Attitudes of Louisiana apparel manufacturers towards computer technology

Current literature has suggested that there is a reluctance on the part of the domestic apparel industry to adopt advanced computer technology. This study was designed to investigate the attitudes of Louisiana apparel manufacturers towards computer technology. An attitude questionnaire was mailed to all identified apparel manufacturers in the state. The results indicated that the apparel industry in the state of Louisiana is comprised of many small, privately owned companies. A large array of products in a variety of size ranges is produced in the state. Statistical analyses indicated that there were some differences between attitudes of apparel manufacturers and contractors. In general, contractors were not as aware of the availability and transferability of advanced technology for the apparel industry as manufacturers. Manufacturers and contractors who had some formal training with CAD/CAM systems had more positive attitudes toward the competitiveness of the industry with imported products. It is recommended that the apparel industry in the state explore the technological options available to modernize for a more competitive future.     

Determinants of Formal Training Programmes in Large Canadian Organisations

This study investigated the extent to which large employers provide formal training to employees. More than two-thirds of large Canadian employers had formal training. Factors related to the presence of formal training included organisation size, decision-making ideology, and the use of team-based programmes.     

Strategies and goals of community-based injury prevention programmes--a mixed-methods study of 25 Scandinavian WHO Safe Communities

Documentation and analysis of prevention goals and interventions employed by community-based injury prevention programmes is vital to advance the knowledge and understanding of synergistic multi-strategy injury prevention programmes. This study examined the goals and interventions of 25 Scandinavian community-based injury prevention programmes in WHO-designated Safe Communities. Collection and analysis of quantitative data from survey questionnaires to the programme coordinators was followed by collection and analysis of qualitative data from structured interviews with programme coordinators from eight of the programmes. The results demonstrated that the programmes under study predominantly relied on "intuitive" and subjective methods for selecting interventions. The programmes largely failed to transform injury surveillance data into information and knowledge that could prioritize community safety strategies and measures, due to insufficient time and personnel resources. The results demonstrated the importance of combining passive approaches with active interventions. Educational efforts were considered essential to the programmes. The programmes preferred to rely on broadly stated goals rather than specific objectives.     

Strategies and goals of community-based injury prevention programmes – a mixed-methods study of 25 Scandinavian WHO Safe Communities

Documentation and analysis of prevention goals and interventions employed by community-based injury prevention programmes is vital to advance the knowledge and understanding of synergistic multi-strategy injury prevention programmes. This study examined the goals and interventions of 25 Scandinavian community-based injury prevention programmes in WHO-designated Safe Communities. Collection and analysis of quantitative data from survey questionnaires to the programme coordinators was followed by collection and analysis of qualitative data from structured interviews with programme coordinators from eight of the programmes. The results demonstrated that the programmes under study predominantly relied on ‘intuitive’ and subjective methods for selecting interventions. The programmes largely failed to transform injury surveillance data into information and knowledge that could prioritize community safety strategies and measures, due to insufficient time and personnel resources. The results demonstrated the importance of combining passive approaches with active interventions. Educational efforts were considered essential to the programmes. The programmes preferred to rely on broadly stated goals rather than specific objectives.     

Evaluation of the effectiveness of single-session school-based programmes to increase children's seat belt and pedestrian safety knowledge and self-reported behaviours

Young children experience many injuries as pedestrians and as passengers in vehicles. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two single-session school programmes, one to increase pedestrian safety knowledge and behaviour among Grade 1 children and the other to increase seat belt safety knowledge and usage among Grade 2 children. In the intervention groups, assessments were conducted on three occasions: before; soon after; and 2 months after the programmes; control groups did not receive the programme. The results revealed positive effects of these single-session safety programmes, as indicated by significant improvement and long-term retention of safety knowledge for both Grade 1 and Grade 2 children and self-reported increases in safety behaviours. Implications for future research and injury-prevention programming are discussed.     

Governance and implementation of sports safety practices by municipal offices in Swedish communities

The objective of this study was to explore whether all-purpose health or safety promotion programmes and sports safety policies affect sports safety practices in local communities. Case study research methods were used to compare sports safety activities among offices in 73 Swedish municipalities; 28 with ongoing health or safety promotion programmes and 45 controls. The offices in municipalities with the WHO Healthy Cities (HC) or Safe Communities programmes were more likely to perform frequent inspections of sports facilities, and offices in the WHO HC programme were more likely to involve sports clubs in inspections. More than every second, property management office and environmental protection office conducted sports safety inspections compared with less than one in four planning offices and social welfare offices. It is concluded that all-purpose health and safety promotion programmes can reach out to have an effect on sports safety practices in local communities. These safety practices also reflect administrative work routines and managerial traditions.     

