The effect of autonomy, training opportunities, age and salaries on job satisfaction in the South East Asian retail petroleum industry

South East Asian petroleum retailers are under considerable pressure to improve service quality by reducing turnover. An empirical methodology from this industry determined the extent to which job characteristics, training opportunities, age and salary influenced the level of job satisfaction, an indicator of turnover. Responses are reported on a random sample of 165 site employees (a 68% response rate) of a Singaporean retail petroleum firm. A restricted multivariate regression model of autonomy and training opportunities explained the majority (35.4%) of the variability of job satisfaction. Age did not moderate these relationships, except for employees >21 years of age, who reported enhanced job satisfaction with additional salary. Human Capital theory, Life Cycle theory and Job Enrichment theory are invoked and explored in the context of these findings in the South East Asian retail petroleum industry. In the South East Asian retail petroleum industry, jobs providing employees with the opportunity to undertake a variety of tasks that enhanced the experienced meaningfulness of work are likely to promote job satisfaction, reduce turnover and increase the quality of service

Advanced analysis for the assessment of steel frames in fire

Journal of Constructional Steel Research471-219-4

Variability in Skin Prick Test Results Performed by Multiple Operators Depends on the Device Used

Background The variability of skin prick test results when carried out by multiple users has not previously been assessed across different devices or between different sites on the body. Such multiuser variability has important implications for clinical practice.Objectives We assessed the variability of measurements from 4 commonly used single-headed skin test devices when used by multiple operators and examined whether the variability in performance was different on the back compared with the forearm.Methods Eight adult volunteer ''operators'' were trained in the use of 4 devices: Greer Pick, Quintip, Stallergenes Lancet, and Feather Lancet. Each operator performed a histamine skin prick test with all devices on the backs and forearms of 5 volunteer ''receivers.'' Variability in results was assessed using a multilevel (random effects) regression model.Results After controlling for variation between users and receivers, the residual variability or ''measurement error'' was least for the Stallergenes Lancet, closely followed by the Quintip. The Greer Pick had the greatest variability. There was greater variability in measurements on the arm compared with the back.Conclusions The devices using the ''puncture'' method (Stallergenes Lancet, Quintip) provide less variability in results than those using a ''prick'' method when carried out by multiple users (Greer Pick and Feather Lancet). Testing on the back also gives less variable results compared with the arm. Keywords: device, skin prick test, variabilit

Silhouette showcards confirm altered obesity-associated body image perception in international cohort study of African-origin populations.

Given the increasing prevalence of obesity and need for effective interventions, there is a growing interest in understanding how an individual's body image can inform obesity prevention and management. This study's objective was to examine the use of silhouette showcards to measure body size perception compared with measured body mass index, and assess body size dissatisfaction, in three different African-origin populations spanning the epidemiological transition. An ancillary objective was to investigate associations between body size perception and dissatisfaction with diabetes and hypertension. Research visits were completed in local research clinics in respective countries. Seven hundred and fifty-one African-origin participants from the USA and the Republic of Seychelles (both high-income countries), and Ghana (low/middle-income country). Silhouette showcards were used to measure perceived body size and body size dissatisfaction. Objectively measured body size was measured using a scale and stadiometer. Diabetes was defined as fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL and hypertension was defined as ≥130 mm Hg/80 mm Hg. Most women and men from the USA and Seychelles had 'Perceived minus Actual weight status Discrepancy' scores less than 0, meaning they underestimated their actual body size. Similarly, most overweight or obese men and women also underestimated their body size, while normal weight men and women were accurately able to estimate their body size. Finally, participants with diabetes were able to accurately estimate their body size and similarly desired a smaller body size. This study highlights that overweight and obese women and men from countries spanning the epidemiological transition were unable to accurately perceive their actual body size. Understanding people's perception of their body size is critical to implementing successful obesity prevention programmes across the epidemiological transition

The impact of non-normality, sample size and estimation technique on goodness-of-fit measures in structural equation modeling: evidence from ten empirical models of travel behavior

Structural equation modeling, Goodness-of-fit, Travel behavior,