A business case for work-life balance in retail management.

Retail is one of New Zealand’s largest sectors, employing close to 200,000 people full-time, but with changes in competition and growth in the industry, the expectations of retail managers are increasing, along with their workload. This research looks at why work-life balance is unattainable for some retail managers. Looking wholly at the retail industry, not one specific organisation, the research aims to show the impacts on performance when work-life balance is not achieved and to provide strategies for businesses that encourage work-life balance in retail managers. Using both secondary and experiential research, this study highlights how poor work-life balance is directly linked to poor performance and what it is costing businesses that have no work-life balance initiatives in place. Provisional results show that work arrangements and lack of training are key reasons for work-life balance being difficult to maintain in retail management roles. The researcher shares two recommendations that will improve retail managers’ work-life balance; re-evaluating work arrangements to use rotational rostering and companies investing in the development of managers, through specific training available in New Zealand

A Complex Variables Techniques for Approximating the Derivatives of Real-Valued Functions.

The numerical solution of an n-th order differential equation relies on an accurate approximation of the derivative. A standard method of approximating the derivative of a real-valued function f at a point Xo is to use the central difference formula f \u27 (xo) [f (x, + h) - f (x, - h)] / 2h . An error analysis of this formula shows that the truncation error is 0(h2) while the round off error is 0(h-1). A major dilemma in using this formula is the fact that using a small h increases the round off error. In this thesis, a method of approximating the derivative of real-valued functions via complex variables is presented. This method avoids the high round off error inherent in the standard method. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the power of this method of approximation

Effects of Television on Rural Minnesota Viewer Attitudes Toward Capital Punishment

This thesis examines the relationship between television viewing and attitudes toward capital punishment by making comparisons between viewers watching Canadian television and viewers receiving United States television. The adult population of three rural Minnesota areas was enumerated providing a sample N of 414. These areas were closely matched in all respects except type of television received. The first area receives only Canadian television signals, the second both United States and Canadian television signals, and the third receives only United States television signals. One adult from each household was interviewed in his/her home. High school youths in corresponding areas were also enumerated with similar interviews in their scnool classes, N=28C. Pretests and a pilot study were conducted prior to the major research effort. Factor analysis of these data yielded six items forming a scale measuring attitudes toward capital punishment. The independent variable, television viewing, is measured by three single measures of type of television viewed. These are: (1) a geographic factor inherent in the samples, (2) an item requesting respondents to estimate what percentage of total viewing time is spent viewing Canadian television, and (3) an item requesting the type of news program chosen to be viewed. Data were analyzed using parametric measures of association. Slight but steady correlations were observed. Interestingly, these correlations were as strong or stronger than correlations of attitudes toward capital punishment with variables suggested as correlates in the literature or with items measuring familiarity with Canada and other media usage. Partial correlations of attitudes toward capital punishment with tele- vision viewing controlling for all such variables singly and simultaneously found the relationship unchanged. Television viewing is, therefore, found to be an important correlate and probable cause of attitudes toward capital punishment

Diatom Communites in the Cuyahoga River (USA): Changes in Species Composition Between 1974 and 1992 Following Renovations in Wastewater Management

Author Institution: Department of Biology, The University of AkronPeriphytic diatom communities along the Cuyahoga River were analyzed for possible changes in species composition resulting from improvements in wastewater management within the river basin during the past 18 years. The results, compared to a similar study conducted in 1974, and controlled for seasonality and microhabitat effects, show an increase in total diatom species (75 to 105), especially pollutionsensitive species, and a reduction in pollution-tolerant species—all indications of improved water quality. Reductions were evident in the number and proportion of pollution-tolerant species such as Gomphonema parvulum, Melosira varians, Navicula cryptocephala, N. pelliculosa, Nitzschia communis, N.palea, and Synedra ulna. The number and proportion of pollution-sensitive species such as Achnanthes linearis, Amphora pediculus, Cocconeis pediculus, Diatoma vulgare, Navicula tripunctata, and Nitzschia dissipata increased. Despite changes in species composition, headwaters of the river, managed as a domestic water supply and Ohio Scenic River, continue to support 2-3 X more taxa than the lower river below the City of Akron. Substantial degradation of water quality in the lower river persists despite recent restoration efforts. A major source of pollution occurs upstream from the Akron Water Pollution Control facility because sample sites above and below this facility were very similar in diatom species composition, each dominated by Nitzschia amphibia (-40%), a well known saprophilic diatom associated with organically polluted water. Overflows from combined stormwater-sanitary sewers, within the Akron metropolitan area are the most probable cause of the continued suppression of diatom species diversity

Collegiate Connection: A Program to Encourage the Success of Student Participation in High School/University Dual Enrollment

This project is a comparative exploration of academic success rates for high school students enrolled in a high school/university dual enrollment program. Four-hundred-eighty-four high school student grades in university courses were compared to grades of the general university population and university freshmen (n = 4,552) in specific courses. In several specific courses, the earned grades of high school students participating in the program were found to be significantly greater than the grades of university freshmen in matching courses. The Collegiate Connection dual enrollment program is explained in detail and suggestions for additional future research are also included