Factors contributing to injury severity in work zone related crashes in New Zealand

Roadworks take place frequently on existing roads in New Zealand. The adverse effects of poor road conditions and reduced road width due to the presence of a work zone on the safety of road users and workers at the work zone have been a matter of concern. Several studies have been conducted to examine the risk factors contributing to the occurrence of road crashes in work zones in different countries. Slow-moving and stopped vehicles near work zones have been found to be the primary cause of crashes and casualties in the work zones. Excessive speed of passing traffic has also been recognized as a crucial factor contributing to work zone related crashes in New Zealand. This study examined the effect of possible risk factors contributing to severe injury and fatality in work zone related crashes in New Zealand. A multinomial logistic regression model was established to determine the association between crash severity and factors such as road environment, vehicle attributes, driver behavior, and crash circumstances, based on the information available on 453 road crashes during the period from 2008 to 2013. The results indicated that the time period, vehicle involvement, and presence of vulnerable road users were the factors that determined the crash severity in work zones. This implies that improvements are required in traffic control and management measures in work zones to enhance road safety in the long run.     

Overview

Abstract

From the inception of Social Security in 1935 to the present time, a variety of measures for evaluating the actuarial status of the program have been employed. In addition, how the results of these measures have been displayed and interpreted has also evolved. These results have had great influence on policymakers’ and the general public’s perceptions of the financial condition of the program. This paper is intended to be an update of my earlier paper on the same subject, that is, a historical review of the development of these methods and their interpretation. The paper closes with suggestions as to future changes in the measurement methods, in the light of possible future changes in the program itself.     

A Tale of Passion: Linking Job Passion and Cognitive Engagement to Employee Work Performance

We propose a model of job passion that links two types of passion, harmonious and obsessive passion, to employees' work performance, via the mediating mechanism of cognitive engagement (comprising attention and absorption). Results from a survey conducted with 509 employees from an insurance firm indicate that employees with harmonious passion performed better at work, and that this relationship was mediated primarily by cognitive absorption, that is, the intensity of focus and immersion experienced by the employees when working. However, even though obsessive passion was negatively related to cognitive attention (i.e. the amount of cognitive resources spent thinking about work), it did not have a significant relationship to work performance overall. We identify and discuss research and practical implications for job passion and performance management.     

Improving the Economic Performance of Remanufacturing Systems through Flexible Design Strategies: A Case Study Based on Remanufacturing Laptop Computers for the Cambodian Market

Although numerous studies have highlighted the contributions of remanufacturing to sustainable development and the circular economy, the decision for a company to take up this strategy is riddled with uncertainties, especially when significant capital investment is involved. To improve the economic performance of a remanufacturing system in the face of uncertainties, we propose a methodological framework for flexible design of remanufacturing systems. Its application is demonstrated using a case study based on remanufacturing laptop computers for the Cambodian market. Through the case study, we show how one can explore the opportunity of setting up a remanufacturing system, study its economic feasibility and design flexible strategies to improve its economic performance in the face of uncertainties. More interestingly, we demonstrate how Monte Carlo simulation can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of different flexible design strategies in dealing with the uncertainties. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

The Relationship Between Task Interdependency and Role Stress: A Revisit of the Job Demands–Control Model*

abstract Drawing from Karasek's job demands–control model, this study investigated how perceived amount and clarity of interdependency in managers’ jobs affect role stress, and the extent to which job control moderates these relationships. Results show that amount of interdependency was positively associated with role conflict, and clarity of interdependency was negatively associated with role ambiguity. There was also support for the job demands–control model as greater job control reduced role ambiguity when clarity of interdependency was low. Although higher job control produced lower role ambiguity when both clarity and amount of interdependency were low, higher job control did not produce lower role ambiguity when clarity of interdependency was low and amount of interdependency was high, suggesting that the buffering value of job control on reducing role stress is contingent on the task interdependencies that managers confront.     

Differential Effects of Chinese Women's Sexual Self-Schema on Responses to Sex Appeal in Advertising

Despite the increased use of sex appeal in advertising, little is known about the influence of individual personality differences on responses to sexual information. This study examines the effects of the “sexual self-schema” personality trait on Chinese women's responses to advertisements using sex appeal. Regardless of the type of sexual information used, attitudes toward these advertisements mediate the effect of sexual self-schema on the purchase intentions of women with lower sexual self-schema while this mediating effect was not observed in women with higher sexual self-schema. The theoretical and practical implications of sex appeal in advertising for Chinese women are discussed.     

The Contingent Effects of Social Network Sparseness and Centrality on Managerial Innovativeness

Prior research has highlighted that network sparseness and network centrality enhance innovativeness through access to information and influence, respectively. We advance this perspective by exploring the extent to which individual actions are needed to mobilize information and influence accessed through social networks, and whether such information and influence would mutually reinforce to enhance managerial innovativeness. Our findings found partial support for the idea that actions are needed to actualize potential resources embedded in social networks, as centrally positioned managers enjoy higher innovativeness when they engage in ambassador activities. We also found that advice network sparseness and advice network centrality had independent, not interactive relationships with managerial innovativeness, suggesting that they offer distinct routes to achieving managerial innovativeness. Overall, our research clarifies the relationships of two important social network attributes on managerial innovativeness, and also sheds new light on how managerial action matters in realizing social network advantages for innovative ends.