GEOGRAPHY GOES TO THE DOGS

Grade Level(s): 7-1

Food safety management and associated food handler behaviours in a prominent South African entertainment facility

Thesis (M. Tech. Environmental health) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2011Millions of people in South Africa eat out every day, utilising the food service sector. Although the lack of an effective reporting system makes it difficult to know how many of these people suffer from food-borne illness, statistics from the developed countries show that this number may be significant. There is, therefore, the need to ensure that the food service sector, which encompasses fast food outlets, hotels and similar accommodation outlets offering food and beverage services, restaurants, caterers, etc., implement effective food safety management systems. Internationally, the trend has been that food safety management systems should be based on the internationally accepted Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. In South Africa, the implementation of HACCP as a food safety management system has been driven by international trade requirements where foods are exported to countries such as the European Union or the United States of America. A national regulation requiring HACCP implementation was promulgated in 2003, but compliance is not yet required for the food service sector. Currently, neither of the above mentioned factors put adequate pressure on the food service sector to implement formal food safety management systems. However, increasing international tourism and the hosting of international sporting events has brought this sector under scrutiny. Food handlers have been implicated in many outbreaks of food-borne illness and much research has been done to investigate causal factors in this regard. Food handler training has been proposed as a strategy to improve food safety practices. However, research has shown that the traditional provision of food safety and food hygiene knowledge does not equate to improved food safety behaviours. Some authors postulate that the organisational context, created largely by the management of an organisation, is of greater significance than training. Less research is available on these management factors – defined as the situational factors when discussing organisational culture, or defined as enabling and reinforcing factors when discussing food handler behaviour. This study commenced with the hypothesis that food handlers are not able to implement the correct food safety behaviours in the absence of sufficient management support. This support would require appropriate policies regarding food safety, the provision of training and infrastructure and enforcing the correct behaviours by line management, as a minimum. The aim of this study was to investigate and assess the role of line management in relation to food safety at a prominent South African entertainment facility. In order to achieve this, the following objectives were defined for the study: to conduct a qualitative assessment of the role of management in food safety, to assess the role of management in the provision of food safety training and to assess the role of management in the provision of a basic hygiene infrastructure at the study site in order to allow food handlers to carry out the correct behaviours. The objective of conducting a qualitative study of management practices, policies and resource provision with respect to food safety revealed that there was no formal evidence of management commitment to food safety other than the recent provision of food handler training. The findings also indicated a lack of a formal management system for food safety at the study site. In the exploratory survey of food safety training and knowledge, results showed that only 60 % of staff in the survey had received training. This indicates that at the time of the survey, the study site did not fully comply with the minimum legal requirements for food handler training. The results of the employee survey further indicated that employees were aware of the importance of hand washing although it was not possible to determine whether this knowledge was as a result of the training intervention or prior knowledge. Many of the supervisors were not yet trained in food safety and the impact of the food safety training intervention on related behaviours at the site will require further in-depth assessment. Upon investigating the food hygiene infrastructure provided at the study site to allow food handlers to carry out the correct behaviours, findings indicated that although the personnel hygiene programme addressed most of best practice requirements in design, the implementation of the hand washing requirements was not aligned with accepted norms due to the lack of sufficient hand wash basins. The provision of facilities such as sufficient and conveniently located hand wash basins is a management function and findings suggest that, as a priority, management should ensure that they are not contributing to the lack of implementation of the correct food safety behaviours of food handlers as a result of failing to provide the necessary resources. The results of this study should be of value in the food service sector, specifically hotel kitchens, as a guideline to ensure that management plays an effective role in facilitating food safety management systems. A robust food safety and food hygiene training programme for all levels of the organisation is essential in ensuring adequate knowledge of food safety hazards and correct practices. Training should be supported by daily supervision of food safety controls, management commitment and a work environment that supports the implementation of the correct behaviours. Literature has shown that undesirable practices are often deeply rooted in kitchen culture. It has further been commented that culture changes require a top-down approach which usually involves working with the leadership of the organisation. Important policies and procedures generally originate from the management tiers and will always require the concurrence of management in providing resources, altering priorities or otherwise changing how things are done in the organisation. The results of this study are invaluable in highlighting areas in an organisation that could be targeted to change the kitchen culture. Such changes are primarily the responsibility of management. Ultimately, this study endeavours to contribute to the body of knowledge pointing to the role of social-behavioural aspects in ensuring food safety and thereby consumer well-being

Linda S. Jackson to Dear Jimmy (14 October 1962)

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/mercorr_pro/1078/thumbnail.jp

A Training module for the integration of text, scanned graphics, and computer-generated artwork into a page layout program on a Macintosh design system

