Award reliance

The study was conducted by the Workplace Research Centre, University of Sydney in collaboration with fieldwork company ORC International on behalf of the Fair Work Commission. It explores findings from the Award Reliance Survey (comprising a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) and an online survey) with around 11 500 non-public sector national system employers conducted from January to April 2013. Data were collected on the size, structure and characteristics of these organisations, the nature of employment arrangements within these organisations as well as information on bargaining activity within them. The approach of undertaking the survey at the enterprise level was important given the lack of firm level data available by pay-setting arrangement. The study aimed to identify the incidence of award reliance across surveyed organisations and their employees. It found that around 25 per cent of organisations were award reliant (in which at least one employee has their pay set at the specified award rate) and a further 27 per cent of organisations were ‘award-based’ in which they used other pay-setting arrangements where an award is used in some way to guide the pay-setting decision. The research also aimed to identify the nature of award reliance—the mix or ‘categories’ of award-reliant employees and, where possible, their location on award classification scales—across these award-reliant organisations. A particular focus of the research was to identify professionals and other employees on higher award classifications whose pay is set at the specified award rate. The study also examined wage-setting practices of employers and reasons why employees were paid award rates. The most common reasons given by organisations for award reliance were that: award rates were appropriate or fair remuneration; and affordability. The most common reasons that award-reliant organisations set wages over the applicable award rate for some employees was that they wanted to reward employees with higher wages and that the applicable award rates were not competitive for attracting and retaining workers in the industry/sector

Building a Graduate Research Exhibits Program in an Academic Library

This session will describe West Virginia University Libraries’ annual Graduate Student Exhibits Award. The award, managed by our Art in the Libraries Committee, invites current graduate students to submit ideas for an exhibit to visually showcase their scholarship in new and experimental ways. These can present a visual evolution of their work, visualize their research and influences, or answer a research question. Graduate student proposals can be based on academic or creative research and lend themselves to visual interpretation with Library consultation. Awards include a $500 prize and help with design, installation, promotion, and coordination of a public program, offering an opportunity for exposure. The exhibits are hung annually in the Libraries’ Graduate Student Commons and are promoted in partnership with West Virginia Universities’ Office of Graduate Education and Life. The goals of these awards are to: provide a multidisciplinary platform for deeper learning, foster intellectual discourse and discussion, and demonstrate the breadth of WVU\u27s creative and innovative activity. The award program mirrors our Faculty Research Exhibit award and has been successfully run for two years resulting in three exhibits. The exhibits have represented a range of graduate research at WVU from Sociology, Soil Science, and English. The public program includes a reception and short research presentation with question-and-answer session. The presentation provides graduate students the opportunity to discuss their work in a public forum that might be lower stakes than a conference. It also asks graduate students to make their research visible and more accessible to audiences outside of their own fields. The award program has the added benefit of promoting the Libraries Graduate Research Commons space which is designed for graduate student study space, meetings, and events. Feedback for the events has been positive at the administrative, faculty, and student level. The conference session will highlight some examples of the exhibits, review how we developed the award, the support we provide the student creating the exhibit, how we promote the exhibits, and our plans to continue to grow the program as part of an expanded suite of research services for faculty and graduate students

Reading without central vision:effects of text spacing on reading in patients with macular disease

Abstract: Loss of central vision caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a problem affecting increasingly large numbers of people within the ageing population. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, with estimates of over 600,000 people affected in the UK . Central vision loss can be devastating for the sufferer, with vision loss impacting on the ability to carry out daily activities. In particular, inability to read is linked to higher rates of depression in AMD sufferers compared to age-matched controls. Methods to improve reading ability in the presence of central vision loss will help maintain independence and quality of life for those affected. Various attempts to improve reading with central vision loss have been made. Most textual manipulations, including font size, have led to only modest gains in reading speed. Previous experimental work and theoretical arguments on spatial integrative properties of the peripheral retina suggest that ‘visual crowding’ may be a major factor contributing to inefficient reading. Crowding refers to the phenomena in which juxtaposed targets viewed eccentrically may be difficult to identify. Manipulating text spacing of reading material may be a simple method that reduces crowding and benefits reading ability in macular disease patients. In this thesis the effect of textual manipulation on reading speed was investigated, firstly for normally sighted observers using eccentric viewing, and secondly for observers with central vision loss. Test stimuli mimicked normal reading conditions by using whole sentences that required normal saccadic eye movements and observer comprehension. Preliminary measures on normally-sighted observers (n = 2) used forced-choice procedures in conjunction with the method of constant stimuli. Psychometric functions relating the proportion of correct responses to exposure time were determined for text size, font type (Lucida Sans and Times New Roman) and text spacing, with threshold exposure time (75% correct responses) used as a measure of reading performance. The results of these initial measures were used to derive an appropriate search space, in terms of text spacing, for assessing reading performance in AMD patients. The main clinical measures were completed on a group of macular disease sufferers (n=24). Firstly, high and low contrast reading acuity and critical print size were measured using modified MNREAD test charts, and secondly, the effect of word and line spacing was investigated using a new test, designed specifically for this study, called the Equal Readability Passages (ERP) test. The results from normally-sighted observers were in close agreement with those from the group of macular disease sufferers. Results show that: (i) optimum reading performance was achieved when using both double line and double word spacing; (ii) the effect of line spacing was greater than the effect of word spacing (iii) a text size of approximately 0.85o is sufficiently large for reading at 5o eccentricity. In conclusion, the results suggest that crowding is detrimental to reading with peripheral vision, and its effects can be minimized with a modest increase in text spacing