Education and training as a strategy for improving worker health and safety: a survey of U.S. apparel companies

Maintaining a healthy work force is becoming increasingly important to apparel manufacturers today. The purpose of this study was to examine the issues involved in worker health and safety, particularly that of educating and training production workers. Data were generated from responses to a mailed questionnaire by 134 upper level managers in companies located throughout the United States. Results indicated that educating workers was an important concern for managers, ranking second to controlling workers' compensation costs. Chi-square analysis showed that there was a significant difference between those who used education and training as a cost-reduction strategy and a decrease in workers' compensation costs. Education and training was reported as a component of ergonomics and safety programmes by over three-quarters of those who were developing and implementing such programmes. The findings from this study suggest that apparel manufacturers should seriously consider the importance of education and training programmes as a cost-reduction strategy as well as a means of improving the safety and health of production workers.     

Contracting contractors

Many companies relay on contractors to execute different tasks of the value chain. This paper develops an agency model subject to moral hazard to study the general structure of the contract offered by a firm (the principal) to several contractors (agents) that perform the same task. A Generalized Least Squares regression tests the model with a panel data of 58 carriers that work for a shipper in Santiago, over 93 weeks. The regression verifies that the principal rewards some performance dimensions, but neglects others. The regression also confirms that contracting prices are sensitive to the alternatives available for the company and the contractors.     

The Independent Sales Contractor and Relationship Quality: An Exploratory Study of Relational Attitudes and Behavioral-Intention

Since the turn of the century, independent sales contractors have emerged as an important and growing sales and distribution channel. This study, guided by theories of attitude-behavior relation, constructs and tests a conceptual independent sales contractors (ISC) relationship quality scale. The findings support the proposition that relationship quality is a composite of attitudes and behavioral intentions. The work provides theoretical and practical implications, as well as suggestions for future research.     

Gender and geographic differences in intentional and unintentional injury mortality among children in Illinois, 1988–1998

Road traffic crashes and injuries constitute a major health, economic and developmental challenge for many African countries. With only 4% of the world's motor vehicles, African roads witness more than 10% of the world total collision fatalities. With further motorisation, the number of road traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities are expected to grow. This study updates on the status, trends, causes, countermeasures and issues in traffic safety in African countries by reviewing studies published in the past 12 years. The study found that traffic fatalities continued its upward trend in recent years. Similar to those in motorised countries, the study identified that human behaviour and incapacitation account for more than 85% of the contributing factors reported by police in Africa. Unlike in developed countries, the victims of traffic casualties are primarily vulnerable road users. Pedestrians alone account for more than 40% of the total fatalities on African roads. Limited countermeasures were reported in the literature. The outcomes of these programmes are mixed and the research methods have inconsistent validity. Investigation in the feasibility of transferring proven programmes from motorised countries is suggested as an efficient measure for traffic safety improvement.     

Measuring the road safety performance of Iranian provinces: a double-frontier DEA model and evidential reasoning approach

Abstract

Road traffic accidents are critical public issue in developing countries, and they annually waste a significant amount of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In order to urgently consider how this problem is related to the current policies, a proper safety evaluation of regional programmes in crash reduction is fundamental to the governments. The current research aims to employ a double-frontier Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to assess the productivity of Iranian regional safety programmes in reducing the number of road fatalities. The safety efficiencies of Iranian provinces are simultaneously estimated using the double frontier DEA to reflect both the optimistic and pessimistic points of view. Then, the Evidential Reasoning (ER) approach is applied to aggregate the obtained efficiency values. These provinces are ranked based on the data panel for 2014–2016. Finally, a double-frontier Malmquist productivity index (MPI) is used to comprehensively measure the safety performance of Iranian roads over a period of time.     

World War II prime defence contractors: Were they favoured?

Between 1940 and 1944 the US government placed $175.066 billion of prime defence contracts with US corporations. Two-thirds of these awards went to only 100 companies and 20% to only five companies leading to charges that the prime contractors were favoured. This article examines the common stock returns of World War II prime contractors relative to broad market indices and to the returns on the non-prime contractors in the same industry. The analysis begins in 1938 with the Anschluss and ends with the 1950 outbreak of the Korean War. Little evidence is found to support the charges.     

Components of effective diversity training programmes

This article reports on the results of a study on the components of effective diversity training programmes as perceived by diversity experts. The major method of this research study was in-depth, open-ended telephone interviews with a panel of 12 diversity experts located throughout the USA. The purpose was to draw upon their knowledgeable insights about the topic of effective diversity training programmes. The literature that this study was based on shows that organisations have to consider training for diversity, both domestically and internationally, to a much greater extent than ever before, this is because of demographic trends, the cost of not having diversity training, and the variety and complexity of intercultural contacts throughout the world. This study also revealed the definition and goals of effective diversity training programmes. This study could have direct implications for the development and implementation of diversity training programmes for companies operating in domestic and international settings.     

