Conceptual design pattern for ergonomic workplaces

In this paper, we analyzed two laboratories of liquid chromatography (LC), separation technique of mixtures and identification of its components, in order to identify projectual gaps relating to the environment and the working station. The methodology used was the ergonomic analysis with interactional and participatory techniques applied during the activity performance. This work incorporated and adapted the concept developed by Alexander (1979)--pattern languages--passing from architectural projects to workstations project and physical arrangement of the work environment. The adaptation of the concept resulted in a list of recommendations, requirements and concepts that have brought design solutions for the problematic aspects observed in the ergonomic analysis. The employed methodology, strongly supported in ergonomics principles, and in interactional and participatory techniques, contributed to achieve our gold that is what we now call Conceptual Standards. The patterns go beyond of a usual model of book a of ergonomics specification, once incorporating the viewpoint of the end user, it is also a set of best project practices and of project management in conception ergonomics.     

Early inference on reliability of upgraded automotive components by using past data and technical information

When a new product is the result of design and/or process improvements introduced in its predecessors, then the past failure data and the expert technical knowledge constitute a valuable source of information that can lead to a more accurate reliability estimate of the upgraded product. This paper proposes a Bayesian procedure to formalize the prior information available about the failure probability of an upgraded automotive component. The elicitation process makes use of the failure data of the past product, the designer information on the effectiveness of planned design/process modifications, information on actual working conditions of the upgraded component and, for outsourced components, technical knowledge on the effect of possible cost reductions. By using the proposed procedure, more accurate estimates of the failure probability can arise. The number of failed items in a future population of vehicles is also predicted to measure the effect of a possible extension of the warranty period. Finally, the proposed procedure was applied to a case study and its feasibility in supporting reliability estimation is illustrated.     

Armed and Aging: Dementia and Firearms Do Not Mix !

ABSTRACT

The possibility that persons with dementia possess firearms is cause for concern, but only a limited number of research studies have been conducted on such a topic, usually in the form of case reports. Reducing the occurrence of the firearm-related violence requires effectively identifying dangerous individuals and keeping firearms out of their hands. The health care professionals, i.e. the social workers and the physicians, need to work together and to produce a suitable evaluation of patients with dementia to prevent firearm-related injuries and serious and irreparable damage to persons.     

The Failure of External Control on Public Utilities

Although on average the cost of local public services is quite high, the same cannot always be said about their quality. Why is this so? This paper suggests that the answer lies in the failure of external control systems. Specifically, four types of risk have been identified: (1) standardisation that is either lacking or incongruent; (2) inappropriate relationships between controllers and the controlled; (3) cases of erosion and resistance to control; (4) incoherence between control aims and methods, and the skill of controllers. The research method was based partly on an analysis of literature and partly on empirical observation. Initially, a thorough examination of articles on the subject published in the main international journals was carried out. Then empirical research (limited to the Italian situation) was added to support the research hypotheses, and which led to the paper’s conclusions. The results may be significant from two points of view. Firstly, although in recent years financial scandals have been very much in the news (the cases of Enron, Argentine bonds, football club scandals) literature has not yet systematically dealt with control failure. Secondly, the conclusions may be of support to public administration policy-makers or to controllers who need to improve their professionalism and diligence.     

The concept of social movement

Recent developments in social movement research have evidenced a greater underlying consensus in the field than one might have assumed. Efforts have been made to bridge different perspectives and merge them into a new synthesis. Yet, comparative discussion of the concept of ‘social movement’ has been largely neglected so far. This article reviews and contrasts systematically the definitions of ‘social movement’ formulated by some of the most influential authors in the field. A substantial convergence may be detected between otherwise very different approaches on three points at least. Social movements are defined as networks of informal interactions between a plurality of individuals, groups and/or organizations, engaged in political or cultural conflicts, on the basis of shared collective identities. It is argued that the concept is sharp enough a) to differentiate social movements from related concepts such as interest groups, political parties, protest events and coalitions; b) to identify a specific area of investigation and theorising for social movement research.     

Metaphors and Theory Building in Organization Theory: What Determines the Impact of a Metaphor on Theory?*

A long‐standing stream of organizational research suggests that our ability to theorize and reason about organizations is significantly influenced by metaphorical representations of organizations. This study contributes to this research stream by examining how different metaphors influence theory development and academic thinking about organizations. We asked scholars from UK business schools to rate different metaphors in terms of their impact on theory building. We then examined whether, and to what extent, these metaphors (after they had been selected) had helped in clarifying and advancing their understanding of organizations. The results indicate that the ability of a metaphor to advance and clarify theoretical understandings of organizations is based upon (1) the degree to which that metaphor is seen to capture multiple salient features of organizations and (2) the ease with which the metaphor is understood. We discuss the implications of these results for theorizing and research on organizations.     

Sexual Offending in Adolescence: A Comparison of Sibling Offenders and Nonsibling Offenders across Domains of Risk and Treatment Need

Sibling sexual offending has received limited empirical attention, despite estimates that approximately half of all adolescent-perpetrated sexual offenses involve a sibling victim. The present study addresses this gap by examining male adolescent sibling (n = 100) and nonsibling offenders (n = 66) with regard to maltreatment histories and scores on two adolescent risk/need assessment instruments, the ERASOR and YLS/CMI. Adolescents who sexually abused a sibling, versus a nonsibling, were more likely to have histories of sexual abuse and been exposed to domestic violence and pornography. There were no group differences on ERASOR and YLS/CMI scales. This study adds to the limited discourse on sibling sexual offending and the larger literature on the heterogeneity of adolescents who have sexually offended.     

Centacare in the Northern Territory

Abstract

At the present time, social work in England finds itself at the crossroads. Against a backdrop of economic globalisation, it has been caught up in New Labour's modernising policy discourse that has recast social justice in terms of opportunity, inclusion, and “choice”. More recently, this has been extended by the introduction of a “respect agenda”, a reaction to the loss of community cohesion and the rise in antisocial behaviour. In the present article, two alternative paradigmatic responses are explored reflecting a debate between evidence-based practice (EBP) and critical practice (CP). These may be juxtaposed because they offer different visions of what social work could become in the future while providing two important reference points against which current practice may be judged. Whereas the former has been depicted as a “search for certainty” that largely complements the modernising discourse, CP works with both certainty and uncertainty in the quest for more emancipatory change. In practice, English social workers may manage such contradictions by looking down both roads and incorporating elements of both in their practice: adopting elements of EBP to justify their interventions and become more research minded while embracing aspects of CP to engage with structural issues that lie at the root of injustice.