2,602 research outputs found
Effects of Compensation Strategy on Job Pay Decisions
Previous research has revealed wide variations in pay for the same job, even within a single locality. To date, however, the sources of such pay differentials are not well understood. The present research investigates how compensation managers from a wide variety of organizations combine infonnation about current job pay rates, market rates, and job evaluation points to arrive at new pay rates for jobs. In addition, it examines the role of two pay strategy variables (pay leadership position and external versus internal orientation) in job pay decisions, controlling for differences in organizational demographic characteristics (e.g., size, industry). Results suggest that pay strategies affect assigned pay levels, with higher pay being assigned by managers from fmns with market-leading strategies and internal pay orientations. In addition, pay strategies appear to influence the relative weights attached to market survey versus job evaluation infonnation in pay-setting for jobs. Specifically, although market survey information consistently explained more variance in assigned pay than did job evaluation, this effect was more pronounced among managers from finns having an external orientation. Organizational demographics also affected assigned pay levels, but to a lesser extent than pay strategies
The Effects of Market Survey Rates, Job Evaluation and Job Gender on Job Pay
The present study investigates the effects of current pay, market surveys, job evaluation points, job gender, and rater sex on pay rates for jobs. 406 compensation administrators assigned new pay rates to nine jobs in one of two matched job sets: either all predominantly female, or all predominantly male. The two sets were matched on all quantitative data (current rate, market rate, and job evaluation points), but varied in terms of job titles and descriptions. Multiple analyses of variance and regression analyses were performed to determine whether job gender had a significant effect on assigned pay rates, holding other factors constant. Regardless of the analysis employed, no evidence of gender bias was found. Limitations and suggestions for future research are offered
Natural Disasters, Incidents Of Mass Violence, And Preparedness On A College Campus: A Study Of University Faculty And Staff
The objective of this study was to examine previous disaster impact, threat perception, self-efficacy, and sex as predictors of university employeesâ preparedness for natural disasters and incidents of mass violence. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with faculty and staff members (N = 410) at a medium-sized university located in the southern United States. Employeesâ sex, disaster experience, impact of that experience, perceived threat, and self-efficacy were examined as predictors of actual preparedness, across a range of natural disasters and incidents of mass violence. Drawing from the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM; Figure 1), a moderated mediation model (Figure 2) was hypothesized and partially supported. For natural disasters, experience and sex had direct effects on perceived susceptibility (coefficients were a1i = .094, p = .001 for experience and a2i = .226, p = .010 for sex), but perceived susceptibility did not mediate the effect of disaster experience on preparedness behavior (b1i = .036, p = .255), nor did disaster experience have a significant direct effect (c\u27 = -.038, p = .136). However, both self-efficacy and disaster impact had direct effects on preparedness behavior (self-efficacy coefficient b3 = .243, p \u3c .0001, disaster impact coefficient b2 = .038, p = .045), and self-efficacy further moderated the effect of disaster impact (b6 = .035, p = .015). For incidents of mass violence, perceived susceptibility mediated the effect of experience on preparedness behavior (b1i = .074, p = .009), when self-efficacy was high and employees were female. As with natural disasters, experience and sex had direct effects on perceived susceptibility (a1i = .963, p = .020 for experience; a2i = -.255, p = .034). Self-efficacy also had a direct effect on preparedness behavior (b3 = .150, p \u3c .0001). These results support EPPM theory in that threat messages and perceptions correspond to increased preparedness behavior when paired with self-efficacy for responding to disasters. Therefore, it is recommended that institutions of higher education employ disaster preparedness programs that focus on educating employees with regard to cultivating accurate threat perceptions and building their confidence in responding to disasters
Human Robot Interface for Assistive Grasping
This work describes a new human-in-the-loop (HitL) assistive grasping system
for individuals with varying levels of physical capabilities. We investigated
the feasibility of using four potential input devices with our assistive
grasping system interface, using able-bodied individuals to define a set of
quantitative metrics that could be used to assess an assistive grasping system.
