Development of Conceptual Motivational Framework to Improve Construction Labour Productivity in the U.K

The theoretical study presents vital motivational factors influencing labour productivity and understanding the relationship between motivation, social compliance, and labour productivity for decision-making. Labour motivation is essential because the quality of labour performance depends upon motivation. Labour who put forth more effort makes a big difference in company productivity. The construction industry in the U.K. is to become Europe’s largest construction market by 2030. However, the trend of construction industry productivity in the U.K. has been low relative to other industries resulting in a skilled labour shortage, project delays, high construction costs, and low productivity growth as foreign migrants execute most projects. The U.K. serves as a security for the concerns of Middle Eastern and other war-torn countries, including the effects of the Ukraine war. It is the largest market for U.S.A. service exports, thus accepting more migrants. Therefore, demands for housing projects are ever-increasing, leading to a rise in construction projects that present opportunities for research to improve productivity through motivation by enhancing social compliance. The findings indicate that motivation mediates social compliance and labour productivity and that the essential way to motivate labour is by upholding social compliance. The present study conducts a comprehensive literature review to identify motivational factors influencing labour productivity. The findings developed a conceptual motivational framework that indicates a positive relationship between motivation, social compliance, and labour productivity. The next level is to test the framework on construction sites empirically through pragmatism philosophy with quantitative and qualitative approaches

Development of Conceptual Motivation Framework to Enhance Construction Labour Productivity in the UK

Motivation is essential because labour performance depends on motivation. The study presents vital motivation factors influencing labour productivity and the relationship between social compliance, motivation, and productivity for decision-making. The construction industry in the U.K. is to become the largest construction market by 2030. However, construction productivity in the U.K. is low relative to other industries, resulting in a skilled labour shortage and low productivity growth. Hence, the opportunities for research to improve productivity in constructing for the future through motivation by social compliance. The study conducts a critical literature review of 32 significant motivation and productivity articles from construction and other industries in an online database to identify 31 factors. The findings indicate that motivation mediates social compliance and productivity. The study developed a conceptual motivation framework that indicates a positive relationship with motivation, social compliance, and productivity. The next stage is empirically testing the framework on sites

Low Frequency Eddy Currents with magnetic Saturation for In-Line Detection and Sizing of Stress Corrosion Cracks

Under previous programs for the Pipeline Research Committee, Battelle has developed and field tested a low frequency eddy current instrument for characterizing stress corrosion cracks in pipelines. While a significant improvement over conventional magnetic particle inspections, the eddy current method as it was developed in these programs is limited to use for inspections of pipelines from the outside surface. This paper examines the possibility of using this low frequency eddy current equipment to detect and size stress corrosion cracks from the interior of the pipeline by magnetically saturating the pipeline to reduce its permeability and thereby increase penetration of the eddy currents into the pipe

Development of Conceptual Motivational Framework to Improve Construction Labour Productivity in the U.K.

The theoretical study presents vital motivational factors influencing labour productivity and understanding the relationship between motivation, social compliance, and labour productivity for decision-making. Labour motivation is essential because the quality of labour performance depends upon motivation. Labour who put forth more effort makes a big difference in company productivity. The construction industry in the U.K. is to become Europe’s largest construction market by 2030. However, the trend of construction industry productivity in the U.K. has been low relative to other industries resulting in a skilled labour shortage, project delays, high construction costs, and low productivity growth as foreign migrants execute most projects. The U.K. serves as a security for the concerns of Middle Eastern and other war-torn countries, including the effects of the Ukraine war. It is the largest market for U.S.A. service exports, thus accepting more migrants. Therefore, demands for housing projects are ever-increasing, leading to a rise in construction projects that present opportunities for research to improve productivity through motivation by enhancing social compliance. The findings indicate that motivation mediates social compliance and labour productivity and that the essential way to motivate labour is by upholding social compliance. The present study conducts a comprehensive literature review to identify motivational factors influencing labour productivity. The findings developed a conceptual motivational framework that indicates a positive relationship between motivation, social compliance, and labour productivity. The next level is to test the framework on construction sites empirically through pragmatism philosophy with quantitative and qualitative approaches

Impact of Gold Mining on Soil and some Staple Foods Collected from Selected mining communities in and around Tarkwa-Prestea Area

