A Correlational Study: Understanding the Relationship Between Leadership and Morale Within Law Enforcement Agencies

Law enforcement agencies employ officers who are driven to serving and protecting their communities. However, officers are not only tasked with serving and protecting, but also with dealing with issues of low morale within their law enforcement agencies. The issue of low morale resulting in high turnover rates, and issues with law enforcement agencies struggling with retention rates, is not new, nor is the issue of low morale within law enforcement agencies. This study emphasizes the relationship between leadership and morale, rather than the common factors of stress, pay, benefits, and hours. The study explored 3 factors among law enforcement agencies: (a) leadership and morale, (b) retention rates, and (c) turnover rates. The researcher surveyed 259 law enforcement officers in South Carolina utilizing a Likert-type survey. The officers who participated in the survey came from 4 various law enforcement agencies in 4 varying geographical locations. These agencies ranged in size from small, medium, and large. The data gathered from the survey population were analyzed using a Spearman rho correlation to measure relationships, as well descriptive statistics to further analyze data. Based on the Spearman rho correlations, a strong relationship existed between leadership and morale (p \u3c 0.01), and morale and retention rates (p \u3c 0.01). No relationship existed between morale and turnover rates within law enforcement agencies. Based on the results of the study, some implications from the study could include introducing and requiring annual leadership courses, offering surveys to measure agency morale, and acknowledging possible issues regarding low morale

A Correlational Study: Understanding the Relationship Between Leadership and Morale Within Law Enforcement Agencies

Law enforcement agencies employ officers who are driven to serving and protecting their communities. However, officers are not only tasked with serving and protecting, but also with dealing with issues of low morale within their law enforcement agencies. The issue of low morale resulting in high turnover rates, and issues with law enforcement agencies struggling with retention rates, is not new, nor is the issue of low morale within law enforcement agencies. This study emphasizes the relationship between leadership and morale, rather than the common factors of stress, pay, benefits, and hours. The study explored 3 factors among law enforcement agencies: (a) leadership and morale, (b) retention rates, and (c) turnover rates. The researcher surveyed 259 law enforcement officers in South Carolina utilizing a Likert-type survey. The officers who participated in the survey came from 4 various law enforcement agencies in 4 varying geographical locations. These agencies ranged in size from small, medium, and large. The data gathered from the survey population were analyzed using a Spearman rho correlation to measure relationships, as well descriptive statistics to further analyze data. Based on the Spearman rho correlations, a strong relationship existed between leadership and morale (p \u3c 0.01), and morale and retention rates (p \u3c 0.01). No relationship existed between morale and turnover rates within law enforcement agencies. Based on the results of the study, some implications from the study could include introducing and requiring annual leadership courses, offering surveys to measure agency morale, and acknowledging possible issues regarding low morale

Why Trade Associations Matter: Exploring Function, Meaning, and Influence

We explore the organizational characteristics of trade associations (TAs) and suggest theoretical approaches for undertaking research into or involving TAs in management and organization studies. Through emphasizing the role of TAs within and between industries and at the interface of business and society, we consider how TAs generate meaning and influence

Model based CFP indicators, F/Fmsy and SSB Mediterranean region case study

This work presents the application to Mediterranean stocks of a set of model-based indicators, being developed for monitoring the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The work constitutes an application of the methodology, as such the results should not be used as representative of the CFP implementation in the Mediterranean. This document is mainly constituted of R code, showing how the indicators can be computed and presenting a set of diagnostics and stability tests. The models tested were a linear model, a linear mixed effects model with random intercept by stock, a GAMM with random intercept by stock and a GAMM with random intercept by Mediterranean GSA and species. The stability tests were designed to evaluate the estimates of recent (2003-2013) time series of trends in SSB and annual mean values of F/Fmsy. The results were presented to the STECF's 2015 winter plenary (STECF-PLEN-15-03).JRC.G.3-Maritime affair

Marine Mammals and Megafauna in Irish Waters - Behaviour, Distribution and Habitat Use- WP4 Research into Ecosystem Links and Habitat Use between Cetaceans and Fisheries in the Celtic Sea

*WP Leader: Dr Ian O’Connor, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology *Project Partners: Irish Whale and Dolphin Group *Author(s): Hillary Healy, Cóilín Minto, Dave Wall, Ciarán O Donnell and Ian O’Connor *Project Duration: 01 February 2008 to 31 August 2011Visual line transect survey data for cetaceans were simultaneously collected during synoptic acoustic sampling surveys of small schooling pelagic fish, i.e. herring (Clupea harengus) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in the Celtic Sea, off the south coast of Ireland, from 2004 to 2009. These data were used to investigate the interactions of cetaceans with biological and environmental variables in the survey area. Geographic information systems and generalized linear and generalized additive models were used in this study.This project (Grant-Aid Agreement No.PBA/ME/07/005(02)) was carried out under the Sea Change Strategy with the support of the Marine Institute and the Marine Research Sub-Programme of the National Development Plan 2007–2013, and through funding from the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.Funder: Marine Institut