Identification of latest trends and current developments in methods to profile jobseekers in European public employment services : final report

This small-scale study to identify the latest trends and current developments in methods to profile jobseekers in European Public Employment Services (PES4) was undertaken by the Institute for Employment Research (IER) at the University of Warwick and ICF International. This small-scale study was commissioned via the service contract to deliver the European Employment Policy Observatory (VT/2012/005). This small scale study comprised three elements: a literature review; case studies of six Member States and two international comparators; and a workshop with key stakeholders, profiling subject experts and representatives for Member State PES to explore findings from the literature review and case studies

The Indigenous visual arts industry

This research project has been an active collaboration between the ACCC, CAEPR and ATSIC

Some competition and consumer issues in the Indigenous visual arts industry

This paper focuses on how competition and consumer protection issues might be relevant to the Indigenous visual arts industry. The structure of the industry is complex: the majority of producers reside in remote localities; there are a variety of functional levels; the industry encompasses both the 'fine' and 'tourist' art markets and includes works made in collaboration with non-Indigenous people. There is an emphasis in the paper on government funded community art centres which collect, document and market Indigenous art. However, the objectives of most art centres are mixed and the roles that they play in remote communities extend well beyond these tasks. Perhaps most importantly, art centres act as cultural mediators between artists and the market. If they are to act in the artists' best interests, art centres may operate most effectively as monopolies. This is primarily because of market failure associated with remoteness, their small size, dispersed artist populations and the poor track record of private dealers. Notwithstanding the fact that a few art centres have exclusive access to some geographically defined art styles, the nature of competition within the industry appears healthy. However, there is concern about competition from imported as well as locally produced 'fakes' in the tourist market. Authorship and issues of authenticity emerge as considerations with potential for future industry impacts, though labelling and other documentation strategies by art centres and other outlets have improved markedly in recent years. Those sections of the Trade Practices Act 1974 that may be relevant to the industry include unconscionable conduct, false and misleading representation and coercion or harassment. A significant amount of anecdotal evidence has emerged in the course of research in relation to the unethical practices of some private dealers. The production of a producer and consumer education charter is put forward as a strategy which may be of benefit to this growing industry

Type and level of psychopathology and object relations in eating-disordered females.

Abstract Not Available.Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1990 .W775. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-11, Section: B, page: 6103. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1989

Understanding future skills: requirements for better data

Deliverable 6.3 focuses on data necessary for a comprehensive analysis of skills for digitalisation. Reliable data is needed to make appropriate decisions for the New Skills Agenda for Europe, national initiatives, and VET systems. Qualitative assessments of Tasks 6.1 to 6.4 are contrasted with quantitative WP3 data to identify gaps in data, indicators and measures that support monitoring of skill requirements. The main outcome is that there are still gaps in European data on skills that leave stakeholders partially blindfolded when looking at changes in skill demand and resulting needs for adaptations of skill supply. The report formulates requirements for the improvement of data

The influence of tibial component malalignment on bone strain in revision total knee replacement.

Revision total knee replacement is a challenging surgical procedure typically associated with significant loss of bone stock in the proximal tibia. To increase the fixation stability, extended stems are frequently used for the tibial component in revision surgery. The design of the tibial stem influences the load transfer from tibial component to the surrounding bone and is cited as a possible cause for the clinically reported pain in the location of the stem-end. This study aimed to analyse the strain distribution of a fully cemented revision tibial component with a validated finite element model. The model was developed from a scanned composite tibia (Sawbones), with an implanted, fully cemented stemmed tibial component aligned to the mechanical axis of the tibia. Loading was applied to the tibial component with mediolateral compartment load distributions of 60:40 and 80:20. Three strain gauged composite tibias with implanted tibial components of the same design using the same loading distribution were tested to obtain experimental strains at five locations in the proximal tibia. The finite element model developed was validated against strain measurements obtained in the experimental study. The strains displayed similar patterns (R2 = 0.988) and magnitudes with those predicted from the finite element model. The displacement of the stem-end from the natural mechanical axis in the finite element model demonstrated increased strains in the stem-end region with a close proximity of the distal stem with the cortical bone. The simulation of a mediolateral compartment load of 80:20 developed peak cortical strain values on the posteriormedial side beneath the stem. This may possibly be related to the clinically reported pain at the stem-end. Furthermore, stem positioning in close proximity or contact with the posterior cortical bone is a contributory factor for an increase in distal strain