The principle of neutron activation was used to investigate the presence of toxic elements and possible heavy metals in samples of cassava, plantain and soil from the mining communities in and around Tarkwa in the Western Region of Ghana. The results showed that the maximum concentrations of the respective metals in cassava: plantain: soil samples were arsenic (As = 0.7 ƒÊg/g:0.25 ƒÊg/g:14.35 ƒÊg/g), mercury (Hg = 0.25 ƒÊg/g:0.52 ƒÊg/g:0.09 ƒÊg/g), antimony (Sb = 0.03 ƒÊg/g: 0.03 ƒÊg/g: 2.98 ƒÊg/g ), chromium (Cr = 0.72 ƒÊg/g:3.42 ƒÊg/g:40.35 ƒÊg/g ), vanadium (V = 0.8 ƒÊg/g:0.76 ƒÊg/g:188.40 ƒÊg/g ), zinc (Zn = 38.42 ƒÊg/g:24.92 ƒÊg/g:42.36 ƒÊg/g), and copper (Cu = 66.39 ƒÊg/g: 8.74 ƒÊg/g: 53.46 ƒÊg/g). The concentrations in cassava and plantain were higher than the values proposed by the FAO, the Expert Committee on Food Additives of the WHO and the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The concentrations of Hg (0,09 ƒÊg/g) in soil at Teberebie and of V (188.40ig/g) at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) in soil were above the permitted concentrations of 5 ƒÊg/g and 90 ƒÊg/g, respectively. Samples from communities further away from the centres of mine drainages (mile 8., mile 10.) had smaller values of element concentrations. An enrichment factor (EF) analysis for both cassava and plantain were Zn (7%) and Hg (90%). The remaining elements together add up to 3%. The enrichment factor analysis for plantain is greater than that for cassava. Mercury is the element that is chiefly enriched in both cassava and plantain. The second predominant element enriched in cassava and plantain is zinc

The Decoupling of Marriage and Parenthood? Trends in the Timing of Marital First Births, 1945–2002

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106837/1/jomf12114.pd

Reconnaissance Survey of Arsenic Concentration in Ground-water in South-eastern Ghana

Arsenic (As) analysis of 150 boreholes in the south-eastern part of Ghana (Accra, Eastern and Volta regions) revealed low to medium concentrations in the range of 2-39 mg l-1, with only 2% of boreholes tested having arsenic concentration exceeding 10 mg l-1 of the WHO (2004) maximum permissible level of arsenic in drinking water. The measurements were carried out in the field using the Wagtech Arsenator field test kit (Wag-We 100500) equipment, which gives direct readout of arsenic concentration in the critical range 2-100 mg l-1. Arsenic concentrations were in the range < 2–39 mg l-1 with mean (< 2 mg l-1) and median (< 2 mg l-1). Out of 150 samples analysed, 147 had As concentration below 10 mg l-1. Three boreholes in the Recent Sand Formation in southern Volta Region at Atitekpo, Mafi Devime and Woe Aklorbordzi had arsenic concentrations of 28 mg l-1, 19 mg l-1 and 39 mg l-1, respectively. Though the sample of boreholes tested was only approximately 10% of the total number of boreholes in the study, the distribution within the sample makes the generalization that the risk of arsenic contamination of rural water supply in southeastern Ghana is generally low plausible. In spite of this assertion, boreholes in the Recent Sandy Formation have to be critically assessed to determine the extent of arsenic contamination and, if possible, monitored.West African Journal of Applied Ecology Vol. 13 2008: pp. 16-2

Integrating Blood Collection Within Household Surveys: Lessons Learned From Nesting a Measles and Rubella Serological Survey Within a Post-Campaign Coverage Evaluation Survey in Southern Province, Zambia

Age-specific population immunity to many vaccine-preventable diseases can be measured using serological surveys. However, stand-alone serological surveys are infrequently conducted in low- and middle-income countries because of costs, operational challenges, and potential high refusal rates for blood collection. Nesting a serosurvey within a household cluster survey may overcome some of these challenges. We share lessons learned from nesting a serosurvey within a measles and rubella vaccination post-campaign coverage evaluation survey (PCES). In 15 of the 26 PCES clusters in Southern Province, Zambia, we collected dried blood spots from 581 participants aged 9 months and older. Household participation rates for the main PCES were higher in the serosurvey clusters (86%) than PCES-only clusters (71%), suggesting that a serosurvey can be successfully integrated without adversely affecting PCES participation. Among households that participated in the PCES, 80% also participated in the serosurvey and 86% of individuals available in the household provided a blood sample for the serosurvey. Substantial planning and coordination, additional staff training, and community mobilization were critical to the success of the serosurvey. Most challenges stemmed from using different data collecting tools and teams for the serosurvey and PCES. A more efficient design would be to fully integrate the serosurvey by adding blood collection and additional questions to the PCES

Benefits and challenges in using sero-prevalence data to inform models for measles and rubella elimination.

Control efforts for measles and rubella are intensifying globally. It becomes increasingly important to identify and reach remaining susceptible populations as elimination is approached. Serological surveys for measles and rubella can potentially measure susceptibility directly, but their use remains rare. Here, using simulations, we outline key subtleties in interpretation associated with the dynamic context of age-specific immunity, highlighting how the patterns of immunity predicted from disease surveillance and vaccination coverage data may be misleading. High quality representative sero-surveys could provide a more accurate assessment of immunity if challenges of conducting, analyzing, and interpreting them are overcome. We frame the core disease control and elimination questions that could be addressed by improved serological tools, discussing challenges and suggesting approaches to increase the feasibility and sustainability of the tool. Accounting for the dynamical context, sero-surveys could play a key role in efforts to achieve and sustain elimination