for four years to assess the outcomes of hepatobiliary manifestations.RESULTSThe patients' mean age was 36 +/- 8 years, and males predominated (67.1%). The most common hepatobiliary diagnostic method was liver biopsy (85.6%), followed by Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (63.5%), Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (62.5%), abdominal ultrasonography (35.9%), and Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (6%). The most common hepatobiliary symptom was Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) (62.3%), followed by fatty liver (16.8%) and gallbladder stone (10.2%). 66.4% of patients showed a stable course after surgery. Progressive or regressive courses occurred in 16.8% of each. Mortality was 6%, and recurrence or progression of symptoms required surgery for 15%. Most PSC patients (87.5%) had a stable course, and only 12.5% became worse. Two-thirds (64.3%) of fatty liver patients showed a regressive course, while one-third (35.7%) showed a stable course. Survival rates were 98.8%, 97%, 95.8%, and 94% at 12 mo, 24 mo, 36 mo, and at the end of the follow-up.CONCLUSIONIn patients with UC who had LRP, there is a positive impact on hepatobiliary disease. It caused an improvement in PSC and fatty liver disease. The most prevalent unchanged course was PSC, while the most common improvement was fatty liver disease
Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries
Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely
Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990ā2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 riskāoutcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a riskāoutcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each riskāoutcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of riskāoutcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2Ā·5th and 97Ā·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8Ā·0% (95% UI 6Ā·7ā9Ā·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7Ā·8% [6Ā·4ā9Ā·2]), smoking (5Ā·7% [4Ā·7ā6Ā·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5Ā·6% [4Ā·8ā6Ā·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5Ā·4% [4Ā·8ā6Ā·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0ā4 years and 5ā14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20Ā·7% [13Ā·9ā27Ā·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22Ā·0% [15Ā·5ā28Ā·8]), coupled with a 49Ā·4% (42Ā·3ā56Ā·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15Ā·7% [9Ā·9ā21Ā·7] for high BMI and 7Ā·9% [3Ā·3ā12Ā·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1Ā·8% (1Ā·6ā1Ā·9) for high BMI and 1Ā·3% (1Ā·1ā1Ā·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71Ā·5% (64Ā·4ā78Ā·8) for child growth failure and 66Ā·3% (60Ā·2ā72Ā·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions
Syrian consumers: beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral responses to internet advertising
The goal of this research is to determine the dimensions of beliefs about internet advertising affecting Syrian consumersā attitudes and behaviors towards internet advertising. The results indicate that Attitudes are influenced positively by information, and entertainment; and negatively by irritation and valuesā corruption. Irritation positively influences consumersā behaviors of leaving websites showing the ads. Entertainment positively influences consumersā behaviors of clicking on internet ads for further information concerning advertised products. Attitude is found to fully mediate the relationships between beliefs of information, irritation, and valuesā corruption and the behaviors clicking on internet ads, and partially mediate the relationship between entertainment and the behaviors of clicking on internet ads. Attitudes fully mediate the relationships between beliefs of information, entertainment, and valuesā corruption and the behaviors of leaving websites showing the ads, and partially mediate the relationship between irritation and the behaviors of leaving websites showing the ads. This research comes to be one of the first studies to investigate Syrian consumersā beliefs about, attitudes, and behavioral responses towards internet advertising. As well as, this study provides evidence of the direct relationship between some of the beliefs about internet advertising (i.e. entertainment and irritation) and the behavioral responses towards it