Randomized controlled trial of intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy in aerobically fit and unfit patients having major colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative fluid therapy regimens using oesophageal Doppler monitoring (ODM) to optimize stroke volume (SV) (goal-directed fluid therapy, GDT) have been associated with a reduction in length of stay (LOS) and complication rates after major surgery. We hypothesized that intraoperative GDT would reduce the time to surgical readiness for discharge (RfD) of patients having major elective colorectal surgery but that this effect might be less marked in aerobically fit patients. METHODS: In this double-blinded controlled trial, 179 patients undergoing major open or laparoscopic colorectal surgery were characterized as aerobically 'fit' (n=123) or 'unfit' (n=56) on the basis of their performance during a cardiopulmonary exercise test. Within these fitness strata, patients were randomized to receive a standard fluid regimen with or without ODM-guided intraoperative GDT. RESULTS: GDT patients received an average of 1360 ml of additional intraoperative colloid. The mean cardiac index and SV at skin closure were significantly higher in the GDT group than in controls. Times to RfD and LOS were longer in GDT than control patients but did not reach statistical significance (median 6.8 vs 4.9 days, P=0.09, and median 8.8 vs 6.7 days, P=0.09, respectively). Fit GDT patients had an increased RfD (median 7.0 vs 4.7 days; P=0.01) and LOS (median 8.8 vs 6.0 days; P=0.01) compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative SV optimization conferred no additional benefit over standard fluid therapy. In an aerobically fit subgroup of patients, GDT was associated with detrimental effects on the primary outcome. TRIAL REGISTRY: UK NIHR CRN 7285, ISRCTN 14680495. http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/Search/StudyDetail.aspx?StudyID=7285

Spatio-Temporal Variability of Harbor Porpoise Life History Parameters in the North-East Atlantic

Harbor porpoises exhibit early maturation, relatively short gestation/lactation periods and a faster rate of reproduction as compared to other cetacean species. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors can influence both population vital rates and population structure, which ultimately cause changes in dynamics within and between populations. Here, we undertook a retrospective analysis of mortality data collected over a 24-year period for assessing life history traits of the North-east Atlantic harbor porpoise population. We use time-period specific models for key life history relationships that considered cause of death of individuals (as a proxy for health status), sex and management unit (MU). Sexual variation in asymptotic length, asymptotic age, average length at 50% maturity (L50) and average age at 50% maturity (A50) were observed, with females attaining a larger asymptotic length, larger L50, and delaying attainment of both sexual and physical maturity, compared to males. While females are constrained in their minimum body size due to giving birth to proportionally larger offspring, males exhibited more plasticity in size at sexual maturity, enabling re-allocation of available energy resources toward reproduction. Data were then used to compare biological parameters among two porpoise MUs in United Kingdom waters, both of which in the current study exhibited reduced reproductive rates compared to other geographic regions. In both MUs, females significantly increased their A50 and males significantly declined in their L50. An increase in the age at asymptotic length was also observed in both sexes, along with a significant decline in the Gompertz growth rate parameter that was more apparent in the female data. While availability of suitable prey resources may be a limiting factor, a combination of other factors cannot be ruled out. Porpoises in the Celtic and Irish Seas MU were significantly larger in their maximum length, asymptotic length and L50 compared to porpoises in the North Sea MU throughout the study period, suggesting limited gene flow between these two MUs. These results justify the maintenance of these harbor porpoise MUs or assessment units, as two separate units, within the range of the North-east Atlantic population, and for indicator assessments under the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Comparative studies on the structure of an upland African stream ecosystem

Upland stream systems have been extensively investigated in Europe, North America and Australasia and many of the central ideas concerning their function are based on these systems. One central paradigm, the river continuum concept is ultimately derived from those North American streams whose catchments remain forested with native vegetation. Streams of the tropics may or may not fit the model. They have been little studied. The Amani Nature Reserve in the East Usambara Mountains of north-eastern Tanzania offers an opportunity to bring these naturally forested systems to the attention of the ecological community. This article describes a comparison made between two lengths of the River Dodwe in this area. The work was carried out by a group of postgraduate students from eighteen European and African countries with advice from five staff members, as part of a course organised by the Tropical Biology Association. Rigorous efforts were made to standardise techniques, in a situation where equipment and laboratory facilities were very basic, through a management structure and deliberate allocation of work to specialists in each area.The article offers a summary of invertebrate communities found in the stream and its biomass. Crabs seem to be the key organism in both sections of the streams