A mediation model between dimensions of social capital

Our paper contributes to the growing research by examining the interrelations between the dimensions of capital and their effects on the international market share of multinational companies in the global contractors industry. Previous works on social capital have failed to study the interrelationships between its dimensions or have proposed models with direct relationships. The current study proposes a multiple mediating model and tests the mediation. In particular, we posit that the relational and resource dimensions play a mediating role in the structural dimension-international market share relationship. A variance-based structural equation modeling (Partial Least Squares) has been applied to a sample made up of 225 global contractors. Our analysis lends support to the importance of the central positions of a firm and their influence on international market share. Moreover, mediation hypotheses posit how the relational and resource dimensions play a critical mediating role in the structural dimension – international market share relationship. Analysis of the data suggest that the dimensions of social capital are interrelated in such a way that the relational and resource dimensions: (a) fully mediate the effect of centrality (structural dimension) on the international share market and (b) exert significant influence on the international market share of each company.     

Psychological contracts and independent sales contractors: an examination of the predictors of contractor-level outcomes

Abstract

Over the past decade, the independent sales contractor (ISC) has emerged as both an important distribution channel and a management challenge. This study makes two contributions to this evolving field. First, it explores the interrelations of the psychological contract with sales performance, voluntary turnover and organisational advocacy of ISCs, which have hitherto been largely unexplored. Second, it examines differences between high- and low-performing sales contractors on these linkages, due to findings in the literature that a small number of sales contractors often achieve a majority of sales. Based on survey data as well as 7 years of contractor-level data related to sales performance and voluntary turnover (n = 189), results indicate that psychological contract fulfilment and perceived dependency are important determinants of subsequent sales performance, voluntary turnover and organisational advocacy, with significant differences reported between high- and low-performing ISCs. A notable finding pertinent for sales managers responsible for managing ISCs is that high-performing sales contractors are motivated by psychological contract fulfilment and a low perception of dependency, while low-performing sales contractors are more likely to act as advocates for the firm due to perceived dependency, but may concurrently engage in organisational advocacy as a means to leave the firm.     

Electrical deaths in the US construction: an analysis of fatality investigations

Electrocution is among the ‘fatal four’ in US construction according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Learning from failures is believed to be an effective path to success, with deaths being the most serious system failures. This paper examined the failures in electrical safety by analysing all electrical fatality investigations (N = 132) occurring between 1989 and 2010 from the Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation programme that is completed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Results reveal the features of the electrical fatalities in construction and disclose the most common electrical safety challenges on construction sites. This research also suggests the sociotechnical system breakdowns and the less effectiveness of current safety training programmes may significantly contribute to worker's unsafe behaviours and electrical fatality occurrences.     

The suitability of computer‐based training for workers with limited formal education: a case study from the US agricultural sector

The suitability of computer‐based instruction (CBI) for workers with limited education was evaluated in an Hispanic orchard workforce that reported little computer experience and 5.6 mean years of formal education. Ladder safety training was completed by employees who rated the training highly (effect size [d_gain] = 5.68), and their knowledge of ladder safety improved (d_gain = 1.45). There was a significant increase (p < 0.01) in safe work practices immediately after training (d_gain = 0.70), at 40 days post training (d_gain = 0.87) and at 60 days (d_gain = 1.40), indicating durability. As in mainstream populations, reaction or affective ratings correlated well with utility ratings, but not with behavior change. This demonstrates that an agricultural workforce with limited formal education can learn job safety from CBI and translate the knowledge to work practice changes, and those changes are durable.     

Using local injury surveillance for community-based injury prevention: an analysis of scandinavian WHO safe community and canadian safe community foundation programmes

Injury surveillance is widely recognized as a critical prerequisite for effective injury prevention, yet few studies have investigated its use by community-based injury prevention programmes. This study examined the extent to which local injury data were collected, documented, analysed, linked to injury prevention action and used for evaluation among WHO Safe Communities in Scandinavia (25 programmes) and the Canadian Safe Community Foundation (SCF) network (16 programmes). For each programme, a key informant with relevant local knowledge was selected to respond to an emailed questionnaire. The study demonstrates that community-based injury prevention programmes experience difficulties accessing and effectively utilizing local injury surveillance data. The findings suggest that the responding SCF programmes approach injury prevention more scientifically than the Scandinavian WHO-designated Safe Community programmes, by making greater use of injury surveillance for assessment, integration into prevention strategies and measures, and evaluation. Despite study limitations, such as the low response rate among Canadian programmes and a large number of non-responses to two questions, the results highlight the importance of, and need for, greater use of local injury surveillance.     

Adherence to customer loyalty programmes and changes in buyer behaviour

This study examines the factors that influence the effectiveness of customer loyalty programmes to cause a change in consumers' behaviour in retailing services. In particular, three explanatory variables are analysed: the quality of service offered to the customer, her/his trust in the company, and her/his attitude towards loyalty programmes. The results obtained indicate that a change in the buyer's behaviour is directly influenced by her/his loyalty to the retailer and by her/his attitude towards loyalty programmes. Furthermore, an indirect effect on changes in buyer behaviour caused by the quality of service and the consumer's attitude towards loyalty programmes is observed.