Increasing Employee Motivation and Use of ERP System to Enhance Organizational Performance

This action research aims to study how to enhance organizational performance level at AAA, an electrical engineering and manufacturing company in Myanmar, which has initiated technology use in the operations by implementing ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. The current situations were diagnosed by SWOT and STAR analysis and it was found that employee motivation and use of ERP system were required to improve to bring higher organizational performance level. Therefore, appropriate organization development interventions (ODIs) for the independent variables, which are employee motivation and use of ERP system, were designed and conducted to sixty participants of the focal company to meet the organizational expectations. Data was collected qualitatively through participatory and non-participatory observations and semi-structured interviews and quantitatively through surveys at pre and post-ODI stages. The impact of ODIs was analyzed by paired sample t-test, regression analysis, and content analysis and the outcomes indicated that employee motivation and use of ERP system and the level of organizational performance level have improved after ODIs. The results proved that the improvements of the independent variables positively impacted organizational performance. In concluding the research project, the results were reviewed and the author gave recommendations for the further development of the focal company

Deformation-induced accelerated dynamics in polymer glasses

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the effects of deformation on the segmental dynamics in an aging polymer glass. Individual particle trajectories are decomposed into a series of discontinuous hops, from which we obtain the full distribution of relaxation times and displacements under three deformation protocols: step stress (creep), step strain, and constant strain rate deformation. As in experiments, the dynamics can be accelerated by several orders of magnitude during deformation, and the history dependence is entirely erased during yield (mechanical rejuvenation). Aging can be explained as a result of the long tails in the relaxation time distribution of the glass, and similarly, mechanical rejuvenation is understood through the observed narrowing of this distribution during yield. Although the relaxation time distributions under deformation are highly protocol specific, in each case they may be described by a universal acceleration factor that depends only on the strain.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figure

Interrelationships in South and Southeast Asian Art: Cham Female Iconography, Buddhist Inscriptions and the Buddha Image

This journal has been published at different time periods under the following titles: Explorations: A Graduate Student Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, Explorations in Southeast Asian Studies, and The Journal of the Southeast Asian Studies Association.The Student Activities Program Fee Boar

Lysin Based Antimicrobial Peptides Against Acinetobacter Baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen responsible for a range of nosocomial infections. The recent rise and spread of multidrug resistant A. baumannii clones has fueled a search for alternative therapies, including bacteriophage endolysins with potent antibacterial activities. A common feature of these lysins is the presence of a highly positively charged C-terminal domain with a likely role in promoting outer membrane penetration. In the current study, we show that the C-terminal amino acids 108-138 of phage lysin PlyF307, named P307, alone was sufficient to kill A. baumannii (\u3e3-logs). Furthermore, P307 could be engineered for improved activity, the most active derivative being P307SQ-8C (\u3e5-log kill). Both P307 and P307SQ-8C showed high in vitro activity against A. baumannii in biofilms. Moreover, P307SQ-8C exhibited MICs comparable to levofloxacin and ceftazidime and acted synergistically with polymyxin B. While the peptides were shown to kill by disrupting the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane, they did not lyse human red blood cells or B cells; however, serum was found to be inhibitory to lytic activity. In a murine model of A. baumannii skin infection, P307SQ-8C reduced the bacterial burden by ~2-logs in 2 h. This study demonstrates the prospect of using peptide derivatives from bacteriophage lysins to treat topical infections and remove biofilms caused by Gram-negative pathogens

A Research Proposal: Negligent Hiring and Fraudulent Resumes

Resume fraud and misleading information on applications are more common than ever. Applicants who feel they are ready for a position that might not have the credentials will misrepresent information, giving them an advantage over other competition. Such fraud can also lead to internal and external theft or a violent individual in the office. Employers could be held liable for actions made by employees for not considering the most effective screening and hiring practices. Effective pre-employment screening should be a necessity for a successful business. This research proposal considers effective screening practices companies must be aware of, what information is needed, and what to do with it

Color Universal Design for Educators: An Instructional Design Research Project

Is it imperative that inclusive learning materials are created to ensure all students, whether in-person or in online learning environments, have access to a quality education. Creating visually inclusive learning materials for students with disabilities, in particular, students with colorblindness, will help with academic success. However, many educators are unaware of their students with colorblindness and few know how to create inclusive visual materials for them. Color Universal Design, a relatively new approach under the conceptual umbrella of Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning, can help. Therefore, the purpose of this research study was to create and evaluate the effectiveness of an online instructional module on Color Universal Design for post-secondary educators. This module aimed to increase awareness of students with colorblindness and teach Color Universal Design techniques. Disseminated to a sample population of post-secondary educators of the University of Hawai’i system, pre- and post-assessments were used to evaluate participants’ application mastery of the module’s content and to measure the overall instructional effectiveness. Color Universal Design can assist educators with steps to improve their visual materials, decrease learning barriers for their students with colorblindness, and enhance the experience of all their students

The Relationship between Teachers’ Perception towards Organizational Culture and Occupational Stress at No.2 Basic Education High School, in Insein Township, Myanmar

The main purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between teachers’ perception towards organizational culture and occupational stress at No.2 Basic Education High School, in Insein Township, Myanmar in the academic year 2015-2016.A total of 91 full-time teachers from No.2 Basic Education High School, in Insein Township, Myanmar were surveyed for this study. The research instrument was the questionnaire that investigated the teachers’ perception towards organizational culture and occupational stress. The collected data were analyzed by using the mean, standard deviation and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient.The study found out that level of teachers’ perception towards organizational culture was moderate in the school, and the level of teachers’ perception towards occupational stress was low for the school. Therefore, the hypothesis was accepted as the study discovered that a moderate negative relationship between teachers’ perception towards organizational culture and occupational stress was existing at No.2 Basic Education High School, in Insein Township, Myanmar

Health behavior, stress and obesity among working age women in Myanmar

Aim:  This study aimed to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to investigate the association between socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, health literacy, knowledge, attitude, physical and mental health status, and overweight and obesity among working age women in Myanmar. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,094 women aged 18 to 59 years old who were recruited by using multistage random sampling from 12 townships out of 6 districts among three states/regions. A structured questionnaire was developed and applied to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) was performed to determine the association between dependent and independent variables after controlling the effects of covariates presenting adjusted OR and 95% confidence interval. Results: More than half of the respondents were with overweight and obesity (51.28%; 95%CI: 48.31-54.23). The multivariable analysis indicated that factors significantly associated with overweight and obesity included; aged 31-59 years (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.72, 95%CI:1.22-2.40), living without family (AOR= 2.07, 95%CI:1.20-3.57), average monthly income ≥200,000MMK (AOR= 1.38, 95%CI:1.05-1.82), parity≥1 (AOR= 1.61, 95%CI: 1.17- 2.23), high fat & protein consumption ≥5-days per week (AOR= 2.90, 95%CI:1.91-4.39), alcohol consumption (AOR= 2.53, 95%CI:1.91-3.36) and moderate-severe stress (AOR= 1.47, 95%CI:1.11-1.94). Conclusion: More than half of working age women were with overweight and obesity. Socioeconomic status, health behavior and stress are the factors behind over nutrition. The findings provide relevant evidence to develop the appropriate policies and public health interventions in order to minimize the burden of overweight and obesity. Likewise, it is anticipated that this outcome would support the prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. &nbsp