The purpose of this study is to develop a training module for integrating text, artwork, and graphics into a page layout program. Currently, the information for successful integration must be referenced from several sources. By having the key elements of integration in one volume, users attempting to layout and/or design a publication using these programs will be able to proceed quickly with fewer technical problems. Rapid growth is predicted for computer-based tools in graphic design studios, advertising agencies, and magazines which normally use computer design stations. These computer design stations require proper training to be used cost effectively. Consequently, training is important for firms investing in them. For the types of publications produced by graphic design studios, advertising agencies, and magazines, training is recommended by the author in the following five areas: word processing, artwork, graphics, page layout, and integration of programs. The manuals available for the individual programs were found to be adequate except in the area of integration. The information was spread out over several manuals and tended to assume more than entry level knowledge of computer vocabulary. The goal of this project is to bring the integration information together into one resource. Each stage of integration will be explained for a user who is not computer literate. It is necessary to specify programs for the integration training module since different programs have different requirements for integration. Programs were selected based on popularity, extensive use, and technical competence in the graphic arts industry. This project is comprised of two components. The first and major phase of the project is the experimentation, research, and writing of the integration training module. The final product will be an integration training module in the form of a reference manual. Research and experimentation will determine the specific contents and instructions for each chapter. The second component is the evaluation and subsequent revisions. A panel of judges will be asked to use the integration training module. The judges will then evaluate the module by completing a questionnaire designed to evaluate accuracy, clarity, ease of use, and usefulness. After reading the evaluations, revisions will be made to the module

A comparison of prison rehabilitation classes

This study employed a Pretest-Posttest Comparison Group Design in order to determine the comparative effectiveness of two prison rehabilitation classes. The experimental group was comprised of 14 adult, male, incarcerated offenders enrolled in a Prerelease class designed to impact their attitudes, thinking, and values. The comparison group consisted of 22 adult, male, incarcerated offenders enrolled in a GED preparation class. Both groups received a battery of pretests and posttests consisting of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, the Adjective Checklist (ACL), and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2). There was an interval of 23 school days between the pretests and posttests. Between groups and within groups repeated measures analysis of variance revealed significant difference among cells on only two of the 16 dependent variables measured. The results of this study suggest that the Prerelease class is no more successful than the GED preparation class in changing inmate students\u27 attitudes, thinking, and values

Biidaaban: First Light

Biidaaban: First Light is a short room-scale virtual reality (VR) experience that places the user in a future Toronto, set in and around Nathan Phillips Square. It projects a possible future where nature has begun to reclaim the city and where humans are living in keeping with the knowledge systems of the original people of the territory, the Wendat, Anishinaabe (Ojibway), and Kanyenkeha (Mohawk), as marked by their spoken languages which also appear as text, in their original form and as English or French translations. The current structures of commerce, politics and technology/transport and the Euro-Western ideologies that underlie our society are replaced by sustainable ways of living and the cultural understandings and knowledge systems of the peoples Indigenous to this place. The piece is concrete and poetic, using both practical imagery and metaphorical symbol to communicate a worldview that is rooted in Indigenous thought and accessible to any user, while offering added meaning to those who are familiar with the languages and thought systems of the original people of this land

Undergraduate perceptions of the development of team-working skills

Purpose: The ability to working effectively with others (WEWO) is critical yet industry continues to lament deficiencies in new graduates. Progress in developing this highly valued skill in undergraduates is impeded by a lack of conceptual clarity and evidence of how best to measure it, and a tendency to adopt an outcomes-focused, rather than process-oriented, approach. This paper aims to investigate undergraduate perceptions of how well a stand-alone employability skill development programme, operating in an Australian Business Faculty, is fostering the WEWO skill set and which pedagogical practices are considered to add most value. Design/methodology/approach: The study examines undergraduate perceptions using data gathered from a skills audit of 799 business undergraduates from all four sequential units within the skills programme. Undergraduates rated and described their development against an established framework of WEWO behaviours. Findings: Findings indicate that, overall, skill development is rated highly among the undergraduates although the behaviours of conflict resolution, social intelligence and influencing others were rated less highly than others within the skill set. The importance of class activities and assessment items, including the use of virtual learning tools were identified by students as critical to the development of WEWO behaviours. Originality/value: The study highlights the important role of constructive alignment, sequential skill development, consistency of delivery and ensuring student buy-in to education practitioners in their efforts to meet industry expectations of graduates who can WEWO

Determining factors in graduate recruitment and preparing students for success

Purpose: This study aims to investigate graduate employer perceptions of determining factors in recruitment decisions and their preferred use of recruitment channels. This study drew on the employability capitals model to interpret findings and identify ways to better prepare higher education students for recruitment and selection. This is particularly important in declining graduate labour markets, further weakened by COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach: This study gathered data from surveying 183 Australian employers from different organisational settings. Responses were analysed using descriptive and multivariate techniques, the latter exploring variations by role type, sector and organisation size. Findings: Findings reaffirmed the criticality of students having the right disposition and demonstrating professional capabilities during recruitment, highlighting the value of building cultural and human capital during university years. Recruitment channels that require students to mobilise their identity and social capital were prioritised, particularly among private sector organisations. Work-based internships/placements were considered important for identifying graduate talent and developing strong industry–educator partnerships, needed for building networks between students and employers. Originality/value: This study provides valuable insights into determinants of graduate recruitment decision-making from the employer perspective. These highlight to students the important role of capitals, and how they can be developed to optimise recruitment success. This study presents practical strategies for universities to build their students’ human, social, cultural and identity capital. Findings on the prioritisation of recruitment channels among graduate employers from different sectors will enable students and universities to better prepare for future recruitment. It emphasises that student engagement with employability-related activities is a critical resource for an effective transition to the workplace