We then took these measurements and created a generalized benchmark for
evaluating the effectiveness of any arbitrary input device into a HitL grasping
system. The four input devices were a mouse, a speech recognition device, an
assistive switch, and a novel sEMG device developed by our group that was
connected either to the forearm or behind the ear of the subject. These
preliminary results provide insight into how different interface devices
perform for generalized assistive grasping tasks and also highlight the
potential of sEMG based control for severely disabled individuals.Comment: 8 pages, 21 figure
Midlife women, bone health, vegetables, herbs and fruit study. The Scarborough Fair study protocol
BACKGROUND: Bone loss is accelerated in middle aged women but increased fruit/vegetable intake positively affects bone health by provision of micronutrients essential for bone formation, buffer precursors which reduce acid load and phytochemicals affecting inflammation and oxidative stress. Animal studies demonstrated bone resorption inhibiting properties of specific vegetables, fruit and herbs a decade ago. Objective: To increase fruit/vegetable intake in post menopausal women to 9 servings/day using a food specific approach to significantly reduce dietary acid load and include specific vegetables, fruit and herbs with bone resorbing inhibiting properties to assess effect on bone turnover, metabolic and inflammatory markers. METHODS/DESIGN: The Scarborough Fair Study is a randomised active comparator controlled multi centre trial. It aimed to increase fruit and vegetable intake in 100 post menopausal women from †5 servings/day to â„ 9 servings/day for 3 months. The women in the dietary intervention were randomly assigned to one of the two arms of the study. Both groups consumed â„ 9 servings/day of fruit/vegetables and selected herbs but the diet of each group emphasised different fruit/vegetables/herbs with one group (B) selecting from a range of vegetables, fruit and culinary herbs with bone resorbing inhibiting properties. 50 women formed a negative control group (Group C usual diet). Primary outcome variables were plasma bone markers assessed at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Secondary outcome variables were plasma inflammation and metabolic markers and urinary electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium) assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. Dietary intake and urine pH change also were outcome variables. The dietary change was calculated with 3 day diet diaries and a 24 hour recall. Intervention participants kept a twice weekly record of fruit, vegetable and herb intake and urine pH. DISCUSSION: This study will provide information on midlife womenâs bone health and how a dietary intervention increasing fruit and vegetable/herb intake affects bone, inflammatory and metabolic markers and urinary electrolyte excretion. It assesses changes in nutrient intake, estimated dietary acid load and sodium: potassium ratios. The study also explores whether specific fruit/vegetables and herbs with bone resorbing properties has an effect on bone markers. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN 1261100076394
Food waste biorefinery advocating circular economy : bioethanol and distilled beverage from sweet potato
The exponential growth rate of the global population has been causing a threat to finite resources and also increasing the amount of waste generated. The global quantitative food waste for tubers is 45% per year, which in Brazil would amount to 350,000 tons of sweet potato wasted annually. Food waste causes 10% of the emissions of greenhouse gases. In this work, food waste biorefineries are the proposed solution. Integrated processing via a combination of different technologies to produce both ethanol and distilled beverage was evaluated to valorize sweet potato waste profitably within the circular economy concept. No works concerning the integrated production of both products simulating different real market scenarios were found. Five different scenarios varying the production percentage of each product were evaluated. The higher the production of the distilled beverage, the more profitable the scenarios are. Economic results began to be positive when the production for sale of each product reaches 40%, plus 20% of ethanol for domestic consumption. The scenario with 80% of beverage production presented NPV of US$ 1,078,500.18, IRR of 51%, and discounted payback of 1.06 years. The sweet potato waste biorefinery is a sustainable model and contributes to the development of the agriculture and food sector by providing new businesses and consequent job creation. It also leads to the reduction of greenhouse emissions by producing renewable resources and marketable products, thus reaching the goals of the circular economy
Cut-sets and Cut-vertices in the Zero-Divisor Graph of âZni
We examine minimal sets of vertices which, when removed from a zero-divisor graph, separate the graph into disconnected subgraphs. We classify these sets for all direct products of Î âZn
Economic evaluation of sweet potato distilled beverage produced by alternative route
Shochu is the most consumed distilled beverage in Japan, produced from sweet potato, one of the most cultivated vegetables in Brazil. TchĂȘchu is a similar distillate, produced by an innovative process, whose economic viability is the object of study of this work. The cost of producing a bottle (750 mL) of TchĂȘchu was estimated at US 530,501.42), internal rate of return (26% p.y.) higher than the minimum acceptable rate of return (9.25% p.y.) and payback of 2.44 years, indicating that the implantation of the distillery is economically viable
Comportamento lĂquido-cristalino de novas Bases de Schiff derivadas de IsoxazĂłis e Isoxazolinas ditadas pelo nĂșmero de cadeias alquĂlicas flexĂveis
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